Rachel Holmes

poetry

Doorkeepers

A doorkeeper To swing the home open wide.  To usher us in  with soft smile inside. A doorkeeper Is exactly our need.  To welcome the weary  and close out the dreary.  A doorkeeper For the great house of God  A tender refrain,  Come in, for you're spent.  Come into His

Bitter waters

Remember when the Israelites were walking in the desert complaining because they needed water? They had just crossed the Red Sea three days before and watched their enemies drown behind them. They knew God could take care of them. Was it wrong to need water? No. Was it wrong to

490 times

My daughter recently asked me if that means she only has to forgive her little sister 490 times. "Jesus said seventy times seven, mom!" I smiled. “Have you been counting?” She hadn’t. But she understood. And it's a tough pill to swallow - for grown ups too. Have you

What would abundance wear?

Sometimes I stand in front of my closet and feel paralyzed about what to wear. That patch of carpet in front of my closet? It’s a battle ground. It's the stage for the expectations, limitations, judgments, and disappointments of all it means to be a woman, let alone a

Fresh Bread

Want to read and pray, but there’s no time or energy? First: This is hard. Might as well say it. And it's not because moms don’t want to. We do. And worse, Satan doesn’t want us to. He really doesn’t. Second: This is possible. And the

Mining

“He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro.” Job 28:4 He sought me out in valley far Where ne’er a man had gone. There He plunged,

A Christmas gift and a break

Dear reader, Christmas is almost upon us. I'm looking forward to celebrating and resting with my girls, Joel and with our families. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement this year. I am thankful for each one of you. I write for the help and hope of you individually.

Come all ye faithful

Dear Momma,  Do you know that Christmas is for you too? As you plan the things and string the lights and wipe the noses and kiss the owies? Do you know that He came for you too?  As you arrange their advent activities — the ones that remind them daily that

Christmas 2023

One year, four girls, four completely different people. While they all contribute to the drama, the fridge artwork and the food and toothpaste consumption, they all couldn’t be more different. This is a source of joy and trial, mind you. And when I (Rachel) got a book to help

This Christmas

This year, Christmas will look different. And you know what? That’s ok. My husband is currently out of work. His company downsized and gave him a severance to leave. Since then he’s been hunting - but not finding. So here’s Christmas but no work. And you know

Jesus is the best Savior

“Jesus is the best Savior.” I can’t remember what led to that statement, but it was a conversation with Hannah, my 4 year old. I was trying to sum something up for her to understand, and the Spirit summed something up for me to understand too.  Jesus is the

Christian Living

Heart Keeping

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Heart-keeping is hard and holy work, but the work is in the tending, not in the hiding. A hidden heart is like my grandma's watch in my nightside table. Mostly, a treasure

poetry

These Counters

They’ve seen light of days  And the dark of night. They’ve seen messy sprays,  Sure, they’re quite the sight.  They’ve heard laughter passing, Even our anger lasting. Held up weight of the seasons, Holding up without reason. Sand and sun and snacks And mud and little

worship

Worried Warriors

Does rumination plague your quiet and disrupt your joy? He can turn this “flaw” into a strength, if you’ll let Him. Every worried thought about your marriage or kids or church or world or self — is a thought that you can verbalize to Him. Is there anyone else that

Wrestling Faith

Aching and glorious  This in-between place.  Full of His goodness,  A lone brittle space.  A hallway, a guess-way  A pathway - I hope.  Full of my questions  With fear I still grope. No answers yet  As I look to and fro,  I’m stopping to fret,  Your Word I still

On the shore

“Children, do you have any food?” They must have groaned. What else was on their minds except that they had failed to find any fish? Fishing all night, trying their best. Working, sweating through the darkness. Grunting in the hush of dawn.  Have any food? Despite their best efforts, no.

motherhood

Unseen

Most parenting happens unseen.  In the drop-offs and pick-ups.  One the moments in between  In the morning snuggle love  Most parenting no one sees Only you and them and Him  the daily meeting needs  The moments delighted in.  Most of it seems little but it’s not little to them

motherhood

Keep it up, Bean

How does the baby I held become the young woman I see? How did your tiny self become an adult overnight? How did our conversations move from birds and trees to grief and change? And just as quickly — laughing over chickens? What is this “in-between,” preteen phase of little and

poetry

This Is How

This is how  But it's not what I wanted This is how  But it's not in my plan  This is how  But it's too uncertain  This is how  But it's all gone too fast  This is how  I’ll listen now.  This is how… My will is done.  This is

motherhood

Because He said so

You know what every older-than-me mom tells me about parenting?  “Enjoy it.”  “Enjoy these moments.”  “Enjoy where they are, they’ll never be there again.” And do you know how I feel about it? Weird.  Maybe it's just my personality or thinking too deeply or being suspicious, but I just

poetry

The Weeping Jesus

I've met the weeping Jesus And He said "Come unto Me, I've carried all your heartache I saw just what you'd see." I've met the weeping Jesus With no platitudes for pain No forced or empty optimism Just weeping o'er sin's stain. I've met the weeping Jesus He knows my

motherhood

Go Gently

Go gently, my friend, Not just to their room In the dead of night. Go gently, my friend, Not just when you daily attend To their every little need. Go gently, my friend, When your hard voice Sneaks into their tone. Go gently, my friend, When you see your sin

poetry

Good Things

Good Things Good things that take best place‌ Good things that are needed known and loved.‌ Good things Like gathering with Your own. Good things like The washing water of the Word. Good things Like good gifts with little feet.‌ God things like This man’s hand in mine.‌ Good

A bit of a break

Dear readers,  Welcome to new and old friends. I'm glad you're here to spend a moment with me. September is coming and as a mom with school-aged kids, this feels more like a fresh page than the New Year does. So I'll be taking a short break. Still writing, but

Christian Living

On Hallways and Excellence

My neighborhood is a bit of an oddity. It’s somewhat old and dignified and there are lots of famous Detroiters who grew up here. There are parks, houses, eccentric people, and old trees like any other neighborhood. But unlike so much of the rest of the city, some people