Well, hey friend, welcome to Java with Julie, hosted by Me Julie Slattery.

This podcast is a listener supported outreach of authentic intimacy, which is a ministry dedicated to helping people make sense of God and sexuality.

Time with God should be something we look forward to, like a delight, not a duty,

but it doesn't always feel that way.

There's the shame that we sometimes put on ourselves,

we have busy schedules, sometimes you might even not know

what exactly your time with God should look like.

And those are just a few of the many things

that can make our devotional life a lot less than delightful.

I've had seasons in my own walk with God where spending time with him was literally the best part of my day

And then I've had other seasons where it felt like a duty. My time with God was just dry and it seemed like my prayers went nowhere. I really want a deep relationship with the

Lord and as we're now in a new year that's one of my goals. It's one of the things that I want to continue to pursue is not settling for just checking the box of having a quiet time.

Well, maybe you can relate and if so today's conversation is going to be right up your alley.

My guest is author, teacher, and poet

Jackie Hill Perry.

And she's one of my favorite guests on the podcast

because I value her honesty, her humility, and just the way she calls out things the way they are.

She challenges me in my own walk with the Lord.

And last year, Jackie released a new book, it's a devotional call upon waking. Her heart in writing it was to help

Christians cultivate a deeper intimacy with God and really a richer time in the word. If you've heard Jackie speak before you know that

she has a gift for explaining our human condition and calling us to pursue Jesus and live like

him and this conversation is no different. So grab your coffee, prepare

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