Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.3, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Julia Roller Seeking Grace in the Chaos ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.juliaroller.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Blog](https://www.juliaroller.com/blog/) - [Surviving the Silence](https://www.juliaroller.com/surviving-the-silence/) - 24 hours of silent retreat. . . It was part of my very first weeklong residency for the Renovare Institute, a two-year program in spiritual formation I began this fall. I'd eagerly anticipated the residency for months-- a week in Seattle learning from Christian teachers and meeting other nerdy Christian reader people like me--but I - [Solitude or Loneliness?](https://www.juliaroller.com/solitude-or-loneliness/) - It's almost time for school to begin for my three children, and as much as I will miss the lazy days of summer, part of me can't wait to have the house to myself again. My eight-year-old daughter and I share a room that is her bedroom and my office, and in the summer that - [Is Reading Bad for You?](https://www.juliaroller.com/is-reading-bad-for-you/) - I have always been a reader. In first grade I got caught hiding a novel behind my math book. (In retrospect, that moment was quite accurate foreshadowing of my academic future.) I was infamous in my family for riding my bike around the neighborhood while reading a book. There is a picture of me on - [What Do You Want Your Home to Be?](https://www.juliaroller.com/what-do-you-want-your-home-to-be/) - I'm fascinated by the Danish concept of hygge, especially at this time of year. Hygge (pronounced, as near as I can tell, HYOO-gah) is a bit of a complex idea, but I like to think of it as being contented in a cozy atmosphere. Hygge is often connected with winter, a time when people want - [How to Rest (And Why You Need to)](https://www.juliaroller.com/how-to-rest-and-why-you-need-to/) - When my kids were really small, I used to dream about spending a night alone in a hotel. With a big bed all to myself, in which I could sleep for as long as I wanted. Nothing sounded as appealing or indulgent (or as out of reach) as just sleeping, maybe for days on end. - [Friendship for the Rest of Us](https://www.juliaroller.com/friendship-for-the-rest-of-us/) - Our country, apparently, is lonely. More than one-fifth of Americans report often or always feeling lonely or socially isolated. As a Christian, I see it this way: God made us to be in community. I believe our very souls long for this community, and I see this need all around me, particularly in the young - [A Surprising Way to Reduce Anxiety](https://www.juliaroller.com/a-surprising-way-to-reduce-anxiety/) - (Especially When You're Crazy Busy) The end of the school year is just nuts. Band concerts, graduations, open houses, baseball playoffs, soccer tournaments, award ceremonies, end-of-year banquets, teacher appreciation...all at the same time. Not to mention that you're also expected to make food to bring to many of these events. Just looking at the week - [Wasting Time](https://www.juliaroller.com/wasting-time/) - Moms tend to be preoccupied with time. Or more precisely, with time management. The moms in the MOPS group I coordinate ask for a time management speaker every semester, worried by the way the days seem to stretch out forever yet also mysteriously elapse while they’re changing diapers and administering snacks, often leaving them feeling - [When Mom Is Sick...](https://www.juliaroller.com/when-mom-is-sick/) - It should have been a mother's dream. As I lay in my bed with a book, I could hear my husband starting dinner preparations and marshaling the kids into peeling shrimp, chopping vegetables, and setting the table. I should have been relaxing and enjoying the fact that other people were making dinner--not to mention the - [In Defense of Gift-Giving](https://www.juliaroller.com/in-defense-of-gift-giving/) - Last week my 7-year-old daughter made a sign, "Don't come in, Luke and Ben!" (Luke and Ben are her brothers), hung it on my door, and disappeared inside my bedroom to wrap Christmas presents, emerging later with several wrapped presents--some for her brothers and her dad and two for her stuffed bunnies. She'd done the - [You Don't Have to Do It All. Nor Should You.](https://www.juliaroller.com/you-dont-have-to-do-it-all-nor-should-you/) - The night before the first day of school I was lying in the bathtub, indulging in a minor panic attack about all the things I needed to do before everyone headed out in the morning. Someone knocked and I yelled, "Come in," knowing it had to be my husband because my kids just barge in - [How Not to Be a Crazy Sports Parent](https://www.juliaroller.com/how-not-to-be-a-crazy-sports-parent/) - It's been an intense spring with all three kids playing on various baseball teams. Many a Saturday afternoon has seen me scurrying around local fields with one team baseball cap on my head and two others in my bag, ready to be rotated in. It's been frantic but fun, except when it wasn't. One of - [How to Do Nothing](https://www.juliaroller.com/how-to-do-nothing/) - All three of my kids are now in school (!) and so sometimes I really look forward to Monday mornings, when I can finally GET THINGS DONE. Anyone else relate? Recently, I had a week planned where I was going to be oh so productive—plan out the spring semester for the MOPS group I coordinate, - [It's Fine: Keeping Christmas Meaningful and Manageable](https://www.juliaroller.com/its-fine-keeping-christmas-meaningful-and-manageable/) - All of a sudden it's November, that runaway train season of the year where time hurtles uncontrollably toward Christmas. Every year it's the same for me. I feel slightly confused by the Christmas trees showing up in stores while I'm still shopping for Halloween costumes and candy, and then all of a sudden I feel - [First Days and New Beginnings](https://www.juliaroller.com/first-days-and-new-beginnings/) - It was a big first day of school for my three kids this year--kindergarten, sixth grade, and ninth grade. Three different schools, three different start times. I thought I'd gotten up early enough, but I definitely did not. That morning, as I'll bet you can all relate to, was a chaotic free-for-all. I was trying - [My Trick to Banish Anxiety](https://www.juliaroller.com/my-trick-to-banish-anxiety/) - At times in the past year it seemed like we would all be here in this house, occasionally seeing other people in the yard, forever, and that didn't seem like an entirely bad thing. Life had a peculiar slowed-down quality. I worried about having enough activities to keep my kids busy. I worried about everything - [Where You Find Yourself](https://www.juliaroller.com/where-you-find-yourself/) - In December 2019, I was talking with my spiritual director about the following fall. For the first time in almost 14 years, I would have no children at home. I thought I was