Very early, I recognized that God had His hand on my life. At age seven, I invited Jesus Christ into my heart as Savior and Lord. Being so young, I later had doubts until settling the fact forever, claiming the promise of Romans 10:13, that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

A lifelong resident of Johnson City, Tennessee, I married the sweetheart of my dreams, James Barker—my best friend and encourager.

I began writing as a college student, working afternoons at the Johnson City Press-Chronicle, simply following a desire God put in my heart. After graduating, I accepted a full-time position at the newspaper, living my dream of a journalism career and earning much acclaim as a news and feature writer, often interviewing celebrities. My weekly column “Of Cabbages and Kings” was widely read, and my story on the death of a local soldier in Vietnam won the prestigious Associated Press Managing Editor’s Award.

An opportunity exceeding my dreams came when the newspaper assigned me to cover Billy Graham’s historic Knoxville crusade, which claimed national headlines when President Richard Nixon attended. I was chosen by the crusade’s executive committee to write a book commemorating the event, Billy Graham in Big Orange Country—my first book at age 24.

After leaving the newspaper to be a stay-at-home mom to our two awesome children (now grown), I co-authored several books, including Twice Pardoned with Harold Morris, which quickly rose to number one on the national Christian best-sellers list—an honor far beyond my dreams.

The Lord has also allowed me to invest my life for Him by speaking for women’s events and mentoring young wives. My husband and I served for several years as Marriage Enrichment leaders for Holston Baptist Association.

I can only say that He guided my steps, designing my life to illustrate Psalm 37:4. “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” He plants the desires…and He fulfills them.

My soul desire is to walk daily in wholehearted devotion, declaring His praise through the spoken and written word.

To learn more about Dianne and her books visit diannebarker.com.