Unconditional Love, Unending Forgiveness

To all reading this:  This is raw, unedited, uncensored, and unquestionably full of grammatical errors.

Tonight, I was sitting around, watching a TV show on Netflix, burning CDs into my iTunes and drinking a glass of red wine when Pup asked to go out.  Now, selfishly I was watching a show, downloading CDs into iTunes and enjoying a glass of wine, yet I hopped right up and said to Pup: "oh, do you wanna go outside?  outside?"  At that moment it hit me.  Here I was, having a delightfully lackadaisical evening, when I was willing to put that aside for a second to hop up off the floor and let the dog out.  Happily.  Now, that just isn't like me.

Yes, I am that selfish girl, who, when alone, likes to just relax and have some "me" time.  Well, here's the rub; "it ain't all about me!"  I know that letting the dog out seems like such a silly way to remember that, but I jumped up so willingly.

The other day I was talking to my dad about someone I had to forgive.  He felt that I could not move forward in my faith unless I truly forgave this person.  I got defensive, and told Dad that I did forgive this person, time and time again.  I told Dad that I referred to this person as my 7 x 70 (Matthew 18:22).  Dad then told me, that I had not really committed to this forgiveness, as I had not told the person I had forgiven them.  Now, to put this in perspective, I had been angry with this person for most of my life.  For Daddy to tell me that I had not done all that was necessary to forgive this person made me angry.  But, tonight, when I let Pup out, I thought back to this conversation with my dad.  Where is my love for this person, who I felt had wronged me unjustly.  Where was my willingness to jump up off the floor and tell this person I forgive and love them, as Jesus has loved me.  As God has told me to love not just those people I like, but those I do not like. (Matthew 5:43-48) I do not consider this person an enemy, but if I am to look at an enemy with love...

This is not the only example that came to mind when I let Pup out.  It is, however, the biggest one.  I find it amazing how God can take one little, seemingly insignificant, action in your life and turn it into a lesson.  My dad is my most trusted friend, my most trustworthy earthly counselor.  I know, that when I go to my dad, he may not give me the answer I want, he may not give the answer he likes, but he always gives an answer he believes is the best for my welfare.  He knows I may not always take his advice, but he loves me anyway.  He allows me to make my own decisions, even though I may get hurt.  He stands by, when I do get hurt, to lend a shoulder to cry on, or to be a metaphorical punching bag.  He forgives me, even when I don't deserve it.  He loves me, even when I don't deserve it.  He is always there for me, even when I don't deserve it.  He doesn't always like me, or my actions, but he ALWAYS loves me.  He always loves me, even when I don't deserve it!

I have heard some discussion, on why God should not be referred to as "Father".  To me, this is hard to accept.  My dad is not perfect.  But he exhibits love.  Have you ever heard the song "Daddy's Hands"?  Well, here is the chorus:

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin',

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong.

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle

But I've come to understand

There was always love in Daddy's hands.

With a Dad like that, it is not hard to understand how God is a father.  He may not always give you what you want, but a good daddy, will always give you what you need.  Is there someone in your life like that?

I do not know anyone whom I fight with more than my dad, yet, going two days without talking to him seems like an eternity.  What is our relationship with God like?  Do we miss him when we don't speak for a day or two?  Why not?  I go crazy not talking to my dad, even when what he has to say angers me or makes me uncomfortable.  Is there a lesson to be learned even when we don't want to hear it?  God loves us no matter what.  He doesn't promise us a rose garden.  (Okay, another country song reference, but it pertains, honest.)  What God does promise us is that He is here.  Whatever we are going through, God loves us, and is here for us.

It feels like an awful lot to get out of just letting the dog out, but who am I to question how God speaks to me?  I have taken steps to meet with the person I need to forgive.  I have not loved this person I need to forgive.  God loves me, and I am to love others, no matter what!

Friends, love is not always easy.  Forgiveness is not always easy.  But with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Our God is an Awesome God!!

God Bless,

Jules

P.S.  I wrote this from the heart, when it happened.  It was emotional to write and it is hard to hit "publish".  I don't know why it was important for me to blog this experience, but it was.
I knew of scripture references, but wasn't sure where in the Bible they were.  At the conclusion of this post I noticed that, clearly, this was a lesson in Matthew.

Surf Trip 2012

The weekend before Labor Day, my friends Roxi, Lily and I went down to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina to surf.  I had been wanting to learn to surf for quite a while now, but I didn't want to go alone.  It isn't just down the street.  So I early this spring I had mentioned to Lily that I was going to have some time off and I would really love to learn to surf.  She had been wanting to learn as well!  So we decided we would do it.  Later this spring, I mentioned it to Roxi.  She was all for it too.

And, so, a plan emerged.  We would all learn to surf the weekend before Labor Day.  The three of us left Thursday evening after work and drove the six and a half hours south to Wrightsville Beach.  We had to get to bed because we would soon be up for our surf lesson! Up early and raring to go!  He we are!! LETS SURF!

We were so excited to learn that the instructor got a little more pumped.  We learned how to read the ocean, other water safety, and pop ups while we were on dry land.  Then we moved to the water!!

