The answer is, “Of course it can.” I have heard from numerous people who have read my memoir, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds, and their lives have been radically changed just by reading that book I wrote in 2013.
I have also had many say, “That’s great for you, but I could never do that.” God’s timing is always perfect, though. Right after I wrote Sweet Grace , I was speaking at a writer’s conference. The last thing I expected was for God to tell me to write a fiction book, but that’s exactly what He did. He gave me the storyline for Rebuilding Jayne. It was even down to the ‘y’ in Jayne!
NonFiction Can Be Difficult
I had just gone through a year of struggling to write Sweet Grace. There are some details in that book that have to do with sexual molestation.
Factually telling that felt way too hard. I didn’t want to relive what happened. Chapter four, which talks about that issue, was the most difficult and last chapter I wrote.
To date, that chapter has been the one I have gotten the most comments on. Many women resonate with what I went through when I was only 11. Truth hits home, but so does fiction if it is based on true life experiences.
Fiction Is Fluid
I put off writing Rebuilding Jayne until this year, which is 10 years after God gave me the story. He said, “OK, this is the year to write the story. It’s now or never.”
Fiction is fluid. Although I had lived with these characters for 10 years, I wasn’t sure where the story should go. I told God, “On my own, I cannot write this story. I can only do it if You write it and I’m just the scribe.”
That is really how this book was written. Starting with chapter one, God took over. Even before I wrote the first word, He told me this would be at least a trilogy. I’ve already started on book 2, Reconnecting Jayne. And, I am committed to writing stories as long as God tells me what to write.
Jayne’s Story
Jayne’s is 29 years old when the story starts. Even though her dad is the head of a large corporation and is very wealthy, she is ready to throw in the towel. It seems everything is crashing down on her and she doesn’t know what to do. At 313 pounds, her doctor tells her she only has five years to live if she doesn’t lose at least 100 pounds.
She refuses to follow her doctor’s advice. She feels like she can’t live without certain foods that are likely leading her toward an early death. Does she want to live? Is it worth it to her to give up things she loves just for a few more years on earth? What will she gain by being alive anyway? These are questions she has to answer.
The issues brought up in Rebuilding Jayne and how Jayne learned to work through them is something everyone needs. It’s not just for those who have an addiction to certain foods. It applies to everyone because there isn’t a person alive who hasn’t at one time or another, put what they want above God what God wants for them.
It doesn’t matter if it’s sugar, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex, money, power, prestige, wealth, or the wrong kind of relationship. If God says stop, we need to stop before we feel like what we want has taken control of us.
Available on Amazon
Rebuilding Jayne by Teresa Shields Parker is on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. I’d love for you to get your copy, read it, and then write a review on Amazon. It would be awesome if we could get more than 363 reviews on this new book. That’s how many are on Amazon for Sweet Grace.
Order Rebuilding Jayne here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGXTXR53 in either Kindle or paperback.
Can a book change your life? Read Rebuilding Jayne and find out.
Teresa Shields Parker is a Christian weight loss author, coach, podcaster, and speaker, who has lost 250 pounds and kept it off since 2013. Her books include: “Reconnecting Jayne: Her Sister’s Support,” “Rebuilding Jayne: Her Father’s Protection,” “Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds and Stopped Trying to Earn God’s Favor,” “Sweet Grace Study Guide,” “Sweet Victory: Winning the Battle,” “Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds,” “Sweet Journey to Transformation: Practical Steps to Lose Weight and Live Healthy”, “Sweet Freedom: Losing Weight and Keeping It Off With God’s Help,” “Sweet Freedom Study Guide,” “Sweet Change: True Stories of Transformation,” “Sweet Hunger: Developing an Appetite for God,” and “Sweet Excuses: Stop Lying to Yourself & Start Losing Weight.” She also offers Overcomers Christian Weight Loss Academy and VIP intensive coaching. Don’t miss her weekly podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, where she shares tips from her personal journey of losing weight and discovering healthy living. Contact her at [email protected].