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You are here: Home / Archives for Author Q&A

Author Q&A

Ash and Starlight: Prayers for the Chaos and Grace of Daily Life

Adam Walker Cleaveland Leave a Comment

Ash and Starlight

One of our fantastic contributors, Arianne Braithwaite Lehn, wrote a beautiful book of prayers that accompany us on all of life’s journeys. Her book, Ash & Starlight, is available now.

Would you like to download a sample chapter and enter to win a copy of Arianne’s book? Download your PDF and enter our drawing by clicking here!

Arianne, we are so excited about your book’s release! Tell us a little bit about your dream for this book and how it came to be.

When I was a parish associate at Highland Park Presbyterian, still in my last year of seminary, I started composing a weekly prayer to go out to the congregation every Friday. I incorporated prayer requests from the congregation and slipped them into a more extended prayer to hold and guide our hearts for the day. It became a way to both deepen our prayer lives as well as our vulnerability with one another. An unexpected gift for me was how writing prayers uncovered my authentic voice – and specifically my writing voice – in fresh ways.

When my husband and I moved to Fort Wayne and began ministry at First Presbyterian, I continued the prayer practice there – sending out prayers every Friday. And then, in the spring of 2015, when I needed to step away from my pastoral call, I began a blog for prayers and other writing. It had become such a life-giving practice for my heart, one that helped me navigate some of the rockiest waters I’d encountered – death, birth, loss, multiple moves, and a complete upending of my plans.

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of writing a book someday. Books have been an essential and life-changing part of my journey. But only God in God’s goodness and leading could have brought this about. Eight years ago, when I started writing prayers, I wasn’t telling myself, “someday, this will become a book of prayers.” It was indeed a case of fumbling toward faithfulness in the next thing, and then the next. I think of one of my favorite prayers by Thomas Merton:

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end, nor do I really know myself…but I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you…And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.”


Tell us about the significance of the name of your book.

The name “Ash and Starlight” holds multiple threads of meaning. I connect with the Celtic Christian tradition, which grounds itself in the goodness and presence of God in creation. There is a term in Celtic Christianity called a “thin place” – a space where heaven and earth co-mingle, and the “veil” feels paper-thin. I wholeheartedly believe these places are in our everyday lives, and they are within us.

The poetry of Genesis in the Bible centers us in this beautiful idea – we’re made of earth, and we’re made of heaven. The creation poem says God created humans from the dust or ash of the earth, then blew divine breath into them. The same breath and spirit that created the stars are embedded within us. We are made of earth and ash, we are made of starlight and heaven, woven seamlessly together.

And so are our lives. I was 31-weeks pregnant with our first child when my dad died. As he sat in his big green recliner, taking his last breaths, I remember holding his hand in one of my hands, and placing my other hand on my pregnant belly, kicking with life. Following his death, his brother commissioned a musical piece in remembrance – not just of my father, but of the message his life spoke. My father and his brother were and are very musical and loved singing together.

My uncle asked a favorite composer of theirs to write the musical score, and he asked me to write the text/lyrics. The piece ended up being called, “Ash and Starlight” – a hearkening to the wholeness God brings to our lives and very selves, with all their mess and glory.


This is such a unique book of prayers, curated for just about every season and twist and turn of life’s journey. How do you envision people using this collection of prayers?

I hope this book will be a prayerful companion for people amid their everyday lives. A book to pull out after getting off a tough phone call, while feeding the baby, when pouring that first-morning cup of coffee, or in an intentional two minutes of centering after crawling into bed at night. The prayers are purposely named and written for the chaos and grace of life – “When I want to avoid, numb and block,” “When I’m struggling to accept my life right now,” “When I’m headed to work,” “When I can’t sleep,” “When I’m in the messy middle of something,” and more.

The prayers can be starting spots for peoples’ own prayers – a springboard to use in offering God their unique thoughts and feelings they need to let loose. Or the prayers can be a place to rest. I have been so thankful for the prayers of others when I didn’t have it in me to pray – or didn’t want to.

Following each prayer are a few scripture references. These connect with the themes of the prayer and provide nourishment for further meditation if people want to go deeper.

Ash and Starlight is meant to help people see how the experiences and emotions we often want to leave behind are integral to who we are and are becoming. I pray this book empowers people to approach life with grace and curiosity, to surrender and trust amid fears, to rejoice in their current lives, even as they’re moving toward something else.

I believe we all need to be grounded in the deepest promises of which we all need the most reminding: We are loved as we are. We are not alone. We are instruments of blessing, even when we don’t realize it. This book will hopefully help be a source of that reminding when people pull it out during the day.


