Meet Gretchen Saffles

Our Fridays are all about talking to real women with real ministries who dared to follow the Lord even if it was unconventional. Today we are talking with Gretchen Saffles, owner of Life Lived Beautifully and creator of the wildly successful “Give Me Jesus” journal. Gretchen teaches us to step out and go after those God-sized dreams while stressing the importance of holding onto our plans loosely, allowing the Lord to use them for His glory.

Hi Gretchen! Thank you so much for hanging out at The Front Porch! Would you mind to take a little time and tell us about yourself?

Hi! I’m first and foremost a follower of Jesus, wife to my best friend, Greg, momma to our precious baby, Nolan, creator of Life Lived Beautifully, author of "A God Sized Love Story" dreamer of dreams bigger than myself, and lover of coffee! The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to create products that women can use on a daily basis to know Jesus more. In May of 2014, I created the "Give Me Jesus" journal for women to use in their quiet times, and since then have been able to write Bible studies as well as create several other Bible study tools for women. My passion is to see women set on fire for the Lord, and I love finding creative ways to inspire them through art, writing and even Instagram! My husband and I currently live in Knoxville, TN, and we dream of traveling the world one day with our family.

One of the things we love at TFP is seeing women turn their God-given talents into unique ministry for Jesus. Could you tell us a little about your ministry and how your business was born out of that?

Life Lived Beautifully is a ministry that exists to encourage and equip women to live right where they are, fully and with reckless abandon for the glory of God. We desire to see women live with an eternal mindset, compelled by the beauty of the gospel and daily taking up their crosses to follow Jesus.

For many years I journaled big dreams the Lord had laid on my heart. Those dreams stayed on paper, hidden in the recesses of my heart. It felt as if I had an itch in my soul I couldn’t seem to scratch. I longed to live fully for the Lord, but I didn’t know how. Looking back, I can see how the Lord used every step, every move, every situation to get me to the place I am at today. He is constantly at work in our lives! After college, I was unsure of what the Lord wanted me to do, and I began to think back on those dreams I had written in my journals. Could it be that the Lord wanted me to pursue ministry? As I waded through the questions and uncertainties, the Lord continued to direct my feet in the direction He wanted. My husband, Greg, challenged me one day to write down all the big dreams the Lord had placed on my heart and to pray about what He wanted me to do with them. I spent hours writing them down and vocalized them for the first time to Greg. Speaking them brought them to life.

One of the things I wrote down that day was “I want to live life beautifully for the glory of God.” That is where it all began. I knew that life isn’t about the things we do for God, but about knowing Him intimately. I longed for other women to know Him deeply, too, and that sparked the idea for this ministry! It took over a year for the Lord to shape LLB into what it is today! God-sized dreams take time to grow. I’ve always wanted to be a missionary, and the Lord has showed me that I can be on mission right where I am. He has also given opportunities for us to reach the world globally and boldly through social media! The focus of our ministry is equipping women to spend time in the Word each day and then live out truths in their daily lives as mamas, students, teachers, wives and whatever seasons of life they are in. It is a blessing to be able to preach the gospel through the internet and to create products that will point women to Jesus!

One of your most popular products is your “Give Me Jesus” journal, tell us about that!

The “Give Me Jesus” journal was created out of a passion to see women spend time in the Word of God each day. I have journaled since I was in middle school and was taught at an early age the importance of writing down prayers and studying Scripture. However, I struggled to spend time with the Lord daily because I didn’t know where to start. The “Give Me Jesus” journal was created to encourage and equip women to open the Bible, drink deep from the well of God’s Word, ask the Lord how to apply the text and live obediently, and pray big things in the name of Jesus. You can learn more about the “Give Me Jesus” journal here as well as watch a video sharing the story behind it!

What was your biggest fear with stepping out in faith and starting LLB?

Failure. Hands down, failure. When I was about to purchase my first set of “Give Me Jesus” journals, I almost backed out. I used every bit of money in my bank account that I had saved up from selling hand-made necklaces for missions, and I knew that if these journals didn’t sell, I would be back to the starting line. I was paralyzed by fear that I might fail. My dad wisely pointed out to me that the Lord was more than capable of selling them and blessing others through them, and that if I did “fail” in the world’s eyes, I still followed the Lord. It brought freedom to my heart knowing that we cannot fail when we follow the Lord. We are not always guaranteed “success” or sales, but we are guaranteed a deeper walk with Him, and that is why we create, dream and try new things. The fear of failure still tends to try to grip my heart, but through experience and seeing God’s faithfulness, I am able to extinguish this lie from the enemy with the truth that never fails us in God’s Word!

