I don’t know why I gave up wearing dresses, perhaps because I never wore many dresses growing up on a sailboat.

I like dresses. I just don’t buy them very often.

But I knew I needed something special to wear to meet my sponsored child, Nairesiae.

A week before we left for Africa, I found the perfect black dress and a red scarf.

It wasn’t until after we arrived that I discovered my sponsored child is Maasai. The color of the tribe is red.

Wonderstruck, indeed.

We drove more than two hours from Nairobi on pitted, punctured roads to the project. Singing and dancing awaited us.

After a warm welcome by the Maasai children and staff, we toured the project. We saw the water supply they’d dug, the trees they planted, the kitchen where they fed the children, and learned of the 20-plus bee hives from which they’d just taken their first honey harvest to support their work. I even milked my first goat.

Then we hopped in the Land Rover to visit our sponsored child’s home. (When I first sponsored Nairesiae, I nicknamed her “Little Flower” in my mind as a kind of prayer that she would blossom into the fullness of all God has for her.)

The deeply eroded road made us feel like we were riding horseback as we bounced to and fro. The road dwindled to a path before vanishing entirely. We continued driving through shrubs anyway until we reached a remote cow-dung hut.

My sponsored child and her family lived in a house of poop. [Tweet this]

Cow-dung houses are common among the Maasai, but many who have the means move to build with more modern materials. This hut was maybe 150 square feet. With little ventilation, the wood cooking area filled the home with barely breathable air, impacting the health of the lungs of the parents and their five children. Whenever it rained, the roof leaked and all its contents became covered in mud if not damaged.

Now in the Maasai culture, wealth is measured in terms of wives, children, and cows. As a result, many who are not Christians practice polygamy. Male and female circumcision (also known as female genital mutilation) is considered a rite of passage to adulthood.

But the family of my sponsored child is Christian. One man married to one woman. And through Compassion, they are being encouraged to consider an alternative right of passage to adulthood that does not involve female genital mutilation.

As we greeted the family, I noticed mom was wrapped in fine Maasai attire, the dad had likely borrowed a suit. Little Flower wore the dress and jacket given to her by the Compassion project. We were all wearing our very best, something special, for this day.

Little Flower, whose eye was swollen from a bee sting, was shy until her mother took a Maasai cloth and wrapped it around me as a gift. As soon as she placed a beaded necklace on me, Little Flower ran up to be and began tugging on my cloth. I had been accepted.

We gave the family a variety of gifts including sheets, towels, and toiletries as well as a soccer ball and set of jump ropes.

I asked the difference the Compassion project had made in their lives. They showed me the mosquito nets over their bed and the water purifying system that now allowed them to drink clean water.

Over the course of the afternoon, we played together, sat together, ate lunch together, and laughed together. I fell more in love with her with each passing moment.

Mid-way through the afternoon, I took my scarf and wrapped it around Little Flower’s neck. She smiled proudly and followed me around the project wherever I went. As we packed up to leave, she took the scarf off to hand it back to me.

“It’s a gift,” I said, knowing she wouldn’t understand a word.

I wrapped it back around her neck and her face became radiant with joy. So did mine.

As we visited another Maasai home, I was once again struck by the difference the Compassion project makes in the lives of these families. Just take a peek. The two children below are not in a program:

The Maasai program we visited hosts 302 children, but 15 still need sponsors. I met one child, in particular, you must know about. Her name is Seleina. While she’s in the Compassion program, she’s still waiting for a sponsor. She’s the youngest of five and lives with her grandmother—who has no means of support except begging neighbors for food.

Will you be Seleina’s sponsor?

She’s a friend of Little Flower, and at one point she asked if we were her sponsors. Sadly, we had to tell her “no.”

“But we’ll make sure you get one!” I promised.

Will you help me keep my promise? [Tweet this]

We asked Compassion to set up a page specifically for Seleina. If you click here and you see her picture, she is still waiting for you to sponsor her.

