Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:21-24


Welcome to the Restored Home Blog

MY STORY, Advent Rachel Setliffe MY STORY, Advent Rachel Setliffe

Memorial Stones

Sunday, December 1st, will mark the 8th anniversary of my marriage shattering. I have a tradition of setting my alarm for December 1st with the label: YOU SURVIVED. And it’s true. We have.

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DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe

Dear Church, Your Prayers Are A Gift

If you’re feeling at a loss to know what to pray for the woman walking through an unwanted divorce, could I point you towards Psalm 138:8? This verse is a treasure and praying it over a woman walking through marital breakdown will be a hope-filled and powerful gift.

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HE IS Rachel Setliffe HE IS Rachel Setliffe

HE IS The One Who Has The Final Say

My pain will not have the final say. My grief can only ever go so far. My life on earth may be filled to the brim with sorrow, but one day it will reach a limit where it can tread no further. There are gates to a holy city, where my Jesus prepares a place for me. In his presence, there will be no more tears and no more pain. My grief will reach a boundary it may not cross.

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DEAR CHURCH, DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe DEAR CHURCH, DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe

Oh Weary Soul of Mine…

My soul, bless the Lord...
Oh weary soul of mine, choose today to bless the Lord. Choose to lift your cast-down gaze, your fatigue, your heaviness, and your grief to the Lord who is so near. Your heart will lighten as you praise. It makes no sense, but a sacred exchange happens in the heavenly places when you praise from the bottom of the pit. 

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DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe

Dear Wife, I’m Praying For You

I pray you will know that Jesus is your greatest Treasure. I pray that you will lay down your hurt, your anger, your grief and your questions and know that Jesus is enough. I pray you will lay down all your heart is running after to fill the broken places and know that Jesus is enough. I pray that you will look at your life, not through the lens of what you’ve lost, but what you’ve gained.

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HE IS Rachel Setliffe HE IS Rachel Setliffe

HE IS…Our Treasure

Christ Jesus is the greatest Treasure in all the universe. He is the image and radiance of God the Father (Col 1:15, Heb 1:3). In him, all the fullness of God resides (Col 2:9). He is the Firstborn over all creation and Creator of all things (Col 1:15-16). He is King of kings, Lord of lords (Rev 19:16), Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev 21:13). He is exalted above all (Phil 2:9). 

And believer, He is our’s, forevermore.

So if this is true, if this Treasure is truly mine—a free gift given to me by a Father who loves me eternally—why do I often feel so empty, so lacking? 

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DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe

Dear Anxious Wife

Rest came easy for me. I lived in a safe house. My finances were reliable. Plans were in place for retirement and my future. Sleep came easy because the patterns and rhythms of my life were normal and stable.

But with the breaking of my marriage came the loss of easy rest.

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HE IS Rachel Setliffe HE IS Rachel Setliffe

HE IS…Our True Rest

When I spend Saturday all alone and the halls of my home feel hauntingly quiet, you are my True Rest. 

When fears won’t ease and provision for our future feels thin as glass, you are my True Rest. 

When it feels like the darkness and grief will never lift, you are my True Rest. 

Oh, dear Shepherd of my soul, you are my True Rest. In you alone do I find peace. 

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DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe

Dear Church…Choose To Embrace

When I learned of my husband’s infidelity, it felt like I was on the side of the road, my heart bleeding out, noise, chaos, trauma confusion, pain—so much pain. A small number of people jumped out of their cars, ran towards me (literally—dropped work, got on airplanes, raced to get to me). They were the ones who worked to calm the chaos, triage the immediate pain, hold me while I sobbed and surveyed the loss.

But most were onlookers...

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DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe DEAR WIFE Rachel Setliffe

Dear Wife Who’s Been Cast Aside,

Do you carry a story of rejection? Maybe it feels like there is a banner over your head declaring that you are UNWANTED, UNLOVED, REJECTED? Rejection carries tones of shame that cannot be covered over easily. It infects us, down to the very core.

Did you know you’re not alone?

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HE IS Rachel Setliffe HE IS Rachel Setliffe

HE IS…Our Home

Five weeks after my husband’s unfaithfulness was exposed, I lost everything. First came my shattering, then came the great unraveling. Everything started to fall apart before my eyes...

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LET'S TALK ABOUT, DEAR WIFE, DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe LET'S TALK ABOUT, DEAR WIFE, DEAR CHURCH Rachel Setliffe

Ask Anything: Silent Friends

Some friends have gone silent and seem to be avoiding me & it hurts. Did this happen to you?

Oh, this is a hard one. Yes this happened to me, and yes it hurt. My heart is with you.

Here’s the thing—I truly believe that your friends are not trying to avoid or ignore you. My guess is they don’t know what to say or do—to the point that it’s paralyzed them and now they feel it’s too late, so they step back to avoid making things worse. 


How do I know? Well, this has been me before, and probably you too?

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