JARM DELBOCCIO INTERVIEW

by Deborah Malone and Rita Prochazka

Questions by Rita:

Can you share some of your testimony?

Absolutely. I came to know the Lord at four years of age through my mother. Although I was involved in our local church, and attended a Christian school, I didn’t understand what it meant to follow Christ fully until I was baptized at the age of 12. The Lord brought many trials into my life for the next few years to test my faith. Even today, He challenges me via trials and disappointments, proving to me the He is the only one who truly loves and knows me best!

What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

My life verse is Psalm 27:4

One thing have I asked the Lord – that will I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His Temple. (NLT)

I am blessed daily to be in His presence and watch Him work in my life. My love language is quality time, so knowing He is with me at all times and is available is comforting. The reference has significance, too. I was born on May 27th and born again at the age of four.

Briefly, what are some things you’ve learned in your walk with God in this season of your life?

I don’t have to know what is coming down the road in His will for my life. I need only to trust Him one step at a time. Right now, my husband and I are living like sojourners. We will have no permanent home until October, and are volunteering at various Christian ministries that offer lodging while we wait for our townhouse to be built. Sometimes, God doesn’t reveal our next step until a few weeks beforehand. It’s akin to living like Abraham, who trusted God even though He couldn’t see the future. Exciting times!

How have you prepared or been prepared for your ministry

I’ve kept journals through the years and thought I would write a memoir when my mother passed away at 99 years of age. I was redirected for a few years as I wrote historical picture books, the later three middle-grade historical novels. When those did not find publishing homes, the Lord inspired me to write a nonfiction book on aging, since I was in my silver years and could relate to my readers. My desire to serve the Lord until He takes me home, therefore, I need to move forward with confidence as I age. I want the last half of my life to be productive as well as inspirational to older women I meet.

Can you share a time recently, that you saw God work in your life, either in your ministry or personally.

Yes, I had no great ambition as a teen. My only desire was to be married and have a family. Instead, God’s plan for me was to get a teaching degree and remain single until I was 37. After marriage to my hubby, Dan, I discovered I was infertile, and would never be able to bear a child. Of course, I was crushed, but soon after this discovery, Dan and I made plans to adopt a child from Russia. In the end, we adopted a son and daughter, only 7 months apart – almost twins! I realized God “closes wombs to open hearts for adoption.” He knows what’s best if we leave the choice with Him!

Tell us something about yourself that most people would not know? It can be a fun fact or serious.

As an only child, I loved animals, especially unusual creatures. I begged my mother over and over during our trips to Florida to allow me to have a baby alligator. I insisted it could live in our bathtub until my mom asked me what I would do when it grew up. Hmmm. I hadn’t thought that far ahead!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

That’s a tough one, since I don’t believe I’ve achieved much of anything. My husband call me the “Queen of Russian paperwork” since I was able to gather a plethora of paperwork required by the Russian government for our adoption in a matter of weeks. From the time we decided to adopt, to the day we picked up our children at the orphanage, it totaled about six months. I could never have conceived and given birth that quick!

On a serious level, the Lord has helped me through many losses and discouragements and gave me the strength to press on and not to faint. I purposed never to give up or give in to grief and depression. To keep going is my greatest achievement – with God’s strength, of course.

Would your life story make a good movie?

Yes, I think it would. Throughout the years I’ve looked for love in many places, but finally realized the only one who truly knows me best is my Savior Jesus Christ. I’ve done so much in my life – traveled the world, worked in a variety of careers, and had faithful friends to support me. There’s plenty of events and plot twists to chose from!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

My desire is to have my nonfiction book: No Need to Gild the Lily: Flourishing in Your Silver Years and Beyond with Confidence and Joy, published and have a literary agent to bring my other works to the printed page. All my writings have hope as an integral message, so I’d love to speak at women’s and children’s events using my books as a backdrop to help others “flourish in a time of uncertainty and change.”

Questions by Deborah Malone:

What would your advice be to other “seasoned” women on ways to stay active in ministry?

Mentoring is the best way to use your gifts for the Lord. It may be time to step down from responsibilities and let younger women take over. Be their guide and come alongside them as they learn their new roles. Also, connect with a college student at church, or, with your husband, mentor a young married couple as they adapt to marriage and begin a family.

Have you ever felt “too old” to be used by God? What made you decide God could still use you?

