The Advent season is upon us! Can you believe it? Are you ready?

I bought an inexpensive live tabletop tree this year, and it’s so pretty. We put it on the table behind our couch, and this tree is going to become more and more special to us as we add to it each day. Why? Because this is our Jesse Tree! Hopefully, after Christmas, we’ll be able to plant it in our yard and always remember the 2006 season of Advent.

If you’re wondering what a Jesse Tree is all about, I’d love to recommend a wonderful resource for you. Ann Voskamp, who writes the inspiring Holy Experience of Listening blog, has written a devotional book for Advent called The Glorious Coming.

This book is so beautiful! Of course, if you’re one of Ann’s blog readers, you know her heart. She’s a homeschooling mother of six, living out her faith on a small Canadian farm, and I’ve been so encouraged by her daily writing.

You can download The Glorious Coming right now in e-book form! And it even contains full-color illustrations by Nancy Rodden which you can print and cut out to make ornaments to decorate your Jesse Tree. Here’s a description of The Glorious Coming from the publisher’s website:

Every family has one: a family tree with its arching branches of grandfathers and grandmothers, its sheltering leaves of aunts and uncles. To make a Jesse Tree is to trace the family line and heritage of the family of God, of human beings from the beginning of time to the coming of God Himself, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

We will hang the symbols of our story on our corporate Family Tree, the Jesse Tree. We will open God’s Word and read God’s story—our story—as He wrote it on the pages of people’s lives. And Jesus will come to us, and we will come to Jesus.

I’m so excited we’ll be journeying with the Voskamp family this year in celebrating Advent. The devotional readings started November 30th (but you can still jump in!) and run through December 25th, Christmas Day.

I hope your family will also usher in the Holy Season in a special way, whether you decorate a Jesse Tree, light the candles on an Advent Wreath, or read a devotional book together.

Let’s celebrate the coming of our Messiah, Jesus Christ, together this season.

It is time.

I’ve never done a “Works for Me Wednesday,” sponsored by Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer, because — frankly — I’m still learning from all of you out there what works for you. I don’t have my act together enough to offer much that works for me.

But in the spirit of Christmas, I’ve decided to jump in this week. Mainly because I want to go read through everyone else’s nifty Christmas ideas and try some new things this year.

What works for me?

A couple of years ago, I really became interested in trying to incorporate some type of simple Advent ceremony in our home. I remember doing this growing up — Mom had an Advent wreath and candles on the coffee table in our living room, and we’d take turns reading from a little Advent book and lighting the candles once a week.

But I didn’t want to do an adult-oriented ceremony with our young children who, at the time, were all eight and under. So I started asking around for ideas.

As it turns out, I got an assignment from HomeLife magazine to write an article on Advent, which gave me a reason to call everybody I could think of who might have some good advice. It was of course in the heat of July when I needed to do this!

One day, I was dropping off our pet hamster at a neighbor’s house who had agreed to “hamster-sit” while we were on vacation, and I happened to ask her about Advent. She’s a homeschooling mother of four, whose kids are some of the nicest people I know.

She’s the one who told me about Jotham’s Journey.

This is book one of a trilogy by Arnold Ytreeide, who has a website telling about each one. My neighbor said this is the best book for her family because it’s perfect to keep kids’ attention and the Advent ceremony is contained within each of the nightly readings. She said every night during Advent, her husband reads out loud to their four kids, then she lets each child have one whole week where they’re in charge of lighting the candle (so there’s no bickering.)

Then on Christmas morning, they all come down to the parents’ bedroom (so they won’t see the toys in the den) to light the white Christ candle and do their reading BEFORE the kids even go discover all their presents. “This keeps their focus all day on the celebration of Christ,” she said. “He’s the reason we give gifts to each other; He’s the reason for our JOY.”

She said they alternate every year between Jotham’s Journey and the sequel, Bartholemew’s Passage. Well, I also discovered Arnold Ytreeide has a third book out now, Tabitha’s Travels. We went ahead and bought all three. I loaned out Bartholemew’s Passage to a friend last year (who remembered to return it — YEA!), and we did Jotham’s Journey as a family.

