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Lisa’s Favourites …

How did you first become friends with Jennifer?

We met over a decade ago through a mutual publishing friend. Then saw each other again in 2001 when my family was taking a year long RV trip around America. I spoke at a church in Springfield and Jennifer (Rothschild) came to see me. We kept in touch, especially at LifeWay Bible Study Teachers events. We drew closer about five years ago when her “Lessons I Learned In The Dark” really ministered to me during a dark time in my own life.

 

What is your favourite thing to do when you have some free time?

Read!!!

What is your favourite food?

A deliciously, fresh salad with lots of ingredients.

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr. Anything by him is now a current favorite.

How did you come to be on the Women of Faith permanent speaker team?

I don’t know…grace of God is my best guess.

Do you find it difficult to being recognized everywhere you go?

Yes, I don’t like it. I’m shy by nature…that is why my mom put me in an acting class when I was a little girl.  It makes me feel uncomfortable.

What are your favourite TV programmes?

I am addicted to the television show, “Survivor.”

Who has been the greatest spiritual influence on you?

So many…Beth Moore, Jack Hayford, Stormie Omartian, Richard Rohr, Ney Bailey…Jennifer Rothschild.

Is there a scripture that’s been key to your life?

Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my life verse since I became a Christian at the age of 10.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

What do you always carry in your handbag?

My cellphone.

What are the 5 most important things on your ‘To Do’ list?

You mean, today?

1. Grocery store.
2. Buy Mandisa’s new CD for daughters.
3. Ship ebay items I sold.
4. Clean up closet floor.
5. Watch “Survivor.”

What do you most appreciate about your life?

The grace of God in every area.

Who’s your favourite Bible character?

It’s a tie between John and David.

What makes you smile?

My children.

Your favourite…

• Smell?  Dawn
• Sound?  My toddlers walking in feety pajamas.
• Colour?  Blue
• Dessert?  Ice cream
• Technology you couldn’t live without?  GPS. I might could live without it but I would definitely be lost without it.

Jennifer Favourites …

Does being blind take away a good deal of the excitement of foreign travel?

I choose for it not to!  I start enjoying travel long before I leave home.  I love to research a place I am visiting–learn it’s history, culture and trivia!  I will even read about architecture before hand so when I actually visit a structure, I can see it in my mind’s eye.  If I learn a lot before I arrive, I experience more when I get there!

What is your favourite thing to do when you have some free time?

Strangely, if I have free time and my home is a mess, first thing I do is clean!  Then, my favourite thing to do is relax with an audio book, coffee, dark chocolate with a candle lit and Chopin playing in the background.

What is your favourite food?

Okay, I admit it…cheese pizza, dark chocolate and raw veggies!

What are you currently reading? And what are your favorite books other than the Bible

I’m a big fan of dead authors!  I love classic lit.  Henry James, Jane Austen and CS Lewis are some of my most loved.  Right now I am reading a living author though “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

We know you travel a lot. How do you manage to stay in different hotel rooms all the time?

I keep pretty strict habits no matter where I am–I never use drawers, toiletries sit to the left of the sink, I plug my electronics in the bathroom to charge…creature of habit!  I wish that prevented the occasional bumps and bruises but it doesn’t.  I just try to slow down and remember I am blind!

How did you come to be so keen on coffee? Do you have a special coffee machine (the kind that makes espresso) at home? What is your favourite blend?

I didn’t sip my first cup of coffee until I was forty and I haven’t stopped since!  I have a Keurig coffee maker and my favourite blend for it is Dark Magic.  At Starbucks,Verona is my favorite blend.  Actually, I would almost be just as happy with an IV Drip of coffee rather than having to brew it!

What are your favorite movies and TV programmes or do you not watch these things?

I’m an American Idol junkie! Other than that, I listen to NPR shows like, “All Things Considered” and “Fresh Air.”

Who has been the greatest spiritual influence on you?

My most intimate influence has been my Dad.  He taught me about Christ and He acted like Him.  He is meek, wise, patient and committed. His knowledge and love for Scripture impacted me greatly and he’s a great story teller from whom I’ve learned a lot.  My other strong influence, I call her a “hero for my heart” is Joni Erikson Tada.  Her joy, perseverance, and honesty inspire me.

