Friday Five – Jackie Kendall

Today, my good friend, Jackie Kendall stops by to chat. Here is the reason I like Jackie: My wife, Angela, read Jackie’s best-selling book Lady in Waiting, while she was a single girl in Bible college. Angela says that this really prepared her for life. Angela is a super mom and wife, so I have to credit Jackie for some of that!

Since then, I’ve become friends with Jackie. We happen to share the same publishing house, New Hope Publishers. She also endorsed my first book, Teen People of the Bible. Her endorsement helped put my proposal over the top. This past year, she and her daughter, wrote a book Lady in Waiting for Little Girls, which gives good instruction on helping little girls become God-honoring princesses. My daughter, Grace, has kept that book by her bedside.

1)   You’re ministry really grew out of your own painful experiences. In fact, your site says, “Out of something painful, something beautiful grew.” Can you explain how God birthed this ministry of writing and speaking in your life?

Never planned on being a public speaker or writer—I simply spent time in God’s Word DAILY and I would be so excited about what I was learning that I was constantly sharing the liberating Truth with anyone that would listen. Three days old in Jesus, at a Youth for Christ sponsored slumber party, I shared how I asked Jesus into my heart and 7 girls prayed to receive Jesus.

I can honestly say that I am what I am today because I understand the magnitude of the truth in the following statement:

“There is no lasting success, happiness or fulfillment in life apart from a consistent, daily growing relationship with God through the Word.”

That quote is the foundation of the success I have experienced. For 43 years I have been studying God’s Word and hundreds of books containing practical application of the truths expressed throughout the Word. Best-selling author, Francis Chan learned this truth as a High School student…just like I did!

Another classic quote captures my going from teaching 6 girls in Sunday School in a make-shift classroom in 1971 to an auditorium with 2000 girls in 2001.

“Perseverance is long obedience in the same direction.”

As Jesus said: “Well, thou good servant: because THOU HAST BEEN FAITHFUL IN A VERY LITTLE, have thou authority over ten cities.” (Luke 19:17) Faithfulness is the greatest DEGREE to earn the privilege of serving the King of Kings.

When I was in college, I used my free time wisely. I was chaplain for my dorm, I taught a girls Bible Study in a local home, I visited teen detention centers on Sundays and shared Jesus. I would give my testimony to anyone who would listen. FAITHFUL IN LITTLE…

I have honestly been serving Jesus for forty-three years and the majority of the time– serving was NOT IN THE LIMELIGHT…it was in the non-newsy mode of the following:

• Home Bible Studies
• Sunday School (High School, College, Singles, Couples)
• Volunteer at Youth Camps
• Vacation Bible School
• Shared Jesus constantly with my kids friends and their parents
• Shared Jesus at the grocery store, dry cleaners
• Retreats for Singles
• Mission Trips
• Too many hours to count…meeting people one on one to encourage hope in Jesus!
• Thousands of letters and notes of encouragement to those struggling spiritually
• Years of studying the Word (Isaiah 50:4) to find answers for the troubled people that flowed into my life on a daily basis.

FAITHFUL IN LITTLE…

THIRD: I have always been busy in the harvest…since Jesus said the “laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37,38) – I have never faced unemployment in Kingdom Opportunities. I must admit that even when I was a mom of TODDLERS…I spent daily time studying the WORD and daily time recording the Truths I discovered. The truths discovered during all those years of study became the very OUTLINES I NOW TEACH AT CONFERENCES…

2) You’re best-selling book was Lady in Waiting. Thousands of young girls (including  my wife) used that as a guide for preparing for marriage. Were you surprised by how well this was received?

Lady in Waiting was completed in 1989 and was rejected by at least 50 publishers between the completion and publication in 1994. The success that Lady in Waiting has had for the last 16 years has been nothing short of stunning. It has been translated into 14 languages as of summer 2010. Lady in Waiting is a profound demo of Isaiah 25:1 in my life.

3)      You also have some Lady in Waiting books for younger girls. When should parents begin preparing their little girls for marriage?

Our society is robbing our little girls of innocence—through sexualizing everything from clothing to kid’s shows. Lady in Waiting for Little Girls was birthed out of my heart’s passion to protect our little ones. This book is for mother-daughter time, beginning as early as 4 years old. Grandmothers are also encouraged to go through this book with their precious granddaughters.

4)      You have a book, A Man Worth Waiting For. If you could speak to single women right now, who is the man worth waiting for? What does he look like?

A single woman will have a hard time discerning between a Bozo and a Boaz if she hasn’t grasped the principles in the pre-quel Lady in Waiting. Single women attract their heart’s companion! A Man Worth Waiting For focuses on the leading man in the book of Ruth whereas Lady in Waiting focused on the leading lady. Too many single women worry more about picking out the right jeans then attracting Mr. Right. Having been in ministry for more than 4 decades, I have watched too many single women become impatient and settle for a Bozo guy—which ironically being married to a Bozo is far more difficult a life than being single! What is worse than WAITING? Wishing one had! (Isaiah 64:4)

5) You’re latest project is Free Yourself to Love on the difficult subject of forgiveness. Is a lack of forgiveness what keeps people from embracing love?

This book has been called my “magnum opus” by my editors. Free Yourself to Love is about the principles of “unforgiveness” in the lives of God’s kids that result in the death of love. For example, I go to sleep angry with my husband, I will wake up a little less in love. Good marriages are comprised of two good forgivers. People do not FALL out of love, they make daily choices to not forgive and such unforgiveness inevitably kills the love. Being offended is inevitable but staying offended is MY choice. I address—“How do you forgive what you can’t forget?” The book actually has an on-line FREE Bible Study with DVD clips. WHY FREE? I want as many people as possible—exposed to the liberating power of forgiveness. Just go to www.freeyourselftolove.com to access the free Bible Study and DVD clips!