Here’s how one reviewer describes it:

“Jotham’s Journey is an incredible family read for Christmas time. Each night you share a portion of the story with your family. And each nightly reading leaves you hanging ready for the next night’s passage. Follow Jotham’s journey, a story of a young boy, separated from his family by his neglect and selfish attitude. This separation leads him on a journey to find his family. Will he ever find his family again? Hold your breath when Jotham faces thieves, robbers, and kidnappers. Rejoice in his encounters with wise men, shepherds, and innkeepers until at last he finds his way to the Saviour born in Bethlehem.”

Each of the nightly readings includes a devotional thought with scripture, a prayer, and instruction for lighting the Advent candles.

We enjoyed Jotham’s Journey last year and plan on using Bartholemew’s Passage this year. I placed a very simple wreath on our coffee table, and bought three purple candles, one pink candle, and one white candle for the center.

I like this because it’s simple, all contained within one book — and it’s interesting enough to hold everyone’s attention. I’ve learned to let my 3-year-old color or play with some quiet toys during the reading because he’s not good at keeping STILL for 20 minutes.

***

Since this post is on the topic of Christmas, I’ll also add in one more “Works for Me” we’ve decided on for our family. We gave the Santa issue some serious thought a few years ago and didn’t feel right about telling our kids a big fat man in a red suit will come down our chimney to bring them toys on Christmas Eve. It just seemed too weird — when we’re completely honest with them on everything else.

If we tell our kids that Santa is real, how will they believe that Jesus is really real?

We don’t make a big deal of it, and we tell them that a lot of children like to play this Santa Claus game, so let’s keep it a secret so we don’t spoil it for them.

We’ve got a book about the real St. Nicholas which we read together, and we do pretend like Santa visits — but they run give their Daddy a hug to thank him because they know he’s the one who paid for everything! (Five kids on one income, you get the picture that our “Santa” is a little bit thrifty.)

Thankfully, with the politically correct atmosphere these days, most people tend to understand. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a big shift at our children’s Christian preschool. There’s a lot more emphasis on “Jesus’ Birthday” than on “What’s Santa bringing you?”

I’m hoping to pick up some more good Christmas ideas at Rocks in My Dryer. Here’s the link to Works for Me Wednesday — Christmas edition.

I’m curious — is trick-or-treating still popular in other parts of the world? Are y’all taking your kids around the block to knock on people’s doors tonight?

It’s waning in popularity here. It just doesn’t seem safe to let kids roam around knocking on people’s doors in costume and asking for candy. I remember we did this alone growing up — just me, my siblings, and friends. We’d come back with huge bags of candy. I remember even going inside a lady’s house where she told us to wait while she went and looked in her kitchen for some apples. It was fun — and she was nice. Now I wouldn’t want my kids doing that.

Churches in our area seem to be filling in the gaps. The new trend is to host huge “Fall Festivals” where the kids can come in costume or not. There are game booths, carnival rides, and cookouts. Our kids’ school had a fabulous petting zoo last weekend with horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and even a peacock.

Tonight, several big churches are hosting “Trunk or Treats” from their parking lot. So kids can go from car to car and get candy from people they know.

We’re continuing on with a tradition that just happened to get started a few years ago. My husband’s parents live right off the square in a historic section of town that attracts hundreds of trick-or-treaters. It’s really a safe, well-lit area, and it’s a great place to see people. We have just as much fun answering the door to pass out candy as we do walking around with the kids.

I can’t believe it, but I’m dressing up this year! My girls and I are all wearing Japanese kimonos — they’re really beautiful. I wore mine last weekend, and people stopped and bowed to me, giving me the chance to say, Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite. (Hello, nice to meet you.)

Yesterday, my three-year-old participated in his preschool costume parade — as a Storm Trooper, which he pronounces “Stoom Trooper.” He absolutely loved wearing his costume to school, and my husband even got off work a few minutes to come. While he and I were talking to a friend, we didn’t realize that our 18-month old daughter had escaped from her stroller and had joined in the parade. (It was indoors.) Oh my, she was adorable. We’ve found a hand-me-down cheerleader costume for her to wear tonight. And my oldest son, 10, has insisted on wearing a box, which he designed to look like a circuit board that lights up.

