You're invited to fill up a chair on Lisa Harper's back porch, where faith meets real life. Welcome to Backporch Theology. Each episode helps you dive deeper into God's word and discover that the gospel isn't just good news for eternity, it's great news for everyday life because God is for you and He's always been restoring our value and drawing us closer to Him. With honest conversations, a few laughs, and guests ranging from close friends to brilliant theologians. Backporch Theology is thoughtful, meaningful, and never stuffy.
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Hey and welcome back to Words of Life. We are continuing a series where we're speaking with various writers of all kinds, and today we are being joined by a Christian children's author, Lindsay Bonilla. Lindsay is the author of such books as Polar Bear Island, I Love You with All of My Heart, and The Note Who Faced the Music. Lindsay joins us to continue this conversation about why the written word continues to be such a powerful tool for sharing the gospel. She also shares some incredible encouragement for aspiring writers as well.
Learn more about Lindsay and find her books at lindseybonia.com. That's L Ind S A Y B O N I L L A dot com. Or you can check out the show notes and we'll have a link to her website there as well. Enjoy. Joining me again is Kristen Mudge.
If our listeners have missed any episodes so far, just remind them who you are really quick. I am the Southern Territorial Publications Editor, so I am in charge of the Southern Spirit and any books that get published through the Southern Territory. Today, I'm very excited to talk to my new friend because I didn't know her before this. She is an author, specifically a children's author, Lindsay Bonilla. Thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining us.
So, to start out, we just want to learn: who are you, your salvation story, your upbringing as a Christian, and just introduce yourself to our listeners. uh so yeah so i'm lindsay bonilla i am a children's book author and also a professional storyteller So, just kind of two fancy ways to say that I love stories. I love storytelling in all of its forms.
So, I grew up, I would say I don't have like a, you know, one specific moment that I can remember giving my life to Christ. But what I remember is I moved around a lot as a child, and I remember feeling that he was my one constant friend. and was always there for me. And I remember, you know, every place that I would move to I'd have to make new friends. And I remember feeling very secure in who I was in my relationship with Christ, feeling like I don't have to be somebody that I'm not because I already have this.
solid friend so I don't have to change myself or be somebody I'm not. Yeah, so I would say I didn't really start going weekly to church until I was probably. like in my late elementary school years, I would say. I think there's something comforting about the written word. You know, I love both the written word and the spoken word since I have like the storyteller and author, like kind of on both sides of the coin.
But with writing, it's something that you can keep coming back to. And it's not changing.
So it's, you know, it's always there in that form for you. I love to listen to books on audio and things, but if I really, really personally want to try to like. Take it in, then I have to read it. I have to see it and I have to like mull it over and reread it. I think we live in such a distracted society, so to be able to like see it and kind of take it in, it is kind of like, and then we talk about the word of God is the bread of life.
It is like you're taking the time to mull it over, to chew on it, and that sort of thing.
So I think the written word allows that the most. Hey, you're listening to the Salvation Army's Words of Life. We're going to take a quick ad break and we'll be right back. Do you feel like God has placed a call on your heart to write, but you keep getting discouraged? Maybe you've dreamed of writing a book, but you're not sure where to start, or if your words even matter.
This month on the Salvation Army's weekly podcast, Words of Life, we're sitting down with Christian authors and writers of all kinds to talk about why the written word still matters and how God continues to use it powerfully in his kingdom today.
So the act of putting pen to paper and just putting into words what's going on inside my head was my way to start processing the world around me. I found very naturally that that lent itself to conversation with God. I think it's important that we recognize something really beautiful and tangible about writing. There's a power in it that is created by God who is the Word. Listen to Words of Life on your favorite podcast store or visit wordsoflife podcast.org.
How did you get into this? How did you feel called to write specifically for children? Maybe a little bit by accident. I mean, I guess it's like looking back on it, I can see it was where I was supposed to be all the time, but it, you know, it took a long time for me to get there.
So. When I was in college, I was a theater major. I remember one time just a story coming to me, and I was like, I gotta write this down. And I just wrote it down. It was kind of like the most.
The thing that I most felt like in spot, you know, when you can talk about Words being inspired, that felt very inspired to me. And I was just sort of like this vessel writing it down. And I was part of a Christian fellowship group at my university. And so I remember we took that story and we adapted it into. A little skit that we could do when we traveled.
So, on every spring break, we would take like a service or mission trip. And so we took one of my stories and we had made it into this little play that we did at some of the schools that we visited and that sort of thing. And then after that, I graduated and I just sort of like sat there and never did anything with it. I was always writing my whole life, like I never stopped. And then when I moved home, After I got married, one day I was like, I think maybe that story is a picture book, is a children's picture book.
So I started looking into, you know, how do I go about getting this published? But I'll be honest, when I started, I didn't know what I didn't know about writing for children.
So it was a kind of a steep learning curve. I also see that I never met an author. When I was growing up, like I never had an author visit at my school or ever went to a book signing or a book festival where there were authors there.
So I think it was just sort of like a disconnection. Like I was always reading and writing. But it just, I never had that person or that moment where I went, hey, like, I can do that. I feel that I have a childlike spirit. I'm like, you know, I still relate to that part of myself.
I love to use my imagination. I love to. you know, play with ideas. And so I think it just kind of like. when it all came together was like yeah this is this is what i'm supposed to be doing What are some of the themes that you really kind of center around trying to share with kids?
So I would say one of them for sure is that sense that You know, they are created to be who they are, you know, especially who they are. They don't need to be someone else. And so I do deal a lot with that theme of helping children to see that they are loved as they are, that they are, you know, they don't need to try to be someone else, but they can be themselves. And as I mentioned to you, that was something that I got to learn early on. that I feel like through my faith.
