hi! i’m jordan. {start here!}

 

By writing, you are saying to God, “I agree with you, you gave me a voice, and the gift was not in vain.”-Donald Miller

“Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it.”- John Green

 

Hi!  I’m Jordan. And I love stories.

Reading them, telling them, sharing them– stories have changed and saved my life.

My own stories. Funny, serious, sad, faith stories. The good, bad, and ugly parts included. Usually not scary, but hey, it could happen.

I tell stories of provision, of God’s love and care of me. Stories of grace when I screw up royally. Stories of life in the depths, yet still choosing to worship Him.

I love to tell them all. And this is the space where I share them.

In May I finished my English degree (education minor) at a tiny Christian school 40 minutes from home. I just recently began a year-long internship at a local ministry, where I’ll be assisting the literacy program and teaching reading to elementary and middle schoolers.

I’m a southern girl through and through, spending most of my life in and around Nashville. Y’all is the most-used word in my vocabulary, and I’ll call you ma’am or sir, whether you’re 5 or 85. My love of easy going days, sweet tea,  and biscuits is woven into my DNA.

I’m an awkward introvert (infj for the win!) who loves people– really loves them (and then takes a nap, because people drain my energy, y’all). Ice breakers and small talk are of the devil, but give me an hour and a life discussion and I am down to talk loudly and often. I’ll tell you bits and pieces of my life on this blog, but if you want to know the nitty gritty, you’ll have to be sitting across from me at a coffeeshop, with eye contact and questions or discussion ideas.

My story is not pretty, in any shape or form. Trust, vulnerability, and openness anywhere that is not this blog or instagram is hard to come by– it usually takes time and the right person for me to open up with my full life story. I share the deepest and most raw parts of my story with the community of people I really love and trust– and the ones that love and trust me back. Those people know who they are, and there are not words for me to tell them how thankful I am that they love me and my whole story.

I’m a slow-recovering perfectionist who tries her best to do the best she can, and is learning more and more about the freedom of grace on the days she can’t. I’m breaking through my perfectionist tendencies one day, one task at a time. I like a plan, a to-do list, a schedule, and a plan (did I mention that already?), but am learning to embrace and even enjoy the chaos (with trepidation) when plans and schedules go out the window. Learning being the operative word there. 😉

I’ve seen the dark night of the soul, too many times to count. And I’ve woken up on the other side even more times. Depression and anxiety are the unwelcome guests and backseat drivers of my life, but I’m slowly learning how to get through this life with them speaking loudly into it (thank you Jesus for zoloft and counseling). It’s hard. Really hard. But God is still good, even when my life doesn’t show it.

Books are my ultimate happy place, music a close second. Netflix and I are the best of frienemies. Writing and journaling calm my soul and help me understand myself. Musicals bring me joy and teach me better than textbooks do. Cooking and baking are my calming agents and my peace-in-the-chaos hobbies. Dogs are God’s greatest proof of his sense of humor– especially my pug people, Russ and Lola. Words of affirmation in the form of notes from people I love are held onto forever and ever amen, and I’ll write them right back to ya because sharing encouraging words is my jam.

Loud laughing is my favorite and most frequent hobby, and people that can make me laugh are God’s greatest gift to me.

Stars and sunsets are my greatest love language from God, reminding me that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow when today has been dark.

Texting and sarcasm are the greatest inventions in the world. (Please don’t take my sarcasm as being literal… I promise, I’m not always so dang serious. 😉 )

My heart and my soul always long for Mexico, the place God made my life whole and alive.

My relationship with Jesus shapes everything I am, believe, and do. I hope my life reflects that, but thank goodness for grace on the days it doesn’t. All will be well, all the time- not because of who I am, because of who He is.

I kept a blog throughout college, as a way for me to share my stories and what God is doing in them with my people. I write better than I talk (most days), so I use this space to write stories about the ways God is weaving my messy life together. Somedays it’s beautiful, somedays it sucks, but every day is a day I’m given to love Him and others more, no matter my circumstances.

Life is crazy and chaotic and is never perfectly wonderful– but it is good. And here I’ll tell you stories as to why and how.