Tell us about you! (Family, home, church, job, ministry, etc.)

• Grew up in the PNW, went to college in Oregon … met a boy from Alaska
• Have 2 kiddos, ages 14 & 15 (both learning to drive … prayers appreciate)
• Worship at our church here in Alaska
• Amanda and I met 14 years ago through MOPS; co-coordinated group
• Love writing and doing ministry w/ Amanda
• We joke we’re the Mom Opposites (8/2 … public school / homeschool … working outside the home … now total opposite sides of the country)
• But between the 2 of us, we represent moms all over, with different backgrounds & various seasons/stages of mothering. (We weren’t meant to be cookie-cutter versions of each other. We serve a creative God!)

When did you feel the call to become an author! What started the whole idea of writing the Shiny Things?

• Loved working together through MOPS, dreamed of writing a book together someday
• Brought a book proposal to She Speaks in 2013. Met w/ several publishers, one of which was Harvest House. Told us quite frankly that this was more than a book. It was a ministry.
• So we started an online ministry: blog / podcast in May 2014
• Amanda wrote a blog post on distraction … it really seemed to hit a chord and really resonated with us. Suddenly we were hypersensitive to all these things pulling at us, keeping us from being intentional with our time and our people, and decided this was a message we needed to write about.
• Fast-forward 6 years and here we are with a ministry and a book.

What was your favorite part in writing the book? Did you find healing in it, did God teach you things about yourself you hadn’t seen before?

• I had no idea until we stared writing this book how big of a topic distraction really was. Not just for our mom community, but for me personally. It was really eye-opening for me to realize and acknowledge that distraction is so much more than just an issue of technology and social media. It’s comparison. Discontentment. Fear. Worry. Pain. What others think of me. It’s what I use when I’m bored or just trying to avoid doing what I know I should be doing. I realized it’s all the things that keep us from fixing our eyes on Jesus … and keep us from focusing on what matters most: our faith / families / the callings God has put on our hearts. That was sobering.
• Writing was therapeutic, but also really revealing. Distraction is a heart issue, revealing what truly matters to us. And I had no idea how many things I was allowing to get in the way of growing in my walk with the Lord. The ways I’d allowed discontentment to creep in. Areas where I’d invited worry and anxiousness to take over. And really being honest in identifying these areas and being willing to work on them.

The Chapter “What The Day Dreams Wont Tell You” absolutely changed my life. It was like a key unlocking a part of my heart I never let the Lord get to and he used your words to do so! Can you share a little bit about the why behind this chapter?

• The heart behind that chapter was one of fear and trepidation. It was a chapter I felt very strongly that I needed to write, but one I was fearful to put out there into the world. It talks very strongly about what happens when we’re distracted by the what-ifs and could-bes. When we invite discontentment in, and what the long-term effects can be. How dangerous certain thought patterns can be … and how it can have heartbreaking life-changing results.
• I can’t tell you how many times I almost deleted that chapter. But it felt so important to keep in there. To tell the whole story of what happens when we allow the enemy of our souls to whisper distracting words into our ears. Because of course the enemy does not want to see godly families raised up! So he’s going to do everything in his power to keep us distracted and keep us from focusing on what’s most important … which of course is those things with eternal impact and value.

Since your book is all mainly geared towards moms, who has been the best role model in your life when it comes to this season of life.

• I have been blessed with some really amazing role models and mentors in my life through the years. But I would have to say, the #1 role model in my life has definitely been my own mom. She is someone who speaks life-giving words to me on a regular basis and helps me gain perspective in whatever mothering season I’m in. She encourages me. She prays for me. And regardless of how hard things are, she always points me back to the feet of Jesus. So do not underestimate the power of encouragement, ladies! We are called to be the “iron that sharpens iron.” To speak the truth in love. Be that kind of friend. Be that kind of sister. And be that kind of mom to your kids.

What’s the hardest distraction you deal with when it comes to mothering in our world today?

• It would be easy to say that my phone is the biggest distraction, but really, it’s deeper than that. For me, my phone just represents a deeper heart issue. And in writing this book, I discovered how much I’ve allowed Comparison to rule my heart and my time. Social media can be a wonderful tool to connect and encourage, but it can also be a major time suck and something that keeps me from flourishing in my relationship with the Lord. … When I compare my life to others, it stirs up discontentment and insecurity. I don’t need to constantly be looking at what others are doing. I need to follow what God has for me and be confident in that!

I’ve got an almost 2 year old. What is your best encouragement for us younger moms in the throws of littles?

• Recognize the gift of right now. That this is a season. This is not forever.
• Wishing for these years (or this season) to be over blinds us to see what a gift it is right now.
• There will be time for callings, hobbies, and other things later on.
• But ask yourself: Is right now the right time?
• Don’t be too quick to wish these years away. They’re precious. They truly are.

8) The Living With Less podcast is all about living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be. If someone asked you something they needed to live with less of in regards to becoming who God is calling them to be what would you tell them?

• I would say to ask yourself as you go throughout your day: Is this a lesser thing, or a lasting thing? And go from there.
• Identify the threat of distraction. Really wade in deep and figure out your top distractions are. Identify them. Label them. And then get rid of them.
• And don’t let them creep back in. We can’t resist of the pull on our own. We need our friend, Jesus. And we need accountability. We need the Body of Christ.
• As with any struggle, you can’t just get rid of it without replacing it with something. Get into God’s Word. Spend time in prayer. Fix your eyes on Jesus and let it all come back to Him.

2 fun things to wrap us up!

Favorite Bible verse and why!

• Prov. 16:9 (“A man’s heart may plan his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”)
• I’m really good at planning and not so good at trusting His heart
• It reminds me to fully rest in His perfect purposes and plans.

Best part of Alaska living - and where to visit if we ever travel there!

• It’s taken me several years to really love where we live and see (truly see) the beauty all around me. And now it’s like I can’t stop. I’m just in awe of our God and His amazing creation.
• The best part of living in AK: is seeing God’s fingerprints all over the state
• We are surrounded by majestic mountains and breathtaking scenery everywhere we turn.
• Where to visit: South Central Alaska (some of my favorite places are within a 2 hour radius of where we live – Denali, Talkeetna, Hatcher Pass, Girdwood, Portage Glacier… they’re all so gorgeous. Like everywhere you turn, God’s just trying to show off.) So come see us! We would love to introduce you to our incredible state.

Places you can find Anne-Renee:

• ShinyThingsBook.com (Book / Blog / Podcast info) / #shinythingsbook

TheMasterpieceMom.com / AllTheMomThingsPodcast.com

FB: The Masterpiece Mom / Instagram: anne_reneegumley