Candace Cameron Bure: Faithfulness, Prayer and a Playful Puppy

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She’s “happily busy” with a new children’s book, Candace’s Playful Puppy — the third in her series featuring the fruits of the Spirit – and we talked with Candace Cameron Bure about faithfulness, instilling character in kids, prayer and revisited her cover story for Risen a decade ago!

Interviewed for Risen Magazine

Risen Magazine: Congratulations on Candace’s Playful Puppy. It’s so fun to see all your interaction and love for your real life dog, Boris, on social media. What does it mean to you that this gets to be the third in your series?

Candace Cameron Bure: Oh, it means so much. I absolutely love writing children’s books. Those are the first books I ever wanted to write when my kids were little. This one was a really fun story. The theme in the book is all about faithfulness. So I was trying to think of what a good example of faithfulness would be. I immediately thought of Boris and looked at Boris and to be a dog mom, it’s not only being responsible, but you have to be faithful in those duties to do them every day, to take care of your pet. So I thought it was just the perfect example and combination and fun that Candace now has a little puppy. If you’ve read any of the previous books, Harry, the hamster is in there. Harry the hamster is like Candace’s little sidekick, but now there’s going to be a little competition with the puppy.

RM: How did you learn faithfulness?

CCB: When I think of faithfulness it’s, I really chose it because I want to write about all the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are all the things that we can have, that God allows us to grow through his strength. I mean, faithfulness is this incredible virtue. I think I’ve learned to be faithful, not just in the sense or the word faith, but faithful in walking out all the responsibilities I’ve been given in life. We learn that as little kids. We still have to keep learning it as we get older, every day.

RM: Having young children, it’s so important to me to build character in them and to start when they’re young. For you, what did that look like when you were raising your kids? How did you instill character? Was there anything specific that you did to make sure that that was being learned and actually lived out?

CCB: Yes. Character, I think is the most important thing for every human being on this earth. We want our yes to be yes. And our no to be no. We want to be men and women of our word. That’s what character is all about. I think just in general, as a parent, those were the kinds of lessons I’m telling my kids, whether it’s about being honest, always being truthful, minding your chores, being responsible for the things that you’re supposed to be. That’s all a part of the parenting process. But those are the things that not only builds your character, but especially when it gets really tough, that’s when you’re really building the character, because you’re put in a trying spot. I would always remind my kids, “But listen. I know this is really hard and you’re going to do it, but think about once you finish that and you accomplish it, you are going to be so proud of yourself and I’m going to be so proud of you.”

You just keep building that into, instill like, oh, okay, doing the hard work and doing what’s right, this is going to have a feeling of honesty and truth and character. That’s better than just letting it all go, because a sense of accomplishment is a pretty powerful thing.

RM: Back in 2012, you were the cover story for Risen Magazine and it was so much fun, because we got to come to your home. At the time I remember having a specific conversation with you about your choice to stay home with your kids and put acting and your career on hold. That wasn’t an easy decision for you. But that if it were something that the Lord wanted you to come back into, the opportunity would present itself. Now, a decade later, it’s been so fun to see everything that you’ve been doing.

CCB: It is really crazy only because it’s even more fun to come back to people that I’ve had the opportunity to chat with and was in the magazine. A lot has happened in 10 years and that’s really exciting.

RM: Share about the importance of trusting in the Lord’s timing and that He has an ultimate plan and that it might not always look like how we want it to in the moment, but to trust.

CCB: It’s so true. I believe that, because it’s biblical, there are seasons of life. We all are going to go through seasons. Sometimes it may not be the season we expected or it may not be the one we want. Or, it might be, and you might not want that season to end. But I really do believe that God will always open and close doors, that we pursue what we love, whether that’s professionally or within our families. We really do the work to make it the best. We pray for those things that we want and pray that God lines those things up. But ultimately, God will open and close the door first. Do trust in that a hundred percent, that he will ultimately guide me in the path that I should be on.

Even if he doesn’t have me doing something that I love, it just might not be the season for it. It doesn’t mean it might not ever happen or it’s wrong for you. I know when I took a good 10 years off to stay at home and raise my kids, that was such a wonderful season of my life that I treasure. But it really grew me into the woman I am today. Now, even 20 years after making that decision, I’m like, “I don’t know that I would be where I am today if I didn’t have that season of motherhood,” because that grew my character as a mother.

RM: A lot of people now, especially because of quarantine, are taking that time to reflect and to focus and to say what is my purpose? Or maybe there’s some untapped passions there. What advice would you give to people that are reflecting and maybe looking at making some different decisions with the way they’re currently doing things?

CCB: I think a lot of us have had time to think about a whole lot of things in 2020. It really has shifted all of our lives. A lot of hardships. But I always look for the silver lining and feel like this pause in our lives, the fact that we all had to really slow down and take a look at what we’re doing. The silver lining is that it has been this incredible opportunity to reevaluate your life and readjust priorities. Or maybe just pause and be grateful for the things that you’ve taken for granted, that comes so easily, that you have and maybe you don’t have those anymore. But again, I always believe God gives us a spirit. He makes each of us unique and gives us specific talents. And if you have a desire, that you should pursue it. Never quit dreaming about it.

But for me, it always starts with prayer, because I don’t ever want to go before God. I want God to guide me and lead me. Start with prayer and if that’s something that you’re interested in.. 2021 seems like a great time for a new beginning.

Candace’s Playful Puppy is now available.