There are so many exciting things happening at my local church. We have a new music minister AND a new youth pastor breathing new life into our fellowship. The worship services are SO inspiring. I sit with my husband and three older kids, while our two younger ones are in the nursery — and it’s the highlight of my week.

Our new youth minister and his wife have preschool kids so they’ve joined our Sunday school class of other tired, worn-out parents who need a break. We laugh a lot, but we’re actually learning and growing as well — and I can’t thank God enough for this good church fellowship.

This past Sunday, our youth minister was telling us there’s a dynamic movement of the Holy Spirit among college students. “We started a new small group last week, ” he said. “And we had 40 kids show up. I couldn’t believe the hunger among these kids for all things spiritual.”

As he talked, I was thinking, I’ve got to tell him about that great Louie Giglio book I read a while back. What was it, something about worship?

So I googled it and found my review at Christian Book Previews. The book is called Wired: For a Life of Worship, by Louie Giglio (with Stuart Hall). This is an incredible book that includes a 30-day personal worship journey through the Psalms. Oh how I wish I’d had great material like this when I was in high school.

Here’s what the book jacket says:

Athlete or musician, quiet or “the life of the party”—you are unique. There is no one like you on the planet. But your life has a common thread that is true of all people: you are wired for worship. Not just any worship, but for that of your Creator! That’s what this book is about—discovering your purpose and learning how to fulfill it.

Geared for teenagers and college students, Wired is designed with pages that teach, challenge, and connect as you dig into Scripture and learn about your created purpose. This interactive student edition of The Air I Breathe includes a thirty-day worship experience as a guided personal journey that discloses the depth of God’s character and how to know Him more intimately. Ideal for use in small groups, an accompanying leader’s guide is also available.

Giglio writes:
“I love teenagers. In fact, while writing this, I’m on my way to spend four days with more than 1500 of them at camp! My passion to see young people awaken to a lifestyle of worship that goes far beyond singing songs, coupled with the need for small-group material, stimulated the idea for Wired. I want to equip youth workers with a resource that can be used in small groups, large Bible studies, or Sunday school classes. I pray that Wired will encourage teens everywhere to a lifestyle that reflects God’s greatness to the world.”

You can read my review of the book here.

The exciting thing is — I later discovered in our church newsletter that our youth pastor is TEACHING this book on Sunday nights starting next week!!

If you are older than any teenagers in your church (ha! most of us, huh?) then you could easily lead a small group of teens using this book. It brings the Bible to life — it’s explosively relevant and fresh.

Sometimes, I get down and worried about what an awful, scary place our world has become, and I almost hyperventilate imagining what it will be like when I have a houseful of teenagers. Then I decide we must think positive and strengthen ourselves even more for the BATTLEFIELD of our children’s minds and hearts.

Materials like WIRED give us the tools we need to empower our kids to fight back. I think this book would also be great for college kids to mentor high school kids.

I have to add here that I heard Louie Giglio speak in person when I was in my early 20s at Metro Bible Study in Atlanta, Georgia. I was at a season in my life when I was out of college, working, and a tad bit bored (OK, VERY bored). I bought a tape of Louie Giglio’s speech and listened to it over and over. And I told myself life is too short to be miserable and bored — maybe God wants me to do something more interesting.

So I packed that tape in my suitcase and hopped on a plane bound for Tokyo. This is something I can’t do now — but I can definitely mentor younger people who can.

How about you? Is God speaking to your heart about mentoring the next generation? If today’s teens can keep their minds, hearts, and bodies pure NOW … just think what they’ll be accomplishing 20 years from now when they’re raising their own families.

Here’s a writer I really look up to. Kathryn Lay is someone who has reached a great level of success in her writing career, yet she’s also extremely generous in willing to give back her time to encourage the rest of us.

She was recently interviewed by her local newspaper, the Fort Worth Star Telegram, and I found the story so inspiring I wanted to keep up with this link!

Kathryn Lay has sold over 1400 articles to magazines and is a prolific contributor to Chicken Soup books and others. Her children’s novel, Crown Me, won the Texas State Reading Association’s Golden Spur Award and will be repackaged into paperback and sold by Scholastic Book Clubs under the title, How to Rule the School.

Kathryn is one of my heroes. She is continuing to perservere with writing a new novel while undergoing chemo treatment for uterine cancer.

In the Fort Worth Star interview, she was asked, “How have you sold so much stuff?”

Kathryn’s reply demonstates her tenacity:

“I usually work on a lot of stuff at once. My friends call me the marketing queen. My mantra to all writers: When you sell, always resell. I think I have one Christmas piece that’s been published about 14 times. When summer comes, I start thinking about Christmas. Right now it’s time to start thinking about summer.”

