Author: Leighann McCoy
Located in: Franklin, TN
Submitted: August 05, 2013
Tell us a little about yourself. I am a pastors' wife, mother and "nana". My husband and I have served Thompson Station Church for over 20 years and have experienced growing from 8 to over 2000 members. I serve on staff with him as the prayer and women's minister.
What was your motivation behind this project? When I wrote "Spiritual Warfare for Women" (Bethany House, 2011), the spiritual battles intensified to such a degree that I sometimes wished I'd never taken on the task. In the past couple years I've learned that when we experience spiritual warfare we really have 3 battles that take place simultaneously. One is with the devil, the other is with the people and circumstances that he uses to wage war against us. But the third is surprising, it is the very real struggle we have with God. This book is about that struggle.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? In this book I share my own struggle with hearing God's voice when life gets hard. But if there were one thing I could share, it would be what Henrietta Mears shared near the end of ther earthly life...I would encourage my readers to "trust Him more." God is faithful, He always does what He says He will do and no matter what you are going through now, you can trust Him. He will not only bring you through, but you will smile when you get to the other side knowing that God has certainly loved you like no other.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? My fight with cancer returned as I wrote "A Woman's Guide to Hearing God's Voice" and although I was going through chemotherapy treatments, I clung to the examples of the lives of the biblical characters who lived through to the fulfillment of God's promises in their lives. As I retold their stories, I grabbed hold of their faith and chose to believe that God is the same today as He was then--and He will do for me what He has done before.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? Well I bragged on my husband when I answered this question for my book "Spiritual Warfare for Women" but this time I'm going to brag on my mother. She is a rock! Her faith has seen her through many years, some good and some not so good. And as she suffered through my cancer she chose to seek her answers in God's Word. She found specific promises that she clung to tenaciously. Today she is still seeking out those promises and holding God at his word as my sister is fighting an even more serious battle with cancer. My favorite author on prayer is Jennifer Kennedy Dean. I've quoted her some in this book and have read everything she's written. I'm looking forward to meeting her this coming January when she comes to our church to host a prayer conference. Artists? I'd have to still say that Travis Cottrell is my favorite. Even though I live in the shadow of Nashville, he's the only one I know personally and I love his heart.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I'm more passionate about this book than any other I've ever written. I tend to be very transparent when I write, and even had to ask my daughters to sign releases before this book was published. I want my readers to know that God is still amazing me with the way He's working out His plans in my life meticulously and methodically every step of the way.
