An INNER VIEW with Author Tamara Battaglia
BIO
Author Tamara Hester Battaglia is passionate about sharing God’s love with everyone. A flight attendant for almost twenty years, she has traveled the world sharing Jesus with others. Tamara grew up in Pasadena, Texas. She and her husband, Joe, live in Franklin, Tennessee. She loves traveling and spending time with her husband, kids, and four grandkids.
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: Congratulations on the release of your devotional “Written In Heaven: His Story, Our Lives.” I was honored to be one of the contributors alongside Karen Kingsbury, Priscilla Shirer, Roma Downey, and Lauren Green, with a foreword by Kathie Lee Gifford. What was the one thing God taught you through the journey of releasing the book?
Tammy Battaglia: That God can use anyone! Becoming a first-time author at 65 has brought me so much joy. And more than a few laughs! If you had told my 7th-grade language teacher this would happen, she might have fallen out of her chair. Language, both written and spoken, has always been a challenge for me. The idea for this book came to me unexpectedly, as I was dusting a bookshelf filled with works by incredible Women of God who have deeply influenced my life. My husband and I were newly married and in the process of merging our lives, our belongings, and our many books. As I looked through his collection, I realized I didn’t recognize some of the authors, many of whom turned out to be remarkable women with powerful stories.
My husband knows many of these women personally. As I met them, I was moved by their life journeys, their faith, and their impact. That’s when the idea struck me: What if these voices were brought together in one book? A place where readers could be introduced to these inspiring women and their testimonies. Standing on a ladder with a can of Endust and a microfiber cloth, dusting that bookshelf, and what seemed like a random thought became the foundation for a book called “Written In Heaven.” I learned that God can use anyone (and I qualify!) despite their lack of training and perceived ability. This brings to mind… I Thess 5:24—”Faithful is He that calls you, and He will bring it to pass.” Thankfully, it’s all about what God can do and not me! It’s important to listen to God’s silent language!
Kathleen: As a first-time author, what advice would you give someone who is contemplating writing a book?
Tammy: Time management, God’s way. Preparation and planning have always been essential parts of my daily routine. However, becoming a flight attendant completely transformed my life and my schedule. Suddenly, I was on call 24 hours a day. I’d arrive home from a flight to London in the early morning, only to find myself jetting off to Canada by evening. At first, it was a real challenge to stay packed and ready for spontaneous trips around the world. But over time, I began to find joy in the unexpected. It became a thrill to watch how God would unfold each day, teaching me to let go, trust, and simply relax. As I walked through busy airports and worked in metal tubes, I started to shift my focus. I began looking for the one person God wants me to reach that day – someone He loves and cares about deeply. Trusting in God’s schedule and not mine. That’s when I learned a better definition of time management!
Kathleen: The media and entertainment business can be exciting. But most people don’t realize it can also be extremely lonely. What has God taught you about dealing with loneliness?
Tammy: My first husband asked for a divorce the day our youngest child started college. That was devastating. I went from being a wife and full-time mother to not knowing what my life would now look like. My empty nest was now truly empty. I was trying to adjust to a home with just me, a dog, and a cat. What once was a beautiful home with laughter and love became a sullen shell of my former life. How would I now cope? A crippling loneliness filled my heart and home. And I didn’t know how to overcome it. Until….I began to dig into the Bible what it had to say about overcoming loneliness. I found that worshipping God, reading His word, and when I sang to the Lord, the loneliness disappeared. I began to sense the Lord’s presence and peace that I had never experienced previously. Col 3:16 “Let the word of God dwell richly in your heart… singing to God with gratitude in your heart.”
Kathleen: We are all influencers, and we often don’t realize the lives we influence. Can you share a story of how you unexpectedly influenced someone’s life?
Tammy: When I was 12 years old, I went to a James Robison revival that encouraged me to the next day at school to share my faith with a good friend. I gave her a New Testament Bible that I got at the revival and told her about my faith in Jesus. She did not receive it well, and I was discouraged by her response. I thought I had ruined our friendship. Or so I thought! Fast forward ten years. At 22, I got a letter in the mail from this friend thanking me for that New Testament Bible I had given her and for sharing my faith. She wanted to let me know that she became a Christian as a result of that effort 10 years earlier. And she had married a believer, as well. You never know how someone may receive something of eternal significance from planting a seed. Just be faithful and trust God for the results.
Order Tammy’s new devotional “Written In Heaven: His Story, Our Lives” here!
