Java with Jennifer Journal

Three-Star Boldness

Excerpted from Fresh Grounded Faith (Harvest House)

 

One Tuesday in January, our son Connor was asked by his friend Jacob, “Where are your mom and dad?”  With customary confidence and typical first grade logic, Connor responded, “They are with my Uncle David, Aunt Carrie, and George Washington in State of Union.”

He was partly right. Tuesday night, January 31, 2006 Phil and I had the once in a lifetime privilege of attending the State of the Union address presented by President George W. Bush.  Before the speech, we were invited to dinner with the congressman for whom my brother David worked at the time.

We met at the Capitol Hill Club for a lovely dinner with the congressman, his wife, and several Navy admirals and Bethesda Naval Hospital doctors.  Just before we went into the dining room, David whispered to me that our seats for the annual address were located near the First Lady.  It was all I could do to contain my excitement.  As we stood in the lobby waiting for our table, with senators and congressmen passing by, all I wanted to do was start screaming “Phil and I are going to the State of the Union, and I am sitting near Laura Bush.”

Reasonably certain that none of the seasoned Washington professionals would share or understand my enthusiasm, I mustered all the self-control I could and remained quietly composed—though every nerve in my body was shaking with excitement.  I could not believe we were about to sit in the gallery for such a historical occasion.  To think that in 1913, Woodrow Wilson stood in that very hall and addressed both houses of congress in person, after 112 years of the annual message being presented only in writing. And now, somehow, little Jennifer Rothschild was about to view such an event first hand.

 

As I waited to be seated for dinner, I thought about that hallowed hall into which we were about to enter.  It was the very hall where Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 speech was first broadcast on radio.  And where Harry Truman’s message, in 1947, was actually seen by the nation, the first State of the Union message to be televised.  But to my surprise, I was just as awestruck by what happened at dinner prior to the president’s address.  We were seated by a very distinguished and intelligent admiral.  After interesting and casual conversation over dinner, our exchange took on a sweeter and more intimate flavor as dessert was served.  Amidst the fragrance of fine coffee and crème brȗlée, he began to talk about the genuine faith of the President he witnessed when escorting him to see the many war heroes at Bethesda. Without prompting, the admiral mentioned the importance of faith, and then announced, “My faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ.”  “Mine too,” I chimed. “Mine too,” Phil added with brotherly love.

Suddenly I felt an unexpected thrill.  Here was an admiral, a man responsible for all of Navy medicine, unashamed to announce his loyalty to his Savior—and this was before he knew much about me or Phil. Sitting across from that bold warrior of Christ made me rethink the history and heroes that were filling my thoughts on such a special night.

 

It’s true, to be a part of such a once-in-a-lifetime event as the State of the Union was nothing to take lightly.  But to be face to face with a hero of the faith who wore three earthly stars on his uniform, but wore the scars of His Savior on his heart, was something that impacted me deeply.  Yes, for a political junkie like me, the speech was incredible to hear in person. The atmosphere in the gallery that night was electric.  But what happened in my heart during dessert made an indelible impact that is now a part of my history, and will inspire me to make that kind of boldness part of my posterity as well.

Oh, that you and I would be that kind of hero.  That you and I with boldness would proclaim our allegiance to Christ.  Regardless of the setting we find ourselves in, regardless of the company we are with—let us hold fast to our faith and make it known.

 

Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech. (2 Corinthians 3:12)

My Blind Artist Friend

“Ever since I saw you on Robert Schuler's Hour of Power and listened to your book, "Lessons I Learned In The Dark", I've been a big fan.”  Those were words to me from a friend, whom I’ve never met, in a recent email.  His name is JD Lewis.   

Like me, John lost his sight from Retinitis Pigmentosa.  Like me, he loves art.  Unlike me, he became a professional artist before he lost his sight.  Not too long ago, he created a website featuring some of his artwork created in the 1980's.  Even though I can’t see his art, every art print on the site has a detailed description and is screen reader friendly.

JD Lewis is a former wildlife artist with a collection of original drawings and paintings of North American animals and their habitats.  At present, he has lost roughly 95% of his vision; therefore, he is no longer producing new artwork.  However, he possesses enough original wildlife art that may have great appeal to the animal lover, or wildlife enthusiast.

I wanted to pass this information along to anyone who may love animals, or the outdoors. And, I just appreciate his tenacity.  It’s tough to lose something you love but rather than being bitter and isolated, he takes that which he can no longer see and makes it available for others to enjoy.  That’s my kind of guy!

