Before a life of social media platforms, the worldwide internet and technology that diverted our attention from our little bubbles, books were the source of so much more than what society is exposed to these days. At least in my opinion this is what has happened over the years since Google took over. Books were so much more life giving, informational, relational and deeply forming. They still are, we just aren’t rushing out to our libraries for something we can now easily access on our home computers and even for some, our cellphones.

I love books, I always have and always will. Even the smell of the paper within them is nostalgic to me of adventure awaiting, or another level I get to add to myself. Whatever the book I’m about to read, I know I can eagerly wait in anticipation that I’m about to see a world transformed within my imagination, my perspective and even my personal growth.

As helpful and wonderful as the internet is for the most part, social media in particular has closed off so many to storytelling in this format. Though many beautiful stories are shared through social media and can make an impact by being shared over and over, they filter out. They get lost amongst the billions of feeds coming in on timelines, masked by bad news, false news and a barrage of useless information that has become a new way of living, a culture that is defining people rather than the other way around.

Books are kept, to be enjoyed, unfiltered, definitive and always found when you need them. They can be shared for what they are, with purpose and meaning, they can be difference makers in their own right.

Storytelling and story sharing go right back to the beginning of time. Before writing itself. It’s the sharing of a story that defines mankind, our history, our origins, our thoughts, cultures and beliefs. Without stories we would have no context, no imagination, no source of information and more so, no connection.

Stories are what connect us, they bring us together. People find inspiration, motivation, healing and even a reason to go on through the sharing of stories they can relate to. To find meaning and purpose, to find a connection that understands their season, their pain, grief, difficulty, whatever the journey, someone is there who has walked before and sharing the journey will help another.

That is what this site is for, it’s using social media platforms for the good of sharing. I am finding through my own journey over these years that people just don’t talk anymore – we don’t truly share our difficulties, our stresses, our depressions, our stories. Combining both social media with my book, is my hope that it reopens an avenue for sharing. Finding Eden is not just our family’s story, it’s God’s story. It is also your story. It is the beginning of opening up a conversation that needs to be had, we live in a world where we have been conditioned to believe that sharing our pain makes us weak, that speaking about our troubles will be used against us and break us down and that needs to end. Using a platform that is safe for all to feel included, loved, cared for and seen is what we should be doing.

Eden’s story is the foundation of what I hope will be the platform for anyone looking to be less alone in their world. To come to this place, find a story from someone who is brave enough to share and find comfort and the beginning of their own Eden once more.