as Jules is living Archives - Page 9 of 46

She Doesn’t Love Jesus the Way I Love Jesus

February 13, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

Isabella is 5-years-old, with spunky white-blonde curles, and the personality to match. Izzie boldly approaches us with her request, be it rude demands some days, with not a care in the world. No doubt in her mind that Of Course we would want to give her the desires of her bubbly heart. She knows she’s loved.

This is the same girl who doesn’t think twice about if children would want to play with her at any given second. She’ll easily march up to children in a play-place or park and begin a game; no need for names while other children slowly and methodically wonder, choosing exactly who they think will allow them to play alongside them and eventually engage with.

On a particular day that her expectations rubbed me the wrong way I realized somthing. Why wouldn’t we be awaiting Izzie’s requests? Why wouldn’t all other children want to play with her?! She IS a child of the One True King; priced and protected.

You see, my eldest daughter Maggie loves Jesus with all her heart. She’s chasing after Him as fast as her little heart knows how. I think our brains work very similar and I can totally see my younger self in her. I understand how she sees things most of the time and her motive in certain desires.

Izzie, my middle daughter... She doesn’t love Jesus the way I love Jesus. And that’s a beautiful thing! I’m learning so much about the heart of my Jesus, how He loves me through, and how we are to love Jesus wants us to love Him, all through her. My favorite thing I’ve learned from about Christ through my Izzie Ru is how God truly wants to give us good gifts.

I’m not completely sold on this idea most days. You know, being the evil little twit that I am, deserving nothing. But Iz doesn’t see it that way. She knows the depth of His love and sees past the insecurity of once being a lost little sinner with an evil heart. She sees straight to how He sees us after His blood washed away the stank stains of sinful garbage in our lives.

The insecurity satan has bottled up in me keeps me captive in people-pleasing. I am sure that I miss opportunities all the time under the guise of “they wouldn’t wanna,” “I sure they don’t like me.” Half of you right now are resonating with those thoughts and the other half of you are thinking, “You have issues.” Don’t get me wrong, I think there are Christ-like qualities in both, modesty and confidence.

But in these instances, I want to live in the self-assurance [through Christ] that Princess Isabella of Heaven has as she lives out her God-given forgiveness. I am so so thankful she doesn’t love Jesus like I do. I pray for her boldness to stay strong as she learned about following Jesus and that I never hinder her gift of tenacity!

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids

TMNT Share the Gospel {finding truth in the secular}

January 19, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

I was recently watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with my hubs and a friend. Well, lets be honest, I was 'mom watching' it meaning I was going something else at the same time. I was catching the bulk of things and the main plot of the movie. That's when I realized that TMNT were sharing the Gospel.

Everything under the sun is groaning for the day when all will be set right again so I don't know why I was surprised at yet again finding truth in the secular. April Oneal is chasing Jesus {or at least a shadow of Jesus}.

You see, we're all on the hunt for the grand plan we're made to be apart of. For April, she runs toward things that seem to be meaningful. She knows there's more and she needs to know what it is. We can learn a lot from her in this movie and apply it to how we should be digging into the bigger picture we're apart of.

{{possible spoiler alert!!!}}}

How to Chase Jesus Like April Oneal

In the mist of her hunt she is taken hostage momentarily and rather than focus on how she is going to be affected she turns immediately to how she can use the situation. She thinks of how she can learn and expose the bad by growing through the situations. Doesn't fear but looks for opportunity. She's not sure how but is sure that there is a way to heal the hurts occurring.

After the "vigilante" saved the day {as she trusted would happen}, April chases the "vigilante" down in hopes of exposure to those in need. When she finds out it is in fact 4 "vigilantes" she begins a relationship with them. Though there are obvious reasons to question what is happening, she trust those who have saved her {and so many others} with few questions.

As a natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally, April runs back into her world to tell as many people as she can about story unfolding behind the scene.

The vigilante(s) makes a plan to capture April, bring her into his custody, and protect her from harm. Once in his care, he wants to train her the best way to live as well as how to protect others.

April realizing the war she's in the middle of is way bigger than she had once seen but decides to join the adventure she's been seeking knowing she'll be taken care of and can't wait to share the awesomeness she's discovered with others.

¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:19-24

Our "vigilante" is Jesus Christ. He comes to rescue us as no one else can. We along with the rest of our world are seeking that salvation. Just like April, the natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally is to begin an intimate relationship with that person as well as run back into our world to tell as many people as we can about story unfolding behind the scene. Christ has a plan to bring us under His protection and wants to train us the best way to live as well as how to lead others to His life-changing salvation.

God is in everything. Nothing is inherently bad because He made it all. Therefor it isn't hard to find truth even in the seemingly secular.

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Jesus Juked by My Kids, The ones about the Rothacher Home

An Open Letter to Our Former Youth Group

January 14, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

Dear former youth group,

I'm here to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry we told you not have sex, do drugs, or drink alcohol. I'm sorry we guilted you into devoting your midweek to our service rather than your God-given-interest. I'm sorry we taught you self-righteous religion rather than the true character of God.

Here's the thing. The Bible isn't a book mostly about YOU and what YOU should be doing. It's a book about GOD and what HE has done.

We unintentionally taught you that that every story in the Bible somehow points to you. We explained that your behavior was the ultimate dictator of salvation. Though we never would have come out and said it knowing it was totally false, we let you believe that your behavior swayed God in some way, good or bad. We painted a picture of God as a Santa-figure who sees you when you were sleeping, sees when you're awake, knows if you've been bad or good, so please be good for goodness sake.

The Bible does have guidelines for how life works best. Why wouldn't it. It's a story about the Creator and His creation. It's bound to come up because the story of God and what He's done is made even more amazing in light of how things were supposed to work, how we jaked it up, and how His genius master plan is going to redeem us even though we don't deserve anything.

