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02 September 2012

Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Dineen Miller

Dineen A. Miller
Dineen Miller

Dineen Miller is the author of the novella A Love Meant To Be, part of the Central Park Rendezvous Collection, and of The Soul Saver and Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage.

Dineen, welcome to Overcoming Through Time – With God’s Help.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 
Carrie, it’s an honor and a pleasure to be here! Thank you so much.

Would you tell us about the most difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?
Oh goodness, that could describe my whole life. LOL! I can’t imagine doing life without Him. My family and I have experienced some major events in the last few years, but I’ll share one that is miraculous and ongoing. In 2008, my youngest daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. During this time of surgeries, recovery and seven weeks of radiation therapy (which would have been chemo too if not for God’s clear intervention) I have never seen God so present and “vocal.” It’s a long story full of clear miracles that even tie into my book The Soul Saver as far as elements in that story (I’d written about the loss of their child due to a brain tumor BEFORE we even knew our daughter was sick) and the completion of the story during the time of her recovery.

There are ongoing issues for her that keep me at God’s feet claiming the promise He clearly spoke to my heart three days before we knew something was wrong. I clearly heard, “She’ll be okay.”

I don’t begin to understand God’s reasons, but I trust His character and His ways. He has proven His faithfulness over and over again. Though we still have ground to recover, my daughter is well and we only have the scar down the back of her head to prove it ever happened (that and a thick medical file). She even marvels that it happened herself.

I could not have walked through this time without God, without His help, and more importantly, without His presence. And all this feeds into who He is molding me into today. So perhaps the short answer to this question is learning to trust God with every area of my life and with those I love.

What is your favorite bible verse and why?
Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I have believed and lived this verse as truth since I was a very young child, before I ever read it in the Bible. I know without a doubt God put this truth in my heart from a very young age and kept it there to strengthen me through some very difficult times. This verse speaks of God’s goodness, His provision, His preparation and His redemption. From this perspective, we can look at everything we go through in life and find God there working to redeem it and bring out the good. Just like He did with Joseph. Now that’s a great example of Romans 8:28.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 
I know that our book Winning Him Without Words is available in large print. As far as audio, I wish I could say yes but that blessing hasn’t come to me as of yet. I understand you can do audio with the Kindle, but I’m not entirely sure how it works to be honest. I’m so hooked on my iPad that I gave my Kindle to my daughter to use. 

What has been the most important thing you hope your readers will get from your books and why?
God is always there working for our good. And He is bigger than anything we face. As long as we keep our eyes on Him, we don’t lose hope. It’s a truth that was missing from my teenage years and one I wish I’d understood better. I can’t imagine living life outside of this truth. God is my life!

As you researched your books, did you learn anything that particularly touched your heart?
I think it was when I was researching Hugh Baltimore’s character in The Soul Saver and visited Stanford University to speak to a professor. I wanted to get a better understanding of what Hugh’s profession as a physics professor was like and what drove these highly intelligent professionals to seek publication in the scientific world as part of their pursuit of tenor. This scientist described it as a “publish or perish” mentality. Or reality. This is the world they live in. I knew I had to make that part of the Hugh’s drive to succeed, often at the expense of his family.
How often do we do that same in our lives—pursue that one thing we think we absolutely need or we’ll fail, be miserable, or lose everything. Perish. And there stands Jesus offering us life. This not only touches my heart but humbles me greatly. As a recovering perfectionist, it’s a perspective I hold onto as a reminder that no matter what, God is enough, God is enough, God is enough.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  
Not in my novella, but Ronie Kendig does an excellent job showing her war hero’s ongoing recovery from a brain injury and PTSD. All her wonderful military books do.
If I may speak to one of my other books, The Soul Saver deals with the issue of being spiritually mismatched and the struggles inherent in these kinds of marriages. I wrote it to partner with our Winning Him Without Words book to give those of us in mismatched marriages hope and understanding that God desires us to thrive in our spiritually mismatched marriage.

Thank you, Dineen, for agreeing to answer these questions.  Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!
Thank you again, Carrie! Thank you for letting me share my heart and see yours! Blessings to you!


Bio:

Dineen Miller readily admits that one of the greatest lessons she’s learning about life is that there’s purpose in our trials. It’s all about trusting God and putting our hope in Him. Her favorite stories are of the miracles God has wrought in the lives of her family.
Through this lens she also believes her years as a youth counselor, a Stephen Minister, a women’s ministry leader, and a small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others through words of truth.
In addition to writing for Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Dineen has won several prestigious awards for her fiction, and her devotional writing has been featured in Our Journey and Christian Women Online Magazine. She’s also a C.L.A.S.S. Communicator and has been featured on the Moody Radio Network, Family Life and Focus on the Family Radio.
Married for 24 years to a guy who keeps her young, she lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two adult daughters, who surprise her daily with their own creativity.

She is the co-author of Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage and the author of The Soul Saver.

You can reach Dineen at: 
Facebook pages:
Personal Blog:  http://authordineenmiller.com/journal/
Twitter:  @dineenmiller
GoodReads author page:  http://www.goodreads.com/dineenmiller  


GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Dineen’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.





31 comments:

  1. DINEEN, welcome to OTT, I am so glad you are here with us today. What a tremendous testimony you have shared with us. Thank you so much. I am so glad your daughter is a survivor! My husband is a 13 year survivor and he never fails to share his testimony of God's mercy and blessings that were with us during that time in our life!

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  2. DINEEN, thank you for being with us this week on OTT-WGH! Your interview with CARRIE touched me deeply--all of it...from having to trust God during your child's illness, to the scriptures that you quoted, what you want your readers to take away from your books; to your quote "God is enough, God is enough, God is enough." I was deeply moved and inspired by this entire interview. You are truly an overcomer with God's help, and we so appreciate you sharing your wonderful testimony of His faithfulness with us this week!

