CHM172. Mama, Minister, Author: Building Legacy Through Bilingual Books with Gracie Ramirez

[00:01:28] Hi everyone, welcome to the Christian Homeschool Moms Podcast. I have a guest today that I'm super happy to have. We have our paths crossing in a few different ways and one of which is that we attend the same church and so I'm so excited to have my first local guest here with me today, Gracie Ramirez. She's a wife, a mom, and a passionate servant leader that's devoted to building Christ-centered community. I'm so happy to have you here with us today, Gracie. Thank you for being here with us today.

[00:01:57] Thank you so much for inviting me. This is exciting. You're so welcome. I'm excited too. Gracie has a lot of things going on, so I want you to tell us a little bit first just so we get to know who you are. Tell us about yourself and your family. And then you are in ministry, so we want to know a little bit about what fuels your passion for building community.

[00:02:22] Yes. Well, my name is Gracie Ramirez and I'm a wife. I have been married for about 12 years and I have two kids and I also serve with my husband at Three Crosses Español.

[00:02:37] My heart for ministry started when we started coming to church and serving here together and we saw a big need for disciple people who came hungry to know God just like we did. So that's how it all started. That's a great start. And that's what it's all about. Wanting to help people and disciple. And the fact that you listened to the call that God had on your life and you said yes.

[00:03:06] And so that's everything. And that's what we're going to be talking more about today. So you are an author. So I wanted to share what you've been doing. I found your books and there's a whole story behind that. But what inspired you to begin writing your faith-based children's books? And then how, so you're a mom of two, so your role as a mother and a minister, all of this that you're doing,

[00:03:34] how does this influence what you do as an author? It all began when my son Mateo was born. He's now nine. And I was just searching for simple, meaningful books to read to him as a baby because I always wanted to speak to him about the Bible. And I also had the desire to dedicate a book for him.

[00:04:00] So it all started like that, just being inspired by my first child, being a mom, and then watching him grow and develop. He loves books and he's a great reader. So that began to feel like more in me. So it was basically him, like my inspiration.

[00:04:23] And I wanted to like reach out to more kids and moms who are probably dealing with the same things as we are, that there's not enough resources, especially in Spanish, like simple faith books that we can simply read. So something like that could really help people and me, you know, my family. So that's how it all started.

[00:04:51] I love that you were inspired by your son, that he was your inspiration. And then it started with your family. But there's so many people that need those resources and have them in Spanish is like that. That's so helpful because there's not many bilingual, there's not many resources that are in Spanish for children. For as far as like in the homeschool community, I know that we could definitely use more. So I love that you offer that.

[00:05:21] And then your books are like deeply rooted in faith and in character building and scripture. So what is it that you hope that children and families take away from reading together? We always talk about making it a family affair and doing things with our kids. So what do you hope? Yes. Well, my initial prayer was that families can walk away from each of the stories in the pages with something simple

[00:05:52] that they get to understand God better. And also like doing it as a family is very important to me. So I hope that it just sparks conversations. And like even, you know, my son, he was kind of correcting my spelling in English. And he was kind of coming in like, Mom, you have to fix this. And I was like, well, that's perfect.

[00:06:15] Because like I can always, you know, do a number two book or something like that, come up with something else. But yeah, that was my hope so that kids can interact with their parents and just ask him simple questions. And I think it's done that with Mateo. Like he's very into the book and he loves it. So I think it was like perfect. Perfect. I love that.

[00:06:43] I love how Mateo has played such a huge role in the book. The inspiration of it, but just even like the growth of where it's going and what may happen later with the part two. So as far as like rhythms in the home as homeschoolers, the thing that we always talk about is keeping that family rhythm there and keeping faith as part of that rhythm.

[00:07:11] And it's not being like, okay, so we're going to have faith over here and then math over here and then separating everything, but integrating that. So how do you see your books kind of fitting into that faith and learning rhythm at home? That's a great question. I think they can easily become part of a daily routine.

[00:07:32] Like, for example, I used to read to Mateo every morning before he went to school and before he started the day. And as we, you know, eat breakfast together, I would incorporate more fun activities for him later in the day. But life is busy.

[00:07:51] So I would say like even starting in the table, like with something simple as a prayer or like a quick morning devotional to have like kids engaged. That's simple and easy and we all can do it. And at night, of course, like we always pray together. So just incorporate it in your life because I know life can get busy.

[00:08:14] But just try to, you know, bring God into the picture, you know, with the books and with whatever you can. Exactly. Bring God into the picture and he should always be in the picture. So on this show, we talk to homeschoolers who are at home either full time with their kids, but some are hybrid and have their kids homeschooled later in the evening or tutoring part time.

[00:08:40] So we have a lot of different ways that we're educating our kids. But life is busy. So regardless of how we choose to have our kids educated, life gets really, really busy and keep your first is everything. So I love what you said about like integrating the devotionals and the books that you offer into our daily lives. And then you also you do a lot more than that. You are a women's minister.

[00:09:08] You create space for women to grow and to heal and God knows we need healing. And so you help us do that. And you're a leader. So how has this calling shaped your work in ministry and in even what you do as an author? I think my own healing journey gave me a burden to walk with women.

