Lessons from Zoobee's Secret Sauce Part 1: Every Good and Perfect Gift Comes from God
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." – James 1:17 (NASB)
Today I am starting part 1 of a series called Lessons from Zoobee's Secret Sauce. I can't wait to share all the insights I have received from God from the process of writing and illustrating Zoobee's Secret Sauce.
Have you ever received a gift that made your heart swell with gratitude? Maybe it was something small but thoughtful, or maybe it was something you’d been hoping for. No matter the size, gifts remind us that we are seen, loved, and cared for.
The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. That means all the beautiful moments in our lives—love, laughter, friendships, creativity, and even the simple joy of a warm hug—are gifts from Him. He is a giver of good things, and unlike the world, which constantly changes, His goodness is steady and unwavering.
Recognizing God’s Gifts
Sometimes, it’s easy to see God’s gifts in our lives, like a big answered prayer or a dream come true. But what about the everyday gifts? The sunrise, a child’s giggle, an encouraging word from a friend—these are all reminders of His goodness.
Even in hard times, His gifts are there. Comfort in grief, strength when we feel weak, and hope when things seem uncertain—these are all perfect gifts, designed to draw us closer to Him.
An Unexpected Gift
Recently I received an unexpected gift. I was creating, developing and filming my art projects for the Forest Friends art classes on video this past fall. I was feeling frustrated because the timing of releasing this series of art classes was taking SO MUCH LONGER than I had planned. I kept encountering set backs with my schedule not always providing me with the time I needed to make significant progress. Everything was taking SO MUCH LONGER than I had hoped!
After a couple of months of working to complete the Forest Friends art classes, I was finally nearing the completion and I was feeling grateful but a little disappointed as well, because according to my plans, I was behind schedule.
As I neared the completion of having the Forest Friends art classes on videos ready to share with families everywhere, I had a passing thought. The thought was, "I wish there was a story to go with these Forest Friends art classes". Then moments later, I found myself saying, I think I am going to write a book to go with the Forest Friends classes."
Having never written a book before, I got a crash course in both writing and illustrating my first children's book. Practically every moment that I was not working, or doing all the other regular daily responsibilities, I was writing, editing and illustrating Zoobee's Secret Sauce.
It was a rather insane pace, but again, this book was intended to go with the Forest Friends art classes on video, which I was already behind in releasing to the public, so adding this book to the mix was kinda crazy - but by the grace of God, I powered through it.
I can't remember exactly because that time frame from November to December when I was writing and illustrating kinda felt like a blur - but I think I went from the idea of writing Zoobee's Secret Sauce to having it all ready to publish in about 6 weeks or so.
The pace was definitely way out of my comfort zone, but I have to say the book itself was SUCH A GIFT FROM GOD!!! Honestly, I was not quite sure what the story was going to be about. I knew the woodland animals that were my featured projects in the Forest Friends art classes were going to be the 5 main characters in the book. I knew the setting - in the forest, but I didn't really know what the story line was going to be about.
So one evening, I started writing the beginning of the story, and then I set it aside until the next day. The next morning I got up, and I was excited and anxious at the same time because I honestly did not quite know what else I should write or how this story was supposed to go.
So I did what I always do when I need God's help and guidance - I prayed that God would give me the words for the story that He wanted for Zoobee's Secret Sauce -- and I have to say it was an AMAZING GIFT!!! The story came together so beautifully that day, and then I had to edit it.
The aspect of writing Zoobee's Secret Sauce that took me the longest was not the writing, but the illustrating. I used the design tools available for commercial use in Canva and a few from Etsy, and I created my own unique designs for every 2 page spread in the whole book. I put my heart into every detail wanting everything to be beautiful, visually balanced, fun, adventurous, and inviting for kids and families.
Zoobee's Secret Sauce was first a gift from God to me, and it has brought me SO MUCH JOY and SO MUCH inspiration!!! In fact, the message is so powerful that I sense the Spirit of God using it nearly every day since I wrote it to inspire me in my everyday life.
But, Zoobee's Secret Sauce was not intended to be a secret between God and me. As all books are, it is meant to be shared with people everywhere - young, old, and in-between - because although it was written for children, the message speaks to readers of all ages.
I am so grateful to God for the unexpected gift of Zoobee's Secret Sauce!! It truly is a beautiful celebration of friendship and generosity, and it is a book that will greatly enrich the lives of children and families everywhere.
Not only will your own family benefit from Zoobee's Secret Sauce and the companion Forest Friends art classes on video, they make wonderful gifts for friends and families for birthdays, holidays, and just about any occasion really!
A Heart of Gratitude
As I think about the gifts of Zoobee's Secret Sauce and the Forest Friends art classes, I am filled with joy for the beautiful, inspiring, fun creative gifts that God gives us!
I believe it is so vital that we recognize that literally EVERYTHING good in our lives comes from God. Having this mindset shifts our hearts toward gratitude.
Instead of focusing on what we lack, we begin to see how much we have already received. Gratitude changes our perspective and helps us trust that God will continue to provide what we need, and often SO MUCH MORE than we need, ask, think or expect!
So today, take a moment to pause and reflect. What good and perfect gifts has God placed in your life? Thank God for them, and trust that His goodness never runs out.
Reference: This blog post was written with the help of Chat GPT, an AI assistant by Open AI, and thoughtfully edited by Jennifer Kilburn to match the heart and style of Comfort & Joy Art.