Savannah Jane McCrary's Blog, page 12

Operation Christmas Child

​Operation Christmas Child blog post
Hi friends! For the past several years, my family has been packing Operation Christmas Child boxes. It’s getting to be that time of year again. (I just love Christmastime!)
   For those of you that don’t know, an Operation Christmas Child box is a shoebox filled with gifts which is distributed by the ministry Samaritan’s Purse, along with the gospel message, to needy children around the world.
   I’d like to share some ideas with you today for packing your box.
   Pick your age range—2-4 year old, 5-9 year old, or 10-14 year old—and whether you want to pack for a boy or girl.
   Pick a “wow” item such as a stuffed animal, a soccer ball with pump, a backpack or other fun item.
    Then fill your box with:Hygiene items such as a toothbrush, bar of soap, washcloth, hairbrush, comb, band-aids, deodorant for older children, reusable menstrual pad for a 10-14 year old girl.  School supplies such as pencils and sharpener, crayons, notebook, coloring book.Clothing items such as t-shirts, socks, underwear, hats, scarves, gloves, flip-flops.Other items such as a water bottle, sunglasses, small toys, hair accessories for girls, sewing kit and fabric squares for older children.Do NOT include: Knives or weapons of any sort, military or war related items  and toys, any liquid items, toothpaste, any type of medicine of supplement, candy, chocolate, or food of any sort.
Some tips for saving money:Shop at Dollar Tree. We buy most of our items at Dollar Tree. They usually have a good selection of affordable items.Buy multipacks. It’s usually cheaper to buy multipacks of, well just about anything you would put in your shoebox—toothbrushes, combs, socks, underwear, pencils—and then divide it up between boxes.Make things. If, like me, you enjoy making things—knitting, sewing, etc.—you can make things for your boxes, often with the craft supplies you already have lying around. Knit or crochet hats, scarves, and washcloths, make a notebook with some paper and a stapler, the ideas are endless. Go to Operation Christmas Child’s Pinterest page for some ideas.   If you like, include a personal note in your box. If you include your address, the child may write back.     Find a drop-off location in your area and drop your box off during National Collection Week (November 13-20).
   Pray for the child, that they will be blessed by the gifts, and that, most importantly, they will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
   Visit samaritanspurse.org/occ  to find a drop-off location and more information.
Remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,”(1 Th. 5:24).
All for Him,
Savannah

The Beginning of a Reformation

   Germany, 1517 A.D.
   Unbiblical practices had corrupted the church. Indulgences were offered as a way to buy God’s forgiveness. Many church leaders lived ungodly lives. And many people were deceived into believing they could buy their way into Heaven, could earn God’s forgiveness.
   But one young monk named Martin Luther, as he studied the Bible, began to realize that salvation is a free gift of God, given by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9).
   On October 31, 1517, he took ninety-five theses he had written, explaining why indulgences were not biblical, and nailed it to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. That marked the beginning of a Reformation, a beginning of the church going to the Word of God, realizing that salvation was a free gift, the common people reading the Bible in their own language… It was a Reformation that affected the whole world.
   Today, October 31, 2017, marks five hundred years since Martin Luther nailed up his ninety-five theses. Five hundred years ago today, the Reformation began. That’s something worth celebrating.
    Always remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Th. 5:24).
All for Him,
Savannah​

   

Always Growing

​In the Bible, God’s people are compared to trees.
   Psalm 1:1-3 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.”
   And Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
   I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a tree. It means many things, but one thing that really struck me is that trees never stop growing.  So it must be with us. How easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking that since we are more spiritually mature than most other people our age, we do not need to keep growing. But this is not true. All of us, always, have areas of our lives where we need to grow.  ​   And how do we grow? Trees cannot grow unless their roots are drinking in water. And as they grow, their roots will go deeper. Christ is our living water. We must plant our roots deep in His Word. Psalm 1 talks about turning away from sin and delighting in God’s Word. Jeremiah 17 talks about trusting in the Lord and placing our hope in Him. That’s how we’ll grow. Not by occasionally picking up our Bibles but by making it our lifeline, constantly turning to it, “meditating on it day and night”. And as we do that, we’ll trust Him more and more, and grow more like Him.
    So, let us seek Him and keep growing, always growing, in our walk with Him.
   And remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Th. 5:24
   All for Him,
   Savannah

