Rachael Carman will be participating in the "How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids" link up with Amanda from ThePelsers.com. You can check out the Monday link up posts here, join the Facebook group here, or join the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #HEART4YourKids.
HEART Introduction
Hello everyone-so delighted to get to ‘meet’ all of you via this book club. I am praying that each of you will be blessed as you read HEART. God has been so good to me as He has grown me through motherhood. Maturity was an ideal that I wanted to achieve, but I had no idea what challenges it would mean.
The story I share in the introduction of the book still seems like it happened just yesterday and yet it was over 16 years ago now. Just this last Saturday, Charles — the one who started it all — my strong-willed oldest son, returned to New York City where he is attending college. He isn’t shorter than me anymore; no, he’s several inches taller, but his smile is still sweet and the hugs are sweeter still.
On this side of my journey (at least with Charles as I am still home schooling 5 others!), I am profoundly grateful and humbled by all that God has done. I am so glad that God got a hold of me, that He was in pursuit of my heart. I am so grateful that He loved us both so much. I had my plan. I thought I knew what I wanted. I am so glad that my plan fell apart. God’s plan has been so much better
I will be praying for each of you throughout this book club. May the God of peace grant you insight and wisdom as you face each day. May He draw you and your husband and your children to Himself. May He be glorified in your marriage and your family relationships. May you be strengthened even today for the days ahead when the time comes for your children to answer God’s call on their lives and they leave on their life’s adventure. And may you hunger and thirst for righteousness which is the truth of God’s word, teaching it
diligently to your children.
I would be blessed to hear what God is showing you as your read.
In His Grace,
Rachael
Jn 3.30
Heather
Hard to think of Charles as an adult! That makes me smile. I am enjoying the book and bookclub so much. Thank you!!
Liz
AND he is such a joy to be around! IT is so refreshing when I take my little kids over to see him, as a 19 year old male interacting with them. He is such a natural! ~ Liz
Carrie - young living oil lady
Rachael! I have only read the intro and now the first chapter and I just laugh at times because I feel as though I am listening to myself. Some of the very things you say or experienced I have too. I love how God orchestrates our lives and causes all things to work for good! It would be so fun to have a group of us ladies just sitting around and sharing our stories with you and the similarities. I am loving your book and I can’t wait to read the rest! I am reading one chapter per week and blogging accordingly. Thank you for your love and obedience to the Father! You are reaping what you have sown! May your love for the Lord continue to grow and grow!!!
Blessings to you and your family!
Rachael Carman
I am so glad that you are enjoying the book. It was such a blessing to share our story. I laughed and cried while writing it. I am looking forward to our fellowship in heaven as we sit around and share all that the Father did for us while we lived down here. Given the perfected perspective we will have then, we will be able to see the Master in all things and celebrate His goodness forever! Can't wait-r.
Amanda @ ThePelsers
Rachael, thanks for sharing and participating in the book club. The intro is so powerful and it is so neat to hear the sucess on the other side of that leg of the journey.
Rachael Carman
Charles and I both are humbled at how He has used our journey to bless other mothers and their children. It is the story of God's grace and mercy in our lives. So much I would like to share, maybe we can actually swap more stories in the future. enjoy-r.
Lauren
Thank you Rachael for your words of insight – so convicted and encouraged even just by the intro! I am excited to keep digging deeper into this book!
Rachael Carman
I'll tell you-I had always wanted to write a book, but this isn't the one I had in mind. So grateful for His perfect and pleasing will in my life. I would love to hear how God is ministering to you through the book. May He be glorified as we seek Him! -r.
Sarah Bailey
I'm so glad you wrote this book. I reviewed it on the TOS Crew last year and am so happy to be able to actually blog my way through it with this club.