Oh What a Year Its Been

Now Behold the Lamb!

Merry Christmas to all of my Blog Family!

This year has been something else for me. Many highs and lows. Some thrills that went to the very top of the mountain while the lows hit below the valley. There has been many days that I just wanted this year to end quickly. Then there were times when I wanted to slow it up and just enjoy the benefits that I had been blessed with.

What I can say is that God has always been on my side through it all. I have learned. I have learned from the lows and humbled by the highs. I found out that without the lows I would not have ever learned to appreciate the high points. I understand now that both are needed and must be accepted and balanced. I have joy now that I could never have understood in years before.

I have stepped into my new role in life and reveled in the glow of the Son of God who has made all of this possible for me. I have thanksgiving and joy in my trails and tribulations. I have peace and quiet humbleness in my large achievements. This year has allowed me to break away from my past and accept my present while I rejoice in the future to come.

I have seen my first grandson. Danced with my first granddaughter and released my only daughter to be the woman that God has called her to be. I have loved on my sons and felt gratitude for my son in law as he proves to be one of the greatest husbands and fathers of this time. I have fallen in love with my husband over and over each day and have been grateful to God for making me his helpmate.

I birthed a new life and got to see my first born fiction book published and growing well. I have dealt with growing older in a young business and still able to fit in and find my way. I can't wait to see the new me next year because this is just the tip of the iceberg and I know that this last half of my life will be better than any other part of my life that has gone before me.

This Christmas I get to rejoice with my husband, children, and grandchildren as we see another generation begin the rituals that we have patterned for our family. It shows that time is a continuing circle. That loves never dies and keeps going around and around. Closed but never ending. I Radical RevLa thank all of you for being a part of my life for this long.

It has been a joy to me to come to this blog each and every month and pour my soul out to all of you. I thank those who come each month and who have left comments and encouragements. I thank those who purchased my book Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love. I thank all of you who have embraced me as SaBrowny Rae and who have asked when the next book will be born. (sidebar: spring of 2014).

I thank those who have been an on going part of our marriage and relationship ministry and have blessed us with your comments and fellowship. 2R1N Christ Marriage and Relationship Ministry has grown and we are now reaching over 85,000 people across the internet. So when I look at the lows they don't come close to comparing to the great highs. Therefore this Christmas I know that I am blessed and have the peace of Christ Jesus.

Merry CHRISTmas dear blogger family. May you and yours have a blessed holiday and a welcoming harmonious New Year.

And as always
Gotta love me… as I have to love you
and I do!
Radical RevLa
Jesus is the reason for the season!!!

Giving What You Don't Have

As a woman we must remember
to take care of ourselves first

I noticed that the older I get the more centered on my own life I become. Not for obvious reasons such as increasing in age. Friends and families dying. Retiring and empty nest syndrome. None of those things are the reason. What I discovered is that my source of pouring out my essence has come to an end. Why you ask? Simply because I have no more to give. Like the caption in the picture above I must refill. I have no more of myself to give.

As a woman we tend to pour ourselves out to everyone and everything. We keep giving and giving to we come to the place where we are drained and have nothing to give to ourselves. Many women find this out during their menopausal phase. They have given to their families, job, church, and any and everyone then suddenly realize that they are drained. Their body is going through a transition and they don't have anything within to pull from. Their tank is running on empty or close to it. Suddenly they are feeling depressed or overwhelmed or both.

What I found out about myself during this period was that I just didn't want to give anymore. I wanted to stop and fill up. I didn't have a clue how to do that. I am a giver by nature as I feel most women are. I didn't know where to look for my guidance to obtaining the essence I so needed in my life. Then I just prayed. Asking God to direct me in this phase and show me how to replenish my inner waters. I had to make changes. Certain things and people had to be removed from my life. I had to remain connected with my source which is Christ Jesus.

I had to just say "no" to things that I did all of the time. I had to place my primary focus on myself. This was hard at first and I had to constantly remind myself that I was my own best friend. I had been friends with everyone but myself. As I concentrated on what made me happy and peaceful I felt my waters begin to increase. I knew that the only way that I could truly give to others was to make sure that my living water tank was full to overflow. This way I would have enough to give and not neglect myself. Obedience to God's word and ways was better than any sacrifice that I could ever give.

Ladies God does not want us to give so much of ourselves until we cease to live. Our life is just as important as any person that we are giving our essences out to. Our love ones would not be happy if we cease to live because we have nothing left. Once I discovered this then I knew that I have to make changes from the way I was eating to the time spent in sitting at the feet of Christ. I can say no and not feel bad. I can tell someone when they are mistreating me or taking advantage. I have reduced my stress.

Can I say that all is well with the world? No not just yet but my tank tends to overflow more now and I can give without hurting me. I can feel when I've given too much and then I pull in and rest. I know that I'm not all the way I should be yet but I'm closer than I have ever been. I can say that I am getting to the point where I will be in constant overflow.

This is a great feeling because you are in balance. You are doing a natural flow of life. You are giving and receiving in the proper way. You begin to live for yourself. You seek God's direction for your life and then follow it. You add to the world instead of decreasing to a point that being yourself does not matter. I've always said that if you are not living for yourself then who is living for you? No one!!! God didn't create each one of us and allow us to be a unique individual so that our unique selves are not included in the world. 

We are given gifts that no one else have and we have to decide to grow and live in our own unique way. Don't give out yourself until there is nothing left. We are all needed to make the body of Christ work. Yes we must give but also must receive. We receive our needs from the Lord and it is by His love, strength and direction will our inner waters will always increase and be full. When those waters are so full that they overflow then give all you want. It will not hurt you because your inner waters are full to the brim in Him.

Ladies love yourselves and seek the counsel of the Lord daily. Fill your cistern and that vessel will remain full. Keep it full then allow it to overflow. That overflow is for those who God has led you to give it to. Everyone that asks does not need your living water. Make your life count and be your own mentor, coach, and best friend. 

As Radical RevLa always states you got to love me and I got to love myself as well.  

The Test

Trusting that I will pass the test before me

A brand new chapter has begun in my life and I am so excited and so shocked. The excitement everyone can understand but the shock came from left field. Many people that I thought would be with me marching to the new drummer's beat I found have stayed behind for reasons that I'm just not sure of. If I had to place a bet and trust me I'm not a betting woman, that these people would not be behind me, or beside me and supporting me then I would have lost all of my money. 

To tell the absolute truth I'm shocked and dismayed. I cannot believe that some of my closes and most cherished people have dropped off from my new life and have not embraced me the way that I thought. I would never do that to them. Even if I felt some slight negativity I would be supportive because I know that my Lord is no respecter of person and if He provided for them, He will provide for me. We all have been blessed with talent. We each have our own creativity that is just ours. Mine may not be like yours and yours may not be like mine but we can appreciate what each other has. 

After loosing my baby sister last year I realized that things just had to change. I could not expect something different if all I did was the same old thing in the same old way. I know you can't believe that Radical RevLa could do such a thing. Nevertheless I was right there doing the same old things expecting a different out come. Then just like being hit by lightening God parted his wisdom knowledge into my head and heart. I had to change. Not only did I have to change myself from the inside out but I had to change everything that was about me as well. This led to some very painful times.

I lost friends who had been in my life for so many years only to find out that they were holding me back from a new life. I now see that family members who I knew would always be there for me now have given me a cold shoulder or have just ignored my new joy and my project of love. Yes, it hurts deeply but I'm trying not to be so self-centered. I don't want to make it all about me, however it still cuts deep and I wonder why.

