Random thoughts spurred on by Galway…

During the trip I suddenly had some thoughts. I couldn’t find any paper around me so I ended up writing some of these thoughts on the back of my old receipts.

This my sound selfish at first, but please bear with me.

The more places I get to go and the more things I get to see the more my heart yearns to see more, to experience more, and to take in more beauty.

This universe is God’s canvas and I want to admire His art, I want to be intrigued by His creation in a deeper way.

I’ve never known much about art, I do however know what it feels like to experience something that tightens your chest and makes you feel like you can’t take in another breath. I love the sight of beauty and the feeling of being fascinated by something to the point where it takes your breath away.

These moments, for me, have been found in only three types of circumstances; with family, true friends, and in nature. —Precious moments—Holy moments— Moments that don’t compare with anything else in the world. It is during those moments where you wish you could freeze time, it is in those pictures that you can’t seem to capture the splendor fully, and it is while you are trying to write your feelings with words you cannot express. I have this feeling now, and I want to never let it go.

But these three circumstances in and of themselves are not that meaningful on their own. The only way to truly appreciate one is having the previous appreciation of the other two. I’m sorry if this is confusing you. My thoughts are fully structured on this, but I’ve just been thinking a lot about what really matters in life. And I think God reveals Himself most through relationships and in nature.

I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated God’s nature so much—nor have I ever felt so small. But admits the massive hills, unending ocean, and vast greenery of this land I am humbled and in awe because I matter, and I too am His work of art. The creator of the universe cares about me. Wow.

And as great as this beauty is I can’t help but feel a little bit sad. Not at what I am looking at, but that everything that I am getting to see can’t be experienced by you at home. Something inside of me began to ache. – I missed my true back friends and I longed to see my family.

I believe God has designed nature, relationships, and people to glorify and experience Him in a deeper way. So after seeing so many beautiful things this past weekend in Galway and the Aran Islands I’ve come to a few conclusions:
Stop and look… really look at what you are seeing.
Embrace the moments, and don’t rush them.
Stop worrying about time.
Recognize the beauty in the small things, and appreciate it even more in the big.
Appreciate where you are, but acknowledge where you have been- so you know how you got there.
Seek to feel small instead of constantly striving to make it big.
Recognize that moments with family and friends are blessings that God gives us and that they are irreplaceable.

Know that we are all designed for a different purpose, a different reason, and with unique skills. We all have different stories and different life experiences that we bring into relationships. And while I would long for each of us to get to experience the same things, that would make for a pretty boring life. It is when we can come together after the end of long absences from one another that we can listen, grow, and learn. I can’t wait to hear about life back at home and what’s been going on while I’ve been gone.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt...

Whew it has been a busy couple of weeks! The pictures above are of Valentines Day. We went on a group date-- due to the lack of guys on this trip it was 4 girls to each guy-- We had a great dinner and then went to the Nation Concert Hall of Dublin. It was an incredible night. We really had so much fun.
We have had one of our Taylor professors here for the past week teaching Celtic Christianity. We have been in the classroom a lot, and we have really been learning so many good things though.
This past week we took a trip to Kelkenny, Ireland. We got to see some great Monasteries, Abbeys, and best of all Castles!!!
The business is sometimes overwhelming, but I know that it will slow down soon.
I have really enjoyed getting to know people better on a daily basis. There are so many different people that bring so much to the group as a whole. It has been so cool to see how God has uniquely chosen each of us to play a key role in this experience.
This has also helped with being a bit homesick. There are many times when I want to pick up the phone, or see someone's face from back home, and I can't. I know that this is good for me. I need to learn how to love my family and friends more, but depend on them less. Which for me is a bit difficult because there are just so many great people to miss.
God has been teaching me to trust in Him more, and fear this world less. I have gotten so caught up in my own plans that I haven't taken the time to give those to God and ask if that is even what He planned for me. For now I don't know what that will look like as it plays out in my life. I have always been a bit of a worrier, and I think that this idea of trust is going to be an ongoing battle in my life. This doesn't mean that I can choose to embrace it and become complacent. If anything it means that I need to strive harder to combat it even more. I have so many questions about my future, and fears as to how that will look. I think for now though I need to just embrace the moments. And let me just say that there are so many fantastic moments in this place! I never want to take them for granted.
As for now I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt I am in the right place at the right time.
And I'm feeling blessed :)

The Start to my Beautiful Adventure!

