This Is Me

“Dear Future Husband…” Last night I found myself starting off a letter with those three words. I know what you’re thinking---who writes letters to their future husband? Rachael has officially lost it. And honestly, when I heard of girls writing similar letters---I thought the exact same thing. What could possibly possess a person to write letters to someone they have never met and might not ever meet? That is, I never understood why until recently. This past year, my relationship with Jesus has grown in so many ways. I was the one He reached down from heaven to hold when I was broken. I was the one whose heart He healed with the love for the orphans of the Philippines. And I am the one whose hand is locked tightly with His as He guides me to my future. When I look back and see all that He has done for me---I am overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that I can honestly say I am at a point where I have placed my whole future in His hands and FINALLY trust He knows what He is doing (...

Dear family and friends, Have you ever wondered what God’s plan is for your life? I have, and I recently found out where my next step is – the Philippines! God has led me to a new season in my life.  He has so drastically changed the plan I thought He had for me that it’s hard to comprehend! I know it is right and from Him, so I’m all for it. I have always felt God calling me to go on a mission trip, but it wasn’t until recently that I responded to His call. One Sunday, I found myself sitting in church with my family---my little brother, who was adopted from the Philippines four years ago, trying to stay on his best behavior in church. When it came time to pray, I saw him fold his two little hands, bow his head, and shut his eyes real tight. Sitting there made me realize two things: 1. My little brother might have never known Jesus if God didn’t send him to our family and 2. Imagine all the other orphans that aren’t as lucky as my brother---who will tell them about Jesus? ...

This year, I was invited to join a Fantasy Football league. Why I agreed to participate is still beyond me. Do I like football? Yes. Do I know how the game works? Yes. Do I know Peyton Manning’s total passing yards in the 2013 season off the top of my head? No. Not even close. I know how much a pair of Jimmy Choos cost, not how many touchdowns Dez Bryant scored in preseason. And let me tell you, the people that sign up for these fantasy leagues do. The night of the draft I sat by my computer picking my team. I made sure I got my Packers, Aaron Rodgers and Eddie Lacy, (unfortunately Jordy was taken too quick) and then basically just picked players whose names I recognized/looked good on paper.  I called us “Lacy and the Tramps,” (Pun off Lady and the Tramp) and nothing was going to stop us with Rodgers at QB. Well here’s the thing, fantasy teams take work. You actually have to watch the games to see how your players are doing. You have to stay updated with injuries. Suspens...

Where to begin. These past couple of months. I have officially felt like a member of the working class. Most weeks I’m lucky if I get a weekend off. Hence my blog taking the backseat. But this morning I decided to dedicate all to myself and Jesus—who honestly has taken a backseat to. So here’s my thoughts I’m sharing with Him and you…   “US Budget Deficit Expected to Rise in October”  “Ebola Outbreak in the United States” “Chaos in Ferguson” “ US War Against ISIS Steadily Escalates” Almost every time I pick up a newspaper or glance at my news app flashing on my phone, it seems like there is one common factor in almost every story that makes the headlines— FEAR . Society is constantly reminded of the threats from other nations---with the terror of a repeat September 11 th always in the back of our minds. We hear of incurable diseases spreading like wildfire, a government stuck in deadlock, and racial tension still haunting our nation. Living in the heart ...

         Today is the official end of summer, so it only seems fitting I close it out with a new post. As I sit here looking back at all that has happened these past few months, I am amazed by the faithfulness of our Savior. The triumphs, the heartbreaks, the broken roads—all led me to where I am today.          If you keep up with my blog, you’ll know that back in March I went through a very hard time in my life. I was hurt. And I couldn’t see why God would allow me to go through such pain, let alone how anything positive could come out of it. But amidst the situation, I decided to trust Him. Trust that this was all part of His plan for my life. Trust that somehow this could be used for His glory. And guess what. It was.         For a while now, I have heard God calling me to go on a mission trip. I knew it was something He wanted me to do, but I ignored it---telling myself that God was obviously picking t...

A couple of weeks ago, I boarded an eight hour flight to the place I called home four years ago—Hawaii. I know, I know---lucky me! While I was there, I stayed with one of my good friends from high school. We spent the week sharing college stories, increasing our chances of skin cancer, indulging in Froyo, and most importantly, rekindling a friendship that began junior year of high school. The night before I flew back home, we both decided my trip needed a finale, something that we would remember forever, something like climbing Stairway to Heaven. The Stairway to Heaven, or Haiku Stairs, is a 4,000 step ladder that basically scales the side of a mountain. It has been named one of the most beautiful hikes in America, yet for the past 26 years the hike has been illegal. So the night before, we set our alarms for 2am to get to the trail before the security guard showed up, packed our bags, and tried to get a couple hours of sleep in before the big hike. Around 2:30am we found our...

These past couple of days, I have been wanting to write, but couldn’t decide on a topic. So I put it off and waited for God to give me some inspiration. That inspiration came one day while scrolling through Twitter. The same day the Beyoncé/Jay Z cheating scandal erupted, I came across several tweets like,  “There is no hope for relationships anymore," and  “I’ll never be able to trust a guy.” F or obvious reasons, this bothered me. A lot. It seems like every day a new cheating scandal or divorce rumor is making headlines in the latest tabloid and looks something like this: And the sad part is, that is what we are influenced by. We see Jay-Z and Beyoncé and think that’s “true love.” Then when it fails, we assume true love  doesn't  exist anymore. Society has trained us, from movies to TV shows, to songs on what love is. Today, love is shallow, hollow, ridiculous, and empty. Love is purely emotive. Love can be fallen into and out of, depending on how h...