by Juli Wilson | Oct 30, 2017 | Life Advice, Testimonies |
I was driving through downtown with my kids the other day, when my 2-year-old startlingly screamed, “AHHH, MOMMY!! A DOST!!!” A “dost” in his language is a ghost – and no, he wasn’t making this up. He literally saw a ghost figurine outside one of our neighbors’ home, made complete with skeletons, jack –o-lanterns and spider webs, just to make sure everyone was officially creeped out. I calmed him down, and took on the daunting task of explaining the concept of Halloween to my toddler.
“Well, son…once a year, people dress up in costumes, masks and hats, and go door-to-door asking strangers for candy.” He looked at me like a deer in headlights. The confusion was written all over his face, and I couldn’t blame him. It is an interesting concept, isn’t it?
I told him that he doesn’t have to be afraid, because underneath the masks and costumes are just regular people – our neighbors, store clerks, baristas, kids, friends, etc. And as the words were coming out of my mouth, I had a sudden “a ha!” moment. I started thinking about how many of us go through life wearing a mask – trying to cover who we truly are underneath. We want to fit in, but here’s the thing – you were never meant to. You were created to stand out.
I get it, it can be scary to let people see you as you truly are – flaws, insecurities and all. I’m right there with you! It’s not easy to be authentic, to be vulnerable. But that’s where connection happens. Where true living happens. You don’t have to cover up your scars – they are proof that God heals. Be who you are. Share your strengths and your struggles. Give the world the gift of YOU – it doesn’t need another copy of someone else. God created you with a unique set of gifts and talents. Your beauty is unlike any other. Your heart is unmatched. Come out of hiding, take courage and walk boldly in who you are in Christ.
by Juli Wilson | Oct 16, 2017 | Life Advice |
Let’s talk about life for a second. It happens in its own way, fashion and time… doesn’t it? Sure, we can make plans, but just as soon as we do things like sickness, break-ups, friendship troubles, family issues, and goodness, even unexpected bad weather get in the way. They slow us down. They remind us we’re not in control of what happens next.
Isn’t that interesting? At any given point in time, neither you or I can control the way things will play out. If we want truly want to live life to the fullest, we really only have one option – to stop trying so hard to do things on our own. We have to let God take control.
That’s where I get fussy. I mean it sounds easy enough to sit back and trust God. You know, to just have faith and know that He holds it all together. I know He does. He’s proven that to me time and time again, but somehow circumstances have a way of wiping that truth from my memory. I try to do things on my own – sometimes my attempts fail, and sometimes they actually succeed. But you know what’s crazy about that? Even when I do make stuff happen on my own, it doesn’t fulfill me. I’m left exhausted and wanting more. I end up back where I originally began – looking up, searching for some kind of guidance on what to do next.
Who else has been on this ferris wheel towards success? You know, where you keep going, going, going but never really end up anywhere? If you have found yourself there, let me encourage you that you’re NOT at the main attraction. God never intended for us to aimlessly live our lives running in circles. He has more for us than that, and I believe He’s waiting for us to jump out of our routines and allow Him to take over our schedules a bit.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” —Hebrews 11:1
I don’t know all that God has in store for my life (or yours) but I do know this much for sure – his plans are good. They give you a future and a hope. Have confidence in what you can’t see, knowing that your faith is in the One who sees it all. He is our assurance. He will never fail.
by Juli Wilson | Sep 12, 2017 | Sisterhood |
Once upon a time, we were all separated from the life-giver. We followed what the world told us to do, and we measured our worth based on it’s standards. We were held captive by opinions, ideals and fear – the fear of not being enough, of not being worthy of love. Here’s the good news. Thanks to JESUS, we can find freedom. We can live an abundant life.
As believers, we tend to forget our freedom – sometimes unknowingly. We chain ourselves to the opinions of others, the expectations of society, and the never-ending pressure of creating the “perfect” life on social media. We forget who we were created to be. We forget our own interests. We convince ourselves that it’s okay to not like ANYTHING about ourselves, as long as we have the high of getting the most likes on social media. Does it really matter if we’re known? YES, IT MATTERS. Anyone can be admired, that’s easy. But to be known? That takes guts. That requires us getting down to the nitty gritty of who we are – the good, the bad and the ugly.
