Rachel Hauck's Blog, page 5

The Wedding Chapel Pre Order

Hey everyone,

We have some great fun going on with The Wedding Chapel pre order. If you pre order, you’re entered for a chance to win an iPad loaded with some of mine, and your, favorite authors.

Colleen Coble, Tamera Alexander, Denise Hunter, Susan May Warren, Beth Vogt, Becky Wade, Dani Pettrey, Deborah Raney, Lisa Wingate, Julie Cantrell, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson and more!

All you have to do is click here and follow easy instructions. Come on, it’s easy.

Pre Order The Wedding Chapel for a chance at a loaded iPad!
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It’s Been Awhile Since I Posted

Joy, Love, Hope, Peace and Faith

Of course, if you an read dates you know that I’m not a regular blogger.

All my good words get used up on Twitter and Facebook. Ha!

I mean, novels. Yea, I save all my words for books.

Actually, I have a lot of thoughts when I’m not in front of the computer, things I’d like to share with y’all but by the time I’m back at my desk, the moment has past.

Or, I’ve tried to write my words of wonder and found the topic too hard to communicate.

Have you ever read Matt Walsh? His opinion pieces are long and well thought out and I figure that in and of itself is a full time job.

So, I blog in spurts. But you can catch me on Southernbelleview and My Book Therapy the 2nd and 4th Thursdays.

Was thinking a lot about jealousy lately as it’s an issue with characters in the upcoming The Wedding Chapel.

While writing that book I was constantly confronted with brokenness in the characters. One character became more vulnerable than I imagined. Another more bitter.

As I wrote, digging deeper into the “why and how” of their behavior, I realized jealousy was at the core. But why did it cause so much damage?

Because jealousy, or any sin, left unchallenged eventually causes damage.

In the teen movie Mean Girls, Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George. (From IMBD)

Jealousy.

What about Gone With The Wind? Scarlett is crazy jealous of Melanie because Ashley loves her while Scarlett pines away from the soft and quiet Ashley.

Through the whole movie, Scarlett is driven by her jealousy of Melanie. So much so it impacts her marriage to Rhett-who loves her!

In the closing scene, when Rhett’s had enough, Scarlett comes to her senses. “I love you, Rhett.”

But it’s too late.

Our emotions can drive us so far away from the very truth and happiness we seek. Perhaps beyond the point of no return.

Did Scarlett win Rhett back? We’ve been asking that question for seventy-five years.

The Lord spoke to me in a dream once about how we plug our truth into our experience and our faith into our feelings. While experience and feelings are real, they are not always true or right.

As for my characters, jealousy destroyed a precious relationship. But those who followed after had a chance to learn from their mistakes. The next generation had a chance to redeem their story.

Was the jealousy worth it? No. It destroyed lives.

Don’t let your past get you down. Don’t let those dark negative emotions drive you. Seek the One who loves you. He will show you the way to go.

Be blessed!

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The Shadow of Death

In God there is no shadow.

James 1:17 tells us He is light.

So why do we so often blame God for the darkness and shadows in which we walk?

We’re mad at, blaming, the wrong guy.

Satan is the father of lies.

He is darkness.

But this life and this world come with trials.

There are moments when we just can’t see the light.

In January 2014 I was hit with a trial. and in an instant it seemed all the lights went out.

The issue was physical but it impacted my emotions.

I was on deadline and the story wasn’t working.

I felt as creative as a rock.

I wasn’t sleeping.

Had I not been on deadline, the “valley of the shadow of death” might not have seemed so intense. So deep.

There was nothing to do but walk through it.

I prayed. A lot.

I shared my story with others, begging them to pray.

My doctor’s advice? “Walk through it. It’ll be over soon.”

All signs pointed to just “enduring.”

But how could I endure when there’s no light?

I had to keep my eyes on Him.

I felt many times evil was around me.

But I had to chose to believe God was leading me.

He was with me.

And the darkness was only a shadow.

That’s the enemy’s job.

To make the shadows appear real.

As if the darkness cannot be overcome.

I decided long ago no one would ever stand before God and hear,

“Well, you prayed too much. You trusted Me too much.”

Here’s the thing.

We never know when darkness will fall.

Trials don’t come at a scheduled time.

Before mine hit last January, I was doing great. Feeling great.

I’d had a great day. A great evening at an Encounter God meeting.

