Joining us today is Kathi Macias, author of Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World. She’s going to tell us all about this powerful new book and what she’s up to next.
Q: Thanks for being here, Kathi. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
A: I was born and raised in Southern California in the beach heydays of the fifties and sixties. Though I grew up in a close-knit family, we were not Christians. I attended church with friends whenever I had the chance, but it wasn’t until I was twenty-six years old that I received Jesus as my Savior. I published my first book in 1988 (a women’s devotional that became one of Regal Book’s bestsellers), and have been writing/editing/publishing ever since.
I’m married to my junior high/high school sweetheart, Al, and we live in Southern California and spend what little spare time we have riding our Harley—hence, my road name of “Easy Writer.”
Q: Have you always gravitated toward Christian and inspirational writing?
A: Not really, since I started writing before I became a Christian. Still, looking back, I see that my writing all had a sort of “spiritual searching” quality to it. Since I’ve become a believer, the only writing I’ve done that wasn’t Christian was newspaper work and my writers’ workbook.
Q: Tell us about Beyond Me.
A: I’ve authored a lot of books over the last couple of decades, but Beyond Me is the “book of my heart,” the one I’ve worked on for many years. It has been a real labor of love because it is what God has been teaching me for the thirty-plus years I’ve known Him. And because I tend to learn things the hard way, God had to walk me through the message of this book many times before I finally “got it.” (And, of course, now that I’ve said that, I’ll probably find myself walking through it yet again!)
The main point, or “heart message,” of this book is that God has called us to lay down our lives—daily, over and over again, as we grow more and more like Him, the Supreme Model of You-First Living in a Me-First World. As a result, our sacrificial living may very well not be appreciated or understood by a world that practices and applauds the exact opposite, but we must continue to model that you-first life anyway—even to the very ones who reject our attempts to do so. Though there are other points present in the book—unconditional love, the cost of discipleship, the continual need for “attitude adjustments”—they all revolve around the central theme of God’s calling to model a you-first life in a me-first world.
Q: Where did you find the inspiration for this story?
A: It was most definitely birthed out of my own spiritual journey, the many lessons I learned—most of them flat on my face—as I grew in my relationship with Jesus. I’ve always been a high achiever—the classic firstborn, type-A personality—and the most difficult thing for me to learn was that it really wasn’t about me! But then, isn’t that the toughest thing for all of us? As John the Baptist said, “He must increase, and I must decrease.” It’s a process, sometimes a painful one, and it continues throughout our life here on earth.
Q: What are a few of the tips readers will find to help them live a “You-First” life?
A: Primarily they will learn through reading the many stories included in the book, stories that illustrate how absolutely impossible it is for us to live a you-first life on our own. They will see the faithfulness of God that carries us each time we fall and, like children, finally look to our “Daddy” for help.
Q: How challenging is this call to true discipleship? How can Beyond Me help readers achieve success?
A: The call to true discipleship is the most challenging ever issued in the history of the world. Jesus didn’t tell us to “go into all the world and make converts.” He told us to make disciples—disciplined ones who willingly take up their crosses and follow Him down the selfless path that He walked for us. Beyond Me will help readers achieve that walk of true discipleship by showing them their absolute inability to do so—and their absolute need for complete dependence on God every step of the way.
Q: Does the book also show readers how to share their calling with others?
A: This is one of the strong points of Beyond Me, as it is replete with real life examples, as well as a “Making It Personal” section at the end. The layout of the book adapts easily to individual or group study.
Q: Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?
A: The book is available at stores nationwide, as well as any major online store, including CBD, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. It can also be ordered directly from the publisher (New Hope Publishers) or from my Web site.
Q: How would a church or woman’s group go about purchasing multiple copies of the book? Are discounts available?
A: Yes, discounts are available for group orders by calling the publishers toll free number (1-800-968-7301) and asking for Sandy Garner or Sharon Jones.
Q: What is up next for you?
A: My next scheduled release is How Can I Run a Tight Ship when I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons? This book will release in January or February 2009 from New Hope Publishers. Right after that I have a novel releasing from Sheaf House called My Son, John, and then another book from New Hope called Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers Today, releasing in May 2009, just in time for Mother’s Day. Readers can learn more about these upcoming releases by checking the “coming soon” page on my website.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Only that I am so blessed to be able to serve God in a way I enjoy so very much—and also that I really enjoy hearing from my readers. We have a very large “mailing list family,” and I would love to have readers stop by the website and join us.
Thanks again for joining us today, Kathi. Good luck with your book.