Is there a scripture that’s been key to your life?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 has been a guiding verse for me for years. It inspires and grounds me because it keeps the hard stuff of life in perspective.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

What do you always carry in your handbag?

LIPSTICK!  Without it, I have no visible lips!  Also, chocolate, Advil and usually a water bottle!

What are the 5 most important things on your ‘To Do’ list?

1. Clean out my in-box
2. Help Connor with homework
3. Figure out what I will make for dinner
4. Get on the treadmill
5. That’s quite enough, thank you!

What do you most appreciate about your life?

That God gave me a curious mind and easy to work with hair! I’m truly grateful for a loyal husband and a stable family and loyal friends who I feel accepted by.

Who’s your favorite Bible character?

Eleazar, one of David’s mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:9-10.  He inspires me to stand firm, cling to The Sword and watch God bring victory into my life.

 

What makes you smile?

I love to laugh at comedians! I smile when I’m proud of a friend or playing with our dog Lucy.

 

 

 

Your favourite…

• Smell?  Leather
• Sound?  Wind rustling leaves in the trees and birds singing
• Dessert?  Crème Brulee
• Technology you couldn’t live without?  My Talking Computer (or coffeemaker, it’s a toss up!

Learning To Live With Blindness

Bestselling author, speaker, and singer Jennifer Rothschild, who’s been blind since she was a teenager, encourages others to find the blessings hidden within the most challenging circumstances.

Jennifer’s dreams of becoming a commercial artist faded with her blindness, but words and music have replaced her canvas and palette for more than 25 years.

A health crisis, an emotional upheaval, or a physical disability—none of these is a circumstance we would choose to receive; yet each could prove to be the packaging for a very precious gift—a deeper relationship with Christ. This is a truth Jennifer Rothschild has come to know well. A bestselling author, sought-after speaker, gifted singer, wife and mother, she also happens to be blind. Though navigating life in the dark is not without challenges, Jennifer views her blindness as a gift. “In fact,” she says, “I call it a difficult gift. It is one that I continually unwrap and discover in different ways.”

Walking by Faith

Jennifer first began to unwrap her difficult gift as a young teen. At age 15, she was looking forward to earning her driver’s license and dreamt of turning her love of drawing into a career as a commercial artist or cartoonist. The only bump in the road seemed to be some vision problems, which she hoped could be corrected with stronger eyeglasses. When that didn’t help, she and her parents consulted a specialist at a Miami eye hospital. What they learned was devastating—Jennifer had a rare degenerative disease, retinitis pigmentosa, which would slowly steal her sight and eventually leave her blind. It was a blow, to be sure, but Jennifer and her parents accepted the diagnosis with a quiet grace. In fact, one of the first things Jennifer did after returning home was to sit at the piano and play, by ear, a favourite hymn: “It Is Well With My Soul.”

Learning to live with her encroaching blindness was not easy, and Jennifer was often frustrated by the loss of her autonomy. However, with the encouragement of her parents and her trust in the Lord, she finished high school and went on to college, where she met her husband, Philip. The two have been married for 24 years and are the parents of two sons, Clayton, 21, and Connor, 12. Like most couples, they have to contend with the everyday issues of married life, but Jennifer’s blindness and the interdependence it requires has fostered a rock-solid partnership. Phil has taken on a lot of duties outside the realm of what a typical husband and father might do, such as heading up the carpool, overseeing homework, and even applying his wife’s fingernail polish. An entertainment management professor at Missouri State University, he also manages Jennifer’s ministry career. Jennifer considers Phil to be one of the greatest provisions God has made for her. “Over the years, I have recognized how unusual he is. He has a ‘can-do’ spirit. I like to say ‘where there’s a Phil, there’s a way.’ Just when I think that he’s going to get tired of carrying the extra burden because of my blindness, he amazes me,” she says, noting that their sons have learned much from his example of sacrifice and service.

Sharing her Story

Since her diagnosis, Jennifer says that one of the hardest lessons she’s had to learn is that God uses painful circumstances to refine us. The last book she read prior to losing her sight was Joni Eareckson Tada’s 1976 autobiography, which detailed her spiritual journey after being paralyzed in a teenage diving accident. “She became a hero to me, a hero in my heart, even though I didn’t know I was going to lose my sight,” recalls Jennifer. “During my difficult days, I would think, ‘if she could do it, so can I.’ Sometimes you need to look to someone who embodies faith.”

