A few months ago, I asked our local children’s librarian if she recommended any series for elementary-age girls. Our librarian is a true kindred spirit because she has two daughters and is also a Christian. She knows I’m always on the lookout for character-building fiction that is also FUN for kids to read.

She led me straight to Dandi Daley Mackall’s Winnie the Horse Gentler series (Tyndale House), which I reviewed here. I discovered Mrs. Mackall is the author of over 400 books! I also noticed some of her books are from Christian publishers — so I was curious to learn more about her writing and her faith.

Well, here she is! I think this interview is one of the most inspiring I’ve ever been a part of, one I will read again and again. I hope you enjoy getting to know her too!

Dandi, you’re absolutely prolific! In your writing career, you’ve published books in every genre, from picture book to adult. You must have an endless well of ideas! Where do you find your ideas for writing stories?

I think we all get an endless well of ideas, don’t you? We just need to recognize them, connect the dots, listen, and then work like crazy.

It’s funny, but I’m still insecure enough to have those writer-thoughts that each book is probably the last I’ll have, that I’ll never get another idea, that no publisher will buy anything ever again.

But ideas are everywhere. I love the ones that seem to come out of nowhere—like Larger-Than-Life Lara, a middle-grade novel that “came to me” at 3 am one night/morning, and then kept coming. More often, the thoughts have been simmering for years and then rise to the surface.

My kids supply me with many scenes, parts of characters, plenty of suspense and humor (my husband, too). And I’m still writing out my past—events that happened when I was in elementary school.

You have three children. Do you feel that being a mother has helped you in your writing career? In what ways?

Absolutely! When I started writing, I wrote long “inspirational nonfiction,” humor, and how-to books for grown-ups. Never dreamed I’d write children’s books. Then I had children, and I rediscovered kid books.

I love how compressed the language is, how important the sounds of words become. My writing career has paralleled my children’s lives. When they were little, I wrote board books and picture books. I knew first-hand the humor, problems, language, lives of my child readers.

My kids got older, and I wrote chapter books, then middle-grade fiction, then young adult books. I always knew the lingo, what was in, what was out, what was troubling. I kept writing the earlier genres, too, never giving that age up just because my kids moved past it.

Now I write for every age group. We are extra-blessed in the Mackall household. We have a special-needs daughter who’s turned 20, but lives the age of an 8-10 year-old. I will always have a child who colors me pictures for my refrigerator. We have a live-in child, who helps me stay a child myself and tune in to what children need.

Another way being a mother has helped me write is that I think it’s one of the tools God gives us to force us deeper. Being a mom pretty much guarantees we’ll pray!

What mother can go through the agonies and anxieties of motherhood without glimpsing how God cares for us? We begin to get an idea about sacrifice, about loving so much that we’d give our lives for our children. And that’s a piece of the puzzle of why Jesus would sacrifice for us.

Oh, that’s so very true. When your children were babies or toddlers, how did you carve out a time and place to write?

I was writing before I had children, so I had some good habits established. I was used to getting up really early and grabbing that time for personal devotion, and then writing.

But I had to learn to be flexible when the kids came along. What if they got up early, too? Wrecked my whole plan! When I had two kids under 3, my entire day revolved around pulling off the amazing feat of synchronized napping. My goal was to get them to sleep at the same time, so I could write! I’d have everything ready so I could jump into that book or article the second their eyes closed.

Daughter Katy was diagnosed with a life-threatening and chronic disease when she was 9 months and her sister was 3. A month later, my husband left all of us for another woman. Writing suddenly became much more than a hobby! I supported the kids by writing anything and everything—articles, hospital brochures, college handbooks, Scooby Doo books as work-for-hire. Anything!

Those desperate days made me work hard at writing and finding the time to write. I’d write while my kids colored and did sticker books, while they watched Sesame Street. When I could, I’d hire a high school girl for 2 hours and write every second of it. (BTW, five years later, God brought me my wonderful husband, Joe.)

Do you have any advice for today’s busy parents who dream of writing magazine articles or books?

Do it! John 3:17 loosely says, “You know this stuff. Now do it!”

Hate to tell you, but you’ll probably always be really busy. Writers are. I’m every bit as busy as I was when the kids were small. I still care for Katy all day. We’ve moved my mother in with us. I have writing deadlines and speaking engagements…and life. But that’s where we get our material, right?

You have an edge! Use it! You’re in the thick of parenthood. If I want to write about toddlers, or elementary school kids, I have to research now. You’ve already done your research. I’m jealous.

Enjoy the process of writing. That’s the real gift, a secret joy as you discover stories that I honestly believe started in heaven. We unravel them. We accept them. We write them.

