History of
Just for Kids Magazine
During the summer of 1987, my 4 children, 3 month old baby and myself were living with my mother. I was divorced and trying to rebuild my shipwrecked life. Needless to say it was a very sad time for me. I was looking for a new direction in my life, and asking God to please help me. He spoke to my spirit about a children's magazine that was focused on His awesome love.
That summer my four children went to Vacation Bible School at my Mother's church. They all had t-shirts from the special Discovery theme. The logo was a colorful hotaire balloon with a monkey, giraffe and elephant riding inside waving. I used the hotaire balloon idea and drew a boy and two girls waving from inside. I came up with the saying "Up & Away to New Adventures" and called it "Just For Kids Magazine". I started laying out the magazine. My desire was to provide a FREE christian magazine for children, and to sell advertisements to cover the expense.
Through the years I would write a story and print a few hundred copies for kids, day cares, and private schools. But it was not until September of 1998 that the Just For Kids Magazine finally became more than the dream God placed in my heart. If God gives you a dream to fulfill, and the desire never leaves you... well wait on Him, because chances are He is going to fulfill it when the time is right.
I pulled out that old picture I drew over 11 years ago to show Jennifer, Jonathan and Jamie. Remember Jennifer was only 3 months old when I drew the picture. Those three kids in the balloon look just like my 3 youngest children today. I could not draw a better picture of them if I tried today. It is just another reminder that God always knows the perfect time for everything. Hold on to your dreams and most important Hold on to God and His son Jesus Christ. They will help you make it through the storms of life to sail away in His victory!
(Update) Feb 12,2003
In 1991 My husband became a manager of a Christian bookstore. We both love books, and especially christian books. So this job was very rewarding spiritually, but not financially. Our youngest daughter was born in September of 1991, and our household of nine struggled to live on his small income. Many couples save their money in stocks, bonds, real estate and other great investments. We never seemed to have enough money to pay the necessary bills much less have a savings account. But almost weekly my husband would discover a new book that he really wanted. He would decide to not eat and use his "lunch money" so that he could afford the book. And I would find a Children's book from the christian bookstore that I wanted to read to my children, so I would cut back on the groceries just to buy the book. That is how our library grew. We often did without feeding our bodies so we could feed our spirit. The Lord gave us a deep desire and love for His Word and for stories written by Christians who also loved God with all their heart.
In 1994 God blessed us with a wonderful business of marketing christian products to the Military Worldwide, and we moved to
a small town where we opened a christian bookstore. We were very happy ministering to the people in our community, and our business continued to grow. In 1996 my husband received a letter from his oldest daughter telling him that Jeff, his son, had been in a terrible automobile accident leaving him paralyzed. In 1988, eight years before, my husband's oldest children had been illegally taken out of America to Germany by their mother. He received custody from the courts of the United States, but when he went to Germany to bring them back, the German courts would not honor our countries rulings. (You can read a except of his book by clicking here). My husband had lived in a deep sadness for many many years, but this news caused him to go in to a deeper depression. He was unable to continue to concentrate on our business, and our businesses started to fail. By the time Jeff came over to visit us that spring, we had already closed our bookstore. By the summer we moved everything we owned into two large storage buildings. Jeff went back to Germany and we moved in to my Mother's small cabin near Lake Marble Falls. My three oldest children were living elsewhere. My oldest daughter was away at college on a softball scholarship, my oldest son was working in Austin, and my second oldest son moved in with his cousin. The four youngest children, my husband and myself lived in a one room, one kitchen cabin. I took a part time job as a church secretary and my husband took a weekend job.
It was in that tiny cabin that we made space for our computer in the corner of the room. I bought a book on "How-To Write HTML", and learned how to make web pages. One of the first pages I designed was about a story I had written in 1994 about our family's discussion on why Christians should not celebrate Halloween. Every month I added stories, and Christian pages for children.
Today we are back in Austin, Texas. After Jeff went back to Germany he was in another automobile accident leaving him with a much greater paralyzation. He spent another year of rehabilitation in the same German hospital he had been in before. By November he was able to travel back to the States with my husband. Jeff is now living with us, along with our three youngest children. My oldest 4 children and 6 grandchildren live in Austin too. Craig's oldest daughter, and her husband and daughter live in Germany. His son Jason also lives in Germany and is now 18 years old.
Our office is located in our home. We have our own computer with access to the internet.
I was given no great talent, I was not blessed with money, but I receive a love from God that surpasses everything this World could ever offer. It is because of this love that I want to share it with you and everyone who will listen. Today the Just 4 Kids Magazine is a World Wide Ministry that offers a FREE online magazine, curriculum and resources to teachers, missionaries and parents who teach children about God and His Love.
We Love You and so does God!
Love J. Craig & Mauri Gandy,
The above letter was written for our first February Issue in 1999. The magazine was only in it's 5th Issue.
(Lew, Carrie, Kylee & Sammy),
(Christina, Brandon & Jasmine),
(Robert, Lexi, Jaymen, Tyler & Sierra),
(Brad & Rebecca),
Jeff, Jennifer, Jonathan & Jamie