I've been in Ireland for over a week, and the time has gone by so fast. Traveling didn't necessarily go as planned, but it ended up working out better than I expected. Surprisingly I remained strong and held off tears for my goodbyes. It was hard to say bye to Mom and Dad, but I wasn't totally convinced that I was really going away for so long.
So after waiting for over 6 hours in at Indy for our plane to arrive from a storm in Charlot, we had missed our flight from Philly to Dublin. We ended up taking the flight that night to Philly and then we stayed there and left for Dublin late Saturday night. The good news from all of this is that I got to see Rachel while I was in town. It had been over a year since I had last seen her, so it was really great to get a chance to spend time with her-- even if it was for only a short while-- It was good!
So if any on you were wondering what it might be like to sleep on a plane, it's nearly impossible. After a night of hardly any sleep we arrived in Dublin on Sunday.
This country is breathtaking. I was captivated the moment we landed. I am loving it so much! The are so many things to see and explore, I can hardly take it all in. Sometimes I think that three months may not be enough (Don't worry Mom and Dad, I will be more than ready to see you by then!)
I am living in a little town forty minutes outside of Dublin called Greystones. It is so great. Outside my bedroom window, that is the size of a shoebox, I get to see the hills and the ocean.
There are a lot of cute shops in walking distance, and we can take the train, aka the Dart, to so many other connecting towns. Everything is quaint and close here. It is going to be hard to go back to Upland.
My team is great, and I cannot wait to see the ways that we grow throughout the next couple of months. It is going to be neat to see how much our community grows throughout this time.
Late night talks, long hikes, walks along the shore, and coffee treks to new places consume my days.--it's pretty rough!
So you are probably thinking what about school? Well we have had a few classes, but the have been nice. It has been a bit difficult fighting jet-lag and getting use to the time change. In addition to that they have been gracious enough to let us explore and get use to the area.
We went to Glendalough on Saturday it is a monastic village from the 6th century. I climbed over 600 steps to the top of these crazy hills and then down and around a beautiful lake. God's creation is constantly taking my breath away here. We visited Newgrange, which is a stone age passage tomb that is older than the pyramids! It was really neat! The next couple of weeks may be a little more tough academically, so I will have to buckle down and get to work.--I guess that is what I am here for after all...
I am truly blessed to be here, and I never want to take this place for granted. I hope that you all are doing well :)

Leaving Comfort

My whole life I have been comfortable. I have had the most amazing parents anyone could wish for. I have an incredible family. I know that people say this a lot, but obviously I am bias. I mean I know we have our flaws, but who doesn’t? I am coming to find more and more each day that there are so many things to learn from in having imperfections. Thanks family, you have taught me so much and mean more to me than you will ever know.

I have also lived in the same house my entire life. A home that I knew was safe and where the doors were always open. A special place that I will forever know as home and hold dearly in my heart. And a place that I will always leave with a full stomach and a happy heart ;)

I’ve grown up in, for the most part, a safe town. I’ve attended a church that is filled with some really great people. The kind of people that are always there for advice, and that you can always count on to have a good time. WCBC is filled with some of the most Godly people I have ever met. Thank you.

Friends... Wow am I blessed! I have friends like Rachel Lundgren who have remained close even after she moved in the 8th grade. I’ve been friends with Emily Leismer since the first grade in Miss Jones’ class. Then there is Sarah McBride, my partner in crime. All of these girls are stuck with me for life. But there so many many more people from youth group, high school, and college that have played an irreplaceable role in shaping me. Thanks.

A couple weeks ago I had this overwhelming feeling of knowing that I was in the right place at the right time. Taylor University is the college that God called me two years ago, and still today I am convinced that it’s perfect for me. And so many things didn’t add up for me to go there (especially the finances). But after a lot of prayer and so much convincing everything ended up falling right into place.

I live on the 3rd floor, on the South end of English hall. And man did God once again wrap his arms around me and provide me with great people. The girls on my wing have helped me in ways I don’t even know yet. Their love for the Lord is amazing, and we really just have so much fun together. They’re just great!

