I guess some girls collect shoes;
others, jewelry;
ones who consider themselves modern
collect art
and music
and photographs of themselves,
while old women hoard
delicate trinkets
upon dusty, clear glass shelves
and the rich ones keep an eye out
for Fabergé eggs
and keepsake couture;
but give me a room with ceilings so high,
where books can be stacked upon stack to the sky
and I’ll be a happy, insignificant girl.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Home
It’s the middle of summer here in Aus, so I’m trying to make the most of the outdoors and beautiful weather. Here’s a peek into my little working space on the patio at home. I plan to make more use of this lovely little spot throughout the other seasons of the year.
Guess what’s going to be in the National Library of Australia? Yep, my book.
First, I was rejected by my alma mater. Second, I was rejected by Hillsong.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell the difference between the world and the church. And by church I don’t mean a building or a non-profit religious organization. I’m talking about the people inside it. The ones who attend every Sunday, midweek, and all major holidays. Those people. The ones who call themselves Christians. They’re people too, and that’s the truth.
Did I expect my book to be rejected? Yes. Of course. What’s to like about it? It’s a bunch of stories about deaths rewritten in cheeky poetry with creepy hand-drawn illustrations. Frankly, I’m surprised people have shown any interest in it.
But those were my expectations of the world. The world who seems to forget about the God who spoke everything into existence in the first place. That’s who I expected to reject me. Not Christians. Not my own.
And yet the Bible tells me that Jesus came unto his own, and his own received him not. Why then should I have expected anything different?
I have no more thoughts on this matter. I can only close by quoting from Ecclesiastes 1:9 which says:
“What has been, will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Thought I’d share some behind the scenes photos with you. Hope you enjoy these!
People love to separate God into things He is not. A dear friend of mine recently shared with me how friends of hers view the God of the Old Testament as the God of “wrath” and the God of the New Testament as the “nice” God. But to me, they’re one in the same. Three persons in one dude, so one God. At least, that’s what the Bible says right?
I love God the Father. Sadly, He’s always getting a bad rap. But that’s the whole reason I wrote The Old Testament Obituaries. Not to show that He’s mean, but that He is just and He is gracious. Remember, He’s the same God who sent His only Son Jesus to die a brutal death for us and pay for our sins. Yup. SAME GOD. The Father. The One who’s getting accused of being wrathful.
People forget that it’s always mankind who is screwing things up, not Him. There is no evil in God. The evil is rooted in us and our nature. But He knows our shortcomings. God is always looking into people’s hearts. He warns us and gives us chances, but in the end, it’s still up to us to decide whether to obey or rebel.
That’s why I picked these particular stories. Sure they’re disturbing, but they reveal a side of God that I really like and have always loved. His justice. Because in this world where right and wrong is constantly debated and the line between them is always blurred by society, it’s His final say in the end. When we put God’s justice into the mix of things, there’s nothing more to argue.
And there’s a healthy level of fear that comes with it. Maybe I’m just a total weirdo, but I’ve always liked that part of it too. The fear. The mystery. The not knowing why or how He does certain things or chooses to make certain decisions. I reckon I’ll have about a thousand questions to ask Him when I get to heaven. Mostly questions about deep stuff but I also have a list of really stupid questions to ask like, “Why does cussing sound cool when it’s said in an Irish accent?”
Maybe I’m just a freak, but those are my honest thoughts. I just wish people would stop allowing themselves to get all caught up and offended by certain stories in the Bible to the point where they start dividing up the Trinity into categories like “nice” and “not nice.” Seriously, we need to take a long look at ourselves first before we all start judging the dude who He created us.
I love October! Not only do I get to celebrate Halloween but I also get to celebrate my wedding anniversary. October holds a special place in my heart for everything that has to do with pumpkins and love.
To celebrate this special month, I’ve just released a series of greeting cards, postcards, and mini posters featuring all ten of my illustrations from The Old Testament Obituaries! Click on the new “MERCH” tab above to check out my online shop and peruse the selection. Order a few posters to decorate your home and help set the mood for Halloween. Or simply start a new tradition by sending a loved one a creepy greeting card this season!
