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

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

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

And also here:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello LBY group (and others visiting):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what I predict will happen:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks, Heather, for inviting me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks. I’ve enjoyed it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maxine cartoon from this site.

Today’s topic for the Carnival of Beauty is “Aging Gracefully.” HA! I almost skipped out on this one. I wrote a rough draft yesterday, trying to be humorous about it — then I remembered I’m not funny; it sounded like someone trying to BE funny. But I thought of another idea as I drove home a few minutes ago after dropping off my son at preschool.

When I was 19, I spent a month living with a French family an hour outside of Paris. One weekend, we went to visit an aunt and uncle who lived in Antwerp, Belgium. We were sitting outside in a cafe one afternoon, and I didn’t say much — my command of the French language limited me to a few trite phrases and lots of smiling. These French meals usually lasted at least two hours, so I had plenty of time to people watch. I kept seeing young men hurrying by, dressed in business suits, with chains attached from their belt loop to their briefcase.

Finally, I asked someone, “Why do they do that?” And they explained to me, “The suitcase. It’s full of diamonds.”

Oh, diamonds. Those rare and valuable jewels that are a girl’s best friend. Valuable enough that a man would attach a briefcase containing these treasures to his hip.

Years later, I heard a speaker say we’re all like diamonds, and God is constantly refining us, polishing us, cutting away our rough spots so that we can sparkle like a rare and beautiful jewel.

So, this is what aging is to me. We’re being polished in this process of growing older. I can’t say it any better than Carol of She Lives, who says this:

What we put inside of ourselves in the way of food, drugs, even our very thoughts, all have an effect on our physical bodies. If what we put inside of our bodies is pure, free of chemicals and toxins, and if we maintain pure thought lives, free of worry and bitterness, if we exercise in moderation and avoid extremes, we can actually slow down and even reverse the negative effects time can wreak on our physical selves. We can age gracefully. We can age in God’s grace.

Thank you, Carol. That last sentence is something I’ll always keep with me. I like to think that in the process of refinement, I’ll learn to give myself more grace as well as others around me. If someone offends me, I should continue to love through God’s grace … and not let that offense dull my sparkle. If I mess up in my own life, I can let go of my self-loathing and sense of failure by knowing I’m God’s child, and to Him, I’m perfect. I’ll always mess up this side of heaven. The older we get we realize more how imperfect our world is here, and we long for that place we cannot see without faith.

One day, I’d love to go to a diamond cave somewhere and see how a diamond looks when it’s uncovered from the ground, all gray and dusty. Then I want to go visit a jeweler and watch the process of how a diamond goes from dull to brilliant. That would be an exciting process to see.

We’re not a diamond hidden in a briefcase, attached by chain to a man’s hip; we’re a rare and beautiful treasure, being polished by our Master Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

I can’t thank all of you enough for surrounding me with encouraging comments over the weekend. Your words meant so much — and I have read and reread everything you wrote, wondering if God is speaking to me through any of your words. I know that He is, and I know without a doubt that’s why I’ve been blogging this year. I can’t believe you’re out there. There is no way in the world I could have written my Saturday post thinking it would disappear into a black hole. Thank you for reading my dream; your words have watered that seed a little bit, and now we’ll see what God chooses to do.

A REALLY funny thing happened only a few hours after I wrote that! You know I wrote about how my dream is to take my children through an open fruit market somewhere near the sea — in a different culture. Well, later in the afternoon, I went with my parents and daughters to a 90th birthday party of a special family friend. The party was at a gorgeous old country club, right by a lake that had one of those fountains in the middle of it. The surrounding gardens were exquisite, vibrant with tropical hues of purple, red, and gold.

Inside the club, the room was set up like a tea party, and one table was overflowing with piles of fresh fruit — slices of juicy pineapple, strawberries, and melons. There were wooden skewers, and I told my girls, “Oh, look — we can make fruit shish-kabobs.” We started putting the fruit on the skewers, and then my mom came over and noticed the CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN.

I’ve never in my life seen one of these — but you take the fruit on the skewer and dip it into this ever-flowing fountain of pure chocolate — voila. Chocolate-dipped sweetness. We had a blast with that discovery! Talk about a fresh fruit market!

