Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Interview with Misty Marr

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Misty, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
​Hi, my name is Misty Marr. I am first and foremost a Christian. I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior as a young child, in Georgia where I grew up. At the age of thirteen, my family moved to Mexico, where we served as missionaries. During my years in Mexico, I lived in a large city, a small town, and a remote Mexican village. I enjoyed getting to know the diversity of the country, and I had opportunity to work with children in each of the different places we lived.

When I was nineteen Nathan Marr moved to Mexico to work with my dad. A few years later, we were married. I am blessed to be married to my best friend! We continued serving in Mexico together for several more years, and our two oldest children were born there. We eventually moved to Nathan’s hometown in Colorado and later settled in Phoenix, where Nathan is a bi-vocational pastor. I now have eight children, ages eleven and under, with number eight. I am grateful that God has blessed us so greatly.

I am a chronic Lyme Disease survivor, though I still fight the disease with daily treatments. I have conquered the worst of it and am no longer an invalid, for which I praise God.

I stay busy trying to keep up with daily life, and I thank God for a happy home in spite of physical challenges. I also homeschool my children. Life is not always easy, but God is always good!

Everyone’s homeshooling experience is different. What do you think made yours unique?
​My experience was unique in that while living in Mexico, I had the opportunity to teach in a Christian school, for several years, starting at age 13.  I taught 1/2 time and I did my own school in the evenings and off weeks.  It was an excellent learning opportunity that help me improve my own education as well as prepare me to teach my own children.​

How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
​Homeschooling helped me develop a love for writing.  It gave me many opportunities to practice writing in non  "schoolwork" settings.  I wrote lots of letters to missionaries. In the early years, much of my school writing revolved around writing​ about the countries and cultures where the missionaries I corresponded with lived. I loved that my writing had a purpose and that I had motivation beyond just checking an assignment off the list.

What caused you to start writing?​
I first decided that I wanted to write more when I won a state homeschool writing completion at age 10.  As the years passed, I realized​ that I could express myself better on paper than verbally, and I began writing more and more. After moving out of the country, I had lots of opportunity to write letters!  In my youth, I began writing short articles, and that helped me develop the desire to be published.  At that time, I dreamed of writing a full length book, but when I married and started having children, I set that desire aside.

What inspired Lessons Learned: My Journey through Pregnancy?
​I knew I wanted to write a book "someday," but I assumed that it wouldn't be until my children were mostly grown.  Once I went through the experiences of multiple miscarriages, preterm labor and learning to treat it naturally, I had more and more people start asking me for advice.  I had a heart to share what I had learned and help others avoid some of the grief I had experienced.  One day it hit me that I could put the information into a book, and extend my ability to help and encourage others.  I spent a few weeks turning the idea over in my head and formulating a plan.  Once I had my book idea figured out, I started writing right away and decided to be consistent until it was finished​

Would you give us a synopsis?
Gladly!​ Actually the title, Lessons Learned: My Journey through Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Preterm Labor sums it up in a nutshell.  ​  Let me share the synopsis that I have on the back cover of the book.

Join Misty Marr on her journey through pregnancy, miscarriage, and preterm labor.  Over the past 12 years Misty has walked through 14 pregnancies, 7 live births, emergency hospital births, planned hospital births, 6 rounds of preterm labor with bed rest, extended hospital stays, 3 home births, and so much more!

As you walk through this journey with Misty, she will share what God has taught her along the way. She opens her heart to you and gives you the opportunity to rejoice in her triumphs, share in her joy, grieve in her trials, and grow in the Lord alongside her.

God has taught Misty many lessons: spiritual, practical, and health related. Lessons Learned: My Journey through Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Preterm Labor will have application for any woman who has had or will have children.


Who will enjoy Lessons Learned: My Journey through Pregnancy?
While my book is mainly geared to mothers who are currently in the childbearing years, I believe that it could be an encouragement and helpful to any woman or young lady.

Do you plan to write more books?
​Yes, my next book will be a sequel, of sorts, "Lessons Learned, My Journey through Lyme Disease."  I​ want to share my experience and what I learned along the way.  I have a number  of other "Lessons Learned" ideas floating around my head, but none of then are fleshed out enough to consider putting them into a book first.

Where can people connect with you online?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mylessonslearned 
Website: www.mistymarr.com
Book: www.amazon.com/Lessons-Learned-Journey-Pregnancy-Miscarriage/dp/0692302816/ 
Lilla Rose business: www.lillarose.biz/sweethairlooms

Do you have any final thoughts?
For many of you readers, the season of life that I am in might seem like a far distant dream.  But sometimes it seems like just yesterday I was looking ahead dreaming of the time I would be married and have my own children.  Remember that today is the time to work towards becoming who you want to be later.  How you live now and the decisions you make now, set the foundation for your future.  I'd like to encourage you to not live your single years as if your are just "buying time" or "having fun" u​n​til you can really li​v​e.  Now is the time that God has given you to serve Him in a way that you won't be able to after you have the distractions of marriage and children.  Live it and serve Him to your fullest!

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