Tomorrow, January 15th, marks our one year anniversary! For one year, you as my readers have supported me, for one year God has given me manna to display here, for one year I have shared private thoughts and conversations from the Lord and for one year the Lord has sustained the vision he gave me. 

Hallelujah! I exalt you God for this huge and unimaginable milestone you have brought me to. 

With Things Above turning 1 year old, I feel it’s only right to share how we got here and what occurred prior to our launch and how my dreams and hope were aligned with a kingdom agenda. 

If you’ve read my bio, then you already know I wanted to be an author for many years. My favorite genre is non-fiction, specifically thrillers and romance. So I imagined I would publish a novel along those lines. 

God saw my desire to write and he knew I had a heart for following him, so here and there he had people speak into me. It started with my family, I would verbally share biblical revelations I had and they said I should write it down. Then people at my church started calling me a teacher and telling me that I would bring forth the word of God. All the attention made me timid. I didn’t imagine being in the pulpit and I certainly didn’t feel like I knew the word well enough to write a devotional or a book on those topics, but God met me where I was. 

He took my passion for writing, my love for him and my technical aptitude (my Computer Science degree coming in handy) to create a space that honored him and brought other brothers and sisters together to share in his glory. Hence, the birth of Things Above. 

With continued encouragement from others and a deep push from the Holy Spirit, in December 2022 I began planning how to launch Things Above. I needed a platform, I needed a name/brand and I needed content.

God literally helped me build this from scratch. 

So I started thinking of names and using name generators, but nothing seemed right. Then I decided to work on the platform, deciding which provider I wanted to use to host my website. I first chose Wix and built the website from a blank canvas, but that didn’t seem right either. Then I thought maybe let’s start with the content first and of course I had writer’s block and I didnt feel moved to write. Why is something I know I’m supposed to do not working out or coming together? That right there told me how transformative and important this blog would be, even if it only touches one reader or if it was just a pivotal moment for my obedience and self growth. The enemy wouldn’t stop me!

So I prayed. 

I couldn’t use a blanket prayer. I needed to pray specifically about each piece of this journey. Choosing the platform to host the website, the domain name, the buying process, design concepts, content, scheduling, social media accounts, driving traffic, etc. I needed God to cover each piece. 

After that prayer the pieces came together. On December 17th, 2022, God told me to look at the list of scriptures that I wrote down as my favorite verses and I came across Colossians 3:2 and the moment I read it, I knew “Things Above” captured the intent  of my work. WordPress was having a huge discount with domains as low as $0.18 and God knows I love deals and coupons, so that was no coincidence. Finally, between December 17th and our launch date, the words and inspiration were flowing and I had an arsenal of content ready to be published. 

Do you see how God moved once I prayed and surrendered this journey into his hands?

So here we are today, what started as a desire was watered by encouragement and supported by God’s providence. I have a small audience and a small following on Instagram but I know my words and expressions are mighty and impactful. I think of Luke 16:10. I put my all into this platform regardless of audience size, shares and likes. What was given to me I multiplied it. For that reason, when I receive a larger territory I know God can trust me with it. 

I am forever grateful for this journey and all the efforts behind each post. Thank you to my readers, for reading, sharing and showing up each week and of course glory to God for using me and plucking me out of my comfort so I could grow more in him. 

With that, I’ll be taking a short sabbatical to refresh and see how God would like me to move forward with this vision and platform because the goal is to always prioritize him, align with him, glorify him and bless others. I’ll be seeking his face, voice and direction during this time. Although we won’t be meeting weekly for a while, I encourage you to write your own inspirations down. Continue to pray, worship, give, love and pursue God. 

Remember to keep your mind on things above.

Until next time, peace and blessings!