Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Meyer.
Hi Julie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Dallas native, married to my husband of 12 years, and have three children aged 8, 7, and 4. My family was the inspiration behind my book, which started with a walk in December of 2019. During this walk, I was talking to a friend about Christmas traditions and ways to shift the focus back to Jesus during this season. She mentioned that she was doing the Jesse Tree Advent with her kids. I had never heard of this advent before, and I was instantly intrigued. The Jesse Tree Advent follows Jesus’s family tree and lineage, starting with creation in Genesis and going to His birth in the New Testament. Each person and story points forward to Christmas Day. The purpose of the Jesse Tree Advent is to show that Jesus’s birth was God’s plan before the beginning of time. Jesus has always been our long-expected gift. When I got home from this conversation, I knew that I wanted a book that I could read to my kids each night in December. I longed for my kids to know and love this concept as much as I did. When COVID hit a few months later, I started writing. My initial goal was simply to have a Jesse Tree Advent script to read to my own kids. As I wrote, I started to dream bigger, and eventually, I had a very specific vision for my book, titled Our Long-Expected Gift. I knew I wanted a deep green coffee table book with gold embossing, beautiful watercolors, Scripture, and poems to summarize God’s redemptive story. With a lot of hard work, a lot of prayers, and a lot of guidance from the Holy Spirit, this book came to life in September of 2022 and was read by thousands this past Christmas season.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The entire process of writing and creating this book is a true testament to God’s provision and plan. He closed so many doors along the way, and He opened doors that I didn’t know existed. He brought the book to a halt several times, only to lead it to a better place. There are too many examples to list, but one that still blows me away is my illustrator. Again, I had a specific vision for what the illustrations would look like. I knew I wanted watercolor, and I wanted the artist to somehow incorporate the Biblical stories into modern-day Christmas scenes. I searched for a long time for what I thought was the perfect illustrator. I did my research. I had meeting after meeting with artists. I got my hopes up too many times to count. In the end, every artist told me they were not interested or too busy. In the midst of my despair over this situation, I was looking at a piece of art at a friend’s house and fell in love with it. When I asked about the artist, she told me it was her sister, Kate Gouws. I looked at Kate’s business Instagram account (@madebykateg) and prayed that she would illustrate my book. But I had very little faith that she would want to do it. When we had our first call, her passion and excitement for this project was palpable. I gave her my vision, and when she came back with her first drafts, I was completely blown away. It was more than I could have asked or imagined. What I didn’t know before finding Kate was how important it would be to find an illustrator with a profound knowledge of the Bible and a deep relationship with God. To me, her illustrations are pure genius. We like to say there are hidden meanings in plain sight. Not only are the watercolors gorgeous, but they provoke thought and discussion. They make you dive even deeper into God’s Word.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I often tell people that nothing qualifies me to write a book. I do not have a literary background (I was actually a pediatric oncology nurse before having kids), and I didn’t go to any type of seminary school. But I have a passion. I have a love for Jesus, and I truly believe that He put Our Long-Expected Gift on my heart to write. It was a matter of putting my own pride and self-image aside. When the book went out into the hands of others, I felt very vulnerable. As I read the book each night in December with my family, I found a few grammatical errors, and as I continue to dive into Scripture daily, I find ways that I could have made the book better. But in the end, my prayer is that God’s Word would shine brighter than my own and that He would only use this book as a way to turn people to Himself.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Writing Our Long-Expected Gift required me to be nose deep in Scripture. I read and re-read passages in the Bible. I read them in different translations, and I read every commentary I could get my hands on. It was truly life-giving. God’s Word was constantly on my heart, on my brain, on my lips. When I finally finished, I naturally spent less time in His Word. I learned that I missed it, and I learned how much I need it. I am currently reading the Bible in one year as a way to assure that I’m in His Word daily.
Pricing:
- Our Long-Expected Gift $55
Contact Info:
- Website: ourlongexpectedgift.com
- Instagram: @ourlongexpectedgift
Image Credits
Tarin Frantz
Ann Higginbottom
