a prayer, dream, and goal come true!

From writing short blogs about the fruit of the spirit on VSCO when I was 16, to creating this website and posting short devotional posts in 2021- the Lord has now brought me here!!! I am so excited to share that I have officially published my first devotional, Set My Soul Afire: A Devotional for Igniting the Spark in Your Relationship with the Lord.

to tell you all about it, here's an excerpt the preface of my devotional :)

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I have had this idea on my heart for a while; I created outlines for this devotional when I was 19. I have always grown up in church, but I began to understand the beauty of our Lord and what He has done for us when I went off to college and minored in Christian Studies. These classes helped build my understanding of the Bible and build my faith.

I am a middle child, and I have a younger sister who was going through a rough season of life as I came up with this idea. She was in middle school, and she was feeling all of the pressure from her peers to live for the world instead of for God. As she finished middle school and went into her freshman year of high school, she felt as if she was too far gone for the Lord to work in her life. She knew all about God, but when we would talk about Him, it would seem as if she couldn’t fully grasp everything He has done for us; she seemed to have lost the fire that would ignite her to pursue Him over it all.

As an older sister, this grieved me. I had been where she had been, and I only wanted to help. I had the idea to create a 3- part devotional series. I originally wrote my ideas down in a Catching Fire notebook from The Hunger Games, and it inspired me to title the devotional Set My Soul Afire from the old hymn, because that’s what I want this devotional to do: to set hearts on fire for the Lord. I believe that when we stop to see all the Lord has done and focus on His holiness, sovereignty, faithfulness, and the sacrifice He made for us, we realize that we are truly broken and in need of a Savior. When we see how God is always at work, it should ignite a desire in us to worship and serve Him above it all. Having a genuine understanding of who God is, of our salvation, and of how the Holy Spirit equips us can be transformative.

In my first introductory devotional, Set My Soul Afire, I take a look at the Gospel of Luke, a few Old Testament stories, and some of Paul's letters. Along with the devotional content, you’ll get a memory verse, playlist, and personal introduction that correlate with the overarching theme of each week, a glossary of key terms used throughout the devotional, and instructional graphics to help you deepen your understanding of foundational Christian truths. I have been working on this on-and-off since I was 19, so I tried to include all the things; it’s so special to see it all come together!! 

Whether you are on the fence about Christianity, are a new Christian, or are a mature believer just looking to dig a little deeper into the Word, I hope that this devotional will inspire you to live for the Lord.

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You can order a soft cover, hard cover, or e-book version directly from my publisher's website, https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/869199-set-my-soul-afire , or you can purchase from Barnes & Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/set-my-soul-afire-marlee-ruark-preston/1150404079?ean=9798385060405. If you do not feel led to purchase, please pray that the Lord's Will will be done through this devotional!

pictured: softcover on left ($14), hardcover on right ($36)

Thank you for your support :)