I just added Oli's page to my website. Woo hoo!!  I'm getting excited to see my book in print. 
Illustrator, Sophie Mattinson, has completed the last of  7 illustrations, and the cover art.  She is amazing!  What is most amazing about her is that she is 17, a high school senior.  Her future as an artist will be limitless.  Most accomplished in portraits, her imagination has really been challenged while conceptualizing illustrations for coins, with the likeness of humans.  I'm proud of the job she has done. 


Take a look at her rendering of Penny, on my website, and tell me what you think :)  Go to the "OLI" page of my website.

Here is a bit of a challenge for those of you involved in kid's ministry.

As I've been developing my Sunday School curriculum I've been asking God to help me see His vision for both church development and the development of strong Christian children.  I continue to hear Him impress upon my heart the importance of joy in the journey.  He doesn't let me get far from the conviction of finding humor and laughter in life.  When I start to take life's events and circumstances too seriously He drops a scriptural nugget in front of me and makes me laugh at the humor of some aspect of that circumstance. 
Recently I was reading an interesting article regarding choosing appropriate Sunday School curriculum; once you read it you may find God inviting you to look at your churches vision, as well as your own and be challenged to expand your own genre of curriculum.  Maybe we should do a better job of thinking outside the box?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cbg/2008/mayjun/2.42.html

Seamless

Somehow I think we get it all wrong; the idea we have to be perfect is ridiculous.  The luring notion that we can achieve perfection seems appealing, but, in truth I don't think any of us really believe it of ourselves or others.  What I love so much about the main character, Oli, is that she is raw.  Simply put, she is who she is.  As I developed her character I thought about what kinds of friends I chose.  Those I felt most akin to were the ones with guts, determination and the strength to be themselves, despite opposition. Therein lies the framework for Oli. 

The lesson she teaches is that she is anything but seamless.  She's sewn together, just like us.  Seams down the sides holding her together.  After being drug around, put through the wash and hung out to dry her seams grow weak and tattered.  Oli finds her source of support and love, and none too soon.  They may just be coins to the common eye, but Oli discovers their extradorinary qualities.

Perhaps our eyes should be keen to our tattered seams.  Only then might we would look for something seamless, something outside ourselves... there is One who is Seamless, with Extraordinary Qualities!

  

Who Is Oli?

Oli and the Prophets of Uncommon Cents, is a fantasy novel about a young girl named, Oli, who is anything but ordinary.  Not only are her unique comrades rare, so is she.  Oli's character speaks to the thousands of young girls who feel as though they don't fit the, "girly mold".  Tom-boys are the typical label for girls like Oli, those who would rather ride dirt bikes, explore wilderness streams, herd cattle or play baseball with the guys on the block.  If you're one of those girls, or know someone who is, then watch for the release of this novel. Have you been ridiculed for your adventurous and unique spirit then you and Oli have much in common. 

Oli's On Her Way!!!

I'll be publishing a fantasy fiction for tweeners, titled, Oli and the Prophets of Uncommon Cents.  Stonehouse Ink will publish my novel, they're estimating  six to seven months before it's out.

It's an edgy novel about a young girl, Oli, and five very uncommon characters who journey through a series of exasperating events together.  Neither Oli or her five friends are ordinary; collectively, their characters vary from eccentric to pragmatic.  The six friends lead each other through situations where the faint-hearted might buckle, but together they discover something life changing about self worth, integrity and value.

In every exciting story there's a villain, you'll be surprised to discover who it is in this story...

Sunday School

I'm thinking of a name change for one of the most traditional kid's church events ever...Sunday School. What about simply calling it, Fun-Day Place??
Perhaps we've outlived the traditional, "Sunday School", experience. What I think we really want kids to have is a correlation between Sunday School, as a Godly learning experience, and being loved in a fun and happy place.  If we allow our children to love the time spent in church then they'll hunger to come back again and again. 
Like us as adults, kids long to be loved.  If we placed as much emphasis on loving our students as we do on the lessons we plan to teach them then I think we'd be well on our way to a successful Fun-Day Place. Even if we only get a short 15 minute lesson in before their little legs and arms started itching to move and run, then we've accomplished 15 minutes of biblical learning.  We can spend the rest of the hour applying our short lesson into the games, craft, laughter and play we initiate. Don't let your little students leave Fun-Day Place this week without giving them a hug and letting them know you care deeply for them!

Name Your Families Favorite Book

Family devotional  time doesn't have to be a drudgery, actually, it shouldn't be!!  Try reading a book together and see how a great story invites great conversation.  Every good Children's, Tweener or Young Adult book teaches a lesson, the characters of the story serve as "surrogate" subjects for your child to live through.  Ask them questions like, what would you do if you were the character, or, do you agree with the lessons learned by the characters, or, if you could rewrite the story what would you change?

Make yourself transparent in family discussion time, answer the same questions you ask. Children learn more by what they see than what they hear. Show them what transparency looks like, they'll feel more comfortable in discussions at school or church because they watched you.

Recommend a family friendly book! 
My recommendation is Hatchet, a definite MUST READ, (and a true story).

Have Map, Will Travel

Yeah!! I'm nearly finished with my first LAF Lessons series, Have Map, Will Travel.  This is going to be a hoot for families who like to journey through life together.  This series is even great for Kid's Church leaders or Sunday School teachers.  You'll find all kinds of cool stuff in each of the three books.

The exercises in the lessons are designed to build a learning structure where parents, (or group leaders), will feel equipped, informed and confident to lead.  By coaching parents, and adults with scriptural tools and group questions, these activities will reach all learning styles.  They are pack full of fun and interesting tidbits about the Bible and today's world.  With interactive exercises and word games every page will be a kick.

 

If you're interested, go to my website and take a look at the free pages.  You can download them and have some face time with your kiddos.  Don't be afraid to answer a few of the questions yourselves; show your kids how to be transparent, they'll get a kick out of your answers!!