Yes I’m a Conservative Christian and Yes I am a Rachel Hollis Fan

Yes, I’m a conservative Christian. And yes, I’m a fan of Rachel Hollis. If people were asked to describe my faith they’d most surely answer: “Oh she’s super conservative.” And I am. And I’m not ashamed of or embarrassed by that what-so-ever. We believe the Bible is God’s Word. And He provided us with His Holy Word as a guidebook for our lives. How to live. How to have a relationship with Him. And most importantly, how to spend eternity in His presence.

Religious Beliefs and Affiliation

Regarding our “Christian affiliation,” we are non-denominational Christians who attend The Church of Christ. I am probably the most conservative among my friends. Not only is my relationship with Christ THE most important relationship in my life. I am far, far from perfect. No one but Jesus has obtained perfection while on Earth. But I do my best to live my life for Jesus, to put Him first in all things and strive daily to obey His Word. So yeah, I’m conservative in my religious belief system. In my faith. In my personal walk with Jesus.

Core Convictions and Faith Data

• Scripture: We believe the Bible is God’s Word and a guidebook for our lives.
• Personal Conduct: We don’t drink. We don’t cuss.
• Worship: We don’t have musical instruments in our worship services.
• Salvation: We believe baptism is essential for salvation.
• Rachel Hollis Facts: She is a Christian, and her work was published by a Christian publisher.

Initial Expectations of "Girl, Wash Your Face"

When I first picked up Girl, Wash Your Face I was expecting an “I am woman hear me roar” type read that would probably be filled with feminism since that’s the “in” thing right now. I honestly assumed I’d be rolling my eyes through it and annoyed by it. I’ve just never been a big fan of the whole “girl power” thing. I had no idea that it was published by a Christian publisher. No idea that Rachel herself is a Christian. I had no expectations of it being a Christian book about God. I assumed it was a secular book, most likely containing ideas that are popular in society.

Connection and Shared Experiences

As I read through it I was instantly drawn to Rachel’s voice and style. I felt like she and I are very similar. We’ve been through some junk and we aren’t shy about sharing it. I love her real-ness. Rawness. Hello my tagline is “oversharing and owning it” so obviously I’m drawn to personalities that aren’t afraid of being their true selves – no matter how others may respond. I love her relatability. She has a great way of sharing her thoughts while making it seem like she’s speaking directly to you. I felt an instantaneous connection with her and find it a total compliment when people say I remind them of her.

I also immediately connected with her adoption story as we’ve recently walked the path of adoption ourselves and I love that she shared the tougher moments of that journey and process and that she did it in a way that wasn’t overly concerned with being “super PC.” I was surprised, in the best way possible, when she talked so openly about her faith. Her life choices based on her personal convictions and her love of Jesus. I thought it was so awesome that this super, crazy popular book was one that had so many mentions of Jesus.

A Path Toward Personal Growth

The book wasn’t at all what I’d been anticipating it to be. It was a beautiful blend of personal stories and motivation towards becoming the best versions of ourselves. It’s a perfect first book to read if you’re looking towards some personal growth and not sure where to start. As Rachel says herself, she’s not acting like she has all the answers. She simply shares her story, her path, what has worked for her in her life and she hopes by sharing her truths that others will be inspired to ask more questions in order to begin their own story of personal growth. That’s exactly what her book did for me. I read it and felt on fire to dive deeper into personal growth. I picked up other books. I read more. I prayed more. I studied God’s Word more.