Rewrite. Find at least one other writer who will exchange manuscripts, critique, encourage. Ask for criticism. Don’t reject it. Consider it. Your work isn’t your child.

Ask your family to give you the gift of a writer’s retreat. One weekend can change your life. When they ask what you want for Christmas, that’s it.

Do you recommend any home study programs for helping writers become better at the craft of writing?

Read what you want to write. Read a lot. I know it’s hard, but we must do it. My favorite how-to book is Wyndham’s Writing for Children and Teenagers. It’s a classic and gives a lot of information in a concise package that works for grown-up books, too.

If I could be so bold, I’d love for you to read a book I wrote for middle-grade readers/writers, a story about story, called Larger-than-life Lara, published by Dutton/Penguin. It’s my 400th book, the one God sent in the middle of the night. Each chapter deals with a part of story (character, rising action, climax, setting, etc.), while the action of the story keeps moving forward.

Your website says your book, Eva Underground, “parallels the author’s experiences before ‘The Wall’ came down.” Can you tell us a little about your teaching experiences in Poland and how that led to your writing this book?

Thanks for asking about this. This book only took me about 25 years to write! I lived behind the “Iron Curtain” and was a missionary from 1978-1979, during Soviet-controlled communism. I lived with 20 Poles (and no hot water) on the border of Poland and Czechoslovakia, teaching them to write and teaching the Bible.

It was an amazing time, involving an underground freedom movement, an illegal printing press, and many other experiences than sat in my head for years as I wrote other things. Finally, I wrote this historical novel (frightening to realize I’d aged so much that my life was historical!), fictionalizing the events that took place when I lived there.

EVA UNDERGROUND came out last year with Harcourt. Among other things, I used the countless journals I’d kept during those two years.

Since many of us reading here are bloggers, can you tell us a little bit about your Blog On! teen fiction series?

We all know how into blogging teens are! I wanted to write a series of fun, fast-paced, character-driven novels for teens, about teens who blog. In the books, I don’t rant against blogging. I just show how these four girls eventually form a positive blog.

They avoid the pitfalls of gossiping and bullying online. I wanted to show how these four, very different teens discover that their real-life relationships matter more to them than shallow cyber-relationships, and that their relationship with God is the most important one of all.

My publisher, Zondervan, has developed a great website loaded with safety tips and Q and A for teen bloggers. We printed safety tips in the backs of the books, too. Hopefully, the books can help teens as they navigate through cyberspace.

This sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for coming here and sharing with us!

You can learn more about Dandi Daley Mackall and her books for kids and adults at her website, Dandi Books.

I want to post this announcement about a new writing contest that is going on now at Christian Women Online. There are some great prizes offered, and this is a wonderful excuse to write something to give your mom for Mother’s Day. (Can you imagine how you’d feel if your own daughter grew up to write about you in a contest?)

Note: The deadline is April 14!

From the CWO website:

Christian Women Online in conjunction with Art Bookbindery is sponsoring the “Her Life Reflected,” writing contest. We are looking for stories that illustrate how your mother, or a mother that you know has reflected the heart of God in her life.

Our panel of judges will choose only one winner, and that winner’s name will be published along with her essay in the May 2007 issue of Christian Women Online–just in time for Mother’s Day.

Eligibility

The contest is open to women aged 18 years and older, who reside in Canada or the United States. Employees of Art Bookbindery and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.

Entries must be submitted in Microsoft Word format via email by 11:59 pm central time April 14, 2007.

Prize Package

* $200.00 U.S. from Art Bookbindery
* A photo of Candace Cameron Bure, star of the hit TV series “Full House,” autographed to the winner
* An autographed copy of Barbara Cameron’s book, A Full House of Growing Pains.
* Two autographed copies of Darlene Schacht’s humorous book The Mom Complex ~ one for you, and one for Mom!
* A copy of Yvonne Parks music CD “Only One Love”
* One web page design or blog design (Blogspot only) by Yvonne Parks Design
* A selection of the following books from Allison Bottke:
A Stitch in Time (fiction)
I Can’t Do it All (non-fiction)
God Allows U-Turns for Women (anthology)
God Allows U-Turns for Teens (anthology)

Click here to read the Official Guidelines. There is no entry fee.

Today we are visited by one very funny lady, Jenn Doucette, mom of three, and founder of Daisy Ministries (Discover, Anticipate, Identify & Seek after Yahweh, God).

Jenn is the author of The Velveteen Mommy and co-author of Up — Devotions for Faith that Connects. She loves connecting with women and inspiring them to grow in their faith — laughing along the way. Her newest book is called Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This.

Welcome, Jenn! I love the title of your book — can you tell us what you mean by “days like this?”

