Be the Pen: Why I Believe Stories Can Change the World

When Kevin McDonald invited me onto Positive Talk Radio, I knew we’d have a fun conversation—but I didn’t realize how deeply it would remind me why I do this work. Kevin’s show is all about purpose, and that’s at the core of what stories teach us: who we are, why we’re here, and what we’re meant to create.

A Lesson From Oprah’s Stage

Years ago, I co-authored Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter. That book landed Melissa and me on Oprah’s stage. What moved me most wasn’t the limo ride or the studio lights (though those were fun!). It was watching Oprah honor Melissa’s courage with such genuine warmth—and realizing she had actually read the book.

Her favorite passage was about choice: that Melissa did not have to follow in her father’s footsteps but could choose her own destiny. 

That’s my favorite passage too. 

It affirmed something I know to my core: stories can set us free.

Legacy Isn’t Someday

On Kevin’s show, he shared how he once recorded his father’s stories before he passed. At the funeral, Kevin played those recordings for the congregation. It brought the room to tears. That’s the power of story—capturing a voice, a memory, a truth before it’s gone.

I often tell my students: Don’t wait until you’re 70, 80, or 90 to write your story. Every day you delay, a library burns.

The Statue of Responsibility

One of my favorite projects is telling the story of sculptor Gary Lee Price. As a boy, he endured devastating loss and abuse. What saved him was his faith, his art, and the people who lifted him up. Today, he’s building the Statue of Responsibility—a 305-foot monument designed to bookend the Statue of Liberty.

The statue depicts one hand reaching down and another reaching up. To me, it’s a perfect metaphor: sometimes we’re the hand reaching up, sometimes we’re the hand reaching down. Responsibility and liberty go hand in hand.

Courage in Red

Another unforgettable project was The Witness Wore Red. Rebecca Musser grew up in a closed polygamist sect and became the 19th wife of Warren Jeffs. When she chose to testify against him, she carried two words written on her hands: Love and Genshai (a word that means “make no one small, not even yourself”).

When she walked into that courtroom, supporters filled the gallery wearing red—the very color Jeffs had outlawed. It was a sea of courage, and a powerful reminder that one story, bravely told, can change the world.

My Own Second Chance

I didn’t come to this work through an easy road. I was adopted at six months old, and though I was fiercely independent, I carried a hidden wound: always waiting for the “big people” to leave. Later, I found myself in the hospital with sepsis, listening to nurses whisper, “She won’t make it through the night.”

In that dark moment, I felt a presence tell me: You’re being given a second chance. I’ve never taken that lightly. I live by Mother Teresa’s words:

“I am the pen in the hand of a God who is writing a love letter to the world.”

That’s how I see my work—helping others become that pen, too.

What I’ve Learned

Two desires live in every human heart:

1. To overcome the belief that we’re not enough.

2. To be significant to someone else.

Storytelling answers both. It helps us recognize patterns worth keeping—or breaking. It lets us rise beyond what happened to us into who we choose to become.

An Invitation

If you’ve ever thought my story doesn’t matter, I’m here to tell you—it does. Not only for your children and grandchildren, but for you. Every time you write, speak, or share, you fulfill part of your creation.

That’s why I built Your Inspired Story—to give you a place to learn, be supported, and discover just how powerful your voice really is.

Your story doesn’t have to define you. It can refine you. And when you share it, you become the pen in the hand of God, writing love letters to the world.

Ready to share your story with the world?  Join us at the next Inspired Writers Retreat.