Five by Five—Family is at the heart of “My Guardian Dear”

By Max Bowen

Inspired by her desire to teach children to connect with their own creativity, friends, and faith, debut author Brittany Druker is releasing “My Guardian Dear” (Blue Hat Publishing, October 13, 2026). This interactive picture book consists of a fun rhyme scheme, vivid illustrations, activity pages, and collectible trading cards.

This picture book shares the story of a boy who learns to call on his guardian angel for help in both big things and small, including his dearest wish: becoming the MVP of his basketball team! Thanks to an easy-to-remember prayer, he learns to have faith that God will guide his steps, and he learns to share his faith with his friends. 

Learn more at https://thehive5.com.

What was the inspiration for this, your debut book?
My family is truly at the heart of this book—from my grandparents watching over us in heaven to the kids I’m lucky enough to raise and learn from every day. They’re my hive, and they’re the reason this story came to be. “My Guardian Dear” is actually part of a larger project called hiVe5 (www.thehive5.com), which is all about inspiring kids to connect through shared faith, gratitude, and creativity, no matter what season of life they’re in. The book comes with three angel prayer cards—one to keep and two to give away as tokens of thanks to the people in their lives who support them and show those everyday “guardian angel” qualities.

How do you frame a teaching of creativity, friends, and faith for a younger audience?
For me, it’s all about making it fun and accessible. I use story, rhyme, and playful illustrations—plus those three special prayer trading cards kids can actually share with others. When you mix creativity, friendship, and faith in a way that feels like play, it’s amazing how naturally kids connect with the message.

I like the idea for the playing cards. How did this come about?
The inspiration for the prayer cards comes from both sides of my family life: my nana’s cherished collection of traditional mass and prayer cards, and the sports trading cards my kids and husband love to collect. My nana was a devout Catholic, and even in her final years—bedridden, blind and nearly deaf—her spirit was unshakable. She was gracious, funny and always thinking of others.

During our long talks, she’d often ask me to read her prayer cards aloud. One day, she chose the Prayer of St. Francis and explained why it meant so much to her—how she wished everyone could live by those words. Hearing that prayer, and watching her embody it even in the toughest times, deeply moved me. I took a photo of that particular prayer card and began sharing it with friends, either by talking about it or sending the image in a text. I saw how meaningful it was to pass along a piece of faith in this simple way. As a mom of three, I wanted to create a way for kids to learn and share prayer, too. That’s how “My Guardian Dear” took shape—including special prayer trading cards just for kids, so they could carry that message and share it with others.

Tell me about the process of working with Justin Dunn for the illustrations.
At first, I thought I might illustrate the book myself, but I’m so grateful Justin came on board. By the time we connected, I’d already gathered a bunch of sketches and ideas for the book’s look and feel. Justin jumped right in, took in my vision, and then worked his magic—he brought new perspectives and made everything even better than I’d imagined. We started with sketches of the main character, our boy, and seeing those first drawings was when the book really started to come alive for me. The whole process taught me so much about how creative projects evolve—bit by bit, and then, suddenly, all at once.

What’s the message that you hope to leave with the readers?
I hope readers are inspired to say the prayer, to look for the “angels” in their own lives, and to connect with others through faith and creativity. Write the letter, take the shot—whatever it is, just try. Even if things don’t turn out exactly as you hoped, be grateful. Sometimes the lesson or blessing is in the journey, and that’s what helps us grow and share our faith with others.

Five by Five—The search for faith

Chelsea Kim Long

By Max Bowen 

Raised in evangelical churches, Chelsea Kim Long had a clear vision of the Christian woman she was born to be, but after a traumatic birthing experience and postpartum depression, she found that vision―and her faith―shattered. Instead of giving up on her faith, she looked within and asked: What would Christianity beyond patriarchy look like?

“Faithfully Dissident Daughters: Reclaiming Christian Womanhood Beyond Patriarchy” (Westminster John Knox Press, September 8, 2026) shows what it takes to reclaim Christian womanhood beyond the patriarchal influences that have historically marred Biblical interpretations.

In this article, Chelsea talks about her original vision of her Christian life, what happened to change it and how the patriarchy of the church has harmed women. 

Learn more at www.chelseakimlong.com/


What happened to change your original vision of who you were supposed to be?
I did everything right, according to the conservative Christian world I grew up in. I was named Countess of Christianity at my Christian high school prom. Met the good Christian boy on a mission trip, married young, had a baby at 27. The birth didn't go the way I planned, and a few months in I was sobbing on the couch telling my husband I wanted my life back. That was supposed to be the happy ending. It was the beginning of a painful journey to a truer version of myself.

How did your perspective change?
Slowly, and not on purpose. I'd grown up holding two beliefs that don't work together: that I could hear God myself, and that if what I heard didn't match the church's interpretation, I was wrong. That trains you out of trusting yourself, which is great for keeping you controllable. Once I saw that the structure was built by men, and that their reading of the Bible worked well for men, I couldn't unsee it. When I left conservative church world, I didn't leave God; I went looking for a version of faith that let me see myself.

What kind of theological research did you do and what was learned?
Years of it, mostly deep dives on ancient Hebrew and Greek, feminist theology, and church history. The short version: the divine feminine has always existed in Christianity, and women have always led. El Shaddai, usually translated "God Almighty," shares a root with the Hebrew word for breast. Wisdom in Proverbs is a woman. Mary Magdalene was called Apostle to the Apostles in the early church, then recast as a prostitute by a sixth-century pope. Rome didn't correct that until 1969. In 1748, Moravians in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, carved a prayer to the Holy Spirit as Mother into stone that still stands.

How has the patriarchy in the church harmed women?
Purity culture teaches girls to be ashamed of their bodies while teaching boys they can't control theirs. Marriage and motherhood get sold to women as our highest aspiration. We get blamed for divorces and reproductive choices. We're expected to make our pain palatable and swallow our grief. Under all of it is training in not trusting yourself, which for me led to debilitating anxiety. Here's what I want people to hear: I had every advantage in that system and it still didn't work. That's not personal failure. That's the theology working as designed, to uplift some and suppress others.

What do you hope readers take from this?
That you don't have to pick. Most of the books I read while I was falling apart ended with the author leaving, and I closed every one of them a little disappointed, because I wanted to stay. I wanted to know if there was a version of this faith big enough to hold my actual life. That's my book. If you've ever been told that becoming more yourself means becoming less faithful, “Faithfully Dissident Daughters” argues the exact opposite. Your body, your anger, your intuition, all of it belongs.

Christian music artist brings us a massive collaboration

Alicia “Reese” Reisman, the songwriter behind Reese Collective, joins me to talk about her debut album, “The Journey.” This collection of Christian music has a very unique aspect—although she is the writer and creative force behind the project, every track features a different singer.

Alicia introduced us to the different artist and how she met them, as well as what they brought to the project in terms of skills and suggestions. We also talk about the stories behind each song.

After this, kick back and enjoy one of the tracks from the album, “My Everything (featuring Amy Little).”