About Jodie
Twenty-five years ago, if you had said, “Tell me about Jodie,” I probably would have said that my goal was to be a good wife and mother. I wrote books, did some speaking, and organized stuff like the Bazooka Blowout at the kids’ school, but the thing that made my toes tingle—the thing that gave me purpose and joy—was loving my family and pointing them toward Christ. Here we are, back in 2001:
Today, I’m still crazy in love with these people (and now, more than ever, I want them to press into Jesus!) but the field has been flipped. Our kids are grown, building families and careers of their own, and as Robbie and I celebrate 40 years of marriage, we find ourselves LOVING the grandparent thing!
Bearing Fruit in Old Age
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after watching our kids grow up and head off on their own, it’s that you never stop being a parent. You never stop loving your kids. And you never stop praying, asking God to guide them, protect them, and accomplish his best purposes in their lives.
And not only that, but you never stop wanting to be a difference-maker, to life a life marked by productivity, purpose, and joy. Which is a good thing, because that’s what God wants for us too—in every season. The Bible says that those who love the Lord will “still bear fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:14), and I can’t help but believe that every stage of life (including—and maybe especially—the empty nest years) is important and precious to God.
If that’s where you find yourself, too—longing to bear fruit, whether you’re up to your eyeballs in laundry, navigating the twists and turns of a career, trying to color your marriage with a little more kindness, or bouncing a grandchild on your knee—consider us friends. And if you should grow tired or weary along the way (haven’t we all?), I hope you’ll find encouragement through the resources you’ll find on this site: things like printable prayer calendars, links to my books and free study guides, and a place of connection within our email friend group.
Oh—and one more thing. If you’re a sports fan and you don’t already have a team of your own, you’re welcome to join Robbie and me in cheering for our alma mater, The University of Virginia. Even our dog Minnie (short for Minneapolis, where U.Va. Men’s Basketball won the national championship in 2019) is a fan. Here she is, posing on the U.Va. Lawn:
