This week’s author interview is with Stephanie Hubach. She is the author of Parenting & Disabilities: Abiding in God’s Presence (31-Day Devotionals for Life series) and Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability.

  • Tell us a little bit about yourself: where you’re from, family, job, personal interests, unique hobbies, what you do in your spare time, etc.

I was born in Glen Cove, NY but grew up in Lutherville, MD in a historic village outside of Baltimore—surrounded by Victorian homes. Even as a child, I loved the beautiful architecture all around us. Now I live with my family in Lancaster County, PA. My husband Fred and I met at Western Maryland College (now called McDaniel College) and were married in 1983. We have two adult sons. Freddy, our oldest, is married to Cecelia, who has been such a wonderful addition to our family. Freddy and Cecelia have one daughter, which means we have the fabulous privilege of being grandparents! Our younger son, Tim, has Down syndrome and lives in his own apartment in our house. Currently, I work as a Research Fellow in Disability Ministries in affiliation with Covenant Theological Seminary. I’m not sure I actually have a lot of spare time for personal interests of unique hobbies in this season of my life. My personal interests and unique hobbies at this point are attempting to love well the people God has blessed us with in our lives! When we can find the time, I love to boat on the Chesapeake Bay.

  • When did you first want to write a book?

Interesting question! I think there are people who write because they love the art of writing and think, “What should I write about?” The possibilities before these types of writers are endless. They may dabble in different genres, different topics, different audiences—all of which may change over time. Then, there are others (like me) who care deeply about a specific topic or cause and ask, “How can I use my gift for writing to be a change agent in this particular arena, by fostering thoughtful discussion and spiritual transformation in the lives of others?” If I’m not passionate about the subject, the writing does not flow for me. (I wrote Department of Defense manuals in my “former life,” when I was a project manager for a DoD contractor, and while I learned a lot about consistency and clarity in writing in that context, I was not passionate about the subject matter in that job.)

  • Have you always enjoyed writing?

As I described above, I think I’ve always enjoyed writing as a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. For example, in fifth grade, we had a short story contest every week, and the winner received a free ice cream sandwich. So, perhaps it all started because I really love ice cream, and writing was a way of acquiring it. To be honest, writing in the phase of my life is so much easier because computer technology allows a lot more fluidity of thought and the ability to regularly change one’s mind, move things around, etc. When I was in college, there were no personal computers. Every paper I wrote had to be hand typed and measured to make sure footnotes would fit etc. The tedium of that was a huge turn-off when I was younger. (I don’t do tedium well…) I’ve learned to love to write because I have a laptop now!

  • What inspired you to write this book, about this topic?

Two women planted the seeds in my heart to write this particular book. My mother, Darrah Opdahl, and my mentor, Jane Patete. Both encouraged me, over twenty years ago, to write a devotional like this one. I wasn’t passionate about the idea yet because I was still working my way through the actual experiences of parenting a younger child with disabilities and I was also still finding my way through my theological understanding of disability. Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability (P&R, 2006, Revised & Expanded 2020) was the outcome of my theological processing. Now that my son Tim is almost 30, I have felt both ready and passionate about writing this book—Parenting & Disabilities: Abiding in God’s Presence (P&R, 2021) as a daily devotional to encourage other families.

  • Do you have a specific spot where you enjoy writing most?

Sandy Cove Bible Conference on the Chesapeake Bay (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

  • What book are you reading now?
    • I’m reading several books right now:
      • The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
      • Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow by Nancy Guthrie
      • Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
      • The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
      • The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh by Ronald de Leeuw 
  • Other than the Bible, do you have a favorite book? 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

  • Favorite food?

Chocolate

  • Favorite flavor of ice cream?

Chocolate

  • Favorite animal? Why?

Chocolate bunnies. Why? Because they are chocolate.

  • How can readers discover more about you and your work?

NOW AVAILABLE — Parenting & Disabilities: Abiding in God’s Presence

Amazon: $9.99

Christianbook: $8.49

P&R Publishing: $7.50

PCA Bookstore: $7.79

WTS Books: $7.63

Kindle: $6.99

NOW AVAILABLE — Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability

Amazon: $15.49

Christianbook: $13.49

P&R Publishing: $13.50

PCA Bookstore: $13.25

WTS Books: $12.97

Kindle: $9.99

Related posts:

  1. Choose to Remember: What it Feels Like When Purpose is Undermined by Stephanie O. Hubach
  2. MOVING FROM WELCOMING TO BELONGING: Six Important Ways to Embrace People with Disabilities in Your Community by Stephanie Hubach
  3. Amazing Grace 360
  4. Author Interview with Jim Newheiser
  5. 4 New Releases Today!