Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - REPLAY | Candace Cameron Bure on Body Image, Motherhood & Battling Backlash

Episode Date: October 8, 2024

Today we’re joined by multitalented actress and producer Candace Cameron Bure to share about her journey from breaking out in Hollywood to giving her life to Christ. Candace shares the details of landing the role of D.J. Tanner on "Full House" and how the show became beloved by audiences. She shares her faith journey, from first deciding to believe in God to years later really committing her life to a personal relationship with Jesus. Candace shares the sweet story of how she met her husband and offers some tips on motherhood, as well as how she navigates unrealistic beauty standards in an industry that makes body image central. We also discuss the backlash that she’s received from speaking about her beliefs and why she believes that being an authentic believer in Christ is more important than the negative feedback.  Pre-order Allie's new book, "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://a.co/d/4COtBxy --- Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey

You may know her as DJ Tanner or maybe the Queen of Christmas in several movies, but her real name is Candace Cameron Bure, and she has been a light in the darkness of the media industry for a very long time, making an incredible impact for the kingdom of God. She is such a wonderful example and encouragement to Christian women, and I am so thankful for her courage and for her joy. And today she joins me on the couch of relatable. to share all kinds of wisdom and insight and even some fun stories and facts about herself and her life that you may not know. I know the two are going to love, love, love this conversation.

I am so honored to have her on the show. You guys have been asking for her to be on for a long time and we have made it happen and I am so grateful for that. This episode is brought to you by our friends at Good Ranchers. Go to good ranchers.com. use code alley check out that's good ranchers.com code alley. Candace, thanks so much for joining us on the relatable couch. You're so welcome. I'm very happy to be here. Allie, I'm like, I've been a very big fan for a really long time. And I will tell you that when podcasts were becoming popular, I could not get into podcasts and I would try a few here and there and I would rather listen to a book in the car than a podcast. And then I heard your podcast and you're the first

podcast that got me hooked. Oh, that is so sweet. That means so much to me. It's the truth. Well, thank you so much. And the admiration is mutual. I think I speak for everyone in my audience when I say we are so thankful to have a Christian woman, wife and mom representing so boldly Christian pro-life values in an industry that just seems hostile to those values and those principles and you have stood strong on them. You haven't shied away from them. And you've been doing it for a long time. Yeah. And you've shown all of us how to do that with grace. And yeah, that's a really big role to take. So let's go, let's go back a little bit. I think everyone probably knows in general your story, but maybe for most people it starts at full house. That's probably when they first knew you,

heard your name, but let's go back further than that. How did you become a Christian? Oh, well, that comes after Full House. Okay. So my, we weren't raised in a Christian home because my dad was not a believer. My mom was a believer, but my dad didn't want religion brought into our home and thought that that was something that when us kids were adults could decide on our own. And my parents had gone through a really hard time in their marriage. And when I was 12 years old, they thought that they were going to get a divorce. And a friend had invited them to church to help them work through some marital counseling. And that's when the church was brought into our lives.

So at this time, I was already on full house. Yeah. And things started to change in my home because my parents really wanted to work through their marriage. Yeah. But, you know, they didn't know how. So thankful to that friend for bringing them to church. And my mom was so happy because she was a believer. And I think it was the first time in her life that she could start saying these things out loud

and be a little more bold to talk about God and prayer with my dad. And they worked through their marriage. And it was at 12. We started going to church for the first time. And I was like sitting in the church and heard. a sermon one day and I really didn't know what it all meant. I just heard like if you want Jesus in your heart to be the Lord and Savior of your life, then say this prayer and ask him into your heart. And so at 12 years old, I did that. And that's when I became a Christian. However, I was not reading

my Bible every day. I was also working on television. So I wasn't necessarily going to church every week. I wasn't always in a youth group. I mean, all the practices that we want our kids to do nowadays, or even back then. And so church was a part of my life. I knew I loved God. I knew I believed that Jesus was my Savior. But it wasn't until my mid-20s, until I was about 25, that I understood the gospel message for the first time and started living my life with God and to know God and have a relationship.

relationship with God. Okay. And all of your siblings, because you're one of four, did they kind of go on the same trajectory as you when your dad became a Christian and you all started going to church? So the interesting thing is my dad actually didn't become a Christian for probably another, I'm going to say 20 to 30 years. Okay, okay. But my mom was very strong in it. I think my brother was the first one to really grab a hold of his faith. and start living it out. And quite frankly, my sisters and I all thought he was pretty weird because he was like this fun loving, goofy Kirk that you kind of like saw

as Mike Seaver on Growing Pains. And then all of a sudden he was like this very serious student of the Word of God in it. And it changed him so much in his teen years, but I think to the extreme where it was shocking because it was really hardcore. And he hadn't quite found the balance of still enjoying life and being lovable and loving God

at the same time. Yeah. And so my brother was the first, and then my sister Bridget and I gave our lives to the Lord. My sister, Melissa, it was probably another 10 years later that she found God in her life. And we're all pretty strong Christians to this day. My dad was the very last one. He's a teacher. He is a man of science, had a very hard time believing in something that he couldn't touch and feel. And I know, you know, a case for Christ, the least trouble book, like really helped my dad and through so many conversations over the years with so many people in our lives. And that's the one thing I'm grateful to my dad for is that he's always open to the conversation. He just couldn't quite grasp it until he did. Yeah. Praise God for that. Yeah, praise God. So how did you? You said that that was after Full House.

So how did you get into acting? I'm sure a lot of people have heard this origin story, but not everyone has. So you and your brother being successful actors, it's kind of unique. Yep. Both of you having been as prominent as you are. So how did that start out? So we, my mom had a friend. Her name was Fran Rich and her son Adam Rich was on the show, Aida's Enough. And they were friends. And Fran said, Barbara, your kids are cute little kids. Let me give their picture to our agent. And we lived in L.A. at the time. So this wasn't something that was like, oh, let's up, like, upheave our whole entire life to go out and pursue an acting career. We just lived in L.A. So it was kind of like, instead of going to soccer practice or dance class, you would go on auditions. And so my mom was

kind of like, sure, you can give the agent my kid's picture and the agent said, sure, we'll bring you in for an audition. And she did. And, um, she did. And, um, Right away she took my brother, she took my sister Melissa. She didn't take my sister Bridget and my sister Bridget has a wonderful testimony. You can actually look her up online or on Instagram and she has a beautiful testimony about really feeling unseen within our family and by God. I think I've seen her, I've seen her book or I've seen her post about it. She just wrote a book. And then she told me I was only five at the time.

she told me to come, or I was four, and she said, come back in a year. So that's kind of how it started. And ultimately, my sister, Melissa, didn't like it. And my brother and I kept going on auditions, and we were working. We would book commercials and then television shows, and it just grew from there. And we were really an unexpected family in terms of the entertainment business. My dad was a school teacher for over 35 years in the public school system. And my mom was a stay-at-home mom. So we just kind of fell into acting. But my brother and I enjoyed it. We were good at it. And it just kind of our family took that turn of events. And here we are today, you know. And through it, even my mom became an agent and had her agency for many, many years until she had grandbabies.