My thoughts are first centered on my own attitude. Have I done something that is offensive? Did I show love or support when those around me that I love had their own moments of joy? Did I show jealousy of any kind and if I did,... did I repent? I would hate to think that I did any of that when my relatives were blessed with their joy. 

Then as I sat and pondered or prayed on these matters I realized that all will not have a heart of joy for my efforts. They will not be happy for me nor supportive. I cannot dwell on them and their attitudes. I must still love them and show support but I cannot allow myself to be dragged down into the crab barrel. I must fight to get out even if its meant that I loose a limb or two. So I walk this new chapter of my life clinging to the hand of my Almighty Father God. I know I'm not all right nor am I all wrong. I'm just a person trying to step into my new place in line and attempting to hold up my end.

I have the right to be happy right now. I have the right to enjoy this phase of my life. I have the right to look at my hard work and take a breath. I have the right to give God the Glory for what He has done so far and look forward to where I'm heading. I know it won't be easy and I also know that there are more hurdles to jump. I'm willing and I won't stop doing what I'm doing. I have a job to do and I'm not ready to stop now. I can only pray for those that I love. I pray that they will get on board and ride this train with me. However if they don't then get out of my way because I'm moving forward. I'm stepping into my next place in line and when this place is over then I will step into the next one.

Now for those who don't know my new place again I share it with you. I have just released my first new fiction novel and it has been a work of love and joy as God has given it to me. I would love for all of you to see the new Radical RevLa...I introduced to you the new me last month but I will bring her to you each month until you get to know her. I introduce you to the now fiction author SaBrowny Rae and her book Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love. You can find out more about her and read parts of these great stories on our new website at  www.sabrownyraebooks.com

Also enjoy the above new commercial that lets you see the hard work. We so want you to be a part of this new chapter of my new life and pray that you get this book all the buzz has stated that its good and worth investing in. As for those love ones who can not be happy or enjoy the new me...just give it time I'm the same as I was before only now I'm just in a new place in line. Just look I'm there for you loving you as I have always done only now I would like for you to love me as I love you. Trust me you will enjoy the new me better then the old one.

But what can I say...gotta to love me...ha,ha,ha...
no really you do.

SaBrowny Rae ...Dare 2 Dream

Dare 2 Dream

I'm here to tell you that at any age your dreams can come true. At the glorious vintage age of 60 I have become a whole new creature. While I am always Radical RevLa and will always do what God has called me to do I now have a new calling from the Most High. From as far back as I can remember I have had the pull to write...thus all of the blogs. However I have always loved fiction. My great grandmother SaBrowny Rae (who I was originally named after and later the name was changed by my father) loved to tell tale tales.

It was one of the highlights of my summer as a child. We would sit on the back porch at night and she would tell us a story that would keep us excited and wanting more. Just like her I have inherited her gift for the tall tale and now God has allowed this to happen. As of May 13 my very first fiction novel has hit the market. It is a collection of two very fast pace and exciting tales that will leave you wanting more. This is the first in a series of tales to come. I am writing under my pen name SaBrowny Rae and my brand is Backdoor Tales.

What God is trying to show to all of us is that its never too late to grow and move forward. Age should never be a reason not to go after your goals and reach back into your dreams. So far with less than one month out Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love as been read by many and we have been getting great feedback. Below is a review done by an author herself who read the novel and wrote this on amazon.com

Customer Review

Storytelling at its best, May 31, 2013 By  Vivienne Diane Neal This review is from: Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent September Love (Paperback) Her first novel, SaBrowny Rae has written a spellbinding collection of two narratives: Tears of the Serpent, where Satan desperately wants to experience love, and God grants him his wish, and September Love, a historical romance saga, about forbidden love. The author weaves into her stories faith, power, betrayal, lust, manipulation, retribution, greed, murder, resentment, romance and willpower. The characters are multifaceted, which the reader can adore, detest or pity. From start to finish, the tales are gripping with lots of twists, turns, and surprises that will leave you wanting more from this extraordinary author. Thank you for a stimulating book.

 Being Radical RevLa I am humbled by this and so honored that God has allowed me to begin again.
I pray that this has encouraged you all to look into your heart and just go for it. No matter how young you are or how old you are its never too late.

Please support the now starving artist and obtain this work. Its now on sale at the following:
Amazon.com  Barnes&Noble.com Xlibris.com and go to my website and read a section. The book comes as an ebook, paperback, or hardback
I'm sure you will love it and if you do please contact us and let us know...we have been told that the book is great for book clubs and small groups we would love to offer any group a direct discount rate once you contact me at our website. I will make sure all of the books are autographed....my new website is:

www.sabrownyraebooks.com

Enjoy and remember you got to love me but most of all its never to late to:
Dare 2 Dream

SaBrowny Rae
Aka
Radical RevLa

 Storytelling at its best, May 31, 2013

By 

Vivienne Diane Neal

This review is from: Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent September Love (Paperback)

Her first novel, SaBrowny Rae has written a spellbinding collection of two narratives: Tears of the Serpent, where Satan desperately wants to experience love, and God grants him his wish, and September Love, a historical romance saga, about forbidden love. The author weaves into her stories faith, power, betrayal, lust, manipulation, retribution, greed, murder, resentment, romance and willpower. The characters are multifaceted, which the reader can adore, detest or pity. From start to finish, the tales are gripping with lots of twists, turns, and surprises that will leave you wanting more from this extraordinary author. Thank you for a stimulating book.

We Welcome you to Radical RevLa Author SaBrowny Rae

My New Life is about to begin as a publisher
Introducing my first Author:
SaBrowny Rae

Life has a funny way of reinventing itself. Only I could find myself in a brand new life....(well I know others do this but I wouldn't be Radical RevLa if I didn't focus just on me...lol). I thought once I retired that life would just go easy. Becoming a housewife at last. Doing my ministry. Playing the fun role of Grammie. Working a couple days a month. You know bottom line just easing into the good and peaceful life. Now that I've said all of that I will tell you how this vintage lady's life is settling in place.

I'm running an officiant and event wedding service, a marriage and relationship ministry, active blogger, speaker on tour for the marriage and relationship ministry and now a brand new fiction publisher. So in my new role as a publisher I introduce to you the author SaBrowny Rae. A gifted author who has her brand new book of fast paced, intriguing, and interesting stories. These two stories are full of twists and turns that hold you to the very end. Attempting to guess just what or who did what. She uses religion, romance, power, the supernatural and murder to keep your mind moving and your heart soaring. Then before you know it you are at the end and wanting more.

Once you reach that stage she pulls you in again with another story that takes you right back up. I offer you to come and enjoy the work of this master story teller. This is just the first in a series of books to come. She asks you to meet her at the Backdoor for her exciting tales. 

Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent September Love

TEARS OF THE SERPENT

After seven thousand years, Satan, king of the demons, travels back to the outskirts of heaven to seek the Son of God. He has a request to ask of God. He wants to experience love once more before he is thrown into the lake of fire. The king of all evil humbles himself with tears and begs to be allowed to live in a human for seventy years where he would receive love and form once more.

God allows him to have his request, and thus, the evil demon is to be reborn for seventy years on earth. Four babies are born on the same night at the same time in four different hospitals. One of the babies born is the king of the demons.

Live through the twist, turns, and adventures of the seventy years in the lives of these children, and see which one is the enemy of God and man. The story will keep you guessing as each child lives a life of adventure, love, power, intrigue, and murder.