Visit his website, read his story and view his detailed, high quality Giclees prints at,

http://www.jdlewiswildlifeprints.com.  Way to go John!  Thanks for being an example of tenacious faith!

Let the Words of my Mouth

As heard on KLOVE Jan 2010; excerpted from Self Talk, Soul Talk by Jennifer Rothschild (Harvest House, 2007)

 

The older I get, the more frequently the words of my sweet, Southern grandmother echo through my thought closet.  “Mama” taught me a lot through her words and her life.  I giggle now at one of her stern admonishments to me when I was just a little girl.  With her small voice and southern drawl, she would often say, “Honey, don’t ever watch so-poppers.”

As a young girl I vowed I would not—even though I had no idea what in the world “so-poppers” were.  I did notice that each time my petite Mama preached her anti-so-popper doctrine she was sipping a Coca Cola and watching Days of Our Lives or All My Children.  Not until I was a young adult did I finally realize what she was actually warning me against.  As thick as sweet southern molasses, her Georgia accent had swallowed up the words soap operas. That’s great advice from my grandmother, but even greater wisdom comes from her favorite psalm. She quoted it to me often. 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight,

O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14 KJV).

My precious Mama knew the power of words, and she wanted her granddaughter to know that power also.  The writer of Proverbs tells us that the words of the wise are persuasive, that a person’s words can be life-giving water, and that wise speech is rarer than gold and rubies.  Are we to take the Bible literally here?  More rare than gold or rubies?  How many rubies have you seen lying around lately?  How often have you felt the weight of a 100-percent gold coin in the palm of your hand?  I do believe Solomon is saying that truly wise and prudent speech is that rare. When you hear it, you know it, and you marvel.

Did you realize that your words could have such an impact?

In the pages of this book, my premise is that some of the most powerful words we utter are words no one else ever hears.  They are the words we speak to ourselves.  Why do we speak them?  Why, in particular, do we speak negative, unproductive things to ourselves?  We say them because they have found shelf space in our thought closets, and we find them near to hand in those moments when we are inclined to slander ourselves. These are the kinds of words that haunt us and plague us for years on end.  But, we want our words to be “acceptable” to God-He is our Standard for truthful soul talk.  And He can be our source for truthful soul talk—He is our “strength and Redeemer.”

To read more, visit www.selftalksoultalk.com.  Click here to order your own copy of Self Talk, Soul Talk.

One Poorly Sung Note

As heard on KLOVE Jan 2010; Excerpted from Self Talk, Soul Talk by Jennifer Rothschild (Harvest House, 2007)

 

In 1991 I was invited to sing the national anthem for an Atlanta Braves game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Prior to that warm July evening, I had only sung the national anthem once publicly—at the opening of the little league season in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Let’s just say that first experience was a whole lot less intimidating.

 

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is a stirring, wonderful song, but no one has ever claimed it’s easy to sing. I was so nervous. I rehearsed madly, consumed bottles of Maalox…and then it was time to step out on the field.  A reverent hush fell upon the stadium as the players removed their caps, and Old Glory flapped in the wind.

 

I began. “Oh, say can you see…”

 

So far, so good.  My voice filled the massive stadium.  I could hear it reverberating back to me with every note.  But then, something unexpected happened.  As I came to the line “and the rockets red glare,” I choked and gagged.  Glottal shock!  Have you ever heard of it?  Well, 47,000 baseball fans could tell you exactly what it sounds like.

 

Glottal shock renders the singer momentarily voiceless.  I choked on “glare” and heard myself gag over giant speakers reverberating throughout the stadium.  In that moment, time stood still.  As if in slow motion, I could see 47,000 faces slowly contorting into confused and shocked expressions.  I wanted to evaporate.  I wanted to drown in a

sea

of

Maalox

.  But I couldn’t.  I had to finish the song.  Making my recovery, I finished strongly as I belted out “and the home of the brave!”  The stadium erupted in applause, and I nearly melted in sweet relief. I was so glad that it was over.

 

 As Phil walked me off the field, he said, “Way to go, honey.  Way to recover.”  When I met up with my folks, my Dad spoke of how proud he was, and my Mom echoed her sentiments.  As I ran into friends, they were generous with their compliments.  But all I could think about was the glottal shock.

 

That one stadium-sized mistake. The broken word, “glare,” replayed over and over in my mind.  Do you know how many words are in our national anthem?  To save you the singing and counting, I’ll fill you in.  There are 82.  And I sang 81 words well.  Even so, I couldn’t hear the applause. I couldn’t hear my parents’ compliments or my husband’s consoling words or my friends’ congratulations.  All of the positives were overwhelmed and overshadowed by that one sour note.  I was humiliated and haunted by my mistake.

