Julie Naturally
natural self-reliance for Christians
I love Jesus, I love supporting small businesses and artisans, and I would love to have the Holy Land experience. However, I can’t afford a trip like that, so I do the next best thing. The Holy Land comes to me in a quarterly subscription box from Artzabox. This time, I got to experience the …
Have you ever felt like your prayer life was a bit stale? Or, have you struggled to teach your kids creative ways to pray to develop their relationship with the Lord? I know I have. I have tried creative worship ideas to bring new life to praising the Lord. But other than prayer journals, guided …
Being grateful comes easily when hubby receives an extra bonus at work. Or, when everyone enjoys good health for awhile and friends visit often. The car runs well and we avoided purchasing a “lemon.” But what about those years when hubby works overtime and instead of a raise, he gets a pay cut? Or, little …
Every year, my church has Missionary Christmas and they invite one of our missionaries to come and speak about Christian missions. It’s wonderful to see slide shows and hear about the impact they are having in Taiwan, Germany, India, and even in remote northern Canada. There is always an invitation to the congregation to be …
If you’ve some of my other posts, you probably know that I don’t advocate giving prizes for Bible memory. I had very bad experiences with teaching my kids about God’s Word whenever prizes were involved. What worked the best was talking about my own testimony and how God has worked in my life. The second …
My favorite Israel subscription box comes to my home once a quarter from Artza Box. I love getting a taste of the Holy Land and collecting new treasures for my home that reflect my faith. Here is the latest one: An Israel subscription box that delights all the senses Feast for the eyes and warms …
Have you heard of Artzabox? These quarterly subscription boxes aim to take you to the Holy Land and walk in Christ’s footsteps. While a trip to the Holy Land is on my bucket list, this offers a great alternative. I can even use it in my homeschool to teach my kids about Israel. In this …
Generally, I don’t really like Bible studies for kids. I feel that they often make Jesus look like a nice man who helped people and Biblical history look like a Saturday morning cartoon show. My own children have told me that they find many programs ask obvious, silly questions. So, when I found these inductive …
When we think of how to praise God, we first think of Sunday morning worship. We associate singing songs, raising our hands, and shouting for joy with praise and worship. But, praising God involves so much more than song. You feel this in your gut, but maybe you struggle with what praise is, what it …
I really hate giving kids prizes for Bible memory. I usually get puzzled looks from people when I say this. After all, prizes are a major motivator in school, at home, and in church. The argument for this usually goes like this, “Well, they won’t do it if we don’t give a prize.” Why wouldn’t …
Should Homeschoolers Participate in Church Youth Group? Recently, I listened to a conversation happening among millennials sitting next to me at church. I wasn’t snooping as they eventually asked me a few questions to involve me in their discussion. But their observations and conclusions struck me. They knew my children and they knew a few …
Many, many Bible curricula promise that our children will know and love Jesus and his Word if we use their program. We also diligently take our children to Sunday School, and maybe we discuss the day’s lesson afterward. Some of us may do morning devotions as a family as well. While there’s nothing wrong with …
I sank to my knees in despair, sobbing, imagining the next forty years. I loved Jesus, but still I felt as though all hope for a graceful ripening of years slipped away with the diagnosis. My mind filled with thoughts of broken dreams, maddening headaches and a body wracked with pain, an eventual wheelchair, and …
Forgiving others can be a lot like dealing with physical pain. Have you ever been riddled with muscular knots all over your back? Doctors call them “trigger points.” As a woman living with fibromyalgia, my back frequently hurts with several of these. The only way to truly dissolve the knots is by pressing on them. …
It’s easy to trust in God when everything goes well. We may start thinking of God as a cosmic vending machine. Prayer in and blessings out. Thanks, God. But what about when you see tragedy coming and you are helpless to stop it–whether it be a car accident, poor life choices, or other circumstances? What …
Lately, I have been wrestling with whether I have over-committed myself. I worry about whether my efforts are really my best or just “getting it done.” Is all the research I conducted going to be enough? Will it be a good homeschooling year or will I fall into the same traps as I have before? …
It’s time for vacation Bible school, or VBS, as we commonly call it. Many of us participate in this summer camp type experience, either as volunteers or as participants. While I wholeheartedly believe in community outreach and teaching the Gospel, I do not always send my children to VBS. Why not? Here are some pros …
Do you think that singing is the only way to worship our Lord? I want to challenge you to engage in creative worship ideas this summer. Just like vacations take us outside our comfort zone and rekindle our appreciation of home, exploring alternative ways to worship can deepen your relationship with Jesus. Here are some …
Sometimes, our lack of discipline can bring us close to death. We know we shouldn’t eat certain foods or we know we ought to exercise, but we ignore it or put it off. I know I’ve done this. My mind tells me, Nothing happened last time. It’s okay. It’s not like you eat that ALL …
Sometimes, God takes us to the desert to build our faith and fill us with new life. When we think of a desert, we don’t often think of it as a place full of life. The desert conjures up feelings of thirst, scorching heat, exhaustion, and death. If we fell out of an airplane, it …
As parents, we naturally enjoy praising our children for good behavior, academic achievement, and other desirable traits. For example, have you ever said any of these things to your child? An Impossible Standard Of course, we want to encourage our children. But, sometimes children develop performance anxiety because of the words we choose when we …
