A Single Rose

A touch

A smile

A warm embrace

Chocolates

Maybe a kiss

A single rose

How exactly do we show love?

A cross

Nails pinning flesh to wood

A crown of thorns

All sin put upon His shoulders

This is how Christ showed us.

Nothing can ever compare,

but never stop trying to continue His gift.

For love is best when shared.

Whether it is a kiss, a smile, a hug, or a single rose

Spread love.

God Bless,

Rachael

What is Christmas without Christ?

Merry Mas!

We wish you a merry Mas!

What is Christmas without Christ?

the point of Christmas is to recognize the gift God gave us: Jesus.

He sent His only son to earth to die a death meant for us.

Christmas is about celebrating the love Christ has for us and we have for each other.

Gifts are a great way to show someone you love them, but Christmas has become all about gifts. Christmas sales everywhere and kids Expecting presents to be under the tree.

Kids get upset when they don't get what they want. Since when has being loved a thing that upsets people? The concentration is so focused on the event of gifts that the idea of giving has been looked over. When you give a gift to someone you show them you care about them and are thanking them for being in their life. God gave us Jesus. When we accept Him into our heart He thanks us by giving us eternal life with Him. Remember these things this Christmas. Without Christ there would be no Christmas. Celebrate love and family. Merry Christmas everyone :)

God Bless,

Rachael

Shine Bright

Who ever knew that making decisions could be so hard? As kids we relied on our parents to make the choices for us, even when we didn’t want them to. They set restrictions on us and we felt trapped in a cage. I’m not a baby we would scream. We don’t need the restrictions of a crib. But now that we are free of our bars where do we go? We have to take steps into a new world full of scary things. People unfamiliar to us come apart of our lives. We no longer have mom and dad to say yes or no. We used to hate the fact that our parents could tell us what to do. Now I find myself trying to crawl into their lap and become a kid again. I am so afraid at times to make the wrong decision. There is so much I could do to mess my life up. Sometimes I wish I could stay a kid forever. And then there is a instance, in my most fearful moment, I see a light. I find some hope. God has prepared me for the future. It doesn’t matter if I make a few mistakes along the way as long as I am moving forward and working for His glory. When your heart is set on God, your choices will please Him. Those hard decisions become easier when you have someone to guide you. We say we don’t need our parents but we need God. And He is the Father of all. No matter how old we get we can curl up in His lap and be a kid again. We can cry to Him, lean on Him for support, look to Him for help, and rely on His strength. Life is rough without that crib keeping us from harm, but it’s when we step out of our childhood and into reality that we find who we are as an individual. It’s when we can start making an impact on the world. It’s when choices get harder, but when those choices are influenced by God always have good outcomes. It is important to grow up because you are a part of a bigger plan. You are a part of a plan that changes lives and spreads light to a world stuck in the dark. Believe in yourself and the power you have through Christ. When life scares you, fall to your knees in prayer. The giver of peace will calm your heart and cover you with His love. Those hard choices will not go away, but knowing that God is using whatever choice you make for His glory takes off some of the pressure. No matter where you are you can be a light, just let God shine.

God Bless,

Rachael

I am beautiful.

I am beautiful.

How often do I actually believe that sentence? I have come to realize that I tear myself down more than I build myself up. Why is that? Because I constantly enter myself in a competition with the world. I compete in a beauty contest that judges all the wrong things. You have to look the part. Dress the part. Walk the walk. Talk the talk. Is there ever a true winner? Even the girls we compare ourselves to have doubts. We are all trapped in a bubble of clothes, media, and make-up. It seems so easy to pop a bubble but once it's popped our true selves show. Popping the bubble of conformity means coming face to face with you we really are.

I am ready. I am done with competing with a world that doesn't see my worth. I AM BEAUTIFUL! I am beautiful because I have a heart for people and love to see them smile. I am beautiful because I show myself through my art. I am beautiful because I want the world to feel the love I feel. I am beautiful because God shines through me. I am beautiful because I am Christ's. No one can replace me because there is only one me. Just like no one can replace you because there is only one you. You are who you are because God knew only you could do the will He has planned for your life. We me fall into the world's trap every now and then , but our Father is always there to pick us up. "All beautiful you are my darling, there is no flaw in you." Song of Songs 4:7. See in yourself What God sees; something beautiful.

