Hosanna Emily's Blog, page 4

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || meet Rowdy Russell the Raccoon

 

Hello, dear reader,
I'm excited to introduce you to one more Honey-Water Farm friend! This raccoon is adorable, and you could seriously grab him up in a great, big hug.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere on a farm, and we learned that farm animals included more than ducks, horses, sheep, and goats. We had possums and snakes... and raccoons, which happened to be one of my favorites. ;)
And maybe I'm partial because Ms. Debbie illustrated Russell adorably. ;) I hope you enjoy this little introduction to our character friend, Russell.






"Russell had the biggest raccoon smile in the whole wide world. He looked at the Helper who let out a deep laugh.
'Is this for real?' Russell asked."



Meet Russell.
He has a special place on the farm. He's not the funniest or bravest, and you'll find him constantly bumping his nose into a tree or tripping over roots. But arriving in the middle of the story, Russell has a deep love and loyalty to the Helper who invited him to live in Honey-Water Farm.
Russell gets to go on adventures, from a pond tea-party with a lollipop cake to collecting sap in the dark of night to make maple syrup and running into treacherous animals. 
But he also has secret treasures from his life before the farm, and he's not sure if he can give them up, even for the Helper.
When his old life and new life collide, he has to pick what's most important. He must decide if he'll be faithful to the Helper and if that sacrifice is worth it.
I think that's something we all have to decide:

Is Jesus worth it?

The Bible talks about there being a treasure in a field and a pearl of great price (Matthew 13:33-36), and the discoverers were willing to sacrifice everything to gain them. And in my own life, I've had to decide if Jesus was that treasure or if I wanted my life to pursue something else.
And I've watched my friends and siblings make that same decision. I saw my brother give up his most valued possession to follow Jesus faithfully because He asked that of him, but a friend decided that something else was more important and pursued that.
What's crazy is that Jesus loves both those people so, so much and died to offer them complete forgiveness and a future hope!! He lets the rain fall and the sun rise on both the evil and the good out of His great love, mercy, and kindness (Matthew 5:45). He desires us to belong to Him, like the Helper wants Russell's friendship and quality time and to be family.
I'm inspired when I read Russell's story. He's not only an adorable, fuzzy creature (*all the heart eyes*), but his decision to choose faithfulness or not inspires me to declare,

...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15

And to sing,

I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back. 

I Have Decided

Jesus is worthy of it all, and following Him is the greatest joy in life!

At the end of Russell's story, he gets to experience something more wonderful than he ever imagined! So enjoy his tale, and may it challenge you to decide if Jesus is worthy of it all.

(psst) The Tale of Honey-Water Farm giveaway is still open! Click here to enter!

Or hop over to this link to preorder your own Kindle copy of the book!

So, would you consider raccoons a farm animal or no? And are they fuzzy and cute or rascally and wild? *wink* 
And if you're a Christ-follower, when did you first start following Jesus? Let's chat below!

For it brought me great joy when some brothers came and told me about your faithfulness to the truth, how you are in accordance with the truth living your life. 

3 John 1:3

~♥~

 

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || GIVEAWAY!

Hello Friend!
My new book "The Tale of Honey-Water Farm" releases in 7 days (December 14)! So methinks it's time to celebrate with a book release giveaway!
This giveaway starts TODAY, and I'll pick a winner on release day! Scroll down to see the fun stuff.
(this was so fun to pick out. Just picture me with two happy sisters walking through a farm store finding the cutest animal gifts to give away. Writing farm books is the best. *grin*)




 




THE PRIZE:
a proof copy of the book (the official book but a limited, early copy with a watermark)a Christmas-y, farmish mugchamomile citrus teaand an adorable goat ornament (because Nelly the Nanny Goat insisted on butting in here)


HOW TO ENTER:
Just drop a comment!




(didn't you want another picture of the cute goat ornament?)






Sharing with friends or posting on your own blog or social media is encouraged but does not give bonus entries; I want this giveaway to simply be a huge thank you to YOU.
This book is a journey Jesus and I got to go on, and I dream that it will be a gift to you wonderful, encouraging blog readers. A gift to cheer you on as you seek Jesus fully and savor childlike joys, as it urges me to.
So drop a comment! Here's some fun questions to pick from!

