How to Go on a Bible Adventure | Cars, Trucks, and God’s Word w/ Valerie Ellis

Welcome to another episode of the Collide Kids Podcast with your host, Christen Clark.  This week, Christen is joined by Valerie Ellis, a creative children's book author and founder of "Our Everyday Parables." Valerie discusses her delightful book, "Let's Go Bible Adventures," which connects various modes of transportation with stories from the Bible.

Valerie's inspiration came from her children's love for vehicles, like cars and trains, and she artfully intertwines this very common passion for kids with biblical stories, making them exciting and accessible for young readers. Through fun comparisons and playful questions, Valerie’s book invites children to explore the Bible in a fresh and engaging way.

In this episode, Valerie also shares tips on how to enhance family story times by incorporating faith into family conversations. She encourages parents to ask reflective questions such as, “Where did you see God in this story?” to help children recognize and appreciate God’s presence in their lives.

This episode is packed with interactive family FUN! Christen kicks off the show  with a game called "REAL or MADE UP" to test your transportation knowledge; and wraps up the episode with the "Let's Talk About It" segment, encouraging families to participate in imaginative and faith-filled discussions together.  

Go to valerieellis.com  to learn more about Valerie and her new book "Let's Go Bible Adventures, and check out some fun FREEBIES!

Clip Finder:

**Modern Twists on Ancient Tales**: "Jonah went on a journey. He wasn't listening to what God said. He fell into the ocean. And did God rescue him with a submarine?"
— Valerie Ellis [00:09:19 → 00:09:27]

"Turning Hearts Back to God": "And so in that story, Josiah realizes that people are not being true to God. They're worshiping idols. Does the garbage truck take out the idols? No, but the idols do get removed and people's hearts turn back to God."

— Valerie Ellis [00:12:12 → 00:12:24]

"Modern Miracles on Food Trucks: And I'm going to cheat a little. Some of my favorites are favorites because of the mode of transportation or because of the rhyme or because of Carolina's beautiful illustrations. But I'll pick one I love, and it's when Jesus feeds more than 5,000 people. Okay, that one uses a food truck. And I'm from Houston, so, I mean, did he call a taco truck a barbecue truck? And then you turn the page and it's like, no, a boy shared his lunch."

— Valerie Ellis [00:12:50 → 00:13:17]

The Power of Storytelling: "We are, as humans, are wired to learn through story."

— Valerie Ellis [00:15:46 → 00:15:49]

Seeing God in Everyday Stories: "And so one question that we ask at our house sometimes is, you know, where did you see God in this book?"

— Valerie Ellis [00:16:15 → 00:16:22]

"Linking Everyday Moments to Faith": "I am reminded of God's forgiveness. And I'm so glad that God, you know, just washes away everything that we have done and loves us so much."

— Valerie Ell

“That’s My King” is a vibrant praise song with an edge by Dove Award winning artist, Yancy.  Filled with celebration, praise, and amazing wonder. Yancy put her rockin’ fingerprint on this song originally made popular by Cece Winans. It’s time for every generation to unite their voices to take a stand and shift the atmosphere when they push play on “That’s My King”! LISTEN NOW!

Bark proactively works to monitor, detect, and alert you to potential issues on your kids' devices. Visit bark.us to learn more about how you can keep your kids safe online. Use the code COLLIDEKIDS to get 15% off Your Bark Technologies Plan !

Transcript

Christen Clark [00:00:08]:

Hey, y'all. Welcome to the Collide Kids Podcast, hosted by Christen Clark. This is a show for kids and families. You are going to meet new people and have fun while you listen. Let's do it. Hey, y'all. Welcome to the Collide Kids Podcast. I'm your host, Christen Clark.

Christen Clark [00:00:35]:

The Collide Kids Podcast is a show for kids and families where we learn together how life and faith collide. It means so much to me that you are listening today. Thank you so much for being here. Don't forget to stick around to the end of every episode. We have a new segment we're calling let's talk about it. It's a fun time, but we're going to ask some questions. Three questions to be exact. Now, they might be silly or imaginative or faith fil, but the goal is just to spark some really great family conversations.

