My name is Jennifer Rothschild – with a silent “s”. I am an author, speaker, Bible study teacher, wife and Mom.
And, I happen to be blind.
I’m just like you. I just do things a little differently.
I write about real life and share what I’m learning from a real God. My goal is to create inspiring, relevant, and practical content that will empower you to
live beyond limits.
When it comes to faith, I don’t like fake, shallow or irrelevant; so you won’t get that here! I do like to laugh, think and be happy; so, you will get a Venti Size of that from me! The best gift I can give you is my most honest self. So, not everything I write is tied with a neat Christian bow, but it will always be tied to my deep trust in the God I love.
Some people think I’m poised, polished, graceful, and have it all together. You can thank my mother for all that! Anything that suggests I have it all together is not telling the whole story. By the grace of God I am what I am. I live my life with a little bit of grit and a whole lot of God’s grace.
I can teach you something about having grit – because I must have it to survive my world. But, I’ll also point you to God’s grace more often (because we all need that to survive our world).
If you’re a woman who wants to know God more; live life better; think more deeply; get practical tips for practically everything, then this blog is for you.
When you visit me here, I want you to feel like you just walked into a warm cozy coffee shop where you can hang out and feel loved and welcome! We can share our perspectives about life and faith to help us think, grow and stay encouraged.
And, I’ll always ‘Spill the Beans’ if you ask me a question!
My Biography
Growing up, I lived in Clearwater, Florida, Costa Rica, and Miami. I graduated from
Palm Beach Atlantic University (home of the fighting Sailfish) in 1986 with a BA in Psychology, and minor in Communication. I married my college sweetheart when I graduated, and now, for the past 26 years I call him my own personal Dr. Phil (since he has his PhD!) We have 2 sons. Clayton was born in 1989 and Connor was born in 1998 — yes, they’re almost ten years apart! In May of 2012, we finally got a daughter—
Clayton married his college sweetheart recently and our whole family is so grateful.
Caroline Gear Rothschild is a delightful addition to the family.
Phil, Connor, and I live in Springfield Missouri; Clayton and Caroline are in Texas. The actual head of our home, so she thinks, is our very prissy Shih-tzu, Lucy. She usually wears pink bows on her well-trimmed ears and eats from shiny food bowls with crowns embossed on them! She refuses to place her paws on wet grass and has never met a stranger.
I love thin crust veggie pizza, dark chocolate, coffee, interesting conversations, and reading books by dead authors… I’m most crazy about CS Lewis, but Henry James and Jane Austen are close seconds! Joni Eareckson Tada totally inspires me to keep walking by faith. And Michael O’Brien’s music uplifts me and brings me joy. I’ve been known to get a little over zealous about The Antique Road Show, American Idol and Georgia Bulldog football.
I’ve had the privilege of appearing on Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, Life Today, and the Billy Graham Television Special. I travel between 25-30 times each year to speak to groups — mostly women. I also love to bring
Fresh Grounded Faith to different parts of the country about 10 times a year.
These are my own conferences where local churches come together and bring a kingdom minded event to their community. It’s always a time of refreshment and healing for women.
My Dr. Phil and I founded
womensministry.net in 1998. It’s an on-line magazine for women in leadership with over 25,000 subscribers.
And, did I mention I’m blind?
I lost most of my sight as a 15-year-old girl due to a rare form of the disease Retinitis Pigmentosa. I have now lived longer in physical darkness than I ever did in physical light. Blindness is hard, but it’s been a place where God has shown Himself to be so kind, strong and faithful. That’s why I do what I do — Because God has made it well with my soul, and I want others to experience the same kind of peace.
This may not be a typical part of a bio, but I just must include this last fact. Ministry for me has been received, not achieved. Where I am is where God placed me. What I apparently have accomplished is just what God has provided and brought to fruition. So, my bio is just a few chapters of His story. And, I hope He’ll keep writing it for years to come because I want to be a centenarian! (Okay, I like big words, but I’ll keep them to a minimum in the blog. But, “centenarian” was just too good to pass up!)
Thanks for stopping by– As you get to know me better, I hope you’ll let me get to know you too as you leave comments and ask questions.
May it always be well with your soul.
The Formal Biography
It is well with my soul.
For Jennifer Rothschild, these words are much more than the lyrics from a familiar hymn; they represent a foundation upon which many life lessons have been learned…in the dark.
At the young age of fifteen, Jennifer was diagnosed with a rare, degenerative eye disease that would eventually steal her sight. It was more than a turning point for the Miami, Fl, native. Her dreams of becoming a commercial artist and cartoonist faded. Words and music have replaced her canvas and palette for more than 25 years.
Known for her substance, and a down-to-earth style, Jennifer weaves together colorful illustrations, universal principles, and music to help audiences find contentment, walk with endurance, and celebrate the ordinary. Through her signature wit and poignant story-telling, audiences are prompted to look beyond their circumstances to find unique “gifts,” in unusual packaging.
Jennifer has taken her message of encouragement across the country speaking at national and regional gatherings of busy professionals, dedicated volunteers, and overwhelmed moms and dads. Jennifer has been a featured speaker for the nation’s largest conference for women, Women of Faith, and has teamed up with Beth Moore and others to lead national women’s conferences. Thousands have come away with a new vision for their work, their family, and their future.
Jennifer’s newest curriculum resource is the DVD-based Bible study
Missing Pieces: Real Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense. She is the author of 10 books with combined sales of over a half-million units, including the newly released
God Is Just Not Fair: Finding Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, best-selling
Lessons I Learned in the Dark and
Self Talk, Soul Talk, and the popular DVD-enhanced curriculum products entitled
Walking by Faithand
Me, Myself and Lies. In addition to her writing and speaking, Jennifer is an accomplished songwriter and recording artist, with six albums to her credit – including
Walking by Faith: The Music Captured Live,
Along the Way, and others.
Jennifer has been featured on Dr. Phil, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Billy Graham Television Special, and on other national TV and radio programs including Hour of Power, Life Today, Family Life Radio, TBN, and others. Her life story and message has been the cover story of numerous national publications including Today’s Christian Woman, Virtue magazine, Becoming Family magazine, HomeLife magazine, and others.
Jennifer is also founder and publisher of the popular online magazine, womensministry.net. She resides in Springfield, Missouri with her husband of 21 years, Dr. Philip Rothschild, and their two sons Clayton and Connor. She enjoys nature walks, visits to theme parks, and riding a bicycle built for two. She got a real charge singing the national anthem for the Atlanta Braves and bungee-jumping from seven and a half stories. In addition to collecting Depression glass and enjoying movies, she loves classical music, dark chocolate, and the smell of a hazelnut-coffee candle.
Dear Friend,
Have you ever asked these questions? Does God care? Is He fair? Is He even there? Although you may think you know all the right answers, sometimes they don’t always feel right.
As a woman who has lived with blindness all of my adult life, I’ve also asked, God, do you hear my prayer for healing? Did you make a mistake?
God’s ways don’t always make sense, but He is trustworthy.
If you go through this study with me, dear sister, you will become closer to Him. My prayer is that you will trust Him more than your feelings.
God will reveal Himself and fill in your missing pieces.
I hope you’ll join me.