You know — one of “those days” that is normal to every mom, but would have scared you silly BK (before kids), such as:

You wake up late because your four-year-old was messing with your alarm clock — only to realize your three grade-schoolers are mere moments from missing the bus so you hand them each a granola bar for breakfast, toss some lunch money in their backpacks and get two of them to the bus stop.

But the remaining first-grader lingers behind while trying to tie her shoe in-between sobs that she’s the “student of the week” and you haven’t sent in any special show-and-tell around the historical theme of the week (World War II era pottery made in Nigeria), nor have you sent in treats or a handmade photo anthology of her life …

I know what you mean! Those show-and-tell days can be downright stressful around my house too.

It’s also the day the Visa bill came, your car ran out of gas at the grocery store, your toddler threw up on you in the checkout line, and you got your period. A week early.

Yep. One of “those days.”

Yikes! What has been the most challenging aspect of motherhood for you?

The out-of-control part. And I don’t just mean myself. I like things neat and tidy (physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, etc.); motherhood has nothing to do with neat and tidy other than the neverending pursuit thereof.

But just like God, it’s the biggest challenges that have grown, stretched, and shaped me the most in the last twelve years. I’ve learned not to run from the challenges of motherhood; rather I embrace them (and publish them).

I’m glad you’ve published your mothering challenges because your book was so much fun to read! Can you tell us why you decided to include “12 rest stops” for moms?

I liken the Busy Stage of motherhood to driving in the fast lane, outta control and running on fumes. While doing some online research about driving safety, I found a top 12 list for the most common dangerous driving habits demonstrated by Americans.

So I fashioned 12 corresponding Rest Stops for moms to use as strategies for avoiding burnout:

1. Reconnecting with Others
2. Reclaiming Contentment
3. Resolving to Listen
4. Redefining Beauty
5. Relinquishing Pride
6. Rediscovering Wonder
7. Repairing Relationships
8. Reestablishing Priorities
9. Resting and Relaxing [my personal favorite!]
10. Revisiting Strategies
11. Rekindling the Romance
12. Restoring Your Soul

Why do you think it’s important for today’s moms to take time out to rest and recharge?

Because things are always going to get busier. And more complicated.

We have choices thrust in our faces every day that just continue to expand. In order for moms to avoid the inevitable burnout, I think it’s imperative for us to just STOP every now and then to recharge and refresh. We may miss out on a few things, but in the long run, we’ll be better moms.

That’s true — and now I have your permission to take a guilt-free break this afternoon and finish up a book I’m longing to read. To recharge my battery. So thanks!

You’re welcome. 😉

Do you have any advice on how a woman can keep her sense of humor when she’s having one of those “days like this” or even “years like this?”

There are quite a few good strategies. Here’s my own top five:

— By keeping in touch with a friend or a group of friends who will listen and keep you grounded.

— By talking with moms who are a stage (or two) ahead of you.

— By talking with your own mother (if possible).

— By taking a break occasionally to visit the lighter side of life – don’t lose the “fun girl” permanently just because you’re a mom!

— By reading a Junie B. Jones book every few months.

Ha! We have a whole bookshelf of Junie B. Jones books, and Barbara Park has such a silly sense of humor. Your last book was called The Velveteen Mommy. Can you tell us a little about that book?

It’s about the humorous frustrations and hidden joys of motherhood. I found the toddler stage in particular to be riddled with funnies in the midst of the yuckies.

In Velveteen, I take you on a fun journey through the trenches, complete with a few Biblical lessons in-between. If you need a change of pace, some comforting conversation, a sympathetic shoulder for a tear or two, and lots of laughter to lighten your load, Velveteen Mommy is for you.

Sounds great. It looks like you’ve got a lot going on with Daisy Ministries — why do you feel a calling to encourage today’s moms?

Because it’s a jungle out there, baby. We moms need to stick together if we’re going to survive this thing called motherhood.

Oh, I love that quote! I think I’m going to have to jot that down to hang on my dashboard to read while I’m hauling kids around. I’m not alone — I’m sticking with moms like you!

Seriously, when I first became a mom, the difficulties were so . . . overwhelming they seemed unbelievable. And then they became kind of funny (but perhaps that was because I was so sleep deprived).

When I speak to women, I notice one consistent fact: THEY ALL LOVE TO LAUGH. And well, I’m a ham and love to make people laugh, so it’s a good relationship.

I’ve realized that once you can share your own failings with someone else and make ‘em laugh, they’re more open to hearing the gentle message of hope of Jesus. He wants us to love others. Encouraging them with hope and humor is my way of demonstrating that love.

You can catch up with all the funny stuff Jenn Doucette has going on at her website, Daisy Ministries. Jenn is a proud member of the CCA, Christian Comedy Association (Not to be confused with Corrections Corporation of America or the Center for Computational Aesthetics . . . or the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association).

