Jeremy Roloff - A Love Letter Life

PRAISE FOR

A LOVE LETTER LIFE

What your heart longs for mostis a love letter life. Hold these pages and fall the way youve always wanted. Jeremy and Audrey have vulnerably written their own tender love story that will powerfully awaken you to write your own rare kind of love storythe kind of love letter life that just keeps falling more deeply into a sacred intimacy.

Ann Voskamp, New York Times bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way

Were so grateful for Jeremy and Audreys story that they so graciously and honestly lay out in A Love Letter Life. Its one of those rare books that makes you feel like youre having dinner or coffee with them, while simultaneously gaining a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and things to think about! Well be passing out copies to friends, for sure.

Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke, New York Times bestselling authors of Jesus > Religion and Love That Lasts

Jeremy and Audreys beautiful love story is one founded on the true source of hope and life, Jesus Christ. Their timeless tale is one of adventure, creativity, and faith, available for not just them but all of us when we allow God to be the center and foundation of our relationships. Read and be inspired to know that with intentionality, you too can live a love letter life.

John and Lisa Bevere, bestselling authors

A Love Letter Life will inspire you, challenge you, and guide you to an intentional marriage. What a gift this book is to hearts that are longing for what lasts!

Lara Casey, author of Make It Happen and Cultivate

Its no surprise that most of the Bible comes to us as history and biography. In reading other peoples stories, we discover our own. More than that, we navigate our own path by the landmarks of those who have gone before us. Jeremy and Audrey Roloff have done a superb job of walking the road of dating to marriage, not just as lovers of each other, but as followers of Jesus. They take their relationship seriously; they take Jesus even more seriously. There is much to learn in these pages.

John Mark Comer, pastor of teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, and author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

While reading A Love Letter Life, I felt as if I was reading a story that should be on the big screens! Audrey and Jeremy know that love is about action, and not passive feelings. I admire them for the way they live their lives, and Im thankful they are in this world to showcase what true love is about.

Chelsea Crockett, Encounter Now podcast with Nick and Chels, author of Your Own Beautiful

A Love Letter Life is inspiring! Reading Jeremy and Audreys story refueled our desire as a couple to continually pursue our marriage with intentional ways of creatively expressing our love for each other. We appreciated their candid way of sharing such intimate moments from their relationship, using their experience to encourage others who are on the journey of dating, engaged or already married! This is a modern-day classic romantic love story that will be the kindling in couples hearts that sparks deep love for years to come.

Aaron and Jennifer Smith, authors of Marriage After God

The Roloffs share their inspiring love story packed with humor, struggles, romance, and wisdom. Be sure to read with a highlighter or pen nearby! A Love Letter Life is full of wisdom and truth bombs about how to pursue a love that lasts.

Jason Kennedy, E! News host

Jeremy and Audrey Roloff are beautiful storytellers, and their genuine respect and love for each other leaps off the pages of A Love Letter Life. Wherever youre at in your love story, this book will inspire and equip you to pursue a love story youd want to read about someday.

Scott Harrison, New York Times bestselling author of Thirst

Inviting, authentic, and compassionate, the Roloffs speak to the longing heart. As they take us on a journey through their love story, we are challenged to live a story worth writing about. This book provides not only the inspiration but also the tools and ideas to make it a reality.

Jordan Lee Dooley, author, founder of the SoulScripts movement, and host of the SHE podcast

ZONDERVAN

A Love Letter Life

Copyright 2019 by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Zondervan titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@Zondervan.com.

ISBN 978-0-310-35362-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-310-35369-0 (audio)
ISBN 978-0-310-35366-9 (ebook)
Epub Edition February 2019 9780310353669

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The authors are represented by Alive Literary Agency, www.aliveliterary.com.

Cover design: Dale Partridge

Cover photo: Brandon Hill

Interior design: Kait Lamphere, Jeremy Roloff

Interior illustrations: Jeremy Roloff

Printed in the United States of America

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To Ember Jean

May you be a light in this world.

We love you,

Mom and Dad

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

CONTENTS

AUDREY

It was a storybook summer. We spent our days walking train tracks, riding in truck beds, sneaking through train tunnels, jumping off bridges, picking berries, playing fugitive, climbing hay bales, exploring old barns, playing harmonicas, watching drive-in movies, and losing track of time. We capped off nearly every evening by the campfire pit, permanently saturating our clothes with the smell of smoked Pacific Northwest pine and sacrificing sleep to be togethereven when togetherness meant simply sitting in silence and waiting for the sound of the train to echo through the rolling hills of Helvetia, Oregon. As the country song goes, this was the summer I turned a corner in my soul. It was a summer unhindered by time and full of adventure. It was the summer I finally let myself fall for the farm boy who had patiently pursued me for two years. It was a summer of winning moments that consistently affirmed we were falling in love.