I am a 23-year-old newlywed. I got married on the best date ever: 12-13-14. I followed God to my husband, stubbornly at first and then whole-heartedly. To be honest, I was afraid of love when I first dated him. It was senior year of college, and freedom was the only word that could define me at the time. Commitment was so not going for me those days, so I made it as difficult as possible for Daniel to win me over. Shoot, he left the beautiful state of Florida and moved to Arkansas to pursue me (and it worked)! It took 8 months, but I finally let God rip me out of my comfort zone and into the best love story He could have written for me.

So why shouldn’t I trust that God is worth following when he’s telling me to take another leap of faith? He’s proven to me time and time again that leaps of faith are undeniably breathtaking, and definitely life changing. Hesitating before the jump, in my opinion, is a mistake (and one that I make quite often)! If you’re standing on a diving board, and hesitate before jumping into the water, the fall feels scarier, unplanned and more dangerous. On the other hand, when you own your jump, the fall feels exhilarating! You might even add some style and do a flip on your way down. You smile and scream with joy as the rush of the fall ignites your adrenaline and the crash into the water is like a breath of fresh air and victory. Yet somehow, even as a believer, that leap of faith still doesn’t feel safe, despite the protection of God’s provision. I've been standing on the edge of my diving board for months, anticipating the leap of faith that would change everything.

It’s interesting how God orchestrates our lives to lead us to certain points of revelation. After graduating from Mizzou in the spring of 2013, I moved back home to work a comfortable 8-5 job, doing ministry behind the face of a large non-profit organization. I believe in their mission, so I remained there for a year and a half. If it weren’t for the spiritual guidance I received from working under some of the greatest Christian leaders I have ever met, I may not have known how to listen for Christ’s voice. I may not have had my revelation of one simple word: write.

I was in a meeting one day, where our director challenged us to pick one word for the year to strive for, instead of a resolution. That word could be anything: relationship, clarity, growth, vision. I spent that weekend praying about it, wondering what God would want to reveal through a single word. It was a plain Saturday afternoon while Daniel was playing video games that it just came to me– write. To write. The word fell into my heart and triggered this intense restlessness. Then came my revelation: God has blessed me with the gift of literary and visual expression and instead of exploring that, I’ve spent years doing what society has told me is right and safe – go to college, get a degree, get an 8-5 job. And while my journey has been extraordinary, I have known God had something different for me. The redemption story that He has written through my life is one that is meant for the world to hear.

I am finally ready to be fearless: to own my craft and share my life story for the Lord’s glory. I am ready to have a spirit of boldness, like Peter, who trusted the Lord and stepped into the storm to follow Him. I am ready to live by what I proclaim: that the Lord can do all things, thus I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. It took a year and a half, but I am ready to leave my comfort zone and take the first step towards the Promised Land. It’s the decision to follow Him, and not the ways of the world, that will set me free.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” Colossians 3:23

Now you know why I am here. I am excited to tell my story and experience the Lord in a new way. It would be silly for me to keep this adventure to myself when we have been called together as Christians to encourage one another. I can only laugh that it has taken me this many years to realize my avenue for sharing and growth is through the written word. So today, I start a new chapter at a new job. I'll be working part time now, so I can write full time and serve those in the adoption community with my whole heart. I hope you hear my story and find inspiration for boldness. I hope the path that has led me here will inspire you to do great things. I pray that God speaks through me and into your heart, for His glory.