Connected Moments

Connected. What a word.

I've used it so many times. I've used it so many different ways.

When I started Open Book two years ago, I opened my heart to the world. My story was available for everyone to use whatever way they needed. Whether that was to search for inspiration, find common grounds, read for fun, or cry together. Open Book became a hub for readers to feel included, inspired, and informed.

But, for parts of that time, my book wasn't so open. Much like everyone else, there were parts of my life that I decided to keep to myself, and that was okay. But, slowly and surely, those moments of closure became lies within myself. Those lies of happiness shown in the pictures. The lies of "we are great." The lies of my excitement, instead of my honest tornado of emotions. I closed my book for someone who never wanted to be in the final chapter.

Loss,to love, to loss again. That was the love story I portrayed as normal.

That very idea of common love became common moments. Each time there was bad, it was connected to something good or something worse. Each moment linked like a chain to build the weight that held me from escape. Those moments of happiness, love, laughter, misunderstanding,grief, anger, confessions... they all became our moments that I couldn't remove myself from. But, our Lord says that he will break those chains that hold us captive.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron. -Psalms 107:14-16

So, He set me free.

I'm slowly dusting the pages off, and that will take time. It will take me moments of clarity to come to terms with this new path I am on. But, eventually I want to share those moments with you. I want to bring Open Book back to the origins. Include. Inspire. Inform. And those three words carry the weight of dependence upon vulnerability. Thank you to those that have patiently spent that time within these past two years of my journey. And, welcome to those that are new. Here's to the next chapter.