Will you be the one? If you’re the one, will you email me? I have several pictures I want to send you. (info@margaretfeinberg.com)

If you don’t see her picture, there are still others from Kenya who are waiting on you to become their sponsor—some for more than 150 days.

**
 

It’s not too late to join the online #SummerBibleStudy at MargaretFeinberg.com through John and Genesis. Click here to learn more.

The post Why I Wore a Dress For the First Time Since My Wedding Day: Meeting the Maasai appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

I’ve been given free reign to ask anything, which is dangerous for someone like me, because I’m unafraid to ask any and every question. What is haunting me from this week is that I’ve gotten a glimpse into things your sponsored child simply can’t tell you: [Tweet this]

1. I am among the poorest of the poor. What we’ve seen throughout the week is that while Compassion can serve 300 kids within a single program, there are hundreds, even thousands who dream of being accepted. In a project we visited this week, 600 kids applied for 20 spots.

How do the project directors decide? They look for the most desperate, dire situations. They go into the schools, neighborhoods, and local communities to find the children who are orphaned, who are being raised by single mothers or grandmothers, who sleep on dirt floors, who are hungry and live with food insecurity.

Your sponsored child can’t tell you that he or she is the poorest of the poor, the most needy in the slum or area, but know that’s your child.

2. Those Christmas, birthday, and family gifts are changing my life. Before I came on this trip, I always saw the option on my sponsorship form to give a Christmas, birthday, or family gift as something nice to do, a way to give something extra. I had no idea the impact those gifts make before I saw it first hand in the 3-ring binders.

I saw the receipts from how those gifs are spent. A pair of shoes. A pair of pants. Shoes. Socks. A jacket—the only jacket that kid has ever owned. A kilogram of flour or sugar. A bowl and dried fish for a start up business for a parent. Sheets of metal roofing so the home can finally have a non-leaky roof and a way to catch clean drinking water.

Those gifts are likely the only source of your child getting new shoes or a new shirt this year. But when your child grows out of them, they’re passed on to to younger siblings. The food that’s given is shared by the entire family. The small businesses—whether a goat that produces milk or a bag with dirt and seeds that produces vegetables—provide income for the entire family to eat, visit the hospital, and survive.

When you see that option to give a little extra, know that it’s making a bigger difference than you can imagine. [Tweet this]

3. Your support isn’t just changing my life but the lives of my brothers, sisters, and parents/guardians. In order to have the widest possible impact in disrupting poverty, Compassion’s typical policy is that only one child per home can be in the program. At first I thought this policy seemed cold-hearted, but as I spent time in the communities I began to see how much greater of an impact having one child in the program makes.

I asked a group of more than two dozen older students in a Compassion project if their admittance stirred jealousy or resentment from siblings. They unanimously said “no.” Instead, their brothers and sisters were grateful.

The support Compassion provided for them freed up more resources. There were meals that didn’t have to be divided as many ways, clothes passed down, birthday and Christmas gifts that were shared. But it wasn’t just the physical goods, but the education and knowledge. Kids in the Compassion project often come home and teach their parents, guardians, and siblings what they just learned about sanitation, hygiene, social skills, and more. Entire families are being affected by your sponsorship.

4. Your letters mean more than you can know. One of the many things that make Compassion unique is their emphasis on the sponsor/child relationship through letter writing. You may not think that letter makes a difference, but often the students save your letters for many years.

I asked one of the older students what makes a good letter. He advised the following:

-Respond quickly so the conversation can progress

-Share what you’re learning and experiencing in your life and about God (don’t just talk about the weather)

-Tell them about your work, what you do, and what you like about it

-Offer words of encouragement in their education and spiritual growth

If you haven’t written your child recently, jump online and email a letter on the Compassion  site today.

5. A visit from you just might change my life forever. Compassion makes it possible for you to visit your sponsored child anywhere in the world (as long as you cover expenses).

