About the Author

A writer of faith by day and mystery by night, Patricia Raybon is an award-winning Colorado author, essayist, and novelist who writes top-rated books and stories at the daring intersection of faith and race. More at patriciaraybon.com

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things we love
& you will too!
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  1. This is all so encouraging, Patricia! Especially clinging to this:

    “ Don’t you see it?, the Lord asks us. Can’t you visualize it? Does your vision board depict not what you can do by yourself but what God alone can do?”

    I am so proud of you and thankful for your new thing! I LOVED reading Annalee’s story and can’t wait for your next novel to come out.

    This year I’m diving into writing a children’s book. And I feel the same way! I very much hope God opens a wide door for others to see Him through it…but even if not, there has been pleasure and purpose in trying.

    • Amen, Becky. Yes, go for it! I was just reading last night about E. B. White, the “White” of Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style.” He wrote “Charlotte’s Web” when he was working as an editor at the New Yorker Magazine. Children’s books weren’t in his wheelhouse, but the book became a beloved children’s classic.

      I love how doing a new thing introduces us to new and different audiences and, in the case of writers, to new readers–meaning we’re pointing more people to a life in God. C.S. Lewis did that with his writing. So, I’m sending prayers for your first children’s book. Dive in with joy! As amazing Holley Gerth would say, I’m cheering you on!

  2. “In the end trying something new isn’t to promote ourselves to God’s kingdom but to help make God more known.” Thank you for this wonderful fear stomping, right perspective encouragement to be bold & dream big!

  3. Patricia,
    I just finished reading your novel, “All that is Secret.” I so enjoyed your amazing story. Annalee is a wonderful, complex woman. She is gutsy, compassionate, mysterious, independent, Woman of faith. She struggles in her faith journey in this book. And I love Eddie and Jack as well. I look forward to reading your next novel.

    I am not sure where the Lord is leading this year, but my word for this year is “courage.”

    Perhaps a new thing is in my future as I turn 75 in April. I am still uniquely and wonderfully made according to God’s Word in Psalm 139. He wants us to shine like the stars.My twinkle may not be quite as bright, but the Lord can still shine through!

    Thank you for your message today.
    Blessings to all you stop here today. ❤️❤️

    • Karen, thank you so much! I loved writing an historical mystery with a young woman of faith, struggling to know God, but still in the driver’s seat! May you shine bright for the Lord in your faith walk, too. Also, Happy Birthday! At 75 in April, you have a lot more glowing and going to do. All for Christ! With His peace and love, Patricia

  4. Patricia you are so wonderful & encouraging not only to me in a mighty way but I’m sure to a lot of your readers. I did the in-courage test & my word was encouragement. I was told that before but now it’s opened my eyes & brought friends really struggling with hard situations to my life! I’m trying to reach out to other people & be a blessing to them & not feel I don’t have the time because I need to do….yatta, yatta & more yatta! All which is meaningless & has to be redone again at some point. I was raised in a Jewish home & my family thinks of me as a rebel. Isn’t that funny? They have noticed there is something different about me & there is! I’m close to one cousin who lives on the east coast, I’m in CA & I’ve been having a ministry with her, although she doesn’t recognize it as such! Also with my brother who is wheelchair bound. Telling him to talk to God from his heart.

    Then with church I got a message yesterday from a dear older friend of a really sad situation she’s going through, another friend who lives also on the East Coast but so thankful for messenger I’m encouraging her as she’s going through a rough time.

    I love mysteries but only clean ones who honor God, I’ll look up your book! Right now I’m reading & almost done with The Simple Difference by Becky Keife. I’m planning on sending it to a friend who moved away & struggling in her new area.

    Lord bless you Patricia as you’ve blessed more friends than you could imagine!
    Barbara

    • What a wonderful word, Barbara–especially if you’re an encourager at heart. (And it sounds as if you are!) You’ve encouraged me today with your kind feedback on my post. May your family, friends, and church all be blessed beyond measure by your encouraging love and hope. With His peace and joy! Love, Patricia

  5. Than you for your encouragement to try new things! It’s certainly not always an easy thing to do especially for this type A (55 year old) girl! I pray God will show me what my new thing will be this year.

    • Laura, I’m praying with you, indeed. May the Lord make plain and clear if He’s inviting you to try something new for Him! With His peace and love, Patricia

  6. Patricia,

    I hear God audibly saying “forget your past mistakes & wrong turns. See I am doing a new thing!” He sure is in my life. It all started in September last year. My clerical coworker broke her arm. I volunteered to fill in fulltime 6-8 weeks. In the middle of November they shut our unit (hospital) down. I was a tad scared about the next move. God graciously placed me on 2100 (Covid) unit. Apprehension at first, but then it grew on me. There were other blessings thrown in there (extra money, pay hikes etc.). Yesterday my RN manager called me & said I have a full–time clerical position open here & I want YOU! We will work with your days & hours as you need. Some where along the way I must have sown good seeds of hard work & shining God’s light & love. He sure blessed the pants off me. I definitely perceive the new thing!! God is awesome. Only He could give such great blessings.

    Blessings)

    • Beth, how awesome! We see you shine your light here in so many ways. I can imagine you were a sparkling bright light in the Covid unit–faithful, encouraging, hopeful, professional, and loving, too. Congratulations on your promotion and new position. What a beautiful new thing! His peace and joy as you walk this year in His new blessing! Love, Patricia

  7. Thank you so much for sharing these words! They were so good for my soul.
    My husband and I are trying to conceive and so much of it really is up to God and His plan for us.
    I don’t know how it’s going to go but I’m going to dream about it and bravely keep trying.

    • What a beautiful new dream! I pray the Lord hears your prayers , guiding you and your husband in every step to take and blessing your faithful trust in Him. In advance, I celebrate with you for what the Lord will do! With His love and great hope! Patricia

    • Sharanda, thank you for receiving it! God’s wonderful blessings on your hopes and dreams for doing a new thing–for His glory! He knows our plans. May He show you clearly your beautiful next steps. With His peace and hope, Patricia

  8. Patricia, I came here today to read a different post I’d seen a link to. After reading it, I cried – it was not the author, her article was beautiful, it was me and my self-doubt talking. My eyes then drifted and saw your post and it was as if it was written for me, a writer wanting desperately to write for Him, but having felt lost so much lately. Your words brought me such hope and I believe He sent me here for what I thought was one thing in order to find your post. Thank you so much!

    • Tracey, Thank you for sharing your heart. I’m so grateful you found this post. I can so relate to feeling lost, as a writer, and not sure what next steps to take. Gratefully, the Lord is faithful to our calling and provides so much wonderful help and support for writers seeking to create for Him. I pray that, in 2022, He leads you to a community of fellow writers who can support, help, and cheer you on along your journey.

      So many supportive writing communities await–including HopeWriters, the West Coast Christian Writers’ Conference, Breathe, Mt. Herman Christian Writers’ Conference, Writing for Your Life writers’ conferences, Festival and Faith and Writing, and many more. These aren’t endorsements, just suggestions. The main thing to know is don’t tackle the writing life alone.

      I pray you find friends, purpose, and fellow travelers on your writing journey. The Lord is doing a new thing. Moreover, He knows His plans for you. As you seek Him for clarity and confidence, may He answer with all the encouragement and hope that your writing heart and soul need. I’m cheering you on, too! With His peace and hope! Patricia