And so I feel like that's something that I want. Young readers to feel that to know that they're loved, to know they have that foundation, and you know, not compare themselves because we live in this culture that we're constantly comparing ourselves to everybody else, but it's like comparing. Apples and pineapples, or you know, you know, just recognition that God has a special purpose for all of us. And then I also try to weave in a lot of themes of just You know, loving your neighbor, kindness, how I want, you know, how we're supposed to treat others. My husband is from Colombia, so one of my first book releases, one of my probably my most popular book to date, is about this.
Penguin that arrives on this island of only polar bears, and this polar bear having to learn that hey, it's okay to be kind to and nice to and welcome people that are different. Um and so I think kindness is is a big Big theme for me as well. I love to write about the power of storytelling and just the power of stories in general because I think that Jesus used stories for a reason, because I think our brains are hardwired for storytelling.
So, anything that I can put out there that shows how important they are in keeping those traditions of storytelling alive is also. important to me. As a parent, I have a four-year-old son who is just starting to read. And a lot of the books that are being given to us. at this point are Trying to teach kids like the proper way to behave and things not to do.
And I love that. There are people like you that are writing things that are teaching them who they are and not just what they should and should not do, because that's important to you. Really, it's more important for my son to know who he is and a real way for him to start thinking about. God and religion and Jesus, because that's really hard to explain to a four-year-old, but to see it in story form as a much easier way for him to consume and to start making a part of who he is.
So I love that. Thank you for writing. Thank you. What do you think's different about writing for kids? How do you get into the right mindset that you know you're not just going over their head the whole time?
How do you even know that like the idea that you have is going to work for kids?
Well, one, I do try to think about it, okay, when I was this age, you know. I try to give them as much credit as I can. I mean, certainly, if I'm dealing with a difficult topic, I'm going to handle a little bit differently, maybe a little more gently. Right. It's amazing to me how How many children are facing unfathomable things that I never faced at that age?
And so we also have to be honest.
So I think in writing for children, the best thing we can just be as honest with them. We don't have to sugarcoat things, let's put it that way. We can be honest in a gentle way. but not take away the fact that things in life are hard and they are difficult and You know, any story that I'm telling, I wanted to land in a place of hope, but Sometimes to get there, you do have to go through The hard stuff, too. And I think our kids know that.
And if we try to feed them another type of narrative, then they know that we're lying to them. We pray that you're enjoying and being blessed by this conversation. We're going to take one more ad break and we'll be right back. Do you feel like God has placed a call on your heart to write, but you keep getting discouraged? Maybe you've dreamed of writing a book, but you're not sure where to start, or if your words even matter?
This month on the Salvation Army's weekly podcast, Words of Life, we're sitting down with Christian authors and writers of all kinds to talk about why the written word still matters and how God continues to use it powerfully in his kingdom today.
So the act of putting pen to paper and just putting into words what's going on inside my head was my way to start processing the world around me. I found very naturally that that lent itself to conversation with God. I think it's important that we recognize something really beautiful and tangible about writing. There's a power in it that is created by God, who is the Word. Listen to Words of Life on your favorite podcast store or visit wordsoflife podcast.org.
What's a little bit of advice if someone's feeling called to not just write, but finally write and hand it to someone else? What encouragement would you give?
Well, first of all, you are the only one that can share your story with the voice that you have.
So, your story, nobody else can tell it. It's yours, right? And the way that you and the way that you tell it is yours. And so, the world needs that. You know, they need, they need, the world needs all of our stories and all of who we are in our.
Fullest.
So, I think that that would be my first encouragement: is that to be confident in who you are and what the story is that you have to tell. And then, you know, anytime I'm giving advice, I say that I believe you need 100% confidence and 100% humility together. Because when you put your work out there, In the beginning, it's not gonna be good. Let's be honest, okay? It's not going to be good.
But also, I think sometimes when we begin to share our work, And people Give us ways to make it better, which in this world we call it getting a critique. Um sometimes we're very defensive. And our hands go up, and you're like, oh no, this is exactly how it has to be, and I can't change this, and this is it. And so I think that's where it's good to just like sit in the feedback, sit with the feedback. Anybody that is willing to give you feedback in a loving and kind manner.
probably only has you and your story's best interest in mind. Are you working on anything now that you can tease or anything that's come out recently that you're excited about you can share? I'm always working. Unusually, a number of things. And that's another thing I try to do: is just like, you know, if I have my brain in a lot of different directions, if I'm stuck on one thing, then I can just jump to something else.
Yeah, no, I just signed a contract two days ago for a new book, so I'm really excited about that. Yeah, so I can't give the title thank you, but it actually does celebrate faith and church communities.
So I'm excited about that book. And as I mentioned, I'm working on a middle grade novel right now, so that's kind of my first. You know, my first foray into sort of longer form books that I'm excited about. And I just wrapped up working on a non-fiction book about animals. And now, people can find all of your books, information, how to reach out to you, where can they go to find more about you?
Yeah, everything's usually at my website, lindseybonilla.com. And any of my books can be found just about wherever books are sold. The Salvation Army's mission, doing the most good, means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army. Visit SalvationArmyusa.org to offer your support.
You can subscribe to Words of Life on your favorite podcast store or visit SalvationArmysoundcast.org. Join us next time for the Salvation Army's Words of Life. These are the words, these are the words of life. These are the words, these are the words, these are the words of life. These are the words of life.
These are the words of life. Thanks so much for listening to Words of Life. We want to thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on the show. Visit lifeaudio.com, where you'll find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network. They have shows about prayer, Bible studying, parenting, and more.
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