An in-depth analogy of your basketball interests
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Michael Knowles and special guests discuss great literature that has shaped Western Civilization.
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Welcome to Inspirational Journeys, stories that matter ! Listen as I speak with K-12 authors about their writing process, how they found illustrators if needed, and speak with K-12 editors, agents, and publishers as they share tips for up and coming K-12 authors. Listen as I share editing tips and strategies, and platform building advice I learn throughout my author and editing journey, champion authors whose work I've edited, and give authors with disabilities a platform to share their writ ...
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Will Witt: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
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Would you sell your soul to stay young forever? In Oscar Wilde’s famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a handsome young man’s wish for eternal youth is granted while his portrait ages in his place. As Dorian indulges in a life of hedonism, his portrait reveals the grotesque toll of his moral corruption. Join Michael Knowles and Will Witt as the…
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Libby Emmons: A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
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Is Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House the feminist landmark it’s often portrayed to be? Or is it a critique of radical individualism and the undermining of traditional societal roles? The Post Millennial’s Libby Emmons joins Michael Knowles to discuss this groundbreaking 19th-century play and explore its insights into our intrinsic selfish nature and te…
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Derryck Green: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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Once required reading for high school students, To Kill a Mockingbird now comes with trigger warnings. The book, which confronts and calls out the evils of racism, is considered by some to be too offensive for our modern-day woke sensibilities. Why? Set in 1930s Alabama, a young girl watches her attorney father defend a black man falsely accused of…
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Michael Knowles is joined by Pastor Rob McCoy to discuss the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most beloved and frequently cited passages in the gospels of the New Testament. Together, Michael and Pastor McCoy explore the various interpretations of the text and reflect on the lessons that Jesus’s sermon teaches us about living a virtuous Christian li…
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I encourage you to visit my YouTube channel, until I get the Podcast feed up and running due to technical issues. The link for my YouTube Channel is: https://www.youtube.com/user/annsmusic1
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Charles Kesler: Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
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Is the purpose of life happiness, and if so, how can we achieve it? Written nearly 2,500 years ago, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is as relevant today as it's ever been. Michael Knowles is joined by Professor Charles Kessler to discuss this seminal work exploring the age-old question of how to live a happy and meaningful life. As it turns out, Ari…
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I reached out to todays special guest after reading thefirst book of her King of Realms series as part of the Hidden Gems ARC readerprogram. I fell in love with her dynamic characters and the fantasy world somuch that I invited Brit Asher to share the story behind this series. Join us aswe talk all things fantasy for middle grade readers and their …
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In today’s episode, my special guest describes the tool he createdto teach children and adults to love one another as God loves us. Be journal tohave your journal handy as you listen to this interesting conversation, becausehe shares a unique approach to outlining your book for plotters and plantsersalike.Paul Zolman is the internationalbestselling…
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The Intricacies of Worldbuilding with Shelly Mack
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My special guest Shelly Mack and I talk about the intricaciesof worldbuilding in today’s episode. Sometimes worldbuilding can be difficult, yetit’s also fun to write, once you find fellow writers and editors to support youand give you feedback to help you find the joy of writing fantasy. Join ourconversation and bring along your journal to capture …
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Heidi Gray McGill Returns with A Deeper Love
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Heidi Gray McGill is back with a brand new novel. This isn’ther true debut, because she’s self-published several books in her authorcareer. However, A Deeper Love is her first traditionally published book withCelebrate Lit Publishing. Join us as we talk about her writing journey thusfar, and her experience as a hybrid author.Heidiinfuses God’s love…
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Teaching Children about Science through Education and Entertainment with Emanuel Rose
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In thisepisode, my special guest and I talk about his children’s picture book seriesand how his marketing team helped him self-publish his books. Join us as wetalk about how his children’s book series entertains kids and inspires parentsto dig deeper for answers to their children’s burning questionsEmanuel Rose was born and raised on theWest Coast …
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Road Trip Rescue Book Launch with Becca Wierwille
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Don’t let your limitations or disability keep you from doingthe work God has called you to do. That’s what my special guest and I talk aboutin today’s episode. Beca Wierwille discuss how she has learned to write inspite of her disability. She also shares her writing process and tips forwriters as an editor and as an editor. In spite of technical is…
