Julie Gumm - Author

“Rhinestone Jesus” – Saying Yes in Your Mess

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I’ve read Kristen Welch’s blog for the last few years but her new book, Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Sparkly, Safe Faith is No Longer Enough, is a glimpse into her story beyond what you get on the blog. The story of her faith, her marriage, her family and her passion is encouraging and uplifting. There were many times when I whispered “me too” while reading.

If you’ve ever felt scared to say “yes” to God, you need to read this book. You’ll be encouraged, not because Kristen and her family are perfect, but because you’ll see what God can do when we say “yes” no matter our own mess. (Because we’re all messy.)

In high school, Kristen Welch wore a big, sparkly rhinestone “Jesus” pin to school every day and carried her Bible wherever she went. (Yes, she was that girl.) But she didn’t realize her faith, though sincere, was shallow; much like her artificial accessory, it would one day tarnish, no longer a true fit for who she was. As real life catapulted Kristen into places and situations she’d never imagined, there came a day when she stood shocked in the slums of Africa and realized in one desperate moment that Jesus wasn’t enough for her. At least . . . she wasn’t living like He was. On the brink of a risk bigger than any she’d ever taken, Kristen knew she didn’t stand a chance—unless she was willing to put aside the rhinestones and get branded by the real thing.

Rhinestone Jesus is the story of one woman’s journey from comfortably living a safe, “good-girl” faith that didn’t cost much, to realizing that God was daring her to say yes to a bolder, more authentic, more dangerous way. This story of spiritual adventure throws the doors wide open for any woman who’s ever thought of herself as “just a mom.” Kristen will inspire and empower you to say yes to God right where you are—and stand amazed at how your life will shine.

Order from Amazon (affiliate link)

The next part of our family journey – we’re moving!

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Last Friday I accepted a full-time position at John Brown University (our alma mater) as the staff writer/social media manager.

That means the Gumm clan is moving to NW Arkansas – beautiful Siloam Springs to be exact.

Though I haven’t talked about it much on the blog, for the last 14 months I’ve been working part-time for JBU as a local Phoenix admissions representative. It was a fun 10-hr a week job that allowed me to talk with high school students, parents and guidance counselors about JBU.

And the more I talked about it, the more I remembered how much I loved it there. And each time I’d travel back to  campus I’d fall more in love.

SSThis desert girl is really a small-town Southern girl at heart. Siloam Springs was voted one of the Top 20 Small Towns in America by Smithsonian Magazine. I LOVE it there. It brings me so much joy.

To top it off, we have family in NW Arkansas. Mark’s brother and his wife and 5 kids live there. So does his aunt, uncle, their two grown-boys and their families with another 7 kids.

So for the last 6 months I’ve been stalking the JBU job listings and putting feelers out, including to a classmate of mine who happens to be the director of communications. He called me a few weeks ago to let me know about the position. I applied, they flew me up for an interview last week, and here we are.

Moving.

I’ll work remotely until school finishes and then we’ll get the family moved in June. The kids handled the news quite well. One out of 3 is excited. The others are more sad right now – the idea of leaving friends behind is hard. I get that. (I was 12 when my parents uprooted us to live in S. Calif. for 18 months.)

We told them it’s not really just about the job. It’s a chance at a different life. A slower pace. A safer environment – one where they can ride their bikes downtown to meet their friends at the coffee shop. Where the whole town turns out for Friday Night Football.

Oh, and the icing on the cake? The college tuition benefit. All four kids will be able to get free tuition at an amazing Christian college.

Lots to do in the next 10 weeks – PURGING, packing, cleaning. It’s a good time to do a serious simplifying.

If you think of it, pray for the kids especially. We want to handle this time with them with patience and understanding.

But look at this….don’t you want to move to this….???

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