I hope you’re having a marvelous Valentine’s Day, savoring every piece of endorphine-loaded chocolate as much as I am. (The dark kind is healthy, you know.) I’ve been to three kids’ Valentine’s parties today — refueling on sugar and parent gossip like everyone else — and now it’s pure joy to sit down a minute and focus my mind on books.

Books I LOVE!

Really, I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to tell you all about one of my favorite mom-lit series — as it turns out, my waiting had a purpose because the author herself agreed to come visit for an interview. Tracey Bateman is here!

Have you read any of her books yet? If you haven’t, you’ll love them. You’ll love her. And you’ll definitely love her main character in this mom-lit series, Claire Everett.

These are the books that drive my husband crazy when I’m reading next to him because I laugh out loud at least twice every page. The books are so FUNNY — and don’t we moms need something to laugh about at the end of one of THOSE days?

Yet the novels are not just fun and fluffy — Claire is growing in her relationship with Christ, and you will too, as you read how she handles things. Like the author herself, Claire is a writer and mother of four — so her life is pretty chaotic as she tries to balance career and family.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the first book, Leave it to Claire.

In this scene, Claire is dropping off her popular teenage daughter at the high school where she will be cheerleading:

I see her group of followers pointing at me and whispering among themselves. Okay, they’re probably looking and admiring her, and most likely haven’t noticed me, but when you have the kind of self-esteem I have, laughing kids translate to “laughing at me” kids. That’s the way I feel if anyone is cracking a joke anywhere in the vicinity, and I’m not in on it.

It’s something I’ve dealt with since I was a kid. Full of myself one second, down on myself the next. I probably need therapy. I hear Dr. Phil has a diet book out now. Maybe I should read it and kill two birds with one stone. Get my head and behind shrunk for one low price of $19.99.

HA! Every time I read that last sentence, I have to laugh. I keep my Claire trilogy in a prominent spot on my bookshelf — and whenever I begin to take myself and life too seriously, I read a few lines.

Tracey Bateman is an award-winning author of more than sixteen books and lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. She’s been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since the early months of its inception and served as President for nearly two years.

As author of several romance novels, Tracey has been a long-time favorite among Heartsong club members. In 2005, she was voted the club’s fourth favorite author!

If you love Kristin Billerbeck’s California style chick-lit, you’ll adore Bateman’s midwest-based books for moms. Tracey has over 600,000 books in print.

Who is Claire Everett? How did you come up with a character like her?

I like to think she’s everywoman, but that’s a little far reaching, even for someone who dreams as much as I do. But inside of her are all the insecurities of body image, motherhood, career.

Okay, I’ll just admit it. She’s a heckuva lot like me and pretty much has all of my angst. 🙂

What’s going on in her life in these books?

She’s trying to connect with her kids, trying to lose a few pounds (aren’t we always?) Trying to keep her feet on the ground and grow in her relationship with God.

The catalyst is when she is forced to stop working for a few weeks due to carpal tunnel. Time to face herself and the mess she’s in.

When you started the series, did you have any idea how you’d end it, or did you sort of let Claire take over and decide for herself?

I pretty much let her do her thing. It was just too much fun from day to day waiting to see what she would do or say.

Was it hard to finish up the Claire trilogy, or were you ready to move on to something else?

I was ready. I had another series contracted with the same publisher to do chicklit — The Drama Queens — and I love it. Although I wouldn’t mind doing one more and let her get pregnant AND juggle the rest of her life. That would be fun.

What are you working on now?

Book two in the Drama Queens series. The first one, Catch a Rising Star, releases in July.

I can’t wait to read it! Tracey, I love your sense of fun throughout the Claire books, yet you bring us back to the reality that God’s in control, no matter how much our lives seem to be spinning into chaos. How do you keep your own faith strong?

I don’t always. I have weak, weak days when all I want to do is lay on the couch and watch Lifetime movies. My faith always wavers when I have PMS. 🙂

The root stays buried in the soil, though. I’m learning that my emotions are not always reflecting what I know about who I am in Christ.

I give myself permission to be weak because I know that when I’m weak God is strong. It’s why I choose to write about real women who would love to be perfect, but who are simply not. Because as much as I’d love to be together even fifty percent of the time, the fact is I’m usually sitting around in my PJs, or yoga pants, hair a mess, frustrated because I am late on yet another project.

But this is the life God’s given me. Four fun, fabulous, CRAZY funny kids, three dogs, a guy who adores me even though I don’t deserve it, and the kind of schedule that doesn’t allow for housework AND Lifetime. And I mean a girl has to relax SOMETIMES. Right?

Thank God for chocolate and Pizza.