I’m not crazy about all the disgusting, scary things we see this time of year. I went to the grocery store yesterday and they had all these spooky green hands and ghoulish heads placed around the produce section. My youngest daughter looked scared and her eyes got big when some of the hands moved by motion sensors. That stuff is just plain evil to me.

But the costumes are fun. We plan on putting together some kind of play to perform at Christmas for the grandparents. It will be fun to see what we come up with that involves Japanese ladies in kimonos, a storm trooper, cheerleader, and a talking circuit board. Any ideas?

Is anyone reading here joining in NaNoWriMo? November is National Novel Writing Month, and last year there were 59,000 participants in this crazy month-long writing jamboree.

I’m in, I think. At least I signed up, and I’ve been jotting notes into a couple of computer files the past week. A few people in my online writing group are signed up as well, and they’re all involved in local kick-off parties this weekend.

Instead of attending novel writing parties, I’m helping out at two Fall Carnivals — at my kids’ school and at our church. My husband and I are actually manning the “football booth” at one of the carnivals, so that should be interesting.

But my head is in the clouds a little bit, and I’m still dreaming of writing a novel. I’ve given some thought lately to the genre. I’ve read a lot of great Christian fiction lately and have decided I’m a huge fan of humorous chick-lit and mom-lit — Kristin Billerbeck and Tracey Bateman both whisk me away by making me laugh.

I don’t see how these women do it. Tracey and Kristin are around my age, both have four children, and yet they write CBA-bestselling novels. Tracey’s publicist sent me her Claire Knows Best book, and I felt like I’d just met my new best friend when I met her character, Claire Everett. You’ll love her too, if you like humorous mom-lit. Somehow Tracey has found time to publish 25 books — and did I mention she’s my age?

Both these novelists cut their teeth on writing romance. Did you know half of all fiction sold is romance? It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. But I don’t want to write adult romance. At least not now. That seems kind of weird to me, like sneaking around to watch another couple kiss. You’ve really got to live with your characters to write about them — and I don’t want to live with another couple.

I’m not a chick-lit writer either because I just don’t know all that much about fashion and shoes — and you’ve really got to if you jump in that genre. Allison Bottke’s character Dee in A Stitch in Time is a fashion aficionado, and all of Kristin’s characters are into shoes, handbags, the works. Unfortunately, I’m not into shoes — can’t be, unless I want to sell a car or maybe our house. My shoes come from Target or wherever else I can find something on sale. I don’t even look at the name brand — just see if it fits and doesn’t hurt to wear.

But writing for kids — now it’s no problem for me to listen to how kids talk, see what they’re interested in, what they’re reading. Why not write stories my kids would want to read? I was praying for inspiration yesterday and took my fivesome to the library after school to replenish our book supply. I wandered through the kids’ stacks and noticed which authors have a shelf full of books.

Judy Blume, of course, still selling books she wrote 30 years ago. Beverly Cleary — what a wonderful writer — didn’t she have fun living with her character, Ramona Quimby, a few years? Betsy Byars has two shelves in our library — I checked out her memoir about three years ago, and so I checked it out again yesterday to see if I could find one of my all-time favorite quotes. (I just visited her website, and she’s still going strong from her home in South Carolina — she’s published over 60 books since 1962, including the Newbery medal-winning Summer of the Swans.)

Ah … found it. From Betsy Byars, The Moon and I. Betsy tells her readers, “Plenty of good scraps are as important in making a book as in the making of a quilt. I often think of my books as scrapbooks of my life, because I put into them all the neat things that I see and read and hear. I sometimes wonder what people who don’t write do with all their good stuff.”

And here’s another quote that made me laugh. Betsy is a mother of four, and she started writing back in the late 50s when she had two children. There’s a picture of her family in the book, with her husband and two oldest. The caption reads: “Urbana, Illinois, 1956. Behind us are the barracks where I began to write. I really had two choices — write or lose my mind.”

