Rachel Steinman: Music from the Heart: Transformation Through Faith

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Rachel Steinman, from Astoria, Oregon, shares her profound journey of faith in a heart-warming podcast episode. 

Born and raised in a Christian environment, Rachel faced significant life changes, including leaving Bible college, marriage, and the heartbreak of a divorce. 

Despite these challenges, her unwavering faith led her back to Bible school after 28 years. 

Along the way, she discovered a hidden talent for songwriting, a gift she attributes to divine inspiration. 

Rachel now uses her experiences to encourage and uplift 1,500 women through an online Bible study, showing others the power of faith and transformation.

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Transcript

[00:02] JAN: Welcome to just talking about Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talking about Jesus. Hello and welcome today to just talking about Jesus. I'm here with Rachel Steinman. Hi, Rachel.

[00:21] RACHEL: Hi.

[00:22] JAN: So tell us what's going on in your Jesus life and what's God doing with you?

[00:27] RACHEL: Well, I was born and raised here in Astoria, Oregon, and I grew up in church and in Christian school from kindergarten. So I went through school, through even Bible college, but I didn't finish Bible college. I ended up getting married, had a couple children, and they've been such a blessing, and they're now in college. And the Lord just opened doors for me to go back to school. So I actually tried a couple different schools. And two years ago, after just the schools not clicking for me and the teacher's not clicking for me, there was an online school that was a Bible school. And at New Year's 2022, actually, I felt like I got a very clear word that I was to do warrior notes.

[01:32] JAN: What was your motivation for wanting to do a Bible school?

[01:36] RACHEL: I didn't get a finish. I didn't finish Bible school, what, 28 years ago? And I was worked. I worked three jobs, and I still couldn't afford it. And then I ended up deciding, well, you know, my dream was really just to get married and have kids. And so I ended up going with that dream. But always in the back of my mind was like, I did want to finish. I didn't want to finish school. You know, it was just always kind of in the back background. I really focused on my kids when I had my kids, and I absolutely loved that part of my life. And it was just kind of, I think the emptiness, you know, I had to process all that, and then it was like, God, I need you. Like, I'm so sad my kids are gone. It was like the theme of my life. And so it really my focus really back onto the Lord to help, like, process that. And then, you know, some unfortunate things happen with my family, you know, with my immediate family is my marriage actually broke up, too. And that was actually really another hard thing to process. I was like, wow, my life did not end up the way that I thought it was going to end up. I grew up in Bible believing church, and, you know, God, where are you? Like, why is my life here now? 

AAnd I was kind of coping in unhealthy ways at the time, too. And that was another thing where I was like, okay, I don't. I don't think I should be doing these things going out on the weekends and dancing and that sort of thing. It was like, okay, you know, there's got to be a little bit more. Some more purpose here for me. But, yeah, that, that was probably, like, ten years ago. That's where it all kind of came to a head. But, yeah, I was married for, like, 16 years, and, yeah, so thankfully, my kids, they, they're both actually in the trades. They're both becoming electricians, and they're so responsible and independent. Ended up restarting Bible school, like, two years ago, and I really just, like, immersed myself into it from the get go, and I accelerated. It was so easy for me. Everything that happened with it was just easy. Like, I had the money, like, I could afford it, and I could keep working as well. It was just all fit. The other kind of neat thing was I've always wanted to be a part of kind of, like, pioneering or, like a startup. And this school now has 40,000 students all over the world, but I'm actually a part of the first pioneer class, so that was a whole nother layer of, like, oh, interesting, because in the back of my head, I always, like, had that desire inside of me. Like, it would be fun to be a, you know. So I'll just tell you something really neat that happened. 

About five months into doing this Bible school, which part of getting the credits for the school is Bible reading. I was actually doing audio Bible, and it was something I had been doing for years. The Lord showed me, like, faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God. And it was something that he was wanting to get into, you know, layers into me. About five months into doing this Bible school, I actually started hearing new songs. New. I had never heard these songs before, and it was like, new sounds, new songs, and they were like scripture songs. And I. I had an app on my phone that was called voice recorder. The first couple ones, like, would stick in my head, and I was like, I should, like, record this. 

