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Radical RevLa Welcomes You

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

I'm Happy

In order to get to your goal sometimes
even your family has to be left behind

I'm brand new! Yes, after sixty-one years I'm like a brand new creature. It's exciting to be in this place during the vintage years. What's even better is that I'm at a place in life that I've been delivered from people. Many that know me would never believe that I have a thing about rejection. I had been rejected during the early years of my life to the point that for most of my early adult years I had problems getting close to people for fear of being rejected.

As I grew and had to deal with what life had to offer I found that the only person I could truly count on was and is God. As I drew closer to Him He made certain promises to me. They have all come true. I have been blessed and now I know that He is faithful to His word. My life has been difficult but for the most part it has been great. I got to become everything that I ever dreamed of being and now he has taken me to another new area.

I am no longer in my comfort zone. As I leave my area of comfort I'm finding that those who I thought would be there with me are not. A lot of my family and friends have been drifting off to the sidelines. Even my children have shown their rejection and stepped off. It hurt for a moment and now I understand. You can not put your all into people in order to seek your happiness. You must look to God for the goals that he has impregnated in your heart from childhood.

Once you know then you must seek direction from the Holy Spirit and just follow. Don't be afraid to be the new you. Change is needed in order to move forward. I was a person who didn't like change. I enjoyed doing the same thing over and over. In order for me to evolve then God had to put obstacles in my way so that I had no other choice but to change. Now it's not as hard as it was before. I still get in my own way. I still cry and plead and ask God if I can do it without the change but once I know then I accept it better.

With this brand new life I'm living change will be bigger than I could ever imagine. Many that had been a part of my life or even the focus of my life will be left behind or put on the back burner for now. They may include my closes relatives, friends and even my very own children. So that I can reach the future that God has for me then I need to let them go and allow myself to be happy. I have to feel that I deserve to be happy. What God has done at this time in my life is to put me at a place where I'm at peace. Is all right in my life?

No, there are many things that need to be attended to. But for the first time ever I know that He is able to lead me through to a better life. While there is still painful things I must deal with. I'm able to handle it better. I may cry and hurt inside but now I look at the negative to find the positive that hides within. I can smile and sing to myself. I can work through the situations and know that whatever the problem is that it will pass as long as I keep my eyes focused on Christ Jesus.

Today I can say that I am happy. I can say that I have joy. I can say that I have peace and I can say that I have focus and direction. I know now that those who won't go with me that my best bet is to keep them in prayer and handle everything with the power of love. I know I can love my way through anything. I know that the last half of my life will be better then the first half. That there is so much more that God has for me.

So I can sing that song "Happy" and really feel it. Can't nobody bring me down, because I'm happy!!! My goals are my destiny and my destiny resides with God the Father. I can love even while I'm feeling pain and for the first time I know that I must trust, have faith, and take one day at a time. One second, one moment, one hour, one day. Trust in God in all of your ways and only He can direct your paths. Don't put your hope and trust in people they will fail you.

God is our goal and it's His gifts that we need to develop and just live the great life that he has created for each one of us. I don't care about rejection any more. It will come and it will go. So someone rejects me. Now I know that it's their lost and not mine. I shall walk with the Lord and enjoy all of the joy that He wants me to have. I walk in love, joy and peace. Most of all I walk with self control.

So now that I've gotten all of this out of me I can move on and enjoy my brand new happy life. Gotta to love me and I gotta to love you.

Coming very soon the latest book from
Author SaBrowny Rae
for
Backdoor Tales
This spring get your copy of
Backdoor Tales: Lipstick and I Judas
On sale now:
Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love
www.sabrownyraebooks.com
www.amazon.com/author/sabrownyraebooks
  


Monday, March 10, 2014

Where are you blooming?

God plants us where He wants us to bloom

Its been so hard trying to bloom in my own rich soil. The soil that God blessed just for me. For many years I thought it best to get into someone else's dirt. The funny thing as I looked at everyone else's soil I decided my mine was not that great. I thought if I was planted in their soil then I could bloom like them. I fathomed that  myself by others standards.