Meeting my child was an incredible joy and made sponsoring her so much more than just making a donation. I looked in the eyes of the life that is being changed. We tossed a ball, blew bubbles, shared lunch, and laughed together. But a hundred-plus eyes were watching, seeing for the first time what a sponsor looked like, knowing that you and I are real and representing God’s love to them.

So it’s worth saving for the trip of a lifetime to meet your kid. I have no doubt meeting your child and their family will not only change their life, but yours as well as you get to see the impact your support is making.

Will you join me and sponsor a kid today? [Tweet this] For only $38 a month, you can make the difference in a child’s life forever. Click here to meet some amazing Kenyan kids (some of whom I met this week) who are waiting for you to sponsor them.

The post 5 Things Your Sponsored Child Can Never Tell You appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

A special post by the love of my life, my super hot hubby, Leif (pronounced lay-f).

Passing through the slum, our van paused in front of a gray metal gate. Voices were already singing on the other side. We pulled into the courtyard of the church that hosted Compassion’s Child Survival Program.

Two lines of women danced and sang to greet us. Children peeked from around their skirts, staring at us “mzungu” – Swahili for white people.

As I stepped out of the van a little boy, dressed all in red, came out from behind his mother, walked straight up to me, and raised his arms in the universal sign for “pick me up”.

My heart melted as I looked at this handsome child who wasn’t afraid to interact with someone so completely different when all of the other children stayed with their mothers.

As we took our seats in the church, the child seemed content to be on my lap as we listened to stories of how the Child Survival Program had changed the lives of their entire families.

The mother of the young boy eventually picked up her son, but I would have sat with him all day if given the chance.

Eleanor, one of the women, shared that she had been a “quarrelsome” wife before coming to the program. But now she experienced Christ and the tools she needed to become a better wife and mother. She now had the parenting knowledge that I took for granted (way to go mama Oines… ).

In the Child Survival Program the importance of family planning, nutrition, and income generating activities are taught to groups of women who are pregnant or have just given birth.

The women were so proud to show us the various ways that they had learned to bring in income for their families. Small groups of women demonstrated liquid soap making, baking cupcakes, sandal making, and beading. The products that they make are handy, beautiful – and tasty!

Margaret picked out a purse that she loves.

Part of the program that struck me most was the stimulation room. The small room full of color, toys and activities provided the children with an environment very different from the monochromatic one-room, dirt-floor homes they live in. As the mothers are taught about engaging their children visually and tactilely with toys they can make at home.

Will you join me in making sure that the children that have benefited from the survival program continue to thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually? [Tweet this]

For $38 dollars a month you can help transform the life of a child (and their family), click here to sponsor a child today.

The post What Happens When You Let Your Husband Crash Your Blog? appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

This week, we’re giving away THREE copies of my friend, Jeff Shinabarger’s new book, More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. Jeff is a social entrepreneur, experience designer, cofounder of the Q event, and creative director at Catalyst. He is also the founder of GiftCardGiver.com and Plywood People, an innovative community addressing social needs through creative services. He and his family live in Atlanta.

“We have an uncanny ability to accumulate things that are not essential to living, yet we lack the practice of releasing the acquired junk when it no longer serves a purpose.”

–Jeff Shinabarger

In More or Less, Jeff Shinabarger calls readers to create their own social experiments to answer the question, “What is enough?”

It all started with one idea: What would happen if we created a culture in which we gave away whatever was more than enough for us? How would our habits change if we shed the excess of money, clutter, and food in our lives?

In More or Less, readers will learn how to draw a line of “enough” in their consumer choices, how to see generosity as a chance to experience freedom in a greedy world, and how to make small changes now that will help others forever. As Shinabarger reminds them, defining “enough” is more than a responsibility—it is an opportunity to give hope.

Check out the book trailer for More or Less. (RSS Subscribers, click here to view.)

To win one of THREE copies of More or Less, comment on this blog post. Winners will be announced Friday.