 All of managed to get up on our boards!! WOO HOO!!!  By the end of the lesson, we were tired and hungry!! Kirstin, our instructor recommended some good places to eat, and we enjoyed Tower 7 so much, we ended up eating there both Friday and Saturday!!! :)  We finished our Friday bowling and renting surf boards for the next day!

Saturday we wake up STOKED!!! We look out our window for a surf check.  We have a relative idea what we are doing.  :)  Saturday we had hurricane swells from Isaac rolling in.  It made for some fun surf.  We went out early, knowing our skill set was rudimentary at best, and we had a blast.  I caught a couple waves, squatted on one, Roxi caught the same wave!  It was pretty sweet!  We don't surf down a wave yet, we surf straight into the beach, so we didn't run into each other!  Lily caught a wave too! :)  It was fun, but the waves  were getting a little big for us and the water was getting a little crowded.  We decided it was time to pack it in.

After showers and a short nap, we ate and walked around window shopping.  It was a lot of fun.  We returned our surf boards and headed out for a late night walk on the beach.  It was definitely good times!

Sunday morning.  Our final day at the beach.  We did yoga first thing, ate breakfast after and one last walk on the beach.  We stared at the waves wanting to go back out.  We had an amazing time.  Roxi, Lily and I have found a new favorite hobby.  Our workouts have even been modified to aid in our surfing.   And, we came home with a slogan: "hot ladies with surf boards."  We can hardly wait until next year!  Surfs up!!

All my love,
God Bless,

Jules

God's House

The other day Chuckles and I are driving home, listening to a worship CD and we had an interesting conversation.

The conversation started by Chuckles asking if this song was about Jesus who died for us.
Yes, yes it is.  A few minutes later, I find myself talking about how, when it is time, we will leave earth and go and live in God's house.  What follows is a shortened version of the rest of our conversation...


C: "...and live with Jesus in God's house?"

Me: "Yes sweetheart, earth is temporary...not permanent, when it is time, I will go and live with God and Jesus in God's house."

C: "No, I don't want you to go live with Jesus in God's house, I want you to stay in our house with me..."

...and after a long pause, there were words spoken by this three and half year old boy, that I will never forget...

C: "Julie, Jesus lives in our hearts.  So you don't need to leave and go to God's house to live with Jesus, because you already live with Jesus."

For Chuckles, that was the end of the conversation, it made perfect sense to him, that no one needs to go to heaven, because we already live with Jesus and God in our hearts and lives, so why leave.  It also didn't help that my initial response was that of wow, and uhhhhhhhhhhh....

I am blessed with a wonderful family to nanny for.  They love God and it shows in their words and actions.  They have a new addition, a beautiful little girl, I will refer to as Spud.  Chuckles loves Spud and is always doting on her and wanting to 'pet' her.  I thank God every day for the blessing of this family.  I am blessed.

Jules

A Walk in the Woods

Yesterday we forayed into the wilds of the back yard. 

It was a lot of fun.

Chuckles loved the mud and frogs.

It was a good day!

I love my job.

Injury

Target is a dangerous place.  This is no secret.  But, I am not speaking of the unspeakable amount of money I would like to spend every time I walk in.  Now, I am speaking of my own stupidity, and how it caused me to injure my lower back, making me an almost invalid, for approximately three days thus far.  And how that actually turned out to be a good thing...

This past Saturday, I was buying a cabinet to put over the toilet (who doesn't need more cabinet space in the bathroom) and that is when it happened.  I had chosen my piece of furniture and was about to load it into the cart, when, all of a sudden, the box came apart.  Now, what every good girl should do, of course, is to immediately drop the box.  Preferably NOT on your toes.  But, unlike a good girl, who knows better, I tried to catch the box.  And that is when it happened.  That twinge in your lower back and the immediate realization that you made a HUGE mistake by not dropping the box, potentially on your toes.  Yes, that is me.  So I manage to make it home, I have R unload the item, warning him about the bottom of the box, and I go lie down on top of an ice pack for a while.

I am hugely grateful for the wonderful family I have been blessed with.  They took care of me, and even would stop me if I tried to do something.  :)  Now, three days later, I finally make it to the chiropractor.  I love my chiropractor, my headaches have diminished significantly since seeing him and he is just great at his job.  He seemed a bit confused as to why a healthy 28 year old woman in good health with no prior lower back problems, would still be this hurt three days after the incident.

As it turns out I have a spine thing I cannot remember the technical term for.  This, plus the strain on my back from moving furniture a couple days earlier, caused the extensiveness of the injury.  So, once I am healed, I get to add CORE workouts to my swimming regimen.  This will help strengthen my back and help reduce the risk of something like this happening again.  I do have to go to my chiropractor again this week, but I am happy to be on the mend and back in the pool by Monday's practice. WOOHOO!

I am fully aware that there are far worse things in this world than a pulled back.  But there was also a lesson for me.  Even in rough times, times of pain or discouragement, there is a bigger picture.  Now I know I need to work on my core to help with my spine, and any injuries this issue may cause in the future.  I know what a wonderful family I have to work with me and help me during this injury!  Trials are a time to learn and grow.  Some are bigger than others, but it is what you take out of them that matter.