Let your light shine

Down the broken rode I went

No love

Just darkness

in a ball I sat with my head down

a black bird came through the night

poking, jabbing, stabbing

me from every angle

I refused to look up and be face to face with my pain

as I sat there curled up in my ball I felt trapped and alone

sitting there in the dark the poking, jabbing, and stabbing continued

until I couldn't stand it anymore

I screamed out and lifted my face

expecting the worst

and I found myself face to face with grace

It was not dark anymore

there was a light shining bright

God had been trying to get me to look up and see the light

see the light that was not shining from buildings in a city

but from my own heart where He lives eternally

I had been covering my light in my despair

forgetting that God is always there

we can never be consumed by darkness

because God is a fire that refuses to burn out

and lives inside of us no matter our spiritual where-about

we may fall down sometimes but it doesn't matter

because God is Father and Lord

He shed His blood so I can proudly say

I am a daughter of Christ

and am loved more than words could ever express



What you get isn't always what you ask for

Dear God,

I pray that this person I really like, will like me back. I think we are perfect for each other and I pray that one day we will end up together.

Dear God,

I pray that you will take away this temptation from me. Rid me of it once and for all. You can do anything so do this for me.

Dear God,

I pray that you would heal me of this illness. You make miracles happen for other people. Why can't you make a miracle happen for me?

 Praying is an awesome way to talk to God. It let's us hear from Him, have a relationship with Him, and gives us a chance to talk to the only one who truly knows us and accepts us. But sometimes we take prayer for granted. We ask God for something but at the same time demand it. We ask God for something specific instead of asking for His will to be done. Now the prayers above are just prayers I made up off the top of my head but think about prayers that you have said similar to these. I catch myself praying like this ALL THE TIME. One thing I forget is that I should not be in charge of my life. I do not hold the pen to my story. Whether it's the plan for my love life, my career, or anything else, I need to just Trust God. Instead of asking God for a specific person to notice me or like me.. I ask for God to keep preparing me for my future husband. To prepare him for me as well. And I pray that when the time comes I will know it is him. Instead of asking God to do something for me as a favor because it's what I want.. I ask that He show me what is the best for me. Instead of asking for hardships to be taken away I ask Him to hold my hand through it. God doesn't just fix everything and He does not grant your every wish like a genie. He created us. He knows what is best: we do not. So trust His plan instead of trying to make one of your own. Let me tell you from experience that human plans never can compare with God's plan.

God Bless,

Rachael

Inspired to Inspire

God has blessed me with so much. He has blessed me with an amazing family who loves me, gifts that I can use for His glory, and friends that see things differently than I do. They see things in me that I don't see. They help me realize things that I never would have. And they inspire me to make an impact on the world. We all have gifts. I have a creative mind, a generous heart, a love for people, and a desire to show love to everyone I can. You may be book smart, be great at sports, or you can speak in front of people without wanting to die of embarrassment. We ALL have gifts we can use. We don't always have to be the ones getting inspired, we can be the ones inspiring. Inspiring people to find love in God and not the world. Inspiring people to believe in themselves and have hope. Inspiring people to be positive and seek happiness. Inspiring people to live life with a purpose and not as a party. This world needs inspiration. God blessed you with a gift. Once you discover it.. don't be afraid to step out and use it.

God Bless,

Rachael

life seen differently

Sometimes I wish I could see life through a child's eyes

have their innocence

have their love for life

see things for what they truly are

I asked a little boy in my swim class what his little sister's name was

he replied with "Princess Autumn"

proud that she was his little sister.

Why can't we have that love?

Putting other's before ourselves..

he didn't just say her name was Autumn

he said Princess Autumn..

treating her better than most people treat their parents or best friend

kids are an example of God's perfect love for us..

not listening to the world.. but just loving because we can

I would say I want to see life through a child's eyes..

but they still fall short..

I want to see life through God's eyes

in His eyes we are all beautiful

in Him is where the greatest love of all is found.

God Bless,

Rachael

Identity

Identity.

The clothes you wear.

The color of your hair.

Are you a prep or a jock?

Are you smart or the class clown?

Identity.

Who are you?

The world tries to put you into a category.

