Today is Dr. James Dobson’s 70th Birthday. This morning on the Focus on the Family broadcast, the announcer read birthday greetings to Dr. Dobson from George W. Bush and several other prominent people. This man has impacted our culture for good like nobody else.

If anyone at Focus reads blogs, all of us here at Mom 2 Mom Connection wish Dr. Dobson a WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY and a happy decade ahead.

[picture of birthday cake or hat coming soon, when I finish cleaning Mountain Dew from my freezer.]

A couple of years ago, my husband and I took a 10th anniversary trip from sea to shining sea, flying to Santa Barbara, California. I was in a zany mood and wanted to pass the time on our flight, so I combed the bookstore for a novel that hollered, “Read me. I’m good, clean FUN.” I found it. The cover featured a skinny cartoon girl walking a tiny dog, and it was published by a new Christian publisher, Westbow Press. It leaped off the shelf at me, and I couldn’t even wait until our trip to start reading it.

The title? She’s Out of Control by Kristin Billerbeck. I loved it. I didn’t even notice the airline served us nothing but a mini bag of pretzels on our 3-hour flight. So, I’ve been hanging out lately at this totally hip blog for Christian novel fans, Girls Write Out. Have you visited yet?

If you haven’t, you’ve got to meet this Fab Foursome: along with Kristin Billerbeck, you can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it’s like to be a Christian fiction writer, from the keyboards of fellow bloggers, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt, and Colleen Coble.

Well, Colleen’s got a great publicist because she somehow found me and asked if I’d like to interview Colleen.

Would I? She’s an award-winning Christian writer who is also a MOM. You bet! I know that at least one of you is an aspiring Christian chick-lit novelist, but I won’t say WHO. (Oh, excuse me, did I let that slip?)

Let’s welcome author Colleen Coble today to Mom 2 Mom Connection.

Thanks for visiting, Colleen. I notice on your website, you’re a “Romantic Suspense Author.” Can you tell us a little about your pathway to becoming a published novelist?

Thanks, Heather. I’d known I wanted to write from the time I wrote my first story in 1st grade. I can still remember that story. It was about a horse that had twin colts. The teacher praised it, and the seed was planted in my heart.

I planned for it all through school, but got married at 19 and had my first baby at 21. I got busy raising my kids. The seed was still there, but it lay dormant. It took the pressure of adversity to crack it open.

A few months shy of my 40th birthday, my younger brother Randy was killed by lightning. It was a wake-up call that if I was going to follow my dream, I should get on with it. None of us knows how long God has planned for us on this earth.

I’m sorry to hear about your brother. That does sound like a startling wake-up call. How long did it take you to write your first novel?

It took me a year to write and then six more years to sell it. My first book, a prairie romance, sold to Barbour. Seventeen more sales followed to them, but my dream was always to write suspense. People ask why I write about murder when I’m friendly and outgoing. I think it’s because I’ve seen bad things happen in my life, and I want justice to win. I can make sure that happens in my writing.

Wow. You must really get hooked into writing the plots if there’s a murder to be solved. What advice would you give to women who love reading novels and think they’d like to write one someday?

Don’t just think about it! Read extensively in the genre you’d like to write. Join an online organization like American Christian fiction Writers and network with other writers.

Read books on writing such as Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, and Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. Attend writing conferences. All these steps will increase your chances of writing something publishable.

I heard James Scott Bell give the keynote address at the Glorieta Christian Writer’s Conference last year, and I’m also reviewing his latest novel now. Do you really think it’s helpful for aspiring writers to go to conferences?

It’s VITAL! I can’t recommend it enough. At a conference you can meet editors and agents face to face, and while you may not sell your book at the first one, you’ll begin to build the networks and relationships that will grow as you meet every year at the conference.

You’ll also find other writers you “click” with who will become lifelong friends to encourage and commiserate as you tackle the writing adventure. And a really great conference has workshops where you’ll learn more about writing than you ever dreamed possible.