Work in Progress: The Invisible Guide

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to announce my next book, a work in progress, The Invisible Guide. The idea for this story has been in my mind for a few years and now I have begun to write it down. It's a fantasy taking place in an imaginary world of dwarves and elves, castles and dragons. But it's a story of good triumphing over evil, truth over lies, hope over despair, and that even in the darkest of circumstances, the Creator has a purpose and is working it for the good of His children. It'll likely be a year or so before it is published, but I wanted to share the synopsis of the story here: 

The kingdom of Elarda suffers under a tyrant’s rule. The few who hold to the words of the Forbidden Book and belief in the Creator often pay for it with their lives. The true heir to the throne is lost… or so it is believed. But a group of Rangers still search, believing that, somewhere, the true heir lives.
   Brielle Fletcher has always wondered about the scar on her face, the color of her eyes, and the shape of her ears, but it’s not until she is eighteen that she learns the truth. Then, when tragedy strikes, she must embark on a perilous journey across a desert with her younger siblings. What they do not know is that their trek across the desert will awaken an evil that has long been asleep.
   Arden Durham is a young man caring for his widowed mother and blind sister. Annie Mercer is a simple farm girl, the daughter of a Ranger and the oldest of six children. Baird Ainsley is a Ranger seeking to stay true to the Creator. But all three will have a much bigger part to play than they ever could have imagined in a purpose much greater than themselves. 

   Above is a drawing of my main character, Brielle, by my friend, Grace. Grace and my family will be contributing illustrations to the book along with some by yours truly. 
   Well, remember, "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." 1 Th. 5:24
​ All for Him,
Savannah

What I Learned While Writing A Book Part 2: "I Want to Write But I Don't Have the Time

    “I want to write, but I don’t have the time.” I’ve heard many people say this. And I’ve felt that way myself. My answer to this dilemma is a simple piece of advice from my mama: Prioritize.
    I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, but it was when I was thirteen that I began to get more serious about it and actually consider writing books. I had plenty of time for writing when I was thirteen and fourteen. It was when I was fourteen that God laid it on my heart to write Do Justly. When I started writing that book, though, I had no idea the twists and turns life would take—like two big out of state moves. I knew God wanted me to write this book, but when life was so crazy, I had difficulty finding time to write. So, I learned to prioritize.
    I learned what was most important in my life and could not be let go of—that would be Bible reading, prayer, and family. I learned that I must make time for those most important things—starting each day in the presence of Jesus and taking time in my day to drink a cup of tea with my mama and sisters, play with my little brothers, listen to the book Mama or Daddy was reading aloud… Then, of course, there were also responsibilities that couldn’t be let go of such as helping take care of our home and my school work (writing counts for school, of course, but I still had to do math). Then, I cut out time-wasters. The biggest time-waster in my life was Pinterest. Not that Pinterest is all bad, but it’s scary how much time we can waste on it. Then, if I was serious about getting this book done, I decided that would also mean cutting back some other things that were good, but just weren’t a fit right now, such as some of my additional hobbies—knitting, sewing, and such.
   After getting all these things in order, I had more time to write. But, there were still times when, after cutting out all unnecessary things and time-wasters, I still didn’t have time to write. So, I finally accepted the fact that sometimes there are seasons of life when writing’s just not an option. Sometimes, God will have us take a break from writing because there are other things He wants us to focus on.
   However, I knew God wanted me to write Do Justly and, after we were getting settled in our new house after our second move, I decided, “It’s been three years since I began this book and it’s time to write the final draft and publish it.” It took me about three months to write the final draft and most of it was in the morning before breakfast. I found that was the best time for me to write. I would get up earlier, and, after spending time in prayer and the Word, I would write.
   So, here’s my advice to you: get your priorities in order and if God wants you to write right now, He’ll provide the time for it. Maybe getting up earlier and writing in the morning would be helpful or carrying a notebook with you to jot thoughts down when you have a moment. Don’t worry or fret about it. I’ll say it again: get your priorities in order and if God wants you to write right now, He’ll provide the time for it. 