Ha! I can relate. Writing is a good thing to do when you have little kids in the house and you feel like you’ve lost a sense of who you are, but you don’t want to lose your mind.

Yesterday, my 18-month-old pulled some books off a bookshelf in our living room, and when I went to put them back up later, I saw this book that I’d forgotten about, Novelist’s Boot Camp: 101 Ways to Take Your Book from Boring to Bestseller.

So that’s what I’m reading through this weekend as I prepare to write next week. My plan is to hold all my email correspondence and take some time away from the blog — and pour all my word count into this novel. It’s a plot I thought of a couple of years ago, and I started writing it, but then our computer crashed for two weeks, and I lost it. That’s when I decided I’d focus on personal essay writing and devotionals for a while. Which I’ve done for two years now.

I’ve also had this character in mind since I was 19. I wrote about her in freshman composition — while everyone else in my class wrote adult short stories, I wrote about Sadie. I wrote about her again in my children’s literature class, and my professor asked me to read my story to the class, and they laughed at the right places. So I think this Sadie character is pretty funny.

My daughter had a friend over a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn’t believe it when her friend started saying, “I’m crazy about Japan. I wish I could learn Japanese. I want to go there someday so bad.” What!! I started speaking some Japanese to her, and I got out my Nihongo dictionary and showed her the characters and how to write her name in katakana. I kept wanting to listen to this little girl talk, and it turns out her big sister is also crazy about Japan, and wants to go live there when she graduates from high school.

So I invited their family for supper, and that night, we got out my Japanese scrapbook, and they were fascinated. This was just more fodder for my imagination. I’ve got all these plot and character seedlings … now I’ve just got to write.

I’ll be blogging light — if at all — during November, though I do have two interviews with outstanding people coming up — and I’m about to die to tell you who I’m interviewing for December Book Buzz — let’s just say she’s a pretty famous novelist, and I can’t believe I get to ask her questions. I love my day job!

Well, I wish you a happy pre-Halloween weekend — if you’re a parent, I’m sure you’ve got parties and carnivals out the wazoo. But if you’re jumping into NaNoWriMo next week, I’d love to know there are at least two of us out there who have decided we’d rather write than lose our mind!

Today, for the first time ever here on Mom 2 Mom Connection, we have a mother/daughter duo visiting with us. I’m thrilled to host author T. Suzanne Eller AND her mom discussing Suzie’s new book, The Mom I Want to Be.

Suzie is a mother of three grown children and lives with her husband of 26 years in Oklahoma. She’s the founder of daretobelieve ministries, author of several Christian books, and is a nationally recognized speaker to teens, parents, and women.

She’s been featured on radio shows such as At Home Live, Aspiring Women, Focus on the Family, Prime Time, and Mid-Day Connection, sharing her zest for life and relevant faith. Suzie has also published hundreds of articles in magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman, Guideposts, and Woman’s World, and she’s a family columnist for cbn.com.

Welcome, Suzie! You’ve got a new book out for women, The Mom I Want to Be. Can you tell us about it?
It’s a practical and spiritual resource for women who were raised in dysfuction or experienced a painful past, and who want to give their children greater memories than they received.

Why did you decide to write it?
I was approached by a publishing team after teaching a workshop titled “Pushing Past Your Past” at the Hearts at Home national conference for moms. I was a little unsure that this was a good topic to share at this conference, but after the workshop, women lined up and down the aisle and out the door to share their stories, and how they connected with what was taught.

I hesitated when approached because I didn’t want to reach thousands of women, and yet hurt my own mom. She’s not the same person she once was, but at the same time, does any mom want her mistakes held up to the world for review?

I was prepared to put it down, and yet my mom not only said, “yes”, but came on board with me. I asked her to write the intro to each chapter, and to share her story. I didn’t realize at the time how much more powerful that made the story, and the points in the book. As I read the completed chapters I was in awe.

How did your mom feel about your writing this book?
[Suzie’s mom, Karen Morrison, answered this question.]

