Today is not only Halloween, it’s also a 5th Thursday and that means we can do anything we want on The Christian Writer’s Den! So on this special day I want to introduce my friend Julie Gorman to you. Julie is a speaker, writer, life coach, FYI radio personality, and author of a new book, What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me about Men.
I hope you’ll listen in as we discuss Julie’s writing journey. And don’t forget to leave a comment for Julie and you’ll be in the drawing for a free copy of her book! (Check back next week to see if you’re the winner.)
Welcome, Julie. Let’s jump right in. As a writing and speaking coach what tips would you offer to a frustrated writer?
KEEP ON PRESSING ON! God has a plan for you and will make room for the gift He has entrusted you. Don’t despise small beginnings. Don’t weigh your success by another’s. Be authentic. Be diligent to do the next right thing. The most important thing you can do is to be present and embrace the process. Don’t hold on to selfish agendas…instead…develop meaningful relationships. Learn as much as you can from others and look for every way possible to promote others instead of yourself!
Great advice, Julie. As a writer you’ve chosen to expose some pretty real and raw details from your life. What causes you to write so transparently?
MMMM.That’s a great question, Vonda. I write transparently and encourage my writing clients to do the same because I’m convinced people need to hear about our failures and mistakes and how God rescued us. Because when people read how far God went to rescue us, they will find hope that He will do the same for them.
What compelled you to write What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me about Men?
I wrote What I Wish… to expose and shatter the misconceptions and lies that women inscribe on their heart about men that sabotage their relationship. It’s written to inspire hope, healing, and wholeness to our life!
What are some of the unrealistic expectations women sometimes entertain?
Here are ten lies the book exposes:
- “A Man Will Validate My Worth“
- “A Man Will Rescue Me”
- “A Man Will Never Let Me Down”
- “Men Only Want One Thing”
- “I Can Change Him”
- “I Can Control Him”
- “It’s All His Fault”
- “All Men Are Perverts”
- “Men Are the Enemy”
- “A Man Will Satisfy the Longings of My Soul”
Of those common lies is there a central struggle women identify with most frequently?
MMMM. Another great question, Vonda. I’ve discovered we all have what I call a GOD-VACUUM within us. We crave to fill the place of emptiness. Like men, women search for significance, they long for a place of belonging…and in our quest we sometimes try to get a man to meet that need. We long for companionship, connection. We long for security. We want to love and to be loved. And sometimes in our desperation we make compromises or concessions. Sometimes we settle for what’s in front of us, afraid a better option may not come along…
Psalm 62:9—“Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.”
Take the lowest to the highest, the least to the greatest, the poorest to the richest, and what do you get? Only a breath. To appreciate God’s creation is life-giving; to worship God’s creation destroys.
Though I doubt any woman cognitively expects a man to be like Jesus Christ—perfect in every way—I’m equally convinced that many of us carry a few unrealistic expectations. The breakdown in our relationships occurs when our joy hinges on expectations exceeding a man’s ability to be perfect
Julie, your book is packed with practical and spiritual how-tos but one of my favorite parts is your inclusion entitled – A Letter From the Father. Why did you include this section?
Oh, I am so glad you asked that, Vonda. Transformation in the hands of God connects, liberates, and empowers us to love and to be loved as God intended. Our process of transformation begins with the knowledge that God has forgiven us. It develops as we embrace the truth that God loves us unconditionally.
So, as I wrote the book, I wanted to draw out God’s love from scripture to bring out truths that God had already promised and spoken to us in His Word—the Bible…But I wanted to write it personally as if God were whispering it to us individually.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.” Jeremiah 31:3-4
Julie, thank you for being with us today and sharing your much-needed book! Friends, you’ll want to follow this link to get your own copy of What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men.
And readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for Julie below and you’ll be in the drawing for a free copy! Check back next week to see if you’re the winner. 🙂
BIO: Julie Gorman is the founder of For Your Inspiration (FYI). She is certified by Dr. John C. Maxwell as an executive coach, trainer, and speaker, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. Julie a prolific speaker, blogger and writer, makes her home in southern Florida with her husband, Greg, and their three children. Find Julie at her website
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