SEPTEMBER LOVE

An American slave falls in love with her owner’s nephew. Their love transcends many hardships and barriers as they attempt to be together for life. Enjoy a love story that should never be, and witness the sociopathic son of the slave owner attempt to keep them apart. You will not want to put this story down as you long for the couple to become one together in love and freedom. 

Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent September Love

A core-shaking reading experience!

ISBN 13 (TP): 978-1-4836-1832-6

ISBN 13 (HB): 978-1-4836-1833-3

ISBN 13 (eBook): 978-1-4836-1834-0

Call 888-795-4274 ext. 7879,
order online at www.xlibris.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com 

We would love for you to support this book and those to come with this new author. Let us know what you think of the book by leaving a comment. You will love this one I certainly did and I can't wait for the next one. I would also like to introduce you to the new me.
Radical RevLa the Publisher
What can I say....gotta love me...no really you do!!!

Radical RevLa: Will The Real Superstar Stand Up

I am here to save your day!


In today's world we have place certain people in a position where they are looked upon as if they are more than just human. We have considered certain chosen professions worthy of more money than others. We have place those who have done well in these professions rewards that causes the rest of us to feel lower and some how insecure. Right now if you can throw, catch, hit, shoot, strike, or club a ball you are a superstar.

If you can pretend to be a person, place or thing and film it then you are a superstar. If you can wear over price clothing and achieve the wonderful size 0 as you parade up and down the long catwalk then you are a superstar. Not only that if you can act like a dysfunctional bad girl or boy, a housewife that is not married or take of their household, or someone who happens to be blessed with a wonderful singing voice, or gift of music then you are a superstar.

You can become a superstar by rapping words with music in the background. You can become a superstar by being on camera for the world to see you get picked to marry someone that you don't know. You can even become a superstar by taking off your clothing and allowing all sorts of things to be done while the camera roles.

Anyone reading this would say "oh RevLa you are just hating" and I would have to answer in the following ways...yes and no.
While I'm not jealous or in envious  about what these people have accomplished or view them without talent I just feel that they don't deserve all the hoopla that they get. Why should they be so compensated for throwing a ball, starring in a pretend world, wearing over price clothing or acting dysfunctional on TV?

We have become so satiated with this pretend world that we look down on the average person that is working hard to make it in today's troubled world. We want to admire and worship the mega-preachers and just want to touch them in hopes that some of their magic would come on us. We sit in front of the little box or computer and just long to be these people. We even have the younger children acting as if they can do and say anything to an adult and it is suppose to be fine because they are getting paid from TV land. 

I want everyone to know and understand their own worth. As children of God we are all equal. There are no big "I's" or little "U's" in His kingdom. We have to make a decision that we are happy with who we are. We must look at the good within ourselves and become our own role models for ourselves and our children. We must be the best that we can be and we must seek God for creative ways to make it in this poor world economy. It took me a long time to be happy in the skin that I'm in. 

At this great time in my life and this season of Christ there is no one I would rather be. I welcome waking up each morning knowing that I am in my right mind. That I am able to breathe a breath of fresh air. That I can walk on my own and can eat as I please and that I can get on my knees and give thanks to the Almighty for another day. A day that I have never seen before. A day that I can become more of myself then ever before. Now that I am at a great vintage age I have discovered that I can still live my dreams and don't have to fall in line with what the world has to say. 

I don't have to go along with what the world considers is important or those people who they think is a superstar. There is only one person that I consider a superstar and that is my Lord Jesus and He gave it all for me to be who I am. So with that said start developing who is important in your life. Don't get caught up with who the world thinks is important. Don't look at this made up life and think that they are better than you are. Teach your children who are the main role models in their lives. Be that person for them. Teach them about the Lord and allow them to develop their own relationship with Him.

Then when the world calls for the superstars to please stand up.... make sure that you stand first and stand strong.
As always gotta love me....yes really you do!!!

An Suddenly

An Suddenly There Was Light

This year has a strange aura about it....wait just hear me out! There is something stirring in the spiritual air. Its both negative as we have seen from the many strange acts that has been reported daily in the news, and positive. This blog is not going to report on the negative because we have enough people doing that. Radical RevLa has chosen that during this year of difference to focus on the positive of what's going on in the spirit of this year. I have decided that this year is "The Year of Christ". Does this mean that I think that He is coming back this year? Maybe but that's not for me to say. What I do think is that many of us are about to embrace change and this change will reveal truth in our life.

The thing about this change is that it has been moving forward in our life for a while now. We may not have notice it but this year we won't have a choice. It will arrive and when it does it will come upon us in a very sudden movement. One day we will be our same old way and then we will look up and everything that we knew will be changed. If we are in touch with ourselves then we would have been expecting this change at some point and time in our lives.

For some it will show up during the early years and you will think "my am I lucky". Then for others it will come during the late years of your life and you will think "my am I blessed." Either way it will come and life as you have come to know it will forever change in a single moment. So what have you been praying for? What have you been dreaming of? What is your heart's desire? These are the things that your "an suddenly" will focus on during this magical year. 

I have been chasing a dream for as long as I can remember. While many times during the course of my life I have place this desire to the back burner or just forgot about it altogether each time God has placed it back on my heart. Many times I have made an attempt but just was not sure of myself. I thought that this dream was just that a simple dream. Then as I became this wonderful vintage age that I am God spoke to me and said now is the time. 

I was not sure because everything that I thought should be in place was not there. You see I had a plan. I would work for the next two years full time and part-time. I would save all of this money and then retire from the full and walk into my new destiny. The joke was on me....when God tells you to do something then He will make things hard until you wake up and listen. He will keep pushing you towards the promise until you have to make a choice either to do it or to be in disobedience and suffer the "What if's" for the rest of your life. When He has birthed something in your heart then He will make it happen so you know it was He that did it. Not you or your efforts. 

Being the radical person that I am I just stopped and said ok I'm diving off the side of the boat and I'm walking on water. I would love to say all things fell in place just like that. I would so love to say that nothing bad happened. I would love to say that all my dreams came true just like that. I would love to take it one step further and say that hey guess what I became an instant millionaire and I didn't have any problems what so ever. Wrong, wrong and wrong again.

None of the above happened. Things went from bad to worse. I lost a lot of things including the life of my precious sister. My pockets were empty for the first time in a very long time. My age caught up with me and what was very easy was now difficult. For the first time in many years I could not see the direction I was heading and I could not do this on my own. In other words I had no choice but to do the will of God. I had no choice but to depend on Him. I had no choice but to wake up each morning knowing that He would provide all my needs and some of my wants for that day. Just like the manna that fell from heaven each day to feed the Israelites they had to believe that the food would be there to keep them alive.

This I must confess was and is new to me. I may be the bible toting spokesperson of the Lord but I have never felt so humbled in my life. I have never knowingly knew that I had no other choice but to put all I had on Him and then forget about my own efforts. Everything even my health had to be placed in His mighty hands. And then it began to happen. Things slowly changed. My dreams came back to the surface and I knew that this was the season to do them and not look back. This was the season to walk only as the Lord has guided me to do and not be afraid. 

This was the season to see the victory and then the "an suddenly" was birthed in my spirit and I knew that soon it would come and my life will change. Not only that He renewed everything. He gave me back my youth...not on the outside but on the inside. I don't even know who I am anymore because for the first time I can remember I am my own person in Christ Jesus. I know who I am and who I'm going to be and I don't care what anyone else has to say about me. I am free for the first time ever and I'm loving it.

