Jessica Van Roekel: Confident in Christ’s Love and Acceptance

Jessica Van Roekel desires to help women to achieve a grace-filled confidence in life. She wants her readers to know that Jesus loves and accepts them just as they are.

Her writing sings in my mind and reminds of that beautiful song, Just As I Am. One of my favorite lines from a recent post is: “In Christ we are accepted, secure, and significant.”

In church, when when my pastor says something that excites me, I bubble over with enthusiasm, and in my heart and mind, I am clapping and raising my hands in praise. If I were listening to Jessica speak her blog posts, my hands would raise in praise and I would shout and enthusiastic, “You Go Girl, proclaim your truth. Hallelujah and Glory to our King, Jesus.”

I believe in the lines to follow that you will be doing the same. Cheering Jessica on as she proclaims the truth of God’s love and enduring grace.

Jessica Van Roekel :Biography Information

I have four children: three daughters ages 17, 14, 9 and one son age 12 and I will be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary this spring. I’m a worship leader and homeschooling mama. I love strong coffee, dark chocolate, photography, and books. We live in rural Iowa surrounded by hogs, corn, and soybeans.

Jessica Van Roekel : Gospel Story, How She Came to Know Christ as Her Savior.

Alone. Lonely. Lost. These words described me as a child and when I was told of a God who would always be with me as my companion and daddy I jumped at the chance to know him so in children’s church, as a six year old, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and it’s been a life-changing journey ever since.

Her Favorite Verse and How It Became Important to Her

I have too many favorite passages to declare one as my absolute favorite, but one passage that has brought me much comfort and joy is Psalm 18. In this Psalm I find rescue, beauty, comfort, and hope. Although I’ve walked with Christ most of my life, I’ve still experienced moments of deep darkness and despair and God has used this Psalm to pierce the darkness of prolonged episodes of fighting hard for light.

Psalm 18: 46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Her Blogging Story

I started blogging because writing has chased me for years, and I needed an outlet for the words to live once I allowed myself to be “caught.”

Her Blogging Mission

My blogging mission is to encourage other believers that our brokenness is a way to welcome grace into our lives, and our histories—good or bad—don’t have to dictate our present or determine our future when we place them in God’s hands.

Her Top Three Posts Based on Readership Statistics

Why Social Media Makes Me Apprehensive

Do You Wish You Could Be More Confident?

What’s Your Miracle?

Her Three Favorite Posts

Breaking Up is Hard To Do

Perfect Brokenness, Perfect Completeness

Beauty and Belief

What Inspires Jessica Van Roekel to Write for Christ?

I’m inspired by my children. I know that they will have their own set of issues as they grow and mature, but I want to give them as strong of a foundation as I can in my imperfect and flawed state. I’m also inspired by God’s beautiful world, his light that shines through hearts and lives, and the fact that this life, this journey, is meant for the benefit of others. We all have something to bring to the table, and I can be inspired by you, and you can be inspired by me, and our experiences are for the benefit of each other.

Her Favorite Song

I love music and have so many songs that speak to my heart: Fearless by Mia Fields. Blameless by Dara McLean. Kind by Amanda Cook. Jesus, We Love You by Bethel Music.

Forever by Kari Jobe. Miracle Maker by Kim Walker-Smith.

Spirit of the Living God by Vertical Church Band:

Vertical Church Band – Spirit of The Living God Lyric Video from sherry goneau on Vimeo.

Authors Who Inspire Her or Motivate Her to Write

C.S. Lewis

Mark Batterson

Ann Kroeker, writing coach

A Personal Blogging Story

I received this uplifting message from a reader:

“I so love reading your blog. I feel like you have a recorder set up in my heart and mind and you are sharing my thoughts. God has given you such a beautiful gift to express with your heart what so many people are feeling and experiencing. While we have not walked the same journey, we all have had challenges that scarred our past, we all need to move from the past and the walk down the path to peace and contentment with God is the same.”—a reader

Her Blogging Tips

I’m still learning the technical ropes of blogging, but I can offer some writing tips. When I started blogging, all I had time for writing was once a week, on Thursdays from 7-9pm. Everywhere I read ‘they’ said this wasn’t enough time, but God was so gracious and he showed me that writing begets writing. The more I would write consistently, being faithful in the small, the easier the words would come and my schedule is now allowing for more writing times in my week.

God was so gracious and he showed me that writing begets writing. Click To Tweet

Secondly, ask for advice and then take the advice that works for your situation, but always keep God’s voice closer and louder and take the next steps he directs and don’t rush ahead, think of it like a marathon rather than a sprint.

Thirdly, trust his timing. I’ve started and quit too many time because I didn’t trust his timing.

Fourth, push through the insecurity and tell yourself, over and over again, it’s not about me, it’s about him.

Her Thoughts On Inspiration and Uplifting

As women we put an inordinate amount of pressure on ourselves to be everything to everyone and in so doing we can experience resentment, depression, despair, futility, and a loss of identity. It’s exhausting to live this way. The first step to finding freedom from this pressure is a surrender and a confession of trying to be everything to everyone.

Secondly, we need to dive into his word so we know what his voice sounds like in order to tell the difference between lies and truth. Then we do what he shows us. Patience. Kindness. Truth teller. Love. Belief. Rest in him. Glorify him. He knows what we need and what our people need and because of that we can trust His heart.

Social Media Links

Blog: www.welcomegrace.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/your.JessicaVanRoekel

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/JessicaVanRoekel

Now your turn. : What inspired you most about Jessica Van Roekel and her blogging story? Have you read her blog, and what do you find inspirational about it?

Contributing to many linkup communities listed on my Linkup Parties page,

Be sure to check out my introduction post to see more features of inspirational Christian women bloggers.