Also, they’re just plain FUN! No one else understands the writing life like another writers. Not your family, your best friend or your mother. Only other writers know what it feels like to put your heart into a book only to have it come zinging back in your mailbox. Only another writer knows how it feels when you finally get “the call.” I met my wonderful agent at the conference at Mount Hermon, and we just clicked. She went back to the office and read my proposal for Without a Trace and bought it, and I know it wouldn’t have happened without that conference.

Oh, I can relate to that feeling of sending something out and having it rejected. No fun at all. And you’re right — nobody else understands but other writers! Do you recommend any conferences?

For Christian fiction, there’s no better conference than the ACFW one. Virtually every publishing house in CBA has a representative in attendance. And there’s plenty of time to pitch your book to the many who are there. The workshops are stellar, and this year our keynote is Liz Curtis Higgs, a wonderful writer and amazing speaker. She’s totally hilarious to listen to.

I also think Liz is hysterical. I read her columns in Today’s Christian Woman magazine, and I’m also reviewing her novel, Grace in Thine Eyes right now. Will you be at the ACFW conference in Dallas this September?

Yes! I’m actually teaching an early bird main morning session with Deb Raney.

I notice that your latest novel is called Alaska Twilight. Did you have to go to Alaska for research?

I’m an Alaska nut. I’ve read about it, dreamed about it, and watched every movie about it 40 times. Okay, maybe not quite that many, but a lot.

So when WestBow asked me to do a Women of Faith book, that was the first setting I thought of. I also had two writer friends from Alaska who read it for me to make sure I got it right.

How do you decide on where your novels should be set?

I generally start with setting when coming up with a new story. It needs to be some place that has a certain mystique for me. I like my setting to play a role in the story where you couldn’t take that story and set it anywhere else.

I know so little about Alaska, though I’d love to go someday. I read on your website that you had a contest for one of your readers to identify the Alaskan craft mentioned in Alaska Twilight. A hoofaboo! How interesting.

I had so much fun writing that book. You can read several reviews of it on my website.

Can you tell us more about that fun blog you participate in, Girls Write Out? I discovered it through being a reader of Kristin Billerbeck’s chick-lit. How did you get to know each other?

Kristin and I have been friends the longest. We were both writing for Heartsong Presents at the time and connected online. We first met at the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference. Her mother-in-law was appalled she was going to room with someone she’d never met!

But we clicked as much in person as we did on email. Diann and Denise both live about an hour from me, and we all started at Barbour. The three of us get together a lot and all four of us room together at the ACFW conference. It’s our yearly girls night out.

That sounds like WAY too much fun. How did you get started blogging?

The four of us knew we’d like to have a blog but we also knew we’d never have the time to maintain one on our own so we pooled our resources. And we wanted it to be for READERS not just writers.

We wanted it to be relevant to women no matter what their age or occupation. We blog about stuff our husbands do, the perplexities of life, all kinds of things.

Well, I’m certainly enjoying reading it. I have one more quick question. Do you have a mentor of any kind?

The four of us mentor one another. We’ve been iron sharpening iron. And my editors have really helped me grow as well. Stephen King is my favorite author. He can write characters like no one else. I bet I’ve read THE STAND thirty times.

Do you have any more advice for aspiring writers?

The writing life can be tough. Friends make it more about the journey and less about the arriving, so make finding some writing friends a top priority!

Thanks, Colleen! This has been such a wonderful chat. I hope at least one of us will be able to meet you and the other writers in your Fab Foursome in Dallas at the ACFW conference. Thanks for stopping in.

Thanks, Heather! These were great questions.

If y’all enjoyed this chat with Colleen Coble, be sure and stop by Girls Write Out or her website and say hello! There’s also another great interview with Colleen at the ACFW website, where I learned that she reads 4-5 books a week!

The Carnival of Beauty is in full swing over at Allison’s Autumn Rain blog. Ten bloggers have submitted essays on The Beauty of Rainy Days. As always, thanks to Two Talent Living for being the official sponsor of this lovely Carnival, which gathers posts by Christian women bloggers.

Barbara over at Tidbits and Treasures tapped me for this “Ten Simple Pleasures” meme, which I think fits quite nicely into the theme for today’s Carnival of Beauty, “Rainy Days.” The hostess is Allison of The Autumn Rain.