Ah … yes. Thank God for chocolate and pizza. And I’ll add one more thing I can’t live without — funny books! Like yours. Thank you so much for making me laugh out loud and forget my stress by escaping into the hilarious life of Claire Everett.

You’re welcome!

You can read more about Tracey’s books and humor on her website, which includes a blog. Her Claire trilogy includes Leave it to Claire, Claire Knows Best, and I Love Claire.

I just wanted to let you know … all three of you who are still reading here … that I’m back from New York!

I didn’t want to blog about this before I left because I didn’t want to announce to the world that I’d be away from my home for a few days (although I did have an awesome housesitter and we have a mighty mean watch dog).

Today I’m running around frantically trying to catch up my laundry, mail sorting, and other duties during the precious few hours the kids are at school. My house is mysteriously immaculate thanks to the aforementioned housesitter/babysitter who is the only person in the world I wouldn’t get mad at for cleaning out my refrigerator (thanks, Mom).

Meanwhile, I thought I was making some amazing progress, and I let the baby (22 months) play quietly ALONE upstairs. Aw, she’s growing up, I thought to myself. I called out her name every 3-4 minutes, and she’d respond back to me, proving she was OK.

Mistake. How could I have forgotten Rule #1 of Mothering? Never leave a young child unattended. A quiet one- or two-year-old left alone for even a minute spells disaster. Today, it was in the form of purple magic marker all over my six-year-old’s pretty floral comforter. *sigh* My to-do list just grew.

Thus, the need to come blog my woes. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll be able to sort out some insights to share with you what it’s like to spend four days with over a thousand other children’s book writers and illustrators in the center of the publishing world, New York City.

I wanted to post the following call for submissions — if you are a single mom and have a story to tell — or you KNOW a single mom and could help her tell her story, here’s a great opportunity for you. A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers is seeking submissions — the book will published by Adams Media.

Single Moms: Let Your Voices Be Heard!

As Oprah Winfrey has often said, parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world — even more so for single mothers, who single-handedly face all the usual parenting challenges, plus a whole set of unique ones. While being a single mom can be tough at times, it also brings many joys and rewards, and the positive aspects and outcomes of single motherhood often go unrecognized.

The editor of the bestselling Cup of Comfort (Adams Media) book series is (desperately) seeking personal stories for publication in an anthology for and about single mothers. We want slice-of-life stories that read like good fiction and both entertain and move readers. Any topic and any “voice” goes, as long as the author tells an authentic and compelling story. Stories can be humorous or poignant or both, and must be original, positive, and based on real people and actual events.

* Deadline: March 20, 2007

* Story Length: 1000-2000 words

* $500 grand prize; $100 for each other story published in book

* Simultaneous submissions accepted

* Authors may submit multiple stories

* The title page of each submission must include the author’s full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address

* Submit by email or mail

EMAIL: Copy and paste the story into the body of the email; no attachments. One story per email. Send to wordsinger@aol.com

MAIL: Send a printed copy of the story (no CDs or disks) and an SASE to: Colleen Sell, Cup of Comfort, P.O. Box 1539, Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424, USA

Do you love watching movies? I rarely get out to the theater to see a new release, but I love renting DVDs and enjoying some microwave popcorn and a good movie by the fire at home.

Still, it’s hard to know what’s good out there — and that’s why I love the list of movies in the back of Sharon Hinck’s newest mom-lit novel, Renovating Becky Miller.

I enjoyed reading the first book in this series, The Secret Life of Becky Miller, because Becky is so much like me — a mom struggling to find balance in her busy life as a wife, mother, and friend. All the while, she’s seeking to find out if she’s supposed to be doing Big Things for God.

Sharon’s second novel is even more adorable — full of laugh-out loud scenes, and each chapter begins with Becky slipping into a daydream where she’s starring in one of the movies she and her husband rent on date nights. There are 33 movies listed in the back, and I’ve only seen about half of them — so I’m looking forward to renting some more!

Today, I’m thrilled to host Sharon Hinck on her round-the-world Blog Tour — especially since today is the official launch party of Renovating Becky Miller in Sharon’s hometown, Minnesota.

Welcome to Mom 2 Mom Connection, Sharon!

Thank you for writing a book that highlights the importance of being a normal, permission-slip-signing MOM.

THANKS, Heather! I wanted to highlight the true ADVENTURE it is to be a wife and mom. We really are heroic characters (or in my case, sometimes just a character!).

I loved reading about all the movies in this book!

I kept my local movie store in business this past year while I was writing it. I got to watch a ton of movies and call it “research”. Ha!

In your new novel, Renovating Becky Miller, our heroine finds herself dealing with an enormous amount of stress in her life. What all does Becky have going on in this book?