Yeah. And then for you, full house and for him, growing pains. Did those crossover? I just can't remember. They did. They did. And I was actually on like three up. episodes of growing pains before I was on Full House.

Oh my goodness. And then my brother was on one episode of Full House, but they did crossover. Well, I watched both of them growing up. I'm sure most of the audience did. So tell us a little bit about Full House booking that. Did you know at the time or did your mom know at the time? Okay, this is kind of our big break. No, you never really know because you go on these auditions, whether you're a kid or

an adult, I'd say it's a little bit different now. but you really don't know much about a project. You get sent a piece of paper that says, here are the sides. They give you a tiny bit of backstory on what type of character they're looking for. So, oh, a precocious 10-year-old girl who can outwit her parents. You get this line and you're like, here are the sides. Here's a one-page scene.

And then you come in and read it. And I auditioned a couple of times for Full House. And you were 10? I was 10. Okay. I didn't realize you were that young. I think I maybe thought, I don't know, you were just a little bit older. Oh, my goodness, only 10.

I was 10. And I had already been a veteran because I had been in the business for five years already. Yeah. Which is not like probably most people who are 10. Or maybe it is. I don't know if that's normal or not to start when you're five. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of people who do.

And you can start anytime in life. So when we booked this, when I booked the job, I was very excited. But at the same time, I didn't know who was in this show. It was a television show that's about as much as I knew. And I showed up on the first day to have a read-through and then saw all the people in the room. There's writers, producers, directors, the network, which was ABC and Warner Brothers. And it's very intimidating for a 10-year-old and probably even a lot of adults. But then I saw the one face I recognized across the table.

And it was Blackie from me. from General Hospital, aka John Stamos. Yes. So then I was like, okay, this has to be something like pretty good because he's in it. Yes. And my sisters were so excited. And that's when you shoot a pilot episode, it's the first episode, and then you wait to hear if it gets picked up.

And so we did that and it obviously got picked up. But even within the first year of Full House, it was so panned by the critics. It got trashed. Really? So hard. What was the biggest criticism? That it was, I mean, that the cheese could not have been thicker than Velvita. It just was so cheesy, so sugary, so apple pie that no families would buy it.

And that's what the network thought. Yeah. And the critics thought. Yeah. However, the fans thought something else. Yeah. And so we were all shocked when we actually came back for season two because they were really giving us a shot. They also changed the day and time that we were airing.

I think we started on a Tuesday night and then they changed the lineup to TGIF Friday nights, which was such a massive huge success for family television. And there was something about Full House that so many families related to. And that's why it was so beloved. And we wrapped every episode up in 30 minutes with a bow and a hug. But that was the very thing that everyone loved about it is that they truly saw conflict being resolved within family who loved each other. And they talked about it in a way that was open and honest and loving. And isn't it interesting because if you were to just describe Full House, it doesn't really sound like a show that would represent.

with the traditional audience because, okay, this is a family living in San Francisco, like, with three men. And so it's not your traditional, like the Cosby Show or something like that. And yet it did bring that feeling of normalcy and stability and good-hearted values that people really loved, which is interesting that it was relatable to an audience that probably couldn't relate completely to the familial situation. But I feel like there were so many in that, you know, the premise of that show is that the mom died in a car accident. So the dad needs help raising his three daughters. So he asks his best friend and his brother-in-law to move in. And I feel like especially there's so many families today where grandparents are raising their children.

It's aunts and uncles. Like there's just family help. So I think that part of it was very relatable to a lot of people. Yeah, I think so too. And it seems like you are still close to most of the cast today. Yep. How quickly did you guys bond on set? Very quickly. It's part of the reason why I'm still in the entertainment industry today, because that show for me set the foundation of my work experience. And you're as a child, you're going to either love it or hate it. And obviously there's other factors that go into it with how your parents lead you through that as a child. But I had really good, have really good honest parents who always kept family at the core, not work, and were very protective of work situations.

And I had this amazing cast and crew that we genuinely loved each other. We truly bonded. but all of the other people that were working on the show were family people. And everyone that I can remember was really happy to be there. Everyone wanted the best for the show. It was a really great work environment. And that set the tone for me. So I didn't have all these horrible experiences that you hear from a lot of other child actors.

And even as an adult today, I'm listening to more and more come out. with their experiences. And it is awful. It is heartbreaking. And I feel so very much for them. And yet I feel very blessed at the same time that I did not have those experiences that I had people around me. And I very much believe God's protection through my entire life to not experience some of those traumas. Yeah. You had a lot of people looking out for you, not just your own parents, but also your on-set parents. Yeah, exactly. And you were really close to Bob Sagitt.

And how long has it been since he passed? Two years. Yeah. Just over two years. What has that been like over the past couple of years? I know that you've expressed how hard it was for you. Is there anything that you just wish people knew about him that they don't? Yeah, you know, Bob is.

is interesting to talk about in that he is one he was one of the closest people to me in my life I I love him as and have loved him as a friend as a father Bob is a person that would literally drop anything for you no matter who you are or who you were and how well he knew you Bob had such a huge heart and he was he was really a help at heart. He just loved serving others and I think that's the thing that a lot of people, when they only look at the comedy, I mean, he was a really raunchy comic. No one's denying that. And the comedy was very off-brand compared to Full House. But he was always in that comedic space. He was a comedian before Full House. And so when people fell in love with the show, they were

expecting Bob to be the exact same person as Danny Tanner. And yet there are so many qualities that Bob truly had as Danny Tanner. But then if they went to a comedy show, they were like rocked off their seat because they went, oh my gosh, this is like filth coming out of his mouth. And that was true. But it was like a schick. And I, most comedians have a schick. And that was the stick. And so in real life and in person, Bob was just, he was an amazing human being that I love so very much. And it was one of the, probably the hardest loss for me to date. Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah. And how old were you when Full House ended? I was 18. You were 18. Oh my goodness. That, I mean, the most formative years of your life with these people. Yeah. Wow. And when did you

meet your husband? I met my husband at 18. You met your husband at 18. You met your husband at 18. Okay, so tell me about that. Tell us how you met your husband and what that romance was like in the beginning. Well, Dave Cooleyer, who was on Full House, he played Joey. He introduced me to my husband. Dave's a big hockey fan, big Detroit Red Wings fan. And he was playing in a charity hockey game. And Bob and John were also at that charity hockey game, like being celebrity coaches.

