It recently occurred to me that this year marks the 25th anniversary of my being in Christian publishing.
Whilst my involvement in the creative realm as a cartoonist and illustrator goes back much further, 1998 was the year in which my first Christian children’s book, ‘What Shall We Pray About?’ was published.
Since then I’ve had the privilege of authoring around 60 books, most for children and with two more out this year.
What took me from illustrator to author was a life-changing encounter with God in 1988 and I want to share with you what I believe is the key to God then giving me the opportunity to becoming a published author.
It was simply this – the firmly held belief that the Bible is true and to be trusted.
Now this might sound like an obvious requirement for someone tasked with bringing alive the Bible and the things of God to children, but not so.
As a new Christian I naively assumed that all believers counted this foundation as their starting point. Sadly, what I have discovered over the years is that the Bible is considered by some as a book to which it’s okay to bring personal opinions, viewpoints, preferences and even prejudices.
I would be so bold to say that the reason God entrusted me with my calling in children’s publishing is because I didn’t approach the Bible in this way.
It is God’s word, not mine.
My passion for producing children’s books which reveal God in all his truth and fullness remains as strong now as it was at the outset, perhaps even more so because of this concerning erosion of belief in the Bible.
Whether or not God calls you to do something similar to what I have done, my counsel to you is this. Build your life upon the unshakeable understanding that the Bible is true and to be trusted. You won’t go far wrong if you do.