Here are Ten Simple Pleasures for me, things that bring me joy and keep me going on those rainy days, when the skies are gray.

1. Our pets — five cats and a dog right now. I sat out in our backyard last night petting our white cat, Snowball, and thought to myself that life doesn’t get any better than this. Of course, he started purring, and it was even more fun because I let my one-year-old stroke his neck, teaching her how to be “gentle.”

2. Pure joy is when I get up early enough to drink a cup of coffee and read and/or write before anyone else in the house is up. (It didn’t happen this morning.) I love those quiet hours of darkness where I can dig in my roots and feel a sense of growth — it keeps me going all day. When I can read my Bible and meet with God, I’m as excited as Mary, the day she saw Jesus on the first Easter.

3. I’ve got three vases of wildflowers in our kitchen right now — brought inside by my kindergartener. She loves to hide the fresh-picked bouquet behind her back and say, “Mama, I’ve got a surprise for you.” I never get tired of her surprises — and now the wild dogwoods and pear blossoms look so pretty in our kitchen.

4. I love the moment when my husband walks in the door from work. He’s tall and handsome — and I realize I love him more every day. I’m not the type to be mushy in public — but this is one of my simple pleasures. I can’t believe how good God is to me!

5. The beach. Anything about the beach. The salty sea breezes, the feeling of sand under my bare feet, watching our children make sand castles and play in the waves. My stress unwinds completely when I can be near the sea. I feel God present there more than anywhere else — at the horizen of sky meeting the water — He’s there.

6. As I’m writing, it IS raining outside! My three-year-old is beside me playing with his Thomas the Tank Engines and saying, “Look, Mama. See the rain?” I love the quiet sounds of rain, especially when I’m in a barn with a tin roof, and I can smell hay at the same time (and be near horses).

7. My new pleasure of going to work out at Curves. It’s hard to believe I can relax while I exercise — but I’m having so much fun listening to upbeat music, talking with women about non-stressful things, and getting my chance to breathe (like on the airplane, when we’re told to give ourselves oxygen first before helping a child).

8. Encouraging words — it’s so refreshing to read or hear something nice, where someone took the time to reach out to me. When I’m feeling good about myself, it directly affects the six other people in our home, as well as everyone else I come in contact with.

9. Our Sunday School class. I’ll wait and post more about that on Friday for the Living Beyond Yourself group. We’ve been gone for four years, and we feel like we’re back home again. I love these people!

10. Being outside in the garden area with my family. We are really country bumpkins these days. Our baby playpen stays out on the porch — she is content to play out there for hours while everyone is doing yardwork. My husband is whipping the garden into shape and getting the kids to all do all kinds of chores. Soon, we’ll have cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beans, and a host of other homegrown vegetables.

That’s it for today — I could keep going of course … but really, everything centers around my family right now. And I guess the neat thing is that I can blog about it — and maybe I should print this out and keep it somewhere for me to read when the sun is hiding behind a cloud.

I think I’m supposed to tap ten other people for this meme. I’d like to tap everyone in our LBY group — in the Blogroll. So, if you’re in the group and you’d like to share your ten simple pleasures, consider yourself tapped!

I did it! I finally made an appointment and got a new haircut! I’ve been wearing it in a ponytail for years — it’s so hard for me to spend time and money on myself. But I have to thank Alyice Edrich of The Dabbling Mum Christian magazine — she wanted a headshot to go along with an article I wrote for her. This sent me into a panic, as I had nothing to send her.

So I made an appointment with someone I’d never met before. When I walked in, she had gorgeous long, wavy hair — shimmering with blond highlights. “What can I do for you today?” she asked me.

“I want something fun,” I told her. “Like yours. Can you give me some highlights like yours? And cut it however you want … I’m just sick of this same old look!”

Well, I had no idea that I was putting myself under the hands of a master cosmetologist. And she had no idea that I like to ask millions of questions when I find someone interesting. So the hours flew by. I think I’m going to have to write a story on this lady.

She’s a single mom who is raising two daughters all on her own, working as much as 50-60 hours a week. She said, “I love what I do. It’s amazing the passion is still there after 23 years.” She said when she was a little girl, she used to love putting curlers in her doll’s hair and lining them up at her beauty shop.

