Did you know that God needs you? You are important to God because there is none other like you. Only you can do what God has called you to do. Only you can be who he has called you to be.

Life is not always easy. If it were, you would not need God. You might never call on him for help or want to be with him. Only those who seek him with a whole heart find him. Those who quit when the going gets tough will never experience the kind of relationship with God that is possible.

Don't draw back because the going is tough but lean more into God when that happens. It is then that he will show himself strong on your behalf. Don't allow discouragement to overtake you. Instead, cast it off in Jesus' name. The enemy (Satan) seeks to stop you and bring you to your knees but you have the power to resist him – in Jesus' name.

This is NOT a photo of me (there are none, because remember, I am a fictional character) but I wanted to show you what kind of shirt I wear when travelling. In hot countries it works to keep the sun off and the mosquitoes, too. In colder climates, I can layer it over my favourite T-shirt or under a wool sweater.

The pants are great too but I would pull them up. You all know, of course, that I never leave home without my tote bag. In it I carry all kinds of necessities that I can't do without in case my luggage gets lost in transit. So far, that hasn't happened because I always pray for a safe and trouble-free trip before I leave home. If I didn't feel confident that God would come through for me, I would probably just stay home and paint.

When my uncle Neil calls and needs me to accompany him on one of this archaeological adventures, I have to be prepared - and fast. My tote always carries my smallest Bible, the old leather-covered one I got for my twenty-first birthday that is now all marked up in coloured ink. A little bottle of shampoo, some insect repellant, my journal and good pen – one that has a light so I can write in the dark and also doubles as a flashlight – and tissues. A few other feminine necessities, like hair stuff and a mirror, plus, camera, small binoculars, my passport and any other important documents. I have been known, more than once, to use my tote as a weapon. It makes a good one if I can get enough swing behind it, and has got me out of more than one fix.