Since I am no longer doing book reviews, I have the freedom to read what I want when I want, which is a blessing since I am now doing my best to market my very first published novel, as well as writing the next book in the series. I also do some editing jobs. Therefore, it’s nice and relaxing to be able to choose what I want to read and simply read when I have the time — no pressure and no deadlines.

So, what am I reading? Well, while still homeschooling our youngest son, we began listening to audiobooks of The Green Ember series by S. D. Smith. These are books filled with adventure, excitement, danger, and suspense, and they also have good moral lessons. The main characters are rabbits and they must fight with wolves and birds of prey, and sometimes, with one another.

We haven’t had the opportunity to listen to any of the audiobooks for some time. Therefore, I have decided to read through the entire series so that I can refresh my memory on what we already heard, as well as continue on to the end. I am currently reading Ember Falls.

I want to share something I read in the end of Chapter 4. First of all, I’ll give a brief explanation: this scene follows a betrayal and a battle. The main female character, Heather, is speaking to one of the Lords. The Lord tells Heather that it is strange that the male rabbit, who betrayed another, didn’t succeed, at least not entirely.

Heather, who is a Scribe, responds with, “No, we had our moment.”

Heather had written about the battle, and the Lord says to her, “And you wrote about it very eloquently. Half the rabbits in the burned-out backwoods have hope because of you. ‘Bear the flame’, you said. And your tale had a happy ending.”

Heather replies that she loves a happy ending because she needs hope.

The Lord tells her that’s what her tale has done for the others who are loyal to the prince. He adds, “I hope it’s well-placed. I’m afraid we will be disapponted. We’re still faced with an impossible war. It’s a war we–well, we can’t win.”

And Heather’s response is, “We don’t have to win the war today, sir. We only have to win the next battle.”

That short scene made me think. So many people in today’s world get stressed, anxious, and depressed because of the things that are happening in the world, in their neighborhoods, in their families, and in their personal lives. They watch too many news broadcasts, follow all the politics online, and read their local papers–surrounding themselves with all the negativity. Then they begin to think there is no hope.

However, if they would only focus on today and the things they are faced with just in this day, it wouldn’t be so overwhelming. It wouldn’t look so hopeless. Take on one problem, one day, at a time.

That’s what I choose to do. I do not immerse myself in all of the negativity of this world and all the bad things that are happening in this word–things that I have no control over. However, I do know the One who does have control, and so I choose to live my life one day at a time, doing what I believe God has called me to do–writing and taking care of my loved ones and my home.

Does that mean I don’t care about all the other stuff? No. But I take all of that to the Lord in prayer. I have seen God answer prayers many times in my life. I know I can trust Him. Has He always answered my prayers the way I wanted Him to? No, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist. That doesn’t mean He’s cruel and uncaring. For I know that God loves me more than anyone on this earth because He sent His Son to die on a cross to save me from my sins, so that when He decides my time on this earth is done, I will go to be with Him in Heaven because I believe. God answers my prayers the way that He does because He knows what is best for me. Sometimes what I want isn’t what’s best for me. I trust and believe He knows what is best for me. All my previously answered prayers have shown me that, and the ones He didn’t answer the way I wanted … well, I have come to realize it was best that I didn’t get what I wanted.