The Narnia Books.

From the moment I found a copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on, my bar for excellent books was set, and it was set high.

I was instantly drawn into its pages, and soon found myself joining the Pevensie children on their adventures, from fighting the White Witch, to save Narnia from Miraz, and then to finish it off, shedding tears as Narnia came to an end in the Last Battle.

But why did these books have such an impact on my life? I grew up when Star Wars 1-3 were coming out in theaters, The Lord of the Rings just took the world by storm, so why not those movies or the books those movies were either based off of, or made after their release?

I think it came down to 3 reasons. First was that no one I knew talked about them, other than the typical, " They are good books." or about the old movies made in the late 80's and early 90's. But no one had any random facts or could tell me who their favorite character was.

Secondly, few books that I had read made me jump into its pages, fewer still had me coming back to read it again, and again. From 2002 to 2012, Narnia was the only series I read at least twice a year, and it wasn't till the Eragon series came into that now I had two series to read per year.

Finally, it was a book series that had Christian values woven in. I always felt like Edmund in LWW, when he comes to Aslan's camp after his betrayal to the White Witch, how he never felt like he wasn't worthy of his love and grace, yet Aslan gave it to him anyway. Or like Shasta in the Horse and His Boy; how he was always caring and wanting to know other's stories, yet Aslan made sure that Shasta should worry about the story he was making. Or even Jill Pole in the beginning of The Silver Chair, where Aslan gives her the Tasks she must follow, yet as soon as she enters Narnia she almost forgets them.

Yet I do this on a daily basis. I feel like I am not worthy of God's grace and mercy, yet God gives it to me anyway. I always wonder about other peoples stories so much, I forget about the one I am writing on a daily basis. I am given God's Word to memorize, yet as soon as my day begins his Word becomes jumbled.

Yet through it all, God gives me the grace I need every day, the love I don't deserve but am given, and a story that I am writing every day.

This is a book series that I am so excited to read to my own children when they are old enough, and even now I have my nieces and nephews come and talk to me about their own readthroughs and thoughts on the beloved series. As the years go by in my own life, I hope that one day someone will love the series as I have and go on the adventures I have gone on in the pages of the series, and ultimately has inspired me to write my own stories. True I will never be C.S Lewis, but I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't inspired by him.

So to you the reader I ask, and to writers out there, what inspired you to write? To read a series over and over again? And finally, what adventures await you when you open the pages of a book?