Christen Clark [00:01:04]:

So stick around to the end of the interview for that and you and your family can have fun talking about what you heard on the show today. Now, if you've been listening for a while, you're like, hey, whatever happened to the kids only segment? Well, we didn't get rid of it, but we have moved it to our YouTube channel. So if you still want to be on the show on the kids only segment to share your favorite Bible verse or joke or song, then you will be featured on the YouTube video version of an episode coming up soon. So I'll share some more information about that at the end of the episode, how you can send those videos to me and be on the next episode. Well, I am really excited to introduce you guys to my friend Valerie Ellis, who has written a children's book about different modes of transportation. And so I thought before we get to that interview, we'd play a little game together. Is that okay with you? If we play a game, and I think the game should be all about different modes of transportation because, let's face it, it's just so fun to talk about that kind of stuff. So this game is called Real or Made Up.

Christen Clark [00:02:04]:

I'll describe a different mode of transportation and you have to guess if it's real or made up. Then I'll reveal the answer and a fun fact. Are you ready? Let's go. Here's the first one. The hover bike, a motorcycle that hovers above the ground like a flying drone. Is that real or made up? You can shout your answer. Well, if you guessed real, you are correct. Some companies, like in Japan and the US have built working hover bike prototypes.

Christen Clark [00:02:35]:

So maybe we'll see that soon. All right, here's the next one. The snail train. A super slow train powered by actual snails. If you guessed made up, you're correct. Can you imagine how patient you'd have to be to ride on a snail train? All right, here's the next one. The maglev train. A train that floats above the tracks using powerful magnets.

Christen Clark [00:03:00]:

Is that real or made up? Real. You're right. A maglev train exists in Japan and China and can go over 300 miles per hour. Wow, that's fast. All right, here's the next one. The bubble submarine. A tiny personal submarine shaped like a bubble for underwater travel. Is that real or made up? Yes, it's made up.

Christen Clark [00:03:26]:

You're right. But wouldn't it be fun to explore the ocean in one of those? Okay, here's a fun one. The jet suit. A suit with tiny jet engines that lets a person fly. Is that real or made up? I feel like I've seen it in a movie, but actually it's real. Companies like Gravity Industries have actually built jet power suits.

Christen Clark [00:03:48]:

Wow.

Christen Clark [00:03:49]:

All right, here's another one. The solar car. A car powered completely by the sun. Is that real or made up? If you guessed real, you are correct. Solar powered cars exist, and some can travel long distances using only sunlight. But here's the question. What do you do at nighttime? It's probably going to be tough to drive through the night, but. Okay, here's the next one.

Christen Clark [00:04:13]:

The moose bus. A giant bus pulled by trained moose in cold climates. Hmm. Is that real or made up? It's made up. Moose are strong, but they're not exactly public transportation strong. Okay, here's another one. The amphibious car. A car that can drive on land and float on water like a boat.

Christen Clark [00:04:36]:

Is that real or made up? You're correct. It is real. They're actually amphibious cars, and some people even use them for fun. All right, we got a few more. Here we go. The monowheel. A single giant wheel that a person sits inside to ride. Is that real or made up? If you guess real, you're correct.

Christen Clark [00:04:59]:

Monowheels have been built and ridden, though they're not very common. That might be true. Okay, here's another one. The hot air boat. A boat that floats just above the water using a giant hot air balloon instead of sails. Is that real or made up? Well, it sounds real, but it's actually made up. I feel like they could do one of those, don't you? It would be a pretty wobbly ride, though. Okay, now here's the bonus round.

Christen Clark [00:05:28]:

It's the last one. This is for all the points. Are you ready? The ice cream truck boat. A boat that sells ice cream on the water instead of on the road. Is that real or made up? It's real. In some places, there are floating ice cream trucks that serve treats to people on boats. I wonder if they have those on the lake that we like to go to. We need to find out about that.

