After a planned hiatus that went a bit longer than anticipated, I am SO excited to be getting back into my routines with a guest post! Isn’t it so funny how God seems to have such a beautiful way of connecting the right people? Gabrielle wrote the sweetest children’s book, with a message near and dear to my own heart. Perfect for Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, or just because, the adventure of Sky the dog is sure to bring smiles and warm hearts to anyone.
As I was building up the courage to publish my book Who Could I Be? God is With Me, I felt the worry of being “scammed,” the feeling of not being worthy of publishing, and worried about other’s opinions on this topic.
Then I was reminded that God is worthy, God’s opinion is the only one that matters, and if the intent is Love, then DO it.
I chose my publisher, Trilogy Publishing because it was the best of both worlds of using a publishing company with a blend of self-publishing.
WITHOUT the worry of being scammed! The confidence of a well-known company, with a fantastic sister company known as TBN, which I enjoy watching daily. Now that the project has finished, would I utilize them again? Yes! Trilogy has been easy to work with and communicate with; they saw my vision for my illustrations and book with ease. As I wrote out the book, I would also write out what I envisioned the illustrations would be. I utilized Google Slides because I could more easily see my vision come together in a more organized way rather than in my notebook. I am so pleased with how it all turned out!
I wrote many books, but this is the first one I had the courage or the urgency to publish. This book made me lose sleep until I began the publishing process. Now that I look back, I can see that it was God urging me to listen to Him, to trust in Him, and to believe that He gave me this to help other parents in need of these conversations, just like my family.
I pray my book goes to every family needing this for their children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. This book does not scream in your face that the conversation is about gender identity. This book could be read as a way to build up a child’s confidence, to build up their foundation with God as their maker and provider. This book can open up conversations that can be adapted to your family’s specific needs. What led me to write this book does not need to be why you read this book; I made sure of that in the style in which I wrote the book.
Who Could I be? God is With Me is a book about our dog Sky, who, from the very beginning, we joked that she never really knew she was a dog. Whether it was how she loved to perch on my shoulder, play on the children’s jungle gym, or hop around the yard like a bunny, for example, we always had the running joke of, “Does she know she is a dog?”. These examples were precisely how I worked through the conversation with my children about how sometimes, even though someone was born one way, they may begin acting like something or someone else. Many times, folks will open the conversation that the behavior change just happens without talking about the option that it may be because they have seen another display this behavior. In the most innocent conversation possible with my children’s curiosity in full force, the more they came in contact with this in our community, the more I worked through the conversation with my kids to be sure I helped tamper out the curiosity. Humbly, there needs to be more books providing us parents a way to talk to our children about these new topics. This new topic has become very well seen in our public settings, no longer only in someone’s home or community environments like clubs, etc. Ideas that are now in a child’s mind, not just a preference of an adult that is tucked away in private. Now, this is a common theme, a typical conversation, a day-to-day agenda that is easily seen in our communities, schools, and the internet.
I believe in communicating about these topics with my children because I would rather be the one to help steer their curiosity, not fight against a narrative that someone else started for me.
How I grew up was wild! It is nothing short of a good story, but if I spoke of it entirely, that would dishonor my parents and even their stories.
But because of this, I surrounded myself with some pretty interesting friends as well. The oddballs, the outcasts, and anyone living outside the typical American dream life. One male friend, out of the blue, began going to school in corsets. He is now a proud father! An oddball still, but no longer wearing those corsets. I couldn’t imagine if he was able to make this curiosity permanent the way that children can now. He was a rebel, furious at his parents, feeling displaced. Nothing that required a lifelong sex change, though he thought VERY strongly about his feelings of being more feminine.
As this topic continues to be more and more common, you hear that we must normalize all of this to be welcoming to those in need of transition. But we are forgetting about the simple need of children needing safety during their growing period. We don’t allow them to smoke, drink, or go to the army. Why are we allowing them to change their body permanently based on their “feelings”? This opinion is not based on a life that was all rainbows and butterflies. I have experienced firsthand the minds of pedophiles, drug addicts, transexuals, and so many who just want their way to be accepted by society.
How many drug addicts wish that their drug use was not illegal? Or pedophiles wanting to be called “child attracted” or whatever the new wording is. These agendas need some resistance without hurting others. This needs to be addressed; where can we control the narrative? How we raise our children and the values you display in your behaviors! I believe we have to have these conversations with our kids in a way that brings these societal issues to our children without instilling fear, hate, or a weak biblical worldview. We need to realize there are boundaries we do not cross as a society, and we grow those boundaries in our children at very young ages. I plan to build my children up with God as their foundation; what God tells us in the Bible is truth. The truth in the Bible is unwavering. It stands firm then and now. We can not change the Bible to make it more acceptable or appealing to today’s societal needs.
Instead, we need to ensure the Bible is weaved into our children so it may transform their minds, not society. Our children are becoming more and more exposed, even in groups that are usually deemed “sheltered,” like homeschoolers. Boycotting brands, stores, and places like Disney will not lead to worldwide change. Raising children in the way of the Lord is a global change! Allow God to do the work in our lives to lead us out of the chaos and confusion society is trying to surround us with.
With Love, Gabrielle Gracey
Get your copy here-
Who Could I Be? God Is with Me: Gracey, Gabrielle G: 9798887389202: Amazon.com: Books
Who Could I Be? God Is with Me by Gabrielle G. Gracey, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
The Nurtured Bee 