And so it was just a thought. And I was like, I better grab that, you know, while it's kind of fresh. And so I voice recorded it. Well, what happened, too, is, like, I went and sat the piano. I need some basic chords on piano and guitar. And I would sit down, and I was actually able to find the keys, which I thought was another miracle. It's like, okay. And so then some of them were just sounds. And then when I had my Bible open at my piano, and it was like, psalm 91 was one of them. It just, like, fit right into this melody, and I was like, whoa. And so I ended up video recording it. I put it up on my YouTube. Yeah. And so it was just kind of like some steps of something that, like, my mom and other people, when I was real, real young, always told me, like, you have music in you. And I never really processed it, and I never really could. I never really expressed it except for, you know, with regular, you know, at church, I would sing. And I actually did sing competition, like, in high school and junior high and stuff, but nothing like I always thought, oh, it'd be so cool to be a songwriter, you know? And it's like, that's what's happening now. Yeah. And it was just. It was like the destiny or whatever was inside of me, that's. It got unlocked in a transformation. Bye. Like, you know, just the faithfulness of God and him saying, like, hey, romans twelve, transform your mind by the renewing of your mind. And. And that's what happened. It's just like, I saw it, like, happen right in. In my life, and I got the associates within, like, five or six months of starting. And then now I've already done, like, a master's degree, which, I mean, I'm just. I still haven't even hardly processed. I don't know. It's been incredible. And I'm doing an online Bible study for women on Facebook, and there's about 1500 women, and I get to share some of the music. But mostly I love coming into agreement with these women according to God's will and helping them stand on God's promises, you know, for their personal things going on in their life and just building them up. And.

[08:31] JAN: And when you see that, how does that. I feel like this is a counselor question, but how does that make you feel? Seriously, how do you feel when you see how God works through what you're doing?

[08:45] RACHEL: Yeah, I mean, it's. It's like, I try not to even really think about it too much because it's like. It's almost like the next thing's coming, you know? Like he's. It's like he's building, building and building, but, yeah, seeing the habitation of God, it's like he's moved in to my. To my home, you know, and to my life. Like, he's my secret place. I can see, like, how my life is right now. Like, I'm just constantly on his promises and experiencing it and then also sharing it with other people. And it's completely, like, different than maybe even, like, five years ago. And so it's almost like I just kind of got up and over, like a hump or something. But I just really decided, like, I'm gonna separate myself into your holiness. You are holy God. I started to understand what that meant more, and it was going to be, like, letting go of some things. Like, one of the things was I just felt like to not listen to a lot of other music for a while. And this was before I got activated and, like, hearing the new songs, but I didn't know why, but I didn't really super question it. I was like, okay. I just didn't turn the radio on because I just had a weird, like, I don't like how the sounds right now or something. It was something like that. So I would just turn the radio off. And I did a lot, like almost a couple years, like, of silence and some healing music that was more instrumental, like, things like that, like, happened, you know, but then it activated me. So to see that, like, I experienced.

[10:35] JAN: That, it's the same as seeing how God fingers us in steps, you know, and little pieces of things, and maybe what he's going to do with you, he's not going to do somebody else. You know, it's not the same for everybody, how he moves or changes, but. Yeah, but it's kind of in stages, isn't it?

[10:54] RACHEL: Yes, it has definitely been in stages. It's definitely been in stages, yes.

[10:59] JAN: What do you believe about God and who he is at the very basic one?

