Pump Up Your Book Chats with T.J. MacLeslie, Author of ‘Designed for Relationship’

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T.J. MacLeslie has been involved in a variety of Christian ministries since 1990, including pastoring, church planting, leadership development, prayer, and spiritual formation. He currently lives in the UK with his wife and two children where he leads a team focused on prayer and spiritual formation. You’ll often find him walking the fields with his dog, reading a book, or enjoying a warm cup of coffee.

Visit him online at http://about.me/tj_macleslie.

———— INTERVIEW ———–

Thank you for this interview, T.J.! Can you tell us why you wrote Designed for Relationship?

As a minister and missionary, I have the opportunity to walk alongside people from all walks of life, and to help them. I often share with them the truths now contained in this book, and as I have been helping others along the way, people kept asking me if there was a book that encapsulated this relational paradigm. There were a number of books that leaned in this direction, but nothing that really captured it. Through my own life experience, and examination of the Scriptures, I’ve had the opportunity to clarify and refine my thinking and presentation of this model. Once I began to see the inherently relational core of the Trinitarian God, it opened everything else up, and has transformed the way I relate to God and others. So, I wrote this book to help my friends, and to invite others into our community of sojourners.

Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

The idea of trying to write about the Trinity at all was really daunting. Some of the best minds in history have tried to explain it and have been humbled before this immense mystery. This is not a complicated or abstract theology book, but a practical and pastoral one. I am not challenging or changing the doctrine of the Trinity; instead, I am calling us to take this doctrine seriously. I believe this doctrine has been unintentionally neglected in recent centuries. I believe God is at work in the church around the world today, calling His people to reengage with and experience His Trinitarian fullness again. This book is a small part of this larger thing God is doing. Even though I am not alone in calling people to this, it was still hard to tackle the mystery of the Trinity as a writer.

Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

Ultimately the book is an invitation to hope and love. There is so much in this world that is sad and wrong, and the sheer magnitude of the darkness can easily cause us to drift into hopelessness. But what if there is a deeper story unfolding? What if there is untarnished Beauty and Love that is bent toward you and working it all out. What if the Source of all that is lovely and good, designed you for relationship with Him, because He (God) is actually a They (The Trinity) and is relational at the core. That is the open secret that all Christian creeds acknowledge in word, but too many Christians miss out on in their experience.

Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

I have two:

1- Discover your creative process and don’t be afraid if it is different. Some write best with pen and paper, others on a computer, others by dictating. Some write best in small snatches and others in longer sessions. For example, many people encouraged me to write a little every day, but I found that unproductive. I discovered that I need big blocks of time to create, hours or days at a time. So, I go on writing retreats, sometimes just a day, but often longer, up to a week. I find that dedicating blocks of time alone for writing is really key for me.

2- Build or find a creative community. As I believe that all of life is relational, it is not surprising that this is an important part of my writing. I have a community of people, some who live nearby, and many that I connect with from a distance, who are part of the creative process. From the earliest stages of toying with the ideas of a new project I engage with this community, inviting input and feedback. In the give and take of communication, the rough edges are smoothed out as my ideas rub up against others, like rocks in a tumbler. The community helps with the whole process, particularly through the reading and editing process. I can’t recommend this approach highly enough.

Would you like to tell us about your home life?

I am truly blessed by my family, the central component of my community. My wife and two children are my biggest fans and most important critics. They keep me grounded and honest, as well as providing lots of love and laughter.

What was the first thing you did as far as promoting your book?

The first thing I did to promote the book was to invite others into the process of creating the book. I did not invite people to help with promotion in mind, but I have discovered that those who have been a part of the process are the biggest fans and advocates for the project. In fact, the publishers for each of my two books came to me because of the recommendations of members of my creative community. Also, they have been among the early promoters of the work to their networks on social media as well as word of mouth.

What is the most frustrating part of being an author?

For me, the most frustrating part of being an author is the one-way nature of the communication. Writing is just another form of communication, and I prefer dialogue to monologue. I do not consider anything I’ve written to be the definitive word, but rather part of the ongoing conversation of ideas. However, that conversation is a bit stilted as an author. I’d prefer to sit down and talk about the ideas over a pint of ale or a cup of coffee, but writing doesn’t allow for the give and take of verbal communication.

Designed for Relationship cover

What is the most rewarding part of being an author?

My writing is an extension of my life and ministry. As a pastor and missionary, my goal is to help people. Most of that is done in person, but writing allows me to share things that I, and others I care for, have found helpful with those I might never meet personally. I love hearing stories of people who have been blessed, encouraged, or helped in some other way, by something I have written. That is really why I write. I believe we are all blessed to be a blessing, and I enjoy sharing my blessings through the medium of writing.

ABOUT DESIGNED FOR RELATIONSHIP

Mankind has always struggled with the big questions: Why are we here? What is life all about? The search for answers has led in many directions, not all of them helpful. In this age, we are inundated with information, but this flood of knowledge has not necessarily produced wisdom. We find answers to the really important questions as elusive as ever.

It really is all about relationship! This is the open secret, hidden in plain sight all along.

AMAZON

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

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