In this special episode of What’s God Got To Do With It?, Leanne welcomes the iconic Candace Cameron Bure—beloved actress, producer, bestselling author, and CEO—to share an intimate look at her journey of faith, purpose, and self-discovery. With two highly anticipated holiday films, A Christmas Less Traveled and Home Sweet Christmas, Candace gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the magic of Christmas storytelling and how the themes of healing and finding unexpected purpose resonate deeply in her own life.
But this episode goes far beyond the screen. Candace opens up about the challenges of wearing so many hats in her career and how her unshakable faith has guided her through it all. In a powerful discussion about self-worth and identity, she shares candid reflections on navigating Hollywood’s pressures, embracing her relationship with God, and living boldly in her faith—even in the face of societal expectations.
Packed with encouragement and wisdom, this conversation with Candace Cameron Bure will leave you inspired to stand firm in your values, find purpose in the unexpected, and embrace your worth in a world that often tells you otherwise. Whether you’re a fan of her holiday films or seeking a fresh perspective on faith and self-love, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.
GUEST: Candace Cameron Bure // @candacecbure
Listen to Candace's Podcast by clicking HERE!
Get your tickets to the Great American Family Christmas Festival HERE!
HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington
Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Not here to preach. Gonna keep it clean
and talk to me and recause where faith means all
nature and get in touch with your creator with a
baking love and jo She even speaks Hebrew. What's that?
(00:31):
What's that? As well? Some posion you should talking transformation?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What's done?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzato?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hey God pod listeners.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm so excited about today's guest because she's somebody who
has inspired and entertained.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
So many of us over the years.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
And you probably know her best as DJ Tanner from
Full House, but Canda's Cameron Burret is so much more
than that. Candace is a CEO, a business owner, a producer,
and actress. And she's a mom, a wife, and a
woman of deep faith. And today she's joining me to
share her journey both on and off the screen. And
(01:17):
in this episode we dive into some really meaningful conversations
about her two new Christmas movies, what it's like being
a mom, and how she navigated self image and body
image while growing up in the public.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Eye in Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We also talk about her relationship with God and how
her faith continues to guide her through all aspects of
her life. This is a beautiful and inspiring conversation that
you won't want to miss. So grab your favorite cozy drink,
settle in, and let's dive into my conversation with Candace
Cameron Burret.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Hey, Candace, it's so great to meet you. Thanks for
doing this. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
There's a lot that I want to dive into, especially
since you have not just one, but two new holiday
movies coming out.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So let's just start there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, both of your upcoming movies, A Christmas Less
Traveled and Home Sweet Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
They focus on.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Themes of healing and coming together and finding purpose and
unexpected places. And so, was there a scene or a
particular moment meaningful or memorable for you? And do your
movies have a healing place in your own journey?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I absolutely love making Christmas movies. It's been such a
huge part of my career over the last fifteen years.
I've made more than fifty television movies in my career,
and a large percentage of that are Christmas. So they're
all meaningful to me, and I'm always trying to find
the script that's gonna not only feel fresh, but connect
(02:44):
and relate and feel meaningful to me. And these two
movies certainly have those elements to them. So in a
Christmas Less Traveled, it's about a woman whose father has
passed and he leaves her these cassette tapes where he
voices all of his regrets that he wished he had
shared with his daughter emotionally, and you know, in hopes
(03:05):
that it gives her courage and hope and strength in
the rest of her life. And she travels in her
vintage read Christmas truck listening to these cassette tapes, and
of course, in true Christmas fashion, she meets a handsome
man along the way who also joins her in the journey.
But I will tell you, you know, even filming this movie,
and I'm so grateful that both my parents are healthy
(03:28):
and alive, but even thinking about hearing my father's voice
or you know one day he is going to be gone,
it just was so so powerful. And on the set
filming those scenes, I was balling my eyes out like
way more than I needed to, not because the script
told me I had to.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
But you get a little older every year.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Passes, and you realize how important people are in your
life and how grateful you are for the things that
God has given you in life. And so both of
these movies very much feel that way for me, and
I can always find very relatable moments.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
And I hope our audience does too.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Absolutely yeah, And I love that it's given you that
sacred kind of appreciation for what you have and your
family and your walk with faith. So I'm curious, how
does your faith guide you when you're choosing projects and
choosing these movies to make.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I've dedicated my whole career to be in the family
entertainment space, and I've never veered from that. It's been
very intentional. And I am a woman of faith also
and love sharing Jesus with people and getting people to
read the Bible that have never read the Bible. It's
the most incredible and special book in my life. And
(04:40):
so I don't separate my faith from who I am
or when I walk out the door, or within my career.
So I've loved that I produce projects because that's what
my passion is and where I get to share stories
of faith, and some of them, you know, over the years,
they're not all stories of faith, but they're always family friendly.
