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Q&A with Shannon Perry
Author of "Grace and Guts: Strategies for Living a Knock-out Life"
Q: It has been over five years since your third book came out. Why was there such a time lapse between books?
A: This has been a difficult few years for me and my family. My mom was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and being an only child, I walked closely with her through that grueling journey. Last year, Mom stepped into heaven and I lost my mother who was also my hero, my secretary and my traveling buddy. Then just two months after Mom passed, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. We have had several other deaths in my family, as well as my own scare with cancer which turned out to be benign. This book has been on my mind for quite a while, but between traveling and speaking and dealing with all these personal matters, I just didn’t have time to complete it.
Q: How did your own personal difficulties these past few years influence this book?
A: I remember there were times when I would step on a stage to speak and, though I knew what I was sharing from God’s Word was truth, I was in a season in my life that I was dealing with a lot of doubt and fear. I remember just praying and asking God to speak through me, even though my own heart and spirit were often breaking. Amazingly, He would meet me there in my weakest moments. I wouldn’t wish on anyone what I have walked through these past few years, but I have learned so much more about God and His incredible faithfulness in my life.
Q: How did the book title come about?
A: I honestly felt like I was fighting a never-ending battle at times. Some days, I felt like I was being knocked down by yet another sucker punch. I wish I could say I gladly entered the ring and fought these past few years courageously. I did not. I tried to bargain, plead, cry and fight to get out of that ring. But I eventually came to the conclusion I had to go all nine rounds if I wanted to taste victory. I learned that it takes grace to fight God’s way, but it also takes a lot of guts to do that. We often try to convince God to do it our way because we think we know what is best. But God has a plan that goes beyond our finite minds, and following Him, especially when we don’t understand or can’t comprehend what is happening, takes a lot of courage.
A: This has been a difficult few years for me and my family. My mom was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and being an only child, I walked closely with her through that grueling journey. Last year, Mom stepped into heaven and I lost my mother who was also my hero, my secretary and my traveling buddy. Then just two months after Mom passed, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. We have had several other deaths in my family, as well as my own scare with cancer which turned out to be benign. This book has been on my mind for quite a while, but between traveling and speaking and dealing with all these personal matters, I just didn’t have time to complete it.
Q: How did your own personal difficulties these past few years influence this book?
A: I remember there were times when I would step on a stage to speak and, though I knew what I was sharing from God’s Word was truth, I was in a season in my life that I was dealing with a lot of doubt and fear. I remember just praying and asking God to speak through me, even though my own heart and spirit were often breaking. Amazingly, He would meet me there in my weakest moments. I wouldn’t wish on anyone what I have walked through these past few years, but I have learned so much more about God and His incredible faithfulness in my life.
Q: How did the book title come about?
A: I honestly felt like I was fighting a never-ending battle at times. Some days, I felt like I was being knocked down by yet another sucker punch. I wish I could say I gladly entered the ring and fought these past few years courageously. I did not. I tried to bargain, plead, cry and fight to get out of that ring. But I eventually came to the conclusion I had to go all nine rounds if I wanted to taste victory. I learned that it takes grace to fight God’s way, but it also takes a lot of guts to do that. We often try to convince God to do it our way because we think we know what is best. But God has a plan that goes beyond our finite minds, and following Him, especially when we don’t understand or can’t comprehend what is happening, takes a lot of courage.
Q: The book addresses twelve areas that you say women struggle with the most. How did you identify these topics?
A: I listened. I have talked with a lot of women one-on-one these past few years as they shared their personal struggles with me at conferences and retreats. I came to realize, though our circumstances are different, the common issues of insecurity, fear, anger, addiction, loneliness, depression, and the other areas the book addresses, are difficulties we all go through. I also did some deliberate polling on social media, and again, these same issues came up over and over again. Before I began speaking over a decade ago, I was a counselor by trade so I put that hat back on and combined that training and knowledge with the truth of God’s word to take on some of these tougher topics.
Q: You address issues such as people-pleasing and dealing with difficult people in this book. What are some practical tips that you share?
