from dust and ashes Archives

My books all have a common thread: broken things made beautiful by God. Today I want to share more about why I wrote Teen Mom.

I remember when my first novel From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation came out in 2003. I was so excited to share it with my friends who’d believed in my writing dreams. But out of all the people who read the novel, there was one person’s comments that stand out the most.

My friend Kathy had worked with me to start Hope Pregnancy Center in Kalispell, Montana. She’s also been in the Bible Study with me for women who’d had abortions.

Kathy had heard about all my broken places. She’d seen my tears. She’d also seen my freedom as I opened myself up to God’s complete forgiveness and learned to forgive myself.

“You’ve written an amazing novel,” Kathy told me. “I couldn’t put it down. It’s your story in novel form.”

“My story?” I asked. “I don’t know what you mean. It’s a story about a Nazi officer’s wife in World War II who helps care for Holocaust survivors after liberation.”

Kathy offered me a knowing smile. “Look at Helene. She is you … it’s your story set in World War II.”

After Kathy said that my mind went through Helene’s story again:

1. Pregnant and abandoned.

2. Ashamed of her past actions.

3. Seeking to redeem herself by helping others.

4. Finding true liberation in Jesus Christ instead.

It WAS my story! How had I missed that as I was writing my novel?

For so many years I wanted to hide my story. I didn’t want people to know about my teen pregnancy and definitely not about my abortion. Yet over the years, God has confirmed in me that my story isn’t about my mistakes. It’s about Christ’s liberation, redemption, and freedom. It’s about sharing about broken things made beautiful by God.

If I’m unwilling to share my story, then I’m also missing out on sharing His.

If I’m unwilling to share my story, I’m missing out on sharing His. @TriciaGoyer

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The theme of broken things made beautiful by God (broken people finding freedom in Christ) is one that shows up in all of my novels in various ways. It also shows up in my non-fiction fiction books.

I also wrote Teen Mom: You’re Stronger Than You Think. It’s a book FOR teenage mothers. I not only told my story, but I also shared advice for their everyday life as a mom. Most importantly, I shared how a relationship with Jesus Christ gives them strength and hope for their futures. Teen mom’s lives can be broken things made beautiful.

As you can imagine, this book is important to me. As a mentor to teenage moms for the last twelve years through our weekly support group, I know every young mom needs advice and encouragement.

It’s so important to me, that I’m going to ask you to do something special: Buy a copy of the book.

Buy Teen Mom for a young mom you know.

Buy it for your local crisis pregnancy center.

Buy it for your church’s youth pastor.

Buy it for someone you know who teaches in the local high school.

I guarantee each of those people have a young woman they know who they can give it to.

I’ll also be bold and ask you to buy a copy for yourself and keep it in your car.

AND THEN I ask you to pray and ask God to bring someone in your life who you can give it to. Ask him for there to be broken things made beautiful displayed directly to you as you seek out a young woman to serve and love.

Young moms need to know that God has a good story written for their lives. They need to hear about broken things made beautiful by God’s grace. When I was seventeen years old and pregnant I needed to hear that.

You never know how God will use you to bring help, hope, and spiritual liberation to a young woman’s soul.

~Tricia

About Teen Mom

Teen Mom: You’re Stronger Than You Think. Everything changes the day you discover you’re going to be a mom. It’s not just yourself that you think about—you have a child to care for, too. While you wouldn’t trade your child for the world, some days are just hard. Baby-daddy drama, dealing with your parents, and worries about school, work, and your future slam you. Your friends can’t relate to your little family, and you wonder if God has turned His back on you, too.

Tricia Goyer understands. A mom at age 17, Tricia remembers what it felt like to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. She’s also been the coordinator of a teen mom support group for over twelve years, and she’s cheered on many young moms—from all walks of life—through their journey.

In Teen Mom: You’re Stronger Than You Think, Tricia pours out her heart and shares advice for the hard things you face. She also longs to provide encouragement, reminding you that you can be the mom your child deserves—not in your own strength, but in the strength God provides.

Buy the Book HERE.

I can clearly remember when my interest was sparked by the liberation events that took place in St. Georgen, Austria, during World War II. An Austrian historian had invited me and my friends into her home, serving tea and bread, meat and cheeses. It was the end of a long day of travel, and I secretly desired a hot shower and a soft bed. But it wasn’t long before our host had me intrigued with her true tales of villains, prisoners, and GI heroes.
I sat—eyes wide—as Marta described the twenty-three American GIs who had stumbled upon the Gusen camps May 5, 1945. I imagined their horror as they witnessed prisoners reduced to skin and bones. Or worse, piles of corpses. But Marta also spoke of other things, such as the first help to enter the camp: a young Nazi wife with her children in tow.
Who was she? I wondered. Obviously, she had not believed in the Nazi persecution. What would it have been like to witness such horror helplessly? How was her life forever changed?
I also imagined those prisoners who were mere days from death. How did they go on after facing such hatred, such loss? Just the night before, on a dinner cruise in Prague, I had sat elbow-to-elbow with a young Jewish girl and her brother.

Celebrate #VeteransDay with @TriciaGoyer and read about the story behind one of her WWII novels:

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“Fifty years ago, they would have been killed,” my friend whispered in my ear as we talked and laughed with our new friends. It was then that the horrors of WWII became real, and I knew I would never be the same.
After we left Marta’s house that night, I turned to traveling companions—also fiction writers. “Are you going to write about this?” At that moment their no’s became my yes.
I went home with much excitement and began researching the events concerning the liberation of Gusen and Mauthausen death camps. But I soon realized no articles or fuzzy black-and-white photos could ever take the place of speaking with those who were actually there. So in August 2001, I was invited to attend the 59th reunion of the 11th Armored Division.
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, I spoke to the brave men, now in their 70s and 80s who had liberated the death camps. Their bodies have aged, but in their hearts they are still the same brave, young soldiers who witnessed so much.
As the research progressed, I was also able to visit Austria a second time to participate in the memorial services celebrating liberation so many years prior. And while there, I spoke with others, including a man who was just twelve years old in 1945. I was awed as he led me through the streets where former SS houses still stand. And tears formed in my eyes as I stood before the guesthouse of the brave, Nazi wife, now gone.

When real life inspires a #novel: @TriciaGoyer shares her experience.

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So fueled by memoirs, oral histories, and personal interviews, I began to write. And in my mind, the streets of St. Georgen and the events of 1945 soon became as real as life around me.
On that sunny day in October, my greatest concern had been resting after a long day of travel. It was only later, after months of writing, that I realized God’s intentions were far greater. His plan was to have me share a story of liberation. A story inspired by true events . . . and true heroes.

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