My name is Jen, I am married to an amazing man, and we have three kids that keep us hopping; Grace (10), Rebekah (8), and Lucy (3). I have freelance-produce corporate and association events for Freeman for 15+ years, been a video editor and storyteller for 10+ years, managed social media accounts for organizations large and small, and spent most of my adult life serving in ministry.
I am a follower of Christ and I hope that is evident by what I say and do each day. I love the people in this world and want to do as much good as I can while I am allowed to live here. My husband and I want to adopt – so most days I read the blogs and posts of moms who have adopted and get excited about our turn. We are waiting on the Lord a bit longer than I thought for that dream to come true, but while we wait, we’re hoping in Him, and that is a crazy adventure.
“Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” D.H. Lawrence
Let Hope Rise 
If yall ever want to move to Myrtle Beach just let us know 🙂
Commented on the wrong blog and post… my brain is not working… but Myrtle Beach is a nice place 🙂 Haha!
Came across your blog today and I can relate with much of what you say – writing is very healing and I trust that you have found it so. Keep up the great writing and allow God to write through you and touch and encourage others with your story. God Bless!
Thank you Cindy for the comment and the encouragement. Nice to “meet” you – I love when people stumble into my world and I get to connect with them. It is amazing how the Lord uses these blogs to connect us to each other. Have a great weekend! Jen
“I am a follower of Christ and I hope that is evident by what I say and do each day. I love the people in this world and want to do as much good as I can while I am allowed to live here.”
That sums it up pretty good.
I am also a grammar-challenged nervous writer, welcome me to the club 🙂
very inspiring. I though my challenge were unique. It is good to know someone on the other side of the world is like me.
wow. such a heart you and your husband have in wanting to adopt.
I have 4 kids, eldest is 8, youngest is 2 yrs old. I want 10 kids. my wife doesn’t want so we are praying to not have more.
grace and peace
Hey Jen–I posted a few times on your “Grieving and Hope” article–but I just wanted to say best wishes for your journey to adoption. My husband and I have no children of our own yet, but we are now licensed as Foster Parents and look forward to adopting from Foster Care, Lord willing. So much need there — I can’t wait for the chance to love a little child who needs it. May God richly bless you and your family. 🙂
Oh Rebekah that is awesome! I am, truly, an adoption stalker. So if you set up a blog, please visit back and give me the address. I’d love to watch your journey from afar. Thank you for your kind words. I’ll pray for you guys as you enter into the adoption world. I have many many friends in that world, and actually wrote a post about supporting them, https://lethoperise.com/2012/04/12/the-battle-for-adoptive-families/
I pray it encourages you and that you feel the full support of friends and family as you continue on your foster/adoption journey.
I can’t believe you are Baptist-around here (Piedmont N.C.) Baptists don’t usually share your views. I am a Presbyterian, but I have to admit I’m mainly an angry churchgoer, because I feel so many of our churches are in no way doing what Jesus would have us do. Your words on the November 7 express my feelings very well. Thank you. I have reposted your words on my page with the hope that healing can begin and all this crazy anger can diminish. Thanks for starting this process.
Hi Evelyn, I have had a few moments of anger, I’ll confess. At both sides, really. Sometimes I feel like we have these big blinders on and we see what we want to see but we don’t see who is pulling the strings. We have such a dangerous media, dangerous for our hearts. Both sides are being absolutely taught one side of the story, with no understanding for the other side. I make it my practice to read the same story on NYT, FoxNews.com, ABC, CNN, and even sometimes Al-Jazeera. And if I can find it, I find the original source (especially if there is video). I do that because the spin is so subtle and so many people just lap it up like milk.
I actually am much more conservative than this blog would suggest, but I understand the liberal side. I can see why they would come to the conclusions they come to, which is why I wrote this blog. I get it. And I hope that liberals would see why conservatives come to the conclusions they come to. These are hard hard issues, and there often isn’t one clear-cut answer. But us throwing rocks and shooting missiles is truly damaging our country. We need to listen to each other and reconcile.
In the church, I don’t think it’s an option. I think that when the bride of Christ is divided, that is sin. So I am praying for a diminishing of anger on all sides. Jesus please. We so need mercy and grace, both for ourselves and more importantly, that would flow out of us onto others.