Now her dream is to someday open up a full-service salon/ day spa. The first one in our town. Doesn’t that sound exciting? I had fun helping her think up some names for her new business. Since I write for two local magazines that help small businesses, I hope maybe one day I’ll get to interview her and help her find some new customers.

My husband took some pictures of me yesterday afternoon right before we had a backyard Easter egg hunt. We waited until the last minute to buy plastic Easter eggs, so the stores were sold out. Instead, we had to hide little cardboard boxes of Jujy Fruits candy and other toy prizes. But the kids didn’t care — they had a great time.

My article was posted this morning on The Dabbling Mum, How to Write Online Book Reviews.

If you’d like to write for The Dabbling Mum, Alyice Edrich is always looking for great articles about a variety of topics related to parenting, business, travel, faith, and writing. And she’s a paying market! (That will help pay for those highlights.) You can read her writer guidelines here.

I was reading this morning in the Bible about the Resurrection — and this is what jumped out at me:

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:1-3).

“When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:9-11).

And also here:

“Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying …

‘Woman,’ [Jesus] said, ‘Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him.

Jesus said to her, ‘Mary'” (John 20:10-16).

I was thinking this morning how amazing it is that Jesus appeared to the women first. Why? Why didn’t he appear to His disciples first? Why the women? Why Mary?

Does Jesus appear to you first in the morning? Do you meet with Him before you meet your day, your family?

These verses give me a lot to think about. I’m rejoicing with all of you fellow believers in the celebration of Easter.

We have hope … The tomb is empty … He is Risen!

Hello LBY group (and others visiting):

How was your week? We’re deep into the Easter weekend, so I don’t know how many of you will have time to post. We’re off to various egg hunts and family activities, so I apologize that I won’t be able to get around to visit many blogs until probably Monday morning.

This week’s lesson was the best yet — our topic was love, teaching us how to move toward a selfless agape type of love. Here’s another verse I need to hang up around my house: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). A home full of grace is one where everyone can relax in the blessings of agape love.

I wonder how many of you are sharing all this with your husbands, if you’re married! I am. I know that one of you said your husband was watching the videos with you. That’s awesome! Well, I’ve been reading out loud to my husband, and he said the other night, “I like all that stuff you’re learning. I think I need to call up Beth Moore and see if I can make her a cake and send it to her.” OK — this was funny. My husband doesn’t make cakes! But that just shows you — we’re learning great things!

[I’m not going to blog about this — but p. 50 of the homework — that last paragraph before the questions. Whew! Amen to all that. And if it’s missing from a marriage, as Beth said in the video, this is a definite flag; in fact, it’s “Six Flags over Texas!” If you didn’t watch the video yet, you won’t know what I’m talking about — sorry!]

Here’s what happened to me this week: I have two people to thank for a MAJOR MIRACLE in my life — the first person is of course Beth Moore. In an earlier lesson, she encouraged us to get out of our comfort zones. Well, I immediately started thinking about missions — which is what I blogged about last week. And I can’t thank y’all enough for your encouraging comments and private emails. (Thank you, N. for those pictures.) Yet some of you reminded me to be content with where God has me right now — and to pray for God’s timing. It was so hard to open myself up completely last weekend … yet it ended up being a blessing after all.

The other person I have to thank is Carol, who hosted the Carnival of Beauty this week on the topic of “Aging Gracefully.” Carol’s essay has really stuck with me. And I began to realize what my comfort zone is … and what I must do.

The one thing missing from my life — are you ready? You might think I’m going to get all spiritual and say it’s God’s Word, and that’s not true. I love reading my Bible!

What I’ve been missing is EXERCISE, specifically … how can I say this without sounding gross? Sweaty exercise. Where I work out so hard that sweat pours all the toxins out of my body, and I feel like a different person when I finish. It’s not happening when I take walks outside pushing a baby stroller and watching my dog sniff things — this is fun and relaxing, but I don’t sweat at all.

SO! I know the only place in the world I’ve ever been consistent with exercise is Curves fitness center. It’s a 30-minute circuit workout for women only. There are no bulky men in tank tops and short shorts grunting in this room — what a relief. I wrote last week about how I sometimes think it would be nice to work outside of my home — well, taking the plunge to join Curves is my JOB now.