As most of you know, college life has been somewhat crazy for me. I have decided to graduate in three years which makes for a busy experience. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

So you are probably wondering why I am rambling on and on about things that most of you already know. Well all of this is just to say that my whole life I have been surrounded by more love and comfort than I could ever deserve. I have an awesome family, great friends, and a God that is constantly faithful.

And today, while these people are still very much a part of my life and always will be, I will leave them. I will leave a country that I love. A country that has freedom and those who willing fight for my safety.... things that I far too often take for granted.

I’ve come to the conclusion that goodbyes wouldn’t hurt so badly if I wasn’t so blessed. So I guess I’ll take the rough goodbyes over losing any of the amazing people I have in my life.


So today I am going to embark on a journey that will be nothing like everything else that I have known. A new chapter starts today and this chapter will be filled with a lot of adventure, and so much growth.

At 6:05p.m. I will start my trip to Dublin, Ireland.

Wait. Yeah, that's right...

IRELAND!!!

I really can’t believe it. I have never been overseas and really only been out of the U.S. once...but if you ask me a quick lunch in Canada in the 6th grade hardly counts...

The background of the cover of my journal is of old maps and there is a verse on the front that reads Joshua 1:9 “For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

So although I am saying goodbye to so many things, I can take with me one familiar thing, the Holy Spirit. Praise God that no matter where we are, and who we are with (or not for that matter) He is always there, never leaving or forsaking us.

Wow, I am sorry that this post is so long, hopefully most won’t take you so long to read.

My bags are finally packed, but I still am not fully comprehending all that I am getting ready to do.

I am a little nervous, but for the most part extremely excited!

There will be so many great things to see on this trip and I hope that this blog gives you a glimpse of that. In addition, there will be so much that I will learn and I hope this gives me an opportunity to share some of it with you. I will also have a little more time, and less credit hours, so that is my motivation for keeping this updated!

I am sorry if it is boring, if the grammar isn’t always perfect, or if it doesn’t always make sense, but I think it will be a good way to debrief.

I hope it helps us keep in touch!

Peace and Grace,

Julie

The Intentionality of Christians:

Being in a Christian there are terms that I hear and use frequently. But I’ve come to realize there is a four words phrase that I hear or say everyday. If I don’t say them, I hear from someone else.

What are they you might ask?

“I’ll pray for you.”

Now these are very encouraging and uplifting words. And when put into motion they can mean the world to someone.

When I was thinking of a topic to write about I started thinking of things that God had been revealing to me lately.

So, there many times I tell a person that I’ll pray for them and then I’ll forget. Most times by the time I remember the event has passed and I once again miss an opportunity to bring their concerns before God.

I know that when I am down and sad, having someone tell me that they are lifting me up in prayer helps in ways that words cannot say.
I also know that there are certain “prayer warriors” in my life that I know are lifting me up on a daily basis and that gives me the strength to get through. I want to be that for others, but it is hardly affective if I forget.

I understand if a person makes an honest mistake, and praise God he already knows what we need—even before we ask.

But seriously I have been trying to work on this.

My Goal: If I tell someone I am going to pray for someone, and then I need to do it. It is an act of love if done. And an act of hypocrisy if not carried out.
My Solution: While it is still a work in progress, I carry a little notebook around with me. That way I can write down the requests right away and then I am able to reference it later when I sit down to pray.

So this is what God has been revealing to me, if I tell someone that I am going to pray for him or her, I need to make a conscientious effort to do so. And it may be something little, but I think it’s the little things that mean the most in the long run.

My encouragement to you that if you are good at this keep it up! But if you’re like me, try and work on it. I hope that at least after reading this it may trigger your memory next time you use that four-word phrase.

a little more Love and Grace is all it takes.

"In one of his organization's polls, Barna found that only 22 percent of non-Christians have a positive view of evangelicals."

What can evangelicals/born-again Christians do to change the negative view that non-Christians have about them?

