Faith Awakened

A little over 10 years ago, God placed an idea for a Facebook Page and these two words were what I truly felt the title was supposed to be. They encapsulated everything in the concept He was bringing to my heart... Faith Awakened. A renewal of faith that was light, lukewarm, or downright nonexistent. I was so excited to start the creative journey to build it. At the time, I had a friend with the same passion and we went into it together. I wrote little blog stories centered around scripture, shared a verse of the day with a nugget to keep in mind, uplifting content on social media to bring God to our social media feeds.

As an Enneagram 9, I can move into phases of creativity followed by phases of stagnation. That is how I have used that Facebook page (that is still up but not being cared for as I have this website now and a Facebook group that is active) over the years.

In the season I am finding myself right now, these two words were revived within me as I prayed to God how He wanted to use me in this place... my faith so overflowing for others, creating content to uplift women and speak openly about those things we have in common, as a perimenopausal 50-something, empty nester, a leader, a divorcee, a wife, mama and Nani to a blended large family, and now walking through my husband battling aggressive cancer and chemo. God resurfaced Faith Awakened recently and I'll admit, what He revealed scared me a little. A book with that title. A space for sharing in life's lemons and rainbows, reflection prompts for readers to consider what God has done and is doing in their lives, and a little bit of devotional because, well... we need to be in the Word. So, as I have begun to put words to page, I lift this project to the Lord. Whether it takes wings and flies or just sits for the right women to find, doesn't matter. Me being obedient to where I am feeling Him call me is truly the goal.

Here goes nothing... while this is a rough, rough, ROUGH draft of the intro I'm thinking... it's a draft nonetheless. I'd love to know what you think.

Faith Awakened - Intro

I’m writing a book? I am so completely not qualified and honestly still feel surprised as I begin to put words to a page. I’m writing because I feel God lighting this path ahead of me. Not because I’m an expert but because I’ve been through some things. The journey of life over the past 50+ years has been an amusement park of sorts. I waited in line for a ride that seemed like it would be exhilarating only to get on and after a short period of time wishing I could stop the ride and get off before getting completely sick, and then finding that I had to stay on and work through all of the feels. Some parts have been fun and some have been terrifying. I have the t-shirt that proves I have survived so far.

Looking back, I see God’s mighty hand in it all. It’s messy, it’s hard but it’s beautiful. It has shaped me, like the clay jar I am, more and more into the woman that I know He created me to be. It’s not without tears (ohhhh the tears), fear, laughter, ridiculousness and love. So much love. While I’m still (and will always be) a work in progress, I am closer to God today than I ever have  been. I’m so grateful for His grace and mercy, His comfort and peace, His guidance and direction, His sacrifice and unconditional love. 

This book will be part story telling, part reader reflection and part devotional. Opening our eyes to what God has seen us through is the only way to truly see the beauty in who He has created us to be. I pray that it helps you in some way. I can only plant the seed but the Gardener waters and cares for what is growing. I pray that my words can allow someone to let go of the shame of the past to step into the future God has planned for them. That in some way, even a little bit, healing begins to happen. I’ve navigated life tethered to God but not always staying close to Him. I’m grateful that He continued to hold the tether, even when I wandered too close to the edge of the cliff. I’ll share some moments that opened my eyes, that I’ve had to work through, that have helped me truly see a more accurate reflection of being the daughter of Christ that I am. I’ve stumbled. I’ve been run over. I’ve wanted to stay down and give up. But… I didn’t. I couldn’t. The journey I’ve had, while not one that I would’ve laid out for myself, has given me a testimony to the fullness of God. I can see Him using every tear, every fear, every moment that felt too much for the glory of the kingdom and for that I’m truly grateful. It’s an honor to become a worker in the field… as it’s said in Matthew 9:37… “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” He’s doing the same for you. I hope that you’re able to see that, my friend. We get to be His light and love in this dark world. We get to share a bit of our mess and a lot of God’s love to those in their own mess that may not know Him well or at all. Isn’t that the purpose of life as a follower of Jesus? 

Let’s jump in, buckle up and get on the road… Jesus take the wheel!