Has anybody read this book, Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, yet?

Two days in a row, this little dog has been looking up at me. Yesterday, I was dashing through Wal-Mart with my son who NEEDED new arrows for his bow and arrow set. And I can’t walk out of there without checking out the book section. I saw this book, which I’ve never seen before.

Then today, I saw that it won two of the Quill Awards, for Best Audio and Best Biography. What is this book about? I love dogs. Is it about a little dog? Someone please tell me. And why did it win two awards?

Our church is starting to collect boxes for Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, an organization started by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin. On Wednesday, the RAs and GAs will be stuffing their boxes, so we’re planning on going out this week to shop for toys, arts supplies, toiletries, and other small gift items.

As I was browsing the pamphlet about it yesterday during church (before the sermon, of course), I wondered if this ministry was really all that important. I mean, do those poor children really need a bunch of American trinkets and hard candy?

Then I read that these boxes will be helpful to organizations that are already working in local ministries in those countries. As local missionaries help meet people’s spiritual needs, our little plastic shoeboxes will help draw excitement from children. That will bring more people to hear the Gospel, which can bring hope and joy to the entire family.

I’m convinced this is a worthy cause — and something easy for children to get involved in. My kids like picking out the toys and art supplies. It helps them to think beyond their own small world.

I’m oh-so-thankful for all the volunteers who donate their time and energy toward this program. You can learn more about how you can get involved at the Samaritan’s Purse website. But hurry — National Collection Week is November 13-20. That’s coming up quick. You can find out if there are any local drop-off points near you on the website.

With October’s leaves in transformation, I feel like autumn is officially here. And today, I also feel like I’ve entered a new season of parenting.

This morning, I kissed my 18-month-old goodbye, left in the care of two sweet nursery workers at our church’s Mom’s Morning Out program. It wasn’t her first time staying in that room, so she didn’t cry. But it was MY first time actually leaving the building. She waved to me and promptly began playing with toys.

My first time! All five kids in “school!” Granted, I only had two and a half hours to myself. But it was a new sensation for me to feel as if my days of full-time stay-home parenting are slowly coming to an end.

So what’s a mom to do with kids in school and time on her hands? Well, I wore my jogging suit, the one from Target that’s halfway hip, so I went to Curves and worked out for half an hour, then to Mega-Mart to catch up on shopping.

It was like a reunion for me — yes, life in a small town is good if you’re in the mood. I’m usually not. But today I saw everyone in the world, and I had plenty of time to chat. No kids wiggling out of the cart or interrupting me. I was a social butterfly — feeling so happy and light, I actually made it over to the electronics department to pick out a new answering machine. Something I’d put off for about a year.

Today’s joys contrast sharply with yesterday’s complete and utter despair. I was home yesterday with my two youngest, trying to unpack and get caught up from our trip. All was quiet upstairs, and I was thrilled that my kids seemed to be happily playing together.

Rule #1 of mothering. If it’s too quiet, then something is wrong. I almost had a heart attack when I went to check on things. My three-year-old had decorated his wall AGAIN with purple magic marker. He’d gotten into the first-aid kit and opened all the band-aids. And the worst. He found my husband’s collection of cassette tapes from the 80s (recently recovered from the attic), and he unraveled them all. The tangled brown ribbons covered every square inch of his room.

One of those tapes was a gift my husband mailed me when I was teaching English in Japan. It was a recording of children’s songs, and I listened to that tape over and over and over. I used it in all my classes. I loved it. I can safely say that tape made such an impact on me that I fell in love with this guy who was thoughtful enough to make it for me.

When I saw the destruction, I sat in the floor and cried. “I’m sorry, Mama,” a little voice said. “I won’t do it again.” And he won’t. Because there are no tapes left to destroy. No more band-aids to open. And my mom and I are repainting the room next week.

I have absolutely no regrets that my children are all in school. None. They need the break from me. And I need the break from them. I love my kids. I love being a mom. But I’m ready for the next step.

What else is new? Another first. We took a road trip this week and rented a beautiful cabin in the mountains. Just our little family of seven. It was the first time my husband and I have ever done this! We cooked in our cozy kitchen and ate outside on the picnic table. We had so much fun, and it reminded me of how we felt as newlyweds in our first apartment. Our tiny kitchen had everything we needed.

I’ve spent the entire last decade changing diapers, and we still have one more child to potty-train. These have been happy years, but I’m looking forward to more road trips, more mountain cabins, more precious blocks of time to think. And dream.

