Laura Wifler
10 min read ⭑
“While it’s an unexpected love, poetry has been a gift to me, and I believe it can be for you, too. Poetry names the aches we all feel but can’t find the words for.”
Laura Wifler is a poet, an educator and a bestselling author who has a deep love of children’s literature and a heart to serve individuals, families and churches. Laura has written books for both adults and children, including “Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer” and “Like Me.” She is the co-author of the bestselling book “Risen Motherhood,” and her new poetry book, “This Side of The Sky,” releases in September 2026. Laura also founded The KidLit Lab, a resource for writers who want to craft captivating children’s books and navigate the publishing process. Laura lives in central Iowa with her husband and three children.
In this interview, Laura shares the unexpected gift of poetry in her life and how writing can sometimes feel like worship. She talks about her love of fires and why they cause her to slow down and notice what God is doing in her life. She opens up about the struggles of motherhood and how the feelings of being the best mother and the worst mother can occur many times in the same day. Laura also reveals her thoughts on how AI can be helpful in the writing world.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it's also about home and people and love. So, how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I live in a small town, which means there are only about three or four great restaurants in town — and my family and I rotate regularly through them all. But there’s one restaurant we frequent more than all the rest. Some of it is location, as it’s the closest one to our home, but most of it is because it has a few long oak tables, separated from the main areas, where we can hear each other without having to yell. Plus, our daughter with disabilities can run around and not bother anyone, which also brings peace of mind.
But perhaps what I love most about it is that nearly every time we go, we bump into friends or extended family members. Sometimes my husband and I will be out on a double date with another couple and bump into two of our couple friends doing the same. We’ve been known to switch up our plans and head to the big oak tables so all eight of us can eat together.
These memories are what make the best restaurants. Not just great food (though that’s important), but a sense of welcome, community and memory-making.
Annie Spratt; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest, or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
My husband has been called a pyromaniac. Before meeting him, I’m not sure I had ever lit anything on fire, but after 15 years of marriage, it’s rubbed off a bit on me. Today you’ll find me almost always with a fire going (contained and in control, of course). During Iowa’s icy and cold winters, I sit in front of our wood-burning fireplace — even if I’m the only one home — tending the fire and reading or writing. During the brisk spring days or the cool fall evenings, our family is often found reading and lingering outside by our firepit. In the hot summers, I burn a candle on the counter in my air-conditioned kitchen.
Poets are known for being people who “pay attention,” and a fire demands constant attention. Somehow these fires remind me to slow down and notice what the Lord is doing in my life and with those around me. For me, there’s something about seeing the flickering flames that brings peace and calm in the midst of a busy life, allowing me to reflect and find God’s fingerprints in my daily reality.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you confront its power?
I was raised by parents who gave me a fairly high self-esteem and the belief that I could do just about anything I set my mind to. But all of that was leveled to the ground when I became a mom. Suddenly I couldn’t do it all. I couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t be who I thought I should be. As I adjusted and got my mom sea legs under me, I started to get some of that “high self-esteem” back. But what I have found fascinating about myself over the years is how I waffle between feeling like I’m an incredible mom and I’m the worst mom on the planet, sometimes within a couple of minutes of each other.
It has been a great hope to me to remember that God loves me even when I am inadequate and I fail — even if it’s hard to believe.
But here’s the real kicker that I truly wish I could eradicate. In the moments when I feel like a shining star of a mom, I like to think about how God loves me and let it stroke my ego a bit. I tend to forget that even in my best moments, it’s not enough for a holy God. I don’t earn his approval by my good-mom actions; I receive it only because of Christ and what he did for me.
It’s a constant battle for me to know that no matter what — good or bad — God loves me fully and completely, and that never changes regardless of my self-esteem.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
I’ll be honest. I’ve never been a fan of poetry. I always thought it was a bit stuck up and confusing, which is hilarious because today most of my work includes writing poetry. I have a full-fledged poetry book coming out in September 2026 called, “This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick.”
Sometimes I think I can feel God smiling about the course my life has taken.
While it’s an unexpected love, poetry has been a gift to me, and I believe it can be for you, too. Poetry names the aches we all feel but can’t find the words for. In particular, “This Side of the Sky” is about being a modern Christian woman and the struggles and joys one faces. It’s my story, but in the strange way that poetry works, it’s hopefully your story, too.
It’s poetry for the people who don’t think they like poetry and for those who do. It’s poetry for those of us who need the reminder that God is working and active in our lives on this side of the sky and that there is hope for today and forever.
In addition to writing poetry, I also love to write books for children and help others do the same through The KidLit Lab. At the Lab, I teach aspiring Christian children’s book authors how to write and publish books people will want to read again and again.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re Cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
Most of the time, I don’t fully know what I believe about something until I start to write. That’s also why writing often feels like worship to me. It’s one of the places where I’m able to uncover not just what I’m feeling, but what I know to be true about God, his Word and the ways his promises show up in my life and in the lives of others.
There’s a Robert Frost quote I’ve always loved: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” I’ve carried that with me for years. If writing about an experience — especially in poetry — brings me to tears, whether from joy or sorrow, I usually know I’ve reached something real, something worth sharing.