The world tries to tell you who you are,

who you should be.

Identity.

Who am I?

I am a daughter of Christ.

I am quite loud and silly.

I love art and hate science.

I would die for my family and friends.

I love life.

Christ defines who I am.

I can not be put into a category.

Who are you?

What defines you?

Don't let the world decide who you are.

Discover it yourself.

What you will find is different but beautiful.

God Bless,

Rachael



Real Beauty

The dictionary defines beauty as "the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind." But who can really define beauty? It can be so many different things! There is physical beauty like a good body, there is authentic beauty like a great smile or interesting eyes, and there is inner beauty that comes from the soul. Beauty cannot be defined by twig thin girls in magazines that wear pounds of makeup. God defines beauty because God created beauty. Look at the world around you. The simplicity of a flower, the amazing designs on butterflies, or even the colors the fill the sky during a sun set. God is an artist. We are His most precious creation making us the most beautiful creation. We just have to believe it. God created us the way we are for a specific purpose. All the flaws you see are perfect in His eyes. You are His princess... try to start seeing yourself as one.

Here are some pics of beautiful girls that I know.. both inside and out.

Oh how He loves

How could you love me?

Someone so broken.

I don’t feel pretty, clean, or worthy.

I do not deserve your love.

I am no beautiful dove.

I am not pure and innocent.

I lay broken at your feet

Begging for mercy.

I am filthy

Full of sin.

How could you love me?

I feel this overwhelming peace.

Your blood washed over me.

This broken dove is redeemed.

I can fly… straight into your arms.

I don’t understand your love.

I don’t understand how you could love someone so broken and tiny.

But You do love me.

All of me.

In my brokenness, sorrow, shame, and sin.

You are my strength and my love.

You are beautiful God.

Thank you for loving me until the ends of the earth and beyond.

Forever and eternally

I am Yours and You are mine.

Daddy's Little Princess

I look around me and see fathers with their daughters all the time! But until I started teaching swim lessons I never really looked at them. It is amazing how much father's love their daughters. You can see it by everything they do. The dad's in my swim lessons always encourage their little girls, always have the biggest smiles when they do something right, and are basically the little girl's number one cheerleader. All they are missing are the pom poms. These dad's love their little girls so much that is just radiates off them. It fascinates me, because I see how much they love their daughters and even how much my dad loves me, yet it is not even a fraction of how much God loves us. I mean my dad does so much for me. He is always there to cheer me on, he encourages me in ways that no one else could, and loves me for who I am and not what the world wants me to be. I can't even comprehend a love greater than my dad's love for me. But God's love IS greater... We are our daddy's little princesses no matter how old we get, but we are also real princesses of the King for eternity. God is so amazing. I can't wait until the moment when I can run into His arms and hear Him say "welcome home my princess."

God Bless,

Rachael

My Perfect Best Friend

So many times Christians are labeled as "religious". She believes in God so she
is religious. He goes to church every week so he is religious. Well you know
what I am not "religious". I have a best friend who just happens to be perfect.
He is my God but He is also my Father. I don't pray because I have to. I pray
because that's how I talk to Him. There is so much more to believing in God than
being religious. I have a relationship with Him. I don't just believe in Him so I
can have a ticket into heaven. I trust Him with my life. I can feel His
everlasting love and I can see Him work in my life. He is the only one who will
always listen and always be there. Even our closest friend here on earth will
get tired of us at some point. God never will. He is the ultimate best friend because He
doesn't just rule over us like a dictator. He is in every part of my life by my
choice. Because I choose Him. I choose a Father not a religion.

God Bless,

Rachael

Mental Battle

All these voices inside my head

memories and thoughts

hopes and dreams

pain and brokenness

you are beautiful he said

then he chooses someone else

am I not beautiful anymore?