Christen Clark [00:05:52]:

Well, how many did you guess correctly? Now let me ask you, would you ride any of these? I think I would. Keep listening because we're about to dive into a fun conversation about transportation with today's guest. Her name is Valerie Ellis. She is a children's book author who loves helping kids and parents connect with God and each other in the everyday moments. She's also a speaker and the founder of our Everyday Parables, an online resource with book reviews and ideas for families pursuing faith and compassion. Valerie lives with her husband Josh and their two sons in Houston, Texas. She enjoys live music and going on adventures big and small with her family and friends. I think you guys are really gonna love this transportation conversation with Valerie Ellis.

Christen Clark [00:06:49]:

Valerie Ellis, I am so excited to have you on the Collide Kids podcast today.

Valerie Ellis [00:06:54]:

I'm thrilled to be here, Christen. Thank you.

Christen Clark [00:06:57]:

Yeah, this is so fun. I'm so excited to talk with you about your book. Would you just introduce yourself to our listeners, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?

Valerie Ellis [00:07:06]:

Yes, I am Valerie Ellis. I'm a children's book author and the founder of our Everyday Parables, which helps families connect with God and each other through books and everyday moments. I have two kids that are 14 and 10, and we live in Houston and we love to go on adventures together. I love music and, of course, books are a big part of my life.

Christen Clark [00:07:29]:

Yes. And we love children's book authors. Here at the Collide Kids podcast, I get to talk to a lot of different people about their books. And I love how everybody has such a different passion or different thing that's interesting to them and that comes out in their book. So we're definitely going to talk about that today because your book, I think, is so cool. But before we do that, because this is a show for kids, I always ask my guests to tell me a joke or something funny. So what have you got for us today?

Valerie Ellis [00:07:56]:

Okay, here's my joke.

Christen Clark [00:07:58]:

Okay.

Valerie Ellis [00:07:58]:

What happened to the man who took the five o'clock train home?

Christen Clark [00:08:02]:

I don't know.

Valerie Ellis [00:08:03]:

He had to give it back.

Christen Clark [00:08:06]:

That's true. He couldn't take it home.

Valerie Ellis [00:08:08]:

He couldn't take it home.

Christen Clark [00:08:11]:

I like that. That's good. Okay. So speaking of trains, would you just tell us a little bit about this book? It's called let's Go Bible Adventures, and it's all about transportation in the Bible. How did you come up with this idea?

Valerie Ellis [00:08:24]:

So this goes back to my own kids when they were young. They loved vehicles, as I'm sure a lot of the listeners. Construction trucks and cars and planes. And we just had all the books about that, and it was so very fun. But my oldest, when he was like two, he was actually so in love with cars that that was the only kind of book he wanted to read.

Christen Clark [00:08:47]:

Yeah.

Valerie Ellis [00:08:48]:

And as a mom who loves Jesus and thought maybe we could read something about God.

Christen Clark [00:08:53]:

Right.

Valerie Ellis [00:08:54]:

I reached a point where I was like, how could we work transportation into these Bible stories while staying true to the story but still getting the kids interest? Because cars and trucks are just so fun. So I was thinking, well, there is transportation in the Bible. It just doesn't look like ours does. So what if we asked silly questions and compared the modern and ancient transportation? So, for example, Jonah went on a journey. He wasn't listening to what God said. He fell into the ocean. And did God rescue him with a submarine?

Christen Clark [00:09:27]:

No.

Valerie Ellis [00:09:28]:

So what did God do?

Christen Clark [00:09:31]:

It was definitely not a submarine.

Valerie Ellis [00:09:32]:

Definitely not a submarine. But then kids get to turn page and see the real story and hear what God did and how great God is and all about his love and faithfulness. So that's how we worked it in. So to stay true to the story, but also have a lot of fun reading as a family and just asking those silly questions and honestly, you know, letting kids be the smart ones and be like, no, mom and dad. Yeah, it wasn't a garbage truck. It wasn't a helicopter. It wasn't a Jeep.

