A Steady Rain

I've moved......

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:43:00 +0000

The end of an era.....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 21:03:00 +0000

This is me.

I'm actually not sure how old I am in this picture, but my hair is pretty amazing! Don't you think?

Although, this picture makes me cringe a little bit now, amazingly, I don't think it stood out much back in the 90's. As time passed and styles changed, I slowly changed with them (even if I was a little behind what was currently trendy).

Change is good! At some point, I had to admit that curled and hairsprayed bangs weren't "me" anymore and that is similar to what has happened here at A Steady Rain.

I didn't have a clear focus when I began A Steady Rain. I just wanted to document God's daily blessings! What a huge topic, right? It was a great fit for me as I learned the ins and outs of blogging. As God has graciously taught and molded me over the last six years, I have developed a love for stretching my mind a bit. I enjoy reading articles (and occasional books) on deeper theological topics. I pick my husband's brain constantly about questions that confuse or intrigue me.
I'm also quickly seeing that those topics are actually extremely helpful in motherhood. The more I know my God, the more I love him and can pass that on to my children.

I feel like the time has come to leave A Steady Rain. I'm moving to an online home more tailored to the topics that I'm passionate about and I'd love it if you'd join me!

The paint is still drying and I need to hang a few more pictures on the walls, but while you wait, I'd love for you to sign up to receive the new posts in your email when they are ready. I'm even planning on a bi-monthly newsletter with extra gospel centered encouragement and reminders for you. You'll receive a special free gift for being such wonderful guests at my new home!

Invite your friends to join us at Dishes & Doctrine or the new Facebook page! I'm excited to remind each other of the gospel and learn how to apply doctrine to the mundane (and crazy) days of motherhood.

Thank you for your support and kindness here over the years!

This isn't goodbye. It's just a new hairstyle!

Love you all!

R&R...

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 22:49:00 +0000

As a pastor's family we so appreciate the times when someone uses their resources or possessions to bless us! An acquaintance (now a friend) who owns a lodge and cabins about an hour away offered for us to come stay for FREE as a little getaway before the school year began!

There was no cell service or internet which was actually pretty amazing! We needed that uninterrupted, focused time to regroup as a family!

This was our cabin! It was SO cute inside!

The boys had fun playing baseball in the woods next to our cabin.

The weather was just gorgeous the whole time!

The creek was FREEZING but the that didn't stop the boys from having tons of fun!

We even went fishing and both of the boys caught something!

We came back refreshed and relaxed (as much as we could be with three busy kiddos) and ready to jump into the end of summer activities at church.
We also officially started homeschooling this past week! I'm sure some updates and pictures will make their way to the blog and Instagram from time to time!

How has the end of YOUR summer been?

Motherhood is the reason not the excuse....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 23:00:00 +0000

I feel like Satan is gaining a foothold in the hearts of busy women (namely young moms). We as moms are obviously extremely busy in a way that doesn't compare to any other job we ever have in life. We have kids demanding our attention constantly which is draining emotionally and physically. Many of us have jobs to help our family financially. We are involved in church ministries and work hard to take care of our husband's needs.

But more and more, I'm seeing a neglected area of our life -

Bible study

I see moms (myself included) using our motherhood as an excuse to not study God's Word.
I completely understand that you might not have time to sit down in a quiet room with a cup of coffee (especially one that's still hot) and spend an hour studying passages in an exegetical manner.

We forget how blessed we are in this age of technology though. There are podcasts and videos constantly circulating the Internet that point our eyes back to Christ and His Word. For instance, one of my favorite Bible teachers has a podcast of her local Bible study group. I love to turn it on while I'm cooking dinner. Sure, my notes have grease splatters all over, but I'm able to fill my mind with Scripture while doing daily tasks. We may have had more of an excuse if we lived back in the pioneer days and had to churn butter, mend socks, and grind flour all while looking forward to our one church service in town on Sunday.

The farther I get into this thing called motherhood (and life in general), I'm realizing that Bible study isn't just a good idea that will make me feel better about my day. Instead, when I miss it, it leaves me spiritually weak and vulnerable to depression and self-sufficiency!

I want this generation of women to be Scripture warriors. How are we supposed to train the next generation with weak, watered-down understanding of God's Word?
Motherhood is the reason, not the excuse to deepen our knowledge and love for the Bible and ultimately the heart of God.

A group of ladies from my church are studying the book, Women of the Word, by Jen Wilkin. If you need help, direction, or focus for your Bible study, I highly recommend reading this book. I love her passion for Bible literacy in this generation.

*This post contains affiliate links*

How to take control of Facebook {so it doesn't control you}......

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:42:00 +0000

If you're anything like me, you've had days where you want to walk away from this whole Facebook and social media thing! Recently, I took control of my Facebook feed by using one of it's built-in features.
It may not seem like rocket science, but it's been super helpful for me! To explain, I recorded a vlog for you!!

Email subscriber or can't see the video? Click HERE.

Do you have any suggestions from your own social media experience? Have you found ways to take control of your interactions online? Share in the comments!