// What's your favorite hot drink in winter? // Describe 2022 in a word. // What's your favorite Christmas tradition? // Do you have a farm you love?

Let's chat! (I hope you win!) *wink*

Consider the amazing love that the Father has lavished on us, so great as for us to be called children, yes, of God! It’s true! ...

1 John 3:1 

~♥~

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || meet Doubtful Doreana the Duck

Today on our family farm, there're cool rainclouds filling the pastures with bright puddles. It's a good day to be a duck. ;)
I've always thought ducks were one of the cutest farm animals! We've grown up with them since I can remember, and they are constant splashers. Ducks are one of those animals that can literally laugh (I've woken early to their quacking laughter!), they may show up on a random day with a dozen, tiny ducklings trailing behind, and yet they're maybe the messiest of any farm animal.
(I found them this week swimming in my cow trough leaving feathers and mud everywhere. And yes, they're still my favorite) ;)
Thus, while writing The Tale of Honey-Water Farm, this duck character was one of my favorites, and I think you'll have fun exploring her story!

“Doreana almost squawked like a chicken. ‘A surprise? Then I must get ready!’”

Meet Doreana.

She lives on the Honey-Water Farm with her neighbor, Tuff Tobias the Toad of the Pond Patrol, and loves it! She has a constant smile, can't help but "accidentally" splash everyone, and has skill as an artist (which is quite impressive if you imagine drawing with feathers!).

But she has one huge problem:

Her webbed feet are much too big.

She can’t fly, and she thinks they’re ugly. So Doreana tries to hide her feet with toenail polish, but it makes it worse. (I mean, nail polish on a duck is never a good idea.)
But the Farmer still loves this silly duck, and he has an exciting plan for her. It includes trekking through the swamp, meeting unexpected strangers, getting to have a pond tea party, and eating a banana.
But what I love is her relationship with the Farmer.
In the darkest moment, when she has nowhere else to go, he changes her life. He loved her as a lost duckling unable to fly south for the winter with her family, and he continues to guide her and treasure her as part of his family out of his great kindness. Even with her big, funny feet.
And because of that, she invites everyone to the farm!
Jesus did the same thing for me. He changes everything. He forgave me when I was a sinner and loved me when I was undeserving, and this life with Him is the best! I could dance around like Doreana just to praise Him!
Sometimes I imagine God looking at us and not seeing the people we are today... not the mistakes or awkwardness or distractedness. If we're in Jesus, we have been forgiven! Clean. Those sins are washed away and removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:11-13). And He is a kind, gentle Father. I imagine Him seeing the wonderful person He has created us to be, that man or woman in His image on the day He returns and restores shalom to this broken world.
And like a child with her Daddy, may we listen, learn, lean into His arms, and even now become that person. He doesn't leave us in the mess--He is our Teacher, and conviction is a beautiful thing.
That's what I see in Doreana. The Helper gave her everything she needed. He didn't look at her silliness and disqualify her; he loved her. It drew her to see something more important than big feet, and it changed the lives of a raccoon, rattlesnake, and a fox. (who you'll get to meet soon!)
Thank you, Jesus. ♥
So for all you duck lovers (like me), I hope you laugh through Doreana’s story and enjoy her adventures on Honey-Water Farm! Meet the scary characters she encounters in the swamp and enjoy the tea party for yourself!







The Tale of Honey-Water Farm is now available for preorder for Kindle on Amazon! Click here to claim your own copy!

Therefore, as people chosen by God, set apart and dearly loved, put on your "new clothes"--a heart of mercy and compassion, kindness...
Colossians 3:12

 

~♥~

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || how God started the story

"The Tale of Honey-Water Farm" releases in 16 days.
December 14.
It's right around the corner, and I'm excited to slip on here and share some behind the scenes!

Are you ready?
Get ready for the crazy story of how God started this tale (more than six years ago!), and come back later this week and the next for more fun sneak peeks—getting to know the characters, the Biblical truth this book rests on, and all the release fun!


























