Good morning…

As I sit on my back porch at this time of the year, I see the color of new growth bursting on bare branches. Now and forever, I will call this light, bright color “Julie Green.”

One year ago today, 42-year-old Julie Harlan died, a loving wife and mother, a loyal daughter and sister, a long-time friend and spiritual mentor. With her passing away just thirty-seven days after she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, everywhere I looked last March and April, I saw “Julie Green.” As this playful color dots spring trees again, as it always has and always will, I envision Julie pulling out her heavenly 64-pack of crayons to sprinkle our lives with sprouts of growth as we sleep, we wake, we rise.

Chad, Julie’s husband, shared these encouraging words with us this week: “The promises of Easter are what gives us hope in eternal reunion with loved ones. I can only imagine the joy, peace, and love of God that Julie is experiencing in heaven, and the important work that she is doing in the Kingdom, not least of which is watching over her family and friends as the most beautiful and faithful guardian angel. I always talk about this with my boys, but this life is like the snap of a finger in the context of eternity. Charlie reminds me that he, God willing, will have 90 years before he joins his mom in heaven, but I tell him it’s still a short period of time when comparing earthly time to ‘forever.’ And at the same time, we are called to make the most of this earthly life, to focus on creating blessings and to experience joy, and Julie would not want it any other way. That is how she lived her entire life. And it gives those who knew her such a beautiful blueprint for living life.”

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord    

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,     

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat     

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,     

and they never stop producing fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NLT).

…Sue…