Hello!  Welcome to my very first post from my very first blog—Brave on the Narrows.  This has been something on my heart for a while now.  Something I have been a bit afraid of starting because trying something new is sometimes a daunting task.  But, like my tagline says “life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”!  So, here we go!  Thanks for joining me on this journey.  I’m so glad you’re here!

I have loved writing since I was old enough to string words together into whimsical and imaginative rhymes.  I remember sending out sing- song-y holiday poems to friends and family when I was a wide-eyed, sensitive, and innocent jr. higher.  I dreamed of being a writer when I “grew up” (which I’m still doing by the way), but never fully embraced that dream to turn it into a plan of action.  At the age of 42, I’m finally turning that “can’t” feeling into a “can”…thus, enters Brave on the Narrows to the stage.  The entertaining, emotional, dream-filled, caffeine-driven, love lined, adventure soaked stage of my life.

I want to share how I see God’s handprints and footprints in everyday life.  I want to share about the things and the people that are helping to change the world.  I want to share how the mundane, ordinary things in life can be reflections of our extraordinary God.

Brave is one of my favorite words and something I so deeply long to be.  I am still in process and forever will be.  I’m becoming braver as I learn to trust God along the narrow paths that He leads me.  I am often trusting scared.  I am often peeking through my hand-covered eyes.  But, nevertheless, I am being brave.  And, I know that many of you are too.  We are Brave on the Narrows.

So, welcome.  This thing is a work in progress.  It may be a slow and steady thing, but that is often what my life looks like.  I want to be honest, vulnerable, sensitive, hopefully inspirational, and maybe sometimes funny.  Please grab a cup of bliss and read on (and feel free to tell me what you think too)…

It’s early in the morning and I’m sitting down to write. Those two things are pretty much a miracle wrapped in one sentence.  I so often yearn to write, but put it off A L L the time.  Why?  I don’t feel like I have anything noteworthy to share; I don’t think it will be good enough; or I feel like there’s a million things I should do instead of it.  But, now, as I’m sitting here tapping my fingers across a keyboard and the thoughts are spilling out of my mind, I feel a bit more alive.  I love words and the combination of words and how stringing them together can create a picture for someone.  I love how words can inspire and encourage.  So, here I’ll sit—touching the raised letters creating prose out of empty space.  Filling the void of creativity in my heart and mind, and in return, hopefully, stirring some dreams or thoughts in others.

So, let’s just be real for a minute….I got that whole paragraph out and then, life happened. My girls woke up early, so my writing time ceased…So, here I am again.  A month later.  Yes, that’s right.  A month later.  Attempting to do the same thing.  So, here it goes….

At that time I was going to write about how visiting my uncle or should I say attempting to visit my uncle at a rehab facility reminded me of our freedom. Let me explain….My uncle got discharged early from a  rehab place for his leg and I was unaware of this, so my 4 year old daughter, Zoey, and I were on a scavenger hunt for my uncle throughout the facility for about 30 minutes before we were informed that he was no longer there.  Isn’t that so similar to how we sometimes live?  We view ourselves as broken or unable to move and keep staying in the same place, but God has come and “discharged” us from our safe space.  He has healed us and freed us from our brokeness or weakness, yet we keep wandering around the comfortable place where we are at hoping to find something (or someone in the case of my uncle).  But, God has said “get up and walk”!  He wants us to live abundantly and live freely.  He doesn’t want us to keep believing we are damaged goods and go on endless hunts to find things that will make us better.  He is the thing that has made us better!  And, He has set us free.  Amen!

So, a month later, I want to talk about running with endurance the race set before us and pressing on towards the goal. I ran the OC half marathon about a month ago.  I ran with Team World Vision to raise money for clean water in Africa.  And, symbolically, it rained hard the first 6 miles of the race.  Like REALLY rained.  The water pounding the pavement and swooshing the plastic trash bags we wore over us to keep somewhat dry reminded me of why I was running.  I was making my miles matter by providing clean, life-changing water to those who need it.  I was also setting an example for my girls about being strong, setting a goal, helping others, endurance, and bringing hope to the world.

Each of us have a race to run. A God-given; uniquely designed; own special path race.  And, the beauty is that we get to choose how we run it.  Do we want our lazy—I don’t really want to be in this race—-attitude to flow out of us or would we rather have perseverance, strength, hope, and light be shining along our path?  Believe me, I totally know that our races are not always easy.  Actually, they were not created to be.  That whole thing about character building REALLY is true.  Are we learning to make lemonade out of lemons when the path is bumpy & sour?  Or, are we just surrendering on the road and letting life pass us by.

My dad is a former runner, a retired teacher and football coach, a sturdy pillar of faith and integrity, a loyal friend, and a legacy maker of family tradition and togetherness.  He is also very skilled at landscape design and maintenance.  Curb appeal is something he believes in and lives by.  And, he has also made sure that the places that my sisters and our respective families have lived in have a certain curb appeal as well.

I think this is actually spiritual.  God wants us to have our own special curb appeal to draw others to Him and glorify Him.  He wants us to run in a way that shows off our gifts and makes others take a second glance–not to be flashy or conceited, but to ultimately point towards His goodness.

How are you running your race & how’s your curb appeal looking?

Thanks for reading what’s on my heart, my friends.

Remember that today is a day to begin again.

Blessings,

Jess