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  3. DINEEN, thanks so much for this interview and sharing about God's presence in your life. What an awesome testimony.

    DIANA and TERESA, I knew you'd be touched by DINEEN's words, too! We are all so blessed when we share in stories of God's ability to transform and heal and get us through the difficult days of our lives.

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  4. Thank you so much, ladies! Such a pleasure to be on OTT! Hugs!

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  5. would love to win. name is angela and i'm from KY

    chesnutangela@yahoo.com

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  6. I really enjoyed reading your testimony, DINEEN! God is sooo good! Your fav Bible verse is my favorite also. I am reminded of that verse quite often!
    Thanks for being with us this week and God bless you!

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  7. Dineen, I enjoyed your story. I thank God for his blessing of your daughter's healing. Our GOD is great! I also love the scripture you picked. I don't know how anyone can survive some of these trials without God. My oldest just lost her husband suddenly with no warning. Just 61. Not sick, just watching TV. And, she had just talked to him. She will definitely need God's love and comfort to get through this. I would love to win your book.
    Maxie ( mac262@me.com )

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  8. ANGELA, Thanks so much for coming by! We'll enter you for this week's contest!

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  9. Dineen, what a powerful testimony! I am thrilled to read about how God has worked in your daughter's life with her healing. God is so much bigger than what we can ever imagine. His miracles abound every day. Some big, some small. I know, I am a miracle of his healing too. Thank you so much for sharing with us the goodness and bigness of our God.

    Blessings!
    Judy

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  10. I DK why this did not post on here! But I am copying from my email. Carrie


    Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Carrie Fancett Pagels Interviews Dineen Miller":

    Dineen, I enjoyed your story. I thank God for his blessing of your daughter's healing. Our GOD is great! I also love the scripture you picked. I don't know how anyone can survive some of these trials without God. My oldest just lost her husband suddenly with no warning. Just 61. Not sick, just watching TV. And, she had just talked to him. She will definitely need God's love and comfort to get through this. I would love to win your book.
    Maxie ( mac262@me.com )



    Posted by Anonymous to Overcoming Through Time - With God's Help at September 2, 2012 6:17 PM

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  11. MAXIE, Thanks for sharing and sorry about the Blogger problems!

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  12. JUDY, You are such a blessing to us at OTT-WGH. And we thank God for his miracles in your life and in ours, too!

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  13. Very interesting interview, sounds like a great read. Thanks.

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  14. Thanks PAT!!! The contributors on this blog really enjoyed the new novella collection. We have reviews up this week and had one posted already over at Colonial Quills.

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  15. Thank you for the interview. I so appreciate getting to know the author and then reading their work.

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  16. Wonderful interview Dineen! You never fail to amaze me with your experiences and thank you for sharing those with us! ~Jennifer jcbartos@msn.com

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  17. Central Park Rendezvous is the book I would like to win! Please enter me in the drawing for a paperback copy and thank you for the interview and sharing. "I don’t begin to understand God’s reasons, but I trust His character and His ways. He has proven His faithfulness over and over again." He loves us with an everlasting love. We are His. Kathleen
    lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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  18. MELODY, we here at OTT-WGH feel the author's testimony often shines through their written work. God is at work in our lives every day and impact what we do, whether it be writing or teaching or raising children. And helping those children cope with devastating illness, such as DINEEN has had to do.

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  19. thanks for the chance to win one of Dineen's books

    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  20. God is good! He is good all the time. Great interview. Please enter my name in the drawing. Blessings!

    spangldlady(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. Central Park Rendezvous looks like the book for me!!! Please enter me! amada_chavez@yahoo.com

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  22. ACK!!! My laptop is messed up. Spent a half hour with tech support this morning,. Will bring it in to Best Buy tomorrow because the fixes didn't work. Anyway, so grateful I have this netbook my daughter passed on to us via a friend.

    AMADA, I always smile over your name because it is so pretty!

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  23. JENNIFER, sounds like you are one of DINEEN's supporters and every author needs friends like you!

    KATHLEEN, great to see you here! Hey, I think I saw a link to a great review by you the other day! When you gonna do a guest review over here at OTT-WGH?

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  24. APPLE BLOSSOM and SPNGL LADY thanks for coming by and leaving your comments!! And I pray your computers stay healthy today!

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  25. Dineen is new to me. But her work sounds really fascinating!

    campbellamyd at gmail dot com

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  26. AMY, what a blessing her daughter has survived the malignant brain tumor. That just puts everything else in perspective. Blessings!

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  27. Oh my sweet sisters in Christ, every one of your comments is a precious blessing to my heart. THANK YOU! So appreciate that, more than you know. Love you all dearly!

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  28. WOW, Dineen and Carrie -- what a powerful interview!!! Dineen, I had no idea about your daughter and I PRAISE GOD that He was with you throughout this terrible ordeal. And how like our God to make good from something like this and draw us closer!!

    Thanks for a beautiful encouragement this morning!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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  29. That's amazing what God has done in your daughter's life and how even the worst things in our lives can bring us closer to him! Thank you so much for sharing your testimony!

    ecriggs1990(at)aol(dot)com

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  30. DINEEN, your testimony about your daughter is blessing everyone, too!

    JULIE, something like that just has to make you a more appreciative parent. My daughter's skull fracture did that to me but I can't even imagine if she'd had a brain tumor.

    LIZ, Amen!

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  31. Great interview. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Jes
    jswaks at gmail dot com

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