REDEEMED {Thoughtful Thursday} early

April 9, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I know this is early AND this isn't the best picture but I wanted to share how I made this sign in case you wanted to do it...these DaySpring letters are on sale & it ends TODAY!!!! I shared last week about why I chose the word REDEEMED, for the entry way in the valley. {better pics to come}

Redeemed leftover materials:
- Wood knocked down from original walls in the building
- Leftover paint from the green walls
- Leftover paint from the bathroom cabinets {that were 'revived'}
My buddy John cut the 2x4x1 boards for me
- ~8 foot long {top & bottom pieces}
- 2 foot tall {side pieces}
Paint frame pieces with the black {flat CHEAP paint}
- one coat is fine
- let dry and then scruff up edges as well as the entire length of the board with sandpaper or a sand sponge {you can use a hand sander if you're intense like that}
Measure and paint the green rectangle {matte inside the frame}
Hang Frame
- Start with the top piece
  - Center and hang with screws in at least one stud
- Hang side pieces loosely
- Hang bottom piece
  - Then match up sides before screwing in tightly
Measure and hang lettering
- We used push pins to mark & double check our measurements {spacing is totally up to the individual}
- We ended up putting a screw {or 2 for the M}
- The holes on the back are large enough to hang with a small nail or even a push pin
- I think this could look cute just sitting on the bottom ledge of the frame and or staggering letters

There it is. Just wanted to you know how easy this project was and ALL for less than $20 {including shipping of the letters}!!! That's less than $2.5o a letter and I don't think you could buy simple wooden letters for that and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have painted them as cute and even. Get you're HERE. Last day to use this coupon code! Great Deal!!! {and surprisingly super fast shipment arrival!}

COUPON CODE: WATF30 = $14

{expire Tuesday, April 9^that midnight CST}

#winning Thanks WeareTHATfamily #weareredeemed

Filed Under: Deals, Decorating, Homemaker, Testimony, The ones about the Rothacher Home, The Ones about The Valley Church

THIS is The Church in the valley

April 1, 2013 by Jules 4 Comments

Vilonia, formerly Vilsonia, is the city of two valleys.

1 Kings 20:28 (NIV)

²⁸The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Having already canvassed the neighborhoods, telling of the good news that another move of God was about to sweep through their town, the church in the valley opened the doors of their building to the community on Easter 2013.

The church in the valley has poured sweat, blood, and tears over the redemption of the old dollar general building they’ve chosen to use for a gathering space. In two short months, a family has formed; ties have been knotted; The Church has gathered. With much anticipation of life change, this group of believers is now has a space ready to invite friends, families and other captives to join them on Sundays to celebrate the living God.

As they met early Easter morning, giddiness spilled over the entire place. Bright-eyed after only a few hours of sleep, these people gazed at the parking lot as it filled with cars. Cars full of those in need of Christ and His church. They began to pour in and suddenly men had to wheel in more chairs to accommodate those attending the first official gathering of this new extension of The Church. Prayers went up before the worship service began. Not of fear but of thanksgiving. God had already answered so many God-sized dreams. The fickle prayers had been blown out of the water. These people now sit with their arms open wide. Waiting. Waiting to see how God will show up next. Beyond expectation.

People. Not a space. Are God's Church.

THIS is The Church in the valley:

Filed Under: Cool Ministries, Testimony, The DeChurched, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The Ones about The Valley Church

To Redeem

March 29, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

One of my new favorite concepts to {almost} grasp about God...to redeem something.

Redeem:

To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.
To pay off.
To turn in and receive something in exchange.
To fulfill.
To convert into cash.
To set free; rescue or ransom.
To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences.
To make up for.
To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of.

One of my favorite ways to SEE this is currently in our "old dollar general" building we have been allowed to "redeem". This well-worn, grungy, passed down, forgotten, abandoned, in-need-of-much-love building is now being redeemed, not just because it is becoming a space for the church to meet but because it is being recovered, converted, restored into a useable, worth-while, place of value.

Watching the simple lease being signed gave me hope. Hope that there will be one less vacant building in a community we are praying flourishes. Seeing a group of people see this space as something other than its past with excitement about its potential is intoxicating. Being a part of this group who now feels this place is worth investing in, working on, and helping transform, shows me a glimpse of what Christ has done for me.

I was {and still am} a worn, grungy, passed down, forgotten, abandoned, in-need-of-love person. I have been redeemed, not just for a ticket into heaven one day but for now, because I am recovered from the grime; converted and restored into someone usable, worth-while and given value; not because of my decision to become a bond-servant of Jesus but because He chose to redeem me.

Know Jesus came because He loves us in our brokenness, not because we are "worth dying for" but because we are a creation of THE Creator to whom we owe all praise. We can now be intoxicated by His desire to give God the glory through giving us new potential. Covered by His robe of righteousness, I am now being invested in, worked on, and transformed!

Do you know the life change that can only be found in being redeemed by the only One who can redeem, pay in full, recover God's ownership of us by paying a specified sum- DEATH of a sinless person who has power OVER Death. That is Easter. THAT is the ultimate Redemption.

UPDATE: Totally just bought these giant letter from DaySpring that spell out REDEEMED for the valley's entry.

COUPON CODE: WATF30 = $14 {expire Tuesday, April 9^th at midnight CST}

#winning Thanks WeareTHATfamily #weareredeemed

 contains affiliate links

Filed Under: Holidays, Testimony, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home, The Ones about The Valley Church

Team Jesus or Team Me?

March 27, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

My children sit in the backseat squabbling. With months of travel under their belts they've run out of games, drawing pads, and have flat worn out the portable DVD players, and me! Now...they pick fights. That's entertaining, right?