excited about all the time I would have to write and edit, time for which I had often longed. But as I - [Organizing Your Paperwork](https://www.juliaroller.com/organizing-your-paperwork/) - It’s a new year and I’m celebrating with a new look to my website! The people over at Stormhill Media and I have been working on this for months and I’m so excited by the results. Can’t wait to hear what you think! Please drop me a line and let me know. I LOVE to - [Making the Most of Your Family Time](https://www.juliaroller.com/making-the-most-of-your-family-time/) - It’s official: online-only school in the fall for all three of my children. So we’ll be spending even more time together. Yay? We’ve had an awful lot of togetherness since this pandemic began. The house may never be clean again because someone is always right in the middle of it, making a mess. I cannot - [The Prayer of a Sick Child](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-prayer-of-a-sick-child/) - A few days before Christmas my grandfather passed away, and so my dad, my sister, my two boys and I drove from my parents' house in Illinois to Ohio for the funeral and visitation. To break up the 8- or 9-hour drive, we had planned to drive partway the night before, but heavy winds and - [Middle of the Night Mom](https://www.juliaroller.com/middle-of-the-night-mom/) - Years ago I read the book I Don't Know How She Does It. One scene stuck in my head, the one in which the chronically sleep-deprived main character (businesswoman/mom/wife/stress case Kate) is in her kitchen late at night. Everyone else in the house is asleep, but poor old exhausted Kate, instead of joining them, is - ["You Will Miss It": The Back-to-School Blues](https://www.juliaroller.com/you-will-miss-it-the-back-to-school-blues/) - With my younger son starting preschool today and my older son in his second week of first grade, I now have three mornings a week all to myself! Celebration time, right? You know, my first grader was so certain he didn't want to go back to school. (Frankly, I blame this feeling on - [The Champion Grudge-Holder](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-champion-grudge-holder/) - As I was climbing back into my car after signing my son into dinosaur camp, a woman on foot called through my window, "Can you please let me through?" I wasn't even sure what she meant at first, whether she wanted me to wait for her to walk in front of my car or whether - [A Very Boy Vacation](https://www.juliaroller.com/a-very-boy-vacation/) - We just got home from a visit with my parents. Something I love (and miss) about the Midwest are the summer thunder showers. The boys loved lying in their beds and watching the lightning flashes and listening to the thunder claps. And all the rain filled the creek behind my parents' house with water, so - [My Mommy Social Media Anxiety](https://www.juliaroller.com/my-mommy-social-media-anxiety/) - At book group a couple of weeks ago, one of the moms mentioned that her babysitter had taken a picture of her kids and posted it on a social media site along with their first and last names. Well, that was a good way to get a bunch of moms all riled up. Jaws dropped. - [My Catalog Problem](https://www.juliaroller.com/my-catalog-problem/) - This time of year my mail seems to be mostly catalogs. For most people, this would probably be nothing more than a minor nuisance, but I've previously discovered that I have a teeny little problem with catalogs. Two small boys at home makes it seem difficult if not impossible to actually shop for clothes - [The Art of Housekeeping](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-art-of-housekeeping/) - A few months back I reported on my resolution to let my house be dirty. And to not care. So I thought I'd let you all know how that was going. And the answer is . . . pretty well, actually. Refusing to get stressed out about my messy house has resulted in, believe it - [The Writing Life: Why I Love (and Hate) Deadlines](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-writing-life-why-i-love-and-hate-deadlines/) - When I was in college and thought I would go crazy with the stress of finishing up all the papers and studying for the exams at the end of my junior year, my father gave me some counter-intuitive advice. He told me to appreciate the concrete endings that came with school because you didn't get - [The Best Lesson My Kids Ever Taught Me](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-best-lesson-my-kids-ever-taught-me/) - Off the Hamster Wheel After I had my first son, my life was scheduled as it had never been scheduled before. Every three hours I would nurse him, but since I had trouble getting enough milk into him that way, each session was also followed by a bottle of pumped milk, a bottle of formula, - [Prayer & the Laundry](https://www.juliaroller.com/prayer-the-laundry/) - It was Martin Luther who said, “Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” I always have the same reaction to this quotation: Guilt. Capital-G Guilt. And I’ll be honest with you, I sometimes also think, Three hours? - [In Praise of the Uncool Church](https://www.juliaroller.com/in-praise-of-the-uncool-church/) - Recently I helped out with my church's new member class. One of the best parts? Hearing their stories of just why they like our church and want to join. I just couldn't get enough of these stories. Because even though I love the church we attend, honestly sometimes I'm a tiny bit surprised when - [Getting Used to Dust Bunnies](https://www.juliaroller.com/getting-used-to-dust-bunnies/) - I don't like to think of myself as the kind of person who lives according to TV commercial slogans. Yet I remember this particular one from a commercial many years ago: Get used to dust bunnies. I couldn't tell you what was being advertised or why this product would require its users to get used - [Raising Your Kids to Be Lifelong Readers](https://www.juliaroller.com/raising-your-kids-to-be-lifelong-readers/) - When I was a kid, I would rather read than do just about anything else. (The same is pretty much true for my adult self.) Many of my childhood memories involve books. I remember slumber parties with an elementary school friend in which the main event was to pick out the books we would - [The Three Lessons of Losing](https://www.juliaroller.com/the-t/) - We just returned home from a weekend soccer tournament. Three games and no wins—one tie and two losses. The second game was a bad loss, one where none of us were quite sure what the final score was because we all stopped counting. It was the kind of game where the boys left the - [Holy Labor](https://www.juliaroller.com/holy-labor/) - Childbirth is an exciting and terrifying prospect. For each of my three pregnancies, as my stomach grew larger, so did my anxiety and dread about the birth itself. Just as the marriage is more important than the wedding, the baby is more important than the birth. Yet