Local author, Tanya Glessner, Fort Scott, continues mentoring people who are incarcerated and those in recovery from addiction.
“It remains the work I’m most passionate about,” she said. “I truly believe God is taking every part of my past—along with all the healing He’s brought into my life—and using it to help pull others out of the darkness they’re facing. That said, everyone has to do their own part; real change requires our active effort.”
In addition to mentoring, she is an author of several books.
Her latest book is “Faithful Together.”
“My motivation for writing this book comes straight from my own life—the real, messy, beautiful experiences I’ve walked through,” she said. ” It started with everything I learned from my past marriage: the highs, the lows, the mistakes, and the hard lessons that shaped me. Then I watched and listened to so many other people’s marriages—the joys they shared, the struggles they faced, and the wisdom they gained along the way.”
“But the heart of this book is really about what I’ve seen and lived in my marriage now. We’ve taken everything we’ve learned from our past relationships and poured it into building something stronger together. Our children, our stepchildren, our grandchildren, this whole blended family we’ve been blessed with—they’ve all been part of the journey. We’ve grown through the challenges, the blending, the laughter, and even the tears.”
“Most importantly, though, what has made the biggest difference is having Jesus Christ right in the center of our lives,” she said. “Instead of focusing on ourselves or even on each other first, we’ve learned to put Him first. When we do that, everything else starts to fall into place—our love, our communication, our forgiveness, our hope. That’s the truth I want to share through this book: real transformation is possible when Christ is the foundation, and when we stop making ‘me’ or ‘us’ the priority and make Him the priority instead.”
About the Author
She and her husband “love spending time with our grandbabies, and our home is always open to our kids and grandkids. We enjoy sharing our whole story with others—the victories, the struggles, and yes, even the hiccups along the way. We’re convinced there’s no shame in talking openly about past mistakes once God has made us overcomers. Speaking those things out loud can help someone else avoid the same pitfalls.”
“We’re still a work in progress, still learning and growing every day. Above all, we hold fast to the truth that a family that prays together stays together.”