I think as Christians often times we fail in loving people for who they are instead we only love them for who we want them to be.
I think that a major struggle for the church today is judgment. I think that we get too comfortable with what we are use to, or what is right, that we don't accept those who are different.
(Now at the same time I have seen too many churches accepting people to the point where they don't think they need to ever change. This isn't okay either. But I think that we need to better at balancing these two issues. But that is another topic for another time...)
The body of Christ needs to be all about love. I think the only way this generation is going to ever have a positive idea of Christianity and potentially even come to know Jesus it through love. Theology is not the answer most want today especially when it is being shoved down their throat's.
No one likes people looking at them because they dress funny or don't say something right. A person doesn't want to walk into a room and feel out of place like they don't belong.
I think that as a body we do this. We look at people like they are odd or like we are better than them. And although we may be uncomfortable, it still doesn't make it right.
We have been given so much grace, but we fail too often at giving that same grace to others.
So I think as Christians we need to love and show grace more. People don't want to be be judged and they also don't want to have Jesus shoved in their face.

Again, What if...

What would life be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned?

I truly cannot fully fathom the idea of what life would be like had they not sinned. I mean basically we would be living now in a sinless world (given that someone else along the way didn't "take the fruit").

We would be living in a world without pain or sadness or suffering.

So many many things would be different. In this world there is so much corruption. Each day we experience so much that is wrong, unsettling. The injustice that we see, the sin that encompasses our society and world would be

gone.

And we would be living in complete oneness with the Father. We would be walking and talking and living life with the creator of the universe.

It blows my mind to think that God could have been completely content living alone as God. But He created us in order that we would get to experience the greatness of Him. That is love.

We would be living in a world smothered by love not hate

of peace not war

of right not wrong

we would be living in an Eden.

But because Eve took the fruit and Adam allowed her to do so... we are here. An who's to say that someone else wouldn't have done the same.

Now the idea of life being perfect and never knowing sin is something to think about. But this was God's plan.

Because now when we get to heaven we can bow in total reverence and adoration at the one and only who lived life perfectly. We live in humility knowing that we can never be God.

There is no question that life would be different... better. But that wasn't God's plan so clearly what happened was ultimately for the best. And now we have a hope for something we cannot fathom. But someday we will have a taste of what that would have been like. Someday we will be in heaven and that is what is worth thinking about, instead of playing the "what if" game.

Divorce

Should Christians divorce their spouses? Why or why not? What does the Bible say about this?

I think there are very few and specific examples that allow for divorce to be okay. The Bible encourages all Christians to refrain from divorce, because marriage is such a sacred thing. We as Christians are Christ's bride. In the same way we anticipate walking down the isle, the excitement should be so much more in anticipating Christ's return. Marriage is a covenant with God, not contract. This means that just because the state says your divorced, it's not the same in God's eyes.

Matthew 19: 5-9 tells us first what marriage is and then second how God feels about divorce. If your spouse commits adultery more than once and is not willing to stay and work on the marriage there is grace given to the departed spouse. The same goes for a person being beaten or left. I think that almost any other instances than the ones previously mentioned are not grounds for divorce. As Christians divorce shouldn't be an option to make life easier. In Malachi 2:16 God expresses how he hates divorce. The
Bible makes the few circumstances very clear on when divorce is acceptable and forgiven. At the same time I think the bible makes it very clear that divorce is wrong.

Those who are getting married should never consider divorce as an option. Those who are married and struggling should do everything in their power to make it work. And those who have gotten divorced should realize that all sin is the same and they are no different than anyone else and not dwell in remorse.

In conclusion I don't think that Christians should divorce their spouses. However there are times when only one person is committed and the other person has no control. I know that the Bible encourages divorce in absolutely no way. Marriage is so much more than just love, it requires commitment. It is so much more than a legal binding contract. It is a covenant with the Almighty God.

You Can't Do It On Your Own

Do you think people can "earn" their way into heaven? Why or why not?

Simply said, no I do not think that people can earn their way into heaven. It is not about what we do, because as humans we can do nothing. It is acknowledging the fact that Christ did everything on the cross. That is what gets us into heaven. I think that after we have accepted Christ as Savior and ruler of our lives there are things that happen because of the change of our hearts. I think things like serving the homeless, giving to the poor, or any type of ministry really are things that God cares about. Once we are seeking God’s will I think that those things become our passion because they are so close to God’s heart. After being redeemed we realize that we are worth nothing and we can do nothing. As humans we are worthless, but Christ gives us that worth in the world by sacrificing himself. So we could never attempt to earn our way into heaven because we don’t have the power, and that’s not what it is about. The bible makes it clear that it is not by works but by faith that we get to experience the kingdom. I think that your heart transforms because of your faith, and you then seek to build the kingdom because you realize that is what God wants. You can do nothing to earn heaven but simply accept the free gift that Christ offers by knowing Him.