I love you he said

then he walks away from our friendship

am I not worthy of loving?

you are too good for me he says

but that just makes me feel like I'm worth nothing

why do I try to be accepted by this world?

questions flood my mind and take over

but now I am not in control

I gave my life to the One who saved it

He is perfect and all powerful

try to mess with Him

He will bring you to your knees

my Father tells me I am beautiful

He always chooses me

my Father loves me

He will never walk away

I am a sinner

yet I am perfect in His eyes

this world offers nothing compared to what my Father offers

my mental battle is over

I choose Him forever and eternally



Camp Barnabas :)

I don’t think there are enough words to describe how amazing Barnabas is. But my experience there has to do with the absence of words… I went to Camp Barnabas term 6 this year. I was in G1 and my camper’s name is Josie. She is hard of hearing and non-verbal, meaning she does not talk. Going into a girl's cabin this year I didn’t know what to expect. A lot of things were different. A lot of things were also harder. I had a lot of challenges. Josie could really frustrate me. Sometimes she wouldn’t listen, wouldn’t get out of bed, wouldn’t get dressed, or wouldn’t leave the pool. The last day I hit an emotional wall and broke down crying because I felt like I was failing her. I didn’t know what she wanted when she was upset and threw temper tantrums. It broke my heart because she couldn’t verbalize what she wanted or needed. When I broke down crying though she saw and started crying too. She didn’t know why I was crying, she just didn’t like seeing me upset. And that’s when I realized that she did love me and felt that I loved her. And that was my job coming to camp, to make her feel loved and help her have fun. And we did have a lot of fun. She was an adorable girl and made me laugh. She loved to dance and wear a clown wig everywhere we went. She touched my heart in a way I could never touch hers. She not only made me smile but also made me realize that sometimes words aren’t needed. Sometimes sitting quietly in the presence of the Lord is what we need to do. I love to talk and sometimes that causes me to miss what others have to say. What if I miss what God says sometimes? That’s one thing I don’t want to miss. He put this adorable girl as my camper to show me not only how blessed I am but also to teach me how not to talk. To sit in silence but still get to know someone and love them, to use actions because actions speak louder than words, and to listen because I don’t want to miss anything. Josie tested my patience but showed me I need to slow down and just rest in God’s peace at times. The girls in my cabin were so beautiful. Their hearts were amazing and it shined through. They never questioned why God made them the way they are. Why they are blind or can’t hear. They embrace it and trust God when He said “All beautiful you are my darling; there is no flaw in you.” (Song of Song 4:7) These girls inspired my heart and I can never be more grateful for being able to experience their beautiful hearts and genuine love for our cabin. I may have left Barnabas but my heart is forever there.

Josie and I :)

Christin... so beautiful..

Campers of G1 term 6



My Silent Prayer

I scream.
Does anyone hear me?
I cry.
Does anyone see my tears?

Look into my eyes.

What do you see?

Do you see this broken heart I hold?

Do you see who is King?
These arms that hold me are strong
Stronger than I could ever be
trading my fake smiles for real ones
giving me pure joy
and authentic love
I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine.

The way to my heart is through Him.
He hears my silent prayer.

He answers my desperate plea.

He loves me now and for eternity.

God Bless,

Rachael

Child at heart

A child’s innocence and purity amazes me.

They do not care about half the things grownups do.

They do not care what they look like, what people think of them, or what people will say about them.

Their imagination is astounding but yet they are not oblivious to what goes on around them.

Each child is different.

But each child depends on others for survival.

Without someone to feed them, take care of them, and look out for them they would be lost.

Whether people realize it or not, we are all children.

No matter how old we get or what we do wrong.

We still feel pain, confusion, and feel lost.

God sent His only son to die on the cross so that we can be cleansed of our sins.

We are Children of God.

We are pure in God’s eyes when we ask for His forgiveness.

Our dependence on God is just like a child’s dependence on their parents.

Children are told not to touch a hot stove.

God tells us not to sin.

A child gets curious and touches the stove anyways.

Satin tempts us and we fall into sin.

Parents may be disappointed but they comfort the child when she screams out in pain.

God comforts us and puts us back on our feet when our soul cries out in pain.

We can always run into His open arms when we are hurt.

We do not have to be five years old to need a Father’s comfort or to be forgiven.

Our almighty Father is always there and will always be there.

He accepts us for who we are and forgives always.

We are children of God.

Embrace it.

Live it.

Love it because God is the only person who can truly bring you from death into life.

God Bless,

Rachael

He loves me.

You handed me a beautiful creation

A flower gleaming with Your love

I embraced it and gasped at its beauty

But then the world distracted me

Slowly I started to pick off petals

one for stress

one for pain

one for confusion

do they love me? Pluck.

do they not love me? Pluck.

