Seek to Lead A Quiet Life

by Raylee Evans | Feb 3, 2026 | Featured, Life Advice, LO Library

What’s with profiles, anyways?

I had socials deleted for a little over a week and believe it or not, I loved it so much.

So much so, I tried to deactivate my entire Instagram account – but it won’t let me?? due to a system error?? for 8 days now????? Trust, I have been arguing with ChatGPT for days trying to figure it out.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love social media. Always have.

When I turned 14, I was “finally” able to get Instagram and when I did, it turned into a space where I could share, create, and document – a true creative outlet.

I then became ~kind of~ good at it? I started to adapt these skills to my job, ministry, and grew a love for social media marketing. I now have a role in my job where my title is literally “content coordinator” and I LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT!

My entire portfolio is built on digital marketing, words, photography, graphic design and so on.

All that to say…I “love” social media.

But man do I strongly dislike it. (We don’t say hate around here!)

I anticipated that after my “hibernation with the Lord,” I’d have so much overflow that my Instagram would be flooded with fun & fresh ideas, reflections, and a “beachy” colorful feed.

But instead, I’ve grown this desire to “create more, consume less”

And not in the way I used to – not online, or in a digital sense. With my hands, with cooking, with writing, with hosting, etc.

I have even felt a sense of grief? (weird, right?)

Once I go back to this online presence I have created for myself, will I lose that quiet space with Him, the moments where it was just me, Him, and the pink carpet on my living room floor that I’m pretty sure is knee shaped right about now.

The prayers that only He gets to read. The journal entries that speak to my heart and His. The language only Jesus and I understand. That sacred space that I cherish so so much.

As I’ve wrestled with it, I’ve come to realize how much I might miss what I treasure so deeply in this season.

BUT! THEN!

There is this tug on my heart that I have always had – to share. to encourage. and maybe even inspire.

When I was 15, my youth pastor spoke on how, “we are wasting our life.” We waste time scrolling, conversations on meaningless whatever, and so on. How many of those opportunities could be used with sharing the Gospel?

This then inspired me to start my first blog, “Ray of Sunshine.”

Oh, how I loved that blog. I shared so many similar things to what I get to now. It is where I fell in love with writing, and it all started with a desire to encourage others with what the Lord was teaching me. I didn’t want to waste yet another area of my life. If I am now allowed to have social media – then I want to ensure I am using it to spread the Gospel, or “spread some light” as 15 year old Raylee would say.

However, somewhere along the way, life got busy and I stopped writing as much, but I kept posting.

I kept documenting. I kept creating. and I kept curating a“perfect” feed of a life I am truly thankful to live.

But over the last few months I have been brought back to this idea of “wasted.” How we are wasting our life on so many meaningless things that in the grand scheme of eternity truly hold no weight at all.

Even social media. Especially social media.

What’s the point? Why do we love it? Why do I love it?

I mean besides the fun pictures and bright colors – again, it has been a favorite creative outlet for almost 10 years now.

—

But what’s with profiles anyways?

We meet someone and then immediately look them up on Instagram to know them better or form ideas based on what they put online.

On an app. An APP.

Or! Before we even meet someone, we have preconceived notions about their personality, beliefs, lifestyle – maybe even how tall they might be.

And honestly, I’ve found myself getting stressed when someone new follows me.

Do I seem too much? Too out there? What if my personality doesn’t match my feed?

How sad & silly is that?

That a profile, curated squares on a screen, could feel like my identity.

FOR WHY.

These profiles become the preconceived version of someone before we ever meet them – or the version we search for after we meet them.

And from there, we subconsciously base every interaction on that.

I know this because I do it. I stalk. I dive deep. Suddenly, I feel like I “know” someone – their lifestyle, their hobbies, their vibe.

And then I become insecure.

What are they thinking about me?

Because I know I’m not as curated as I seem online. (no one is)

I know my bad habits. My struggles. My insecurities.

Only I know how rough my first six months in Charleston really were.

But on social media? It looked like Raylee was living her dream coastal life.

It was only a version of truth – but not the whole truth.

So why do we base our identity in it? Why do I?

Why do we do things so we can post about them? Read so we can share. Act so we can show.

Even when they’re “good” things.

There is something more noble, more true, and more pure about doing things only for yourself and the Lord.

And that’s where the tug lives.

Where is the line?

Some say it’s individual – a gift or a calling.

But I can’t wrap my head around the profiles we hold for each other in our minds. The profiles we carry for ourselves.

What matches my brand? What matches my feed?

When in reality, none of this is about us at all.

I just, I don’t like it. I am at a loss with myself. a war in my mind constantly.

