Find Your Shine!

My family experienced an exciting adventure over spring break. Instead of traveling to some tropical location to spend a week in the son, my son, Gavyn, had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He has been having a lot of trouble with sore throats and strep infections over the past few years. He had two infections in a row just over the winter months. We didn’t want to wait and take a chance of it getting any worse, so we scheduled the surgery.

He was such a trooper through the whole procedure. We even came up with fun signals for him to use with me when he got home to make things easier which helped a lot. His favorite signals though were clapping loudly when I was in the other room and whimpering to get my attention. These were not pre-approved signals (smile). He is really good at pulling at mom’s heart strings for sympathy. It’s just a little tiring when mom has two at home to entertain… for a whole week. One was sick and the other was simply jealous. No fun!

Gavyn spent a lot of time resting over his spring break. Netflix, DVD’s, video games, and some books were very helpful in entertaining him. The only problem is that he wanted mommy by his side every minute of the day. It killed him that his brother could go outside, shoot hoops, ride his bike, and hang out with friends. He hates missing out on anything, but his only job for the week was to rest.

Mommy kept pretty busy as Gavyn’s nurse after surgery. He needed pain meds. every four hours, antibiotics twice a day, and he had to eat or drink often to prevent scabs from forming in the back of his mouth. This helped make sure it wouldn’t hurt as much later as it healed. I also had to check his throat throughout the day to see if it was swollen or bleeding.

The problem with the “throat check” was that my flashlight kept disappearing every time I was ready to check it. The only one I seemed to find was a small bluish tinted one, with a dim light, in need of new batteries. Why is it that when you really need a flashlight you can’t find one and when you do find one it always needs new batteries? Interesting…

We are currently on day 14 of the healing process and Gavyn is doing great. He’s not ready to sing any solos, but he can talk and the pain is almost gone. Yay! We survived! A scripture came to mind often as I shined a “light” in my son’s throat for a week.

Matthew 5:14-15 says…"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!” (MSG)

I love the way the message version puts it… “…we are here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world…shine!” God has called us to be light to this world. What does that mean? He wants us to become reflectors of Him for others to see. When others look at us, they should see Jesus.

Jesus followers should have “evidence” showing their connection with Him. Some of this evidence or proof can be found in…

Galatians 5:22-23…“But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (NCV)

Whatever you plant inside of your life will come out? When we cultivate our hearts and lives with the things of God, we will begin to produce the fruit of God. Reading our Bible, praying or talking with God, going to church, and surrounding ourselves with people who want the same things will help us to shine brighter for God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says… “…our lives are gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” (MSG)

One summer my family and I decided to tackle a garden. I DO NOT have a green thumb, but my boys wanted to try it. What could it hurt? If anything they would learn the process of growing things. We were renting a house from a farmer at the time. He just so happened to have a portion of land free behind our house that was empty and fully tilled. We approached him and he was gracious enough to allow us to practice our gardening skills there.

We chose the seeds carefully, read all of the directions, and chose the perfect time to plant. The boys were ecstatic! They couldn’t wait to see the fruit of their labor. Labor is the key word. They didn’t like to weed the garden or take the time to water it when it didn’t rain. It was too much WORK especially when there were so many other fun things to do. Mommy helped as I was able, but little by little the garden died. All we had left was one measly tomato plant surrounded by weeds. I kept encouraging the boys to go water and weed their plant, but they never got around to it.

One day while the boys were in school the farmer’s wife decided to mow around our house. She saw the small patch of grass in the field and assumed her regular mower must have missed it. She mowed over it. As she looked back over her shoulder to make sure she didn’t miss anything else, she saw the spray of splattered tomatoes. She felt horrible. She had destroyed our garden… or what was left of it.

Later that day we received a gift…canned peaches. It was a peace offering of sorts for demolishing our tomatoes or should I say the lonely tomato that survived. My boys learned a huge lesson that day. Put the work into weeding or you will lose the fruit of your labor. So true!

