WEBVTT 00:02.596 --> 00:08.004 [SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting. 00:08.024 --> 00:16.355 [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome to the Bible for Kids Podcast with your hosts, author Trisha Goyer, and author and co-creator of Veggie Tales, Mike Nuraki. 00:16.796 --> 00:24.387 [SPEAKER_04]: If instilling biblical values and kids is important to you, this podcast will give you the resources, wisdom, and hope to do just that. 00:24.907 --> 00:28.873 [SPEAKER_04]: Now let's join our hosts, Trisha, and Mike for this week's episode. 00:34.945 --> 00:37.470 [SPEAKER_03]: Welcome back to the Bible for Kids Podcast. 00:37.490 --> 00:38.351 [SPEAKER_03]: I'm Trisha Goyer. 00:39.073 --> 00:46.647 [SPEAKER_05]: And I'm Mike Nurekki, and today, Trisha and I have the pleasure of having Amanda Jass, author of the Children's Book Adventures in the Friendly Forest. 00:47.408 --> 00:52.077 [SPEAKER_03]: Like always, we like to start every Bible for Kids Podcast, but they Bible verse some mic. 00:52.225 --> 00:57.238 [SPEAKER_05]: Alright, today's verses from Ecclesiastes 4, 9 and 10 of the new living translation. 00:57.278 --> 01:01.188 [SPEAKER_05]: Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 01:01.649 --> 01:06.943 [SPEAKER_05]: If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 01:07.261 --> 01:13.608 [SPEAKER_03]: I love that verse for today, Amanda Jazz is a passion, is passionate about making faith fun in everyday life. 01:14.128 --> 01:20.916 [SPEAKER_03]: She previously worked as a kid's ministry curriculum developer and recently published a discovering Christmas a kid's advent devotional. 01:21.496 --> 01:31.227 [SPEAKER_03]: Amanda has a master's degree in education and she lives in the Midwest with her husband, their three girls, and their little butt allowed dog. 01:32.236 --> 01:34.280 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so hopefully we don't hear him. 01:34.320 --> 01:37.887 [SPEAKER_05]: That's the conjunction butt, right? 01:38.027 --> 01:43.097 [SPEAKER_05]: Little butt loud, not a dog with a little butt, but it's a little hard. 01:45.041 --> 01:48.287 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I mean, I guess both. 01:48.267 --> 01:50.210 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh, welcome Amanda. 01:50.551 --> 01:51.112 [SPEAKER_05]: That's awesome. 01:51.633 --> 01:53.656 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, so it's always fun to interview people. 01:54.077 --> 02:05.816 [SPEAKER_05]: You know, it says in your bio that you live in the Midwest where we found out before We hit record that you live in Minnesota, so it's always fun talking with people in Minnesota in February, so what's it like you're next other We're here right now. 02:05.856 --> 02:07.018 [SPEAKER_05]: How frozen are things? 02:06.998 --> 02:07.599 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man. 02:07.699 --> 02:09.581 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we're finally above zero. 02:09.661 --> 02:13.386 [SPEAKER_01]: We had a week or two stretch where it was, it was some rough going. 02:13.406 --> 02:18.052 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, like one day was a high of negative 11 for the actual temperature, not to the actual temperature. 02:18.072 --> 02:26.543 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the temperature, the windshields were like negative 45 and yeah, it's been it's been chilly, but I know you know this. 02:26.523 --> 02:30.228 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, well we were talking also just you know it's a crown college up there. 02:30.248 --> 02:55.062 [SPEAKER_05]: This was boy in the mid mid the late eighties and I recall one winter I was only there for two winters Only was there for year and half but one winter we had a visiting basketball team that got stuck on campus for a week because their bus wouldn't start because it was so cold I think it was down you know those negative 45 you know degrees you know where it just completely freezes everything off out so 02:55.042 --> 02:59.188 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, that's one thing, one thing I don't miss, it's the right thing. 02:59.268 --> 03:01.632 [SPEAKER_05]: It's a lovely place in the summer, let me just say that. 03:01.892 --> 03:21.522 [SPEAKER_01]: If it's, yes, our summers are amazing, you know, I'm a pretty terrible, I say I'm a terrible, I'm in a certain, because I don't love the cold weather either, I don't do all the cold weather sports, everyone's like, oh, you must let to go ice fishing, snowboarding all out, yeah, and it's like, never been ice fishing, oh yeah, I don't know, I skied a few 03:21.502 --> 03:24.607 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I was fishing as such an interesting thing. 03:24.627 --> 03:35.703 [SPEAKER_05]: I don't know if skiing is my thing either Ice fishing is such an interesting thing my brother does that he lives up there in Minnesota and so yeah, that's its own It's like I don't know if I yeah, yeah, yeah, anyways got less. 03:35.723 --> 03:45.838 [SPEAKER_00]: I think ice-proof is out there Yes, right we all live at your own weather We're talking about going on here your own cold weather down there, so get a little taste of Minnesota 03:45.818 --> 03:46.479 [SPEAKER_05]: That's right. 