One whole side of this ornately decorated room was windows, overlooking the lake and golf course. I saw a boy about my son’s age striding toward the course with a green leather bag of golf clubs slung over his shoulder. Like every other player, he was decked out in golf shoes, khaki pants, and a solid-color cotton shirt. I thought to myself, “This is so far from our lifestyle. I can’t even imagine.” Then it hit me — this was my “cross-cultural experience.” So, you see — I got to enjoy my fruit in a different culture after all.

This morning, I was able to witness another extraordinary miracle. If you get a chance to hear today’s Focus on the Family radio broadcast, I hope you can. James Dobon is interviewing Duane Miller, the pastor of the church in Houston who once lost his voice because of a virus. For three years, he couldn’t speak above a raspy whisper. He had to step down as pastor, but his Sunday school class begged him to teach. They rigged up a very sensitive microphone and attached it directly to his lips so everyone could hear his whisper. The doctors told him he would never be able to speak again, and that his raspy teaching was causing even more harm to his permanently damaged vocal chords.

He was Beth Moore’s pastor, and I’d read his story in Week 3 of the Believing God study, but I honestly couldn’t imagine it. Here’s how Beth described what happened:

One Sunday morning at our church he rasped his way through part of a lesson on the Psalms with the help of his sensitized microphone … Duane taught his class that morning that God is neither a genie in a bottle nor an apathetic bystander … By this time the pain in Duane’s throat was excruciating.

He continued the lesson with the mention of the next benefit: He redeems my life from the pit. He started to refer to his own ordeal, but the moment the word pit slipped from his mouth, whatever seemed to have choked him for more than three years suddenly released. Before the ears of his loving class and prayer warriors, God performed a miracle!

It’s true. It’s on tape, the whole thing. During the interview, James Dobson played the tape, and I got to hear this miracle take place. There’s a moment when Duane Miller pauses, as his voice suddenly booms strong … and you can hear the whole class gasp, then start laughing and clapping, and they spontaneosly sing the Doxology:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

This radio broadcast is called “Breaking the Silence,” and you can listen to it here.

Carol of She Lives is hosting this week’s Carnival of Beauty on the topic of “The Beauty of Aging Gracefully.” Ha! Send her something by 3 pm tomorrow — I’ll be curious to see what everyone comes up with.

P.S. For the ladies in the Beth Moore LBY group — so many of you have shared over the weekend how cool it is that we’re able to write out our thoughts and read what we’re all learning. Many of us are the type who wouldn’t say a word in a group of 30 women — we’d just listen.

I encourage you to PRINT OUT your weekly blog post that goes along with the lesson, including all of the comments people send you. Put this in your notebook along with your homework. I know without a doubt we’re all going to use these notes someday for something. So far, at least two of you have used this study to give you strength to speak in front of large groups.

These notes will help us remember what we’re learning and to show others the fellowship we’ve discovered. You never know — maybe our study will be a prototype for others to follow. Just think of all the housebound people in the world, or those in hospitals, who can’t get to a group meeting. Our study group may be a solution to help these people enjoy interacting with others from their homes or hospital beds. Eight more weeks to go!

You can probably tell I’ve got the beach on my mind this week, can’t you? Here’s another excuse to think about sand and surf. An author who writes mystery books set on islands! And … she’s an award-winning playwright and a grandmother. Everybody say hello to Vonda Skinner Skelton!

Best of all, Mrs. Skelton is a woman of faith who loves connecting with people through writing — AND I’ve met her in person in Nashville. She’s a beautiful woman with a kind heart, who gave me a big ol’ hug. So, I had to invite her to come visit us here.

Welcome to Mom 2 Mom Connection!

Thanks for inviting me, Heather.

I have to tell you, I’ve read your mystery books, and they’re set in places I’m familiar with, on Tybee and Amelia Islands, off the coast of Georgia. Can you tell us how you got started writing mysteries for children?

I’m always asked what gave me the great idea to start an island mystery series. Well, I hate to admit it, but I didn’t have the idea at all. The truth is, it just happened! The first book was set on Tybee Island because we had visited there when I was a child, and the second one was on Amelia Island because that’s where my oldest grandchildren live.

You’re a grandmother! Can you tell us a little about your family?