at the same time, when you hit 8 - [One Easy Way to Simplify Family Life](https://www.juliaroller.com/one-easy-way-simplify-family-life/) - This time of year many of us start to think about simplicity. Practicing Christian simplicity is about doing less or having less in order to focus more on God. I think many of us want to better practice simplicity in our family lives but find it hard to know where to say no. Something that - [Five Ways to Reduce Paper Clutter](https://www.juliaroller.com/five-ways-to-reduce-paper-clutter/) - (Even for the chronically disorganized) One of the biggest domestic challenges for me is keeping on top of the reams of paper that want to enter my house each and every day. The mail, the magazines and newspapers, the remarkable amount of paper that comes home from school and activities with each child. (I - [A Less than Perfect (but Peaceful) Advent](https://www.juliaroller.com/a-less-than-perfect-but-peaceful-advent/) - Our house is a mess. Not only have we not gotten our Christmas decorations up, we're still putting away pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims. We've started receiving Christmas cards, and not only have we not sent ours, we don't even have a photo to put on it yet. - [In Praise of "Falling Back"](https://www.juliaroller.com/in-praise-of-falling-back/) - It's been a couple of weeks now since we set our clocks back. I've noticed that after that first initial rush of happiness about getting an extra hour of sleep, it seems that nobody much likes the changed clocks, or indeed, this time of year. - [Three Ways to Keep You (and Your Family) Sane on Road Trips](https://www.juliaroller.com/three-ways-to-keep-you-and-your-family-sane-on-road-trips/) - Learning to Enjoy the Journey We just got back from a road trip to Yosemite. On the way out it was just the boys and me for the roughly 8 hour journey. (My husband met us there.) I was more than a little nervous about this, not least because of my unique ability to get - [Ending the "What's For Dinner?" Stress: Family Meal Planning Made Easy](https://www.juliaroller.com/ending-the-whats-for-dinner-stress-family-meal-planning-made-easy/) - When I was growing up, I remember my mom picking us up from school and turning to my sister and me in the backseat, "What are we going to have for dinner, girls?" she would ask. We would look at each other and shrug. Why was she asking us? How were we supposed to know - [Goodbye to the Diaper Bag](https://www.juliaroller.com/goodbye-to-the-diaper-bag/) - I've been carrying a diaper bag around for a long time now, almost seven years to be exact. I've gotten used to hauling this monster around-- to the car, to the store, to the soccer field. And my family has gotten used to it too. They know - [Everything Is Awesome](https://www.juliaroller.com/everything-is-awesome/) - Why "Everything Is Awesome" may be more theologically significant than you think... - [Four Tips for Potty Training](https://www.juliaroller.com/tips-for-potty-training/) - My three-year-old just ran past me, chanting, "Pee-pee, don't come out yet! Don't come out yet, Pee-pee!" He's in the bathroom now, and hopefully all is going well. His recent transition to fully potty-trained boy means that now the entire household is using the toilet. Yay us! Although my husband does say - [Your Own Personal Stylist (for way cheap)](https://www.juliaroller.com/personal-stylist-way-cheap/) - My latest book, Mom Seeks God, came out in April and it's been an amazing wild ride. Busy and fun and yes, a little bit stressful. I had a dream the other night that my publisher called me and informed me my book had only sold 18 copies. That can't be right, I remember thinking - [Confessions of a Soccer Mom](https://www.juliaroller.com/confessions-soccer-mom-adventures-time-management/) - Over Thanksgiving weekend we all got up crazy early, not to engage in Black Friday shopping, but to drive my son many miles away to a Thanksgiving soccer tournament. Such a practice was not far from our norm. It has become increasingly clear over the last few months that I am now a soccer - [A New Twist on the Advent Calendar: Celebrating as a Family](https://www.juliaroller.com/new-twist-advent-calendar-celebrating-family/) - Most of my life I've lived in places where the passage of time was marked by the changing of the seasons. As the weather grew warmer and wetter, I would look forward to the flowers and lengthening days of spring. As it grew hotter and dryer, the vacations and leisure of summer. The cooling air - [A Real-Life Proverbs 31 Woman](https://www.juliaroller.com/real-life-proverbs-31-woman/) - Last week I received the sudden news that my grandmother was gone. It’s hard to explain to those who didn’t know her what a shock it was to hear of her death, since she was almost 91. My grandma was a “farm woman,” as her doctor called her. I believe his exact words were, at - [Digital Detox: Four Ways to Stay Unplugged at Home](https://www.juliaroller.com/digital-detox-four-ways-stay-unplugged-home/) - My last post was about our week away from technology at my husband's family cabin and how much we appreciated the silence and a change to do a little bit of digital detox. And then we came back home. Once we drove back down into cell and wi-fi range, my phone went crazy downloading all - [Are You (And Your Kids) Looking for Silence?](https://www.juliaroller.com/looking-silence/) - A couple of weeks ago, I was on carpool duty for summer camp. So I had my 7-year-old son, my 4-year-old son, and then two spare 7-year old boys in the back of my car as we drove to pirate camp. One, um, interesting thing about San Diego is the way you have to get - [The Love Lives of Navy SEALs and Why It's So Hard to Write in the Summer](https://www.juliaroller.com/writing-life-august-blog-tag/) - For those of you who think that fiction writers just make it all up, I'd love to tell you about my friend Michelle Ule! She is always researching fascinating subjects--everything from Navy SEALs to the Romanovs--and her tales of exploratory library time appeal to me because I often feel like all I have time to - [The Joy of Parenting](https://www.juliaroller.com/joy-parenting/) - I've seen A LOT of Shamu shows. Living as we do in San Diego, we often find ourselves stopping in at Sea World to feed the seals and sea lions, check out the sharks, and of course, see the orcas. Both my sons love orcas and thrill to the sight of these majestic black-and-white creatures - [Five Tips for Flying with Small Children](https://www.juliaroller.com/five-tips-flying-small-children/) - We live in San Diego, and my parents live in the St. Louis area, so ever since I became a mom, I’ve racked up quite a few frequent flier miles just going back and forth. We even fly up to visit my husband’s parents, although we live in the same state. (What can I say? - [Driving Like a Christian](https://www.juliaroller.com/driving-like-christian/) - Today I actually