Five years ago, God had my family move to a new city. As a mid-teen, it was hard. I missed our old home, there were already painful changes that year, and day #1 on the farm started horribly. I felt sick, afraid, lost.
But already, He was at work.
Next door, God was stirring dreams in a neighbor's heart. Deborah Greene was a hands-on lady who could turn wood into masterpieces, weld metal into any farm tool you'd need, paint masterpieces for fun, and she had a heart for Jesus.
For some reason, God was giving her animal characters. She wrote down their names and personalities and began drawing adorable farm animals, hoping one day He would use them. 
She dreamed they would encourage young people to love Jesus.
Years passed. We lived next door and got to know her and other neighbors. But it wasn't until last Christmas that we were in her backyard chatting, and Ms Debbie asked:
"I have characters, and I heard you're a writer. Would you ever consider looking at them and seeing if you can make them a story?"
I said sure.
But it wasn't Hosanna that made the characters come to life. How could I take someone else's dream and make it my own? I sat with her, saw the adorable drawings that would make my eyes light up, talked about it. But I set this project before Jesus and said, "I can't do this. If You want me to write this book, please give me excitement for it. Guide me. I leave it all in Your hands."
(needless to say, He did all that!)
I fell in love with Ms Debbie's characters, and God filled me with stories that had to be spilled out! He gave me the Honey-Water Farm title, and I worked with Ms Debbie—me writing and her illustrating—until today, I hold a real copy of the book in my hand, and all I can say is God. is. faithful.
It blows my mind.
He planned this story FIVE YEARS before I knew it. The crazy thing is I couldn't have written this book until just now. I hadn't learned the truths that went into the tale. I wasn't ready.
This is why I love this project, and I absolutely can't wait for you to hold a copy in your hands! It's the testimony that God did this book.
And I've loved getting to know Ms. Debbie through the process!
She is a beautiful woman with a simple heart of love for Jesus. She lives on her farm enjoying her dog, kitties, and family, gives the best hugs, and smiles all the time. You can find her working skillfully with a pencil or paintbrush, at welding or woodburning, and she'll labor for days over art for a friend just to serve them. It's not rare to find her driveway filled with cars as her entire extended family shows up for Easter parties, and, one of the first years we were there and barely knew her, she invited us over too! 
The book cover was drawn by her hand as well as more than a dozen illustrations inside the book! But one of my favorite drawings is that she caricatured me and her together, and I think we're adorable. *giggles*






So this is a little praise of how awesome God is and how I love living life with Him.
Come back in a few days for more behind the scenes fun (including some of Ms. Debbie's illustrations! You're gonna love them.)

Have you gotten to know your neighbors?What's a hard thing God worked out for good in your life?
Let's chat below!

Fun Fact: As God gave Ms. Debbie characters, she based them off people she knew, mainly family members! You'll have to see if you can guess which character she is. *wink*

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth...

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 57: 5, 9-11

~♥~

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || Cover Reveal + Giveaway

IT'S TIME FOR A NEW BOOK RELEASE!

Last December, the filaments of a story began to dance in my mind, and somehow God wove them into a heart-warming, funny story that I absolutely love.
They're tales of a big family sharing life on a farm. But the family is composed of animals, jokes are in every chapter, truth is interwoven in between, and there're illustrations!!
Introducing:

The Tale of Honey-Water Farm
to be released: December 14, 2022

Eep, are you excited?
And here's the book blurb: 

In a stinky, grumpy land, the Farmer makes a happy farm and invites everyone into his animal family! From a horse full of jokes to a toad in the Pond Patrol, the animals have all the fruit and Honey-Water they could dream of. But the Farmer leaves to prepare for a Huge Farm Party. The friends face danger and strange animals who try to steal them from the farm. Can the animals hold onto the promise in their Honey-Water home? Will the Huge Farm Party ever come true?

Meet twelve huggable animals full of laughter and adventures and read why a goat tries to hide on a ceiling fan, what happens when a duck’s feet are too big, and how a possum celebrates her birthday.

And discover the secret of how every heart—young and old—can be radically faithful to their Farmer and receive a forever treasure.

Are you ready for the official, beautiful cover?!

Scroll down to let your eyes feast on the colors (I wouldn't blame you!) or read on for some of my usual whimsical thoughts if you're not one of those "skip to the last page of the book" kinda person. *wink*

Okay, just do it. Go see the cover. Ahhh!!!

...

Are you back now? (don't you have all the farmish feelings?!)

I think often about the fun of a book release these days. *wink*

There are reveals. Giveaways. Behind the scenes. Quotes. Aesthetics.

They're all fun, beautiful, they make you giddy inside and want to throw your arms around the characters and dance around!