Christen Clark [00:10:03]:

So, yes. And it's so true that kids, especially younger kids, were obsessed. You know, my kids definitely were. We had books about garbage trucks and the little red truck, the little blue truck, there's all these trucks. And then every time we drove past, like, an excavator, they're like singing the theme song from whatever, you know, like. So we. I think one of the first times, my son in the backseat, he was like 3 years old, he's like, that's an excavator. And I looked at it and I was like, you know, I don't even know if he's right, but he probably is.

Christen Clark [00:10:34]:

I need to look. I need to start studying transportation. So is that what you did? Did you start studying all the about transportation and about all these different vehicles. Or was it something that you started looking at the Bible first?

Valerie Ellis [00:10:46]:

So both. And I love your story, Christen, because my kids definitely trained me, which was the backhoe, which was the excavator, and, you know, they would correct me if I got it wrong. And then they grew up and got out of that phase, whereas I still stayed obsessed with it, where I was just like, look, look, it's a semi with an excavator and a backhoe. And they'd be like, mom, right?

Christen Clark [00:11:11]:

They're on their devices, like, what? I didn't even see anything.

Valerie Ellis [00:11:13]:

I wasn't even looking. Or like, I wonder how many train cars they are. And they're like, we don't do that anymore. But now I've written a transportation book, so I have a legitimate reason to be excited again about trains and things like that. So, you know, both. And so I did start with, in some stories, knowing which transportation item I wanted to have because knowing what kids love, like garbage trucks, and then looking and saying which story could go with that. But then other times it started with the story and I was like, well, I definitely know I want to include this story. Like let's say, for example, the three wise men, they had a long journey to make, but could they have just shipped their gifts? Could they have sent it by Amazon?

Christen Clark [00:11:52]:

They couldn't send it through Amazon.

Valerie Ellis [00:11:54]:

They couldn't do that. So, you know, things like that. So like with the garbage truck story, it's actually a bit of a lesser known story that we included, which this book has a lot of familiar favorites, but we also wanted to include those lesser known ones just because there's so many great stories in the Bible, it's hard to cover them all. And so in that story, Josiah realizes that people are not being true to God. They're worshiping idols. Does the garbage truck take out the idols? No, but the idols do get removed and people's hearts turn back to God. And so kids get to turn the page and see what really happened.

Christen Clark [00:12:28]:

That's great. And I do love that story about Josiah. I think that's a really great story for kids to learn about. It's. It is one of the lesser known stories, but he was a child and God used him in a great way to be a king for his people and turn them back to God, like you said. So that's really cool that you included that one. I like that. Tell me, what's your favorite story? Of all the stories that you pulled together, what's your favorite?

Valerie Ellis [00:12:49]:

That is such a hard question. And I'm going to cheat a little. Some of my favorites are favorites because of the mode of transportation or because of the rhyme or because of Carolina's beautiful illustrations. But I'll pick one I love, and it's when Jesus feeds more than 5,000 people. Okay, that one uses a food truck. And I'm from Houston, so, I mean, did he call a taco truck a barbecue truck? And then you turn the page and it's like, no, a boy shared his lunch. Actually, that miracle started with a child as well. And so it's the story about God's power and strength and how Jesus fed all the people.

Christen Clark [00:13:26]:

That is so fun that you're including all these stories in the Bible and connecting them to things that we're seeing all the time, like a taco truck, which. That makes me hungry right now. It's lunchtime, so I need to go.

Valerie Ellis [00:13:36]:

It is.

Christen Clark [00:13:36]:

I need to go see if there's a taco truck in my area. Let me ask you this. How can a book about trucks and rockets help kids learn more about the Bible? Like, is this really going to help kids connect to the Bible? I mean, like you said, they're going to be like, no, mom and dad, we know the answer. But how does this help them connect with the Bible?

