Letting in The Light

You hold this fragile thing called a dream in your hand. It glows small, just a glimmer in the dark for now. But you know (or you hope anyway) that the blaze will catch; that full illumination will come. And that everything you've worked for won't be snuffed out, that somehow, just maybe, this flickering light of a dream will survive on it's own one day. It's thrilling and dangerous and wonderful to step out into unknown dark. And maybe, you're thinking, all of our stories should be written like this?

Maybe we're all meant to live this way; always entering the open wide of uncharted life and straining for what waits ahead. Maybe we all need to leave behind the comfort of...well...comfort itself.  I know the fear that comes with this thought process though, I've felt it strongly lately. We haven't just had to think like this but live like this for awhile now. Jonathan and I have been thrust waaay out of our comfort zone in the last couple weeks and I'll be honest, I've crumpled under the fear more than once. I've played that debilitating-smothering-what-if-game and wondered, trembling, how God was going to work this all out, or if He even cared about what was happening. We've all been there and done that and to sum up: 'Lord forgive Your desperate, doubting children.'
How we need Him, amen?

God is faithfully stretching us and spreading grace into the the worn-thin places. It hurts good, it's very uncomfortable but really this is what we've prayed over our lives for awhile now. We don't want to be complacent. We want our lives to have eternal purpose and meaning. And we're learning that maybe what that look like is something totally different than what we originally thought. But isn't that what it's all about? Surrendering our ideas and expectations over to the Father so He can mold and weave them into the beautiful story they were intended to create. So we're lifting high our fragile dream into the dark, letting His light inscribe itself into our pages and realizing that, until He shines His glory through, we're naught but ephemeral shadows.

Here's to the victory found in Jesus Christ. Here's to having the privilege of being made His example to the world through what He does in our lives. We weren't created to live safe lives (that is 'safe' as the world defines it anyway). Because no matter where God leads us, we're always safe in Him. Here's to the pain of Divinely appointed transformation and the truth that, no matter how much it hurts, it's always worth the result. Our Father doesn't work without a purpose. May we simply trust in the heart of the One who works all for our good and His glory. May we allow the the ink of His holy light to etch out each letter of our eternal story. Herein is the ultimate realization of all our hopes and dreams.


"To them God chose to make known how great among the
 Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, 
the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all 
wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, 
struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me."
Colossians 1:27-29

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power
of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Romans 15:13

"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the 
Lord; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth 
I tell you of them."
Isaiah 42:6-9

ps. Don't forget, we're making the big J & B Photography

announcement this Monday (yay!) Be sure to like our 

Facebook page so you can be the first to see what we're

so excited about sharing with y'all!