Giveaway!!

I'm super pumped, friends!

It's time to have my very first blog/facebook GIVEAWAY!!!

Before I show you what you might be winning, let's go over the entry rules:

1. You must Tweet/Facebook/Instagram about For I Know the Plans, using the hashtag: #ForIKnowthePlansbook with a link back to my blog. Yes, I'm aware it's the longest hashtag EVER. Also, please tag me in your posts! I'm on all three of the social media sites listed above. (FB: Bailey Bowers, Twitter: BaileyBowers15, Instagram: baileyelizabeth_b) This way I can make sure you posted.

Once you've posted about it, comment back on this post and let me know that you did so! Each post will count for one entry. Example: if you posted on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter you would get THREE entries!

2. If you've already read For I Know the Plans, you can get TWO more entries! You can go to amazon.com, search "For I Know the Plans" and write a review! Once you comment on this post saying you wrote a review, I will enter your name TWO more times since a review takes a little extra time and thought.

Oh, and you must live in the United States to enter this giveaway.

NOW! Here's what I'll be giving away.

Two people will win this super cute Sole Hope water bottle and a Light Gives Heat necklace (made in Uganda)!

(Here's my favorite one!) One person will win an autographed copy of For I Know the Plans AND a Light Gives Heat necklace!!

I know, super fun, right?

The winners will be announced NEXT FRIDAY, September 5th! This gives you plenty of time to enter.

Thank you ahead of time for helping spread the word about For I Know the Plans! If you live in this area, be on the lookout for an article in the High Point Enterprise about my journey to writing this book. It will be out Sunday or Monday. THAT is also very exciting.

~Bailey

Always Worth It.

Today is story time. This is not about my book. This is not about writing. This is a story of what God is doing and I had to share it in it's entirety.

Travel back with me eleven years ago. 

In the forefront of our story is a six year old girl with thin blonde hair and brown eyes, always tall for her age. She sat at basketball practice as the coach shared the story of salvation. This six year old's mind was churning knowing that she needed this Jesus in her life. When she got home, she went to her parents and told them what happened at basketball practice. That night that six year old little girl prayed to ask the Lord to be her Savior, to forgive her of her sins and to walk with her the rest of her life. 

Let's fast-forward two years. Around the age of eight, this little girl met a thirteen year old who was in her mom's Sunday School class. Her mom had taught a lot of Sunday School classes and she had met a lot of youth students. But this young girl, this wide-open, crazy about Jesus girl...she was different. 

You see, this thirteen year old made the little girl feel special. She made her feel loved. She showed this incredible love she knew from Jesus to the children around her. And this little blonde girl felt it, too. 

This eight year old and this thirteen year old grew older. As they grew older, they grew closer. Each year their relationship strengthened until the little girl, now thirteen years old considered this high school graduate one of her best friends. 

When she went off to college, this little blonde girl was broken hearted. But the friendship wasn't broken up by college. No, it was only strengthened and shared by two girls now entering a completely new and different phase of life. 

Every week or so, this little blonde girl would receive a letter in the mail from her friend off at school. Letters containing updates on classes and new friends being made. And they were precious to her, no one else was allowed to read them. She would write back telling her college aged friend all about life back at home- how the family was and how her little sister from Rwanda was growing up so quickly. 

Each summer they spent many days together, celebrating the small and big things, like finishing driver's ed and VBS and SWTA. 

That is until this little girl's college age friend passed away. At twenty years old, she had made such a big impact on this almost fifteen year old. No, she would not be forgotten. Her faith and her life would make an impact on all of those she knew- including this fifteen year old. 

About this time, this blonde headed fifteen year old met a seven year old little girl. Her name was Haley and she had brown hair and freckles. This fifteen year old loved this seven year old and she immediately knew: this is my chance. This is my chance to love someone like she loved me. 

So she did. This fifteen year old and this seven year old also grew older. As they grew older they grew closer. When our main character turned sixteen and got her license, she took Haley out for her birthday and made her feel special...hopefully like her dearest friend had done for her. 