She faces external pressures (her mother-in-law’s health crisis and need for care, her job stresses, her son’s behavior problems, her friend’s illness), internal pressures (feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, comparing herself to others and coming up short, confused about choices), and some fall-out from decisions she’s made that might not have been well-thought out (like thinking it would be easy to fix an run-down house).

In my life, I often find that problems come from a variety of directions and I wanted to explore a woman sorting that all out. Which are tasks God wants me to take up and persevere under? Which are self-imposed burdens that aren’t mine to bear? Which tensions have been caused by my own mistakes?

Like me, Becky wrestles with those complicated questions — and tries to keep her sense of humor along the way.

Does Becky have a place where she can unwind from all the stress? What role do her friends play?

Throughout the story, she finds grace and clarity through her prayer life, her Bible reading, and her worship life. However, it’s easiest for her to apply those blessings wrapped in the arms of her friends.

They badger her, they confront her, they cry with her, they love her. Her small group Bible study friends provide the kind of community that I think God is describing when He talks about building up a household of faith.

At one point in the book, Becky has a choice to make — will she continue to pour more hours into her career, or say no? I was amazed at her choice. Do you think women today have a hard time saying no?

In our desire to make a difference, to feel valuable, and to please others, to fix the problems we see around us singlehandedly, we often rev up into a high gear of activities. We see our friends doing the same — and some strange competitive urge stirs and we perpetuate that Supermom syndrome.

My adult son read this novel (I know…if that’s not an act of love, I don’t what is!) and said his favorite subplot was the way that Becky’s choice set an example for her very driven co-worker — and enabled Teresa to open her life to something new.

Yes, I loved that part as well. It made me see how the decisions we make have ripple effects on others — in good or bad ways. And in this case, Becky’s choice reminded her coworker of what the most important things in life really are.

The funny parts of the book center around Becky and her husband’s decision to renovate an old farmhouse. Can you tell us more about that?

My husband and I are optimistic do-it-your-selfers. We’ve done major remodels to three different homes over the years. Each time we forget that things will take three times longer and cost three times as much as we anticipate.

Our first little house gradually revealed secrets of Stephen King proportions – from the fleas infesting every square inch, to the rotting wall behind the tub surround, to the urine-soaked wood floors, to the chicken bones in the clothes dryer. (We never did figure that one out. Who puts chickens in a clothes dryer?) So I had plenty of vivid memories to draw from in the whole wild stress of renovation.

Chicken bones in the dryer? Now there’s a new one! From the title, it seems like Becky gets a little renovation work done on herself as well. What kind of “home improvements” take place in Becky’s heart?

In spite of Becky’s desire to be “Ms. Fix-it”, she learns that healing people’s wounds is a God-sized job and takes more than spackle and paint. Becky begins to learn to love and serve where she’s placed, but leave the “fixing” up to God …. well, at least some of the time.

We all need some friends we can be honest with — who can encourage us during the hard times.

Thanks so much for stopping in, Sharon! I hope your launch party goes well today.

Thanks SO much for inviting me. Yes — today a local Christian bookstore is launching the book with a party, including a guessing game (where folks will hear a snippet of Becky’s opening daydreams and try to guess which movie inspired them) and lots of Becky Miller gifts.

Here’s a picture of the Renovating Becky Miller paintbucket I created — full of the little “Becky Miller tool kits” that folks are getting at the party.

I wish I could be there — looks like a fun place for movie fans!

Sharon Hinck is a wife and mother of four children who generously provide her with material for her books. She has served as the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, a church youth worker, and a professional choreographer. You can visit her website to learn more about her books, including her forthcoming Sword of Lyric series from NavPress.

Recently, in the blogosphere, there was a discussion, a very good discussion, about whether or not meditating on scripture is “New Age.” The blog post referred to an article by Keri Wyatt Kent in the popular magazine, Today’s Christian Woman.

I read the article, Fresh Air, in the magazine when it came to my house, and I thought it was great. It encouraged me to hold on to certain words, certain phrases from the Bible and meditate on them throughout the day. This is so important for us women, especially us moms who are being watched nearly every second by the little souls God has put into our homes to disciple.

So I was surprised at some of the things that were said about this article, and especially surprised at some of the comments by bloggers who didn’t take the time to read Keri’s article to understand her full meaning.

Well, we must be careful not to use our blogs as a place to gossip. In Matthew 18:15, it says “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

What this means is — if you have a problem with someone, you need to go to that person individually to discuss it. In the 21st century this means if you don’t like something someone says or writes, it’s not a good idea to go blog about them and get your readers to turn against them as well. For one thing, misunderstandings ABOUND when we read words instead of seeing the speaker say them in person. (Body language and voice intonation account for a huge percentage of communication).

