Special Blend Interview: Pete Wilson Finds God’s Best Work In Plan B (Book Giveaway)
While most run from the pain of a shattered dream, Pete Wilson turns into the uncertainty of Plan B, to be transformed by God instead.
Most people gravitate towards anything and everything to make sure Plan A gets executed in their lives.
So, when I got my hands on a review copy of author Pete Wilson‘s debut book Plan B, I was part skeptical and part intrigued.
By the time I finished the first chapter, I knew Plan B was going to be different. This was a book about discovering faith when we least expect it.
Today’s Special Blend Interview guest is Pete Wilson.
Pete Wilson is a Christian blogger at WithoutWax and Senior Pastor at Crosspoint Church. Pete has been married to his wife Brandi for 12 years and they have three boys – Jett (8), Gage (6), and Brewer (3).
I sat down with Pete in today’s digital interview, to get a closer view into his thoughts on the reality of broken dreams, failed plans and the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
I hope you enjoy this special glimpse with Pete Wilson into the newly published book Plan B!
** Book Giveaway **
Today is also your chance to win a copy of Pete Wilson’s book, Plan B!
Enter the Plan B Book Giveaway at the end of today’s interview!
~~~~~
Hi Pete,
Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me virtually for this interview. I’ve been a reader of your blog, Without Wax, since last September 2009. I just happened to land on your blog the day you submitted your 60,000 word manuscript for Plan B.
It got me curious. One thing I noticed right away– checking out your blog– was your writing style. Down to earth and direct.
“While I desire to lead, love, and parent with humility and approachability my desire to be “right” can make me come across as arrogant and self righteous.” ~ Pete Wilson on WithoutWax
1. What person or experience influenced this level of personal transparency in how you relate publicly?
For a pastor, that level of vulnerability in posts like Need To Be Right seeems pretty bold.
I think John Ortberg has been a great influence on me when it comes to being open and honest about my faults.
I’ve been listening to his messages and reading his books since college and I’ve always loved the authenticity that he leads with.
Someone once said, “You can only be loved to the extent that you are known.”
So with that in mind I try to live my life as honestly as I know how.
What a great quote. John Ortberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted is a fave. Not only that, John’s pastoring at Menlo Park Presbyterian, which is right in my back yard here in California.
~~~~~
2. How did you come to choose the topic of broken dreams for your first book, Plan B?
Plan B was originally a sermon series in our church.
The response was huge. There were so many people dealing with Plan B’s in their life and they wanted to go deeper with the subject.
I honestly felt like I had a personal responsibility to study this topic further.
So I did. It became a small passion of mine and the book was the result.
It’s awesome you stepped up to put out an honest and encouraging book like Plan B.
~~~~~
3. Did you experience more than one Plan B moment in your life?
My life has been full of them.
Probably the first significant one was my parents getting a divorce when I was 16.
Allowing that experience to pull me closer to God really set a framework for which I have viewed other crises in my life.
Not long after I was married, my wife also experienced a miscarriage.
“This was a moment that really tested my faith in a way I had never been tested. Once again the crisis eventually led to a new understanding of God in my life.”
I believe in life that we face many different Plan B’s. Some are obviously bigger than others, but our response is what matters most.
We have an opportunity to choose intimacy with God over our circumstances in every situation and that’s what I wanted to share with people that I learned.
It’s powerful to see the lessons you’ve lived integrated into the messages you preach.
~~~~~
4. One of my favorite chapters was “Whiplash”. How has going through Plan Bs yourself and with others affected how you make decisions about new ventures? Do you find yourself more cautious or free?
I think I’m more free.
I’ve learned that God is going to allow me over and over again to step out into the unknown.
I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going.
I often find myself in situations where if I look at the circumstances, it appears as if God is not there.
However, I’m learning that God is most powerfully present, even when he seems most apparently absent.
You’re describing a freedom that we can’t possibly capture by our own making, but we all long to see it come alive in our everyday lives.
~~~~~
5. What has encouraged you to embrace the discomfort of unresolved problems or circumstances in your life?
If God can bring Joseph through being thrown in a well, beat up by his brothers, a false rape accusation, and a prison sentence, then I am pretty sure he can take care of my “problems” as well.
I’m not saying that should make it easier, but being reminding of God’s faithfulness in the past points me to God being faithful in my current circumstances.
There is a direct correlation between crisis and transformation and I’ve gotten to the point where I truly want to become the person God intended when He thought me into existence.
