Thankful Thursday: God Cares About My Dreams and Desires!

It's Thankful Thursday and I feel so blessed today because the Lord has shown me that He cares about my dreams and desires--in fact He gives them.  I've had a desire all my life to write and the dream of someday being published.  I'm only now in the place where I can spend the time to seriously pursue this dream which I believe God has laid on my heart.  I've been praying, "Lord, make me published this year."  I feel that the Lord is moving me step by step towards that goal.  Two weeks ago I learned of a wonderful website called FaithWriters and absolutely loved it and so I jumped in with both feet!  (Ok, this is not unusual for me!)  They have a Weekly Challenge with four levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Masters.  You can enter by writing on the announced theme (150-750 words) and there are editors who judge the writing and choose winners to receive 1st-3rd place, honorable mention and Editors' Choice awards.  You can also receive comments/critiques on your work.  I am very thankful for this wonderful opportunity to grow in my writing ability.  I have entered the last two Weekly Challenges, and the Lord blessed my socks off today by allowing me to receive a first place award in the beginners' level.  But He especially showed me His love in this way: He led me what to write.  I had not been planning to enter the week I won.  But the morning of the deadline, the Lord brought to my creative imagination, you might say, the story I was to write. I wrote it, and entered it in just a little over an hour, and with almost no editing.  That's just not the way it works, folks!  It was a gift from the Lord.  He put in my mind an allegory of the gospel, and His love.  And I just want to say, Thank you, Lord.

If you are a writer, check this site out!  (I'm not getting paid to write this or compensated in any way.  I just love this website and want to share it with you!) It is free, but for a minimal cost you can enjoy the many benefits of a platinum or gold membership, including being able to enter the Weekly Challenge.  They have writing instruction, and the opportunity to connect with publishers and to put your work out there to sell--with the possibility of being published.  Best of all, you will be surrounded by like-minded Christians, who also have a passion to bring glory to God through their gift of writing, for which I am very thankful! 

To read other thankful posts, head on over to Iris' site, Grace Alone!

Thank you so much, Iris, for hosting this month!