FINDING PERFECT PEACE AMIDST CHAOS by KRISTEN JOY WILKS

FINDING PERFECT PEACE AMIDST CHAOS by KRISTEN JOY WILKS
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 by Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Phooey Kerflooey

AUTHOR: Kristen Joy Wilks

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

GENRE: Middle Grade Adventure

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: Stand Alone, for now

TARGET AGE: Ages 9-12

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR KRISTEN JOY WILKS TO PATTI’S PORCH. KRISTEN SHARES HOW SHE AND HER QUIRKY CHARACTERS FOUND PEACE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS.

FINDING PERFECT PEACE AMIDST CHAOS

Kristen Joy Wilks

I grew up at an off-grid Bible camp in the middle of the forest. Camp is a blast. It is fun and adventurous and rowdy in all the best ways. Camp is also chock-full of chaos. Finding a moment of peace in a camp setting can be a real struggle. Perhaps this is why I found myself writing a character looking for perfect peace with a new puppy, rampaging squirrel, and daredevil brother causing a constant squirl of chaos around him?

During my childhood, I remember standing in the pantry at the back of the camp kitchen scarfing down my dinner while kitchen chaos reigned around me. Summer adventures most often included camp staff and crazy games that involved chocolate syrup and gummy worms were normal fare. There were so many things I loved about my childhood at camp, but the struggle for peace was real.

I grew up and married a camp director myself. We raised our three sons in the middle of our own camp chaos and so I have real experience in my book character Marcus’s shoes. In Phooey Kerflooey, we get a glimpse at his struggle in chapter two.

From Phooey Kerflooey Chapter Two . . .

The squirrel was now officially rampaging.

Had the squirrel set out to prove his chaotic prowess before Conner returned from getting his stomach pumped? It was like the wretched rodent heard that Conner was the most destructive living thing in town and had taken offense.

Marcus plopped onto the pebble walkway and sighed, taking in the swath of destruction. Hammocks, ravaged. Homemade comics, mangled. Baseball gloves, nibbled to death. Even their shoelaces were in tatters.

This must be why there were so many “Don’t Feed the Wildlife” signs in National Parks. Not for the bears. No, they were worried people would feed the squirrels, encouraging this kind of rampant destruction.

If only they had a dog. A puppy would provide good, wholesome, non-life-threatening fun for his little brother—and chase the squirrel away, too. Marcus could snuggle a dog instead of biting his fingernails in constant terror for his younger sibling. He glanced at the glossy wooden sign Mom had hung over their new back door.

You will keep in perfect peace . . . all whose thoughts are fixed on you. —Isaiah 26:3

Marcus scowled, looking around their dogless, squirrel-ravaged yard. They had a long way to go to perfect anything, much less perfect peace. Perfect chaos, maybe. Conner was bored, Dad and Mom were stressed, even the squirrel seemed unhappy.

They’d lived in all-out pandemonium for so long. What would perfect peace even look like? Marcus pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The faint warmth of sunshine pressed against his eyelids and a stiff spring breeze brought the scent of grass from other people’s yards. Maybe Dad would laugh and make more cheesy puns. Mom wouldn’t pace at night or spend so much time searching “How to calm hyper children” on her phone. Conner would find adventure, even in his chair. Marcus would make homemade comics with his brother again. They would finally have their own dog. A dog who would chase away that psycho squirrel.

Perfect peace.

It was pretty much the opposite of a squirrel rampage or a wheelchair flipping end-over-end down concrete steps, wooden steps, brick steps, or a homemade jump. Marcus opened his eyes. There had to be something he could do. Some way to help his parents, calm his brother, chase off the squirrel. A way to get that perfect peace from the sign.

Marcus’s big scheme . . . a new puppy! What do you think? Will a new puppy solve all their problems? Well, I will let you discover that on your own, ha! I’ll make it easy, the ebook is free for anyone signing up for my newsletter.

Scan here for Kristen’s newsletter.

As far as my real search for peace in the middle of chaos, that was no less problematic, but God is faithful even in the rowdiest of environments. You see, I didn’t want my husband to become a camp director. Why? I knew exactly how hard living and working at a camp would be. I’d already seen the ups and downs of camp life and there would be no honeymoon period for that particular job. My husband had intended to become a youth pastor. I knew that would be difficult as well, but I didn’t know all the details. Camp ministry, my eyes were WIDE open!

But God . . .

We were going to say no, but God called us. It was one of the clearest moments of hearing from God that I’ve ever experienced, and we’ve never gone back. God called us to something truly difficult, but worthy of our time and tears. Camp is full of chaos, but God has given us peace in the middle of everything. When we are overwhelmed and the needs of campers and staff are so far beyond what we can help with or heal, God lifts us up and carries us forward in His arms.

I do not regret following my Lord into the chaos of camp ministry, for as Marcus from Phooey Kerflooey finds out, peace comes with trust and eyes that are fixed tight on our Lord.

Blurb for Phooey Kerflooey:

A puppy will fix everything.

A boring new house?

Boring house + puppy = adventure!

An attacking squirrel?

Evil squirrel + puppy = a squirrel-battle extraordinaire!

A daredevil brother who zooms into constant peril?

Rowdy sibling + puppy = calm days snuggling their furry friend!

What could possibly go wrong?

When Marcus’s dog dreams finally come true, something is indeed terribly wrong. Phooey Kerflooey is eighteen pounds larger than expected. She will only eat organic lunch meat and drink from a china teacup. Plus, she is terrified of absolutely everything, including his brother’s wheelchair and that troublesome squirrel.

How can Marcus find “perfect peace,” like in Isaiah 26:3, when God has given him a whole lot of chaos?

Through a raucous tornado of personal growth, the boys and Phooey work together to save the day. But when the dust (and squirrel poo) settles, can they convince Dad and Mom to let them keep their puppy princess?

Kristen Joy Wilks writes from a remote mountain meadow that alternates between quiet and chaos. The mom of three sons, a cat named Whisper Persnickety, and Nessie Karu their giant Newfoundland puppy, she lives with her camp director husband at Camas Meadows Bible Camp where she is photographer and camp storyteller. Kristen once climbed a tree and snuck into church through the balcony to return a library book (and check out another) and has been pursuing stories ever since. Her writing highlights the humor and grace God gives amidst the detritus of life.