So they were both professional hockey. hockey players and celebrities. And then they invited Lori and me to go to the game. So Lori and I were buddy-buddy. We sat in the stands. This is Lori Loughlin. Yes. And we watched the game together. And then after we all kind of hung out, but Dave said to me, hey, these two great Russian hockey players. And their names are Pavel and Valerie Burray. And they had just entered the NHL, but he said, I want to introduce you because who knows? So I met them after the hockey hockey. game and Val was very very nice and he asked for my phone number and I gave it to him on a whim. I thought he was really cute.

You know, he had like his long like flowing locks like out of his helmet, like the wind in his hair. Like I just thought, you know, the mull, he was not a total mullet, but he had long hair. It was the 90s. It was the 90s. Yeah. So I thought he was really cute. I gave him my phone number. first phone number I ever gave away to a guy.

Oh my goodness. I didn't date anyone, really. I was too busy working. And so the cute part of the story is that Val and his brother had come from Russia just a year or two earlier to play in the NHL. And they learned English by watching Full House. No. Full house, who's the boss, and married with children. Those were the three shows we watched.

I know. Little did he know. He was learning English from his future wife. I know. So he knew who I was. I didn't really, I just knew he was a good hockey player. But he called me the very next morning at 10 a.m. said, do you want to go to lunch?

Because I'm getting on a plane and going back to the East Coast to play hockey. So I said, sure. I was so nervous, though, that I called Lori Lachlan, and I said, you got to come to lunch with me because I don't, I've never been on a date with someone I don't know before, and it was all crazy. So anyway, Val and his brother came. Lori and I were there. We had lunch. We ended up having dinner.

He met my parents. And then we had this six-month relationship that was by phone only because I was still on the last season of Full House. And he was playing hockey at that time in Fredericton, New Brunswick, because it was a locket. year and he was playing for the Montreal Canadiens farm team because of the lockout. And we, he courted me for six months. I really got to know him and I wasn't looking for a husband. I wasn't really even in a dating type of mindset, but we talked almost every day and I really got to know him and there was such beauty in dating someone without the physical to, to

really get to know who they are. So six months later, when he was like, when are you going to come visit me? I finally did. And that was, that was kind of it. It was just like, oh, I really like this guy because then when I saw him in person again, I was like, oh, this all matches up. And then he proposed six months later. Oh, my goodness. So he proposed when you were 18 or 19? I was 19 when he proposed and then was married at 20. Wow. And okay, so he was raised in Did he have a similar theological Christian background at all? So at this time, I'm going to answer that question, but I was not really walking in my faith. Again, still would consider myself to be a Christian, loved God, but I did not have any kind of relationship with him.

I wasn't actively pursuing God reading my Bible, but, you know, but loved God. So we're driving in the car one day. We are engaged at this point. And I think the Holy Spirit just hit me upside the head because out of the blue, I'm thinking about our wedding and then I thought about, I've never even had a conversation with him as to what his religion is. But I'm pretty sure he's a Christian. I think he's a Christian.

Yeah, because he wore a cross. He wore a cross. He had a gold cross. I'm like, I think so. So we're driving and I asked him one day. I said, you believe in Jesus, right? And he said, why? What if I don't?

I was like, come on. I'm like, we're getting married. Like, we never even talked about this. You do believe in Jesus. And he said, are you not going to marry me if I don't? And I said, well, this is going to be really complicated. I don't know. But we need to have this discussion.

And then he goes, yes, of course I believe in Jesus. And I was like, okay, cool, we're good. That's good. And that was the end of the conversation. And we never talked about God after that. So that's how much of a Christian I was when we were engaged and even got married. I would love to finish the part of my testimony as to what changed. Yeah, sure. I'll just go right into that. Yeah, go for it. So you were 19 when you got engaged and then 20 when you got married. And when, how old are you when you had, when you got pretext?

with your first baby? I was 21. Okay. Had Natasha at 22. Boom, boom. Finish full house, 18. And that's your husband really started dating like for the first time. Yep.

Found the one, got engaged, got married, got pregnant. Oh my goodness. Yeah, that was pretty much it. And it was after I had Natasha changed everything. You become a mom and you start thinking about things that you've never thought about before. Yeah. And I started thinking about God. And I started thinking about what I want to teach her and what can I share with her about God.

And I realized, I don't really know God. And my whole teenage years and very young adult years, I always thought when people would ask me about God, because I had a few friends in my life that when I was 16, 17, 18, going, tell me about what God's sharing with you. And I would just kind of blow off that part of the conversation like, oh, you know, change the subject. Because it made me uncomfortable because I wasn't, I didn't spend time with God. And so when I realized I really didn't know God, I kept thinking, well, you know, what makes me a Christian? And I always thought, well, I feel like I'm a Christian because I believe in Jesus. but really I'm a good person and I do a lot of good things and I'm kind to people I'm respectful.

I give money to charity and I would compare myself to other child actors and say, well, I never got into drugs. That's not my road. I don't like dark things. I'm just, I'm a good person and I've been a pretty good daughter. You know, I like my parents. I love them. I've pretty much done what they've asked me to do. You know, listen to the rules and follow them. So in my heart of hearts, I really thought it was my goodness that made me secure in my relationship with God. And that's when my brother sent me a book. Now, I hadn't talked to my brother about anything, but he just randomly calls me one day and said, hey, Candace, I want to share this book with you because, There's something about the way the gospel message was presented in this book that has just rocked my world and just changed me. And I want to send it to you.

