Polly, describe yourself for our visitors.
I was born and raised in Virginia, and I currently live in Virginia Beach. I strongly believe in making laughter a part of my life whenever possible and I love to make other people laugh. I enjoy almost any kind of music and love searching for favorites for my IPod. Going to the movies is another favorite of mine, but I especially enjoy the old black and white films because dialogue was an important part of movies back then.
I have been a member of Wave Church in Virginia Beach, VA for more than thirteen years and I’ve been very much involved in missions work in Russia for the past five years, working with orphans and providing humanitarian aid. I previously worked as a Human Resources Advisor more than twenty five years before finally giving into writing. I actually think of myself as more of a story teller than anything else. I love telling funny stories because it opens people up and gives them a diversion from whatever worries they may have at the time. It’s very therapeutic, both for the teller and the listener.
How do you find time to connect with God?
My personal relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I feel like I have a running dialogue with him throughout the day. However, I do try to find quiet time to meditate on particular scriptures or to connect with God one on one, usually just before bedtime, when it’s quiet in the house. I also attend worship services at Wave Church in Virginia Beach on a regular basis a couple times a week, sometimes more. It is so important to connect with other Christians in corporate worship. It’s fuel for my faith tank.
Tell us about your current book?
Life is a Buffet is a collection of hilarious, yet true short stories as experienced by myself and my family. These funny stories remind us how to laugh at ourselves, even at our most embarrassing and humiliating times. I also pair a scriptural interpretation with each story in order to teach simple Biblical principals along with the laughter.
Life is filled with busy tasks which we allow to clutter up our minds, leaving no room for the desserts God intends for us to enjoy. Laughter is an essential key in everyday living. Unfortunately, as we grow older and more mature, we find less time to take pleasure in the lighter side of our lives.
Life is a Buffet is a great tool for reconnecting with the lighter side of life, especially family life. At the same time, it introduces us to simple, easy to understand Biblical principles that anyone can apply. With Life is a Buffet So Save Room for Dessert, I try to remind everyone that it’s okay to skip over the main courses and head straight for the desserts.
How did you come up with ideas for this book?
Some of the stories actually involve funny and embarrassing situations that happened around buffets in restaurants. In addition, life truly is a buffet, offering a wide variety of choices that we are faced with everyday. Choosing to add laughter to our appetite actually makes living and choosing easier along the way. It’s a choice we have to make because life is not always funny. It can sometimes be very serious and how we react to different events in our life makes all the difference in the world. The title seemed to fit with my stories and the message I wanted to convey to others. We have to choose wisely along the way.
Describe your journey to publication.
Life is a Buffet is my first book. It took a lot of encouragement from friends and my sister, Robbie before it finally got off the shelf and became a reality. The whole process has been a great learning experience for us. I’ve found it takes much hard work and patience when you publish a book. You can’t just stick it out there and say, “Okay world, here it is. Go out there and buy it.†God has really stretched me out of my comfort zone in this area. I’ve been invited to do some speaking engagements to promote Life is a Buffet as well as interviews on radio and newspapers and numerous book signings. I’ve had to learn very quickly to not let fear or timidity become a part of my spirit, but to be bold in who I am in Christ and just jump in the deep end of the pool. I wanted to put my sister’s picture on the back of the book so she could show up for these events, but she refused. She had to push me out of my nest. I’m actually enjoying it more and more as I learn to trust and lean on God in this journey.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on book two in the series for Life is a Buffet, which will be along the same lines as the first book, but with a greater variety of stories and teachings. Humor will still be a part of this second book because I find humor is a great tool for teaching. If you can get a person to laugh and loosen up a bit, the teaching follows the laughter and gets absorbed more easily by the reader. I’m hoping this series of Life is a Buffet books will have a great impact on lives by helping to add some laughter into their daily routine. It’s my desire help prepare others for those times when life is anything but routine, reminding them it’s okay to laugh again.
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