Speaking of Facebook! I'd love for you to join our A Steady Rain Facebook Community for other resources and encouragement!

Let me introduce you....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 19:24:00 +0000

Have you ever experienced the social awkwardness of talking to someone for a while and realizing that you have no idea what their name is or even if you've ever been formally introduced? Too much time has passed to suddenly say, "I'm Rachel! What's your name?".

It hasn't always been consistent or polished, but I've been writing here for almost six years. I've shared thoughts and struggles, favorite recipes, and music suggestions. I've introduced you to some of my favorite authors and books and shared many scripture passages. I talk about the gospel a lot!
It hit me this week, though, that I've never formally introduced you to the most important person in my life. In fact, I wouldn't even be writing this if it wasn't for Him.

His name? Jesus Christ

He is God who put on human flesh in order to live among us. He lived His 33 years here on earth without a single misstep or misbehavior. He displayed His heavenly love and power to those around Him by healing the sick, raising the dead, and mending broken hearts.
He was falsely accused of wrongdoing and faced the punishment reserved for the worst of criminals. His final breath on the cross was taken bearing the heavy weight of sin committed by every man, woman, and child throughout all of time.
His story doesn't end with His death, though. After three days in an Israeli tomb, He rose again conquering death and sin. His work of redemption was finished!
He encompasses the "good news" I talk about so much here!

In the book of John Jesus says, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

The relationship I have with Jesus is not an exclusive friendship. In fact, His work on the cross was completed for you too. The beautiful thing about His love is the fact that you don't need to introduce yourself to Him. He knows everything about you already! He is both your Creator AND Redeemer and He proved the depth of His love for you through His sacrifice on your behalf. He made a way for you to have a relationship with a holy God (which could never be done by your own efforts).
I John 1:9 says that if you confess your sin, your brokenness, and your need for a Rescuer, He is faithful and just to forgive you.

I would consider myself a terrible friend to you, my sweet reader, if I didn't take time to introduce you to the One who is The Friend. He offers you the gift He purchased for you. Will you personally accept it?

P.S. Maybe this post confused you or you have never been introduced to Jesus before. I'd love to answer any question you have! Email me at rachel(at)asteadyrainblog(dot)com or leave a comment below!

I do's, birthday fun, and new ventures......

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 22:00:00 +0000

How 's your summer been going so far? I just love sleeping in just a little bit later and going on family walks at 8:00 at night! As usual, we've had no problem keeping ourselves busy. Here's what we've been up to....

At the end of June we flew to Dallas, TX for Adam's brother's wedding. There are 6 boys in his family. Four are now married - only two to go!

The wedding was at a venue called the Cotton Mill and it was just absolutely stunning!! All of the kiddos were in the wedding and the boys just loved wearing their brand new cowboy boots for the day!

Isn't this door amazing?

The bride and groom!

It's hard to believe but our little Miss Sunshine turned 1 this weekend! We had some of our friends over for a fun summer party!

She kept squealing in excitement at her gifts and adored the attention from her friends! Her cake was no match for her either!

One of our biggest prayers as parents is for guidance with our children's education. The last two years, our oldest has really enjoyed going to our local public school. He's made several friends and has developed a love for reading. When Adam started his new position at church though we started to find more and more conflicts with the school calendar and his wacky ministry schedule. We were enjoying our family day off while he was in school and as soon as he would get home, Adam would head off to his evening meetings.
We're hoping that a more flexible schedule will be one of the benefits of our decision to begin homeschooling this Fall! Yikes! It makes me nervous to type that!
I am super excited to have the opportunity to spend time discipling the kids on a daily basis using God’s story of redemption as the basis for our academic learning and to allow flexibility in our schedule to expand their horizons with music, outreach, travel, etc....
I'm praying this new venture will point my eyes to Christ and drive me even more to His Word!

What about you? How's your summer going? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

When God's story is {more than} enough....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:08:00 +0000

Things have been quiet here at the blog for a while now. I could blame it on motherhood, ministry, or decluttering my basement and all of those would be true. I was struck today, however, with another, deeper reason why I have had writer's block since Spring.

Comparison.

This ugly, controlling sin sneaks into my heart in so many ways. Blogging is just one of the ways that it steals my joy and puffs up my ego. When I see other amazing articles, videos, and pictures I doubt God's ability to use my personality and gifts. When writing comes easily or I receive feedback on a certain post, my pride grows.
This self-focused viewpoint then quickly spills over into jealousy and discontentment.
I wish I had her crafting ability!
I'll never be able to teach like her!
Man, her kids are well-behaved!

The ironic thing, is that I truly desire to draw attention to God's pursuing love and lavish grace, but comparing my gospel-sharing ability with others assumes that His grace somehow depends on me! I couldn't be more wrong! My story and experiences are opportunities to point not to myself, but to HIS grand story of redemption.

My shortcomings point to His holiness.
My selfishness points to His love.
My inconsistencies point to His faithfulness.