03:46.639 --> 03:48.702 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, let's move off the weather report for kids. 03:48.722 --> 03:49.584 [SPEAKER_05]: We get on to the Bible. 03:49.604 --> 03:51.767 [SPEAKER_05]: My mom would love it. 03:51.787 --> 03:54.190 [SPEAKER_00]: She loves looking at weather all over the world. 03:54.290 --> 04:06.308 [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I would just love to hear how you first ventured into the ministry space and then what drew you to ministering to children, especially during these formal periods of their lives. 04:06.878 --> 04:22.099 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so, um, well, I never planned to go into children's ministry or especially writing, never planned to be kind of in this writing publishing world, but I ended up working after my undergrad and changing my major a bunch of times. 04:22.159 --> 04:28.188 [SPEAKER_01]: I was one of those, um, but I worked in higher education for a handful of years and loved it. 04:28.248 --> 04:34.877 [SPEAKER_01]: I found I really loved working with college students, although I always knew I loved kids and I had been volunteering 04:34.857 --> 04:41.204 [SPEAKER_01]: In children's ministry, like since I was a kid, basically like 9 or 10 years old, I was helping the toddlers and things that are church. 04:41.544 --> 05:02.046 [SPEAKER_01]: So I always knew that I loved working with kids and loved ministry, but again, as an actual really vocational career path, didn't consider that until I had been working in higher education for several years and was doing some adjunct teaching curriculum development, career advising, all that, loved it, thought I would stay in that field, but I had been volunteering at my church. 05:02.026 --> 05:11.702 [SPEAKER_01]: in children's ministry, and it's a big multi-campus church here in the Midwest, and so they do all of their own curriculum, their own media, all of that. 05:11.782 --> 05:23.882 [SPEAKER_01]: So a job came, the job came open to be the person who would write the curriculum and screen plays, and things have, this sounds really cool, because I love writing, I love curriculum, and I love teaching kids about Jesus. 05:23.862 --> 05:25.144 [SPEAKER_01]: and child development all of that. 05:25.204 --> 05:26.927 [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like, well, I'll just go for it. 05:26.987 --> 05:30.953 [SPEAKER_01]: So if I get this job, I don't think I'm qualified, but um, yeah, I got that job. 05:30.993 --> 05:35.840 [SPEAKER_01]: And then I once I was in it, I can't believe I get to do this for work. 05:36.000 --> 05:37.603 [SPEAKER_01]: And actually get paid money to do this. 05:37.623 --> 05:43.051 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I mean, not a lot of money because it's ministry and all, but I'm not too good. 05:43.071 --> 05:43.211 [SPEAKER_05]: Bye. 05:43.672 --> 05:44.433 [SPEAKER_01]: He's not too good. 05:44.453 --> 05:47.258 [SPEAKER_01]: No, it was actually pretty pretty pretty. 05:47.278 --> 05:48.239 [SPEAKER_01]: They did, they did. 05:48.259 --> 05:48.840 [SPEAKER_01]: They 05:48.820 --> 06:11.841 [SPEAKER_01]: but yeah so I was like yeah I can't believe I get to do this work I absolutely love it and then um and that was the majority of my job was writing curriculum and things that was used on the weekends at church because it was church ministry but I'd also create resources for families to use at home and then the more and more I 06:11.821 --> 06:35.078 [SPEAKER_01]: just was researching and hearing things like research that barna or different places put out about the impact of what's done in the home for kids and how how great an impact that has yes church attendance and that hasn't impact on kids but as far as kids continuing on in their faith into adulthood what happens in the home matters so much more than um 06:35.058 --> 06:41.785 [SPEAKER_01]: than what happens in typically you know one hour even if you're going to church every week or maybe two hours if you do a weeknight program as well. 06:42.246 --> 06:53.038 [SPEAKER_01]: But that was what really got me excited about the idea of trying to equip families in the home and being and partnering with the churches in that as well. 06:53.519 --> 06:58.064 [SPEAKER_01]: But getting to create those resources and then becoming a parent was another thing too. 06:58.504 --> 07:02.989 [SPEAKER_01]: So after I'd been working in the ministry curriculum development for 07:02.969 --> 07:31.508 [SPEAKER_01]: a few years we started growing our family and now we have three girls and but yeah becoming a parent and that really also added even more fuel to the fire I guess of wanting to equip families in the home because there's a lot of great stuff out there there's some not as great stuff out there and but like there's every family's different to in what they need and things are always changing