Hey guys! Good news for all you techie heads out there. I’m currently working on the ebook version of The Old Testament Obituaries so watch this space for updates on the release date.
My book now has a Facebook page! Come on over and check it out by clicking here!
I’m happy to announce that my book is hot off the presses and out now! Can’t believe this day is finally here. I’m sooooo super excited!!! Check out my book by clicking on the “Works” links above.
Thank you all for your much needed love, support, prayers, encouragement, and laughter over the years. I feel so incredibly blessed to have you in my life.
Here’s a quick, backstage preview of the illustrations I created for my upcoming book The Old Testament Obituaries.
Frankly, I’m fascinated by the God of the Old Testament. He’s a creative genius with high morals, tough laws, and loads of justice. He’s so old school. He’s the OG of the Trinity. But people rarely talk about Him and when they do, they’re frightened or turned off. Except me. I like this God.
It was during my years at college that my admiration for Him grew. One semester, I was required to take a course on the Old Testament. That’s when a new fascination began–my obsession with all the tragic, unconventional deaths in the Bible. Before this, I had never heard of such stories. I didn’t even know they existed. Were these for real? I couldn’t stop reading. I was on a mission to find more.
They captivated and haunted me. The more I read, the more I wondered about the God of the Old Testament and the ways of human nature. But it was hard to find people willing to talk about this subject with me. It was as if death was too dark a subject for them. Or maybe they just didn’t like to think that God allowed such things to happen. But isn’t death real and aren’t these stories already written? What’s the big deal?
Maybe it’s easier to forget. To ignore it. To keep silent. But that’s not me. That’s why I’m so looking forward to sharing this book with you. I hope that when you read it, you’ll gain a new fascination and appreciation for the God of the Old Testament like I have. Then we can talk!
Revamp the front cover. Write copy for the back cover. Create new illustrations for title pages. Maybe one for the front cover too. Add the new data for the Cataloguing-in-Publication page. Change the fonts. On everything. Format the text. Remove full-page bleed for illustrations. Hand draw frames instead. Draft a new layout. Add page numbers. Set up table of contents. Add a brief author bio. Double check spelling. Triple check spelling. Done.
This was the stuff. It’s everything that was missing from my first review copy. I can’t believe I’d left so much out. I thought I could get away with just having it read and look the way it did. Maybe it would’ve worked fine as an eBook, but in print? It lacked substance.
I feel like I’m having to start over again. I guess I could be really frustrated but there’s so many lessons to be learned from this. I’m not in a big hurry anymore. I’m eager to finish it, but this time my focus is to get it done right. No more time for disappointment.
It’s been a while since I’ve announced I was in the “final stages.” Well, that was me speaking out of ignorance. In my mind I was 99% done with the book. I had finished wrapping up the copy and illustrations. The entire layout was complete so I uploaded the files to the publisher’s server and ordered my first review copy.
I received an email with one of those links from FedEx that allows you to track your package. The moment I got it, I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve, excitedly bursting with anticipation for that precious box to arrive. I became obsessed with checking the status every day and every hour. I’d scream out to my husband every time they updated its location. It’s leaving Connecticut! It’s in Memphis! It’s flying to Honolulu! It’s in Alexandria stuck in customs! Hey it’s on the truck!
I was supposed to do my grocery shopping that morning but who could be bothered? My book was coming! The front door buzzer rang. I ran to collect my book. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for. I tore it open and well…there it was. It was my book in hard copy form; but it was also not.
Sometimes it’s hard to face reality. You picture something in your head; you build it up to be something, and then when you get it first hand, it’s so far from what you imagined. That’s what happened. I was happy but I felt a bit annoyed. Something wasn’t right. It was missing stuff. A lot of stuff. And I needed to figure out what that stuff was.
Hi there! Thanks for stumbling across my page. I’ve just decided to post some personal notes on here. So feel free to come along on this bookmaking journey with me. See you soon…