As I continue to share the stories from our small-town life, I pray that attention will be brought to Christ. After all, His story is ALWAYS more than enough.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

God loved me.....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Mon, 04 May 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Jesus Loves Me {A Steady Rain Video Blog #3}.....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

How to be successful in life......

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I recently finished a study on the book of Judges. I learned so much and saw more of Christ than I ever have while studying an Old Testament book. It doesn't take many chapters to realize that the Israelites have a pattern problem. They follow their own reasoning and sinful desires only to find themselves enslaved by an enemy nation. They cry out to God and He raises up a rescuer who delivers them. They are so relieved to have their freedom back that it isn't long until they turn back to their false gods and selfish ways.

It's easy to shake my head at the Israelites of the Old Testament. I mean, goodness, can't they see that this pattern of behavior is destructive and damaging to their faith?

I think if we're brutally honest with ourselves, though, we would find that we have very similar patterns in our faith as well. For example here's mine when it comes to blogging......

Step 1: I just love this blogging thing! I can share about what God's teaching me and it's so fun to write, etc.........

Step 2: Wait! There's a podcast on how to grow my audience? If 10 followers are good, then 1,000 must be even better, right? If I do this one simple thing, I'll see my subscribers increase dramatically? So, posting on certain days only is the real way to gain online traffic? You get the idea, my blog and it's growth becomes an idol.

Step 3: The pressure of performance and living up to my idol's expectations begins to enslave me. I feel depressed and unable to measure up. I cry out to God! I'm doing all the right things with my blogging and writing but everyone else beside me seems to be succeeding!

Step 4: Sigh, I think I'll just give up blogging. There are so many other people that can do it more successfully than me! I'm sure God wants me to be focusing on something better.

Step 5: A random person (who I didn't even know read my blog) encourages me that God is using my feeble efforts to encourage them and remind them of the gospel.

Step 1: I just love this blogging thing! I can share about what God's teaching me and it's so fun to write, etc......

Continue cycle......

Seriously, this pattern has occurred at least 5-6 times in the last few years! It hit me yesterday that I have the same cycle issue that the nation of Israel struggled with.You see, my definition of success has been wrong. Just like the Israelites, I've looked to the world's definition for my worth and identity.
It might not be blogging for you, but it may be a myriad of other things like your home business, marriage, ministry, friendships, or even motherhood.

We believe the lie that success is having followers, attention, money, even good feelings all of which almost immediately become dangerous idols in our camp. They enslave and abuse leaving us feeling hopeless at the end of the day.

We cry out to God who lovingly and mercifully rescues us from ourselves yet again and we run right back to the idols our souls crave.

What we forget (or possibly refuse to remember) is that God's definition of success is measured by something that was already finished 2000 years ago. Death and sin was already defeated. His Son triumphed over the grave. His Spirit is alive and well working in this still sin-tainted world.

True success is defined, not by what we do, but by what has already been done by Christ.
Numbers and notoriety are never the true definition of a successful endeavor.

Consider Colossians 2:13-15:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

That, my friends is a true success story!

Want a gospel reminder in your home? Download a free printable!
This post is linked to the Mom 2 Mom Monday Link-up!

Colossians 2:6 {a FREE printable}....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I so appreciate those of you who listen to my heart here on the blog and grow with me in our love for Christ and the Gospel. So to thank you, I’ve put together a little gift to say just that – thanks!

Here are the details on how to grab your thank you gift for being a subscriber of A Steady Rain.

You can access the free gift when you’ve subscribed to get updates through email. Use the form below to enter your email… and voila – you’re in! You’ll be redirected to the free gift and then you can choose to save and download it once you confirm your subscription.

Note: This is a new list after several blog updates, so even if you've subscribed before, you'll need to do so again!

I'm so glad you decided to join in our gospel conversation and get updates!

If you have any questions or there is something I can pray for you about please email me at

rachel@asteadyrainblog.com

Enjoy!

When Easter Sunday feels like every other day.....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Erin) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 10:00:00 +0000

I'll spare you the details but our Easter Sunday morning was not the peaceful, serene, and reflective morning you might expect from your pastor's family. The day started with tempers, disobedience, throw up, and the list could go on… I'm really hoping I'm not alone in this but I'm guessing that there were disappointments and failures not only in the morning but all throughout your Easter Sunday.

We all desire perfection and beauty. We somehow hope that because the date on the calendar says it's a special day that the people and events of the day will follow suit. But Scripture tells us otherwise. Our lives, our world, our souls are hopelessly broken. Even our Easter Sunday mornings are tainted with the ugliness of sin.

I enjoyed our Easter Sunday morning service so much this year. It wasn't because there was some major change in the service itself. There definitely wasn't gorgeous weather (it snowed super hard all morning). It wasn't even because the kids were amazingly well behaved (they weren't). It was because I had been confronted head-on with the desperation of my own soul that morning.

I gravely need the resurrection. I need the hope that is offered me through Christ not because I have any potential in myself to succeed, but because Christ turned the cross from a symbol of guilt to one of unwavering love.

