About
Welcome to Life, Love and God—a place for teen girls to find answers about, well, life, love and God! I’m Jessie. Consider me a spiritual “big sis”—someone who cares a ton for you and wants to help you thrive in your teens. (You just can’t raid my closet, okay? I have a biological little sister for that. lol) I hope you’ll take some time to look around, but first, here’s the gist of how the site works.
How to Use This Site
If you’re just curious, or looking for a biblical perspective on life in general, you can browse through the categories under “Ask Jessie” or the “main q&a topics” and “all tags” in the right sidebar of this page. You can also use the “search” field over there as well. You’ll also find my favorite picks for teens (books, music, and even modest clothes) on the Cool Stuff page and on Pinterest. Find out more about having a thriving relationship with God on theDeeper page.
If you browse or search through the categories and still don’t find the advice you need, email me a question on the Ask Jessie page. Please look through the categories first to see if you can find another question similar to yours. Deal?
Meet Jessie
I’m an author, speaker and the resident “big sis” right here at LifeLoveandGod.com, a Q&A website for teen girls. I’m passionate about helping girls embrace the God who loves them, and to help them apply His truth to their everyday lives. If we’re going to be friends, I guess I should tell you a little about myself, huh? Fair enough. Here are some of the top questions girls have asked me, and a few just for fun!
A Few Fun Facts
My talented hubby Paco helped create the original site in 2005 for all the girls that came to the girls-only seminars I led at a camp in California called Hume Lake. We had no idea then that the Internet would work its magic and I’d get to meet and answer the questions of girls all around the world!
For over a decade, I answered every single question that came through Life, Love and God. We’re talking thousands of emails! And I loved it. But because our little online family has grown and grown (which is definitely exciting too), I am no longer able to respond personally to every question. See the Ask Jessie page to find out how to submit a question and for all the details you need to know.
Oh how I wish I could have one big small-group-slash-discipleship-crew with each and every one of you. Nothing would make my heart happier. Next best thing? The Life, Love and God series. Think of books like Crushed, Unashamed and Backwards Beauty as everything I would share with you if we could meet weekly in my living room. And if you want to know what my life is really like, connect with me on social media too (you’ll find links at the top right corner of this webpage).
Getting to hang out in person with all you beautiful ladies is one of my favorite things to do! If you’re interested in having me come speak at your event, you’ll find all the important stuff on my Speaking page.
A Few More
Yes, that is in fact wedding cake smeared all over my three-hour hairdo and his rented tux. I blame him. Doesn’t he just look guilty? (Okay, maybe I started it.)
I met Paco at Hume Lake Christian Camps in California, where we both spent all our free time at the sand volleyball court. I was sixteen. And I thought he was cute. (But then again, so did every other girl at camp.)
Our paths crossed here and there over the next few years. Eventually we became really good friends. We’d email each other about our miserably failed attempts at relationships and tell each other to stop dating jerks. Sometimes one of us would have feelings for the other, but never at the same time. Then, one fine day, God hit us both over the head at the same time. Lightning struck, and we were married a year later.
Best friends make the best soul mates, and my Paul was, and is, both! (Awwww!)
I’ve held many titles in my life, but “Mom” might be my favorite. Paco and I have two amazing daughters, Ryan and Logan. They’ve grown from feisty toddlers to beautiful teens, and I’m daily amazed at their maturity, kindness, and courage. And because I’m a mom of teens now, I have a better appreciation for your parents and a greater passion to help you have a good relationship with them!
I love to have fun—period! Doesn’t matter whether it’s hiking, boating, biking, playing sports, traveling or playing Candy Land on the living room floor. Extra points if that fun takes place outside, and double-your-money if it involves a road trip. Oh, and I also love to write! (Always have apparently. That’s me at age 3, with my mom’s ancient typewriter no less.)
Paco and I have moved around a lot (nine times since we’ve been married!), but we now call the Central Coast of California home. Living near Pismo Beach has reawakened a lifelong love of the ocean and given us the chance to finally learn how to surf!
- Food? fresh fruit, popcorn, homemade pizza and Talenti’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Gelato (need I say more?)
- Sport? Volleyball (though I play tennis more these days)
- Place? Belize, Costa Rica, the San Juan Mountains (CO), Cuba, and anywhere my family is
- Color? Turquoise
- Song? “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain (because it’s “our” song… awww!)
- Movie? The BBC’s 5-hour version of Pride and Prejudice. I have many fond memories of watching it with my momma in high school and college.
Webster’s defines “testimony” as “firsthand authentication of a fact.” Not to get all academic on you, but I guess that’s the best way to describe my faith journey. My whole life is a testimony—a melting pot of experiences, discoveries, facts and beliefs that have worked together to confirm that God is who He claims to be in the Bible. And really, if that’s the only reason He put me on this earth, three cheers! What greater honor than to be able to look back at my life and see God’s fingerprints all over it?
I’ve been rebellious; He has been a patient Father. I’ve been foolish; He has taught me wisdom. I’ve fallen short; He has forgiven. I’ve been thirsty for the divine; He has offered His Living Water. It’s really insane if you think about it. The God of the universe has comforted and disciplined me. He has shown me great and mighty things (most of which I still don’t understand!). He has transformed my heart and promised me eternity in His presence. And if He were to take me home to heaven this instant—hallelujah!—I would never look back.
So rather than tell all the epic failures along my faith journey, I’d rather just testify that you, too, can “taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8). Amen?