kids are changing there's always a need for more 07:31.488 --> 07:42.306 [SPEAKER_01]: for more resources for kids and yeah and I know and I say that I know speaking to kids development, kids media development royalty here. 07:42.947 --> 07:46.954 [SPEAKER_01]: This podcast, Mike Narkie, I will say my daughter my dad left you all of them. 07:46.974 --> 07:54.627 [SPEAKER_01]: We're very excited when they heard that I got to talk to Larry the 07:55.973 --> 08:17.776 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh my god, I love here in the stories about how people got to where they are and just the path that they took because you know, we can't plan these things for ourselves many times, you know, it's like, God gives us certain gifts and abilities and passions and it's really to see when he steers those, you know, in ways that we never would have imagined starting out. 08:17.936 --> 08:19.618 [SPEAKER_05]: So that's really really cool. 08:19.598 --> 08:29.732 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I'd love to dive into your book a little bit, and, you know, forest friends, you know, you've got a cast of characters, Hensley, the hedgehog, Flora the Fox, Chubby the Bear. 08:30.013 --> 08:47.698 [SPEAKER_05]: I don't know where the alliteration fell off with the bear, but just in terms of process of writing how, you know, tell us a little bit about that and how have they impacted you as you've kind of started to develop the story. 08:48.185 --> 08:48.545 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. 08:48.626 --> 08:55.895 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, so these characters, it was so much fun to create them, create their little personalities. 08:56.236 --> 09:01.403 [SPEAKER_01]: And, and of course, I think with a lot of writers, you, you draw from your own experience, right? 09:01.423 --> 09:05.368 [SPEAKER_01]: So, well, there's certain characters, maybe I would relate to more than others. 09:05.608 --> 09:10.835 [SPEAKER_01]: All of them, I can relate to in different ways, and they all are imperfect. 09:10.915 --> 09:13.118 [SPEAKER_01]: That's a big thing that I really do all of them in, right? 09:14.059 --> 09:17.584 [SPEAKER_01]: But the all of their own, because of their, it's a 09:17.564 --> 09:23.311 [SPEAKER_01]: character traits they all have their own unique things that they struggle with, also their unique things that they're good at. 09:23.872 --> 09:28.178 [SPEAKER_01]: So I think a lot of it brought me back to my own childhood, right? 09:28.238 --> 09:35.707 [SPEAKER_01]: Thinking of situations and areas that come up as kids, also as a parent, looking at my own kids, the things that they're struggling with. 09:36.048 --> 09:46.221 [SPEAKER_01]: Because even though this is obviously a fictional story of animals in the friendly forest, I want the scenarios that they come across to be really relatable 09:46.201 --> 09:53.771 [SPEAKER_01]: four kids and so they can apply them to their everyday lives and see how it connects to them and relates to their relationship with God. 09:54.271 --> 10:08.770 [SPEAKER_01]: And so yeah, so I definitely drew from those areas, but I think in that too, it's just a reminder that we're all because these things again, these forest friends, they're not perfect, they're strongly different things. 10:08.810 --> 10:11.533 [SPEAKER_01]: It's just that reminder that we're all a work in progress. 10:11.513 --> 10:32.003 [SPEAKER_01]: Because a lot of this, it's like, okay, you know, you think about the topic of one of the characters, one of the days is struggling with self control and well, I've come a long way since I was a kid, you know, it's like still it's like there's that big a chocolates or something in the pantry and I'm just like, oh, okay, you know, so there there's always room for continued growth and well, yes, we're not. 10:31.983 --> 10:37.730 [SPEAKER_01]: looking for perfection, that's even one of the character struggles with perfectionism, which I can also relate to that. 10:38.050 --> 11:01.197 [SPEAKER_01]: So while God doesn't demand perfection from us because His grace is made perfect in our weakness as our character cubby, the bear has to learn, but it's, yeah, so definitely challenge me in different ways, shape to me and groom me, and I just hope and pray that it will do the same for kids and families as they read together. 11:01.447 --> 11:01.908 [SPEAKER_05]: I love that. 11:01.928 --> 11:07.756 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, yeah, and just the importance of drawing from experience and having those characters feel real. 11:08.277 --> 11:10.380 [SPEAKER_05]: And essentially, all story is about change. 11:11.101 --> 11:14.485 [SPEAKER_05]: So if you had all perfect characters to start with, they wouldn't change. 11:15.207 --> 11:18.331 [SPEAKER_05]: Unless they became imperfect, then you don't want to want that. 11:18.351 --> 11:20.374 [SPEAKER_05]: So you have a downward slope. 11:20.394 --> 11:21.535 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm not going to do kids. 11:21.556 --> 11:22.056 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, exactly. 