I want to tell you about something spectacular that happened to me last Thursday night. It’s like one of those sparkling jewels you tuck away into a little treasure box; then you take it out later to explore from every facet…for the rest of your life.

Let me back up. A few months ago, a friend invited me to have lunch with her and a few other writers. I arranged childcare and drove an hour and a half to the restaurant where they were meeting. Well, I missed a turn along the way and got horribly lost. So I called my husband from the car, and he guided me there by satellite imagery. (Cool, huh?)

Since I walked in a few minutes late, everyone was already seated. I would have chosen to sit near my friend, but it seemed easiest for me to sit at the end of the table closest to the door.

My seat was right next to author Marion Bond West!

To say I was starstruck is an understatement. I’ve been reading Marion Bond West’s stories in Guideposts since I was in middle school. She takes the most ordinary events of life and tells them with such amazing detail and spiritual insight that you feel like you’re there, experiencing it all with her, and marveling along the way.

So, I talked to her throughout lunch, hoping that I wouldn’t say anything astronomically stupid. Right as we were leaving she said, “Oh, I’m coming to speak at a church near you. Sometime in November. Why don’t you write me, and I’ll send you the details.”

So I did. And she wrote back telling me she would be speaking on November 17. Well, I marked it on my calendar and didn’t give it another thought until I turned the page in my planner in early November. Oh — there’s that day she’s coming to speak. No problem — I’ll just call and preorder a ticket.

I called and left a message on a woman’s answering machine. She called me back the next day and said, “I’m so sorry, but all of our tickets have been sold out.” What! Sold out! “Oh no!” I told her. “I met Marion Bond West recently, and she invited me to come. I wish I’d called sooner.” We chatted for a few minutes, then she told me she’d be on the lookout for a ticket if anyone cancelled.

A week before the dinner, I got a phone call. I recognized the woman’s voice. “Well, Heather, I’ve got some good news for you,” she said. “I’ve found you a ticket! And the Lord put this on my heart — I really feel strongly about this. Would you like to come sit with me and my daughters, and Marion and her husband, at the head table?”

Would I? Would I! If she could have seen through the phone, she would have seen me jumping so high I put a dent in the ceiling!

So, I drove alone to the church that night. It was freezing cold outside, and I parked in a sea of cars. I wondered how many people were there — more than I expected. I figured she might be speaking before an audience of 300 or so.

I was wrong — I found out the church sold 700 tickets!

A teenage boy driving a golf cart (named Jake) stopped at my car and asked if he could give me and another woman a ride to the church gym. He drove us to the front door, which glittered in white Christmas lights. I’d forgotten — the event is called “Christmas Extravaganza.”

When I walked inside the new building, I was stunned. It was dark, the room lit only with candles and tiny white lights. Every table displayed a unique set of china and elaborate Christmas centerpieces. And the electric buzz of 700 happy women (freed from an evening in the kitchen!) was awe-inspiring. I felt like I was entering into a glamorous ballroom.

A high school girl came up to me and said, “You’re Heather Ivester. Here’s your ticket! You’re sitting at the table with me and my mom.” (Her mother is the lady who called me, the one in charge of the event.) She smiled, “I have to tell you, she’s never been so excited about giving someone a ticket before!” (It turns out she reads my column for moms in a local magazine; the pastor of this church also writes a column in the publication as well.)

She pointed out my table — #4. In the front of the room, right under the spotlight of the stage. I was one of the last ones to sit down. When I finally got to the table, I could see my namecard on a china plate. In the seat right next to Marion Bond West! I sat to her right, and her husband sat to her left. I was amazed!

I asked her right away, “Are you nervous? You’re going to be speaking in front of 700 people!”

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what I’m going to say. But I know God will give me the words.”

As we waited for our dinner, I enjoyed hearing all about their recent trip to New York City where they’d attended a Guidesposts writers’ workshop. We also talked about her daughter, Julie West Garmon, who’s flourishing in a writing career of her own.

