Starting tomorrow, we will be releasing 10 books in 10 days!
Join us on this journey of Thanksgiving to God for all the amazing things He has done!
One book will be added to Amazon daily over the next 10 days. Book one has already been released and is available. Day 10 will be a compilation of all 10 books in a hardback cover.
We will also be hosting a book party on November 4th, from 9 AM to 11:30 AM at Elm Grove Church, if you want to buy your books in person or get them signed! We would love to see you there!
Where did this all begin?
Three years ago, I began writing these books for our kids at church. God has been SO good to me! At first, they were a dream and a silly comment my husband made, and then slowly, God has brought them into a reality. With so much love poured into these books, to be poured into the kids you will read them to, they are a gift from God to me and from me to you.
Finding an Illustrator
It took a while to find the right artist, and even before that, to figure out how to find an artist. I had never done anything like this before; it was a shot in the dark. I found Fiverr, a freelancing company connecting people to talent, and said I would try it.
The first artist I worked with was good, but it didn’t quite seem to fit. I couldn’t explain why it just wasn’t right. So I paid her, and we went our separate ways. I was disappointed and thought maybe this wasn’t meant to be.
A few days later, after much encouragement from my husband and friends, I tried again. This time, I asked two different artists to do the same thing. One of them, well, it still looked like clip art. And wow, was I confused!
But then, a day or two later, I received a simple yet beautiful image. Its simplicity took you to a place where you could imagine, and yet it didn’t seem less than done. It was more than I could have asked for.
Kate Chirko
So Kate and I began a journey that has taken two years, and here we are 16 books later. She has illustrated things I scratched onto napkins and many clip-arts Jonathan has put together. Kate has learned to understand what I don’t know how to describe.
She has been an answer to prayer. But her journey has not been simple. Kate lives in Ukraine, and a few months after she agreed to illustrate this series, a war started. There were times she could not work. Times, it was all she could do to keep her family safe. She is a mom, and that always takes priority. Her husband was called upon to fight, and she was separated from him for long periods.
Yet Kate continued to illustrate when she could. She kept pressing on. And because of God’s protective hand and sovereignty in connecting us, you have these books today.
Overcoming Challenges
There have been many days when it seemed like it wouldn’t happen, and many days when I’ve asked God, is it worth it? Will these books really teach kids and adults how to change their own lives? Will you use this gift? Or am I wasting my time, money, and resources?
I released book one of this series in April of last year (2022) and was amazed by the number of people who showed up for my book launch. I didn’t expect much. I’m no one special. I certainly am not someone people would expect to publish a book.
So I waited and hoped I would sell a few books that day. And to my surprise, God showed up. I sold enough books at that party to pay for everything I had put into book one, and that was more than I could ask for. But it wasn’t about the money. So much more was the gift of people showing up and supporting me. Letting me know they were proud of me and reading what I had written. Signing a book to a child is like planting a seed, knowing just maybe it will grow.
A few months later, after sending my books out to bloggers, YouTubers, and many places and people who might be interested in sharing the book, I received an email from a company to whom I had sent the book.
“When I Am Thankful” was an award finalist for the children’s book category of the National Christian Indie Author Awards. The announcement would be made on the same day as an event I had already agreed to speak at. It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t be there. But I knew ‘God always has a plan and a reason.’
Inspired By Dreams
I think back to when I was a little girl and my grandmother was an elementary school teacher. She would bring books home from her classroom and read them to us. It was the only time we were allowed to sit on the arm of her chair. She would read and let us turn the pages.
She read to me about Grandma Poppy, who loved those around her and lived out Jesus to everyone she could. I remember those books meant so much because I could see not only what scripture meant in the life of a church but how a normal person could live it out. I hope my books give that to a child one day.
Since my first book has been released, I have continued writing. Often, the books I write I know may never get published. Sometimes, they even get lost.
I have written books for our week at camp to help our kids connect to the Bible stories we are teaching, and I have written books for our kids during Children’s worship. My kids will ask me, “Mrs. Chandler, when do I get to be in a book?” I often say, “I don’t know; we will have to wait and see.” There are series I have written and would love to see published, but for now, I’m taking it a day at a time and waiting to see what God has planned.
The Main Thing…
I have learned much about writing, and even more about publishing and websites, and lots of computer stuff that isn’t really my thing.
But the thing I have learned most of all is to always pause and look to God. To give thanks and let that gift of thanksgiving change me.
Thanksgiving is transformative.
That’s why these books are so much more than just books.
Each page is filled with truth and practical application. Thanksgiving is a transformative force. When thanksgiving becomes a part of the very fabric of our lives, we change. We begin to be present in our lives, even though we live in a culture that doesn’t know how to be still. We realize that in naming the gifts God has given us, we hold power. Counting God’s gifts reminds us on a daily basis that God’s gifts never end. Joy grows as we appreciate and notice God’s grace. As we connect with God, we trust Him more and are changed. Thanksgiving is an amazing gift we give to those we show thanks to, but even more, it is a life-changing gift we give to ourselves.
I pray that as you read and enjoy the activities in these books, your life begins to change and that you will see Jesus more often than you did before. That you would look for Him in each moment, in each encounter, and give thanks.
I am thankful for you.
Be blessed.
Leave a Reply