Today, she hopes that she can provide similar inspiration for others, regardless of the nature of their struggles, through her ministry as an author and speaker.

Jennifer Rothschild’s Friendship With Lisa Whelchel

One of the best parts of coming to be with the beautiful women of South Africa is that I’m coming with one of my best friends in the whole world; Lisa Whelchel! When Aldyth approached each of us to invite us, she didn’t even know Lisa and I were best friends. God did though! You’ve just gotta get your best friends and come join us. It really will be such a special time.

Here’s a peak  for you into mine and Lisa’s friendship through an excerpt from my “Me, Myself and Lies” Bible Study:

One of the most generous things anyone has ever done for me was something Lisa Welchel did.  She and I became friends several years ago and began to walk together with honest accountability and closeness.  One day she told me how much strength she was receiving from praying warfare prayers which she read from a book by John Eldridge.  I sighed in interest and she said, “Let me read you some.”  Curled up on my gold couch in the living room, I remember I listened and prayed along with her, holding my cell phone to my ear.  After she finished, she said, “These aren’t on audio but I want you to have them.  I’m going to type these out for you so Baby Del (my computer) can read them.”

“Aren’t there a lot?”

“Yeah, but I’ll pray as I type.”

1, 359 words later, Lisa had tired fingers and an energized soul!  I think she really beat up the enemy and kept God’s attention as she stood in the gap and prayed and typed.

Two important things happened with her gift of typing.  First, she prayed.  That is the primary strategy for fortifying your Thought Closet.  Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 26:41 to “watch and pray.”

The word “watch” in Greek is gregoreuo, meaning to arouse oneself so that you can pay attention.  In other words, awake your soul and pray!  Your prayer is most effective when you are spiritually alert to your own weaknesses and your enemy’s schemes.

Jesus could have said, “Pay attention and speak Truth to your soul, lest you fall into temptation.” But He didn’t.  Being alert to the enemy and telling yourself the Truth is imperative but it isn’t the same as “be alert and pray”.  Sin is tempting and the enemy knows it well!  Do you?  Seriously, do you recognize your temptation trouble spots?

Prayer is a simple strategy with profound results…pray.  Don’t stop.  My friend, pray.

 The second important thing Lisa did through her tireless typing and praying is to establish agreement and accountability.  We need each other.  The roaring lion seeks whom he may devour, but I can guarantee you he will become a “scaredy cat” and think twice if the “whom” he is trying to attack is locked arms with a bunch of Bible-believing, praying women!  The enemy goes for the solitary and the silent.  You already speak silent words to yourself and they can remain tools of the enemy if you don’t confess them to God and make yourself accountable to a friend.  If you keep speaking silent lies to yourself, you are providing the enemy with the weapons he most wants to use against you.  Unconfessed sin and unacknowledged weaknesses are what he can use to destroy you.  Don’t give him weapons; give him a united front and a fight!!

Ecclesiastes 4:12  reminds us  that a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The 3-stranded cord is not “me, myself and I!”  It’s you, a buddy and Jesus.

So, place yourself in relationship with someone with whom you can be honest and accountable.

 Jennifer Rothschild

Mary DeMuth’s ‘Thin Places’

THIN PLACES BY MARY DEMUTH          is honestly one of the most beautifully written books we have read for a long time. Mary was sexually abused and neglected as a child. This is the wonderful story of God’s restoration and redemption of the ‘thin places’ of her life. Beauty for Ashes will be giving away free copies of Thin Places to all the women who register and pay for the conference between Monday 11th April and Monday 25th April (Monday of Easter weekend). Your copy will be waiting for you at the registration table at the conference. This is too good an offer to miss ladies!

Mary was interviewed about her story and about this book on The 700 Club on 5th April and you can watch that interview here.

WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?

In this moving spiritual memoir—Thin Places—Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. From surviving abuse as a latchkey kid to discovering a heavenly Father who never leaves, Mary’s story invites you to a deeper understanding of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience him more profoundly in the present.
 
What if you could retrace your life and discover its thin places—places where the division between this world and the eternal fades?
 
“Thin places are snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where we might just catch a glimpse of eternity. They are aha moments, beautiful realizations, when the Son of God bursts through the hazy fog of our monotony and shines on us afresh. He has come near to my life. I will tell you how.”