You can always be sure that if you have a
(05:01):
movie that has my face in.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
It, that it's okay if your a three year old.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Walks in on it.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
You know. But as I've gotten older and my faith
has always been important, I do cherish the years I
have left to continue producing this type of content and
have really really leaned into sharing more faith content over
the years because that's where my heart is at.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, And I love that you don't compartmentalize who you
are where you are everywhere. You bring you with you,
and that includes your faith and you're not trying to,
you know, shy away from that. And that's just such
a beautiful role model nowadays. And a lot of people
might not know this, but you're also a CEO and
a business owner and a producer and a best selling
author and an actress, and you wear so many hats,
and so how would you say your faith helps you
(05:45):
navigate all of these roles while staying true to who
you are and staying true to yourself and your identity.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
You know, God gives us all talents and it's kind
of what we do with them and what our perspective
is on it. And I know that God has given
me all the things to steward, and I pray every
day to steward them well. And again, I love the
hats that I wear. I'm a very entrepreneurial person. I
am a go getter. I have a lot of drive,
(06:12):
which is why I do a lot of things. But
I know that that comes from God and I never
want to separate that, and I always want to be
honoring to Him and all those choices I make. So
humility is something that's on the top of my list
that I continue to pray for and ask God for
and persevere. Like I said, I want to steward all
the gifts that He's given me.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Well, yeah, and He's given you so so many and
we get to enjoy the fruits of that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And you know that being said, you've had such a
vibrant career, you know, from childhood, and Hollywood is a
place that can definitely challenge somebody's values and identity. I
think that's a pretty well known thing that you have
stayed true to who you are and what you believe in,
even with all the pressures out there to conform. And
so what advice would you give to anyone who is
trying to love and accept themselves in a world where
(06:59):
it is so easy to conform or succumb to that
comparison itis.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Listen, it can be incredibly challenging. There's so many parables.
Even Jesus talked about the seed sower. You know that
seed falls on different types of soil, and when strife
and hardships come along, the seeds don't grow anymore. They
get suffocated, they get so easily entangled. And that's a
metaphor for how we feel in life that sometimes when
(07:25):
the going gets rough, we just fall apart. And it's
easier to fall into worldly values than biblical ones. But
I tell you, when you read the Great Book, the
Holy Bible, there is so much love and truth that
comes from God. He's so incredibly loving. And when I know,
when you know who you are in God, it's so
(07:45):
much greater than what the world tells you, and it
is pure truth in that. So reading that Bible, I
would encourage everyone to read it, but read it daily
because it renews, it refreshes your mind. And we have
to know who we are in God, because if we
don't the world will try to tell us who we are,
and it's so easily will pull us to the other direction,
(08:08):
But we stay focused, we stay rooted and keep our
eyes focused on.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
What God says. Yeah, Oh, it's so so powerful what
you're saying.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Was there ever a moment where you felt shaky in
that where you're just like, okay, am I supposed to
go this direction, but no, God to hear you calling
me in the other direction. Because obviously you've been a
stand for faith in Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Very very publicly, very boldly.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Was there ever a moment that that Kina came to
fruition because of a defining moment in your career.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Sure, there's lots of crossroads in life, and some of
them a little easier than others, or they don't seem
as weighty as others. But there's always a pull. There's
always a pull in two different directions. And I'm very
grateful in that I love Jesus so much, I love God,
and I've never wavered on my faith in that I
(08:54):
know I can have these big questions and wonder, you know, God,
why this, Why would you do that? And yet I
know that He has my best interest at heart. So
I've never wavered from my faith. But sure are lots
of decisions when it's like God, I don't know what
to do here, which way am I supposed to go?
And so you just pray for open doors and closed
doors that if that's not the way God wants you
(09:15):
to go, that he would reveal that, and he does.
Every single time you pray for closed doors, God.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Will shut them.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
So it makes it very easy to go, Okay, I'm
going to choose this way at the fork in the road.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
And the wisdom and discernment that you have collected along
the way where you are so in tune with Him,
it's evident in the way you talk and how you
present yourself. So it's really powerful to witness, especially again
in the world the age and danies that we're going
up in. You know that influencers out there aren't necessarily
staying true to their values. So it's really a beautiful
testament to who you are. A lot of what we
(09:57):
talk about here on what's God Got to do it
that does come around the self image and the self
worth and the body image conversation, since that's something that
so many people, especially women, wrestle with. And obviously you're
a mother and you know you've experienced, but both sides
of that spectrum how have you come to view your
own self worth through the lens of faith?
