“Stones in the River isn’t just a book.  It’s an experience—a beautifully photographed and elegantly designed work of art.”

• Are you living life without a compass, being swept along without direction and purpose?
• Are you on the solitary journey through grief and loss?
• Are you an overwhelmed mother wanting to make the most of the years you have with your children?
• Are you longing for love and wondering if God cares for you anymore?
• Are you finishing a season and longing for a fresh calling?

When you lack clarity about your life direction as a woman, it’s easy to feel isolated and alone, as if something is wrong with you. But nothing could be further from the truth.

However, unless you have a guide to walk with you on life’s journey, you can easily think that life just doesn’t work out for you. You can let fear of an uncertain future control you and keep you from stepping into the special season of life God has designed for you. You can miss the blessings, both now and for future generations, that God has planned for your life.

Just like the Israelites who passed through the Jordan River so long ago, you too can place stones in the river to serve as the spiritual markers of God’s faithfulness through every season.

Jo Jackson has been where you are. She has experienced the highest joys and deepest sorrows of life’s journey. That’s why you won’t get cliches or pious platitudes from her. As a grandmother to more than 20 children, she lovingly invites you to join her for an authentic journey through the twelve stones in her own river of life, so you can learn from her and discover your own purpose.

Throughout the more than 350 beautifully designed pages, Jo shows you what a life fully lived looks like. She shares the good and bad, the joys and pains. She guides each reader to more fully appreciate God’s unfailing love and faithfulness.

From the exquisite photography, to the aesthetic beauty and intentional placement of each word on every page, to the heartfelt passion and raw sharing of her story and wisdom, every page reveals a little broader glimpse of God’s grace.

As you turn each page, perhaps while sipping your favorite tea in your favorite chair, you’ll begin to see your own story unfolding alongside Jo’s tale. Like the endearing guide she is, Jo lovingly challenges you to choose your own spiritual markers, the stones in your river of life.

“A Thing of Beauty Is a Joy Forever”

When you finally hold Stones in the River in your hands, you’ll see the personal attention Jo has given to each detail. You’ll feel the weight of each page, a tribute to the substantial life truths conveyed on them. You’ll want to engage the journey again and again as you dream, cry, and celebrate alongside Jo.

Stones in the River is designed to bring joy to all who encounter it—whether on your coffee table for every guest to enjoy, on your bedside table for you to refresh your soul, or displayed asa work of art in your home. Yes, it’s that beautiful.

And it makes the ideal gift for the woman in your life who deserves the blessing of beauty and the delight of knowing that, no matter what life circumstances may come, she is leaving a rich legacy of faith and family.

Throughout its elegant pages, Jo Jackson guides you to live a life that is truly a testimony to God’s faithfulness—no matter what challenges you may face right now.

The Story Behind Jo’s Story

One day as I was emptying the contents of a crusty, old trunk, I found myself surrounded with remnants and reminders of the favorite people, places, experiences, and events of my life. The passage Joshua 4:4-6, 24 came to my mind as I reflected on so many wonderful memories.

The Lord commanded Joshua, saying, “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from out in the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.”

 

“Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall become a memorial to the people of Israel forever….”

 

“….So that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”—Joshua 4:4-6, 24

As I pondered these verses on that barn-wood floor, I began to think, how can I gather my stones of God’s faithfulness in my life to help those whom I love who are coming along after me—my precious children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren?  How can I record the testimony of God’s faithfulness to me and our family as indisputable evidence of God’s love and care?

My mind raced as I considered God’s hand on my life and pondering all my own “stones” strewn before me on the floor. So began my study of Joshua’s Stones in the River.

Following the divine example, I attempted to creatively arrange the wisdom of a lifetime and all of my life experiences in a way that would empower my family members to create a life of significance and beauty for generations to come on this Journey of Life. Yet as I became excited about recording God’s faithfulness in my life, I realized my journey might also help other women who, like me, have experienced love, loss, and life—maybe even you. That is why I have written this book—to share the story of God’s faithfulness through all of my Stones in the River.

In my book, I candidly share my own life journey which explores seasons of friendship, drifting without direction, marriage and remarriage, motherhood, losing a spouse, recovering from grief, and celebrating the joys of new life.