Grace
Seeing the Perfect Gift
I have a confession to make: deciding on the perfect gift for someone takes me hours, sometimes days. I look at every possible option, check out dozens of websites or stroll through store after store. When I think I’ve finally found it, I keep looking. Just ask my sister. I usually bring her along…
Silence of Unworthiness
Sometime in the middle of the night I felt it. The fog of sleep lifted just enough for me to groan and shift position. But it didn’t take long for the leg pain to set in again. Another groan, another shift. Nothing seemed to help. Propping on a pillow. Rolling to my side. Even loosening…
Extending Grace to … Me!
I’ve yet to meet a person who never makes a mistake. But I’ve met plenty who hang on to each blunder far longer than is healthy. They relive it repeatedly, “kicking” themselves harder with each replay—unwilling to forgive. Often these are the same people who are the first to extend a hand of sympathy, encouragement,…
Outgrowing the Terrible Twos
“But I want it!” echoes off the walls, the shrill voice cutting through any pretense of peace. With tears tracking down his cheeks, the red-faced little bundle emphatically makes his demands. A second, firm “No” sends him to the floor, legs and arms flailing. Any of us with children, have lived through similar tantrums by…
Divine Cure (and more)
I have a confession to make: Yesterday I was rather graceless. It had been a tough day, with two home sick and an aching body. (I am amazed how much an injured appendage can affect the rest of the body.) However, the most difficult aspect had been facing another day not knowing the extent of…
It Is Real Grace
GO It is the life I live, so similar to others but vastly different, so complicated yet eerily simple. Real Life Meets Real Grace Storm clouds gather, then are chased away by the wind. The fog thickens until dissipated by the sun. It is messy, ugly, and painful. It is lovely, precious, and fun. I…
Uniquely and Collectively His
I’ve been browsing through early family photos the past few days. With that activity always come vivid memories and strong emotions. Most of the pictures take me back to times of joy or sweetness, precious moments or family celebrations. Others have difficult feelings associated with them. However, each one reveals a small part of our…
Noticing the Balloons (and other gems)
The balloons fluttered brightly, stuck in a tree top. Red, yellow, pink, orange, purple. They contrasted dramatically against the dawn sky as I topped the hill and rounded the corner on my early morning walk. They were there to greet me two mornings in a row. Looking down I would have missed them, but with…
Fingerprints of Grace
“And as grace is free, so is it sure. Nothing can change, or alter, or turn away sovereign grace.” – Alexander Whyte There’s a song I heard many years ago, probably in the late 1990’s that does a great job of painting an image of our relationship with God. This song was sung by a…
Putting on the Familiar
I’m not a fan of change—unless it is controlled change—controlled by me, of course! Growing up on a farm in Iowa, one day flowed into the next with little difference. Life took on a cadence where I thrived. Change was relatively rare and for me not very welcome. When my stay-at-home mother took a job…
Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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