A friend was in town.

Boom! At 2:30 am I woke up in a very different physical and emotional place.

Hormones again.

But I knew, I knew God was in control.

While I didn’t understand the “why” I knew I was fearfully and wonderfully made.

The most intense struggle lasted a few weeks.

The off and on battle about six months.

The occasional odd day? A few more months.

Within a year, the shadow was gone.

Walking through the valley showed me God was with me.

I was even healed of a particular annoying trembling.

I found Him faithful.

I discovered His strength.

It changed me.

Now I have a spiritual and emotional muscle taught me again how to lean on Jesus in the darkest hour.

What dark hours lay ahead?

I don’t know.

I don’t care to imagine them.

But if yoIu faint at the first sign of adversity, then I’ll never build strength.

You’ll never build strength. Or your own history in God.

Say, just what is your history in God?

Everyone has one.

Sometimes we just don’t recognize when He’s moved in and through our live.

Why not write down those times when God’s met you?

When you thought there was no way but a way was made.

Jot down even the smallest thing.

Maybe a friend called at the right time.

Someone handed you money before you’d even prayed.

Maybe you learned after the fact how you were spared from something in some way.

God is with us always.

Never doubt that. No matter what others say. No matter what stories, testimonies or the news says.

He is with us. Always.

So the darkness is only a shadow.

He will see us through.

 

The Shadow of Death – Psalm 23
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For His Name Sake

God’s name is bankable.

He cannot deny Himself, His character, or the essence of who He is.

If He calls us to walk in righteousness, then He will make a way for us to do so.

There’s no such things as “God’s Word doesn’t work.” Or “Prayer doesn’t work.”

We just have to do the work and lean into Him. Day after day, time after time.

We give up to easily sometimes.

But the Lord is our Life Guide. Talk about a “spirit guide!”

We have the Creator of all!

And His plan is to lead us in right thinking, justice, doing well and good.

In fact, He gives us His righteousness since it’s impossible to achieve it on our own.

One definition of righteousness goes like this:

 

“Righteousness is the state of moral perfection required by God to enter heaven.”

From About Religion.

 

We’re stuck, really. We cannot do anything good or right without Him.

We have no ticket into heaven without Him.

But He, the Father, is a perfect leader.

This is us:

” But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away.”

Isaiah 64:6

But this is who He is and what the Lord promises us!

And the work of righteousness will be peace,

And the service ofrighteousness,

quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 32:17

How do we get it?

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10

What a lovely verse.

God Himself gives us His righteousness.

Newsflash: We have none of our own. Not worthy of heaven anyway.

Doesn’t matter how good we want to be. Our intention.

What matters is if we can humble ourselves and receive His righteousness.

So for His name sake, Love, Goodness, Holiness, He leads us in the way of right thinking. Which include love and justice.

Early in my writing career, I was on the phone with another writer farther down the publishing road than I and she spent a good deal of our conversation gossiping and complaining about other people.

I felt slimmed. After the call, I tried to go back to work and I just couldn’t focus. My emotions were all out of sort.

I got on my little keyboard and just started to worship the Lord.

I’m not a fancy keyboardist but I knew enough to play a melody that allowed me to sing from my heart to the Lord’s.

As I did, He began to wash me in His righteousness. With peace.

And I heard His voice.

“I”ve looked over the whole earth and there is no one like you.”

I was taken aback. “What?” Surely there’s someone like me.

But the truth is, I’m completely unique.

No one else has my genes and DNA.

And the Lord was saying, “I must have you.”

Talk about a path of righteousness! The Lord was affirming my right thinking.

He changed my emotions, my thoughts as I worshipped.

A well meaning friend sent me down a dark path.

But a few minutes with Jesus set me aright. I was cleansed.

Do you need some direction? Some “right thinking?” Some washing?

Seek Him.

He will lead you. He cannot deny Himself.

For His Name Sake – Psalm 23.

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He Makes Me Lie Down

We live in a stress filled world. Either created by our own actions, or by actions thrust upon us.

We live in a world of terror, shootings, and riots. A world partially at war.

And at times when I’ve laid down to sleep, peace was far from me.

In Psalm 23, the writer, King David, prophesies to the world, for all time, the truth of our God, of the Creator.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures.” This speaks of rest and peace, of spring and summer, of things in bloom and bearing fruit.