I have never felt too old to serve the Lord, maybe because I am still able-bodied and clear-minded (most of the time!) I press on, no matter what comes my way, knowing He has gifted me to encourage other in life to never give up. As I move into my golden years, I’m preparing myself to be resilient and find alternative ways to serve God, even if my osteoarthritis lands me in a wheelchair, as it did my mother the last 10 years of her life. Despite her disabilities, she continued correspondence with friends and family, and also held Bible Studies in her assisted living facility.

What seasoned woman in the Bible is an inspiration to you?

Although she might not be seasoned, I admire Ruth for her faithfulness to Naomi, and her willingness to adapt to a new culture. Anna’s service and devotion to God in the temple is an example I want to emulate. I want to be a faithful follower of the Lord until I go home to heaven.

If you’ve had an illness or physical limitations, what accommodations have you had to make to continue in ministry?

As I mentioned, I have severe osteoarthritis in my knees and wrists, but at this point, with natural medicine and strict diet, I’m able to be active. Soon, I will need a knee replacement. So my goal is to keep active which is paramount with this disease. Writing is something I can do even from a wheelchair, if that is in my future. Unfortunately, being an author keeps me at my desk instead of outside walking, biking and swimming. I have to push myself to get out.

Volunteering from place to place this past year, and for the next six months, I have been unable to keep a regular exercise schedule. So, I look forward, for many reasons, to settling down in our home on the coast of North Carolina.

Jarm, can you tell us a little about your ministry?

In the past, I have served as a Sunday School teacher, church librarian, women’s Bible Study leader and worship team participant. Now that we are on the road, writing is my main ministry. While submitting to agents and editors and waiting for a reply, I write a blog and social media posts to encourage others in their walk with Christ. Hopefully, I will also light a spark in those who don’t know Him.

What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome in this time of your seasoned ministry?

Since there were so many gifted people in our former church, I didn’t feel I had a unique ministry or leadership position. Instead, I fit in where I was needed, which I was happy to do. But I continued to desire a ministry no one else could fill. Was that pride? I don’t know. I typically don’t want to stand out in a crowd or be given high praise. I think it was a desire to fulfill God’s special purpose in my life.

To help explain, here is an example. In the church we plan to attend when we settle down, the congregation is composed of mostly 40-somethings and younger. A pastor friend of mine, when he heard this, pointed out that we would have a unique ministry to mentor the young folks, since there were so few mature couples in the congregation. That truly made my heart sing!

Thank you Jarm for stopping by and sharing your ministry with us!

Jarm (‘J’ pronounced as a ‘Y’) Del Boccio has spent the last ten years breathing new life into the pages of history, offering middle-grade readers a new perspective with hope, heart, and a real-life hero.

Now, well into her silver years and maturing along with her peers, she is looking forward and not backwards. Jarm sees a reluctance to let go of the past and its comforts to forge ahead into new territory that will enlighten, refresh and energize the spirit. What many peers fear is the very thing that will help them age with grace, confidence, and faith, making their last years productive and meaningful. With her transparency, resourcefulness, a heart for God, and determination not to give in to self-pity, Jarm desires to help her ‘silver sisters’ not to only survive but thrive in their silver years and beyond.

Jarm scares off the aging bug with travel and is passionate about visiting new places. She is determined never to visit the same place twice. Unfortunately, sometimes she has to break her own rule. Jarm feels like a 20-something when someone comments on her stunning silver hair. She tells them it’s God’s gift to her, along with her stellar hairdresser of 30 years.

Jarm is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Word Weavers, and Hope*Writers. She has published articles in “The Old Schoolhouse” magazine, and recently, her devotional on Nehemiah was accepted for Unlocked Teen Devotional. Her award-winning debut middle-grade historical fiction, “The Heart Changer,” released with Ambassador International in 2019. Jarm has two more middle-grade novels to submit when the time is right.

Having sold her home in a tree-lined Chicago suburb, Jarm has moved 11 times in four months. Although it’s an adventure she wasn’t asking for, Jarm is content with the journey God has placed her on and plans to move with her husband to the North Carolina coast now that their adult son and daughter are settled. With this move, she has become an avid declutterer and minimalist since she discovered they defog and lighten her aging brain. She looks forward to many opportunities to connect with silver seniors in her planned community.

A former educator and school librarian, Jarm desires to help older women use their maturing years for God’s glory with confidence and joy. She has spoken to library and homeschool groups (online and in person), at a ladies’ retreat, and hopes to share her message with seniors in any venue offered.

Jarm loves to hear from her readers: Website: http://www.jarmdelboccio.com/; Instagram: https://instagram.com/jarmdelboccio; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JarmDelBoccio/