I was afraid of saying too much — I kept thinking, she must feel so jittery inside. She’s about to get up and speak in front of 700 women! After we finished our meal and heard some beautiful singing entertainment, Marion went up on stage to give her speech. She carried no notes with her at all.

“I only have one story to tell you,” she said. “This is my testimony.” She told us how exhausting her early years of mothering were, how she’d stopped going to church because she was too tired from taking care of four small children (including twin boys). She had us all in stitches as she described her frustration. (And I can’t wait to write her a letter and tell her exactly how her speech ministered to me.)

She talked about what it’s like to feel “shipwrecked” in a sea of fear — and how God provides an island for you, called Trust. Then she told us the story of how she became a widow, and later met her present husband, Gene. He responded to an article she wrote in Guideposts on overcoming depression. It was amazing to hear her tell that story while I was sitting there watching his reaction. I also found Marion’s Marriage online.

Afterwards, Gene went up on stage and gave her a kiss. Then we all found a little gift under our table — a tiny golden picture frame with the word “Nevertheless” written in calligraphy inside. This is based on Marion’s book, The Nevertheless Principle. I also brought home chocolates, a book about Jesus, and a camera full of pictures that I’ll copy and send to people. I asked Marion to autograph the Table #4 card and she wrote, “Heather, how exciting to be with you tonight. Bless you! Love, Marion Bond West.”

I walked back to my car alone in the dark, teeth-chattering cold. But my heart was blazing with joy. How does God love me so much that He let me have such a rich, dazzling evening as that? I forgot to mention, I saw several of my children’s teachers there, as well as dozens of people I knew — everyone smiling and happy. And I got to sit next to the keynote speaker!

So, it all goes back to my being late to that restaurant and sitting next to Marion — and following through on her invitation. And the faithfulness of the woman who found me the ticket — she knew God wanted me to be there.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. God is so faithful, even when we aren’t. I’ve been so discouraged lately; I really needed an evening like that. He cared about every last detail, even down to the chocolates I brought home in my purse.

(c) 2005 Heather Ivester

Our son has been reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Two Towers a good bit this weekend. I’m proud of him. He’s flying through it, so it looks like we’ll be making a trip to the library because they’re out of school all week for Thanksgiving.

He’s been telling me all about it, and I love where the stories take him. But you know, there’s some controversy going on right now about Christian fantasy. Is it good for children? Is it harmful?

Hmmm…maybe I should start allowing comments on my site because I’d love to hear your opinions! For now, email me your thoughts and I’ll post some here. I’ve discovered a new children’s fantasy book, LANDON SNOW AND THE AUCTOR’S RIDDLE, released by Barbour, a Christian publishing company. Are they leading kids astray with this tale full of magical characters and settings? (No, I don’t think so — I’ll tell you more of my thoughts when I review it next week.)

Here’s what someone wrote to La Shawn Barber’s Corner yesterday:

well i dont watch star wars or lord of the rings or narnia. it is very likely that christians who are seeing this movie havent read their bibles in a long time. dust if off and read it. scoff and laugh if you want but the bible does say that few will find their way to heaven. I see no reason as a follower of Christ for me to align myself with witchcraft. None.

Comment by shari — 11.19.05 @ 1:27 am

What do you think about this? Where does J.K. Rowling stand spiritually? We haven’t gotten into the Harry Potter books yet — a Bible Study teacher I had once told us to keep our children away from them because of the wizardry. She used the example of Saul displeasing the Lord by consulting a medium, and she gave us these verses (from NKJV):

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer.
Deuteronomy 18:10

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king. 1 Samuel 15:23

If you’re interested in what people are saying about Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and others, then go read the blog comments at La Shawn Barber’s Corner from 11/18— last check, she had 22. It will be interesting if she does get her Christian Fantasy website up because a ton of people will go read it.

Here’s what Lisa Rice has to say to Christian parents in her article at Crosswalk.com this week, “Newest Harry Potter Flick Darkest Yet.”

