About You:
Living Faith: Describe your vocation in life.
Kristin Armstrong: I am an author, a writer and a therapist. I help people work through the transition zones of life and craft a better story for themselves. My mission in life is to love people wisely and well and help people heal.
LF: Give a brief bio.
KA: That bio is fine. I might like to change the last sentence to say: “Kristin is married to a wonderful man named Mark and now has five grown children. They live in Austin, TX and Santa Barbara, CA.”
LF: Do you reach out to readers online via a website or social media?
KA: KristinArmstrongConsulting.com.
LF: Share a little about your ministry or daily work. (A day in the life looks like…?)
KA: My day begins with what I like to call my time “in my workroom.” This is sacred time to me, where I read devotionals, pray, meditate, journal and create my intentions for the day. Next, I get some exercise, my favorite is to go for a run on the trail near our house. Then I head to my office and write for an hour or two before I begin seeing clients. After work I like to relax and recap the day with my husband while we cook dinner together.
LF: How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
KA: I am pretty sure I have been a writer since my chubby little kid fingers first gripped a crayon. I learned to read very early and have always passionately loved words. I loved writing in school, especially creative writing. I was an editor of my high school newspaper. I kept a blog before they were even called blogs. My first official writing job was as a contributing editor for Runner’s World magazine. I love to do freelance work, and I love my work at Living Faith. I also write a column for Tribeza magazine, where I have been working since 2004. I am currently working on my 8th book.
LF: What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
KA: I am a fairly disciplined, consistent person, so the practice of writing is not a difficult commitment for me—especially because I love it. I would say that the hardest part of the writing process is in my preparation. I have to take excellent care of myself—quality sleep, healthy habits, exercise, regular spiritual practices, Mass attendance, nurture peaceful relationships—in order to have the connection and creative flow that inspire me.
LF: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite? If you haven’t written a book, name a favorite that you’ve enjoyed.
KA: I have written eight books: a children’s book called Lance Armstrong: The Race of His Life, Happily Ever After, A Work in Progress, Strength for the Climb, Ties the Bind, Heart of My Heart, Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run, and yes! My freelance work has appeared in Glamour, O Magazine, the Huffington Post, Parents magazine, Tribeza, the Austin-American Statesman, USA Today and, of course, Living Faith.
LF: Where do you live today, and is that different from where you grew up?
KA: I moved nine times as a child since my father worked for IBM, and we relocated often. I was born in Thousand Oaks, CA. I have lived overseas in France and Spain. I have been in Austin, TX, for over twenty years now and also have a home in Santa Barbara, California. Perhaps it’s because I moved so often as a child, but I consider home to be where my people are more than any certain place.
LF: Three words your best friend would use to describe you.
KA: I asked my husband, who is my best friend. He says: Courageous. Compassionate. Irreplaceable. (I’m crying now.)
LF: One additional thing you would want a Living Faith reader to know about you that we haven’t covered above. (A hobby, something silly or fun, an accomplishment, or an interesting fact?)
KA: I love learning. I hope I am always a student. I love languages and can speak some Spanish and French and am learning Italian. I have run fifteen marathons and two ultramarathons. I completed a running trek around the base of Mont Blanc in France, Italy and Switzerland. This summer I am doing a running trek in the Dolomites in Italy. My husband and I race vintage cars and have done the Mille Miglia (a 1,000-mile vintage car race through the country of Italy) twice. I was divorced for twenty years as I raised my children and met the love of my life at age fifty, and we got married again in the summer of 2023.
About Faith:
LF: When did you first know that God loved you?
KA: So early that I cannot remember anything otherwise.
LF: Describe a prayer practice that is meaningful to you.
KA: Every day, I journal my gratitude (even “advance gratitude” if I am worried about something!) and my intentions for the day. I have a to-do list, which is my schedule. But my intentions create my “to-be list,” and that is most important to me.
LF: What’s something you’ve learned from the Bible or from the Mass or the Sacraments that has always stayed with you?
KA: Do not fear.
LF: What excites you about being a Catholic?
KA: I love the fact that no matter where I travel in the world, I can find a place to go to Mass. Even if I don’t understand the language, I can understand the ritual and receive the blessings and the peace. It’s a beautiful gift, this faith we share.
About the Bible:
LF: What’s your favorite Bible story, psalm, proverb or parable and why?
KA: Joshua 1:9 for sure! “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be discouraged for I am the Lord your God, and I am with you wherever you go.”
LF: Do you have a favorite Gospel? If so, which one? Elaborate if you wish.
KA: The Gospel of Luke. My son is named after Luke.
LF: If you could spend a day with a person mentioned in the Bible (besides Jesus), whom would you choose?
KA: Esther!
About Living Faith:
LF: How long have you been writing for Living Faith?
KA: So long. I don’t even know!
LF: Do you ever get to meet your Living Faith readers? What do you talk about?
KA: Yes, I respond to emails when I get them, and some of my readers have even become my clients.
LF: What is one thing you love about Living Faith?
KA: I love the broad availability of Living Faith. I love the community of writers and readers. I love the opportunity to love, give, serve and connect. I can’t pick just one.
*The interview was edited for clarity and conformity to style. No meaning was altered in the process.