stuck out my tongue at another driver. He blew around me and then cut into my lane, and I was so annoyed that’s how I responded. It could have been worse, I know, but immediately afterward I couldn’t help but think about how childish I had been. And whether my children - [Three Goals for a Simpler Summer](https://www.juliaroller.com/three-goals-simpler-summer/) - School ended on Friday, and we are now officially on summer vacation, as my 4-year-old keeps excitedly reminding us. We celebrated with a family trip to the drive-in to see How To Train Your Dragon 2. And now here we are with a beautiful summer stretching out before us. Aahhhh….No school lunches to - [Why Writing about My Family Makes Me a Better Mom](https://www.juliaroller.com/writing-family-makes-better-mom/) - I recently saw the new movie Mom’s Night Out and loved it. Very funny and a great expression of what so many moms struggle with—the meaning of all the stuff we do, the way we feel that we’re not very good at any of it, and our sense of guilt about if we have everything - [A Story Unfinished](https://www.juliaroller.com/story-unfinished/) - Matt Mooney's powerful book A Story Unfinished: 99 Days with Eliot is the kind of book parents like me don't really want to read. It's blunt and honest and covers ground most of us don't even want to think about: the loss of a child. Yet I find myself tremendously glad for the time I - [MOM SEEKS GOD Kindle HDX Giveaway & “Moms’ May Day” Facebook Party with @JuliaLRoller](https://www.juliaroller.com/mom-seeks-god-kindle-hdx-giveaway-moms-may-day-facebook-party-julialroller/) - Mom Seeks God is my latest book, in which I share my own story about seeking to reconnect with God after becoming a mom. As thankful as I was to be blessed with a baby boy, the early days of motherhood left me so busy and exhausted that I didn't feel like I had the - [Two Gifts of Praying with Children](https://www.juliaroller.com/praying-son/) - It's Good Friday today, and my church has a beautiful tradition of a prayer vigil that begins after the Maundy Thursday service and continues through the night until the Good Friday service at noon. This year I saw that the 8:30 a.m. slot was open--that's the half hour right before my four-year-old son, Luke, starts - [More God, Less of Everything Else](https://www.juliaroller.com/god-less-everything-else/) - As I've been talking to groups and traveling around a bit to promote Mom Seeks God, I've been struck by the hunger I'm seeing for spiritual practice, for connection with God. Yet at the same time, I sense that for many the idea of meeting God through spiritual practices feels close to impossible. We want - [Mom Seeks God](https://www.juliaroller.com/mom-seeks-god/) - Are you a mom like me? Terrified of breaking your brand-new precious baby? Finding yourself, despite all the warnings, staggered by the dramatic shift from pre-baby to post-baby life? Are you a mom like me? Deeply in love with your baby but so exhausted you doubt your ability to get through motherhood? Desperate for - [Moving Past "Good Enough"](https://www.juliaroller.com/knowing-say/) - Last month the first grade project was building a diorama to display an animal of the student's choice. My son came home all fired up to get started, and after I got him a shoebox, he pretty much went to town. He chose raptors, which is more of a group of animals than an animal, - [How to Help a Depressed New Mom](https://www.juliaroller.com/how-to-help-a-depressed-new-mom/) - I’ll just come out with it: I’m an eavesdropper. I love to write and edit in coffee shops, partly because I can’t procrastinate by doing laundry and partly because I love to hear the snippets of conversation around me as I type. The coffee shop I frequent is very close to a local Christian university, - [What I've Learned from My Cancer Diagnosis](https://www.juliaroller.com/ive-learned-cancer-diagnosis/) - I was 39 weeks pregnant when I was diagnosed with breast cancer last October. I’m not sure what (or who) exactly caused me to ask my nurse-practitioner to do a breast exam at my OB-GYN appointment. At the time it felt like part of that final nesting surge of wanting everything - [Have You Affirmed Your Family Today?](https://www.juliaroller.com/have-you-affirmed-your-family-today/) - Last week at dinner my younger son casually turned to me and said, “These are the things I like about you, Mommy, that you play Legos with me, that you play puppies with me, that you hug me and that you’re a good mommy.” Not to be outdone, his older brother immediately chimed in, “And - [Mom of Boys and. . .](https://www.juliaroller.com/mom-of-boys-and/) - I often tweet with the hashtag #momofboys. I’ve realized over the past (almost) nine years of being a mom of one and then two boys how much a part of my identity this has become. I think of myself as a mom of boys, and I love it. From the furious activity to the soccer - [Three Ways to Listen Better to God](https://www.juliaroller.com/three-ways-to-listen-better-to-god/) - My church recently held an all-night prayer vigil. Each of us could sign up for a half-hour (or longer) shift. I was lucky enough to get the very decent 9 a.m. shift and arrived in the little chapel ready to have some good time with God. Scheduled half-hours with God are not normally part - [On Having a New Baby and Breast Cancer](https://www.juliaroller.com/new-baby-breast-cancer/) - I was explaining to someone a few months ago that I was in chemotherapy and she looked in confusion at my five-month-old in the stroller right next to us. “But you have a baby!” I know, I wanted to say. That’s how I feel. How can I have cancer and a baby at the - [What You Do After Cancer](https://www.juliaroller.com/what-you-do-after-cancer/) - I drive to the medical center trying my best to distract myself with a podcast I’d saved just for the occasion, but once I check in and sit down it’s no longer possible to forget that it’s time for my yearly mammogram. And once you’ve had breast cancer, you’ve lost the illusion that such things - [Back to School, Back to Work](https://www.juliaroller.com/back-to-school/) - Embracing the Rhythm of the School Year As much as I anticipate and love summer, by the time we get to about mid-August I am looking forward to the start of the school year. I don't exactly throw roses at the departing school bus (much to my children's disappointment, we live too close to their - [Easy and Effective Ways to Encourage Your Young Athlete](https://www.juliaroller.com/easy-and-effective-ways-to-encourage-your-young-athlete/) - Spring and summer are all about baseball in my house. Then just when baseball is winding down, soccer starts up in earnest. Between my two sons, it sometimes seems as though most of my time is spent on a field. Or traveling to one. If your children enjoy sports, it’s near certain you’ll be spending - [Find Your Flow](https://www.juliaroller.com/find-your-flow/) - When I speak to groups of moms