Valerie Ellis [00:13:53]:

That's a good question. And as a mom, you know, I looked at a lot of books and some of them I was like, that's cute, but is it going to really help? So I really put a lot of intentionality into the book about that. So not only is there the eight line story about the Bible in rhyme to interest kids, but there's also a fun fact at the end of each one. And some of them relate to cars and are just for fun, but a lot of them relate to the story either to offer a little bit more detail or relate to another story in the Bible to try to connect and help kids see God's big story. Yeah, and there are a lot of jumping off points, you know, where parents could talk more about it. And then each one ends with a refrain that, you know, I hope that kids and families will read together as they are reading the story. And each one ends with, we're on an adventure with God. Let's go.

Christen Clark [00:14:45]:

I love that and I love how you included those fun facts. So if you've got kids of all different ages, your whole family's gonna enjoy this book together, but you're also gonna be able to dig deeper if you have kids that wanna dig deeper or if you have kids that are just now learning. They're gonna be excited to see the excavator and the food truck and all that stuff. So that's great. And I love that you put intentionality about helping people to look back at the scriptures. Cause that's what we need to be doing.

Valerie Ellis [00:15:10]:

Yes. And each story has the reference to where parents or older kids can look up the Bible story and read it.

Christen Clark [00:15:17]:

And I love something you said earlier, too, about helping parents and kids get more out of that time of storytelling. Because like you said, we know we're looking for stuff. Like, I wish it would go deeper. I wish I had more that I could share with them. Especially if we're trying to be more intentional about discipling our kids and teaching our kids about faith. So how can we do that? I mean, I know we could get your book, but are there other ways that we can get more out of that story time?

Valerie Ellis [00:15:42]:

Yes. And that's one thing we love to talk about at our everyday parables is, you know, that we are, as humans, are wired to learn through story. And there are all kinds of books, some of them written specifically about God. And others, you know, are written about other things. But we can still find echoes of God's creation, God's care in them. And so one thing I love to do with books is, you know, talk about them as people. But especially kids. You know, we learn a lot better when we're processing out loud versus just hearing from someone else's perspective.

Valerie Ellis [00:16:15]:

And so one question that we ask at our house sometimes is, you know, where did you see God in this book? And that can be used with a wide variety of books because it could be something from his creation that stood out to us. It could be something about his love or even his precepts. Like, I see that that character, you know, didn't follow God's precepts and then what happened? Or it could be something like, I see this character showed love in a really, you know, sacrificial way. And even if we can't come up with something, that's okay. Because what I tell parents and what I tell my kids is it's just good to get in the habit of asking, where are we seeing God? And we're building that habit so we can become more aware of his presence in our everyday lives, in our reading. And, you know, we're not always going to have an answer, but that's okay.

Christen Clark [00:17:04]:

Yeah. And I think, like you said, creating that habit of just asking that question. When you start with stories which are so fun to read when your kids are younger, then as they get older, you can ask them to look at something maybe in their everyday life, like, what's something that you saw God do today? Or what's, how did you see God at school? Or, you know, on the sports field or whatever. You can always ask those questions. So training them to think that way and to look for God, I think is a really cool concept and a great way to get them started when they're younger.

Valerie Ellis [00:17:33]:

Exactly. And, you know, there are other questions you can ask with books, too, that can open up great conversations. Like even, like, well, what's your favorite line from the book? Or what's your favorite picture? You know, small things that can lead to some good conversations.

Christen Clark [00:17:48]:

And I was thinking, too, there's parents out there thinking, okay, not all of the books that I'm reading have to do with the Bible. Or sometimes we even read books to our kids. Or we'll get halfway through and realize, oh, there's something in here that we don't agree with, or there's something in here that I don't really want to talk about with my kids. But we can also have those conversations. You know what? This is something that we believe, and we're going to stand up for that, or we're not going to talk about that right now, because that's not a part of who we are as a family. And I think that's okay, too.

Valerie Ellis [00:18:17]:

Yes. And sometimes that's a good opportunity to talk about things that you wouldn't normally think to mention to your kids about, like, what are our family? How would we react differently in this situation? Because we are children of God.

