Dear Friend,
Story ttttiiimmmeeee!!! So you know I've been more intentional about pressing into God this month and genuinely discovering how a Holy girl's soft life looks. Well, I have an update for you!
As we were entering Q2, I heard God say that this quarter would be like Angels in the Outfield--and it's been just that. At the beginning of June, I worked on an academic article to submit for publication. While completing the draft, I told God I didn't want the submission and acceptance to be hard this time. I then asked Him to show me where to place the article and to give me favor with the editors. After about 30 minutes of journal placement research, He highlighted the journal where I should submit my article.
I submitted the article on June 6, 2023, and it went out to external readers on June 7, 2023. On Friday, June 9, 2023, the external reviewer recommended the article for conditional acceptance, pending minor corrections. I resubmitted the article on June 14, 2023, and on June 15, 2023, the copy editor reached out to me.
I need you to understand that the speed of this is not normal.
If you know anything about academics, you know that we can be anal. When you extend that to publishing, you might as well amplify that energy because a 30-page article can take over a year to be accepted and published. What I experienced was a 9-day turnaround. The article will be published in a peer-reviewed journal this fall.
God was moving on my behalf because I asked Him to be my father. Yes, I did my part, but I needed to know the location of the favor He had for me. As I told you, I'm not interested in toiling. I've never been interested in playing the academic game. I've only been interested in running my race. I've only been interested in becoming who God created me to be.
Like Jesus, I come in the volume of the book written of me (Hebrews 10:7). This is why my social media handles are thebookofbriana.
I'm learning that when you're locked in with God, nothing else really matters in the grand scheme of things. Even more, when you're locked in with Him as father, you're blinded by His love. Equally, you are fully confident and persuaded that He will handle everything.
This is one of the many things that have transpired since I've been taking it easy this month and we are only 17 days in. Gosh, I don't understand how I was operating in the past, but I don't plan on EVER going back to not knowing that my daddy (never thought I'd say that word) has me and my best interests at heart.
P.S. This is not the same article that I was revising during the 52-day Builder's challenge. That article was submitted on May 17th and they asked for revisions).
More soon,
B