Would you like to download a sample chapter and enter to win a copy of Arianne’s book? Download your PDF and enter our drawing by clicking here!

Will you share some wisdom or experience you’ve had for integrating prayer into the everyday rhythms of life?

I am continuing to learn how prayer is not something separate from our lives – it can be woven into the fabric of our everyday rhythms and routines. One way to think about prayer is a recognition of God’s presence in the midst of whatever it is we’re doing or feeling. Simple breath prayers have been helpful for me – “God, I know you are with me.” “God, center my heart.” “God, give me courage.” “God, this person is driving me crazy!!!” It’s recognizing what you’re holding within you and holding that in the presence of God.

As a parent of a two and four-year-old, our home is chaotic and noisy. But prayer does not have to be peaceful, focused, or solemn! I try to take some early morning time for reading, prayer, and/or journaling (I’m talking 5-10 minutes – not long), but I am also learning more and more the grace and benefit of prayer throughout the day. When I’m out on a stroller walk with the kids, we might take turns naming things we want to thank God for – a fun playground to visit, the flowers we see in someone’s yard, the chance to be together.

When I’m driving in the car and not too distracted by the chaos in the backseat, I might think of some people I want to hold in light. When I run, I take a chunk of that time to listen to and see my surroundings – an exercise in being present to God’s world. And sometimes, I will pull out prayer books that are meaningful for me, and read those aloud with the kids. Even as all the layers of those prayers don’t register – and they might not pay attention at all – they are taking it in, even in their own way.


What other resources inspire you in your prayer life and with your two young children?

Some of my personal favorites:

  • Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey: There is a liturgy in this book for changing diapers, one for washing windows, a prayer for preparing dinner, another for hearing the sound of a siren. Indeed – every moment can be holy.
  • To Bless the Space Between Us by John O’Donohue: A long-held, dog-eared favorite – the book that inspired me to start writing prayers of my own.
  • Pray As You Go podcast: Ten-minute guided meditations on scripture passages.

For prayer as a family:

  • Faithful Families by Traci Smith: SUPER helpful with tangible ideas on how to cultivate faith for all ages.
  • Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline by Catherine McNeil: This beautiful book awakens moms to how parenting itself is a spiritual discipline – a freeing message in seasons when “quiet time with God” feels nonexistent.
  • Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren: A meaningful journey through the ordinary moments of a day – brushing teeth, making the bed, losing keys – and how those can foster a sacred connection with God.

And a couple of books that just help me connect faith with parenting in general:

  • Bless This Mess
  • Parenting Forward

Thanks so much for this, Arianne. We are so grateful for your gift of prayers here. Where can we find out more about your work?

  • My weekly newsletter, Monday Manna. You can sign up here.
  • My website Ash and Starlight
  • Facebook: Arianne Braithwaite Lehn, Author
  • Instagram: @ariannelehn
  • Email me here

Links to purchase Ash and Starlight:

  • Amazon
  • Chalice Press
  • Barnes & Noble

Parenting Forward: An interview with author Cindy Wang Brandt

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Get the inside scoop from our conversation with Cindy Wang Brandt, author of Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness, a phenomenal new book we’ve all been searching for.

parenting forward

Have you ever looked for solid faith-inspired parenting guidance? Some of us might have come up with only a few resources. And maybe some of us have given up trying after repeated disappointment. Well, we’ve got some great news. We found a serious gem for you to check out!

Here at Illustrated Children’s Ministry, we believe Parenting Forward by Cindy Wang Brandt is the book so many parents and church workers have long been searching for. And for the inside scoop, we got the chance to chat with Cindy herself.

Cindy speaks with such honesty, thoughtfulness, and grace. We think you’ll find her to be refreshing and her work to be a helpful tool for the journey. Oh, and drop your name in the hat to download the first chapter for free!

FREE CHAPTER SAMPLE

Would you like to download a free chapter from Cindy’s book. To receive your PDF download of the first chapter, click here!

Brought to Life

Q: First, Cindy, thanks so much for getting together to talk with us about Parenting Forward. How did you come to bring this book into the world?

A: As someone who grew up conservative evangelical, like many others in my generation, I’m starting to re-think a lot of my faith values. And as a parent, I realized that teaching children faith values I had not been taught, or have shifted away from, caused tension.

I needed to find a community who would wrestle with me, and join me in the task of re-imagining a faith that is relevant for our children and healthier for their well-being.

