The Tale of Honey-Water Farm || how God started the story

"The Tale of Honey-Water Farm" releases in 16 days.

December 14.

It's right around the corner, and I'm excited to slip on here and share some behind the scenes!

Are you ready?

Get ready for the crazy story of how God started this tale (more than six years ago!), and come back later this week and the next for more fun sneak peeks—getting to know the characters, the Biblical truth this book rests on, and all the release fun!

Five years ago, God had my family move to a new city. As a mid-teen, it was hard. I missed our old home, there were already painful changes that year, and day #1 on the farm started horribly. I felt sick, afraid, lost.

But already, He was at work.

Next door, God was stirring dreams in a neighbor's heart. Deborah Greene was a hands-on lady who could turn wood into masterpieces, weld metal into any farm tool you'd need, paint masterpieces for fun, and she had a heart for Jesus.

For some reason, God was giving her animal characters. She wrote down their names and personalities and began drawing adorable farm animals, hoping one day He would use them. 

She dreamed they would encourage young people to love Jesus.

Years passed. We lived next door and got to know her and other neighbors. But it wasn't until last Christmas that we were in her backyard chatting, and Ms Debbie asked:

"I have characters, and I heard you're a writer. Would you ever consider looking at them and seeing if you can make them a story?"

I said sure.

But it wasn't Hosanna that made the characters come to life. How could I take someone else's dream and make it my own? I sat with her, saw the adorable drawings that would make my eyes light up, talked about it. But I set this project before Jesus and said, "I can't do this. If You want me to write this book, please give me excitement for it. Guide me. I leave it all in Your hands."

(needless to say, He did all that!)

I fell in love with Ms Debbie's characters, and God filled me with stories that had to be spilled out! He gave me the Honey-Water Farm title, and I worked with Ms Debbie—me writing and her illustrating—until today, I hold a real copy of the book in my hand, and all I can say is God. is. faithful.

It blows my mind.

He planned this story FIVE YEARS before I knew it. The crazy thing is I couldn't have written this book until just now. I hadn't learned the truths that went into the tale. I wasn't ready.

This is why I love this project, and I absolutely can't wait for you to hold a copy in your hands! It's the testimony that God did this book.

And I've loved getting to know Ms. Debbie through the process!

She is a beautiful woman with a simple heart of love for Jesus. She lives on her farm enjoying her dog, kitties, and family, gives the best hugs, and smiles all the time. You can find her working skillfully with a pencil or paintbrush, at welding or woodburning, and she'll labor for days over art for a friend just to serve them. It's not rare to find her driveway filled with cars as her entire extended family shows up for Easter parties, and, one of the first years we were there and barely knew her, she invited us over too! 

The book cover was drawn by her hand as well as more than a dozen illustrations inside the book! But one of my favorite drawings is that she caricatured me and her together, and I think we're adorable. *giggles*

So this is a little praise of how awesome God is and how I love living life with Him.

Come back in a few days for more behind the scenes fun (including some of Ms. Debbie's illustrations! You're gonna love them.)

Have you gotten to know your neighbors?

What's a hard thing God worked out for good in your life?

Let's chat below!

Fun Fact: As God gave Ms. Debbie characters, she based them off people she knew, mainly family members! You'll have to see if you can guess which character she is. *wink*

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth...

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 57: 5, 9-11

~♥~