Mary J. Yerkes was nine years old when she decided to become a writer. It was years later when she realized her dream.

Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1997, Mary found solace in God’s Word and poured her struggles onto the pages of her journal. Over time, nuggets of truth, mined from her times alone with God, evolved into articles. Her testimony, “Beauty instead of Ashes,” appeared in The Journal of Biblical Counseling, and was read in 32 countries around the world.

Mary has served God and the Body of Christ for more than 20 years. Her ministry involvement includes prayer team leader, mentor, small group leader, youth leader, women’s ministry leader, Bible teacher, Sunday School teacher, and conference and event speaker. A former online mentor for Campus Crusade for Christ, Mary has also served as a prayer counselor for women worldwide battling addictions, struggling in relationships, and needing words of hope and encouragement.

Raised in the Eastern United States, Mary lives in Virginia with her husband, Paul. Together, they have one adult son, Richard, who teaches English in South Korea.

Mary loves taking prayer walks through the beautiful Virginia countryside. When she isn’t writing, she can be found hiking the Manassas Battlefield (where the photos on this Web site were taken) with her rough collie, Misha.

(Photo taken by Barbara Savidge, Virginia. From Left to Right: Misha, Mary, her husband Paul and their son, Ricky.)