So good folks this is what I'm saying. This season of freedom has arrived. All you have to do is really turn it over to the Lord and let Him do it and take you where you need to go. Yes you will still make mistakes but don't despair just get back up and begin again. For as long as you hold on to that promised baby of your dreams it will be born. When its time to labor then do just that. When its time to push then do just that. When its time that you feel that the pain is too much then remember how that promise baby will be.

That's when your "an suddenly" will come and you will never be the same again. Now get this once this first Promise baby is born then there are many brothers and sisters waiting to be born. In other words as long as you are growing and producing then you are living and life will just get better. Keep your eyes on the Christ during this great season of God. Then in the end He will get all of the glory and you will have a testimony that proves that you passed the test.

Embrace the new change in this very strange season and just live your life to the abundance in the Lord. Focus on the positives and learn from the negatives and keep it moving with a smile. Live your life on purpose. Then just love....no matter how hard it gets just love.

See you can start with me...as I always say....gotta to love me
No really you do!!!
Smooches.....Radical RevLa

Watch Me!!!

Never give up on your dreams

2013 is an awesome new season in Christ. During this new year many are going to see dreams come true...their work yielding its harvest...and the love of their lives. I say this because I have felt this being birthed in my spirit last year. I don't know about you but my 2012 year was rough. Hard in many ways. In my personal life, my working life, my ministry life, and even in my family life. Things were changing quicker than I could keep up with and I was not sure if I could keep up. Most of the time it didn't matter if I kept up or not because I had no control over what was taking place.

This for me was extremely difficult. Being the radical woman that I am this had me rocking and reeling in and out of my emotions as my center of purpose kept shifting and changing. Yet the only stabilizing  force was my grounding in God. You see He has long given me a blueprint of what I need to do and how I was to do it. However I thought it would have been done in a different way. I thought that I should have arrived by now. I thought that by this vintage age I would not have to go through any changes. Just sit back and enjoy the fruits of all of my labors.

Nothing of the sorts happened. In fact at the vintage age of 60 years God just came into my life and turned over the tables. Everything that I thought I had I no longer had and He let me know that a new order was coming...but only if I agreed. You see our Lord is never going to force us to do or accept what we say "no" to. He blessed us with freewill and would not take our freedom of will to be over turned. So I had a choice in how my last year was going to go. Somethings I had no control over such as my youngest sister's death but still as far as my own life went I could have said "NO!!!"

Nevertheless you know your girl...you know Radical RevLa was not going to take the easy way out. I boldly said "ABSOLUTELY YES!!!" Then I stepped back and let it all happened. I went from steady to unsteady to not sure and now....whatever Lord. He took fake friends out of my life and made then an X-factor...he took my sister home to be with Him and no more suffering....He allowed me to retire from my day job and to invest in my future career ...he gave my husband a whole new job that allowed us both to travel...He showed me ways to improve my physical health and loose weight, grain more brain health, save money, organize my home, bond with my children and grandchildren, to be carefree, and to just say "No" and not feel that I owed anyone anything.

He had shown me that as I walk with Him during this new season there will be some wonderful things happening and that my dreams will come true. However I will have to put in lots of hard work and never to look at the negatives that will come. When they did arrive and trust me that always comes to look at the negative forces and seek the truth or the blessing in the struggle. I'm so excited about this new look on life.

I had been struggling with the thoughts that at this age how could those old dreams come true? I always want to know exactly whats going on and how it will develop. Lord Jesus does not want this during this new season. He wants us or in this case me to just trust and walk in faith. So now I will be a brand new Radical RevLa. I will still be my same old radical self but now it will have a whole new look. I don't know how I'm going to end up but I do know that whatever it is it will be great.

This year Radical RevLa is in the shaping of her own destiny mode. I seen something on Facebook and it really sunk into my system....I reposted it there and now I'm going to re- quote it here...

There are so many people out there who will tell you that  you can't...what you've got to do is turn around and say:"WATCH ME!!!"

During this new season in Christ as this new year of 2013 continues...never give up your dreams. Don't allow anyone to tell you that you are too old, too young, not the right gender, race, economic level, or right church. Do You and do it with God and then just turn around to all of the negative people and say:

WATCH ME
...JUST WATCH WHAT ME AND GOD ARE ABOUT TO DO!!!
CHECK OUT THESE DREAMS!!!

Love you guys...and remember you got to love me...no really you got to love me and I gotta love you
2013 YEAR OF CHRIST
 

Meet RevLa's Big Sister

Its hard being the Big Sister of RevLa

I can't say for sure but I do believe its hard being the oldest sibling in the family. Since I'm second oldest I know how to be a big sister but I still have a sister ahead of me and when I want to I can just defer to her. So what better way to begin 2013 and to continue to honor the black woman then to honor my big sister. Looking back over our childhood I can see just how I could have been a pain to her. I can even see how she had to justify this weird little sister who was always strange and didn't fit in. Now we know it was the anointing of God on my head for the work that I've been called to do, but then it was just downright weird.

Nevertheless my big sister put up with me and loved and protected me even to this day (cause lets face it I'm still marching to the beat of a different drum...ha,ha,ha). So I would love to introduce to you the honored black woman to open out our new year my sister LaVerne Gooding-Jones. Why should she be honored you wondered? Did she invent the cure for cancer? Or did she solve the recession? Was she voted as the first female president? Really what makes this woman so special that she should be honored in my blog?

Let me answer that with just one statement....she's my big sister and she loves me!!! Simple but true. I could go on about all of her many accomplishments. I could tell you what a faith warrior she is and how active she is in her church. I could tell you how people love everything about her. I could tell you how she takes care of our 102 year Grandmother. How she is such a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and a advocate for her extended family. I could tell you about her acting abilities, her lovely singing voice, her poetry, and how she makes the worlds best potato salad. I could go on and on about how smart she is and never had to study a day in her life and still made all "A"s.

However if I did that I would be bragging so I'm just going to say this. I honor her because she is my big sister and even when she is mad at me and want to choke the life out of me and bring me back with CPR she has always loved me and would fight any demon in hell who attempted to bother me. Just that simple. So on this first month in 2013 I crown my big sister with the honor of being one of the most outstanding Black American Women that I have been blessed to know.

Sis I know its hard to be the big sister of Radical RevLa yet you never gave up on me no matter what I attempted to do and in your own way supported my every effort. So I will end this tribute with something that you use to do for me every night I asked you to when I was a child. You would sing my song....I now sing it to you

(In my best Elvis Presley voice)
Wise men say only fools rush in but I can't help falling in love with you!!!
You are so beautiful to me dear sister!!!
And even though you gotta love me...you did it because you wanted to not because God told you that you had to.

I LOVE YOU
 DEAR WOMAN OF GOD
 AND
 MY BIG SISTER!!!
 

102 Years of Wisdom

My Wise Grandmother and myself at her
100th year old birthday party

I had another great black woman that I wanted to talk about this month but then it darned on me that she could start out next years tribute. You see I've been given the revelation that black women should be honored continually and not just featured for only one year. Therefore expect to see us honoring wonderful black ladies both well known and many that no one have ever heard of. So to end this first year of honor I would like to feature my great and wise grandmother Ms. Alma Matthews.
Why feature her you must be thinking to yourself? What has she done? Great questions and I would like to start right there. First of all this year 2012 my dear grandmother celebrated her 102nd birthday. She is still very healthy and does most things on her own. She has always taken good care of her spiritual, mental/emotional, and physical health. She taught senior citizen exercise for many years. She cooked her own food and would not eat out very often. She drank water and while she did have her coffee but not more than a cup or two. She made sure that she laughed often and had her pleasures that brought her joy. For her it is working large picture  puzzles. 
She would not allow herself to be caught up in gossip, a lot of "he say she say" foolishness. She raised her children well as a single mother and her grandchildren as well. She cooked, cleaned and taught them how to be good citizens and work hard for what they wanted and needed. Last but not least she is and has always been a child of God. She has held a weekly bible study for over 62 years. She was active in her church and still continues to be even at this age. She taught all of us how to have a personal relationship with Christ long before we got caught up in any church. She often told us that if we know the Lord for ourselves then no one can put anything over on us. We can walk into any church and learn and fellowship and be able to know what is true and what is not.

