Oh HI there!!
I know I know, I might seem a little bruised and beat up but I have a secret!
2016 might have tried to crush me to pieces but something amazing happened.
I finally let go. The surrender of finally breaking.
I finally found a peace I never knew available.
Been a hard year beloved? Yea… Me too.
I feel like we have gone from one traumatic tragedy to the next…
2 miscarriages. ER & ICU visits for me and different family members. Financial struggles, relational challenges, depression, hopelessness… You name it! OH and this week a LOVELY car accident to put a little icing on the top… My natural tendency is to panic and FREAK OUT!
But I feel the Lord whisper that there is another and a better way.
What is it you ask?
GRATITUDE.
Yup. That’s right.
Gratitude.
Oh man… there she goes… giving us the “lets all just ignore whats going on and walk in the opposite direction talk”… But Rachael my life has been HARD!
Yes friend.
It HAS been hard.
But did you know that He has been with you the whole time?
I know… I didn’t realize it either till I finally let myself BREAK.
Its inside out and upside down, but gratitude is a beautiful weapon of our warfare against the schemes, trials and assaults of the enemy.
To overcome obstacles, walk in gratitude.
Tired of fighting depression and anxiety, declare gratitude.
Want to wake up in the morning and not stay in bed ALL DAY, SHOUT OUT GRATITUDE.
GRATITUDE:
The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Seems easy enough. Right?
Well, that is till your world come crashing down!
Yet in the midst of all the trials and heartache we have gone through this year, something has shifted inside of me. I find myself telling God what I am thankful for in the midst of the pain. His mercy really is new every morning. The fact that I have 2 beautiful babies waiting for me… PRAYING for me in heaven. The miracle that I didn’t slip into a coma or die in that ICU room. The depth of love and trust that has been built through trial by fire in my husband and I’s relationship. All things that could have been brushed aside.
BUT GOD.
What does it even look like have a heart alive in love, trusting completely and knowing that His Word says…
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him,who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (emphasis mine)
ALL THINGS.
Not some things.
Or just the GOOD things.
Nor the I perfectly pinterest packaged together things.
ALL THINGS.
Do you believe it friend?
That even when you feel broken, He can see the end from the beginning?
He knows the end of the story and is creating something beautiful in you?
When things were easy and effortless it never stuck as deep.
Oh I looooooove Jesus… but didn’t really NEED Him.
OUCH.
The beauty of brokenness causes us to see that through the good & bad, broke & beautiful, bruised and battered, He is forging gratitude in me.
Gratitude in ALL THINGS. Not just the promotions, but the trials.
So to you dear heart, HOLD ON.
Hold onto your faith.
Let your heart fall into His and know that He has you.
Don’t force a thankful heart but look at what He HAS DONE.
For you are BEAUTIFUL.
Breathtaking.
Loved.
Cherished.
Fought for.
Let gratitude rest in your heart and carry you through the storm.
He’s not about your breaking in this season but MAKING you into something beautiful.
I thought this would be a FUN way for you all to get to know me a bit more!
I found this idea over at Noobbeauty and just had to join in on the fun!
I loved these questions and would LOVE for you to answer them too if you’d like!!
Make sure to pop over to my FACEBOOK page and answer these in a post!! <3
HERE WE GO 🙂
What is your middle name? Dee! I was named after my grandmother Delores and she always goes by Dee. I’ve loved my middle name my whole life and that’s what I go by for business!
What was favorite subject at school? Hmmm… English was a favorite because I love to read and write but if I can be 100% honest, it was ART. No matter what class it was, I absorbed it all in and loved pottery the most. I dream of one day having my own studio in a garage xox
What is your favorite drink? Right now COFFEE. Black with a splash of cream. OMG I could drink it all day every day!! I am also a sparkling water fanatic and love to put a couple drops of citrus essential oil in my bubbly.
When it comes to an adult beverage, I love a good RED!
What is your favorite song at the moment? No longer slaves by Jonathan and Melissa Helser. YOU. MUST. LISTEN!!!
