Bio: Laurie Coombs is an adoring wife and mother who remains
committed to her family’s needs before any others. She is a passionate
writer and speaker on the issues of forgiveness, redemption, and the hope found
in Jesus. Her story was featured in Billy Graham's film, Heaven, and she is a featured writer and blogger for iBelieve and
Crosswalk. Laurie and her husband, Travis, make their home in Nevada along with their two daughters, Ella
and Avery. Together, the Coombs family is adopting from Ethiopia .
Welcome, Laurie. What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?
I’m just a girl who loves Jesus.
Someone who believes God enough to follow His lead. I love my husband and
children more than I can ever say. I love spending time with my family and
friends. I drink entirely way too many soy chai tea lattes. I am terrible at
keeping a workout schedule. And I feel most alive when I speak about
Jesus.
Tell us about your family.
My family is most certainly my
greatest blessing here on this earth. My husband, Travis, and I have been
married almost fourteen years but have been together for close to eighteen. It’s
hard to believe it’s been that long––we were just babies,
seventeen and eighteen years old, when we began dating.
Travis and I have two
wonderfully amazing daughters, who are seven and nine years old, who we
absolutely adore. But our family is not finished yet. We’ve been in
the process of adopting from Ethiopia for almost five years now and are in the home
stretch to bring our three-year-old little boy and five-year-old little girl
home! Quite honestly, we cannot wait see this epic journey come to completion,
and so prayers are very much appreciated!!
Have you written other nonfiction books?
Not yet! But I have a sneaking
suspicion God might call me to write a book on faith and belief enough to
follow Him in the hard places. I have so many more incredible stories of God’s
faithfulness in the face of difficult circumstances in me, but we’ll
just have to wait and see where He leads!
Do you have any other books in the works right now?
Letters from My Father’s
Murderer has been keeping me pretty busy over the last three years, and
I quite honestly haven’t had much time for anything else. I told my husband
I’m
never going to write another book, when I was in the thick of it a few months
back. His response made me chuckle. He told me writing a book is probably like
having a baby––toward the end, you think you’ll
never do it again, but once you give birth––and see the fruit of your
labor––you
get amnesia of sorts and are ready to do it all over again. I think Travis is
right. This will not be my only book.
What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?
I absolutely love doing just
about anything outdoors––hiking, camping, backpacking, snow skiing––and
so does the rest of my family. Together with some of our closest friends, we
spend most weekends outside, enjoying God’s creation in one form or
another.
Aside from that, I love to read.
I can often be caught reading four or five books at the same time (though not
in one sitting). And I’d say one of my favorite things to do is to share
dinner with our closest friends while our gaggle of kids run around playing
with one another.
Why did you write the featured book?
To be honest, I didn’t
initially want to write this book. I wanted to share my story, but I knew that
writing it in a book would require me to bare all. I knew I’d
have to share difficult things, and I quite honestly didn’t
want to. But greater than my resistance was my desire to see people experience
freedom and redemption and healing as I had. I wanted God to be glorified for
what He had done in and through my life.
I knew God was calling me to
write this book. And I knew God well enough to know that if I answered that
call I’d
most assuredly see lives change as a result of the message He has given me. God
allowed me to see that good could come out of the ashes of my past. That I
could play a small part in the grand story He has been unfolding since the
beginning of time. That I could participate in what He’s doing in
the here and now, for the good of many. And so, I chose to say yes, and of
course, I’m now completely on board with God’s
plan for my life.
What do you want the reader to take away from the book?
Hope is at the heart of my
message. God truly has worked all things for good in my life. Romans 8:28 says,
“And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to His purpose.”
The first part of Genesis 50:20 says, “As for you, you meant evil
against me, but God meant it for good.” God brings good out of evil.
Love out of hate. Peace out of despair. I believe it is His desire to do this
for every one of us. You see, our pain won’t be wasted. We don’t
have to sit in it. If we bring our pain, past and present, to God, He will
redeem it.
Is there anything you’d
like to tell my readers about you or your book?
I’d like the readers to know
that we all have wounds. Every one of us. And my pain is no more valid than
yours or anyone else’s. I believe pain is pain, regardless of its cause.
But here’s
the thing, Jesus came that we might have life. Life to the full. He came to
bind the brokenhearted. To proclaim freedom to the captives. To release
prisoners from their darkness. To comfort all who mourn. To bestow a crown of
beauty instead of ashes. In short, He came to redeem. To make us new.
Jesus once said that we will
have troubles in this life, “but,” He said, “take
heart for I have overcome the world.” Troubles will come, pain will
be felt, but our troubles and our pain are not without purpose. God uses
everything. Nothing goes to waste. If He allows something to take place, it is
because He has a plan for it. There is absolutely nothing we might face that
won’t
be used by God.
Where on the Internet can the readers find you?
I write at LaurieCoombs.org
but can also be found on iBelieve.com and
Crosswalk.com. I also have had the honor of being featured in Billy Graham’s most recent film, Heaven,
which can be viewed online at My Hope with Billy Graham. It’s well worth the time to watch!
Thank you, Laurie, for sharing this book with us. I know my blog readers will be praying for you and your family as you adopt the two children.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Letters From My Father's Murderer - Christianbook.comLetters from My Father's Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness - Amazon
Letters from My Father's Murderer - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
13 comments:
Great interview with Laurie. Laurie, thank you for pressing through the hard places to release this story.
Caryl in TEXAS
I would love to read this book. I hope she has 'amnesia' and decides to write more.
California
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Lena! What a blessing you are!
Thank you, Caryl and Linda, for your words of encouragement! I do believe the amnesia is setting in already!
Laurie, this sounds like a powerful book--thank you for sharing!
-Melissa M. in TN
Hi Laurie & Lena! Laurie's story sounds fascinating! I look forward to reading it!
Kristen in OK
kam110476 at gmail dot com
A lovely interview thank you.
The title certainly caught my attention.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
What a compelling read. I would love to read this story. I live in Illinois. Thank you, Lena.
The book sounds very exciting and a good read. Thanks for the interview. I live in VA.
I would really love to read this book. Besides good Christian fiction, I very much enjoy true stories written by Christians. Sometimes I read books by non-Christians but have to watch out for inappropriate language, etc.
Edward A in VA
Enter me in your great giveaway!!
Conway, SC.
Hello Laurie. I think this book is one I would like to read. Very interesting. I would love to win it.
Maxie from Texas > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
I have read great reviews for this book.
Connie from KY
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