When I finally looked back to Your love

to the flower You gave me

I expected nothing to be left

I plucked to many petals

I sinned to much

I questioned the truest of loves

But when I looked down

I saw the same beautiful flower

Your love is unfailing.

You never stop loving me

even when I stray away

Your love never changes.

they love me? they love me not?

He Loves me.

My Lord Loves me with an eternal love.

God Bless,

Rachael

Raw, Broken Beauty

Do you love what you see?

Do you love me for me?

All my imperfections

All my mistakes

All my insecurities

and all my strange ways

Do you smile when I laugh?

Does your heart break when I cry?

Do you see whats on the inside?

I am no supermodel.

I am not a prize to be won.

I am not perfect.

My heart has scars

scars from those who lied

lied when they said they loved all of me 

So I ask

Do you love me for me?

Do you really love what you see?

My raw, broken beauty.

God Bless,

Rachael

My true love

Standing there with your arms open wide

Ready to fill my heart with love

Accepting me for who I am

Holding me in my brokenness

You offer me unfailing love

Yet I still reject You

You offer my heart a home in Your arms

Yet I still search

I cry and complain about finding "true love"

You stand there jealous for me

Yet You still listen

When I stray away You gently place me back on the right path

Your love lasts forever

You never fail me

Then why do I fail at loving you as much as you love me?

I am blinded by my journey for "true love"

When the whole time my True love has always been there

You have always been there

You Will always be there

Arms open wide for me to run to

God Bless,

Rachael

(pic from http://injesus.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/the-love-of-god-was-made-manifest/)

Earthly Love vs. Eternal Love

Love. What is it? The dictionary says it is a "tender, passionate affection" or "Strong personal liking". I think this goes perfect with a lot of things I love. I have a strong personal liking of my friends. Why else would they be my friends? I have a passionate affection for my family, they mean the world to me. But that's just it.. This love it's all worldly love. We love our family yet half the time we treat them like dirt. We love our friends but the smallest thing can break that bond. We love our worldly possessions, but once a new gadget comes out our love lessens for the old. This worldly love is always changing.

God is the only one who loves us no matter what. He can fill the void in our heart that we try to fill with earthly love. Nothing compares to the love He has for us. We cannot even comprehend how great His love truly is, that's how powerful it is. He doesn't just love us when we are good, when we do good, or when we glorify Him. He loves us in our pain, tears, struggles, and sin. He Always loves us because His love is Eternal, not earthly. It is the love we crave but can never seem to find. He is the only one who can give us this Eternal love. Nothing else compares. The dictionary's definition of love and our definition of love does not even come close to God's definition of love. 

Eternal love is in your reach.. so grab onto it by grabbing onto God.

God bless,

Rachael

Blessed a little or a lot?

Prayer of Jabez. Sound fimiliar? I didn't think so. I didn't know what this was either until I read a book about it. My dad told me about it and once I started reading I couldn't stop! It was fascinating because it showed me the key to blessings and how it is so obvious that people look right past it. There are four parts to this prayer. It comes from 1 Chronicles 4:10 "If only you would greatly bless me and expand my territory! May your hand be with me! Keep me from harm so I might not endure pain!" Seems pretty basic right? But it can be life changing.

The first part "If only you would greatly bless me". This is a very important part of the prayer. God tells us that if we ask we will recieve, but do you feel selfish asking for things? Asking God to bless you when He could be doing something else. LIES. God Wants you to ask for blessings. There are so many opportunites He can give you to share your story, spread love, and work miracles through Him, but you have to ask. Ask for Him not only to bless you but bless you greatly. Bless you a lot so that You can do as much as you can through Him and for His glory.

The next part is "expand my territory". God put us where we are now for a reason. We have a job in our communities, at our work places, and with our friends to talk about God and His love. Do you ever want to reach out to more people though? Do you want to be able to impact not just a select few lives but so many you can't keep track? Ask God to increase who you can reach out to and where you can reach out too. Everyone deserves to hear about our amazing King.

The next part is "may your hand be with me". The biggest part of reaching out to people is letting God lead the way, letting God talk, and letting God change lives. None of this is about us so wouldn't you want Him guiding you? Don't you want His hand on your shoulder comforting you and telling you you're not alone? Asking for His hand to be with us is asking Him to be with us. We can't do this on our own.

