Welcome to the Journey Hey there! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Raquel, preacher’s daughter, firefighter’s wife, mama, storyteller, and...

Part 3: Jehovah Jireh "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 4:19 (NLT) When I ended Part 2, I told you that just when I thought God had finished surprising us... The mail arrived. At the time, I honestly thought the story was over. Melody had been accepted back into the school she had called home for six years. We had cried. We had celebrated. We had thanked God.

Part 2 The school year wasn't easy. Could we do it again if we had to? Absolutely. Would we choose to? Let's just say... only if God personally called and confirmed it with a burning bush. 😂 Homeschooling wasn't just school for us. It became a full-time balancing act. Melody has dyslexia, and spending an entire school day on a computer simply wasn't how she learned best. So, every lesson became... well... two lessons. First, I had to learn it. Then I had to figure out how to

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." – Proverbs 16:9 (NLT). If you've been reading Holy Hustle from the beginning, then you know this blog has never been about pretending life is perfect. It's been about inviting you into the middle of the story. The unanswered prayers. The waiting. The tears. The laughter. The moments when I've asked God, "What are You doing?" And the moments when He's gently reminded me, "Trust Me." The waiting isn't over. There are s

When God Is Working Behind the Scenes There’s something about waiting seasons that can make you question everything. Waiting for prayers to be answered. Waiting for doors to open. Waiting for healing. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for God to move. And if I’m being honest… sometimes the waiting feels louder than the answer. As moms, wives, students, daughters, friends, and people trying our best to follow God, we don’t mind movement. We can handle busy. We can handle hard.

Today is your birthday. And somehow, I’m still learning how to celebrate with someone I can’t hug, call, or hear laugh the way I used to. Grief is strange like that. It doesn’t always come in loud waves anymore. Sometimes it’s quiet. Subtle. It shows up in the middle of ordinary moments, a memory, a song, a thought that catches you off guard. And just like that… you’re missing them all over again. If you’ve ever loved someone who is no longer here, then you understand this ki

Let me just say it: I’m tired. Not the “I need a nap” kind of tired… I’m talking about the kind of tired that comes from trying to be everything for everyone. Because somewhere along the way, I picked up this idea that I was supposed to be: the perfect mom the present wife the successful student the organized one the strong one the dependable one the “she’s got it all together” one And let me tell you… That list? It’s exhausting. And the craziest part? Most of that pressure…

If I’m being honest… I don’t like slowing down. I like plans. I like progress. I like checking things off my list like I’m starring in my own productivity commercial. I am the girl who will: make the schedule color-code the schedule and then get frustrated when life doesn’t follow… the schedule 😅 Control? Oh, I know her well. But lately? God has been slowing me down. Not gently either. More like… ✨ “You’re doing too much...sit down.” ✨ And I wish I could say I handled it

“Back in the Hustle (But Doing It God’s Way)” A Holy Hustle with Raquel Comeback Series Hi… it’s me again. I know. It’s been a while. Not a cute little “I took a weekend off” kind of while… More like a “life hit fast-forward and I forgot to hit publish” kind of while. And listen.. I wish I could tell you I’ve been off somewhere sipping iced coffee in silence, journaling in a perfectly color-coded notebook… But the truth? I’ve been re

January always feels like opening a brand-new notebook, full of hope, clean pages, and the bold belief that this will be the year I keep my planner organized. (If you’ve seen my past planners, you know this is faith in action.) Looking back on 2025, one word keeps echoing in my heart: Becoming. This was the year of stepping out of familiar spaces, some I’d lived in for over twenty years, and trusting God with a future I couldn’t quite see yet. Walking away from an industry

There is something sacred about December. Not the quiet, candle-lit kind (although we love that too), but the holy chaos kind, where joy shows up in unexpected places and God gently reminds us to slow down and remember. And for me, December has always meant one thing: 🎄 Christmas dance recitals. 🎄 Except… plot twist. This year, I’m a retired dance mom . No backstage call times.No costume racks taking over my living room.No frantic “WHERE ARE YOUR TAP SHOES?!” moments bef

They say if you hear something long enough, eventually you start to believe it, even if it’s not true. For me, the loudest lies have never come from other people’s mouths. They’ve been the whispers in my own mind: You’re not a good mother. You’ve let God down. You’ll never measure up. Those voices grew louder through the hard seasons of my life. I’ve walked through my parents’ divorce, my own divorce, and the heartbreak of losing my father. Each moment left me questioning my

When Faith Meets Black Friday... from the Break Room of Heaven This year, for the first time in over a decade, I won’t be at the front doors at 5:00 a.m., keys in one hand, lukewarm coffee in the other, praying that the barcode scanner works and that no one asks me where we keep the 3-in-1 curling wand set (again). No, ma’am, this year I will not be running the floor like a half-baptized drill sergeant with a headset. I will not be scraping perfume testers off the tile or

Halloween at our house is always… an event . Every year, I tell myself I’ll start costume planning early. Every year, I lie. I have this wild mom dream of my kids matching in the cutest themed costumes because if I’m already stressed, I might as well be stressed cohesively , right? One year we were the magical Madrigals from Encanto (and yes, we don’t talk about Bruno, but we do talk about how much glitter that year involved). Another year it was Toy Story , my son got to be

It’s been seven years since my dad was called home, and the weight of his absence is still something I carry every single day. Grief has...

There’s nothing quite like standing at the front doors of your store at 4:59 a.m. on Black Friday, keys in hand, heart racing, and a...

With Father’s Day around the corner, this time of year stirs up so many emotions. For some, it’s a joyful celebration. For others, it’s a...

My Son is done with Kindergarten 2023 was a year etched into my heart forever. My oldest daughter graduated from high school. My son had...

This past Sunday, as I sat in church listening to the sermon, my pastor said something that hit me deep in my soul. He asked, “Ever feel...

There’s a different kind of Hallelujah, the kind that doesn’t come from a mountaintop, but from the valley floor. It’s not clean or...