My life is busy, just like yours. I'm a wife and mother, but I'm also a professor of communication at Mississippi University for Women. (The university has also admitted men for 20 years, but they keep refusing to change the name.) I started out as a newspaper reporter and editor and then moved into television news, where I was a producer. I realized that it was time to get out of the media when I was on jury duty and kept getting calls from the senior producing asking when I could come in. A couple of weeks later I had an eye infection, and I was called in to work even though I could only see with one eye. That was enough for me.So, I decided it was time for a change. I returned to college and pursued my master's and doctoral degrees. While in graduate school, I met my husband, who was studying in the same field. We got married while we were still students, and this year we will celebrate our 14th anniversary. We have one son, who is 8 years old.I'm sort of a rare bird: an academic who is also an active and committed Christian. I've done more publishing in the area of political communication than in Christian living, but both are important to me. I pretty much just consider myself a writer. My topics sort of shift back and forth between academic work and those involving my Christian beliefs. Basically, I've made a living from writing ever since I graduated with my undergraduate degree in journalism, so it just seems natural to me.All of my life I've adored animals. I've had more cats than I can recall, and a number of dogs who have shown incredible loyalty and love. We had two dogs -- an Australian Cattle Dog and a black lab mix -- and one cat. However, the cattle dog died in 2013 at the age of 17. He was a wonderful companion for me after he was rescued at about 1.5 years old. I believe strongly in animal rescue, and I believe in voluntary neutering of pets. As a matter of fact, I actually considered becoming a vet. But I knew that I would have to deal with the animals' owners, and I figured that would be worse than having patients who can't talk. I love teaching my students, and they often bring a smile to my face. Of course, when it's grading time, that smile often turns to scowls, and I've been known to yell out loud in frustration. I often have "grading hair." That's when it sticks up in the back from my pulling on it while trying to make sense of a student's paper. It can be embarrassing to walk out and not know it's sticking up.I try very hard to keep my life centered on God. It's hard. It's really, really hard to do that today. There are so many things pulling on us for attention. That's why I wrote "The Unencumbered Life." I wanted other people to know the peace and comfort that comes from putting God first. I have a sweet life, and I'd like for you to have one, too. Check out my books sometime and let me know if they help you in any way.