Let me officially introduce myself – I’m Jessica DeWitt, mother to three kiddos, and wife to Mr. DeWitt. While these are two of the most defining roles in my life, the greatest one of all is my being the daughter of the King, having been redeemed by grace.

I’ve loved two things nearly my entire life: words, and the Lord.

I was one of those kids that always listed “reading” as a favorite hobby, and it’s remained a favorite way to both learn and escape from reality. Though years have passed and my life has transformed in just about every way possible, the love of words remains. In the busy life of managing kids and home, I still read whenever I could. And then, God did something new in my life – He surprised me by giving me words to share. I now recognize the writing of these Spirit-guided words to be the fulfillment of the passion He planted in me long ago.

As for the Lord, well, that’s a longer story. I grew up enamored with a pink-covered picture Bible. I read it over and over, the stories fascinating me and the pictures fueling my understanding and imagination. I went to church with my parents regularly, learning all about Jesus and His sacrifice and forgiveness for sins. I believed it when I was young, and chose to step into those beliefs as a young adult.

My independent and personal (though immature) faith was given the chance to grow roots as a teenager when I walked through times of fire; He grew me from the difficult times of loneliness and fear and pain, and my faith grew stronger. Many opportunities came over the years for me to grow in knowing Him, knowing His realness, and experiencing His steadfast provision for me.

But somewhere along the way, my head disconnected from my heart. I knew a lot about God, I had a relationship with Him, and I really did want to know Him more, but the words I said I believed didn’t resonate in my heart. For instance, I “knew” I was loved by God…but I didn’t know it, or understand it deeply, within myself.

Besides that, I also got caught in some of the Enemy’s lies. The biggest one for me was the lie of not being good enough. I fully believed I was not smart enough, not pretty enough, not enough in anything I did or who I was. I embraced the idea that I wasn’t good enough in being myself, the person God created me to be. It didn’t matter that God’s Word said differently, I was trapped in the lie.

Fast forward to just a few years ago and I was still trying to love and serve God as best as I knew how, even while the head and heart remained misaligned, even while stuck in the muck of that deception.

God did two things in response to this, in His perfect timing. First, He brought to light the lies I had for so long believed, revealing them to me and confronting me about believing deception instead of His Truth. Second, He showed me what my faith walk with Him could look like, if I’d only surrender everything to Him…including my expectations of Him and how He might work within me.

So I chose Him and life and truth, and I re-surrendered my all to Him. I was done with the dry, boring faith walk, and I was desperate for more of Him in me, in my life.

God answered, and He began to set me free. He worked on syncing my head and my heart, letting all that great head-truth sink down and permeate my heart in a deep way. And let me tell you, those lies may still try to bind me, but I know how to resist now! Instead of believing it, I turn and cling to what is true, embracing who my Father has created me to be.

Of all that the Lord has been teaching me on this journey with Him, He’s continued to underline the fact that I am His beloved. Not in a trite way, or with some flimsy interpretation of the word, but really. Truly. That that is how He sees me in Jesus, and that is how He feels about me. (Me! How utterly incredible!)

The more this truth changed me and my life (completely!), the more He spoke to me about sharing what I’d learned with others.

God called me to begin doing…this. To create this space, this blog, to encourage His people to know Him more, and know better how He sees His children. I’m not His only beloved (though He loves me and treats me as such); ALL His children are as well. But how many of us, how many of His daughters, believe this, embrace this, and live it out?

Learning how to see myself through His eyes, to see myself and know myself as His beloved, is a journey. And so the title of this blog, impressed on me by His Spirit, is appropriately this: Her Beloved Journey. Importantly, it isn’t “My Beloved Journey,” but “Her Beloved Journey.” Because I pray that that word “Her” would come to represent far more women than just me – I hope it comes to represent you too. That you, like me, would see yourself through the Father’s eyes. And that when you do, that powerful love would change everything about you. That you would grow confident and bold, because you are rooted deeply in a love that will never fade or change or diminish. That you would grow strong, because you know Whose you are. And that your relationship with the Lord would become so solid and intimate that you are ready to go forth and accomplish all He has planned for you. My self and my life have been transformed by knowing and believing my identity in Him; I pray the same would happen for you.

So join me in this beloved journey! Not because I have all the answers (I don’t), but because He has more for you (and me), and because He loves you (and me) with a love incomprehensible. With His leading and His doing, let’s learn more of this Love and be changed forever, together.

As a final note, I want to reach out to any who may have stumbled across this page, but don’t know God personally yet. Like, you’ve read what I’ve said and while it’s a bit confusing at times, something about it really speaks to you, and sounds really good deep in your soul. Maybe it’s the idea of freedom from lies that bind, or maybe it’s the beautiful sound of grace and complete unending love just waiting to nourish and uplift you. Maybe it’s simply the hope that those words and ideas bring. Please know that this is all for you too – if you want it. Jesus came for you, and when you decide to trust and surrender your life to Him, all that good stuff – freedom, grace, love, peace – comes with Him. How to know Him and have this new life that’s waiting for you here.