Easter IS like every other day of our existence because we live in the confidence that death has been defeated on our behalf. Our biggest failures and shortcomings point to the One who crushed the serpent's head at the cross!

He is risen, indeed!!

Baby spoons and the Church....

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 10:00:00 +0000

There is really nothing extra special about these spoons, but every time my little girl slobbers her pureed peas all over them, I'll be thinking about the Church!

You see, this past Sunday one of the sweet ladies in our church asked me if I needed them. She had them at her house and wasn't using them anymore. What she didn't know was that we can find only one baby spoon in our house right now. I have no idea where the others have disappeared to, but we have to wash the same one multiple times a day in between meals. It's really not the end of the world to have one spoon and it certainly wasn't something I'd take time to pray about, but it is a little frustrating to dig through the dirty dishes in the sink to find it every time we sit down to eat.
Without her realizing it, God used her to meet a need in my life that morning. We now have enough spoons for each meal with one left over for breakfast the next day!

The beauty of the Church is that meeting physical needs isn't its only function. God designed this unique assembly to encourage and exhort one another spiritually.

We need one another.

There are distractions draining our time and energy constantly. We struggle with work demands, sick kids, and broken relationships. Christ's work on the cross is the answer for the hardships we face daily, but we often need help seeing and applying those gospel truths. That's why being plugged in to a local church family is so incredibly important!
It's not about filling a pew or earning brownie points with God for attending a service. It's about being a part of the very God-designed system that will aid in our growth. We gather to remind one another that we are the redeemed people of God and desperately need His grace every single hour.

I believe that being a part of a gospel-centered church isn't just a good idea. It's a necessity for spiritual growth.

Instead of baby spoons, a fellow believer may offer you the gift of prayer. The message from your pastor may deepen your understanding of God's Word. You may even have the opportunity to share someone else's burden and offer them the hope of the gospel.

The Church is Christ's project and He promises that He will never give up on Her. How has He been using your local Church body to remind you of the gospel lately?

P.S. Want to hear more about the purpose and framework of Christ's Church? Listen to this podcast!

Good, Bye (a guest post)......

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 10:30:00 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw that I had the awesome privilege of reading an advanced copy of the new book, From Good to Grace by Christine Hoover.
One of my favorite thoughts was near the end of the book when she compares putting off the goodness gospel as stripping old wallpaper. It can be a hard and slow process, but the reward of a true gospel-fueled abundant life in Christ is worth it!!

Christine Hoover (@christinehoover) is an author, a recovering perfectionist, the wife of a pastor, and a mom of three boys. She writes online at www.GraceCoversMe.com and has contributed to Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Send Network, and iBelieve. Her newest book, From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel, offers women biblical freedom from trying to “be good enough”. The following is an excerpt from the first chapter of the book. You can read the entire chapter here.

The book is available starting TODAY and I'm SO excited to be able to share a little of Christine's heart with you here on the blog!

I’ve been obsessed with being good and performing all of my life.

Hello, my name is Christine. I’m a goodness addict.

I was born with a list in my hand, or at least that’s how early I imagine it started. I came by it honestly—my mom’s response to everything my sister and I needed as children, whether shampoo from the store or help with a school project, was always, “Make a list!”

So I did. I made list after list—of library books for summer reading, of boys that I liked, of songs to record from the radio on my tape recorder, of necessities to pack for overnight camp, of must-haves in my future husband, even of outfits for the first month of eighth grade so as not to repeat and make a fashion faux pas of infinite proportion.

I don’t just make lists. I am that person, the one who adds a task to a list just to experience the satisfaction of crossing it off, the one who makes lists for my lists.

I’m a perfectionist.

There was a time when I would have said that with pride, but not anymore. Perfectionism has not been a friend to me. Sure, my house is organized and my budget spreadsheet is up-to-date, but when perfectionism is applied to the spiritual needs of the heart, it’s called legalism. And legalismis a fancy word for an obsession with goodness. It’s a belief that good things come from God to those who are good. And it’s a belief that you can actually be good enough to get to God on your own.

I became a Christian at age eight. From that point, or more accurately from the point in middle school when I started having “quiet times” according to my youth minister’s instructions, until my late twenties, I spent the majority of my Christian life striving—striving for perfection, for God’s favor, for the approval of others, and for the joy and freedom that the Bible spoke of yet completely eluded me.

At an early age, I fell for perfectionism’s lie that I could be good enough to win God’s heart and the approval of others. I sought joy, peace, and love through being good and, instead, found myself miserably enslaved to my own unattainable standards.

This was my understanding of what it meant to be a Christian: If I do good things, then God is pleased. If I do things wrong, then he is angry. This is actually the basis of every religion on earth except Christianity, this idea of a scale where the good must outweigh the bad in order to be right with God. I had religion down pat, but the religion I practiced wasn’t true and biblical Christianity. On the outside I appeared to be a good Christian, but on the inside I felt unlovable and was riddled with guilt about my inability to please God.

