Exciting Announcements, Giveaways, and Photos from our Love Idol Book-Launch Party
We’ve Had Enough of the Not-Enoughs
(A Guest Post at {In}courage)
She was hiding in a corner of a bedroom, with her tiny arms pulled tightly around her knees, like she could build a cave out of her small self.
She was crying.
I picked up the wrinkled ball of lined notebook paper she had tossed beside the bed. And I knelt down, smoothing out the paper with my hands.
My little girl—my beautiful, God-created masterpiece of a girl—had drawn a self-portrait. She had labeled the parts with angry arrows and slash-and-burn letters:
“Boring brown hair. Stupid glasses. Dumb freckles. Bad teeth.” One word was scrawled across the top in big letters: UGLY.
I am sharing the rest of this story at (in)courage today. And, we’re giving away FIVE COPIES of Love Idol. Join us over there, by clicking here, for a chance to win.
An Exciting Announcement
(In)courage added nine new contributors to its writing team. And I am so delighted to be one of them!
(In)courage is about relationships. It’s a place where you’re free to let your guard down, pull your masks off, and put your dirty feet on the coffee table. I love these women. And I love how they love other women. Come say hello, by clicking here.
A Baby Shower for Love Idol
Books are like babies, and my in-real-life friends decided to throw a shower. So we gathered under the white steeple of our country church yesterday, and celebrated this book — our book … the book I wrote for you.
Here are a few snapshots from the party:
Aren’t the love idol mirror cookies the cutest? Thanks, Mom, for the lovely surprise.
Meet Hazel.
If you’ve read Love Idol, you’ve already met her. She’s in the last chapter of the book. Hazel is in her nineties, and she encourages the rest of us to “be real and honest” about what we’re struggling with. Hazel says: “I relate to the woman who needed healing in Mark 5. If I could have touched the hem of Jesus’ garment secretly, I would have. But Jesus didn’t let that woman get by with that. And He won’t let us get away with it either.”
(The woman hugging Hazel in the bottom right corner is my mother, who most people know as “Mama D.”)
A few good men
The fellas joined us, proving that you can read a book with lipstick on the cover and keep your Man Card intact.
From left to right: Helmer (He is Hazel’s sister, and Helmer is also in the last chapter of the book); My dad, Phil, who features prominently in my favorite part of the book, the Epilogue; Dad is sitting next to our good friend, Gene-O; Scott, my God’s Got It farmer-husband; Pastor Don, a friend and author from a church in a neighboring town.
(Photos by my good friend, Erica.)
Yay! So excited to see you loving women all over (in)courage today 😉 From your beautiful book to your presence in the beach house, I could not be more blessed to serve, write, and love alongside a more amazing group of women. {{hugs}}
Thanks for putting faces to your wonderful stories Jennifer with these pictures. I feel like I know them! I’m so excited for you to be contributing your blessed words over at (in)courage!! HUGE CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS!!!
Jennifer, congratulations on joining the (in)courage team!
Oh Congratulations Jennifer!! You will be such a beautiful addition to the (in)courage team.
While you had your party I tearfully turned the last page of your book. Well done sweet friend. Well done.
I was so excited to see you as part of the (in)courage team this morning – yay!!
The picture of Jesus in the mirror says it all. So I will just congratulate HIM for making you enough and for giving you HIS message to share with women everywhere. God bless you as you obediently turn that mirror from you to Him and reflect His glory in all you write. I love you, sweet Jennifer!
Lynn
You already know how I feel about you but let me just tell you again how thrilled to be writing alongside you at (in)courage, friend. You bless me big time.
Loving all of this. 🙂
Just so much goodness! You are a blessing!!
OH my, that party! What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ…celebrating this message from Him, we ARE pre approved, for today and for all of our days. SO thrilled to know you’ll be sharing your beautiful writing, wisdom, and encouragement over at (in)courage. This is a gift straight from Him, and I’m celebrating how He gives…how He is so good, and always gives us exactly what is best. Thank you for the gift of your friendship. I am so so grateful for you. Love you so. xo
So much joy in one post: your new opportunity at (in)courage, your book launch, the delightful people at your party…WOW! Praise God for his blessing upon you, Jennifer. We all rejoice with you!
Lovely party and so happy for you – not only for the book but for your new ministry at in-courage! I love reading your posts already so am looking forward to more there as well!
Dear Jennifer,
It touches my soul to read about your experiences with your daughters and how the Spirit encouraged you to learn and lay down those evil Love Idols.
And then prompted you to not only help yourself and your daughters but to rise up and hear the calling of your heart with tenderness and passion helping others proclaim I am PreApproved,
Such a witness and testimony of what our lives are as we share the Glory of our Great Almighty Father!