For those addicted to “Harry Potter” books, no doubt they will see “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” But perhaps this fourth movie, adapted from the popular series written by J.K. Rowling, will be the one that compels us to ask why we would put this material into our children’s heads. As I looked around the theater and saw dozens of little children dressed as wizards and sorcerers, watching one horror after another on the big screen, my heart broke for the sheer lack of parental discernment…

The “Harry Potter” franchise boils down to one issue for parents. Witchcraft, wizardry, magic, spells, and other supernatural “powers” can pull on the strings of our souls, tapping into the natural, God-given desire in us to perform great spiritual exploits. Children, too, have these interests in the supernatural, but often lack the discernment necessary to make wise choices in their selection of entertainment.

So why not teach our children the real deal so that the counterfeit will no longer be appealing? Why not teach them about the School of the Holy Spirit, where ordinary children can be transformed into sword-wielding champions in a real Kingdom of good and evil? It is definitely something worth pondering.

Oh my — when I look at her rating of the movie — she describes the excessive violence, vulgarity, and a scene where a woman exposes herself, I think — why do our precious children need to be anywhere near that?

So, what do you think?

Are you a blogger? Are you thinking about starting a blog? Are you thinking about thinking about starting a blog?

I was afraid for months before I jumped into it. I didn’t know what I’d write about. I also thought it would only take me a couple of weeks before I’d run out of things to say. Then I went through a phase where I was emailing a bunch of people the same thing. Telling the same stories, but not wanting to send out a group email.

Finally, one day, I wrote a story about a tornado that ripped through our town, hopping over our house because of God’s mercy and my son’s prayers. I sent out a group email message, and it got forwarded around. Then I started getting emails back from people I didn’t even know — like my Dad’s accountant! Friends wrote back from as far away as Sweden and Japan. Someone told me how much my story had blessed them and made them want to give their kids a hug. I couldn’t believe it. I was hooked!

Paul Chaney feels the same way. I read his article this morning, “I love the blogosphere! It connects people at a personal level.” If I were looking to hire a marketing firm, his company, Radiant Marketing, would be at the top of my list because I know Paul’s a Christian and a great writer. I know he stays on top of his field, and he keeps a positive outlook day after day. I’ve never met him before, but I like reading his blog. (I especially enjoyed hearing about his recent trip to China!)

Here’s another article I found intriguing. It’s called “Do Not Fear the Blog” by Rebecca Goetz, published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. She’s a graduate student at Harvard who’s discovered to embrace instead of shun the blog. Yet, career counselors at her school are telling students that having a blog will harm their future academic careers. She disagrees.

I will say I try to keep my blog as professional as possible, and if I’m ever tempted to rant, I head to my ink pen and spiral notebook. I wonder about high schoolers and college students whose careers seem light years away. Are they being careful with their language?

Google is merciless. Something I said ten years ago still pops up under my name. I’d gotten a call from a reporter at my local newspaper one day asking how I felt about our dry weather and the potential that we wouldn’t have fireworks on the 4th of July. I made a brief comment, and THAT is still showing up faithfully under my name.

At least now Google has picked up Mom 2 Mom Connection first. I’m starting to see what God is doing with this. For now, it’s a lot of fun. If it ever stops being fun, well, I’ll do something else.

Thanks for popping in here to read. I hope you have a great weekend as we head into the Thanksgiving holidays.

P.S. I just read this from La Shawn Barber’s blog:

Are you going to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire today or early next week? If so, I’d love to hear an after-movie report and review, especially if you attended yesterday’s/today’s midnight viewing.

I will do a Goblet of Fire round-up post, so if you have a blog, send the link. If you don’t have a blog (Start one!), e-mail the report or post it in the comment section, and I will select the best reports and publish them on LBC.

I’m starting a blog for Christians who read fantasy fiction, and I’ll post reviews there, too.

Addendum: Any Narnia fans out there? I hadn’t read all of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, so I bought a bound volume of all seven yesterday at a bookstore in the airport. As you may know, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book in the series, hits theaters December 9.

I think I’ll send her my posts from this week about Christian fantasy. I heard recently that she gets over 50,000 visits a month to her blog.