Unfortunately for me, a large part of a goodness obsession is an addiction to self. Goodness is evaluated by activity, completed tasks, responses from others, and results. It requires a focus on appearance and image and maintaining some semblance of religious behavior. Goodness required that I control my environment with military precision, hide my weaknesses, and compare myself with others or my own arbitrary standards. Goodness fed both my pride and my self-condemnation and kept me relationally isolated.

The other part of a goodness addiction, I discovered in my twenties, is a faulty understanding of who God is and what he expects from His children. I only saw God through perfectionism’s filter. He was gray. He had no patience for my mistakes, forever glaring at me with a scowl on His face. He sighed a lot. If I was extra-good, He might manage to crack a smile. He was one-dimensional, disengaged, unaffectionate, and I absolutely feared him.

I knew nothing about grace.

I knew nothing about forgiveness.

I knew nothing about the true gospel, because a goodness addiction completely overtakes the heart and mind, leaving no room for truth. It enslaves and cannibalizes itself. It becomes an all-encompassing religion, closing tightly around one’s soul. It led me down paths of depression and despair.

And it became my gospel.

I lived according to that gospel–what I now call the goodness gospel–for far too long, precisely because I didn’t know the truegospel’s reach. I believed that faith was effective for salvation but only self-effort could produce my sanctification. Now I know differently. God has taken me on a ten-year exploration of grace and sanctification and faith, and I am not the girl I once was. I live in the freedom that Christ was won for me.

Now that I know differently, I also have eyes to see the goodness gospel covertly worming its way into hearts of believers, and I see its destructive effects.

In the Christian culture, there seems to be great confusion and even pressure that we women feel about what we should be doing and why we should be doing it. The confusion touches decisions about education, family, eating and drinking, work, hobbies, community involvement, and even whether one should volunteer when the sign-up sheet is passed around again at church.

The pressure grows when choices are wrapped in spiritual or more-spiritual terms. We see it everywhere: Do something great! Follow your dreams! Make a difference for the kingdom! Be missional and in community! For the gospel-confused, that too often translates into: I’m not doing enough, what I’m doing isn’t making a difference, and I’ve got to create my own and my neighbor’s own and my children’s own and everyone’s own life transformation.

From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospelis a book for women like I was, who long to please God but fear they never will. It's for the woman drowning in self-condemnation, the woman afraid to be vulnerable with others because she's so fully aware of her imperfections, and the woman who craves but can't seem to grasp the freedom and joy that Jesus promised His followers.

Instead of asking "What does God want fromus?", From Good to Grace asks, "What does God want for us?" The book illustrates how we confuse being good and trying hard--the goodness gospel--with the true gospel, which is really about receiving the grace and love that Jesus offers us and responding with our lives by the Holy Spirit's help. It’s my prayer that through it you discover it's possible to know God's love, live in peace and freedom, and serve others with great joy. Because God has something so much greater for you than trying to be good enough.

Purchase your copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, or iTunes and discover the gospel’s reach in your own life.

When the to-do list never gets done......

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 12:21:00 +0000

It's been 34 days.

It's strange that Adam said that he thought the word to describe 2014 was change and the word for 2015 would probably be challenge. I didn't realize that would mean starting the year with 3 trips to the ER, 3 specialist visits, and a couple of regular doctors appointments thrown in for fun!

If you follow me on IG, you would have seen that I randomly hurt my knee while working out this past Monday. I've been so grateful for the sweet friends who have brought meals for our family. Icing and elevating my leg hasn't allowed for much grocery shopping (so sad, huh?). We still don't know what's going on with Adam's health. He wrote an awesome post about his lessons throughout this difficulty.

All this medical chaos has left so many to-do's undone. I see friends publishing books and others moving forward with specific business goals for 2015. Some friends are smashing their weight loss and fitness milestones and wonderfully teaching their children from home.

There have to be some of you reading this that are like me, though.

There have been things on your to-do list for months that are just not getting done. I walk (or hobble) by my piano almost daily and think of how I really ought to be teaching my kids to play more regularly than once every 6 months.
I've been meaning to organize several areas in my house since we moved in over 3 years ago. Everywhere I look there are loose ends: weight loss goals unattained, relationships still broken, books unread......Even this blog post took about 2 weeks to write!

The items that are forever on our to-do list are a reminder - a reminder that our world is broken. The most important to-do list (live a perfect life) was left incomplete in the Garden. For years our world struggled under the burden of incompleteness. All the "good living" in the world came up short next to God's standard.

But there was One. One who came with a very specific to-do list entitled Redemption. He followed every law, withstood every temptation, and performed every work He was called to do. At the end of His life, He was able to confidently say, "It is Finished!" He completed a perfect life, horrific death, and glorious resurrection for us!

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Friends, you may not get the laundry done today. The doctors may still have questions about that health issue. I can guarantee (from personal experience) that you will NOT live today perfectly!

But lift your eyes!

Jesus has won the greatest battle for you already! Through His sacrifice, God sees a complete and perfect child and one day we will share in the perfect completeness when He comes again!

