I tried to be chill...

"Well you dawned on me and you bet I felt it, I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted, I fell right through the cracks and now I'm trying to get back. Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my bestest. Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention, I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some." -Jason Mraz

I cannot get enough of these lyrics. I try to be chill all the time, but passion takes over. If you know me well you know I don't work well in neutral.

It is a good risk...

Oh Henri, good word...

Love and the Pain of Leaving

by Henri Nouwen

Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. The greatest pain comes from leaving...the pain of the leaving can tear us apart. Still, if we want to avoid the suffering of leaving, we will never experience the joy of loving. And love is stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope stronger than despair. We have to trust that the risk of loving is always worth taking.

Soak it in...

My job allows me to be surrounded by some truly amazing and encouraging people. Today I had an encounter that reminded me of that.

A RM prayer warrior came up to me and said, "Julie, you are stunning and beautiful, inside and out." And my first reaction was "Aaawww, thanks that's sweet. I actually feel sweaty and gross." Than she hugged me real tight and did not let go and said, "No don't let that bounce off you, soak it in. It is true."

She was dead on, my first response was to let it bounce off. Why is it so hard to "soak in" compliments and truly believe them? I often automatically assume when someone is giving a compliment they are just being nice (I mean this is the south). But when I stopped assuming and just let the compliment truly "soak in" what a blessing I received.

I also want to state that I do know about "humility" I hope this post doesn't reflect that now I think I am a supermodel...

The point of sharing this is to encourage you to believe the compliments that are true of you and let them soak in. And I am speaking of the compliments that Jesus himself would say to you.