2007 was a year of discovery, adventure and grace for me. I experienced so many life-shaping incidents.

In the spring, it was the Dr. Phil Show, and signing with and writing a book for Harvest House Publishers (Self Talk, Soul Talk). The summer and fall were full of ministry travels, and fabulous family and friend memories.

In November, I had the chance to gather with other LifeWay authors for the annual Women's Ministry Forum in Nashville. What a coveted time to learn from and relate to other women in ministry!

We all stayed one glorious night at the historic Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville. The grand hotel is an ideal mixture of rich history and supreme luxury. More beautiful than the accommodations though were the beautiful women who write for Lifeway.

I took along with me my latest read: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1925, the novel kept me rapt by its elegant use of language and the efficient way Fitzgerald wove his fiction. The story took place during Prohibition, but its themes were current and relevant to life today. I developed quite a crush on that "Old Sport" Gatsby and loved him for his tireless effort to live out his dream.

As Fitzgerald's narrator put it, Gatsby "turned out alright in the end." The Great Gatsby was one of those books I really didn't want to put down and I certainly was disappointed when I started the last chapter. It was so good I didn't want it to end! (By the way, if you decide to give this book a taste test, keep in mind that Fitzgerald includes a minimal amount of profanity; he uses it sparingly and appropriately to communicate some pretty sorry characters!)

Now December is sporting the fragrance of Christmas, my nails are polished with just a little holiday sparkle and I am trying to stay on Santa's "nice list!" So by the time you read this, you may be taking down the tree, packing the ornaments and determining your New Year's diet! But one important thing I want to leave you with, - you were an important part of my 2007 and I wish you a very peaceful and purposeful New Year!

"All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within." - Horace Friess

So give these three things a Taste Test:

1. The Hermitage Hotel

2. The Great Gatsby

3. LifeWay Bible Studies for Women (written by my buddies!)

In a 2006 Newsweek article, Billy Graham was quoted as saying; "All my life I've been taught how to die, but no one ever taught me how to grow old."

I have had a teacher, a life-long tutorial, in how to do just that, - how to grow old with style and substance. My teacher? - My grandfather, Lawson Jolly, Sr.

My family gathered in Clarkston, Georgia on December 15 to lay his body to rest. He was 100 years old...oh, and a half! My brother David put it best when he called Papa "our Rock Star" and us "his groupies!"

He seemed to grow old so slowly and negligibly that I forgot he would actually finally pass away. He just didn't seem to age. At our Christmas gathering when he was a sprightly 97, he challenged my brothers, husband and boys to a push-up contest. Of course he won! (One of the advantages of age!)

My dad presided over his funeral service. In the chill of the damp Atlanta air, I listened as my father recounted his best memories of his father. My favorite story was one I never tire hearing. He recounted how he and Papa went on a mission trip to Korea many years ago.

Because the Korean people so respect age, Papa (who was in his seventies) was selected to meet with a particularly stubborn elderly Korean gentleman whom the missionary was trying to reach. Papa and the missionary trekked 3 miles up a mountain to find the older gentleman, and after greeting him, the aged Korean made it clear he wasn't interested.

Well, at that, Papa said, "Old man, sit down. I came all the way from America and walked 3 miles up this mountain just to tell you how much God loves you and you're going to listen to me!"

The old man did just that! He sat down, listened and received the message of Christ. Papa really was a "Rock Star."

In Diary in Exile, Leon Trotsky wrote, "Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that can happen to a man."

Sometimes I wonder if Papa never expected to grow old, and therefore, he never did. He lived with luster and style. He loved with abandon. He was funny, a man of faith and I will miss him terribly. One hundred years was not enough time to have Papa here.

If Papa could give a final word, I have a feeling it would sound a little like what Robert Frost wisely said, "In three words, I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

And that's what the beginning of 2008 indicates. Time moves forward even when a part of my heart is buried in Clarkston, Georgia. Life goes on and it's up to us to march right along with it, redeeming each moment. Oh, to live as if it will last forever, yet be prepared for it to end tomorrow. Then maybe someday, someone will look at our lives and say..."She was my 'Rock Star,' and I was her groupie!"

Well... that's what's been percolating in me lately!

- Jennifer

Question:

"I am wondering if you've ever addressed the idea that it is easier for those who are pretty and trim to think more highly of one's self than those who do not conform to the ideas of this world and even Christians who judge others by their looks. This is a difficulty I have dealt with all of my life. I wasn't pretty as a child, I wasn't pretty as a teen, and I'm not pretty as an adult. This negative fact overwhelms any plan to begin to think and talk to myself differently."

- Lanetta

Answer:

Oh, my dear sister...I wish I could give you a hug and a cup of kindness for your thirsty soul. Honestly, as a blind woman, it's kind of hard for me to have the authority to address how deeply the visual image impacts the mental/emotional view of one's self.

This I know though: you mentioned "I am not pretty," so I want you to fill in the following blank: "I am _______." If the visual image weren't available to use as an identifier, how would you fill in the blank?

"I am SMART."

"I am FUNNY."

"I am LOVING."

If it is really true (which I highly doubt) that you aren't pretty, that is an unchangeable fact. So make the best of it and deal with the positives and the changeable. I would personally rather hang out with a physically unattractive chick who is kind, engaging, thoughtful, smart and interesting, than a "pretty" woman who is self-absorbed, demanding and boring!

Really, maybe we should redefine "pretty!" So here's to you, Pretty Lanetta. Put a smile on your beautiful face and ask God to help you love yourself as much as He does.

And now, the beans are officially spilled!

 

1. I want to follow God's path for me personally and professionally in 2008. Please pray I have discernment.

2. Clayton is making his college decision soon. Please pray we hear God's voice clearly about where is best for Clayton.

3. I still need continued prayer for the next book, the next Bible study, and the next CD! May I be a wise and Spirit-led multi-tasker!

Thanks for being a faithful friend...

- Jennifer

 

This month's winner is Marjorie from Christiansburg, VA (greenjeans2@...)

Marjorie wins a a copy of Jennifer's book, Fingerprints of God.

Congratulations, Marjorie! Please email us your mailing address.

Each month we give away something from the JenniferRothschild.com Store. All you have to do is click on the link below to let us know you were here. Your name will automatically be added to a random drawing to win. Then read the next month's email to see if your name was picked!

 

For the month of January , we want to give you a special offer on our Walking By Faith DVD: The Music Videos.

When you order one or more copies of Jennifer's book, Lessons I Learned in the Light, we'll include a FREE copy of the Walking By Faith DVD: The Music Videos.

Enjoy the seven music videos captured live from the filming of the Walking By Faith interactive Bible study. Plus, you can experience the laughter and love expressed through candid interviews and video footage of Jennifer, her boys, and her husband.

Click here for this Special Offer!

I hope you'll consider being one of my faith-walkin' Sole Sisters. I covet your prayers and appreciate so much the things you do to spread the word about my message.

Here are just a few of the small things you can do to make a big impact:

Here are some Quick Links you might find helpful:

 

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