You are complete in Him! Walk in that joy today!

I'd love to hear how the Gospel is changing you on a daily basis!
Use the hashtag #completeinHim on social media to share!

Bookworm......

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Hey, friends!!! I hope your 2015 has gotten off to a fantastic start so far! Ours has been a little crazy (hence the lack of posting here). My poor husband has been struggling with some health issues which has landed us in the ER a couple times along with multiple doctors visits and tests. We're still getting to the bottom of the issue, but thankfully none of his symptoms are life threatening at this point!

Personally, I didn't make many specific resolutions for this year. Like most, I want to make healthier food choices, lose those pesky pregnancy pounds, and continue to grow in my walk with the Lord. At the end of December, though, one area of improvement really jumped out at me - my reading.

Photo Credit

I actually have always loved to read, but I have struggled to make it a priority in the last few years for two reasons:

1. Kids! Need I say more??

2. The Internet. My inbox, blog reader, and Facebook feed are constantly packed full with articles to read. In one sitting, I can fill my mind with the best deals at Target, some devotional thoughts from the Psalms, satire on the SAHM, and 10 healthy crockpot meals! I read a lot, but not much sinks into my mind and my heart.

It's not surprising then that with all that miscellaneous information, my mind becomes discombobulated and distracted. That confusion actually then spills over into the other parts of my day!

In fact, in the last week, I've come across several articles on the importance of reading like this blog and this video!

I don't plan on giving up reading different blogs. After all, that's one of my favorite hobbies! BUT, I am striving to read more entire books this year! I'm excited to get to know those authors more deeply through their writing and make more focused strides in my spiritual and emotional growth.

Here are a few books on my reading list already.....

I'm re-reading this book as a part of a fitness/health group on Facebook! It's so convicting and encouraging at the same time! *

Here are a couple books that are being released later this year that I can't wait to read! *

I just started this book and am so excited about learning more about reading and studying THE BOOK! *

Can you believe I've never read this book? It's on my list too! *

My to-read list is continuing to grow and grow and I'm really excited to check some of these books off! There's still only 24 hours in day, of course, so some other areas (like blogging) may have to take a back seat for a while! In the meantime, we can always connect here and here !

I can always use more ideas! What are YOU reading in 2015?

*This post contains affiliate links

Happy 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Advent Update (and an advent calendar fail)...

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 11:00:00 +0000

So a couple years ago, I made this cute advent garland. One of my friends was in charge of the crafts at a local MOPS group and she had some leftover supplies! The boys just love opening the boxes each day to find some sort of Christmas activity to do together. Last year, I was a few weeks pregnant and had absolutely no energy. My Christmas decorating was very minimal and this garland simply seemed like too much work!

This year, however, I was determined to make it work! I sat down, made a schedule of events for the 25 days, and filled the boxes with all the activities we'd be doing during the season. When we opened the first one, though, it was the wrong activity. We weren't supposed to eat a special Christmas treat yet! I hadn't even gone to the store to stock up! The next day was mixed up too! Somehow I had gotten off by a day or two when I was filling the boxes and they weren't following my planned schedule at all and I honestly didn't feel like taking the time to rearrange them all!

Enter this board in my kitchen:

That's right! I told the boys that we were gonna have a change of plans! Instead of opening the boxes each day, they could come read the board in the kitchen each morning to find out the activity for the day! It's been a little bit of a fail, but so much easier for me! It's even given me the chance to change the plans at the last minute without them knowing! Sneaky, I know!

Here's some of the fun that we've been having!

Yay for snow on Thanksgiving!

We had so much fun inviting our church family over for a Christmas Open House!

This cute little Santa was the doorman for the Open House!

And this handsome guy handed out ornaments to our guest!

Our yearly trip to Candy Cane Lane - a street where every house is extravagantly decorated with lights!

We worked hard on a gingerbread house.....

The final result!

We were able to go to a local nursing home with some friends to sing to the residents!

The crew (minus the the dads)

Family ornament making day at school complete with cookies and hot chocolate! So fun!

Needless to say, we're still having tons of family fun even in spite of my calendar fail.

What about you? Have your kiddos had fun so far this season? I'd love to hear about it!

What in the world is the "everyday gospel" anyway?

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 11:45:00 +0000

A while back, I changed the tagline of my blog to "learning to live the everyday gospel". While that phrase makes total sense to me, it hit me the other day that I have never actually shared the change in my perspective that led to that new focus here on my website.

I am extremely blessed to have grown up in a home where the Bible was a priority. From as early as I can remember, my parents taught me about my sin problem and the Savior who came to rescue me from the punishment from that sin. When I was only 5 years old, I asked God to forgive me and cleanse my sinful heart so I could live forever with Him. I put all my childhood faith and dependence in the work of Jesus on my behalf.

And then I got older.........