 

 Finally, after several days of self-scrutiny, I told myself to focus on the 81 words I sang well rather than the one word I choked on.  One wrongly sung word doesn’t justify quitting—not for me and not for you!

 

Douglas MacArthur once said, “Age wrinkles the body; quitting wrinkles the soul.”  Does your soul ever get wrinkled?  Are you prone to quitting when things don’t turn out the way you hoped?  One poorly sung note will often make you want to stomp off the field and swear off singing forever, but to you, my sisters, I say, sing on.  Someone else once put it this way: When your dreams turn to dust, vacuum!

 
For more information about Self Talk, Soul Talk visit www.selftalksoultalk.com.

 

 

December 2009 Taste This!

What I Am In To Lately

 

Oh, what a great way to finish up 2009!  We were in Clearwater, Florida for our last Fresh Grounded Faith conference, and what a great group of women joined us there!  Our awesome Michael O'Brien sang his version of "The Lord's Prayer" which is on his new CD that will be available in March 2010. You must check it out.  It's moving and meditative.  Shelley Jennings was also with us, and her new Quiet Rest: Lullabies for the Children of God CD is so lovely and soothing.  If you enjoy prayerful hymns, you will love her new CD.  We were also honored to have the lovely Lauren Dungy join us.  She's the wife of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts head coach, Tony Dungy.   She shared such an inspiring message that really touched the women there.  She has an unwavering love for God, and it shows in the way she loves her family, community and a world in need.  What a woman of grace.  And our Clearwater FGF was super special to me because my family lives there!  So, we had an early Christmas at Aunt Carol's home, complete with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, dogs and both of my brothers!  How blessed we were.

 

Christmas season was one of the best ever. It had nothing to do with gifts.  It was one of the best ever because of being together and being able to experience true peace.  But...the gifts were fun!  Okay, here's my favorite gift--a commercial size, 60 cup, stainless steel coffee maker!  No, it's not for my daily morning brew.  I received it from Phil because I am endlessly borrowing one from my friend for each party we have.  No more! I've now got one and need to have a party to use it!  So, if you're having a party or just have a coffee drinking problem which involves 60 cups a day, just give me a call--I'll let you borrow it!

 

Speaking of drinking...I tasted the most flavorful cinnamon tea I've ever had.  By Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders, it's called Hot Cinnamon Spice, and it's a blend of Asian black tea, three kinds of cinnamon, orange peels and sweet cloves.   It's so naturally sweet, I don't even add honey.  (That'll save a girl about 30 calories per cup!)

 

Besides being with family, I've spent the month of December with the Bostonians.  Henry James introduced me to them in his book by the same name.  Unlike many other James's novels, The Bostonians is set in America.  Its female characters are feminists working toward women's suffrage, which was growing in New England during the latter half of the nineteenth century.  Though the book has more political themes than is typical with a James novel, the ingenious introduction of a conservative Mississippi lawyer into the distinctly female mix adds sparks, tension and kept me turning the pages (and there were almost 500 of them!)  I think you would enjoy a peek into a fictional interpretation of this historical time in our country.  And, it's quite the study of the female psyche!

 

My friend, take a few moments before you move on in our Java time and think about things you would like to give a "taste test" to this year.  What books would you like to read?  What would you like to try?  Where would you like to travel?  Just make a personal taste test list for yourself.  Remember, if you aim at nothing, that's exactly what you'll hit!

 

So, give these things a taste test:

 

1.  Michael O'Brien's new CD Be Still My Soul

2.  Shelley Jennings Quiet Rest: Lullaby for the Children of God CD

3.  Come to one of our Fresh Grounded Faith events this year.     

     It's real women dealing with real life and connecting with the real
     God.  I would love to have you join us!

4.  Hamilton Beach 60-cup coffee urn

5.  Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea

6.  The Bostonians by Henry James

December 2009 Fresh Grounded Thoughts

What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately

Let's Give Us Something to Talk About

This month I enjoyed the rare privilege of spending two whole days with a great friend.  At the end of the first wonderful day with Lisa, I caught up with Phil on the phone and he asked, "What did you do today?"  I told him we went to coffee shops and talked, shopped and talked, then went to two different restaurants and talked some more!  It was clear he was perplexed by how fulfilled I was by such mediocre activity and so much talking, but he bravely asked the next question. "What are you going to do tomorrow?"  Without skipping a beat, I told him we were going to coffee shops to talk, going to shop and talk, and going to restaurants to talk even more!   Well, that about did Phil in!  He was speechless at all our talking!

