Hey y’all! It has been several years since I have taken the time to write a post on my blog. It has taken me a while to find inspiration and be in the mindset to continue this blog. I prayed on it several times. I went through a debate within myself to determine whether or not I actually wanted to continue with it. I struggled internally for a while. I even considered taking this blog down entirely. However, there was something within me that has been telling me to keep going. When I first started this blog, I had several people reach out to me and share how certain pieces that I had written really spoke to them. Those are the messages that has stayed with me and why I am back today.
When I first started this blog, I was still finding who I was. Post divorce, single-momma, learning to navigate a land that had suddenly became foreign to me. My posts were always from a deep emotion that I was having at the time, or driven by a message I was feeling led to share. Honestly, the posts were all over the place. My posts may continue to be all over the place, but I promise they will be from my heart. With that said, I’m back. It may take me a while to get into the groove again, but I’m here to stay.
I have been praying quite frequently about what I should share with you all first. I was awake one night, unable to sleep. I had an uneasy feeling in my spirit after some recent things I had been through. As my husband lay asleep next to me, I began to pray about my unsettled feeling. I knew the Lord was telling me that I needed to let my feelings rest, and that He was in control. In that moment of prayer, I began praying over my blog and asking God to give me answers that I had been praying on for some time. My prayer for months has been, “God, I know you’ve called me to continue to spread Your word through my blog, but God, I don’t know where to begin. God, please give me something. Anything.” I lay in silence, in His presence, as my husband laid next to me sound asleep. That sweet stillness, the obedience I felt in that moment isn’t something I can describe. Then, it came to me. “A New Identity” This would be the title of my first blog post.
There’s so much that goes into what I mean by A New Identity. It is simply impossible for me to write this in one blog, so it will include multiple parts as the spirit leads me to write it. For now, I will begin here.
I was relaxing one evening in the tub, soaking my sore muscles from my workout. I turned on the podcast by Jayme Elizabeth: She Speaks Life with special guest Rachael Groll. The title of the podcast is “Am I Really Hearing God? How to Discern His Voice in Difficult Seasons.” I had chosen this podcast simply because of a few different things going on in my life that was giving me feelings of uneasiness and making me feel like a difficult season was ahead of me. I kept praying for scripture and for God to lead me in the development of this post. How do I get to the final post of A New Identity, if I don’t even know where to begin? Psalm 119:73-80 was the scripture that Rachael referenced in this podcast. Boy, did that scripture speak to me.
Understanding My Creation and My Creator
“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” (Psalm 119:73)
Before I could even think about steps, strategies, or titles for this post, God brought me right back to the very foundation of who I am. He fashioned me with His own hands. In every season, whether as a single mom navigating deep pain or now walking into a new chapter, He was the One shaping me. Finding “A New Identity” doesn’t mean inventing a brand new version of myself; it means discovering who God designed me to be all along. My request to Him wasn’t just “Give me words to write,” but “Give me understanding to follow You.”
Purpose in the Pain
“I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort…” (Psalm 119:75–76)
These verses hit me right in the heart. It’s so hard to look back at the difficult, heavy seasons of our lives. The moments of divorce, loneliness, and anxiety and see God’s faithfulness in them. But He used every ounce of that discomfort to refine me, to draw me closer to Him, and to teach me to lean on His unfailing love rather than my own strength. The afflictions weren’t meant to destroy me; they were meant to anchor me in His comfort.
Becoming a Light for Others
“May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:74)
This verse bridged the gap between where I was years ago and why I am standing here today. When I first started blogging, people reached out to say my words spoke to them. Looking back, it wasn’t because I had it all together, it was because I was putting my hope in God in real time. My prayer for this blog now is that when you come to this space, you see a heart anchored in Him and find reasons to rejoice and take heart in your own journey.
Moving Forward in Hope
“May my heart be blameless in your statutes, so that I will not be put to shame.” (Psalm 119:80)
Stepping back into writing feels vulnerable. Doubts like “What if my posts are still all over the place?” or “What if I’m not doing this right?” creep in. But verse 80 reminds me that when my heart’s focus is simply on following Him with integrity, I don’t have to carry any shame or fear of failure.
This is where “A New Identity” begins: realizing we are handcrafted by God, anchored in His love through hard times, and called to shine His light for others. I don’t have every step of this new chapter mapped out, but I know the One who created me holds the plan.
Thank you for being here with me as I learn to walk in this space again. Part 2 is coming soon, but until then, where in your life is God calling you to embrace the identity He fashioned for you?
Much love,
Jessica
