The Story Behind Made to Fly Free

One summer morning, our yard became a classroom. Not the kind with desks and worksheets. The kind with peeping, flapping wings, and three very observant children.

Today I want to share the story behind my upcoming children’s book, Made to Fly Free.

The Little Bird Who Started It All

Years ago, our three youngest were playing outside when they noticed a mama bird teaching her baby to fly. Or at least, that’s what we imagined was happening.

Every morning we heard the peeping and squawking. It was quite the commotion. The kids quickly named the baby Little Peep and the mama Squawk.

We would sit and watch what we called “flight lessons.” What captivated my children wasn’t just how cute the birds were. It was the determination.

That little bird kept trying.

And trying.

And trying again.

Once the kids named the birds, I felt a quiet nudge. A story seed had been planted.

When the Seed Began to Grow

Each spring after that, robins would return to our yard. They built nests with diligence and welcomed new life right outside our windows.

One year, a robin nested in the crook of our rain gutter. I had a front-row seat. There were early mornings when I would sit on our patio and simply watch. I saw teamwork between mama and papa bird. I heard those first fragile peeps. I watched open beaks stretch wide in full trust, waiting for provision.

And I saw something that moved me... the papa bird standing guard while mama gathered food. A family working together, protecting, providing, and preparing.

Over time, I began imagining their conversations.

What would Mama say when it was time to step to the edge?

What would Papa chirp from nearby?

What would Little Peep feel in that trembling moment before the leap?

That’s when Made to Fly Free truly began taking shape. Often in those early morning times, I would jot notes and write lines that would eventually find their way into the story. I even took time to research the development of a baby robin from hatchling to nestling to fledgling.

What the Book Is About

Made to Fly Free is the story of a little bird learning that he was created for something bigger than the safety of the nest.

It’s about courage and preparation.

It’s about loving parents who train, guard, encourage, and then bravely let go.

And beneath the feathers and branches, there’s a deeper message that spoke to me as I wrote the story.

About how God prepares us and watches over us.

How He calls us to step forward in faith not because we’re fearless, but because we’ve been faithfully prepared.

What I Hope Children Feel

When children read this book, I hope they feel what I felt the day Little Peep finally took his first leap.

Joy. Anticipation. And a spark of courage.

I hope they sense that they are not random nor accidental.

They were made on purpose.

Birds instinctively know they were made to fly.

But sometimes we forget what we were made for.

I hope this story gently reminds children, and parents, that we were created to live free. Free in Christ. Free from fear. Free to trust. Free to step into what God has prepared for us.

What This Process Taught Me About Obedience

Here’s something I didn’t expect.

This book began years ago. Not months. Years.

The idea sat quietly in notebooks. It lingered in my heart each spring when robins returned, but the nudge never left. And I’ve learned something important about writing:

Obedience doesn’t always look urgent, and it doesn’t usually come with applause.

Sometimes obedience looks like:

• Paying attention.
• Writing down the idea.
• Letting it simmer.
• Returning to it when the time is right.
• Finishing what God asked you to start.

There were moments I questioned whether this story was “big enough.”

But I’m learning that we don’t measure a story by market size. We measure it by faithfulness.

If God plants the seed, our job is to tend it, even when no one else sees the garden yet.

And sometimes that means stepping to the edge ourselves just like Little Peep.

Why This Matters for Your Family

I share this not just because I have a book releasing. I share it because I want you to notice the seeds in your own home.

The conversations. The backyard moments. The questions your children ask.

Stories are rarely born in grand, dramatic ways.

They grow quietly in ordinary days.

And sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is write them down.

If this message resonates with you, preorders for Made to Fly Free are open here.

If you’d like to hold this story in your hands and share it with your own children, I would be honored to send a copy your way.

No pressure. Just an invitation.

And whether you preorder or not, I hope you walk outside this spring and listen for the peeping.

You never know what story might be waiting in your own backyard.