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A New Beginning: Growing Closer to Jesus

Growing closer to Jesus.

I like to think I’ve always been a spiritual person. I was raised Catholic. I’ve attended church almost every week since I was little. I pray daily, and I try to be a good person with strong morals. Good enough, right? Wrong, so wrong.

This minimal, mediocre effort wasn’t cutting it. My core was longing for something more. 

Throughout my life I’ve always tried to seek a relationship with God. Naturally on the rollercoaster of faith, there were times I felt close to Him and times I kept Him at a distance. There were times I felt fulfilled and times my spiritual tanks were running on E. I had always felt His presence, but in recent years I wasn’t taking action to seek Him and strengthen that bond. 

He was my number one when I wanted Him to be, but sometimes I let Him slip to second and third place and fourth place. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve turned my back on Him. I’ve let relationships, my own desires, and what I thought was best get in the way of abandoning my heart to Him. I let guilt and shame from the past hold me back from fully receiving His grace.

After a series of wake-up calls and a broken heart, I felt called to set out on a new spiritual journey to actively pursue a deeper, more meaningful relationship with Jesus. This time was going to be different, I was going all-in. 

Upon some solid alone time with the Lord, deep reflection, and completely immersing myself in scripture, it didn’t take long to make one very powerful discovery: There was a huge piece missing from my heart and soul. The scary part? I had no clue it was missing. The good news? I knew exactly what to put in this space. 

I realized I was searching for a sense of completion that can only be found with the Lord. Colossians 2:10 tells us we are complete in Him. I now truly believe and feel these words. 

Jesus has been hard at work on my heart. The impact of feeding my soul with scripture and seeking Him with my whole soul has been life-changing. Scripture has become my fuel and my strength. Without it, I’m weak. Making Him my number one priority has opened my eyes and changed my heart in so many ways. He revealed His desire for me to be a more Godly daughter, and He is guiding me along every step of the way. (Psalm 119:105).  There have been happy tears. The kind that can only come from a heavenly transformation.

Something beautiful happens when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit; it’s almost impossible to keep it inside. It wells up inside of you and aches to be shared. When we receive God’s Word, one of our most important roles as Christians is to share it with others. Mark 16:15 shares God’s instruction to ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'” To love God is to tell people about Him.

With this in mind, a new topic has been added to the navigation bar: Faith

In hopes to encourage and inspire you in your walk with Christ, I’ve been called to step out of my comfort zone and to share my journey with you.

In addition to recipes, DIY projects, and design here’s some of what to expect in coming posts:  

  • Scripture reflection to strengthen your faith
  • Ways to grow spiritually to develop a deeper relationship with Christ
  • Printable prayers and verses to hang in your home or office 
  • Phone wallpaper downloads to keep the Word of God at your fingertips

I’ve reached a brand new level in my relationship with Jesus. A new level of trust, a new level of peace, a new level of commitment. He has awakened in me the strongest desire to know Him. It’s been overwhelming and emotional and absolutely rejuvenating. 

Where are you in your spiritual journey? Comment below or reach out to me directly right here. I’d love to chat with you. 

P.S. Want to be notified of new posts? Get on the list here.

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  1. I appreciate you sharing your story! I will definitely be following along. :)

  2. Crystal Corbin says:

    I love absolutely everything about this! I know sometimes it’s uncomfortable to step out of your comfort zone but EVERY leader eventually has to in order to be success! And that’s what I believe God is having you do, be a leader in creativity and faith!!

    ??TFJ Sister

  3. Keara Eledge says:

    Jillian,
    It’s so brave of you to share this! I’ve been on a very similar journey and his grace is never failing! Way to obey and be faithful to Him even when it’s SCARY. This is so beautifully written, and will inspire many!
    God Bless You,
    Keara Eledge

  4. Erin OG says:

    Love you J

  5. Barb Nichols says:

    Thanks for this bold and beautifully written post! Your faithful walk inspires me!

  6. wendy says:

    What a blessing to read this morning! I usually get up early to read my bible before I go to work and saw this as well! Stepping out of our comfort zone is difficult, but by doing so you’ve blessed and inspired others to do the same!

  7. CurlyGurly says:

    YAAAS!

  8. Jane allen says:

    I just read your story in artful blogging. We have so many things in common…first our love of God, then art, cooking, and styling our home. Your article and blog are encouraging to me. I have just started following you.

    Your sister in Christ,

    Jane

    • Jillian says:

      Did we just become best friends? :) Thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to read my story, it means so much. Keep in touch!
      Jillian

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