Gifts of Good Words Blog Hop: Tadeo Turtle

I Learned through God’s Word

When I signed up for this blog hop, I had no idea I would be literally jumping from one thing to another. A true HOP. I knew God had said to pivot. But I wasn’t sure which way I would be pivoting. But today I learned. (Today is November 5, 2020. I won’t be posting until November 16th but want to remember this day.)

I learned.
Meme from Good Words.

Follow the Gifts of Good Words Blog Hop taking place from November 4-18, 2020, and find quality Canadian Christian books for those on your Christmas list! Then on November 18th, join the Good Words Virtual Book Fair on Facebook: 

My Story:

I kept working on what I thought I needed to do and that was to publish my children’s books myself. Under the publishing name, Butterfly Beacons, I have published both Tadeo Turtle and The Kingdom of Thrim. The road seemed long and sometimes daunting. But I didn’t give up.

I learned how to use InDesign so I could successfully import my artwork and also publish both the Kindle and the paperback. I still have a few things (read: many) to learn about this program.

After that was done, I also thought I needed to make the extended activities which had been in a PDF form, into a book. Now Tadeo Turtle Extended Activities: For Home and School is available.

Today I learned what God has been saying.

Back in 2012, He led me to write Tadeo Turtle. What started as a poem in my journal turned into a popular children’s book. It won the Word Guild Awards for best children’s book in 2013. I was not a painter at the time. I had been taking watercolour courses and was enrolled in a course in our community in Arizona (we wintered there). Joann Matthews, my instructor, said, “Why don’t you illustrate your story?”

“Me?” I replied. “I am such a beginner.”

But she kept encouraging me and I started my pictures. Tadeo came first, then CAT and then SAM the squirrel. By the time I left Arizona, I had almost all the pictures finished.

Then I needed to find a publisher. At The World Guild’s, Write!Canada I found a publisher. After much discussion with my husband, I took the plunge and bought the package. It was a lot of money. Even after selling over 800 physical books, I haven’t made any money. When Word Alive would no longer keep my book active on Amazon, unless I paid a yearly fee, I knew I had to do something. Hence the push to learn how to self-publish.

To buy Tadeo Turtle follow a link:

US: Amazon Kindle and Paperback

Canada: Amazon Kindle and Paperback

I learned
Tadeo Turtle cover 2020 published by Butterfly Beacons

Now we come to today:

With those books now republished under Butterfly Beacons and the extended activities published as well, I am feeling confident to continue.

But in which direction? I needed to make a decision.

I had also published under Butterfly Beacons, Growing through God’s Word, a book of devotionals with a place to journal your thoughts. So do I do another set of those?

Today I learned what God has been saying.

A year ago I knew I had to pivot but it took me longer to actually do it. I wrote about it here.

How God Can Pivot Our Lives

Yes, but today was the day where He answered my question. Which way am I pivoting?

I read the Bible every morning and at the present time am reading through the Bible in Three Years. 

The first verse in Psalm 78 says:

Listen, O my people, to my teaching;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth [and be willing to learn]. (Psalm 78:1, AMP)

The “and be willing to learn.” Those words made an impact on me today.

How often do we read or hear God’s Word, but don’t let it affect our lives?

God’s Word is living and active. It can make a difference in our lives today.

I learned today the direction God wants me to take.

Psalm 78 – it took only one verse – but that verse said:

which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, (Psalm 78:5-6)

I learned
My study Bible

That opened my heart, my mind and my spirit. I had been given this scripture in 2005:

“Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15)

Today this Psalm speaks about our children. How will they know God unless we tell them? Are they the lambs God was speaking about so long ago?

I had taken another path after writing my children’s books. Besides blogging,  I podcasted for Hope Stream Radio and I then wrote on another platform called Medium.  I am sure those activities were for a reason. If I really followed the trail I would see the learning that has taken place to help me be ready for this next step.

Now God is telling me it’s time to return to my own history.

As a school teacher, I loved teaching. I loved watching kids learn, get excited and grow emotionally, physically and mentally. Now I can teach them to grow spiritually as well. I love creating – for kids.

Pray for me as I make this pivot.

Follow the blog hop. And then on November 18th come for a Virtual Festival of Books. On Facebook. Good Words Virtual Book Fair on Facebook:  

Customer Reviews for Tadeo Turtle.

 


Also published on Medium.

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