Monday, August 06, 2007

“Hi, I’m Jan. I’m new here.”


Have you ever rehearsed what you were going to say as you were about to walk into a new situation? The awkwardness and the nerves can tend to dictate what actually ends up coming out of your mouth . . . and whether or not you’re going to cringe at the memory later.

Probably better to laugh.

But seriously, I am new here. I’m Jan Kern, and this is my first post on Girls, God and the Good Life. I’ll be posting on the 6th and 20th of each month, and I’m really looking forward to the dialog.

Just a little about myself . . .

I grew up in a fun neighborhood but not in a Christian home. Right at the end of sixth grade, my parents took me to our (rarely used) living room and told me they were getting a divorce. The reasons would later prove to be very painful for my mom, my sister, and me. By the end of that summer, the three of us moved from New Mexico to California where I discovered peer pressure and choices I never knew existed. I struggled. I made a ton of mistakes. Thankfully, while in high school, someone told me I could find answers and strength through a relationship with Christ. That's another story for another time, but I did begin to learn what it meant to trust God through all kinds of crazy situations.

By the time I was twenty, I was in ministry working with teens and I haven't stopped. I'm now married and have been living and working with my husband, Tom, at a ranch for at-risk youth for the last twenty-something years.

In my posts, you’ll probably hear about our two children—Danny (24), and Sarah (21). I love being a mom! Out of everything I’ve done in my life, that role has been a definite favorite.

Well, our kids are pretty busy now, so I have more time than ever to do some of the other things I love, including to write. I’ve been writing for a while, but I’m excited about my current project: the Live Free series (Standard Publishing). Each of the three nonfiction books in this series tackles a tough issue through a dramatic retelling of a teen's true story. Each also includes the honest perspectives of other teens and young adults. The first book, Scars That Wound, Scars That Heal, is set to release September 3. It tells Jackie’s story and her journey out of self-injury. I’m sure I’ll share more about Jackie in future posts. She has an amazing testimony of God’s work in her life.

OK, I'll be quiet now and let someone else talk. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Jan

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome, Jan!

Jeanette Hanscome said...

Welcome to the team Jan! It'll be great to read what you have to say.

Hugs,
Jeanette

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the welcome. I hope I have a few worthwhile thoughts to contribute.

I'm really looking forward to reading more of what the rest of you have to say . . . and to hearing from our readers.

We can learn so much from each other.

Julie Garmon said...

Hey Jan,

Nice to meet you. So glad you're with us.

Love,
Julie