My Thoughts About Tithing...

There are certain habits that are necessary for a Christian to grow in depth in their relationship with God. Things like prayer, spending time in the word, and serving others are all important in furthering a relationship with Christ. While all these things are very good, I feel that tithing is also just as essential.

It is a physical acknowledgement that everything we earn and everything we have, is not our own. Sacrifice is important in recognizing that God is in control. At times money may seem nonexistent and hard to give up, but I think that it is in those moments that our faith can be grown in unimaginable ways.

I think that ten percent of a person’s earnings should be given to either a church or ministry of calling on a regular basis. If there are other causes, and ministries that you feel lead to contribute to I say go for it. Those extra things should be prayer-fully considered and thought about before giving. In my opinion I think it is important to first contribute your initial ten percent consistently to a specific cause. The church that you attend on a regular basis should be considered when tithing. I feel that this topic can be divided in complete opposite directions. Many are very passionate about only giving to your home church, while other don't give their tithe to the church at all. In my opinion I feel that the church you attend should absolutely have a percent of your tithe. However, I also think that there are benefits to contributing to a particular cause.

I would just like to state before I continue, I say the following things not for my own glory. I will also be upfront and honest in saying that even though I try my best I often fall short in my goals for giving. Tithing is something that should be done in private. My personal priority is to tithe directly for the church with my initial ten percent. Then when other opportunities are given as far as supporting other people or giving money to a particular cause arise I pray and think about how much to give and seek my motivations behind the giving. Another thing that I like to do is to keep a container to toss spare change into in my room, after a while it adds up. I am then able donate it to supporting a child.

The motivation behind giving is the most important thing here. Telling people how much you tithe for your personal glory or just to make yourself feel better isn't okay. So once again I don't mention this to brag. This is what I try to do, and it isn't perfect. But after prayer and talking with people much smarter than me, I have found this works best for myself as an individual.

In conclusion I think that tithing only enriches your relationship with Christ. Habits take awhile to develop, and it is important to be persistent in developing a routine. I have found that so many times God is faithful to you when you are faithful to Him. He will provide and astound you in ways you could never imagine. Tithing is a biblical principle and it is my opinion that each person that calls themselves a Christian should give. To a certain extent it takes more than just saying, "I'm a Christian." The relationship can only go so far. Getting in the word, spending time in prayer with God, and giving are all sacrifices that we must do in order to deepen and enrich our faith.

What if...

What would your parents or other family members say if you brought home a person from a different race than yours and said you were in love with that person and thinking about marrying him or her?

I don’t think the initial problem would be the fact that the man I was bringing home was from another race. I think the problem would be that they had never heard about the person and I was thinking about marrying him. I am very close with my family and I think they would be more hurt by the fact I was hiding something that huge from them.

I grew up in a family that was around and accepted many different races. There was never a negative stigma towards anyone with different colored skin. As cliché as it sounds, we were truly taught to judge by character and not color.

However, I do think that there would be some concerns. The first problem my parents would have would be that the fact that it would just be hard. There are different cultural backgrounds that are often hard to mesh. Then when children are brought into the mix there are whole other sets of troubles that are added to the big picture.

I know that as a whole my family would definitely have some things to get use to. I know that their feelings would never stem from racism, but at the same time, there would be an awkward elephant in the room at first.

In the end if I were truly in love with a Godly man, and we both were certain that it was God’s will for us to get married… we would. And after my family observed our relationship and realized it was meant to be they would eventually accept it.

Yes, they would be concerned at first. But I have so much hope in all of them that if they knew it was what I wanted, and God’s will I would with out a doubt have their support.

Heaven and Hell

Do you believe in a literal heaven and hell? What happens to people who die without a saving knowledge of Christ?

Lets take this one step at a time; do I believe in a literal heaven? If I didn’t I would be living for nothing. I would have absolutely no hope for life after death. Everything that it stands for to be a Christian, everything that I am striving to be, would have no purpose, no meaning.