Speaker 4 (10:15):
And what was it like.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
For you navigating growing up on TV in front of
an audience as you were just navigating everyday things that
his teenagers adults go through when it.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Comes to your own self image and body image.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah, I share a lot of this.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
I have a podcast for those of you who might
not know. We've been running for a couple of years now,
and I deep dive into a lot of these types
of topics. It's called The Canvas Cameron Burray Podcast, So
you can just google my name and it'll pop up.
And it's uncomfortable for any person growing up. It's awkward,
teenage yeers, all of that stuff, and then you grow
(10:50):
up on television it gets amplified in the sense that
you have millions of people looking at you and your
your body changing as you're developing and get sits on
your face and go through awkward hairstyles and clothing moments,
all that stuff. But you know, certainly the good things
and all that I enjoyed working on television as an
(11:12):
actor really outweighed the uncomfortableness of it. But it certainly
skews your.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Mind so I am.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
You know, I have openly admitted and talked about my
struggles with an eating disorder and the struggles I've had
with body image over my career and my time as
a woman and my life. And while you know those
things are definitely have been for many many years on
a much better track, it's just something we're all kind
of consumed with because of social media and what we
(11:42):
watch on television.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
We compare ourselves to other people.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
And I will go back and I've had so many
God moments and revelation moments and appreciation for my body
and its ability. And I think as we get older
and wiser, we it helps us understand who are, what
we were made for, created for, and some of those
things finally will become less and less important. I'm so
(12:08):
grateful for that. And you know, when I'm not feeling
perfect about my body, I know that nobody cares about
that part. They're looking at my smile, they're listening to
the words I have to say. And at the end
of the day, like nobody cares when you've passed away,
they're not going to talk about like, well she was
ten pounds lighter or thirty pounds heavier.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
No manys about, but those are the things that.
Speaker 5 (12:32):
You really need to renew your mind about. And as
a mom, it's something I've tried to have discretion about
as well, and making sure that my own children have
a healthier body image than I did growing up, and
realizing the negative self talk that can happen when you
aren't even realizing that you're negatively talking about yourself.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So it's certainly been a journey.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
I'm on it with all of you. If you those
are that way, like, it's just no different for me.
But I've learned and had gotten many great useful tools
over the years that helped me focus on the things
that are truly important.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
And even as you were speaking, what I'm hearing you
say is like your value system of how you weigh
and measure your self worth has transformed over the years.
You struggled just like the rest of us. But it
comes back to this identity piece. You've known who you
are and who you are and that seemed to kind
of anchor you in navigating.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
All of that.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Yeah, exactly, you said, we love it.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So coming back to this conversation of motherhood, you know,
what would you say is your favorite thing about navigating
all of the different hats that you wear and motherhood
and then what's the most challenging thing for you right now?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Well, this past season on my podcast, we've talked all
about parenting.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
We deep dive into it.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
My husband even joins for a couple of episodes, and
my daughter and one of my boys, and so I
would encourage you no matter what age. We talk about
parenting from infancy up through adult children. And you know,
now that my children are adults, we can look back
and we have great relationship with all three of our kids.
(14:07):
We love to hang out, they love to hang out
with me. We finally come to the point where we
actually get to be friends because growing up and being
a parent, I was like, I'm not your friend, I'm
your parent. There's rules and boundaries and this is how
we're going.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
To do it.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
And same with my husband. He's an incredible father. We
are very blessed in that way and very intentional. And
I'll tell you all the sacrifices and all the time
that we've spent with our kids that at times probably
felt very overwhelming for me as a mom, and you're like,
why am I doing this? It's going in one ear
and out the other. Am I ever going to get
through the season of life. I'm so grateful that we
(14:44):
stayed consistent through all of it because now you see
the fruit of that as they are all adults, and
so Mama's I'm just encouraging you.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Hang in there, man, hang in there, and.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Remember everything is a season, whether you're in the toddler years,
you're in the t teenage years. Be intentional, be consistent,
find the joy, and find the joy in Jesus because
he will get us through the hard times, because He
even tells us in the Bible that we get to
have his joy. Our joy comes through him. And you know,
every season will pass, so some will be great and
(15:18):
you'll miss them, and some will be really hard and
you will be so grateful.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
That you get out of them. Yeah, but that really
is the beauty of life.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
So beautifully, Button. I love how you are so transparent
about your journey as a woman, as a wife, as
a mom, as a business owner, as an actress. And
it's a beautiful again model to see what's possible in
the Hollywood world, you know. So coming back full circle
to these movies that you have coming out, is there
a message or a hope that you want viewers to
(15:46):
take away from your holiday films that you have coming out. Yes,
so a great American family channel, we have really leaned
into bringing you the most original thing and family forward
Christmas content that's available out there. We are bringing more
meaningful and quality stories than we've ever had before, and
(16:10):
we want to celebrate Christmas as it's meant to be.