At first I was very apprehensive. Then I prayed about it and thought if this will bring healing to my children and others, God will give me the courage to face whatever comes my way. Since handing out several of the books to ladies suffering from childhood hurts, I am so very thankful that I did go through with my story in the book.

I can personally tell you that your writing had a big impact on me, and I’m so glad you wrote this book together. It was so meaningful to see what both of you were experiencing at the same time, as mother and daughter, and I think this is what makes your book one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Did any healing come about as a result of writing this book?

Yes, several things happened during the writing process. One, I realized where my love for writing came from. Mom had her first child really young and wasn’t able to finish school. She’s very smart, but this is something that bothers her. As I read the pages she sent to me, I was impressed with the depth of her writing ability. She was worried about spelling and commas, but what I saw was a woman who could communicate beautifully.

The second thing is that there were stories I had never heard. I didn’t know that my mom was molested at five years old. It certainly broadened my perspective. I saw mom as healed, but I never had seen her fully as the little girl going through her own pain as a child. That brought a much deeper sense of compassion for her, but also admiration for what has taken place in her life in the past 10 years.

What can women do if they don’t get along with their moms now because of things that happened in the past?

It depends, Heather. If a parent is still destructive (say, an abusive alcoholic), she must set boundaries that will help that relationship heal, or at least not be destructive. These aren’t rules to punish a parent, but guidelines to share your needs with a mom or dad who creates havoc in your life, your marriage, or your children’s lives.

But what if a mom has healed? Is she in “time out” forever? Is guilt a tool to make her pay for her past sins? Or are you able to begin new memories? In my family, this was a process and some are still working on it, but I felt so free the day I realized that I could love my mom for what she had become. She also became free. She knew that our relationship was a safe one, and she could be what God called her to be, rather than holding back to pay penance for my childhood.

You wrote a chapter called “The Power of Perspective.” How does that apply specifically to moms today?

When you’ve grown up with abuse, neglect, or addiction, the pain of your childhood can loom large in your life, and everything filters through that perspective.

For example, if a child embarrasses you verbally or throws a fit in Wal-Mart, the person who filters that through the past will say, “Why would you do that to me?” It becomes personal, rather than an opportunity to teach your child how to speak with respect or to handle his anger better.

This “filter” expands to other relationships. You see things through your self-image and the words spoken over you in the past. You struggle with confidence. You might struggle to forgive small infractions by friends or family.

Shifting your perspective means that you change your focus to who you are now, what you have now, and what you are becoming. That allows the past to take its rightful size in your life. It’s there, but it’s not looming over everything.

I share with women that your past is a very small part of who you are. It shaped you, yes; but it doesn’t define you or keep you from becoming all that God intended.

How would we use this book as a resource for teaching a group of women about motherhood?

I’ve created an intimate Bible study where small groups of women can work through this together. I share instructions on how to minister to people with painful pasts, and how to gain trust as friends and beautiful women working toward growth and change and healthy parenting patterns and perspectives.

Thank you so much, Suzie and Mrs. Morrison, for taking the time to share your thoughts here! I really enjoyed The Mom I Want to Be and will treasure it as I strive to become a more joyous mom.

T. Suzanne Eller may be reached at her websites, Dare to Believe and The Mom I Want to Be. She also blogs for teens along with several other Christian authors at Girls, God, and the Good Life.

Here’s another radio broadcast you’ve got to listen to if you can find a few minutes during your day. James Dobson is speaking today and tomorrow on Standing for the Family in a Lost Culture. Download this and listen to it while you’re folding clothes or washing dishes. It will inspire you.

He told some funny stories about his son, Ryan, and reminded me I can’t give up on my kids — even when I’m having a hard day! Those stories probably weren’t too funny when they happened — but now that Ryan’s grown, Dr. Dobson and his wife can laugh about the trips to the emergency room and all the difficulties of raising a very ACTIVE boy.

If you’ve never read James Dobson’s Bringing Up Boys and you’re a mom of boys, this is a book you’ll want to add to your collection — even if you only have time to read a paragraph every now and then. It will keep you sane, knowing what the long-term perspective is on raising a boy to become a godly young man.