She says her ultimate goal is to become a full-time children’s writer and says, “You’re not preaching at them. You’re just having fun with them. Mostly, adults are already jaded.”

If you need more writing encouragement, Kathryn also has a book called The Organized Writer is a Selling Writer. Sounds like something I could use!

You can learn more about Kathryn Kay at her website.

Kelsey at HolyMama! has finally shared why she’s so passionate about Breast Cancer Awareness. You can read her story here.

Every month, on the 17th of the month (or whenever works best for you), Kelsey is encouraging all of you ladies to do your BSE (breast self exam). That way, if you notice anything unusual, you won’t panic because it will only have been a month since you last checked.

If you join the club, you can put this groovy little button on your blog — and if you participate at least six months, you get a super-special Queen button that is so adorable, you must go see it on her site.

When a mother is worried sick for her child in the hospital at 2 in the morning, I want her to know that we’re here to share in her burden. When another is worried for the health of her husband, we’re here. When a man is broken under the pressure of the world, let’s bring him before God in prayer.

First, I’m asking that anyone who is interested in a ministry of prayer write me. I’ll be gathering a team together that will be emailed as the prayers come in. When we have a team established and growing, I would like to publish the first names only along with their locations, so that people will see the many voices around the world stretching their hands to our Lord.

I remember a time when my baby was deathly ill, but I found comfort in knowing that churches around the world were in prayer.

Secondly we have opened a new page for prayer, The Prayer Room. We will post prayers that come to us, or needs that we see on the net, and ask that those who wish to comment leave prayers and encouragement for them.

Click here to learn more about this new online prayer ministry.

Cindy Sproles of Mountain Breeze Ministries has been writing a series called “Christians with the Heart of a Servant.” She’s highlighted the ministries of several people, including, most recently Mom 2 Mom.

I sometimes forget that blogging here is my ministry. What keeps me going is knowing that I might encourage one of you to grow in your faith by “connecting” you to a book or other resource that might be just the tool God will use to speak to you.

Cindy’s interview allowed me to do some major soul-searching, and I feel rejuvenated in my writing here.

I hope you’ll visit her at Mountain Breeze Ministries and see what we talked about!

The last two weeks have been very tough around here. My kids have had a stomach virus, and they’ve all missed at least three days of school. Today, I have a date with a bottle of bleach, if that gives you any kind of idea what it’s been like for me. FlyLady Friday, here I come.

In the midst of all the madness, I’ve made excuses about my dieting. I’m tired and stressed, so who cares if I eat these cookies/brownies/tortilla chips? I convinced myself that moms of preschoolers can’t diet because life is just too hard dealing with all the NOISE and messes from kids everywhere.

Then I got an email yesterday from one of my special, love-her-to-pieces college friends. I don’t hear from her all that often — we’re both busy raising families. The email subject: “You inspired me.”

When I opened it, she said she was browsing my blog and was intrigued by my post on the South Beach Diet.

She wrote:

You did such a good job describing it and how to make it easy with a family, that I immediately went to the library and got the book and an extra cookbook. [My husband] and I are trying the strict Phase 1 first to de-tox our bodies from all the sugar and carbs we crave so. Thanks for the encouragement.

OK. That was totally what I needed to hear. I mentioned how this diet was so much easier with an accountability partner. So now I don’t have just one — I have two. heh. No more excuses!

I went to the grocery store this morning and bought the low-fat cheese, salad, and tuna I need to keep me away from the carbs. While I was at it, being so bold in my shopping, I bought three new, matching sippy cups for my 21-month-old daughter. That’s all she needs. I came home and threw away all of her hand-me-down baby bottles. (deep breath here). I weaned her from nursing a year ago, and she uses a cup fine, but I was just being sentimental, seeing how sweet she looks carrying her little bottles around.

Well, we’re moving on.

That email was the boot spur I needed to get me back in the groove. I’m not going to give in to carbs and sugar and be sloppy and lazy into my 40s (which are not far away at all). YEA! I’m motivated again.

Thank you, sweet friend, if you check into my blog. This verse came to mind:

When my husband and I were in Cavendish (Avonlea), P.E.I. several years ago, we both noticed there were a lot of Japanese tourists visiting the Green Gables site. I asked one of the Japanese schoolgirls there why Anne of Green Gables was so popular in Japan, and she held her hand over her mouth and giggled.

Then another girl who could speak some English touched her own braided hair and answered, “Akage no Anne. She’s very popular in Japan. Akage no Anne means ‘Anne with red hair.'” She told me they read about Anne Shirley in their English textbooks at school.

This is a little fact I tucked away for years until I ran across this site that explains more detail. This is from the Prince Edward Island government website: Anne of Green Gables.