We are sometimes fooled into believing that the harder we work the more prosperous we become. Granted, laziness doesn’t bear us any fruit, but stress and striving don’t either.

The Lord promises us peace, rest, a settled heart. He can actually bless us in our rest.

But it’s not just physical rest, it’s mental, emotional and spiritual.

“He leads me besides quiet waters.”

Can you envision a country stream? Can you hear the birds singing? The wind slipping the trees?

This is where we’re all called to be in Christ.

This is where, how and when He restores our souls.

In Luke 10, Jesus admonishes His friend Martha, who was complaining about her little sister Mary of not helping out enough. Instead, she sat at the feet of Jesus.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Choosing Jesus will never let us down or betray us.

He admonishes Martha for her fretting and worry, then points to Mary who was resting at Jesus feet.

It’s not the work vs. sitting debate. It’s the worry vs. peace debate.

We choose to be “Mary’s” and not “Martha’s.”

But it’s so easy to go along with the emotions of the moment.

We have to wage war to fight the things in our lives, the thoughts and feelings that destroy peace.

Jesus is the green pasture, the still waters, the restorer of our souls.

There was a time in my life when anxiety moved in. It was hormonally inspired — don’t you just love it? — but on the surface everything looked to be fine. No medical test proved anything out of the ordinary.

My job required a good deal of traveling and getting on an airplane, or being alone somewhere, proved to be challenging. I’d get claustrophobic on the plane when they’d shut the door for take off. I feared I’d run down the fuselage yelling, “Let me off!”

Sometimes I’d get the alone in a crowd feeling. Among a myriad of other feelings or thoughts. I could make a scary list.

But, they all passed after a few seconds but the dread of them coming again was worse than the actual event.

In the tense moments, I’d lean into my Green Pasture. My Quiet Water. My Restorer. My Savior. My Deliver.

He’s the Prince of Peace. And He loves me.

As I believed what He said about me, about Himself, the moments became smaller and fewer between.

They never owned me. Or controlled me.

Just made life a little scary sometimes.

The battle was in my mind. I had to choose to believe what I was feeling or what God’s Word said.

I’m glad I chose His Word.

Those tense moments in the past were never given enough strength to lay hold. Thanks to His truth.

Whatever your life situation, know that the Lord is with you, for you and has probably, somewhere in the vastness of Scripture, has spoken to the issue on your heart!

He Makes Me Lie Down – Psalm 23
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The Really Real Me

The buzz lately is Tyra Banks.

The Next Top Model beauty and host posted a picture of herself in the morning without any make up.

Without filter.

Without touch up.

I’ve done that a time or two.

Posted a picture of me without make up but I’m not known for my beauty.

A few years ago, country singer Sara Evans posted a bare-faced photograph.

Her hair was fixed and she liked it, wanted to snap a photo.

She bravely ignored the fact she had no make up.

The pic went viral.

It got me thinking.

Why post a photo when we’re not looking our best.

I know Facebook is a photo album of images of me I’m not so keen on. Snapped by others, in the moment.

But for those in the public eye, there has to be some underlying desire for people to know the “real me.”

I get it.

“If you love me, love all of me.”

It’s ingrained in the human heart to want to be loved for who we are, not what we look like, not what we can do or say or be.

God gave us from the get go the desire for authenticity. But also for glory and beauty.

Because all of those things ARE at the core of who He is!

And we are made in His image.

So more than wanting people to see my bare naked face, I want people to see my bare-naked heart.

This is who I am on the good days and the bad.

Trouble is, people don’t often want to know the “real me.”

Or they just don’t have time to listen. Understand.

I blogged about my menopause experience last year because I never felt more raw, real, and like I wanted people to know the really me… in that season.

Because I needed someone to say, “Hey, you’ll get through this. You’re fine.”

Sometimes, it’s as simple as that, no?

The voice of reassurance.

As a writer, I can’t always wait for, depend on, reassurance from others.

I just have to go! Do! Be what I’m called to be.

Yet, as I ponder authenticity, I realize I have to be the really real to my own self.

Like, am I shepherding my heart toward a good place?

Am I becoming someone with a sincere heart?

Am I learning more and more who Jesus is and who He wants me to be?

I’m challenged to grow in the Love of the Father. In the love that sent Jesus to the Cross for me.

I think too often, I cover my imperfections and deficiencies with “make up.”