And they all point to one thing:

the release day (!)

 

I'm thrilled. All this release is fun and exciting, and I can't wait for my little stories to be savored by readers of all ages! I dream of little ones giggling at Nelly the Nanny Goat's fake teeth falling out and older readers feeling childhood wonder as they read of Handsome Hansel the Horse and remember what it felt like to ride a bike for the first time.

This book has been all God. He gave me the stories in such a cool way, answered prayer, leads me in every step, and I hand the book back to Him so blessed that it's His project, not mine. ♥

It all culminates on December 14, the day picked for the release.

And I think of Jesus.

He's promised that there's a Day coming that's beyond our wildest imagination. It's a day of judgment—where all that is wrong will be punished—and a day of rewards—where those who trust fully in Him will be rewarded according to their works.

It's the Day a Kingdom will come to this broken earth, all will be made new, and we'll get to be with God forever! It's a day when the dead will rise and be reunited with their loved ones in whole bodies with no sickness or pain. How can I picture this without wanting to dance around?!

For the soul longing for our King, it's the day our Lover will return for His Bride, and we'll celebrate at the wedding supper of the Lamb!

For now, we wait. Anticipate. Prepare.

And in the meantime, I'm celebrating. I'm dreaming of the New Earth and how wonderful it will be to be in Jesus' presence, wrapped in His arms. I soak in His beauty in this present age. I rejoice in snippets of His shalom I find all over the world and look forward in eager expectation.

But I also seek to be ready for when the Bridegroom returns (Matthew 25:1-13).

As I celebrate this book's release and prepare it to enter the world, I'm anticipating the release day eagerly (yay!) and how it reminds me of the Day He comes. May we be found ready and faithful.

So. Are you ready for the official book cover for The Tale of Honey-Water Farm?!

Presenting:

cover drawn by Deborah Greene and graphic designed by Josiah Chad

And now for a giveaway to celebrate! (this giveaway is also on my Instagram (@hosanna.emily); enter on either site!)

the Prize:

// a super cute, rustic, farm-house, wax-melt warmer 

// apple crisp scented melts 

 to Enter:

// leave a comment (what do you love about farms?)

 

Bonus Entries: 

send to a friend (say something like "here's a book release I'm excited for!")

share on social media, your blog, etc.

extra entry for anyone on my email newsletter team!

 

Comment below with each entry, and the winner will be announced next Tuesday! 

I can't wait to chat below and celebrate this book release with you! Keep your eyes peeled for more behind-the-scenes info and alllll the fun stuff!

 

And let us continually consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but continuing to give one another strength and encouragement, and this more and more as you see the Day drawing nearer and nearer.

- Hebrews 10:22 

~♥~

The Hidden Beauty in Every Sunrise

Are you a sunrise or sunset person?
My mama jokes that sunsets are just sunrises backwards, thus she doesn't have to wake early. *wink* I'm a night-owl too, so sometimes I agree with that motto.
But last winter as the sunrises awoke late enough for this girl to see them, I crawled out of bed to gasp in the frigid air, wrap a bathrobe around me, and shivering, watch the sun wake up every morning for a week. I took a picture of every sunrise, trying to capture the color and beauty like a child coloring a picture with bulky crayons and never truly encapsulating it.
Yet it still caught something beautiful that I look at and remember. From the vibrant, peachy light to gentle blues dabbled in clouds or even grey mornings littered with snow, the sunrises were worth every lost minute of sleep.
I learned to love the sunrise.














Today as I snuggled on the porch to see the sun awaken, the sky was cloudy grey. Instead, I watched the trees turning to fall hues and flipped open my Bible.

In (the heavens) He has set a tabernacle for the sun,Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

- Psalm 19:4-5 

The whisper:
the sunrise is like Jesus.
Because He made a promise that one day soon, He will return. He will be like a bridegroom coming to His Bride whom He cherishes and is waiting for! Like the sun piercing the earth at dawn, the color indescribable, the texture and light and faithfulness of every single morning, Jesus is.
I imagine Him with light beyond our imagination, the skies illuminated in rainbows of color because their Maker is finally here!
And I wonder if in the meantime, He eagerly waits, almost restlessly perhaps, because He sees the enemy coming against us. Maybe He beams proudly as we wait in loyalty to Him, as His Bride presses on with a fierce love that holds on despite tempest winds. His Spirit is in her, and she presses on.
So every morning, the sun rises. Sometimes, smokey clouds block out its light, but it continues to rise, circuit from one end of the sky to the other, and set once again.