I’ve been chatting about books all week. What would we do if we were actually sitting together in a little cafe having our discussions? We’d be starving by now. So, let’s eat.

I discovered a fabulous recipe site the other day, thanks to my friend Kara at Photanical Garden. She’s a mom of an almost one-year-old son and copywriter for Hasbro Games. She’s got a great sense of humor and posts interesting product reviews, recipes, and even a series on how she’s Blogging to Black. You’ll have to go read it — she’s found her blog to be a great place to deal with some financial issues.

So, she’s the one who discovered this recipe site. I’ll let her tell you about it in her own words, or you can read the complete post at her site.

While searching for recipe sites this weekend, I came across a wonderful site called Simply Recipes. It’s the cozy recipe catalog created by Elise Bauer, who shares her family’s love of cooking with the blogosphere.

I enjoy her blog because the recipes are easily categorized, there are photos for most of the entries, and the recipes she features are for foods I would actually like to make as opposed to the countless recipe books I’ve seen that offer weird or pretentious dishes that I can’t fathom having a craving for.

Elise also features some special offerings that you might not find elsewhere, such as her Chai recipe that I’m dying to try.

Cooking has become more interesting to me lately, as I’m trying to get out of the weekly dinner rut and create a list of enjoyable dishes that are fairly easy and go over well with the family (no easy feat). Simply Recipes will certainly be a resource for me on the journey!

Thanks, Kara! I visited Simply Recipes, and I love how easy it is to look things up. Plus, I need pictures for inspiration, and her photos are beautiful.

Anybody care for some sweet potato pie?

P.S. Kara is having a tagline contest for her blog. Can anybody help her out? You’ve got until Nov. 24. And here’s the grand prize:

And as if the fame and notoriety isn’t enough, I’ll bestow upon the winner an awesome SpongeBob Ants in the Square Pants game just in time for Christmas! Now, this is not just any off-the-shelf game. Oh no. I actually wrote all the copy on the package at my day job. I can autograph it if you like, of course . . . or not. So start thinking of those great taglines!

In a recent issue of ParentLife magazine, author Jonathan Rogers writes, “A virtuous life is a life of adventure: facing challenges, standing firm, rescuing the powerless, righting wrongs. A good children’s book dramatizes that adventure and makes it seem like the kind of life nobody would want to miss. It does not simply tell the reader what is right; it helps the reader to want what is right” (from the July 2005 article, “Read Me a Story”).

If you’ve entered into the kingdom of Corenwald through reading Book 1 of The Wilderking Trilogy, you’re ready for more fantastic adventures in the swamps in Book 2. Just be sure you clear out a few hours in your schedule once you pick this book up — because you’re NOT going to be able to put it down!

The Secret of the Swamp King begins in the court of King Darrow at Tambluff Castle. Aidan has lived here for three years, becoming best friends with the king’s only son, Prince Steren. The bond of loyalty between these two is as strong as if they were real brothers. Yet something evil begins to lurk in the heart of King Darrow — a flame of jealousy. He receives a mysterious message warning him, “Beware the youngest son of Errol. He has convinced himself that he is the Wilderking of ancient prophecy, and the rightful occupant of the throne at Tambluff.”

So, the king summons Aidan and sends him on an impossible quest — to go to the heart of the Feechiefen Swamp and bring him back something he desires — a secret orchid that may or may not even exist. The truth is, no one has ever returned from the swamp alive, so the king knows he’s sending Aidan to a certain death.

Or is he?

Hold on to your swamp rafts in this book — it’s action-packed. Every chapter is a cliffhanger, as Aidan returns to the wilds of the swamps and the world of the feechiefolk. Readers will recognize our much-loved feechie hero from Book 1, as Aidan does when he shouts, “Dobro Turtlebane! I’d know that smell anywhere!”

Before Aidan heads off to the edge of the eastern wilderness, he visits his father’s manor and refreshes his memory with the ancient lore of Corenwald. He must find “in deepest swamp, the house of bears.” Where is this place? The plot spirals around a mind-boggling mystery. Why has the wilderness become so dangerous? A new band of unfriendly feechies terrorizes the landscape. Where did they get their cold-shiny weapons of steel?

