Join the quest and Accept The Love Challenge!
![The Best Christmas Pageant Ever… [a holiday movie review]](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/30C39796-049F-4F25-A03F-EA5BDC534981-scaled.jpeg)
I had no idea what to expect when I walked into an early screening of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever🌟 last Saturday. Since I hadn’t read the book or seen the stage production, I guess I expected something of a Junie B. Jones, elementary reader nature. But instead, I encountered a wondrous story of God’s…
![Perfecting God’s Love… [Our Life-Giving Gift]](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/C369BD7D-F601-4BAA-809E-63D112B5DC3F.png)
Our Human-ness Brokenness became our human-ness when sin entered the world. Our perfectly axised world suddenly set un-straight was forever imperfectly tilted towards disobedience, enmity, and darkness. We’re called, as Christ followers, to peel back the darkness and live in the Light; becoming increasingly more like Him. We’re called to love like Jesus loved. And…
![How to Not Be a Stumbling Block for Others [and love like Jesus]](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/9886033D-594A-47C8-9248-9C99A78006F5.jpeg)
Doing What I Do Not Want to Do “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not keep doing what I want. Instead, I do what I hate.” – Romans 7:15 Do you ever wish you hadn’t done or said something unkind? Or maybe you simply withheld a kindness when given…
![How to Love the World… [one challenging circumstance at a time]](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/0793C85F-A059-44BE-8D72-81D06F7E9EB2.png)
When I issued the very first LOVE challenge to myself and asked others to join, what I really desired in this world more than anything was to be one of those “rare Christians” Tozer talked about. A Christ-follower whose very presence compelled others to become “better Christians” themselves. Apart from God, none of us are…
![How to Have Joy [and Be Joyful] in a Not-So-Perfect World.](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/05A5D243-B06B-4D77-A18E-69ECE0C54FC3.jpeg)
Joyful people see with open eyes the hard reality of human existence and at the same time are not imprisoned by it.” – Henri Nouwen Radiating hope ✨ and Shining God’s love in a weary, not-so-perfect world is what the manger message is all about, friends. God’s love for us does not change like the…
To Correct or Not to Correct? Have you ever made a snap judgement about someone or something? Sadly, I often make snap judgements. But recently, I found myself the recipient of someone else’s snap judgement. And it took all the Jesus-lovin’ strength I could muster, friends, not to email this person and set them straight….
![Wearing God’s Love… [a not-so-easy how-to]](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/634E1C98-1F00-4722-9401-3D2CBAD514BE.png)
Wearing Love LOVE will be the most important thing we wear as believers and Christ followers. And the nature of that love will be visible to a watching world through acts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This is why Paul stated in his letter to the church at Colossae we are to “put…
![How to BE LOVE in a [Not-So-Perfect] Barbie World…](https://rachelwrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/656F884D-5B0F-4ABF-B8EF-C7DDFB78B681.png)
I snapped this photo of a wayward, perfectly pink Barbie shoe as I walked into my Bible study in Nashville—four summers ago. And I’ve kept it on my phone, all this time?! What can I say, it spoke to me. I guess because I’m still a Barbie girl at heart. As a young girl, Barbie…
How do you love your enemy? Jesus loved in all sorts of challenging circumstances, but none more difficult than Mount Calvary. As he hung on the cross, Jesus’ prayed for his enemies [Luke 23:34]. When praying for our enemies, it becomes easier to love them. Praying for our enemy opens our hearts and allows us…