Introducing…Me!
Hey guys! My name is Rachel Madden, and I want to tell you a little bit about myself and this platform, Medium!
I’m an 18 year old girl who just graduated high school (whoo-hoo!) and I’m headed to Stillwater, Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma State University in the fall! I plan on majoring in business marketing and management because 1) I love people and 2) I love making visions and dreams happen alongside people in the best way possible (in business they call that efficiency I think 😉). My friends call me “Rach” (*important note: pronounced “ray-ch”, not like the “ratch” in “ratchet” haha).
First, a little background! I grew up in a family of 9 in a small town in the Texas Panhandle. In high school I had the honor of leading the youth worship team of about 25 people on a rotation each Wednesday night. Spending three years developing a heart for worship & experiencing a training ground for leadership was a blessing that grew me so many ways. Of all the things I got to experience in high school, worship team was one of the most special. I love to sing and play guitar, and I also played tennis & softball in high school (go team, right?!). Learning about history, literature and how society (and its people) works in high school was so interesting to me too (although anything math is in the “not favorite” segment of my life haha!).
Now for some current hobbies and interests. First, drinking coffee (black). And yes, I am quite proud of that haha. Conversations with other people make my heart come alive, and dreaming big is what I love to do. I also love documenting what God is doing through journaling. I tell everyone that I’m a self-proclaimed foodie because I love trying new foods with new people (but I’m also not an expert…yet 😉). Something on my bucket list is to travel to see what Jesus is doing around the world.
Although hobbies are fun, the most important thing you could know about me is that I love Jesus and His church. The Gospel sets my heart on fire because I have been saved by His grace and have been adopted into His family as His loved daughter. Because of His salvation, I get to walk in freedom and in wholeness. From the moment I decided Jesus was worth giving up my whole life for, He started molding me into someone who is more like Him. For years, He’s been rooting out sin, selfishness, pride, manipulation and fear from my heart. He’s been developing compassion, gentleness, boldness and a teachable heart to make my heart like His. Everything that I do and love revolves around the Gospel- the story of God’s redemptive love for people that I have been invited into.
Now, a little bit about why I’m writing. One of my favorite things has been telling stories of what God is doing. When He moves, my heart basically explodes if I don’t tell somebody. So, Medium and these writing pieces give me another way to tell you about what God is doing in my life, how I see His heart for the world, and ultimately, His love for us as people.
With all of that in mind, moving forward, I’d be honored if you tagged along with me as I experience college, new people and most importantly, more of the Father’s heart. I would love if these writing pieces would spark conversations and dialogue about life in the Kingdom of God and our world. Again, I’m Rachel and here’s the start of documenting my journey. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my first piece!
-Rachel
