Aug. 10—It hasn’t been an easy road for Laurel native Amy Vaughn-Jackson.
She was a teen mom, became addicted to drugs, has served time in jail and prison, attempted suicide 18 years ago, has had cervical and uterine cancer and, most recently, survived colon cancer.
But she has turned her life around and recently released a children’s book entitled “The Son,” in which she shares the story of Jesus in hopes that it will serve as an inspiration to children and to defer them from the road she found herself traveling in life.
“The Son” is a story of a young boy who believed that monsters lived under his bed. Bedtime was horrible — until his mother came into the room and read him a story.
“The mother tells him about Jesus. She tells him about how Jesus turned the water into wine and how he cast out the demons,” Vaughn-Jackson said.
Vaughn-Jackson says in an overview of the book: “Every child has fears and many are just told to be brave and face them. Nobody has to face anything alone, but so many are not told about our Lord and Savior. ‘The Son’ brings the message in a short, upbeat and dynamic way. Unlike any superhero, a mother helps her son to find courage through a story about Jesus, someone who is not fictional, and how to find Him.”
“The Son” is being released on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble and published by Dorrance Publishing Company. The book is $9 to purchase.
“The book is also at the Laurel County Public Library,” Vaughn-Jackson said. “My sister and her boyfriend illustrated the book.”
The route that she has found came with many hurdles. In a 10-year period, she said she was “in and out of jail” numerous times.
“The cops in Laurel County all knew me,” she said. “Then I went to prison in 2009 in Rockcastle County for manufacturing meth.”
She knew when she was released from prison that she had to change her life. She also knew that remaining in the area where she had grown up was a temptation.
“I had to disassociate myself with everyone so I moved away near my brother. He was addicted too but he’s been clean for 22 years,” she explained. “I was so addicted that I had to have something — I used and I sold. If I didn’t have at least a little bit of something, I wouldn’t get up out of bed. My daughter brought me out of it. She was watching and taking care of me.”
She moved to Shepherdsville, where she made the changes to her life that she felt was necessary.
“I found a church, I went to school and earned my Associate’s with GPA of 3.68 and now I’m working on my Bachelor degree in Business Administration at Colorado Technical University Online,” she said.
Vaughn-Jackson is also working as a front desk clerk for the Marriott.
The turning point for Vaughn-Jackson came when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She’d had some experiences and said she was burdened but as unusual events came her way, she knew a change had to come.
“I was at Suntan City one day and when I came out, there was a woman near the garbage bin. Her skin was gray, her lips were blue. I lifted her up and she fell over. I started yelling for the neighbors to come and help. Then God said to me that I was calling out to the wrong one. So I started praying,” she said.
The woman came to herself and survived but Vaughn-Jackson said she knew that was a means of God giving her guidance.
She lives by God’s Word and His direction every day now, persistently reading her Bible and enjoying her time with family and celebrating her recovery.
“I will not touch alcohol — nothing. After I had surgery for colon cancer, I wouldn’t even take the pain pills they gave me,” she said, adding that the decision to refrain from taking the pain pills was due to her addiction and fear of finding herself in that situation again.
She reflected back on her inspiration to write, going back to high school memories.
“I had an English teacher who inspired me to write. I wrote a children’s story and she wanted me to publish it,” Jackson said. “I’ve started two other books — one is my life story and the other is a sequel to the children’s book.”
She wants to focus on children because she feels they may often not have the guidance they need.
“My dream is to send copies to DCBS (Department for Community Based Services) offices so the kids they deal with can get some inspiration,” she explained. “I think a lot of them haven’t heard about Jesus and I want my book to touch someone.”
Although she has received support from her family, Vaughn-Jackson said she knows her true recovery has come through God.
“I want people to know that Jesus Christ is real,” she said. “He’s the only way you can do it. and you can do it if you open your heart and continue to listen to Him.”
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