ENDORSEMENTS

Fiction (Watching the Tree Limbs) and nonfiction (Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture) author DeMuth revisits supremely challenging and emotionally transformative junctures in her life as she reveals the childhood sexual brutalities of which she was a victim, the confounding death of her biological father, and ongoing years of neglect and parental irresponsibility with which she had to cope. DeMuth, whose fiction consistently evokes deep responses from her loyal fan base, has succeeded in offering a comparably powerful memoir by telling her own story with honest courage. At every signpost, the author presents life as it is, even when the offering is ugly. Despite the bitterness and anger that could naturally characterize her, the author clings to her faith in God and his goodness, deriving victory over her circumstances. DeMuth writes, “God sees,” and in this recalling of her early childhood pain, she sees, and is seen by, a faithful divine Father who provides refuge. (Feb.) — Thin Places: A Memoir

“Well known fiction author, Mary DeMuth open her heart in her moving memoir, Thins Places, an unflinching look at her childhood sexual abuse, death of her father, and years of parental neglect that somehow still shows God’s ever-present hand of love and healing. Throughout the messiness of life, Mary continually finds “thin places,” evidences of where God breaks through her pain and brokenness with his love and mercy. Striving to comfort others with the Divine comfort she has received, Mary’s Thin Places shines as a hopeful light for anyone who is struggling to overcome unspeakable wounds from the past” — Significant Living Magazine

“Brave, moving, and poignant. An important story, honestly and beautifully told, of pain transformed into hope. The world is in great need of courageous voices like DeMuth’s.” — Tosca Lee, author of Christy-award finalist Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve
“This gifted memoirist writes like a woman at the well: Thin Places reads like rivers of living water. With her incantatory language, Mary DeMuth describes both the burden of suffering and the weightlessness of redemption. If you’re carrying past wounds, read this book. It will change your life.” — Sibella Giorello, Christy-award-winning novelist

“Author Mary DeMuth has lived up to readers’ expectations of exquisite writing from an exceptional author. She has also opened herself and allowed readers to see inside—all the hurts, disappointments, violations—in order to escort the readers on a painfully joyful journey to healing. A rare memoir from one of the best writers of our time!” — Kathi Macias, author of over thirty books, including Beyond Me and Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today 

Lisa Whelchel In “The Facts Of Life”

From Lisa:

 As most of you are aware, I played the role of Blair Warner for nine years on NBC’s “The Facts of Life” from 1979 to 1988.

The best word to describe my years on “The Facts of Life” is “fun”! Nancy, Kim, Mindy, Charlotte and I became like family and everyday was a joy to come to work.

My kids are now old enough to watch the show and are joining a new generation of fans discovering “The Facts of Life.”

Whether you are young or old, I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane with me! (PS I am the one in yellow.)

  

Take Up The Challenge: Be A Woman Of Influence

Women have this intrinsic ability to influence.  We see it in our roles as wives and mothers, and in our friendships.  We see this influence in the life of Timothy, where his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, communicated their faith to him so that he became a valuable member of the Apostle Paul’s team. 

A friend brought me to Beauty for Ashes 2004

A friend brought me to Beauty for Ashes 2004 because she herself had heard about the conference and wanted to go.  She paid for my ticket and promised to be by my side the whole day.  I loved the Lord, but I had lost Him, not knowing how to draw closer and not feeling that I could.   That one day changed my life as Angela Thomas (at her first BFA conference in SA) addressed an area of my life that was both a deep hurt and a stumbling block.   Two sessions later, we had no more tissues, no make-up, but were totally renewed.  As we sat chatting and eating Jelly Tots on the grass outside, we discussed how to apply what we had learnt to our lives.  We agreed to hold each other accountable to change, and determined never to turn away from the Lord again.  We also decided that at the following year’s conference we would each bring a friend for the weekend.

The conference facilitated a 180 degree change in my life!

As time passed after the conference, it became clear to me that the conference had facilitated a 180 degree change in my life.   I realized that I wanted this for others as well, so I decided to bring a friend and pay for her, as my friend had paid for me.  I started looking at my own circle of influence and purposefully invited someone to come to the conference.

