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!!!

Radical Love: Repeat After Me A Woman Can Not Be A Preacher!!!

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers"

As we continue with the next part of our series Radical Love and the five problem words this post
will focus on the next problem word
Preachers
I ask that you read the first post in this series so you can understand where we are coming from with
this series. Our focus is on radical ladies who are called as leaders to spread
the Word of God as a minister.
In the last blog we focused on our gender. While we are still talking about our gender
we are now looking at the office itself.

Those of us who have been called into the ministry know that its one of the hardest decisions that we
ever had to make. I for one didn't want to do it and attempted to run from my calling.
I didn't want the attention that being a preacher would bring into my life.
Yes I had a very strong belief and faith in God.
I didn't have a problem doing church work. Teaching Sunday school. Writing and directing
church plays. I could jump into the women's ministry and do whatever I was called to do.
But when my Lord called me out of my safe place I must say I hesitated.
Not only did I hesitate. I ran as fast as I could to the hills.
I didn't even pass "Go...nor did I collect my $200 dollars"
I just ran!!!

What a waste of time that was. How can you run away from God?
He didn't beat me into it however His call never stopped.
I knew that I would have to get real with who I proclaim to be.
The problem was that I didn't want to deal with all the negativity.
I kept saying "God if your intentions for my life was to be your spokesperson then why did you
make me a woman???"
His answer was just plain and simple.
"I NEED YOU TO GIVE MY WORD TO MY PEOPLE IN THE WAY THAT ONLY YOU
CAN DO. THERE IS ONLY ONE YOU!!! THE CHOICE IS YOURS."

So I said yes and as soon as I went to my senior pastor I got my first taste of what was to
come.
There was another person and myself that went to our pastor on the same day. We sat
outside of his office waiting our turn to speak to him.
While sitting there we started talking and became very excited because he was telling
me that he had been called to preach. I said me too. He gave me a funny look
but didn't say anything else.
I was on cloud nine. You see I finally excepted the call on my life.
He went in first.
While he was in the pastor's office the first lady (his wife) of the church came and sat down
beside me.

So we started talking. I didn't know at the time that she was sent out to talk to me about what
I was about to convey to her husband.
She asked me what I was going to see pastor about.
Being very naive and excited I started telling her that I had been called by God to be a minister.
She allowed me to talk and talk and talk.
Then she just took my hand and said
"Repeat after me....women should not be preachers and they can not be pastors"
Pulling my hand away I just looked at her. Her eyes had no life in them.
She had a pasted smile on her lips and for the first time she appeared ugly and false to me.
My heart broke and I said nothing. I just sat there waiting my turn.
She soon got the message and got up and went back into her husband's office.

The pastor and the man that was with me came out. He gave first lady a hug and the men
shook hands.
My pastor was saying to him that he would start his minister's class that following Thursday.
The man smiled and turned to leave. He would not look at me. My heart sunk and I knew now
why God had really called me.
I was determined right there and then I was not going to let anyone turn me around. God wanted me
and I said yes. This was no game or joke. I got ready for the fight to come.

That was over 14 years ago. It has been an up hill battle ever since.
God has given me strength and comfort.
I have never looked back over all I had to do to get here. I was made to do 10 times
more than the men and still catching it from men and women alike.
But I have a peace that I know its not my own.
I know that this was what I was created to do.
So who is to say who is and who is not a preacher?

Only God can call you!
And only you and He know that you were called.
He does not look at us in genders. He does not feel that one office is for men only or women only.
A preacher is a person that goes out and proclaims about the gospels of the Lord.
That He is, that He had been and that He is coming back!!!
IT'S THE LORD'S CHOICE AS TO WHOM HE WANTS TO REPRESENT HIM!
I didn't call myself. This is not a job that I would want. I don't like controversy.
However once I said yes and believed in my heart that this was what I was to do
then nobody was going to get in my way.
Not only that I would do it my way using every part of my being.

So I end with this.
If a preacher is one told by Christ to go proclaim or go and tell.
About Him and His coming
then really the very first preachers were two women by the name of Mary.
Don't throw the stones!!!
For those that believe in the bible then I suggest that you read the four gospels
Right now I'm only going to quote from the book of Matthew 28:1-10 is what you can
read however I will be referring to Matthew 28:10
"THEN JESUS SAID TO THEM, DO NOT BE AFRAID, GO AND TELL MY BROTHERS TO
GO TO GALILEE; THERE THEY WILL SEE ME"

Jesus Himself sent those ladies to proclaim to them that He was and is and where to
meet Him.
IS THIS NOT THE ROLE OF A PREACHER TO PROCLAIM THAT HE WAS AND IS
AND WHERE TO MEET HIM.
Lord Jesus gave the first preaching job to the women because they were there.
They wanted to take care of Him.
They saw Him and believed that he was raised from the dead.
They gladly ran and proclaimed Him to His disciples.
So if Lord Jesus gave the first preacher job to the women
who can say that we can not give the Word of God in the office that He gave us?

Who can be a preacher???
ASK JESUS!!!
I REST MY CASE!!!