Last night at church, I was waiting in the hallway outside the room where my girls were making their Operation Christmas Child boxes. My three-year-old son has entered this babbling brook phase where every single thought of his turns into a “why” question or something he must tell me. I know it won’t last forever, so I’m much more patient now than I was with my oldest.

Another mom looked exasperated with her three-year-old son who was wiggling and chattering while we waited for our sweet little girls to finish their project. Finally, she said, “Why don’t the two of you race each other down the hall?” So they did. Our two boys spent the next ten minutes alternating between running up and down the hall and hopping up and down the hall like frogs saying “Ribbit.” She turned to me and said, “I don’t know about you, but mine just wears me out. Maybe they’ll run off all this energy and go to bed easier.” HA! I agreed.

I just have to tell you that a few days ago, I got an email from a writer at Focus on the Family asking if I had any suggestions for how a mom of a 0-3 year old child can begin inspiring her child’s personal faith. Wow. That was pretty cool to be asked! She needed something right away, so I told her the first things that came to mind, then she wrote back and asked if it was OK to quote me as “Heather Ivester, mother of five and founder of Mom 2 Mom Connection, a popular blog for mothers of all ages.” Um, yeah. That’d be all right.

See, you just never know who is reading your blog! 🙂

But after I sent that, I’ve been more aware of how I try to instill faith in my young children. It really goes way beyond teaching them to say the blessing and pray before bedtime. Since I stay home with my kids, I talk to them about God all day. Really — every chance I get. You never know what’s going to stick.

One thing I try to do is catch my kids being good and tell them, “God likes it when you do that. Do you know God is probably smiling right now because you shared your toy with your sister? Do you know when you read a book to your little brother, you are making God very happy? Oh, I’m so glad you told me that you were lying because God already knew you were lying, and that makes Him so proud of you when He hears you telling the truth.”

My kids are far from perfect, but I hope I’m teaching them what’s right and wrong now, so when they’re grown they can catch themselves being good.

At least that’s the plan.

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.

For the first time EVER, I had all of my children in school.

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.

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:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8).

I was skimming my current issue of Home-Based Working Moms, and I ran across this fantastic article by Carrie Lauth, called Secrets of Happy Moms.

She begins her article with these questions:

Have you ever noticed how some Moms seem to be very contented and confident in their role as Mothers, and others seem chronically stressed and approaching burnout? Why are some Moms unflappable and able to keep their sense of humor, while others overreact to the slightest stressors in their day?

Wow! These secrets were really encouraging to read. What kind of mom are you? Are you happy? Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed out a lot?

I know one mom who has five children and always seems to be relaxed and having a good time. I asked her once, “Why is it that you always seem so happy?” And she laughed and said, “I’ve learned not to let things bother me. I’m too busy to worry about things. I just pray about it, let God take care of it, and move on.”

Great advice.

My #9 on this list is what keeps me sane, as I love the people I’ve come in contact with since I’ve ventured into writing and blogging. Well, I’m about to explode with excitement about the moms I’ve been interviewing lately — you’ll have to read about one special mom in next month’s Christian Women Online. And I’m shaking in my shoes (yes, I am, Darlene) about the next interview for the November issue!

Author and fellow blogger Mary DeMuth is celebrating the September 15th release of her second novel, Wishing on Dandelions, and she’s embarking on a round-the-world blog tour. I’m thrilled to be hosting her second stop here at Mom 2 Mom Connection.

Mary is the mother of three, and she and her family live in France, where they’re part of a mission organization establishing a church. She visited us back in February here and here, sharing pictures of her family and home.

Mary, thanks for coming back to Mom 2 Mom Connection. You visited us a few months ago to tell us what it’s like to be a mom and writer in France. What’s new in your life now?

Our church is starting to come together here in France. We’re hoping to start weekly gatherings soon. And we’re looking forward to a huge service project in June, where we and volunteers from the States blitz Nice and the surrounding area with acts of service—social service kind of stuff. We’re excited about the possibility.

