Opening Hearts Instead of Apps
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Opening Hearts Instead of Apps . . .
Faith-filled stories that help children discover the joy of reading, strengthen character, and grow closer to Jesus.
Welcome to Butterfly Tree Books!
I'm Sheila-Ann Bender, and I'm so glad you're here!
Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, or someone who simply loves encouraging children, I hope you'll feel right at home.
At Butterfly Tree Books, my passion is two-fold. I love creating stories that spark a child's imagination, and I also love creating adult historical fiction that our older generation can enjoy.
Our children’s books and series letters point them toward timeless biblical truths. Through exciting adventures, memorable characters, and a touch of wonder, I hope to inspire children to discover the joy of reading, grow in their faith, and become the unique people God created them to be.
The stories also help children recognize and overcome unbecoming character traits—like dishonesty, selfishness, anger, and unkindness—while encouraging kindness, compassion, courage, and integrity in a world that often needs a little more of each.
I believe every child has the potential to make a difference. Sometimes, all it takes is one meaningful story to plant a seed that grows for a lifetime.
Growing old can become a lonely place. Senior adults remember a time when letters from family members and friends dominated their mailboxes before email and text messages took over the world. I’m sure they would love to find personal letters in their mailbox again. Whether in a nursing home, living with a family member, or still able to live in their own home—I believe these precious folks so dear to your heart and mine would greatly benefit from the bi-weekly letter written about a time they lived through—or a time that they heard their parents talk about in days gone by.
Before her death, my aunt was in a nursing home. I often struggled with appropriate gift ideas for someone in her situation. Letters like these would have been a perfect gift that she could have enjoyed every month of the year. Just as with my children’s letters, little surprises will be tucked away inside every envelope I send.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you'll explore the books, discover our story-letter subscriptions, and become part of the Butterfly Tree Books family.
May God richly bless you and those you love.
— Sheila-Ann Bender
Choose Your Adventure!
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Choose Your Adventure! 〰️
Which adventure is right for your child?
Explore Those Honeycutt Kids for exciting real-life adventures filled with faith and character, or step into the magical world of Once a Fairy, where imagination and biblical truth come together in unforgettable stories.
Meet the Honeycutt Kids—a lively family of four siblings whose adventures often lead to mischief, mayhem, and unforgettable lessons. Along with their cousins, they've all had their share of trouble at Gloria Parker Elementary School. Through the loving guidance of parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and the transforming power of God, they learn to overcome their unbecoming traits, treat others with kindness, and become all God created them to be.
The Once a Fairy series follows twins Austin and Autumn Applewood as they discover that their beloved Grammy was once a fairy who traded her wings for a life filled with faith, family, and love. As they journey through enchanting adventures with fairies, gremlins, and unforgettable friends, they learn that courage, kindness, compassion, and trusting God are the greatest gifts of all. Each story encourages young readers to embrace the unique purpose God has created them to fulfill while discovering the wonder that can be found in everyday life.
Why Families of Young Children Love Butterfly Tree Books and Stories
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Every story gently points children toward biblical truths, faith in Jesus Christ, and God's love.
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Every story gently points children toward biblical truths, faith in Jesus Christ, and God's love.
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Wholesome adventures, lovable characters, and memorable surprises keep young readers eagerly turning the pages.
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Engaging stories inspire children to put down their screens and discover the lifelong joy of reading.
NEW! The Adult Historial Letter Series:
The Latest Blog from Butterfly Tree Journal
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When Our Children Choose Their Own Way
One of my biggest surprises in raising four children was discovering that they would not grow up to be little copies of Gary and me.
I don’t mean their physical features. I mean their values, beliefs, and choices. Somehow, I thought that if we taught them what mattered to us, they would naturally see life as we did.
Boy, was I wrong.
Am I alone in that? I hardly think so.
God entrusted our children to us, but He gave them free will. We can teach them, guide them, and love them with all our hearts. We cannot make their choices for them. There have been days when I’ve thought life would be much easier if we could!
It comforts me to remember that even the children of a perfect Father can wander. God has never failed as a parent, yet His children still turn away from Him. That doesn’t make a parent’s mistakes unimportant, but it reminds me that a child’s choices are not always a verdict on how that child was raised.
In my parents’ generation, people were often quick to blame the parents when a child went astray. I’ve lived long enough to see how incomplete that judgment can be. I’ve known godly people who came from troubled homes. My daddy was one of them. I’ve also known people raised in loving homes with strong values who chose a very different path.
Gary and I wanted good things for our children. We believed each of them was capable of pursuing an education and a successful career, but those were never our greatest hopes. Whether they became wealthy or lived modestly, we wanted them to be content with their choices and to let the Lord guide their steps.
Above all, we wanted them to know and love Him deeply. We hoped they would share the biblical convictions we taught at home: respect for the law, freedom from addiction, sexual purity, faithfulness in marriage, and a commitment to raise their own children in the faith. We hoped they would be comfortable with the identity God had given them and choose spouses who shared their love for Him.
We did our best to build a home where those values were taught and lived. Still, as our children grew, they made choices of their own. At times, those choices broke our hearts. We continued to love and pray for them, but we never ‘accepted’ things in their lives that blatantly went against God’s Word. I think too many Christian parents are falling into that trap of acceptance just to keep a relationship with their children alive.
We can’t teach our children that certain lifestyles are wrong for their entire childhood, then suddenly becoming accepting of it. It is hypocrisy. We can still convey love to our children without accepting their sin.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is OLD he will not depart from it.” I have held on to that verse through many years of parenting. It reminds me to teach my children God’s ways, ground them in faith, and pray for them continually—even after they are grown.
It may sound cliché’, but we can lead them to the Living Water, but we cannot make them drink.
Most of our children stepped away from the Lord’s ways for a season. Gary and I are deeply thankful that we have lived to see three of our four return to the faith we taught them.
We have not given up hope for our fourth child.
We made mistakes as parents, as all parents do. But we loved our children, taught them what we believed to be true, and prayed over them. We trust that what our adult wayward child learned about God is still in his heart, and we pray that he will find his way back.
I emphasized the word old in Proverbs 22:6 for a reason. Some children return to the faith of their youth in their teens or twenties. For others, the journey takes much longer. We may not see the answer to every prayer in our lifetime.
So we keep loving. We keep praying. And we keep holding on to hope.
May God bless every struggling parent today and everyday with peace and reassurance.
Blessings!
Sheila-Ann