• Devotionals,  Faith

    Succeed By Failing

    [Guest post by Matt Appling] – I don’t even remember how I got connected to Matt, but I know it was many years ago before my first book, Faithbook of Jesus, was published. I’m so excited to see him finally come out with his first book and I hope you enjoy his piece on pursuing dreams through failure. How do you succeed by failing? Is that even a real question? Certainly, it is. Most of us just never learn the skill of failing wonderfully, spectacularly, unabashedly. But I think failing is one of the most important skills you and I can learn. When you and I were in school, the…

  • Devotionals

    Surrendered Dreams

    [Guest Post by Rayni Peavy – I am so glad I met Rayni two years ago at the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild. I have seen her blossom in her writing and in life. It’s so neat that she choose to share about surrendered dreams, because we don’t always see or meet a person when they’re in the season of waiting. May her story encourage you to hang in there and keep dreaming even when you can’t see anything!] I’m just like you. I have a dream. Many dreams, in fact. There are things that I long to accomplish because they make my heart sing. And there are prophecies spoken…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    No Wasted Dreams

    [Monthly Columnist – Rebekah Snyder – I always appreciate her brutal honesty and child-like faith. I wonder, though, has anyone ever told you that your dreams were a waste of space? Be encouraged today!] According to my co-worker, my dreams amounted to a wasted life. When I first decided to abandon everything else in order to pursue my writing dream, a co-worker decided to shower me with statistics of writers who actually “make it” in the “real world.” While his words were certainly not encouraging, I could accept them as his way of showing concern. But then he felt the need to inform me I was screwing up my life.…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    The Day I Almost Quit

    [Guest Post by Paige Omartian – I’m so excited to introduce you to a fellow Harvest House author (and musician). She is a young 20-something with an amazing story, which I’ll let her share with you below. Enjoy!] With every reason in the world to pursue the dream God had given me, I stepped into the infamous Music City. During my junior year of high school, my parents and I visited Nashville, Tennessee for a special week of seminars and meetings to gain insight into Christian music industry. I’d been singing since I was four years old, and writing songs since I was seven. And after battling cancer at the…

  • Devotionals

    Dreams Are Complex

    [Guest Post by Abby Talsma – I’m always excited to meet a new friend so I can introduce you as well. I appreciate her words to use wisdom to find that fine line in your dreams. I know I’m guilty of forcing my dreams, but it’s through God and His wisdom that I learn to let them develop as they should and not one second before. What about you?] There’s this fine line with dreams. A fine line that separates two very different worlds. Going too far, or not going anywhere. Steamrolling whomever or whatever you need to, or burying your dream deep down where it cannot possibly breath or…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    When Your Dreams Change

    [Guest Post by Amanda Casanova – I’m excited to introduce you to a new voice today. I’m sure everyone, like Amanda, has experienced the every day changes life can bring including shifting dreams. If you aren’t sure what dream to pursue and how–be encouraged by her story.] What happens when your dreams change? I was in the news business. That meant you probably didn’t like me. That meant I was either too liberal or too conservative. It meant I asked a lot of questions that were probably none of my business. It meant I couldn’t tell you I loved Jesus. Now, I had wanted to be a newspaper woman for a…

  • Devotionals,  Faith

    For Such A Dream As This

    [Guest Post by Tiffany Dawn – My friend Rayni Peavy introduced Tiffany to me, and I am in-love with her story. Like her, I also quit my job to pursue writing and speaking. It shows just how much passion she has to follow God first. If any of you are struggling to follow His leading, keep reading!] Wherever you are, God has known about this for years, before you had a clue. He has strategically set pieces in place so that at this moment in history you could do what He’s called you to do. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to walk into the dreams God planted in my heart…

  • Devotionals

    Dreaming Courageously

    [Guest Post by Kim Bangs – I have been friends with Kim now for a few years. We’ve both spoken at San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild in San Diego, CA and both have a passion to help shape young and new authors. Read below to learn more about dreaming courageously.] I stopped my car on a steep incline so I could unload my “home away from home” belongings for the week. On the second trip into the cabin, I reached to open the door to my room. It wouldn’t open. I tried exerting much more force at pushing the door open…nothing. Next I used all my muscle to turn the…

  • On Writing

    Pursuing the Writing Dream

    [Guest post by Amanda Luedeke – Meet my literary agent! She is not only talented but a fellow millennial. I am so excited to not only introduce you to her, but her new book The Extroverted Writer. If you are needing marketing/platform help, this eBook is for you. Leave a comment below to win a free copy.] When people find out I’m a literary agent, they almost always tell me about a book idea they have. I work with authors to sell their books to publishing houses. If it’s not a book idea, it’s a manuscript they’re working on–or the story idea that just won’t leave them alone. This happens…

  • Devotionals

    The Kermit Gosnell Trial

    [Monthly Contributor – Hannah Stovall – I specifically asked her to write an article about the Kermit Gosnell trial. In light of the Boston Marathon, we as Americans can’t be afraid. We can no longer afford to stay comfortable. What is happening in the world today is beyond horrific. Beyond disgusting. Beyond what any doctor should ever be tried over. I am grateful for Hannah for taking the time to present the facts, so you and I can stay informed.] It was years after his arrest that I first read the name Kermit Gosnell trial. On March 22 of this year, a sweet girl sent me a link to an…