Reflections

Reflections

Hello Friends!

As I reflect on 2025, I am grateful for so many things. Most importantly, for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Without Him, I truly am nothing.

My books, When Jesus Calls and When Jesus Leads, have been such a beautiful part of my journey. I could never have imagined, when I first began writing them, that they would have the impact they have had. I should have known this, because when Jesus calls you to do something, it usually is amazing!

I think of so many times when Jesus calls us to do something we aren’t sure about, and we don’t feel ready for, how difficult it can be, but when we take that leap of faith and dive in, we realize He has already prepared us. It’s pretty incredible, really. When this happens, our faith grows by leaps and bounds. I wish I could say I never had any worries or concerns, but if you have read my books, you know I have. It’s in these times that we grow, when we keep walking forward, one step at a time, not really understanding the path ahead of us. The great news is that when we follow Jesus’ lead, He always leads us down a path that He always makes beautiful, in His time. It’s then that we are comforted knowing Jesus is right there with us. Although sometimes we feel we are alone, we are never alone! The work that He does through each of us is for His glory always, and being able to share in a small part of that, to me, is a tremendous honor.

My books may never be #1 Bestsellers, and that is perfectly fine with me. I have always said that if one person comes to know Jesus, it has been worth it all.

This has been a profound time for me! In the publishing world, it can be very frustrating because, as a new author, you don’t have a following, and marketing is very expensive. In a time of worry, God assured me that He would be my publicist, and He certainly has done that! Can anyone imagine a better publicist than God? I can’t. ❤

Both books have won seven gold awards, and just this past Saturday, When Jesus Leads “ won a global award as a finalist of books judged from all over the world for 2025. I can’t tell you how shocked I was, and once again, God continues to encourage me. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy, but I am reminded it’s not about me. It’s all about Him! He receives the Glory!

My heart has always been drawn to young people. This is because I know the pain I felt at such a young age, and peer pressure is so hard in the world we live in today. Not just for girls, this is for everyone. Of course, in different ways, but nonetheless, it’s very real. I have often said that if I could save just one person from making the same mistakes I made, it would be great!

Last month, an email brought me to a place of reassurance once again. A young girl named Chloe was led to my Substack account after deciding she could begin sharing there. After scrolling through the feed, she saw that I had written a couple of books. She read both books, and God touched her heart through the words written on the pages. I was so encouraged, as this was my only hope in writing my life story for the world to read. I knew immediately it was all perfectly designed by God.

God didn’t stop with just an email. Not by coincidence, her family was going to be traveling near our hometown in the next month. Within a couple of months from the first email written, we were all together, hugging each other face-to-face. That day will always be a highlight of my life! What was so amazing about it was that after we met, it never felt like we were strangers. It honestly felt like we had known each other for years. How do these things happen? God knew this moment was going to happen before I began writing the first sentence of my first book. It truly is overwhelming sometimes.

Chloe is also a fantastic writer, and I am sure she will be a great Author of many published books one day. As she shared how my books encouraged her, there is one thing for sure: She encouraged me, and God encouraged us both!

Sometimes we think we would like to know parts of our future, and often we worry about them, but God doesn’t show them to us. What He does do is give us moments like these to understand He is in complete control and we can trust Him. Isn’t that awesome!

I am currently writing the third book in the When Jesus Calls series and have even considered writing a devotional. Thank you for your prayers, for reading my books, and for the encouragement you all continue to give me. I promise with all my heart it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Please let me know if I can pray for you in any way. I invite you to share your spiritual journey and how God has touched you, so we can deepen our connection and encourage one another.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I pray God’s blessings over you that you know your worth in Him and you are filled with His love and Peace.

Always Believe and Never Give Up! John 11:40

Love and Peace,

Martha Gayle ❤