"My Tender Heart Devotions" and Laura Sassi

I was excited to interview Laura Sassi back in October when her book, My Tender Heart Prayer Book, was launched. If you haven’t yet seen that, I encourage you to check it out here and find a review here. (You can also find a review of My Tender Heart Bible here.)

This week, we invited Laura to join us to celebrate the launch of her third book in the “My Tender Heart” series, My Tender Heart Devotions (illustrated by Sandra Eide, published by Paraclete Press).

Welcome back, Laura! Thank you for being here – and congratulations on the launch of your new book!

Sue: You have a knack for writing rhyming board books and picture books for little ones. How did your process for writing this devotional differ from the process you typically follow?

Laura: With 52 devotions each containing a poem, anchor Bible verse, a message, and a Heart Moment of response, this project was so much bigger than any of my previous books that, out of necessity, my process was very different. I had to be organized in a global way so that each devotion would be unique, with thematic crossovers, but with distinct introductory poems that would be visually appealing, concrete Biblically-grounded messages, and anchor verses from both the Old and New Testaments.

To accomplish this, I first made lists—lots of them— of poem ideas, anchor verses, and Bible-based messages and themes that I wanted to be sure to include. Once I had those lists, I prayed for the Spirit’s leading and then wrote, wrote, wrote! When I had a full draft, I went back to tighten and polish. I sent everything to my editor, then did more revising. It wasn’t until the very last stage that I put them in the order they appear in the book.

Sue: The illustrations for My Tender Heart Devotions are adorable. If you were asked to choose just one spread to frame and hang on the wall, which one would it be?

Laura: This is a great question because I have, in fact, chosen one spread to frame for each of my books. They all hang on the great big wall in my foyer. (See picture) I haven’t decided yet which spread to frame from this new book, but my top contenders are “Toy Sailboat”, “Honey Cubs” or “The Wind”. I love how Sandra depicted the children so charmingly in each of those.

Sue: What are some ways parents and educators might use this book?

Laura: There are many ways parents and educators (including pastors) can use this sweet devotional to grow their children’s faith. Because there are 52 weeks in a year, a family or class can read and reflect on one each week during a family/class Bible study time. And it doesn’t have to be read in order. Caregivers can pick and choose which devotions to read in response to specific situations their children or class might be facing, using the handy index at the back to find devotions that meet the need of the moment. The book can also be used as a resource for chapel at a Christian preschool or early elementary program. A children’s pastor can use selections from the book as the spark for a children’s message during a church service. But my favorite way to use the book is at bedtime, as the cozy wrap up so that a child’s day concludes with sweet thoughts of God’s love and a bedtime prayer.

Sue: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

Laura: Next up is a brand-new picture book called Faithful Feet which releases January 7, 2025. Published by WorthyKids and illustrated by Emanuela Di Donna, Faithful Feet is a rhyming walk through some of my favorite Bible stories using feet as the lens. Inspired by the Bible passage that talks about the “beautiful feet” of those that bring “good news” (Isaiah 52:7), it’s also a playful call-to-action to keep spreading the good news God’s love using feet, voices, and our whole beings!

Sue: Please finish these sentences:

I wished you’d asked me… why I love writing stories and poems that point little ones to Jesus. The answer is because when I was six, a neighbor told me about Jesus and my life was transformed. How did I learn about God’s great love? Through the sharing of story!

My favorite Bible verse is… Matthew 5:16. Actually, I have many favorites, but this is such a good one because it reminds us of our purpose—to shine God’s love so that others might draw near to Him too. It reads, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Fun fact: This is the anchor verse for the “My Lantern” devotion found on page 62 of the book.)

I’ll never stop… being thankful for each new day, full of promise and hope!

Thank you, Laura, for the opportunity to hear more about your books and to sneak a peek into your writing process. How exciting to know you’ll have a brand-new book to welcome in a brand-new year! We’ll be watching for that.

Readers, you can learn more about My Tender Heart Devotions here and at Laura’s blog.

This interview first appeared on September 26, 2024 on the Write2Ignite blog.