JanineThrossel.com

Julie celebrates her first birthday in heaven this year. Here on earth, she would have turned 47 today, but as her friend Ellyn said, she gets to stop aging now. I know some of you never knew sweet Julie and she is worth remembering. So, I thought I'd take a moment to introduce her to you and tell you who she was to me.  ---- Jules and I were about thirteen years old when we met. She was new in town and her family began attending our church. My mom thought that I could help Julie to meet people, help her to fit into the group. I was a shy, bookish girl back then, dressed in skirts, sweaters, and big glasses. I took one look at Julie--in her stylish jacket and jeans, wearing a ribbon in her hair like a pop star--and I wondered how I could possibly help her to fit in. She already looked like she owned the room. What could a cool kid like her possibly need from me? It would be a while before I knew her well enough to know that sometimes she was the one quietly quaking in h...

It was so fun to get this review of our book by a Writer's Digest judge. I am continually awestruck and blessed when we get to hear encouraging things like this about the words God definitely put on our hearts to share.  Thank you to all of you who helped us along the way as well! Judge’s Commentary* : This couple’s story is a testament to trusting in God, no matter what. Their voices of faith are challenging and inspiring to people who long to follow God in all things. While the story has takeaways for people of faith, and the authors encourage others to learn from their story, the story itself rightly takes center stage. By focusing on the ups and downs of their lives, they convey and openness and humility that is inviting rather than seeming like towering people of faith who are lecturing those living more mundane lives. While their faith is unwavering, they don’t gloss over the fact that hardships are just that: hard. The alternating voices of husband and wife mesh toget...

Last year about this time, we were releasing Stacking Stones and I was looking ahead to a year of book signings. Things at work were going well and I was really happy. I didn't know what was coming.  As I shared recently in Planted Firm , the next months were full of the unexpected. My husband tore his meniscus and ACL, which led to surgery in another city. My younger son was in a car accident and incurred a serious concussion that affected his health and schooling for weeks. My grandmother, who lives with us, broke a vertebrae and had a series of suspected TIAs, leading to round-the-clock attention. In those first few weeks, she was in and out of consciousness and, with my aunt and sister, I helped care for her in my home. A cousin came to help with her longer-term recovery, enabling me to attend and celebrate the high school graduation of one of my sons and the college graduation of another. It also allowed me to spend a little more time with an uncle before he pass...

Just after I began reading For The Record , a family member had a medical emergency. So, I tucked the book into my bag on the way to the hospital and brought it with me. Sixteen hours later, I was so glad that it was an enjoyable read! In fact, it was one that I actually would be willing to read again. Jennings' story centers on the relationship between an aspiring local writer and a deputy stranger with a hidden past. There were several things I liked about this tale. First, there were layers of mysteries going on at the same time, but it didn't feel muddy or confusing to the main plot. Since a journalist and a lawman are both the types of people expected to encounter and help mend unusual situations, it was fitting that they were in the middle of several things at once. The story moved along well and was actually quite funny in places. I also enjoyed the way Jennings' use of language seemed true to the historical era. Among her characters, one "smelled like a vat...

Kinnereth--Panorama By Zachi Evenor and User:MathKnight - Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachievenor/12325753455/, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31001863 Wow. Take a look at this fascinating section of the Bible, which follows right after Jesus' miracle of calming the stormy sea.  It stopped me in my tracks this morning. Matthew 8:27-34 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”   When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were  demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs.  They were  so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.     And they cried out, saying, “ [ a ] What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before  [ b ] the time?”   Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them.   The demo...

I ain't gonna' lie. . . the last few months have been HARD at times for me and my family. Don't get me wrong--there have been a lot of good, wonderful, AWESOME moments, too. Amazing, irreplaceable moments. However, almost immediately after our book was released, we started facing serious challenges in several areas of our lives--too many to list here. Yesterday was a doozy of a day, where it seemed like the sum of so many issues came at me all at once. Ever had a season like that? A day like that? Not fun. I have been so grateful for friends and family and coworkers who have helped me to keep my eyes heavenward these past few months. I have had my ugly moments of whining and crying. I admit that. In this past week, however, as things got harder to bear, and frankly I was just so TIRED, my roots began to grow and stretch again, digging deeper into the fertile soil below me. Forgive the mix of metaphors, but when all around me seemed depleted and dry, my heart went in searc...

A few years ago ( in this post ), I wrote about choosing a word for the New Year. I don't often make big January resolutions, but sometimes I do choose a word to think about over the coming year--one that represents a theme or subject I want to ponder.  This year, I was surprised to find that my mom, sister and I all picked the same word! That word is HOPE. What am I hoping for in 2017? Well, of course, there are things I would like to see happen. However, it wasn't so much about that for me. When I thought of the word "HOPE," I wasn't hoping for a new car, job or house. I wasn't hoping the country would change or my circumstances would change. . . or even that the weather would change. I wanted us to change. People to change. I want the ones I care about to breathe HOPE during this new year. A darkness seems to hang over many people these days. Do you feel that? A pessimism. A sense of doom and defeat. Hopelessness. In 2017, I want more HOPE. H...