Social media can be such a good tool, a space to encourage and spread light into a worldly app that is craving Jesus.

But the noise. The distraction. The performative pressure.

In previous years, I found myself reading SCRIPTURE and immediately thinking of ways I could post about it on my socials. (wut??)

As if the Word was about me to begin with. It’s all about & only about Him – the entire Word of God, cover to cover. …anywho, I digress.

I mean, it’s all in good intentions, I reckon, but it’s simply put, sad.

—

Why must we feel the need to share EVERYTHING?

We wear eye patches when we wake up because every influencer now does so in their 17 step makeup routine.

Not to mention own red light lamps and vibration plates (all in which I have fallen victim to)

What would we do if we couldn’t post about it?

Who would we be friends with? What dreams would we have? What would remain only between us and the Lord?

(Is this making sense? pls lmk cause these are such new ideas I am tussling with)

And to be super real with you, I will probably post a link to this very blog on my Instagram story because so many of my readers come from that platform.

Same with ministries I’m involved in. Same with my job.

So what is the balance here?

A heart posture? A time limit? A “brick”? (which truthfully, I refuse to be influenced by because I just need to simply learn some discipline.)

Because this isn’t just about wasted time.

It is a space in my mind that is full of noise. The thoughts that ask, “how does my feed look?” – ya know, someone just followed you, so you stalk yourself to see it from their perspective.

or!

“Is this cute enough?” “Will this come across performative?”

Always questioning my intentions. Always wondering how I’m perceived.

The world we live in seems to demand we share it. Not because we’re inspired, but because it’s become expected.

Why is it never enough to just experience something? Why do I feel like if I don’t post, I’ve missed out on an opportunity to encourage, inspire, or help someone?

I’m starting to realize that most of this stems from pride and insecurity – both in which grow from the same accord.

The pride of wanting to be seen, to make an impact – and the insecurity that question my own intentions. It’s this push-and-pull of desiring significance and yet doubting if the significance is even pure.

— Francis Chan’s sermon on “The Power of a Quiet Life” is what I am blaming all this commotion about.

Chan talks about how the world tells us to chase fame and influence, but the Lord calls us to a humble, quiet life – one that doesn’t need the applause of man, but is content in serving the Lord in the hidden spaces.

“But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone. – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

This quiet life isn’t about staying invisible. It’s about doing everything with intention and humility, seeking God’s glory, not our own. It reminds me that I’m not called to chase after the world’s applause, but rather to live in a way that honors Him, even in the private, unseen moments.

I want to draw attention specifically to verse 12, where it says, “so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.”

Performative (adj.) When something is done more for show than for sincerity or substance. It looks meaningful on the outside, but the main goal is being seen, not being true.

Examples: A performative post → sharing something not because it genuinely overflowed from your heart, but because it will “look good,” get engagement, or fit a brand.

● Performative faith → doing spiritual things publicly for appearance, approval, or image rather than real devotion.

● Performative vulnerability → being “real” online, but only in ways that are curated and safe for applause.

In contrast:

● Authentic → done because it’s real, necessary, and between you and God first

● Quiet obedience → done even if no one ever sees it

With that, “behaving properly” looks like abiding to the Word of God – in the quiet place, the sacred place, and depending on the True Vine for the fruit of your life.

Depending on the Lord for ALL your personality, interests, dreams, communities.

Not dependent on society. Not social media. Not trends.

Because we cannot be dependent on that. Are you kidding! It changes daily! The algorithm shifts, trends expire, and my “get list” grows with every swipe.

And yet, I do find myself feeling like my dreams, goals, and community are dependent on social media.

Want to write a book? → Grow an online presence. Want to start a brand? → Grow an online presence. Want people at Bible study? → Grow an online presence.

But do I actually believe that if the Lord placed those dreams on my heart, they would be DEPENDENT on social media alone?

Do I truly believe that if He wanted to flourish them for His Kingdom, He wouldn’t do so in a way that reflects the quiet life He calls us to?

I’m not saying I’ll never have social media again. Heck, I might post a “day in the life” next week – who knows!

But I cannot be dependent on anything besides Jesus Christ.

My dreams. My personality. My habits. My calling. My community. My future.

All of it must be dependent on Him alone.

And that comes from making it my ambition to live and lead a quiet life.

● Quiet life as conviction – something in the noise no longer sits right in my spirit.

● Quiet life as practice – the dwelling place, returning to Him again and again.

● Quiet life as tension – desiring to reach people, longing to be hidden with God.

● Quiet life as decision – true identity found only in abiding in the Vine.

Starting my days in the quiet place. Letting Him define who I am, what I create (online and in person) the community I cultivate, and the presence I carry.