11:22.357 --> 11:24.199 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, it is time for a break. 11:24.219 --> 11:26.863 [SPEAKER_05]: So we're going to take a short break and we'll be right back on the Bible for kids. 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13:46.552 --> 13:51.358 [SPEAKER_05]: Welcome back to the Bible for Kids podcast and Trisha and I are speaking with author Amanda Jazz. 13:52.420 --> 14:02.293 [SPEAKER_03]: Now, Amanda, in the story of the friends, half to work together, I mean, every kid needs to know how to work together, so they're repairing their home after storm hits the friendly forest. 14:02.773 --> 14:05.657 [SPEAKER_03]: How did you get the inspiration for the story? 14:07.038 --> 14:11.803 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so, I mean, that is something we see a lot, right? 14:11.823 --> 14:15.387 [SPEAKER_01]: Where they're, like you mentioned, Trisha, so a big storm, the story starts. 14:15.407 --> 14:16.729 [SPEAKER_01]: So we're not given away too much here. 14:16.749 --> 14:17.950 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like the day one. 14:18.291 --> 14:21.274 [SPEAKER_01]: A big storm blows through the friendly forest. 14:21.314 --> 14:26.460 [SPEAKER_01]: So these animals, wonderful little home, all of a sudden, is like turned upside down. 14:26.520 --> 14:33.788 [SPEAKER_01]: So I mean, we've seen that so much even with the recent storms in the south that we've seen the ice storms coming through. 14:33.768 --> 14:45.647 [SPEAKER_01]: Um, hurricanes is actually, um, back to the unmentionable year of 2020 was like, there are all those things that things in our world that turned upside down. 14:46.068 --> 14:50.916 [SPEAKER_01]: And, um, so I wanted to give kids a, 14:50.896 --> 14:59.912 [SPEAKER_01]: resource that would help them, equip them to handle change well and to handle change God's way. 14:59.932 --> 15:04.481 [SPEAKER_01]: And of course it might not be an actual storm or some big thing like that. 15:05.002 --> 15:08.027 [SPEAKER_01]: But maybe a family they move. 15:08.007 --> 15:19.026 [SPEAKER_01]: two different stay or kids are just changing changing schools moving from like pre-k into kindergarten or changing schools like that so there's a change in friends, a friend's moving all sorts of things. 15:19.327 --> 15:26.539 [SPEAKER_01]: We're that's one thing that is guaranteed right in this world is is is there will change there's change all around us, but 15:26.519 --> 15:30.204 [SPEAKER_01]: I want to point kids to the truth that we have a God that does not change. 15:30.685 --> 15:33.810 [SPEAKER_01]: So we have that hope and have that assurance. 15:33.830 --> 15:40.499 [SPEAKER_01]: I want kids to feel that grounding, that, that, yes, the things around us will change, but God doesn't change. 15:41.060 --> 15:52.797 [SPEAKER_01]: And then also something cool about change is that at well the story, it initially focuses on the external change, the changes from the destruction of the storm. 15:52.777 --> 15:54.561 [SPEAKER_01]: in the friendly forest. 15:55.102 --> 16:03.800 [SPEAKER_01]: As they go through the story, it's really more the ways that these characters are changing internally to become more like God, more like our unchanging God. 16:03.840 --> 16:12.017 [SPEAKER_01]: But because we are imperfect, broken people, and these characters are imperfect, they're continuing because 16:11.997 --> 16:14.484 [SPEAKER_01]: They have that relationship with their maker. 16:14.524 --> 16:27.559 [SPEAKER_01]: We talk in the, they talk about God as their maker in the actual fictional parts of the story, but that connection with him may be continued to become more like God, their creator. 16:28.248 --> 16:28.769 [SPEAKER_05]: Wonderful. 16:29.009 --> 16:33.134 [SPEAKER_05]: And is it, is it right that this book is set up as a devotional, like a 30-day devotional? 16:33.655 --> 16:39.542 [SPEAKER_05]: Yes, which is really cool to kind of have a narrative sort of woven into a devotional. 16:39.562 --> 16:40.423 [SPEAKER_05]: I love that idea. 16:40.864 --> 16:46.931 [SPEAKER_05]: Can you talk a little bit more about kind of how you do that and just about devotion, devotionals in general? 16:47.592 --> 16:54.981 [SPEAKER_05]: Like, did you grow up, you know, doing devotions and, you know, just kind of talk about the importance of devotion, doing that devotional time in kids' lives? 16:55.400 --> 17:01.573 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so I grew up in a Christian home and we did devotions together as a family. 17:01.593 --> 17:12.075 [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't like every night we had this formal devotional time, but we would go through devotional books here and there, or at least, you know, pray together before bed or read a Bible story. 17:12.055 --> 17:31.650 [SPEAKER_01]: Things like that, and now our family, we do very, we're very similarly, where, yes, we're not every single day, perfect about always having that formal, structured, devotional time, but we love going through different devotional books and then having, even if we're not doing another more structured time, having that time together. 