So you'll find many heartfelt stories that have a lot
of faith in them, and we.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Really hope that you walk away with hope and great
memories and it helps light up the season for your family.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Was there anything specific about these movies that made these.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Specific projects special to you?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I know that you got to go a little bit,
like you said, deeper into the storylines and really make
it relatable to the audience. Was there anything that kind
of sticks out from these projects that were special to
you this time around?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Because I know you've made so many and.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
They probably all have their moments, but was there anything
that you can remember from these ones?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah, they really do.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I am I'm so blessed that I work with people
and choose to work with people, many people of faith,
which is wonderful. One thing that was so special on
a Ristmas Less Traveled. Are the two writers that wrote
this movie, Taylor Kalupa and Macey McLain, who are beautiful
God honoring women and brought this story of faith to life,
(17:10):
and so giving them a huge shout out.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
But you know, to have.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Made so many Christmas movies and I'm so proud of
every one of them, But now to really focus on
stories that have more meaningful faith.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Content is what stands out to me.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
I'm going to continue to do that for this next
leg of my journey in life.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Thank you again for your boldness in your faith, coming
from a Hebrew speaking Bacon love and Jew who found
Jesus like boldness in my faith was one of the
things that I'll have to look to other people to
model what that looks like because it's scary. So thank
you for just being who you are, just to peek
behind the curtain of your faith life. Are there any
worship songs that you have on repeat right now?
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Is there any.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Scripture that you just go to as your go to?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
What are some things in your own faith life that
move you and ground you and bring me back to
who you are?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
That's all I.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
Listen to is pretty much contemporary Christian music.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And worship music.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
I don't really know the songs on the radio. They
always ask me to go on name that too, and
I'm like no. So Matthew West is one of my
favorite artists. But Anne Wilson bugging her right now so much.
And then you know, love all kinds of you know,
Elevation Worship and Brandon Lake.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And all of that.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
The lyrics are so positive, so encouraging me to me
and they always put me in the right place. So
I love singing along whether it's in my car or
it's on my workout playlist. You know, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah, huge shout out to the Bible Recap.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
This is es terribly cobble, really cobble, and it's very easy.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
It's totally free.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
But if you want to read through the Bible, it's
one of the best Bible apps I've had. It tells
you what to read every day, which is very short,
takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and then you listen
to her podcast and it's like a seven minute breakdown
of what.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
You just read.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
It's so helpful.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
It gives you context, helps you learn the scriptures, all
of that, and so it really has changed my life.
I'm on my third time around reading through the Bible
with Tara Lee on the Bible Recap, and so I'll
say that because I could give you others, but really
I want you to read the whole Bible.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I want you tooge to encourage the absolutely Bible.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
It is absolutely changed my life, even as a believer.
I've been a believer since I was twelve, but it
wasn't until the last few years I started reading the Bible,
not from front to back but chronologically and understanding the
whole story from front to back of God's love for us.
It's absolutely rocked my world, changed my life. So check
(19:43):
out the Bible Recap. And before we do go, I
want to mention to everyone. We have this amazing Christmas
festival with great American family that is going to be
in New York this season. It starts November twenty second.
It runs five week in a row and at the
Ubs Arena, you can bring your whole family.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It's an outdoor experience.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
It's kind of like being dropped in one of our
Christmas movies in a small town. So every night there'll
be a tree lighting ceremony. You can have pictures with Santa.
There's gonna be gourmet food and drinks. Your favorite stars
from the channel will be there screening our movies, doing
q and as taking photos with you. You can craft, you
(20:28):
can Carol Oake with your family.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
I mean this really really fun experience.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
So if you want to travel during the holidays this year,
come check us out in New York and specifically Long
Island the UBS Arena, and you can get all of
that information at Great American Family Christmas Festival dot com
and you can get your tickets there too.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Amazing. We will absolutely link that in the show notes
as well as your podcast. Where else can people find you?
Stock you all the things.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
You know what?
Speaker 5 (20:57):
You can find me on socials and my social across
the board on all platforms is Candace c Beret b
U r E and yeah, all things Candace are on
socials beautiful.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
We'll make sure to link that in the sohow notes,
so it's super accessible if you want to Carol Loki
with the best of them and follow all the things.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Thank you for being who you are and being a
stand in your identity and modeling to us what that.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Even looks like. So We're just so grateful to have
you on What's God Got to Do With It? Candace,
appreciate you and thank you.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
We'll be back with more What's God Got to Do
with It?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
But in the meantime, I would definitely love to hear
from you, so just tell me where you are in
your story or maybe what questions you have, like where
do you feel you need clarity or support or wisdom
in your own journey. I definitely want to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
So head on over to What's God Got to Do
with It?