I’m quoting directly:

“In Japan, Montgomery became part of the school curriculum in 1952. In 1939, when New Brunswick missionary, Miss Shaw, left Japan, she gave to her friend Hanako Muraoka her prized copy of Anne of Green Gables. Secretly, the respected Japanese translator rendered Montgomery’s text into Japanese, Akage No Anne (Anne of the Red Hair).

When the Second World War ended and officials were looking for uplifting Western literature for the schools, Muraoka brought out her translation of Anne. Ever since, Anne has been a part of Japanese culture, with her exotic red hair and comic outspokenness.

Yuko Izawa’s recently published bibliography of editions gives some idea of the continuing popularity of Montgomery in Japan (see Credits under Works Cited). Today, there is an Anne Academy in Japan; there are national fan clubs; one nursing school is nicknamed “The Green Gables School of Nursing” and is sister school with the University of Prince Edward Island’s School of Nursing.

Thousands of Japanese come to Prince Edward Island every year as visitors to Anne country and the Land of Green Gables. When the National Park house called Green Gables caught fire in May 1997, the Japanese responded immediately by sending money to restore and repair the building. Dozens of glossy Japanese magazines have devoted whole issues to photographs of Island scenery and crafts and of course to the sites devoted to Montgomery and her works.”

This completely fascinates me!

As I’ve been reading through the Anne of Green Gables series this year, one thing really strikes me about Montgomery’s writing — her descriptions of setting. The beauty of Prince Edward Island is what attracts us so much to the world of Anne — and I can’t help but imagine how Japanese readers feel when they’re reading it.

Japan is densely populated, with many people living in high-rise apartments surrounded by noise and concrete. Anne’s world was one filled with beauty, quiet, nature, and peace. It’s something few of us have, yet all of us long for.

Chris Anne, editor of C3 Mothering, recently wrote to give me this award. Thank you, Chris!

She has a beautiful site and is gathering a variety of articles. I hope you’ll visit and see what she’s got going on over there. C3 Mothering stands for Crunchy, Conservative, Christian.

“Crunchy Con is a term coined by Rod Dreher in his book: Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of counter-culture conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party).”

As I’m not quite sure what crunchy means, I haven’t submitted an article yet, but if you feel like this might be your niche, go for it!

I can’t believe this video — this is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen! It’s the little Shopping Penguin who waddles to the fish store to buy fish for his family. Now my kids want to go to Japan to meet this little guy. You gotta see his Pingu backpack!

If you’re a writing parent, the time you have to write is more precious than gold. You need to write; God has given you talent and a calling, yet does it ever seem like an impossible dream that your words will be published?

Today, we’re visited by a PROLIFIC, talented young mom, who has written a million books. OK, not a million, but Tricia Goyer is one of the most amazingly busy writers I know. We had a book giveaway here in November, and one of you won a free signed copy of Tricia’s newest non-fiction book for parents, Generation NeXT Parenting.

Tricia is extremely active in the blogosphere, giving away her words to encourage and uplift all of her readers. Her personal blog is called It’s a Real Life, but she also encourages aspiring writers at her Writer Quotes blog which contains favorite quotes and Tricia’s thoughts on them.

She’s a member of the Christian Authors Network (CAN) where she blogs about marketing for writers. She’s a regular contributor to Girls, God, and the Good Life, along with several other authors who specialize in writing for teen girls. You can also read her encouragement for writing parents at Writer … Interrupted.

Since Tricia also writes historical novels, she contributes to Favorite PASTimes, where several writers explore insights on writing, reading, viewing and researching historical fiction. And there’s more! Her website, Unforgettable Stories of WW II is another place Tricia Goyer shares her passion for World War II memories. She has interviewed many veterans to help research her historical novels.

Welcome to Mom 2 Mom Connection, Tricia! Can you tell us how you got started in writing?

Thanks for having me!

I started writing in 1994. I was 22-years-old and pregnant with my THIRD child, no joke! A friend at church wanted to become a writer and this struck a chord with me. I didn’t think it was something real people could do.

Cindy Martinusen and I attended our first writer’s conference in 1994. A few years (and many rejections) later, I started writing articles. Then I worked on book projects . . . and soon they were getting published too.

I basically attended conferences, read books on writing, and taught myself by trial and error.

How did you make time in your day for writing during those early years? What kept you going?

I used to have a wonderful schedule. Oooo, I long for those days!

Anyway, every afternoon, I had “writing time.” My little kids knew they had to entertain themselves. Since I had three kids in five years, they played well together . . . and I wrote.

Small successes kept me going. Some of my first stories were published in small papers, and I made $10 for the whole story. It didn’t matter . . . I was published.

What was your first book about?