Izzie, middle child {wamp wamp wamp} apparently has nothing better to do than to find interesting ways to become noticed. Drama Queen. Her new favorite? State falsehoods. What is that you say? Being a doober! Izzie will, mid-conversation, suddenly state that the grass outside the window is blue. Yep. That's right. Complete and utter lie. Who cares, you may be thinking? Why would she do that? Because MAGGIE cares!

Maggie, first child {wamp wamp wamp} will melt at the first inkling of something false. She thrives on truth, memorization, and basically being right. She will freak out!!! You know the kicking, screaming, thrashing, mom-Izzie-is-saying-things-that-aren't-true kind of freaking out. She will not cease until all is right with the world again...in defense of that poor GREEN, not blue, grass.

Izzie, she could care less what the correct name is for the color of the grass. She is enjoying life, cruising along on her road trip, laughing to herself over the free entertainment she has created for herself.

Jamin, youngest child {wamp wamp wamp} doesn't have a care in the world and, in between laughing at the girls squabble, is making sure his own juice cup is topped off.

Our Godly-parenting solution? "Maggie, who cares?!? Is Izzie right? No. Does it matter? Not really. She knows she's wrong, you know she's wrong, we know she's wrong, she knows we know she's wrong. Your screaming at her doesn't change any of that. Hush."

Hmmmm, interesting. God always teaches me intriguing things when my kids are being annoying boogers.

Same Sex Marriage...or any controversial topic for that matter,
some of you may already see where I'm going with this...maybe I don't need to explain...

Drama filled trips with my littles is almost as fun-filled as watching adults create drama out of literal thin air on Facebook...not!

"But they're wrong & its a sin!"

Christians, who cares?!?

Are they right? No. {based on scripture alone not your stinky opinion}

Does it matter? Not really. {God's opinion & record of wrong is the only thing that matters}

They know we believe its wrong and a sin.
You know we believe its wrong and a sin.
They knows we know we believe its wrong and a sin.

Is your screaming, ranting, protesting, changing profile pictures AT them really gonna change any of that? <Tweet This>

Setting up "battle lines" is pure silliness and is accomplishing nothing but making sure everyone in the "car" knows we know we're "right". Battle lines imply we're in a war and we are, but not against the people picking fights with. {We wage war not against flesh and blood 2 Corinthians 10:3-4} We are not soldiers defending God either. I mean, really...He doesn't need defending and by who...us? bwahahaha.

We are actually messengers of his grace and goodness. {2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."}

We have escaped the prison of sin and death, and now are assigned the rescue mission of aiding the POW's still captive.
The problem comes when the POW fires at us. They don't realize they're a prisoner, and they view us as a threat coming to do them harm. When we "fire back" at them, we've drawn up battle lines that we shouldn't. We are to continue to plead with them to come to Christ (to escape the prison that is sin).

It would just be mean of us to stand outside the prison taunting them with picket signs announcing their captivity.

Attempt rescue missions. That's all we can do. Debating never changes a point of view. Debates just keep points: a record of rights and wrongs. If we love, viewing everyone as a friend to be rescued, the mission will change our tactics.

This week, of what should be reflection, lets reevaluate which team are we are standing with. Team Jesus: meekness, humility, love, truth. OR Team Me: aggressiveness, defense, pride and boasting in the name of "truth" which comes out, not as love, but hate? The chose is yours. And no, you don't have to wear the t-shirt.

If this post resonated with you and/or know someone who needs to hear, not all who call themselves Christians are tools, please share.

Filed Under: Current Events/News, Testimony, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}, The ones about the Rothacher Home

The Adventure That IS The Christian Life.

March 18, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I showed up two days late. I was wearing a t-shirt with a giant tweety bird on the front of it with matching tweety bird print cotton shorts that were very possibly viewed as pajama shorts. Not exactly how you should probably start out junior high.

That first day was hard to say the least. All my peers {including familiar friends from elementary school, had already worked out some of those first day hiccups. I was just now experiencing them. I’m not sure if it was while I sat next to the kids with a mustache who’d already done his share of 7^th grade…a couple times, or if it was sitting among a huge classroom full of nothing but other 7^th grade girls. They all seemed to know exactly who they were, or at least who they wanted to be. Confidence oozed whither they were strut’n a ‘stache or rock’n a new do while singing. {as much as a 7^th grader can really strut and rock in their lankiness- but I didn’t know that then}

Not me. Sitting in my cartoon-clad, cotton monstrosity, I was very aware that I didn’t even have enough confidence in who I was to tell my grandmother, while birthday clothes shopping, I was sorta…fading out of my Tweety phase.

As I trudged through 7^th grade I tried to find myself; not only in my new found fashion sense {or at least awareness} but in the, I’m-now-a-Christ-follower sense.

God’s timing is so perfect. What an amazing time to have found Christ- Old enough to understand larger concepts of lordship but not so set too much in my selfish this-is-who-I-am personality that I was still moldable.

After my backseat conversion, realized I couldn’t just live as an ‘undercover’ Christian. God has set me apart. There is no way for me to blend in; fly under the radar; be just like everyone else ever again. Working my way through junior high as well as high school, I joined every Christian group I could find trying to be apart of the greater story I wanted to be a part of so desperately.

Now, there is nothing wrong with Christian clubs and organizations but somehow this way of organizing my ‘faith’ wasn’t as extreme as I dreamed. It seemed to help me compartmentalize God in a separate box from everything else in my life. It wasn’t as unmistakable as the Bible described. I was gaining much-needed discipline in my life but not living the adventure that is the Christian life.

Awe, poor junior high, just another part of God drawing me closer to him.