You Can Find Me On The Corner Of Eighth & Grace

How did I get here, to this place, to the corner that I call Eighth & Grace?

In 2017 God began speaking Eighth & Grace into my spirit and gave me an eyes wide open vision of the mission and purpose behind the dream.

I heard him loud and clear but honestly, I wasn't listening.

I didn't have time to dream, I was too busy making a life.

My medical practice that I solely owned and operated for seven years...Seven (the number of completion) had just been taken from me. Taken, so I thought, but it was all a part of the master plan.

Little did I know, the path had been cleared. The time had been fulfilled and that season came to an end To every ending there is a new beginning. It was by no accident or coincidence the year on the calendar to eight... Eight (the number of new beginnings)

I began spending every waking minute praying and seeking God's face. I began to journal every thought and slept with a pen and notebook by my bed. I didn't want to miss anything that HE said.

There had been a dream a burning desire that had been placed inside me before I was knit in my mother's womb that I had suppressed for so long I didn't remember existed.

Fast forward through two years of spending time praying through what didn't make sense.

How could a Nurse Practitioner that had spent the past thirteen years using her hands for healing fall and be left standing with her hands being broken to war- broken to war with the sword of the Spirit.

I was stuck somewhere between the reality of the bittersweet ending of an era and a new beginning - God's Grace anew.

Eighth & Grace is my purpose, my ministry birthed through the Promise of God.

I knew what I was called to do and I ran.

I ran into hiding. I ran into a safe place and used the gift I had been given when I couldn't contain it from bubbling out and spilling over then put the lid on it again like I was in control.

This has been a labor of love in the making that I can no longer run or hide from. 

After wrestling with God, I literally can not run and definitely can no longer hide. 

HE always wins. 

Three years ago, I was in the process of opening the boutique side of Eighth & Grace on the square in Gallatin, but God- had other plans. 

He knew what was coming, I didn’t.

I was working with an editor to finish the book I have been writing(It's finally almost complete.)

I had so many irons in the fire with projects going, and I fell. 

My life as I knew it halted, I became stuck. 

I was desperate, I was tired of being stuck but afraid to move.

Everything went on hold while I learned to catch my breath.  

I went silent. I didn’t want to talk about it. I wanted to forget but there was a fire shut up in my bones.

I tried to hide from “the call”

I had to close the doors of Eighth & Grace before they even opened and had to stare at the contents of the boutique like a boneyard of broken dreams in my garage.

Truth is, I went into hiding while healing and momentarily lost sight of my purpose.

I was being awakened at night with a story to tell. I was half heartedly obedient and began teaching devotionals on social media. I received numerous testimonies of lives being changed, I ran.

Comparison set in my mind like a thief to steal my joy. I wasn't doing enough. The numbers were not adding up. I must have looked like a fool. There were plenty of people that had something to say and I just looked like one of them, only wanting to be seen.

I began putting limits on what God could do and I quit.

I have had plenty of time to pick myself up, dust myself off, clean my wounds, and take the steps to push forward while not working, but I didn’t. 

Honestly, it was easier to quit. 

I have instead, used every excuse not to do it until now.

How could I stop my Father's business?

The answer: I can't.

What He has started, He sets out to bring to a complete end.

No one can stop a move of God.

The fire in my heart made its way to the pen.

Insert….(This is what it looks like when God says to move)

You land in a sleepy little town and introduce yourself as “Jonah” ~ this is truth. I have. 

I started this blog because I know God has given me something to say.
It was created in my mind way before any of this content ever made it to the computer.
A brave girl in my mind, yet not quite ready or brave enough to be exposed.

A pen in the hand of a ready writer with a voice that I felt could change something.
While becoming brave enough to use my voice,
I learned that change starts within.

I learned that if I wanted to see a change, I had to be the change.
I could not count the number of times I wrote myself notes and posted them everywhere saying "Be the change you want to see in her. You are her; she is you."
With a heart change-Metanoia(more about that to come), came the courage to use my voice and put my hand to the pen... Insert this lovely little blog-

House of Eight is the song and dance written out and choreographed through the lens of the beautiful chaos that I call my life; birthed from one of those "I promised God stories." The one where I promised God if He would keep on keeping me... I would keep on telling of Him, all the days of my life. He called me to tell of my story; my story is to tell of Him. 

To be a Hub of Hope for the broken. 

He called me to write stories of my REAL life experiences that can be relatable to anyone's daily life.

He told me if He put it on my heart that He would put it in my hand to write and all I had to do was put my hand to the pen. I believe Him.

Now, here we are together; on the Corner of Eighth & Grace.

When God calls you to write. 

You write.

Now, it’s time! The blog is now more than a dream, it's purpose birthed.

The plan is to share real stories with the promise of tears and BIG belly laughs with messages of inspiration through faith-filled wisdom and (tid bits of my knowledge intertwined along the way.)

To journey together through healing and finding joy with God’s grace.

You are all invited to the Blue House... House of Eight.

I pray you stay and follow along with us on this journey; I believe it will be the best one yet.

My little family...(when I say little- I mean there is now Eight) has transitioned from a 25 acre farm in the foothills of Tennessee to the Blue House in the historic district of the LowCountry in SC.

Blue represents joy, healing, and peace...The Girl in the Blue House came to life.

This is Us. We are the "House of Eight" embarking on a new journey as a family in the house of healing in PEACE. I am no longer running, I answered the call.

When you answer the call, you can expect a fall.

 I find hope in knowing a good man may have seven falls but he will rise after them all. He will rise Eight. 

Eight - the number of new beginnings 

This is Us...

This is House of Eight.

Xo,

B~ The girl in the blue house 💙