Author: Julie Hofmann

Well I am behind a post so I need to catch up. I have to say I do not remember the last time I was off for this long. I have been in school and the working world since I was 16 and the only time off I have taken was when I had my two girls. As most of you know having a newborn is NOT a vacation : ) It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with my family and friends. I was able to build deeper relationships with several friends and even make a few new ones.

I know for sure God lead me to this company at the right time in my life which in turn brought me to today. I have discovered how to have peace in my life and most of that discovery came with my devotional time over the last month. Trusting God is a challenge for all of us and even though it is high on the list of importance it is also one of the hardest things to really do. My goal going forward is to TRUST God, I mean really trust Him in every decision I make and every obstacle that comes my way. I know this is the key to that peace we all hope for and that brings us closer in our relationships with God.

I am beyond thankful for the time and I feel it was very well spent. I am more thankful that I have a job to come back to that I love and people that are supportive. My team had my back and went above and beyond to take care of my customers while I was away. That allowed me to rest and relax and not worry too much about what was happening at work. I want to say thank you to those in Passare that covered me while I was on Sabbatical. I cannot wait to return the favor.

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

Julie

Hi Friends!

This past week and a half has been a whirlwind. Thus the reason I am a bit late with an update. We were able to take a vacation to beautiful Ruidoso, NM with our great friends the Lopez’s. We stayed in a cabin in the mountains with quite a view. The adventures and memories will be forever with me. I am extremely thankful for this time and how much of it I have gotten to spend with my sweet girls.

My youngest, Ava, turned two today. We celebrated her over the weekend with friends and family. It is a joy to see how she is growing. She loves to sing and “Jesus Loves Me” stays on repeat. Or at least it did for the six hour car ride to our vacation spot : ).

I wanted to share a few pictures from the week, enjoy!

So far my time off has been filled with fun, laughs, and renewed relationships. It is so nice to have time to fellowship with old friends. I have a couple of friends who have recently become Mother’s so there has been a lot of baby holding and spoiling these Moms as much as I can. I have spent a lot of time cooking meals for different families as well as my own and I have to say, that may be my favorite kind of ministry. I love to be able to give a home cooked meal to someone.

I spent this week volunteering at Pregnancy Resources and have really enjoyed it. Getting to know the staff and help out with different projects has been a blessing. It is wonderful to be able to give back. What this organization does is nothing short of amazing and they are some of the most kind people I have ever met. I am thankful that God placed me there and that I was able to help them.

Next week we will head to Ruidoso, NM for family vacation and I am really looking forward to it.

Wow, just wow! This journey so far has been fast and furious. I have been able to pamper myself, spend time with my sweet parents and friends, and best of all enjoy my daughters. We celebrated my Dad’s 60th Birthday last weekend complete with more food than we needed and a garage turned into a dance hall. Those of you who know my Mother will understand. I have been able to pick up Allie from school and take her for ice cream which to her seems to be the most amazing thing. I have to say this week has flown by. It has been such a blessing to relax in the mornings after dropping off the girls and sit down to spend time with the Lord. I am reading about “Becoming Excellent”, a book that really focuses on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. God has really been telling me to SLOW DOWN, that I cannot do everything in one day nor should I try. My favorite part of this scripture is verse 30, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” I want to be the wife and mother God desires me to be and to do that I have to serve Him first. That is something I am learning and am striving to get better at each day. It has been wonderful to cook and clean for my family, something that is not often easy when I’m working but that I really enjoy. I will start my mission work next week at Pregnancy Resources, a change from my original plan, but I am sure God has something great in store while I am there. Being a Mom is top on my list of favorite things so I hope to be able to inspire other women along the way. They don’t think it be like it is but they do. I will keep you all posted and am praying blessings for my Passare family! I miss you guys.

Julie