I love being honest. I do! And I understand there’s a right time and place, the right audience to be honest.

But hiding away never much interested me.

All the more motivation to be authentic.

To be the really real me.

What about you? Are you ready to be the really real you?

What does that look like? What steps can you take?

For me, it begins and ends int he same place every time.

At the feet of Jesus.

In a world that is hungering for sincerity and truth, authenticity, Christians must rise to the occasion and be real.

Anyone can post a photo of themselves without make up and hey, it takes great courage.

But don’t we really just long for someone who knows us with all of our faults and insecurities and flaws.

Because we are so loved by the Father, the Church is the ONE place where authenticity should flow.

Where a hurting soul finds healing.

Let’s take off the masks, beloved, and be the really real us, the really real Jesus. As best we can.

He’ll take care of the rest.

The really real me.
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Show Me Your Inner Princess

Let’s welcome summer with a ROYAL “PRINCESS ME” CONTEST!

I’d like to know who’s the Fairest Princess of the Facebook Fans?!!

Here’s how to enter:

Post a pic of yourself on your Facebook profile and on my timeline of one of these 3 options:

1. Yourself with one of Rachel’s Royal Wedding books.

2.Yourself with a Royal Makeover (tiara, crown, gown, etc. As little or as much as you want.)

3. For Extra Points–Both. Yourself dressed up as a Royal with one of Rachel’s Royal Wedding books!

THE PRIZE: A Royal Charm and being featured here.

DATES TO ENTER: Monday, 6/1 to Friday, 6/5.

HELPS: Use the Royal Pink Background in case you’d like to use it.

DETAILS: Share more than one photo if you wish! Share photos of you and your friends!

Let’s have some royal fun!

Here’s your image. Drag from this page to your desktop.

 

Show Me Your Inner Princess Contest
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Beach Book Bonanza Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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First Look at THE WEDDING CHAPEL!

Since last week's cover reveal was an overwhelming success, I've added the first couple chapters (unedited!) of THE WEDDING CHAPEL to whet your appetite until it releases this fall.

Just visit The Wedding Chapel page and click the "Read Book" button under the cover image.

Read it and head back over here to let me know what you think in the comments! And don't forget to pre-order from your favorite retailer!

Thank you for being such wonderful, encouraging readers. :)

Who’s The Boss Anyway?

Remember the ’80s when hunky Tony Danza worked as housekeeper for Judith Light in the sitcom, Who’s The Boss?

It was one of my favorites.

Judith’s character was supposed to be the boss but Tony’s character pretty much ran the show.

Today I spoke at a Women’s tea held at a church a former co-worker now pastored.

In fact, at one time I was his boss.

And it got me thinking.

Was I really a boss? Did I run the show?

I’d been given the task of leading the “road warriors.” Those who traveled 80% of the time, training and stalling the systems our company developed.

I made the schedule, over saw their day to day, wrote performance reviews but to my knowledge I never decided a raise percentage or promotion.

I was often tasked to deliver disappointing news from my boss to a team member. On occasion to other team members.

But did I really have any authority?

If my boss made up her mind about someone, could I be an advocate?

Could I insist on a certain raise? Or promotion?

Could I defend someone in trouble? On the lay off list?

Sure. In word.

But not deed.

I had the large office with the door and mini fridge stuff with Diet Cokes that drew a daily crowd, but I was never a “boss.”

Sometimes I think we apply that same notion to Jesus.

Does He really have the power and authority to answer our prayers? Advocate for us?

And if He does, will He?

I say yes. On all counts.

He’s not a bad boss. He’s an amazing “lover of our souls.”

He loves us!

When we go to Him He hears us. He says “Yes” to our pleas for help.

But too often we see Him like our imperfect bosses, or weak parents.

We ascribe our worldly experience to a heavenly Lord. And there is no comparison.

That’s what Holy means: totally other than. Like nothing you’ve experienced.

Jesus’s boss, the Father, has developed plans for our good long before we were born.

So how could He NOT want us to succeed?

He does!

Even though I had little authority as a boss, I wanted my people to succeed.

Don’t you want “your people” or your kids to do well?

How much more God wants that for us.

He’s a good boss.

Let’s be transformed in how we perceive God, and ourselves, by renewing our minds.

He’s good. All the time.

Who’s The Boss Anyway?
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