When I set my mind to do something and take it seriously, it will get done. The last time I joined Curves three years ago, I lost 55 pounds. You can read my story here. Since joining this week, I’ve already worked out three times and earned me $2 in Curves bucks! Woohoo! They have a program where if you work out three times a week during the month of April you get some special dollars that can be used to win Curves prizes — clothes, water bottles, fun stuff. I also won a hula hoop contest last night — got another buck. That was hilarious — I haven’t hula-hooped in years — but I’m actually pretty good, especially in a room full of clapping ladies saying, “Woo — you go girl!”

So, I’m hurting today. Every muscle in my legs is aching. The first two times I worked out, I couldn’t even do the machines to full capacity — I’m too weak and tired. But I did last night — I thought, “This is my job. I’m going to put effort into this.”

The humiliating part about going to Curves is that you have to be measured and weighed (if you want to). Of course, since I live in a small town, I know the girl who works there. So now she knows every detail about me — and my fitness goals as well. I wrote down that my goal is to tone up and lose 25 pounds. It’s written down — on a card! And I have a weigh-in day next month. I gotta do it!

Let me just tell you — I’m so happy there. I’ve seen tons of people I know, and I can talk while I work out. I don’t have to reset any of the machines — I just do them. No thinking involved. In fact, while I’m working out, I’m like a sponge, soaking up all the great conversations going on around me. I’ve got to remember to bring a notepad in my car to jot down some of these funny things people talk about. Y’all probably know I don’t watch a lick of TV — no time. And we only get a couple of local channels and PBS where we live. (We don’t want cable — we want out kids to be bored enough indoors so they’ll play outside! Which they do!) So I’m out of it, except for reading headlines of magazines in the grocery store.

Well, I’m catching up on the culture gossip now. For example, I’ve learned that Natalie Portman looks good with a bald head, and everybody wants to go see “V for Vendetta.”

While watching Beth Moore’s video of our lesson, I filled in the blanks to complete this sentence:
“Through the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit, I can do things I couldn’t, feel things I didn’t, and know things I wouldn’t.”

On my own strength, I could NOT have walked into Curves — I had thousands of excuses. But this study and Carol’s gentle admonishment to take better care of my physical body — forced me to do it.

Here’s what I predict will happen:

Month 1 — Nothing will happen. I’ll see no results and feel like I’m wasting my time.
Month 2 — I’ll GAIN weight and feel even more discouraged! This is because muscle weighs more than fat. As I gain muscle and lose fat, the scale will make me feel worse.
Month 3 — Let the games begin. If I’ve been consistent with going three times a week, the pounds will drop and my husband will say, “You look like you’re getting toned up.” My arms will stop looking like tree trunks, and I’ll be able to stop wearing stretch pants and actually fit into some of my old clothes again. And have an excuse to go shopping for a new spring outfit!

I’ll let you know my progress. Also — exercising like this where I really work hard and sweat makes me thirsty. Which means I crave water … not caffeinated drinks. Drinking a lot of water further cleanses toxins from my body … and my mind. I’m looking forward to thinking clearly again, something I haven’t been able to do since Baby #5 entered the world a year ago.

Thank you for reading, if you’ve made it through today’s post. This is really for me … since I’ll print this out and put it in my notebook. Someday, I’ll look back on this and see how God is working in my life — getting me out of my comfort zone to get my body in shape, so I’ll have more energy to run this marathon He’s called me to run.

I wish you all a glorious Easter, full of JOY — as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Addie	Heather*	Carol
M	Rach	Jeana
Jenn	Amanda	MamaB
GiBee	Boomama	Maria
Blair	Heather	Nancy
Janna	Flipflop	Robin
Sherry	Patricia	Tara
Lauren	HolyMama!	Faith
Christy	Eph2810	Karin
Leann	Rachel	Janice
This is a list of the women participating in the study and the links to their blogs. New postings on the study will be published for the next ten weeks, between Friday 8pm – Saturday 8am. Please feel free to visit each of us and comment. Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion as we seek to live beyond ourselves. May God bless you richly from the hearing of His word.

