About Jane
Greetings and Salutations!
Rather than rattling off my resume to you, I followed the advice of my friend Christina and wrote this About Jane Freund section in a letter format. I like the idea as it has a more personal touch and allows me to more readily to share the five principles of my life philosophy. So here goes. . .
WRITING
Simply put, I LOVE to write and believe I learn so much in the process! While I have had a passion for writing since I was a child, I know what it’s like to wait on a dream. I didn’t not fulfill my dream of writing and publishing books until I was smack dab in the middle of my 40s but I look at it this way:
My various life experiences have prepared me for living out this goal.
Speaking of which, I have had WONDERFUL writing mentors in my life and have also learned from the school of hard knocks. So, I strive to teach others what I have learned so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
FRIENDSHIP
Did you know that “Freund” means friend in German? So you could say that I was born into friendship and I’ve been fascinated with the subject ever since. My natural and developed curiosity on the subject led me to research friendship by conducting surveys of over 1,200 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 18 countries. The results were used in my first book, The Fine Art of Female Friendships -- A Bible Study on Women’s Friendships. I believe that “friends are chosen family” and know from personal experience that my friends have helped me through some of the roughest patches of my life. I believe that the the benefits of good solid friendships are beyond awesome and are well worth the investment of time and energy!
COMMUNICATION
I believe that communication is everywhere in our lives and that it’s impossible to NOT communicate. Think about that for a minute. . .even if you’re not speaking, you are still communicating through your nonverbal communication. Here’s a fun fact:
Up to 90% of any given communication is nonverbal.
I taught Communication for ten years at Boise State University and am particularly fascinated by the subject of listening and improving those skills. Since we have two ears and one mouth, I think we should listen twice as much as we talk.
EDUCATION
I am so tremendously blessed that my Mom and Dad instilled the importance of education both inside and outside the classroom and demonstrated that belief through their actions. But to me education is a two way street: we are to not only learn but to also teach to have a solid education. If we pay attention, opportunities to learn and to teach can be found everywhere in our daily lives. I love the excitement of learning something new and the look in somebody’s eyes when I know they get the concept I’m trying to teach. I am committed to lifelong education as doing so makes life much more interesting!
JESUS CHRIST
Last but certainly not least, the guiding force in my life is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1989 and that is the most important decision I ever made. I strive day-by-day, moment-by-moment to strengthen my walk with Him through study, prayer, fellowship, and other forms of worship. For what it’s worth, I too get frustrated by things people do in the name of Christianity. But, remember, for me the keyword is “strive” so know that I makes mistakes and sin. So if you’re looking for perfection, look to Jesus!
So this is my story and I’m sticking to it! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at jane@freundshippress.com. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter.
Resting in Him,
Jane