And again, I “love” social media. It may be my job for life.

It may be the platform for my ministry. Or it may simply be a season.

But what I do know is this:

I am called to live and lead a quiet life. To abide in Him. To depend on Him.

and that is what I will do, and I encourage you to do the same!

Good Fruit Takes Time

by Raylee Evans | Jan 13, 2026 | Featured, Life Advice, LO Library

I moved to Charleston exactly 6 months ago.

I was so ready to have it all together – which at the time I thought looked like creating the cutest content, romanticizing my life, and proving to (mostly myself) that I heard the Lord right.

But instead?

I was lonely.

Burnt out.

and humbled daily.

I expected that as soon as I moved would be the moment everything clicked.

The habits would form.

The joy would overflow.

and the dreams would follow.

I mean… this was the answered prayer, right?

I asked the Lord, “what do I need to do and what do I need to know?” and His answer led me to Charleston to learn the slow, steady pace of the Good Shepherd.

So I moved.

What I didn’t realize was that the move wasn’t the answer – it was the obedience that started sanctification.

These journal entries show what that process looked like for me – month by month, documenting all the little ways the Lord was shaping my heart, in ways that month-one me could never have expected.

Month One.

Charleston Journal Entry | June 20–July 20

My first month in Charleston was nothing short of a whirlwind. So many blessings, so much goodness – but so much change, so fast! My parents and I loaded up the transit van and moved me to a city I had never even been to before.

I think my biggest fear in moving was losing my people. I’ve been blessed with the best community – why would I leave it? Was I selfish? Wrong? So many fears and doubts wandered in and out. But then I’m reminded of why I moved and who called me here.

The first month was hard, harder than I ever expected. I endured more change at one time than I probably ever will again: a breakup, quitting a job I’d been at for seven years, moving out of the cottage, best friends getting married, passing down in my club, graduating college, leaving my hometown, moving somewhere site unseen, and starting a new job – all within a few short weeks.

My overly sentimental heart struggled to adjust. How do you properly say goodbye to some of your favorite seasons? How do you navigate so much change and remain steady? How do you even budget?!

So much, all at once. And yet, in the midst of it all, the Lord provided – financially, through His people, and by working it all together for His good.

Obedience can feel like Whiplash: This month taught me that obedience doesn’t always look steady – it feels disruptive. But God doesn’t waste disruption. He met me in the overwhelm and reminded me that provision doesn’t mean absence of fear; it means presence in it.

Month Two.

Charleston Journal Entry | July 20–August 20

My second month in Charleston, I spent a total of 18 days out of town. I was exhausted, burnt out, and unsettled. I hadn’t really made South Carolina a home – I was always gone, and when I was here, I was preparing to leave again.

That hurt more than I expected.

I was trying to remain grateful, because goodness, I am – but also allowing myself to grieve. Allowing both to coexist. Allowing the reality of how hard this truly is to be reality.

This was the month I started being more honest about the adjustment. It all looks so fun, cute, “the dream” from the outside, but how do you post about the in-between moments? How do I keep it real? The crying phone calls to Mom and Dad. Not knowing how you’ll pay your bills. Trying to stay awake on yet another drive home.

Still, there was so much goodness. I will never not let praise be what comes out of my mouth first thing. I started practicing saying:

“I’m so thankful for this season and these opportunities – but it’s hard, a lot harder than I expected, and I’m still adjusting.”

Grateful and Grieving Can Coexist: This month taught me that gratitude doesn’t cancel grief. Pretending it’s easy doesn’t make it holy. God met me when I finally told the truth about how hard it was.

Month Three.

Charleston Journal Entry | August 20–September 20

This month began with a more permanent goodbye to my hometown. It was so much harder to actually drive back to Charleston than I expected. I kept putting it off, staying longer with friends and family. It was hard to leave. It’s been hard to stay.

Why leave a place and community I love so much?

But this month, I had to remind myself that obedience requires sacrifice – and that this is where the Lord has called me.

While the Lord has called me to slowness, this has been the busiest season of my life. The busyness has brought so many solo travel days and six-hour drives where all I could do was sit, reflect, and worship.

The girl who drove home the first time wasn’t the same girl who drove back the last. Each trip carried a lesson. Each one served a purpose in post-grad, the move, and the change.

This month was so needed. I finally stayed put. I began finding a rhythm. It was very unnatural, but it’s exactly what I prayed for.

I just want to steward this season well. To wait well. To grow into who the Lord has called me to be.

True Stillness: Stillness exposed me, but it also shaped me. Growth didn’t come from doing more; it came from simply being and listening for His still, small voice.