The post Giveaway: More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity @shinabarger @David_C_Cook appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

The church property where the Compassion program is hosted is an oasis. The small lot feels expansive compared to the cramped quarters of the slum. The entrance is marked by trees, vegetation and pink hibiscus; a stark contrast to the stench, filth, and garbage just outside the gate.

The pastor took the church more than 30 years ago with only 9 members. Located in a largely Muslim area, he prayed to ask God how to reach the community. He sensed the Lord leading him to hand out candy to children and eventually feed them.

More than a hundred kids showed up for the first meal. He and his fledgling congregation began serving the kids of the community.

Eventually, he sensed the Lord leading him to hire two Muslims to cook for the children. This provided inroads into the Muslim community and helped build healthy relationships. Because of this, the church is now seen as a source of hope and light for those in the community—both in the eyes of Christians and Muslims, a rarity for those who are often at odds. Today, the church has more than 720 members who are Christ-followers and continues to provide a meal for all the kids who attend Sunday school.

Twenty-four years ago the church began partnering with Compassion. Today, they have 293 students in the program who are fed, educated, and nurtu

red every Saturday. Through their child sponsorship program, Compassion makes sure that the student’s school fees are paid so they can stay enrolled, receive immunizations and medical attention whenever they become ill, develop social skills, learn about nutrition and sanitation, and hear the Gospel.

I wish you could have seen them sing about Jesus today. 

Mid-way through the afternoon, we walked two dusty, garbage-strewn blocks through the slum to Ruth’s* home—a ten by ten, tin-walled shack. The single room lacked electricity or running water. The only light came from a small window. Whenever it rains, the uneven dirt floor floods turning to thick mud.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw two twin mattresses and a broken wooden chair lacking cushions that served as bedding and seating for all seven occupants. In the corner sat a handful of plastic cups, small bowls and various recycled containers. A pot heated by charcoal acted as the kitchen stove.

The dad had long disappeared.

On one of the mattresses six children sat ranging from ages 6- to 22-years-old. The middle son had contracted meningitis at a young age and now couldn’t speak intelligibly. Another son had a medical condition the mom thought was sickle cell, but unable to afford the hospital bills, hasn’t been able to seek treatment.

“His eyes are yellow,” I whispered to our host. “I don’t know anything about medicine, but doesn’t that mean his liver is failing?”

The host nodded.

The mattresses sat perched precariously on rocks in the corners where the bed’s legs were broken off. I hesitated to sit down for fear of breaking the bed, but was quickly assured by the mother, “It’s good—that’s the mattress the sponsor gave us.”

The mother shared how much a difference Compassion had made in their lives. “Because of them, Ruth can go to school and because of them we have a mattress and a fish business.”

I didn’t quite understand the fish business, so I asked her to explain. She pulled out a large plastic blue bowl she called a fish basin. It was so chipped and cracked, any American would have long disposed of it. But that bowl was worn from heavy use and that single blue bowl was crucial to giving the woman what she needed to sell dried fish and earn money to help feed her other kids.

When I looked at all of her children, one didn’t look like the others. That was Ruth.

It’s hard to explain. Physically, she was healthier, stronger, and cleaner than her brothers and sisters. But it was more than that. There was life in her. Through child sponsorship, people were actively engaged and helping her break the cycle of poverty.

I wonder if Ruth’s sponsor ever knew what a difference those small extra gifts at Christmas or a birthday were making in her child’s life.

The Africans have taught us that the worst part of poverty isn’t the illness or lack of sanitation or lack of education.

The worst part of poverty is a lack of hope, because when you believe you aren’t worth anything, you become nothing. [Tweet this]

Ruth had hope. Because someone gave her that hope.

Will you give a child hope today? Will you sponsor a child like Ruth and impact an entire family forever? [Tweet this]

Of the 293 students in the Compassion program that we visited today, 13 still need sponsors. We can make a difference one child at a time.

Please say “Yes”, BY clicking here and sponsoring a Kenyan child today.

