Reflections On Living A Christian Life
Christian Non-fiction/ Christian Art / Poetry / Prose
Date Published: June 12, 2024 (Blurb)/ August 22, 2024 (Amazon)
As a new Christian, there were many things that I didn't understand about living a Christian life. Through the years, the Holy Spirit taught me wisdom and understanding which became a guide for me regarding how to live a more loving and accepting life toward myself and others.
This book is a collection of some of those truths. It is my attempt to help those who are new to the Christian faith. I hope that it will guide readers to understand God's ways with a new perspective and passion.
Walking with God is truly a mystery and an adventure-it is the journey of a lifetime! He is our greatest treasure and our very best friend. I hope to not only convey those truths through my writing, but also to warm the hearts and souls of those who read this gift book with His love and light at the same time! God bless and enjoy!
Interview with Diamante Lavendar
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing and art are very cathartic for me. They have been a way for me to express myself since I was a child. I grew up in a very difficult family dynamic so I learned quickly that in order to work through my emotions and situations that happened to me, I wrote and created art. I did have limited dialogue with some of my siblings early on and also with my parents but the majority of sorting through emotions and situations was done through writing and art.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Charlotte’s Web had a big impact on me. I was full of so much sorrow over her death. I was struck by her devoted friendship to Wilbur. I always greatly appreciated close friends that have come and gone from my life. I related to, and wanted, friendships like that. Which is why I was so grateful to be able to cultivate a relationship with my heavenly Father in my later years.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
My first book was actually titled The Secrets Of Yashir. It was my first attempt at a novel. I wrote the manuscript to be humorous but also serious at the same time. Honestly, it wasn’t the greatest manuscript and years later I decided to delete it from the sites where it had been on sale. After The Secrets Of Yashir, I began to write nonfiction. I’m more adept at writing about what I’ve learned through experience. I’ve written a book about abuse that I’ve suffered and another about the loss of one of my children. I’ve gone through a lot in life and have come to the conclusion that I need to write and demonstrate through art how I’m healing from those traumas so I can help others who are going through or have gone through the same. Being able to relate to someone else who has been there/done that is crucial in the healing process. My spirituality has been paramount in my healing, thus my book He Chose Me.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
This book is about the journey I’ve been on for the last thirty years and the healing that my relationship with Jesus has given me. It took a long time for me to come to the realizations that I touch upon in my book. I can pay tribute to many Christian authors, speakers, and preachers who contributed to the realizations I’ve come to. Some of them are TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Max Lucado, and Tony Evans. There have been many counselors and counseling books over the years that have been extremely helpful as well. My spirituality is ever-evolving. It is a daily process of gaining awareness, growing, and healing.
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from?
My mother read books to me as a child and I found it a wonderful way to escape, hope, and dream. I got lost in the stories which took me to other places. It was a safe way for me to find comfort, release, and expression even in childhood.
What do you like to read in your free time?
I read Christian self-help books. I also enjoy reading magazines about interior decorating and home improvement. My day job consists of renovating apartments and managing them so I’m always looking for ways to update and improve places I’m working on at my job. I also enjoy gardening magazines and books about landscaping and planting. Nature is soothing to me. At the moment, that is the majority of what I read because I’m pretty busy with my job, writing, art, etc.
Can you share some stories about people you’ve met while researching this book?
Since this book is about realizations I’ve come to over the last thirty or so years of my life, there have been many people who have come and gone in that duration of time: good relationships, bad relationships, family experiences and situations. It’s a culmination of what I’ve learned through insight, experiences, and spiritual awakening regarding all of those things. I will say that the dynamics of family experiences have been a huge part of this project. This book is the artistic/written catharsis of all of those things. That’s the short answer to a long progression of experiences!
Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre? If you write more than one, how do you balance them?
I have decided to write nonfiction for the reasons stated above. It comes very easily to me because of how things have unfolded in my life. I believe in honesty and transparency when it comes to what I do because my ultimate goal is to help others who are hurting and confused. I want them to know that they aren’t alone in their pain, that everyone makes mistakes, and that there is hope to heal and become better. I include spirituality in my work because that has been a key element in my personal healing journey.
I do spend a lot of time creating my art too. I just go with the flow. If my heart is calling for written expression, I write. If I want to get lost in an art piece, I make it. It’s just something that comes to me. Somehow it works itself out and is balanced. Many times my art expresses the words that I’ve written or will write.
How do you begin writing a new book? What challenges come with it?
I write from the heart. Whatever topic strikes me as being important that could also help someone else is where I begin. It’s always something that I’ve had to learn the hard way that I’m hoping I can help someone else with so that they don’t have to learn it the hard way. I write from a place of compassion, hoping that I can bring someone else a sense of direction or peace. I don’t want others who are going through what I’ve gone through to feel alone, unseen, and unheard. That’s a really painful place to be.
Share a place that inspires you to write.
I love nature. I love everything about it. Plants, animals, the sun, the moon, the stars. Nature soothes me and when I’m sitting in my yard or walking in a park or gazing at the stars, I feel the greatest pull to write the things that I write. Nature is beautiful, peaceful, and inspirational to me no matter where it happens to be.
About the Author
Diamante Lavendar is an award-winning Christian author and artist. She writes about topics such as living by faith, finding hope to persevere in life, and overcoming pain and hardship. She is also the founder of Timeless Reflections Magazine. To learn more, please visit diamantelavendar.com.
Contact Links
Twitter: @DiamanteLavenda
Purchase Links
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