The peril of Aidan’s quest increases. Rattlesnakes, man-eating alligators, and kidnappers haunt the swamps. Will Aidan discover the source of the new evil and return alive from his journey?

Along the way, Rogers breaks up fast-paced action with scenes of hilarity that keep adult readers hooked. When Aidan encounters a band of rough-and-tough plume hunters who block his path, he writes, “But the really mesmerizing thing about the men was their enormous hair. It stood high on their heads and flipped back like great duck wings, plastered with potato starch on either side. It was the past year’s fashionable hairstyle at Tambluff.” (My husband and I just cracked up reading that, thinking of 80s band hairstyles like A Flock of Seagulls… Remember?)

And the feechiefolk dialogue is a constant source of entertainment. Here’s part of what you’ll hear as the feechies sing a love ballad:

My sweet feechie girl is the swamp’s finest pearl —
A treasure, and man, don’t I know it.
And I really do think that she loves me, too,
Though she don’t always know how to show it…

She smells just as sweet as a mud turtle’s feet
Her hair is as soft as a possum.
Once I walked by her side but she knocked me cross-eyed
It took me a week to uncross ’em.

Her voice is as pleasin’ as swamp lily season
She talks kind of froggy and crickety.
Once I give her a rose, and she busted my nose.
My sweetie can be right persnickety.

The Secret of the Swamp King will keep Wilderking fans impatiently turning the pages. “Just one more chapter, please, please!” is what you’ll hear long into the night. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.) But more than only bringing readers into a wild fantasy adventure, the author weaves in the source of Aidan’s character and strength — his hope and trust in the “one God.”

In an interview, Rogers says this: “It’s fine to tell our children that courage is good; it’s better to tell them a story that shows them that courage is beautiful and desirable; it’s better still to tell them a story that makes them feel courageous.”

The only trouble with finishing up Book 2 is that we’ve got to wait a few more months before Book 3 comes out!

Image source

I read this book when it first came out last fall, and now I’m pleased to find out that Mind & Media reviewers will soon be having a chance to read and review The Bark of the Bog Owl. Last summer, my son was in a Kids’ Book Club at a nearby bookstore, and the club read the first two books of The Wilderking Trilogy, this one and book two, The Secret of the Swamp King.

To coincide with the club’s reading, the bookstore scheduled the author to come hold discussion with the kids in the group. (He was also on his way through Georgia to visit family.) The kids loved it. One of the moms in the group told me her daughter has read Bog Owl four times! Rogers says his book is “a fantasy-adventure story told in an American accent.” Well, the accent is what makes these books hilarious — you’ve got to meet the Feechies!

The story takes place on the imaginary island of Corenwald, which is surrounded by wild, vine-tangled marshland and swamps. The River Tam runs through the center of the island, separating the world of “civilizers” who live in the established town of Tambluff (ruled by a monarch, King Darrow) from the less tame regions.

Our hero is Aidan Errolson, a 12-year-old boy who is stuck tending sheep in his father’s pasture at Longleaf Manor. He longs for adventure, yet the closest he gets to it is writing letters to the king on saw palmetto paper. “I specialize in dragon-slaying,” Aidan writes, “but would be happy to fight pirates or invading barbarians if circumstances require…I am at your service and eagerly await your reply.”

To pass the time, he composes lullabies to his lambs:

The gator glides along the Tam
Just thirty strides away.
But fear thee not, my little lamb,
Your shepherd’s here by night and day.

As soon as he finishes his song, the air is filled with the piercing call of the bog owl — a sound that “began as the sharp, short laugh of a monkey or hyena, then became a growling bark — almost as deep as a hound’s bay — and finally a wolfish howl. If the wilderness could speak with a single voice, it would sound like this. Ha-ha-ha-hrawffff-wooooooooo. . . Ha-ha-ha-hrawffff-wooooooooo.”

