Two summers ago, my mom dropped off three boxes of childhood memorabilia. They sat in the basement until the hot weather made cleaning the lower level sound fun. As I went through old report cards and notes from friends, I came across writing from my elementary years. A particular story about a penguin finding his way from the North Pole and meeting Santa Claus was actually quite creative, and I remembered how much I loved to write.
Fast forward to our late summer family vacation. We went to the Gulf Shores, and I bought my customary, thrift-store book finds (so they could get sandy or wet without worry). I purchased two romance novels, my favorite type of reading for vacation. One ended up being slow and boring, although it was clean and Christian-based. The other ended up being a page turner but was rated ‘R’ for content. Both went in the trash.
On the way home, we passed a town called Coffeeville, Mississippi and a white farmhouse on the side of the highway. With many miles ahead, I started daydreaming about who would live in that farmhouse, and I began to take notes. Thankfully, I wasn’t the one driving.
Back in Springfield, I decided to try my hand at penning a clean Christian romance novel. Each night between eight and nine, I would write. Five months later, my first book was complete, and I didn’t want the new journey to stop!
Thankfully, my husband and our teenage son supported my budding dream, and often Bentley, our beloved black lab mix who’s perpetually on a diet, cheered me on for moral support. (In actuality, he laid by my side dreaming of chasing rabbits.)
God is Creator, and I think He gives His children scoops of creativity- dished out in different ways. Besides savoring words and storytelling, I also love the art of making music. I’m thankful I get to work with children every week, teaching voice and piano lessons as a private music teacher.
Laura Powell 