Christen Clark [00:18:31]:

Right. Like, I have a friend of mine who they try to avoid books and movies where the kids are disrespectful to adults or to their parents. And she's like, that's something that's really important to our family. And so they have that conversation. You know what? We're not going to watch this movie or we're not going to finish this book because we don't really agree with how the kids are interacting. How do you think they should be interacting with the parents or whatever. And so just having those conversations instead of just slamming it down or throwing it away or whatever, and, like, avoiding it, like you said, keeping those conversations going, letting kids ask questions, I think that's really important for just your family dynamic and knowing that it's safe to ask those questions.

Valerie Ellis [00:19:10]:

Yes, yes. Definitely want to be that safe place where kids don't feel like, oh, you know, mom's going to get mad or Dad's going to, you know, whatever. But to know that, like, we can talk about anything in this family, I. I definitely agree with that.

Christen Clark [00:19:24]:

Yeah. And that's very important, especially as your kids get older. So we want to have those conversations even at a young age. That's good.

Valerie Ellis [00:19:32]:

On our everyday parables, we give a lot of book recommendations. And so I think it's really important that parents, when you can, you know, like, preview the books if you have certain things that you don't want to see in your books. Because we're all different.

Christen Clark [00:19:44]:

Right.

Valerie Ellis [00:19:44]:

You know, and. Whereas I might read a book like that and use it as an opportunity to talk. You be like, my child's not ready for that because they're mimicking everything that the characters do in books, you know, and so I totally respect that. And I always encourage families to, you know, definitely do what's right for them.

Christen Clark [00:20:00]:

And I'd also love to hear a little bit more about everyday parables. What is that? I love that you guys do book reviews. What. What is the premise of everyday parables? And how did you get started in that?

Valerie Ellis [00:20:09]:

Yeah. So as I started journeying to become a children's book author, because that not something that I had planned to do before, I had this book idea for let's Go Bible Adventures. I was reading a lot of kids books and reading a lot of books with my kids and just loving it and just wanted an outlet to share that with families. And then as we did, we, you know, also linked in the everyday moment. So just giving families easy ways to talk about God and help kids see God as relevant. I mean, God is everywhere in our day. Kind of like we've already talked about whether we're linking to it through books or maybe something in nature or maybe even like, as I'm erasing this whiteboard, I am reminded of God's forgiveness. And I'm so glad that God, you know, just washes away everything that we have done and loves us so much.

Valerie Ellis [00:20:57]:

It could be as simple as that. So we give parents, you know, kind of practice in developing that skill of finding God in the everyday moments. And then, like I said, the book reviews too.

Christen Clark [00:21:07]:

Yeah, I think that sounds like a great resource for parents and just. Just needing some encouragement or just to know, like, what to do next and how to have those conversations. I think you guys should definitely go check that out. Okay. I wanna ask you a more personal question. What was your favorite book as a child?

Valerie Ellis [00:21:24]:

So I love this question. I get Asked this question a lot now that I've become an author. No one was interested in that before.

Christen Clark [00:21:31]:

And I'm like, tell us.

Valerie Ellis [00:21:32]:

Yeah, tell us. So you know, and maybe this will encourage some kids and parents. I, I was a good reader, but I didn't. I just wasn't obsessed with books, you know, and yet here I am as an author. So you never know. You know, where the path will lead. If you kids aren't super into books, that's okay. There are a lot of other great things that they can be interested in.

Valerie Ellis [00:21:53]:

And I did, I do, though, remember one book that I loved, and that was the Sweet Smell of Christmas.

Christen Clark [00:22:01]:

Oh, nice.

Valerie Ellis [00:22:02]:

It's a scratch and sniff Christmas book. And I know it's February now, but I also wrote a Christmas book called Share the Joy, a Christmas Lift the Flat book. And I think a lot of it came out of my love for the Sweet Smell of Christmas as a child. Because if you're not familiar with a book, basically a bear goes through all of the Christmas traditions that we still practice. That's an old book because I was three when I first read it. But we still, you know, do the hot cocoa and the Christmas tree and the caroling. And so Little Bear goes through all these things. And I realized when I was an adult and doing my own Christmas traditions, like, those were all the things that I wanted to do to check off to make, you know, this is a happy Christmas because he had hot chocolate and I put an orange in the stocking just like Little Bear had.