Many of you in our youth group were coming to 'church' alone. You're parents weren't devout Christ-followers or even if they were, they were possibly relying on us to teach about God. Most adult use youth group like a public school, trusting that the fundamentals of "Christianity" are the responsibility of the staff at a 'church'. Because of that, I'm even more sorry we didn't show you complete truths.

Every story in the Bible points to Jesus. Not you. You're not supposed to attempt to find yourself in the stories of Noah, Mosis, or David. You're supposed to seek God and His kingdom. Every story whispers His name.

As I watch you grow-up, go to college, move, get jobs, get married, have kids I see religion failing you. No matter how much attempting to be 'good' you can handle it will always leave you empty. Life won't unfold into the christian-karma-crap we filled you with. Because of that you will run. You are running. You're leaving the Church in droves because morality has failed you.

I'm sorry I helped lead you to this place but now I'm hear to fight to lead you back to Christ. To show you His true character. Every aspect of our life bleeds the DNA of who we think God is. Your view of who God is the foundation for your belief system and you believe system determines your actions. Out of our love for you in our youth group, we targeted the only thing we could see, your actions, in an attempt to determine if you were a Christ-follower.

Maybe we had a savior complex, maybe we were just that ingnorant. Painting a picture of a self-serving, smoke and lights, hype and games, fame and fortune religion remorsefully. God's taught us so much over the last few years and we hope to chase down the dechurched generation that we had a hand in running off.

Sincerely yours,

Regretful Youth Pastors of Generation Xers and Millennials

Filed Under: as Jules is living, The DeChurched, The DeChurched, The ones about the Rothacher Home, The Ones about The Valley Church

Decluttering Kids’ Books with a Win Win Win

January 5, 2015 by Jules 2 Comments

One of the places I've delaying in the Decluttering-My-Home-thing has been the kid's bookshelves.

Sadly, this isn't because I'm a book-lover. I was a little sentimental about who/where they came from but it is mainly because I'm not a reader. I didn't read a lot as a child but I want my kids' to love reading. I know you can learn anything if you're a good reader. I was scared that since I don't really like reading, I'd just chunk everything and be THAT terrible homeschool mom who had no books for her children to read. I mean really, what would people think if they came over and I had no books?! lol but really!

I finally hit it hard last night. As soon as the kids were in bed, I finished picking up and then had my hubs drag ALL their books into the living room from the play/school room where I strung them everywhere while we/he watched a TV show.

I was nervous.

I made piles. Then I reorganized the piles. Then I doubted my piles. Books from HIPPY {that must mean they're good, right?}. Books that damaged. Books I recognized from seeing in the school library as a child. Random. Donate. Trash. I'm not sure.

Ya see what I'm saying, I'm okay at organized but reluctant to declutter. Everything has a purpose, someone one would use it, I might be able to make $2 off of it. Ugg

I finally confessed my fear of getting rid of books to my hubs and then dumped my pile of random books next to him to help me make finally decisions about.

We cleared out a giant tub-full of books. Some I could have possibly sold at the Duck Duck Goose Consignment Event but I just decided that if they made it into the tub from whatever reason, I wasn't going to look at them again. I'm not sure how shaddy this was but I just left the 'donate' and 'trash' pile all together in the tub. I ask my hubs to take the tub to the garage for now so 'the kids' would dig stuff back out of it.

Today we picked back up our attempt at weekly library trips. As I walked out I grabbed that tub. The stupid thing is clear. That's Not Helpful.

I didn't look. I just put it in the front seat and after double checking with the librarian, I brought in the tub and left it with her. Tub and All. I couldn't take the chance of watching her sort through them. Guilt. Regret. Embarrassment.

When I got home, I was hoping the kids didn't really notice me running back into the library with their books. But apparently that's hard to miss. They announced at lunch, "Daddy, we took our books to the library! Now we can rent them any time we want."

Hmm That had never occurred to me. I mean. I'm a genius. I convinced my children it was okay to declutter/get rid of books by taking them to the local library because now someone Else has to store them, we can check them out any time we want, AND other can use them as well! 😀

Filed Under: as Jules is living, Homeschool, Organizing, Parenting, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Happy New Year {2015}!!!

January 1, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

So weird to be writing again. I've read about things like this on real-actual blogs. Writers saying they feel out-of-place, lost in their own space, awkward in unfamiliar territory that used to be so cozy, comfy, and personal.

I've been gone so long that I don't remember what its like to write. Write for fun. Write because I feel like I have something to say. Something that's inside me needing to eek out.I want that again. I've spent some time doing some virtual assistant work, writing for a couple other contributor sites, and ya know...life with lots of littles.

I've also seen tons of people walk away from said space when they got in a funk. Some people have created a new space to try to find a new groove. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be hard to find myself here again and I do have new interests in the realm of blogging but I stick I'm gonna stick it out.

I have a habit of not trying to hard. I don't like the idea of work super hard for something that I may fail at. I don't like doing things half-way but I am also learning that what I consider half-way and what God thinks is exactly what He's looking for are totally different sometimes.

This year, I'm not doing the resolution thing. I'm not doing the one-word thing. I'm going to do the try-chase-Jesus-in-a-healthy-rhythm thing. lol I just mean I want to find some normalcy. Routine. Schedule but with flexibility. Discipline and Grace.

I'm really hoping that writing is part of that rhythm a little more often than it has been this past year. I'd love to reorganize here. Start a new site {already bought the domain name}. Finish the book {idea} I've started.

So what's been up with you? 😉 How has your year been? Are you doing resolutions, one-word, or the just-keep-truck'n?