Why I'm Here, and Why I Hope You'll Stay
An introduction to Aligned Faith
Hi, friend. I’m Rachel.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you love God and sometimes feel like something is off. Maybe your quiet time is inconsistent. Maybe your faith feels strong on Sunday and shaky by Tuesday. Maybe you’ve been carrying a quiet hunger for a deeper walk with God for years, and you’re tired of feeling like you’re behind.
I want you to know that you are not behind. And you are not alone.
A little about me
I’ve been walking with God for thirty years, and I’ll be honest with you: those thirty years have not been easy.
I walked through a challenging marriage that ended in divorce, followed by a custody battle that stretched on for a decade while I raised four children. Life felt like a constant emergency. There was always something demanding my attention, pulling at my heart, threatening my peace. Some days I was so exhausted that even opening my Bible felt like too much.
Then in 2024, the unimaginable happened. My youngest son Josiah, eighteen years old and a senior in high school, died in a motorcycle accident.
There are no words for this kind of grief. And I won’t pretend I handle it with perfect faith. I was angry at God. I had questions He hasn’t answered. There were weeks when I couldn’t open my Bible at all.
But here is what I discovered in the darkest valley of my life: you don’t need perfect faith to have a present God. Even when all I could offer Him was tears and questions, He met me there. Every single time.
Through all of it, one thing held my life together. Not willpower. Not positivity. Time with God. Imperfect, inconsistent, sometimes five minutes in a parked car, but real. I learned that my time with Him was never a luxury. It was my lifeline.
That’s what Aligned Faith is built on.
What Aligned Faith is
Aligned Faith exists to help women learn how to deepen their faith and grow closer to God by showing up consistently and renewing their mind.
Not through hustle. Not through guilt. Not through trying harder to be a “good Christian.” Through the simple, daily, grace-filled practices of showing up exactly as they are, and letting His Word do what only His Word can do.
Scripture puts it this way: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” (Romans 12:2 ESV). That verse changed my life, and everything I write here flows from it.
What you can expect from me
When you subscribe, here’s what will land in your inbox:
Honest encouragement for your walk with God, written for real life with real schedules and real struggles. Practical help for building spiritual consistency, because I believe the woman who spends time with God, imperfectly, every day will be transformed more deeply than the one waiting for the perfect season to begin. Stories from my own journey, the beautiful parts and the broken parts, because I’m not writing to you as someone who has it all figured out. I’m writing as your sister who has walked through the fire and found God faithful in it.
What you will never get from me: pressure, hype, guilt, or a version of faith that only works when life is going well.
An invitation
If any of this resonates, I’d love for you to subscribe so we can walk together. And I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply or leave a comment and tell me: where are you in your walk with God right now? What’s the one thing you wish felt different?
I read every response, and I’ll be praying for the women who share.
You were not meant to do this alone.
With love and faith, Rachel
Rachel Aponte is a Christian faith coach and author who helps women overcome fear, renew their minds through biblical truth, and live boldly aligned with God’s purpose. She lives in the hills of North Alabama.