I was so moved by your first novel, Watching the Tree Limbs, as were many readers. Can you tell us briefly what that novel was about? How does Wishing on Dandelions continue Mara’s story? Can a reader pick up this novel if she hasn’t read your first one?

That novel was about an abandoned girl named Mara who was being sexually abused. Though the abuse is a small part of the novel, how she deals with it and how far God goes to reach her represents the bulk of the story. Mara is 17 in the second novel, so a little over 7 years have passed. Yes, you can pick up Wishing on Dandelions if you haven’t read the first book.

What made you choose East Texas as the setting for both novels?

The South fascinates me. I grew up in the Northwest. When my last child was born, my husband was transferred to East Texas to start a department in a hospital. Because I was a stay-at-home mom and home schooling, I didn’t have much else to do there except to observe small town southern culture. Because I didn’t grow up in that culture, my senses were heightened and I eventually began to really appreciate the differences.

In both of these novels, you tackle difficult issues that stem from your personal life. Is it hard writing about something that is so painfully close to you?

Initially, no. It’s easy. Because I’ve had similar issues, I can breathe emotion into characters who encountered some of the things I’ve encountered. But, after the final draft was done, it felt very, very hard. Like I was naked, sending my nakedness out into the world for all to see.

So, are you Maranatha?

In some ways yes, some no. Like Maranatha, I felt like God had transformed my life in such a radical way (like her name change from Mara—bitter—to Maranatha—Come Lord Jesus). Like Maranatha, I endured sexual abuse, but I was much younger when it happened. Like Maranatha, I wondered if I had been marked, that every sexual predator could “tell” I was a ready victim. I wrestled through relationships in my teens with Maranatha’s twin feelings of revulsion and attraction. But, she is not me in many other ways. She is more independent. She has no parents. She lives in an entirely different culture. She is less ambitious. She has the privilege of many wiser people to mentor her through life.

What do you hope readers will gain from Wishing on Dandelions?

An understanding that no matter what you’ve been through in life, God is all about redemption and healing and pulling you through.

Do you recommend any resources for parents who are also dealing with grief, regret, healing from abuse, or broken relationships in their families?

Well…there is my book Building the Christian Family You Never Had (WaterBrook Press) that deals with all these issues. Others: Changes that Heal by Cloud and Townsend. Inside Out by Larry Crabb. The Wounded Heart by Dan Allender. There are more resources listed at my Pioneer Parenting blog.

Can you tell us about your personal blog? What’s up over there these days? What other blogs and websites are you active in?

Besides Pioneer Parenting, my main blog is Relevant Blog. There I post things about life in France, what God is teaching me, and pieces about the art and craft of writing. I post on The Master’s Artist blog on Tuesdays and the CAN (Christian Authors Network ) marketing blog on Fridays.

Who are your literary heroes?

I love Harper Lee. I only wish she’d written more. Leif Enger, who wrote Peace Like a River, greatly inspired me to write visually and artistically. I love Sue Monk Kid’s Secret Life of Bees, how you could almost taste her characters. I’m fascinated and intimidated by J.R.R. Tolkein—how he managed to create an entire world with several languages is way beyond my literary prowess.

What do you want your reader to take away from Wishing on Dandelions?

That redemption of a broken life takes time. We’re all on a journey of healing. Sometimes it’s slow going, but if we can endure through the dark times, God will bring us to new places of growth. I want the images and characters to stay with a reader for a long time.

What one piece of advice would you offer women who long to heal from a broken past?

That being healed takes guts. I find most people are unwilling to walk through the excruciating process of healing, so they content themselves with living half-lived lives. They limp, though they don’t need to. Many of us become so accustomed to our pain that we nurture it. It becomes comfortable to us. Dare to break away from that and let Jesus shed light on the dark places of your past. Let Him bring His light. Let Him heal you.

Thanks for stopping by, Mary. Au revoir!

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You can learn more about Mary and Patrick’s mission work in France on their new website, Crossroads International Christian Church, Cote d’Azur. It looks like a great place to worship!