Life, Faith, Stories, Interests & Everything In Between
Blog #2
Beyond the Pages
Life, Faith, Stories, Interests & Everything In Between
Children’s Books About Courage: How Stories Help Children Face the Unfamiliar
How do you teach a child courage?
One meaningful way is through children’s books about courage. Stories can help children understand bravery, face unfamiliar experiences, and discover that being afraid does not mean they cannot be brave.
Children encounter new experiences throughout their lives. Starting school, making new friends, moving to a new place, trying a new activity, or facing a change they did not expect can bring excitement, but it can also bring fear and uncertainty.
For a child, something that may seem small to an adult can feel like a very big challenge.
That is why books that teach children courage can be so valuable. A story allows children to see courage through a character they can follow, understand, and identify with. Instead of simply telling a child, “Be brave,” a story can show them what courage looks like.
A good children’s book about bravery can help a child discover that courage is not the absence of fear. Courage can mean trying something new, continuing when something is difficult, asking questions, or moving forward even when you don’t know exactly what will happen next.
Stories can also give children a safe way to talk about feelings they may not yet know how to express.
A child may not know how to say, “I’m afraid of what is going to happen.” But after reading about a character who faces something unfamiliar, that same child may begin to open up.
“Were you ever afraid like the character?”
“What would you do if you were in that situation?”
“What do you think it means to be brave?”
These simple questions can turn a children’s story into a meaningful conversation between a child and the adult reading with them.
This idea of courage, curiosity, and discovering what lies beyond the familiar is at the heart of my children’s book, Margie’s Journey Beyond the Sea.
Margie is a little pearl who begins a journey beyond the sea she knows. Her story is about more than traveling from one place to another. It is about encountering something unfamiliar, discovering what lies beyond it, and finding the courage to continue.
And Margie’s story began in a way I never expected.
The Book I Never Planned to Write
Writing a children’s book was not on my mind.
Apparently, it was on God’s.
At the time, I was already working on another book—my memoir. I had no plans to write a children’s book, and I certainly didn’t know how to write one.
But during a women’s brunch at my home, something unexpected happened.
After I finished sharing the message with the women, my friend Angela approached me. She told me that she had seen a vision of me holding a children’s book. Then she told me that she believed I was supposed to write that book to encourage children.
I had no idea how to begin.
My first thought was probably the same thought many of us have when we sense God leading us into something completely unfamiliar:
“How would I even do this?”
I didn’t know how to write a children’s book.
I didn’t know what the process looked like.
I didn’t know how to turn an idea into a story for children.
But I knew how to pray.
That night, I began asking God if this was truly an assignment He had given me. The next morning, I continued seeking Him, asking for confirmation and direction.
As I prayed, the idea began to take shape.
Angela also reminded me that because I had homeschooled my children, I could approach the process almost as if I were creating an outline for a lesson. That gave me a starting point.
So I sat down and began writing an outline—not because I knew exactly what I was doing, but because I needed a framework for what I believed God was asking me to create.
The message I had been teaching at the women’s brunch came from Matthew 13:45–46, the parable of the pearl of great price.
And from that teaching, the story began to emerge.
A shell.
A pearl.
And a journey.
It felt as though the story had already been placed in my heart and mind. I wasn’t searching for an idea. I was simply trying to put into words what had already begun forming within me.
So I began to write.
Within hours, I had written an unedited version of the story in a form I believed children could understand.
I didn’t have all the answers.
I didn’t have an illustrator.
I didn’t even know exactly what the finished book would look like.
But I had begun.
And sometimes that is how an assignment from God unfolds.
You don’t always receive the finished picture.
Sometimes you receive the first piece.
Then you begin.
Blog #1
Welcome to Beyond the Pages
There are stories that become books.
And then there are stories that happen between the pages.
Welcome to Beyond the Pages.
I created this space as a place to share more than the books I write. Some of my stories come from faith. Others come from family, ministry, travel, hobbies, interests, lessons learned, and everyday experiences.
Some stories may begin with a Scripture passage. Others may come from a conversation, a place I have visited, something I have learned, or an experience that made me stop and think.
Some may even begin with a little pearl named Margie.
As an author, much of what I write eventually finds its way into a book. But not every thought belongs in a book.
Some experiences are simply meant to be shared.
There are lessons we learn while writing a book. There are stories behind the stories. There are interests we develop, skills we discover, places we visit, and ordinary moments that leave an unexpected impression on us.
That is what I mean by Beyond the Pages.
This is where I can share what happens beyond the finished book.
It is a place for stories, reflections, ideas, discoveries, and the things that make life meaningful.
What Will You Find Here?
You may find articles about books and writing, including what it is like to create a story, publish a book, develop an idea, or learn something new as an author.
You may find faith and spiritual reflections, including lessons from Scripture, personal testimonies, and encouragement for everyday life.
You may find life lessons that have come through relationships, transitions, family, ministry, and seasons I never expected.
You may also find hobbies and interests, practical skills, travel experiences, and other things I enjoy learning and sharing.
In other words, Beyond the Pages can go wherever life takes me.
Stories Can Teach Us
I have always believed that stories have a way of reaching us differently.
Sometimes we remember a lesson because someone explained it to us.
Other times, we remember it because we experienced it through a story.
A story can make us laugh.
It can make us think.
It can help us see something from another person’s perspective.
It can even help us recognize something about ourselves.
That is one reason I love writing.
I don’t simply want to put words on a page. I want those words to connect with real life.
Beyond the Books
My books are part of my journey, but they are not the whole journey.
There are stories that led to the books.
There are experiences that shaped the words.
There are people who influenced me.
There are lessons I learned before I ever knew I would write about them.
There are also things that simply interest me because they are part of life.
I want Beyond the Pages to be a place where all of those things can come together.
A Place to Explore
Perhaps you are here because you discovered one of my books.
Perhaps you found an article through a search.
Perhaps someone shared something with you.
However you arrived, I hope you find something here that is useful, encouraging, interesting, or simply enjoyable.
Maybe you will discover a new children’s book.
Maybe you’ll find a reflection that speaks to something you are experiencing.
Maybe you’ll learn something practical.
Maybe you’ll read a story that makes you smile.
Or maybe you’ll simply pause for a moment and see something familiar in a new way.
Life is full of moments like that.
Beyond the Pages Begins Here
My hope is that Beyond the Pages will become more than a collection of articles.
I hope it becomes a place where stories meet life.
A place where books can lead to conversations.
Where experiences can become lessons.
Where interests can become discoveries.
And where ordinary moments can remind us that there is often more to life than what first appears on the page.
Some stories are written.
Some are lived.
And some are still unfolding.
Welcome to Beyond the Pages.
I’m glad you’re here.
