Welcome to the first in a series of articles designed to showcase Xulon Press authors, their stories, their successes, and their journeys. We hope it will inspire and motivate you to get your story told and let the world know what you have to say.
Today’s Xulon Press Author Spotlight features Dr. Valerie Willman, a licensed clinical psychologist, board certified in Christian Counseling and residing on the beautiful island of Kauai, Hawaii. Dr. Willman’s book, Victory over Cancer: Live as Though It Were True… Because It Is!, details her journey in a daily journal format as she fought through cancer on her way to healing. Dr. Willman recounts each day, from the diagnosis through the doctor’s prognosis all the way to her complete healing from cancer. She tells a story of faith and determination meant to inspire and remind all who read her story that “I can do all things through Christ!” Philippians 4:13 is a theme scripture for her life.
As I began to interview Dr. Willman, I was struck by her conviction that God had not only healed her of cancer but He has used this experience to catapult her into a ministry she never imagined. She shared a dream where God showed her the number of people who would line up to thank her for helping them if she decided to fight cancer and share her story! She was awed by the thought that her journey could inspire others to trust God to heal them!
When asked what inspires her, Dr Willman answered that it is people who decide to “live their life as though God’s Word were true” —those who don’t accept the doctor’s report, but instead rely on the scripture Isaiah 54:17 that promises “no weapon formed against you will prosper”. She told the story of how her husband Mark came to Christ, during a time of marital separation. He inspired her because he believed against all hope that their marriage would be restored– and it was!
She also spoke of her pastors Merv and Darlene Walker, who pastor Kauai Bible Church. They inspire her by giving to the homeless each month, distributing money, food, clothes and even cars. She then mentioned Dave Bauer, her colleague who reminded her “you can’t fix people—only God can fix people—all you have to do is lead them to the Fixer!” Dr. Willman has found a way to successfully incorporate her two life scriptures “I can do all things through Christ” and “NO weapon formed against you will prosper…” to inspire her patients, colleagues, and even her alma mater to believe that they can “live as though it were true—because it is!”
Dr. Willman shared the story how Xulon Press came to her rescue by shipping her first delivery of books overnight to Purdue University, her alma mater, during homecoming. She is a world class champion baton twirler, winner of 27 National and 5 Grand National Championships and was honored to be chosen as Purdue’s “GoldenGirl” and invited to speak at Homecoming about her book and her healing from cancer. She needed those books to be in her hand to share and pass out during her speech. Thanks to her sales rep and the whole Xulon Team, they were delivered in the nick of time. She gave her speech, passed out her books and shared her testimony of healing.
End of story? Not quite. One of those books that she handed out at homecoming was shared with the committee putting together Purdue’s “Relay for Life” conference. The committee then invited Dr. Willman to be the keynote speaker at “Relay for Life”. She returned as a proud Purdue “Boilermaker” to share her love for baton twirling and her proclamation that “you can live as though it were true—because it is!”
When asked what message she wanted this book to convey, Dr. Willman was resolute. “God is faithful at every point of life. A cancer diagnosis is just a tool; it challenges your spirit until hope enters in. His Word is true and He uses his Word to show that He is faithful. Living as though His Word were true is the message I want to give—trust God to be faithful to you!”
I asked her why she wrote this book. Dr. Willman said “I didn’t write it—God did! You can read my college dissertation to know—I can’t write! But God laid it on my heart, and it was confirmed by so many that I had to share my story. Not to make money, but to touch lives. If just one person is encouraged and inspired to trust God and put Him to the test by living as though it were true, then I have fulfilled God’s purpose in writing this book. It’s all about encouragement and being an instrument used by the Lord!”
As you reflect on why Dr. Willman wrote her book, I encourage you to trust that if God gave you the idea for your book, He intends to use it to bless others and to bless you!
Find Dr. Willman’s book Victory over Cancer: Live as Though It Were True…Because It Is! in the Xulon Press Bookstore.
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
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