I couldn’t believe it when the radio woke me up this morning to the voice of Florence Littauer. It was like hearing an old friend speak. Over the next two days, Florence is speaking on the topic of “Making the Tough Times Count” on the broadcast of Focus on the Family.

My mom and I just spent half a week with Florence and her daughter, Marita, at a conference in August! They started an organization called CLASS, which stands for Christian Leaders, Authors, and Speaker Services. Every day, I got to hear Florence speak in person, and I’m still processing everything this amazing, godly woman taught me.

This morning, on the broadcast, Florence shared about how she and her husband, Fred, met and what the early years of their marriage were like. She is SO funny — such a joy to listen to! I reviewed a book she wrote about this in last month’s Christian Women Online, After Every Wedding Comes a Marriage.

Unfortunately, after Florence became a mother, her difficult times began. She gave birth to two healthy baby girls, but then she had a son who was born with such severe brain damage he died. I don’t want to spoil what happens next because she’ll be speaking on Focus again tomorrow, but Florence’s life was filled with even more tragedy after that. You can listen to today’s broadcast here, then she’ll finish up tomorrow.

From Florence’s sorrow became her ministry. It’s amazing how God can transform what seems like total despair into joy, when we trust Him. If you’ve read my interview with beautiful Allison Bottke in this month’s CWO, you may remember this quote she said that has stuck with me: “Every test is a testimony and every mess is a ministry.”

If you’re in the middle of a mess right now, just remember this. What you’re going through may be a ministry to someone else someday.

A friend wrote me a few days ago and asked where she could get a copy of my book.

Well, since you asked …

I usually tell people the best place to buy Christian books is at your local Christian bookstore — because if we don’t give them business, they won’t be able to stay in business. Thousands of small mom-and-pop bookstores are closing every year. And unless you’re a celebrity and can sell a zillion copies, it’s tough getting your book in Wal-Mart.

But I just found out the good news that my book, From a Daughter’s Heart to Her Mom, is now available through Women of Faith. You can order a copy from the Women of Faith website here.

Of course, any online bookstore carries it, such as Amazon. My name isn’t on the cover; you can find it in small print on the back of the cover page. I really did write it though! The publisher is Nelson Books.

My kids are out of school this week on fall break, and we just got back from a short trip to the mountains. I want to blog blog blog and tell you all about it, but I’ve got a column due today. So I’m off to zip out a 600-word story that will entertain and hopefully enlighten my local readers who I love very much … especially the ones who write me!

Congratulations to Iris of Sting My Heart blog. Today is her official day to launch her new devotional site, Laced With Grace.

Iris and a team of six other lady bloggers will be sharing daily devotional thoughts to lift the hearts of readers. I’ve been reading Iris’s beautiful essays in the Blogs of Beauty carnivals since last winter — God has whispered to me between the lines of her posts many times.

We’re praying for you, Iris! May God be glorified through your words! 🙂

Michelle Malkin had an excellent column last week that was printed in our local newspaper, Where Have All the Good Girls Gone? In it, she describes what has happened to Welsh singer, Charlotte Church, formerly a “good girl” with the voice of an angel. Malkin writes:

The corruption of Charlotte Church is a sorry little sign of how innocence and grace have lost their mass appeal — even as parents claim to want age-appropriate role models for their children.

Malkin shared results of a survey that was released this week of 1,010 mothers with daughters age 4 to 9 years old: 90 percent of the moms “believe there are not enough wholesome role models, celebrities, characters, and brands for young girls to emulate.”

You’ve probably seen this little logo, Moms for Modesty on tons of blogsites, but in case you’ve missed it, click on the image, and you’ll be taken to Everyday Mommy. As of today, 665 women bloggers, many of us mothers of daughters, have signed a “Moms for Modesty Mission Statement,” which can be found on this post.

This has gotten a lot of attention, and Mary Tsao of BlogHer wrote about it, further increasing visibility. All of this came about after Jules (Everyday Mommy) was shocked to visit a local restaurant with a dinosaur theme and see three t-shirts for sale in young girls’ sizes with the phrases, “Bite Me,” “Cold Blooded” and “Man Eater” emblazened across the front. Despite the obvious attempt at double entendre humor, Jules asked her readers,“I would like to know what you mothers of daughters think of these products? Would you allow your 6, 7 or 8 year old to wear a shirt like this? If not, why not? If yes, why yes?”

