Living Inside The Testimony was my first book; however, I didn’t plan to write it. I had never considered myself an author and had no intentions or aspirations to write a book. However, the Lord had other plans for me, and after I submitted “my will” to become the same as HIS will for my life, things divinely changed, and I embraced this new passion. Here’s how it all began.
I had asked Kartriece Ward, a friend who owns Visions Promotional Agency, to make a DVD for me. It was going to be a personal keepsake of all the pictures I had taken of our dream home while it was under construction along with the audio of my testimony about the house that I had previously shared at church.
Kartriece sent me an email telling me this testimony was “meant to be heard by more than our circle of family and friends.” She said my testimony was “a sense of hope and encouragement during such a time as this…It’s an amazing thing what one willing person’s boldness to stand up and proclaim the goodness of God can do in the hearts of His people and the sense of hope it can bring…. It can help form thoughts and seeds of faith…” She felt sure God would lead and guide me through the entire process so those the Lord wanted me to witness to would hear or see me through whatever platforms He used…. I noticed she had typed platforms with a plural, red letter “s” at the end. Hmmmm…. platforms…. I had not thought about it before. I never (never ever) desired or planned to write a book, but now things had suddenly and dramatically changed.
She sent the email January 9, 2009, and I dreamed about the front cover of the book that very night. What I saw in my dream was the outstretched hands of Jesus with our dream home coming out of his hands as if it was a gift. That dream became the design for the book cover.
I started writing the book the next morning as soon as I woke up with the words “Elvis died.” How weird that my testimony would begin with that simple sentence which seemingly had no relation to my testimony at all, but I soon discovered that my writing experience would not be what one would anticipate for a first time author. I sat at a blank computer screen and simply started typing. A month later, the book was finished. What started out as a personal home video had suddenly become my new obsession—my passion to share my “personal” testimony with the world, by whatever means the Lord would see fit to use it.
In the end, the book really wasn’t about the 3-year faith journey to purchase the land and build the house. That’s only 2 chapters in the book. Instead, it’s a collection of stories where I share the inspiration, faith, hope, humor, romance, and love that I had experienced throughout my lifetime. The stories revolve around my experiences with my family, friends, and other individuals who have contributed, often unknowingly, to the path God had chosen for my life.
As one book reviewer noted: “Living Inside The Testimony is not your everyday read. It’s far from it. It’s a wonderfully amazing story of Ms. Collier’s walk with God. It’s her living testimony, her daily struggles, her daily acceptance that she is walking with her Father. Ms. Collier’s testimony is told with exuberance and love, helping people to understand that there will be trials along the way, but having faith and hope in your heart will help you to overcome any obstacle. Though humorous at times, and a fast paced read, this is not a book that should be taken lightly. It’s anything but that, and will keep your wheels turning and your heart filled.” Reviewed by Molly E. for Readers’ Favorite
For more information about the book, please visit my website: http://livinginsidethetestimony.com
Watch the 2-minute book trailer here.
Although I thought this would be my one and only book, now I’m on a God-inspired journey to write an inspirational collection of books, the Living Inside The Testimony ® Book Series. Thank you for joining me on this journey!