Get to know Aimee Byrd, author of Housewife Theologian, in this week’s author interview.

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

“Basically, I’m a West Virginian, housewife theologian who uses writing as an outlet to keep an eternal perspective on all the craziness in life. My husband, Matt, and I will be married 17 years this summer. This year, our oldest daughter entered high school, our second daughter entered middle school, and our son is now in third grade—yikes! I’m from Frederick, MD, which is still a short drive from where I live now. Hobby-wise, I have dabbled in many things: ceramics, coffee snobbery, and candle making, to name a few. But these days, I’ve been spending time learning nunchaku, reading, fitting in a workout of some sort, reading, and making homemade hummus and peanut butter in my new Ninja Pro. Although, it seems like I’m driving a kid somewhere most of the day…”

• When did you first want to write a book?

“I love to read books on theology. I have also been involved in teaching women’s Bible studies. I do like to write, but I have to say that I never aspired to be an author or professional writer—until one day, I had a book in my head. I guess you could say that all my reading and teaching led to a deeper passion to motivate women about the importance of being good theologians. I want women to see how their theology shapes their everyday, ordinary lives, and I wanted to facilitate that with a good tool for discipleship. When I finished writing the book, I realized how much I like to write. When I began blogging, I discovered a whole community of people who share my passions, both men and women. Now it seems I am always concocting something to write about, constantly spinning metaphors in my head all day.”

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

“Sure, on a deck overlooking the beach, or in the mountains. But, turns out that isn’t very plausible for a housewife with three kids, so I settle for the desk in my bedroom, at the bar in my kitchen, or, if the weather’s right and the glare isn’t horrible, on my porch. And then there are those times when the muse is rolling and all I have available is the notes app on my phone… But I am also not too proud to write on napkins, receipts, or my hand if I have to.”

• What book are you reading now?

“I just finished Mark Jones’s Antinomianism, and am now about a third of the way into G. K. Beale’s The Temple and the Church’s Mission. I’ve wanted to read this one ever since I heard an MP3 audio of him talking about it.”

• How do you deal with writer’s block?

“Oh, let’s see, I usually start with a snack and increase my coffee intake. If that doesn’t work, I pick up a jump rope or my nunchucks and try to get my blood flowing. I often drum up some good writing ideas when I’m rollerblading or working out. If I’ve still got nothing, I move on to calling a friend. A good conversation can usually get my brain moving well again. And, I find that if I am reading well, I frequently write better. But sometimes I just have to walk away and wait. It’s easy to distract myself by cruising the blogs, and social networks when I am unproductive, but I find that typically makes the problem worse. These times are frustrating, but I think that it serves me well to develop that hunger to write while simultaneously recognizing that it is all a gift that can be taken away. It makes me thankful when I get the flow back that God has allowed me this vocation. And yet, it puts things in perspective that I am to be a good steward of it and not place my worth and my value in the writing itself.”

• If you have a favorite book of the Bible, what is it and why?

“While I do not have a favorite book of the Bible (it is difficult for me to pick a favorite anything), I have been spending a lot of time in the book of Hebrews in the last year and a half. I taught it for a year to our church’s weekly women’s Bible study, and that led me to write a book about theological fitness (not just for women!). But when I was through teaching, and after I wrote the manuscript for my book, I realized that I wasn’t finished with Hebrews. Currently, I am going through Richard Phillips’ Reformed Expository Commentary Hebrews, and I have read some other excellent books that have been enriching to my study. I also have a heightened interest in Luke 24, about the Emmaus encounter. The sermon-letter to the Hebrews seems to me to be just the sort of thing Jesus would have been explaining to the two disciples on their walk. It’s interesting how my study of Hebrews has intersected with the reading I have been doing on Emmaus.”

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Read Aimee Byrd’s blog: http://www.housewifetheologian.com/

Follow her on Twitter: @aimeebyrdhwt

Watch a short video of Aimee Byrd talk about her book Housewife Theologian by clicking HERE.

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