Emily is Smiling

My name is Emily Whelchel.  I am currently a freshman in college.  When I'm not away for school, I live on a little house on a hill in a small city in Texas, where the earth is so flat you can see for miles on end, where the sky looks like a great blue bowl, and where people wave when they pass you on the road, even if you're a stranger. 

I have been blessed with a loving family that supports me unconditionally.  Both of my parents are still happily married.  The continuous love they have for each other and for the rest of my family has encouraged me so much.  I have a little brother named Luke who is in the fifth grade and a little sister named Amy who is a freshman in high school.  I have an adopted sister named Ali.  She's my best friend in every sense of the word.  I've also been blessed with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who are all very supportive and active in my life.

I asked Jesus to be my Savior the day before my tenth birthday.  Ever since then, He has transformed my life in so many ways.  He has blessed me enormously and given me joy.  I am thankful and humbled that He has continued to forgive me after each mistake I've made.  Feel free to read my testimony here.

I've been writing for as long as I can remember.  I know God has blessed me with the gift of writing for a reason, and I plan to use my talent for His glory.  In August, 2010, a novel I wrote called Before You made it into the top five of an online writing contest of sorts at Inkpop.  An editor from Harper Collins reviewed my manuscript and said while it was "very publishable," there were undertones of faith in the story that conflicted with publishing in the secular industry.  I plan to pursue publishing in the future with a Christian publisher, perhaps.

Emily is Smiling is a place where I can write to my heart's content.  Keeping a blog has been one of the neatest experiences of my life.  I'm amazed and so grateful for the positive feedback I've received.  Thank you so much for reading what I have to say.