*Name changed

The post The Great Debate: Can You Bring Heaven to Hell? appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

Leif and I had the privilege of sitting down with the head of Kenya for Compassion International, Joel, to learn more about their work to serve more than 93,000 kids throughout the nation.

“What’s the hardest part of your job?” I asked.

“Capacity,” Joel said. “We’ll have several hundred kids in line to get into one of our projects, but then there will be 50 or more that we have to say no—we want to help but there’s only so much you can do.”

“How do you keep your heart soft?” Leif piped in.

“Thank God for what you have. Be thankful. And never get used to it. This isn’t about Compassion, the organization, but compassion to do what you can as you can.”

Joel shared how he grew up walking to school barefoot—with few to no resources on hand. As a kid, his life seemed normal because it’s all he knew. But when someone comes in and shows you that life can be lived differently then you get a vision for what your life can be. [Tweet this]

“The big issue is hopelessness,” he said. “When you don’t believe you are anything, you become nothing.

Many don’t want their hope to be raised because they fear disappointment, he explained.  But he and those with Compassion want to give people a new narrative.

With food, education, social skills, proper nutrition, information on sanitation and more, people begin to see that the cycle of poverty can be broken, must be broken. When hope begins to bloom, people begin to discover than anything is possible. [Tweet this]

As I listened, I couldn’t help but reflect on the truth that hopelessness isn’t a struggle just among those living in extreme poverty, it’s an issue that we all face—the rich, the middle class, the poor, the young the old, the most educated, and the least educated.

The blows of life can tempt us all to give up hope

to play it safe

to risk less

to eventually give up

until darkness extinguishes the last embers of hope.

So how do we punch hopelessness in the face? [Tweet this]

One of the best ways is simply to give hope to someone else. When we give hope through the sponsorship of a child with Compassion, we begin to see that no one is beyond hope, or redemption, or restoration.

When we invest in a child’s life—giving them food, education, a healthy community of friends, people who are for them and want to see them grow into all God has for them—hope begins to burn bright again.

Will you consider sponsoring one of these incredible children in Kenya or another country in the world through Compassion, by clicking here, today.

Don’t wait another day to punch hopelessness in the face. [Tweet this]

How do you combat hopelessness in your own life?

The post How To Punch Hopelessness in the Face appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

Today Leif and I spent the day in one of the poorest slums in Nairobi, Kenya. We visited a Compassion project committed to providing education and food to those in the most desperate situations. (Click here to learn more).

At one point, I asked our leader, Rich, if everyone in the room could leave—except for the young women.

At first glance, the nearly dozen women look like your average group of teenagers and young twenty-somethings—smartly dressed, giggly, and full of life.

I longed to hear their stories—unedited, unscripted—of what it was like to grow up in a slum.

They were hesitant at first, relying on generalizations and religious clichés, but quickly shifted to honestly sharing from their own lives.

All were born in extreme poverty. The majority were orphans. Many had lost their parents to HIV. When they weren’t at school, they did their best to raise their younger siblings.

“What’s life like in the slum?” I asked.  

“Unspeakable things happen,” one woman said.

In addition to the prominence of hardcore drugs, more than half of those who live in the slums resorted to selling alcohol to survive—a dangerous homebrew made from sewer water. Those who sell soon begin drinking. The result is every kind of abuse imaginable and unimaginable.

The women estimated that at least 60 percent of their friends had already been raped. I had a hunch that included some of those in the room, but hesitated to ask.

This is a place where it’s not uncommon to see girls pregnant at the age of 9. But any girl who gets pregnant and doesn’t have an abortion is thrown out of the home and inadvertently shoved into a life of prostitution.

Meanwhile, there’s no running water in the homes. Open sewer lines, often clogged with garbage, run in the middle of the street. The scent of urine, feces, body odor, and trash along with oil from fried potatoes hangs heavy in the stuffy air.

“I’ve come across kids drinking out of the open sewer with straws,” one woman said.

“What do you do when that happens?” I asked.

