Unfortunately, the typical child star is known to be found in less-than-positive predicaments when reaching adulthood. Candace Cameron Bure is anything but typical.

Sure, she’s most readily remembered as D.J. Tanner from the family-friendly sitcom “Full House” (1987–1995), but the versatile actress has a stable of other television shows (“Make It or Break It”), movies (gmc TV’s Emmy-nominated “The Heart of Christmas,” Hallmark’s “Puppy Love” and “Moonlight & Mistletoe”), a New York Times best-selling book Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness, along with Roomag.com, a faith-based website for women, and serves as a motivational speaker.

Yet as she recently shared with watchgmctv.com, her ability to navigate the entertainment industry’s changing tides pales in comparison to the satisfaction that comes from family life and faith. “I’m a mom and that’s what I’ve been most busy with,” the now 36-year-old shares with the same charm and enthusiasm that made her a household name since her career began at age five. “I’ve been raising a 14, 12 and 10-year-old, and right now, am concentrating on getting them back to school.”

The star clearly has a full house of her own alongside hubby/former NHL hockey player Val Bure. The couple tied the knot in 1996 after being introduced by “Full House” co-star Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone). Since then, they’ve shared a fairly normal home life with children Natasha, Lev and Maks, and like any mother, Cameron Bure can’t help but notice just how quickly they’re growing up.

“My husband retired six years ago and we’re both stay-at-home parents, but we both work on and off,” she explains. “My daughter started high school this year, and I just realized I only have four years left before she goes to college. It’s surreal and scary all at the same time, and I wonder ‘Am I pouring into my children everything I can be pouring into them?’ My day-to-day life is really being a mom, taking the kids to and from school and activities. The boys play hockey, and our daughter loves to sing and is on the volleyball team. I’m cleaning house and cooking meals, then I occasionally work and do a movie that takes three or four weeks and my husband is home with the kids. We actually have a family winery, and he goes back and forth to Napa Valley all the time. He also competed in the show ‘Battle of the Blades’ in Canada, which is pairs figure skating couples, kind of like “Dancing with the Stars.’”

The Show Goes On
Even with the generally calm life both famous parents lead, hardly a day goes by when Cameron Bure isn’t recognized for her work on “Full House,” especially considering the entire series is now available on DVD and continues to surface in television reruns. Considering it’s been 25 years since the pilot first hit the airwaves, her memory of specific details is a little foggy, but she’s still proud of the positive messages and gets constant feedback of its cross-generational appeal.

“People still watch the show with their kids and people are attracted to the fact that there are wholesome family values,” she observes. “Our hairstyles might change, our clothes might change, but family values don’t. It’s become a source of comfort for parents who grew up watching it because they know it’s safe for their children to watch it. There’s not a ton of options with really wholesome programming these days, but I love networks like gmc who produce family films. As far as day-to-day television shows go, times have changed, but I appreciate the older shows.”

Real-life friendships made on the set continue to this day, with Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) friends and running pals, plus there are regular reunions with the couple’s matchmaker, Coulier. She’s also quick to point out Bob Saget (Danny Tanner), John Stamos (Uncle Jesse) and Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner) also remain mutually supportive of one another’s charitable pursuits and often pop up on the red carpet together.
 
Charity Beyond Celebrity
“I have three charities that I work a lot with, starting with Compassion International,” continues Cameron Bure. “We’ve been sponsoring kids through Compassion for probably eight or nine years, and we have three kids in Bangladesh. When my husband won ‘Battle of the Blades,’ that was the charity that was chosen and we got to go to the Dominican Republic and donate $50,000 to one of the facilities there.

Another charity is Skip1.org, which feeds hungry children, women and the homeless and also builds kitchens in third-world countries. The whole premise is to skip something like a latte and donate that money, 100 percent of which goes to feeding the children.

Thirdly, I’m the ambassador for the National House of Hope, which houses teenagers having a difficult time getting back on track in society. They’re all centered through the gospel and based on Biblical principles.”

It’s no secret that Cameron Bure is an outspoken Christian who first proclaimed her faith at age 12 but recommitted her life to the Lord in her early 20s after actor/brother Kirk Cameron (of “Growing Pains” fame) passed on Ray Comfort’s book “The Way of the Master.” Since then, each or her roles and projects have been cast with great spiritual consideration, though her next venture may be the most overt (and most diverse) to date.

The actress just announced she’ll be tag-teaming with the faith-based organization Israel Theme Tours (www.israelthemetours.com/candace) to lead a ten-day trip to the Holy Land in June 2013, which promises all the historic sights (Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River), plus the opportunity to literally walk in the footsteps of Jesus. The famous docent also promises plenty of time for pictures, conversations and general fellowship amongst the group of travelers.

“For several years I wanted to go to Israel, and as my faith has grown, it’s a place I’ve dreamed about,” she asserts. “I had prayed about it for a really long time, and God just has a neat way of putting things together. Within a couple of weeks of me talking about it and continuing to pray about it, I got this cool opportunity to host a tour throughout Israel, and I said ‘Okay, this is God.’ I can’t even talk about Israel or think of the Holy Land without getting chills or tearing up. I’m not only excited to bring my entire family, but that I get to go with fans and friends. What a way to see Israel with like-minded people and get to know one another!”

As Cameron Bure checks off one more dream from the bucket list, it begs the question of what the future holds for the remarkably well-rounded personality. While her career’s certainly been extraordinary so far, the answer is a lot more humble than what one might expect from a woman familiar to millions.

“My goals are honestly so focused on my children and my marriage and pouring into them in faith and in prayer,” she sums up. “Anything else I’m able to do beyond that is great, but I’m just taking the season to re-evaluate and concentrate on family.”

Copyright 2012, watchgmctv.com. For permission to repost or reprint, click here.

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About the Writer

Andy Argyrakis is a Chicago-based entertainment writer/photographer who appears in the Chicago Tribune, IllinoisEntertainer, Daily Journal, Concert Livewire, Hear/Say Magazine and Image Chicago (to name few). His record label writing credits include Warner Brothers, Atlantic, Curb, EMI and Universal, with additional photo credits for Fuse TV, Live Nation, Nikon, Pollstar, Celebrity Access, Paste Magazine, MTV.com and Vibe.com. He’s also the author/narrator of "Access Matthews" (an audio CD tracing the career of Dave Matthews Band) and spends considerable time on tour, including outings with Arlo Guthrie, The Guess Who, Madina Lake (on Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution) and Gospel Music Channel’s very own "Gospel Dream" (where he served as season one judge).