The same is true in our walk with God. Letting God’s fruit shine through us is difficult at times. It takes hard work to bite your tongue when you want to say something else. It takes hard work to be patient for everything to work out. It takes hard work to show love to that person especially after the way they treated you. It takes hard work to experience God’s peace when it feels everything is out of control. But with God’s help He will begin to cultivate His fruit in us.

Just like a farmer, God scatters seeds, waters, feeds, and grows His fruit inside of us. The more time we spend with Him, the more it grows. It can’t help but bubble out of us for everyone to see.

How can we shine brightly for God?

~Spend time with Him (Talk to Him & read His love letter to us…the Bible)
~Surround yourself with godly things (go to church and find godly friends)
~Live differently (Reflect God in your words, attitudes, and actions)
~Love differently (Let God’s love shine through for others to see)

As we begin to fill ourselves with more of God, His fruit will shine brightly through us in such a way that others will notice. They will begin to see qualities in us that are different than those around them. These evidences of God in our lives could be what draws our friends and family to God. Shine brightly! The world is watching. But no pressure my friend. Remember as we draw closer to God, it just bubbles out naturally. Get your shine on!

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie

Just a Number

March has been a busy month for me. There has been a lot going on with my kids (school projects, Boy Scouts, and extra activities), family events, church events, and not to mention my birthday. I turned a whole year older and now I am officially 29 and holding. I am happy to say… I didn’t throw a pity party, hide my head from the world, or crawl in a hole because my life is HALF over. It’s just a number to me. My birthday was like any other day except for that day I got a little more attention.

We can’t let our age, sex, race, social status, or family background hold us back from being who God created us to be or doing what He has designed for us to do. I am fixated on making the last half of my life count extra for God. I don’t want anything to deter me from whatever God has in mind for my future. I’m ready to hit the ground running.

I will have to admit that the last six years or so have not been exactly what I had expected. When my husband and I got married we vowed to stick together through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, til death do us part. I had no idea we would have to literally live that out. I believed it with all of my heart when I said it, but over the last few years I have experienced it firsthand. I love my husband more today than the day we got married. It has been 18 + years and counting yet the vows we made remain just as true today as on our wedding day.

We have faced sickness together. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that my doctor recently shared is a worse case scenario. At my sickest moments, my husband stuck by my bed side, cared for me and the kids, and became mom and dad for a season. His love for me shined through in his actions. He is an amazing man of God and I am blessed.

We have faced financial struggles together. As a result of my sickness, I had to quit my job immediately and my husband had to find a new one. He took pay cuts and worked jobs he hated to take care of our family. In order for me to get healthy, I had to rest which limited my ability to work. My husband picked up the slack in every way. We purged all excess household baggage and did what we had to in order to get by. Even in our lowest times, God has been faithful.

We have faced emotional struggles together. Fear, doubt, disappointment, confusion, discouragement, and feeling stuck to name a few. No matter what we face, we push through it all holding tightly to each other and God. Our lives have been cemented in God from the very beginning. We have chosen to not walk away from Him regardless of any circumstances we face. God has been our refuge through all of life’s storms. I don’t know what I would have done without Him.

I am so thankful this year for so much. Some of these things may seem simple and trivial to you, but they are things I took for granted until they were gone. As I list out a few things I am thankful for, think of what things you have to be thankful for too.

I am thankful for…
~my amazing husband
~my awesome boys
~my family
~to be able to speak
(clearly, loud enough for others to hear, and as much as I want)
~to be able to eat solid foods (whatever I want)
~to be able to stand for long periods of time
~to be able to walk unassisted
~to be able to dress and care for myself
~to be able to leave my house whenever I want to
~to be able to see clearly
~to be able to drive
~to be able to go to church
~to be able to go shopping and carry my own bags
~to be able to hold a baby
~to be able to pray for my kids before bed
~to be able to lead a small group study at my church
~to be able to cook dinner for my family
~to be able to clean my house & do my own laundry
~to be able to have Netflix (I had only Antenna TV when I was sick)
~to be able to go on class field trips with my boys
~to be able to drink with a straw
~to be able to sing
~to be able to work
~to be able to write
~to be able to read
~to be able to get my own mail
~to be able to answer the phone
~to be able to smile and laugh

I am thankful for so many things, but these are just a few off the top of my head. Life has not dealt me the hand I expected, but I can work with what I have been given. Let’s just say that the next half of my life will be experienced walking a little slower. I want to savor each moment making memories that will last a lifetime. We are only given one life to live. I want to make mine count! What about you? What will you do with the life you have been given?