 Finally the last part is "keep me from harm" and in other versions it is "evil". The more work we do for the Lord the more Satan tries to tear us down. Evil hates good. God working through us is something for Satan to hate, so we need the Lord's protection. We need to ask for His protection so we don't hurt others, but also so we don't hurt ourselves.

 These four parts come together in one prayer asking for so much but it's exactly what God wants to give us. I have been saying this prayer for less than a month and I have already seen changes in my life. I have had opportunities to talk to people about God, my faith, and my church. I have seen a personal change in my heart and my attitude. I asked for blessings and God gave them to me. He is working in my life and protecting me. He can do the same for you! Now you don't have to say this prayer everyday like I do but I highly encourage it. Even if you choose not too don't forget that asking God for something is not selfish as long as it glorifies Him. God is moving in my life, let Him move in yours too.

God Bless,

Rachael



Thirsty for God or attention?

We all get discouraged and when we are upset we want encouragement from friends. We want the world to know what we are going through. We have self pity and we want people to have pity for us. Do you ever think that maybe that's selfish? We want attention. We post on facebook how miserable we feel because we want people to notice. Why don't we just go to God with our problem and keep it private? The world does not need to know our problems. Most of the time encouragement from others doesn't even help. We get an "I'm sorry" and maybe a hug. They cannot do anything to change your situation because only you can change your situation. Only God can give you the strength and the encouragement you need. We feel this need to make the world see what we are going through. Don't get me wrong it is good to talk to your friends about problems and listen to their advice. It is good to love on someone who is having a bad day, but constantly sharing how upset you are does not get you anywhere. Get on your knees before God, not your friends. Cry out to Him, not the world, and ask for healing. Work on getting glory for Him instead of attention for yourself.

We all have bad days but crying to other people isn't the only thing you can do. You can encourage yourself. Use what God has done in your life before and in the lives of people you know to give you a reason to continue on. Our God is bigger than any issue we have. He can help you with your heartache, your pain, and your sadness. Tell the issue to move out of your way or die. Don't let your problems stop you from being happy. Everything happens for a reason. Ask God what He wants you to do. Why is this issue in your life? It has a purpose so learn from it. God works miracles through us. God is a God that can, not a God that can't.

God Bless,

Rachael

God is bigger than our pain

There are all kinds of pain. We go through heartbreak, losing friendships, death, depression, self esteem issues, bad grades, mean people, hurtful words, and the list goes on. To overcome pain we have to realize that God is bigger than our pain. He could take it away in a second. He could make our lives perfect if He wanted. Then why doesn't He? Because he gives us free will and we as human fall to sin. In the garden Eve was tempted by Satin and she fell into that temptation. God could no longer have Adam and Eve there because they broke the one rule He made. But He still loved them. He still loves us. Adam and Eve chose sin so that is what we have to live with today. We have to live with the temptaion from Satin. He causes pain and suffering in the world but God uses that pain to bring us back to Him. He has a plan.
How great could a plan be that lets us suffer? It is actually pretty brilliant. We as humans want to run our own lives, make our own path, and not have to listen to somebody. Satin puts greed and power on our minds. God uses pain and struggles in our lives to humble us. He breaks us down to the point where we have no other choice but to turn to Him or live in our sorrow. He has to have some way to get our attention. Offering us eternal life and unconditional love is apparently not enough in our minds. We want more. We want material things and we want power. That's all that Satin fills our mind with. That power includes power over our own lives. But that's not what God's intention was for us.
So if he can't get our attention with His love and grace alone He has to Make us see it. He has to make it so we see that we can't do it alone. God said that He will never give us more than we can handle, but that's with Him by our side. It will be to much to handle if we go it on our own. God gave us free will and a lot of times we choose badly in our freedom. We choose to follow what Satin tells us instead of what God tells us. God wants us to follow Him.
Pain hurts. Struggles are hard and frustrating. But in the midst of them look for God. There is a good chance He will show you something  to help make you stronger and grow in Him.
My advice: listen to Him. Let Him work in you, because it's more rewarding than anything on this earth.

For my girls

You are beautiful.

