daughter.

There is a difference between building something for yourself and building something with God. One is rooted in ego. The other is rooted in surrender.

That is why prayer matters so deeply and it has been a huge part of my journey, including with my candles.

Prayer forced me to ask: Am I doing this to be seen or because I feel called? Am I chasing approval or serving God?

Over the past several years, I have spent countless hours praying over the candles and the purpose behind them. There were moments I released them prematurely out of impatience, but I wasn’t ready. It didn’t feel right at the time, so I quickly revoked the listings or paused the web site. I have deleted entire ideas and started from scratch three times over the last four years-- always very prayerfully.

And there were also moments I almost abandoned this dream out of fear. In particular, after feeling called to bring these candles to life for His glory, I shrunk back– terrified I would say something wrong. I was afraid of the online crowd picking apart my theology–telling me my interpretation of Scripture is wrong and publicly condemning me, while invalidating or diminishing my experience of God.

But I'm here to serve. And one of the ways I feel called to serve is to share my relationship with Christ through creating. These candles reflect what it means to be beloved by an awesome Creator. They demonstrate the peace and grace that come with being completely enamored with that Creator. 

Our gifts were never meant to glorify ourselves alone. They were meant to reflect the Creator who placed them within us. 

Thank you, Lord. Thank you so, so much for creating me to be your Daughter and giving me permission to bloom– like a wildflower.