[00:09:31] And I saw that like whether I'm writing for children or leading women, like I want to create a safe space that it's led by the spirit and where people are seen and equipped and very simple ways. And women are super important for the ministry because most of our church's attendance is women. And women spend a lot of time with their kids and they're, you know, the core.

[00:10:00] So it's important that we are healthy and that we are well equipped so that our kids can also be equipped because they're our next generation. And I'm reminded of Timothy's mom and grandma. And we need more women like that, like women that can really equip their children.

[00:10:21] And also every year I make a collective book with women from our church because everyone has a voice. Everyone is important to the ministry. And I think they have something to say and they feel important. They feel, you know, like they belong. So this helps us, you know, grow and become one as the church that we are. I love that. I love that.

[00:10:48] And I, I love that you said that we, we're kind of the, we make up the body of Christ in such a drastic number. Women are a huge proponent or proportion, I should say, like a huge percentage. And we need to be healed in order to pass our legacy on to future generations. We need to have personal healing. And so when we build each other up, it's everything. And that's what you're doing at the church.

[00:11:18] And I just love that. Thanks. So how do you, speaking on balance, how do you balance being a minister, a mom, an author, all the things you do? We always talk about women do everything. We wear all the hats, wear all the shoes, but how are you doing it all? Wow. That's a very loaded question and very important. And to be honest, it's a big challenge. It's not always perfectly balanced. I'm going to be honest.

[00:11:47] Some seasons are heavy. They're in different areas, but I'm learning to invite God in the tension. I would say like, don't chase perfection. Stay rooted in your calling and let God lead you because the first thing is like, enjoy your family. But I would say like, just the number one priority is my kids.

[00:12:13] And if I'm distracted, like doing other things, it's not going to be okay. So I usually just grab time when they're sleeping or, you know, when they're distracted so that I can create. But it's not easy. Some seasons are dry. Some seasons are more productive. And I think that's okay. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:12:38] What you said about finding how to interact and engage with your family, keeping them first during different seasons of your life. So every season is different and you'll just have to find what works in that season. But I think that's kind of a main theme in the last couple of shows we've been talking about seasons. And God is in each of them, but they're all different.

[00:13:04] And so I love that you said that just being led by the spirit and letting the Lord show you what to do to keep your family first and working around their routines, right? When they're distracted or busy or sleeping, and then you're getting things done that you need to get done, but not putting them on the back burner. That's so important. I just love that you're leading in that way. That's such a good example.

[00:13:30] So what has God taught you in like through the process of being an author, writing, leading, creating space for other people? And like you said, all these different seasons we're having, the challenging seasons, what have you learned through these? I think the most important thing that God has taught me is to depend on him and not on my strength. It's not my creativity.

[00:13:56] It's like something he placed in me, something he gave me and is precious and I have to take care of it. But I also seen like when I'm weak, like he gets stronger in me and he calls me to never waste anything that he gives me. Even when it's quiet, even when it's slow.

[00:14:19] Also, rest is super important because it helps us depend on him, knowing that he is the one who is giving this gifting to us and he will renew us. He will give us more creativity if we rest. But if we don't, then that's when it gets tough.

[00:14:42] If we rest and to be obedient to resting when he tells us to rest, to sit down, to just glean from him and hear his voice and just not do anything. Like that's why he rested, right? So God, we should rest too. And I thank you for that reminder.

[00:15:02] And I just I would love to hear more about your projects, anything that you have going on in the future that we should know about any new books or anything you've got on the horizon you want to share with us. Sure. Mostly everything I do is in Spanish because like I told you, like the need is very big in Spanish and I see the calling there. And I recently submitted a proposal for a book for a Spanish publisher.

[00:15:31] It's named E625. So if you speak Spanish, you may know him. The book I want to write about abuse and how to help church feel equipped and to deal with this topics that I don't see a lot of resources in Spanish. And also I want to write something about mentorship in the future. So we'll see. Very cool. I can't wait to hear what happens.

[00:15:57] And so we'll definitely want to keep up with where you're going and what's happening in your books. So what you have so far, you do have quite a few books. So how can our families connect with you and to find out what you're doing in the ministry as well as purchasing books for our kids? Yeah, they can reach me on Amazon. My books are there. It's with just my name, Gracie Ramirez. Also YouTube.

[00:16:27] We have a podcast, me and my husband. It's also in Spanish, but it's fun. So if you speak Spanish, go there. And you can reach that at Three Crosses Español. So we're going to leave links to Three Crosses Español and to your Amazon link for all the books. All the books are there, right? On the Amazon. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Everything's there. Those links. And Gracie, you have been a breath of fresh air.

[00:16:56] You have been so inspiring to us. I know that many listeners today are thinking, okay, I want to start writing a book. So do you have any maybe less words of encouragement on the show today for moms listening who are inspired and would love to move in the direction of becoming an author also? Yeah, I think you should do it for sure. You have a voice. If God is sparking anything in you, use that.

[00:17:25] Be patient with yourself. It doesn't have to be done in a day. It can be a process. It can be a year. It can be longer. But just start slow. But start. You know, and I think it would be great because we do need a lot of voices, you know, speaking to especially our own children about God. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here today. You are so awesome. So I enjoy talking to you.

[00:17:54] Thank you so much for inviting me. I hope that this podcast is great and you're doing a great job too. Thank you. Thank you for equipping moms. Thank you so much, Gracie.