After an overwhelming “NO!” response, she wrote up the “Moms for Modesty Mission Statement” and created the button you see here, which has been placed on hundreds of blogs.

Malkin ends her Good Girls column with this plea: “Perhaps it’s time for moms lamenting the skankification of their little girls’ world to put their money where their mouths are.”

With Christmas shopping around the corner, will you make the choice to buy products that present a wholesome image to your daughters? Thankfully, we can teach our children the words of one “celebrity” role model who will never go out of style:

Pssst! What are you reading this weekend?

I know by the time I get the kids to bed, I’m ready for something to relax me, whisk me away a la calgon — and nothing beats the combined beauty treatment of a bubble bath and inspirational chick-lit novel — good for the skin and soul.

If you’re already a Spa Girls fan, then you KNOW how funny Kristin Billerbeck’s novels are. If you’ve never read one, then allow me to introduce her to you.

Kristin is an award-winning novelist and mother of four children (ages 11, 10, 8, 6) who makes her home near Sacramento. She says on her website, “I’m a California girl (fourth-generation) and I remember the Bay Area before it was Silicon Valley. Before everyone drove Beamers and drank decaf soy lattes and bubble teas.”

She’s one of the first Christian chick-lit authors and has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and World Magazine for her work. What a Girl Wants won the 2004 American Christian Romance Writers’ Contemporary Book of the Year. This year, Kristin’s novel, With this Ring, I’m Confused won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Lit Book of the Year.

Welcome to Mom 2 Mom Connection! We’re all big fans of inspirational books here, and we’d love to learn more about your Spa Girls trilogy. Can you tell us a little about it?

The Spa Girls Collection is my tribute to women friendships. My best friend has been my best friend since we were four. As you get older, you learn to appreciate all your friends in the seasons of life and what they contribute to make you a better person. These stories are about how we can remain in our little world, but when we get too off-track, our friends are there to rescue us.

I recently read Calm, Cool, and Adjusted, which was released this month. It was so much fun to read! Who is Poppy Clayton, and what is going on in her life?

Poppy Clayton is a natural health buff and chiropractor. She’s a bit obsessive-compulsive and feels she knows what’s best for everyone. In a loving, and fun way of course, but we all know someone who wants us to drink green shakes and has the tastebuds of a squirrel. That’s Poppy and she’s not in search of a husband, but she is in search of freedom from having to find one. When she’s not looking, God has a different plan for her.

How did you come up with her character? Is she at all similar to you?

Truthfully, she’s based a tad on my husband if that makes any sense — and a bit of Colleen Coble, my writing partner. They’re both convinced they know what’s best for me and are not afraid to say it.

Throughout the book, Poppy ranks herself on a desperation scale. I’m sure many of us can relate. Can you tell us more about that?

I had this vision of how the book starts with a female monkey in a tree, chasing after an abundance of male monkeys, only to find her chase has left her alone, and feeling desperate. I really wanted to capture that feeling of how when we go after what we want, we’re often left alone to question our very being. I want women to find themselves acceptable in Him and that’s what the book is about.

How does Poppy become more calm, cool, and adjusted as the plot moves along?

She learns that she does not control the universe, though she tries desperately. The more she lets go of her rules and makes them “guidelines,” the happier she becomes.

What do you want readers to take away from reading this book, or others in your Spa Girls trilogy?

I want them to have a fun sense of escapism, but also appreciate the friends who populate their lives. I hope they’ll see their own friendships in the Spa Girls.

I love reading the Girls Write Out blog, which you participate in along with novelists Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter. For those who haven’t visited yet, what types of things do you blog about?

We blog about everything — from chocolate, to writing, to our friendship and how wonderfully strange it is. We all started out writing together and we have worked hard to become better writers and hopefully, better people. I think it’s good to share our successes and our foibles because that’s part of life.

Some of us here are also aspiring to become better writers. Do you recommend the American Christian Fiction Writers organization? What are the advantages of joining?

I do recommend it. I remember when it was a seed in Lynn Coleman’s mind as an alternative to secular writing groups for those of us who shared a call. We are now around 1200 members. The forums (available if you join) are a treasure trove of information on point of view, sales & marketing and other writing-related tips.

Can you give us a quick scoop on the national ACFW conference that was just held in Dallas?

The conference was fabulous, as always. Since it only incorporates fiction in its teaching, the editors and agents are just there to find writers of novels. What a blessing! This year, Liz Curtis Higgs was the keynote speaker, and that was worth every cent without all the classes!

