Bible Belles

Erin Weidemann, creator and author of Bible Belles, is a five-time cancer survivor and a total warrior for Christ. The heavily popular book series she created is everything your 5 year old self would adore, as it highlights women in the Bible who were strong, confident, and inwardly beautiful in the eyes of Christ. Erin does a fabulous job of narrating the stories to present the women (Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth, Deborah) as the perfect role models, which is ironic because Erin is one of OUR role models!

Let's chat with Erin! ☺

How did you decide to start Bible Belles?

Five years ago, after tossing around some ideas for our niece Hannah’s birthday, we decided to make her a storybook about a female hero in the Bible (whose name she happens to share!). When we gave her the book, she smiled, shrugged, and said, “I didn’t even know there was a Hannah in the Bible.” She and her sister could however name and tell us all the details of every Disney Princess. A light went off. Wouldn’t it be great if girls today were just as excited about biblical women as they are about princesses: examples of true beauty, women who can be real heroes for girls today? And, just like that, Bible Belles was born. Since then we’ve been on a mission to connect girls with real heroes: positive role models that our daughter, and all the other daughters out there, can look up to. 

How do you write the stories for Bible Belles?

I started off by praying about which women to include. Most of the teaching in the church is male-focused, so we wanted to highlight the women who are part of God's story and present them in a way that's never really been done before. We wanted to create something that can compete with the Disneys and Pixars of the world. If we're competing for our kids, we need to compete on the same level as the rest of the brands that command their attention. 

So we hired a former Disney animator and a VeggieTales book designer and got going. I researched and settled on five women for the first series because I thought they represented a progression of important character traits--five qualities that parents could build up in their girls that would take them from prayer and connecting with God for the first time all the way to leadership to help them to feel bold and confident to say, "Okay, God, I'm ready to follow you, you've equipped me with the same abilities that these women possessed. I'm ready to do the work you have for me to do."  
We created our main character Rooney Cruz so girls could connect with a relatable, modern girl around struggles that most girls face today (Insecurity, a lack of confidence, confusion about friendships etc.)

The five women we chose are:

• Hannah - because prayer is the first step in building a relationship with God
• Esther - because once you're praying, the next step is to learn how to sit and wait because God wants to talk to you (patience) - in a sense, two-way communication 
• Abigail - because, once a relationship is established, it's sure to be tested. This is when fear and worry can creep in. Girls need to understand that they can step boldly into any situation because God is with them. They can do what's right, even when they're scared (bravery).
• Ruth - because so much of the Princess phenomenon has to do with entitlement - I don't have to serve, I am supposed to be served. This is the book in the series that takes a turn away from self and toward loving OTHERS faithfully (loyalty), the way God loves you. 
• Deborah - because, once you have prayer, patience, bravery, and loyalty, you can be the leader God created you to be - someone who will devote her life to love, sacrifice, and service (leadership).

It wasn't until I put the women in that order to show this progression that I realized their initials together spell the word HEARD. It's become a beautiful metaphor to empower a girl who feels like her voice doesn't matter, to go out into the world and make A Different Kind of  Noise (that's our tagline).  :)

How did you and your husband meet?

Brent and I met at an alumni event in Costa Mesa, CA. We both went to Penn State (We ARE!) but grew up on other sides of the country. We met in 2009 right in the middle of my second cancer diagnosis. I was convinced there was no future (because of my health issues), but he was SO persistent. See his recent FB post:

BB became a little side project we worked on here and there for a few years until 2015 when he quit his job and we launched the company. I quit my teaching job in 2016 to join him.

Advice for women wanting to start something they love?

You don't need to wait to do something that God's placed in your heart. Get started! And, if you don't know where to start, find the people who are further along and start asking questions. That's what has kept us going. 

Regular day for you?

Wake up and enjoy the morning with our family, get Rooney off to care/school and start working. I usually work at our local library. It has an ocean view and a coffee stand and everyone has to be quiet. It's perfect for someone like me who needs a quiet space to be productive! We like to go on walks/runs together as a family with our dog, Rowdy. He is snuggled up next to me right now, huffing and puffing because he's ready to take that walk I just mentioned.  :D

Your podcast?

We started the podcast to build a network of positive female role models for parents and other people who are trying to sift through culture and find the heroes. They are out there, so we highlight them and give them a chance to share their story. It is such a blessing to interview amazing women and highlight the work they do!

What do you want Bible Belles to instill in its readers?

My hope is that Bible Belles would create resources that give parents what they need to guide the conversation about beauty, identity, and purpose to equip their kids to be the people God created them to be. I want it to instill confidence, boldness, and peace in the hearts and minds of girls by showing them that there are real women whose inner beauty God used in powerful ways.

Favorite Bible character?

That's such a hard question! If I HAD to pick one, I pick Deborah. She was such a bad ass (whoops you can't say that!). She dedicated her life to God and was able to lead and stir God's people to action. I hope I can be as bold in my faith to do the things that God has called me to do and to influence an entire generation of girls to lead like her.

How do you stay so strong in your faith?

It is a daily challenge. You think it would be so easy to remember what God's done in the past, but I often find myself struggling with discouragement or confusion about the road ahead because I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! I try to keep people around me who can help keep me grounded in the truth of who God is and that HE has things well in hand and under control.