Keri Wyatt Kent is a fine Christian woman, a mother who has given her life to the Lord, and who uses her gifts of speaking and writing to lead women to a closer walk with Jesus. You can write her personally from her website.

She was a guest on my blog last April. I read her entire book, Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life and reviewed it for CWO Book Buzz here. You can read our interview here.

She is NOT a New Ager — she’s not leading people into a cult. She’s leading them into a deeper love of Scripture through meditating on God’s Word. Keri has often encouraged me as a weary mom with her inspiring articles in the magazine MOPS publishes, MomSense.

In case you didn’t click over to read the complete article, here’s what Keri says about the practice of listening:

Christians have prayed and listened to Scripture through a practice called Lectio Divina (Latin for “Sacred Word”) for centuries. You read a passage slowly several times, spending time in silence between readings, letting the words sink into your soul as you listen for the one word or phrase that touches you most deeply.

Lectio Divina is a way to meditate on Scripture by listening and then responding—breathing in God’s Word, breathing out a prayer. Traditionally, this practice includes four parts: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Deep listening to Scripture requires a focus on God’s words rather than ours. In Lectio Divina, I listen to what God wants to say just to me through the text. I’m open to listening not just to general truth that’s applicable to everyone, but for specific truth that applies to my unique circumstances.

In this practice, I read a short passage. For a month or more one summer, I kept going back to Psalm 27, reading a few verses at a time. I found myself drawn to verses 3-5, so for several days, I returned to that short section. I read it slowly, noticing how often I found myself drawn to the word “dwell.” What did it mean for me to “dwell in the house of the Lord” (vs. 4)? Did I really believe I was “safe in his dwelling”? How could I truly dwell in his presence?

These verses became a love letter from God to me, an invitation to deeper intimacy with him …

She later continues to explain the practice of “breath prayer:”

Psalm 1:2 exhorts us to meditate on God’s Word, to delight in it. Unlike Eastern meditation practices, which focus on emptying the mind, a breath prayer is a way of filling your mind—but filling it with God alone.

I ask you, is there anything unbiblical about this? David meditated on scripture throughout the psalms. If I had more time and were not taking care of sick children, I’d look up many verses in the Bible where God’s people meditated on the Word, including Jesus, who was constantly meditating on scripture.

This morning where I live, it’s cold and rainy. My voice is hoarse, and I keep coughing from this nagging cold that has swept through our whole family (three kids still sick).

My two oldest daughters were slow to get up for school, complaining about this and that. My 1st grader couldn’t find her favorite shoes, and we spent 20 minutes running around the house looking for them, until we at last found them in our downstairs bathroom.

All during this time, I had a verse in my head: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). We know this is when Joshua is talking to the Israelites, giving them the choice to serve the Almighty God or to wander off and choose the false gods of the Amorites, in whose land they were settling.

My mind dwelt on the word, “CHOOSE.” Every second, I had a choice. Will I lash out in wrath at my daughter for being careless and whiny? Every part of me wanted to scream, “If you’d put your shoes in your closet where they belong, they wouldn’t be lost! Quit your whining!”

Instead, I kept my voice soft and my tones encouraging. I found another pair of shoes for her and put these on her feet tenderly while we kept up our search.

When I realized I had forgotten to pack lunches, the words came again to my mind, “Choose whom you will serve.” This means, will I live for Jesus and offer a sacrifice of praise with my lips? Or will I live for me and scream out, “OH NO! I forgot the lunches! Why can’t you kids pack your own lunches?” Blah blah blah.

The choice came. I packed their lunches quickly, without complaint. I CHOSE God’s way because I’d hidden His Word in my heart — through meditating on a single verse when I desperately needed it most.

I’m not writing all this to make myself look good — because I have the choice right now to go have fun and read some blogs or get off the computer and go wash the breakfast dishes that are stacked in the sink. Yet another choice, and guess what I know I must do? Without complaining!

I’m reading the Bible through this year chronologically, so I’m reading huge passages that make me feel like I’m reading a novel. But the Bible is not a novel. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” MY HEART. My achy-breaky evil old heart.

This Word is living in me, breathing fire in me, helping me to slay the dragons of my emotions (anger, bitterness, depression) that have had a hold on me during my hormonally wacky child-bearing years (yes, a whole decade of feeling this way!).

As I read through the comments in a follow-up post I’m more impressed than ever with two women of God: Carol Moxley and Ann Voskamp. Their comments were written using wisely chosen words, demonstrating a love of Truth — but above all, a love of God’s people. (Oh, how I wish I had the gift of writing like these two women of faith!)

Ann has taught me so much about being thankful through her gentle, quiet spirit — and I’ve had to realize how awful my attitudes have been over the years. She has made the Bible come alive for me through her living, active faith. And I admire Carol for her ability to discern good from evil and to have the courage to stand up for what is right.