 

Women tend to enjoy talking. But this may be a shocker--I am not a woman who tends to enjoy talking!  I am a woman who enjoys conversation...and there's a difference.  If we don't pay attention, in all our talking we can simply exercise our power of speech but miss the power of conversation. 

 

A life-giving conversation includes questions and answers, talking and listening, confusion and clarity and laughter and tears.  Conversation is not a monologue or a spectator sport.  And it's not a deluge of words bombarding the other person!  It's an exchange of interest with words as the currency.  We ask pointed questions to our interlocutor and then willingly talk about ourselves and our views.  Effective conversation should be wisely arranged, balanced and thoughtful.  No one does that better than Lisa.

 

So, I'll fill you in on one of the best conversations Lisa initiated during our visit.  She asked me to use one adjective and one noun to describe myself currently and then one adjective and one noun to describe my ideal self. 

 

I should have used the adjective "forgetful" to describe my current self because I can't remember which adjective I settled on!  I know I did determine that this set of parts of speech describes me-- "secure receiver."  And, as I thought out loud with her about my ideal self, I went back and forth between "settled seeker" and "curious rester."  So, what about you?  What adjective and noun best captures you?  Which adjective and noun best represent your ideal self?  If you don't have a friend to talk to about this, consider honestly beginning a conversation with yourself!

 

Let's be women of quality conversations, not just many words. Guard yourself against the tendency to give self-centered monologues; it can actually reveal more about you than you realize.  It can show your unwillingness to actually disclose yourself in conversation to a friend. "Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself. " (Friedrich Nietzsche)

 

Paul, the apostle of many relevant words encouraged, "Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." (Colossians 4:6 NLT)  One of my goals this new year is to be a woman of gracious and effective conversation, not just a gabby gal of many mindless words!

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

December 2009 Spill the Beans

 

You Ask It, I'll Answer It

 

Question:

 

Jennifer, I have written to you before, but that was about two years ago.  At that time in June, I lost my eyesight in my right eye do to a blood clot going to the retina and exploding it. They called it a main retina occlusion. The doctors say there is nothing they can do to reconstruct it, and now my left eye is getting blurry.  I was in bed for a year and a half due to depression.  I then put the armor on more.  I listened to healing tapes and prayed with my prayer partner and best friend.  Two months ago I was getting the point...then I seemed to get knocked down again with the flu, which in turn pushed me back in bed and back into depression.  How do you do it? You're blind every day and yet you keep working and giving a smile with your songs and testimonies.

 

Love to you always.

 

Love,

Pam

 

Answer:

 

Pam, your situation with sight loss and the fear that accompanies it may differ from the individual situations of our Java friends, but, I promise you my friend, that each struggle as you do, from time to time, with depression and the effort to  walk by faith. I know I do.

 

As you said, I am blind every day. Some days that gets the best of me and I want to get back in bed and stay there.  I, too, have had spells of depression.  But because I don't want to stay in bed or let depression get the best of me, I fall hard on God's grace and ask Him to help me walk wisely through it.  He has and continues to do that for me. 

 

When depression lingers or seems more powerful than our faith, sometimes we need to see a doctor.  Sometimes we need to see a counselor.  Sometimes we need to modify our lifestyle to reduce stress.  And sometimes, we even just need to keep working and smiling.  The response is different for each woman and each situation, so I hesitate to tell you one thing to do.  All I know is what I do.  I'm learning to daily trust God more than my feelings. 

 

On the days I don't "feel" I want to get out of bed and be blind and deal with the tiny things that are mountains to me, I trust God more than my feelings and get out of bed trusting His grace to empower each wobbly step that day.  On the days I don't "feel" like smiling and would rather be bitter or self-pitying, I trust God's character more than I trust my own.  On the days, and there have been some, where I think "this gloom is beyond my ability to handle even with my faith," I have sought medical assessment to see if my body chemistry is making it even harder for me.  Pam, there was a time when I discovered my serotonin levels were so low, no wonder I was struggling with depression!  I chose to rebuild my deficit through herbal remedies under the supervision of a doctor, and it really helped.  (Some women are prescribed medication from a doctor to help with depression, and that is a good decision, too.) When my body had the support it needed, then it became a little easier on the tough days to act upon my trust in God like I really wanted to. 

 

Another thing I really try to do to keep the impact of my own blindness in perspective is pay attention to others' struggles and needs. Empathy for others is a great salve for the sting of loss and depression.   