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end;

- Psalm 19:5-6 

I want to live every moment in delight of the sunrise.
Delighting in the fact that my Best Friend, the One who knows all of me and still loves, guides, corrects, forgives me, He is returning for me like a bridegroom!
Every sunrise is a reminder of His sweet faithfulness.
Jesus pursues us, and as we dig into His Word and spend time with Him, we can fall hopelessly in love with this God who made us. He has done that for me, and I absolutely can't wait for Him to return so that we can live together in a perfect earth with no barriers in between the pure friendship man and God was always intended to savor!
I can't wait to be with Him.
So that's what these verses mean to me. That's why as I look at these seven photos of seven mornings in a row--sunrises of intense, dazzling beauty and ones hidden behind snowy clouds--I'm reminded that He is faithful, and His promises are true.
You have permission to laugh, smile, giggle, joy, sing, dance in the awesomeness that if you trust fully in Jesus' finished work, you are adopted into His Kingdom and have an awesome, beautiful, glorious inheritance!
(My poetic heart likes to picture it as Him bringing His castle to His New Earth and us getting to reign with Him as princes and princesses, rewarding us with treasures! How awesome is that?!)
There's nothing sweeter than following Jesus, my friend.
The sun will continue to rise and fall every day as a faithful pointer to its Maker. And I pray we are found as a Bride waiting for her Groom: eagerly expectant, obedient, worshipping because we love Him so much and simply cannot wait to be with Him forever.
Even if I don't wake early enough for every sunrise, *laughs* I'll keep chasing them, trying to capture beauty in words like a child scribbling with oversized crayons, and living in praise!

(psst-- here's a song I'm praising God with today on this theme!)

 

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. 

- Lamentations 3:22-23

 

~♥~

Baptism || When Jesus Calls Me to Die

I was baptized when I was eight years old, and I remember three things:

// my daddy baptized me in sweetly warm water// a beautiful worship song played// and I simply did it because I loved Jesus, and He told us to obey

Little Hosanna had so much she didn't understand. She didn't know what baptism represented or the beauty of it, but she knew the God she loved said go, so she did.

I wouldn't change that. But this week as a friend shared about their upcoming baptism, I realized how little I knew. So I dove into a word study and found a core truth that's so hard and beautiful with which I can do nothing more than lift to Jesus and whisper, "help me."

I learned,

 

I'm in love with Jesus more than anything in this world, and it's the most wonderful thing I've discovered in life. And yet as I follow Him, He whispers this:

come and die.

I want to balk and run from it, grab my dreams and hopes and say, "didn't You give these to me? Why do I have to surrender them again and again?"

come and die.

Baptism is joining Jesus in that death.

I read of the Israelites, riding victoriously from Egypt after they escaped their captors, but then they came to the water. There was a turning point.

They were God's people! They were chosen, and God Himself led them by a fire by night and a cloud by day!

But until they walked through that water, they weren't free. The Egyptians were coming, and unless their God intervened, they'd forever be slaves.

So He did. God let them pass through the waters on dry ground as a symbol of baptism, and on the other side, they found freedom and life and joy and a future hope. Their promised land awaited!

Jesus asks me: am I willing?

Am I willing to pass through the waters and let myself die to find freedom when I rise? Am I willing to let go of my dreams and hopes to embrace His?

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Now are your ways My ways," says the LORD."For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts."

- Isaiah 55:8-9

The Bible continues describing the beauty of baptism throughout its pages, and I could list references to keep you busy for hours. *wink* But what I read is that baptism comes from a heart of repentance. It's an important part of entering the family of God. And the Holy Spirit is a special part of it all (which is awesome, 'cuz it means God literally gets to live in us as a Helper!).

As Jesus died, when we're baptized under the water, we join in His death, and as He rose, we rise out of the water into a new life with Him. What's amazing is that when He returns to bring His Kingdom, we'll rise again with new physical bodies and inherit the Kingdom with Him!

But today, I'm left with a decision: is Jesus worth it?

Is He worth giving everything for?