with young children, I ask them to close their eyes and think of the last time they felt themselves relax into the moment so much that they lost all sense of time. When I look around the room I can see panic in some of the women's - [Mom, I Don't Pray](https://www.juliaroller.com/mom-i-dont-pray/) - “I don’t pray,” my ten-year-old son said the other day at the dinner table, and my heart just about stopped. “What?” I said. “What do you mean? Why not? What happened?” My head filled with even more questions. What had I done wrong? Hadn’t I taught and modeled prayer for him? Was he going through - [When You Feel Like You're Not a Good Enough Mom](https://www.juliaroller.com/when-you-feel-like-youre-not-a-good-enough-mom/) - I studied all the wrong things in school. Based on my daily life, I would have been much better off had I studied nursing, nutrition, defensive carpool driving, physical therapy, and child psychology. Some housecleaning and organization courses might also have come in handy. Unfortunately, my degrees are in international relations, journalism, and theological studies. - [Cancer-Free: A Resolution of Gratitude](https://www.juliaroller.com/cancer-free-resolution-gratitude/) - On December 28 I went to the cancer center for my yearly mammogram. Because my initial surgery to remove my breast cancer was in December, this anxiety-producing ritual now falls at the end of each year. It's been 18 months since I finished treatment, chemotherapy and radiation, and although I now take tamoxifen to prevent - [The Spiritual Practice You Didn't Know You Were Doing](https://www.juliaroller.com/spiritual-practice-didnt-know/) - Several days a week my 2-year-old daughter and I walk several blocks to our church, either for services or Bible study or for her morning preschool. We live so close that I often tell people it's quicker to walk than to drive and search for parking. That is probably true when it's just me walking, - [Teaching Kids to Talk (and Listen) to God](https://www.juliaroller.com/teaching-kids-talk-listen-god/) - I once shocked a bunch of kids while giving a children's sermon. I told them it didn't matter if they bowed their heads or even folded their hands when they prayed. That they certainly could pray while kneeling with their hands folded and their heads bowed, but that they could also pray while lying - [The Secret to Working at Home with Small Children](https://www.juliaroller.com/secret-working-home-small-children/) - I've been working at home for almost 15 years now, both before and after becoming a mom of three. Over the years I've learned many lessons about getting work done at home, in the midst of diapers, sticky fingers and wooden train pileups. But working successfully from home depends most on one essential thing: work - [Daily Tasks Are Real Life](https://www.juliaroller.com/daily-tasks-real-life/) - My daughter is 15 months old. What that means for my house is that there is no safe place to keep the toilet brush. That as I put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, she is joyfully unloading them on the other side. And that she empties all the kitchen cabinets she can reach every - [God is in Charge](https://www.juliaroller.com/god-is-in-charge/) - Over the past few weeks of sheltering in place, I've... Caught my four-year-old daughter using roughly 40 sheets of toilet paper and LOST MY MIND... Found a forgotten half-full package of flour on the top shelf of the cabinet and celebrated like we'd just struck crude... Watched an elementary school principal trying to conduct a ## Pages - [home](https://www.juliaroller.com/) - Author Speaker Editor Julia's Endorsements Discover Spiritual Practices to Keep God at the Center of Your Family Life What is it about motherhood that causes you to abandon any semblance of a spiritual life? When you’re surrounded by the happy chaos of children, how do you spend quiet time with God? How can you demonstrate - [Speaking](https://www.juliaroller.com/speaking/) - Julia Roller is an author, editor, and speaker. Her books include Mom Seeks God, A Year with God (with Richard J. Foster), A Year with Aslan, and 25 Books Every Christian Should Read. Julia has spoken to dozens of women’s and MOPS groups all over southern California and is currently the MOPS coordinator at Point - [Events](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/) - [About Julia](https://www.juliaroller.com/about-julia/) - Julia L. Roller knew she wanted to be a writer somewhere around the time her first grade teacher caught her reading a novel behind her math book. One of her first and most powerful experiences of God came when, as a high school student, she attended her first Group Workcamp in Hayfork, California. The workcamp’s combination - [Thank you for signing up](https://www.juliaroller.com/3543-28/) - Thank you for signing up to receive monthly newsletters and blog updates of Seeking Grace in the Chaos Enjoy Your Free Download “Real-Life Prayer Book for Moms” Download Here If you receive a blessing from this blog, please share https://www.juliaroller.com/ on FaceBook, Twitter or any other social media. God bless you! Julia - [Editing Service](https://www.juliaroller.com/editing-service/) - For almost twenty years, beginning as an editor at HarperOne Publishers and continuing as a freelancer, Julia Roller has edited fiction and nonfiction books for many best-selling authors. Julia offers an intensive overall macroedit focusing on themes, organization, voice, and flow. She charges a flat rate per manuscript, depending on factors such as the length - [Error 404 - Page Not Found](https://www.juliaroller.com/error-404-page-not-found/) - Sorry, we couldn't find the page you were looking for. Feel free to browse the site map below to get your bearings. [seopress_html_sitemap] - [Books](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/) - [Thank you for contacting me](https://www.juliaroller.com/contact-julia/) - Thank you so much for contacting me. Your message is important to me, and I will respond as soon as I can. All best, Julia Stay connected:FacebookTwitter - [Contact](https://www.juliaroller.com/contact/) - Get in Touch with Julia Thank you so much for your interest. Please fill out the form below and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you would like to contact me about a speaking event, please mention it in the subject line. Thank you! - [Site Map](https://www.juliaroller.com/site-map/) - [seopress_html_sitemap] ## Books - [Prayer and Worship](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/prayer-and-worship/) - Prayer and Worship is a spiritual formation guide for groups or individuals focused on the Psalms. Just as we find Psalms in the center of the Bible, the Prayer and Worship we find there is at the heart of the devotional life. Bask in the beauty and power of the Psalms as this guide shows - [Learning from Jesus](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/learning-from-jesus/) - Learning