Our Author Asks…

“Comfort or The Cross? When Following Christ Costs Everything…”

There are certain books that arrive at exactly the right moment. Not because we planned it that way, but because somehow the message finds us when we need it most. That was this book for me.

My friend — and truly our friend — Willie Torres Jr. has just released his new book, and I couldn’t be happier for him. Please visit him and see what I mean @willie13torr

My copy arrived today and I made the mistake — or perhaps the very best decision — of opening Chapter One before heading to the gym. Suddenly my workout schedule was hanging by a thread because I was immediately pulled into Willie’s words and the honesty behind them. Needless to say, cardio almost lost that battle.

As someone who still holds tightly to her faith while struggling with the idea of returning to church, this book hit me in a very personal way. Willie writes with a style that feels less like preaching and more like sitting across from a trusted friend having a heartfelt conversation over coffee. There’s no judgment. No pressure. Just a gentle reminder that we are loved, seen, and never abandoned — even during the messiest seasons of life.

One passage especially stayed with me as I drove to the gym:

“It is easy to declare faith when life is comfortable. It is easy to follow Christ when pain is distant, needs are met, and the world feels predictable. But life is rarely so simple. What happens when comfort is stripped away? When ease, security, or relief is offered at the cost of your faith, your convictions, or your soul?”

Through his writing and the messages he shares in his series, Willie has slowly been reminding me that faith is not reserved for people who have everything figured out. It exists for those of us carrying questions, disappointments, fears, and everyday struggles too. Somewhere along the line, I convinced myself that part of my life had closed off for good. Yet here I am again…thinking about faith, reflecting on it, and maybe even opening the door to it a little wider than before.

And that is the beauty of Willie’s work. He shares difficult truths in such a loving, simple, and deeply conversational way that you don’t feel overwhelmed by the message — you feel invited into it.

I’m incredibly proud to call Willie a friend and fellow writer. More importantly, I truly believe this book is going to reach people who need hope, reassurance, and healing right now. Sometimes the right words don’t just inspire us. Sometimes they quietly begin putting pieces of us back together again.

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Author: KikiFikar

Kiki Fikar is a native New Yorker who is passionate about taking the day to day life we all experience and sharing it in her tales from Suburbia. She will often be found at the gym, writing snippets each day for future story lines, listening to her two children create their lives, and building the perfect beachfront home and writing retreat in her mind.

19 thoughts on “Our Author Asks…”

  1. Kiki, what a great post! I’m honored to know Willie… he has a huge heart and a passion about introducing Jesus to people. His posts often encourage, sometimes challenge, but always inspire me. I’ll hafta get my copy, too! 😎🙏 Good job, Willie! 😎🏄🏻‍♂️

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  3. always rooting for Willie and for you! our crosses are heavy but when we see the good that bearing them produces – we are reminded of why it’s worth it! Mike

    Liked by 3 people

  6. Thanks girlie, can not wait to check this out. I don’t necessarily struggle with that part, but it’s the daily living I sometimes stray from. Awesome, timely post!!!!

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  14. Karen, I honestly do not even know how to Thank you for this. When I read your words, I cried like a little baby. I truly did. Something about what you wrote touched me in a way that I cannot fully explain. Maybe one day I will be able to write it out properly hahaha (The writer in me).. But right now I am just overwhelmed with gratitude.

    To know that the words God placed on my heart reached you like this means more to me than you could ever imagine. I shared your post with my cousin who I am very close with, and I even read it out loud to my boys and my wife. We all just sat there taking it in.

    Karen, you have been such a true Joy and Blessing since day one. Your Kindness, Encouragement, Support, and Sincerity have meant so much to me throughout this journey. But this post right here deeply moved me. I cannot Thank you enough for your beautiful words, your honesty, and your Heart.

    What touched me most was hearing how the book made you reflect on Faith again, not through pressure or fear, but through Love, Grace, and Conversation. That is God at work. That is exactly what I prayed for while writing it. I never wanted people to feel condemned. I wanted them to feel invited, seen, and reminded that God has not forgotten them.

    Thank you again, from the bottom of my Heart. Your words are something I will carry with me for a very long time.

    God Bless You, today and always…

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