one new years resolution January 22, 2008

i resolve to have no resolutions this year. that way i don’t set myself up for failure. actually that sounds really nice but it’s me admitting i lack a little thing called discipline. oh i try. don’t we all? i have such good intentions…but lack the follow through. they say it takes something like 2 weeks to get into an exercise routine- i think it takes 2 years (and i’ve never gotten that far), and 40 times to make something a habit (i’m making that one up)- try 40 times 40 for me. though i won’t resolve to do anything i do have dreams and they keep popping up everywhere.

i know i wrote a short story, shared it last year and have done nothing with it since. but it’s sitting there, calling my name. since then i’ve had numerous ideas about how to reach children through story and engaging adult-kid activities. every time a friend thinks of something they would like- for instance a book of great scriptures to help toddlers and preschoolers memorize the bible- i get inspired and think, i’d like to write/create that! there are a ton of ideas running through my head, the struggle is sitting down and making time to get started. it’s definitely not an i’m too busy issue. not yet anyway.

ironically enough, as much as i love books there are two strange things going on. first, when i sit down to read i’m either too distracted by dirty dishes and unpaid bills or i’m so tired i fall asleep after the first paragraph. the other strange thing is that ezra has not taken to the idea of reading a book with mommy yet. he’d much prefer to open one to the middle, close it/smash my fingers in the middle and then chew on the corners. i hope this goes away or my career in writing children’s books would be seriously discredited.

the first draft March 15, 2007

I’ve been avoiding this for too long. I finally sat down at the kitchen table (my new work desk) to write the first draft of the my first children’s book which may or may not ever get published. The background to this book: my pastor once shared a story about a little girl (who will remain anonymous for now), who told her parents at the dinner table one night that her friends and her were laughing about the shape of her eyes at lunch. It was a difficult moment for the parents, trying to decide whether or not to tell their daughter, her friends were laughing AT her and not WITH her. When I heard this story, I was moved to tears, and challenged to consider the ways I as a teacher and mentor of children can teach them how to love and respect the differences they see in each other. Including the shape and color of all our eyes. I decided this is the first book I must write, even if I only share it the children of friends and family, that would encourage children to see the beauty of God’s creation in themselves and each other from a very young age. I’d love your thoughts and feed back (constructive criticism welcome). And if you’ve read this somewhere already, please tell me…maybe someone else had the same idea.

ALL OUR EYES

Look in a mirror. What do you see?

A nose. A mouth. Two ears.

And my favorite part of all. Your eyes.

Every person is different.

No nose is the same. No mouth is the same. No ears are the same.

And nobody but you has your eyes.

Your eyes are beautiful. Just the way God made them- especially for you.

Look around you. What kind of eyes do you see?

Some people have bright blue eyes. Some people have deep brown eyes.

Some are green. Some are gray.

Some are big and round, others are not.

Almond shaped eyes. Wide eyes. Narrow eyes.

Old eyes. Young eyes. Happy eyes. Sad eyes.

So many different eyes!

If you see someone with different eyes than you,

What do you say?

Wow! Your eyes are beautiful. Just the way God made them- especially for you.

Every person is different.

No nose is the same. No mouth is the same. No ears are the same.

And nobody but you has your eyes.

 

i have a dream March 8, 2007

I have a dream…it began about one year ago as I was looking around for good books for my preschool sunday school classes. I wanted engaging bible stories that kids would fall in love with as they have Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle books, ‘dinosaur stomp’, curious george, ‘chicka chicka boom boom’ and the likes. I wanted bible stories written so that teachers could read them to young kids in one sitting (not 20 minutes long) and then children could read them to each other, and kids could fall in love with the pictures and story and read it themselves (as my two year old nephew has taught himself to do) over and over and over. And little would they know- while reading their ‘favorite’ stories they would be falling in love with stories from God’s Holy Word. True, living, breathing stories of men and women of faith!

So as I was dreaming about these magical books, I thought to myself, maybe if I can’t find them out there, or I never meet someone who knows where I can find them, then maybe I should write them myself! So that is what I am going to attempt to do over my life time. Write these books. I will need all the help and encouragement I can get, but it is something I do seriously desire to pursue.

I spoke with a friend who said it took her 10 years to finally start writing something that she felt she was supposed to write. And when she finally began writing she wondered why she waited so long. I’ve never considered myself a writer- quite the opposite in fact- but this desire to create is something that won’t go away and if I don’t at least try- I may always wonder.

Who knows? Maybe one day my own children’s library will be filled with books that “mommy” has written, but never got published? Or maybe they will be books to inspire other creative writers and illustrators to do the same, and children all over the world (okay, maybe just the northwest…) will be able to enjoy?

One small problem- I don’t illustrate. If you are reading this and know someone who can illustrate and might be interested in something like this- would you send them my way?