A: This book is written almost as a handbook for dealing with these different issues. I pack a lot of information into the chapters, but the solutions are very matter-of-fact. I have had my own struggles in these areas so I have learned what works and what doesn’t. But I also address some of the root causes such as shame or insecurity that can lead to a mentality of people-pleasing. In the chapter on difficult people, I identify several types of difficult people such as The Controller, The Blamer, The Bully, The Victim, and several others. When we can take a step back from our emotions and recognize what personalities we are dealing with, it can help us determine our best course of action.
Q: How is this book similar or different from your other three?
A: My first book, “Grace in High Heels: Real Life Reflections of Humor, Hope and Healing” was more of a devotional with a lot of funny personal stories. My second book, “The Overlooked Generation” was written for parents of teens and tweens, and my third book, “Stand: Staying Balanced with Answers for Real Teen Life” was written specifically for teen girls. This new book is directed toward women, but honestly, these issues are universal to men and women of all ages. I still offer some personal funny stories to anchor the points, mostly because people tend to remember a lesson more if a humorous story is attached to it. Jesus used mostly parables to teach, and I try to emulate that in my conferences.
Q: What have you observed happening in women's ministry as a whole?
I think women’s ministry as a whole needs a reboot. A lot of churches have done away with women’s ministries and I think this is a huge mistake. Many churches no longer have live events for the women of their congregation. As a result, women get less interaction with each other and don’t build relationships. As a church, we cannot allow media to take the place of the personal touch. I always make it a priority to personally meet the women who come to my events. Jesus was all about relationships with people, and I have seen God work in those one-on-one moments in incredible ways.
Q: How difficult is it to combine practical counseling techniques with scripture?
A: The Bible addresses so many of these issues outright, but many people don’t realize it. Take depression, for example. Elijah would be diagnosed with clinical depression if he went to a counselor today. He was even suicidal. So studying what Elijah did during that season of his life offers us instruction on how we can battle depression. Anger is another topic that is covered in the Bible over and over again. The problem is most of us live our daily lives without ever seeking what God says about our situations. We get on the phone and call everyone we know and complain and cry, when all we need to do is get alone with God and allow the truth of His Word to invade our emotions and thoughts. We get entangled in so much confusion that are simply lies of the enemy. We find ourselves in a dark place and never reach for the light of God’s word. Our culture preaches that truth is relative, but it is not. There is one truth, and it will be around long after we are all gone. It will stand forever. While life is often a string of uncertainty, we have a tightrope of faith that will never let us down.
A: I listened. I have talked with a lot of women one-on-one these past few years as they shared their personal struggles with me at conferences and retreats. I came to realize, though our circumstances are different, the common issues of insecurity, fear, anger, addiction, loneliness, depression, and the other areas the book addresses, are difficulties we all go through. I also did some deliberate polling on social media, and again, these same issues came up over and over again. Before I began speaking over a decade ago, I was a counselor by trade so I put that hat back on and combined that training and knowledge with the truth of God’s word to take on some of these tougher topics.
Q: You address issues such as people-pleasing and dealing with difficult people in this book. What are some practical tips that you share?
A: This book is written almost as a handbook for dealing with these different issues. I pack a lot of information into the chapters, but the solutions are very matter-of-fact. I have had my own struggles in these areas so I have learned what works and what doesn’t. But I also address some of the root causes such as shame or insecurity that can lead to a mentality of people-pleasing. In the chapter on difficult people, I identify several types of difficult people such as The Controller, The Blamer, The Bully, The Victim, and several others. When we can take a step back from our emotions and recognize what personalities we are dealing with, it can help us determine our best course of action.
Q: How is this book similar or different from your other three?
A: My first book, “Grace in High Heels: Real Life Reflections of Humor, Hope and Healing” was more of a devotional with a lot of funny personal stories. My second book, “The Overlooked Generation” was written for parents of teens and tweens, and my third book, “Stand: Staying Balanced with Answers for Real Teen Life” was written specifically for teen girls. This new book is directed toward women, but honestly, these issues are universal to men and women of all ages. I still offer some personal funny stories to anchor the points, mostly because people tend to remember a lesson more if a humorous story is attached to it. Jesus used mostly parables to teach, and I try to emulate that in my conferences.
Q: What have you observed happening in women's ministry as a whole?