Valerie Ellis [00:22:48]:

So, you know, I think sometimes those books can. Can really get into us and definitely came out with Share the Joy, because Share the Joy is all about Christmas traditions and how we can expand them to show love to others as we celebrate Jesus's birth.

Christen Clark [00:23:02]:

That's awesome. I love that. I think it is true, like, the books that you read as a child, they get inside you, you know, Like, I loved Little House on the Prairie. Like, I read all of those and. And that's why we do an orange as well. That's why that was the only Christmas present that little Laura got. But I love that. Well, and I think it's so fun, too, to think back to all those books that we held dear as a child.

Christen Clark [00:23:25]:

Like when my family, my parents were moving into a new house and they had all these, like, boxes of books. I'm like, don't get rid of this one. They're like, why does that mean it? I'm like, I just love that book. I remember it, you know, so it's fun to go back and think about those things. Well, I am so excited about your book, and I'm excited about our readers getting ahold of your book and learning more about this. So, yes. Let's go. Bible Adventures.

Christen Clark [00:23:48]:

I think this is gonna be so fun. Tell us where we can find your book, where we can order it, all the good things.

Valerie Ellis [00:23:53]:

Well, it's available wherever books are sold, and you can connect with me on my website and get some freebies. So there's an activity pack for the book that's perfect for little ones. They can start doing some car activities with things that you have around the house. So they're very, very simple. And they have 18 biblical truths that you can just talk about as you play. So they're very playful. You don't need the book to do. It's just a really fun way to connect with kids who love vehicles.

Valerie Ellis [00:24:23]:

And so, yeah, so pretty much anywhere you can find a book, you will find it.

Christen Clark [00:24:26]:

That's great. We'll have that in the show notes as well, so they can find that activity page and get ahold of that. Cause I know that's gonna be a lot of fun. Well, Valerie, thank you so much for being here today and being on the show. Before I let you go, I always ask my guests to tell me a memory from when they were a kid, so I can't wait to hear yours.

Valerie Ellis [00:24:43]:

Yes. Okay. So I actually struggled a little bit with this. I love your podcast, Christen. So I. I knew that this was coming than and I not the one in my family who typically remembers all the things. So I was like, I should call my sister and get her to tell me, tell me about my life.

Christen Clark [00:24:59]:

I do the same thing. I call my siblings. I'm like, I need a story from my childhood. Can you remember anything?

Valerie Ellis [00:25:05]:

Yes. But just talking about reading and family conversations, this came to mind when I was little. I grew up in church, and we listened to a lot of hymns. And, you know, some of those words are hard to understand, hard for kids to understand. And I remember from the song At Calvary, there's a line that said that says there my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary. And for some reason, as a kid, I thought that we're talking about a bird and a sole of a shoe. And I was like, well, that's weird. I wonder why that's in the song.

Valerie Ellis [00:25:37]:

But, oh, well, I guess grown ups are a little weird sometimes, though, I guess. You know, kids, ask your parents if you think something sounds weird in a song because it might be Something completely different.

Christen Clark [00:25:48]:

Or you'll wait until you're like 25 years old and you'll see the karaoke. The lyrics go up on the screen and you're like, I've been saying it wrong for 20 years now. Like, I had no idea. No one told me.

Valerie Ellis [00:26:01]:

It happens. Definitely.

Christen Clark [00:26:03]:

Yeah, yeah. Kids today don't know. Like, I think I've shared this. Shared this. Another episode we had, like the little boombox and I would record things from the radio, so you just had to guess what it said. Unless you had the CD that had like the lyrics in the back of the CD sleeve. Yes. I loved learning about what the word.

Christen Clark [00:26:20]:

That was the only way we could look it up on the Internet.

