“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”

-Flannery O’Connor

Welcome! Thanks for visiting. About me: I’m Julie. A Jesus follower, wife, mother of three, teacher, and passionate lover of the power of words.

I call my blog View from the Valley because I do, literally, live in a valley, and one of the most beautiful in the world. Living here and viewing the mountains every day with the aching blue sky above them reminds me that while valleys can often swallow us up in grief, confusion, darkness, and even despair, beauty soars just above our heads, and we are always yearning upward, always trying to get Home. The view from the valley is always changing, but in it I can always find God.

I post pictures of my feet because my feet have taught me so much about the power of thankfulness and about seizing the beauty we are given in each day. Through my journey of struggling with rheumatoid arthritis, I have learned to embrace my twisted toes and lean into the limitations they give me. I have learned a lot about grief, idols, pain, joy, gratitude, and little things.

I blog because I cannot not write. I share my thoughts as a way to keep myself grounded, to remind myself of what I need to know. But I hope that sharing my thoughts will also help you grow, that we can do this journey together and perhaps remind each other to keep yearning upward, keep pointing our eyes to the One who is with us and who waits for us, who even now is filling our lives with His love and creating our home in Him.

I love stories. I love to share the power of story. Please share your thoughts, stories, journey, whatever. I look forward to sharing this space with you!