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie

Spare Tire Check

“Is God your spare tire or your steering wheel?” I heard this quote recently and it has stuck with me ever since. Do we use God as a back up plan to run to when things go wrong, or are we allowing Him to lead and guide us daily? Who is in control? Who is holding the steering wheel of our lives? We can survive with out a spare tire, but if the steering wheel of our vehicle goes bad, the whole thing is worthless. We need God to be in the driver’s seat of our lives in good times and in bad.

When I was in Bible College years ago I took a class called “The Minister’s Wife.” It was taught by the president’s wife of the college. It was awesome and oh so practical. I learned a lot! She gave us the realities of true ministry and what to expect. She promised good times and bad and equipped us to be prepared for both.

One thing she did in particular still sticks with me today. Before she started each class she had us sing a song. She said she wanted this song to be cemented into our spirits so that some day when we needed it, it would be tucked inside of us. It goes like this (from what I remember)…

The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do is follow
The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do is follow
Strength for today is mine all the way and all that I need for tomorrow
The Lord knows the way through the wilderness and all I have to do it follow

I remember singing this several times over the course of my life. Sometimes it was at the kitchen sink doing dishes feeling distraught and overwhelmed by life, other times it was driving in my car crying over invisible wounds inflicted by others, in the shower, on a long walk… wherever I sang it, God showed up and brought His peace to calm the storms of my life and heart.

God doesn’t promise that when we give our lives to Him that our life will immediately become easier. He does however promise to walk with us through all of life’s journey. No matter what you are facing today, God is faithful!

My husband and I have faced a lot together over the course of our almost nineteen years of marriage. We have faced the good, the bad, and the ugly. We have been hit with financial hardship; transition in jobs, miscarriage of a child, health problems, family conflict, and the daily stresses of all that life likes to throw at us unexpectedly. We decided a long time ago that we were not going to allow the circumstances of this life to ravage our marriage or suck the life out of us. We are just going to hold our hands a little tighter together and brace ourselves for the ride.

Circumstances can rip a part lives if we let them. We have seen marriages destroyed by financial troubles, the loss of a loved one, by allowing work to become a priority over God and family, and the like. Little by little and day by day hearts became disconnected. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process of choosing to withhold elements of your life from one another.

My husband and I share everything with each other. It is our safety net from temptation. Satan attempts daily to uproot families and marriages. We are choosing to fight for ours! Sin loves darkness. It grows best there. That is why we keep everything in the light. We don’t hide things from each other. We share our feelings, speak our minds, and cover each other in love and prayers.

Ephesians 5:12-14 says… “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.”(NLT)

Even in some of our most difficult seasons, we have tried to be examples to our children of what it means to hold tightly onto Jesus and each other. We have shared what was necessary with them to help them learn to trust God for themselves. People are watching us whether we realize it or not. They are learning how to live for God by our lives. What are we teaching them?

I am currently leading a ladies small group at my church based on the book I am writing, “Surviving Life’s Mud Puddles.” I am learning a lot. These ladies are incredible examples of God’s ability to do something amazing with our availability to Him. Before each group starts I play a song to help prepare our hearts. I want it to be cemented into their spirits. Some day, I assure them they may need to remember this (Sound familiar?…LOL). It goes like this…. (I Lift My Hands by Christopher Tomlin)

Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise, Let faith arise

Choose to trust God in all seasons of your life today no matter what you face. He is faithful! Let God be your steering wheel and not your spare tire. He has some amazing places to take you and He is the only one that knows which direction to go. Trust Him with the details of your life. You will never regret it!