I think women’s ministry as a whole needs a reboot. A lot of churches have done away with women’s ministries and I think this is a huge mistake. Many churches no longer have live events for the women of their congregation. As a result, women get less interaction with each other and don’t build relationships. As a church, we cannot allow media to take the place of the personal touch. I always make it a priority to personally meet the women who come to my events. Jesus was all about relationships with people, and I have seen God work in those one-on-one moments in incredible ways.
Q: How difficult is it to combine practical counseling techniques with scripture?
A: The Bible addresses so many of these issues outright, but many people don’t realize it. Take depression, for example. Elijah would be diagnosed with clinical depression if he went to a counselor today. He was even suicidal. So studying what Elijah did during that season of his life offers us instruction on how we can battle depression. Anger is another topic that is covered in the Bible over and over again. The problem is most of us live our daily lives without ever seeking what God says about our situations. We get on the phone and call everyone we know and complain and cry, when all we need to do is get alone with God and allow the truth of His Word to invade our emotions and thoughts. We get entangled in so much confusion that are simply lies of the enemy. We find ourselves in a dark place and never reach for the light of God’s word. Our culture preaches that truth is relative, but it is not. There is one truth, and it will be around long after we are all gone. It will stand forever. While life is often a string of uncertainty, we have a tightrope of faith that will never let us down.
About Shannon Perry:
Described by one conference attendee as “a cross between comedian Chonda Pierce and Bible teacher Beth Moore,” Shannon Perry has been named the favorite speaker by numerous women’s conferences and groups. She hosts a weekly TV show, Grace in High Heels, which airs on five television networks into over 100 million homes.
She is the author of four books, "Grace in High Heels: Real Life Reflections of Humor, Hope and Healing," "The Overlooked Generation: Parenting Teens and Tweens in a Complicated Culture" (endorsed by renowned author and youth evangelist, Josh McDowell), the Reader’s Favorite Award winning book, "Stand: Staying Balanced with Answers for Real Teen Life", and her latest “Grace and Guts: Strategies for Living a Knock-out Life”. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor in Parenting Classes and Crisis Counseling. She is considered one of the foremost experts on bullying in the country. Her articles have appeared in several magazines and websites including Focus on the Family magazine, Brio magazine, Charisma magazine, Crosswalk.com, iBelieve.com, Beliefnet.com, among many others.
As a singer and songwriter, Shannon has teamed with Lifeway's Songwriter of the Year, Paul Marino, to write and record songs for one full-length CD as well as the song, “Overlooked,” featured on Shannon's latest CD, In Her Shoes. The music video for "Overlooked" was directed by Telly Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Kubach whose credits include the hit television shows Survivor and Burn Notice. Shannon has performed with the Houston Symphony, at Carnegie Hall, and sang the National Anthem at a Houston Astros Game and Houston Texans NFL game before 70,000 fans.
Shannon has created four original women's conferences, and speaks at churches, retreats, schools, and or organizations across America. She hosted her own radio show in Houston, Texas, and has been a featured speaker at Salem Radio community events in various cities throughout the country. For more information, visit www.ShannonPerry.com.
She is the author of four books, "Grace in High Heels: Real Life Reflections of Humor, Hope and Healing," "The Overlooked Generation: Parenting Teens and Tweens in a Complicated Culture" (endorsed by renowned author and youth evangelist, Josh McDowell), the Reader’s Favorite Award winning book, "Stand: Staying Balanced with Answers for Real Teen Life", and her latest “Grace and Guts: Strategies for Living a Knock-out Life”. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor in Parenting Classes and Crisis Counseling. She is considered one of the foremost experts on bullying in the country. Her articles have appeared in several magazines and websites including Focus on the Family magazine, Brio magazine, Charisma magazine, Crosswalk.com, iBelieve.com, Beliefnet.com, among many others.
As a singer and songwriter, Shannon has teamed with Lifeway's Songwriter of the Year, Paul Marino, to write and record songs for one full-length CD as well as the song, “Overlooked,” featured on Shannon's latest CD, In Her Shoes. The music video for "Overlooked" was directed by Telly Award-winning filmmaker Jeff Kubach whose credits include the hit television shows Survivor and Burn Notice. Shannon has performed with the Houston Symphony, at Carnegie Hall, and sang the National Anthem at a Houston Astros Game and Houston Texans NFL game before 70,000 fans.
