IWendy M. Reynolds: I’m assuming that included writing?
Myra Wallace: Yes, although I love reading, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer. One day I was speaking with a friend, Sharon Elliot, whom I’ve known for years. She is a writer and editor. Every year I would speak at her wonderful women’s retreats in Arizona.
We were talking in relation to speaking to ladies about fashion and beauty. Now, although I like talking about fashion, beauty and clothes, I’m a designer. However, at that time there was a part of me that was running from being a designer. I didn’t like being associated with the shallowness and vanity of the industry. That didn’t fit with who I was. I don’t believe I’m shallow or vain. I remember, literally asking God, “Why would you put me in an industry that is so vain?” Needless to say, He had a plan.
I remember telling Sharon, “We’re missing it. We can beautify the outside but we’re jacked up on the inside. We have ladies walking around here looking whole but in all honesty, are broken.” Right then she said, “Myra, you must write the book.”
I said, no knowing I had enough things on my plate; I didn’t need another project. I was a flight attendant; I had the Expo, a young ladies ministry group, a praise dance ministry and fashion design business. However, she was adamant. She recognized that I had a deeper message that needed to be shared. I told her, let me pray about it. You know what I did… I went home and prayed about it and the rest is history.
Wendy M. Reynolds: Let’s talk about your book. What is the message behind Beauty Come Forth?
Myra Wallace: I want people to know that there is a new beauty paradigm. The book can be seen and used as one of the tools of the new beauty paradigm. In this paradigm, beauty looks like a survivor, a believer, an over comer, a peacemaker. Beauty is the confident person who knows who she is. In this paradigm, we as a society begin to look at beauty as God does, from the inside out.
Wendy M. Reynolds: What do you want the reader to walk away with or gain?
Myra Wallace: I want people to walk away knowing that they already have beauty inside them. It is not something they have to go get. It is not something they have to look at in others and wish they had. I want them to walk away saying, “Wow, I had this in me all the time, but I didn’t know how to bring it out or how to unleash it.” I want them to walk away with the tools needed to transform their lives in such a way that everyone sees their beauty.