Deuteronomy 31:8 says..."Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT)


Living to leave a legacy,
Julie

"Surviving Life's Mud Puddles"

Have you ever struggled with anything in your life before? Has your life turned out the way you expected it would? Not mine, by a long shot. The man of my dreams asked me to marry him and of course I said yes. Nothing I expected. How did I get so lucky? God put a desire in my heart to go into full-time ministry to help others. Not in “my plans.” My husband and I served 12 + years in youth ministry. Teens scared me… not in “my plans.” My first child miscarried, but later I was blessed with two baby boys sixteen months apart… not in “my plans.” We served two years as Senior Pastors. “Old people” scared me except my grandma of course… not in “my plans.” I came down with an unpredictable autoimmune disease that affects every muscle in my body which caused us to have to step out of full-time ministry for a season… not in “my plans.”

Have you noticed a theme here? It was all about “my plans.” I think God had something else in mind for me… something better. No matter what the season I was in good or bad my main constant has always been God. He has carried me through so much and I don’t know what I would have done without Him. I am of the opinion that no matter what we face, if we give it to God He can bring good out of it. My hearts desire is to allow my life’s struggles to inspire others to press forward in their journey with God regardless of their circumstances.

I choose to serve God in good times and in bad. I will not walk away from Him, turn my back on Him, or blame Him. I trust Him with the details of my life. He has proven to me over and over again that He will never leave me or forsake me. Two verses have been food for my soul through some of the darkest hours of my life.

“For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)


“You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people…”
Genesis 50:20 (NCV)

No matter what difficulties we face, God has the ability to make something beautiful out of it. My heart ached to see something good come out of my sickness. Three years ago, God put a dream in my heart. It was a dream to write a book about my struggles. I wanted to challenge others to keep trusting God no matter what they face in life.

As I searched the scriptures for hope and wisdom in my life-defining moments, I found a “kindred spirit.” He is a man who hit rock bottom and lived to tell about it. He faced family squabbles, unwarranted accusations, fear, doubt, anger, and temptation. He felt abandoned, forgotten, invisible, unloved, and broken. He was human like you and me, yet rose above his seemingly difficult life to become better in the end. His character, his faithfulness, his unswerving trust in God is an inspiration to us all. The man I am speaking about is Joseph and my book will be filled with his story and mine.

I have been attempting to write this for three years now, but everything keeps getting postponed. I keep getting sick which delays the process. The most I have gotten done is a complete outline of the book chapter by chapter with some ideas and a little research. I have decided this time to push ahead one chapter at a time whether I am sick or not. It will get done!

One way to commit myself to the process was to sign-up to lead a small group at the church I attend. It is a ladies only group that will meet Thursday nights for the next few months. The group is centered around building relationships with other women and getting into the Bible. My book/Bible study will be the focus of our discussions. I am working ahead of everyone chapter by chapter, but it is not completed which totally stresses me out. I like to lead when I am prepared. But those are “my plans” not God’s plans.

Tonight is the first night of the small group. God has handpicked the ladies that will be there and I am very expectant of what He will do. I know we will forever be changed. By the end of this small group semester, I am expecting to have the book completed and prepared to have published. I pray God will use my circumstances and life struggles to draw others closer to Him.

Here is a sneak peak at excerpts from the book…
Life has its ups and downs. It CAN be messy and difficult at times. I like to call those seasons “mud puddle moments.” It is during these times of difficulty that we may get spiritually dirty (make wrong choices), we might feel icky from the slushy “mud” spraying us (uncomfortable with where we are), or our plans may have to be altered because of unexpected changes in the weather (circumstances beyond our control).

Did you know that God specializes in those “mud puddle moments?” He anxiously awaits the opportunity to meet us in the midst of our moments of desperation. He longs to bring beauty from the ugliest of things in our lives. When we release our lives to Him in good times and in bad, it gives God the green light to start painting. He is creating a work of art with our lives…...

....Life is a journey and our walk of faith can be pretty shaky at times. Whether you are in a valley, facing a mountain top, or at the top enjoying the view, God is faithful! This Bible study series is entitled “Surviving Life’s Mud Puddles” because life is messy and unpredictable. You can’t walk through a mud puddle without getting dirty. It happens. Life is the same way. Things will happen beyond our control. It is inevitable, but what will we do when it does? This series is designed to help you take a closer look at who you are from the inside out. It will challenge you to face the unpredictable, trust God with the details of your life, and embrace the person God created you to be. Fasten your seat belts. You are in for an amazing ride!