from Jesus is an in-depth look at how Jesus taught us by word and example how to be his apprentices. One of our primary goals as his followers is to learn from Jesus, the master teacher, how to be like him. With chapters such as “Redefining Blessedness,” “Welcoming Us Into Community,” and “Balancing Mary - [Connecting with God](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/connecting-with-god/) - Connecting with God is a resource designed to help individuals and small groups grow in their relationship with God by exploring twelve different ways individuals in the Bible and throughout history have communicated with God, such as hearing God through other people, meeting God in Scripture, sensing God’s presence, and seeking God in silence. It - [A Year with God](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/a-year-with-god/) - A Year with God, co-edited by Richard J. Foster, is a yearlong journey through Bible passages about eighteen different spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, meditation, simplicity, and solitude. Each day’s reading includes a Bible passage about the discipline, an excerpt from The Life with God Bible that helps explain the passage and bring out its - [Mom Seeks God](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/mom-seeks-god/) - The first months and years of motherhood can be the most challenging and disorienting of your life—and faith. When you’re surrounded by the happy chaos of children, how do you spend quiet time with God if the only quiet time you get is while you sleep? How can you demonstrate a solid spiritual life to - [25 Books Every Christian Should Read](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/25-books-every-christian-should-read/) - 25 Books Every Christian Should Read is a guide to Christianity's spiritual essentials. Selected by a distinguished editorial board including Richard J. Foster, Dallas Willard, Richard Rohr, Phyllis Tickle, John Wilson and many others, these books are the ones that generations of Christians have found to be both informative and life-changing. Selections range from classics - [A Year with Aslan](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/a-year-with-aslan/) - A Year with Aslan is a devotional based on C. S. Lewis’s seven Narnia books: The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. Head back to the magical land of Narnia and its wise, - [Living the Mission](https://www.juliaroller.com/books/living-the-mission/) - An in-depth study of Acts, Living the Mission examines the early church’s struggle in the wake of Jesus’s devastating death and awe-inspiring resurrection. From the early church’s example, we learn how we can follow Jesus, how Jesus is still with us in the Holy Spirit, and how we are called to form communities into which we are ## Events - [Speaking on "Meeting God in Your Busy Life" at Point Loma MOPS in San Diego, CA](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-your-busy-life-at-point-loma-mops-in-san-diego-ca/) - [Speaking on "Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff" at MomLife at Harbor Point Church in San Juan Capistrano, CA](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/8863/) - [Speaking on "Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff" at Point Loma MOPS in San Diego, CA](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-point-loma-mops-in-san-diego-ca/) - [Speaking on "Let's Get Cozy: Making Our Homes Welcoming Spaces" at Point Loma MOPS in San Diego, CA](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-lets-get-cozy-making-our-homes-welcoming-spaces-at-point-loma-mops-in-san-diego-ca/) - [“Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” at Point Loma MOPS in San Diego, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-point-loma-mops-in-san-diego-ca/) - [Radio interview KDAZ morning show Albuquerque, NM www.am730.cc](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/radio-interview-kdaz-morning-show-albuquerque-nm-www-am730-cc/) - [Speaking on “Being Loved: Living a Life of Hospitality” at Raising Arrows at Calvary Chapel Chino Valley in Chino, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-being-loved-living-a-life-of-hospitality-at-raising-arrows-at-calvary-chapel-chino-valley-in-chino-ca/) - [Speaking on “The Lessons of Losing” at Grace Point Church MOPS in San Diego, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-the-lessons-of-losing-at-grace-point-church-mops-in-san-diego-ca/) - [Speaking on “Creating Space for God” at the Women’s Spring Brunch at North Coast Church in Vista, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-creating-space-for-god-at-the-womens-spring-brunch-at-north-coast-church-in-vista-ca/) - [Speaking on “Being Loved: Living a Life of Hospitality” at Canyon View MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-being-loved-living-a-life-of-hospitality-at-canyon-view-mops/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at BVCC MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-bvcc-mops/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at Murrieta MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-murrieta-mops/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at Mount of Olives Church MOPS in Mission Viejo, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-mount-of-olives-church-mops-in-mission-viejo-ca/) - [Speaking on “Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” at Canyon View MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-canyon-view-mops/) - [Speaking on “Being Loved: Living a Life of Hospitality” at Point Loma MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-being-loved-living-a-life-of-hospitality-at-point-loma-mops/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at San Clemente Presbyterian Church MOPS in San Clemente, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-san-clemente-presbyterian-church-mops-in-san-clemente-ca/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at San Clemente Presbyterian Church Evening MOPS in San Clemente, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-san-clemente-presbyterian-church-evening-mops-in-san-clemente-ca/) - [Speaking on “The Neglected Spiritual Discipline of Hospitality” at Renovare Retreat in Gilmont, TX.