After Julie Elias broke into Christian music with her debut album A Wild Rose featuring "Breathing Room," her Christmas album Holy Night and a worship album Love Rain Down (featuring "Love Rain Down"), she has returned with her latest collection, Unbroken. This new project of original songs details the struggles and victories of Julie's last few years, drawing on universal human experiences and voicing the call to move on from the past.

Julie appeared as an actress in the television shows Grey's Anatomy and CSI: New York, and then she felt called to record faith-based music. Julie's pop/rock sound is influenced by Amy Grant, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles and Christina Perri. She's committed to spreading faith-affirming messages that are just as uplifting to believers as they are inspiring to seekers. I had the chance to speak with Julie about "Home."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

This is a really special song for me. I have moved around a lot, and I've lived in a lot of different places. Moving to Dallas has been the hardest on me of all the places I've lived, even after going away to college and from living in Hollywood. In those other places, there are a lot of transplants who are looking to make friends. But a lot of people in this area grew up here, and I am more of an outsider. A lot of times I've felt very lonely, and I have a great relationship with my parents but they still live in the town where I grew up.

This song is about the craziness that surrounds our day-to-day lives and how good it feels to escape to somewhere comfortable and safe, just like going home after a busy day at school or work, or coming home from college at the end of a long semester. Sometimes though, we can't physically make it home, but that doesn't mean we can't experience that same comfort. Running to God and feeling refreshed by Him can happen whenever we can step away and trust Him with the chaos in our life.

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Matthew 11:28 (NIV): Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
 
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:10 (NIV): And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV): Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

What is the takeaway message of the song and album?

The feelings of rejuvenation and comfort and peace that we feel when we come home are the feelings that we can have all of the time in our relationship with God, and we can have His presence around us at all times. When I was feeling lonely, I was guilty of not indulging in God's presence as much as I should have been. God is always with us. When we turn to Him for our rest and our comfort, we know we have safety and security in Him. That's still been an ongoing process for me, and it has helped me deal with loneliness and all of the traveling where I'm away from home a lot. The comfort I've found when I've actively chosen to seek God's presence has given me more confidence in who I am in Him, and now I don't feel as lonely.

The songs are about many situations in my life where I've learned the hard way, and the songs are written with teenage girls in mind to minister to them and to let them know they aren't alone. The details may be different, but the ideas are universal. If they can be saved the heartaches that I've gone through, then that is the purpose I feel that God has planned for me. 

I now feel that I'm following the one true calling in my life. I wanted to be an actress and moved to Hollywood. I've always loved storytelling and sharing human experiences. I would pray a lot about specific things in my life, and after I was in Hollywood for a couple of years, I wasn't feeling significant and fulfilled at a bigger level. I knew I was ready to transcend and take a step forward to find my purpose. When I gave up control and trusted in God's plans, it was amazing. 

The album is called Unbroken, and 1st Peter 5:10 is the theme verse. We will all have struggles, but knowing that there's strength and home on the other side is encouraging.

Lyrics:
It all goes crazy sometimes
Wanna pause my life and rewind but no
Life doesn't work that way
Want escape from my frustration
A permanent vacation and run so far away 
I'm not getting any younger 
This road keeps getting longer 
No ending in sight 
Getting off the highway 
Quit doin' it my way and run to what is right

Heading home, I finally know
Where I went wrong, Where I belong
Heading home, Can't wait to go
Steady my heart, Back at the start
I'm heading home

In the greatest storms You guide me
In my darkest place You find me so why do I even try to hide?
In my weakness You have held me
In my heartbreak You will heal me
Always right by my side
Need to get rid of my blinders
Needing a reminder where I go from here
Dropping my distractions
Focusing my actions
Conquering my fears

When it all goes crazy sometimes
Can't pause my life, Can't hit rewind 
'Cause no, Life doesn't work that way 
When it all goes crazy sometimes
Can't pause my life
Can't hit rewind 
'Cause no, Life doesn't work that way

For me, this song reflects what's on my heart. My greatest desire as a follower of Jesus is to live out the Gospel, and the songs on this album all help me with my walk and challenge me to gain that "righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." Daily we are presented with the choices of how to use our time, lifestyle choices and pursuit of riches, living for today and not knowing what tomorrow has in store for us, questioning our loneliness and looking for meaning. You can take comfort in knowing that "Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus." 

We all need to remember that earth isn't our permanent home and our freedom from the restlessness of this world will come when we enter the true rest that can only come from living eternally with Jesus Christ. This song has become a personal worship anthem for me to sing daily and remember that "everything under the sun is meaningless." As St. Augustine put it so perfectly, "our hearts are restless until they rest in You." 

We can all find comfort in seeking God's presence and know that He is always with us and wants to make His home in our hearts. We are never alone or need to feel lonely as God's daughters and sons. Spend time with God and let Him redeem and restore you. We are not at the end of our story. God's still writing our stories of redemption. God wants us to know that He's faithful to complete what's He's started in all of us who've put all of our hope and trust in Jesus for our salvation. I sing along with Julie at the top of my lungs in total devotion to God. I am very moved by the lyrics "In my weakness You have held me, In my heartbreak You will heal me, always right by my side." As Paul says in Ephesians 3:18 (NIV): only "through His Spirit... may you be able to comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of the Love of Christ." 

A.W. Tozer said "We should not find it miraculous that God is victorious. What else would He be? But we should find it miraculous that we can be victorious through Him." Allow the fullness of Christ's Love to indwell in your heart and proclaim the truth of this song back to Jesus, "In the greatest storms You guide me, In my darkest place You find me so why do I even try to hide?" Amen to that!

Watch Julie talk about the song below.