If there weren’t a literal heaven then the Christians on the earth wouldn’t need morals or values. Because lets face it, if this life is as good as it will ever get, why in the world would we be storing up treasures in some place that we are never going to go? I would be living it up here on earth without any restrictions.

But as a believer in the living God, I know that there is without a doubt something even greater than life on this earth. Praise God for eternity in heaven. I think I would have a very sad life if this weren’t true.

Going to heaven and living life with Jesus worshiping God the Father is what makes this life worth living for. It is what provides joy in times of sorrow, and hope in times of despair.

At the same time Revelation paints a picture of hell that is undoubtedly real. And unfortunately if we aren’t willing to recognize the truth, which is Jesus, then we aren’t going to go to heaven. And if we aren’t going to heaven then the Word makes it clear, we are going to go to hell.

I would love to be an optimist and say that no everyone gets into heaven and the awful place known, as hell isn’t real. But the fact of the matter is, the Bible makes this clear, if you don’t believe that as humans we sin, and that we need the blood of Jesus to be forgiven and clean in God’s sight then we don’t get to spend eternity in the presence of Christ.

So those without a saving knowledge of Christ then ultimately, you go to hell. While it may sound as though we have a harsh God who sends people to a place with eternal flame. To be truthful, hell is a terrible place that we all deserve. It was by His grace that we were given life to seek truth in the first place. Being human and even our entrance to life here on this earth makes us automatically sinners, who deserve nothing. But by recognizing His grace we receive everything. This includes a hope for life after death and eternity in heaven.

Sanctification Part 2

If sanctification is God's responsibility, then why don't we see more "sanctified" persons around us-especially among older adults, those who are supposed to be more mature Christians?

Conversely, if sanctification is primarily our responsibility, does this possibly explain why we don't see more "sanctified" people?

I believe that becoming sanctified is my responsibility as a follower of Christ to want and seek sanctification. However, I cannot be fully sanctified without Christ actually doing that work within me. I am not so sure that sanctification is a visible thing. I get that if you are set apart from the world and in a way that glorifies God you are consecrating yourself. Isn’t that how Christians should act? I think that being a Christian and being sanctified are different things. Yes, if you are a Christian you should strive to be sanctified, but we are human, we mess up. This is what I am getting at, once you are a Christian you will always be a Christian. The same does not hold true for being sanctified. We will never 100% of the time be fully set apart. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try, but lets be real. So why aren’t we seeing more “sanctified” persons? First I’m not sure that it is something that can fully be mastered and then visible in each person who has figured it out. Why aren’t we seeing older, mature Christians being sanctified? I don’t know that it can be measured by me. I have so many amazing mature Christians in my life that I can say seemed to be completely sanctified people. However, they will be the first to tell you that they are not. Conversely, we must acknowledge that there are definitely more people who are not sanctified than who are. Why? Because seeking sanctification isn’t easy. It takes work along with a constant seeking of God. This is why we don’t see it. Even mature Christians don’t have it figured out so it doesn’t make sense then to expect to see a lot of people who are in fact sanctified. Becoming a more sanctified person requires a lot of dedication that often gets neglected by most in this hectic society we live in. It’s a marathon not a sprint and I’m not even sure there is a finish line on this one that we will see here on earth. But, it is definitely a race worth running.

Sanctification

Developing A Christian Worldview.
Is Sanctification Our Responsibility or Gods?

According to my Mac dictionary, sanctify is to set apart as or declare holy; consecrate. So as Christians is it our responsibility or God’s to be holy and consecrated?

My response to this question is that it is duel responsibility between God and us. I say this because we first must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work and move in us. However, we cannot, in our sin, make ourselves holy. As humans our natural instinct is sin and corruption. Without God we will always fail. We will always fall short. We cannot on our own save or separate ourselves from this world.

What we can do is dive into the word of God daily and pray for our heart to reflect the heart of Jesus. I think that God has given us the bible so that we may see what is right in order to know what is wrong. By reading scripture it plants seeds in our heart that the Holy Spirit then waters, but that alone cannot sanctify us. We need the Holy Spirit to then come in and give nourishment and strength to aid us in the process of becoming holy.

If you are not going to let the spirit move then sanctification can never happen. In short, the process is a joint responsibility between us as believers and God as the father to become holy and set apart as followers of the one true God.