Ridgell's Originals

Our daughter Julie turned 38 Sunday.  And yes, she knows I will put her age on here.  Like all the women in our family, she doesn't get hung up on age.  After all, it is just a number.  There are so many reasons I am proud of Julie, but here a few of them.


She is a faith fighter.  By that, I mean that she never quits and never gives up on her faith.  It has been a hard three years for her health-wise.  She struggled with a lot of misdiagnosis and mystery symptoms.  But she hung in there.  Kept praying.  Kept believing God would get her thru.  Lived Philippians 4 and worked hard to give her worries to God.

And he answered her prayers.  She is well on the road to recovery and feeling better than she has in a long time.  Still tests to go, still praying, but here is why I am proud of her.  She thanks God constantly thru for the good.  Asking God to heal is an act of faith.  So is thanking him when he does.

She is a great Mom.  I watched her last summer when her son Jake had Kawasaki disease.  She prayed, loved, cried when he couldn't see, and ignored her health to focus on him.  And I love the way she is molding Avery.  Raising kids to have faith.

I watched her this past week at my Dad's funeral.  Saw her care for my Mom, saw her taking care of Marsha, saw her with her brother, and with her cousins.  Saw her cry.  Saw her faith that we will be together again.  Loved her for worrying about how I was doing.

Love her heart to share Jesus.  She cares about those who are hurting.  She believes Jesus is the answer.  And she tells people that.  Invites them into God's story.

She is a great nurse.  Mostly because she really cares about the kids at her school.  And they love her.

So much of her Granny and her Mom in her.  And I love that.

I am proud and blessed to be her Dad.

Love you Jules and so glad to see what God is doing in you and in your family.