Shannon has created four original women's conferences, and speaks at churches, retreats, schools, and or organizations across America. She hosted her own radio show in Houston, Texas, and has been a featured speaker at Salem Radio community events in various cities throughout the country. For more information, visit www.ShannonPerry.com.
Praises for "Grace & Guts":
“For every woman who has experienced betrayal, loneliness, uncertainty, anger or Satan's defeat and desires a better way, this book is for you! With a heart of joy and a love for God's Word, Shannon courageously confronts tough topics. Who hasn't been betrayed? Lonely? Angry? Uncertain? Insecure? Chapter by chapter, Shannon shines God's light and insights into the enemy’s attempts to rob us of the Truth and the Life. Warning: this book takes guts and honest introspection, but you will return to its pages for more, and readily share it with friends.” —Cheryl Roland, Women's Director, NE Indiana District Church of the Nazarene
“Shannon Perry’s insight into the needs of women is a remarkable testament to how much we all struggle with the very same things. From loneliness to the temptation to people-please, Shannon helps us see that in the end, God has answers for all of our difficulties. There is no doubt you’ll find your feelings about life staring back at you in the pages of this book, but when you turn the page you will find hope about how to tackle it, one day at a time.” --Rene Gutteridge, award-winning, best-selling author of 24 multi-genre novels, one of which became a popular Hallmark movie
“Shannon Perry’s insight into the needs of women is a remarkable testament to how much we all struggle with the very same things. From loneliness to the temptation to people-please, Shannon helps us see that in the end, God has answers for all of our difficulties. There is no doubt you’ll find your feelings about life staring back at you in the pages of this book, but when you turn the page you will find hope about how to tackle it, one day at a time.” --Rene Gutteridge, award-winning, best-selling author of 24 multi-genre novels, one of which became a popular Hallmark movie
"Grace and Guts is a practical and powerful book and Shannon Perry's personal stories are wonderfully witty and relatable. Prepare for your Christian walk to be illuminated, for your heart to be touched, and for your smile to return!" --Anita Higman, Award-winning and best-selling author of 47 books
"Drawing from adversities she has faced in life, Shannon uses Biblical insights and wit to help you overcome life's most difficult and painful challenges. You'll find Grace and Guts to be an enjoyable, inspirational read that will help you grow closer to God."--Arline Bell, Senior Director of Programming, NRB TV
“Shannon Perry draws us into real life issues many of us have journeyed or are currently going through. Her transparency and authenticity shines as she tells her own personal stories. Of course, it wouldn’t be Shannon without the thread of humor that makes you smile. Grace and Guts helps us find the grace we need to deal with difficult and painful situations. Shannon offers us a way to see God in the midst of all our circumstances.” --Lynda Zelenka, Associate Pastor, Foundry Church, Houston, Texas, and Executive Director, Cy-Hope Inc.
“Grace and Guts is exactly what our hurting world needs right now. We are overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions through news, culture, social media and more. Shannon’s insightful study ignites the belief that healing through God's grace will strengthen me into a warrior of the faith ready to believe, live and share Christ deeper every day.” --Marsha Lambeth, KKHT Radio Program Director/Salem Houston Production Director
"Drawing from adversities she has faced in life, Shannon uses Biblical insights and wit to help you overcome life's most difficult and painful challenges. You'll find Grace and Guts to be an enjoyable, inspirational read that will help you grow closer to God."--Arline Bell, Senior Director of Programming, NRB TV
“Shannon Perry draws us into real life issues many of us have journeyed or are currently going through. Her transparency and authenticity shines as she tells her own personal stories. Of course, it wouldn’t be Shannon without the thread of humor that makes you smile. Grace and Guts helps us find the grace we need to deal with difficult and painful situations. Shannon offers us a way to see God in the midst of all our circumstances.” --Lynda Zelenka, Associate Pastor, Foundry Church, Houston, Texas, and Executive Director, Cy-Hope Inc.
“Grace and Guts is exactly what our hurting world needs right now. We are overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions through news, culture, social media and more. Shannon’s insightful study ignites the belief that healing through God's grace will strengthen me into a warrior of the faith ready to believe, live and share Christ deeper every day.” --Marsha Lambeth, KKHT Radio Program Director/Salem Houston Production Director