My name is Dwain Neilson Esmond and I’m a sinner saved by grace. My name is forgettable, but that grace thing? Well, that’s downright unbelievable!
I know what it’s like to feel powerless to sin, to fight to change who you are, only to be left frustrated and depressed. I got tired of living day after day in that state, so I packed my bags and moved to a new state, a state called, uh, THE REAL ME! Dude, there had to be something missing from life. I wasn’t born to live under a black cloud. The me I thought was me wasn’t me at all. Feel me?
To get to the real me, I had to take a journey–and that’s just what I did. To find out who I truly was, I decided to go to God. How? Well, there’s a book claimed to be written by Him. I figured that was a good place to start. Why not give it a shot?, I thought. What I was doing wasn’t working anyway. Been there yet?
One year ago, I decided to give The Bible a test drive. I decided to read the world’s most misunderstood book from cover to cover. I kept a travel log of my journey that I collected in a book called 24-7-365: One Year in the Word.
(Shameless plug alert!)
Click here to order 24.7.365 from Amazon.com
Click here to order 24.7.365 from AdventistBookCenter.com
24-7-365 is a straight-up, in-your-face daily devotional for seekers everywhere who want to know if The Bible is relevant to their lives today. Just for the record, it is, but I’m not here to preach to you.
That first foray into the Word left me wanting more. I got a better idea of who I was, what God created me to be, and how much I’m worth. I’m starting to see THE REAL ME, and I’m likin’ what I seein’.
This blog is a part of my journey to the true me, the one God had in mind when He sequenced my DNA. If you’re not sure about what who you are or what your purpose is, I recommend the Bible. It’ll read like gobledeegook at first, but keep on reading and asking God to reveal Himself to you in its pages. He will and you’ll be changed!
I was reading 24-7-365 and you told a story of how your clothes were gone when you back to the laundry room while in college, probably stolen. Well I was just wondering if you ever got your clothes back or if they were really stolen.
By: Megan on March 29, 2009
at 2:06 am
Hey, Megan. First of all, thanks for reading my book. It’s always great to hear from readers. I did some investigative work and found the guy who had stolen my clothes. They were all neatly folded and in the dresser drawers in his room. It was crazy. I got most of my stuff back. I was broke, so I really needed my clothes. lol
By: neil247 on March 29, 2009
at 1:36 pm
Hey, I’ve been reading your book along with the Bible (day to day). God has really inspired you to write this book, Dwain! Thanks for sharing your experiences with people like me- always wanting more of God. I am also quite interested in writing a book or two about what God has done in me through His Word. How can I get started if I want to publish something I’ve written? Can you give me a brief run-down about how it works?
By: Raevae on March 30, 2009
at 2:45 am
Hi,
I just want to say how much your book has helped me. I LOVE IT TO BITS! It’s everything a teen devotional needs. No fault. I’m really really behind in the reading plan but I’m gonna get there! I just wanted to thank you so much and I praise God for using you. Thanks again!
By: Hayley on December 11, 2009
at 5:29 pm
Hi, Hayley! God be praised. Thank you for your kind words. God really led me in writing that devotional, so He deserves all the praise and glory. I really hopes it communicates God’s love for you. If we never see each other down here, I wanna meet you in heaven. Take care!
By: neil247 on December 11, 2009
at 6:26 pm
Hey, Spencer. Thank you so much for the encouraging words about the devotional. God be praised!! I’m so excited that you want to give writing a devotional a shot. It’s a challenging and thrilling experience. Here’s some advice I recently shared with someone who had the same questions.
First, let me say that writing devotionals is something I really enjoy and I’m excited that you want to give it a shot. First, pray and ask God to give you direction. That’s really, really important. Second, try to find a cool idea to guide your writing. Some people write devotionals that are a hodge-podge of different things. These are good, but it’s tough for me to write that way. I like to write with a them and direction in mind–such as I did with 24-7-365, which was designed to take the reader all the way through the Bible, with some sight-seeing along the way.
Write as much as you can from your personal experience. It’s tough to do for 365 entries, but when you do your writing will be more passionate and focused. Ask friends to read your work as you write, so that they give you some constructive criticism. Have them explain things they like and dislike about the writing. Ask them if the points are clearly made. Is everything theologically sound, is another question you’ll need answered by someone like a Pastor, for instance.
After you’ve got the idea, start writing. Once you have two or three weeks completed and edited, start shopping your devo to different publishers. Getting a book published can be tough, so don’t let the no’s get you down. Better yet, consider publishing it yourself. There are several options online for self-publishing your work. You’ll need a killer strategy to market it, but it can work, and you’ll get to keep more of the profits.
Finally, focus on making God real to the reader. God often seems mysterious and incomprehensible to many people. Keep it simple and profound, and God will lead you.
By: neil247 on April 23, 2009
at 12:19 pm