What is your favorite food? Pizza. I mean, is there another option?? Ok but really… I am currently craving Thai food something fierce! Get some yellow curry in my belly!
What is the last thing you bought? An adorable pair of TOMS that I got at Ross for only $16.99! I have teensy feet and can fit into a kids size 4! LOVE!!!!!
Favorite book of all time? The Bible. Where would I be without those words of LIFE!?
Favorite Color? Always and forever P I N K ! ! ! !
Do you have any pets? My furbabes and besties for life Lovie the fun-loving Yorkie and King Felix the tyrant of a cat 😉 I need to start-up their own Instagram because they are so cute!!!
Favorite Perfume? I stopped wearing perfume a few years back but have an Essential Oil blend that I swoon over!! Its called the Joyful Blend and actually boosts the endorphin’s in my brain making me happier and healthier!
Favorite Holiday? I am all things CHRISTMAS!!!! It’s the most magical and wonderful time of the year! It’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus! Happiest time you will see me… plus the weather is PERFECTION and I get to wear boots, scarves and pea coats!!!
Are you married? To my best friend and love of my life! You can find our love story HERE <3 He was definitely worth the wait! I would do it a thousand times over to be with him xox
Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times? The travel bug hit me hard when I was younger and I love going overseas! For both pleasure and ministry, I want to touch so many nations with the life and love of Jesus. I have been to Mexico (for a missions trip when I was 16 and we also Honeymooned in Cancun!) Uganda (we helped build a medical clinic as well as a fresh water well!) Cairo, Egypt (I actually rode a camel around the pyramids… CRAZY!) England (London, Bath, Shaftsbury, Manchester) as well as Scotland! Ready for my next adventure for sure!!!
Do you speak any other language? I wish I did but only a little bit of Spanish… Very little!
How many siblings do you have? One amazing sister who is my best friend in the world! And an incredible sister in LOVE that I get to keep forever <3
What is your favorite shop? Oh man… I have a few faves! I have always been an American Eagle girl but looooooove the deals I can get at Macy’s! I love finding a good bargain and am NOT attached to name brands! Forever 21 is great for all the cheap trends I don’t want to spend a fortune on!!
Favorite restaurant? I have 2! Fogo De Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse is where we favorite EVERY year for my birthday but I also fell in love with the customer service at The Capital Grille 🙂 Perfect for an anniversary or celebration!
When was the last time you cried? Yesterday… The waves of sadness still creep up on me from time to time in loosing our first baby and the pain of miscarriage. I miss our son so much but know that he is in perfection with Jesus! That reality alone gives my heart so much HOPE! We miss you little guy xox
Favorite Blog? I’m super crazy about my business coach and mentor Sandi Krakowski at arealchange.com 🙂 She is AMAZING!!!
Favorite Movie? You can’t have just one! Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, The Princess Bride, Die Hard trilogy, Lord of the Rings trilogy, How to lose a guy in 10 days, The Intern, Frozen (don’t judge!!) and so many others!!!!!!!!!!!
Favorite TV shows? 24, Person of Interest, Once Upon a Time, Agents of Shield, The Flash, HGTV (Fixer Upper is my fave but I will literally watch anything from there!) Madame Secretary, When Calls the Heart… SO many others!
PC or Mac? I’m a rebel… CHROMEBOOK! I know it is probably on the PC end… but its in a land of its own!
What phone do you have? A Sprint iPhone 6! Only the best!
How tall are you? 5″1 and a HALF! I take my half very seriously thank you very much!!!
Can you cook? I looooooove to cook! Every since we discovered how severe my gluten intolerance is, I had to get real crafty in the kitchen. The only thing I haven’t mastered yet is the art of making a perfectly cooked steak. I leave that and the grilling to the Mister. He is WAY better at that than me!
WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT!!! Now you know a bit more about ME and I want to know a bit more about YOU!
Comment your answers BELOW or pop over to my Facebook page and post some of them there!!!
So many things have changed for my husband and I recently and change is good… BUT HARD.
