Julie Sunne
About the Author

Julie is an imperfect wife and mother of four. She edits to make a living but writes and speaks to make a life. She is driven to share the incredible grace she experienced from a Father who refused to leave her alone in the pain of multiple miscarriages and the...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Julie, Oh, how I can relate to the feeling of weariness when I find myself, again, not freed from the trappings of this world. I love your reminders about Him being with us constantly, arms spread wide, to take on our burdens. He is enough. He can do this. He can take it all and we can live in the freedom and peace of His presence — right now. Your post is powerful in its vulnerability and invitation to be real with one another. Thank you.

    • Absolutely, He can–when I let Him. It is not easy for me to be vulnerable and to acknowledge weakness, but authenticity is the door to growth. Blessings to you, Jennifer.

  2. Absolutely, He can–when I let Him. It is not easy for me to be vulnerable and to acknowledge weakness, but authenticity is the door to growth. Blessings to you, Jennifer.

  3. Wow.. You just described my daily life. I am comforted by the fact that I’m not the only one. I know there is hope and that one day, I can and will give it all to Him and never take it back! Thank you 🙂

  4. Perfect way to start my devotion this morning! I needed this. I was so irritable with my children and husband as we took down Christmas. It was so awful and I felt like a failure — you know that feeling when you are watching yourself do something you don’t want to do and you can’t seem to stop it no matter how much you want to? (The very thing I don’t want to do, I do and the thing I want to do, I can not ~ Paul) … For a while I just couldn’t let God’s mercy in. I wouldn’t forgive myself. Then in the stillness after I had wept over my behavior, I heard our sweet Lord. He said, “If I can forgive you, who are you to hold onto this unforgiveness?” It was in such a sweet way that He showed me that I needed to let go and accept His mercy. And, the fruit of that experience (where’s the delete button!?) is that I am more broken and humble and grateful. I am praying He’ll keep me here. Thanks for sharing your journey. You blessed me today.

    • Thank you, Patty. Your comment blessed me as well. I’ve been where you were so many times. I need to go back to the cross over and over. Hopefully, that journey gets shorter over time.

  5. My thoughts exactly. Why is it so hard to simply let go and let God? Instead I always find myself with my arms full of all the “stuff,” struggling to carry it with me as I go about being a wife and mom…and just a woman. It’s ridiculous, really, that I keep taking up all these things that I *just* laid down at His feet. Thanks so much for sharing your heart!

    • It does seem that we keep picking it back up, doesn’t it? Wow, what a merciful, gracious God we serve! Have a blessed, “stuff-free” day, Sarah.

  6. This past Sunday, my church held a prayer service with several different “stations.” One of those stations was a darkened communion room. In the middle of the room was a wooden cross surrounded by candles and on each little table were small paper crosses and a single stamp that said “PAID.” We were told we could write out our confession or our burden on the cross, then stamp it PAID to remind us that Jesus paid the price for our sin. Then, we could walk over and pin our cross to THE cross and hand over that burden to God. You cannot imagine how wonderful it felt to put that burden on the cross once and for all. The symbolism was simple, but the meaning was profound.

    Thank you for the reminder that we can always lay our burdens down at the cross for Him to help us shoulder.

  7. I want to intentionally purpose to live in the moment, to be content, and to fully trust the Lord with all those things that tend to make me worry or fret, and I definitely want to lay down all fear of the uncertainties of the future. He knows my future and my trust is in Him!

  8. Thanks, Julie! This resounds in me in conjunction with my one word for this year, fearless. I worry about so much that I don’t have to worry about! Lay it at God’s feet and trust Him. It really all boils down to a trust issue. Do I believe God is big enough to handle the ups and downs of my daily life? I’m aiming to prove in 2012 that I do!

  9. “I have so much, yet I appreciate so little. ” My sentiments exacely.

    I am blessed in soo many ways: family, health, jobs, live around mountains, the list could go on and on. And yet, like you, I find it hard each day to have the peace and joy that only God gives. I long for what I don’t have. The happiness I used to enjoy, instead of complaining about small insignificant things.

    Thanks for reminding me that we can lay down our burdens on Him & rest in the knowledge that He is in control!

  10. Yes, again and again laying down my ways for His. Thank you for this reminder to look up, Julie — to taste, see, enjoy the beauty that clothes every day. I’m continually learning and practicing the surrender of my expectations, ideas of right, my future and that of my children, knowing He is infinitely faithful!

    • Surrender is such a difficult word to put into action, Ashley. Practicing over and over, remembering Christ’s surrender of His life for us (all because He loves us with a depth we can only imagine), and forcing our hands open to let go–these are the ways to unburden ourselves so we can be effective disciples. Thank you, Jesus!

  11. Surrender is such a difficult word to put into action, Ashley. Practicing over and over, remembering Christ’s surrender of His life for us (all because He loves us with a depth we can only imagine), and forcing our hands open to let go–these are the ways to unburden ourselves so we can be effective disciples. Thank you, Jesus!