I’m not there yet — I’m still a mess, still a work in progress, making mistakes every second. But I love these women of faith, for what they continue to teach me. And I will CHOOSE today, this very second to serve the Lord. Which means getting off the computer and getting out my Windex, thanking God that I have a home to clean and a family to care for.

That’s my choice for today. What’s yours?

[Edit: Catez Stevens of AllThings2all in New Zealand has an extremely thoughtful post on this topic. In fact, she wrote Keri Wyatt Kent with her questions, and posted Keri’s reply, which clears up many misunderstandings. Please go read her post, Transcendental Meditation & Prayer: A Short Discussion with Keri Wyatt Kent.]

My kids spent the day with their grandparents, so I missed hanging out with them after school. Tonight, they were all being extremely nice to me. I thought it was maybe because they’d missed me.

My son asked for hot chocolate, so I said I’d make him some, and he said, “Well, that’s great if you can make me some, but if you can’t that’s OK too.” Then he thanked me about five times after I popped a mug filled with cocoa and milk in the microwave.

Um … you’re welcome. Really, it’s not that big of a hardship.

Later, my girls kept thanking me for little things, and then as I kissed both of them good-night they said, “Thank you for being a nice mama, Mama.”

My heart was so FULL … until my oldest daughter said, “Our chapel teacher told us to say that. Today our chapel was about contentment and they told us to stop whining so much and to tell our parents how thankful we are for them.”

OH!!!!! Did I tell you today how much I love their school? Oh, maybe that was yesterday.

Consumerism is the god of America’s children. Cultivating contentment is the response. When we are discontent, we are not grumbling about our circumstances, per se. We are actually grumbling, raising our fists against God. Who owns it all? Who provides for our every need? When we complain and practice discontentment, we tell God that He is not sufficient.

Amy and I emailed a few times last month as she and her family are looking to buy some land and relocate. They briefly considered our area in Georgia, but I read today they’ve narrowed it down to Tennessee or Kentucky.

Bummer. I guess I need to keep practicing contentment that one day I’ll have a blogger friend who lives nearby. 🙂

Every week I receive a wonderful parenting tip from Trish Berg. She’s the author of a soon-to-be released book called The Great American Supper Swap. If you’d like to receive a free weekly parenting tip, check out her website to see where you can sign up!

Top 3 Valentine’s Day Tips for Kids

1. Homemade Cards — Instead of spending a fortune on store bought Valentine’s Day cards for your kids to hand out in school, go to the Family Fun Magazine website for simple hand made card ideas, including printable designs your kids can color. All it costs you is the white paper and some crayons – and you’ll gain time spent with your kids, and more giggles than you can imagine!

2. Pink Heart Shaped Pancakes — Use Bisquick or your favorite pancake recipe, and add 3 drops of red food coloring to make the batter pink. To make heart shaped pancakes, you can either: 1) Cook regular round ones on the griddle then cut them into a heart before serving them, or 2) pour the batter into a squeeze bottle (such as a clean chocolate syrup container) and shape the hearts one lobe at a time. (They’re really just a V shape, which spreads out into a heart on the griddle.)

3. Hidden Love Notes — Write 3 love notes to each of your children on cute heart shaped paper. One each write something like, “I love you because…you care for others and always lend a hand.” Hide the loves notes through out your house. After dinner, let your kids hunt around for their love notes. When all are found, sit at the dinner table and have each child read his notes aloud to the whole family! Then share a sweet treat for dessert and watch them all smile!

Top 3 Valentine’s Day Tips for Moms and Dads

1. Dinner on a Dime — Eating out at a nice restaurant is so expensive for moms and dads, factor in paying a babysitter and you could go broke! So, instead, try this neat tip. Feed your kids a simple meal (like pizza) early that evening, around 5, and then put them to bed at 7 or 8. Make your husband’s favorite meal for two, and after the kids are in bed, have a late night candle lit dinner.

2. Top 10 List — Make up your own top ten list for your husband, listing the top 10 reasons you love him. After the kids are in bed, share your list and watch him melt.

3. Love Notes — Write several love notes to your husband. Spray each with a dab of your favorite perfume. Then leave them in places you know he will be on Valentine’s Day like on the seat of his car or on his desk at work. You can even enlist the help of some of his co-workers to deliver some to him for you! When he comes home, I guarantee he’ll be smiling!

Send your great ideas and tips to help moms simplify motherhood to Trish at trish@trishberg.com, and maybe they’ll be in Trish’s next Tip of the Week!

Be sure to check out all the FREE stuff, tips, recipes and more at Trish Berg’s website, where every mom goes to simplify motherhood!