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Teaching Children to Dream Big Through the art of Storytelling with Nathaniel Turner
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Nathaniel A. Turner is a breath offresh air. As one of the most entertaining and captivating Renaissance peopleof our day, he's sought after by organizations and individuals worldwide toshare the tools, techniques, and strategies to live life in the present withjoy on purpose. The Humanitarian Propulsion Engineer, College & CareerReadiness Strategi…
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Haunted by You Book Launch with Louise Davis
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I’ve got another book launch to celebrate with another debutauthor for you. If you love clean, young adult, sweet romantic suspense with aparanormal flare, I have just the book for you. In today’s episode Louise Davisand I talk about her writing process, and publishing her first book.Louise Davis is a powerful,up-and-coming, young adult author who …
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A Mark In the Road Book Launch Celebration with Angelique Burrell
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If you love young adult thrillers with a hint of sweetromance and some speculative fiction elements thrown in, I have just theconversation for you. Today, Angelique Burrell and I discuss her debut YAthriller. We talk about her writing process, her submission and queryingprocess and she shares a few tips she’s learned along the way. With an Englisht…
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A Deep Dive into Historical Fiction with Marguerite Martin Gray
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I love to celebrate new book launches and champion theCelebrate Lit Publishing authors who’s work I’ve edited. Today’s episode is noexception! Join my special guest and me as we talk about her writing journeyand celebrate her brand new novella.MargueriteMartin Gray is the author of the Revolutionary Faith series, Gardens in Timeseries, and Room for…
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Multifaceted Author Karl Beckstrand Discusses his Writing and Publishing Journey
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In today’sepisode, my special guest and I talk about his writing and publishing journey.College media instructor Karl W.Beckstrand is the best-selling author/illustrator of twenty-sevenmulticultural/multilingual books (65 e-books—reviews by Publisher’s Weekly,Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal). Raised in San Jose, California,he has …
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Writing Encouragement for Writers of All Ages with Shanti Hershenson
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Today’s episode is a special one for two reasons. My specialguest is not only a children’s book author, she’s a teen author with a birthdaycoming up in two weeks.Shanti Hershenson’s first two novellaswere published when she was in the sixth grade, although her writing journeystarted long before then. Ever since she could hold a pencil, marker, orcr…
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The Joy of Writing Educational and Entertaining Chapterbooks with Tonya Ellis
25:10
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My specialguest and I have a fun and exciting conversation about our love of writingchildren’s books. Even though today’s episode is audio only for the most part,I get so excited to show off a new toy I made, that I forget that I don’t havemy camera on, and turn it on for a brief second.so if you’re listening onYouTube, please disregard my split se…
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Forward by Fire with Pastor Writer Austin Moore
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The only wayto move forward in God’s calling for your life is by faith. That’s what Austinmoore and I talk about in this week’s episode, as we celebrate his debut novel.Austin Moore is a lead pastor who lives with his wife andfour children in Southeast Georgia. He has spent most of his life in full-timechurch ministry while writing worship music. H…
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Julie Hartman: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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What if your sins were on display for all the world to see? Michael Knowles is joined by Julie Hartman to discuss The Scarlet Letter, which tells the story of a young woman who is shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. What can we learn from this American classic about society’s response to immorality, the complexities of lov…
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Streamline Your Author Platform to Align with Your Writing
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What types ofbooks do you write? Does your author platform align with your writing? That’swhat I’ll be talking about in this weeks episode. I also share some changescoming to the podcast and my YouTube channel and give you some encouragementand prayers to help you move forward with streamlining your platform and becomingan expert in the gifts God h…
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Joan Patterson Discusses her Faith in God and her Service Dogs
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What would you do if you crossed paths with a service doghandler? In today’s episode, Joan Patterson and I discuss the different betweena service dog and a guide dog. We discuss her latest book and her writing. Sitback and enjoy our inspiring and informative conversation.Career educator, author, and speaker Joan Patterson receiveda Bachelor of Scie…
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Connect your Craft to your Writing WWJ Writing Conference encore Presentation
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Here’s a sneakpeek at the fourth annual WWJ writing conference which was streamed live on YouTubeon Saturday August 19, 2023. My presentation is entitled Connect your Craftwith your Writing. If you enjoy this presentation, click the play list link belowto see the rest of the conference.https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsc18KIWy0rvL_3AU23UVJcNiYT4…
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Surround Yourself with a Team of Prayer Warriors