I attempted to fit in with them and put myself in a place that I should not have been. The more I planted myself in someone else's soil the more my plant died. I was not living for myself and therefore the me that God created was not blooming. I new that I had to turn my life around. Once again I didn't have a clue as to how this should be done.

Then I turned it over to God and allowed Him to take over. The first thing that He did was to take me out of that soil and to put me in the soil that I needed to be in. This move was difficult. He took me out of the comfort zone that I created for myself. This made me feel alone and hurt. He pruned my poor flowers and lifeless leaves and then lovingly planted me into the riches soil that I could ever be in.

The funny thing at first I couldn't stand it. I have been living in a poor environment for so long that I could not accept the rich soil that He created just for me. It took me awhile to get the full understanding of my new circumstances. Once planted in my own soil my roots began to slowly grow. The more I accepted what God had for me the more I grew. Before I knew it I had one small blossom. A beautiful pink rosebud.

Suddenly I was comfortable and at peace with life. I loved who I was discovering I was. I was free from people and it just didn't matter what they said about me. While I still hurt by the rejection it only fueled my growth. Now I'm growing stronger and blooming more. My next very big blossom is about to come out soon and I feel another branch growing from me.

In my new soil I'm able to use the talents that I've been blessed with. I can see what God had meant for me at the very beginning. I've learned how to get out of my own way. I'm able to let God prune me and even through it does hurt I know its for my own good. My new growth and development. As I grow daily in my own soil I notice that it great to bloom and while blooming I've also lost the fear of success. The fear of being the real me.

I also lost the fear that who I am will not be like everyone else. I don't care if I'm different. At last I can grow and bloom and become the great garden that Christ allowed me to be. I do understand that He is the vine and I am the branch and its up to me to produce fruit. I also can relate to the fact that God is the one to prune and keep us in the right way to grow. Last but not least I understand that anything that does not produce growth must go.

So all in all I am now able to bloom where I have been planted. And for those who are of vintage age like myself its also simply great to be a late bloomer. You see the late bloomers last longer. Go to the Lord and find out if you are in the right soil. Find out if its where you need to be planted. If you are in the wrong soil then allow Him to plant you where you need to be. If you are in the where place then allow yourself to bloom. Don't be afraid that your flower maybe different. Its that difference that makes you uniquely you.

As I alway say…if you are not living for you then who is living for you? Bloom…bloom…and grow. You will live a life of peaceful bliss when you are blooming where you have been planted by God.

Smooches my fellow flowers and remember gotta love me!!!
No seriously you do and I gotta love you!!!

#TeamBackdoorTales
www.sabrownyraebooks.com
Coming this Spring the new book in the series be the first to get it.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

It's Not Meant For Them



God has blessed us with a unique journey that is only for us individually. What I found that in the past I was so busy trying to explain what I had been called to do and didn't understand why no one could see it but me. Not only see it but care about it. I would allow their response to cause me to get caught up in my feelings. Wondering why people could not be happy for me. I would run to my family and friends thinking they would be happy and excited for me as I was and would meet a stonewall. Or worst ignored altogether.

I would start on my God given journey and would attempt to include people in it that was not suppose to be a part of that process. I would get down and have the blues and would not let it go. I would find myself talking about it to everyone in my circle. Trying my best to prove myself only to get hurt when they never gave me the love or support that I was looking for. Their rejection just made me push harder to achieve perfection.

Each goal I met would cause them to reject or ignore me more. My circle became smaller and smaller. I was lonely yet I continued with my journey. I was so glad and pleased with each new accomplishment and then run back to show them what I had done. Only to get the same response. I could not understand why they could not be happy for me or jump on board with me. I would think if the shoe was on the other foot I would be so proud of them.

I made sure that if any of my family or friends did anything that was their God given assignment then I would be their biggest cheerleader. I didn't just give them lip service but I would show them that I was happy from my heart. I would encourage and support them. I would pray for their journey. I knew that if God blessed them that it would be only a matter of time before he would bless me as well. I wanted to show others the love and support that I so wanted myself. While they accepted what I had to give they never gave me the same.

