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 Ellis [00:20:50 → 00:20:57 ]

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