When she went away to the beach for a couple of weeks, she wrote to Haley and asked her how things were at home, just like her friend had done for her. She told her to be the young lady God had created her to be, just like her friend had done for her. She told her to chase God with all of her heart and not miss the incredible opportunities He had for her, just like her friend had done for her. 

And when Haley came running up to me before Sunday School today, telling me she had gone forward in church to let everyone know she had the Lord as her Savior and she wanted to be baptized...my eyes filled with tears and my heart soared. 

Because I was able to love my Haley like Paige loved me. I was able to encourage her and hug her and tell her how incredibly proud I was of her just like Paige had done for me. 

All because at six years old I trusted in the Lord as my Savior. Because some things only happen when Christ is in the lead. And today I realized that Paige and Haley and the relationships with so many other children at church only take place because of Him and my reconciled relationship to Him. 

Oh how thankful I am for the love that He shows each of us...this love that I am also able to show my Haley and my Sonia and all of my other kids at church. 

Today I was overwhelmed with gratefulness to be able to love for Him and because of Him. I was grateful for the joy on Haley's face when she told me about her decision. I was grateful for the way Sonia loves to tell me about her day and her friends in Sunday School. I was grateful for every bit of it. 

Most of all I was grateful for His love for me, each and every day that enables me to love others even when it seems impossible. 

So love those around you with the biggest love you can imagine. Today I saw that it is always worth it.

~Bailey (that blonde haired six year old.)

P.S. My sweet Haley, I am SO very proud of you and the beautiful young lady the Lord is shaping you to be. Keep pursuing Him and loving Him all of the days of your life. I love you so, so, SO much. Thanks for being my friend. I can't wait for all of the memories we will continue to make. Have I mentioned I'm proud of you? 

What's next?

"So what's next?"

I feel like I was just asking myself that question a couple of months ago concerning the publication of For I Know the Plans. And here we are today, over one hundred people have my book in their homes. That alone blows me away.

Here we are today and so many of you have read my book and recommended it to other people. It makes me SO excited and SO very thankful to my Jesus who has done all of this.

"There's still time in the summer to read one more book and this needs to be it. Not only to support a wonderful young lady in her writing debut, but to let God work on your heart in a BIG way. Read it but be prepared to be moved, to be touched, to be changed. To be amazed." (Words about my book from a friend at church.)

Less than than three months ago, I didn't think I'd have this book done before the beginning of the school year. Then God said, "Oh really? Watch THIS!" And He did so much in so little time- I am AMAZED by Him!

But in these last couple of days I've found myself asking the same question- what's next?

Book #1 is published and people are reading it.

This post is to let all of you know that yes, there is a book #2 coming! Tentatively titled, With All of Your Heart (continuing on with the Jeremiah 29:11-13 thing).

So many of you have gotten to the end of For I Know the Plans and said, "I just wished there was more!" Well, apparently I did, too because I'm working on the sequel.

The rough draft is getting there. It's at around 47,000 words (the final draft of book #1 was 56,000) and I'm absolutely loving this story. If you've fallen in love with the characters in the first book, I hope this second book will only make you love them more! There's lots in store for Chrissy in this next installment and I'm excited to share that with you.

Now. I've also had people ask me, "When????" The answer to that question...

I don't know. Though God did some incredible things, the last couple of months of editing For I Know the Plans were VERY stressful and frustrating for me. I want this experience of writing/editing my next book to be enjoyable and not rushed.

My hope for publication is this time next year. I say hope because it may be sooner...it may be later. I don't want to keep anyone waiting longer than necessary but I want this to be the best that it can be, not for my glory but for His.

I still have a lot of work left to do on this one...lots of editing and scene writing and plot developing. Being homeschooled, my mom has allowed me to incorporate 45 minutes of editing into my daily school schedule this year and I'm super excited about that.

All of this being said, I guess I'm really not sure what's next.

I know I'll be writing. I know I'll be doing school(officially a senior, by the way- WHAT?!). I also know that I'll be looking to Him for guidance in all of the decisions to be made. I'll be spending time in His Word and in His Presence.