 

I'm not in any way suggesting the ways I handle depression are the only and best ways, but I do know when I submit my will, my emotions and even my body to the wise leadership of God, He brings me wellness in my soul. 

 

Remember, depression is not who you are.  Depression is what you struggle with.  Who you are is more than a conqueror in Christ.  You are not fighting for victory over your depression--you're fighting from a position of victory.  During the dark spells, trust that God is teaching you, molding you and creating a more sensitive, empathetic and meek woman. Those character qualities will always out weigh any loss..
 
And, now the beans are officially spilled!

December 2009 Prayer Requests from Jennifer

I need your prayers - if you have time, will you please consider praying for me? Here is my prayer list for this month:
  

My simple prayer is that I, that you, that we all experience God's peace in 2010 and become instruments of His peace.  May this be a wonderful new year for you and your family.
 
Thanks from the bottom of my heart for praying for us.  We are grateful for your partnership in prayer.

Difficult Gifts

I've had lots of response from my time on K-Love in December.  I loved being on air with Eric and Lisa and evidently, one story I told really resonated with listeners.  So, in response to email requests and phone calls, I am posting the story I told about "Christmas Underwear!"  It's an excerpt from my book "Lessons I Learned in the Dark" (Multnomah Book, 2002)

 

Difficult Gifts

 

One reason many people struggle with bitterness and ungratefulness is that they’ve never learned to receive difficult gifts.  Blindness is just one of many such gifts.  Illness, broken relationships, wayward children, and financial strain can be very hard to receive, much less be thankful for. But the interesting thing is that God expects us to be thankful anyway.  “Give thanks in all circumstances,” the apostle Paul reminds us, “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

 

I vividly remember the night before Christmas when I was nine years old.  One of our family traditions was that each child got to open one gift on Christmas Eve.  My brothers and I spent most of the month deciding which gift that would be.  We began our research in early December, and as each gift appeared beneath the tree, we carefully examined it, checking the weight and shape of each box, looking for clues to what was inside.  As you can well imagine, by Christmas Eve the gift we had chosen to open had become the most coveted one under the tree.

 

That year my brother Lawson and I both chose a gift from Aunt Patti. (Our brother David was a baby and still too young to care.)  Aunt Patti was young and hip. She knew what kinds of presents kids liked, and now she joined my parents on the couch to watch the events unfold.

 

Lawson went first.  He carefully removed the wrappings—and there was a brand new GI Joe action figure (boys would never call that a “doll”).  It had been on his list, so, boy, was he excited!  I was excited, too, because it confirmed my hopeful suspicion that my gift from Aunt Patti was the number-one thing on my wish list—a Barbie doll.

 

My gift was in a rectangular-shaped box.  It wasn’t the traditional box that a Barbie doll came in, but it was shaped like one, and I was convinced that Aunt Patti was just trying to fool me.  I pulled off the narrow rectangular top, peeled back the tissue paper—and there were seven pairs of neatly rolled underwear.

 

Underwear!  I wanted a Barbie doll, not underwear.  I didn’t even care if I wore underwear.  My mother obviously noticed my disappointment because without hesitation, she said, “Jennifer, what do you say to Aunt Patti?”

 

“Thank you,” I said.

 

Now, why did I say thank you for a gift that I hadn’t asked for and obviously didn’t want?  Because from as early as I could remember, my mother had taught me that I was always to receive whatever anyone gave me and say thank you for it.  She had instilled in me how important it is to always honor the giver by gratefully receiving the gift.  So one reason for saying thank you was to honor Aunt Patti.  Another was that it was my mother’s will—and I knew that I would be a lot happier if I obeyed her!

 

Being thankful in all circumstances shows that we’re acting in accordance with the will of God—who always gives us what is best for us.  Often we struggle with an attitude of ungratefulness because our eyes are fixed so fiercely on the gift.  Some things that God allows to come into our lives are genuinely hard to be thankful for.  But if we fix our eyes on God, we can see beyond the difficulty of the gift into the heart of the Giver. Regardless of whether we asked for it or want it, it’s a gift of God’s grace, and our response should always be to receive it with thanks.

 

Is your response to difficult gifts based on your feelings about the gift itself, or on your desire to honor the Giver and do His will?  Is your closed fist extended in anger, or is your open hand lifted to Him?  Only an open hand receives the blessings that accompany difficult gifts, and sometimes it’s only in a package wrapped in heartache that we receive the fullness of God’s grace.

 

Faith is the most essential ingredient for gratefully receiving whatever God lovingly allows, and it can be the greatest source of blessing in our lives when we learn to see what it sees.  But to do that, we have to look at our lives from the right perspective.