Royal Heiress: Interview

Princess #2 is Alisa Hope Wagner.

Alisa proudly wears the righteousness of Christ through her faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for her sins. By grace she received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He and the power of God’s Word guide her life and writing. Alisa and her husband, Daniel, have three amazing children, whom they homeschool. Alisa’s identical twin-sister, Crissy, is her ministry help-mate, doing all aspects of ministry that writers are usually horrible at.

Heiress: I am super excited to begin, so Alisa please tell us three things that most people don't know about you.

Alisa: I didn't become an avid reader until my mid-twenties. The career test I took in college suggested that I be a park ranger. I hate talking on the phone.

Heiress: A park ranger huh? That's funny. Well I'm glad you decided to become a writer instead. So, I know that you're an accomplished writer, but for those who don't, can you share with us some of the publications you've written for?

Alisa: Michael Hyatt's blog, Internet Cafe, (In)Courage, The Right to God, Exemplify, Ruby for Women, Granola Bar Devotionals, Sanctified Together Publication, Glo Magazine, A Woman Inspired (audio), Moments of Peace (audio), Padre Island Moon and The Galveston Daily News.

Heiress: Wow! Not only have you written for those publications, but you have both your Bachelors and Masters Degrees in English. That's impressive. Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

Alisa: My main muse is the Holy Spirit and the Bible, but I also find inspiration in other Christian leaders, my family, my friends, Christian music and anything else with the imprint of God.

Heiress: Speaking of Christian leaders, are there any that you just love and have to read their books?

Alisa: God brings Christian leaders to me, and they become my mentor through their books. I will read several of one author's books in a row, until I feel like I've gleaned much of his/her insight. My list of mentors is long, but it includes Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, Francis Chan, John Piper, Dr. Myles Munroe, C.S. Lewis, Dr. David Cho, Mark Batterson, Joseph Prince, Gene Edwards, Derek Prince, John Bevere, Billy Graham, Bruce Wilkinson, Jentezen Franklin, John Maxwell, Charles Swindoll and (my pastor) Bil Cornelius.

Heiress: Yeah, that is an extensive list, but there are several that you named that I love too. For instance, Joyce Meyer always tops my list. I love her! I also enjoy listening to TD Jakes and we just featured one of Bruce Wilkinson's books on the Royal Heiress blog. I'll have to make an effort to get books by some of the other authors you named. It's great to know that you pastor is also your mentor. What church do you attend?

Alisa: I attend the fabulous Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Heiress: Texas huh? They say everything is bigger in Texas so what big upcoming projects do you have in place?

Alisa: I'm seeking publication for my first novel, Eve of Awakening, so my twin-sister and I are making preparations.

Heiress: Wow, that is big! That is a huge deal, and we will be looking forward to the release of that. So as an author, what do you hope people gain from reading your blog and/or devotionals?

Alisa: My desire is that people will experience a well-spring of God's Spirit that draws them closer to their creator.

Heiress: I can relate to your blog post titled "First Step Out of Fear" the most. Like you, I didn't know why I began writing or even what I would write about. Now that I've been writing for sometime I've finally found my "blogging voice." What advice would you give to someone wanting to write a book or blog?

Alisa: Don't be like everyone else -- that role has already been filled. God wants to do something new in and through you, so listen intently for God's voice and follow obediently to His plan for your life.

Heiress: When you said that I immediately thought of the 96 Psalms the first verse. It says "sing unto the Lord a new song..." Don't be afraid to do something new. Don't be afraid to sing a new song; don't be afraid to write a new blog; don't be afraid to pray for new (different) things. I really like that advice. So what is your favorite Bible verse?

Alisa: My favorite verse changes with the season I'm in, but right now I'm clinging onto Proverbs 13.12 (NIV): "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Jesus is the Tree of Life; once we cling to Him, our heart's desires become reality.

Heiress: Oh wow, Proverbs is my favorite book of the Bible. Is there anything else that you would like to share with us?

Alisa: I think many Christians know that Jesus is the answer; however, I believe many Christians don't know why He is the answer. The world wants to know why we need Jesus. Here is my why: God created a perfect world and perfect people, but He gave us free-will to obey Him or not. The ungodly choices we make with our free-will corrupted God's perfect design. Our sin separated us from God, and we are unable to spend eternity with Him because we can't achieve righteousness on our own. However, we are able to gain righteousness by faith when we accept Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Jesus took our sin and separation from God, so we could commune with our perfect Creator in heaven. We cannot gain righteousness without Jesus; therefore, we can not go to heaven unless we are saved by grace through Jesus.

Heiress: Yes, I agree. I probably couldn't write it as eloquently as you though. Ok, so here is the game that I like to play with everyone. I'm going to name two things and I would like you to pick which one you like the best and explain. First up...Paula White or Joyce Meyer- even though we know the answer already.

Alisa: Joyce Meyer was one of my first mentors.

Heiress: Esther or Ruth.

Alisa: Ruth is my favorite. I wrote an exegesis about her and Boaz on the threshing floor ;-)

Heiress: Women's Conferences: Speaking or Attending

Alisa: I like attending them, but if God leads, I would also speak.

Heiress: Praise Music or Worship Music

Alisa: I love both genres of music.

Heiress: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman or The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley.

Alisa: I recommend The 5 Love Languages to all my friends!

Heiress: Thank you Alisa for your time, and for agreeing to do this interview.

Alisa: Thank you, Marletha! It was a pleasure.

You can also read the interview at Royal Heiress!