A Date with Jesus

A Date with Jesus A Woman’s Guide to a Closer Relationship with the Lord By Carla J. Curtis Introduction Excerpt It has been approximately six years since the initial release of A Date with Jesus, and it still seems surreal to me. I remember vividly wanting to throw in the towel on many occasions while working on the manuscript. While writing this book, I had been a part of the literary world for nearly a decade, but I still struggled sometimes with crippling fear, which caused me to constantly ask myself the question: “Do I really have what it takes to write this book?” Fear roared its ugly head, and I had to remind myself on a regular basis that “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13-NIV). In spite of it all, through much prayer and perseverance, I pressed on, kept the faith, and remained dedicated to completing this book to encourage other women on this Christian journey, no matter what obstacles came my way. A month or so after the release of A Date with Jesus, I was blessed to be one of the speakers at the Annual Women of Faith Conference held by Trinity Baptist Community Church, whose theme was “Iron Sharpening Iron.” According to Proverbs 27: 17 (NIV), “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” And, I must say, this was an awesome, spirit-filled and life-changing conference. After the conference, I was able to sell copies of A Date with Jesus which was very well received. It truly blessed my soul. As a result of this event, a women’s ministry from another church decided to select A Date with Jesus for their women’s ministry to read and discuss. Since the release of A Date with Jesus, I have received some wonderful feedback from readers letting me know how God had used me as His vessel to write this book to bless them in various ways. For instance, I’ve been told that this book prompted some women (and even men) to give their lives or re-dedicate them to the Lord; it served as a timely reminder of how important it is to spend quality time with God. Many found that this book was very inspiring and encouraging. All the feedback I received truly blessed my soul. The idea for A Date with Jesus began over a decade ago when I was asked to lead an icebreaker for a women’s conference hosted by a church in the Chicagoland area. I can recall a conversation with the chairperson as if it were yesterday.

A Date with Jesus A Woman’s Guide to a Closer Relationship with the Lord By Carla J. Curtis “Carla, we want you to do the icebreaker, which is intended to prepare the women emotionally and spiritually for the weekend, and you have forty-five minutes,” she said. Immediately, I tried to come up with an excuse that would get me off the hook. Truthfully, I thought my role would be to act as a facilitator for one of the workshops, and had no idea that the committee had me in mind for the icebreaker. At that moment I was more than thankful that my thoughts could not be heard. As my right leg was shaking uncontrollably, I replied with much confidence, although I was petrified: “Sure, I can do that.” The chairperson was pleased with my response, and we soon ended our conversation. While replaying this conversation over in my mind, I sat for a few minutes and stared at the stack of papers on my desk and wondered what type of icebreaker I could come up with that would be both entertaining and uplifting. With that thought in mind, I began questioning God about the assignment that was before me. Within a few minutes, I decided to call a very good friend to seek some guidance on the matter. She provided me with encouragement and enthusiasm. Nevertheless, even after this conversation, I was still trying to think of some excuses that I could come up with so that I would have a reason to call the chairperson back to inform her that I would have to bow out…

Copyright © 2015 by Carla J. Curtis