I prayed and was given my answer. Many would never understand what God had for me was for me. I didn't need man's approval to certify me in what God's plans were for my life. I could rest in the journey and just keep moving down my path. As I traveled on my journey there was only one who I had to please. That is my God and King. It's His plan that I follow and it's His comfort that I seek. He even allowed me to see my family and friends in a different light. 

While they may not say anything about what I do or how I do it in a way that would support me its alright. Some will never and some might but either way it should not affect me on my course. I just have to believe that it's not their fault that they don't understand my journey. It's not meant for them to because the journey is meant for me. Now that I know this I have decided that I will love and support all those I can as they do their God given journey. 

As for me I'm going for everything that God has for me. If no one likes it or encourages me about it then its fine. I know one day I will hear:
"Well done my good and faithful servant" 
So what can I say but:
Gotta love me…and I gotta love you!!!

Join #teamBackdoorTales
SaBrowny Rae will be coming out with another new book in the series in April 2014
Meanwhile get caught up on the first tale
Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love
www.amazon.com/author/sabrownyraebooks
www.sabrownyraebooks.com

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year 2014

What are you doing for the
New Year?


Happy New Year Everyone!
2013 was such a mixed year for me that I can't possibly label it. You know how some years you can say that it just sucked or that it was the very best year ever. For me it was just mixed. I grew, I stood, I waited, I won, I lost, I received, and I gave the year was all over the place and I have to admit that I grew with each experience. Maybe that's the label I need to tag onto 2013 "Simply Growth"!
I thought I had it all together and planned out at the beginning of 2013. I knew that it was going to be a different season in Christ. I knew that He would lead me into directions that I just didn't understand. What I didn't know was how hard it was going to be nor did I understand that He was going to open up old hurts that had healed but healed wrong. I had know idea that there was old wounds under the healing that was causing things to fester in my spirit.

I thought I had forgiven and that part was true that's why the healing happened in the first place however I hadn't forgotten the incident and so it continued to grow and rot under my healing. What Christ did for me during 2013 was to rip away all of that old healing and then open up the wound so that the infection could be taken out. I had to relive the pain over and over as He put his spiritual antibiotics in the now clean wound so that it would heal the correct way.

This time the pain was worse and I thought I would not get threw it. I had to relive it only this time I had to look into my pain and allow the real healing to manifest. My Christ took me into his hospital and cleaned me out and then healed me and the hurt that I thought was gone was really gone this time for good. I received a peace that has stuck with me and now I'm in a peaceful and quiet place.


I can look to whats ahead of me and smile. It doesn't mean that I'm walking around with rose colored glasses. I see the world for what it really is and I know now that I can pick and choose what I want to be in my life. I can see what God has for me and go for it. This time I won't worry or think about what anyone has to say about it or me. I have fallen in love with myself and my husband and family during last year and now I can receive the harvest that's in store for me in this wonderful New Year.

I'm looking forward to what is ready for me to conquer and I can't wait to just throw down and get started. I have set my goals high and what I'm expecting is too much for me to fathom but I know with God on my side I have no reason to fear. All fear has been kicked to the curb and I only see this new me emerging.

So I say good bye 2013 and good riddance. You had your place and did your job well. Now its time for 2014 to step up and show out. I'm expecting something truly wonderful to happen to me everyday of 2014 and all I have to do is just look for it and it will be there. My eyes are open and I'm looking!
My heart is receiving and I know that my Lord has this and everything about me in the palm of His mighty hand. 
Plan on hearing great things this year of 2014 where Radical RevLa aka Author SaBrowny Rae is concern.

May you all have a blessed and great new year of Christ and get your baskets ready to receive your harvest.
Gotta love me and I gotta to love you!



