Start Your Family

Another Book, Another Giveaway

I love it when I find a bargain. And I love books. So it's no surprise that I love book giveaways. If you're on this site and still single, or more likely, know someone who's hoping to get married, you may want to visit Kelly's Korner blog today and leave a comment on her post for single women. Why, you ask? Because she's going to draw two winners from among the commentors in order to give both of them a copy of my first book, Get Married: What Women Can Do to Help it Happen.

If you're visiting here from Kelly's blog, you may want to visit helpgetmarried.com, my website that goes with the Get Married book. It's specifically for women praying boldly for husbands.

And if you're a regular reader and keep thinking that Kelly's name sounds familiar, it's because we ran an interview with her (and her husband Scott) a while back. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it here. Theirs is a story of waiting and hoping and conceiving and praying and waiting and praying some more. A model of faith we can all learn from.

In Which I Talk about the Book

Last Friday, Moody Radio's Midday Connection aired a Start Your Family interview we recorded a few months back. It was a fast-paced conversation, which I prefer. Less room to ramble. And given the stage of life we're in, short interviews are the easiest ones to do. (Try to imagine the challenge of getting all four kids to do something quietly, and keep it quiet throughout a whole interview.)

Though Steve and I have done most of the interviews together—a most agreeable arrangement—a few times it just wasn't possible. Whether for lack of babysitting or a meeting conflict, this time it was just me and the host, Anita Lustrea. I love how the show turned out. If you want to listen, you can download the show here.

The difference vision makes when it comes to babies

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Olasky, Early Discuss Start Your Family

This was a big week for book news.

• We answered the interview questions that will go live later today on CitizenLink's Friday Five,
• Listened as Mark Early talked about Start Your Family on the Point Radio, and
• Read Susan Olasky's review in World Magazine (February 28, Vol. 24, No. 4), and
• Wrapped up the contest with MckMama.

On Monday we'll be kicking off a special series with couples we look up to as mentors. You'll recognize some of them. Others will be new. Some still have babies, and others, grand babies. It's our hope that through these discussions, you'll be encouraged that regardless of the times we live in, starting your family is still a worthwhile endeavor -- maybe the best thing you can do.

Want to know what the buzz is all about? Get your copy of Start Your Family today.

There's Still Time to Enter ... and Win

MckMama is running a super cool giveaway (of multiple copies of Start Your Family) on her blog, My Charming Kids. In addition to telling her own story of always wanting to be a mom -- and what it's like now that she is -- she invites readers to tell their stories. And boy, have they! Over 700 800 readers at the time of this writing update have commented on the post about their motherhood adventures.

Are you hoping to have babies? Longing to be a mom, or already are? There's still time to head over to enter the drawing. How? I'll let MckMama tell you:

"You can win one by simply sharing some of your thoughts about this post and about the idea that, in spite of the challenges that it brings, mothering is totally worth it. As a starting point, feel free to talk about the inspiration you had to start your own family, whether you already have, or would love to someday."

Don't miss this great opportunity to win a free book AND spend some time on one of the best Mom Blogs around.

Encouraging the Blessing of Children

Interview with guest host Russell Moore on the Albert Mohler program available here.

Description from www.albertmohler.com:

Do Christians view children and families as a blessing from the Lord? Or have we, like the culture around us, bought into the idea that children are just another ‘lifestyle option’ for married couples? On today’s program, guest host Russell Moore welcomes Steve Watters to the program. Steve and Candice Watters are the authors of Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies.

Hope Chapter Now Online ...

... thanks to my old boss, Tom Hess, who also happens to be the editor of Citizen Magazine over at Focus on the Family. Tom was the first to recognize the value of our message in the face of what's shaping up to be a very challenging year for lots of people. And so he's running "The Brave" in the January issue of the magazine (complete with photos of Bono and Sting). It's a long excerpt from the "Hope" chapter of Start Your Family.

It may seem like a lousy time to start a family (or expand the family you've already got). But things aren't always as they appear.

To read the full excerpt, just go visit Citizen, now available in full online.

Thanks, Tom.

Book Available on Amazon Now

When we checked last week, Amazon didn't have our book in stock yet.  Now they do. 

Book Now Available

Start Your Family releases today.  It's beginning to show up in bookstores and some online sites are ready to ship it. Interestingly, when we checked Amazon this morning, it still said "This title has not been released" just inches above their notice that the book would release January 1, 2009. We thought Amazon was a big automated system where these things just kind of kicked in. Surely, it will correct itself shortly.