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-the-neglected-spiritual-discipline-of-hospitality-at-renovare-retreat-in-gilmont-tx/) - [Books & Such Literary Agency Retreat. Monterey, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/books-such-literary-agency-retreat-monterey-ca/) - [“Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” at Emmanuel Faith Community Church MomsNext in Escondido, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-emmanuel-faith-community-church-momsnext-in-escondido-ca/) - [“Practicing Grace in the Chaos” at Emmanuel Faith Community Church MOPS in Escondido, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/practicing-grace-in-the-chaos-at-emmanuel-faith-community-church-mops-in-escondido-ca/) - [Speaking on “The Lessons of Losing: Releasing Ourselves from Competitiveness” at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-the-lessons-of-losing-releasing-ourselves-from-competitiveness-at-rancho-bernardo-community-presbyterian-church-mops/) - [Speaking on “Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” at Daybreak Mommies at Daybreak Church in Carlsbad, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-daybreak-mommies-at-daybreak-church-in-carlsbad-ca/) - [Speaking at Northcoast MOPS in Vista, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-at-northcoast-mops-in-vista-ca/) - [Speaking on “Practicing Grace in the Chaos” at Mount of Olives MOPS in Mission Viejo, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-practicing-grace-in-the-chaos-at-mount-of-olives-mops-in-mission-viejo-ca/) - [Speaking on “Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” at Mothers & Others, Bel Air Presbyterian Church. www.belairpres.org](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-mothers-others-bel-air-presbyterian-church-www-belairpres-org/) - [Speaking on “Practicing Grace in the Chaos” at MOPS at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. http://www.solanapres.org/get-connected/adults/women/mops](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-practicing-grace-in-the-chaos-at-mops-at-solana-beach-presbyterian-church-http-www-solanapres-org-get-connected-adults-women-mops/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at New Songs MOPS in Oceanside, CA. http://www.newsongchurch.com](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-new-songs-mops-in-oceanside-ca-http-www-newsongchurch-com/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at MOPS Carlsbad @ St. Elizabeth Seton Church. http://www.ses-church.org/Files/Ministries/MOPs.html](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-mops-carlsbad-st-elizabeth-seton-church-http-www-ses-church-org-files-ministries-mops-html-2/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” at MOPS Carlsbad @ St. Elizabeth Seton Church. http://www.ses-church.org/Files/Ministries/MOPs.html](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-at-mops-carlsbad-st-elizabeth-seton-church-http-www-ses-church-org-files-ministries-mops-html/) - [Exhibiting at MomCon in Louisville, KY. http://www.mops.org/momcon](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/exhibiting-at-momcon-in-louisville-ky-http-www-mops-org-momcon/) - [Speaking on “Mom Seeks God” and book table at Chula Vista Presbyterian Church. http://www.cvpres.org/index.html](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-mom-seeks-god-and-book-table-at-chula-vista-presbyterian-church-http-www-cvpres-org-index-html/) - [Speaking on “Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff” and book table at MomsNext at Canyon Lake Community Church.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-and-book-table-at-momsnext-at-canyon-lake-community-church/) - [Speaking on “Meeting God in the Middle of Your Busy Life” Adult VBS class at Evangelical United Church of Christ, Godfrey, IL http://evangelical-ucc.org/component/content/article?id=138](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-meeting-god-in-the-middle-of-your-busy-life-adult-vbs-class-at-evangelical-united-church-of-christ-godfrey-il-http-evangelical-ucc-org-component-content-articleid13/) - [Speaking on “Practicing Grace in the Chaos” and book table at Evangelical United Church of Christ, Godfrey, IL http://evangelical-ucc.org/component/content/article?id=138](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-practicing-grace-in-the-chaos-and-book-table-at-evangelical-united-church-of-christ-godfrey-il-http-evangelical-ucc-org-component-content-articleid138/) - [Guest on Where Am I Going? podcast with Michelle Cromer http://www.blogtalkradio.com/michellecromer/2014/05/18/mom-seeks-god-utilizing-motherhood-for-a-faith-filled-life](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/guest-on-where-am-i-going-podcast-with-michelle-cromer-http-www-blogtalkradio-com-michellecromer-2014-05-18-mom-seeks-god-utilizing-motherhood-for-a-faith-filled-life/) - [Co-sponsor of SD Moms’ Night Out with movie “Mom’s Night Out” at AMC Mission Valley 20](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/co-sponsor-of-sd-moms-night-out-with-movie-moms-night-out-at-amc-mission-valley-20/) - [All day Book table at The Rockpile Bookstore San Diego, CA www.sdrock.com](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/all-day-book-table-at-the-rockpile-bookstore-san-diego-ca-www-sdrock-com/) - [Leading Festival Circle on Writing and Motherhood at The Calvin College Festival of Faith & Writing. www.festival.calvin.edu](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/leading-festival-circle-on-writing-and-motherhood-at-the-calvin-college-festival-of-faith-writing-www-festival-calvin-edu/) - [Speaking and Book Table at Women Connecting Dinner, Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church www.pointlomachurch.org](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-and-book-table-at-women-connecting-dinner-point-loma-community-presbyterian-church-www-pointlomachurch-org/) - [Radio interview with Debbie Chavez–Faith Place Radio. Listen live at www.faithplace.org or listen to the free podcast after the live show at www.thedebbiechavezshow.com.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/radio-interview-with-debbie-chavez-faith-place-radio-listen-live-at-www-faithplace-org-or-listen-to-the-free-podcast-after-the-live-show-at-www-thedebbiechavezshow-com/) - [Radio interview with Debbie Chavez--Faith Place Radio](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/radio-interview-with-debbie-chavez-faith-place-radio/) - [Radio interview with American Family Radio--Life, Love, and Family](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/radio-interview-with-american-family-radio-life-love-and-family/) - [Mom Seeks God Launch Party at Family Life Center, Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/mom-seeks-god-launch-party-at-family-life-center-point-loma-community-presbyterian-church/) - [Radio interview Dr. Alvin Jones radio show www.dralvinjones.com](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/radio-interview-dr-alvin-jones-radio-show-www-dralvinjones-com/) - [Workshop on Mom Seeks God and book signing, Renovare National Conference, Houston, TX www.renovare.org](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/workshop-on-mom-seeks-god-and-book-signing-renovare-national-conference-houston-tx-www-renovare-org/) - [Speaking on "Simplicity: Getting Past All the Stuff" at The Church at Rancho Bernardo MOPS.