I hope that you'll read it. I said, sure, go ahead and send it. And so the Holy Spirit had really been working on my heart because I'm thinking about how I want to raise my daughter, realizing I don't really know God. Then my brother calls me randomly. So as soon as I get the book, I start reading the book. and you know there are a few other steps along with this that happened but everyone's going to want to know what that book is and it was called the way of the master by ray comfort and it's true in that it took me through the law of god it took me through the ten commandments and i never saw myself as a

sinner my whole life. I didn't think I was better than anyone. I just didn't see myself as a sinner compared to other people that were hard on drugs or, you know, like, whatever the case is. Or I haven't murdered someone. I haven't done all these bad things. Like, I'm not really a sinner. And once I got put up against the law of God, have I honored God every day of my life? Have I always honored my parents? Have I ever told a lie? Have I ever stolen something? Like those four in itself, I'm like, yeah, I remember stealing gum as a kid. No, I have not honored my parents every day of my life. Yes, I've told a lie. Who hasn't? And as I went through all of these things, I'm like, okay, so I've broken these commandments. And then I learned that God's going to judge me by

his standard of goodness and not the world standard of goodness. And I really love this analogy. There's a little girl looking at a white sheep as it ate the green grass. And she thought how nice and white the sheep looked as it ate the green grass. And then it began to snow. And she thought how dirty the sheep looked against the white snow. It was the same sheep, but a different background. So when we compare our sin to the standard of the world, most of them, most of us come up, reasonably clean. But when we compare our sin to the snow white righteousness of God's law, we'll see that we're in fact filthy, dirty. And it was then that I realized, oh, I am a sinner because God holds a different standard of goodness than the world does. And that's when I saw my

need for Jesus for the first time. That it wasn't about, just like your book says, you're not enough and that's okay that's why christ came that's why christ came and fulfilled the law and died and rose and so that i finally understood the gospel when i was about 25 years old it just it took root and it's changed my life and then i've never seen myself as the same way it humbled me very very much and from that day forward like i mean i remember the moment in my bedroom that I felt like the veil was just taken off of my eyes. And I had a desire to get into God's word and to know him. And it's been the best.

I love my husband and I love my children. I love my family. But my relationship with God is the best relationship of my life. And for your husband, did you share this kind of epiphany with him? And how did that transformation take place? Yeah. So I couldn't, I found a church immediately. I wanted to start going. My husband was still in the middle of this very highly successful professional NHL career playing hockey. And so he was traveling half the year and I would just go to church with my kids alone, whatever. I'd always invite him. And, you know, in the beginning, he, he, had no problem with it. But I think I started very much like my brother when he was a teen.

I just grabbed a hold of it. And it was like all I could talk about. And it was all I could share. So when he'd come home from a road trip, I was like, honey, I have to share this. The pastor talked about this today. And I read this in the Bible today. And did you know that God's word says this?

And it says that. And we really have to start doing this now. We shouldn't be doing that anymore. And we got to change this and the kids need to do that. And one day my husband looked at me and he just said, stop. Like, stop. You are just throwing this all in my face. You're like vomiting Jesus with every other word.

And you're actually making me take two steps back. He's like, I'd like to get to know God. I see that. Let me do this at my pace. But if I have a question about God, I'll ask you, I'll ask you. otherwise don't talk to me about it because I you're you're turning me off so that was humbling and then I I went into my my Bible of course and I found I found First Peter um first Peter is it three I know the past that you're talking about it says likewise wives be submissive

to your own husband so that even if they do not obey the word they with without a word may be won over by the conduct of their wife. And so I thought, okay, God, he asked me not to say anything about you. And you actually are telling me in scripture that my husband can be won over without a word, but by my conduct. So I started praying that day. I said, Lord, mold me and shape me into who you want me to be, that I can reflect you in my relationship with my husband and in my marriage with my husband.

So change me so that he sees the changes in me and would desire to know you better. And I prayed that every day. I prayed for my husband to become the leader, the spiritual leader of our household and to know God. And two years later, my husband gave his life to the Lord. Praise God. Yeah. Praise God. I love going to that passage because at first I think people can hear, wow, I'd be so offended if my husband said something like that.

Can't he just be enthusiastic with me? But you point to the Word of God where they can be won over without a word by our pure and honorable conduct. And that can be really difficult. Yeah. One for people who love to talk and, you know, who like to communicate. Maybe words of affirmation is your love language. So you're just, you know, and you're a verbal processor.

Maybe I am for sure. And you want the person that you love most to share this with you. Yeah. But how powerful that our conduct. can actually be a stronger communicator with the power of the Holy Spirit to win people over. Yeah. And the power of prayer. I know.

It has such an amazing effect. Yeah. That sometimes, and like not just in the case of your husband, but also with your dad. It's going to say my mom prayed for my dad for over 30 years. Yeah. Wow. And so that should just be encouragement for anyone, either for themselves or for the people around them.

It doesn't always happen on our timeline. But gosh, God is so faithful. Young wife, mom, younger than especially a lot of people these days are getting married and having kids. You're figuring things out. You have a spiritual epiphany, so much happening. Are you still acting during this period in your 20s? So I took a 10-year break once I had Natasha. I thought I could do it all, realized I couldn't.

Yeah. Just, yeah, not all at the same time. So because my husband was actively playing, one of us wanted to be home, at least one of us. So he was traveling. And he was traveling. So it was a pretty obvious answer that I would lay down my career and be home. And I wanted to be home with my kids. But it was a difficult transition because I've been working since I was five years old.

So then to by 25 become a full-time mom and not having a job outside of the home, like that was a hard transition for me, but one that I'm very thankful and grateful that I made because it really, that was the time I grew so much in my relationship with God. And it gave me the time to do that. Because I'd open up my Bible when the kids were napping or when they were at school and my home was quiet. And I could have that hour to sit and spend with him. So I took 10 years off outside of, you know, work, the entertainment industry. And then when... And you have three kids, right? Natasha is the oldest. Yeah. Two boys. I have two boys, Lev and Max. Yeah. I had three kids by 25 years old.

Yeah. Oh, my goodness. That's amazing. Yeah. And then my husband eventually retired from hockey. And that was when about a year after his retirement, we started, I started thinking about it. Because I've always loved working. I've loved the entertainment industry. It's always been a desire and a passion. But the cool thing about really diving into my relationship with God is that within a few years of surrendering to motherhood and coming to terms not having the career, enjoying my time as a mom,

I felt very much at peace that if God didn't open that door for a career later in life, I was okay with that. I mean, truly, truly, he gave me such a peace. Yeah. But my husband retired, and now he was home, and it was kind of like, we prayed about it. And my husband was supportive saying, yeah, give it a shot. Call your old agent up. Let's just see if something happens, and we can talk about whether we move or what we do

if your career picks up. And wouldn't you know it? My career picked up pretty quickly. and in a way that was unexpected for me, but had I not had those 10 years at home to really build the foundation of my relationship with the Lord, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't be the woman that I am today. And I wouldn't be as Christ centered and focused within my responsibilities and decision making within my career. And is that when you started with Hallmark? or okay so that's when you start with homework and what was it like from the motherhood perspective

I know you took those 10 years off you were at home during those early years but your kids are still relatively young at this point so what was that transition like balancing being home full time to working and being a mom finding that balance that can be tough it can be extremely tough And I couldn't have done it if my husband wasn't as supportive as he has been and was able to be home at full time. Right. So even when I went back to work, we still didn't have an outside caretaker. It was, and that was just important to us. We wanted one of us to always be home.