What are some things the Lord has taught you from starting such a unique ministry?

It’s not about me. LLB is a ministry born out of a deep passion to see women know Jesus intimately and live with purpose. The more I continue down this path with the Lord, the more I realize how incredibly small I am. John 3:30 has continually been my prayer: more Jesus, less me. The world doesn’t need more products, words or pictures. The world needs more of Jesus. If I can extend His grace through what I do, then I am doing a great kingdom work. The things I create are not about my glory, but His. Each day I have to begin by remembering how small I am, and that sets the stage for God to do great things!

You had a baby this year -- congratulations! Has there been a reoccurring theme in your heart now balancing motherhood, being a wife, and still running a busy business and blog?

This is a wonderful question! I am still learning these new rhythms daily. Some days, I feel like I’m living a symphony because things go beautifully and smoothly! Other days I feel as if the melody my life is making would hurt the audience's ears! Either way, I am learning to play the new instrument of motherhood and embrace all the sounds and mess-ups. The words that constantly ring in my ears come from John 1:16, “For from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” Grace upon grace upon grace (upon grace). That is where I live each day and the truth I preach to myself! I can do nothing apart from God’s amazing grace upon grace!

What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a new ministry or business?

Keep your eyes on the goal - knowing Jesus and making Him known. In the busyness of making a dream happen, we can often run in circles trying to accomplish the dream rather than becoming more like Jesus. Even in a Christian-based ministry or business, our eyes can be quickly diverted from the cross onto the crowd before us. Stay focused. Memorize Proverbs 4:25-26, (“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”) and look to the Lord for inspiration, affirmation, and guidance. Don’t let numbers define “success.” Rather, let obedience and following Jesus shape your views and your goals.

What about for someone who isn’t sure how to take their passions and use them for Christ?

I love dreaming big and living passionately, but I have learned that if we aren’t careful, we can worship the dreams and the passions rather than the Giver of those dreams and passions. You have been created uniquely by God with a purpose. Your dreams and passions are His thumbprint on you, meant to be lived and worked for His glory! Now that you know this, open up your hands and let them go. Relinquish control on your passions that set your heart on fire. Hand them over to the Lord and then use every ounce of energy to make much of Jesus! I pray with my hands open often to remind myself that even my passions and dreams are not mine. They are the Lord’s and have been entrusted to me to use for His glory. Opening up my hands is a visible reminder that we are to do all things for His glory and worship the Lord through our work, dreams and pursuits!

One of my favorite quotes, that I pray inspires you to live with reckless abandon, is this, “Live today for what is going to matter 10 billion years from today.” (David Platt) You’ve only got one life to live. Don’t waste it on worries, what if’s, and a fear of failure. Live it for the Lord, and use every ounce of energy and every minute magnifying the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Now for TFP’s Fun (and totally unnecessary) Lightning Round

Favorite book at the moment?

Oh, this is a good question! I am currently reading quite a few! I just finished "The Best Yes" and gleaned so much wisdom from Lysa TerKeurst! It is a must read for all my friends out there who have trouble saying “no” like I do.

If you were a nail polish color, what would you be?

Coral! I love bright, fun colors!

Favorite drink?

Coffee. I love coffee! I still can’t drink it black, but I enjoy and savor creamer! Our current favorite is White Chocolate Macadamia creamer!

Favorite place in all the world?

As of right now, my favorite place in the world is Israel. I was able to visit the Holy Land and do missions in Bethlehem when I was in college. Israel captivated my heart, and I left a portion of it there. Being able to walk where Jesus walked forever changed my life and opened my eyes to the beauty of Scripture in a whole new way!

Can’t live without beauty/makeup product?

I am actually not picky at all with makeup and wear just a little bit! BUT if I had to choose, it would be mascara. Even on the days I am tired and haven’t been able to shower (life of a new mama!), a bit of mascara makes me feel more awake!

Something on your bucket list?

My husband and I dream of biking across Holland! We have always loved biking and found out that you can literally bike the entire country in one vacation. How incredible is that?! Now that we have Nolan, we would have to find a bike with a baby carrier, but he would absolutely come with us!

Interested in this journal from Life Lived Beautifully? We're giving one away! To enter, simply leave a comment below and  follow The Front Porch on Instagram and Facebook! That’s where we will announce the winner next Friday, October 16! -- THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.