Went on my first "date" with Him!
From my previous post you can read how I've had an interest in writing a children's book. And after work last Thursday I didn't want to go straight home. The weather was beautiful. Sunny but not too hot so I decided to ride the bus all the way to Maroubra Beach. I love this beach because it's quiet, not many people come to it so you definitely get to feel like you're alone there.
So I sat myself down in a nice little cafe right by the beach. It's called Marini's Cafe. Nice little place especially when I had got there it was practically empty so it was good to have quiet.
It was here while drinking my latte and muching on some hot chips did I start to converse with God and brainstorm as to what this book should be about. I had no idea or vision for this book. No picture at all. But that's the beauty of walking and pursuing God's will and destiny. When He says go! You just go even though you don't have any clue as to where or when to go! But because we don't have any idea, any expectation or restrictions that is when we are most surprised by the beauty of God's plan! We are opened to surprises and sponaneity, which makes our journey with Him much more enjoyable, rich and vibrant!
So this time I wasn't holding back. I was just going to let Him take me on this ride to somewhere I have no idea but let myself be drawn and surprised by His greatness!
And the outcome of my ride with Him was this:
- though my "date" Him with regarding this book was pretty short. Less than 1 hour but it's a great start! I will definitely do it again.
- what makes the difference between one book over the other is one's experience with the content. If you can't 'feel' the material then it most likely will not touch anyone else.
- being true to yourself and the Creator will bring true justice to your writing and other's reading of it. I can't be anybody else but me. And so I have to be true in what I feel is needed to be written so everyone who reads it will experience the full expectation of it. (I know this may not make sense but I hope one day when I reflect upon it, it will.)
- I am a blank paper, the Holy Spirit is the pen and You Lord is the writer. Let Your ink Lord fill the blank pages of my life and may it bring hope, peace, joy and love to those who read it.
What is the target market:
6-10 years old boys and girls.
Possible (?) Title: My God is My Everything.
About: life experience, making children's faith journey real. Describe who, what God sounds, looks, feels like.
Make it personal: our God is peace in every storm, comforts in time of need, He is like a tissue the wipes our every tears, He is my warm jumper in my cold nights, He is my safety net when I feel like I'm falling, etc.
Appeal to senses, daily life, things children cannot live without.
Visual: The visuals are photos of children exemplifying the statement.
Layout: 1 statement per page. 'Our God is...'-> layout like Judah Smith's book. Simple, colourful, interactive, appealing to childrens' eyes. I'd like to use real situations and mordern, edgy photography for this.
Sign off each statement with: From your Father, your God, your protector, your... (whatever that suits the statement) This is to create a personal relationship between the child and his/her God.
What I hope to achieve from this book:
- to invite every child who reads it on a personal journey of their own as they learn to discover who God is and what He is capable of doing in their lives
- God is as real as they allow their faiths to take them
- He is their everything
- there is no force from my part for them to see and feel and experience God the way I do but rather to encourage them to see that there is no limit to God. This is just an inivitation to see that God is... But when they start to feel and hear God themselves they will know who God is to them. This is like "baby steps" to know your God.
But for further research I need to talk to kids and see what appeals to them:
- what do you like to read?
- what would you like to know about God/Jesus?
- what can you not live without?
This is very raw material. Only some notes and a fair idea of what I want in this book. The road ahead is still quite long but at least now I have something in my hands that God can use to make something awesome because truly at the end of the day it's all about Him and hence all glory be for my God, my life, my Jesus.
^Thursday 14th October, 2010. Maroubra Beach, Marini Cafe. The start of something big! First day of inspirations for children's book. Got a great feeling about this. Thank You Lord. All glory and honour to You, my inspiration.^
posted by tephiee @ 2:14 PM
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