That sound — that calling — begins the great adventure that lies ahead for Aidan in all three books of The Wilderking Trilogy. And that sound is what makes kids love to hear these books read out loud as a family. It’s noisy reading. My husband has entertained everyone in our family with the bark of the bog owl.

Meanwhile, back at his father’s manor, a mysterious visitor arrives, Bayard the Truthspeaker. He summons the sons of Errol, and says the time has come for the Wilderking to arise and save the nation from destruction. He wants to see Aidan! (If you’re thinking of the prophet Samuel anointing the boy David, you’re close). When his brothers finally round up Aidan from the pasture, the old man sees him and speaks, “Hail to the Wilderking, Corenwald’s deliverer.”

Now, I can’t tell you what happens because you’ve got to read it — but there are parts that remind me of favorite books from my childhood — The Chronicles of Narnia, Tom Sawyer, and Robin Hood. All taking place in a south Georgia setting told by an author who knows and loves the Bible. No preaching going on here — just good solid character growth in all the right places.

Here’s an interview with Jonathan Rogers at Christianbook.com. When asked what his inspiration was for writing The Wilderking Trilogy, he answered:

I think I answer that question differently every time I’m asked it because there are so many things that inspire me or give me ideas. I read Wild at Heart right before I started writing these books, and that was an important influence. I was thinking about the role of wildness; I kept thinking, “I want my boys to know these things about authentic manhood.” But you can’t very well sit an eight-year-old down with Wild at Heart and tell him to start reading!

The swampy wilderness of South Georgia and Florida was definitely an inspiration. It’s not one of those settings you see all the time in adventure stories. I’ve always wanted to write something that was set in that world—as it turned out, it’s an imaginary world, but it still looks and sounds and smells like my native wilderness.

You can learn more in the rest of the interview or on the author’s Wilderking website. In the June 15 issue of Heads-Up newsletter at homeschoolblogger.com, Wayne S. Walker’s article, Now Choose a Good Book, Relax, and Read Away, lists what he feels are the best 120 children’s books, all of which he’s read to his family. Not surprisingly, Jonathan Rogers’ The Bark of the Bog Owl made the cut. See for yourself here — you’ll have to scroll down a bit.

Enjoy this new children’s classic! And if you like it, write to the author at his website. Or you can write to his publisher, Broadman & Holman. I’ll tell you my thoughts on Book 2 tomorrow, and rumor has it that Book 3 will be out in spring 2006.

P.S. I just discovered another review that is 50,000 times better than mine. It’s so beautifully written, she makes me want to read the book again! You can read it here at Children’s Publishing News.

Well, since it’s “I Love to Write Day, ” I just have to get back to my blog and write a post about writing. Have you written anything today? What did you write?

Today I was in my closet getting on my shoes to go pick up my kids at school, and I looked over and saw some old notebooks, my journals. There’s nothing spectacular about them; they’re only ink on white pages. But I flipped through one and saw where I’d recorded a few ordinary events, some snippets of conversations, and some of my wonderings — that simply turned Godward as prayers because I wrote them down.

This particular journal was from when my oldest son was five, so it was four years ago. What seemed like such a plain ol’ ordinary day then is important to me now. I wrote about how I’d taken my kids to an exhibit of their artwork after they’d been through a week of art camp. My son told me, “I’d better stand here next to my paintings in case anybody has any questions.” I’d forgotten to bring my camera, so I tried to memorize that moment then write it down with words.

Do you jot down things like that? It’s the most important thing you can do — record your memories with words. Some ladies are amazing with their awe-inspiring photo albums (I used to be one of those scrapbookers…used to be!) Now I’m too busy with other things. But I’m still my family’s historian.

You don’t need a fancy clothbound journal, though it’s nice to see your words wrapped between pretty covers. But I urge you to write something that only you and God know about. Pour out your heart to Him because He’s listening. Tell Him things you wouldn’t even dare blog about!

Then open up His love letter to you. I read these verses today: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” (Psalm 77: 11, 12 NIV).