17:31.630 --> 17:52.980 [SPEAKER_01]: yeah before bed and then throughout the day too but um to pray and um have time just to to talk and connect with each other so the I think devotional they just bring can bring so much value especially for parents who are busy and you know some some parents some families are great about kind of setting up their own 17:52.960 --> 18:19.474 [SPEAKER_01]: sort of like devotional time like okay we're going to choose this story from the Bible and then we'll maybe sing this song or do this activity or and I'll come up with questions to do this but the majority of parents myself included even though I do this for work are we're really busy right with a lot on our play and so being able to pick up a devotional that's already put together in book form format where you can open to a page, recontent that your kids will hopefully 18:19.454 --> 18:32.459 [SPEAKER_01]: engaging and be interested in and then that has discussion questions has scripture in there that you can be looking at a lot of those who have a prayer, this devotional letter has a prayer in it as well. 18:32.599 --> 18:38.290 [SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's just a great place for families whether they've 18:38.270 --> 18:48.225 [SPEAKER_01]: grew up in the church or are just kind of starting on their journey, their relationship with Jesus can just be great resources and there's so many different kinds of devotionals out there too. 18:48.486 --> 18:52.792 [SPEAKER_01]: So being able to find one that is a good fit for your family. 18:52.832 --> 18:54.675 [SPEAKER_01]: So this devotional, 18:54.655 --> 19:00.987 [SPEAKER_01]: adventures in the friendly forest is a little different than I would say the majority at least of devotionals out there. 19:01.007 --> 19:17.338 [SPEAKER_01]: It's not the only story book devotional that exists but there aren't a lot like this out there and so what makes it different is because it's a story book devotional the stories and it's talking animals so they are fictional stories. 19:17.318 --> 19:44.440 [SPEAKER_01]: Believe it or not, fictional stories, so that while the stories themselves are fictional, then in the actual, you get to really the more devotional time, then there's a talk about section which has questions that helps kids think about and tie their own experiences to the story and being able to tie their relationship with 19:44.420 --> 19:51.170 [SPEAKER_01]: God with their creator and the forest animals, with their experience in how that kind of connects. 19:51.371 --> 19:55.777 [SPEAKER_01]: And then there is also a think about it, section which is like a truth statement. 19:56.178 --> 20:02.267 [SPEAKER_01]: So here's a truth from the story that we can talk about, focus on, just to help kids. 20:02.287 --> 20:05.933 [SPEAKER_01]: And even in story, I think a lot of kids will naturally be able to pull some of that out. 20:06.393 --> 20:10.900 [SPEAKER_01]: But to really help them build that connection between 20:10.880 --> 20:29.513 [SPEAKER_01]: The fiction world and the and real life, what is real and true and then and then each day also starts with a Bible verse and then ends with a short prayer, but I love to just to like even in the beginning of the devotional because it is. 20:29.999 --> 20:30.700 [SPEAKER_01]: different. 20:30.880 --> 20:32.782 [SPEAKER_01]: I wrote a little note. 20:32.942 --> 20:39.590 [SPEAKER_01]: I won't read the whole thing, but to families, just about the devotional how they can use it, because you also could read it as a storybook. 20:39.650 --> 20:48.000 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, say you go through with the devotional, do all the questions and prayers and all of that the first time through, but then your kids want to read it again, more as just a storybook. 20:48.080 --> 20:55.209 [SPEAKER_01]: And you could read it each each day can also act like as a little mini chapter, so that so you can really use it how works for you. 20:55.549 --> 20:56.310 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, so cute. 20:56.290 --> 21:16.558 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so yeah, and each because they all fit together in one big story, but I wrote here um, in the, again, the beginning the little note to, to families, um, to parents in their kids, it says at the end, it says, and remember, even though these stories are fiction or make believe, they can help you learn lots of important things about who God created you to be. 21:17.139 --> 21:20.323 [SPEAKER_01]: And unlike these stories, God isn't make believe. 21:20.607 --> 21:24.494 [SPEAKER_01]: He's real, he's powerful, and he loves you so much. 21:25.476 --> 21:29.724 [SPEAKER_01]: So that's kind of then brought in, then throughout the story with those devotional times too. 21:29.945 --> 21:41.687 [SPEAKER_01]: So kids can, yeah, distinguish between, yes, this is fiction's as fun, but we can learn through, through fiction and use that to grow in our relationship with Jesus. 