Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chrissy Whitten. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chrissy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The Journals from a Warrior’s Mother has been the most meaningful project, because I get to hear from readers how much my story has inspired and encouraged them to keep fighting. The series is a collection of my journal entries that started almost twelve years ago when my first daughter, Lilian Grace, was born. Her first breath was supposed to be her last, yet we were blessed with 103 days before she passed away. She was born with Trisomy 18, an extra set of the 18th chromosome. She had six heart defects.

My good friend and past English teacher/Yearbook leader encouraged me to turn my journal entries that kept our family and supporters updated into a devotional series. God transformed my updates into beautiful words of lessons, tools, and inspiration. I’ve been working on this project for a dozen years since starting on April 30, 2010. It’s been a hard journey, but it’s been worth seeing others recognize God in all things.

My grief has not been easy, but I know that sharing this journey will encourage anyone who reads it. I am just releasing book two and couldn’t be more proud of the work myself and team put into bringing it to full life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am human! I am a regular person, who has gone through many trials and storms in my forty-four years. I’ve lost a child to death; car accident while pregnant with my second daughter and losing half my amniotic fluid within the week after; survived a 10% chance of living after brain surgery; multiple illnesses that lead to emergency surgeries; pregnancy and birth post-brain surgery; and over fifty food allergies at this point in my life. These are just the major highlights. I am not exempt from the hard stuff. My faith and trust has been strengthened through each miracle.

Why did I become an author? I couldn’t shake the desire to share all those hours of writing that have even brought me inspiration in my current daily trials. It’s been unique to see that the very things I may not have understood fully at the time are exactly what I would need to encourage me to keep fighting and trusting through the process.

Self-publishing is not for the weak. It takes a lot of money, time, perseverance, and strength to keep going and never giving up. I have learned that taking on such a huge project takes a team. I could not have gotten two books out of the four in my series completed without my warrior tribe: Staci Mauney, Editor; Tammy Edwards, Artist; and Danelle Young, Formatter/Second Editor.

My best advice is to choose wisely your team and make sure to set deadlines with flexibility and grace. Life will not stop because you are working on a project. It actually can get harder. Communication is the biggest struggle one can face in any relationship, work environment, or project. Remember to breathe and accept when the road takes a turn or detours you to another place. It’s all part of the journey.

I’m happy that book two is finally here. I’m already working on book three. My goal is to have all four books out by the end of 2024! Next, I will have a dozen children’s books that will be a warrior building field guide for kids to encourage positive character growth and build strength.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Here is an excerpt from book two, “The Fall to the Climb” in my Journals from a Warriors Mother series:

OCTOBER 16, 2010
109 › Beauty Will Rise

Steven Curtis Chapman did an amazing job on the song,
“Beauty Will Rise.” I owe him a huge thank you for making
such an honest and raw album and including this song.
Though he wrote it about his life, it’s relatable to everyone.
I see and hear story after story of people struggling. We
shall never truly get over what we’ve gone through, but we
will learn to deal with it—with the various holes in our
hearts. For Michael and me, Lilian Grace left a huge one in
each of our hearts.

Sitting in my studio today, I stared at the black-painted
Phoenix my sister created on the bright orange wall. At
various points in life, we’ve all been burned by fires.
Whether we choose to rise from our ashes to fight another
day is up to each one of us. The reason my slogan for The
Phoenix Experience (my business) is Burn, Renew, and Soar
is that I feel like I’ve repeated this process over and over in
my life.

Praise God for loving me abundantly. I can see beauty
rising amid the ashes and His glory in each experience.
Though some fires have been hotter than others, each one
makes me stronger. Surviving Lilian Grace will always be a
deeper scar on my heart than any other scar. She was
completely worth the depth of it.

I’m glad the bad days aren’t every day! He gives me
strength like none other on many days. Today was a tough
day for me, yet I was in mission mode. Nothing could touch
me nor destroy me. I went to see a dear friend, whom I
worked with at Oklahoma State University Extension, in the
trauma intensive care unit. She was in a horrible car
accident this week. She is a tough woman—a fighter—who
has gone through many fires in her life.

Please pray for her as she fights for her life. The doctors
put her into a coma to paralyze and assist her body to
succeed in the upcoming numerous surgeries. Thinking
about her life, I saw how every little stupid thing I get upset
about just goes out the door. I’ve been frustrated and mad
at various people. Why? I can’t give an answer.

No matter what people do to us, we will always love
them deep down. On days when tragedy happens, we forget
why in the world we were angry in the first place. God
really amped up my work load this week. The fire burned,
but I’m emerging from the ashes a stronger person—a wiser
woman!

Looking back at each time the ashes surrounded me,
what do I see? I see a better version of myself. I am far from
perfect, but I see God burning away my shortcomings.
Every one of us should look at the ashes around us and ask
ourselves these questions: Do I see a better version of
myself? Do I see beauty rising? Am I who God needs me to
be? Do I see the glorious Father’s hand?

He is wiping away all my tears. This layer was tougher
than most. The fire was stronger. The tears were more
abundant, yet I’m appreciating His glorious hand helping
me see what I need to recognize and correct. He’s given me
revised eyes to view life from different angles as I fly above
it all.

I hope whatever fire you are in that you see yourself as
stronger afterward. God will help you rise and see life from
a different angle. You may feel like you’re still in the fire,
but you’re flying unaware of the altitude you’ve achieved.

Regarding the trials and tribulations I call fires, I pray we
go through each of them and rise from the ashes! May God
continue to work on us all and help us be the best versions
of ourselves! I love you all! Remember to rise from the
ashes—wallowing defeats the purpose of the fire!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have a deep desire burning within my spirit that keeps me moving forward. I can’t stop sharing what words have poured out of my spirit. When a reader shares how inspiring and significant my words have been for them and their journey, it keeps me fueled.

I have lost several family and friends to death since announcing my book series over a decade ago. I can’t change what has been, but I want to make sure as many people who were part of my story get to see this project complete. With many friends losing their parents, I want to make sure that mine get to see all four books. It is a driving essential for me to keep working with self-discipline and perseverance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrissylwhitten.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissylwhitten/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrissylwhitten

Image Credits
Hot Air Balloon Family Pic – Silver Dollar City Photography Author pic in leopard dress – Photographer: Ginger McKinney Reinoehl