So it just allowed us with ease to be able to do that. and my husband loves being a father. I mean, half the times I would be like, do you even need me as a mom? Because my husband's so good at whatever it was, whether it was changing diapers or, I mean, my husband loves cooking, that's his passion. So even making dinners and meals and packing lunches,

like I know not all men feel that way. But I was very fortunate. My husband loves that stuff. So it was an easy transition in that way. And when I started back, it wasn't a full-time job. So when I make a movie at that time, I would go away for three weeks, which sounds like a long time. I mean, it can be away from your kids,

but I felt good about Val being home with the kids. And then I'd come home. And that might be the, I think at the beginning, I did one movie the whole year, that was it. So it was like three weeks of work. And then when work started picking up, I eventually was on this show for three years called Make It or Break It.

And I wasn't the lead on that show. show. So even working for three seasons on that show, I was maybe working two to three days a week. And so it still gave me a balance that I felt confident in being able to work and still being a prominent teacher and parent in my kids' lives. Yeah. It's not always so black and white. And sometimes I just find the conversation about working mom versus stay at home mom as if they are like these nice, neat and clean categories. I kind of find it unhelpful because there's guilt on either side of it. I agree. In reality, there are so many different seasons. There are so many different ways that couples work together and make it work, even as Christians in believing that the husband is the

head of the household, the spiritual leader of the family, there are just so many different ways within that biblical framework that women and men can fulfill the calling that God has for them even as they're prioritizing their kids in their home and maybe fulfilling something outside of the home. Yeah, it's all really messy and everyone's circumstances are different and unique and they can they can all work. It's not a one-size-fits-all. Yes. And I think that's something to remember when you're dating is to marry someone that you can see being, being a good father. That doesn't mean that he has to love to cook. My husband also is a great cook. But that's not necessarily a deal breaker. But look for those qualities in your husband or in the

boyfriend, in the guy that you're dating, that you can see him being an involved and present parent, no matter what your occupation circumstances. I mean, that's such a big deal. I think sometimes we're not thinking about it when we're teenagers. But man, that's a big one. It's so true. And that can make a break a lot of things. Yeah, and you can see that really easily too if you just, if you have other friends or there's cousins or nieces or nephews that you might have around. And I know like my boys, when their little younger cousins would come over, my boys love playing with them. Let's play board game. Let's play cars. Let's play dolls, whatever. And that's just an easy way to know if the man or the woman that you're dating in your life is, you know, just excessive.

and at ease with young people. Yeah, definitely. Okay, we want a few more motherhood tips from you. Okay. And so I have three little ones too. Congratulations, by the way. Thank you so much. It is, I feel extremely blessed to be able to have the flexibility

to be at home as much as I am while also, you know, talking about things, doing something that I love. And I would love to hear from you just like, I don't know. It's hard to narrow down, but maybe just one big lesson or a couple tips that you would give someone who is kind of just starting out their motherhood journey or something that you wish that you knew early on. The biggest thing I wish more people had told me was to take the pressure off myself. especially in our Instagram world, we see the best of everything, and we see everyone multitasking all the time. And you don't have to do that. Yeah.

And I love, I know you've heard this analogy before. It's a simple one, but I really love it. And it's about how do you manage all of the things in your life that you want to do? and if you took a jar, if you fill it with rocks first up to the top, it looks like it's full. But yet you could throw pebbles in there and it would fill in all the cracks. So you're still adding more and it looks like it's full. And yet you could still then throw sand in there and it would fill in even the smaller cracks. You could fill that up to the top and then it's solid and it's full.

And the moral of the story is it's the order in which the ingredients go in. So if you would put the sand in first and then tried to add the pebbles and then the big rocks, there would be no room for the big rocks anymore. So the order in which you prioritize your life is especially important. Make sure you have decided what the big rocks are in your life because you can only do all of the other little things that fit in is if you prioritize the big ones. So if you're a mom and you've got little kids and you say my priority is caring for my children and my husband and my time with God every day. Great. Those are the big rocks you put in there and those,

you don't waver on it. But then the things like, oh, but I really want my body back and I really want to exercise and I really wanted to go to the gym. I'm like, okay, you can do those things, but those are the pebbles. You're going to throw those in next. And if you get to them, great, but they're not going to change the core of your life if you don't get your gym time in. And for all you young moms out there, I always tell you, like, who cares about the gym when your kids are young? Go for a walk with them. Put them in a stroller. Go to the playground. Do the monkey bars with them. Like, get your exercise in that way. play tag with them.

Those are all ways you can feel that way that you're getting movement and exercise without feeling stressed that you didn't get your one hour at the gym. And the same things. And then maybe with the sand, you go, but I have all these friends and I, and there's school and there's crafts and there's PTA

and there's whatever. And it's like those are all great things, but they're not the priority. So let them go. And I promise you you're going to have other seasons of life. They're all going to come back around. And you get to choose what you want to participate in. But just figure out what your big priorities, what the big stones in are in your life.

And it will change the way in which you manage your day without changing who you are and what you want your values to be. Yeah. I found it helpful to remember that there are seasons for things, that it's not. not always going to be this way. It's not always going to be this sleepless. It's not always going to be this needy. And I don't mean that in a bad way when it comes to this stage of motherhood. But just literally your children need you physically and emotionally in every way at every hour of the day. And there's like you can see that both ways. It's not always going to be this way. It's not always going to be this way. Okay, one day I'll get more sleep. It's not always going to be this way.

goodness, it's not always going to be this way. They're not always going to be this little. They're not always going to need me this much. It's so it's like the relief and the sadness that comes with it. And I think remembering the temporal part of it can both kind of give us the endurance to keep going, but also remind us like that these difficult moments are really precious. They're really precious. And they're so fleeting. It's even just having my oldest is only four and a half, but even being there, it's like I do see that what everyone said when you, when I was pregnant for the first time, it goes by so fast. It goes by so fast. I already see, oh my goodness. I know. It goes by so fast. All my kids are in their 20s. I'm like, what? I have a married child.

