Meet Judith
Judith Ingram is the author of the nonfiction books, A Devotional Walk with Forgiveness and Forgiving Day by Day, as well as the award-winning time-travel fiction trilogy, Moonseed, published in three volumes—Bridge to the Past, Borrowed Promises, and Into the Mist—and released by Vinspire Publishing, LLC.
Her articles, poems, and short stories have appeared in anthologies such as Chicken Soup for the Soul, Inspire Forgiveness, Inspire Kindness, Inspire Grace, and The Literary Review, as well as professional counseling journals such as The Person-Centered Journal.
Judith holds a master’s degree in counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California and a certificate in biblical studies from Cornerstone Bible Academy.
An ordained elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), she lives with her husband in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, recently transplanted from their home state of California.
“I look forward to receiving Judith’s devotionals, opening them almost immediately when they come to my inbox. I draw such a sense of peace … of purpose … and a deeper understanding of just how much God means to me and, better still, how much I mean to Him.”
— Eva Marie Everson, award-winning author, editor, president of Word Weavers International, director of Florida Christian Writers Conference and North Georgia Christian Writers
Awards
Cicero Speechwriting Awards 2015. View Judith’s award-winning speech, “Fan Into Flame Your Writing Gift.” (Judith’s speech begins on page 15.)
Professional Memberships
Judith is an active member of Inspire Christian Writers, and contributed to their 2018 anthology. She also participates in West Coast Christian Writers.
What I Believe
I believe these statements of faith:
- God is real and exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Salvation comes to us because of God’s mercy and love, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- God speaks to us through the Bible, God’s living and infallible word.
- The Holy Spirit lives in us when we choose to follow Christ.
- Believing in the atoning death and resurrection of Christ is our only means of gaining heaven and eternal life with God.
- All goodness, truth, and love come from God.
- Satan is real and has declared himself the enemy of God and all who belong to God.
- Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, in fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.
My life verse was given to me on the morning of my first psychotherapy appointment. I knew I would be facing unpleasant childhood memories, and I was afraid. My friend and I prayed 1 John 4:4 together, and it became my go-to verse whenever fear threatens to overtake me: He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just about everything! Personal experiences, imagination, books I read, movies I watch, sermons, Bible study, listening to other people tell their stories, working through my own painful issues—all these resources set my mind working toward a creative expression I can share with others.
I’m not sure which I like better, laboring to find just the right words to express my thoughts or hearing from readers who have been moved by my writing. Both experiences keep me going!
Taking scissors to my work to make it better is very painful! Author Stephen King once wrote that we must sometimes “murder our darlings” to save the book. Cutting a useless paragraph or an unnecessary scene, no matter how brilliant I think it is, always improves the work and keeps me humble.
I long to be wise. Knowledge and life experience are useless unless we can weave them into understanding that helps us grow and mature. As a Christian, I look to God for truth and wisdom to guide me personally. As a writer, I want my work to impart wisdom that enhances a reader’s experience of life or illustrates a truth that I have discovered.
A best moment has occurred to me more than once. After hearing my testimony about my being wounded as a child and learning to forgive my family, people have confessed to me their similar, painful stories and shared a new hope that they, too, could learn to forgive their families.
On the down side, one member of a critique group gave a very harsh review of a short story I had shared. I felt so attacked that I burst into tears, which was mortifying. It was weeks before I could even look at my story again. As you might guess, when I could objectively consider this person’s remarks, I realized the comments had value for making my story better.
Life. Laundry. Relationships. My cat. You-name-it. Seriously, without all the tangles and intrigues and unexpected lessons that disrupt my life, I would have nothing worthy to write about.
Know who you are and write out of who you are, not who you think the public wants you to be. Find your niche and write with confidence because the world needs to hear your voice.
Take time alone with God to discern what you are being called to share with the world. How have your life experiences uniquely qualified you to write in ways that bring hope and healing to others?
I am enormously encouraged by readers who take the time to let me know how my writing has touched them. I also benefit from membership in the California Writers Club and Inspire Christian Writers. Both are organizations that provide skills training as well as a spirit of community among authors.
If we go way back to childhood, I read Mary Bard’s “Best Friends” books until the covers fell off. I lived the adventures of Susie and Coco in my imagination and dreamed of writing characters of my own. As a teenager, I devoured gothic romances by Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and my favorite, Daphne du Maurier, whose novels I still go back and read for the sheer pleasure of her artistry. Dean Koontz is a brilliant storyteller with underlying themes of goodness winning out over evil. I also read Francine Rivers to learn the art of weaving Christian themes into stories without sounding preachy or contrived.
Media
For materials to print or broadcast, please contact Judith:
Judith Ingram
judith@judithingram.com
Publishing/Media Bio
Judith Ingram is an inspirational author who earned her master’s degree in counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California. She is an ordained elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and a graduate of Cornerstone Bible Academy in Livermore, California.
Her published works include a nonfiction Christian book, A Devotional Walk with Forgiveness, and a time-travel fiction trilogy called Moonseed, told in three volumes: Bridge to the Past, Borrowed Promises, and Into the Mist, all published by Vinspire Publishing, LLC. Additionally, she has published articles, poems, and short stories in several anthologies, including Inspire Forgiveness, Inspire Kindness, and The Literary Review, as well as in secular counseling journals such as The Person-Centered Journal.
A survivor of childhood abuse herself, she has received academic awards for her master’s thesis model, which employs forgiveness in the clinical treatment of adults recovering from childhood abuse. She posts weekly devotionals about forgiveness and enjoys speaking and leading workshops on the various ways that God can take the ugly, hurtful experiences of life and transform them into stories of strength, grace, and beauty.
Judith and her husband enjoy life with their two cats, Zoe and Emma, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, having recently moved from the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about her, please visit her website at judithingram.com.