Michelle Moore: “Baby Steps”

From time to time in this space, WestBow Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journeys. The following are the words of Michelle Moore, author of “Arm Yourself: Equipping Ourselves with the Armor of God”. 

“…all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16

I had always been a “Dear Diary” kind of girl when I was little. Later it moved to what looked like note-taking in my teenage life, then to journaling in my 20’s. My writing began to reflect the way I spoke to God and the way He spoke to me.

It was about two years ago when he laid it on my heart to start a blog. He began to prod me to share with other women what I was learning and receiving in Him. He wanted me to let other women know I wasn’t more special than them. This salvation, this hope I have and freedom I have in Christ is for everyone! So extremely nervous and afraid of being judged, I began blogging anyway.

I don’t have a million followers but I know the women that are supposed to read these, are. I knew it would grow according to the Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding. Then came the kicker….a few months later, I felt the call to write Arm Yourself and lead the women’s bible studies at church. So I incorporated both and wrote a bible study on the Armor of God and led it. I was nervous, but God’s anointing was all over it! I used the study then as a format to finish my book over the next year and a half.

Now here I am with a book in publishing and planning a marketing and platform strategy. God had been building my platform this whole time!! He had me start with baby step number one, then number two and so on and so forth. He was equipping me and preparing me for what was next. All He asked me to do was be obedient. I needed to learn how to put on my Armor through this whole process because as Joyce Meyer says, “New level, new devil!”

I have overcome so much insecurity and discouragement and God met me every step of the way with a new word and a fresh word to keep me going. In Beth Moore’s book, When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, she says “A big mouth for Jesus with virtually no armor is like a red flag waving at a demon-possessed bull. From the evil one’s perspective, only one thing appears worse than someone who equips him-or herself with the Word- someone who convinces others to equip themselves too.”

So now there is the possibility that my next step in growing out of my comfort zone is to begin actually SPEAKING my testimony. I know that if God calls me to it, He will bring me through it. I say all this to say that baby steps whether slow going or fast, are there to help us grow and help us to conquer that next battle and reach that next level in our relationship with God.

What is God calling you to do? Where are you allowing your insecurities to rule instead of the Holy Spirit? Bring this matter to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to remove what can sometimes be your biggest obstacle…YOU! Take that first baby step of obedience today and see what doors God opens for you tomorrow.

Blog: www.myhearts-song.com    Email: Mishaqt777@gmail.com

WestBow Press authors who’d like to share a 350-600 word experience related to the self-publishing of their books, are invited to do so by sending a message through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WestBowPress, by tweeting us @westbowpress, or by emailing kgray@ westbowpress.com.  We may not be able to use every story, but we will read and consider them. WestBow Press reserves the right to edit stories for content, grammar and punctuation accuracy; as well as for space.