Hi, I’m Gloria Fennimore. I am confident that God’s Principles work because after years of doing things my way, God showed me a the more excellent way. His way.
Once I embraced God’s Principles, my life changed dramatically. I became free of hurt, bitterness, jealousy, anger, and found forgiveness and peace.
“For I was crucified with Christ so that I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for Christ, who loved me and died for me.”
I was born in Southern California and moved to the small, southern town of Gray, Georgia when I was nine. It was amazing time in my life and I will always be grateful for the experience. I was a teenager when my parents moved us back to California, but I brought a chunk of the south back with me. Much of the writing in my first novel, Fresh Baked Lies come from those memories.
I am a retired preschool teacher with eight adult children and five grandchildren. I live in the hills above Sparks, Nevada with my husband, Rich.
Writing has always been an obsession, and with retirement, I have the time to fulfill my passion. As a ladies Bible study teacher and women’s ministry leader, I write stories that reveal God’s Truth in everyday life.
My goal is to bring the reader face to face with the truth that changes lives.
“And do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”
The Search
How often have you attended a Christian women’s event, retreat, or conference that gave you great encouragement and promise, only to last until the moment you walked through your front door?
This often happened to me. The feelings that lifted my heart to new heights seemed a fleeting butterfly and this troubled me. I wanted to be a godly woman, mother, and wife but no matter how many events I attended, nothing seemed to change or last.
The emptiness only fueled my need to try harder, attend more events, and serve in the church to the point of neglecting my family in hope that one day I too, would become the godly woman of Proverbs 31.
The Answer
I knew the answer was out there. So, I prayed that God would show me what I was doing wrong, and being faithful, He did. He showed me that I was trying to be godly my way. I thought that serving God was all that mattered. I mistook service for godliness. It wasn’t until a wise teacher taught me that godliness is not about what I do, how many verses I memorize, how often I pray, or do my devotions. He taught that godliness is about allowing God to change me, to be more like Christ. He explained that service is the result, not the means of godliness.
The Surrender
I wish I could say this revelation transformed me in an instant, but it didn’t. That’s because I didn’t know that God can’t do a good work in me until I submit to Him first. Which was easier said than done since as a perfectionist I needed to control every aspect of my life.
God’s Offer
In His faithfulness, God brought me to a place of surrender by showing me that living my life my way could never bring me the happiness, satisfaction and purpose I worked so hard for. And, although I was a child of God, no amount of work on my part would make me godly.
That same wise teacher taught me that the Christian life was a system of thinking. And the only thing God wanted from me was a submissive heart that would allow Him to transform my thinking to be like that of Christ Jesus. I learned it is through the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2) that God would reveal his plan for me.
I had a choice to make. Did I want to continue serving God my way, or was I ready to submit to God’s divine transformation?
What God offered me was the opportunity to be the vessel by which He fulfills His plan, by allowing God to do His work through me.
I was so ready to let go of my burden, but here’s what I learned. God does not take our burden; we have to give it to Him. You see, carrying my own burden came natural to me. Carrying my burden said, “You are strong, you are able, you are independent and smart.” Asking me to give up what came naturally was not easy. Luckily for me, God doesn’t deal in the natural. He deals in the supernatural.
The Transformation
I accepted God’s offer because I wanted my life to have significance and purpose, and I wanted to be happy. I knew God’s way was the only way to obtain this. In the quietness of my home, and the quietness of my heart, I surrendered. I told God I was finished with my self and although I didn’t know what He had in store, I trusted His plan because I trusted Him.
The Blessing
God is so amazing! There isn’t a word in the dictionary that can describe His awesomeness.
Remember the wise Bible study teacher I told you about? The one God used to speak truth to me? He is now my husband. What I wasn’t aware of when I told God my life was His, was that God was planning something so amazing that only He could pull off.
In God’s perfect timing, He brought two people together who lived miles apart in nothing short of a miracle…but that’s also another story!
Begin Your Journey
The only place to start is with surrender. Maybe you have already surrendered and are seeking God’s will for your life. Or maybe, like me, you struggle with giving up your best friend…self. Wherever you are, know that God’s plan is the only one that will give your life the purpose and meaning you seek.
If my story resonates with you, please send me an email and share your thoughts, questions, or needs. I’d love to hear what amazing and impactful things God is doing in your life!