By Jaymi Firestone | September 6, 2021 | The Roosevelt Review

Chrissie Kenaston.

Wife, mother, and Christian author.

Her husband’s military career has landed them in the small town of Portales. Our friendly, little southern town of Portales is one Chrissie is all too familiar with.

She grew up outside a small, North Carolina town. With no neighbors close by, her brother and she found entertainment by playing in and climbing trees in the nearby woods. Despite the drastically different landscape, Chrissie said, “I’m a small town girl! I love a town where everyone knows everyone and it’s easy to get where you need to go. I love a town that cares so much about the people, where everyone looks out for each other.”

Writing wasn’t always Chrissie’s dream, however. As a child, she found a passion in ballet. In fact, at the age of 13, she moved away from home to attend North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. Her dream was to be a prima ballerina. She said it was unfortunate, but by the time she graduated from art school, she had to come to the realization that her dream of becoming a professional ballerina was not going to be attainable. Luckily for her, she had also started writing during her teenage years. Chrissie said, “during all those years of dancing, I had become an avid writer, keeping journals and falling in love with books.” Little did she know that a path was lying ahead for her in that field.

Chrissie attended Florida State University, and while still dancing a brief time there, she found interest in other things. She majored in Mass Media Communication and that decision landed her a career in television news, where she produced live news broadcasts and wrote and edited scripts. She followed that path until her Prince Charming crossed her path in fatigues, and they fell in love.

Chrissie married a USAF airman and their adventure began. Since then, they’ve moved five times in the past 10 years and had their 3 precious babies in 5 years. To say life has been hectic is an understatement! Chrissie stayed at home with her babies for 6 years, then decided it was time to venture back into the workforce. She began a freelance business of copywriting marketing materials. As doors opened in the business world for Chrissie, she also began following a calling to write a book. The title of that book is “What If I Name Her Grace?”

She said her relationship with Jesus is the most important part of her life, so that’s what she felt led by when beginning her book. “During those 5 years that I had 3 children, I struggled quite a bit. My military husband was gone a lot and we moved so frequently. I was rarely near family and spent a lot of time alone. Except I wasn’t alone! Jesus was right there. And He sweetly drew me to Him in my moments of desperation. I struggled with postpartum depression/anxiety and I don’t know where I’d be now if God didn’t call me to Him during all of that. It changed my life and my family’s life. And I felt as if He was telling me to share that experience with other women so they could find their hope in Jesus too, in a relatable way.”

As many others in our area can understand, being in a military family is difficult. Chrissie has found that Faith Christian Family Church in Portales is an excellent place to call home.

During that time where she felt alone, she learned that God’s hand was in her life, and being at a church home like FCFC helps fill a void when her husband is away with his Air Force duties. “Throughout all my moves, I’ve found that it’s very important to find a church home and connect with fellow Christians. It makes all the difference as we walk this walk and wait to go to our eternal home.”

Her best advice about pursuing a dream is to “take the time to listen for God’s plan for you! I dealt with a lot of heartache when my dream to become a ballerina didn’t pan out. But I also didn’t know the Lord during that time of my life, so I never sought His wisdom or guidance on that path. Now, I always pray and ask Him to guide my steps and it just makes the whole journey easier and more enjoyable… even when things don’t turn out how I’d hoped. Because I can always rely on God working all things for good!”

Chrissie’s book is full of advice for wives and mothers who hope to live like Jesus even through crying babies, needy toddlers and marital disputes. If you’ve ever had #momguilt, then you need this book. Chrissie walks you through a personal story before showing ways to rely on God for guidance, help and of course, grace.

You can find Chrissie’s book on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and her website, or you can pick up a copy if you’re in Lubbock at their Barnes & Noble.

Chrissie just put out a free guide called 10 Simple Ways to Connect with God. You can find it at chrissiekenaston.com. She will be speaking at the Truth Rising conference for military and first responders wives in Pensacola, FL in November! And she regularly appears on christian and parenting podcasts.

As for the future, Chrissie hopes to have another book coming out in the next few years.