Have you been feeling stressed out lately? I have. I’m stressed. You’re stressed. We’re all stressed, right? As women, we’re rocking the cradle, raising up the next generation, and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders … at least, that’s what it seems like at 5:00 in the afternoon when everybody’s hungry and we gotta feed ’em. Do you ever feel like saying, “I need some time to BREATHE!”

Ah …. We’re in for a treat today. I’ve discovered a mom who is an expert on teaching women how to find the breathing room we need to survive. Everybody say “hello” to Keri Wyatt Kent! She’s a mom and author of several books for women, including Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life and her newest that releases this week (woohoo!) Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life.

Hi, Keri. Thanks for visiting Mom 2 Mom Connection. We’re all glad you’re here!

Thanks, Heather, for inviting me.

Keri, not all of us here are moms, but we all know how it feels to be pulled in 20 different directions as we try to please everyone. It’s impossible. Is there something missing in our lives? I know you write and speak about a woman’s soul and what we really need. Can you tell us more about this?

I think we neglect our soul because we think caring for it is a luxury. But really, it’s a necessity. Parenting is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Would we run a marathon without breathing? Of course not. Would we prepare for a marathon by not eating anything for a few days prior? We need to take in air and fuel in order to run.

In the same way, if we are going to love and lead our children, those are spiritual activities. They are ways of expending spiritual energy. We can’t do that very well if we haven’t taken in energy — fed our souls, so to speak. That’s the kind of thing I write about — how to breathe and feed your soul.

How can a woman find a place where her soul can breathe?

Well, she can’t do it by waiting for someone else to give it to her. As women, we often worry about other people’s needs, and we secretly wish someone would give that kind of care to us. But typically, they don’t. Rather than feeling frustrated by that, we need to choose to care for ourselves. Decide to do this. You’re an adult, you don’t have to ask permission to care for yourself.

Do you have any suggestions for how we can enlist help?

In practical terms, that means you have to get a sitter or a friend or relative to watch your kids, and get out of the house. You need to trust that God is in control and someone else can handle your children. Decide where to go — there are a lot of retreat centers all over the country. Or, if it’s nice, go to a park or beach. If it’s not nice outside, go to a library or even a coffee shop — but not one where you’ll run into people you know.

Some churches keep a chapel or room open where you can go for silent prayer — that’s a great option. Another idea is to have a friend watch your kids at your house, and you go to her now quiet and empty house for some time alone. Make sure you return the favor for her!

Do you think getting away alone is something we should try to do every day?

It depends. I suggest trying to get a bit of time (say five minutes) each morning, to just offer your day to God, ask Him to help you to notice Him in your day, just to ask for His help with whatever challenges you’re facing. Trying to have a long time of solitude or prayer with very small children underfoot is a recipe for frustration. If your children are very young, aim for five minutes a day, and then once a week, plan ahead for a longer time, even if it’s only for an hour.

The time away from the kids is as important as anything you read or pray about. Give this as a gift to yourself. If you trade babysitting with a friend, it won’t cost you anything.

I love the idea of giving this as a gift to ourselves. How can we convince our families that we need this time away?

That can be a challenge. Don’t start with asking for an entire weekend away. Start with an hour. If your spouse won’t help, get a friend to watch your kids. Take the time. Too often we say, “Oh, my husband won’t help,” or “My kids won’t let me,” or whatever. Don’t fall into the trap of letting other people make decisions that you are supposed to make.

Wow! That hits close to home for me. I have a hard time admitting that I can’t do it all.

Explain that in order to be the best mommy you can be, you need to have some time alone. The old “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” is really true. I think our families can see that — it’s not usually them that needs to be convinced. It’s us. We have to let go of thinking we are the only ones who can do things around our house or with the kids.

Also, if your husband is the one with the kids while you are gone, don’t come home and complain about how he handled things, or re-do the dishes he washed. That’s one sure way to dissolve his support in an instant.

Those are great ideas, Keri. I’m always so thankful when my husband keeps our kids for a while — and they end up doing fun things that are different than when I’m home. What about women who need to find support outside of their home? Can you tell us how you got involved with MOPS?

