KUWTC: Dr. Pyle, your journey from internal medicine to author and speaker is remarkable. Can you share what inspired Anticipating Heaven?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: One encounter with a patient followed by a car accident led to my writing for various sources and ultimately being published by HarperCollins Christian. It is called Anticipating Heaven and it walks with the reader from the first time they get a diagnosis to their last. It gives them the practical knowledge of the right questions at the right time, finding a good doctor, how to get multiple opinions, knowing what to expect at the hospital, understanding their rights, and more. This message helps patients and families cope. But the greater message is how to have hope.

---

KUWTC: That’s such a powerful message. You also teach that “a good death is not an event—it’s a lifestyle.” What does that look like in your daily life?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: To have a good ending we must begin each day building a meaningful life. First, I begin my morning with positive anticipation: Lord, I expect to feel your presence today through your creation, your Word, your people, and the people you will place in my path who need you.

I then have three questions I recommend to start that practice:

1. Am I fully living my moments?
2. Am I truly living my purpose?
3. Am I confident of my destination?

At the end of the day I reflect: Did I live my moments? Did I live my purpose? And did I plant a seed for someone to discover their destination?

---

KUWTC: How has your personal journey shaped your faith and perspective?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: My life-long battle with intermittent major depression has taught me the power of authenticity. Three years following an accident and not being able to walk without a wheelchair, crutches, or cane taught me perspective. My work in Rwanda has taught me that joy and happiness are not discovered in physical comforts or worldly possessions but in family, community, and a deep, deep dependence on God for provisions and life. Living with my God-given purpose teaches me joy and feeds my soul. Keeping my theology simple is The Way: God is good, and I trust Him. Even when I don’t understand, God is good, and I trust Him.

---

KUWTC: Tell us about the place you call home.

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: Now that my children are grown and scattered, home is where my husband and two dogs are—on an airplane seat on the way to fulfilling my purpose.

I have my dream office. It includes a glass table desk with an industrial base that I can raise. On it are my very favorite things including a sculpture balanced between the weight of the world and a woman stretching her arms around the world (my friend bought it for me in Positano, Italy because she said it is me loving the whole world). A very large portrait of Jesus that my husband bought me at an auction that was painted by a young man in seven minutes. A comfy couch that I have had for 20 years that has been recovered a few times (now it is a cream-colored velvet), two dog beds, and a closet converted to library shelves filled with the books I love.

This has been in my offices through all my moves, but this one is special because I now have a view of the waterway through large sliding doors that go out to my outdoor working space.

---

KUWTC: You’ve lived and worked all over the world, but Myrtle Beach seems to hold a special place in your heart.

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: Always home. I have been blessed to travel much of the world, but my favorite place is my home because there is no place like it!

We have lived in Myrtle Beach since 1992 and have stayed here as it is the place where our children grew up and love to return to.

---

KUWTC: What life lessons have shaped the way you view purpose and prosperity?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: My husband and I both came from homes of poverty with food stamps and doing without. I slept on a mattress on the floor for much of my high school years in a house lifted up with cinderblocks. My first marriage began when I was in high school, and moving into a single-wide trailer felt like a luxury hotel.

Through life and hard work and ultimately finding the Lord in our thirties, my second husband and I found work with incomes and homes that we never could have imagined as young children. Yet, we have gone through some difficult financial times and have looked at each other and realized because we came from nothing, we can return to nothing, and still be okay. Our surroundings don’t determine our happiness.

---

KUWTC: That’s such a beautiful reminder. What advice would you give to those chasing their dream home or dream life?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: Living your purpose oftentimes requires sacrifice. It requires time and money and just mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Don’t let your “dream home” become the anchor to keep you from following your dreams. Keep your mortgage manageable and be creative with the home you have chosen.

---

KUWTC: What values guide how you live and work today?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: Faith, family, friends, and country are important to us and drive everything we do. I write and speak a lot about legacy. We each leave a legacy with every personal encounter. Did I leave a good or bad personal legacy?

In life, we also each leave a legacy. That legacy can be good or bad. A good legacy requires attention and intention. Legacy is not reflected in financial wealth but rather the way we leave the world.

I am a member of the Western Cherokee Tribe, and we have a proverb: “When you are born, you cry and the world smiles. Live a life so that when you die, you smile and the world cries.” I think this sums it up well!

---

KUWTC: How do you balance your demanding career, family, and faith?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: I am not good with this, especially as an author. My husband helps with gentle reminders. I also exercise every day either powerlifting or yoga in a group setting.

---

KUWTC: If someone wrote the final line of your story, what would it be?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: She ran sliding into the grave as if it was home base. She did all she could.

---

KUWTC: Finally, if you could host your dream dinner, when and where would it be?

Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle: It would be this era because this is the time I am in, and it would be Thanksgiving with all of my children, their spouses, and grandchildren around the table. We always place candles in the turkey and light them for our special presentation.

---

Connect with Dr. Pamela Prince Pyle:
🌐 www.drpamela.com
📸 @drpamelapyle
🎧 Coming soon: Great American Media Conversations with Bill

About the Writer

Erica Pleasant is the founder and editor of Keeping Up With The Coast, a lifestyle publication celebrating home, heart, and the honest moments between them. With a background in speaking and women’s lifestyle writing, Erica blends real-life wisdom with soulful reflection. Exploring what it means to build a life that feels as good as it looks. Her work focuses on faith, purpose, and community connection, helping readers rediscover meaning beyond milestones.

---

🙏 Disclosure Statement

The views and experiences shared by featured contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or positions of Keeping Up With The Coast or its editors. While our publication often highlights a variety of personal journeys, we honor our Christian foundation and uphold values of integrity, compassion, and truth in every story we share.