When I (Helen) was growing up, I never planned to be a writer. Through a long, interesting and challenging journey of twenty years, I now am privileged to be an award-winning author of 45 books.
Forty of these books were published with major Christian publishing houses such as Multnomah, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Baker Books, New Leaf Press, and Harvest House. Total sales number over 1,700,000.
Together with David, my artist husband to whom I will be married 40 years on March 24th, 2008, we launched out in 1987 on assignment we felt called to do, working on a picture book of Psalm 23.
After we realized our own three children couldn’t understand the meaning of the words of Psalm 23 which they had memorized, David and I spent a year writing and illustrating a picture book to help explain the psalm in depth.
David transitioned from his fine-art career of lithography and painting. He had been painting large nature images on canvas---sizes of 4'x5’ and 6'x10.’
He learned watercolor (a challenging experience) and began painting on a greatly reduced format (11”x16”).
When our first picture book He is My Shepherd was released in 1989, it won a C. S. Lewis Silver Award. This launched a writing career for me as I began writing other picture books, along with chapter books, devotionals, and also board books for the youngest children.
In addition to books, I have been published in a number of magazines and church publications with 60 articles and poems, along with contributions I've written for Stories for the Extreme Teen’s Heart (Multnomah). Prayers for Troubled Times (AMG), and seven devotions for the to-be-released The Grandmother’s Bible (Zondervan – 2008).
As David and I began working on ideas for books, we were seeking to meet the spiritual needs of our own children and the children we taught in Sunday School. We ventured into a faith building journey of producing children’s books that serve as teaching tools for parents, teachers, grandparents, and children's ministry leaders.
Our books on God’s promises and prayer have helped parents on a journey of faith with their own children. Many ideas spring from our nearly 40 years of children's ministry and Sunday school teaching.
Some of our book projects have had assistance from our daughter Elizabeth, also an award-winning professional artist. When she was only 19 years old, Elizabeth illustrated the Pocket-full series of 6 board books I wrote.
Then Elizabeth illustrated portions of The Candymaker’s Gift and Angels in Action. Elizabeth also co-illustrated with David the picture books: CREATION, Jesus Loves Me Prayers & Lullabies, The First Christmas Tree, and Bombus the Bumblebee.
Our youngest son Paul also drew illustrations for my devotional, God’s Amazing Creatures & Me, and co-illustrated the chapter book Journey to the Cross, as well as doing graphic and design work for Comfort for a Child's Heart, the Pocket-Full Series, and Bombus Finds a Friend.
During prayer 25 years ago, the Lord gave both David and our Pastor,
Keith Reetz, a vision of the Spirit of God blowing the “seeds” of
David’s work out and abroad.
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Now, considering each of our books as “seeds”, we pray that the Lord will use many to sow our “seeds” in kid’s hearts, helping to nurture them along their own journey of faith.
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY has given its Seal of Approval to all our Psalm 23 materials. Our minibooks have received permission to be handed out in various prison ministries, such as with pregnant women who are still serving their sentence in prison.
“Seeds” have been planted into other countries such as the Wycliff Library for Missionaries and their families plus a Christian school in Cameroon, South Korea, Sweden, South Africa, various missions and orphanages in Mexico, Native American Indian missions in the USA, Panama, Brazil and parts of South America, Kuwait and Iraq, and the Philippians. During summer 2008, our resources went out to Nigeria, Sierra Loone, Ethiopia, Thailand, Patagonia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hungary, India, and the Middle East!
Several years ago we were able to send hundreds of our picture books and devotionals free of charge to be handed out to Christian ministries in Indonesia.
We sent a large assortment of our picture books and chapter books on the plane with Valerie, a missionary vet, when she returned to Uganda after her missionary furlough. Our books are now part of her personal library which she makes available to the children in the area where she ministers to families and helps care for their domestic animals which are so important to sustain their lives.
Today many ministries and mission outreach groups are using the new The Lord is My Shepherd Psalm 23 projects printed in Spanish.