21:42.308 --> 21:45.212 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I love that and it feels like it feeds right into the next question. 21:45.252 --> 21:52.963 [SPEAKER_05]: I was going to ask you because we could, you know, I remember being a kid and remember looking at a Bible and it was just big and huge and intimidating. 21:53.484 --> 22:01.515 [SPEAKER_05]: What do you what do you tell a child who wants to learn more about Jesus and and the word, but feels, you know, kind of overwhelmed by how big the Bible is. 22:02.491 --> 22:05.077 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't think that goes for a lot of adults, too. 22:05.097 --> 22:05.598 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 22:05.619 --> 22:06.380 [SPEAKER_01]: I want to start this. 22:06.420 --> 22:07.403 [SPEAKER_01]: Where do I even start? 22:07.744 --> 22:08.265 [SPEAKER_01]: Right. 22:08.906 --> 22:19.993 [SPEAKER_01]: I think, and you know, a lot of it would depend on the kids age, if they're in like that, that preschool or really early elementary age, something like getting a really solid. 22:19.973 --> 22:47.398 [SPEAKER_01]: storybook Bible can be a great place to start and and devotionals again we've already been talking about devotionals but getting a good devotional those can be good places to start for older kids it's getting a they could still do storybook battles and devotionals but also a full text Bible but I would recommend one that is creative for kids so there's the goal Bible which I that the joy of working on and 22:47.378 --> 22:48.660 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I'm really old. 22:48.740 --> 22:49.761 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah. 22:49.781 --> 22:50.242 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, yeah. 22:50.262 --> 22:50.662 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah. 22:50.722 --> 22:52.465 [SPEAKER_02]: That's just working on Amanda. 22:53.426 --> 22:53.666 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah. 22:53.686 --> 22:54.327 [SPEAKER_02]: Go ahead. 22:54.367 --> 22:56.210 [SPEAKER_02]: It's like in your role with that. 22:56.931 --> 22:57.111 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah. 22:57.131 --> 22:59.674 [SPEAKER_01]: I was a general editor for that project. 22:59.774 --> 23:02.698 [SPEAKER_01]: So, yes, it was a very, very fun project. 23:02.718 --> 23:08.466 [SPEAKER_01]: So, the other's over 600 different features in the Bible, in the Go Bible for kids. 23:08.987 --> 23:13.032 [SPEAKER_01]: There's many devotions and fun interesting fact doides. 23:13.012 --> 23:19.326 [SPEAKER_01]: and just a whole lot of stuff, really cool maps and incredible illustrations, so a whole lot. 23:19.346 --> 23:25.459 [SPEAKER_01]: So, and there's other certainly other files out there like that to resources depending on the translation you're looking for. 23:25.520 --> 23:32.134 [SPEAKER_01]: So that can be a great place for older kids, and I would say, you know, they can start paging through the Bible, but then maybe pick. 23:32.114 --> 23:51.557 [SPEAKER_01]: Again, that like seven or eight and up or if they're maybe earlier, if they're a really proficient reader, but starting in either maybe the book of John or the book of Mark in one of the gospels and just reading reading through and they can take their time, but that can be another good place to start and then making sure they have 23:51.537 --> 24:09.862 [SPEAKER_01]: And adult or adults around them that they can ask questions to, not that the adults will have all the answers, but whether that's their parents or a pastor, leader at church, that loves Jesus, that they can trust, finding an adult to kind of come alongside them on that journey as well. 24:10.623 --> 24:11.084 [SPEAKER_05]: Wonderful. 24:11.364 --> 24:12.966 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, it is time for another breaks. 24:12.986 --> 24:15.790 [SPEAKER_05]: We're going to take a short break and we'll be right back on the Bible for kids. 24:19.600 --> 24:20.922 [SPEAKER_03]: Are you looking for a Bible? 24:20.962 --> 24:27.154 [SPEAKER_03]: Your kids will love reading, introducing the Go Bible, a life-changing Bible for kids. 24:27.795 --> 24:36.410 [SPEAKER_05]: Pack with more than 600 focused and fun features such as a full-color interior, kid-friendly detailed maps, and tales of transformed people from the Bible. 24:36.811 --> 24:41.119 [SPEAKER_05]: The Go Bible brings scripture to life in a fun and engaging way for kids. 24:41.369 --> 24:49.768 [SPEAKER_03]: We partner with parents and ministry leaders to develop a unique, full-text Bible with tools to equip your child to apply biblical truths. 24:50.189 --> 24:59.952 [SPEAKER_05]: We've included special features such as, no, go and grow, choose and change, keyverse challenge, and factoids. 25:00.134 --> 25:02.797 [SPEAKER_03]: Perfect for kids ages 7 to 12. 25:02.857 --> 25:09.125 [SPEAKER_03]: The Go Bible helps your kids grow closer to Jesus and understand and apply God's Word. 25:09.645 --> 25:16.954 [SPEAKER_03]: The Go Bible encourages kids to think or deeply about the Bible and to understand how it fits into their everyday lives. 