Love Again

I would like to introduce you to someone who unknowingly has had a substantial impact on my life and this blog in particular. When I decided to start writing a blog, I had been searching for a creative outlet. My new priorities of being a wife and working mother have limited some of the options I had exercised in the past and I thought writing was the perfect avenue in my present season. 

My experience with blogging led me to believe that you need a niche to be successful. However, I didn't want to be just one thing or focus on one subject. I didn't want to put those kinds of restrictions on myself. Then I remembered a blog written by my former youth pastor's wife, Sharla Hintz. Her blog is about her life- her stories. And I realized that I could do something similar. And then my (still developing) blog was born. 

Sharla and her family left Omaha right before my senior year in high school after being there since I was in Jr. High. Over the years, social media has afforded the convenience of re-connecting online. I have been a regular reader of her blog and then this past fall Sharla announced that she had written and published a book titled, "Love Again." I quickly ordered it and consumed the skillfully crafted pages in the span of a few weeks. I loved her writing style but what struck me more was her bravery and honesty. 

You see, 10 years ago there was an incident in her life which left a lot of us who loved and cared for her and her family confused. The Hintz family had been living in another city for a few years when news trickled back that Sharla's husband, Mike, was involved in some inappropriate behavior and was no longer serving as youth pastor in their new church. I was very shocked.  Sharla and her children came to the top of my mind when this news broke.  My heart hoped and prayed they would be OK in the wake of this news.  Years later, I reconnected with Sharla on Facebook and was pleased to see their family unit was intact and thriving. Her book is an honest telling of how they rose above their circumstances and healed. I found myself connecting deeply with her story.  It forced me to look at places in my life where I still need to let go of things which I have tucked away tightly and not been forced to deal with since the people who brought about the negative are no longer an immediate presence in my life.  I believe her story can help others, like myself, know that things can be better if you are willing to look at them and afford forgiveness, even if it is never requested.

I reached out to Sharla to ask if I could feature her in this blog post, she graciously agreed and also let me ask her a few questions, which you can read below.  I love her sense of humor and humility. 

Why did you begin your blog?

I used to write stories down in a special book when the kids were little. They were funny or touching things that happened that I wanted to make sure to remember. Then, when the internet became more available, I wanted to switch to a digital place to record these things because 1. I was faster at typing, and 2. family and friends could also read the stories if they wanted to.

What inspires you to write?

My kids usually. But sometimes I just feel thoughts spinning around that I need to get out.

When did you first realize that you were a writer?

This is funny because I don't really consider myself a real writer. That sounds so intentional! I have always loved writing short stories that were personal to me, but when I allowed the public to participate in 2011 (when I first began blogging) I began to see my writing as something useful.

When did you realize that you would write a book about your family’s story?

It happened very gradually. I began by collecting my blogs thinking I'd expand on those and tie them all together into a small book so all of our stories could be in one place. I was thinking that I'd print off four copies and give each of the kids a copy someday. When I finished that I read through it and felt dissatisfied because it was just all funny and happy. I felt that if I handed that to my kids it would be like feeding them a lie. I agonized over it, but finally decided to include the lows as well as the highs. The more I wrote the more the funny stories fell away and the crisis became the crux of the story. I decided to follow the direction it was taking for as long as I could and not worry about the outcome. I thought I would probably end up never showing it to anyone, but just felt that I needed to finish the writing in complete honesty.

Were you at all scared/nervous about sharing this story?

I was terrified. I actually had it complete for almost a year before I ever did anything with it. After speaking at a few events, I would get asked if I had written anything down for people to take with them as a resource. I had, but it wasn't for them. The more that happened, the more I realized that what I had written might help people. I decided I would consider publishing it after my youngest child graduated. Then my family heard me explaining that to someone, and they objected. We sat down together multiple times and talked about it. Each time they encouraged me to publish now and let the chips fall where they may.

Where did you find the bravery to commit to publishing your story?

I only did it because my family encouraged me to do it over and over. Also, I felt the Lord prompting me to trust Him and get it done. He is persuasive!

How do you hope that your story will be able to help others?

I hope people can read it and know that being close to God is the only way to make it through a crisis. I hope people can be encouraged to pursue God instead of what their feelings might be telling them to do. And I hope they see that God loves messed up people!

For fun:
Who is your favorite author?

I love the classic authors like Jane Austin, Harper Lee, and Margaret Mitchell. I also love S.E. Hinton. More modern authors I love are Patrick Rothfuss, Stephen King, and I can't get enough of Jodi Picoult.

Do you have a favorite blog that you read?

I read a lot of blogs that are similar to mine, but I really enjoy thepioneerwoman.com because it is so different than what I do.

What is your favorite television show?

Parenthood was by far my favorite, but it just ended and I am ridiculously sad about it. So I guess I'm searching for a new favorite, but I'm not ready to see other shows yet!

Who is your favorite child? It depends on the day I

If you would like more information on Sharla, to read her blog or to order her book, visit her website, www.whathappenedtomymarriage.com.