M. Ann Ricks

  

Fearfully and wonderfully made, Melissa Ann Ricks, that is my name!

Glorifying God everywhere I go, representing His illustrious glow.

Writing books left and right

Walking by faith and not by sight

Encouraging lost souls with the words He chose

Resolving to create so whole world knows

Am I finished? No, I've just begun!

Because He is the true author, more souls will be won!

With Praise so infectious it can’t help but lift ya

I am confident and assured

My name is Melissa!

 

Affirmation written by

Ms. Darnyelle Jervey

www.incredibleoneenterprises.com

 

 

Let’s abandon all of the traditional prose that a biography would require and allow me to share what I call my Bio-testimony.

 

As the fourth and last daughter born to my parents, my upbringing was quite structured.  Growing up in Elizabeth, NJ, with strict parents that had strong southern roots, the church seemed to be the only place I could go to freely congregate and socialize.

Singing in the choir and participating in every possible youth auxiliary kept me from elements that would have swallowed me whole.  I am forever grateful to my parents for their prayers and close reign over my young life.  Admittedly, there were times when I thought that I was living during the Dark Ages and many of my contemporaries stated that my youth was “sheltered”.  In retrospect, I acknowledge that shelter as God’s way of truly keeping me safe. Although recognizing Christ’s importance, I don’t think I thought of Him as my “everything”.

Not until the pregnancy of my eldest son did I feel a true desire to write.   I began to simply write about the way I felt about the child growing inside of me and the love that I felt for my husband.

During this time I was not cultivating my relationship with Christ, I went to church but the relationship was non-existent. Only when I resolved to reconnect with the Master and sought to draw nigh to Him, did the desire to write become stronger and strangely, to my surprise, a need. My yearning to please Him with the stories that I created increased. I realized that this could be my way of bringing souls into the Kingdom of God.

After seeking the Lord and requesting and then receiving the needed confirmation, I finally arrived at the conclusion that writing was the path God has placed me on.

 It seemed that I had no other scapegoats and surrendered to the will of God.  Believing that God would give me the words, I began to write my first book; Awesome Wonder: The Gift of Remembrance.

Becoming a full-time author was truly a faith fight but the Bible says that we are more than conquerors.

I‘ve learned that I have to take the Lord at His word. His word is Truth and will not return void.

During one of my “pity parties” my husband said something that enables me to write with confidence; “If God told you to write, then write, and stand on His promises.”

With those marching orders, I completed Awesome Wonder and while waiting for a publisher to present an offer, I started on my second project, The Son. 

I am so excited and honored to be used by God to spread His message with the stories that I create. I will continue to do so for as long as He provides me with the stories and the words that will draw all men to Him.