Jen Jeffrey Billington
Ferris Robinson
With her light brown hair and blue eyes, Jen Jeffrey Billington is the epitome of beauty. But it’s her spirit that is truly beautiful. Despite her share of heartbreak, her heart has stayed open to all the possibilities and connections and sweetness in this world.
Jen has bravely “put herself out there” in the world, stepping out of her comfort zone when she moved to New York City over a decade ago. Divorced and an empty nester after raising three boys, not only did she move to a new city, but she was determined to begin a new career: writing. Jen’s love affair with putting her own words on a page began when her mother put a pencil in her hand as a toddler, but she’d never written professionally.
From her apartment in NYC, she reached out to John Wilson of chattanoogan.com, pitched the idea of a first-person column about the Big Apple from a Southerner’s perspective, and began her career as a columnist. She soon had a gig Nassau Happenings, as well. Moving back to Chattanooga, she continued writing for Chattanooga.com, as well as for CityScope and Vue magazines. And her career as an author took off in every direction, including writing a book.
But Jen’s beloved mother died when Jen was in the middle of finalizing a book project with an agent. Devastated over her death, Jen cancelled the book deal so she could have time to heal. She got through many dark days, depending on her faith.
Along the way, Jen had reconnected with the man of her dreams, Jason. Playmates as toddlers, they are married now and live an idyllic life in Murray, Ky., with her twin sons living nearby. With five grandchildren and hobbies that include hiking, kayaking and birdwatching, Jen’s life is full. Most people would be content to enjoy this storybook life, even retreating into it. But not Jen. She has a mission.
“After seeking the desires of my heart but coming up empty, God used a difficult time in my life to tell others of the hope in trusting God with your whole life and not compartmentalizing – not only giving Him part of your life while still doing things your way,” she said.
And God has put it on her heart to share this message. Not surprisingly, she used the proverbial pencil her mother placed in her tiny fingers and wrote. And wrote. And wrote. And her unique story of finding true love fills the pages of “Breadcrumbs: Finding True Love’s Trail,” which is in bookstores now.
“This book is important because God put it on my heart to write to help others who can't seem to find that special someone in their life or have had relationship troubles and are searching for answers. There are so many hurting people, and I believe my book will help lead them to their hearts' desire and give them hope that God's will is His best!” Jen said. And, especially in this day and time, her words are as inspiring as they are meaningful.
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Ferris Robinson is the author of three children’s books, “The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” “The Queen Who Accidentally Banished Birds,” and “Call Me Arthropod” in her pollinator series. “Making Arrangements” is her first novel. “Dogs and Love - Stories of Fidelity” is a collection of true tales about man’s best friend. Her website is ferrisrobinson.com and you can download a free pollinator poster there. She is the editor of The Lookout Mountain Mirror and The Signal Mountain Mirror.