I’d love to! My sweet husband, Gary, and I were high school sweethearts and have now been married for 36 years. Our oldest daughter, Christina is married to Todd and they live on Amelia Island, Florida. They are the parents of our oldest grandchildren, Garrett (10) and Ellie (7). They are the stars along with Bitsy in the Amelia Island book. Our youngest daughter, Nicole, is married to Steve, and they have Cole (5) and Mallory (2), who will be in the third book, set on Hilton Head Island.

What do your grandchildren think about you writing mystery books?

I’m blessed to have an extremely supportive family, and the grandkids think it’s really cool that I write books, especially when I go to their schools. And Garrett and Ellie enjoyed their own moment in the spotlight when they, too, were asked to sign books because they were characters in the Amelia Island mystery!

Oh, that sounds like fun! Your grandkids get to help you sign books. I bet they give you a lot of ideas for writing.

Yes, they’ve given me a few ideas for the books, but I find I use their stories most often when I speak at Christian women’s events. The hilarious things they say often fit well with a point I’m trying to make as I speak. There’s nothing like the innocent words of a child to get a point across!

Oh, I know all about those cute things kids say. And if I don’t write them down, I’ll forget! So, do you think a person can write books for children even if their children are grown?

Definitely! I didn’t write until my kids were grown. I also think that some of us are better able to recognize the humor in life as we get older. When I was a young wife and mother, I was so focused on trying to do things right and raise responsible kids, that I often missed the laughter in situations.

And now, as I look back on my childhood, I see so much more than I did back then. The passing of years has helped me see the love my parents had for us and the sacrifices they made; for the struggles they had as a young couple with no money and four kids. I didn’t see the beauty of the experience back then. I do now, and I cherish it.

Now, can you tell us about your mysteries?

I’d love to. My first book, Bitsy and the Mystery at Tybee Island, introduces Bitsy, a 12-year-old tomboy from a poor family who always manages to get into trouble. She’s the oldest of three girls and her mother is expecting the fourth child at any time—and Bitsy’s not happy about it. The family travels to Tybee Island to test her father’s newest invention, suntan lotion. Bitsy and her cousin, Matt, decide to search for buried treasure, but instead discover more than they bargained for.

I remember that in the book. I thought it was so funny that Bitsy’s dad was trying to get them to test out his invention by using homemade suntan lotion on half their body and the leading brand on the other half! Did any of these things happen to you in real life?

Yes, believe it or not, my daddy was one of those great characters who was always going to invent something or come up with a great business deal that would make our family rich. Did we ever get rich? No! But he left a great collection of true stories for me to write about!

I’ve used lots of things that really did happen to me or someone I know and put them in my fictional books. Remember the bully getting his head caught in the porch rail on Amelia Island? That really happened to my brother when we were kids. (And I have to admit, I DID enjoy smearing him with mayonnaise and butter to get him out!)

Remember Bitsy’s Bangles? Well, believe it or not, I really had a jewelry business when I was 12-years-old, thanks to my dad. That’s the joy of fiction—you can do anything you want! You simply use the facts that would drive the story. But then take other scenes from your life, or other peoples’ lives, and use them any way you want—within reason, of course.

Wow! You’re getting me interested in writing some children’s fiction someday! Now, what about your second book?

In Bitsy and the Mystery at Amelia Island, Bitsy heads to Amelia Island, Florida to visit her friends, Garrett and Ellie. Although she has just turned over a new leaf—to live at peace with everyone, her resolution quickly dissolves when she has a run-in with the neighborhood bully, Ernie Van Tache. In this book, the kids search for a “ghost,” run from a “witch,” and attempt to discover what’s so important about a mysterious family portrait, all of which teaches Bitsy the true meaning of “the best things in life.”

How in the world did you come up with ideas for your books?

When I decided to write my first book, I knew several things before I started. I knew I wanted my book to be a mystery because I love to read mysteries; I knew I wanted it to be a book for kids because I love kids and enjoy interacting with them.

I also knew I wanted it to be based on my own family; and I knew I wanted the story to be set at Tybee Island, Georgia because it held special memories for me. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that Tybee had a lighthouse and abandoned forts, which are both great for mysteries.) But I had one little problem—I didn’t have a mystery! So I grabbed my mother and we headed down to Tybee Island to do some research.

That sounds like a fun place to do some research. But how did you find the mystery angle?