“Throw away the straws,” she said.

Their descriptions left me speechless.

“Let me ask you this,” I pressed. “If you could convince the Kenyan government to change anything in this slum, what would you have them change?”

My mind spun with possibilities. Close the sewers. Clean up the river. Provide fresh, clean drinking water. Pave the roads. Invest in education. Remove the garbage heaps.

“If I could have them change anything,” one woman said. “I’d have them change the mentality.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can fix the sewers and the trash and clean this place up, but if you don’t change the mentality, nothing will change.”

She was right—and that’s when I understood the difference Compassion was making among the poorest of the poor in this neighborhood. Sure, there’s food and education, but what they’re really giving is so much more.

The Compassion project teaches kids about nutrition, sanitation, and health. They’re helping them develop social skills as well as lasting friendships with others who are making healthy decisions for their lives.

They’re providing role models of those who have grown up in the same community, the same conditions, but are choosing to break the cycle of poverty and live different. Each day the kids get a vision for a new normal, a new way of life. And it’s not just for the individual kids within the families. They go home and share what they’ve learned with their parents and siblings. They’re introducing them to Jesus. They’re getting them plugged into the local church.

In a word, they’re giving them HOPE. [Tweet this]

Maybe that’s one reason those lucky enough to be in the project are referred to being in the “Valley of Hope.”

As we packed up to leave, I was struck by an image of the kids on the outside of the gate.

They stood, gripping the metal bars, longing to be accepted into the program.

But adding more kids to the program requires sponsors. People like you and me who will open the gate for them and say “yes” to a whole new life of possibilities, one marked by hope.

You and I can open the gate for more kids—not just in Kenya but around the world—for just $38 a month.

Will you join me and sponsor a kid today? Click here to open the gate to kids waiting for a sponsor. [Tweet this]

The post What If You Spent Your Life On The Things Money Can’t Buy? appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

Today is the beginning of a dream come true. Leif and I are headed to Nairobi, Kenya, to meet the child we’ve been privileged to sponsor through Compassion International.

Leif and I have both engaged in child sponsorship—programs that ensure that children in majority world countries receive food and education, but this adventure is the answer to prayer and the beginning of what we hope to be a dream come true.

Some time ago, I asked Leif, “If you could do anything—without time and limitations—what would you choose to do?”

As he considered the question, I suspected what his answer might be: travel somewhere unusual on the globe, further his education, take our nieces to Disneyland, or buy a franchise restaurant (he’s mentioned all these in the past).

But his answer shocked me.

“I’d like to sponsor an entire village of children!” he said.

Gulp. I knew we didn’t have the resources to sponsor an entire village, but I began dreaming. Was there a different way, a creative way, to make Leif’s dream come true?

Through a series of that-wasn’t-a-coincidences, we’re teaming up with Compassion International in an effort to get more than 200 kids sponsored over the course of the next year.

And we need your help!

For only $38 a month, a little over a dollar a day, you can make sure that a child enjoys a meal and access to education. For many of these children, it’s the only meal they’ll eat that day. And it makes a huge difference.

One of the many reasons that we adore Compassion International and the work they do is that they partner with the local church. We’re huge believers in local church ministry and the role they play in influencing a society physically and spiritually. We also love their commitment to fiscal responsibility including low overhead and 80% of funds going directly to the meeting the needs of kids.

This week we’re going to meet Nairesiae Lankisa Lemunyu, an 8 year old little girl that we sponsor from Nairobi.

We can’t wait.

Will you join us helping sponsor a child today? Click here to see some of the most amazing and adorable children you’ve ever seen… Select one to sponsor. You could begin changing their life today.