Joseph is the best — talk about a bad case of Plan B whiplash!
~~~~~
6. How do you think a church community or friendships among believers would change, if we grew more accepting of the ideas that Plan Bs happen and faith takes time?
Community inside so many of our churches is surface level at best.
People are afraid to admit that life hasn’t turned out the way they had planned. People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.
Yet the reality is that authentic community is most often built inside of shattered dreams.
When we allow people to see our hurts and disappointments community is almost instantaneous.
I hope we can all be inspired to be a part in daring that kind of community to happen through us. It’s a piece of heaven on earth.
~~~~~
7. Between pastoring, working with a large ministry staff, starting new ministries, blogging, writing – being husband and daddy – how do you unwind and recharge? Do you even sleep?
Believe it or not, I do sleep.
I have an amazing family and they are what replenish me.
I am so blessed to go home every night to 3 crazy boys and my beautiful wife. It’s just a balance.
I’m so honored to be in ministry, but I quickly learned that you have to keep a healthy balance and find something that replenishes you physically, mentally and spiritually.
Watching movies can be an incredible escape for me.
I also enjoy just about anything outside.
“I love camping, hiking and fly fishing. In fact, that’s my life long dream. I want to pastor a small church in Wyoming and run a fly shop on the side.”
Sounds like the movie A River Runs Through It, except yours would mix in God, your family and ministry.
~~~~~
8. If you had carte blanche and could vacation anywhere, where would you go and what would you do?
Fiji. But I really don’t know why.
I love the idea of a beautiful beach, a good book, and complete seclusion.
Hey, aren’t you a fan of the TV series Lost?
~~~~~
9. Before we wrap up our time together, I want to thank you for your challenging blog post, Engage or Withdraw.
You shared in the post that you felt nudged to engage in a relationship, sit down and tell them the “doubts creeping into (your) mind and heart.”
How did it go?
It went really well I believe.
I’ve had to do this over and over again with family, friends and staff members.
I’m always thankful I took the time to engage, even if it didn’t turn out the way I had hoped.
~~~~~
10. It’s easier for me to withdraw than engage. What would be your word of encouragement for a reticent, recovering people-pleaser like me?
You are so asking the wrong person.
I’m a life long people pleaser. It’s a constant problem for me.
On a really honest day, I would admit to you that this is really just a form of narcissism in my life.
Quite simply, my advice to myself and to you is get over it.
Get over yourself. You’re not going to please everyone all the time. It’s impossible.
You definitely barista a hot shot of faith!
~~~~~
Thank you Pete for spending a few moments here at Faith Barista!
Someone once said, “You can tell a lot about a man by the company he aspires to keep: the famous and the successful — or the broken and the hurting? If it’s the latter, it’s a good sign that that person values Jesus as the only priority in their lives.”
You mentioned in the book that you love being around broken people because of how they bless you.
May God continue to bless you, as you continue to discover God’s best work through the Plan Bs, in you and in others.
~~~~~
If you liked what you caught in today’s interview, there’s more where that came from — Go now and order a copy of Plan B!
You’ll love it so much, you will want a second copy to give to a friend!
SSOO, what better way to get that extra copy than by winning it in today’s Plan B Book Giveaway?!
** PLAN B BOOK GIVEAWAY **
Thomas Nelson is giving away copies of Plan B to THREE Faith Barista readers who will be randomly selected to win a copy of Pete’s book.
ENTER TO WIN: 3 Winners will be chosen!
BY SUNDAY 5/23/10 – Midnight:
Comment below with your favorite quote from today’s interview. You’re entered!
EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Go on Twitter and send the tweet below out to your peeps. Comment *a second time* that you’ve tweeted. You’re entered – again!
Find God’s Best Work In Your Plan B http://bit.ly/aQEycG Comment & win @pwilson’s new book, Plan B (via @TheBonnieGray)
2. Share this post on Facebook. Click the Share icon below. Comment *a third time* that you’ve Facebooked. You’re entered again!
THREE WINNERS:
Thank you for everyone’s entries!
Congratulations to the three winners have been selected by random using the random integer generator are:
Karen (ddnkd)
Sandra Heska King
Hayley Bevel
If you enjoyed today's interview, you may also be interested in: Plan B: Putting Down My Magic Slate We're currently in the middle of a new series, Living Your Story. So, jump on board -- SUBSCRIBE NOW to get the next post in these series directly in your mailbox via email (click here) or RSS (click here) news reader.