Don't get me wrong. I still loved Jesus and wanted to serve Him with my life. I didn't lose my salvation, but I started to lean on my own strength instead of His to live this Christian life. If I failed, I needed to try harder next time to not be such a disappointment to God. If I succeeded, I thought I had somehow made God proud of me. I compared myself to other Christians based on my own set of standards instead of immeasurable standards of Scripture. I was doing this Christian walk all on my own!

That way of living is virtually unsustainable. We burn out from sheer spiritual exhaustion or depression from never being enough! We can never live in true community with other believers because to share a sin or shortcoming would look weak in their eyes. We minister out of duty not delight. We essentially cheapen the gift that Christ gave us through His death and resurrection.

Enter: the gospel!

A few years ago, God started opening my eyes to the fact that the gospel - "good news" - isn't just a ticket to everlasting life in heaven. In the same way that I am helpless to earn salvation, I am helpless in my sanctification. There is nothing that I will ever do that will make God love me any more or less. In His eyes, through Christ's sacrifice, I am complete, whole, PERFECT!

This plays out on a daily basis when I am confronted with my constant failures and gross sin. Parenthood and marriage have pointed out areas of my life that aren't even close to "measuring up". It is in those moments of weakness, brokenness, and failure that I am learning to preach the gospel to myself. Yes, I am a wicked sinner, but Christ has already lived a perfect life for me. I can serve and give out of a heart that is overwhelmed with His goodness and grace. I can confess my shortcomings while knowing that my identity is secure in Christ.

Friends, the gospel has turned my life upside down! I have a true joy and desire to dig deeper into the treasure of God's grace and redemptive work in my life! I hope that your eyes are pointed to Christ and what He's done for YOU as you continue to read my little blog!

Would you like to share? I'd love to hear how the gospel has transformed your life! Share in the comments below!

Hope for the Holidays (especially when the holidays are hard)......

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:10:00 +0000

You may have seen the videos that Jimmy Kimmel shared on his late night show sent in by his viewers who have purposely given their kids a pathetic Christmas gift. The unsuspecting children rip open the packages in excitement only to realize that they received a rotten banana or a battery for Christmas! Their reactions range from innocent confusion to full temper tantrums. (Click here to watch).

As I was watching, I couldn't help but think of the similarities between those pranks and how so many of us feel as we approach this season. Holidays look pretty but we open them up to find disappointment and pain. Sometimes traditions that we hold dear fall through. Sometimes we’ve recently experienced the death of a loved one and the empty spot they’ve left is too much to bear. The raw emotions of broken relationships are magnified during a time that is supposed to be filled with peace on earth. We get overburdened by the to-do lists, gift giving, and Pinterest crafts of Christmas that we end up not enjoying the season at all!

What are we to do? How can we have hope?

I could share with you the fact that Jesus is the hope in the midst of the hard circumstances of life and the holidays, but instead I want to share with you HOW Jesus is our hope for the holidays.

Adam and I have faced some circumstances in the last few years that have brought many tears and heartache especially during this special season. I don't feel comfortable broadcasting the issues across the internet, but I have learned several important things throughout the pain.

First of all, we are all broken people. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells us about Adam and Eve. They were created as perfect human beings with a perfect relationship with God. It wasn't long though until they decided that they wanted to be just like or even better than God and they disobeyed God’s very first command. The rest is history!

Every single one of us is born with that same sinful heart full of pride. Every one of us naturally puts ourselves at the top of the list! Because it’s full of broken people, our world is a broken world. I don't have to know you, to know that your life is full of difficult and sometimes horrible circumstances. I don't have to know who is reading this post to know that there are lives touched by cancer and disease, abuse, broken relationships, and financial problems. So obviously hope for this season can't come from our circumstances because they will constantly disappoint us!

Second, we can't fix that brokenness ourselves. As moms we love being the “fix it people” especially in our homes. There is always one more “10 Steps to a Better Life” blog article to read. Maybe if we could try a little harder in this area or that, we could finally be happy. The problem is that it is never enough. Because we're broken and sinful, we're always going to run up against the wall of failure. We will never measure up no matter how hard we try. Putting on the “I’ve got it all together” face only continues that lie to ourselves that we can somehow make it all better! So there’s no hope within ourselves either!

Third, God is holy. Holiness is the complete absence of sin or wrongdoing. In other words, God is the complete opposite of us. He has high, perfect standards for our lives. We are to show perfect love at all times and never do those loving deeds with a prideful heart. The 10 commandments are just the beginning of living a perfect life! AND because of His holiness, He punishes the imperfect with eternal death and separation from Him. No hope there either, right?

By now, you're probably thinking I thought you were going to share with us the hope for the holidays. This isn't very encouraging!
Enter Luke 2:1-7:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

This familiar Christmas passage isn't just a nice story that makes a sweet nativity scene. The coming of Jesus as a baby is the answer and hope for all of that brokenness, sin, and hurt. You see as Jesus grew up, he never broke God’s law even once. He lived perfectly even in the broken circumstances around him. Then when He was 33 years old, he took that punishment of death from God which was meant for you and me. He died a horrific death on the cross not because of His imperfection, but ours.