In the midst of learning new skills, growing as a business woman, wife and friend, I have been provoked to STAY OPEN. To LIVE OPEN. To have my heart be soft, pliable and tender.
How many times do we go through seasons of pruning and RESIST what God wants to do? How many times do we RUN AWAY from the good that change is trying to bring?
I have done this way too many times myself…
We grow weary or tired and “check out” when we get home. We blame it on our job… the house… the kids… the spouse… but never really connect to that ache and barren place in our heart that longs for God.
The ease to disconnect because we are “too busy” to make time for the things that matter. To make time for Him.
As I was reading in my devotionals this morning I was provoked to let change happen, but also let my heart remain open. I have been on a journey the last 6 months to learn what it means to live from my WHOLE heart in all situations.
What it has shown me is how easy it is for me to disconnect, check out or numb when things get sticky. It’s highlighted seasons of selfishness, pride and arrogance. Its shown me how self seeking I have been but how much hope is in front of me.
I don’t want to be that kind of wife… mother… friend. It costs something to live from your heart.
To remain open and present.
To actually LISTEN to when others share their own hearts.
Though I feel weak, I am willing. I want to change and find the confidence to walk in my true self, love from a place of abundance and make others feel seen, heard and known.
This journey of life is too short to stay shut down and isolated.
I invite you to join me and let change perfect us in love and cause our hearts embrace all that is in front of us.
You are loved, cherished and created for a purpose.
Let your WHOLE heart (the good, bad and ugly) rest today.
The heaviness lifts and it feels a bit easier to breathe when I remember to do this… I hope the same for you.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
You are more than a conqueror and capable of living free from shame and condemnation! Nothing can separate you from THIS GREAT LOVE!!!
I’m curious what it means to YOU to live from your whole heart?
(I know I can’t be the only one wanting more!) Comment below and I would love to be praying for your own journey!
And don’t even get me started on the lure of “Pinterest Perfect Living” that creates a perfect storm in too many hearts.
Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t one of those BOOOOO social media posts. Oh please.
I love Pinterest and use Social Media for my business (and have met some AMAZING people over the last few years).
But let’s be honest with how many times we are jealous, envious and comparing our reality with a “perfect face forward” image we see displayed. Best photos, best moments, never struggling… Sound familiar??
THIS is what we need to stop. THIS comparison is stealing our joy.
Let’s be clear about one thing. Comparison didn’t start when social media flew into our lives.
Nope. That little beast has been around for generations, assaulting and shutting down the hearts of men and women alike. Social Media has heightened our awareness, and we need to be on guard of where our hearts are.
But I want to address you, dear daughter, and the fight that you are in.
Did you even realize that? YOU are in a fight for your life.
There is an enemy that is hunting you, doing everything it can to steal your joy, your heart and your core identity. Evil is hunting us all and more often than not, we are completely unaware of the assault.
No wonder I feel like I can’t get out of this pit I’m in...
You, dear daughter, were made in the image of God. You were made PERFECT. Beautiful.
Don’t give me the “But I’m overweight… I’m not pretty… I’m not good enough… strong enough… smart enough” ENOUGH WITH THE LIES!
We have a choice to STOP believing them.
WE have to stop waking up every morning HATING what He so beautifully and purposefully made.
But only you can make that choice.
Please know that I get it. Its real and I have lived most of my life in that space. But we MUST believe what God says that defines us instead of believing what culture is screaming down our necks.
BE this… DO that… LOOK like this… ALWAYS be on… Never fail… SUCK IT UP… BE perfect… STAY quiet… DONT rock the boat… ENOUGH! I can’t take it anymore!
I am so tired of living up to a standard I was never meant to reach.
I am so heartbroken watching my own life and those of dear friends crumble under the weight of comparison.
I am so READY to live in the peace and freedom promised.
We were created in HIS image and if we are accusing what He made, then ultimately we are saying that He is not good and made a mistake.
Go grab your Bible and open it up to Psalm 139 right now and let the truth wash over you.