MOPS stands for “Mothers of Preschoolers.” It’s a wonderful international organization that provides resources and support to mothers of young children. There are chapters all around the world. You can find out if there’s one near you by going to their website.

They typically meet in churches but are independent and are a very comfortable and accepting environment for all moms, regardless of their background or where they are on their spiritual journey.

I got involved with them through my writing — my first book, God’s Whisper in a Mother’s Chaos, was a popular resource with groups. MOPS eventually put it in their catalog, and did the same with my second book.

I think we’re all looking for God’s whisper in the midst of our chaos. That sounds like something I need to read!

Because of these books, a lot of local groups have invited me to come and speak to them. My third book, Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life, was co-published by MOPS International. After it came out, several more MOPS groups invited me to speak. I was also invited to teach a workshop at the MOPS International convention. My newest book, Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, is featured in their magazine, MomSense, this month. I also write articles for that magazine pretty regularly. It’s a great resource for moms.

Yes, I love reading your stories in MomSense. Can you tell us what people do at MOPS meetings? Is this only for moms with preschoolers?

A typical MOPS meeting depends on the group. There’s childcare (called “Moppets”) provided, which is great. They often have coffee and a snack, but some groups serve a buffet breakfast. Usually there’s a speaker talking about some aspect of parenting or spiritual growth, often about how those two areas of life intersect. Some groups do a craft and there’s usually time for small group discussion and sharing.

What about moms who might have teenagers or an empty nest? Is there a way for moms to get involved as a mentor of some sort to the younger moms?

Each MOPS group is run by a committee of volunteers, which usually has at least one “mentor mom,” whose kids are beyond the preschool years. Obviously, some moms have kids who are spread out in age so they might have one preschooler and a couple of older kids. There are also groups for moms who are teens themselves, as well as single moms — although sometimes those moms are included in a regular group.

MOPS groups always need mentor moms, and it’s a great ministry. All the mentor moms I talk to say they get so much by giving in this way.

Keri, you have given us all some fantastic ideas. And I can’t wait to learn more about how we can find space for ourselves to breathe and listen to God. I’m looking forward to having you visit again tomorrow.

Thanks. I’ve enjoyed it!

Tomorrow, Keri will be back to give us more details on what we can discover in her new books for women. If you’d like more information about Keri Wyatt Kent, please visit her website, as well as MOPS . You can also read Keri’s latest MomSense article here on the Christianity Today website.

What happens when you hear something really funny? You probably can’t wait to repeat the story to someone else so you can enjoy another laugh. (If you’re like me, you’ll probably forget the punch line in the midst of retelling.) But if you’re a novelist, everything you hear may end up as a character or scene in your next book, as author Jonathan Rogers tells about here.

There are only two more weeks until the final installment of the Wilderking trilogy hits the stores. I’ve had a sneak peek at The Way of the Wilderking, and it’s absolutely the best one yet. If you’ve missed out on the first two books in this inspirational fantasy series for kids, you can enter the Riverbottom Forest at the official Wilderking site and catch up.

Our kids have all loved the first two Wilderking books: The Bark of the Bog Owl and The Secret of the Swamp King. You can read some blogger reviews of these books here and here. Stacy of Active Christian Media wrote to tell us she plans on interviewing Jonathan Rogers this week — I’ll let you know when the link is up, or you can check her site.

Meanwhile, you can get to know this author behind the scenes through The Wilderking Weblog. I hope you can click on over and welcome someone new to the blogosphere. His children’s novels are for kids of all ages — a series parents actually ENJOY reading out loud as a family. Warning: our favorite feechie, Dobro Turtlebane, is so funny in Book 3, you may end up reading all night because your kids are going to keep begging you: Just one more chapter, please!

Grab your tissues and head on over to She Lives. You do NOT want to miss today’s Carnival of Beauty. Carol has pulled together 15 essays on “Aging Gracefully,” complete with grouchy ol’ Maxine cartoons and pictures of the participating bloggers. (You get to see what I look like on a good hair day — hee! hee!) No matter what age you are in this aging process, you’ll find something to connect with in these poignant entries.

Maxine cartoon from this site.