I have a married child. I'm like, I feel like I just, I blinked and they're adults. It really does go fast. And it's true. It's all seasonal. Yeah. And not one season's going to last forever. they change and that's the beauty of it. One thing you mentioned, I want to ask a question about, you mentioned like, you know, going to the gym, things like that. One thing that I love following you for is you talk a lot about your fitness routine and being a healthy eater. I am not in the stage of life right now of working out as much as I used to or as much as I

would like to one day. Hopefully that will change in the next couple of years. but I do still love watching you for that. Tell me about navigating Hollywood and the beauty standards that are inherent in Hollywood in the entertainment industry as a Christian. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with caring about your appearance

and being healthy and all of those things. But as you know, better than the rest of us do, they're unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards in the entertainment industry that I'm sure that you can, kind of had to battle against or maybe still have to. I still do. I mean, let's just talk about the OZempic craze right now.

Because the reality is I'll be completely honest. I'm like, hmm, hmm, how, who, should I go on OZMPIC? I'm a very small, petite person. But I'm not going to go on OZMPIC. But like these are the things that go through my mind, because the standard is so high and I'm in front the camera all day. And I don't want to do that. And then it's like I shake my head and I go, Lord, like, stop. Stop. But it is a little bit crazy. There is definitely a pressure that is on you.

And I wouldn't, for me now, I will honestly say that I don't have outside pressure of people telling me that I have to look this way or be a certain way to dress this way. But the pressure is so ingrained, a lot of the pressure just comes from myself because I've grown up in it. And I don't always know how to not feel that pressure. I've done a lot of work in my life. And I've been very public and open about having an eating disorder, which has been like really good for the last, I'm trying to, probably, you know, 20 years. But I still mentally battle it all the time, just not as much as I used to. And I have tools in place that help me.

But these are like the crazy thoughts that still go through my head. And they're so dumb and they're so unrealistic. And I hate that I have them. But the fact is I do. But the more I just share it and I'm open about it, it frees me from it. Because I can hear myself say it out loud and realize like, this is not what life is all about. And so I do love fitness. for the reasons that obviously I want my body to feel strong and healthy, but it frees my mind.

So if I get a sweat on and I work out, it's like all of those endorphins, I don't know all the science behind it, but the endorphins are released and it just feels good. So I feel better and then I can make better decisions. My mind feels clear. So that's part of my fitness journey is really a lot for my emotional health. Yeah. And there probably are some people out there that have struggled with an eating disorder. Maybe they do right now.

If you could just talk about like a couple of the tools that you just mentioned that you have in place when you feel that pull or feel that temptation. I also understand that. I struggle with an eating disorder in college. So what are some of the things that have helped you? Yeah. Well, exercises has helped me very much. And I also understand that that can be an disordered way of eating and dealing with that to over-exercise. exercise. We've read lots of stories. I don't struggle with it in that way, but exercise

helps clear my mind. And it just, yeah, it changes my emotional health. It gets me in a less foggy place and helps me feel clear. So I enjoy the exercise, you know, and want to get in three or four workouts or walks a week. And I'm better and healthy for it. You know, I talk to I have an ongoing dialogue with God. And so my prayer life is pretty strong. My conversations with him are very strong. And it's a way in which, because really it's a battle of the mind, a lot of disordered eating is.

And so if I pull the Holy Spirit into my mind and I'm constantly praying and asking God to renew my mind, I, it helps. It helps. It doesn't always help. It doesn't always fix it. Sometimes I'm talking back and saying like, God, I don't care. I'm just like, this is how I'm feeling and I want to eat my feelings right now instead of run to your word. I mean, that happens often. But then through, you know, I've talked to health professionals that have said, well, trying to get to the root of some of those issues. So I kind of remind myself often. when I'm having a pull of a decision that would be a bad decision, I walk myself through some steps and say, okay, if I choose to do this right now, I'm going to remind myself how I'm going to feel. I'm going to remind myself of like every physicality that's going to, whether my stomach's going to feel bloated, whether my eyes and my face are going to hurt. I mean, I was blemick for a long time. So you remind myself, I remind myself the things that feel awful and the consequences of it.

And that often will snap me right back into reality of like, no, I don't want to feel that way. It feels awful. It hurts. That's what I was going to say too, because it was bulimia for me as well. And I just, like, that's what I remind myself of. That did not feel good. It was embarrassing. and that I like had to, you know, go to the bathroom after I ate and then one time a friend like heard me. It was so embarrassing. Yeah. And I hated when I think about something having control over me that I was really a slave to. And I tried to convince myself that I wasn't, but I really couldn't stop until I went to counseling and all this stuff. But yeah, I was enslaved to that. And that's what I think about. I'm like, do you want to be enslaved to that again?

Do you want to be controlled by that again? Something that is so unhealthy. And then, of course, I think about my girls. And I'm like, oh, my goodness, if that was them, if they were doing something like that, how much would that break my heart? Yeah. I know. It's hard, though. It's so hard.

It is an addiction. Yeah. Yeah. It's hard. But I'm grateful for the work that I've put in and then a lot of the mental tools that I have and then some of the physical tools. And so it's not something I struggle with on a daily basis. But sometimes before that camera, you know, you get on something, these crazy thoughts come to mind. And I'm like, Candace, yes.

It's ridiculous. Yes. Well, you, I mean, you are so beautiful and you are so youthful. And I'm sure that there are a lot of people that are sitting out there shocked that you have a child who is married and that you have adult children because you do look so young. And you are young. But you look even younger than you are. But there is, I mean, there is a temptation for, I'm almost 32. There, you know, I am just now in the past couple of years seeing my face change.

And like being able to look back when you're 25 and you look at yourself when you're 18, you're like, oh, I kind of look better actually than I did when I was 18 because I don't look like a kid anymore. And you finally look like a woman, but you don't have wrinkles. But now I'm looking back at 25 and I'm like, oh, man. Like I didn't have the smile lines or things like that. And so that is something that I think a lot of people struggle with, whether they're in front of the camera or not. Yeah. You see people on social media. You're like, wow, that person hasn't aged at all. I've really aged. Or I look so much. The filters and everything don't help. No, it doesn't. I'm guessing. I don't know if you, I'm sure that that can be a struggle too, especially in the entertainment industry. I mean, listen, I'm on Instagram. If you do follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I'm, I'm on there. No filters, no makeup all the time. Yeah. Because I think we need to see it. And I always love when people do that. I love seeing a real face. So why would I not be a real face on there?

Yeah. I love getting my hair and makeup done too. So I'm, you know, I got that done before sitting on your show right now and I will when I'm on my podcast or on camera or something. But like in my real life, I'm happy to show the world that part of me. And like this, I'm not embarrassed. I also have a mom. My mom is in her early 70s. My dad is 80. And I'm so blessed and privileged and love that they are still with us and here and have so much energy. And like, my mom's never had anything done to her face ever. My dad never. And they are beautiful.