Writing helps me process some of the deepest and hardest parts of my story. But more than that, it helps me shape those experiences into something that can meet others, too. Something that might encourage them, steady them and remind them of the hope we have in the gospel.
And one of my favorite parts of writing poetry is finding the turn at the end — that chewy, surprising line that flips the poem a little and lets the whole thing land in a way the reader didn’t see coming. That moment always feels like a gift of God to me. It’s often where I’m most aware that the idea didn’t come from me alone, but that the Spirit is at work, helping me say something true in a way that reaches the reader.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
I was raised in a Christian home, so spiritual disciplines were always normal to me. Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memory — I knew those rhythms well. But fasting always felt different. It was the one practice that scared me. As a woman, I had a hard time separating fasting from all the baggage that can come with body image and control. Because of that, I honestly wondered if it was something I just shouldn’t do at all.
Then I read “Fast Like a Girl.” It’s not a Christian book, but it explores the science of fasting for women — how it works, how to do it wisely and some of the benefits it can offer. I remember thinking, “If I couldn’t fast for spiritual reasons without feeling tangled up in my motives, maybe I could at least do it for the health benefits.” So I started there.
Later, I came across an old article I had written about Scripture memory and its cognitive benefits. That’s when it hit me: I was willing to let “secular science” motivate me to memorize Scripture but not to fast spiritually. That realization shifted something for me. I was reminded that God’s commands are always for our good. His design is never random. The physical benefits of fasting don’t cheapen the spiritual practice — they deepen my appreciation for his wisdom and kindness.
Now fasting has become a much more meaningful part of my spiritual life. I’m no longer so afraid of doing it for the wrong reasons. I trust that God knows my heart, and I’ve come to see fasting as one more gift from him.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
“A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss”by Jerry Sittser. This is one of the most honest and steadying books on grief I’ve read and was a balm to my soul when my daughter was diagnosed with disabilities. It doesn’t rush sorrow or tie it up neatly, but shows how loss doesn’t shrink our souls but expands them.
“Stepping Heavenward” by Elizabeth Prentiss. This beautiful fiction classic follows a woman’s spiritual growth over the course of her everyday life — through struggle, immaturity, suffering and grace. It’s quiet, piercing and full of wisdom that sticks with you.
“The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boom. This unforgettable memoir tells the story of Corrie ten Boom and her family’s courage during World War II and the suffering they endured for hiding Jews from the Nazis. It’s a powerful witness to the nearness of God, the cost of faithfulness and the miracle of forgiveness. It makes me want to be brave in my faith. I tell everyone I know to read it.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
Like most modern Christians with a cell phone, I love the Bible app. While I typically prefer a hardcover Bible for my quiet times, the Bible app is a gift on busy mornings for me to listen to audio in the car or take with me on trips so I don’t go over the weight limit in my luggage. I love that I can explore different versions with the click of a button, too.
The other app I like is best enjoyed on desktop. The Blue Letter Bible allows you to read different Bible translations and then click into things like commentaries, concordances, cross-references, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, interlinear tools, dictionaries, and word studies. It’s the best Bible nerd-out tool there is! I’m constantly following bunny trails of interest over there.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the world of artificial intelligence — learning how to build agents and even getting into vibe coding, which is completely new territory for me and, honestly, something I’m really enjoying.
As a writer, I know many of my peers have strong feelings about AI, and a lot of them have chosen not to engage with it at all. I understand that. But for me, AI has been most helpful when I use it to make myself more efficient so I can protect my actual writing. I don’t let it write for me. What I am interested in is how it can support things like research, organization and building tools that help people engage more deeply with the gospel.
I’ve done some AI education on my personal Substack, where I share how I’m using it as a mom of three and as a writer. I’ve also taught it through The KidLit Lab, helping children’s book writers think carefully and appropriately about how to engage with AI.
Outside of AI, I’m continuing the work I’ve long loved: writing and publishing children’s books. I have four books already out in the world, and children are still my favorite audience to write for. And, of course, poetry is still very much part of my life, too. I plan to keep sharing poems, and I hope to write more books after “This Side of the Sky” comes out.
In her interview, Laura brings up a struggle that’s common to many believers: “It’s a constant battle for me to know that no matter what — good or bad — God loves me fully and completely, and it never changes no matter my self-esteem.” It’s difficult to feel lovable when we know we’re at our worst; Laura reminds us that it’s also just as difficult to keep pride at bay when we know we’re at our best. Romans 5:8 says that “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Regardless of feelings, of self-esteem, of performance or of circumstances, God remains faithful in his unconditional love. Spend some time today orienting yourself on the truth that he knows you completely and loves you fully. Ask him to help you live from that place of security in his never-ending love.
Laura Wifler is a poet, educator and bestselling author of books for both adults and children, including Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer and Like Me, and she is the co-author of the bestselling book Risen Motherhood. Her debut poetry book, This Side of the Sky, releases in September 2026. Laura is also the founder of The KidLit Lab, where she helps writers craft captivating children’s books and navigate the publishing process. She can be found on Instagram. Laura lives in central Iowa with her husband and three children.