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Dot com and scroll down to the form to share
your thoughts, your questions, your feedback, and.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
You can do that instantly.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
What's God Got to Do with It? Dot Com You'll
find all the ways to do that. And if you
like this podcast and want to hear more, go ahead
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while you're there, be sure to rate and review to
(22:20):
show your support. It really means so much. What's God
Got to Do With It? Is an iHeartRadio podcast on
the Amy Brown Podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's written and hosted by me Leanne Ellington.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio, post production and editing by
Houston Tilley, and original music written by Cheryl Stark and
produced by Adam Stark
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Not here to preach. Gonna keep it clean
and talk to me and recause where faith means all
nature and get in touch with your creator with a
baking love and jo She even speaks Hebrew. What's that?
(00:31):
What's that? As well? Some posion you should talking transformation?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What's done?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzato?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hey God pod listeners.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm so excited about today's guest because she's somebody who
has inspired and entertained.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
So many of us over the years.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
And you probably know her best as DJ Tanner from
Full House, but Canda's Cameron Burret is so much more
than that. Candace is a CEO, a business owner, a producer,
and actress. And she's a mom, a wife, and a
woman of deep faith. And today she's joining me to
share her journey both on and off the screen. And
(01:17):
in this episode we dive into some really meaningful conversations
about her two new Christmas movies, what it's like being
a mom, and how she navigated self image and body
image while growing up in the public.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Eye in Hollywood.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We also talk about her relationship with God and how
her faith continues to guide her through all aspects of
her life. This is a beautiful and inspiring conversation that
you won't want to miss. So grab your favorite cozy drink,
settle in, and let's dive into my conversation with Candace
Cameron Burret.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Hey, Candace, it's so great to meet you. Thanks for
doing this. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
There's a lot that I want to dive into, especially
since you have not just one, but two new holiday
movies coming out.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So let's just start there.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, both of your upcoming movies, A Christmas Less
Traveled and Home Sweet Christmas.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
They focus on.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Themes of healing and coming together and finding purpose and
unexpected places. And so, was there a scene or a
particular moment meaningful or memorable for you? And do your
movies have a healing place in your own journey?
Speaker 5 (02:22):
I absolutely love making Christmas movies. It's been such a
huge part of my career over the last fifteen years.
I've made more than fifty television movies in my career,
and a large percentage of that are Christmas. So they're
all meaningful to me, and I'm always trying to find
the script that's gonna not only feel fresh, but connect
(02:44):
and relate and feel meaningful to me. And these two
movies certainly have those elements to them. So in a
Christmas Less Traveled, it's about a woman whose father has
passed and he leaves her these cassette tapes where he
voices all of his regrets that he wished he had
shared with his daughter emotionally, and you know, in hopes
(03:05):
that it gives her courage and hope and strength in
the rest of her life. And she travels in her
vintage read Christmas truck listening to these cassette tapes, and
of course, in true Christmas fashion, she meets a handsome
man along the way who also joins her in the journey.
But I will tell you, you know, even filming this movie,
and I'm so grateful that both my parents are healthy
(03:28):
and alive, but even thinking about hearing my father's voice
or you know one day he is going to be gone,
it just was so so powerful. And on the set
filming those scenes, I was balling my eyes out like
way more than I needed to, not because the script
told me I had to.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
But you get a little older every year.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Passes, and you realize how important people are in your
life and how grateful you are for the things that
God has given you in life. And so both of
these movies very much feel that way for me, and
I can always find very relatable moments.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
And I hope our audience does too.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Absolutely yeah, And I love that it's given you that
sacred kind of appreciation for what you have and your
family and your walk with faith. So I'm curious, how
does your faith guide you when you're choosing projects and
choosing these movies to make.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I've dedicated my whole career to be in the family
entertainment space, and I've never veered from that. It's been
very intentional. And I am a woman of faith also
and love sharing Jesus with people and getting people to
read the Bible that have never read the Bible. It's
the most incredible and special book in my life. And
(04:40):
so I don't separate my faith from who I am
or when I walk out the door, or within my career.
So I've loved that I produce projects because that's what
my passion is and where I get to share stories
of faith, and some of them, you know, over the years,
they're not all stories of faith, but they're always family friendly.