What I Learned While Writing a Book Part 1: Beginnings

    I’d originally planned on doing one post about what I learned while writing a book, but I learned so much, I decided I’d have to split it up into several posts. So, here is Part One: Beginnings.
Why Write?
   First, of all, why write? People have many different reasons, but for a Christian writer, their writing is for a much greater purpose than just to entertain, or to educate, or inform, and it’s certainly not to make a name for themselves. Our ultimate purpose in writing is to bring glory to God and to share the gospel. Writing is also a way to be an advocate for the oppressed, show Christlike character in our stories, and encourage others.
   Writing is a very powerful tool. In writing, you have the potential to reach many more people than you ever could only speaking. People could still be reading your writings long after you are dead. It’s an incredible way to share God’s truth with the world.
You’re Not Too Young
   1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
   You’re never too young for God to use you. I started writing Do Justly when I was 14 and completed and published it when I was 17. But God was preparing me to write that book long before that in just living my life, in the books my mama read to me and the things she taught me in homeschool, and as I got older, in the many books I read, short stories and essays I wrote... You may not be ready to write a book yet, or you might be, but either way, God can certainly use you. Remember two things, though:Seek Wise Counsel
Most importantly, seek God’s counsel through prayer and His Word. Seek wisdom from your parents and other wiser, more experienced people. I thank my parents for their wisdom, support, and encouragement. Many authors also enjoy sharing their wisdom with other aspiring authors. I thank Aleigha C. Israel (thepenofthewriter.weebly.com) for her writing, publishing, and web design advice.Examine Your Heart Motives
“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
It can look to others like you’re writing for God’s glory, but God looks at your heart. He knows if you’re truly writing for His glory or to bring glory to yourself. It’s easy also to start with pure motives, but to let success get to your head and become prideful. One way to know if you’re truly writing for God’s glory is that if you are, you’ll also be willing to do whatever else He asks you to do. You’ll be willing to serve your family, willing to take the lowest place and serve behind the scenes, willing to follow Him wherever He leads.    Well, I hope that was helpful! Part 2: “I Want to Write But I Don’t Have Time” coming soon! 

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Opportunities to Serve

​There are opportunities to serve all around us, right in front of us. We just don’t always see them. Too often, we are distracted by our own wants and dreams or some lofty idea of how we would like to serve God, that we miss the opportunities to serve Him right in front of us.
    In our lives, every day, there are little siblings to love, our families to serve, and people in need of prayer and encouragement. And, human trafficking, abortion, orphans, it’s not just “over there”, it’s in this very country, maybe even your own neighborhood. Then, there’s the elderly in nursing homes, there’s the prisons, there’s the sick… the “least of these” are truly right in front of us.
    Every day is an opportunity to serve and point others to Christ. We just need to ask for His eyes to see them and His grace to serve those He’s called us to serve.
   “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Priceless-movie review

   Don't ask any questions. Just drive. Those were his instructions. But the question haunted James: What was he hauling? 
​   After his wife's death, he'd made some bad decisions. He'd lost custody of his little daughter and needed a job to be able to get her back. So, he accepted a shady job driving a truck cross country. he didn't know what he was hauling and tried not to care, but when he realizes the truth--that locked in the back of the truck are two frightened sisters--he comes face to face with a reality many of us don't know about. Human trafficking. Right here in the U.S., girls are lied to, drugged, abused, forced into prostitution. This movie is a fictional story, but it's inspired by true stories, and it is an excellent movie. 
   It's made  by the Christian music duo For King and Country. This isn't a low budget film, no, it's very high quality. It has a good storyline, good acting, and, most importantly, a good message. No, it's not perfect. In fact, James, is a very imperfect character. But that's exactly the point: God can take a very imperfect person and use them to accomplish His purposes. Antonia, one of the sisters, has a very strong faith and helps James find his faith, as does another character, Dale, who--well, I shouldn't give away too many spoilers.
    It is rated PG-13, because it clearly shows the horror of what human trafficking is really like, but I think they did a good job of portraying the truth without showing too much.
   Overall, I'd give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. If you haven't seen it yet, you really must. 

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