For you createdmy inmost being; youknit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts,God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139 13-18 (Emphasis mine)
I want you to read that verse again and ask the Father what He was thinking about when He made you.
What were His emotions?
What was His desire?
What purpose were you created for?
Have you ever thought about the fact that you could have been born 100 years ago? 1000 years ago?
But God chose you for THIS time. To be here in THIS generation with THESE pressures and trials to give HIM glory.
We are all in the battle.
We are all in the struggle in some way.
Yet we have a God who is intentional, purposeful and perfect in His leadership.
We have a Father who sees us, knows us and has counted every hair on our heads.
This is who you are beloved. You are His and He is fiercely committed to you.
What if we actually walked in that confidence?
Believed what He said was true?
What if instead of comparing and tearing each other down, we actually spoke life over one another?
Love over one another?
Calling out the beauty we see in each other?
Offering rest to our weary souls and acceptance that we are ALL on the journey to stand before Him in love.
This is such a deep desire, and reach for my life.
I have not always loved well. I recognize this.
I have made many mistakes. I also recognize this.
But I know that God is for me and has given me grace to love, grow and lean into Him. Grace to love others as myself and speak life and truth instead of lies and accusation.
I invite you to ask Him some of these questions.
Let Him touch your heart and give you grace to love who He made.
You are enough. You are loved. You are worthy.
You are adored.
Start the dialogue and let Him pursue the deeper places of your heart.
I’ll do it with you. Who knows, maybe if we stop comparing ourselves so much, we could actually love well.
My heart feels like it is might burst; expanded to a capacity where I know something deep has taken place.
Why? I did something CRAZY!
I journeyed with a few women away to the mountains this past weekend and turned everything OFF.
Cell phone. Computer. Email. Social Media. OFF
MAGICAL.
Have you done that recently? Taken a day or two and unplugged?
Let go of the tangled web of comparison…
I can’t begin to tell you how clear-headed, clean and energized I feel.
Life comes at us at a million miles an hour.
Work demands our strength.
Family requires our attention.
Friends desire our time.
Daily tasks delay without attention.
But what about your heart, dear daughter? Is it alive?
Do you remember glimpses of YOU before the swirls of life took over with its needs?
Are you living from your heart?
In returning home from this weekend, I am pondering the idea, the notion, the audacious and terrifying longing of living from the WHOLE heart.
Not living from my daily task list, work demands or even family necessities. (They never seem to stop, do they?)
But the heart? I’m not sure I have time for all that…
In Biblical language, your heart is the center of the human spirit, from which spring emotions, thought, motivations, courage and action; thus it is the ‘wellspring of life’ (NIV Study Bible Note on Psalm 4:7)
Our heart houses so many beautiful aspects of our identity. It is the source of our thought life, what we feel and all of our deepest desires. How many of us feel like our heart is barely beating, our dreams have fallen under piles of laundry and the feeling of opening up brings up pain and heartache.
All too often we hear voices scream “Suck it up… You don’t have time to feel… You are too much and no one cares…”
Yet God, in the riches of His goodness, has called us to live wholehearted, alive in love with Him. He has crafted us to represent His glory and beauty, aspects of His nature that only women can display. Our heart is essential to our very being, the core of who we are. Without it open, tender and vulnerable, we fall into deception, confusion, isolation and despair. (Anyone else out there??)
Yet there is a Father who loves, sees and cares.
A Father in heaven who wants to take us on the journey to discovering how we can learn to love US.
To be patient with the process, gentle with the journey, humble in the breaking and loving what He intentionally made.
You, beloved, are not a mistake.
You, dear daughter, are not too much.
You are bright, beautiful, astounding, capable, tender, fierce, courageous, inviting, beautiful and life-giving.
You have much to offer and much to experience.
Find a safe place to sit in silence, even for just a few moments, and ask your Father to take you on a journey of discovery. A journey into the place of loving yourself, accepting your faults and patiently opening your heart to His love.
The adventure is worth it.
You have a huge part to play in the most beautiful of stories.
YOURS.
