Never underestimate our creative God!

If someone had told me last year, that I would actually be publishing two books this year, that were meant as a gift to my graduating son, I would have laughed and called them crazy. But God uses so many different ways to heal us and form us and shape us into what He wants us to become! So, He used my grief of becoming an empty nester, to bring about a lot of new beginnings in my life.

Isn't that just like our Heavenly Father's economy works? We think we have control, and when we realize we don't, we make a plan to get control. And then, when we take a moment to rest in Him, He surprises us, by pulling the curtain to His plan for our lives aside and having us peek just a little.

This is exactly what happened to me! I've had stories about Sidney in my head for a long time. I've dreamed about writing them down one day and finding someone to illustrate them. Then, last year in mid-winter, and the busiest time for me at work, He whispered to me one afternoon when I got home, to write down the first two stories. I sat down at my dining room table, and started typing and the words just floated onto my laptop screen.

I read the stories to my husband and he chuckled. Then I sent them off to my niece to edit. When I received them back from her, I started looking for an illustrator. No, I didn't inquire of God what His plan was, I thought I needed to find someone. Finally, I found a young lady who agreed to it. I was elated, as she knows Sidney and is very talented. However, my plans did not work out.

One day God again whispered into my heart that He wanted me to illustrate the stories. I was surprised and thought I had misunderstood His direction. I told Him that I was not talented enough, had no formal art education, didn't even know where to start. My excuses were numerous, but went unnoticed. He put ideas into my head and I started experimenting, watching YouTube videos, loaning cartoon drawing books from the library. I knew I was on the right path, when my husband chuckled at my first "Wiebke-approved" drawing of Sidney.

So I illustrated both stories in secret, as I wanted them to be a surprise for Sidney. I decided to have them printed through a company that prints photobooks and give them to Sidney as a graduation gift. In the process, I did share the stories and illustrations with some friends and family members. I was caught off guard when some of them told me that the books needed to be published. What was happening?

I reluctantly started researching how to self-publish and was pleasantly surprised how much easier it seemed than I had imagined. In the research process I also discovered Yvonne Jones' book "How To Self-Publish A Children's Book: Everything You Need To Know To Write, Illustrate, Publish, And Market Your Paperback And Ebook". This became my go-to book and has helped tremendously to make my dream come to fruition.

I do realize that this has all been possible only with God's help. Next time I'll share more about the process of self-publishing. SOLI DEO GLORIA

God bless,