My Amazing Job...

Many of you know that I love my job! Yes I often have to do crappy things like stamp a million envelopes and clean up other people's junk. But the joy I get in working with some of my best friends and being a part of something much larger than myself far out weighs the crappy things. My co-worker, Cameron, made this slideshow for our big fundraising event that happened last week. It is a wonderful look into where we have been and what we are up to as a ministry. I hope you watch it and see Jesus.

www.realityministriesinc.org

Leap & Skip More...

One of my goals for the year is to dance more. To work at fulfilling that goal I signed up for a Jazz class at 9th St.. Yesterday I sadly finished the last Jazz class of the 10 week session. Now dance is not a new hobby for me, I started taking dance classes when I was 4 and never really stopped. I just have to make a little more effort these days to make time for it.

For me the actually events that happen at Jazz class are very familiar. But I know many of you reading this may be confused about what actually happens at "Jazz Class." I know this to be true because of some of the responses I have received over the past 10 weeks. When I say, "I got to go to Jazz"or "Maybe we can get together after Jazz" the look on the people's faces have been priceless. I think some people hear the words "Jazz Class" and think of shaking Jazz hands and Westside Story snaps and all sorts of other cheesy things. Several weeks ago I was even forced to give Cameron and James a mini dance class (in the admin. office) on what I learned at Jazz just to clear things up for them.

Basically Jazz Class includes warming-up with some amazing stretches to some hip indie-rock-"Garden State" sounding music. Than learning a series of 8-count movements to songs like E-Pro from Beck. And my favorite part of class is "going across the floor", this basically means you leap, jump, chug, skip, and spin from one side of the room to the other. The teacher does tell you what to do, it is not a free for all, even though we are often encouraged to put our own style into our movements.

Now with all that being said let me tell you a few reasons why I love Jazz Class...

1-Our bodies can do amazing things!

2-If you stop worrying about if you're "doing it" right, you can truly experience freedom and joy through movement.

3-Adults don't leap & skip enough in this world! I am convinced if we all leaped and skipped a couple times a day, we would all be happier! And I am pretty sure Jesus leaped and skipped.

A special note to my Dad & Mama...thanks for going to all the many recitals in my life. I am forever grateful for being encouraged to dance as a child.

Kittens...

A dear friend sent this to me today and told me that this little girl's commentary reminded her of me. I am not sure how I feel about that.

The Great Human Race...

Many of you know that I am the office woman for Reality Ministries. One really cool thing that I get to do with Reality is be a buddy every Tuesday night. Once a week we have an event called Tuesday Night Live, this is a program designed to provide community and life-giving experiences for people with disabilities in the Triangle area. These nights are full of joy and laughter as we eat pizza together, play silly games, sing praise songs, and listen to a message on Jesus's love.

Over the past two years I have had the privilege of getting to know James at TNL. James is such a happy young man, he loves to play the drum, loves to sing "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain," he loves to joke around, and loves to listen to G105. He tells me he loves me all the time, he holds my hand, and gives hugs generously. He is radiant and full of pure joy! Hanging out with him is truly a blessing, I can clearly see the face of Jesus in his smile. He has taught me lessons on the power of presence, patience, uninhibited love, participation in what God is doing, and resting on the One that is able.

James and I are going to be walking in the Great Human Race 5k on March 21st. Our hope is to raise money that will go to Reality Ministries, the place where our friendship started. To give visit my race fundraising page.

Thanks for partnering with us in serving young people in the community.

Peace,
Julie

Extreme Reconciliation & Extreme Love...

Several years ago I read MLK's letter from the Birmingham jail it was written in the early 60's. His words are powerful and challenging and call me to live out extreme reconciliation and extreme love. I am far from figuring out how exactly to do that but it is a journey worth exploring. I hope this challenges you...

"Was not Jesus an extremist for love -- "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice -- "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ -- "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist -- "Here I stand; I can do none other so help me God." Was not John Bunyan an extremist -- "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist -- "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist -- "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice--or will we be extremists for the cause of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill, three men were crucified. We must not forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thusly fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thoughts that stir...

Here are some thoughts & quotes from things I have been reading or listening to over the last month. I hope they stir your mind and heart...

"We cannot attain the presence of God. We're already totally in the presence of God. What's absent is awareness?" --Richard Rohr

"To know who we are, we first must know WHO'S we are." --Jeff McSwain

"Novem te, novem me." (May I know YOU, may I know myself.) --St. Augustine's Prayer

"After decades of Bible reading. I realized that my relationship with God was based more on what I believed than on what I experienced." --David Benner

"Kids grasp social justice better than adults...God is the Father to the fatherless...We are Plan B, it is up to us to turn to the poor." --Tom Davis

"I love the poor, the sick, and the weak because I see the face of God in them not because I am called but because I am desperately loved by God." --Me*

"Grace is what makes Christianity different from all other ways to God. It allows us to be embraced." --Me*

"I want to be in a community where you are giving and receiving so much to each other that eventually you forget who is giving and who is receiving." --Me*

*I am sure these were inspired by someone, I just cannot remember who, sorry to whoever deserves the credit for these Truths.

Things to work on in 2009...

1. Live into the fact that loving God and loving my neighbor are inseparable.

2. Embrace the uncomfortable. I have been doing this with kids for awhile but I am going to work on doing that with my peers this year.

3. Dance more.

4. Ask more questions.