More About Jennie

Tell us about your family, your children, and the daily life of your home.           

I am living a full life in Boise, Idaho with my engineering husband, Eric, and our three boys. We have homeschooled all the way through and will launch our first-born out into the world just as we start homeschooling our youngest boy. What a journey God has brought us on!  I spend the majority of my time homeschooling and keeping the house running.  As someone who is not a natural homemaker, I look for every efficient way to cut corners so that I can spend less time on those tasks and more time on crafts, reading, and playing games with my boys.

Tell us when you started to follow Jesus, and about your journey with Him.

My walk of faith with Jesus is the most important thing in my life and He lovingly guides every decision that I make.  My mother came to faith when I was very young and I followed soon after.  The Lord has been so gracious to allow me to be in many forms of leadership which helps me stay accountable to my faith walk and to spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible study.  

What ministry or work in your community gives you personal fulfillment? 

I love mentoring women through my podcast, The Learning Path Podcast , and local Mom Heart groups as well as walking alongside new homeschoolers as they decide what works for their family.  Bringing people together and creating spaces for mothers to make connection with other mothers delights my heart.  I love to see women use their agency to grow toward maturity in their lives and to figure out how to apply their personality and gifts in their own homes and families.

What hobbies or activities do you most enjoy pursuing in your free time? 

Reading takes up most of my free time and I can talk about books all day long. I’ve grown to love getting outside to hike and be immersed in nature.  Doing crafts and creative projects inspires me.  My husband would say that I rearrange the furniture too often, but the novelty gives me energy. I am a reality TV junkie (Survivor, Amazing Race) and I adore BBC Masterpiece shows. Our huge vegetable and flower garden is another hobby that brings me joy. Can one have too many hobbies?

Thinking of books you’ve read, which authors have influenced you most? 

This is a difficult question for me as I have fallen in love with so many authors and books.  The Chronicles of Narnia Series is something I could read over and over and never get tired of.  I read just as much young adult and children’s lit as I do novels written for adults. Besides C.S. Lewis, other novelists that I really enjoy are Elizabeth Goudge, Wendell Berry, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott,  S.D. Smith, Arthur Ransome, and Gene Stratton-Porter.  I could go on and on and on.  Some nonfiction writers that speak to my heart are Karen Swallow Prior, Alan Jacobs, Henri Nouwen, Cal Newport, and Eugene Peterson.

 Some favorite books that I’ve read in recent years are:  Gentleman in Moscow, Breaking Bread with the Dead, Your Teenager is Not Crazy, The Milly-Molly-Mandy books, Adorning the Dark, In This House of Brede, and my very favorite: All the Light We Cannot See.

When it’s just you, what music or musicians do you most enjoy listening to?

My favorite music is the sound of the ocean. It is one of the things I miss most living in landlocked Idaho so we try to get to the ocean once a year if we can.

Probably my favorite artist is Kate Rusby as I enjoy the folk, acoustic feel.  I am also slightly obsessed with the Hamilton soundtrack.    As a kid, I loved “alternative rock” such as The Cure, Depeche Mode, and REM, though those have mostly landed in the realm of nostalgia for me now.  I currently love music that points me to the Lord or that gets me moving and dancing.  I certainly connect with music and lyrics on many levels and am greatly moved by what I’m listening to.  As a family, we’ve been listening to the soundtrack of “The Muppets Most Wanted” movie on repeat! 

What books of the Bible, and what specific passages, mean the most to you?

There are two passage of scriptures that I consider my life verses.  Colossians 3:2 says “Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.”   This verse reminds me that whatever my circumstances, God loves me and He has good things planned.  This earth is not all there is!  My other favorite verse is Jeremiah 6:16,  “This is what the Lord says:  “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  This verse reminds me to look at what scripture says and to look back in history for ideas of how to manage my home, family, and homeschool. 

What are you passionate about, and who inspires you to be even more so? 

I tend to be a passionate person in general so when I am interested or captivated by something, I am ALL IN.  This comes out all over the place- books, books, and more books and also more craft supplies than anyone should ever own.  I love to learn new skills and also new information.  Recently, I’ve been learning more about Black history in the United States and how that history has led to the division and suffering that we’re still seeing today.  It always feels good to stretch myself into new areas of learning and then to go and teach what I’m learning to those around me who’d also like to learn.  Many years ago, God showed me that one of my callings is to lift the arms of the leaders around me.  This has played out in leading small groups of all types and sizes, being an administrative assistant in a mega church for a few years, and even shows up in my homeschool life.  I want to make the path and details easier for those who are leading or will be leading in the future, in order to help them reach their full potential with the gifts God has given them.

How did you first connect with Sally Clarkson and Whole Heart Ministries?

Someone handed me a Clarkson book when my first child was very young.  I often tell Sally that she rescued my children’s childhoods, as I was on a path to very harsh, punitive parenting methods.  Her words captured my heart and completely changed the way that I interacted with my children.  After attending and volunteering at Mom Heart conferences for many years, I was fortunate to attend a small group intensive in Sally’s home in 2011.  That was when I was really able to jump in and help in practical ways behind the scenes with ministry work.  My main role currently is helping to keep things running here on LWS.com.  As someone who has loved and been trained in discipleship since high school, helping with Wholeheart is a fantastic fit for me.

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