Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Andrade.
Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My Story? I started blogging a year ago this month. It was something over the years I had contemplated. In the years before Love with Jessica text messages were my form of sending others spiritual inspiration. I would message pretty much all of my family and friends and I noticed if I missed a few days, I would get messages asking why I hadn’t sent a message. At times, they were lengthy and I thought how could I share with more people without having to send a long message and blogging came to mind. For me, I wanted to be sure it was something that was in God’s plan for my life because I knew it would take up a good amount of my time. After the confirmation I needed, it honestly still took me a while because I was scared. Why scared, you may ask. Well, because I know people can articulate every single word you write and what you say.
Opening up and sharing with readers is a bit scary to me. The truth is fear has no power over God’s will. There were days, I prayed and asked God was this really something I should do. This was I guess my way of trying to get out of it, BUT God’s plans are always much greater. I knew this was less about me and more about God and how He wanted to use me. I finally prayed, “Okay, Lord if this is your will I will need your help throughout this journey. Please help me to never lose focus on why I am doing this. That You Lord remain the center, always.” And here we are, a year later.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? Not so much, in the beginning, I didn’t really have anyone to teach me the in’s and out’s of starting a blog so I was a “Lone Ranger” you could say. Having to learn on your own can definitely get stressful because you want to create something presentable, professional, and something that the readers will be able to connect with. When you throw that in the mix with someone who can be a bit of a perfectionist it is tough. Also, having a family and a full-time job can be hard to fit in time to blog. The advice I would give is to not give up. Although I didn’t have anyone to help me with the process Google and YouTube were my best friends. Some things were definitely a trial and error process but as time passes you get the hang of it.
As for managing time, calendars are a lifesaver. I say knowing it is okay to miss a day you have scheduled to blog is okay, do not stress if you do miss. Of course, if you are working with someone setting your priorities is important but in the beginning, you will have to figure out what schedule works best for you. For me, when the time calls to focus on family matters I do put them before blogging. My calendar helps me to see when all things are for the month allowing me to devote times for blogging. This may seem like too much but honestly, it helps me so much. Overall, let me say again DO NOT GIVE UP! Know that you will have to find what works best for you. We all have different life situations so what may work for me may not work for you and knowing that is okay is important.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Love with Jessica – what should we know?
Love with Jessica is a lifestyle blog that focuses on spiritual inspiration, family, food, and tips. It’s a blog that I hope each post inspires someone, even if it is just one person. It’s sharing my life with others in hopefully showing growth throughout the years through loving as God wants me to. In the Bible it says in John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” In Matthew 22:37-40 it says, “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
So Love with Jessica is about me learning to love the way I am to love, as Jesus loves, in hopes, others can grow along with me. You may be thinking, how do food and tips play into that? I’m sure you can puzzle in how family does. Well, food has been a love language for me. Food brings families, friends, and strangers together. It’s a form of love whether you are cooking, baking, or buying it allows fellowship amongst people. I love to cook and bake, it’s an expression of love to those I do it for. Tips, well who doesn’t love tips? I love tips and if I can share tips with others that I wish I knew at times why not spread the love? Love with Jessica is all things love in various forms with the main goal to Love as Jesus does.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Women who have inspired me? Wow, well I have definitely been blessed with some great women in my life. There are four specifically that have inspired my life and my blogging: my Mother, my Grandmother Ama, my Pastora, and Alva. My mom has been amazing my whole life. Knowing all the sacrifices and all she’s done for my siblings and I all while unselfishly putting herself second to us has been a great inspiration to me. She has always inspired and supported me to never give up and follow my dreams. She has honestly been a great blessing from God. She’s been a great model of a mom. My Grandmother Ama is my inspiration for cooking. She was one of the best cooks I’ve known. I remember her always making time to cook in between getting off of work and going to church. She always made sure the family was fed. She was a perfectionist when it came to cooking. I miss her and her cooking but I think she would be proud of me and would love my cooking and baking if she was still here.
Now, my Pastora(First Lady of our Church), her and her love for God is so inspiring. I’ve actually known her years before she became a Pastora and I can recall the first day I met her when she asked me if I knew Jesus. I think back now and to see where she is and all she has overcome is amazing to see that through it all her love for God has only grown. In the culture, we live in we look at following Christ as something burdensome and something impossible to do but she has been a great example of how it is far from burdensome and is possible. Sister Alva, she is such an amazing woman of God. We met at church and last year she was my teacher for a discipleship class. You could have viewed her class as tough yet, I decided to view it as motivating and inspiring. Her wisdom and love for learning are remarkable. She is someone that their wisdom motivates you to want to learn more and to really use your time wisely. She was the motivation I needed at a time when I hardly had any. These are the four women I would say have been a great inspiration to my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lovewithjessica.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovewithjessica_
- Other: www.pinterest.com/lovewithjessica; www.bloglovin.com/@lovewithjessica
Image Credit:
Jessica Andrade, Ester Saldivar
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