Together with Northshore Baptist church in Bothell, WA, we have been able to donate Spanish Psalm 23 Teacher Aid Poster Cards and provide minibooks at below wholesale cost for their partnership in a church and Christian school at Los Cedros, Nicaragua.
Foursquare missionaries, Ron & Donna Griggs have used our Psalm 23 materials in their ministry in the Yucatan.
Pastor Gerhardt and Betty Kempff (retired missionaries now serving at Redeemer Lutheran in Spokane, WA) have been given Psalm 23 materials free of charge and at below wholesale discounts for the ministry of their daughter and son-in-law in Panama.
At this time we praise the Lord for many new doors which are opening to
partner with other non-profit organizations where our books are needed.
Several
years ago I was praying about how to get her books into the hands of
children whose parents would never buy the book nor take the child to a
church to hear the Gospel. Then the idea of a “pocket” book, small
enough to carry around, was born.
Now, with Psalm 23 and Psalm 139 both in pocket size, these books are spreading across the USA through a partnership with Christian Library International
who is able to send the pocketbooks (plus other books I have written)
as Christmas gifts to children in shelters, group homes, and
correctional institutions. CLI has also requested 900 Psalm 23 picture
books to be placed in prison libraries throughout the USA.
We consider our ministry to foster children (today's "orphans") as a special privilege. Northwest Children's Outreach
has 8 years of providing resources needed by federal and state aid
agencies in the greater Portland area. NCO services over 60 caseworkers
who have children in desperate need of clothing, etc. We have provided
NCO with Psalm 23 picture books for "birthday boxes" and also with
hundreds of our pocketbooks to place in their clothing bags. NCO needs
workers to help pack the requested bags (around 1,000) each month. Look
on their website for more information:
www.northwestchildrensoutreach.org
Working with the Youth for Christ group in Poulsbo, WA,
we give books to foster children on their birthdays. This YFC group
serves around twenty children. They also use our resources in their work
at the local correctional institution.
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Shepherd's Staff, an ecumenical ministry in Westminster, MD, has received hundreds of our books and minibooks for their ministry to nearly 800 needy children in their community.
At Christmas we provide Psalm 139 pocket books to shelters for abused women and children. Psalm 139 pocketbooks also are going to needy children in various ministries in Oregon. We welcome news of other agencies throughout the USA and abroad who would like to distribute our pocketbooks. Please contact us.
The newest ministry with whom we partner is the “Luv Blankie” ministry in Southern California. Prayerful willing hands of many women sew and knit special packs of colorful quilts, afghans, pillows, etc. for children who are being rescued by police from abusive situations and taken into foster care and counseling. Our paperback devotionals and mini-books fit nicely into a front pocket of the special bag given to each foster child to help them during their time of crisis and trauma.
This unique heart-warming story of Dorothea Barr and her Luv Blankie ministry can be read in a inspirational article published August 7, 2007 in the Fullerton Tribune as well as the Orange County Register:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/barr-blankie-
church-1799692-home-made.
Dorothea also shared some of our books with St. Andrews Presbyterian church in Fullerton for their foster children's Royal Family Kids Camp last August 2007.
As more doors open to work with Royal Family Kids Camps and ARROW MINISTRIES across our nation, David and I greatly rejoice in these new opportunities to touch the lives of thousands of youngsters (who are indeed the "orphans" of or time) across the country who need to know the love and amazing grace of the Lord God Almighty.
We invite YOU to join us in our book ministry as we share God’s Word with those in great need who have no funds to purchase them..
Go to the section on the home page of our website: HEART GIFTS (still loading information on our new non-profit 501(c)3 organization) to partner with us as God opens the doors to serve needy and neglected people in our country and across the world. Working together, we can sow many seeds for hearts in need.
Have questions about ordering or ministry resources?
Contact David & Helen:
helen@seedfaithbooks.com
503 718-7911
Seed Faith Books
PO Box 230913
Tigard, Or 97281
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