ABOUT

Hello, my name is JJ...I'm a homemade Californian who was raised by a loving mother of German descent and an ambitious African-American father.  They married and started a family shortly after mixed race marriages became legal in all U.S. States.  Influenced by my father's entrepreneurial spirit, I launched various businesses over the years, all under the umbrella of the visual arts.  In between these creative endeavors, I've had the privilege of working in the interior design field as well as serving on multiple church campuses across state lines.

I was 13 when life was made new again.  On a cool, California evening in a 10x10 bedroom, just 3 years after my mother died, I invited Jesus Christ into my grieving heart while reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.  Phillipians 4:13 anchored those adolescent years and since that night, Jesus has proven the most faithful of friends, beckoning me on journeys I wouldn't take otherwise.

In the last several years, my family and I have bounced from state to state for the call of ministry, currently settling in with the desert landscape and flashing lights of Viva Las Vegas.  I am passionate about helping young women make room for God to rewrite the pain of their past and nurture their identity as the beloved.

Formerly Casa de Jules, which was birthed in 2007, The Rose + Citrus Journal continues sharing my desire for making a life beautiful from season to season.  Some features include current book reads as well as my intimate thoughts on the love of God.  I also treasure old movies, French culture and long bike rides.  My husband and I have been married over 25 years and we have two grown daughters and one son-in-love.  Thank you for visiting and welcome to my little corner!