Rebecca (Barlow) Jordan

Christian Author

Rebecca was born in Sinton, Texas, and grew up as the daughter of a minister in Weslaco and Wichita Falls, Texas. As an elementary school girl, she fell in love with words about the same time she fell in love with Jesus. Rebecca’s 8th-grade poem earned her first published credit in The National Anthology of High School Poetry.

Graduating from Wichita Falls High School in 1965, Rebecca attended Hardin-Simmons University from 1965 to 1966. She made the Dean’s List, was a soloist in the HSU Chapel Choir, worked with Friday Night Missions, served on the Religious Activities Council, and was a piano accompanist with the Spring Revival Team in Indiana. While at HSU, Rebecca joined her high school sweetheart, Larry Jordan (now an HSU alumnus), in serving at his first pastorate at First Baptist Church, Putnam, Texas, which they continued for three years following their marriage in 1966 and through their first year at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Rebecca credits HSU with nurturing her desire for lifelong learning, always believing, “I can’t, but God can.” She audited several seminary classes at night while working full-time as a secretary to support her husband’s seminary education. The lack of knowledge, money, or skill only prompted her determination to study and learn more, even if it meant taking community college classes.

It wasn’t until later that Rebecca realized God was calling her to writing. After selling her first greeting card in 1970, Rebecca took a Writer’s Correspondence Course, which helped her sell articles to numerous magazines and write a newspaper devotional column for 10 years. She has sold more than 2,000 greeting card verses to over 20 companies, including DaySpring, Abbey Press, Guideposts, and Warner Press. She even designed and published her own greeting card line (Quiet Places).

Rebecca continued to develop her creativity by attending writers’ conferences from 1984 to 2005. Working from her home office, she accepted more freelance projects writing church bulletin copy, Bible study curriculum, and even advertising copy. Online Christian companies such as Crosswalk.com and ChristianityToday.com still publish Rebecca’s past prayers and devotions.

The Arizona Christian Writers Conference awarded Rebecca two “Persistence Awards” after she received 1,000 greeting card rejections in one year. The next year, she was asked to return as a teacher. God used her persistence to fulfill her dream of writing a book, eventually leading her to author 13 books of her own.

Because of their passion for marriage and family, Rebecca and her husband were trained as marriage enrichment leaders. They led marriage enrichment weekends for 20 years. Revell/Baker published her first book, Marriage Toners, co-authored with her husband, in 1994.

In 1998, Honor Books published Courage for the Chicken Hearted: Humorous and Inspiring Stories for Confident Living, a book co-authored by Rebecca and four writing friends. That book became a Christian Book Association bestseller. In 1999, Honor Books published its sequel, Eggstra Courage for the Chicken Hearted.

From 2000 to 2006, Barbour Publishing and Warner Faith Books published five of Rebecca’s solo books, including the popular Daily in Your Presence: Intimate Conversations with a Loving Father. Two of her books have been translated into Korean, and people from over 170 countries have read her work. In 2010, Zondervan published her trademarked, 3-book series in hardback, eBook, and audio versions: Day-votions® for Mothers, Day-votions® for Women, and Day-votions® for Grandmothers. Her book, Day-votions® for Mothers won the Serious Writers 2021 Book of the Decade Award.

From 2013 to 2019, Rebecca helped write the Guideposts Mornings with Jesus devotional series. She independently published her latest devotional book in 2022: Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs. That book won a 2022 AWSA Golden Scroll Award and received First Place for a Devotional Book in the 2023 Christian Indie Awards. In addition to her authored books, Rebecca has contributed to over 20 other books and compilations. She has been a member of American Christian Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers and is a long-time member of AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association).

Rebecca graduated from Speak Up, Inc., and from 1994 to 2017, she was a speaker at churches, banquets, conferences, and retreats in several states, and at organizations such as the YMCA, Rotary Club, and Salvation Army. Alongside her husband, she was a 2007 HSU Homecoming Sunday chapel speaker, and in 2008, Hardin-Simmons awarded Rebecca a Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2024, she spoke to HSU Vice Presidents and Trustees, and since 2022, many of her devotions have been shared with the Traveling Range Riders on their trips.

Throughout her husband’s 47 years in church ministry, Rebecca served in many roles, including music, mentoring, Bible teaching, international missions, and as a deaf interpreter. Rebecca’s other passions include gardening and fishing with her husband.

Rebecca feels like she has come full circle since those early years at Hardin-Simmons. Throughout their 60 years of marriage, her husband Larry has been the “wind beneath her wings” and the love of her life. In 2024, she and Larry moved to the Clyde/Baird area to live near family. She says, “It feels like coming home.” They are active members of Beltway Park Church in Abilene.

Rebecca still writes, and her files are stuffed with ideas, many of which she would still like to publish. As an independent beauty consultant for nearly 25 years, Rebecca shares with women how to become God’s beautiful reflections inside and out.

Throughout her writing ministry, Rebecca admits many of her creative ideas began with scribbled notes in the midnight hours, during sermons, or from God’s Word in long, quiet times.

Rebecca’s greatest treasures include her husband, two daughters, two sons-in-law, her four grandchildren, and one grandson-in-law, as well as being a day-voted follower of Jesus. The theme of her life will always be, “God is Faithful!”

For her faithful writing ministry, speaking life into the hearts of believers, Hardin-Simmons University proudly inducts Rebecca Barlow Jordan into the HSU Hall of Leaders.