Today, I am pleased to welcome author Christine Soule to I & R. Christine lives with the love of her life, Mitch Soule, in Seattle. They have five kids and two wonderful grandchildren (and counting). She is the founder and CEO of Providence Heights (www.providenceheights.org), a non-profit created to house women and children in need and to provide counseling, education, and jobs. Christine is going to talk about her book Broken and Beautiful in which she shares a message of hope as she tells how God took the pieces of her own broken life—childhood abuse, poverty, human trafficking, and more—and turned them all into breathtaking joy and purpose. And she is giving away one print copy away to someone in the U.S. and an eBook to someone outside the U.S. Welcome, Christine! How long have you been writing? Broken and Beautiful is my very first book which was published in October as a softcover, and we are about to publish it as an audiobook and in hardcover as well. What is the hardest thing about writing for you? Well...writing! The trick is to just start, then get out of the way and allow God to reveal what he wants his people to learn! Jesus has also blessed me with a full life and I am very much a people person. Dedicating the time to get it done isn’t always easy when there are so many incredible people to spend time with! What is the central theme of your book? That when you find your identity in Christ, it changes absolutely everything. No more striving, no more brokenness. Only freedom in Him and purpose. What inspired you to write this book? People! I have seen the power of testimony and I wanted to use my story to help others to experience the same freedom that I found when Jesus set me free. Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp? Your identity in Christ; when you absolutely know who you are in Jesus, it brings freedom to every area of your life. Whom the Son has set free is free indeed! How did you find Jesus? How were you saved? I was an abused stripper, addicted to drugs. I drank a lot, I stole from people out of bitterness, and I had just gotten out of a relationship with a woman. One morning I woke up to one of my three babies crying and my first thought was for drugs. I was so broken and I had sunk to my lowest, hitting rock bottom. I don’t remember when I first heard about Jesus, but I knew in that moment I needed a Savior. I fell to my knees and cried out to Him. I said “Jesus, if You’re real, my life is Yours. If You can do anything for me, I give it all to You”, and I meant every word. Then I listed all my sins, everything, and when I was finished, I felt the tangible presence of God. I felt love. In that moment I was completely set free! My life has never been the same since. Wow! Powerful stuff! I imagine your book will tell us what happened next, but for now, what is God doing in your life? What do you do when you aren't writing? I am a wife and a mom! And I am the founder and CEO of Providence Heights, a non-profit residential entrepreneurial training program for women and their children. I get to spend my life loving women and their precious kids, and helping them know their identity in Christ! Do you have any other books in the works? Yes. I am working on a Broken and Beautiful workbook. As well as a book on healing and reaching others through the gospel. Which do is you enjoy more – reading or writing? Reading, I am particularly addicted to the Bible! I also enjoy a good book and audiobooks are a great way to get in ‘reading time’ while on the go. Is there anything you would like to say to our readers? Jesus loves you. Right now, in this moment, exactly as you are. In Him you too can be set free! What is your favourite Scripture verse, and why? Matthew 22:37. Jesus said to him. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is my favorite verse because I do love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind. He gave His life for me, He gave everything for me, He brought me out of such brokenness and into His light, changing my whole life in a moment. How amazing is that? How could I help but love Him with all of me? Next, loving his people is one of my greatest honors in life! Thank you for sharing with us today, Christine. If you are interested in reading about Christine's story you can enter below to win a copy of her book. This giveaway ends May 25, 2021. Winners will be announced here and on Facebook and via email. Congratulations to Ginger Sanders! You are the winner of Broken and Beautiful. Watch for my email!Turning Tragedy into Triumph Do you ever feel stuck? Overwhelmed by fear? Do you worry that if people really knew the secrets you hide, they wouldn’t want you? Do you wonder why you’re even here? The things you hate about your life are the very things that excite God most. Your past doesn’t repel Him and your present doesn’t intimidate Him—because He knows what He can do with them! The places where you feel hopeless are exactly what He wants to redeem and fill with beauty, dignity, and strength. He has a plan for your pain. A wonderful intention for your failures. A purpose for your hardest, darkest stories. In Broken and Beautiful, Christine Soule shares the message of hope as she tells how God took the pieces of her own broken life—childhood abuse, poverty, human trafficking, and more—and turned them all into breathtaking joy and purpose. Told with honesty and humor, this is the story of a drug-addicted stripper’s transformation into an exuberant Jesus lover with a passion for meeting others in their journey and watching God’s love mend them together. 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