You can always be sure that if you have a
(05:01):
movie that has my face in.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
It, that it's okay if your a three year old.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Walks in on it.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
You know. But as I've gotten older and my faith
has always been important, I do cherish the years I
have left to continue producing this type of content and
have really really leaned into sharing more faith content over
the years because that's where my heart is at.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah, And I love that you don't compartmentalize who you
are where you are everywhere. You bring you with you,
and that includes your faith and you're not trying to,
you know, shy away from that. And that's just such
a beautiful role model nowadays. And a lot of people
might not know this, but you're also a CEO and
a business owner and a producer and a best selling
author and an actress, and you wear so many hats,
and so how would you say your faith helps you
(05:45):
navigate all of these roles while staying true to who
you are and staying true to yourself and your identity.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
You know, God gives us all talents and it's kind
of what we do with them and what our perspective
is on it. And I know that God has given
me all the things to steward, and I pray every
day to steward them well. And again, I love the
hats that I wear. I'm a very entrepreneurial person. I
am a go getter. I have a lot of drive,
(06:12):
which is why I do a lot of things. But
I know that that comes from God and I never
want to separate that, and I always want to be
honoring to Him and all those choices I make. So
humility is something that's on the top of my list
that I continue to pray for and ask God for
and persevere. Like I said, I want to steward all
the gifts that He's given me.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Well, yeah, and He's given you so so many and
we get to enjoy the fruits of that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
And you know that being said, you've had such a
vibrant career, you know, from childhood, and Hollywood is a
place that can definitely challenge somebody's values and identity. I
think that's a pretty well known thing that you have
stayed true to who you are and what you believe in,
even with all the pressures out there to conform. And
so what advice would you give to anyone who is
trying to love and accept themselves in a world where
(06:59):
it is so easy to conform or succumb to that
comparison itis.
Speaker 5 (07:03):
Listen, it can be incredibly challenging. There's so many parables.
Even Jesus talked about the seed sower. You know that
seed falls on different types of soil, and when strife
and hardships come along, the seeds don't grow anymore. They
get suffocated, they get so easily entangled. And that's a
metaphor for how we feel in life that sometimes when
(07:25):
the going gets rough, we just fall apart. And it's
easier to fall into worldly values than biblical ones. But
I tell you, when you read the Great Book, the
Holy Bible, there is so much love and truth that
comes from God. He's so incredibly loving. And when I know,
when you know who you are in God, it's so
(07:45):
much greater than what the world tells you, and it
is pure truth in that. So reading that Bible, I
would encourage everyone to read it, but read it daily
because it renews, it refreshes your mind. And we have
to know who we are in God, because if we
don't the world will try to tell us who we are,
and it's so easily will pull us to the other direction,
(08:08):
But we stay focused, we stay rooted and keep our
eyes focused on.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
What God says. Yeah, Oh, it's so so powerful what
you're saying.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Was there ever a moment where you felt shaky in
that where you're just like, okay, am I supposed to
go this direction, but no, God to hear you calling
me in the other direction. Because obviously you've been a
stand for faith in Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Very very publicly, very boldly.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Was there ever a moment that that Kina came to
fruition because of a defining moment in your career.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Sure, there's lots of crossroads in life, and some of
them a little easier than others, or they don't seem
as weighty as others. But there's always a pull. There's
always a pull in two different directions. And I'm very
grateful in that I love Jesus so much, I love God,
and I've never wavered on my faith in that I
(08:54):
know I can have these big questions and wonder, you know, God,
why this, Why would you do that? And yet I
know that He has my best interest at heart. So
I've never wavered from my faith. But sure are lots
of decisions when it's like God, I don't know what
to do here, which way am I supposed to go?
And so you just pray for open doors and closed
doors that if that's not the way God wants you
(09:15):
to go, that he would reveal that, and he does.
Every single time you pray for closed doors, God.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Will shut them.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
So it makes it very easy to go, Okay, I'm
going to choose this way at the fork in the road.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
And the wisdom and discernment that you have collected along
the way where you are so in tune with Him,
it's evident in the way you talk and how you
present yourself. So it's really powerful to witness, especially again
in the world the age and danies that we're going
up in. You know that influencers out there aren't necessarily
staying true to their values. So it's really a beautiful
testament to who you are. A lot of what we
(09:57):
talk about here on what's God Got to do it
that does come around the self image and the self
worth and the body image conversation, since that's something that
so many people, especially women, wrestle with. And obviously you're
a mother and you know you've experienced, but both sides
of that spectrum how have you come to view your
own self worth through the lens of faith?
Speaker 4 (10:15):
And what was it like.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
For you navigating growing up on TV in front of
an audience as you were just navigating everyday things that
his teenagers adults go through when it.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Comes to your own self image and body image.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah, I share a lot of this.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
I have a podcast for those of you who might
not know. We've been running for a couple of years now,
and I deep dive into a lot of these types
of topics. It's called The Canvas Cameron Burray Podcast, So
you can just google my name and it'll pop up.