Your life and your family are God’s greatest works! When you write your musings down, it causes you to meditate on them — now and maybe years from now. I read one time in Terry Whalin’s blog one of his favorite quotes — maybe it’s a Chinese proverb: “He who writes tastes life twice.” Don’t you want to taste the good times twice? The fun little things that you’ll forget if you don’t write them down. And even the sad things — can be savored when you see how God met your needs.

Well, journal writing is the most important and my favorite — though blogging is fun too. As a “professional writer,” I’m thinking of two more people — my editor and my reader. Today I corresponded with an editor about a magazine article I turned in yesterday. It was hard work, a ton of interviews and notes and files, but I enjoyed piecing it together into a story. I also wrote a book review this morning, which forced me to think more deeply about a book I enjoyed. And I got another review copy in the mail, which I looked through while in the pick-up line (a great place to read). Someday, I’ll finish it and write my thoughts on it!

So, that’s my life today as a mom who writes. How about you? What happened to you today that seems mundane now, but might be something you’d want to “taste” again a few years from now?

Write about it!

In the first month of release, box office sales of Narnia’s high-budget debut have topped the $530 million mark. With the much-anticipated success of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the news is official: we’ve entered the Age of Narnia.

Movie-goers and casual readers can’t help but want more. Some of us are encountering the wardrobe for the first time — and we’re as astonished as the four Pevensie children. But we need a guidebook, someone to whisper those behind-the-scenes details that will enrich our present and future journeys, and Jonathan Rogers’ The World According to Narnia is the perfect companion.

What was author C.S. Lewis thinking when he and J.R.R. Tolkien met to discuss characters and settings? From their years of friendly chats in the Inklings, Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; Lewis led a foursome of children through a wardrobe into Narnia.

While Lewis wrote his fiction, he simultaneously penned powerful non-fiction books and essays. Rogers has explored both in great detail. A former English professor himself, Rogers has written his own fantasy-adventure series, the Wilderking Trilogy. From this platform, he differentiates his book from the numerous other Narnia spinoffs out there.

Rogers says, “Lewis uses fantasy to talk about the real world because it takes imagination to see what’s true and real in this world too…From where we sit, the things of earth look so real and solid that it’s hard to believe there’s something more real and more solid…It takes a certain amount of imagination to see that God imbues every blade of grass, every conversation, every relationship with eternal meaning.”

Each chapter focuses on one of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, and Rogers leads you into a deeper awareness and appreciation of the symbolism. Here are some non-fiction books written by C.S. Lewis that you’ll see cited in The World According to Narnia:

–Mere Christianity
–Miracles
–A Preface to Paradise Lost
–The Screwtape Letters
–Of Other Worlds
–God in the Dock
–Surprised by Joy
–The Abolition of Man
–Pilgrim’s Regress
–The Four Loves
–They Asked for a Paper
–The Great Divorce
–The Weight of Glory

This is not a book to be read through once, then put on your shelf. It’s a reference guide that you’ll appreciate, every time you need a fresh reminder of what lies beyond the wardrobe door. (Which will come in handy, as the next film, Prince Caspian, is already in the works.)

Here’s an excerpt from chapter one. And here’s a review from BookPage and In the Library. If you want to know even more details about the author, you can go to his personal website or his Wilderking site.

What I take away most of all from reading The World According to Narnia is a deepening of my faith, an awareness of things that are real that I can’t see. This is the kind of faith I want to pass along to my children. I want to point them to the right books because as Rogers explains about Narnia, “the children know what to do because they have read the right imaginative stories.”

To step through the wardrobe is not only to see Narnia, but to get a glimpse of the mind of the Maker, which exists beyond this and all other worlds, and out of which they all derive.
Jonathan Rogers

Note: This post was edited 1/10/06 and appears published in the Blogcritics book review archives.

I just found out that tomorrow is I Love to Write Day!!! Spread the word to everyone you know that tomorrow is the day to WRITE something — anything. I’ve heard John Riddle speak at a couple of conferences — he’s the one who blows the train whistle and hands out Snickers’ bars — so I hope tomorrow is a huge success.

