About Tessa
Tessa Emily Hall is a 19-year-old who has been penning stories since before she could read. Her first YA inspirational novel, Purple Moon, will be published fall 2013 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and is now available for preorder. She is generously giving away a signed copy of Purple Moon to one of you!
Tessa is also an editor for Temperance Magazine and writes for several online Christian teen magazines. She resides in South Carolina and is currently working toward her degree in English. She is also a coffee-addict, music-lover, book-worm, and has a passion for youth ministry, especially in the area of the written word. Tessa posts weekly devotions for teens, book reviews, writing tips, and more at her blog, Christ Is Write.
Welcome to Inspiring Daring, Tessa!
What's Holding You Back
Have you ever noticed that it’s the
strong-willed guy who is determined not to give up who always wins a race?
It’s never the one who gives up in middle of a race because he twists an ankle
or starts having doubts that he’ll win. The winner of a race is always the guy
who is determined to win, despite any injuries he may get along the way.
We could all learn from that guy.
Not just for life in general, or in our relationship with God—keep on going
when the going gets rough—but keep stretching towards the goal of your dreams, despite
what may be holding you back. It may not be a twisted ankle, but it could be a
rejection. It may not be a pulled muscle, but it could be discouraging words from
someone who has told you that you’ll never reach the finish line.
When I was fourteen, I emailed one author
telling her that her book sounded really interesting—it was on my to-read
list—and I asked for advice for an aspiring author. She told me that she
wouldn’t advise pursuing writing, only because it was hard and very unlikely.
While I understand this—and I have heard other writers saying the same thing—I
don’t agree with this advice at all. Sure, it’s hard. Sure, it may be unlikely
to get published. But I did. And so did all of the people who wrote all of the
books you enjoy.
Every job has work put into it; it’s
not all fun and games. But if your passion is big enough, nothing else will
matter. In fact, the hard work might even be exciting for you. My passion for
writing is too big to do anything else with my life—and as you can see, while I
respect that author, I didn’t follow her advice, nor do I agree with it. If you
want something bad enough, you have to go for it, despite the odds. Many people
will try to discourage you, tell you that it’s unlikely or that your work isn’t
good enough or that the pay isn’t good, or even that it’s not a real job.
Ignore all of those voices, especially if it’s yourself telling yourself this.
Don’t let anyone—including yourself—hold you back from pursuing your dreams.
Keep running. Yes, you may get
injured along the way. But the person who will not let those injuries hold him
back from reaching the finish line is the one who will win the race.
I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. Philippians 3:14 (MSG)
Rachelle here: Wow. I needed those encouraging words today. For more from Tessa, visit her blog or check out her book!
The Giveaway
Please enter using the Rafflecopter below. {Due to the cost of international shipping, this giveaway is open to residents of the continental U.S. only. Sorry, ya'll, and thanks for understanding!}