And it's uncomfortable for any person growing up. It's awkward,
teenage yeers, all of that stuff, and then you grow
(10:50):
up on television it gets amplified in the sense that
you have millions of people looking at you and your
your body changing as you're developing and get sits on
your face and go through awkward hairstyles and clothing moments,
all that stuff. But you know, certainly the good things
and all that I enjoyed working on television as an
(11:12):
actor really outweighed the uncomfortableness of it. But it certainly
skews your.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Mind so I am.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
You know, I have openly admitted and talked about my
struggles with an eating disorder and the struggles I've had
with body image over my career and my time as
a woman and my life. And while you know those
things are definitely have been for many many years on
a much better track, it's just something we're all kind
of consumed with because of social media and what we
(11:42):
watch on television.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
We compare ourselves to other people.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
And I will go back and I've had so many
God moments and revelation moments and appreciation for my body
and its ability. And I think as we get older
and wiser, we it helps us understand who are, what
we were made for, created for, and some of those
things finally will become less and less important. I'm so
(12:08):
grateful for that. And you know, when I'm not feeling
perfect about my body, I know that nobody cares about
that part. They're looking at my smile, they're listening to
the words I have to say. And at the end
of the day, like nobody cares when you've passed away,
they're not going to talk about like, well she was
ten pounds lighter or thirty pounds heavier.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
No manys about, but those are the things that.
Speaker 5 (12:32):
You really need to renew your mind about. And as
a mom, it's something I've tried to have discretion about
as well, and making sure that my own children have
a healthier body image than I did growing up, and
realizing the negative self talk that can happen when you
aren't even realizing that you're negatively talking about yourself.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
So it's certainly been a journey.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
I'm on it with all of you. If you those
are that way, like, it's just no different for me.
But I've learned and had gotten many great useful tools
over the years that helped me focus on the things
that are truly important.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
And even as you were speaking, what I'm hearing you
say is like your value system of how you weigh
and measure your self worth has transformed over the years.
You struggled just like the rest of us. But it
comes back to this identity piece. You've known who you
are and who you are and that seemed to kind
of anchor you in navigating.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
All of that.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Yeah, exactly, you said, we love it.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So coming back to this conversation of motherhood, you know,
what would you say is your favorite thing about navigating
all of the different hats that you wear and motherhood
and then what's the most challenging thing for you right now?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Well, this past season on my podcast, we've talked all
about parenting.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
We deep dive into it.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
My husband even joins for a couple of episodes, and
my daughter and one of my boys, and so I
would encourage you no matter what age. We talk about
parenting from infancy up through adult children. And you know,
now that my children are adults, we can look back
and we have great relationship with all three of our kids.
(14:07):
We love to hang out, they love to hang out
with me. We finally come to the point where we
actually get to be friends because growing up and being
a parent, I was like, I'm not your friend, I'm
your parent. There's rules and boundaries and this is how
we're going.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
To do it.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
And same with my husband. He's an incredible father. We
are very blessed in that way and very intentional. And
I'll tell you all the sacrifices and all the time
that we've spent with our kids that at times probably
felt very overwhelming for me as a mom, and you're like,
why am I doing this? It's going in one ear
and out the other. Am I ever going to get
through the season of life. I'm so grateful that we
(14:44):
stayed consistent through all of it because now you see
the fruit of that as they are all adults, and
so Mama's I'm just encouraging you.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Hang in there, man, hang in there, and.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Remember everything is a season, whether you're in the toddler years,
you're in the t teenage years. Be intentional, be consistent,
find the joy, and find the joy in Jesus because
he will get us through the hard times, because He
even tells us in the Bible that we get to
have his joy. Our joy comes through him. And you know,
every season will pass, so some will be great and
(15:18):
you'll miss them, and some will be really hard and
you will be so grateful.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
That you get out of them. Yeah, but that really
is the beauty of life.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
So beautifully, Button. I love how you are so transparent
about your journey as a woman, as a wife, as
a mom, as a business owner, as an actress. And
it's a beautiful again model to see what's possible in
the Hollywood world, you know. So coming back full circle
to these movies that you have coming out, is there
a message or a hope that you want viewers to
(15:46):
take away from your holiday films that you have coming out. Yes,
so a great American family channel, we have really leaned
into bringing you the most original thing and family forward
Christmas content that's available out there. We are bringing more
meaningful and quality stories than we've ever had before, and
(16:10):
we want to celebrate Christmas as it's meant to be.
So you'll find many heartfelt stories that have a lot
of faith in them, and we.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Really hope that you walk away with hope and great
memories and it helps light up the season for your family.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Was there anything specific about these movies that made these.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Specific projects special to you?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
I know that you got to go a little bit,
like you said, deeper into the storylines and really make
it relatable to the audience. Was there anything that kind
of sticks out from these projects that were special to
you this time around?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Because I know you've made so many and.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
They probably all have their moments, but was there anything
that you can remember from these ones?
