It’s hard to figure out how to begin to put into words all that Julie Mangrem has meant to me. She has been a friend to me through many stages of life, beginning in high school – which was quite possibly one of the most crucial times in my life, regarding influence. Mark became the youth minister at my church right about the time I was able to get really involved in the youth group. I’ll never forget one of my favorite talks he gave us one night at GAP – “What is the greatest power God has given us? The power to choose.” He taught me that night that although God has the perfect plan for our life, he gives us the power to choose everything we do and say every single day. This is something that has stuck with me ever since and it is safe to say that Julie made a lot of right choices in her life. Choices that were holy and pleasing in the sight of the Lord. Choices that encouraged others. Choices that honored her husband. Choices that spurred others to a closer relationship with God. So many choices.
I first started building a relationship with Julie when she was my Sunday School teacher in 10th grade. She put up with some immature girls! She taught us how to love God and study His Word. She taught us what it meant to love a husband and how to start doing that before we were married. She taught us how to stand firm in what we believe. She let us have lots of fun! She let us spend the night at her house, stay up late, go rolling and laugh a lot! She called us out when we needed to be put in our place. She was real. All the time. One of the quotes I remember from her in high school was when we were at camp one summer. Someone was joking with her about PDA with Mark at camp. Her reply was, “Hey - I have a license!” I love that she was always so quick on her feet with the perfect response. Sometimes it was funny but it always made me think. Another memory I have from high school was that she and Mark had a prayer room in their house. She taught us the importance of prayer and having a designated spot to know you can always be quiet and have that time with God. I remember that she also made me feel needed and confident in leadership when I was in high school. I had the opportunity to serve with her on Mission Trips and at camps. She never belittled me or made me feel like I was too young to be hanging out with her and her friends. She knew how to encourage me and make me feel needed in ministry. When high school was coming to an end and a group of us were about to go our separate ways to different colleges Mark & Julie had us over. They celebrated our time we had together in high school. They gave us books and wrote us encouraging words to live by. They loved us and they made sure we knew.
Around the time I went to college is when Mark and Julie moved into the College Life role at the same church. Since I was away at school I was not involved in the weekly ministry but I still got to spend time with Julie at conferences like Passion and One Day. She was always able to connect with me during whatever stage of life I was in. She asked meaningful questions. She knew how to get past the surface. She also knew how to let loose and have some fun. And she really knew how to laugh…at herself and at others.
During my first year of marriage I had the opportunity to room with Julie at a conference my mom and I were a part of. It was one of the best weekends because of Julie. I felt like I had a new connection with her because now I was married and sort of in a different stage of life. We laughed a lot that weekend but we also had some great talks. These were not sit down talks that she was trying to teach me something. It was just casual conversations we had each day. She made me feel pretty. She renewed some of my confidence. She challenged me. Just by being Julie. I remember going home after that weekend and telling my husband how much I really enjoy being around her. I told him she makes me want to be a better wife, a better friend and a better Christian. But she is normal! And fun! And funny! It was very refreshing!
My most recent and fun memory of Julie was last summer when she had some friends over for a play date and invited me and Whitney to bring our kids and come play. It was so much fun to see her as a mom in every day life. To see her interact with all the kids, her friends and me and my crazy kid! She was the same Julie I knew and loved for all those years and now we were on yet another level. A mom and a wife. It was so much fun to talk to her about silly things, look at all her pictures and STILL have her call me out! (She said I was a snob b/c I didn’t watch John & Kate plus 8 b/c I thought they were dorky.) It was such a fun and relaxing day at her house. This is the Julie I will always remember. Not the Julie I saw at the hospital this year on an impromptu visit with my mom that happened to be her birthday. I am so grateful for that visit because it was the last time I would see her. But I will remember the Julie from last summer. And the same Julie I have known since high school.
There are many other times in my life that Julie was a part of my day – wedding showers, baby showers, weddings, funerals and a little reunion we held at my parent’s house with our high school church friends when everyone was in town over Christmas a couple of years ago. Mark & Julie were kind enough to show up, share memories and hang out with us after all those years! There are lots of funny things she has said or laughed at over the years that are not appropriate to repeat! And this is why I love being around her!!!
As I think back to the weddings and funerals I have attended with Julie one thing comes to mind. We always ended up sitting near or with one another and we were always laughing. Or she was calling me out for laughing with my sisters and mom.
March 1st will be an emotional day. I look forward to celebrating the life of a woman who made my life richer. A woman that I will always remember. Always. I am so sad that the world has lost such an influential woman of God. But I am so excited for her to be walking hand in hand with Jesus and seeing him face to face. She will be greatly missed on this earth but never forgotten.