Please pray with me for favor as I move forward to fulfill the dream God placed in my heart. I pray I would be a tool in the hands of God to impact my world for Jesus.

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie

Life Lessons & Legacy

My husband turned forty recently. It was a big event for him. He has been dreading it for years. I don’t know why. I guess it’s a natural time to re-evaluate your life and see how you’ve done. I knew he wasn’t looking forward to it, so I wanted to go out of my way to make his birthday special and some how soften the blow for him.

With that said, I decided to make him a special memory book. What better way to see all of what you have accomplished! I wanted him to see first hand the lives he had impacted and to hear it personally from those he had touched all along the way. The whole project took three months to send out messages, gather notes, and put it all together. I was amazed at the response. There were birthday wishes, thank you’s, and lots of funny stories. Some responses were short and lighthearted while others were long and purposeful. They all were so encouraging!

My husband’s response as he opened it was unforgettable! He was shocked and couldn’t believe his eyes. What was this? How did I get all of these people to write him? His high school friends too? He was overwhelmed. He began to read immediately and was swallowed up into the book. He read it from beginning to end… laughing, smiling, and tearing up. It was powerful. He said it was the best present ever. His life’s impact wrapped up in a book. I think I was touched just as deeply as he.


This is what he posted on his Facebook status reflecting back on it all…

It was the most amazing gift she could have given me as I reflect over the last forty years. It was a huge reminder that the most important things in life are those that we share life with. Thank you to all of you who took the time to share memories, stories, and words of encouragment with me. You ALL are a part of my story and I am who I am today because of each of you. THANK YOU!!

As I look back over the last forty years I see lots of highs and lots of lows, but what I truly see is a life well lived. I have some regrets, some missed opportunities, and some curves in the road that I never expected, but what I see most clearly are all of you. What I see are my amazing wife and incredible sons. What I see are the people who have loved me, challenged me, cheered for me, shared with me, corrected me, pushed me, amazed me, and laughed with me. This is the essence of my last forty years and you all are what has made this journey incredible....thank you.

I am the compilation of all of the lives that have touched me and that I have touched and when I compare that to the few troubles and trials......I am well pleased with the first forty years of my life. I thank God for his incredible blessings. I do not take them for granted. I am truly looking forward to my next forty years!!!

The other night we spent some time as a family talking and sharing about the upcoming year. Daddy discussed his memory book and how it had touched his life. He even read some excerpts from it. He explained how it inspired him to live for eternity now. What did he want others to say about him after he died? In order to make that a reality, he had to live that way today! The boys shared how they wanted others to see them and their goals of who they wanted to become this year. It was precious.

Not only did daddy talk about living for eternity, he also talked about leaving a legacy. Passing on what God has done in us to others and letting it spread. What a concept! It’s a domino effect. Be today what you want others to become tomorrow. Many of the notes in his memory book were from students from our many years of ministry as youth pastors. It was incredible to see how much they have grown and what they are doing now to make a difference in their world for God. We’ve had a part in that. We took what God did in us and passed it on to them, who are passing it on now to others.

One excerpt from a student said this…“I owe the greatest part of my success as a leader of this nations finest young men and women (Navy) to your own dedication and leadership of each one of those young souls you cared for like we were your own children. God bless you! Your influence has grown farther than you could possibly imagine. I thank you, my wife thanks you, and my children thank you for helping me find out what it means and looks like to be a man of God.”

Wow… my kids were inspired! They couldn’t believe all of the lives that were touched and changed. They want to make a difference in their world for God. Watch out world, my boys are going to tear it up for Jesus!

What about you? Who do you want to become in 2012? What do you want others to say about you? Who do you want to touch and impact for God? Live for eternity today! Dream big my friend. God has amazing things in store for you. I hope you are ready. 2012 here we come!

Living to leave a legacy!
Julie