Author: Natalie R. W. Eastman
Located in: Delaware, OH
Submitted: June 03, 2015
Tell us a little about yourself. In brief:
Christian. Author. Singer. Musician. Worship leader. Worshiper. Speaker. Educator. M.Div. 02, D.Min. 05Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, MA). Texan, Virginian, Marylander, Bay Stater, Nutmegger, Ohioan. Travel loverespecially international, but anywhere will do. Sun-worshiper/heat-lover. Dark chocolate eater. Costco fanatic. Starbucks Mocha drinker. (Too-)extreme multi-tasker. Extrovert with growing introvert needs. Wife/life partner to Dr. David, associate professor extraordinaire. Mama to three remarkable littles.
What was your motivation behind this project? 1. To "translate" and distill all that I'd been privileged to learn and receive through my seminary training and experiences and 12+ years in ministry, into something helpful and fruitful for others--women in particular.
2. To give robust, reliable, time-tested, and orthodox skills and methods for discerning what God is saying about particular issues--especially if they're tough and/or controversial issues--over, above, and through what everyone else says God says about it.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? The skills, ability, and soundly-based confidence to discern People in the pews crave the tools, skills, and insights to which students in the ivory towers are privy. I hope my works contribute to the spiritual and intellectual development of those craving it, so they can in turn teach and help others.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Throughout the process of researching and writing, and subsequently marketing, the book, the Lord has bowled me over with his faithfulness. Each and every time I have sat to write or work, because I'm still working on things that will help make the method more effective for and accessible to people, he meets me there.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? In terms of impactful authors and artists, particularly moving or helpful books, and influential resources, there are too many to name. In general, I would say that my entire experience attending courses and living at a theological seminary catalyzed my own personal "great awakening" -- spiritually and intellectually. A few professors particularly both inspired and helped me: Dr. Alice P. Mathews is at the top of that list. Several others identified various kinds of intellectual/academic potential in my writing and work, and took the time to point it out to me, which encouraged me to believe I could not only receive knowledge, but filter it and also construct it in ways helpful to others as well as myself.
So seminary helped me develop. Yet, I also realized through that experience that churches can teach "everyday Christians" much of what seminaries and divinity schools teach people, just in a more spread-out way - and not "dumbed down," either. People in the pews crave the tools, skills, and insights to which students in the ivory towers are privy. I hope my works contribute to the spiritual and intellectual development of those craving it, so they can in turn teach and help others.
