Though the story never really ends, I want to end this series because I think it would be boring for me to write about, “well, then I got this contract, and this editing experience was hard, and blah, blah, blah.” So, suffice to say, the first book I sold was Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God to Harvest House in conjuction with Hearts at Home ministries. Then, quickly on its heels was Building the Christian Family You Never Had to WaterBrook. I did a write-for-hire for Time Warner for the successful book Sister Freaks, followed by a two-book deal with NavPress for Watching the Tree Limbs and Wishing on Dandelions. I just completed a book about parenting in a postmodern world for Harvest House.

My first agent moved to Nashville to work at Time Warner, so now I’m blessed to have Beth Jusino at Alive. She’s been terrific.

I worried incessantly that I’d mess up my career if I moved to France. I wept over it, actually. I can be very stubborn! But I knew God was bigger than a move across the Atlantic. Yes, it has sometimes affected my career, but I’d say for the most part, it’s been a blessing to be here. Because of all the trials we endured, particularly the first year, I’m a deeper writer and my heart is closer to Jesus.

I fly back to the states for conferences, ICRS, and other book related business. Being here has enabled me not to get so caught up in the celebrity-thingie. I’m just a girl living in France, struggling to learn a language, worrying that I don’t connect well enough here, praying for my children, hoping we’re parenting well in a difficult environment. We are planting a church here, so that has been great, but very humbling. This keeps me grounded.

I’m utterly surprised when I get emails from readers. It makes my day! I’m particularly pleased when something I’ve written has touched someone deeply. That’s my desire–to write prose that, through God’s power, changes lives.

I love writing. I feel like I was created to communicate God’s redemption through prose. It’s such a surprise to be where I am today. I’ve been writing since 1992. I’ve yet to receive a royalty check (I think I make probably 24 cents an hour), but I’m tickled at the doors God has opened.

Mostly, I’m just surprised—that God took a girl like me who needed Him so desperately. He looked down from heaven and 1 Corinthians 1:26-28ed me. He said, “See that one? I know she’s weak and needy. I’ll choose her to display strength through. It humbles me that He’d stoop to use my words. Humbles me every day.