The story doesn't stop there, though. That death didn’t defeat Him! He rose back to life again after three days! He conquered sin and paid for us the debt that we owe to God!

That, my sweet friends, is the hope of the holidays. In the midst of my tears, anger, and pain at the broken circumstances in our life, I can have hope. Complete healing and restoration may never come here on earth, but I have been reconciled with my heavenly Father because of what Christ did for me!
When I fail once again at being the perfect mom or wife, I can be comforted in the fact that Jesus lived that perfect life on my behalf already. When there is absolutely no peace to be found in the circumstances around us, we rest in the one who IS peace!

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean that we are exempt from pain, sickness, or trouble in our lives. Remember the “broken world”? It DOES mean though that we can have an unexplainable peace, joy, and hope in the middle of that difficulty.

Maybe you are left with questions after this post. How can Christ be my everyday hope? What does it mean to have a relationship with Jesus? Answering those questions would be a huge joy for me! I'd love to talk to you! Email me HERE.

Maybe you know in your heart that Christ is your hope throughout the holiday season, but you have become caught up with the many disappointments and distractions that Christmas brings. I'd love to pray for you as you seek to look at the holidays through the lens of the Gospel. Shoot me an email HERE! I'd love to hear from you!

Kiddo updates and a job change......

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 14:12:00 +0000

It's been a super long time since I've had a stay-in-my-yoga-pants, no-makeup, sip-two-cups-of-coffee kind of morning! I'm soaking in the quietness and cool autumn breeze and thought I'd pop in for some random updates.....

Little brother is as silly as ever! He'll be three next week and is so excited about his Ninja Turtles party! He constantly keeps us on our toes, but his affectionate and hilarious personality is precious!

The "little princess" (as her brothers call her) will be 3 months tomorrow! Crazy! She is growing so fast and has such a gentle personality. I just love her baby babbles and snuggles! Oh! AND she sleeps really well at night which is wonderful for the whole family!

Big brother is loving 1st grade. His reading ability has really exploded this year. It's so fun to watch how excited he gets to figure out new words. It's like a whole new world has opened up for him.

I took some time off from our worship team after Little Sister arrived in July. I'm finally back at it this month. I didn't realize how much had had really missed it!

Speaking of church things. After a lot of prayer, we decided that I would step back from my job as secretary at church. I was just swamped with everything ministry-wise, office-wise, and mommy-wise. God provided an awesome replacement for me, and she's doing a great job picking up on all the new things I've been teaching her. I can't tell you how excited I am to spend more time with the kiddos and make our home a refuge for Adam.

When life is less than ideal (again).....

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 12:02:00 +0000

I pulled myself out of bed a little bit early this morning. My oldest had a day off from school so we had nowhere in particular to be today. My little one wouldn't need to eat for another 45 minutes or so which meant I would finally have some quiet uninterrupted time with God. My spiritual life lately ("lately" meaning the last few months) has been made up of small crumbs of time with Him - an encouraging, scripture-filled blog post, a Christ-pointing song on Pandora, a verse of the day on my YouVersion app. I was excited to finally have a meal in God's Word.

I tiptoed downstairs (stopping every time I heard even the slightest movement from the boys room). I was not going to ruin this perfect morning!

I curled up in the recliner with my blanket, coffee, journal, and Bible! Finally! I could now feed my soul without distraction or interruption. Today was going to be a good day!

Then, it happened. The floorboards upstairs creaked under little feet! "Oh no!," I thought. I had been able to read only a chapter and write a few thoughts in my journal. I hadn't even spent five minutes in prayer. It was ruined! My beautiful, quiet, perfect morning was wasted!

I felt frustration and anger start to bubble up in my heart. How was I supposed to be a godly wife, a loving mommy, and an encouraging friend without my perfect time with God? Didn't He realize that my soul was craving to know Jesus more?

Then a small voice spoke to my heart. You CAN know me more.
I am here in the mess, in the frustration, in the chaos.

Perhaps it isn't perfect that you need. I can more clearly show you MY complete sufficiency when things are less than perfect around you.

A deeper relationship with Christ isn't necessarily forged through perfect coffee dates with Him early in the morning, but in turning to Him over and over again throughout the frustrations of the day.
He understands. He loves. He pursues.

He wants to meet me in those places of "less than ideal" and I am able to endure (and even enjoy) the imperfections of life because of His perfect, pursuing love for me!

So, I'm off to face the day and my heart is praying that I will see Him in the midst of the mundane imperfections that are sure to come!

Popping in....

noreply@blogger.com (RachelErin) — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:51:00 +0000

We've been doing great as a family of 5! The rest of the summer flew by and we're already back into the school routine. Unfortunately, consistent blogging isn't a part of that routine yet! In the meantime, I'm having a lot of fun posting quick pictures and thoughts on Instagram. It's such a fun way to quickly check in with my online buddies!

I'd love to connect with you there or if you're more of a Facebook person, I post pretty regularly on our A Steady Rain page too!

Can't wait to keep in touch......Have a great weekend!