I’m Jackie
I’m a woman who loves words. Words that inform. Words that inspire. Speaking, singing, reading, and writing words—that’s what I do!
My passion for words blossomed as a child when my grandmother, Nettie Thomas, introduced me to literature. Her home had the most wonderful collection of books in a little bookcase. That tiny library was filled with her favorite authors—Louisa Mae Alcott, Margaret Mitchell, Zane Grey, and Mary Jane Holmes, among others. This is where my passion for reading and writing originated.
Grandma often talked about characters in the Little Prudy books and Little Women—as if they were childhood friends. From the comfort of her living room, she took me on dusty, winding trails while reading Zane Grey westerns. And of course, she introduced me to spine-tingling adventures in Nancy Drew Mysteries, the Bobbsey Twins and the Hardy Boys series.
Another library that inspired me during my childhood…
was located inside my little hometown church, where I became enthralled with the written word. I eagerly turned the yellowed, rough pages of donated volumes, with that distinct smell of aged wisdom, to discover “what happens next.” One book, Through Gates of Splendor, captured my attention.
Written in 1957, by Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor is the account of her life as a missionary, the massacre of her husband and four other missionaries, and her devotion to God and His work. The story stunned me.
I wanted to know her God. I wondered if I could trust Him as much as she did, and I longed to learn how to live a life pleasing to Him, as she had done. Decades later, I continue to find myself drawn to her writings. Her lifetime, devoted to Christ still inspires. One of my treasured quotes from the book, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, written by Ellen Vaughn, is, “Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.” I hold these words close to my heart as I find joy in the journey.
“Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.”