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“our response is what matters most”
Thanks!
This was a great interview, Bonnie.
My favorite part was:
“What would be your word of encouragement for a reticent, recovering people-pleaser like me?
You are so asking the wrong person.
I’m a life long people pleaser. It’s a constant problem for me.
On a really honest day, I would admit to you that this is really just a form of narcissism in my life.
Quite simply, my advice to myself and to you is get over it.
Get over yourself. You’re not going to please everyone all the time. It’s impossible.”
Admitedly it STUNG but the truth often does.
.-= Melinda Lancaster´s last blog ..Flashbacks =-.
My favorite quote would be: “Once again the crisis eventually led to a new understanding of God in my life.”
That is a great way to think about a crisis while it’s happening: what can I learn about God in this?
Thanks for the chance to win a book.
.-= Carol H.´s last blog ..This is a test… but who is being tested? =-.
Yet the reality is that authentic community is most often built inside of shattered dreams.
I especially like the quote about “Joseph is the best – talk about a bad case of Plan B whiplash!” It is a real encouragement to be reminded that God is in control in the Plan Bs of our lives.
Your advice “Get over yourself. You’re not going to please everyone all the time. It’s impossible.” is so true as sometimes, even after you have given your best, it can still be misunderstood, especially when you are in the ministry and working with people from all works of life who have undergone different experiences, beliefs and who have differing expectations.
“However, I’m learning that God is most powerfully present, even when he seems most apparently absent.”
This really spoke to me. How many times does it feel like God isn’t there. He is, and He is working on our behalf. We have to have faith that this is true.
~Jennifer
I tweeted it! (@jenniferajanes)
~Jennifer
I “Facebooked” it!
~Jennifer
I have the book. Tattered and scribbled as it already is. Praying for those who will ultimately win these copies. Great interview!
.-= Sandra Heska King´s last blog ..Let It Be =-.
Tweet!
Hard to choose a favorite, but I can relate to the following…“I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going.” Being a parent and a caregiver to a special needs child, I can easliy relate to Plan B and “who I’m becoming” God is good, and I am comforted daily by his transforming grace! My son has strengthed my FAITH and is a daily reminder of the same kind of unconditional LOVE we are offered freely by our Heavenly Father. So I agree, it’s more about the journey not the destination. Ready or not, I am all about embracing Plan B’s so I must get a copy of this book!
Thanks for having this interview, I love to watch the sprouts from all the seeds of Faith that are being scatterd by this online community.
“When we allow people to see our hurts and disappointments community is almost instantaneous.”
So true!
I have to also say that I loved the John Ortberg quote…“You can only be loved to the extent that you are known.”
I loved reading this interview…thanks for introducing me to Pete Wilson! Y’all are both awesome!
.-= Kristen@Moms Sharpening Moms´s last blog ..Coming to God With My Needs =-.
Already reading the book…already encouraging many others to read it also. Hoping these winning copies make it into the hearts of those whom need it the most.
One of my favorite quotes(p.87): “We must decide if we are going to put our faith in what God does or in who God is.”
This is my favorite quote and my current struggle! “We have an opportunity to choose intimacy with God over our circumstances in every situation and that’s what I wanted to share with people that I learned.” Would love to win a copy of this book to encourage me in pursuit of intimacy of God in challenging circumstances. Thanks for the great interview!
Lucy
My favorite quote is: “If God can bring Joseph through being thrown in a well, beat up by his brothers, a false rape accusation, and a prison sentence, then I am pretty sure he can take care of my “problems” as well. ” I really like being reminded that God has brought so many people through so many trials and tribulations, that my Plan B is so minor in comparison that He can and will help guide me through.
This one is my favorite: “I believe in life that we face many different Plan B’s. Some are obviously bigger than others, but our response is what matters most.
We have an opportunity to choose intimacy with God over our circumstances in every situation and that’s what I wanted to share with people that I learned.”
“Get over yourself. You’re not going to please everyone all the time. It’s impossible”
by far my favorite. any middle-child, people pleaser would love this comment.
My favorite quote was,” People are afraid to admit life has turned out the way they had planned”. So true for all of us .
I liked when he talked about being a people-pleaser and how that trait was really a form of narcissism. Amen, Brother! I am also a huge John Ortberg fan. My favorite book of his is “If You Want To Walk On Water, You Have To Get Out of the Boat.”
