You
two have been friends since, what, 1973?
But
this is the first time you’ve written
a book together;
what inspired you to do
so now?
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If I remember correctly,
Marilyn, Mary [Graham] and I had been
talking about the concept of freedom
and how similar we are in our beliefs. Mary
said something like, “Why don’t
the two of you maybe write a book together…” and
it took off from there. |
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Our 2007 conference theme is Amazing
Freedom. Luci and I both love
that topic, so it was an easy one to
decide to do together. I would take
freedom on inside, internal motivations
(the shrink part). Luci took freedom
from the outside, and that’s
why it’s called Free Inside
and Out. |
You’ve
each written a number of books separately;
how
did you go about writing one together?
Did
you learn anything about each other through
the process of writing the book?
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Interestingly,
when we did the Q&A chapters, a whole
new level of conversation opened up between
us. There was lots of laughter and tears
from both of us. As we heard ourselves
think it became a wonderful, tremendously
in-depth conversation that surprised
us both, I think. It proved again
that we’ll never, ever run out
of things to talk about. Even when we
disagreed it was with acceptance of the
other; always with love, understanding
and fun repartee. During the writing
of the whole book though, there wasn’t
a time we didn’t see each other
and discuss where each of us was in the
writing outline. |
How
do you think the book turned out?
|
It’s
very upbeat, very practical and hopefully
will inspire reader to think Oh,
I can do that. That’s good
stuff, it’s not too hard. The
ultimate answer to the bondage we feel
in our spirits is alleviated when we
fully grasp what the Spirit does in
setting us free. We were not born to
slavery, we were born to freedom. That’s
why the Scripture says, “I have
come to set you free.” |
How did you two meet, anyway?
|
I was introduced
to Marilyn through my brother Chuck.
I was living in Texas at the time
and was visiting Chuck’s
family on the West Coast. He told me
there was a woman in his congregation
whom I would really enjoy…he
thought we were so much alike. So,
he invited Marilyn and Ken (her husband)
over for dinner and I met them. Loved
them both immediately and since that
moment, we’ve been close friends. |
|
Luci
and I just hit it off – we felt
a kinship, a natural camaraderie. We’re
very different, but at the soul level
there’s kinship. I’m not
programmed - I love spontaneity, I
don’t love to plan, I feel constricted
by externals like planning and regimes. Luci
loves all that and does her best work
there. She loves details. I hate details
unless talking we’re about what
makes you tick inside, then I can settle
in with a cup of tea and small piece
of chocolate and talk for hours. |
Tell us about Women of Faith’s 2007
theme,
Amazing Freedom. What
does that mean to you?
|
I
know I am always free when tethered
irrevocably to the true fact of God
that His grace is slathered all over
me. God will not leave me, God will
not judge me, God will always forgive
me. That’s the touchstone of
internal freedom.
|
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We all want to be free.
The 1st verse of Galatians 5 says “Christ
has set us free to live a free life.
So take your stand! Never let anyone
put a harness of slavery on you”.
When I read that, I think it’s
amazing that Christ has set me free
so I can BE free. I can LIVE freely.
I can THINK freely. It’s such
a huge gift and I don’t take
it lightly. It means the world to me! |
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