FAQs

Q: Kathryn, your book title is “Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife: He Speaks Can You Hear Him?”; are you really the wife of a pastor?

A: (Laughter) I get this question a lot at book signings, it’s funny to me when they ask. Yes, I am the wife of a pastor. Some of the other funny questions that follow that one are: Are you still happily married? Oh yes, we are still married, and happier than ever, even after all of my confessions!

Q: The second part of the title is “He Speaks Can You Hear Him?” Are you talking about your husband the pastor, or about God? If you are referring to God does God speak in an audible voice to you?

A: (More laughter from Kathryn) I am referring to God!  God doesn’t usually speak to me in an audible voice; He has on rare occasion; however that is not the norm. God uses His people, His Word, and the Holy Spirit to speak to us. You will discover more about that in the pages of the book. He is constantly guiding us and direction us with His love.

Q: How would you describe your book?

A: That’s a loaded question! My book is about my faith story, my journey with Christ and how He has spoken into my life over the course of time. It’s about real life issues, my teenage pregnancy, becoming a blended family, raising children, learning to love God, working through various issues of pride. I am very open about who I am, my ugly flaws and all. I have been very vulnerable in revealing who I am and who I hope to be in Christ. I know that my love for God and the work He has done in my life show through with each page you turn. The amazing part of God that has been really huge in my life is the way He speaks to me, to each of us, it blows my mind! In each chapter I reveal the different ways in which God speaks, and has spoken to me. I think as you read it you will encounter a sense or an innate familiarity because I believe that He speaks to each of us, and each of us are designed to recognize His voice. There are many ways in which He speaks to us. I know that God wants us to be aware of the way He speaks. By the time you finish reading the book you will begin to recognize the voice of our Lord! You won’t want to miss one word that He has for you.

Q: Kathryn, have you always wanted to be a writer/author?

A: You may be surprised to hear this, but no. Actually, I never had thoughts of being a writer much less a published author. I know that you might find that to be a strange answer to your question. I find myself remain amazed at the fact that God called me to this. Interestingly enough, this is the first book in a five book series. I am currently writing in and out of books two and three.

Q: How was it that you began to write your book?

A: Here goes, you may find this remarkable when I say this… I have been told to write this book. Yes, I did say told to write it. This book came into being because of a beautiful experience I had with God. I was sitting on the sofa one evening watching TV when all of a sudden all of these chapter titles came flooding through my mind! I literally ran into my office and grabbed my prayer journal and wrote them all down as swiftly as they were coming! There were over twenty chapter titles! It was such a profound experience! I couldn’t do much in that moment except stand there staring at the page wondering what just happened. As I stood there staring, I understood that these would be the chapter titles in a book. A book that God was telling me to write! As I stood there reading over each chapter title, I knew what was going to be in every single chapter! I knew what was to be written. It was amazing.

Q: How did the chapter titles come into your mind?

A: This is also another really cool part about this extraordinary experience, they came to me in such rapid speed, and yet the Lord gave them to me in “perfect speed” – no faster than I could write, so that I would not forget any of them. When He gives, He gives so perfectly!

Q: What do you mean God spoke this book into you, can you explain this a bit further?

A: Sure, the way that I explain it is as though this were my “Burning Bush” moment. It’s not as though God had spoken to me, He actually did speak to me, (though not in an audible voice) telling me to write this book for Him. I imagine this moment to be how Moses felt (and many of us when God has called us to something bigger than ourselves, of which I am sure many of you can relate). Remember Moses saying but Lord I stutter? Those were my sentiments, I felt overwhelmed, unable, and unworthy, therefore setting my prayer journal aside tucking it into the shelf where I would not have to see it, making it easily ignorable for months. God would cause me to remember it, having my mind race back to the many chapter titles. Again I would feel unable, and unqualified to attempt to tackle this book. I recognized that was God calling me back to it, encouraging me to live into the BIG assignment that He had given me. He wanted me to embrace it, to experience the joy of it rather than the fear of it. Learning to lean more and more on Him during every bit of the writing of it. I had to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me rather than my fears. It caused me to grow closer to our Lord, because it was He who called me to it; therefore, I became dependent upon Him, became fully reliant upon Him.