Month Four.

Charleston Journal Entry | September 20–October 20

My favorite month in Charleston yet – and my first full month completely here! I will forever be thankful for this time, as it was so pivotal in this season. I was finally fully here. I settled into new routines and habits. I explored, hosted, and began to feel rooted.

This was the month I started to feel like myself again. I began dreaming with God again. I started to see why the Lord brought me to Charleston. Things finally started to click.

I noticed growth – security, trust, steadiness. I remember telling my best friend about halfway through the month, “I have joy. Like the steady kind. Not based on circumstances – just joy.” And that joy has remained!

What my tears sowed, I’m now reaping in joy. I couldn’t be more thankful.

Joy is a fruit not an emotion: This month reminded me that joy is not based on circumstance but rather comes from abiding to the vine of life. It is something only God grows. Slowly. Quietly. Often after tears. Always after surrender.

Month Five.

Charleston Journal Entry | October 20–November 20

Five whole months in Charleston? I can hardly believe it! The months are flying by, and I love them more and more as time goes on.

This month, things became more real. As I started dreaming with God again and becoming more myself, I realized that now I had to put in the work (slowly and steadily, of course!)

It’s always hard to leave home. It’s comfortable. It’s where I feel fully known and loved. But every time I come back to Charleston, I’m reminded why I’m here.

This month revealed how much work my heart still has to do. Mostly, it showed me that the only good thing about me is Jesus – that’s it. I can’t do anything without Him, His Spirit, and His strength.

I’ve been humbled a lot – at my job, in learning new habits, in starting from scratch. But it’s only good, only worth it, if it’s for Him and by Him.

I spent a lot of time alone this month – more than I ever have. I even spent Halloween alone, which felt so strange. It was the first time not dressing up with my family, and that was harder than I expected.

Still, this month was filled with so much good. I felt more creative. More steady. More humbled – but growing!

Good fruit takes time, and I’m learning to trust the process. Slow and steady wins the good pace!

Lowly Days: This month stripped away my pride and reminded me that sanctification is meant to be a humbling process. It’s quiet obedience. It’s loneliness that forms dependence. It’s learning that growth doesn’t mean feeling strong – it means knowing Who your strength is.

Month Six.

Charleston Journal Entry | November 20–December 20

I don’t know how it’s possible that I’ve lived here for half a year, but here we are – six months! And six months in, I can say I’ll be here longer than I thought.

Somewhere between last month and now, I fell in love with this place. The people. My life here. My friends. All of it. I realized that if I left too soon, I wouldn’t have truly lived here. It took me this long to actually enjoy it – so now, I want to live it!

The Lord taught me a lot this month. One question stuck with me:

“Do you give yourself the same grace you give others – the same grace Jesus gives you?” (a great friend of mine)

After so much unnecessary guilt and shame for “not growing fast enough” or “not progressing,” the Lord gently reminded me: “It’s okay, child.”

His grace is sufficient for me. He is strong. He is good.

This month, I’ve learned I need to take the pressure off myself. To trust that good fruit takes time. To pace the dreams, qualities, and characteristics the Lord has placed on my heart.

It’s a good pace.

It’s sanctification.

And it’s all by His grace.

Grace Changes the Pace: The month that reframed everything. Growth doesn’t come from pressure – it comes from grace. Sanctification isn’t rushed holiness; it’s daily surrender, led by the Spirit, shaped by time.

If you’re reading these journal entries and you are in a similar season, thinking, “I thought I’d be further along by now,”

Welcome friend, I am right there with you.

If you moved, started over, said yes to God, and then wondered why everything didn’t immediately fall into place.

Hey again. I am right there with you.

Six months ago, I thought obedience would be IT! When everything started to fall into place.

Instead, it was just the start of what the Lord had in store.

And looking back at these journal entries, I can confidently say that sanctification is a process. Not by human effort, not hustle, not a perfectly executed routine – but God’s grace at work. It’s the Holy Spirit alive and active inside of us, using the Word, the Church, and His people to shape us into His likeness over time.

Obedience matters, but it’s only the first step.

a move.

a breakup.

a change.

a surrender.

And then comes formation.

So if your life feels messy, unfinished, or still in progress – good!

That is exactly where growth happens.

Here’s what I know now: you don’t need to rush your growth to prove God is working. You don’t need to have it all figured out to be faithful. You don’t need visible fruit to be deeply rooted.

Sanctification looks like being still, waiting and trusting God is working in your over time.

If you’re in a season that feels slow, confusing, or lonely, I hope this reminds you that God does some of His best work there. He’s not in a rush with you. He’s not disappointed in your pace. And He’s not asking you to be anyone other than faithful right where you are.