We’re told we’re supposed to be the beauty, the brain, the straight A student, the soccer mom, the “girl boss”, the trophy wife, the taxi driver, the super-attractive yet non-clingy girlfriend…the list just goes on and on. We’re supposed to have it all, tied up neatly in a size zero package with a perfectly manicured head of hair on top. At least, that’s what society tells us…that’s what our insecurities tell us.
If you could sit down and talk to younger me over coffee right now, you would find a girl that didn’t allow herself to fail. To mess up. To say the wrong thing. To wear the wrong thing. To look the wrong way. To admit her failures. To post a picture that contained a blemish. To have any flaws. To be HUMAN. Goodness, I probably wouldn’t even allow myself to have that cup of coffee, because it contained caffeine…and have you heard what that could do to your skin? Younger me didn’t have the courage to face breakouts. To face my fear of not measuring up.
I couldn’t let go of this image I had worked so hard to create, because in doing so, that meant I’d have to come to terms with who I really was, and that was terrifying. That involved facing my past, facing my mistakes and facing people as I truly was. Here lied an even bigger problem, though—I didn’t even know who I was. I had so carefully and intentionally crafted myself to be who everyone wanted me to be, that I forgot who I was. Who I was created to be.
A relationship status doesn’t define you. A college degree doesn’t define you. A job doesn’t define you. Your worth is found in God alone.
You see, our world is in a bit of an identity crisis – much like I was for so long. We look to places like Instagram and Pinterest to fix our lives, but we don’t notice they can only teach us skills like how to cook or put together the perfect outfit. They can’t give us a DIY method to fill our hearts, to fix the broken pieces of our lives. Here’s why…we weren’t made to do this thing ourselves, and that’s why God sent His son, Jesus, to fix things for us. To make the broken places whole again.
When life tries to knock you down, remember this…you have already been RAISED UP with Christ, and your seat in the heavenly places is saved – right next to His. THAT IS YOUR PLACE. Find rest knowing you don’t have to put yourself down anymore, you’ve already been raised up. You don’t have to try so hard to measure up, His grace fills in the gaps between you and God. He is your qualification. He is your identity.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Galatians 6:6-10
You ARE beautiful. You ARE good enough. You ARE worthy of love. You ARE more than your past. You ARE NOT your failures. You DO have a distinct, specific purpose. You ARE talented. You ARE important. You AREN’T defined by who you “should have been”. A relationship status doesn’t define you. A college degree doesn’t define you. A job doesn’t define you. Your worth is found in God alone. Don’t give up on yourself. You are here to love, serve and share goodness while you’re alive, and to me, that seems like a life that matters. A life that is full of purpose. A life that just might change the world.
by Juli Wilson | Sep 4, 2017 | Life Advice |
Rest. As a wife and mama to two boys ages two and nine months, that word seems so irrelevant. What in the world is rest!? Does that happen before or after the house is cleaned, meals are prepped and tantrums are settled? With so much work to be done, rest seems like a foreign idea. Here’s the thing, I know taking the time to rest is important – I preach that to my kids all day long. If they miss a nap, I know chaos will soon follow. Why? Because they are burnt out. If they go, go, go without proper rest, they’re bound to crash, and no parent wants their child to feel that way. We want them to feel whole, rested and at peace. That doesn’t happen if they don’t get the time needed to sit back, relax and reflect. Somewhere along the way, I’ve forgotten that rest is important for mama’s, too. I’ve lived many days burnt out, exhausted and in need of a restart.
Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation today. Perhaps your hands are full of index cards and text books, studying tirelessly to ace that next test, or maybe you’re working that 9-5, and then racing to your part-time job so you can save up for that house you’ve always dreamed of. Wherever you are, whatever is on your plate, I can almost guarantee you this – you’re tired, and you need a refresh.