And yet being a follower of Jesus isn't a slavery where He steals what we love to grasp all the glory for Himself. He's a transcendent God who treasures His people and, knowing what's best for them, leads them in the way they should go. We give Him glory because that, in turn, fills us with the deepest satisfaction and joy we could ever experience!

I've had no joy greater than the joy of knowing Him.

He is a God of peace and love and all that's good, and He desires us to know Him intimately, to converse with Him, to live life with Him.

But it starts with a decision.

Will I come and die so that something greater might live?

...unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

- John 12:24-26

The One we follow gave His very life, suffering a terrible and ghastly death, and,

...a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.

- John 13:16

 

And so I surrender to Jesus.

I accept that whatever He says goes. That His plan is always best. That He may give and take away as He sees fit, and I will stand before Him and worship.

It's not always easy to walk through the waters, but it is the most beautiful and fulfilling calling. So I'll wipe away tears and skip through dry ground.

I challenge you to sit with the Lord and open your heart to the One who calls you "beloved." Surrender to Him, cry to Him, love Him, and be loved by Him.

It's so sweet to be loved by Jesus.

What is your baptism story? Are there waters you're walking through? Let's share below!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

- Isaiah 43:2

 

 

 

 

~♥~

 

May You Be Found Faithful

Everyone has a job; what's yours?
I challenge you to pause and answer that question. What is your job?
I don't merely mean the job that pays your salary or what you answer when someone asks, "what have you been up to?". Not the place you grudgingly drive to every weekday because you have to. Because we have those tasks we do, but they aren't who we are.
I wonder what is your God-given job? What is the passion or dream or simple work He put into your hands and whispers, "go for it"? 
What were you created to do that God is calling you to be faithful in?
That's your job.








Last month, I found myself wrapping up one of my Farm Tales drafts and setting it aside as my illustrator continued her work, and I felt my arms wide open as I whispered, "God, what's next? What do you want me to jump into?"
He didn't answer immediately. But the next day, a dear friend sat chatting with me, and she asked about my writing projects, saying, "So what does your writing look like? Do you write every day?"
I laughed as I told her I might not even write every week, explaining it away with excuses about how busy I was with siblings, my paid job, and the other tasks on my schedule.
But she smiled. "If this is a job God gave you, shouldn't it be a priority?"
It hit me.
I'd say my job is to go to work at the music store, serve customers, keep things clean and organized, and go home. Or I might say my job is being a big sister and being faithful at home.
And those are my jobs. I work at them with all my heart, seek to do them well every single week.
But if God gave me a specific job, shouldn't that be just as important as driving to work every work day?
Shouldn't I dive in headfirst, be passionate, devote myself to finishing this calling He set before me?
So I did. July was a lovely month of pursuing the calling God set before me, and it was adorned with answered prayers and sweet moments with God as we wrote and edited and completed the work He set before me. I realized again why I love being a writer. I joy-ed through my work.
And as I did so, He whispered the reason why we do every job He sets before us:

...continually set your hearts, before all else, on His Kingdom and the salvation that comes from Him...
- Matthew 6:33

It's not just doing the thing we're good at. It's the fact that Jesus is going to return with His Kingdom, establish a New Earth, and we get to live with Him forever! It's the craziness that He offers forgiveness to every heart who humbles themselves before Him.

My job as a writer is to set my own heart on His Kingdom and create words that, I pray, draw others to His salvation.

May that be the reason I do every single job. May I write faithfully, heart set on His Kingdom. As I serve customers and love siblings and mop the kitchen and chat with friends, may that be the ultimate purpose behind it all:

seek first the Kingdom.

If the job is incredibly hard or if it's simply mundane.

Friend, may you be found faithful in your roles. If you run a household and wash laundry and wipe snotty noses, may it be a joyful sacrifice where you meet Jesus in the chaos. If you're a creator who uses your fingers to write stories, carve wood, paint masterpieces, send snail mail, lift others up with music, may you do it for and with our Savior. If you drive to work or do school, may it be with all your heart as for the Lord.

I challenge you to pause, sit with Jesus, and seek His heart. He is the best friend you could ever have, and He wants to live life with you. Ask Him what His jobs for you are, but more, ask Him how you can seek first His Kingdom.

Not just work harder. Not be a better person.

It's a relationship with a God who covers you with His love, who wants to live life with you, who wants to use you to impact this world!

(it's pretty exciting!)

