Let's talk to Sandy.
What inspired you to write Letting Go, Pathway to an Amazing Life?
I have had a personal relationship with God most of my life. I attended church, prayed daily, participated in church activities, etc. I knew Jesus offers joy and peace. Yet happiness in my life seemed to come and go. There had to be more to life. I heard others say you will have happiness if you have a relationship with God. I had a relationship with Him yet something was missing. Then I went through what I call a “wilderness experience”. This is a time of hardship in which there is nothing we can do to help ourselves. We discover we must let go of our grip on anything in our life that we are seeking to find satisfaction from and embrace the life God called us to live. Experiencing a wilderness experience changed my focus and my life. What resulted is a strong desire to tell what I discovered to all who are on the same pursuit for happiness that I was on.
Letting Go, is an intriguing title. Why did you choose it?
We tend to hold onto the things we think will bring us contentment. In my life I held onto my dreams and desires. I believed they would provide me the happiness I sought. Yet everything I pursued failed to bring meaning to my life. It was not until I reached a point that I realized that my own pursuing was not working that I was able to let go and surrender all to God. It was at this point that my life changed. It was in letting go that I began to find true joy and peace in my life.
How can reading your book have an impact on the reader’s life?
As you travel with me on my journey to find contentment, I share the secrets I discovered to have inner peace and true joy. I encourage the reader to let go of the obstacles in their life that hinders them from experiencing the abundant life Jesus wants all of us to have. Further, fundamental truths are revealed that guides the reader to a closer walk with God.
How did you become a Christian?
My parents made the decision to enroll me in a Christian school. My parents did not know God, but they knew the value of a good education. They felt a Christian school would give me a better education. It was at school that I learned who Jesus is and about the love of God. I value those days and the valuable lessons I learned. Those lessons were what would get me through many challenges in my future.
You speak of joy and peace in your book. In what way did you find these?
For most of my life, my eyes were focused on my life, my circumstances, my dreams and desires. Once I let go of these and put my focus on drawing closer to the Lord and embracing His desires, my life began to have meaning. When I stopped placing confidence in myself to find happiness and started having God-confidence, He brought me an inner peace and joy that I had previously only had glimpses of. My circumstances did not change but how I felt inside did.
Was there a pivotal point that changed your life?
My childhood held a lot of precious memories. It was during my childhood that I grew to have a special love for family. It was a place where you belong; a place you can count on, or so I thought.
During my junior high years my family started to come apart. Investments my dad made put a strain on his marriage with my mother. Finally my dad stopped coming home. My world was turned upside down. The family I knew and loved was gone. All I depended on was no more. What I was left with was my pursuit to have a loving family again. It became my life’s goal.
In my pursuit I would meet several men; a few that were good to me and many who were not. I ended up in some pretty awful circumstances at times. Yet I just hung on. I believed so deeply that if I could just meet that special one, I would be happy at last. Then one day I did or so I thought. That man became my husband. Then four days before Christmas he walked into our bedroom and said there was a U-Haul in the driveway and he was moving out. I could barely breathe. The pain was intense. This is what I had waited for all my life. This marriage was supposed to bring me happiness. And there were many times it did. But in the end I was left empty and alone.
For most of my life my focus was in finding Mr. Right. I believed once I did I would my life would be complete. When my husband walked out, I realized all my pursuing only left me broken and without hope. I saw following my own pursuits was futile. It was at this point that God was then able to show me a much deeper love than I had ever experienced and I was able to let go.
Are you associated with any other organizations you would care to share with our readers?
I have partnered with Inspire Life Skills Training, Inc. They inspire young adults who are aging-out of the foster care system to become independent. Half of the proceeds from the sale of this book is given to them.
Foster youth face enormous challenges in making a smooth transition to adulthood and building successful lives. These young people often leave the foster care system with few resources and very little support. Often they have suffered physically and emotionally from the lack of a stable and supportive family. As a result it is common for these youth to face homelessness, limited education, unemployment, incarceration, substance abuse and unwanted pregnancy.
How can our readers purchase your book?
It can be purchased directly from my website at www.pathwaytoanamazinglife.com. Also it can be bought from several online bookstores.
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