It was 3 years ago when I first got the story, Squiggly’s Race to the Ark. I had originally intended it to be a book for adults, similar to Who Moved My Cheese.

People ask me what caused me to write the story and the answer is really simple. When I go to church, I like to take notes. During one service, Pastor Maury Davis said “It was by perseverance that the snail made it to the Ark” I love quotes and this one stuck with me. I wrote it down in my journal and it just kept sticking in my mind. The next morning I got up and had the entire story so I sat down at my computer and typed it out.

After I wrote the story, I put it in my desk drawer. I wasn’t really sure what to do with it until my wife found the manuscript one day and asked what me to tell her more about my plans for this book.

To be really honest, I didn’t know if the story was any good, even though she said differently. (She is supposed to say good things about my work, right?)

I’ll fast forward 2 years to a meeting I had with Robby McGee of New Life International. He had been wanting to start a publishing division and had been looking for the right opportunity. He saw that opportunity in Squiggly and so we began the process of publishing a children’s book. I had published several other books, but never a full color, fully illustrated children’s book.

It has been a huge learning experience to say the least After spending that last year working through illustrations, editing and a whole host of other learning experiences the book has finally gone to print. Fingers crossed and a few answered prayers, we will have the first order of books back at the end of November.

Along the way, I have learned a ton; however, 5 invaluable lessons stand out.

1. Never doubt your gifts. I let this book sit dormant for too long and even when several people said it should be a children’s book, I still had some doubt about how it would be received and even if it was worthy enough to be printed. God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called
   
2. It’s okay to jump in and learn new things. Like I said, I know how to write and publish a text book, but I had no clue how to get a children’s book completed. I had to learn a lot from picking the right illustrator, to getting it printed.
   
3. Don’t be afraid to jump outside your comfort zone. My true comfort zone is working with adults, specifically in business and the areas of sales, marketing & leadership. This week I am reading the book at a school to children from k-5th grade. Talk about out of the comfort zone…I would feel more comfortable be giving a keynote to a room of 5000 adults than 60 kids.
   
4. Be patient, but unafraid to voice your opinion. Great work takes time to complete so patience is necessary. Along the way you will get a lot of opinions and some criticism. Take the good with the bad, but when your gut tells you to hold your ground, do it. Don’t be afraid to give your opinion and stand up for your beliefs.
   
5. Have a plan, but be flexible. You have to have a plan, but no matter how well you plan, there will be times you have to back up and punt. For example, we had to change illustrators 3 months into the project. That caused some anxiety and delays, but it was well worth it in the end.

I am sure as I reflect more, there will be other lessons I have learned. These are the one’s that stand out right now, but I am excited to see the book come back from the printer. We have set up a website for Squiggly’s Race to the Ark as well as a Facebook Fan Page. Be sure to check them out, because the book will be for sale soon