Why I Wrote This Book

My background

I was brought up in a large, Christian homeschool family with Russian Mennonite background on one side and Scottish Canadian background on the other. I am fifth in a line of 12 children, 10 girls and 2 boys.

My dad is an entrepreneur and always encouraged his children to love God, to love each other, and to find and use their God-given gifts and interests for the glory of God.

A heritage of good food

Growing up, good food was a major part of my family culture, and it was always an area of particular interest and joy for me. When I was 19 years old, I decided that one day I would like to write a cookbook, and so this blog (in an effort to find readers) was born.

For many years, I blogged on and off, not sure what I was doing for most of it, and really not sure how to bring my vision of writing a book to reality.

Gathering up memories

Fast forward to my early 30’s, I was married with a few children, and I decided to begin working on my long-awaited book. If not now, then when?

Giving up on the idea of hiring a professional photographer, I began to put together a collection of family recipes that have meant something special to me over the years, and created a plan for photographing them. This book, after all, was going to be about imperfect people; so why shouldn’t it feature my imperfect photos?

Finding hope for the future

Those years at the beginning of my marriage brought a lot of challenge and change to my life. While we had great joy in seeing our own family grow, we also watched my dad suffer multiple strokes that forever altered him. My husband developed a skin condition that has changed our lives dramatically as well. My family as a whole endured a lot of change in those years; all of which, put together, left me clinging to the Lord, looking for hope.

A dream becomes reality

In those circumstances, Seasons began to take shape. I found myself desperate to hold onto the faithfulness of Jesus to carry me through those hard times. My husband encouraged me to sit down and write, to see what would come of it… and in a sweet, generous way (because the Lord is so kind and generous), it was in recording the memories contained in this book that He gave me comfort. Writing down the good of days gone by was the reminder I needed: even in the midst of loss, the Giver is not (and will never) be gone. There is hope for the future because he, Goodness himself, is there.

Each chapter is grounded in Scripture and the knowledge of God’s unchanging nature. This is a book about remembering: remembering the beauty of a life lived with Jesus. While life constantly changes and shifts, Christ himself is the confidence we need to carry us through it all.

My hope for you

In this book, you’ll find memories and stories from my life growing up (we had many adventures together), and you will find timeless truths that anchor all people, in all seasons, for all time. The seasons of life may come and go, but our great God does not change. In this, there is great hope for his people! In this, there is great hope for you.

I pray that this book is a blessing to you,

–Naomi