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah, they really do.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I am I'm so blessed that I work with people
and choose to work with people, many people of faith,
which is wonderful. One thing that was so special on
a Ristmas Less Traveled. Are the two writers that wrote
this movie, Taylor Kalupa and Macey McLain, who are beautiful
God honoring women and brought this story of faith to life,
(17:10):
and so giving them a huge shout out.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
But you know, to have.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Made so many Christmas movies and I'm so proud of
every one of them, But now to really focus on
stories that have more meaningful faith.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Content is what stands out to me.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
I'm going to continue to do that for this next
leg of my journey in life.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Thank you again for your boldness in your faith, coming
from a Hebrew speaking Bacon love and Jew who found
Jesus like boldness in my faith was one of the
things that I'll have to look to other people to
model what that looks like because it's scary. So thank
you for just being who you are, just to peek
behind the curtain of your faith life. Are there any
worship songs that you have on repeat right now?
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Is there any.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Scripture that you just go to as your go to?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
What are some things in your own faith life that
move you and ground you and bring me back to
who you are?
Speaker 4 (17:57):
That's all I.
Speaker 5 (17:58):
Listen to is pretty much contemporary Christian music.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And worship music.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
I don't really know the songs on the radio. They
always ask me to go on name that too, and
I'm like no. So Matthew West is one of my
favorite artists. But Anne Wilson bugging her right now so much.
And then you know, love all kinds of you know,
Elevation Worship and Brandon Lake.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And all of that.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
The lyrics are so positive, so encouraging me to me
and they always put me in the right place. So
I love singing along whether it's in my car or
it's on my workout playlist. You know, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah, huge shout out to the Bible Recap.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
This is es terribly cobble, really cobble, and it's very easy.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
It's totally free.
Speaker 5 (18:45):
But if you want to read through the Bible, it's
one of the best Bible apps I've had. It tells
you what to read every day, which is very short,
takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and then you listen
to her podcast and it's like a seven minute breakdown
of what.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
You just read.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
It's so helpful.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
It gives you context, helps you learn the scriptures, all
of that, and so it really has changed my life.
I'm on my third time around reading through the Bible
with Tara Lee on the Bible Recap, and so I'll
say that because I could give you others, but really
I want you to read the whole Bible.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I want you tooge to encourage the absolutely Bible.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
It is absolutely changed my life, even as a believer.
I've been a believer since I was twelve, but it
wasn't until the last few years I started reading the Bible,
not from front to back but chronologically and understanding the
whole story from front to back of God's love for us.
It's absolutely rocked my world, changed my life. So check
(19:43):
out the Bible Recap. And before we do go, I
want to mention to everyone. We have this amazing Christmas
festival with great American family that is going to be
in New York this season. It starts November twenty second.
It runs five week in a row and at the
Ubs Arena, you can bring your whole family.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It's an outdoor experience.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
It's kind of like being dropped in one of our
Christmas movies in a small town. So every night there'll
be a tree lighting ceremony. You can have pictures with Santa.
There's gonna be gourmet food and drinks. Your favorite stars
from the channel will be there screening our movies, doing
q and as taking photos with you. You can craft, you
(20:28):
can Carol Oake with your family.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
I mean this really really fun experience.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
So if you want to travel during the holidays this year,
come check us out in New York and specifically Long
Island the UBS Arena, and you can get all of
that information at Great American Family Christmas Festival dot com
and you can get your tickets there too.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Amazing. We will absolutely link that in the show notes
as well as your podcast. Where else can people find you?
Stock you all the things.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
You know what?
Speaker 5 (20:57):
You can find me on socials and my social across
the board on all platforms is Candace c Beret b
U r E and yeah, all things Candace are on
socials beautiful.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
We'll make sure to link that in the sohow notes,
so it's super accessible if you want to Carol Loki
with the best of them and follow all the things.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Thank you for being who you are and being a
stand in your identity and modeling to us what that.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Even looks like. So We're just so grateful to have
you on What's God Got to Do With It? Candace,
appreciate you and thank you.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
We'll be back with more What's God Got to Do
with It?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
But in the meantime, I would definitely love to hear
from you, so just tell me where you are in
your story or maybe what questions you have, like where
do you feel you need clarity or support or wisdom
in your own journey. I definitely want to hear from you.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
So head on over to What's God Got to Do
with It?
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Dot com and scroll down to the form to share
your thoughts, your questions, your feedback, and.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
You can do that instantly.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
What's God Got to Do with It? Dot Com You'll
find all the ways to do that. And if you
like this podcast and want to hear more, go ahead
and follow, like, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
to get your weekly dose of What's God Got to
Do with It? New episodes drop every single Tuesday, and
while you're there, be sure to rate and review to
(22:20):
show your support. It really means so much. What's God
Got to Do With It? Is an iHeartRadio podcast on
the Amy Brown Podcast Network.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It's written and hosted by me Leanne Ellington.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio, post production and editing by
Houston Tilley, and original music written by Cheryl Stark and
produced by Adam Stark
Host
Leanne Ellington
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