Your thoughtful, researched blog on the election is the one of the best I’ve ever read. Thanks for sharing it – – via FB
I am a gay male. I stumbled upon your article about the election through a posting on someone’s facebook page who shared your article. Although we probably wouldn’t have the same stance on some issues, whereas I view myself as being born gay, you may think it remains a sin and lifestyle choice. I’m 46 years old, and as a young adult, as AIDS became a pandemic, the anxiety and fear that came along with the disease and perception of others towards me as a gay male at times was overwhelming to deal with. I felt rejected by much of society, the church, and felt that many in my extended family were finger pointing and talking behind my back. I began to harbor resentment towards many religions, including those who would call themselves “Christian” yet spew what I felt was hateful and inflammatory words toward the gay community. This, I believe, is still the case with many very conservate evangelical Christians. I never understood the hypocrisy I felt from Christians that seemed so removed from God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Luckily, I have found some churches that were accepting of openly gay patrons. But again, many evangelical Christians looked upon such churches as not being of God. Regardless how you view my life as a gay male, I felt a genuine spirit, kindness, sincerity, and love in your article that is missing in most of the messages I hear from the evangelical community. I wanted to thank you for taking a bold step against the grain and reminding people of the love that is extended by Jesus to all people. I am confident that as a loving, compassionate, gay male, Jesus will accept me for who I am. I am riddled with a bit of hope in your message that there are other evangelical Christians out there with your compassion.
Daniel I am grateful that my compassion came through. I truly am sorry for any and all hurt you have experienced. I truly am sorry for the divide, and am grateful for you reading this post and commenting. And I am with you – I trust Jesus. I trust His heart, toward you and toward me. He seemed to understand us, as Paul said a high priest who walked where we walked and understood our hurts and struggles and sins. And he loved us even while we killed him – that’s the mercy and grace of our Savior. I’m so grateful for it.
I’m also grateful for you. Keep pressing into people like me, trusting us with your story. I will do my best to honor it. Were you to sit at our table in our home, with our kids running around and our dog driving you crazy, we would hopefully communicate our desire to walk with you through life toward Jesus.
This was, as they say, a good word, Daniel. I hope you continue to communicate with the people around you.
The craziest thing in the American church today is the idea that gays are not accepted, and what I mean by accepted is not wanted or cherished or loved or even acknowledged.
Scripture tells me that while we, the “saved,” were God’s enemies, he found us, washed us, saved us, set us into his body, took away every sin and stain, placed us with him, and will one day completely redeem us. This is us, the church. The saved. God said we were enemies, and yet he gave his son and sacrificed for us.
And our response has been, sadly, to turn around and not accept or love people who don’t match our ideas of what someone should be. We exclude and push out.
I’ve written elsewhere my own thoughts on this issue, and won’t put it here. I’d just like to say that you are not only welcome in the church, and loved, and cherished, but you are welcomed and loved and cherished by God.
I hope you find the right group of people in your journey. The church sometimes makes terrible mistakes, but God is sovereign, and eventually we figure out how to love and accept people.
I’m terribly sorry for your experiences, and I hope–I really hope–you can find a place of safety and acceptance and hope.
God be with you, my friend. It gets better. It really does.
I noticed the name changed from
– a former video girl – which I want to know more about
to
– the very worst minister’s wife.
there are many things I want to know about!
i don’t think you are the very worst at all 🙂
Hi friend! I for many years worked in video (running media for conferences and churches) but for the past 5 years I’ve been an event producer (traveling around coordinating guests and stage managing onsite events). So since I am not really known as the “video girl” anymore, I thought I’d adjust it. I am back in school trying to change careers, simply to try to be home with kiddos more, so maybe in a few years I’ll be “Jen the Occupational Therapist”!
Thanks for checking in and writing – I can’t wait to meet you someday! J
Dear Jen,
I learned of your blog after following a link to your Grieving and Hope post via Facebook. I have been following it ever since, less out of interest in perspectives on the fractured relationships between right and left in our country (and how so many of us get “lumped” into those categories), but moreso owing to your incredible steadfast and sensitive responses to nearly every commenter. Your words have been a source of comfort and inspiration to me. I just wanted to say thank you for that, and to wish you and your family much love, laughter and happiness in the new year.
Happy holidays and many thanks.
Hello Tess’ Dad,
I am so sorry I just saw this. Somehow it slipped through the cracks. Thank you for your kind words and your wishes for 2013. I am so grateful for the kindness and for the way you blessed my day. Blessings for your family as well! – Jen
Hi there!
I work for Icon Media Group and we’re working on a new title that released the beginning of January and I wanted to see if you might be interested in reviewing it. We’d be looking for a review to post in February, and are happy for you to host a giveaway as well, if you’re interested. More information on Chasing God by Angie Smith is below—let me know if this is a title you’d be interested in reviewing. Thanks so much!!
Caylen
Icon Media Group
blogs@iconmediagroup.us
Chasing God
Let’s be honest: we’ve all questioned whether or not we’re doing this
“Christianity thing” the right way. Am I really a Christian? If I’m doing
everything right, why do I feel so far from God? What am I missing?
Best-selling author and highly sought-after speaker Angie Smith struggled
with these same questions, and the answers she discovered inspired her new
book, Chasing God (B&H Publishing, January 2014). In Chasing God, Smith
unpacks how our earthly, unrealistic expectations of God result in us
chasing Him, keeping us from following Him.