Oh, I’d love to hear Liz Curtis Higgs speak someday. Congratulations on your Lit Book of the Year Award, by the way!

Thanks!

What are you working on next?

Right now, I’m working on Split Ends, which is a stand-alone novel about a young woman from a small town who has big dreams of becoming a Hollywood hairstylist. She’s convinced if she can find success, she can overcome her past — but it turns out, her success only creates new problems she hadn’t anticipated.

We can’t wait until you’re through so we can read it. Thanks for stopping by, Kristin!

Enjoyed it!

Kristin Billerbeck can be reached at her website, where you can sign up for her “Kristin’s Handbag” newsletters. You can also keep up with her real-life sagas at the always-entertaining blog, Girls Write Out.

Just in case you thought that press release earlier today was kinda dry, I have to tell you some big news. Kristin Billerbeck, the QUEEN of Christian chick-lit, is coming to visit tomorrow. Here!

Don’t miss it …

I’m busy collecting my all-time favorite laugh-out-loud quotes from some of her books off my bookshelf. I don’t know where she thinks of this stuff, but you can’t read a Billerbeck novel and stay in a bad mood. I mean, just in case you ever get in a bad mood. Not that I’m speaking from experience. heh. heh.

If you’ve never read any Billerbeck chick-lit, you can visit her in the Silicon Valley here.

When I was in middle school, I was absolutely, positively BONKERS about horses. I dreamed about horses. I drew pictures of horses on all my school papers. I read horse books, watched horse movies, collected model horses. And I begged my parents to let me take horseback riding lessons.

There was a stable within walking distance of my house. My sister and I hung out at the barn, petting the horses, feeding them strips of grass, feeling their warm whiskery muzzle in our hands. My mom told us stories about her horse growing up and decided it would be OK to let us take lessons.

After several months of learning to ride, we found another stable about a ten-minute drive from our house, and my parents bought us a horse, Bandit. Every day after school, throughout our up-and-down roller coaster t’weens, Mom drove me and my sister to the barn. We mucked out stalls together, groomed and rode our horse, fed him — and for a year, I joined the show circut. I showed English equitation, and of course dreamed of going to the Olympics … until I started high school and moved on to other interests (humans, with XY chromosomes).

I think I’m still a bit horse crazy, and that’s why I was thrilled to discover TWO series of books for girls who love horses, written by Christian authors. Woohoo! You can help build your daughter’s faith while she’s following her heart reading stories about horses.

The Keystone Stables series by Marsha Hubler is published by Zonderkidz, and I read The Trouble with Skye. It was fantastic. Skye Nicholson is a troubled 13-year-old foster kid, who is full of teenage angst and is an expert at getting into trouble. She’s rescued by the tough love of Tom and Eileen Chambers, who offer her a new chance in their home.

There, she meets Champ, the most beautiful horse she’s ever seen. Though first deathly afraid to ride him, she discovers she’s a natural. The Nicholsons also gently introduce her to God, who loves her and gives her life meaning and hope as she explores her past. Marsha Hubler sent me a signed copy of her book with this inscription: “No trouble is greater than God! 1 Corinthians 15:10.” So, of course, I’ve blabbed about it to my local children’s librarian — and can’t wait until my girls are a little older. This series is recommended for ages 10 & up. (Skye has smoked pot in her past, which may introduce some heavy material for younger elementary-age girls.)

While I was telling my librarian about the Keystone Stables series, she pointed out another series she likes, Winnie the Horse Gentler books by Dandi Daley Mackall. These are published by Tyndale Kids, so I jumped right in and read Wild Thing, book 1 of the series.

Twelve-year-old Winnie is searching for peace in her life, after the death of her mother in a car accident. Her dad keeps moving her and her younger sister around, unsettled and grieving. Winnie has a part-time afternoon job at nearby Stable-Mart, where she falls head over heels in love with a spirited Arabian, called Wild Thing.

Her dream is to buy him and keep him in the old barn behind their rental home — if only she can convince her dad not to move again — and if she can earn the money. I love the gentle way the author shares Winnie’s prayers to God. We can see her faith, and we can also see how God works in her life. It’s a beautiful book. There’s also a wonderful glossary of horse terms in the back.

Both books include diagrams that label the parts of a horse. What fun to hear these terms I haven’t thought of in years: crest, withers, dock, cannon, fetlock, etc. Your horse-crazy daughters will fall in love with these books!