The post Will You Help Us Provide Food & Education for More Than 200 Kids? appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

“The wonder of restoration is exemplified through the visions of an exiled Old Testament prophet, and realized throughout the life of Christ.In Jesus’ journeys, he routinely looked on piles of dead bones, people the religious leaders dismissed, and spoke life, leaving those who watched awestruck by the wonder of restoration. Such moments invite us to inhale and exhale divine restoration more fully.” [Tweet this]

–Margaret Feinberg, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

In Wonderstruck, Margaret invites you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. Wonderstruck will help you:

• Recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine
• Discover peace in knowing you’re wildly loved
• Identify what’s holding you back in prayer
• Develop a renewed passion for God
• Celebrate the extraordinary moments in everyday life

Order a copy of Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God TODAY at amazon.com or margaretfeinberg.com.

The post Sunday Still: Breathing Life into Others & The Wonder of Restoration appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.

This week, I’m giving away THREE copies of my friend, Shauna Niequist’s new book Bread & Wine. Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet. She lives outside Chicago with her husband, Aaron, and their sons, Henry and Mac. At www.shaunaniequist.com, Shauna writes about family, friendship, faith, and life around the table. I recently had the chance to ask Shauna a few questions about her new book:

Margaret: What do you hope will happen in the reader’s heart and mind after they finish Bread & Wine?

Shauna: My prayer is that when people finish the book, they do two things: they send a text inviting someone over to share a meal, and they try a recipe or two that they’ve never tried before. It’s that simple. I really do want every person who reads this book to take a risk and invite people into their actual homes, and into the actual messiness of their everyday lives. And I want every person who reads this book to feed the people they love with handmade and homemade meals. This isn’t a book about ideas. It’s a book about practices, about the smells and flavors and skills we develop in our kitchens, about the sounds and traditions and stories we tell around our tables.

M: Who, specifically, would benefit from the book?

S: This is a book about the table, but more that than, it’s a book about connection, about community, about what God does in us and through us when we connect around the table. So this is a book for anyone who would like to live with a deeper sense of connection and community. I think we sometimes assume cooking is for women. Or cooking is for moms. I think every person, young or old, man or woman, should be able to feed themselves and the people they are about with simple meals made by hand and with love. I don’t think it’s rocket science, and I think it’s unfortunate that we’ve come to believe you need a culinary degree or a restaurant-grade kitchen to do it. You don’t. You need a knife and a pot and the willingness to try and make a mess and try again. I’m not urging women back into the kitchen. I’m urging all of us back toward the table. And I’m not urging men to learn to cook because women need a break from it. I’m urging men into the kitchen because I think they’re missing out on a really life-giving process if they never learn to cook just a couple simple things.

M: I love the cover! What sparked the cover design for Bread & Wine?

S: Thanks! I love the cover, too. I love that it looks like something’s about to happen, because I love that moment, when the wine has just been poured and the candles have just been lit–you know something wonderful is about to happen, because people are gathered around the table, and that’s when I find some of the most wonderful things do happen. And my friend Lindsay of Lindsay Letters did the title–I love that those words were written by the actual hand of someone I care about, someone who’s shared meals around our table. I love working with other artists and supporting one another, so having Lindsay work on the cover with me was so fun.

M: What were the biggest challenges or struggles during the writing process?

S: I don’t necessarily fit into most of the stereotypes about writers: I’m not an introvert, I don’t like being alone. I love being with people and working on teams, so the hardest thing for me about writing is the loneliness. The only way it works for me is to do a lot of living and playing and entertaining and traveling to break up the writing…which is part of the reason it takes me such a long time to finish a book. I have writer friends who love to hibernate with a manuscript–day and night, weeks on end. I can’t do it that way–I need lots of breaks to have people over and play with my kids and go for walks.

Check out the book trailer for Wine and Bread. (RSS Subscribers, click here to view.)

To win one of THREE copies of Bread and Wine, comment on this blog post. Winners will be announced Friday.

Congratulations to the winners: Katie Clem, MJ Ballard, Kerry

Shauna’s new book includes some yummy recipes! Share a link to your FAVORITE recipe below!

The post Giveaway: Win a Copy of Bread & Wine and an Interview with @sniequist @Zondervan appeared first on Margaret Feinberg.