Be free. Be fancy. With me.

Hi! In 2018, I decided to step out in faith with a dash of fear and start a blog. I’m glad you’re here with me today - now we can walk this awesome journey together! Before we do, you should probably know a little something about this crazy girl. 

My name is Jodie Bivens. A lot of people call me Jo. I was born and raised in eastern Kentucky (yep, I own the accent). My hubby and I have three handsome, high energy and hilarious boys: Ian, Isaiah and Eli. A lot of stories written here will be inspired by them. 

Free and Fancy. These two words were used to describe me by one of the sweetest mommas I had the pleasure of knowing over 10 years ago. She saw something in me that has helped me see into myself— the person I am.  I am free and I am fancy. 

Before I dove into these two words, Free and Fancy, I would have described myself with two totally different words...Barney Fife. Haha! 

Do you remember Barney, from the Andy Griffith Show? He had a nip-it-in-the-bud attitude, but only one bullet in his shirt pocket due to his inability to handle a weapon.  Plus, he had a terrible singing voice.  Although he was confident, he was clumsy; he was well intentioned, but impatient. He always wanted to do his best.  He took his job very serious, but usually proved to be inept. He never stopped trying though.

The Barney Fife of life! That about sums up how I once viewed myself. Someone who really wanted to have what it took.  Someone who really wanted to conquer and prove she could.  Someone who really wanted to do...something. What I saw, though, through the eyes of my inner insecurity, was someone who couldn’t handle the weapon properly and would end up shooting herself in the foot. I’ve been known to be clumsy with my feelings and emotions, often feeling impatient with my calling and completely unskilled in gifts I dream of being gifted in.  One thing I am confident in: singing will never be my gift, although I can totally rock at lip-syncing!

Let’s face it, neither me or Barney can be the somebody we want to be by ourselves. The thing about Barney Fife is, he had a friend, a mentor, an encourager.  He had Andy. No matter what Barney did, Andy may have laughed, but he never gave up on Barney. He was always there picking him back up and giving him another chance. Barney never stayed down. 

I am grateful to have that friend in Jesus.  A friend that sticks closer than a brother. I may not see myself as someone who does life or ministry well, or who understands everything in the Bible well, but He’s never going to give up on me.  So, I am not going to give up either. Philippians 1:6 says that He who began a good work will finish it to completion until the day of Christ. He is our security in our insecurity. He is always the lifter of our head in times of doubt, and He is always there widening the tent pegs of our wisdom, maturity, and creativity. 

My pure hope for this, story-telling place, is that together we will learn to be FREE from the false feelings of lack, limitations and lies. Why not find some humor in our growth and confidence in ourselves, so we can start living our style of FANCY, the way God created us to live. 

Never stop trying. Never stay down.