[11:05] RACHEL: Who God is? Yeah, well, I believe that God the father, like, and then there's Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all one. And I believe that he, before, even, like, there was a meeting before creation even, they came up with this plan, you know, like, before the foundation of the world, it said Jesus. And it's like, you know, a family. God wanted a family, you know, and he wanted to create. He wanted to create us. And it's like he kind of knew the end from the beginning because that's who God is. Like, he's like this master, like, strategist. And so, like, he wrote, you know, without you even knowing, he wrote a book about you and who you are and what you could be. And it's so beyond. And I just. I want to be a part of that. And, you know, I do know that the Holy Spirit is. Is here now in us. His power is here. And it's like the same power that rose used from the dead. And I want to yield to him because he really does know about this book. Like, he really does know the capacity that I could do, you know, in this. In this period of time that we're here on this earth right now and to affect others. And there's, you know, there's a huge, way more grander plan than, than it is right now, but it's going to unfold and there's going to be another layer of eternity is going to happen, and I want to be a part of the next layer, you know, and also just like, you know, whatever the Lord wants to do, you know, what he wants to do through my life. And I just, I want to be a part of his kingdom and his kingdom purposes, you know? So, yes, I am, I am an ambassador here. That's the one thing I had to settle. You know, we're all given a ministry of reconciliation and as an ambassador for the kingdom of God. So that's simply it. You know, I just, I want to have a relationship with the father God, and first and foremost, that's my ministry. He speaks to me through his word, through just, I'm, I'm constantly putting myself in the word, either audio or I have it in print. And sometimes it's just, you know, one verse and then he'll bring it up in a song so that I can kind of, I hum it, like during the day. And, and then sometimes I'll see, I'll see something like a sign in like threes where I'm like, I keep seeing that. I keep seeing that. What does that mean? And so then I'll look it up. Like, I'll google it just to dig a little bit. I have a lot of those scriptures in me, so I feel like the holy spirit has a lot to draw from, and he just brings it up. Like, I'll just think of, like a portion of something and then I'll go back in the word. Like, if I can't remember the whole verse, then I'll go back and look at that. But through that, and I have had a lot of people say things or, you know, say, well, I have a word or something like that. But sometimes I've had to learn, like, you know, if it's a confirmation, I've had to learn kind of the hard way. But because I used to go to people a lot for, like confirmation or words and things like that. But I've gotten more confident that I know the will of God now most because I've, I'm in his word and it's like his will is in his word, you know? So then the other layer is just speaking it out. And that's like, mixed with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit's in me, then it starts to confirm it, because I'm. I'm speaking it out, and sometimes I have to speak it out when I don't even completely see it for sure, you know, but I feel that that's. That's God even speaking through me to convince myself.

[15:56] JAN: What kind of challenges have you gone through in life where you, dad, show up?

[16:01] RACHEL: Oh, well, I would just say, you know, even with definitely, like, things that I've talked about with, which is, like, this gift of the singing and the music has really carried me through. I faced a lot of relational challenges, and those can get real hurtful, you know, to process, to learn how to process. And what the Lord has been so faithful is to kind of bring up a song in my spirit to focus on and hum on and then to, like, record. It's kind of like a dance in a way of not focusing on, you know, a hurtful word or a hurtful situation or a separation or a things not working out in the timing that I want with another person understanding me. And it kind of also has to do with financials, too, you know, just building my business and just, you know, provisions, things like that. But seeing God show up and just helping me focus on his word and his promises and just bringing that up, even in a fun song way, you know? And I've actually experienced a lot of emotional healing that is very, like, almost personality. I've seen my personality change where, like, I could walk in a room and feel kind of like a social anxiety. I used to have it really bad. Like, I couldn't see the whole room. I couldn't see the whole picture of what's going on. It was like my world was really, really small, and there was, like, fear and anxiety. And it was almost like I would get. My body would react and feel, like, almost like, shutting down or something. Like, just kind of embarrassed or something like that. But I just feel so much more free. Like, I don't have fear in social situations anymore at all. And I feel very open, and I have people actually come up to me, you know, more, and I just feel more free to see. See the whole room and, like, even just have a smile on my face, you know, and see maybe somebody might need to be encouraged or smiled at or, you know, I'm just able to kind of be kind of see a bigger. Bigger picture. And so that's totally God. You know, he's helped me work through just coming in to trust him. He gave me understanding of this one scripture in Isaiah about those who confide in him will be in peace. Those who trust in him. Well, when I looked up that word trust, it was like confide. And so I had realized I was hiding a lot of things and maybe like, patterns that I was doing or bad habits or, or something like that. And I needed to just confide in him. I just needed to tell him about it, you know? And so I started doing that. I just started telling him about, like, hey, I do this and it makes me feel like, I don't know, I don't want to keep doing this or something to do that, to say, can I do that?