I guess you want me to be honest here, so I’ll admit my ignorance: I never realized Blackbeard the Pirate was a real person. I know, I know. I’m probably the only adult in America who didn’t know that little tidbit of information, but I didn’t.

Well, while doing my research, I discovered that not only was Blackbeard the Pirate real, but he really had spent time on Tybee Island. But not only was he a real person who had been on Tybee Island, I also found out there is speculation that perhaps, just maybe, there is still undiscovered buried treasure on Tybee Island! So voila! I had my mystery!

And what about researching on Amelia Island?

It was just as easy to decide to put my second book on Amelia Island, Florida, because, as I said, that’s where my two oldest grandchildren live. Again, I never even thought about the fact that it would make two books set on islands. All I was thinking about was that I could make trips down there for research, spend time with my grandchildren, and have a legitimate tax deduction! Of course, once the book came out, I had to do book signings there, too. (Oh, the struggles of writing!)

Again, I didn’t have any idea what the mystery was going to be until I went down there for research. That’s when I discovered that Amelia Island is very old, dating back to the 1500’s. And, as is often true of old towns, Amelia Island has an active ghost tour industry. So of course, I had to take a ghost tour.

A ghost tour! What did you discover?

That’s when I heard the true story of a nun who died in 1877 while caring for the sick during an outbreak of yellow fever. But the legend says that her ghost rises up out of the cemetery and walks into the church. Suddenly I had my mystery! And although the book does not involve “real” ghosts, the kids have to recognize that the bad guy is the one behind the mysterious occurrences.

By the time the second book was done, I realized it would be fun to continue the island theme. And now kids ask me what island Bitsy is going to next! In case you want to know, it’s set on Hilton Head Island, SC, and involves loggerhead turtles. It’s scheduled to be released in the spring of 2007.

We went to Hilton Head Island last summer and loved it. We’ll have to read your third book when it comes out. And I see you’ll be forced to do another author tour at the beach. With your grandkids of course! Do you have any advice for us if we’d like to write something about a trip we take?

I’d definitely say do your research. Find out the history of the area. But don’t just go to official places like museums and such. Talk to people who live in the area; get a flavor for the culture, for their way of doing things; find out about events that aren’t common knowledge.

For Bitsy at Tybee Island, I talked to a lady who had had a beach house there for years. I didn’t know her, but just knocked on her door and told her I was writing a children’s mystery. I told her I wanted to talk to someone who had lived on the island for a while. She invited me in and we talked for hours. She told me story after story of things that had happened to them and others on the island—many of which ended up in the book.

Remember the rat? True story. Remember the broken bridge and someone trying to get to the hospital? True story (although in real life, they got off safely). And the kids digging up the skeleton? Yep, you guessed it—true story.

For Amelia Island, I talked with a couple of women who had grown up there. They told me about their own experiences of hunting for ghosts and the teenage dares to tempt the “Pogy Witch Woman” out of hiding. I went to the cemetery where the nuns were buried and took a tour of the house that once was the convent. All those details make the location come alive and help you develop your story.

How do you remember all these details? Does it help to take pictures?

Yes! Take lots of pictures. You’ll be surprised at how much you forget the landscape or the color of the house or the layout of the building. But don’t just take pictures of things you plan to include. Snap photos of anything that looks unusual or out of place. The scene in which the bad guy is captured at Amelia was developed simply because I took a picture of a crane beside the river. I never intended to use a crane in the book, but the story invented itself through the pictures.

Well, Vonda, this has just been too much fun hearing all these behind-the-scene details about your writing! Now, I can’t wait for you to come back tomorrow and tell us how you became a four-time award-winning playwright because I know there are some moms out there who have a flair for drama!

You can learn more about Vonda Skinner Skelton on her website. If you’d like more details on how she got started writing, here’s an interview with her at this site.

There are a whole lot of blessings going around today that I wanted to share with you.

First of all, we’ve had a big celebration over at Susan’s new blog — she has been searching for answers to some spiritual questions lately and finally found the ANSWER! After communicating with some members of our Beth Moore Bible Study, Susan is beginning a new journey! (Thanks, Jeana!) You can read more about this on Carol’s blog — but please visit Susan and wish her a note of encouragement. Isn’t this awesome news? What better reason do we have for blogging than to help lead someone to a relationship with Christ?

