I saw God’s faithfulness in a huge way this past Saturday. Saturday evening was the Christian Literary Awards and the “Hope Prevails Bible Study” had been nominated in the Bible Study category. I had been so sick after treatment that I truly wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it until that evening when I just decided, sick or not, I was going. Evenings and nights tend to be my hardest time, and this event ran into the late evening, but God gave me the strength to make it through.

Honestly, I didn’t feel confident that the “Hope Prevails Bible Study” would win, so I wasn’t sure it was even important for me to attend, aside from cheering on the other nominees. I remember saying time after time when people would ask me “When are you going to write a Bible study to go with Hope Prevails?” I’d reply with, “I don’t write Bible studies. I’m not Beth Moore or Priscilla Shirer.” One day, God got hold of my heart and said, “You don’t, but I do.” That was the day, that in response to your reader requests, I agreed that if God would help me, I would pen the Hope Prevails Bible Study, which I’m thrilled won the Reader’s Choice Award thanks to all your votes.

Hope Prevails Bible Study wins the Reader’s Choice Award 

It’s nice to have a trophy for winning, but can I tell you why I really wanted it to win? I hoped the Hope Prevails Bible Study would win because if it did, I knew I would be asked to give an acceptance speech, and in it I would be able to share with even more people that there is help, hope, and healing for those with depression. I had at least three people come up to me that evening telling me that they needed to get my book. That’s three more people who will find His help, hope, and healing for a life set free from depression!

The Hope Prevails Bible Study offers help, hope, and healing for freedom from depression

My acceptance speech at the 2018 Christian Literary Awards

Here’s the interesting thing. There were about 15 different genres that all the books fell into. From nonfiction to Bible study to children’s books, and everything between. This year, they got over 25,000 votes total, and the majority of votes were in the nonfiction and Bible study categories. One of the organizers of the awards proudly stood on the platform and declared that that’s because people are desperately searching for truth!

Aren’t you glad that unlike some religions that strive to be kept secret, God doesn’t do that? He has given us the entire Bible as His instruction book and roadmap for our life, and then He tells us to go out and share His truth and the good news with others! That’s His faithfulness all over it.

For those who read the original Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and encouraged me to write the Hope Prevails Bible Study, thank you! To those of you who voted for the Hope Prevails Bible Study, thank you! And to those who have shared either Hope Prevails or the Bible study with others, thank you for offering hope in a dark place.

Because of Him, #HopePrevails!

Give the Gift of Hope to someone in need this Christmas!

Hope Prevails Book and Hope Prevails Bible Study {hope for overcoming depression}

Available now through book retailers!

Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.