God lit a spark in my heart for the idea of this book in 2002 on Mother’s Day. I tried many times to let that spark die a normal death, but God would not allow it. He fueled the fire with sermons and magazines, enlightening study of the scriptures and even television shows. Every time I needed an answer to an obstacle in my writing, God provided the solution. It wasn’t long until I was consumed by what felt like a giant forest fire, bursting with information that needed to be shared.
That spark was the result of looking at the events of the redemption ceremony through Mary’s eyes. When Joseph held that precious baby boy, our Messiah, the Redeemer of the Jews in his arms, and redeemed him with two turtle doves, the sacrifice of the poor, how did Mary feel? What was going through her mind? How many other times during those first 30 years of Jesus' life did Mary wonder, “Is this how it is going to be? Is this really the way the Messiah of my people is going to live? Gabriel mentioned my son would inherit the throne of David. When will this come about?”
Looking at events of the birth through a mother’s eyes, I wanted Mary to be able to express her innermost thoughts without the stigma that existed during those days. I wanted readers to learn of the Jewish customs and how Jesus might have lived—the games he played, the food he ate, the clothes he wore, the chores he had to perform. What was it like for his earthly family living with Jesus in his first 30 years? Thus, the journal idea was born.
Through her journal entries, we learn of her heartfelt emotions as she watched her little boy, God’s son, mature into the man God intended him to be. All that time, Mary anticipated her son would soon inherit the throne of David. Through Jesus My Son: Mary’s Journal of Jesus’ Early Life, readers walk the streets of Nazareth. They live in the humble abode shared by Jesus’ brothers and sisters. They join Joseph and Mary as they celebrate the same milestones we celebrate today—a first tooth, first word, first step, first day of school and many more. By viewing Jesus as a loving son, our relationship with him grows as we feel Mary’s astonishment and her pain.
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