The Carnival of Beauty is up at MzEllen & Co on the topic of “technology.” If you have a chance, there are some thoughtful essays on how technology has brought many blessings to our world today.

Be sure to visit the new April edition of Darlene’s Christian Women Online magazine. I’m always amazed at how pretty the photos and graphics are that accompany the stories. If you’re in need of a positive place to read a few minutes, this magazine is full of inspiration. I’ve also joined her new webring.

Darlene is too funny! I had to laugh while reading her Letter from the Editor about how life changes as we head into our 40s.

So, if she happens to be reading this post, here’s something I saw in an author’s autobiography last week:

They say “life begins at forty.” A certain phase of mine certainly did, for I was just forty when my first novel was published.

(Does that make you feel like you’re in good company, Darlene?)

I’ve given this some thought. Do any of you out there agree that life begins at 40? Those of you who are over age 40, did anything happen to you in this new decade that you could share with us?

I’m looking forward to turning 40 — which is only a few years away for me. I started thinking about how I’ve spent the last few decades:

Ages 0-5 — Infancy. Learned how to walk and talk … and haven’t stopped since!

Elementary school — Early academics, spiritual awakening with a sincere child-like faith. Prepared for middle school.

Middle school — Began to realize I liked some subjects better than others. Developed hobbies. Prepared for high school.

High school — Prepared for college. Started thinking about my future husband … and began looking for him! (Why, oh why, was I even thinking about that when I was 16? I should have been doing more volunteer work in my community, helping others. There’s no rush to hurry on to college and marriage!)

College — Prepared for a career by narrowing down the subjects I studied. Began seriously trying to figure out if I would be single for the rest of my life or if God had other plans for me. Constant focus was on the future. Time of amazing spiritual growth for me.

20s and 30s — For most women, these are the busy foundational years of marriage and childbearing/ childraising. I’m sure you moms agree — things ain’t the same with your body, mind, and spirit after you go through the transformation of becoming a mother. During these years, the constant demands of small children are first and foremost on our minds.

40s — OK! Does life begin now? These are the years when our kids might be older and more independent. We might even be able to have time to take a shower and put on make-up! Our husband may be more settled in a career. I don’t know — I’m not there yet. I’m just thinking it might take my mind off getting older if I could look forward to the excitement of having a little more “me-time” than I do now.

What do you think?

Many thanks to a Mom 2 Mom reader, Luanne, who visited us from the Philippines and left a message in yesterday’s comments. I’ve added this map and picture. What a lovely place!

Luanne writes:

“I live on an island! Maybe not the sort you have in mind, but a tropical island nevertheless. I live on the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines. We are missionaries and have lived here for 18 years. The weather is usually warm humid and sunny, or warm and humid and rainy.

The best part for me is that there is green everywhere I look! I can’t hear the ocean from my house. We live in the city, and the sound of traffic is what I hear most of the time. But we have a nice yard and in the mornings I hear exotic bird sounds, and in the evenings, our local geckos sound off, as well as the occasional frog.

It is April, summer in the Philippines, and the neem tree outside my window is in bloom! The wonderful smell of those flowers will be floating through the house for over a month! I look forward to April all year!

We can drive about an hour and go to a white sands beach. It is in a bay, so there are no big waves. Big shady trees grow practically to the water line. The water is warm and blue, and the snorkeling is amazing! It is like flying over another world, a world of strange shapes and flashing colors. Amazing to think there is a world like that under the water that God made, and so few have seen! What other wonders might there be that are yet undiscovered?

We buy most of our food at the open market. The fish is fresh and smells like the ocean. We love the fruit here, lansones, marang, durian, rambutan, mangosteen, mangos, pomelo, guavas, nangka, guyabano, atis, to name a few! The sad and battered tropical fruits you see in the grocery stores in America for such high prices, are nothing like the real thing we have here!

At the supermarket we can find the more familiar vegetables, many of which are grown in the mountains; broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, cauliflower and even zuccini along with things like ferns, fresh bamboo shoots, taro roots and bitter gourd. We like to cook with coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger.

We have a large house and two guest rooms… wanna come? :-)”

My answer: YES! Now I have at least two people I want to visit in the Philippines!