Dear friends, fans, & fellow readers,

Let’s just say it’s been a year. 2018 was full of highs and lows in the Arthur household, and we’re grateful for the prayers and support from so many of you around the country (and the world). Some key events:

Tom and his dad, 1975

We lost my husband’s stepmom Marta Arthur to ovarian cancer in January and his father John Arthur to Lewy Body Dementia in September. With this came logistical and financial responsibilities for Tom, plus deep sadness.
Since May I’ve had a mastectomy, four rounds of chemo, and an upcoming oophorectomy thanks to Stage 1 (but very aggressive) breast cancer. Even though this fell during Tom’s long-planned 4-month sabbatical–which didn’t go as planned, obviously–we would’ve floundered without our family, neighbors, and the tremendous congregation of Sycamore Creek Church.

Amtrak trip from Chicago to San Francisco through the Rockies!

Between surgeries and chemo, we squeezed in a 4-day trip on Amtrak from Chicago to San Francisco with the boys (Sam, age 5, & Micah, age 7), plus an extra week in SF staying with friends at Church of the Sojourners. Magical!
My latest book, A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time, released in August right before my first chemo treatment. It’s already garnered some fun attention & won a Top Shelf design award from the ECPA. Check out this online Q&A at Guideposts, and stay tuned for yours truly on NPR’s “InterFaith Voices” and in the Feb 2019 print issue of Guideposts, among other buzz.

My new spiritual biography of Madeleine L’Engle.

On November 29, 2018 Madeleine L’Engle would’ve turned 100. She LOVED birthdays and parties, so be sure to join me for some of these fun shindigs online and in person!

It’s a podcast party! The Madeleine Podcast features my interviews with a number of MLE’s friends, family, and fans, including writer Philip Yancey, poet Luci Shaw, and more. Listen and download from Podbean, iTunes, or Google Play Music.
Friday Nov 30, 7:30 p.m.“Madeleine L’Engle at 100” in Gezon Auditorium in the Spoelhof Center, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Enjoy an evening dedicated to commemorating the literary, creative, and spiritual legacy of Madeleine L’Engle and her work. Featuring myself, Wrinkle in Time film producer Catherine Hand, and MLE’s youngest granddaughter Charlotte Jones Voiklis. We’ll end with book signing and birthday cake.
Saturday, Dec 1: Happy Birthday to Madeleine! 11:00 a.m. at Schuler Books & Music on 28th Street, Grand Rapids, MI. It’s free, but rsvp to Schuler’s here. Kids of all ages and their families are invited to tesser on over and talk about Madeleine L’Engle and her writing with myself and Charlotte. We’ll chat a little about our own L’Engle biographies (Charlotte and her sister, Lena Roy, wrote Becoming Madeleine) and answer all your questions. And of course, there’ll be more birthday treats!
Saturday, Dec 1: Free showing of A Wrinkle in Time, 2:00 p.m. at Celebration! Woodland, Grand Rapids, MI. Reserve your free ticket here. Followed by a talkback with producer Catherine Hand, myself, and Charlotte.

Looking ahead to 2019:  being faithful in the small things.

With the holidays upon us, think of me as your one-stop bookstore for all things literary-devotional. Seasonal favorites: The One Year Coffee With God:365 Devotions to Perk Up Your Day, and Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The new year is also is a great time to dive into The Year of Small Things: Radical Faith for the Rest of Us, coauthored by myself and Erin Wasinger.

Even though 2018 has been The Year of Many Big Things, we are grateful for the small mercies that keep us afloat. “Possible things are easy to believe,” wrote Madeleine L’Engle. “The Glorious Impossibles are what bring joy to our hearts, hope to our lives, songs to our lips.” 

Hoping with you,

Sarah Arthur. Photo credit: M-Buck Studios