Fabulous Weekend

What a wonderful weekend!  I had a four day weekend as the family was out of town.  It started with a mani/pedi on Friday morning.  My nails look great, by the way!

After the mani/pedi it was off to D.C. for some lunch from trucks with my amazing friend Lily.  She just got an awesome new job, so, since I had the day off, it worked out for us to have lunch.  We both had fish tacos.  They were SO DELICIOUS!

From lunch I went to the Library of Congress!  What a wonderful, beautiful place.  I am now a card holder so I can go into the research sections.  :):)  Oh yeah!!!!!!!  If you come out here, you MUST go to the Jefferson Building at least.

I then took a circuitous route to the White House.  I was meeting my friend Jess to head to Happy Hour.  So Jess and I headed to Crystal City, to one of my favorite restaurants, Jaleo (pronounced Ha lay O).  Many friends joined us there.  We had such fun eating tapas and drinking sangria, we did not want the evening to end.  So we decided to get some Thai food for dinner.  This was hilarious because we weren't really hungry after all the tapas.  

Saturday morning began with coffee and picking up Jess for a project called Rebuilding Together.  Rebuilding Together is a lot like Habitat for Humanity only it does more renovation than building. :)  Jess got to do some demo work, which she found very satisfying, and I spent some time with other friends attempting to lay pavers down.  We definitely learned a lot!  I almost may have gotten teased a bit for my slightly OCD approach to laying them.  :)  I just wanted them to look good! ;)

From there I swung home to get in a quick shower and catch a movie with Lily.  After which I headed straight to a youth event called MERGE.  Our wonderful youth pastor TJ, throws these events once a month as a non-Church based event the youth can bring their friends to and just have a grand ol' time.  The youth had an absolute blast.  They played dodgeball on a tennis court, and just dance at a youth's home.  I was there for the dodgeball and actually got a kiddo out!  WHOO HOO.  (For those of you who do not know, I am NOT good at dodgeball, but I do have fun!)  After this, I ordered Chinese food and drank a glass of red.  Mmmmmm.

Sunday morning came early.  Well, technically it didn't, but you should know by now that I do not like to wake up in what the world calls... morning! :)  I actually have learned that I enjoy having a full day of accomplishments, just don't tell my dad!  I still remember him waking me up 45 minutes before I needed to be up for work, to have me work on Christmas cards.  Yes, my beloved daddy!  No, I was not thrilled with him at that moment!  :)  I know I live 1,092 miles away from Daddy, but somehow, some way, if he wanted, he could get me up 45 minutes before I needed to be up, to do something he thought was important.  I love my Daddy!

Anyhoo, back to Sunday.  I actually showed up to church 10 minutes early.  Yes, I know.  Well, I needed to be there for some stuff and didn't want to be late.  Y'all know how we Wests are!  Anyhoo, again, there was a really good sermon this Sunday.  I love it when the sermon is poignant, when it really speaks to me, or something I need to be doing in my life.

After church, the Young Adults went to a restaurant called Texas de Brazil.  Ummmmm, do you like steak?  I do!  And this place is all about meat!  YUMMMMMM!  Any place that comes around with unlimited steak, chicken, and pork is a HAPPY PLACE!!  SOOOOO HAPPY!  Our pastor Eduardo indroduced us to this place, and you bet we toasted him!! THANK YOU EDUARDO!  Not just for the delicious food, but for the wonderful sermon!  Thank you!

After dinner, I was ready for a nap.  And I took one!  A full twenty seven minutes!  After that it was off to RAMP!  (Yes, I did manage to take a short nap, and make it somewhere after.)  RAMP was amazing, as per usual.  I was definitely challenged this RAMP.  Thank you Lord for so many youth in my life and for your guidance that night!  

Monday morning did NOT come early.  I slept in til after 8:00 a.m.  I did not do much this morning.  I watched Torchwood on Netflix.  I did take some time to work out!  Yay, big accomplishment for the day.  I had a dentist appointment this afternoon.  I have not had a dentist checkup for approximately 10 years.  Considering that, the appointment wasn't that bad.  I need to floss. ;)  

Even with the dentist appointment today, I had a wonderful weekend!  It was full of good friends and good food.  Who could ask for anything better?

God Bless,

Jules

Moving

Hey y'all!

Wow!  It has been a busy few weeks.  We are moving!  Getting the current house ready to show has been a lot of work for R and S.  I have helped out a little too.  I am very excited about the move to the new home.  It is a little sad, as R and S have been in this house for 10 years!!!! But, they found their FINAL house.  Meaning they do not intend to move again.  :)

Some awesome things about the new house:
     The house is at the end of a cul de sac.
     The house is 7 doors down from the local pool. :)
     The house backs up to the woods.
     The area has a good school system for Chuckles.  (He starts preschool this fall.)
     There are amazing neighbors and is just a great neighborhood!  :):)

We move in a couple weeks, and I am so excited.  :)  Also, Chuckles will have a little brother or sister come mid-August, so I will remain in the DC area for a while yet! :)

All my love!

Jules