Valerie Ellis [00:26:22]:

Well, and because I would have been too embarrassed to ask my friends, like, what does that say?

Christen Clark [00:26:26]:

Right. Exactly. You're like, I guess this is what we're singing about in church today. Okay, that's great. I love that. Well, Valerie, thank you so much for being on the show. This was so fun and I am so excited about your book. So thank you for sharing today.

Valerie Ellis [00:26:39]:

My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Christen Clark [00:26:50]:

Wow. Did you guys know there were so many different types of transportation in the Bible? I love when Valerie was talking about creating those habits of asking questions after we hear a story or read a book or watch a movie, asking these questions that our family can talk about, like, how did you see God in this story? Or what are some ways that we see God in our everyday life so that the whole family is thinking that way and looking for those things in their everyday life. I just love that encouragement. She also said, do what works for your family. There's gonna be some things that work for some families that don't work for others, and that's okay. You guys do what works for your family and keep faith a part of your conversations. You know, younger kids really do have such a great fascination with different types of vehicles and transportation. I mean, can you imagine what those Bible stories would be like if they had modern day vehicles in them? Like Adam and Eve with a tractor or Noah on a cruise ship.

Christen Clark [00:27:48]:

Or I love when she was sharing about the food truck when Jesus fed the 5,000. There's so many different Bible stories that have been reimagined and are going to spark some great conversations with the let's Go Bible Adventures book. So head over to Valerie's website, valerie Ellis.com to purchase your copy and learn more about Valerie and her books and get some fun freebies. I know you're going to enjoy those. Well, now it's time for some fun family conversations. So let's talk about it. Here are the three questions that you and your family can enjoy chatting about. You can pause after each question, or maybe just keep these in mind and have a conversation around the dinner table later.

Christen Clark [00:28:31]:

Here's the first one. What is a type of transportation that you have never been on? I know we can think of a lot of ones we've been on, but what's a type of transportation you have never been on? All right, number two. What does it look like to be on an adventure with God? Use your imagination and think about that. What would it look like look like for you to be on an adventure with God? And number three, where have you seen God in your life today? Maybe it's in the sunset or just the fact that you woke up this morning. Maybe it was a song on the radio or listening to a really great podcast that is fun for the whole family. Where have you seen God working and moving in your life today? Talk about that with your your family and make that question a part of your everyday conversations. I know you'll get a lot out of that. Well, if you would like to be on an upcoming episode for the Kids Only segment, I would love to hear your favorite Bible verse or joke or a fun quote or story that you love to tell.

Christen Clark [00:29:33]:

Just head over to my website collidekids podcast.com and click the tab that says Kids Only. Or you can find information about how to send it to me through my social media. I'm on Facebook at the Collide Kids Podcast or an Instagram @CollideKidspod and I would love for you to follow me there. I'd also love if you would share today's episode with someone you might think needs to hear it. That's such a great way for more people to learn about the show when they hear from other listeners. And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Collide Kids Podcast. That's pretty easy to remember where you can watch the full length interview for today's episode. You know a great way to support any podcast is to leave leave a rating and a review.

Christen Clark [00:30:11]:

And so if you enjoyed today's episode and you want more people to find out about the show, then head over to your favorite podcast app and leave a rating and a review and let people know what you think. It also lets me know what you think and I enjoy reading those and getting that encouragement for you. It also really does help other people find the show when people leave rating and review. So thank you for doing that in advance. You can also share this episode with friends and family, or you can go by my website and click the link that says Support. And anytime you think about it, I always appreciate your prayer support as well. As we carry on this ministry. It's so important to share God's love and stories of people who are doing amazing things, and so I appreciate those prayers as we continue to minister to families together.

Christen Clark [00:30:55]:

Well, I am so thankful that you listened to today's episode, and I hope that at some point, maybe today, maybe this week, week, maybe this month, you can go on an adventure with God. In case no one has told you today, I would love to be the first to remind you that God loves you so much. Thanks for listening.