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!!!
 

My Little Big Sister

The lessons learned from a little sister


This year as I continue to recognize the accomplishments of the Black Woman it darned on me that there is a black lady in my life that I must say a word or two about. This wonderful, gifted, talent, and beautiful lady of color is my baby sister Peaches. Being the middle daughter in the group of three girls for the most part I have always talked about my oldest sister. While I take nothing from her because she too is a powerful black lady I just discovered the unique qualities of my baby sister.

We are nine years apart and I have always looked at her as the baby girl. Thus I had to be the leader and the example. But as I now look at my remarkable sister I have learned several lessons from her and have seen qualities in her that make me question myself. You see I'm the Mighty Radical RevLa. Defender of the rights of the female minister. (Ok I'm not all that but you get my drift. How could I learn from my baby sister?)

But God is so good and there is always a lesson to be learned. Being the spiritual leader I thought I had it all together. All the answers. You know I talked the talk and even did the walk (not perfect but pretty good if I say so myself.) As I gave myself a spiritual hug and a pat on the back God just sat me down and opened my eyes. He said "daughter you have a lot to learn and you can begin by observing a true faith warrior." (no really God did say that to me just like that!)

I looked up to see who He was going to show me. I thought surely its going to be Lord Jesus. Then I thought can't be Him I'm not that great that He would use the Son as an example for little old me. It must be someone like David, or Abraham, or Elijah, or maybe Ruth. But to my dismay non of these bible greats came and stood before me. I was bewildered and left at a lost. I sat waiting to see whom He decided to send my way so I could learn how to really walk this faith walk.

Then it happened. This beautiful Black Angel of a woman came into my view. She looked different yet very familar. It was my sister Kimberly aka Peaches. I looked at God and said "Ok Lord you have jokes this is my baby sister"! He then told me to hush and just watch (really He said it just that way). I saw my sister as I've never seen her before. In order for you to understand what a faith "Shero" that she really is let me just tell you a small part of her life.

My baby sister has been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer with bone and lung involment. She has been told that her life as she has always known it would end soon. She was informed to go home and get her things inorder. That was 10 years ago and her condition has never been in a period of remisson. She refused to hear what the doctors were telling her and would not acknowledge what she saw or felt. She based her life on the Word of God and has never looked back.

When I call to cheer her up she ends up making me smile. She never complains or say's woe is me. She has and is taking care of her children, grandchildren and her home. She is so positive in the word that no matter what they put her through she comes out a winner. We both have predicted that God is going to show the world that He is still in the healing business without a shadow of doubt that He was the one who did it. Even the non-believers will have to state that it was God!

The Mighty Radical RevLa wept and realized that she was not mighty at all. I fell to my knees and prayed for my sister and asked for forgiveness for myself for being so prideful. My baby sister has stated to me that God has not given her a sense of fear, but power, love and a sound mind. This coming from the mouth of the baby! I was and am overwelmed with love and admiration for her. Could I have carried this cross that she faces? I'm ashamed and sad to say I could not!!! I am not all that!

But this truly amazing black woman of faith does it day in and day out and she does not say a negative word. She has never said why me. I yield to her and thank God that she is my sister. I look up to my little/big sister so that she can teach and guide me in the real ways of faith. And I honor her for being the great woman of faith that she is. Being black is not what gives her the faith walk that she has but being black allows me to include her in this year's celebration of the awesomeness of the the black woman of today.

I'm proud of you sis and I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks....ok enough of the chuckles!

Thank you Peaches! I always wondered why Mom gave you that name and not me? Now I see why. You are sweet with a softness but tough exterior and everybody that's arounds you just simply falls in love. Shine on my little sister and keep teaching the world that 
GOD IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE!!!
I LOVE YOU BLACK WOMAN OF CHRIST
TRULY A MODERN DAY FAITH WARRIOR

Thank You for allowing me to share a remarkable Black Lady of Faith with you!

The not so mighty Radical RevLa
But you got to love me....no really you do!

* Just a note on 9/22/12 my sweet little sister went home to heaven to be with our Lord*