This book is a culmination of the conversations I’ve had with parenting and faith experts, and everyday parents, answering this guiding question: What does it look like to raise children WITH justice FOR justice?

parenting forward
Cindy Wang Brandt, author of Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness

Q: What was the journey of writing Parenting Forward like?

A: Before I wrote this book, I spent my writing time in faith spaces and social justice conversations. I contended with big, serious theological propositions, and got outraged over injustice, to the point of burning out.

Writing this book allowed me to approach these critically important justice conversations from the perspective of children.

Anytime we are lucky enough to be in close proximity with children, they give us great joy. Their whimsy, vitality, and their always-surprising perspectives, are such a gift. The process of writing the book taught me that children and young people are essential for sustaining our justice movements because their presence is an everflowing source of hope.

Power Placement

Q: The element of allowing children autonomy and agency is an important one for you, which opposes a long-standing culture of children being seen and not heard. How can ministry leaders practically create environments that foster children’s autonomy and honor children’s voices?

A: When we think of inclusion, we often make the mistake of thinking being welcoming is enough. But it’s not enough to just welcome all different kinds of people into the church. We need to look at the leadership structure: who has the power to make the decisions that impact the church?

True inclusion gives access to those spaces – the decision-making spaces. For children, it’s not enough to tack children on to programs at the last minute and announce that children are very welcome. Children should be involved at the beginning of the planning process, and their opinions should be solicited and taken into consideration.

Of course, we can’t expect children to sit through hour-long church meetings (adults could stand to rethink hour-long meetings as well, for what it’s worth). However, we need to find ways to involve children’s participation in programming that’s designed for them.

Q: What markers can families look for in order to identify churches that are practicing justice with children?

A: I’d look for explicit affirmation of children in church bulletins, announcements, and whether children are given access in church spaces.

More broadly, I’d be on the lookout for authoritarianism in a church. Whenever a strict hierarchy is imposed where power flows from the top down, it’s a bad environment for children, because they always end up at the bottom of every hierarchy and given little control.

Again, look for where the power is located. If it’s centralized in solely patriarchal figures, that’s a red flag. If the power is distributed to groups and committees that are represented by women and other marginalized people, it is better positioned to treat children with justice.

parenting forward

Healthy Instruction

Q: Can you tell us a bit about teaching the Bible so kids use their power for justice and come away with a healthy spirituality?

A: Offer it to them not as doctrine, but as one tool out of many that they can use to exercise their spirituality. Give them responsible hermeneutics; in other words, help them learn the Bible in the way the Bible should be read, and not as a fundamentalist Bible Thumper. This includes situating Bible stories within a larger narrative framework, understanding the various genres, and doing critical engagement with the text.

Some of the potential pitfalls of incorrectly teaching the Bible to children include:

  • convincing children to use it as a moral manual (or map)
  • teaching children that the Bible should primarily be used as a tool for apologetics

(Psst… read even more about teaching kids how to use the Bible over here…)

For Further Reading

Q: What resources can you recommend to readers that have guided your journey in raising kids justly?

A: I love the book Raising White Kids, by Jennifer Harvey for inspiring racial justice. If you’re interested in diversifying your bookshelves, my favorite children’s book curation site is Books for Littles. Check out Amaze.org for quality sex education resources. Queer Kids Stuff is great, too, and teaches younger, pre-school kids about the gender spectrum. I’m really into what Radical Cram School is creating around diverse Asian girls’ voices.

For ministry resources…well, my go-to recommendation is Illustrated Children’s Ministry. (wink, wink) But I’ve also curated a list of children’s books for progressive spirituality over on Amazon.

Q: Again, thanks so much, Cindy. Where can our readers learn more about you and follow your work?

A: Thanks so much for having me! Check out more about me and my work over on my website.

Friends, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness.

Better yet, sign up to get a free sample by clicking here!

Q&A with New Children’s Book Author, Katie Savage

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Katie Savage

children's book not especially special katie savage

Looking for a new children’s book for your church’s or child’s library that tells of God’s undying love for us? Always, right?! We’re thrilled to introduce you to Katie Savage and her brand new children’s book called Not Especially Special. And a little bird told me that if you head on over yonder, you can watch a video of Katie, see the book’s illustrations and even invest in bringing it to children’s shelves everywhere.

You see, Katie launched a Kickstarter project for her book, and just last week, they met their goal of $12,000 so they could do a first print run of 1000 copies of the book! We are very excited for Katie, but they now have a stretch goal of $18,000. At that funding level, they would be able to increase the number of copies printed, set a small budget for future marketing, and donate 100 copies of the book to an after school tutoring ministry in Los Angeles.

