I grew up in a family that was in and out of church with no real consistency. Sunday school lessons stretched Bible stories over weeks at a time, so I only caught fragments here and there. Noah, Abraham, and Moses all blurred together in my mind. I knew about Bible stories, but I didn’t truly know the Bible.
And honestly, even if I had attended every single Sunday, I’m not sure it would have helped much.
Most children’s Bible materials paraphrase and simplify Scripture so children can “understand it better.” But when we replace the actual Words of God with watered-down versions, we unintentionally remove the life breathed into them by God Himself.
As a child, I didn’t need to fully understand every word. I just needed to hear them.
Instead, I grew up with a fragmented and confusing view of Scripture. Over time, I started questioning everything I had been taught. But instead of realizing that my understanding was incomplete, I began to believe the Bible itself wasn’t true. The stories felt disconnected—more like fables than history—and eventually I categorized the entire Bible that way.
Unfortunately, I had to find God the hard way.
I abandoned the little faith I had and tried doing life my own way until I eventually found myself in a pit of my own making. And from there, I cried out to God to save me from my sin and show me that He was real.
And He did.
How God Redirected My Life
I was in college on a full-ride scholarship for Musical Theatre when COVID hit. I got sick at the very beginning of the pandemic, which meant I couldn’t stay at school, but I also couldn’t go home because my brother was immunocompromised.
Thankfully, my then-sweetheart’s family—the Greenbergs, who are now my in-laws—opened their home to me during lockdown. God bless them, because I spent months loudly singing and dancing through Zoom theatre classes in their living room.
When the semester ended and lockdown continued, I found myself restless and searching for something creative to do. So I picked up a TLV Family Bible and decided to draw the Creation scene in my own style, inspired by Michael Washer’s artwork.
It felt like the inspiration came out of nowhere, but I know now that it was divine.
It still makes me laugh that my high school art teacher once encouraged me to pursue art professionally, but I ignored her because I didn’t think I was talented enough.
When I showed my drawing to Daniah, who had begun mentoring me, she practically fell out of her chair. What I didn’t know was that she had been desperately searching for someone to illustrate the TLV Children’s Bible. I also didn’t know that her dream of creating a Bible for children was one of the very reasons the TLV was created in the first place.
Very quickly, I realized God was calling me in a completely different direction.
So I left theatre behind and started illustrating Scripture.
And as I worked through more of the Bible stories, I discovered something shocking:
I barely knew the Bible myself.
When we reached the Tower of Babel, I was stunned to learn it was actually in Scripture. I had heard the story before, sure—but I honestly thought it was just another old fable.
That realization broke my heart.
How many other children grow up thinking Bible stories aren’t real?
How many people grow up with a fragmented view of God?
How many never find their way out of that confusion?
And how many children are still experiencing that today?
My Moment of Clarity
That’s when the mission became clear:
Make the truth available to children from the very beginning.
That’s why we created the Grow-With-Me Bible—an abridged coloring Bible for children that uses actual Scripture, not paraphrased retellings.
Children learn best when they actively engage with what they’re hearing. The Grow-With-Me Bible invites children to color, interact, and participate in God’s story while hearing and reading His real Words.
The art leaves an impression in their hearts minds and so does the scripture.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword—piercing right through to a separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
- Hebrews 4:12 TLV
Today, I have a two-year-old daughter of my own, and she colors in her Grow-With-Me Bible almost every day. We’ve already gone through multiple copies—which is honestly amazing considering there are 54 illustrations inside!
But more than anything, it fills me with joy knowing she will never grow up with the confusion I experienced. She has known the closeness of ADONAI from the very beginning.
And that’s what every child deserves.
Give Your Child the Truth From the Beginning
So many children today are growing up with “cute” storybook Bibles that contain little to no actual Scripture. While they may be well-intentioned, they often leave children with a shallow, confusing understanding of God’s Word.
I know firsthand where that confusion can lead.
Your child does not need to understand every word right away.
They simply need to hear them.
See them.
Read them.
Wrestle with them.
That is how children grow with the Bible instead of growing away from it.
That’s why we created this special bundle featuring the Grow-With-Me Bible alongside The Good Book—to help families introduce children to the truth of God’s Word from the very beginning.
Don’t wait until confusion takes root.
Give your child the truth today.