The next year our numbers doubled

The next year four of us attended, and again we took what we had learnt at the conference and applied it to our lives – we were changed and our friends recommitted their lives to the Lord.  We were sisters in the Lord, bonded together in our new relationships with the Saviour, a bond that tears, food and tissues seem to strengthen.

And then doubled again

I sponsored four women the following year, then eight the next.  It got challenging after that to always increase the number, but an amazing thing happened.  Friends whom I had sponsored, whose lives had been changed, sponsored another friend the next year and each year the group would change and lives would never be the same again.  I have come every year since then, bringing women from my circle of influence, watching with expectation as God touches their lives. 

I don’t know a single women whose life has not been touched by attending Beauty for Ashes.  And yet, every year I go, God has a message that is just for me.

I cannot explain the excitement I feel, watching and then knowing when He is speaking to her, to be a witness to His power as He brings beauty out of her ashes.

Last year a group of us made a whole weekend of it, finding accommodation nearby, encouraging women to come and experience the conference with us – we chatted long into the night, only leaving on Sunday lunchtime.  It is satisfying to see lives change, to see women find the Lord for the first time, or find Him again. 

So come on ladies, take up the challenge!

Influence one woman to come to the conference! Pay for her, if you can, and watch God change a life!

So come on ladies, take up the challenge:  influence one girl to come to the conference.  If you can: sponsor her fee to make it easier and then spend time with her at the conference.   Listen together, pray; fellowship and then watch God change a life.  In your whole circle of influence, I am sure there is one woman you can identify.

This article was written by Michelle du Toit.

Our Speakers & Their Families

Jennifer Rothschild and her family. Her husband Dr Phillip Rothschild (and no… when she was on the Dr Phil Show it was with the other Dr Phil, not this one) and her two sons Clayton (21) and Connor (12).

Lisa Whelchel, husband Steve, and their three children, Tucker, Haven and Clancy.

“It Is Well With My Soul”

For Jennifer Rothschild, these words are much more than the lyrics from a familiar hymn; they represent a foundation upon which many life lessons have been learned…in the dark. 

At the young age of fifteen, Jennifer was diagnosed with a rare, degenerative eye disease that would eventually steal her sight. It was more than a turning point for the Miami, Florida, native. Her dreams of becoming a commercial artist and cartoonist faded. Words and music have replaced her canvas and palette for more than 25 years.

Known for her substance, and a down-to-earth style, Jennifer weaves together colorful illustrations, universal principles, and music to help audiences find contentment, walk with endurance, and celebrate the ordinary. Through her signature wit and poignant story-telling, audiences are prompted to look beyond their circumstances to find unique “gifts,” in unusual packaging.

Jennifer has taken her message of encouragement across America speaking at national and regional gatherings of busy professionals, dedicated volunteers, and overwhelmed moms and dads.  Jennifer has been a featured speaker for America’s largest conference for women, Women of Faith, and has teamed up with Beth Moore and others to lead national women’s conferences. Thousands have come away with a new vision for their work, their family, and their future.

Jennifer’s newest book is Self Talk, Soul Talk: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself (September 2007). She is the author of six books with combined sales of a half million units, including the best-selling Lesson I Learned in the Dark, and the popular DVD-enhanced curriculum piece entitled Walking by Faith. In addition to her writing and speaking, Jennifer is an accomplished songwriter and recording artist, with six albums to her credit – including Walking by Faith: The Music Captured Live, Along the Way, and others.

Jennifer has been featured on Dr. Phil, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Billy Graham Television Special (see it if you scroll down this blog or look on the Home page of our website, www.beautyforashes.co.za), and on other TV and radio programs including Hour of Power, Life Today, Family Life Radio, TBN, and others. Her life story and message has been the cover story of numerous publications including Today’s Christian Woman, Virtue magazine, Becoming Family magazine, HomeLife magazine, and others.

Jennifer is also founder and publisher of the popular online magazine, WomensMinistry.NET. She resides in Springfield, Missouri with her husband of 22 years, Dr. Philip Rothschild, and their two sons Clayton (21) and Connor (12). She enjoys nature walks, visits to theme parks, and riding a bicycle built for two. She got a real charge singing the national anthem for the Atlanta Braves and bungee-jumping from seven and a half stories. In addition to collecting Depression glass and enjoying movies, she loves classical music, dark chocolate, and the smell of a hazelnut-coffee candle.