Rev up those keyboards, and get ready to join in:

The World’s Biggest Party For Writers
November 15, 2005 will mark the fourth anniversary of I Love To Write Day, a grassroots effort to have people of all ages practice their writing skills. Created by Delaware author John Riddle, I Love To Write Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to write something: a poem, an essay, a letter to the editor, a short story, start a novel, finish a novel — the possibilities are endless!

On the first I Love To Write Day, 11,328 schools all across the country held special writing events and activities. Last year, we signed up 15,123 schools. This year our goal is to have an I Love To Write Day program in over 20,000 schools. Please help us spread the word: tell schools, libraries and bookstores in your community about I Love To Write Day. You can read more about I Love To Write Day and learn how to register (it’s free!) by reading the Media Kit.

Teachers and homeschooling parents: here’s a great activity for your students. Let them know that they’re joining in with thousands, maybe millions, of people in writing something.

DON’T FORGET — IT’S TOMORROW!

Last week, I was waiting in the pick-up line at my son’s preschool, and I was actually early! (So I could read a book in the car without feeling guilty.)

Another mom got out of her car and came to my window to talk to me. She saw my book and asked, “Whatcha reading?”

“Oh, this is a new book called The World According to Narnia. It’s great,” I told her.

“What’s that mean?”

“What’s what mean?”

“What’s Narnia?”

I inhaled very slowly. Is there a person on earth who hasn’t heard of Narnia? “You know, the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. Those four kids that go into the wardrobe…into Narnia.”

She gave me a confused look.

“Well, there’s a movie coming out next month called ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.’ You’ll have to go see it, and then you’ll know about Narnia.”

“OK,” she shrugged, and then asked if she could borrow a diaper. Moving on to more relevant topics.

So, there are people in the world who’ve never heard of Narnia!!

But you — my faithful blog reader — you’ve heard of C.S. Lewis and Narnia, haven’t you? Last weekend in Nashville, there was a whole conference devoted to discussion of his life and works. It was called Past Watchful Dragons, held at Belmont University. Here’s an article in the Belmont University News and another one in Christian Activities.

One of the highlights of the conference was a keynote by C.S. Lewis’ stepson, Douglas Gresham, who served as producer/consultant on the upcoming movie and also has a new book out, Jack’s Life (Broadman & Holman). In his speech, he said, “We talk carelessly about faith and faithfulness because we believe in Jesus Christ. Well, so does the devil, but that doesn’t make him a Christian. I would like to think a faithful Christian is one who lives out his duty to Christ every minute of every hour of every day.”

When he was asked what Lewis would have wanted the audience to take from the Narnia books and movies, Gresham responded that he thought Lewis would want people to “look at themselves as if they were in Narnia. Who would you be? Where would we stand if we found ourselves in Narnia?”

Here’s another set of interviews with Gresham in Christianity Today — part one and part two.

Oh my! I could link around forever, but I try to limit myself to blogging only a few minutes a day, and my time is about up. Stacy Harp sent out a newsletter for reviewers, and I discovered a blogger who is much more up on things than me. Check out Aaron Earls at The Wardrobe Door. He lists this site as a good one for finding out tons of information about Narnia. You can email him from his blog.

I don’t know about you, but we’re counting the days until December 9 when “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” movie comes out. Can you believe it? We’re living in exciting times. Our kids are going to grow up, and this is what they’ll remember from their childhood — the Chronicles of Narnia. Sort of like how it was for many of us when we saw the first Star Wars movie — or E.T. Because you know what’s going to happen — this movie’s going to be a huge success, and that means there are six more to come. Year after year after year!

I admit, it’s going to be very weird seeing an Aslan toy in a Happy Meal box, and that will definitely come. But I do hope seeing the movie will make the stories come even more alive for those of us who have always loved the books. And after the movie is released on December 9th, we’ll probably never again hear the question, “What’s Narnia?”

Tomorrow, I’m reviewing a great new book by a scholar who writes in a way the rest of us can understand. It’s called The World According to Narnia — you can see a picture over there to your left. See it?