A Story-Teller's Journey

Scene from latest animation, "Exploding Soda Pop" (Click on picture to watch animation)

Half a lifetime ago—literally—I decided to make a cassette tape of children’s stories with uplifting takeaways for kids. I had no background in recording, no technical training, and no idea what I was getting into. But I had stories to tell and a desire to share something meaningful with children, so I jumped in and figured things out along the way.

I began by writing eight stories about my childhood on a yellow legal pad, then typed them up on my trusty Smith Corona. Next, I tracked down a friend of a friend of a church member who happened to have a small recording studio in his basement. And just like that, the ever-evolving wheels of technology were set in motion.

For years, those cassette tapes found their way into the hands—and hearts—of children. Then one day, a child contacted me in a panic. His cassette tape, which he had listened to for years, had finally broken. He was desperate. That moment became the nudge I needed to stretch again. I learned how to burn the stories onto a CD so they wouldn’t be lost.

Before I knew it, the digital age arrived. With considerable effort (and more than a little frustration), I figured out how to “rip” the stories from the CD and turn them into audio files on my computer. This opened an entirely new door. Now I could edit the stories, update them, and add clearer takeaways for children—especially as the content became part of my new assignment with Three Angels for Kids.

I began recording my own voice and learned how to insert new narration seamlessly into the existing audio files. Eventually, I discovered how to embed those audio files into PowerPoint slides so children could listen and engage at their own pace. And then a new question began to form: What if these stories weren’t just heard? What if they could also be seen?

That question marked a turning point.

I started experimenting with simple visuals, using stock images to represent characters in the stories. One of my earliest challenges was consistency—keeping characters looking the same from scene to scene. With limited tools and experience, I did the best I could. I found a program that allowed characters to slide across the screen, and soon I was creating very rough, very crude animations. They weren’t polished by any stretch, but they were progress. The stories were beginning to move—literally. And scores of children began watching.

With the rapid development of new technology, the possibilities expanded dramatically. My latest iteration of the childhood stories would have been unimaginable when I first sat down with a cassette recorder decades ago. And even now, I can’t help but wonder what the next stage will bring.

Creating this most recent animation involved a multi-step process. I began with the characters, then produced forty different animated clips. I carefully coordinated the audio with the animations, ensuring the timing supported the storytelling, and finally added sound effects to bring everything to life.

So why am I telling you all this?

First, because if anyone had suggested years ago that I could learn even one of these skills, no one would have believed it—least of all me. I was the definition of a non-techy person. But through prayer, patience, and taking one small step at a time, doors kept opening. What once felt overwhelming slowly became possible. I offer this as an encouragement to anyone struggling to learn new things.

Second, this journey has reinforced the importance of staying current with technology in order to share the gospel effectively. The message never changes—but the ways people listen, watch, and engage certainly do. If we want to reach hearts, especially the hearts of children, we must be willing to learn new tools and speak in new formats, trusting God to multiply our efforts.