hey there, friend!
i am so thankful that you stumbled upon this little corner of the internet.
i never ever thought that i would be sharing my journey for the world to know about but in this space, you’ll find me doing just that.
before i share the reason why this blog exists, you might be wondering who the person is behind these words.
my name is Annie. it’s not a nickname for Anne or Annabelle. i am simply Annie.
you can usually find me in a bookstore or a coffee shop. two of my favorite things are reading a good book or writing about what God is doing in my life while drinking a honey lavender latte with oat milk and cinnamon on top (you can thank me later).
my favorite animal is a giraffe. i fed a giraffe in Africa once. talk about a moment wrapped in a whole lot of joy (in my favorite place hanging out with my favorite animal)!
one last thing about me… it’s kind of important. i found Love and my life has been radically changed. i had grown up knowing of this Love but once i truly met Him, i came to the end of myself, surrendered everything and let Him in.
i am passionate about telling others about this sweet treasure that i have found. this treasure that has healed me, redeemed me, and set me free from me. His name is Jesus. i am head over heels in love with Him.
so yeah! Jesus, coffee, giraffes, and words words words. a few of my favorite things.
so why this blog?
the idea for a blog like this came in April of 2016. it was the night before being admitted into the second of three treatment centers that year. i was sitting in a hotel room by myself. broken. i was lost in a whole lot of darkness. things that were blinding me from seeing my true worth and hindering me from seeing who i really was… fear, worry and anxiety controlled me (years later God would reveal the root of this to me. you can read my full testimony here) and the only way i knew how to find control was through a blade and an eating disorder. those things ended up getting out of control and there i was… sitting in a hotel room wondering how things had gotten so bad.
it was that night that i had a conversation with God asking Him why. why me? why was He saying He was a good God yet all of these things had happened to get me to that place?
that night i realized that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus comes to bring life in abundance. john 10:10. God reminded me that He was going to use whatever the enemy meant for evil and use it for good. genesis 50:20.
i had a random thought that night that i now know was the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He showed me that i would be sharing my story with the world. it would begin with a blog… i remember being so at peace about the thought of that (which was really unlike me to feel so much peace about exposing myself in that way).
i knew God was bringing me out of this but He was going to have me bring others out with me. He is faithful. He is so good. and so i choose to be obedient to whatever He nudges me to do. even if it’s as simple, scary, and significant as my story being told through blog posts.
a month later, i started a blog. i wrote my way through treatment and therapy. i was an open book and knew that maybe someday the words i would write would end up in an actual book (this is a dream of mine). at times it felt revealing and at times it felt like the life-giving words God was speaking to me were life-giving words to just one other person… and so i kept writing and i kept sharing. it was worth it to me. it still is.
my prayer for this blog is that the words i write can be a breath of fresh air to whoever lays eyes on them. i pray that those who are struggling can not so coincidentally stumble upon this blog and read words of encouragement and hope. that these words will actually bring hope to the hopeless. healing to those that are hurting. peace and clarity to those confused and conflicted with one foot in the world and one foot in the direction of the Lord’s. i pray that insight, awareness and education can be given to those that might not be struggling but still find themselves reading…simply out of curiosity or wanting to support a loved one. find a blog post you think might encourage them and send it their way!
something i have come to believe deep within over the years is that: God is so good and He has never left my side. His presence is everything to me. i want everyone to know of this treasure. He is the one thing that has gotten me through some of the toughest battles! Jesus. His name is Jesus and He is the reason i am alive and writing today.
annie snyder 