I know some of us hear this a lot and some don't. Either way it is something we want to hear, but even more it's something we want to feel. We want to feel beautiful. For once I want to go through a day without thinking negatively about myself. Instead of comparing myself to others I want to accept myself.

Are you with me?

Girls, are you told how beautiful you are everyday? I know I am. My family, friends, and God say these words all the time: You Are Beautiful.

I Know I am beautiful.

I Know I was beautifully made.

I Know God made me the way I am for a purpose.

I Know all of this.

But a lot of times I don't Feel it.

We are our biggest critics. It's obvious everyone else sees your beauty, so why can't we see it in ourselves? I can feel this constant competition with the girls around me. I have to have a better personality, have cuter clothes, a better body, more friends... I try to stop myself but it still happens. The ironic thing is that I do have confidence and I do believe in the gifts I have been given. But there is still that little girl inside of me who cries in jealousy of what other girls have.

It happens to the best of us.

This doesn't mean we should stop trying to see ourselves as beautiful because we truly are. I know that step by step we can all get closer. Step by step we will feel our beauty along with knowing it.

But we have to try.

You ARE beautiful.

I am beautiful.

God Bless,

Rachael

Loved? Loved.

This is my 2 word story.

A word that describes my walk with Christ.

A word that describes my passion.

One word. Two meanings.

Loved?

I used to question why other people didn't feel loved. I feel so much loved from my family, friends, church, and especially God. I have those times when I feel alone and unloved but I always seem to be able to remind myself of how truly blessed I am. How can people not see God's love? How can they not feel it too?

Loved.

I have come to realize that not everyone has the amazing support I do. I have a loving christian family. I have great, loving friends. I have an amazing, loving church and a God who loves me no matter what. I have this solid foundation while others don't. So God has given me a mission: use the love I have and spread it to others. Make people feel the love of Jesus instead of the hate from the world. Spread The Love. I want everyone to feel loved, because they are loved.

My story is one of many. We all need to use our gifts and passions to make a difference. Our time is now.

What's your 2 word story?

Dear World

Dear World,

I do not appreciate what you try and teach me.

Everywhere I look there is something trying to sell me lies.

I see magazines with models who are size zero.

It makes me feel too big.

I see TV shows where people are considered "cool" if they drink or smoke.

Now people think there is something wrong with me when I don't do those things.

You try and get me to buy all these products to make me beautiful.

Why am I not beautiful the way I am?

I have news for you world.

I am beautiful the way I am.

I don't have to be a size zero or conform to the habits of my peers.

I am my own person.

You, World, do not control me.

God is in control of my life.

He knows what is good for me.

You just want me to conform.

Why do you do this?

Why isn't beauty natural anymore?

Why do we feel the need to "fit in" at all?

I don't know these answers

but I know my God is bigger than anything you can offer me.

My God offers me love and acceptance.

God loves my heart and thinks I'm beautiful.

So I am done with you World.

I am done conforming.

Maybe you should think about seaking out God.

It is never to late to change your ways.

Lets start a revolution and spread God to people

instead of spreading evil, hate, and disaproval.

Changes need to be made World.

Listen.

God Bless,

Rachael

 

Always kiss me goodnight

A baby, so tiny and small.

Her parents hold her so tight in their arms.

They cherish her and protect her.

They always kiss her goodnight.

A little girl 4 years old, discovering the world.

She is a princess.

She wants to be a doctor, a vet, an artist, and to fly to the moon.

A little boy kisses her on the cheek just as he is leaving for the night.

She loves being kissed goodnight.

A young women, age 16 is figuring out who she is.

God has has blessed her with so much.

She dreams to impact the world.

One night she is with a friend.

He kisses her forehead, letting her know how precious she is.

She blushes at his kiss goodnight.

A beautiful women walking dow the isle.

A white gown flowing behind her.

Her soon to be husband is waiting for her.

Her dad escorts her down.

After the celebration right before she leaves,

her dad kisses her cheek saying goodnight and goodbye to his little girl.

Now she is married and aging.

She has found her true love, built a family, and is passionate for the Lord.

She has her good and bad days just like the rest,

but her husband always lets her know he loves her

He always kisses her goodnight.

The person who kisses her goodnight always changes.

Except one person.

One person who was always there and will always be there.