God isn’t late.

You’re not behind.

Maybe it takes six months.

Maybe longer.

Six months in, I’m learning to trust that slow and steady process – to let grace set the pace. And if I’m different now, I hope it’s not because I’ve tried harder, but because I look a little less like myself and a little more like Jesus.

Good fruit takes time.

And that’s okay!

Hey hey LO fam! My name is Raylee Evans, and it is a JOY to be here with you! I’m a 23-year-old post-grad gal living in Charleston, SC. You can usually find me drinking coffee, creating something, or planning my next trip (or a visit home to see my people!) I work as the Content Coordinator and Bridal Stylist for The White Magnolia, where I get to blend creativity, storytelling, and love for people every day. I also write for my personal blog, Writes by Ray, and keep a camera nearby for capturing moments I never want to forget. I am a multi-passionate gal with a lotta dreams, 27 to be exact! My biggest prayer is that whatever dream I am pursing, that I am spreading His love, His joy, and His truth with everyone I come into contact with. Again, it is a joy to be here so thanks for being apart of one of those 27 dreams!

Rebrand

by Raylee Evans | Aug 12, 2025 | Featured, Life Advice, LO Library

Have you ever had the urge to “rebrand” your life? Or is that just me? Quite frequently, I get super inspired by all the ever-changing aesthetics and trends. There are countless new ones every day and I love them ALL!

One thing about me: I love everything. Every job. Every place. Every genre of music. Every food. You name it, I probably love it.

But when I see all these new aesthetics, I start wondering… What is me? What’s my “brand”?

So, I go back to the drawing board (a.k.a. Pinterest) and start making lists.

The other night, flying home from a work event, I found myself doing it again. Laptop open. New note titled “Rebrand” (I have about a million of these already).

I began listing colors, passions, etc. But when I wrote “What influences me?” I stopped.

“What does influence me?”

If I’m honest… it’s the “5–9 before my 9–5” girl. The “It girl.” The “clean girl.” The ones who seem to have it all together and appear to have mastered the perfect work-life balance, and post-grad routines.

“I want that.” I often think. “I need to start doing that too.” Or “let me add this to my already mile long list.”

It’s quite exhausting. Trying to keep up, or better yet, stay on top of or ahead of the trends.

But what would we be influenced by without influencers?

Would we be influenced by the Word of God? Would we be influenced to be the “Proverbs 31 girl” and not the “it girl?”

Would we be influenced to be more disciplined, devoted, walking in our calling and walking alongside the One who gave it to us?

For me personally, a “rebrand” feels necessary when I start to doubt the call that the Lord has on my life. When I become insecure about who God has made me to be and where He has me.

But here’s the truth: We’re not meant to do it all.

We’re not meant to have every job, visit every place, or live out every aesthetic.

God has given us one divine calling to walk in and the exact amount of time we need to do it.

As John Mark Comer writes in The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, “We find God’s will for our life in our limitations.”

We do not have to look at other people’s calling and question our own.

And there is so much freedom in that!

The secret to an unhurried life is to be yoked with Him, be a disciple and apprentice under Him.

To mirror the way He walked through life.

Jesus walked in slowness. He moved in peace, humility, and purpose. If we want to live like Him, we have to slow down enough to match His pace.

When I do slow down, I’m reminded: He’s the reason for it all. The reason I create. The reason I travel. The reason I love people. The reason we are put on this earth. To know Him and to make Him known!

It is all by Him and for Him!

If my “brand” is to honor Him in all I do, then everything else will naturally flow from that.

The world tells us to chase every opportunity, every look, every trend – feeding the hustle mentality that whispers, “I have to keep going or I won’t measure up.”

But the Word calls us to something better: to walk in our calling, at the slow and steady pace of the Good Shepherd.

So maybe a rebrand is not about curating the perfect aesthetic at all.

Maybe it is about re-centering on Jesus, being secure in who He has made us to be, filtering every dream, job, and passion through the question: Does this honor Him?

That is when the true rebrand will come through!

If you’re feeling the pressure to have it all together, to be everywhere, do everything, and keep up with every trend – take a deep breath.

You are not called to do it all. You are called to walk in your calling. You are called to walk beside Jesus. And that is more than enough.

Lord, I give You my creativity, dreams, and desires. I want them all to be for You. Give me a distaste for anything that does not honor You – trends that pull me away, careers that are not for me, aesthetics that are not truly who You have made me to be. Help me be secure in who You have called me to be, and confident in the path You have set before me. Teach me to walk at Your slow, steady pace. I give You everything. Amen.