Kathy Collard Miller is an award-winning author, speaker, and lay counselor. She is the author of over fifty books, including Bible studies, commentaries, and books on spiritual growth. Kathy has spoken at women’s events in eight foreign countries and over thirty U.S. states. She and her husband, Larry, have written books together and speak together at couples’ events.
Thirty years after she first began writing, Kathy’s passion is still to help Christians trust God more. And to help others know how much God loves them.
Kathy and Larry, live in southern California and are the parents of two grown children and grandparents to two.
Which came first for you, writing or speaking?
Thanks so much for allowing me to be on your blog, Kathy. You generously allow us to share God’s work in our lives. And for me, my writing began first, most likely all the way back to middle school. I didn’t know what a writer was but there was a stirring in my heart for it. I tried to write a novel and wrote one chapter. Sure wish I had a copy of it.
Then in high school, I was editor of our newspaper and I loved writing my column. I didn’t pursue writing until after I was married, had two children, and God delivered me from being a child abuser and healed our marriage. I wanted to share our story and learned at a community writing class about something called a “query letter.” I sent one to Moody Monthly Magazine which was the only Christian magazine I knew about way back in 1979. They wanted to read my story and then accepted it. But because I was ashamed of what had occurred and hadn’t told anyone, I required it be published anonymously. They agreed.
When the article was accepted, I was so thrilled that I mentioned the acceptance to others, not anticipating they would reply, “What’s the article about?” Then I had to begin divulging how I had been a child abuser. No one criticized me. One woman I told who I met at church said I should tell my story for our young mom’s group. I refused. I had never given a presentation before and didn’t intend to, especially about my sin. She told the woman in charge anyway and by the time she called, God had changed my mind and given me the courage.
That was back in 1980, and since then God has continued fulfilling His plan through my ministry of having over fifty books published and speaking in eight foreign countries and over thirty states. I’m the most shocked person of all, not knowing what He intended and has expanded. I praise God that our daughter whom I abused calls me her best friend and our family is whole (but not perfect!).
What are some of your favorite speaking topics?
One of my favorites is the motives of our hearts. All of us at times wonder, “Why do I keep doing something even though I say I won’t?” Even when we ask for God’s help, it’s hard to take hold of His power. Although I’m still learning, I can share with others how to dissect the intentions of our hearts. By identifying the lies that were birthed because of the wounds of childhood, we begin to distrust God’s love and goodness. We learn to protect ourselves through any variety of sinful strategies. But we can learn instead to respond with the fruit of the Spirit by truly believing God wants our best. Those are the principles my husband, Larry, and I share in Never Ever Be the Same: A New You Starts Today.
I have a future book coming out called Pure Hearted: The Blessings of Living Out God’s Glory. It builds on the ideas of the Never Ever… book. My passion is to bring heart transformation within the Body of Christ. We are also lay counselors and speak individually and together.
Kathy, for any of your readers who email me (KathyCollardMiller@gmail.com), I’ll put their name into a drawing that when Pure Hearted is released, I’ll pick one winner to receive one of the first copies off the press—autographed, of course.
Let’s talk about your latest book, which is a women’s Bible study: Whispers of My Heart: Daughters of the King Bible Study Series. Please tell us about it.
I’m very excited this is now available because it’s an expanded and updated version of a women’s study I wrote back in the 1990’s. It’s has ten lessons about prayer with questions and commentary for individuals or groups. Plus, each lesson ends with my signature “Letter from God.”
The series originally had twelve study books and I’m expanding and rewriting each one. Another one is already available on women of the Bible: Choices of the Heart: Daughters of the King Bible Study Series. It also has ten lessons for individuals and groups.
What was the inspiration for them?
In the 1990’s, I had about ten books published, and I’d always wanted to write Bible studies since I taught them in different venues. But I didn’t feel qualified because I didn’t have any formal training like seminary or Bible school. I sent a book proposal for a general women’s Christian Living book to an editor and received back a rejection letter. But in the letter were these words: “We aren’t interested in this idea but we are interested in developing a women’s Bible study series. Would you want to submit some ideas for that?” It seemed like God was opening a huge door wide and I jumped through it before He could close it. <Smile>
I submitted several ideas and they picked out two to start. That was the beginning of the twelve that were written and published over the following several years. They turned out to be hugely popular and even though they are out of print—except for the new re-written ones—I still receive requests for copies. I’m so excited the studies are available again.
[ctt title=”In a future book, I’ll be examining 100 questions God & Jesus ask in the Bible.” tweet=”In a future book, I’ll be examining 100 questions God & Jesus ask in the Bible. ~ @KathyCMiller https://ctt.ec/6vBf3+” coverup=”6vBf3″]What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m excited that God is always giving me new ideas and usually those ideas are birthed from His own work in my life and in studying the Bible. As a result, over the last several years, I noticed how often God/Jesus asked questions in the Bible. I began to recognize how significant they were in how the questions, often unusual, drew out the motives of the person. For instance, why would Jesus ask a disabled man who had waited by a pool of water for a very long time, “Do you want to get well?” Duh! Why else was he there? But Jesus’ wanted to not just heal the man physically but emotionally and spiritually. In a very near future book I’ll be examining 100 of the questions God and Jesus ask in the Bible. It’ll be in a devotional format. I’m excited about that.
Sounds like a great book! Thank you, Kathy! It’s great to have you back at Divine Detour.
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