New Online Christian Children's Magazine

**The StarLight Assignment For Me**

In January of 2022 God gave me the assignment to create an online Christian children’s magazine for kids ages 5 to 10 years. I was taken aback. I never had any idea of doing this. But God confirmed His message to me, and I am attempting to create just such a magazine. StarLight Magazine: Shining God’s Truth through Children’s Literature. We are currently publishing online quarterly.

Our website is https://www.starlightmagazine.com

For more than 20 years writing picture books consumed me. I studied, practiced, critiqued, submitted, revised, and prayed over picture books. But, it finally became clear to me that God’s plans for me never included “success” in the picture book market. I felt like I had wasted 20 years of my life. Finally, in 2021, I faced this fact and sought God’s future for my writing.

Now I see that those 20 years of learning about the children’s publishing industry were not wasted at all. They were my 40 days in the wilderness.They were God’s preparation for this task.

I spent January and February researching, thinking of features, and choosing a name and a mission statement. The next few months I searched for software to make this magazine as professional looking and fun as I can. All the while I was soaking each step in prayer. I was also learning that I have a lot to learn.

Publication in Starlight Magazine will be non-paying at this time. In 2023 we are focusing on how God wants us to finance the magazine.

I say us, because God has brought some wonderful people alongside StarLight to help put this project together. I could NEVER do this alone.

Helen Weigt is an amazing designer. She now serves as our designer, art director, and my good buddy! We reconnected after we lost touch for years. She was thrilled to volunteer. I’m so glad God arranged it all.

Kayla Leinbach and Paige Romig are students in the creative writing department of Pensacola Christian College. They are our excellent proofreaders. YAY!

Mark Wainwright is a former editorial staff member at a Christian publishing house. Mark occasionally advises us.

And many of you reading this are our encouragers and prayer team. None of this could happen without you.

**Each StarLight Issue Includes**

Fiction for ages 5-7
Fiction for ages 8-10
A Devotion including Scripture verse and prayer
Retelling of one of Jesus’ parables (in 2023) and Jesus’ miracles (in 2024)
A coloring page for the Retelling of the parable
Short poems
A biography of a notable Christian. This feature is currently written by Annette Marie Griffin.
A simple craft
Short Bible verse puzzles
Short Bible quizzes on specific events, people or stories
Bible Trivia
Creature Feature – interesting facts about an animal
Star Stuff – interesting facts about heavenly bodies
Stella’s (our sparkling mascot) special bonus of fun activity pages. PLUS – the first week of each month between quarterly publications Stella will send access to more activity pages.

You Can Help StarLight

Write for us. Our Guidelines, Themes, and Style Guide are at www.starlightmagazine.com
Pray for us. We need God’s guidance and the help of people He sends to us
Pray that StarLight will bless children and parents.
Share our website information with parents, grandparents, teachers, Christian schools, children’s pastors, after school care programs—anyone you can think of.
Friend us and talk about StarLight on Face Book. We are StarLight Magazine on FB.
If you are part of a homeschool community please share with them about StarLight.
We are searching for someone to volunteer to manage our Newsletter and subscriptions.

A Side Note From Jean

I know that writing and seeking publication for your children’s manuscripts is hard. It can be discouraging. It can be disheartening. It can make you feel like a failure. I’ve been there. And our well-meaning writing friends and associates tell us to keep trying regardless of the outcome of our efforts.

I would beg you to consider that you might be chasing the wrong dream. I’m not proposing that you give up writing. NO! But are you open to God showing you a different path to take in the world of writing for children and young adults from a Christian worldview? I was sooooo sure God wanted me to write picture books. I wouldn’t relent. I wouldn’t quit. I wouldn’t even consider any other possibility—until that dream crumbled in my hands.

Only then was I ready to see something else sparkling in the dust of my dreams. Only then was I desperate enough to hear God whispering another path to my heart.

I’m no quitter. I know how to stare-down disappointment. You probably do, too. But maybe, just maybe, your determination, like mine, has turned to stubbornness and self-will.

Don’t be afraid to re-examine your dream. To consider that, perhaps, God is turning you in a different direction, too.

Blessings to you, fellow writers, as you find and follow God’s path for your writing.