Meet the Authors
Kristen Rusch
For Kristen, variety is the spice of life. Feeling blessed by God to have rich and varied life experience and passions, her day-to-day activities leave her wearing many hats: mother, businesswoman, accountant, teacher, overseas charity worker, and writer.
Kristen grew up in the Church and in a loving believing family, and at the age of six she declared her decision to follow Jesus through the act of baptism. By the grace of God, she has been walking faithfully with Him every since.
Her passion for knowing God and His Word started from day one. Paired with her love for music, Kristen finds no greater joy than belting her heart out in worship while washing the dishes. Some of her most treasured times are family devotions at the breakfast table, post-school-drop-off prayer walks, afternoon tea with Scripture and a pen, and the deafening but cheerful roar of a house bursting at the seams with AWANA clubbers or Friday pizza-and-game-night friends.
But as we all know, life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and picture-perfect quiet times with the Lord. In addition to all the great stuff, Kristen has also experienced her fair share of trials and struggles.
During one such particularly dark season of struggle, she began journaling her journey with the Lord. Discovering writing to be a powerful means of processing, she uncovered a newfound passion. Burdened with a desire to help other moms like her navigate their own challenges, she followed the Lord’s leading to collaborate on what is now a rich devotional book for moms: Mothering on Empty: How Moms Like You Found God’s Joy.
As icing on the cake to the multifaceted life for which she is so grateful, Kristen enjoys worldwide adventures with God. Originally from Colorado Springs, she currently lives and works in Central Asia, where she, her husband, and two sons seek to see developing communities thrive.
To find out more about their non-profit work overseas, visit www.frameworksintl.org.
Ashley Durand
Ashley’s love for words began at an early age. As a young girl, she could often be found with a book in hand during the day and a flashlight under the covers at night—always reading, always imagining. That passion for stories naturally led her to writing, eventually earning her a B.S. in Journalism from Grace College and Theological Seminary in 2013.
After graduation, Ashley worked with Focus on the Family, contributed to various publications, and was honored as Grace College’s Young Alumni of the Year in 2017. But even with professional success, a new chapter was just beginning.
Marriage and motherhood brought joy—but also exhaustion. With two little ones and sleepless nights, finding quiet time to read her Bible became a challenge. The spiritual rhythm she once cherished began to fade. But in that dry season, Ashley discovered something powerful: connecting with God doesn't always look like sitting with an open Bible and a journal. It can be listening to worship music in the car or hearing Scripture through an app during a late-night feeding.
These insights—and the grace she found along the way—inspired her to contribute to the book Mothering on Empty: How Moms Like You Found God’s Joy. Today, Ashley is passionate about encouraging other busy, weary moms to reconnect with the source of life and rediscover the joy God longs to give.
Learn more about Ashley and her heart to help women engage with Scripture in every season of life at www.oldtruthfortoday.com.
Our Contributors
Lynae Brewer
Born in Colorado, her love for travel has brought her to live in Germany and to visit many places around the world. Now back in Colorado, she works part time as a dental hygienist and homeschools the younger two of her and her husband’s four children. She enjoys the creative arts of music, painting, and quilting, and her love for Jesus permeates every part of her life.
Rachel Hays
She and her husband Sean have been married for 16 years and live in the mountains of Colorado. They have 11 children and their first grandbaby on the way! God called them into the ministry of fostering and adopting 13 years ago. Her aim in life is found in Philippians 3:10-12 - to know the Lord, to share in his sufferings, and to partake in the power of his resurrection.
Janell Lusk
Passionate to spend time with Jesus, Janell wakes up daily with the sun. She married Kevin 32 years ago and they have been privileged to parent 8 children over the last 29 years. Together they have homeschooled for 25 years. Life has been loud, hectic, crazy, humbling, endearing, memorable and filled with both giggles and tears.
Hannah Muis
Though raised in a Christian home, she didn’t really walk with Jesus until her 20s. Now 33, she has 3 kids and is passionate about God and motherhood. She also loves to garden and dance, and enjoys the beautiful outdoors of Montana with her family and friends.
Krista Tedrow
She is wife to an amazing husband and mom to three fabulous kids. She was a physical therapist for over 20 years and is currently the chief chauffeur for her youngest to all things sports related. Her passion is studying God’s Word and teaching women how to seek and find the One who is all we need.