We would learn how to discern the Holy Spirit for ourselves and know not to play with God. We learned how to respect God and others. My grandmother has not only talked the talked but for 102 years she had walked the walk thus becoming an example of what we need to learn as we travel here on earth. She has done her job given to her by God and still continues to do what's needed. As a black woman she has always carried herself with grace. She made  sure that she looked nice and would not allow anyone to speak in a negative way about her or her family. She taught us that it was up to us as black ladies to never allow a man to disrespect us or call us out of our name. That men were like buses there was always another that would come and until God brought you to your true mate then you never allowed yourself to get caught up in a situation that was not positive or edifying.

We love her dearly and so honored that God place us in her family. We have all attempted to live our lives in a way that will make sure that we lived to her outstanding standards. She was third generation from the freed slaves. Her great grandparents were the last of the slaves and became indentured servants. She is wise beyond her 102 years and has imprinted on every one of her family. Being that she is now the matriarch of a family of over 100 with more on the way.

So it is just befitting to give praise and honor to the most outstanding black woman that I know
Thanks Grannie as I call her and you have got to know that she has to be a great lady to deal with me
Dear sweet Radical RevLa
OK the sweet part was a bit of a stretch....ha,ha,ha
Gotta to love me....really you do!!!

I honor you Grandma with Black Woman of the Year 2012
Ms. Alma Matthews

Grannie gave a speech at her 100th birthday party she opened with "I've lived so long that now my grandchildren are senior citizens"....and you wondered where I got it from???

 

What Is A Friend?

Is Someone who loves you for who
you are and go to battle for you
no matter who the enemy is.

At this great vintage age I should not have to wonder the meaning of friendship. Yet I find myself pondering the true meaning of friends. I always thought that if you are a good friend then you should have many good friends. I always felt that if you treat a person the way you want to be treated that they would treat you in that same way. Now I see that my way of thinking must have come from me being dropped from some alien planet or something because in today's world many don't know the true meaning of friendship.

What I love about life is that as long as you live it fully then you will learn something new each and everyday. So with this said after over 19 years with one friend and over 31 years with another I have lost my two closes friends. These two friends I expected to be a part of my life for a lifetime. Now we all understand about friendships for reasons, seasons, and lifetime. As I traveled down the road of life I met and became close to many friends that were in my life for a reason.

That reason could be to help me or for me to help them either way that person was there for a short period of time and then they were gone. With those type of friendships it was great while it lasted but when it was gone it was out of sight out of mind with fond or sometimes not so fond memories. At this great age of 60 I can look and see these various people and smile or frown. I can hear a song that we loved to sing or dance to. I can remember a funny joke that we laughed to. Or I can see a wrong that was done on both party's part. Yet that friendship was needed at the time to enjoy, learn from, or teach.

Then you have friendships that last for a season. Some seasons were longer than the others. You bonded and knew that this was it  you would be friends for life. No distance, no person or no situation could change that bonded friend. You shared many good times, supported each other through many bad, cried on each other's shoulders and laughed at each other's jokes. You spent many days, months, and sometimes years being buddies. Then one day that season was over and it took you by surprise. You had no idea that it was time for it to be over but it just ran its course. It didn't have to end on a bad note nevertheless it did however have to end. Those friendships that end after a long season leave you empty and wondering just what purpose did it serve. Then you get to look at all that you did together and you know that it was sent to develop both of you during that season in your lives.

The season friendship takes awhile in most cases to get over yet one day you realize that its done and cannot be cooked anymore for fear of burning. Something deep just lets you know that its time to move on and so you move and after many months and in most cases many years you move on. You notice that you are standing at the crossroads in life and you must go one way while your season friend has to go another. In many cases this friendship tends to end in a bad way and so you walk away with a bitter taste in your friendship mouth.

Then there is the ultimate friendship and that's the friend for life. This is the one that is always there with you, for you and about you no matter what. You don't have to see each other, or talk to each other but whenever you come together even when its on Facebook everything just begins again as if you never lost a beat. This is the stage of friendship that everyone wants. This is the stage that you ask to be blessed with. You feel after 19 or 31 years that this person is now placed in a lifetime category. You feel that this person is your lifetime buddy. You share all that life has to offer with each other from God to children and then you grow old and share laughs.

In a lifetime friendship you come together on many levels and each level no matter what you have each other's back. You stand and fight for your friend and you correct your friend in love when you see that he/she is going in a negative direction. There is no jealousy, envy, gossiping or wanting the other person to fail. You stand up for your friend and you pray for and with your friend. You never place them in a negative situation and if you did you correct the mistake. A lifetime friend will always stand by you, or cry with you. That friend will be there when nobody else is. That friend will love your good and tolerate your bad yet still be the strong foundation in your life. You may fight and make up but you never stop loving each other.

So here is where my dilemma lines the gray areas of the friend for a season and the friend for a lifetime. You would think a 19-31 year friendship would equate to a lifetime friendship? Well at least I thought so. But that is not always the case. I would have never thought that I would come this far in life and not have my buddies still in my corner. Wanting the best for me as I want for them and cheering me on with the battles of life. Being there with me as I deal with life's difficulties and laughing with me just because. I know that this is what I wanted for them. I know that I have always attempted to be there when they needed me and when they didn't.

I felt that they could count on me and that I would be there to do whatever they asked of me no matter what the sacrifice. Now I see its not to be and while it hurts and sucks I have to put on my big girl baggy pants and deal with it. I have to know that while this is not what I may have wanted that this is what has been put on my table and as I pray for them and wish them well that I must walk on down the road alone. Now don't get me wrong there is always my husband who is my very best friend. Our children who are now adults and are my friends but in a different way. But I'm talking about that girl buddy. That side kick. The one you can tell everything to and it goes no further. That lifetime person who choose to be in your life.

So as I sit here and ponder the friendships of life I am brought to mind that there is only one true friend and He is with you for eternity if you choose Him. Our Lord Jesus has proven that He is that friend who you can put your trust in. He gave up His Life for ours that is a friend beyond a friend. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. Again that is more than a lifetime friend. So while I may be crying over what my take of friendship is I know that I have a true friend in my life. I know that friend loves me for me. I know that friend will never leave me and I know that friend will be waiting for me when this life is over.

So as I look at what is a true friend then all I can do is look to Lord Jesus and that says it all. To my friends who have come and gone may God continue to bless you. May you remember the good and not the bad. May you know deep in your hearts that I still love you and pray over your life each day. That while we were deep in the depths of our friendship that there was no other person that would have your back the way I would.

To the new friends that will come into my life  for whatever reason, season, or the rest of my life....
Welcome!!!

To my Lord Jesus
Oh What a Friend We Have In You!!!     