My first non-fiction book was Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom. And let me tell you it is amazing — a gift from God — that I could offer any type of advice to others. At one time my life was such a mess.

I suppose I was able to write this book because I’d been a teen mom. I started mentoring teen moms because I could understand. I had a heart for their struggles. Yet, my life was transformed as I made good choices — just one tiny step after another. This book is all about helping teen moms do just that.

How did you get into writing novels? What has been the best thing about becoming a novelist?

When I first started writing, my goal was to write novels. I wrote articles and other non-fiction to build up credits under my name. (Then I discovered I liked it. Go figure!)

I had about six unfinished novels on my hard drive when I visited Europe with friends in 2003. There I came upon a story from WWII I knew I had to write.

It’s the true story about 23 American soldiers opening the gates to Gusen and Mauthausen concentration camps and freeing 25,000 prisoners. It’s also a story about a Nazi wife caring for the people her husband was once bent on destroying. Writing that novel led to more stories, more veterans to interview, more novels. And the rest — as they say — is history.

I’m sure it must be so interesting to interview WWII veterans! You now have a new book out for Gen-X parents. Who is a Gen-X parent?

Gen Xers are those born between 1961-1981 . . . or another way to think of it is that if your teen years somehow touched the 80s, then you are one of us. My book is called Generation NeXt Parenting.

Why did you feel a passion for writing to this group?

I wanted to write for this group because our parenting is SO different than the parenting that has gone before us. The issues we face are waaaaay different than the ones our moms faced.

Also, our growing up years deeply affected how we parent. For example, since we grew up with Missing Children on the side of our milk cartons, we have a lot of fears concerning our kids. And since many of us had a latch-key existence, while both parents worked, we (as a generation) try to overcompensate with our kids.

We want to give our kids all, yet we get overwhelmed. My book is to offer hope . . . and help — not as an expert, but as someone who is in the same boat and understands.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of this generation of parenting?

Our strengths are:
Dads are more involved than ever.
We have a “family first” mentality.
We have more resources than those who’ve gone before us.
We are willing to sacrifice for our kids.

Yet here are some weaknesses:
We have too many opportunities and often overextend ourselves and our kids.
We want to give our kids everything we didn’t have.
We live in a have-it-all, have-have-it-now world.
We are flooded with all types of media, and get overwhelmed.

How can we overcome our weaknesses and depend on God more?

In the book, I have tons of little tips on how we can seek God’s help in these many areas, but overall we need to realize two things:

1. God placed us as parents in this time in history for a purpose.
2. He can strength us and give us wisdom for our task.

Do you have any advice for today’s moms?

My number one piece of advice is: Seek God. Pray, asking Him to change your heart. Follow Him in obedience to the small things He asks you to do.

My day goes 100% better when I realize it’s all not up to me. What a concept!

Tricia, you’re involved in several blogging communities. How did you get interested in blogging?

I blog because I have the heart of a teacher. Anything I learn, know, believe, I want to SHARE. I can’t just ponder it. I have to write about it. I suppose that is how truth becomes concrete to me, by writing it out.

Also, I blog because I LOVE feedback. Seeing COMMENTS are one of my favorite things.

That’s a Gen X trait too, by the way. We want the gold star. We want instant feedback and a pat on the back. Comments on blogs give me that feedback. Is that crazy, or what?!

Ha! I can relate to that trait. What do you enjoy most about being a mom who is also a writer?

I LOVE that I can be home with my kids. Since we homeschool, we spend most of every day together.

I LOVE that I can schedule my own time. I can work around dentist appointments, basketball practice, and stop in the middle of the day to play Xbox if I want to.

I LOVE when my writing benefits my family. For example, we get many free books. My kids have been with me to interview WWII veterans (what an opportunity!). I review curriculum, which I get for free. I’ve even gotten my family backstage passes to the Newsboys because of a writing friend. THAT is when my kids thought I’d “made it.”

How old are your kids?

My kids are 17, 14, and 12 now. We homeschool and all three play basketball. (Go Crusaders!) My oldest son, Cory, is also taking college classes. (He’s a Junior and gets both high school and college credits.) My daughter, Leslie, loves singing and playing the piano. My son, Nathan, thinks hanging out and playing with his friends is the coolest thing on earth.

We’re also in the process of adopting a baby girl from China . . . which we’ll most likely have by Winter 2007.

Wow. I hope things go smoothly with your adoption. I’m sure you’ll find much to share about that experience. Thanks for visiting with us here and for passing along your wisdom and encouragement!

Tricia Goyer was named Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference “Writer of the Year” in 2003. She was a finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award and she also won ACFW’s “Book of the Year” for Long Historial Romance in 2005 and 2006. You can learn more about her at Tricia’s Loft.