You already have plenty to write. You just need to know where to look.
I've been told the life of a writer is divided by seasons of actual writing and seasons of growing.
Writers are hard on themselves, particularly when they're not writing anything spectacular. Months and even years can scroll by with little to no obvious production. This is the most difficult thing for a writer. Feeling like you "should" have something to say. But it's never about that. It's about living until you have something you need to say. These "silent years" serve as the charcoal etching underneath the painted canvas that everyone perceives as an effortless masterpiece later. These years are vital for the growth of the writer, yet many of the lessons are being learned in the dark. Therefore, I'm aware that anyone who comes across this page is initially only seeing words, without the background of why they matter.
I'm hoping to change that.
One of my dearest wishes as a person and as a communicator is to be trusted. To be known for delivering as accurate a description of myself as possible, always bringing with it the aroma of my Savior, who has not only made me who I am, but who is writing an infinitely bigger story with my life than I ever could.
So who am I?
My name is Jubilee. I'm a wife, a daughter, a sister, a writer. But all of this is fueled by something else. Someone else.
The most important thing you'll ever find out about me is that I am a Christian. What does that mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God gave His own life to redeem me to Himself. I am saved by grace through faith in Him. This is not merely a one-time transaction that assures me of heaven when I die. I live the impact of this decision every day. I am equipped with His Strength, filled with His Hope, living out His sufficiency in everything (2 Corinthians 9:8). He is my passion, my source of life. He's put His Spirit within me as a guarantee of all I'm inheriting, to the praise of His Glory. He's my purpose, my direction, my Lord.
I don't say this as a preacher, but as a woman in love.
I have known love my entire life in an imperfect world because of Christ. I have seen His Love go to war against every insecurity that has raised its ugly head in my life--and then I've watched Him turn around and hand me the victory! He's trained my hands for war and my fingers for battle (Psalm 18--read it; it's epic)!
He gave me a humor-loving, talkative, extroverted personality that loves to bubble over. But He's also the reason I'm not afraid of solitude. Everyone assumes that I must live up to my name effortlessly, but He's the One who shows me how, even on days when I feel anything but jubilant. I've sung songs of victory and made proclamations of faith, and later sobbed on the floor wondering if I meant any of it. Through all that, He never left me. He's picked me up over and over and over.
I've learned the value of true friendship from Him, walking through seasons of isolation that tested every fiber of my need for kinship. He purposely hid me away at times, smoothing out edges I didn't know were sharp, rebuilding areas I didn't know were broken, refocusing my vision again and again. He's teaching me to come to Him when I'm empty and then walk into the world His Way--Full.
I've seen answers to the biggest and smallest prayers. When I say no mountain can stand against my God, I'm not being hypothetical. I truly, honestly believe it.
He's given me purpose. Because of Him, I am part of a divine romance/adventure that God has been dreaming up since before the foundations of the world were laid. I am a daughter of the King, a player in this epic story of the ages.
Why does this matter? Why tell anyone this?
Because I'm not the only one.
With every blessing experienced, every victory revealed, every prayer answered, I realize that my story is not merely my own. My breakthroughs are meant to be shared, given away. They hold powerful hope for anyone searching, willing.
In my lifetime, I've received powerful encouragement in greater measures than I could ever express from people simply sharing the stories they were meant to tell--God-stories. Now it's my time.
I want to be the voice of a friend--telling you I've been down a couple dark valleys and yes, the view on the mountaintop is real and so, so worth it! He wants to go with you. He is more real than anything you're facing. And He wants to do for you what He's done for me. And more.
If you're up for a chat, I'm always happy to talk. (Just ask my husband.) I rarely get tired of words.
There you have it. It's not the whole picture, but it's a start.
This is me; set in silver. Welcome.
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