My Feet Didn't Hurt I Just Had Enough...Rosa Parks Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

Ms. McCall-Haygan holds hands with Ms. Rosa Louise Parks during the celebration at Howard University of the 40th anniversary of Ms. Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat to a white male passenger on December 1, 1955, which sparked a civil rights movement that changed the course of American history

Many have asked me how I became the way I am? I often wondered just what they were talking about? Then it dawned on me "Radical RevLa" is slightly different! Really I had no idea....no really I didn't have a clue. You see everyone in my family has been taught to achieve greatness. No matter what that greatness is. It didn't mean you had to be a superstar but what you did have to do is give back to others.

As we look at this wonderful year of the American black woman two very important women come to my mind. One everyone knows. The late and great Ms. Rosa Parks our mother of the civil rights movement. (I will talk about her later). The other great lady is my very own mother Ms. Ella McCall-Haygan. She is the lady in the above picture holding hands with Ms. Parks and singing.

My dear Sweet Mom has dedicated her life to helping  those who cannot help themselves. Her story is amazing and as her daughter many times as I read  her different interviews I have to wonder just who this woman is. She is my mom the mother of eight wonderful children. She is CEO of her own non-profit organization for children known as "From streets to skills" where she teaches, mentors, encourages, and provide means for children that are homeless to learn job skills. She went from a high school drop out to receiving her master's degree from Catholic university. She worked in the world's worst areas in our beloved inner city of Washington DC. She received the name "The hood social worker".

Many of the children in her program have gone on to college or started their own businesses. She is on call to the so call "low lifes" of our society 24 hours a day. She was blessed with a focused mind and a loving heart. She was Rosa Parks go to person whenever she was in our hometown and now she works with Ms. Parks foundation and is currently writing their story as they worked together . So this year I honor her as one of my outstanding Black American Woman.

Now my next wonderful black lady is Ms. Rosa Parks. There is nothing that I can say they we don't already know except the fact that what has been said about that day on the bus has been told wrong. According to what Ms. Parks said to my mother was that she was sitting in the seat that she was suppose to be sitting at. Not in the front of the bus as we have been led to believe but in the area assigned to us to sit. She was thinking about a rally that she was putting together for that Saturday for the children. The children that she would take to the library and would not be allowed to come in.

This was on her mind. This was what made her upset with everything. This is what gave her this righteous anger. So when she was told to get up and give the white man her seat she was not having it. She was not going to give her assigned seat to someone that could stand. Her feet did not hurt but she was tired. She was tired of being treated this way. She was tired that the children could not go to a library where they could learn. She was tired of America treating her people this way.

She was not a great civil rights leader. She was not head of the NAACP. She was just a woman who loved children and wanted them to learn and become better citizens. So this day she just did not get up. She was a normal woman doing what normal women do she was taking care of the children. She told my mother that it only takes one person to do just one thing that will help many. By not giving up that bus seat you and I that are of African-American roots can live in peace. We can vote, go to college and have our own businesses.

So today I look at two woman from two different periods of time. Joined together with the same basic interest. That being helping children who can't help themselves and spreading the love of God to all in their efforts to give back. I am so proud of the black ladies in my life. I am so proud to be able to honor them this year. And I might just continue to honor them from this day forward. I will never stop being amazed at what people can do when they are focused and determined.

Ms. Parks by not giving up that seat started a national movement and basically created the role of Dr. Martin Luther King. My Mom Ella McCall-Hagan has place her stamp on many young children who would have ended up in gangs or in jail. She has taught them skills so that they would be able to function in today's society. Who knows who she has help developed into the next superstar.

So for those who wonder who Radical RevLa is I just say look at the stock I have come from. Look at those who shaped me and look at those who have shaped the ones who placed their stamp on me. I don't know where I'm going but I know that God has a great deal of work left for me to do. I'm ready to do my assignment and the good part is I get to do it my way. It may not be like everyone else but for me it's my own stamp on the world.

My prayer is that we continue to look at the average black woman and give her praise. She has done a lot in this world and I want her to be taken off the bottom and placed at the top of the human chain where she belongs. Its been proven that she is the mother of the human race. Like it or not it has been proven.

I suggest that we go back and read about the other parts of Ms. Rosa Parks life. And I ask that you go to
http://www.destiny-child.org
they have honored my Mother
Ms. Ella McCall-Haygan as their July's community activist of the month. You would be so informed about life in Washington DC and her life with Rosa Parks.

So since I might have my very own mother reading this I will end in a nice way.
To black women everywhere hold your heads up high and go for it. Live your life the way God has shown you. Never let anyone make you feel that you don't count. It only takes one person doing one thing to start a movement that will benefit a million.

See I did it I ended in a good way. But will it last you ask?
Nah... I don't think so....who am I kidding of course I will be my same old radical way.
So what can I say....Gotta love me
no really you do have to love me!!!

       

Embrace The Change

Change is coming might as well enjoy it!!!

I have been waking up for the pass three months and notice that something is about to happen. I'm not sure what it is but I can say this everything that I have grown accustom to is about to change. I thought that maybe it was because I'm getting more vintage ( nice way of saying old...ha,ha,ha). Or maybe my focus is in another direction. Still again my life as I had known it to be would change and I have one of two choices: embrace the change....or hide my head in the sand and cry over what can not be prevented.

For over four decades I have been working outside of my home. I have worn so many hats that my head just learned how to adjust at once to whatever hat I needed on. A wife, mother, preacher, nurse, author, candle stick maker...(ok no candlestick maker but it felt like it at times). I knew that one day there would come a time that I would have to come home. That thought was great but I also knew myself so certain things were put into place to hold me while I adjusted to working at home. As you see I never intended to stop working just working in a different way.

When I thought about this day I would just laugh and think "its really a long time away". But let me explain to you about reality...no matter how we fantasise one day reality just opens the door and walks in. He doesn't care if he has an invitation or not. He's coming and you will have to deal with it one way or another. So each morning now reality and I have a fight. Most mornings it will proceed as follows:

Me: Oh dear God ...reality not you again

Reality: the top of the morning to you....face it I'm here to stay

Me: reality I'm cool with change but not yet. I have somethings I need to do and I'm not ready to change just yet. Give me....maybe a year or two...then I will be ready

Reality: Sorry no can do....changing things as we speak...you better hop on board or get left in the dust

Me: reality this sucks...big time...I'm going to have to think about it.

Reality: whatever ....changing things as we speak. Oh yea did I tell you that things as you have always known it to be will start making you very uncomfortable...thought I would give you a heads up.

Me: thanks reality...you have been so reallllllllll.

Reality: peace out ....see you soon one way or another. Oh yea we can do this the easy fun way or....we can do it the hard way....either way its going to happen.

And it did everyday change has taken place at a pace that has my heading spinning. Things I thought was written in stone no longer make sense or apply. Things that I thought I couldn't do without is ...how can I say it....OUT!!!

I was becoming slightly depressed. You see I am one of those people who like things to stay the same no matter what. I would never change my home unless pushed to. Then when I'm pushed I end up loving it. So I can feel God doing just that. Placing me in situations where I have no other choice but to change. As He is moving me in that direction I find that I'm loving the change. Now I'm getting to a point where I'm wanting the change. In fact I can say that I can't wait for the change...(ok that went too far but I'm getting there). From what I can see is that at the age of 59 going into 60 I will finally arrive at who I thought I was when I was in high school. Really I am coming back to the dreams that I had for me then. Being the person that I wanted to be then now.

So really RevLa what are you saying? Just this if you allow the changes to come with an anticipation of something wonderful is coming then you will never stop growing. Next never stop achieving the goals of your life. Reach back into your youth and go after those dreams that you put on a back burner while you were just trying to make it. Does that mean if you always wanted to be a basketball player that at age 60 you can attempt to try out for the NBA? No again face reality but can you help coach a youth basketball team so that those kids can reach that level in life and you had a direct hand in it.