They are beautiful. So I look to them and I'm like, this is what I have to look forward to when I'm 70. My mom is gorgeous. My dad is so handsome. And that inspires me. And I'm like, why this is who God made me to be. Yeah. So I'm going to take care of myself.

Of course. I'm going to enjoy makeup and getting my hair done and all of that. But even with that, I do not want to become a slave to that. And I don't want to be embarrassed aging. Yeah. There's a reality check when you're like, ah, when you see the new wrinkles popping up. But at the same time, I look at my parents and I'm like, well, if this is how I'm going to age, then I'm okay with that.

Yeah. And if this is the exchange that I have to make for having another year and having another year with my kids and my husband. Not everyone gets to see 32 or 42 or 52 and so on. And so it is a, it is a blessing. Yes. It is a blessing. Okay. Before we talk about some of the things that you're doing now and in the future, I do just want to rewind briefly because a lot of people, even though if they knew you on full house, they definitely, so they followed you for a while. But I think you came into a lot of people's sphere again when they saw you standing up for your values on the view. And so they knew you from Hallmark, but especially when you were on the view, the spotlight

was on you because you were the opposing voice there. You were walking into the Lions Den. You were not just a conservative because they've had people like, you know, Megan McCain on there, who I also really admire, but you're walking in there this like angel of Christian light. And you're like, actually, I think abortion is that. And there was a lot of criticism. So tell me a little bit about that time.

Did you feel like it was redemptive and fruitful? Or was it like, I don't know if I would ever do that again? It was both. Yeah. I wasn't looking for that job. That job came by surprise to me. And I may have just been really naive. But when they asked me to guest co-host a few times, I thought, sure, new experience.

I would love to try it. I didn't realize that they were, in a sense, vetting me for a position for the show. And that's probably why I felt so comfortable to just say like, oh, I'm going to do this once or twice, and that's it. There was no pressure on me. And then when they offered me the job, I had thought, you know, I'm not a person that grew up. discussing politics. My family didn't talk about it in our house.

I know today, like my brother's so vocal about it. And I had to learn how to talk about politics on the show. And that was one of my biggest fears. But as a Christian, I had no fear. I'm like, oh, I'll talk about my faith all day long. I'll talk about faith values. I'll talk about God. I'll talk about Jesus.

Like that is felt very comfortable for me. So I thought if I can stay in that lane, I'm good and I'll kind of figure out the politics. Part of it. And that show took everything out of me. Yeah. I was also commuting from L.A. to New York every single week. That's a lot.

Because we shoot, that show is shot live in L.A. And I was living in L.A. And I didn't want to permanently move. My children were in L.A. in school and all the things. So I was pretty wiped out on top of trying to learn. and navigate how to talk about these hot topics through a show and even interview people. I didn't have experience. I'm an actress.

That's a whole different skill set to interview people. So it's a show that I am so grateful that I did. And it taught me so much. I bet. But I don't think I'd ever want to do that show again in terms of being a co-host. Yeah. what I hear from a lot of the conservatives who have sat in that seat. It does grow you.

Of course it does because you're holding down the fort for one perspective when pretty much everyone else is going to agree on the other side of it. And that is tough to do. I have never been on the view. The closest I got to it, I actually filmed a pilot for CNN in 2018. And now I look back and I'm so thankful it didn't work out because I ended up getting pregnant a couple months later, but it was the same kind of situation. where I was like the only conservative Christian.

There were a bunch of liberals that most people would know, and we shot a pilot that never went to air. And that one episode was hard. That one episode was tough. I felt like I was in the Lions did then. So I can't imagine. Allie, I think everybody listening would love to have you on that show because you would kill it on that show.

That's sweet. Thank you. Thank you. And so tell me just in general, not just the view, what it's been like to, to kind of be in that hostile environment and speaking up as a Christian. And we won't get into the specific conflicts

that have come up over the years, but in the last couple of years, you have kind of been under fire just for having Christian values and being outspoken about that. And even if you're not political, it seems to somehow like bleed over into politics and the culture war,

and I'm sure that's been tough. And so how have you navigated that over the past couple of years? specifically. Yeah, it's been really, really challenging because I'm actually, my intention is not within my world of entertainment. I'm not even trying to raise a respectful ruckus. I'm just trying to be me. I'm trying to do the things that I love and do my job. And Jesus always comes with me. And my faith always comes with me. I don't leave it at the doorstep at home and then go to work. It's just who I am. Yeah. And,

And I recognize that within my job in the entertainment industry, I am to entertain people. That also means that people like you to some degree. Now, it is tough to live in a world where you need people to like you when you don't always share the same worldview or have the same opinions as others or are not complacent to just let, you know, live and let live. whatever you want and not really care about anything. It's challenging to do that. But yet, I've always believed in family entertainment. I've been intentional about living my entertainment life in the family space. And the older I've gotten, it's been more and more important to live it in the faith and family space. And so, yeah, the last few years have been challenging. and I'm not trying to upset people.

I'm not going out on the attack. I'm not even trying to make a statement. I'm just trying to live by what I believe is true and right and honorable to God. And I remind myself that when I get scared of man or the public or the press or the media, that I go, well, who am I really to fear? Am I to fear man or am I to fear God who's going to judge me on judgment day? And I want to be able to stand as holy as I can. And I know I'm clean.

I'm redeemed before God. And I know I'll stand before him on Judgment Day, saved by His grace, through faith. It's not of our works. So I get that. But I want to hear him say, good, good job, well done, my good and faithful servant. I'm like, I will cry thinking about that. I so desperately longed to hear that. And it helps me make those decisions in my life when,

they seem like tough ones, but I'm like, I just want to I want to honor God. Yeah. I was at a Christmas party. It was trivia and one of the questions was, what actress has been on, I forget the phrasing of the question, the highest number of Hallmark movies, the most Hallmark movies. I was like, I know and we got it. We got the answer right because the answer was you. Yeah. Tell me about transitioning though from Hallmark, which was a big part of your life for a while to Great American Family. Yeah. It was not an easy transition. It was not an easy decision. And I think, I mean, I haven't really talked about it much in detail, but it was a more challenging decision than anyone's known. And I had a wonderful great 14 years at the Homeart Channel. And there are,

there are still so so many people in terms of the actors and everyone that's there that I still love and have so much respect for. There was a change of guard at the Hallmark Channel. And there were different relationships there. And that's where it got a little challenging. I kind of felt like the old guard and the new guard came in. And it definitely influenced the decisions that I made to start talking to Great American Family Channel. And what I loved in talking to them, and for those of you that don't know, Bill Abbott is the CEO of Great American Family Channel, who was the former CEO of the Hallmark Channel. And under his leadership, I had, it was great.

