In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life is my third published book and my most personal. Sit down with me for an interview and I’ll answer some common questions.

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#1: Why did you write In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life?

While in distress about current events and the unknowns of my future, I discovered Psalm 77 and 78. The author, Asaph, described my feelings exactly but he had a solution. He told me to remember the deeds of the Lord, consider his works, and meditate on his mighty deeds (Ps 77:11–22). As I remembered that God was good to me when I lived overseas, he would be again today and into the future.

#2: What problem are you trying to address in your book?

When we stop telling our stories, we forget the deeds of the Lord, and our faith falters. Then our children and grandchildren fail to know the Lord and obey him. I’m trying to preserve my stories of God’s good deeds so my next generation will know him.

#3: What is the big idea behind the book?

Remember the good deeds of the Lord and tell them to the next generation so that faith will endure.

We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done … so the next generation would know them … and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Psalm 78:4, 6–7

#4: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I hope readers will be reminded that God’s unchanging character is enough for their current situation. And I hope my accounts will inspire them to recall their own stories of God’s goodness and find a way to preserve them for their own future generations.

#5: Why should people read this book?

If you’ve followed God to far-flung places and now wonder if he’s worth it; if you need a fresh reminder that God is still present, powerful, and good; if you need to know you are not alone; or if you need to learn how to use scripture to address daily struggles, you should read this book.

#6: What is something in the book that might surprise readers?

Readers may be surprised that my cross-cultural life was not glamorous but rather ordinary. Also, this book is structured like a devotional with written liturgies to pray aloud to introduce each week’s reading.

#7: How did you remember all your stories?

My mother and mother-in-law kept all my personal correspondence, prayer letters, and monthly prayer updates. I also kept my journals. As I refined them, my husband and former teammates corroborated my accounts.

#8: How long did it take you to write the book?

In 2020 I started sorting through my letters and began compiling the anecdotes and stories I wanted to include. Then Sue Eenigenburg graciously invited me to collaborate with her on Grit to Stay Grace to Go (which we then published in May 2023). So I set this project aside and picked it up again at the beginning of 2025. I finished the writing and editing by Christmas. Then it took an additional five months to copy edit, proofread, design the cover, format the interior, and publish it on Amazon mid 2026.

#9: How can I tell my stories if I’m not a writer?

First, just remember! Read journals. Ask family and friends. Use the characteristics about God that I feature in each entry to prompt you to think of something similar. Then simply tell someone. Or make a video of yourself recounting the story. You don’t need to publish a book.

#10: How can I get a copy of In Every Moment?

In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life is available on Amazon.

For more information, see my In Every Moment web page.

What else would you like to know?