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Jessica Fralin

Jessica Fralin

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Category: The Rising

Posted on July 26, 2016July 25, 2016

What a Toddler’s Teaching Me about Jesus

We’ve been immersed in the world of Play-doh for hours, rolling it out, twisting it together, squishing shapes and colors into a messy rainbow. With every new creation, she squeals, "I MAKE!" What she makes? Not important. She's just giggling with pride and dancing her way around the coffee table because she made something. For …

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Posted on July 1, 2016

On Learning To Write Again

From the moment I learned to draw that twenty-sixth letter of the alphabet, I’ve loved to string them all together. Writing and I, we go way back. A tower of journals has hovered in the corner of my bedroom for years. The first one began in second grade. I used to write every day during …

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When you remember the weekend’s almost here ✨ It has been a WEEK, y’all. Honestly? I’m exhausted — long meetings and fast-approaching deadlines and frustrating moments and a packed-out calendar. I don’t like to live this busy. I’m not here to glorify the hustle. But I’m grateful, too. I remember the days when I would have given anything for the life I’ve got now. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it ten times over.
Ever feel like God tells you something, but then you turn and squint at your life, and that truth just doesn’t fit into the facts of your everyday existence? This is that kind of year for me. I’ve turned a promise over and over in my head, and I just can’t find the way it’s going to work. I can’t see it. But maybe I’m not supposed to. All good parents do good things that, to their kids, don’t make sense in the moment. But here’s the thing: I’ve got God as a father, and I trust my dad. Even if things don’t make sense in this moment. I KNOW him, and he’s not unkind. When he asks, “do you trust me?”, I don’t see him staring harshly at me, waiting to see if I’ll pass some sort of weird loyalty test. His “do you trust me?” is behind kind eyes and a perfect track record. He’s smiling at a daughter he loves & wants good things for. That’s the truth. Even when the facts don’t seem to fall in line. If you’re struggling to believe that, gosh, do I get it. I’ve been there. But in January, I asked Him to show me His character — and He has. Over and over and over. He healed my body, my church hurt, my death grip on my own circumstances (all of those stories are coming soon). I don’t know how He’s going to bring this new thing to life, but I can look back and see He’s never failed me, not even once. I might be staring down some uncertainty, but I’ve never had more joy. If you don’t know what kind of God you have, ask him to show you, to speak it over you, to make it resonate in your bones. To me, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,” is the sweetest prayer in scripture. Whatever you’re staring down today, ask for help believing the truth — he’s got good coming for you.
Long live the lighting in @anthropologie dressing rooms. Y’all, I tried on these overalls a month ago & still think about them every day. They will eventually go on sale and then they will be mine. 😂 See, I’m trying to be better about waiting. The culture of immediacy has seeped into our bones, and we often don’t even realize it. Waiting for a pair of overalls to go on sale may feel insignificant to some, but to me, it’s become a spiritual practice. “Spiritual practice” can be a weird Christianese word, I know - so here’s the breakdown. Just as musicians and athletes discipline themselves through repetition, so do we. The rhythms of our life teach our soul who to become. The spiritual life requires just as much practice as the physical life does. If we practice immediacy, we’ll never cultivate patience. If we practice chaos, we’ll never experience peace. If we practice running our mouths all the time, we’ll never become good listeners. If we practice self-reliance, we’ll never see the beauty of dependence on God. In the little things and big things alike, I will teach my soul to wait for what’s good for me — and to be at rest in the waiting. I will wait for the promises God’s whispered to me to become reality, even when I can’t see them coming together. And I will wait for the overalls to go on sale, even though I have no idea when that will be. Waiting is the spiritual practice I’m planting in the soil of my life. I’m trusting that contentment will be the harvest.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the babe on the right! Maddie keeps me sane & keeps me laughing & keeps our house the cleanest - she’s clearly a person I need in my life. When we met three years ago, I was in desperate need of a good roommate. Turns out, God was also waiting to gift me a best friend. Nashville’s had some wild highs and lows for both of us, and I bet we couldn’t have navigated them without each other. He’s good like that. 💕 Thanks for being who you are, Maddie. I believe with my whole heart that your best year yet is on the horizon. Let’s go chase it.
Happy first birthday to the best little gal in all the land ✨ Camryn Grace, I couldn’t love you more if I tried. You love comfy chairs and books and listening to your daddy play guitar. You ADORE your people, but you’re not too sure about anybody else. 😂 And, as of today, you’re a biiiig fan of cake. (Swipe for evidence.) As it turns out, we’re a lot alike 😉 Can’t wait to cheer you on as you grow & grow & grow into year two.
“Fear tells us to lay our gifts down far too often. What's worse: we often obey it. But when God plants something in our souls, we can’t give up that easily. So no more, fear. I'm showing up, ready to write again. Surely, I am not who I was and who I will be. My perspective will shift a hundred thousand times, and my words will shift with it. That is not something to fear, it's beauty to behold. My words will not serve as a rope to hold me back, but a marker to remember my life by. Here I am, with my very best words based on who I am today, a cacaphony of voices and experiences and wounds and victories and Holy Spirit leadings. I'll look back on today and be grateful that it was marked, not with perfect knowledge, but with the bravery to show up to my own passion again. If you've shoved your gift to the box in the very bottom corner of your closet, afraid to even open it up after all the dust it's collected - I'm here, living proof that it won't kill you. Open the box. Use the gift. We'd all love to see you come alive again.” ———————————————————————— Encouraged by these words from The Pour Over No. 1? Sign up for No. 2 — it hits inboxes after the holiday weekend. Link’s in my bio. The Pour Over is a monthly email series featuring words to pore over, coffee to pour over, and a few other things that make life sweet. ☕️ We’re having a blast. Would love for you to join us. Coffee date + photographer: my girl @alexisteichmiller 💕
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