And so great American family gave me an opportunity to help build something that I've been praying about for a really long time. So while I'm an actress and I'm a producer, I've been an entrepreneur for a very long time. So I have my hands in a lot of things within business. And building and growing a network has been on my prayer list for, about 15 years. And this gave me the opportunity to start from the ground up and build something really great. And that was what was most attractive to me. And I will tell everyone, I took a pay cut to go to Great American Family Channel. Okay, it wasn't about offering more money or anything like that. I liked the idea of building something great. And that

that had a focus on family and faith. And that for me is what was missing, even under the leadership of Bill at Hallmark Channel, then was that, and you know, he has bosses above him, but the faith wasn't really a part of that channel. And as I've gotten older, I want that to be a part of my catalog, of the movies I produce and I'm in,

because they're important to me. And there was much more opportunity to do that at Great American Family. And I'm so excited about it. And it's been wonderful. We are a growing network. So we are still small beans, guys. We are.

We need your viewership. We need people to tune in. We're not, you know, we're trying to compete with the big dogs, but we're not even in all households on cable yet. We're not in all markets yet. Lots of available options on streaming. But we also have taken over the Pure Flicks, which is online streaming. We've now rebranded it as Great American PureFix.

But we want to become the destination for faith and family programming. I saw that Mario Lopez just joined, right? He did. We signed him to a multi-picture deal. We're very happy to have Mario at the channel. And so, and I, you know, it just. makes it great when people believe in the mission. And it's really just all about family, but we want faith to be in there more and not just a place where we talk about God in lowercase G, which

could be any kind of God that feels very universal. I want to say the name of Jesus in my movies. And we're saying that, a great American family. Yeah. And you just, you can't find that very many places. And so often the depictions of Christianity in Hollywood are negative. They're caricatures. of some kind of stereotype. And so to have entertainment that says the name of Jesus, that honors the name of Jesus. And you've said before, it's not like you're making these movies to make a point necessarily.

You're just being yourself. This is, right. You're going to, most creative storytellers will make projects that have influenced their life. They will tackle issues that are important to them. And that's what I'm doing. Yeah. My faith and my family are the two most important things in my life. So that's what my focus in my and my mission will be in entertainment. And that's it. It's not about excluding someone else. It's not about like, I'm like, I'm just going to focus on what I know and I'm going to stay in my lane. And I know faith and I know family. Yeah. And there are a couple other projects that you're doing right now that are in that vein. I'm sure you're doing a lot more than this, but we'll talk about a couple, a couple of them. And one of them is the new movie that you're in, the unsung hero. Tell us a little bit about that.

I'm so excited. So this is a feature film, and it is all about the Smallbone family, and you would know them from the band for King and Country and Rebecca St. James. Yes. I actually did not know that they were related until recently. I know both of them. I know who both of them are. I did not know that they were siblings. There's still that 1% that don't know my brother, Kirk, and I are related either. My husband was in that 1% until last week. I blew his mind when I told him, I was like, oh, yeah, you know, Candace Kirk. And he was like, wait, what? If this is a cliff on socials, you need to comment below and say if you didn't know that

Kirk and I were brother and sister. Well, I think y'all look alike. And so it's funny to me that people don't know. So yes, I did not know that they were related. Okay, yeah. And this is their family story, the origin of how they came from Australia to the U.S., basically lost everything. And it was their community and people in church, even though they were people of faith, but really helped them get their feet grounded and settled and grew into who they are today. and it was ultimately looking to their own family,

that their dad was a long-time, very well, a successful music producer in Australia and then having enough belief in their own family. But really, the title of it, Unsung Hero, is all about their mom. She was the unsung hero of the family. It is a beautiful movie. It's a beautiful story.

Bring the tissues because you will cry. It is gorgeous to watch. I'm so proud. to have been a producer on it. My company co-produced it. And I have a little, little part in it. So you'll see me on screen too. And that was just really fun to be a part of the movie that way as well. And then you have a new partnership with the generous family kids book club. Tell us about that. Yeah. So I love books was books and reading to my kids was truly one of my favorite activities to do while while they were young. It's just a way to be creative and expressive. And the Generous Family Book Club are books that you would get once a month. And they teach about good values. So they aren't Bible stories, but they are all biblical principles. So they teach about generosity and kindness and love and joy. I mean, the fruit of the spirit. All of those principles. And they teach them with really fun characters. They're really high quality,

beautiful books and illustrated very well. And what I also love is that it is not one person that's writing them. It's written under a pen name called Betta to Give. And it is really a collection of Christian moms and dads, parents, teachers that have come together to write these books with these groups of characters. So they're wonderful to just incorporate if you're a parent or a grandparent into your reading with the kids. And there's also, if you are a homeschooler, there's a

There's a separate homeschool curriculum you could add in as well. People can go to generousfamily.com and then it's right there. It's really easy. Join the kids book club or you can check out the homeschool curriculum. And Candace's cute picture is right on the homepage right there. So the generous family kids book club. Okay. So you've got the great American family.

Can I add one thing to that? Because I wanted to share it. This is the first I'm going to tell. Sure. Because I want, I love your audience. And they're getting the scoop. Okay, I'm ready. So coming soon to Great American Family Channel, if you used to love my mystery movies, because I hear it all the time.

Aurora Tea Garden. The Aurora T-Garden Mysteries, which I'm no longer doing. But I have a new mystery series coming out on Great American Family Channel. So mysteries are being added. And I also produced a really wonderful Easter movie. and you're going to want to watch it with your husband or your wife and your kids. It's a beautiful story that's all about faith. And I'm so proud of the movie.

So good things come to the channel as we continue to build. Okay, good. Well, that's exactly what I was about to ask you. I was about to ask you what else you're working on. Oh, great. And there you go. So you have lots of irons in the fire right now. Well, thank you so much.

Thank you so much for all the work that you do. And really just being an example for so many Christian women. in so many different spheres, whether they're a stay-at-home mom, whether they are not married or have kids yet, like you really are an example in standing up for your faith in a culture that, you know, doesn't always reward that kind of thing. It can be really tough and you've done it really well and honorably. So thank you so much. And thank you so much for taking the time to come on. You're welcome. Thanks for having me.