Press on sister. Run the race brother. May we be found faithful when He returns with His Kingdom. ♥

What jobs has God set before you to be faithful in? Let's chat below!

Whatever work you do, it is from the heart that you are to do it, as though you were serving the Lord and not mere men, knowing that it is the Lord from whom you will receive the inheritance as your reward. It is the Lord, the Messiah, to whom you are truly rendering your service.

- Colossians 3:23-24

~♥~

Books Update || Here's Author Life

 

Hello!

For anyone who hasn't been here for a while, welcome friend! I'm Hosanna Emily, an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God and a seeker of beauty in the midst of life. *hugs*

What I write here are glimpses, like journal entries, of the beauty God reveals as my Teacher. I write them to remember, and I write to hopefully encourage you to press on in the battle of faith, hope, and love:

love, to spur you on to know Jesus intimately, to have a love relationship with Him which results in obedience to His words which are precious

hope, to understand the future God has for us which makes ordinary days become something incredibly purposeful and helps us see beyond the darkness

faith, the action of believing because of the love and hope, the determination to be found faithful, the continuance despite whatever this world throws at you

Those are my goals with this blog, but I have another little gift I share here. I like to call it my superpower.

I write books.

I published The Mystery of the Midnight Trespasser in 2016 (a MG mystery) and The Torch Keepers in 2019 (a YA fantasy novel). Since then, there's been many books in the works, but it's been hush-hush here.

It's time for a books update. (yay!)

At the beginning of this year, God told me this was a year to pursue four books, to work on them faithfully for Him, and to see fruit. I can't wait to share book titles and covers and all the fun things! But here's where I am today, and I hope to keep you updated as the stories are birthed into the world!

The Farm Tales are two separate books that are both set on a farm.

Farm Tales #1: A middle-grade story featuring twelve animal characters who are invited to become a unique farm family in which adventures are explored, jokes are cracked, and funny animals of all sorts learn Truth that propel the characters to a longing desire.

Progress: This manuscript is complete! My illustrator is wrapping up her work, and this is the first book I want to slip into your hands. It's a story to make you laugh and think deeper. The illustrator has done a detailed, fun job with the characters, and you'll love them. =)

How to Help: Once this book is ready for publication, I'll be asking for a team to come with me and share! Share the cover, quotes, all the fun stuff. And my heart is to have this book readily available. I want to share it with young readers everywhere and pray it helps them see that youth can live radically for Jesus. I'd love if anyone gave extra copies to their young friends!

Farm Tales #2: A picture book of a farm of cows who must be faithful in the time of waiting for their Farmer to return. For young children, it's a story of looking forward to Jesus' return, of holding fast to the jobs He has given us, and of the vital importance of sharing the Gospel. All behind cow faces and a fun story, of course. =)

Progress: This manuscript is complete, and I'm praying for the perfect illustrator to create this beauty!

How to Help: Pray that God makes it clear who should illustrate this book.

The Sequel: Where The Torch Keepers left off, this YA book resumes the fantastical story of the Kingdom of Érkeos as the Prince continues to establish his regime against the King's rule. With roaring volcanoes, mystical creatures from ancient folklore, and a little family of orphans who resist the enemy's lies, it's an allegorical tale of what it looks like to be found faithful.

Progress: I'm in editing mode and soon to be sending this off to round #2 of beta readers. This has been so fun! As I edit, I've prayed through this story and asked God for wisdom, and He has answered so. many. prayers. I've learned to ask expecting answers, because He supplies the story ideas I need!

This book has made me laugh and cry as it's been my dream story for four years. There's still work to go into it and plot hols to mend, but this is a book that's somehow part of me and I hope will impact you to fall in love with our own King.

How to Help: Please pray for continued wisdom in this book process, and if you're interested in being a beta reader, contact me for info on how to claim your own early copy!

A Book of Poetry: With poems extending from revelational moments in life to the tiniest fragments of beauty captured in words, this is an anthology of stories, colors, emotions, and truths wrapped up in poetry.

Progress: Poems are written, and starting next month, I'll be eager to arrange, proofread, and design this collection! I dream of it being a sweet bedside book wherein one can find encouragement and truth for any life moment.

How to Help: If you're a poet who wants to contribute or offer help beta reading the poems, contact me! Otherwise, I'll have more exciting opportunities for you to join this process once it's further along, and I'm stoked about sharing these heart-words with you!