25:17.414 --> 25:24.623 [SPEAKER_05]: The Go Bible is available wherever Bibles are sold online at kidsgobibble.com or at your favorite local bookstore. 25:28.130 --> 25:39.863 [SPEAKER_03]: The Bible for Kids Podcast is part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network, a group of 29 shows to help you let go of perfection and embrace the perfectly imperfect parent God created you to be. 25:39.923 --> 25:45.169 [SPEAKER_05]: Raising kids to know and love Jesus isn't easy, and we're not meant to do it alone. 25:45.690 --> 25:53.158 [SPEAKER_05]: That's why this network exists to be your digital village full of encouragement, expert advice, and a few laughs along the way. 25:53.341 --> 26:02.035 [SPEAKER_03]: Over the last year, our podcasts have been downloaded 5 million times, but that kind of impact only happens because of generous listeners like you. 26:02.536 --> 26:07.764 [SPEAKER_05]: Christian parenting is a non-profit, and every resource is funded by people who believe in this mission. 26:08.225 --> 26:14.214 [SPEAKER_05]: If this show has encouraged you, would you consider giving back head to cpgive.org to donate today? 26:14.615 --> 26:16.598 [SPEAKER_05]: That's cpgive.org. 26:24.188 --> 26:28.734 [SPEAKER_05]: Welcome back to the Bible for Kids podcast, and Trisha and I are speaking with author Amanda Jess. 26:29.515 --> 26:38.627 [SPEAKER_03]: Now Amanda, I'm curious because, okay, if there's a fiction story that goes throughout that you can read alone, and then there's the little sections, I just love to hear about the writing process. 26:39.108 --> 26:41.050 [SPEAKER_03]: Did you write like the story first? 26:41.230 --> 26:42.973 [SPEAKER_03]: Did you figure out the themes for the devotions? 26:43.033 --> 26:46.958 [SPEAKER_03]: It seems like it's like you did two things all at once. 26:46.998 --> 26:50.803 [SPEAKER_02]: It seems like it could get a little complicated, so that sounds amazing too. 26:51.458 --> 26:52.940 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, like a big puzzle, right? 26:53.040 --> 26:57.064 [SPEAKER_01]: Although I love that, like projects where it's like a big puzzle, how do all these pieces fit together? 26:57.104 --> 27:15.863 [SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, so with this story, I mean, I knew from the beginning, like the general, the general arc of the story that I wanted, kind of that, you know, the beginning middle, and then some other little details here, and they're like, here are some things that might happen, but then, 27:15.843 --> 27:32.106 [SPEAKER_01]: After that, it was developing the characters in the story developing their personalities, which I talked about a little bit, and then along with that, going through and planning out, like, okay, what do I want kids to learn from this story? 27:32.126 --> 27:36.552 [SPEAKER_01]: Because this is a devotional, as well as a storybook. 27:36.532 --> 27:38.074 [SPEAKER_01]: what do I want kids to learn? 27:38.134 --> 27:49.166 [SPEAKER_01]: What truths about God do I want them to know so that they can get to know Him better and grow on their relationship with Him and they can get to know who He created better know who He created them to be. 27:49.186 --> 28:01.020 [SPEAKER_01]: And so so then I went through and kind of shows like I hear some of the topics or scriptures that I want that are key things that I want to make sure. 28:01.000 --> 28:25.810 [SPEAKER_01]: We are teaching kids and and then so then kind of taking that and then going back in and then writing each day's little chapter story to go with that and say okay What's a really fun way now that we can teach kids about this super important thing about God, but make it like 28:25.790 --> 28:37.116 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, more than just like a lesson and that like here's the details you need to know let's let's really like make it engaging and turn it into a story that they will want to Read over and over hopefully Yeah 28:37.265 --> 28:38.347 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 28:38.647 --> 28:49.022 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, yeah, and it's just that kind of the process that you go through as a writer where you get kind of these big broad ideas, and then once you dive in, you just start to figure things out and spell it out better. 28:49.122 --> 28:58.375 [SPEAKER_05]: And I, you know, I've learned so much myself, you know, going in teaching these things, probably more than I would ever learn if I weren't having to teach them in the first place. 28:58.415 --> 29:00.538 [SPEAKER_05]: So it's a really wonderful process. 29:00.518 --> 29:06.806 [SPEAKER_05]: So, um, do you foresee our forced friends going into any other adventures in the future? 29:06.846 --> 29:11.131 [SPEAKER_05]: Maybe they all get an apartment in the city or something like that? 29:11.151 --> 29:12.352 [SPEAKER_05]: Go to work at a pet store. 29:12.372 --> 29:13.614 [SPEAKER_00]: Go to work at a pet store. 29:14.355 --> 29:15.616 [SPEAKER_00]: Or a bit urban pet store. 