Living in the body of Christ and the fellowship of all believers, we hear and see many stories. Stories of different lives, different ages, different places. Some astound us, some make us feel happiness, some confuse us.

Through our various life experiences, God calls us to different vocations with different gifts of time, treasure, and talent. As believers, we go through many vocations, sometimes at the same time in our lives. Ultimately, we live our lives knowing that our greatest joy and goal is to share the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with others, and living with the hope of eternal life with Him after this one and with all saints. This gives us a very different perspective on the treasures and temporary things that we are given by our Heavenly Father, knowing that He both takes and gives as He sees fit in His omniscient wisdom.

Julaine Bolden learned that firsthand in her faith walk. Julaine and her husband of 43 years, Steve, joined St. John Lutheran as members in 2006. After serving as a veteran of the Vietnam War and retiring from Eli Lilly, Steve was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2013 and passed away after battling this cancer for two years in 2015.

During this time, Julaine began to see her priorities in a new light. Seeing how God had worked in her life and through Steve’s life and witness, Julaine was reminded that material possessions and money were not the real priority or answer to anything: that comfort and security is found in Christ, and through eternal life in Him. “While working on my gift planning, I felt God’s presence surrounding me,” she said. “A Bible verse I’ve known for years, now I really know: Hebrews 13:5. ‘Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’’”

After Steve’s victory in Christ, Julaine worked with her financial planner, lawyer, accountant, and the LCMS Foundation to determine what assets God had given her. Eli Lilly had provided Steve with a 401K plan which Julaine then decided to give to the St. John Endowment Fund. Julaine’s gift will be distributed when she wins her victory in Christ, with one-third going to support worship enhancement, and two-thirds going to help school families with financial aid.

Julaine has “loved St. John Lutheran Church and School and [her] life with the body of Christ” in this place, and we are grateful for her tremendous and thoughtful gift given in faith. Julaine has also been gifted with the ability to create and sew quilts, which she continues to share here at St. John. Perhaps if you see one of the many quilts around the church or school, you might also think of Julaine and how God might be working in your life, right where you are.