So that’s where you all come in. After you’ve checked out this post and downloaded a fantastic freebie that Katie provided (look below for the pink box), go to Kickstarter and help her reach her stretch goal! Heck – why not just go to Kickstarter NOW, watch their video, invest in the book and then come back here. We’ll wait.

…

Did you do it? Great. Okay, now on to the interview.

About Katie and Her New Children’s Book

children's book not especially special katie savage

Alissa: Thanks so much for chatting with us, Katie! We’d love to hear a little bit about you, your loves and your work.

Katie: Great to be with you here on the blog! I’m a writer, a mom, a wife, a lover of the ocean and swings and the smell of freshly-cut limes. My first book is a kind of spiritual memoir called Grace in the Maybe: Instructions on Not Knowing Everything About God. And my second, which is currently on Kickstarter, is a children’s book called Not Especially Special.

Alissa: Give us a brief description of your book, Not Especially Special.

Katie: The story is about a dove who doesn’t feel very special. She’s not as beautiful as the parrot, as fast as the hummingbird, or as talented as the songbird. She wants to find something that sets her apart from the other birds. Not Especially Special is the story of how she learns that she has been created with a purpose and loved with a crazy-big, no-bird-too-ordinary love.

Alissa: Why did you write Not Especially Special?

Katie: I first had the idea for this character in college, during a time in my life when I felt a little bit lost in the crowd. And since then, that idea hasn’t let go of me. The lesson that God loves and values us, even though that seems so straightforward, is a truth we have to remind ourselves of constantly. It’s not something you just learn and then check off your list.

FREE COLORING PAGES: Katie and her illustrator have been gracious enough to offer a few coloring pages from the book’s illustrations to all of our readers. If you would like to grab some free coloring sheets, go ahead and click here.

children's book
Some of the wonderful illustrations by artist Emily Marie Henebrey. You can find more of her work on her website here.

Katie’s Process

Alissa: The writing style of Not Especially Special is very expressive. Can you tell us about your methods?

Katie: This is my first foray into the world of children’s literature, and I’ve so enjoyed allowing myself to be playful with language. I had fun with rhyming, double meanings, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. It appeals to kids’ sense of discovery to use language that way. I hope little aha moments happen even after children have read it 16 times in a row.

Alissa: The idea of finding one’s identity is strong in your book. What about that idea moved you?

Katie: As a Christian, I believe that the absolute best thing we can know about God is that God loves, loves, loves us. Exactly. The. Way. We. Are. And that’s where I find identity. I strive to communicate this in my work writing, ministering and mothering.

Alissa: What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Katie: This story took years to perfect. But, writing this book wasn’t difficult. Pursuing publication has been the challenging portion of the process. Since the children’s book market is very saturated, it’s difficult for a new author to get a publishing deal. I knew people would find value in the book, and I knew kids needed to hear the story. So, Kickstarter was the natural solution.

Alissa: What drew you to this particular story?

Katie: There’s a twist when we learn the dove is headed to Noah’s Ark. I’ve always been fascinated by the end of that story. Why the dove? In paintings of Bible stories, the dove is pure white and radiant. However, most of the doves I’ve seen are a little more…ordinary. God never makes the obvious choice in bringing about God’s beautiful work in the world.

Not Especially Special

Inspiration and Takeaways

Alissa: What other books have inspired you?

Katie: The very first children’s book I remember connecting to was E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. I know just where I was in my room when I got to the final page and felt the tears on my face. I remember the feeling of wishing the book had never ended. Writers like White are the reason I became an author. I felt the kindness behind their words.

I’ve also adored many of the classics, like The Giving Tree, Roxaboxen, and Oh! The Places You’ll Go. Newer favorites include Matthew Paul Turner’s When God Made You and Michelle Cuevas’s The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles.

Alissa: What is your favorite passage in the book and why?

Katie: I love when the dove finally, despite fears and doubts and insecurities, decides she’s ready to follow God’s leading. The illustration on that page, down to the very placement of the text, is so exciting and hopeful.

Alissa: What can readers hope to learn from this children’s book?

Katie: We can’t be compassionate toward each other unless we realize the deep value we hold as individuals. So, this is a story to help kids begin to engrave that message on their hearts.


Many thanks to Katie for taking the time to share with us about her book. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to back her Kickstarter project, and grab the coloring sheets below.

FREE COLORING PAGES: Don’t forget to grab your free coloring pages by clicking here.

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