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-simplicity-getting-past-all-the-stuff-at-the-church-at-rancho-bernardo-mops/) - [Speaking on "The Lessons of Losing" via Zoom at Fall Women's Tea at Yorba Linda Seventh-day Adventist Church in Yorba Linda, CA.](https://www.juliaroller.com/events/speaking-on-the-lessons-of-losing/) ## Testimonials - [Richard J. Foster](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/sample-testimonial-3/) - This is a book for mothers, to be sure. But it is just as much a book for fathers. Indeed, it contains ample life lessons for parents-to-be and for parents-who-have-been. The stories charm us. The lessons instruct us. The insights guide us. Tolle lege, take and read. - [Rachel Quan](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/rachel-quan/) - It is no secret that having a child profoundly changes our spiritual lives. We are never the same. Julia’s honest, forthright and beautifully described journey of practically pursuing the with-God life in the midst of motherhood is an encouragement to me as a fellow-mom and follower of Jesus. - [Michael Riley](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/michael-riley/) - Julia Roller took my manuscript and with sensitive and thoughtful editorial skill elevated it to a much higher level. Her organizational insights are remarkable! By rearranging chapters the book became a much more coherent narrative. Writing is hard work, but Julia's professionalism and encouragement gave me confidence that my efforts were not in vain. - [Mark C. Hull](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/mark-c-hull/) - Julia's edit of my upcoming book gave me a confidence in it that I hadn't had before. Her attention to detail, creative suggestions and almost omniscient grasp of the material not only made the book better, it also made me a better writer. A terrific and talented professional. - [Marcus Borg](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/marcus-borg/) - Above all, to Julia Roller, an exceptionally fine editor and ‘coach’, who helped me in many ways; whatever the quality of this novel, it is much better than it would have been without her. - [Noel Branham](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/novelist-noel-branham/) - Many an author has praised his or her editor as truly the best, the most accomplished, and the most brilliant. But the honest-to-God truth is that it would be insulting to attempt a description of my editor, Julia Roller, with any such adjectives. Her abilities and skills far transcend the praise that these mere descriptions - [Jack Larkin](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/jack-larkin/) - Julia was an amazing editor to work with. She took the time to completely engross herself in my stories so we could have in-depth conversations about how the characters and themes were working throughout. Julia was extremely professional and gave expert revisions on my work. I valued her feedback tremendously because she understood what I - [Caryn Rivadeneira](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/caryn-rivadeneira/) - No one ever tells you that motherhood is some of the most amazing spiritual training ground around. Which is why I’m thrilled Julia Roller does it in Mom Seeks God! New moms and veteran moms alike will love and learn from what Roller has to say about discovering God and practicing the disciplines right in the midst - [Kelli B. Trujillo](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/kelli-b-trujillo-2/) - Instead of an idealized (an unrealistic) depiction of ‘supermom,’ with disarming honesty Julia Roller describes both the difficulties and surprising growth that can be found in the many beauties and struggles of motherhood. And rather than a prescription of more tasks to put on your spiritual to-do list, Mom Seeks God depicts the spiritual disciplines as freeing - [Erin MacPherson](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/erin-macpherson/) - Julia Roller’s book, Mom Seeks God, meets seeking moms like me where they are, telling them how to pray, fellowship, serve and love in a way that draws us closer to the only One we need. If you’re looking for a chance to get to know your Savior better– and some great advice from a mom who - [Jana Riess](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/jana-riess/) - Any parent who has ever struggled with feelings of inadequacy will appreciate Julia Roller’s companionable memoir of her experiences with twelve—make that ten—spiritual practices. Written for readers who feel guilt at the very word “prayer” and terror at the idea of an all-out fast, this book offers a friendly introduction to spiritual practice. - [Becky Danielson M.Ed.](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/becky-danielson-m-ed/) - Julia Roller has given a tremendous gift to new parents, especially moms, with Mom Seeks God. In her quest to dive deep into spiritual disciplines, Julia provides practical practices to connect with God, growing one’s faith. Her compassion, honesty, and humor encourage parents to deepen their relationship with The Lord. The tips from other moms sprinkled - [Crystal Lutton](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/crystal-lutton/) - How appropriate that it was in the midst of feeling chaotic and overwhelmed that I sat down to read Julia’s book on practicing the disciplines of a Christian walk. I was immediately renewed in my soul and the rest of the busy-ness seemed to shift into perspective. Julia shares her journey, complete with the successes - [Kathi Lipp](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/sample-testimonial/) - How do we experience the spiritual disciplines when a mom’s day is the opposite of ‘disciplined’? Julia gives us ancient wisdom boiled down into doable steps so that we can experience our beautiful God in the midst of our messy lives. - [Rebecca St. James](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/sample-testimonial-2/) - Julia Roller has written a wonderful book for moms who long to freshly connect with God. She explores spiritual disciplines in a beautifully honest, practical and humorous way. What a wonderful resource for all of us. - [Katie Bowden](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/katie-bowden/) - It's my pleasure to endorse Julia Roller as a speaker to your local MOPS chapter, women's group or retreat. She recently spoke to our group of mothers on the topic of "Soul Care: Spiritual Practices for Busy Moms." We found Julia to be incredibly endearing and relatable as she spoke of her struggle to find - [Sarah Butterfield](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/sarah-butterfield/) - Julia is a warm and relatable speaker with practical wisdom to share from her own experiences. She was responsive to the needs of our group, and the moms really connected with what she had to share! - [Maria Kim](https://www.juliaroller.com/testimonial/maria-kim/) - Julia's talk for our women's tea was a timely opportunity for us to contemplate loss and the value of loss in our lives. 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