Keri 264To win a copy of Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity, leave comments for Keri Wyatt Kent below.

Keri, describe yourself for our visitors.

I’m a mom who works from home in what I call "full-time freelance ministry." I write books and articles, and also travel the country to speak at retreats and events. My writing and speaking focuses on connecting faith with real life.

I love playing tennis, sailing, just being outside. I live in the suburbs but I enjoy going to the city to see the ballet, visit museums, or just to wander around. I also like being out in the country–hiking and so on. I am involved in women’s ministry at my church, and also lead a small Bible study in my neighborhood. I love to read, and hang out with good friends. I love to cook.

How do you find time to connect with God?

I’m an early riser, compared to most of my family. This morning, I had a cup of coffee while I watched a beautiful sunrise. I just had a simple conversation with God, thanking him for all he’s done for me. I feel close to God when I see the wonders of his creation, so I make time to be outside (which can be challenging in winter since I live in Chicago). I take time to be quiet, to just listen to God’s whispers. I try to talk to him through my day.

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?

I read a lot–about a book a week so it’s hard to pick favorites. I love classic writers like C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L’Engle. I’ve been reading fiction by Elizabeth Berg lately–she’s really good. I think Lauren Winner, Anne Lamott and Haven Kimmel are incredibly talented writers and I love all of their books. I like John Ortberg’s books–one that really changed my life was "If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve got to get out of the boat."

Tell us about your journey to publication.

I have always been a writer. I knew by 5th grade that it was what I wanted to do, and I had a great teacher who encouraged me. I got a couple of articles published in college, and wrote for the school newspaper. I was a  newspaper reporter right out of college. My first book was published after I had supposedly put my career on hold to focus on my very small children. I found myself unable to stop writing. the book was rejected by a handful of publishers but picked up by InterVarsity Press. Since that first book came out I’ve had a book out every two years or so. I’ve also co-written several books.

rest cover Tell us about your current book?

I’m very excited about my newest book, Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity. It’s a book about how to practice Sabbath-keeping, in a life-giving, non-legalistic way. it explores six aspects of Sabbath: resting, reconnecting, revising, pausing, playing and praying. It encourages readers to explore the gift of Sabbath, and enjoy the freedom of it.

How did you come up with ideas for this book?

I’d written about Sabbath many times before, most notably in my 2005 book Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life. when I lead retreats, I got a lot of questions about it. I also would get letters and e-mails from readers who had questions. So I felt like I wanted to address them. I also feel that Sabbath-keeping has been a life-changing spiritual practice for me, and I wanted to share that with my readers.

List your three most recent books.

Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity was just released. A devotional, Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul, came out in 2007, and Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life, released in 2006.

What’s next for you?

I’ve written a book called Simple Compassion: Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood and Your World, which will release this fall. That’s in the editing process right now–which means I will be doing revisions in the next month or so. In January, I’ve got a number of book signings and events to launch Rest. I’m also working on a couple of magazine articles.
I’ve got several speaking engagements booked for 2009, and I’m working on getting a few more. I’m working on a proposal for another book, on the practice of simplicity.

Where can visitors find you online?

My website is www.keriwyattkent.com, where you can find info about my speaking, links to articles, and my blog (where I frequently give away books). I also write a monthly column for www.TodaysChildrensMinistry.com.

You can also check out www.zondervan.com, my publishers’ website, which has a couple of blogs, videos and lots of inspirational content.