Future Flowers, Whispered War-Cries || featuring Treasure Happy

 

Hello Friend!

"future flowers, whispered war-cries" releases TOMORROW. What a fun ride it's been of trusting the Lord to do something nearly impossible.

Here's a picture of that:

I just got the first proof copy in the mail today.

*laughs* Basically, when you prep a book to publish, it's vital to order a copy to make sure everything works and looks good... and then you submit it (which can take several hours to publish).

So yeah. As I type here, I'm uploading the final copy and ready to click publish!

It's late. I have no idea exactly when the book will be available to order.

But it's good. Every step has been God coming through and being faithful, so whenever tomorrow it releases (or if it's a day late...), I'm celebrating!

Keep your eyes open, because a new poetry book will be available to purchase any time now!

As we wait, here's a poem + beautiful illustration by a young artist!

Someone once told me that value is ascribed by the price someone is willing to pay.

Then he asked, "how much did God pay to rescue you?"

The answer: He gave up His own Son.

That is how valuable I am.

It blows me away. God ascribes value to this girl, and He says I was worth the death of His Son to be saved. That's the theme of this poem.

The last stanza is my favorite. May it remind you that our purpose is found in Jesus, and that's the most incredible, beautiful, and firm foundation we can build our lives upon!

 

When, four months ago, God sparked the idea to include warrior creators in this bookish adventure, I dreamed of having young artists who illustrated the poems.

And Treasure was that artist.

I read her this butterfly-themed poem aloud, gave her suggestions, and she took it away! There's something extra beautiful in the simplicity of hand-drawn flowers, a smiling sun, and clouds that look like shapes ("sometimes you see a cloud that just looks like a person," she told me!)

I'm inspired because God uses young warrior creators. I mean, I'm blown away every time I realize He chooses to use me, and His heart of love (that He says, "I ascribe value to this person) is amazing. (yet sometimes I wonder if He has an extra soft spot for little people, like how parents soften when grandbabies are born *wink* ♥) So meet the lovely Treasure:

bio:

Treasure Happy is a young artist who happily lives life with Jesus. She has a constant smile as she dances ballet, does flips around the house, dreams of being a painter, serves everyone around her, and loves math. She loves spending time with her siblings and creating in the kitchen, and if you find her at the barn, she’s cuddling her cat, Poppy.

God, however, because he is so rich in mercy, out of his deep love for us, even though we were dead in our offenses, gave us new life with the Messiah—it is by God’s gracious mercy and kindness that you have been saved...to display in the coming ages the extraordinary riches of his grace expressed in the kindness he has shown us through Messiah Jesus... as a freely-given gift...

- Ephesians 2:4-8

~♥~