With all of God’s Word at our fingertips, we continue to berate ourselves for not being good enough. Such a fruitless waste of time. This video straightened me around tonight. Hope you enjoy it too. May God be the glory for the great things He has done, including you and me. Take care, JJ
God’s Chisel Remastered by the Skit Guys
December 2013
Dear Family and Friends:
This past year proved to be another wild ride at our home, filled with adventures both good and, well, the other one!
Steve discontinued his Winter Shooting League commitments to be home with his beloved wife early in the New Year. Two Fort Wayne event planning committees benefitted from Steve’s expertise running canoe and kayak racing competitions, held this summer. His kayak racing (K-1 Unlimited) went well again for his fifth year racing in the U. S. Canoe Association circuit here in northern Indiana. Participation in the USCA national meeting as a delegate and a respectable finish in the USCA Nationals were additional highlights this past year. And while threats of layoffs continued at Exelis (formerly ITT), the Lord preserved Steve’s work again; it appears that the engineering contracts will continue for the next three years. Yes!
Steve’s leadership and dedication to the Lord played out in continued work on the Missions Board at Harvest Fellowship in addition to weekly Bible and worship services. I appreciated the weekly gift of a CD of the pastor’s message as my worship became more homebound due to the older conditions of our church building. While I dreadfully missed the fellowship of our church home, I am grateful for the uplifting Bible teaching and first-hand account of all-things-Harvest when Steve came home with his play-by-play Sunday updates!
The biggest adventure of the year was the remediation of our home for mold between January and March. We had just returned from seeing family and friends in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina in January when it became clear that there were mold spores throughout the house that were causing significant compromises of Julie’s health. After extensive testing and prayer, we discovered that mold had developed in the air return area underneath a bathroom cabinet. Julie stayed in a hotel for 76 days, most of them with our dog Elle while Steve ran back and forth between home/hotel/work. Steve’s daughter, Christina, was finishing a furlough with us before returning to Thailand this Spring. I thanked her for coordinating some of the clean-up efforts and navigating the flooring replacement project that included the entire house. To say it was a major undertaking for all of us would be putting it lightly! We are grateful for the Lord’s provision and guidance . . . and to be back home! We are home except for Christina that is: she is pursuing her work in linguistics and as an Intern Coordinator in Thailand.
Quick update: Patrick and Kate celebrated Jackson Rees’ first birthday this past September at their home in North Carolina. We unfortunately were unable to attend due to my illness but wait with great expectation for their return visit to Fort Wayne this Christmas. Rebekah is now finishing her first semester at Vanderbilt University in Nashville; international education will be the focus of her Master’s degree. And Daniel continues to thrive as a Corporal in the Marines, based down the coast from Patrick in North Carolina. We are delighted to host him and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Posey, for some Christmas celebrations here real soon.
And for me, well check my blah, blah, blog for the hairy details! (www.justjuliewrites.com) I continue to battle the complications of a serious illness. Recent new treatments are providing promising results and I must say that we see the hand of God guiding me and Steve through this often difficult journey – with some moments of sweet tenderness that probably could not have come any other way. I am also grateful for two projects: my online jewelry business (www.trinityjewelrybydesign.com) & eBook (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/371334) that have kept me sane when tempted to feel discouraged. There is hope and I see it every day in the face of my Jesus and heart of my beloved Steve.
So we hope that you will be encouraged this Christmas: the Creator King is on the throne and is ready for us to celebrate His birth in just a few days. The love and hope of Jesus Christ makes the difference to hearts and minds surrendered to His care. He does it for us. How about you?
Merry Christmas,
Steve & Julie
What could have continued as a wretched day, did not. For this I am grateful.
When my course of overall treatment seemed to need a brand new direction in a far away place, I discovered it did not, gratefully.
Where I thought I would be two years down this road trip of illness is not where I had hoped and it’s o.k.; I thank the Lord for His continuing grace.
Who ever thought I would be connecting with so many different people in so many far away places? Not I and I am blessed for things going this way instead.
Why I spend so much time setting goals when the moment is far more worthy of my attention, I’ll never know. I am thankful for the fullness of living in the now and not yesterday or tomorrow. This minute is all we have to live in anyways, right?
How I ever thought I would find something meaningful to say tonight eluded me when I first started typing. I hope these are Your words, my Heavenly Father, my King, my Lord. I hope they bring you glory and honor this night and with each and every blog that spits out onto this page.
So with a humble heart I must say that I am confused as to where my life is going yet not Who is in control of it’s course or outcome. My mind is mushy as I recover from a tough night with: a few scrambled brain transmissions, an enlightening visit from my Lyme-Literate MD, and a week of wacky medical appointments for sure. There’s so much other stuff to do this weekend yet I have too depleted of energy reserves to much of anything. Guess I’ll start with breakfast when I wake up in the middle of the day and take it from there, one moment at a time. Some important things did get done this past week; I am humbled. Thank you Lord for making it so.
The conclusion might read like the 12th Step of Recovery in Al Anon: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Well here’s my message tonight and I’m working on “walking the talk” as they say too. However the best inspiration, the best encouragement won’t come from me or a recovery program (that ultimately helped lead me to a personal relationship with God). It comes directly from His Word:
You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness And comfort me on every side. Also with the lute I will praise You – And your faithfulness, O my God! (Psalm 71:20-22)
Perhaps if we meditate on these words we will no only save the day, we will find hope, love, and joy in His promise of redeeming grace. This is a promise for you, Gentle Reader, if your trust is in the Son of God alone. Oh won’t you join me in seeking Him this day my friend? Let our words, our thoughts mean more than rambling but resound with praise for His holy name, the name Jesus Christ. What could be more significant than when we place our trust where the One who loves us beyond measure gives us every reason why to follow Him? These are things to think about for sure. :J
Thought I would post some updates from my latest creative endeavors. It’s taken over a year to develop my creative style of macramé jewelry: a hobby that has helped keep me sane in addition to my new eBook. Here are some pics to share where I’ve landed with my new macramé wrap bracelets, and more. If you would like more information, click on the “Etsy” square in the right hand column or follow this link: Trinity Jewelry by Design. Enjoy! Just Julie
Jesus is for the Wounded 
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