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Meet Rose Chandler Johnson, author of God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea, published July 11, 2013.
Her devotions, poems, and articles have appeared in numerous Christian publications. She enjoys writing for her popular blog, Write Moments with God, and engaging with her readers. Rose is from a small Georgia town, and has lived in Martinez, GA for the last twenty-eight years. She has been a French and English teacher for the last twenty years. Rose enjoys baking, gardening, and spending time with her six children and their families.
I recently asked her to give me some insight into her new devotional book
Is there a story behind your book God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea?
I was reading some of my old journals recently and I
came across an entry from 1979. It was a
prayer in which I told the Lord I wanted to write a book that was relevant and
encouraging and that would “point others to the heart of God”. I believe that
the Lord gave me that desire and that God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea is a
realization of that desire, even though I wasn’t thinking of that consciously when I wrote it.
How did you decide to write your devotional? When I decided to make Jesus the Lord of my life, in 1977, I starting reading a devotional every morning. It was just what I needed to help me focus and structure my time. I’ve incorporated devotional reading in my quiet times with God for decades. I think most people could benefit from that format. So, I think that comes back to my desire to be relevant and encouraging.
Sweet Tea invokes the idea of the South in the summer. Does that play a part in your devotional?
I love sweet iced tea. I feel like I can’t do
without it. I literary drink a pitcher a
day. In the South, nothing is more
refreshing than a glass of sweet iced tea, except experiencing God in those
small, everyday moments. So, when my
publisher asked for a title that had some of my Southern personality, I said
God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea. The “sweet
iced tea” says it’s personal, relevant, and refreshing.
What is your favorite verse? What makes it special to you?
I’ve always loved the 17th Chapter of
John. It’s Jesus’ prayer to His Father
in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion. It’s so special because He prays for those of
us who believe in Him. The very cry of
His heart is recorded there for us. John
17: 21 is my favorite verse.
What other books have you written? Do you have anything else in the works?
God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea is my first
book. I’ve written poems, articles, and
other devotions which have appeared in print, but this is my first book.
Share the links to your book and to your social media.God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments. A devotional journey. Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas [ISBN 978-1-938499-86-9]
Available from Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/God-Sweet-Iced-Tea-Experiencing/dp/1938499867/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371496155&sr=8-1&keywords=Rose+Chandler+Johnson
Available in print from Barnes & Noble.com
Blog: Write Moments with God. http://www.writemomentswithgod.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rechanjo
Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/rosecjohnson/boards/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rose.c.johnson
I use a devotional to get me in the mood to write whenever I sit down to work. It's a great way to focus internally before my writing for the Lord begins.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane, for your interview of Rose Chandler Johnson. I love the layout and think the simplicity of her first book, "God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea" will reach many people.
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