I am so happy and at peace with my approaching birthday in the next two months. I will get to retire from my day job at the age of 59 and embrace my brand new life on my 60th birthday. I'm not sure all that God has in store for me right now but I do now it will be great, exciting, difficult and fun. I'm ready mentally as I can be but I will have to get my body ready....ha,ha,ha (as I said it will be difficult).

So plan on hearing more from me as I make my transition. Look for all the new tasks I have on my plate. Be ready to read my first great American novel....( have to think big!)
And most of all welcome the new and improve Radical RevLa
What can I say:
Gotta to Love Me....no really you do...God said so!!!

Radical RevLa: I Get It!

Sometimes to make it work you have to do it yourself


Anyone that knows me would say that I'm not a big Oprah Winfrey fan.  I do admire her and her accomplishments. I do feel that as we celebrate the year of the black woman that she is a great example of that woman who has dared to defy the odds. I'm just not a talk show type of person and so therefore I was not a big fan. So when she decided to end her long running very successful talk show to pursue her own network this I found fascinating.

Being the radical woman that I am I have always been my own person and marched to the beat of a different drummer. This was the part of Ms. Winfrey that I did admire. She has been a trail blazer. Many females no matter what race or color they are could look to Ms. Winfrey and design their life as she did to achieve their desired goals. As a minister I know that it takes the Love and Faith in God to get to where we need to be in life. We also need to see others achieve it as well knowing that if God could do this for them He would do it for us as well.

So really RevLa why are you writing about somebody who always have something written about her? You stated that you were not a big fan. Great questions that I will answer. You see Ms. Winfrey has been successful in everything that she set her mind to do. She had been so successful that it looked very easy. While I do understand that it took hard work to us it just looked like she had the goose who laid all of the golden eggs. Now she is tackling yet another big project.

Everybody knew that this next project would fall in line just like all of the rest. Just think about it. While I'm not sure that she is the first but I do know that she is one of the few black women that owns her own TV network, this is major. She has now really stepped into the ring with the big boys. She is the powerhouse behind an entire network. Once she launched this project she made sure that she had all of the pieces in place. She made sure that her true friends had been blessed with their shows. She lined up the movies etc. Now I will not be able to say that I have watched her network but some of my children have and liked it.

However the news that's out about the early days of the network showed that it was not the instant success that we all thought it would be. For the first time Ms. Winfrey appeared to be struggling. Her friends didn't appear to be behind her. Her goose was now just laying regular eggs. People were buzzing that her network was a flop. But still I haven't stated why I'm writing about her. This is it in a nutshell. What I've seen is that while it may appear that something that should be so easy is struggling. That your friends should be able to help you take your dream to another level. When people are talking about you in the negative or secretly laughing at you. Then you just go back to doing what you do best.

Ms. Winfrey put on her high heels and started working her network doing what earned her the queen of daytime. She just started doing it herself. She threw herself into it and started getting her interviews and just did the work herself. Where her network is in the stats I do not know but I do know that the network now has a fighting chance. Where do I fit in all of this? I was called by God to start the Christian Social network "FEELING GOD". After the success of 2r1n Christ Marriage and Relationship Ministry in two short years was thriving I thought that the social network would be a no brainer.

However this proved to be the hardest thing that I've ever done. We have struggled so hard to keep this network going. While some of my friends and family have made every excuse under the sun why they cannot support this effort it has continued to grow very slowly. I thought this ministry was going to take off and have a life of its own. I thought that by now we would have over a 1000 members. I thought that the pages of the network would be visited by tens of thousands of people and to my dismay none of these stats have been achieved. So in my despair I was asking God if this was worth the effort? Should I count my losses and just let it go? Did it help anyone?

He brought me to the "OWN" network and let me see how she was doing it herself if need be. He showed me that once given an assignment that we have to do it no manner how hard it turns out to be. That even if we are the only one contributing to it, or the only one reading it that it must be done. He assigned the project to me to do for a reason. By seeing this great black woman take her time, ignore what was said and to turn her network around inspired me to "JUST DO IT".
SO DEAR MS. WINFREY I GET IT!


So I thank you Ms. Winfrey for your example and I will pray for the success of your network. I pray that you will have stats that out shine any other network around. We also honor you as the wonderful black woman that has helped us become the women that we are today.
As for me I see that the key to doing anything is to remember to seek Christ for our directions and to do the work ourselves as we guide others to come and become a part of it.

I'm finding that I am enjoying honoring the black woman this year. While I thought it would just be a simple direct mission it has proven a lot more complex and wonderful.

Radical RevLa: The Year of the Black Woman

God give me the strength to do the things that I must and to ignore those
who are trying to knock me down

You would think with this month being black history month that I wouldn't get flack when I announced on our Christian Social Network  "Feeling God" (ok we pause for a commercial break...visit http://www.feelinggod.ning.com/) that this year I had decided to honor the black woman. I heard all kinds of compliants. From "its ok to do it for a month but really a whole year" to "does the black woman really deserve to be honored in that way? What about all women? Let's not make this a racial thing!".

I was shocked to get this reaction and somewhat hurt. In all of my 59 years on this earth I really don't remember black women being honored in this way ever. Not to say it has not been done I'm just unaware. Not only that anyone that knows me both physically or virtually knows that I never look at race. Why is it when a black person expresses anything positive about their race or culture its considered a race issue. This does not happen with any other race but the black race. Then to top it off to place focus on the black woman. This is just wrong.

I was even told that the black woman is too mean to be honored. Reallyyyyyyyyyyy!!! Did the person speaking forget that they were addressing a black lady? I almost fit the sterotype when my first thought was to just slap him upside his head, but thought better of it. So what I decided to do was to honor her anyway and ....nanie...nanie...boo...boo(oh so childish RevLa).
My thinking is this: if no one else will honor me as the black woman that I am then I will and all of my sisters. As for the other races of females I honor you for being a woman as I am and sure that you as a whole have been honored more than we have so be supportive of us this year and go along. Maybe next year we will do you.

To all of the negative people this is your time to just KEEP YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT WHO I DECIDE TO HONOR TO YOURSELF! You may talk to the hand or any other body part that will listen to you because my ears will not. I love who I am. I love being the strong black woman of God that I have been created to be and sorry its time for me to say it and encourage others that may look like me to do the same. "Well RevLa you don't have to brag!" And why not? Many other races, cultures, males do the samething why can I? And frankly I don't care if you think I'm bragging or not...that is an issue that I consider is your personal problem and you should deal with that. Don't bring it to me.

"See I told you the black woman is mean and angry" Wrong, wrong, and not fair!!! Let us have the same oportunities as our counterparts both male and female. Then we have our 15min. of fame and glory then we can be placed back in the lineup. So with all of this posting said I will be writing and blogging this entire year off and on about our wonderful soul sisters. I will feature them on our social network more but here I will be doing a sound blast about whomever I feel or to just vent. When I do don't take it in the negative. Allow us to love ourselves for once. Sisters of other races we are still sisters and you know the black woman always loves. So we will never slight you but this time show your support of us.

Men of all races and those of our own please give us a chance. We have earned it and are loyal and have your back even when you are wrong. We ask that for one year that you say nice things about us. Tell a black woman just how great she is. Remember all of the races came out of the black woman.....(its been proven..something to think about).