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23:41
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Seeking firstthe kingdom of God is important if we want to align with God and follow Hisplan for our lives., I encourage you to surround yourself with ateam of prayer warriors. The passages of scripture I reference throughout today’sepisode include: John 15:4–5; Matthew 6:33; and Matthew 6:5–12. I read theseverses from the King James Version of the…
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Takeaways and Updates from the Write His Answer Conference
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In this returnepisode from my short hiatus, I share my takeaways and some exciting updates thatI received while attending the write His answer virtual writing conference. Stickaround to the end, because I encourage you, dear listeners and viewers, toattend a conference either by paying for it yourself, or applying for Cecil Murphy scholarships when…
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Andy Puzder: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
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How do you stay true to yourself in a world that demands conformity? Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead—centered around a talented architect who refuses to compromise his principles or conform to the expectations of others—examines whether we should uphold the “common good” if it means sacrificing our own self-interest. Michael Knowles is joined by former…
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Today, I jumponto the podcast and my YouTube channel to explain my reasoning for taking ahiatus, and say a little prayer for the listeners and viewers. Visitwww.everyday-excellence.com and use promo code Inspirational Journeys to get10% off any product on the site. Subscribe tothe 540 Writers Community for free, if you need some writing accountabil…
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Today, I wantto share a crochet project God gave me and told me to make. The scripture thiscrocheted tree was bast on and inspired by is John 15:5. Take look at the image and ask God to peel backthe layers of His divine imagery for you. What does he show you? Create ablogpost, social media post or create a YouTube video describing what God hasshown…
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Kingdom Connections Through Writing and Crochet with Christina M. Eder
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Don’t let your limitations or disability keep you from doingthe work God has called you to do. In spite of health issues that prevent herfrom looking at digital screens for long periods of time, my special guest,Christina M. Eder continues to follow her calling to write. She also makescrochet and pray scarves, table runners and blankets . Join us a…
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When You've Had Enough, God is Enough with Paul Granger
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Has there ever been a time in your life when you say to God,“I’ve had enough?” I know I have, and my returning guest, Paul Granger talksabout a time when he’s felt this way as well. Join us as we discuss how God becomesenough for us and gives us rest to continue on a much deeper and more profoundjourney than we could ever imagine.Paul's job is "amb…
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If you lost every good thing in your life, would you still praise God? The Book of Job from the Old Testament is considered one of the great masterpieces of early literature. Michael Knowles is joined by Owen Anderson, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Arizona State University, to examine one of the Bible's most profound stories, which explor…
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Make your readers remember your story long after the last page
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This week, Iwant to check in with you to share what’s happening in my writing life, andgive you reflections on making your book a memorable reader experience . I giveyou two metaphors when you think about the books we love to read and the storiesGod has given us to share. I also share a couple of questions from theUptimate-self-editing-checklist-fo…
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Kingdom Connections through Photography with Donna Edman
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Have you everthought about taking your art to the next level? This week my special guest,Donna Edman, explains how she used her photography to help women over 50 share theiradvice to their 20-year-old selves and share their stories.Donna is an award-winning portrait photographer with apassion to honor people and encourage them to share their legacy…
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Champions of Light book launch party with Althea Damgaard
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I’d like to introduce you to yet another member of the 540writers community. My special guest Althea Damgaard and I celebrate the launchof her debut novel entitled Champions of Light. If you watch the YouTube video,you’ll see Althea decked out in her 540 writers community t-shirt. Come alongand celebrate with us in the comfort of your living room, …
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Allow the Holy Spirit to take you from Whine to Shine with Cherrilynn Bisbano
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Have you ever planned to have a conversation with someone,only to have God change the direction of your conversation from start tofinish? This is exactly what happened with my special guest Cherrilynn Bisbanoand me in today’s episode. I invite you to join our conversation and let theHoly Spirit speak inspiration into your life and your writing as w…
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The Importance of Finishing What You Start in Your Walk with God as a Writer
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In today’ssolo episode, I talk about the importance of finishing what you start, because Godhas a purpose and a plan for our lives. We all have a message to share and whenwe complete the task God has set before us, He can use our writing for Hisglory.The passages Iused to illustrate my points are: 2 Corinthians 8:10–11; Ephesians 2:10; 3:20–21;and …
