A Christian Family Read-Aloud
You were made on purpose.
You are deeply loved.
You were born to shine.
Helping Kids See What God Sees
I am part of a generation of believers who were sold baptism as a product, a transaction that solved the "fear of going to hell problem." No one told us when we were kids that the water wasn't about escaping punishment. It was about restored access. Through Jesus Christ, the Father no longer sees our sin when He looks at us. He sees His Son.
I wanted my children to understand that following Jesus was more than one beautiful day at church. I needed them to understand that through the gift of baptism, they were given a new identity, not just a new destination. I wanted them to know what God says about who they are, what to do with the mess when they get it wrong, and how grace keeps calling them back to the truth.
The Mud & The Mirror grew out of that need. It gives parents and children a place to open Scripture, follow Journey and Grace through ordinary family moments, ask honest questions, and keep the conversation going long after the chapter ends.
A story for children. A conversation for the whole family.
The Mud & The Mirror was written for the kitchen table, the couch, the car ride, bedtime, and all the in-between places where children ask the questions that matter.
A full-color Christian chapter book for children ages 5–12, following Journey and Grace as they discover what God says about who they are and what it looks like to live from that truth.
Available NowEach chapter opens the door to Scripture, questions, and honest conversation without making family discipleship feel like a lecture. Read a little at a time, talk about what stands out, and let the conversation keep growing.
Ages 5–12Use the book for baptism gifts, family ministry, Christian classrooms, homeschool groups, read-alouds, or community gifting. Quantity orders are available through Tend the Soil Publishing.
Quantity Orders AvailableTwenty percent of the profits from every copy of The Mud & The Mirror is set aside to help place books in libraries, churches, community spaces, and homes that might not otherwise receive one.
If you would like to support this mission directly, you can contribute through a cash donation or sponsor books to be placed in the hands of children and families who need them.
To make a donation or arrange a sponsored book order, contact Tend the Soil Publishing at hello@tendthesoilpublishing.com.
You were made in His image.
You are deeply loved.
And when life gets muddy, the mud does not get the final word.
God's truth does.
Journey and Grace are two children learning that faith is not just something their family talks about at church. It touches how they see themselves, how they understand sin and grace, how they respond when they mess up, and how they grow.
Across ten Scripture-rooted chapters, their family walks through creation, what went wrong, why Jesus came, new life in Christ, transformation, light, the leading of the Spirit, the narrow way, and the kind of life that overflows.
The goal is not perfect behavior or perfect answers. It is a family opening the Word together, talking honestly, and helping children learn to see themselves through what God says is true.
Each chapter builds on the last, with Scripture, a simple truth to remember, and questions families can talk through together.
Chapter 1
God made you intentionally and in His image. Journey and Grace begin with the truth that they are not accidents, mistakes, or random.
"God created people in His own image." — Genesis 1:27 (ICB)
Chapter 2
The family talks honestly about sin, the mud that covers what God made good, and why the world does not always reflect Him clearly.
"People loved darkness more than the light." — John 3:19 (NLT)
Chapter 3
Journey and Grace learn why rescue was necessary and what Jesus came to do for people God deeply loves.
"God paid a price to save you... the precious blood of Christ." — 1 Peter 1:18–19 (ICB)
Chapter 4
Baptism becomes part of a bigger conversation about belonging to Christ, new life, and what it means that the old life is gone.
"Anyone who belongs to Christ... the old life is gone." — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Chapter 5
A mirror becomes the picture for transformation: God is not finished with us. He is shaping us to reflect Him more clearly.
"We are being changed to be like Him." — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ICB)
Chapter 6
The family explores what it means to live visibly as God's people, not by performing for approval, but by letting what He is doing within us show.
"You are the light of the world... Let your good deeds shine." — Matthew 5:14, 16
Chapter 7
Pressure reveals what is inside. Journey and Grace learn to notice what comes out of them and what it means to live by the Spirit.
"Live the way the Spirit leads you." — Galatians 5:16 (ICB)
Chapter 8
Jesus' way is not always the easiest or most popular path. The family talks about choosing the way that leads to life.
"The way that leads to life is narrow." — Matthew 7:14
Chapter 9
God's love and goodness were never meant to stop with us. A full heart spills into the way we love, serve, forgive, and bless others.
"My cup runs over with blessings." — Psalm 23:5 (NLT)
Chapter 10
The story closes by looking back at what Journey and Grace have learned and celebrating the life God is growing in them.
"My cup runs over with blessings." — Psalm 23:5 (NLT)
"They're not the mud. They're the mirror. And God has never stopped cleaning mirrors."
No perfect family routine required. Open the book, read together, and start where you are.
Every chapter is grounded in Scripture, with references and conversation prompts that help families return to God's Word together.
Faith formation does not belong only to Sunday morning. This book was written to help parents carry meaningful conversation into ordinary family life.
Children need more than a list of dos and don'ts. They need language for who God made them to be, what grace means when they fail, and how Jesus shapes a life.
Younger children can follow Journey and Grace through familiar family moments, memorable pictures like mirrors, light, oranges, and paths, and simple truths they can repeat and remember. It works especially well as a read-aloud with a parent beside them.
Older readers can go deeper into questions about sin, new life, identity, change, the Spirit, and what it means to follow Jesus when His way looks different from the crowd.
Order the full-color paperback directly from the official book website. Your copy is printed to order and shipped directly to you by our print partner.
$27.95 paperback + shipping
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