Holly Barrett : A Woman of Testimony

Holly Barrett inspires sharing testimonies. One of my favorite link ups occur on Tuesdays at her site: Testimony Tuesdays.   Bloggers gather to share about how God blesses and loves with an all encompassing flow of mercy and divine Grace.

Her blog invites us to share our stories of how Jesus blesses us. Lately, she inspires us to Walk with Integrity and to snuggle with our God on her Big Red Sofa.

Holly co-authored  Gray Hair Talking: Some lessons I’m Learning as my Hair is Turning and contributed to Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. 

I hope you enjoy the journey as you learn more about Holly who leads with a smile and wisdom. Her writing uplifts, inspires, and enlightens us about our walks with Christ, our Savior and Lord.

 

 

Holly Barrett :Biography Information

I am a Christ-follower, a mom, a grandmother, and a writer. I live in the mountains of North Carolina and work as Director of Communications for The Crossnore School.

I have two kids and a son-in-love and three grandchildren – these six people are the light of my life! I blog at hollybarrett.org and also have a podcast called Living a Redeemed Life. I love Bible study, writing, teaching, friends and family, an evening spent playing games, good food, and movies.

Holly Barrett : Gospel Story, How She Came to Know Christ as Her Savior.

I grew up in the church since my dad was a minister! It was an interesting life to say the least. But I was a rebellious teen and young adult (as are many preacher’s kids!). It wasn’t until my marriage to an alcoholic abuser ended that I really got serious about my faith. And even then it wasn’t easy. I went through a few years of battling my own stronghold of sin and working on my recovery, while raising my two kids alone. But God never let me down. When I was willing to listen, He was there. He provided for us in ways I can’t even begin to describe. And He loved me through all the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Her Favorite Verse and How It Became Important to Her

My favorite very is 2 Samuel 22:25 which says, “God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes” (MSG). I love this verse because it reminds me that I have to be open and honest with the Father so that He can do a work in my life. My life verse has been Isaiah 61:1b – He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. This verse became important to me as my call to ministry.

Her Blogging Story

I was always a writer…notebooks full of the writings of a teenager…and planned to be a journalist. But marriage and children came first and the dream of writing was put on the back burner. Once I became a single mom, there was no time to write! But I read voraciously. Finally, when my kids were grown, I had much more time. By then blogging was a thing, and I started reading blogs. It wasn’t long before I thought, well I could do that! So I built my first blog on Blogspot, wrote a few posts, and let it  sit there until I gathered up the courage to hit publish. My first blog was a ministry-related blog. I was doing women’s ministry then, and wrote to encourage and inform the women at my church. That was in 2009. In 2012, I went through some training with Amy Carroll at Next Steps Speakers Services as God was directing me to step out into my own blog that wasn’t connected to a particular ministry. So Reclaiming a Redeemed Life was born.

Her Blogging Mission

I write about faith, family, and spiritual life lessons we can learn in the every day. I’m passionate about Scripture and the application of it in our lives. And I want to encourage everyone to live in the redemption that is ours on the day we are saved. That leads us to the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10. Also turns out that God really knows what he is doing, because in the same year that I started my own blog separate from a ministry blog, I got laid off from my church staff position. Love how He always prepares us for what’s coming next!

Her Top Three Posts Based on Readership Statistics

 

Her Three Favorite Posts

What Inspires Her to Write for Christ?

The freedom I have found in Him. I was in captivity for so long and being set free changed my life forever. I can’t help but tell others about it.

Her Favorite Song

Right now, one of my favorite worship songs in Ocean. I just love it!

Authors Who Inspire Her or Motivate Her to Write

That’s a pretty long list! Some of my favorite writers link up every week at Testimony Tuesday. I don’t get to read a lot for pleasure these days because I am in grad school. But I love Beth Moore, Brennan Manning, Henri Nouwen, and others that I can’t even begin to name right now!

Her Blogging Tips

Just do it! It seems scary, but the blogging community is so encouraging. You won’t regret sharing what God puts on your heart. 

Last Minute Thoughts On Inspiration and Uplifting

There is no one who loves you more than our Father. And no one who ever has or ever will sacrifice more for you than Jesus. We need to just believe it…claim it…walk in it every day. And maybe we need to remind one another of it too, on the days we have trouble remembering. Community works. And community can be a great encouragement to us all!

Social Media Links