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The World Needs Your Story with Benecia Ponder
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Benecia Ponder is a Story Coach and Book Publishing Mentorto Inspirational Authors—faith-driven creators who share their God-given giftsandlife experiences through powerful stories that inspire andimpact lives. Benecia is the award-winning author of six books of her own andhas helped hundredsof entrepreneurs make a bigger difference and profit byge…
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Powerful Whispers from the Holy Spirit with Christa Speath
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The Holy Spirit speaks to us through powerful whispers. That’swhat my special guest Christa Speath and I discuss, along with her writingprocess in today’s episode. Be sure to have your journal ready, because thereare some golden nuggets you’ll want to walk away from this conversation with.Christa Joy Spaeth is the founder of Christa Joy Ministries.…
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Connect with the Holy Spirit as you Write with Kyllie Martin
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Do you connect with the Holy Spirit as you write? Do youfind joy in your writing? These are some of the topics my special guest and Idiscuss in today’s episode Kyllie currently resides in Redding California with herhusband and two children. A New Zealand speaker and author passionate to seethe Kingdom of God fully expressed here on earth. After yea…
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Kingdom Connections Through Fiction with Wendy Jo Cerna
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A Kingdom connection is always orchestrated by the HolySpirit, especially when the connection is between two like-minded fictionauthors. This is what happened when Wendy Jo Cerna appeared as my first guestin my brand new Kingdom Connections interview series. Come join us as God showsus how he can provide the inspiration needed to write life changin…
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5 tips for creating character rules for Fantasy and its Subgenres
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When writing inthe fantasy genre or any of its subgenres such as contemporary fantasy, UrbanFantasy, and Magical Realism, I’ve found that the best to make sure yourcharacters drive your story in a way that satisfies the reader is to createsome rules. These rules include rules for ghosts, angels and other spiritualsupernatural characters; rules for …
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Scott DeLuzio shares his story of survival, after losing his brother (reprised)
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In honor of memorial day, I’m re-airing an episode from back in October of last year. This week, my special guest shares the story of surviving the loss of his brother, who was killed in action while they both served in Afghanistan and overcoming grief, survivors guilt and PTSD, in order to share his compelling story with the world. He also started…
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Stories of Faith, Courage, and Grit with Susan K Beatty
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Do youlove stories about faith, courage, and grit? Do you love stories where the protagonistlearns to trust in God to give her the faith and courage to face life’schallenges in order to complete the tasks He sets before her? If so, you’vecome to the right place. Today, my special guest and I talk about her women’sfiction with Faith, Courage, Grit, …
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How I Took my Open Air Poem to the Next Level
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In this episode,I explain how my tech assistant, Jack and I recorded my poem entitled Open Air,set to music with some outdoorsy stuff in the background. You can watch medance to this accidental music track here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWfqRfKNm4c&t=13sYou can alsoread the poem and listen to the before and after versions of the recordinghere…
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How do you know if you’re trapped in a false reality? Can you see the truth or are you simply looking at shadows on the wall? Solveig Gold joins Michael Knowles to discuss Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from his renowned work, “The Republic.” This symbolic story about human perception and the pursuit of truth reminds us not to trust our senses alon…
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Disconnected Book Launch Celebration with Riley Cross
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In today’sepisode, Riley Cross joins me to talk about her writing processand her debut novel entitled Disconnected. As Riley and I talked about herwriting process, we coined a new term for writers who plot a little and pants alittle. NaNoWriMo calls us plantsers, but we coined the term plotser todescribe us. Come join in the fun filled conversation…
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In thisepisode, I share my reflections of my 3 day coffee fast, and how the Loreshowed up in a bog way. I also have a song recommendation. The song is entitledJob Suite by Michael Card. You can listen to it on YouTube here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7XVS1VIzHcVisitwww.everyday-excellence.com and use promo code Inspirational Journeys to get10%…
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I'm Asking You to Bathe my New Book in Prayer
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I am taking abig leap of faith, guided by the Holy Spirit. I want to ask you to bath my new middlegrade magical realism book entitled Shadows On the Wall: Spirit Writer Societybook 1 in prayer, because I believe with all my heart, that God can use entertainmentand the genres that children love to draw middle school kids closer to Him. Ipray that he…
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What storywill you tell your audience? Let me tell you a story. That’s the topic of today’sepisode. The Holy Spirit led me to share my story of how I became an author andthe reason for my podcast title. This episode was inspired by a TEDX talkentitled The Danger of a Single Story, which you can watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4a7oQ5vwP4…
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