Come Empty by Saundra Dalton-Smith

This week my guest is Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. and author of the 50 day devotional, Come Empty – Pour Out Life’s Hurts and Receive God’s Healing Love. I know you will enjoy meeting her and hearing about her book. Leave a comment and check in on the Rafflecopter at the bottom for a chance to win a print copy! 

Fabulous Fridays

Welcome, Saundra! As a medical doctor, tell us something about what you saw in your patients that led you to write Come Empty: Pour Out Life’s Hurts and Receive God’s Healing Love.

I’m an internist but so many of the patients I see were coming in with medical problems which were being made worse by underlying emotional stress and spiritual distress. This is not to say they did not need medical treatment or that these issues were in their head. On the contrary they had real medical issues but those diagnoses were being exacerbated by emotional/spiritual pain. By the time they presented themselves on my exam table the number one complaint they all had was feeling drained…empty. Come Empty is an invitation for them to come as they are in expectation of receiving from God’s abundance. Writing this book allowed me to minister to them over a 50 day period in a way I could never do in a 30 minute office visit. I feel I do my patients a disservice if I only focus on the physical without addressing the mental and the spiritual aspect of healing.

Tell us something about yourself, and add in something we might find a little bit surprising.

I’m a mom of two wonderful sons and married to the love of my life. I hate running but my marathon running husband has coerced me into running 3 half-marathons. It was 20 degrees when I ran my first half and the last one was in February in 40 degree rainy weather.  My favorite color is pink and I have at least one of everything in pink including my dog! She’s a little Havanese named Rosey (well she’s not actually pink but has a pink influenced name).

What is your target audience?

Come Empty is for anyone who has ever cried silent tears or didn’t have the words to express the deep pain they felt inside. It is for those who feel hopeless, lost, and dissatisfied with their faith. It’s for anyone who feels empty on the inside.

What was the greatest problem/challenge you faced in writing this book?

The challenge I faced in writing Come Empty was getting past the fear of being so utterly transparent! There were times I wanted to hold back what I really felt but for it to be realistic I had to get past my insecurities. Once I surrendered to the process of writing this devotional, the transparency became part of the healing.

How would you like to inspire your readers?

I want to inspire my readers to bring everything to God. The greatest gift any believer can experience is a personal relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All relationship requires a time investment. Often when something painful enters our life we feel anger towards God. Instead of bringing that anger and pain to Him, we allow it to build a wall between us. I pray my readers see in my life and my writing a transparent approach to coming to God even when we feel wounded.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

I have experienced a lot of loss in my life over the past month. My nurse’s husband and my nurse practitioner’s brother-in-law were both killed in car accident weeks apart. Just last week we buried my 13 year old nephew after he was hit and killed while riding his bike. I’m learning that tomorrow is not promised to any of us and the importance of not taking those we love for granted. I’m also learning that God’s grace is truly sufficient and that there is healing in His presence.

Do you have a favorite or signature Bible verse?

My life verse is John 10:10 and I specifically love the Amplified Bible version. It states, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”

What are three things that have had the most influence on your writing process?

Three things which have greatly influenced my writing are my faith, my career, and my passion for healing. When I look at a new book project, I first determine what needs healing. Often I look at what needs healing in my own life and use the process of writing a book to work through my personal healing journey. Often readers comment on how much my story reflects their own.

What would you most like to accomplish that you have not done yet?

I love to travel and want to visit every continent within my lifetime.

What is your favorite way to spend a quiet weekend?

Quiet weekends are for sipping a great cup of coffee and diving deep in one of the books in my to-read-soon stack.  So many wonderful books out there and so little time to enjoy them all!

Please share with us one of your favorite passages from your book.  

There are many I love but one of my favorite passages is “When Jesus speaks, things happen. Hope is renewed. Purpose is realized. Peace is obtained. Fear is dispelled. Joy is birthed. Healing occurs.”

Book Blurb:

When a water vessel is filled with dirt and stones, it cannot be used to quench a thirst. But, when this vessel is emptied, there is an opportunity to fill it until it overflows with fresh, cool, life-giving water. Water that quenches. Refreshes. Soothes.

Our souls are the same: filled with fear, doubt, and disappointment. Running over with unanswered prayers and lingering questions. When we empty the mess of our lives in the presence of God, we’re offered an invitation to come. An invitation that allows us to come empty – so that we can be filled until we overflow.

Come Empty – Pour Out Life’s Hurts and Receive God’s Healing Love guides you through fifty days of experiencing the fullness of God’s love and His ability to overcome life’s hurts. Each day, you will receive assurance of God’s presence in your difficult situations. Each devotion gives new vision and perspective when you’re hindered by emotional blind spots, and leads you to experience God’s peace and wholeness. When His invitation is accepted, He will set your captive mind and heart free to live fully by His grace. The question is not if you will get an invitation. The question is, will you come?

About the author:

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a Board Certified internal medicine physician. She shares with audiences nationwide on the topics of eliminating limiting emotions, finding grace in difficult places, and experiencing personal renewal by drawing near to God. Dr. Dalton-Smith is a national and international media resource on the mind, body, spirit connection and has been featured in Women’s Day, Redbook, and First For Women magazine. She is the founder of I Choose My Best Life. Her other books include award-winning Set Free to Live Free: Breaking Through the 7 Lies Women Tell Themselves.

Connect with Saundra:

Website: www.ComeEmpty.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/IChooseMyBestLife

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/drdaltonsmith

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+SaundraDaltonSmith/about

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/saundradaltonsmith

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrDaltonSmith

Book Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Come-Empty-Lifes-Receive-Healing/dp/1941103804/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/come-empty-saundra-dalton-smith/1121678081?ean=9781941103807

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/come-empty-pour-out-lifes-hurts-and-receive-gods-healing-love/

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