Her Father, Lord, and Savior.

He has been through everything with her.

The good and the bad.

Every night he tucks her in,

he holds her heart close to his,

and kisses her goodnight.

He will always kiss her goodnight.

Sweet dreams <3 

I don't wanna grow up

We are all kids at heart. We don't want to grow up, take responsability for ourselves, pay bills, have a career, and take on the pressure of the world. It is so much to try and wrap your head around. I know I DO NOT WANT TO GROW UP. I am such a kid at heart and I love it. I love a child's innocense. How they do not care what people think of them. If they want something they go for it. They believe in themselves. They also have fun. They don't worry and stress. I love to play with bubbles, dance in the rain, and paint with my fingers. I think we should keep some of our child innocense with us as we get older. Everyone wants us to know what we want to do with our lives but why don't we just trust God's plan. Why worry when he has it all mapped out? Why can't we believe in ourselves and go after what we want like little kids? They truly know how to be free and enjoy life. Why shouldn't I have fun blowing bubbles and paint with my fingers instead of a brush? Not everything has to be serious as we grow up. We can still have fun. We need to enjoy our lives because we only have one to live. Don't be afraid to let your inner kid free. We DO have to grow up but we can still have some childlike fun.

God Bless,

Rachael

Let out your inner child :)



Tears.. they keep falling

There are many types of tears. The ones that roll down your cheek when you are upset. When you want to curl up in a ball and escape the world. There are angry tears. When you are so frustrated that you don't know what else to do, so you just cry. There are also happy tears. The times you are laughing so hard you start to cry. We all cry different tears. We ALL cry. And guess what? It is ok to cry! Crying is a way to let everything out. It does not show weakness. It does not make you look weak. It shows you are human. You have emotions. We all get upset, sad, and angry. But we also get happy. So when you are sad and those tears are streaming down your face, know that it won't last forever.

Before you know it tears of Joy and Laughter will come instead.

God Bless,

Rachael

Puppy Love

We all have those people that we fall for. We think they are "the one". You see young couples everyday. They are trying to discover love when they haven't even discovered themselves. God is prepearing the perfect person for you to be with. It is not likely that they will be ready during highschool.
We all want to love and be loved. Girls want to be pursued and find their prince. Guys want to catch a girls eye and find their princess. But did you ever think that maybe God isn't done using you as a single person? We can do some much when we are single. We aren't tied down to one person. We aren't concetrated on just them. We can reach out to others and make amazing friends without having to worry when we are going to fit our boyfriend/girlfriend in. We can discover who we are and build our relationship with God. By building a better relationship with God we find who we are in Him instead of relying on other people to tell us who we should be. Instead of having somebody want to change you don't you want them to love you for who you are? For them to have to fall in love with God to fall in love with you. Why go through the pain of relationships that in the end never work out? Why not save all your heart for the perfect one? The one person you are meant to be with. If you are in a relationship that is Godly and is meant to be then that is great. I am not saying don't date or be in a relationship. I am saying do what God is telling you to do, not what the world wants you to do. If you cannot see yourself marrying that person though why date them? We are so young and we have so much of life left to find someone to be with. So really think about a relationship before you go into it. You may think it helps you get experience for the real thing. But if it is the real thing why would you need experience? God will give you exactly what you need when you need it.
Puppy love can be fun, but if it hurts you in the end, is it really worth it?
God Bless,
Rachael

When it is dark that's when we glow

The world is full of darkness. It creeps into our lives like a disease. A disease that we can't get to go away. We try to fix it. We try to be strong and take control of our lives. Our muscles our strong. But as we soon find out they are not strong enough.

Where is the light in all this darkness?

Right in front of our eyes.

God is the light.

Faith is the light.

Hope is the light.

It offers us a strength we don't have on our own. It offers us peace of mind and a purpose. It shows us we are not made for this dark world. We have eternal life right in front of us. All we have to do is reach out and grab it. All we have to do is believe.

Believe in a love that is everlasting.

Believe in the arms that will never let us go.

Believe in the one true Father.

After that we will outshine the darkness. Because when it is dark that is when we glow.

We are the light of God.

It can be seen by everyone.

We are different than the world.

We are happier than the world.

Because we choose to stand apart from the world.