I can’t help but think about how God must feel as He looks down on us – running around endlessly, burning the candle at both ends of the stick. Trying so hard to make ends meet, keep up appearances, and measure up to that never-ending to-do list. He never intended for us to feel exhausted or worn out, and the great news is we don’t have to. Peace, that sweet kind that surpasses all understanding, is found at His feet. You don’t have to run in circles searching for purpose, you just have to fall at His feet. That is your purpose – to know Him and to make Him known. And to know Him, you must rest in His presence.
In Genesis, after creating the universe, God decided to rest. He found it to be such an important part of existing, that He made a whole day set aside for it – the Sabbath. He even goes as far as to call it holy. I don’t know about you, but I want a heart that looks like God’s. I want to chase after holiness, after what He calls good, and he says rest is on that list. Did you just sigh a breath of relief? I sure did. Work is a good thing, and we’re called to be diligent, working with all our might to honor our heavenly father. Here’s the beautiful thing though – God knows the weight of our calling. He knows we’re going to get tired, and He intentionally offers us the gift of rest. Don’t be afraid to open it up.
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25
by Juli Wilson | Aug 1, 2017 | Anxiety, Doubt, Life Advice, Motherhood, Purpose & Calling, Testimonies |
God’s plans for you are good.
Sit back and close your eyes for a second. I want you to think really hard about what your biggest fear is. Bring it to the forefront of your mind. Maybe its snakes, spiders and bugs, or maybe it’s the scarier stuff – like failing or not being good enough. Whatever it is, I want you to think on it. Imagine being face to face with it. What would you do? How would it affect you? This is the reality I faced just a few nights ago. And I had a huge choice to make.
It was a typical night in the Wilson household. I fed, changed and bathed babies, and then chased those little rascals around the house until it was bed time. Both kids went down with ease, and my husband and I high-fived in disbelief and decided to watch a movie. What? A movie night? For parents with two kids ages two and under? A DREAM. And it was…until it wasn’t. I decided that I’d make a night of it and went to take a bubble bath. I got the water started and joyfully walked down the hall to the laundry room to grab a freshly washed towel – made complete with a Mrs. Myers dryer sheet, of course. Pure luxury. As I opened the laundry room door, a MOUSE… A STINKING MOUSE ran in from our garage, through the doggie door and INTO OUR LAUNDRY ROOM LIKE HE OWNED THE PLACE. He ran by my feet and proceeded to go behind the dryer. Yes, the same dryer that was holding my glorious fluffy towel hostage.
“We unknowingly allow fear to guide us, to make decisions for us and to unfortunately, hold us back from what we were created for.”
I was instantly crippled by fear. I started screaming and pouting, insisting that my darling husband capture the unwanted houseguest and book me a stay at the nearest hotel. Dramatic? Probably. But it’s how I felt. It’s a funny thing, fear. It has a way of crippling you and stopping you right in your tracks. And at the time, it feels so big and scary – even if it is just the size of a mouse. I found my self tip-toeing through the house, looking around for anything that might jump out and surprise me. I unknowingly gave fear the opportunity to interrupt my life, my plans and ultimately, my peace.
And as I look back on all of this, I can’t help but notice a parallel to our spiritual lives. How many times have you found yourself tip-toeing through life, trying to do everything in your power to keep things from catching you off guard? We buy into this lie that we’re in control, that if we try hard enough to plan everything out, nothing can hurt or surprise us. We unknowingly allow fear to guide us, to make decisions for us and to unfortunately, hold us back from what we were created for.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Placing our trust in God doesn’t mean we can’t be afraid, so don’t beat yourself up if you still find yourself a little nervous when God calls you to do something. Sometimes, trusting is being scared out of your mind, terrified of what may or may not happen, but taking God’s reached out hand anyways— allowing Him to guide you through the unknowns. So, with you, I’m going to take those next steps. I’m going to keep on fighting the good fight, and although it may be scary, we don’t have to fear. We have a God who has plans for us are good. (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11) We can cling to this verse knowing that even though His plans for our lives won’t always be easy, they are always good. Will they be scary sometimes? You bet. But rest assured knowing they are setting the foundation for your future – hold on to hope knowing He won’t harm you. He’s a good Father. He won’t fail you.