[19:42] JAN: But secondly, the other, understand, he already knows that.

[19:45] RACHEL: Yeah, he already knows.

[19:48] JAN: Doing it through. So speaking it to him kind of helped you process where you're at and put you in a place to listen what he says about the promises, right?

[19:59] RACHEL: Yeah, yeah, it was just like, yeah, it was just like a process of just being like, okay, you know what, I'm coming, and you know, I'm going to share this with you. And of course I've hidden it from, I want it hidden from other people or. But then it was just like, then it was just, it wasn't even there anymore. It was like, you know, it's just like exposing the light. It's like bringing light into a dark place type thing, you know, it's like, hey, there's this room here inside of me, inside of my soul, you know, and I just started opening those doors up and then they were just, now I feel like more of a whole person. Cause I think I may have been kind of sectioned off. And I know there's a psychological books about things. I personally chose to learn about kind of more the spiritual ways of that. You know, things can happen and you could pick up like a spirit, if it was a good spirit or a bad spirit, but, you know, and they could kind of cling on to a hurt and just kind of react, or, I don't know if it's called like a trigger. I would have triggers and it would actually put hormones, like, it was secrete, like, different hormones in my body. And so I had to just realize that a lot of that was just a lie. It was just like, you know what? That's just like the enemy just trying to keep me in this small place, you know, and that's a really not happening. And so it was just a lot of reprogramming, really. It had to do with romans twelve one and two, which was, hey, you know, transform your mind, renew it by the word of God. As simple as that. Might sound or as hard as. Or as, like, something that you can't even comprehend. God does it. He does it for you because, like, his word is supernatural. And so I had to just keep trusting that these were seeds. The word. The word of God was seeds. I kept planting them, and I kept sowing into the spirit. I kept sowing. And it says, you know, God will not be mocked. Whatever you sow, you're gonna reap. Well, it's like the day came, and it's like I literally had a transformation. I just. I sat at the piano and I wrote this song that was all these scriptures, and it was saying, like, transformation. Like, you are transformed. And it was. That was the spirit of God telling me, hey, here you go. You know, like, we're on to. You know, you've renewed your mind. And of course, I keep renewing it. I'm staying in the word, but it's like there's a joy there. There's peace, and there's definitely. It's like my lifestyle, so. Yes. Yeah.

[23:00] JAN: Where could people get ahold of you? Where. How can I connect?

[23:07] RACHEL: Well, I am on Facebook. I know you can follow me on there, Rachel Steinman. But I'm also on YouTube with some of my music. And it's Rachel, little lamb of goddess and little lamb of God. I think it's all one word. And then I started making, like, little TikTok videos. And that is Rachel Jean, 50, on there. But on Facebook, I do have a warrior fellowship, women Bible study. And it's a private women's group. And I do a live broadcast every Wednesday at noon Pacific time.

[23:55] JAN: Anything else you want to just tell our listeners? Like, what would be your final word of encouragement?

[24:01] RACHEL: Yeah. Well, I'll just. I'll just say a blessing. I just want to say a blessing, which is shalom, which is nothing missing, nothing broken. And just let the peace of God rule your heart and that you would feel and manifest and know God is God. And if you need anything, just say, help, Jesus, Jesus. Help me. Help me, Jesus, and just receive him. You know, just receive Jesus. And if you do not know Jesus, I would love to introduce you. I would love to introduce you. So I hope that you would get ahold of me. Yeah. On Facebook messenger or something. I would love to pray with you or be there for you. Yeah.

[24:56] JAN: Rachel has been fun. Thank you for joining me.

[25:00] RACHEL: Well, thank you. It's my first podcast interview. Oh, yes.