Kia ora, I’m Jules.
I’m a wife, mum, grandmother, sister, daughter, friend, and fellow companion on the road with Jesus. I’m a maturing extrovert who loves silent retreats and is very happy working from home in solitude. I read extensively, write poetry, spend time in my garden, crochet giant colourful blankets for the people I love, facetime with my grandies using all the special effects, and look forward to eating fish n chips with Mat each week at the beach.
Most importantly, I am beloved of God—this fact is central to my identity.
I love this quote from Ian Simkins:
‘No one has the right to define you except the One who made you. There’s a big difference between what’s a part of your story and what’s a part of your identity … In Jesus our identity is received, not achieved … The truest thing about you is that you’re loved. Identity drives activity, not the other way around. And that changes everything. Let this truth settle in: Before you earned it, before you proved it, even before you understood it, you were already loved. May we stop trying to earn what Jesus has already freely given.’
Who you are, and whose you are matter more than what you do or produce, and this is foundational to spiritual direction.
My Testimony
Stepping into the regular practice of spiritual direction saved my own faith by providing me with a safe space to take the lid off the box I had put the God of my limited understanding into. The God of my unknowing leaped out and embraced me! I’m so grateful that I had a spiritual companion accompanying me on that journey as I discovered that God is so much more expansive and gracious, loving and kind, than I had previously allowed. Having someone who listens with curiosity and compassion, and who continually provides a scaffolding of care and hope as I wonder, wrestle, rest, question, explore, discern, wander, re-orientate and wonder again, has been the missing piece to my faith. Finding a new language and way of being with God within the contemplative tradition reshaped and reinvigorated my spiritual life, deepening my relationship with God. Could God be inviting you into a similar journey? It would by my joy and privilege to accompany you.
Background
I have two beautiful adult children, and now a gorgeous son-in-law too. I’m married to a Salvation Army officer, Magnificent Major Mat Badger, and we are part of The Salvation Army Johnsonville faith community, with Mat being the corps officer/senior pastor. I’m a content writer working in communications, and a published author together with Mat. In 2023 When the Light Goes Out was published about our journey with my mental health battle in 2012. It’s now only available as an e-book, and you can find it in all the usual places.
Training
I studied at Canterbury University in the early 90s and have a degree in English and history. I then studied at Laidlaw College in the late 90s gaining a post-graduate diploma in Biblical studies, before training with The Salvation Army at Booth College of Mission. Together with my husband Mat we were ordained and commissioned as Salvation Army officers in 2006, with most of our pastoral ministry taking place in Auckland. I resigned from officership in 2020, choosing to follow God’s leading and train for two years with Spiritual Growth Ministries to become a spiritual director. After I completed my training, I revisited my passion for writing. Now I am privileged to work as a content writer for The Salvation Army’s communications department, as well as offering spiritual direction. I became a full member of the NZ Association of Chrisitan Spiritual Directors (ASCD) in October 2025. I love what I get to do each day!
When the Light Goes Out
A Kiwi family's journey of mental illness, recovery, relapse and the ongoing pursuit of wellness. The day Jules Badger’s world fell apart came as a shock to the person closest to her, her husband Mat, and yet the signs of her decline were evident for months and seeded many years before.
Candidly and with great compassion, Jules and Mat Badger share their unexpected journey into depression and dissociation—as Jules struggled to survive and Mat struggled to accept his new reality.
As leaders in The Salvation Army, the Badgers had ministered to people over many years but were not immune to the consequences of burnout and exhaustion. As their families rallied and their church community came alongside in support, Jules and Mat created a new normal where mental health is nurtured and self-care is prioritised.
When the Light Goes Out highlights warning signs of mental distress for those who choose a life of service, while centering these within the story of God’s faithfulness and re-igniting a theology of hope.