Q: Would you say that this experience changed your life, and if so in what ways?

A: Oh YES!  Most definitely!  At the very beginning I hired a Christian Life Coach who became my cheerleader, prayed with me, got excited with me, and held me accountable to writing it, to really doing it.  While in the process of writing the book I began to experience the huge difference of having a Life Coach, because of that I enrolled in CTI (The Coaches Training Institute) and became a Certified Life Coach as well.  I opened up my own coaching practice which I LOVE!   And now I am an Author/Speaker/Life Purpose Coach.  During the time of writing the book I was the Vice President of a Nationwide Non-profit Organization called CARES By Apartment Life.  (Shameless Plug): Should you be looking for a great ministry in which to donate check them out www.CARESTeam.org – (and no, I do not get any residual income for plugging them, just fully sold out to their mission!)  Anyway…  I also became a Certified Coach through Katie Brazelton’s Life Purpose Coaching Centers International.  That has been amazing as well!  I love all that God has called me to in the writing, the speaking, and the coaching.  I believe that I am one who is living into my calling to help other’s hear the voice of God, take the steps of faith that it takes to live more fully into their God-given dreams.  It’s a wonderful thing to do.  Each of us needs to find ways to combat our fears in order to live and step one step at a time into bigger faith.

Q: Why did you name your coaching practice “Awakenings” Life Purpose Coaching?

A: I am glad that you asked that.  Coaching comes very naturally to me and I enjoy seeing each client “Awakened” to their lives!  No more sleep walking through this wonderful God-given life we’ve been given.  There is nothing more thrilling than seeing you come alive, and actually take the steps toward achievement.  I am honored and privileged to walk along side you as you AWAKEN to the possibilities and began making them happen.  Coaching is the ministry that God has laid upon my heart to do.  I love the process, and the exhilaration of seeing God work through me as the coach and you as the client!

My coaching practice Awakenings is based on Isaiah 50:4, Galatians 5:25 and Psalm 139.  Shall we go over the passages a bit?

• Isaiah 50:4  …He Awakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
• Galatians 5:25 If we live by Spirit, walk we by Spirit
• Psalm 139:13-17 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.  I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!  Body and soul, I am marvelously made!  I worship in adoration—what a creation!  You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.  Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

Q: Do you keep a coach in your life?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

A: Another great question, yes, absolutely!  I utilize a coach in my life as well.  I am amazed at how utilizing a life coach has brought such transformational change to my entire life! It has caused such beauty, challenged me beyond what I thought I could do.  Doing those things is so rewarding. It causes me to gain a confidence to go further.  It’s amazing what we can accomplish when a Life Coach is used.  The process of coaching encouraged the writing of my book, so that I no longer feared it, but embraced it!  That’s what coaching does! It causes you to really find out what is inside of you- waiting for us to uncover all the beautiful layers and bring them out. I honestly believe that everyone should have their own personal life coach!  Many more amazing things would be occurring in this life if that were the case.  I am a believer in it because of the impact it has had in my own life, and the impact it’s had in the lives of my clients.   You’ll find and be-Awakened to who God created you to be. Then we go deeper and start setting goals and putting actions into place. I promise you are going to love the process and the journey to be…. Awakened!

Q: Are you one that writes regularly in a journal?

A: Well, I’ll try to keep this as short as possible (how short I cannot promise)…   I am not one who journals often, although I do from time to time, and while doing so have always seemed to find the answers to the questions I have for God.  It’s as though He is answering all of my questions for me while I write.  This is the Holy Spirit in action.  I love the way the Holy Spirit works!  You would think that I would journal more often simply for that reason alone.  I can allow the busyness of ever day get in the way of doing the things that God has for me to do even though I know that they are good for me.

More questions… please email Kathryn