As always I leave you with a thought to get you to my next month's post....(after this one you may not want to come back...ha,ha,ha)
If I was to make a statement that would say who the black woman was in just one sentence I would have to say the following:
She is the mother of all of mankind, she loves hard and long, she carries her heavy load with her head held high, she has a deep spirituality and believes the Word of God as law, she takes care of her man, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, church members, co-workers, and the needy, she quietly absorbs insults to her appearance, character, intellect, ablilites, and anything that other woman are praised for, she is made fun of, called out of her name and laughed at yet you never see her sweat, she prays hard and long for everyone, and many times she does not take the time to love or take care of herself, she crys long and hard alone out of sight so no one will call her weak, she is a loyal friend and strong adversary, and for the most part she is a true child of God.
This is my opinion in one sentence as to whom the black woman is.

Really it is one sentence....I didn't say it was not going to be a run-on sentence...ha,ha,ha
Gotta love me...I am the typical Afro-American Black Christian Preacher Woman
(I know bad RevLa...bad...bad...bad)
Until next time kiss the next black woman you see and tell her she is loved.

Radical RevLa: The Softer Side Of Man

When a man hurts its felt by all

I noticed something about myself...I tend to feel that man or shall I say men in general don't hurt. While I know this is not true we all do but sometimes to me I get the impression that they are so strong that nothing can hurt them. Maybe its just because a man approaches life in the offensive mode. He just looks at life and the people in his life in a way that will keep them always on the defense. This way he never has to defend himself.


If that is his life's strategy then really its a good one because as a woman I have been defending myself on everything. And honestly its usually a man that has place me in that general direction. The other thing about men they stick together. They never let you see them sweat or allow their buddies to be caught in a way that was not "Manly". While us women will allow each other to sink and then attempt to drown you as you are trying to swim to shore a man won't do that even to his enemy. Once he and his enemy have had words then they are off to bigger and better things.


So when you see a man let go of his control and appear lost and alone it really hurts. It somehow makes the world seem unbalance. I've been seeing it lately with our present economy. Many men who took pride in working hard and caring for their families are now in a state where they have lost their jobs. No matter how hard they try they can't get one or make ends meet. This takes a toll on a man's self esteem. Many of them are now changing roles. They find themselves as the housekeepers, babysitters, stay at home dads. Or they are the ones making the morning coffee and waving good bye at the door as their wives drive off to work.


This is a sad state of affairs. In no way do I want the man to loose his true identity. I've seen men walking around with their heads down and just trying anything to provide. Providing and protecting is a God given instinct for the male as is nurturing and providing care and attention is to a woman. While it makes you blink twice to see men on TV talking about the plight of the Average Man in this present economy it makes my heart hurt to see them break down and cry. Who knew that they could feel and hurt so deeply?


Recently for the first time in over 35 years my husband was laid off for a short period of time. I watched him walking around slightly unsure of himself. He was devastated and really couldn't get a grip of his role. He being a proud and very strong man never depended on anyone to provide for his family. He being a true man of God knew that it was He who would get him through to the next level. But for the first time I saw him hurt. I saw his steady world shaken up. Suddenly his world was not moving in the way he thought it would. He questioned his placement in the family and he was just not sure of what he should do. 


He faced a double whammy. While being very fit and strong able to do the work of men so much younger than he now his age was working against him. He was a man that was always the leader and in charge while at work. Now he was looking for entry level and was so over qualified. He could have retired and enjoyed himself this he never looked at because this was a man who loved to work and take care of his home. He questioned how I looked at him. Face it he is married to me!!! Being who I am could not help his feeling of lost and confusion.


Being the strong woman that I am I was ready to just say enjoy it and rest awhile. You see my husband would never take a vacation unless I forced him. He never missed a day no matter how sick he was. He worked for the same company for 25 years and then moved to another company and was there for 10. This man worked extra and would work side work. He was and is active in our church and ministry and in a gospel singing group. He flat out said that he was not ready to come home and sit. 


While I admired him for being who he is I just about lost it. It took all that I had to keep my big mouth shut. In my spirit all I could yell was "REALLY GOD HE 'S THE ONE WHO WANTS TO WORK....I'M THE ONE WHO WANTS TO COME HOME....AND NOW I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO WORKKKKKKKKKKKK ....THIS IS NOT FAIRRRRRRRR!!!" I know bad RevLa...very very bad Revla. But guys I didn't say any of this. Nor did I baby him. I hurt so bad looking in his eyes and seeing his world changing and he had no control of it. I told him that it didn't matter. That I loved him with all of my heart and I would do whatever it took to keep things going and whatever he needed me to do I would do....(I know good RevLa for a change....lol).


I gave him a honey-do list that would make your head spin. Finally I could get some of the renovations that I needed done on our home. I also told him that if he needed to just do nothing that was alright with me as well. I keep a straight face when I got up at 5am to get ready for work as he slept. I was grateful for the coffee that he had set to perk when I was ready to walk out the door. I refused to cry and feel sorry for myself because I had to work and still do all the other things including update my blogs. I would not give into the need in me to just go into a depression because I felt everything was so unfair.


I enjoyed coming home and dinner was ready. It felt funny having him talking about what he had done and read or saw on TV. I wanted to just yell and say "be quiet I need a moment" but could see how lonely he was not being use to being at home. I saw a softer side of him that I would have never seen if it was not for this present situation. So I could no longer see him like this. I did the only thing that I knew would work. I decided to "make war on the floor". I got on my knees and asked God to give him his hearts desire. I wanted him to be happy in whatever life had to offer him. So I just thank God for the victory and just kept saying "thank you Lord for my husband's new job".


Then one day I came home and saw him also on his knees. I saw a peace come over him and for the first time since the lay-off I saw him take a deep breath and let it go. He was okay. He had accepted what life had thrown at him and because I took on the role of his wife and supported him (and trust  me for a woman such as I this was difficult) I stayed in my place as ordered by God he was able to deal with what he had been dealt.  He changed before my very eyes and accepted changed. He returned back to the man that he had always been.


Then just like that he was back to work. Happy as ever and now knowing that his true wealth was in his Christ Jesus. If this was to ever happen again he knows that it has nothing to do with who he is. That he is always the King in this castle! 
This incident also changed me because I am seeing men in a different light. It was good for me to see that they do feel and when they do they feel deeply. I was able to hold my tongue and to not wallow in my own self pity. For once I didn't fight against my placement as a helpmate to my husband. For once I was able to go to God with confidence knowing that He would provide my husband what he needed and wanted. While I'm not glad that he had to deal with this but I'm glad that he came through strong and will never look at what the world gives him as his marker for who he is.


Ladies I leave you with this:
While men are arrogant and sometimes hit below the belt this world is really putting them in a place that they have never dealt with before. Its hard out here for us but for some reason I feel we were built to endure the hard things in life. Meaning the hard things that hurt your heart and rip at your soul and then be able to place it in a compartment and keep moving in a forward direction. Men may get on your last nerve but when they are lost and that soft side is expose its sad and it hurts. Trust me I was ready to rip the world a new one when I saw my man suffering. But I also know that he needed this experience so that he could build up his faith and know without a shadow of doubt who was the source of his wealth. We must pray for our men and for our world. We must stand strong for them and fight in the best way we know how and that is to make that "war on the floor" and then pull satan's kingdom down. 


I won't end this post bad. I will just say that as the world changes and things look grim remember that our God can do all things but fail!


Okay that was far too nice....Lord I just have to get this off my chest
Really God....I am the one who wants to come home....can we make this happen?...
Now did you really think I would leave in such a nice way?
Gotta love me
RevLa