But like I said a while back, while I may write other stories- this one isn't mine, it isn't for me. This story is His, it's for Him. He knows what's next and I rest in the comfort of that promise.

And while I rest, I write in hopes to glorify Him and see where this grand adventure of life will take me next.

~Bailey

Aftermath

I woke up Sunday morning and felt as if I had just been hit by a truck.

I was exhausted; we all were.

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you know that the party Saturday was a HUGE success. Thanks again to everyone who came out and celebrated with me. It was definitely one of the best days of my life so far.

I was texting a friend Sunday night about how surreal it felt for person after person to be buying my book, for me to be signing each book. I just kept thinking, I'm an author. And all day long I thanked the Lord for all He had done to get me to that point.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.

This is quite possibly my favorite shot from the day. 

My Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Riddle, came to celebrate with me. She is holding two of the little books that we made in Kindergarten. 

Both sets of grandparents, my parents, my aunt and me.

Beginning to end table! 

Friends from our homeschool group last year. Love these girls!

Girls from church--missing a few who had to head home early! 

Two of my beautiful cousins and me.

Jane Austen quote.

BOOKS!

Anyway, thanks again for all of your support. Don't forget to spread the word on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or buy the book on amazon! 

~Bailey

Celebrating Him

Tomorrow is the big day! The one I have been waiting all summer for. 

Tomorrow I celebrate the publishing of my book. 

I celebrate these three years of hard work. 

I celebrate these months and months of editing. 

I celebrate this story that has already reached many people in many different ways. 

But more than any of these, I celebrate the way that the Lord has moved in my life within the last two and three years to bring me to this point. 

On Wednesday as we stood in church singing "Great I Am," I proclaimed the words of this song, knowing what a great and powerful God that I serve. This song was my Paige's favorite worship song and normally it brings tears to my eyes. 

Wednesday was different. I was able to stand and worship, truly worship my God who has brought me SO far and done SO much for me. And I was beyond grateful. 

I texted a friend that night, "Can we just talk about how awesome our God is?"

And we did, because we've both seen Him move in the craziest, most amazing ways and we know that His plans are beyond perfect. 

Just ask me and I'll tell you that the journey to this book proves that the God I serve has the perfect plan. 

On Sunday mornings I help teach the 5th grade Sunday school class with some good friends, Brent and Ashlee Moore. Ashlee was telling the kids about my book last week in class and they started asking all of these questions (Will you be on the red carpet? Probably not. Is your book going to be made into a movie? Probably not. Are the characters based off of people in your life? Yes, a few of them.).

Anyway, we ended up spending the last twenty five minutes of Sunday school hour doing a Q&A about my book. I told them if I ever became famous I would give them credit for my first official interview. Haha!! 

At the end of class, sweet Gwen was closing us in prayer and she said, "And I pray that people would know You, God, through Bailey's book." And I smiled because that's what I've been praying all along. 

After Sunday school I walked a couple of the girls back to their parents who were working nursery and we were carrying on conversation when the book came up again. They asked if I wanted it made into a movie. 

My response, "Well, my goal wasn't to write a book that would be made into a movie or become wildly popular, I mean, that would be fantastic. Anyway, my goal was to write a book that would point people to the Lord, to write a book that would show people what it means to live for Him. I pray that He would be glorified in what I write and what I do with the abilities He has given me."

I pray that is what I have done. I pray that I have written to glorify my Savior. 

I pray that this weekend we celebrate the things the Lord has done, that we celebrate the fact that He does know the plans for each of our lives!

As my youth pastor said Wednesday night, I don't want to trade in my love for the Creator for the love of the created. I want to stay focused on my Creator and His will, His glory, His honor and not be distracted by the created. 

I know that God has big things in store for me, for my writing, for this story and the ones to come (yes, there are more). But I want Him to get the credit! 

Because HE has done great things and I am so very thankful! 

Let that be what we celebrate this weekend.

~Bailey Elizabeth 

Psalm 98:1

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!"