People are afraid to admit that life hasn’t turned out the way they had planned. People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.
SO TRUE!
My favorite quote? These are the people God gives me, the broken and hurting. Sometimes it is truthfully exhausting. This quote brought me back to asking myself who I really want to look like at the end of the day.
“You can tell a lot about a man by the company he aspires to keep: the famous and the successful — or the broken and the hurting? If it’s the latter, it’s a good sign that that person values Jesus as the only priority in their lives.”
J
my fave: “the reality is that authentic community is most often built inside of shattered dreams.”—so TRUE.
Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
I also shared on Facebook
Fav quote – “Quite simply, my advice to myself and to you is get over it.
Get over yourself. You’re not going to please everyone all the time. It’s impossible.”
My favorite quote from the interview was this:
I’ve learned that God is going to allow me over and over again to step out into the unknown.
I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going.
I often find myself in situations where if I look at the circumstances, it appears as if God is not there.
However, I’m learning that God is most powerfully present, even when he seems most apparently absent.
SO TRUE! I would love to read this book!
“There is a direct correlation between crisis and transformation and I’ve gotten to the point where I truly want to become the person God intended when He thought me into existence.”
To me, THAT describes the freedom God intended us to live in.
With my husband out of work for the past year, no unemployment checks, losing our home, and still waiting on God for our next pastoral ministry position, I can relate to this….
“I often find myself in situations where if I look at the circumstances, it appears as if God is not there.
However, I’m learning that God is most powerfully present, even when he seems most apparently absent.”
I can’t wait to read this book!
Shared on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/courtney.fanning
.-= Courtney´s last blog ..Show some love for my new blog! =-.
“When we allow people to see our hurts and disappointments community is almost instantaneous.” So true.
The quote that really moved me was:
“Community inside so many of our churches is surface level at best.
People are afraid to admit that life hasn’t turned out the way they had planned. People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.
Yet the reality is that authentic community is most often built inside of shattered dreams.
When we allow people to see our hurts and disappointments community is almost instantaneous.”
My favorite:
I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going.
I posted this on Facebook!
My favorite quote is….I believe in life that we face many different Plan B’s. Some are obviously bigger than others, but our response is what matters most.
“I love the idea of a beautiful beach, a good book, and complete seclusion.”
This sounds perfect right now.
My favorite quote:
People are afraid to admit that life hasn’t turned out the way they had planned. People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.
I facebooked a third time.
I love this: “We have an opportunity to choose intimacy with God over our circumstances in every situation…”
I would LOVE to win this book! Thanks for the chance!
My favorite quote: “People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.”
That is me. I am even afraid to admit it to myself sometimes, and then when I finally do admit my disappointment with God I feel like I betrayed Him, or I don’t really believe in Him, or something like that. I could go on, but won’t.
Thanks for the chance to win this book. I can’t tell you what it would mean to me.
missyolivo@hotmail.com
My favorite quote was “I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going” This is my life and it was not an easy lesson to learn. I still struggle with it as I tend to be a bit of a control freek. But God hasn’t given up on me yet.
“There is a direct correlation between crisis and transformation and I’ve gotten to the point where I truly want to become the person God intended when He thought me into existence.”
.-= Jordan´s last blog ..Pecan trees and coffee nips. =-.
I shared this on Facebook.
“I have an amazing family and they are what replenish me. “
Thanks you for writing your book – Plan B My favorite quote from the interview is “I’m not always going to get what I want, but who I’m becoming is in fact more important than where I’m going.” It spoke volumes to me.
Loved the interview. My favorite quote is, “People are afraid to admit that life hasn’t turned out the way they had planned. People are afraid to admit they feel God has disappointed them. People feel the pressure to paint a picture that everything is going great.”
We are afraid to let our true selves show, but only if we would let out the pain we could touch each other with truth and really heal the pain. Then we could rejoice in being able to bless each other in a meaningful way.
“However, I’m learning that God is most powerfully present, even when he seems most apparently absent.”
I also read a similar statement on his blog (which I found through your interview) I am intrigued and would very much like to read this book!
Thanks for the interview and for the Giveaway
I tweeted (Creators Palette)
Don’t remember ever having a Plan A. Guess that means I live in Plan B.
I shared this on my Facebook
When we allow people to see our hurts and disappointments community is almost instantaneous.