Jamie-Grace and I met a year and a half ago at a Mac Powell country concert.

Here’s what. I thought she was really cool and my friends who know her LOVE her, so Mac’s wife introduced us and we both were like, “whoaaaaaaa I think we should be real friends.”

And so it began.

We hung out. Got coffee. Texted and chatted on the phone while we were both on tour buses throughout the spring. And she watched a Hallmark Channel movie with me and my small group… and Emily Freeman.

And, because life is awesome, she and I got to share a stage in Dallas for a Girls of Grace, where at some point she apparently highjacked my phone without my knowledge because this is one of FIFTEEN photos I just found on my computer. It’s a personal favorite.

So that’s our friendship. And here’s why I asked her to write the foreword.

This is how forewords and endorsements and all that work. Authors look for people whom their audience know and trust and ask said people to write a little something. That’s why Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum is on the cover of Perfectly Unique – lots of people trust her, so it’s like introducing your friend to your friends. And also why Dave Barnes wrote the foreword for my first book. He’s funny, people trust him.

But here’s what’s true about Hillary and Jamie-Grace and Dave – they are my people. They know my heart. They make me laugh and have dealt with my tears and long after book writing is done, we will still watch Hallmark movies together…. yes, even Dave. I’m sure he loves that stuff.

So when it came time for someone to write an intro piece to Speak Love, I know JG was the girl. I wanted someone that teen girls trust AND I wanted someone that I love as a friend AND I wanted someone who could connect with the message of the power of words.

If you know anything about Jamie-Grace, you know she openly talks about her battle with Tourette Syndrome and how people have treated her because of it. I’ve heard her talk multiple times about how that disease affects her but more so the way other people responding to her and her disease has affected her.

She knows the power of words – they have hurt her, and they have healed her.

And now? She stands on stages in front of thousands and sings words of life over them, talks about her life as a single Christian girl, and literally blankets the audience in words of hope. I saw her at WinterJam and was just blown away by how she takes time to speak love over the people in the audience.

The way she lives and loves and speaks made her the right gal to introduce Speak Love.

You can read the first few chapters for free here and see Jamie-Grace’s foreword. I’m so grateful that she was willing to write it and be a part of what God is doing with this book.

Also, Jamie has started this cool thing called God Girl’s Club and they are reading Perfectly Unique this month. WOOT. Check it out!

PS- Do you have her music yet? You need it. Like whoa.

Thank you, Jamie-Grace, for writing such a beautiful foreword, but mostly thanks for being awesome. I’m proud to be your friend. 

Also thanks for taking so many selflies on my phone. I’ve got amazingly hilarious pics of you for dayzzzzzzzzz.