One Thousand (or more) Gifts
Messy Is Real, but One Day Only Beauty Will Remain #AdventReflections
It’s all messy, but one day only beauty will remain. This is the week serene images of the first Christmas will be displayed everywhere. They will feature Mary, the mother of Jesus, Joseph the Christ-child’s adoptive father, shepherd and wise men, and the Babe Himself (and don’t forget all the docile livestock looking on) all…
Discover the Beauty of the Season, Even When It’s Hard #AdventReflections
The holidays can hold great joy but also deep sorrow. What or who is missing from our lives becomes hyper clear at this time of year. Our grief may make it difficult to discover the beauty of the season. Focusing on the not here makes it difficult to be joyful at a time when we should be…
When Slow and Quiet Is Not Your Reality #AdventReflections
In the past, I jumped from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Like many, I’d bypass the intermediary season of preparation, expectation, and anticipation. Yet slowly through the years, I’ve begun to realize what I’ve been missing. Advent specifically focuses on Christ’s “coming.” His past coming in our secured salvation. His present coming in Word and sacrament. And His…
Dig Deeper into Scripture (‘Journal the Word’ Bible Review)
In the United States, the day we focus on giving thanks is almost upon us. And I’m giving away a Bible in the last of my Giving Thanks by Giving Gifts series. The Holy Bible: God’s Word, His Gospel, His truth, His promises for us, His love letter to us. It’s fitting to give such a…
When You Want Thanksgiving to Replace Your Grumbling
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV “This is so dumb! Nothing ever goes right!” I say it, and then I duck my head, ashamed as I realize how petty I sound. How I wish it were the one and only…
Believe in God’s Love for You (review of “66 Ways God Loves You”)
I’ve never heard my 18-year-old daughter say, “I love you.” Not with her own voice. She can’t. Her severe speech disability prevents that exchange. It’d be delightful to hear those words from her. However, I never doubt her love for me. Not a day goes by that she does not express it in a tangible, meaningful way. Looking for Love…
“Everyday Praise” Releases in Paperback!
Learning to praise our Creator will bring greater peace into our lives. Search for Peace I’ve been searching for peace in a world filled with interruptions, heartaches, and pain. Most of us are. I began, like too many, looking in the wrong places. I looked to others. I looked to things I consumed. I looked to myself.…
Love: The One Thing That Will Get You Through the Fiercest Storm
Sometimes we simply need to know we’re loved. Love is that one thing that can carry us through the fiercest storm. There he lay. Propped on his side, that little plastic penguin seemed to mock the weight of my sadness. Less than an hour earlier my usually happy daughter had thrown this favorite little toy in anger (or was…
Our Abilities Are Insufficient (why that’s okay)
A Christian’s influence should never be measured by her abilities but by God’s. These past few weeks have provided ample opportunity for me to experience my shortcomings in full color. I’ve struggled with major overload trying to juggle kid’s school events, doctor appointments, a heavy editing load, securing guardianship for our now-adult daughter, and trying to get…
One Thing You Can Always Do When You Have No Time
If you’re anything like me, something always tries to take the place of the most important things in my day. My workout routine includes a half hour walk/jog five mornings a week. Four out of those five days my to-do list tries to convince me I don’t have time for exercising. Instead I need to…
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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