“Who is this Barbara Eubanks?  What does she do? What’s she about?” you might ask. First of all, I am a member of a royal family – a child of the King.  That being said, I attempt to live out the principle set down in Proverbs 16:3 – Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (NIV) That philosophy hasn’t failed me yet. Presently, I fill my days telling people, through my writing and speaking, that God WANTS His children to be happy – to laugh and enjoy the blessings he provides.  I begin most of my presentations exclaiming, “Rejoice, and again I say rejoice.”

Yes, I’m an author.  My latest work, a novel – A New Beginning: God’s Second Chances – follows the characters you met in my first novel, many of whom are flawed and need a new start. It is moved by crises, as is A Web too Tight, and shows how God’s grace can change hearts and situations. Patriotism, child kidnapping, a second chance at love, and many more themes run through it.  My first novel, A Web too Tight, tells the saga of a pastor who reaches the pinnacle of his career, lets ego replace humility, and falls to the web of adultery.  His sin damages his family, church, and community, but the story doesn’t stop there.  It also shows forgiveness which is only possible through God’s grace and redemption. I have also written three humorous, yet inspiring, devotional books – Humorous Happenings in Holy Places (Tate Publishing, 2004),  And the Angels Laughed (Tate Publishing, 2006) and Laughing with the Lord (Tate Publishing 2010).  Each of these contains humorous, true anecdotes that have taken place in church or which have spiritual implications.  I have chapters in two compiled books – Whispering in God’s Ear and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life Vol. 3.  I also write a monthly column – Humor in Holy Places –  for Anniston/Gadsden Family Christian Magazine. I have written for many other publications, including Sunday school lessons for LifeWay.

I find humor wherever I am whether it is in church, with family, or with friends.  An English proverb says, “Laughter is the best medicine.”  The Bible says it a little differently: Proverbs 17:22 –A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. We should Remind ourselves to look for something to laugh about every day. Secondly, I believe we should Remember funny stuff when it happens.  That’s why I write down these funny stories.  Another way I remember is by doing the third R – Retell it.  That is what I do as a Christian humorist. Speaking to many events each year, I use these funny accounts to formulate my presentations.  I remind people that a successful life is one in which you Laugh often, Love much, and Live well.   I stress the importance of humor in life. I adapt presentations to the group to whom I’m speaking, for instance, “The Importance of Humor in Education,” The Importance of Humor in the Family,” “The Importance of Humor in Ministry,” or perhaps “The Importance of Humor in the Medical Field.”  You get the picture.

Okay, that gives you a nutshell of who I am professionally, but you can’t know all of me unless you know my family – my encouragement and inspiration.  My husband, who went to be with the Lord December 2014, was my greatest supporter, editor, and encourager.  Without this man – Steve Eubanks, whom I married when I was only fifteen-years-old, – my joy and my accomplishments would be much less. “You can do it,” he’s repeated throughout our life together.  “Yes, you can go to college even though we have three small children.”  ( I did; I earned a B.A., M.A., and Ed.S. before it was all over.) “You can teach school.”  (For thirty-five years I taught high school English.) “You can write; I know you can and somebody will publish it.”  “Hey, book those speaking engagements,” he told me when calls started coming in.  Not only was he the “wind beneath my wings,” he gave me life’s greatest gifts – children. By the time I was twenty, we had three beautiful, active little boys, who have brought much joy in my life.  I call them my “3-S Tonic” – Steve, Scott, and Shannon.  As teenage mother and father, we realized we didn’t have the wisdom to make the best decisions for their lives, so we dedicated them to the Lord and asked Him to guide us in parenting them.  He did.  They all are very successful fathers and husbands themselves.  I call their wives mine also; they are truly my daughters – Sandy, Tracy, and Donna. I love them for many reasons, but one stands out:  they are great Christian mothers to my eight grandchildren – Zack, Alicia, Hannah, Bethany, Dane, Reagan, Austin, and Tyler.  Read my books and you will get to know each one because they have been one of my great humor sources. So, who am I and what am I about?  I am a child of the King on a most joyful and happy journey as a wife, mother, grandmother, author, and speaker for now.  Who knows where else God will lead me.  I pray I will always be willing to follow.