29:18.139 --> 29:20.282 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man, we're from Tegana City. 29:20.822 --> 29:21.303 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, here. 29:21.323 --> 29:22.324 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'll... 29:22.304 --> 29:28.479 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, yes, I would love to see these forest friends go on some more adventures. 29:28.599 --> 29:32.929 [SPEAKER_01]: I have some already adventures planned out in the works for them. 29:32.969 --> 29:39.064 [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, nothing like official official, but yes, I would absolutely love for. 29:39.044 --> 30:00.549 [SPEAKER_01]: for them to continue doing some fun different things because like throughout the process of this, like I follow them and love with these characters too, and yes, and I, and like I said, I hope kids and families will as well know want to continue to see what blaze that crazy bunny who doesn't can't slow down, what what he's up to, what is what is he up to tonight? 30:00.650 --> 30:03.533 [SPEAKER_01]: So, um, so yeah, I guess so. 30:03.513 --> 30:10.161 [SPEAKER_03]: That's what I love, and some of you know, these are official official yet, but do you have other things in the works, other books we can look forward to? 30:11.522 --> 30:11.823 [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. 30:12.684 --> 30:28.542 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, well, I have, so I have, well, another devotional that actually came out last year, 2024 called Discover and Christmas, which is a more traditional devotional following the birth story of Jesus, but also starting from creation. 30:28.522 --> 30:29.984 [SPEAKER_01]: going to the resurrection. 30:30.645 --> 30:33.389 [SPEAKER_01]: So really the whole story of why Jesus came to earth. 30:33.870 --> 30:37.556 [SPEAKER_01]: And then upcoming, yeah, I have some other projects. 30:37.616 --> 30:42.263 [SPEAKER_01]: I've started to do some illustration work as well, which has been so much fun. 30:42.503 --> 30:45.788 [SPEAKER_01]: I did not illustrate adventures in the friendly forest, 30:46.308 --> 30:53.488 [SPEAKER_01]: a super talented illustrator, it did a phenomenal job illustrating and bringing these characters to life and doing that. 30:53.508 --> 31:01.591 [SPEAKER_01]: But I've had the joy of getting to illustrate some different books for people and so I have another project or two in the works. 31:01.771 --> 31:02.072 [SPEAKER_01]: So 31:02.474 --> 31:17.981 [SPEAKER_01]: illustrating for another children's book or two here and then another general editor role that I took on with another publisher for an exciting project that I don't know if I can officially share too many details about yet but soon soon. 31:18.021 --> 31:26.035 [SPEAKER_05]: I don't know if I know many triple threats in the publishing industry as writers, illustrators, and editors so that's that's really impressive. 31:26.015 --> 31:27.657 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I don't know. 31:27.677 --> 31:35.808 [SPEAKER_01]: So you know what they say, though, Jack of all trade, so I love this in this. 31:36.108 --> 31:37.971 [SPEAKER_05]: Oh, that's so wonderful. 31:38.011 --> 31:39.853 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, Amanda, thank you so much for joining us. 31:39.873 --> 31:45.120 [SPEAKER_05]: Can you share with our listeners where they can connect with you and learn more about adventures in the friendly forest? 31:45.910 --> 31:53.159 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so my website is Amanda K, just the letter K. And then Joss, J-A-S-S, dot com. 31:53.679 --> 32:01.448 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they can learn more about the book there and other I provide a lot of free resources for kids and families so they can see those on there. 32:02.049 --> 32:06.695 [SPEAKER_01]: And then I'm as far as other places, I'm most active on Instagram. 32:07.215 --> 32:10.679 [SPEAKER_01]: And I am at Amanda K, Joss on Instagram as well. 32:10.699 --> 32:11.260 [SPEAKER_05]: Wonderful. 32:11.662 --> 32:12.263 [SPEAKER_03]: I love it. 32:12.624 --> 32:16.192 [SPEAKER_03]: Listeners, be sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram at the Bible for Kids. 32:16.633 --> 32:24.652 [SPEAKER_03]: The Bible for Kids is now a 501 seats-free non-profit and we love to have you join us in our mission of reaching kids with a message to the Bible. 32:25.113 --> 32:30.345 [SPEAKER_03]: Visit thebibelforkids.com to explore our store, donate, or learn more today. 32:32.654 --> 32:37.120 [SPEAKER_04]: Thanks for listening to the Bible for Kids Podcast with Trisha Goyer and Mike Nurekki. 32:37.460 --> 32:43.909 [SPEAKER_04]: Be sure to connect with the Bible for kids on Instagram, Facebook, and at the Bibleforkids.com. 32:43.929 --> 32:48.215 [SPEAKER_04]: The Bible for Kids Podcast is powered by the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. 32:48.636 --> 32:51.139 [SPEAKER_04]: Find out more at ChristianParenting.org. 32:51.559 --> 33:02.374 [SPEAKER_04]: Our show is also available at wayNation.com.