That's author life right now! I'm so so blessed to be exploring these stories and doing what I love best in making truth-filled books for you to enjoy.

Thank you for all the prayers and help and encouragement, my friend!

So let's chat!

Which book are you most excited for? What are you currently working on? Comment below!

Hold fast to what you learned from me as the pattern of sound teaching, with the faith and love that are found in union with Messiah Jesus. Those precious things that have been entrusted to you guard carefully, by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

- 2 Timothy 1:13-14 

~♥~

How Faith is like Seeing Through Dirty Windows

 

Have you ever climbed through an open window?
It's a childhood fancy I'll never outgrow. To shove open the glass, push up the window screen, and feel fresh air against your skin and sunshine on your cheeks. That feeling of openness when you swing your leg through and find freedom on the other side.
An open window feels like a portal into Narnia. It's inviting like a world ready to be explored where you can hear nature sing and smell that cleanness. There may be a bite of cold or the burn of sun on the long-baked windowsill.
But some days, the window remains closed. The glass is smudged with fingerprints and dirt, dust from the wind, the yellow of pollen, or the remnant of bugs.
The outside isn't clear as the view is separated by a barrier.
But what we focus on is our decision.
Because life has that too. We're inside, staring through dim glass or trying to catch a reflection in a distorted mirror. The smudges are stark, and maybe we have to adjust to see the tiniest glimpse of life in the outside world, the lampposts of Narnia just out of reach.
But that glimpse is glorious.
It's Hope.
Hope of His promises: that Jesus will return to reward His people and punish all evil. That we do have a Promised Land that will be perfect in beauty, and Jesus will be King and rule, making all good. That there won't be tears and brokenness and sin anymore, for wrong will be right, the winter turned into spring, the witch and all enemies destroyed forever.
There's Hope that everything we do in this age will be rewarded. That our King sees every kindness and every wrong and will bring recompense.
There's Hope that we'll be where He is.
There's Hope that even now, in the todays we've been given, that we do have His Spirit enabling us to have everything we need for live and godliness.
But is your window ever smudged? Does the dust ever cloud your vision and make it harder to see? It sure does mine.

For we see at the present time only a blurry reflection in obscure riddle; at that time, however, we will see face to face. At the present time I know only in part; at that time, however, I will know fully, even as I was fully known.

- 1 Corinthians 3:12

 

 

This staining on a window happened last week. God caused my sister to go into labor with her twins at only 21 weeks, and one of our precious, lil' nieces went to be with Him. As the second twin in the womb holds onto life today, there's prayers mixed with mourning, tears, the pain of loss that God didn't intend to mar this world. We fight in prayer for Baby B, hurt too.
But even in that, He is good.
The tears cleaned a tiny portion of the window, so we could praise. Baby A's little life had purpose; she was prayed over. She caused people to worship. She was loved. She was beautiful and tiny and made in the image of God, and He wrote her days before she was conceived in the womb.
As we mourned, I thought about the windows that are so hard to see through and realized when we keep looking anyway, that's Faith.










Faith is decisive obedience because our Hope is worth it. It's the perseverance to keep running a race when we're soaked with sweat and don't seem to be gaining any ground. It's the persisting prayer for the lost, the fighting to smile through tears, the believing when it's just so hard to see.
While I sobbed for Baby A leaving earlier than I imagined, that Faith was a worship, a song, an "I love you, God, even though I don't understand."
It's hard. I fail a lot.
But whatever is staining your window, making Hope hard to see, I challenge both of us: be found Faithful.
Know what your Hope is and have confident assurance that every promise He has made will come to pass.
Every single promise.
So keep praying. Keep praising. Keep running the race.
When Jesus returns, He is going to shatter every window so we can be free to clamber through and be free in His presence! He will melt all the snow and cause flowers to bloom in the warmth of spring so we can throw the fur coats away. Then we'll sing:

I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!

- C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle 

Courage, dear heart.

Now, to have faith is to have a grounded conviction about things hoped for, to be firmly convinced of the certainty of events not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

Now, a hope that is already realized is by definition not a hope. Who, after all, when it comes to something he already has, hopes for it? If it is something still to come, though, on which we are setting our hope, it is with patient endurance that we wait for it.

- Romans 8:25 

 

~♥~