Hi, I'm Julie. I'm a mama of five, a widow, and a former professional list-maker with an addiction to purple pens who is learning to let go. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I'm finding myself again.

I had a plan for my life. It was color-coded, written in Sharpie, and backed up in Google Docs. God, bless Him, has never once asked to see it. Five years ago, I lost my husband, Brian, suddenly, just after we'd celebrated 18 years of marriage. Overnight I became a solo mama of five, and every plan I'd ever made went right out the window.

These days I'm a homeschool mom (still), an ASL interpreter (again), and a Gulf Coast girl who bakes, reads, writes, and is learning to sit in a church pew by herself. Some days I feel strong. Some days I don't. Both are allowed.

I don't have an easy five-step plan for you. If I did, I'd have used it on myself and sold it with a matching planner. What I do have are real stories, a few hard-fought lessons, and a God who keeps showing up in the middle of the mess.

If you're looking at your life and asking, "Lord, how did I end up here?", you're in good company. Pull up a chair.

Pull up a Chair

Meet Julie

What to Expect

No polished performance. No tidy bow. Just a real woman telling real stories, with plenty of Scripture along the way.

Over the honest stuff: grief, loneliness, and the prayers that haven't been answered yet.

Laugh

Cry

Trust

At the planners, the plans, and the Sundays when "fine" is a costume and it's real itchy.

Walk out knowing you're seen, and that God's plan is still good, even when it isn't yours.

Every event is different, so every talk is too. I start with your theme and your group, then bring the stories and Scripture that fit. Here are a few places we can start.

What I Love to Talk About

Feeling Unseen

Lonely in a crowded pew, and the God who sees you when nobody else seems to.

Have a theme in mind? Let's build something just for your group

Letting Go of the Plan

For the woman with a plan for everything, including plan B. What it actually looks like to hand God the pen.

Finding joy after loss, disappointment, and detours, and finding yourself again when the roles change.

If You Didn't Have Tomorrow

Laughing Again

Grace for the small stuff (yes, even the socks on the floor), eyes on what matters, and loving your spouse well today. A funny, honest look at marriage from the other side of "till death do us part."

"She's a follower of Christ with a unique gift for sharing her faith in Him with people who hurt for answers... You'll see for yourself that Julie's a blessing."

Pastor Argile Smith

What People Say...