Sunday, December 1, 2013

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!!!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Christmas Book Sale

This is a direct sale by the author
for the Christmas Season
runs from 11/28/13-1/6/14


SaBrowny's Book and Publishing Tip

Christmas is coming and everybody would love a nice sale. Here at SaBrowny Rae Books we are offering our paperback copy of Backdoor Tales:Tears of the Serpent and September Love at a great direct author sale discount. Each book will be signed by the author and you will save $5.00 off the original price.

That's right each autographed copy will be on sale for $10.00. This will make a great keepsake and such a wonderful winter read. Contact us via our Facebook Fan page with an inbox and you will receive the pay-pal information. We have discounted the shipping and handling price as well.
The sale runs from 11/28/13-1/6/14

The best gift to give this year is a copy of the written word!

Inbox us at:
www.facebook.com/sabrownyraebooks



Monday, November 4, 2013

Stripper Pole to the Gates of Heaven

My husband brought this to my attention
and I was speechless!!!

It is rare when Radical RevLa is left speechless! I mean in my 61 years of life I've always seemed to have something to say. So when my husband showed me this video on You Tube about this female preacher I was at a lost for words. First of all it was difficult for me to pay attention to what she was saying because she had her nipples showing. You can't see it in this picture (thank you Lord!) but as she was giving the word about the wickedness of the tongue all I could think about is why is she showing her breast. It was not the cleavage that bothered me but the fact that each nipple was showing.

In this picture her hands are hiding the nipples but when you see it without her hands covering then all you see is both nipples looking at you from both sides. The real catcher is that her word was good. When you didn't look at her and listened to what she was saying you learned a real word of God. This shocked me because she didn't have to show her nipples for attention. God's word is enough by itself.

As a female preacher and a black lady of God its bad enough that the clergy does not want to give us respect. As a black woman so many people are putting us down. Its up to us to maintain the image of the great queens that our ancestors came from. The black woman has it bad enough then to have this woman who states she came from the stripper pole and now has her ministry to sit and give an entire sermon with her breast showing.

This type of action soils the Word of God. What she was saying was what was needed to be said but her presentation took away from anything that was good. I'm not one who gets on a person for dressing the way that they choose to. I have a unique sense of style and have had different female preachers voice their opinion on it. Those ladies felt that I should be preaching in a robe or white stiff collar and black funeral suit. I chose to wear my vintage style dress and hat and look like the lady that I am. However no matter what I wore the outfit was decent and in order.

Nothing was hanging out. I could represent Christ as one called to do the work of Kingdom building without feeling ashamed. What I see from this lady is that she has a real word that can help people. She has a platform that will show other ladies that God can still use them even if they were once in the sex trade. This is a good word but when she sat there taping with her nipples showing it made her word a joke. What really gets to me is the fact that whoever the camera person was could they have told her that her nipples were exposed?

I don't get it. People are talking and gossiping about her in a negative way. The story that my husband was watching was a man who has nothing nice to say about the black woman. He used this story as an example to further his cause of making the black woman feel less than a human in the eyes of the black man. I had to write this because these are some sensitive times and we don't need our own sisters making it worse with tomfoolery.

To end this I just have to say dear sister of the stripper pole church. Stop the foolishness and preach the word. You do have a calling on your head do what the Lord wants you to do in a way that will honor him and yourself. I don't want to see your breast. You left that life where you showed them to everyone. Now show us something else. I did love the sermon once I could stop seeing the image of you and just listened to your voice. Remember you are the daughter of a king and the child of the King of Glory carry yourself in that manner.

As a black woman I like who I am. As a child of God I love who I am. Rise up to the level that you were meant to be and leave the foolishness to the fools. And one more thing dear preacher with the nipples: You won the shut the mouth of Radical RevLa award for a life time! And as always you gotta love me...no really you do!!! 

Monday, September 30, 2013

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.  


Monday, September 2, 2013

Are you living your life or just marking time?

Living life to the fullest is a choice

I just don't know what to do these days. All that's in front of me is brand new and I'm not sure just what I'm suppose to do. Let me explain. Before I retired from my day job I had everything planned out. Each morning I was going to get up just as if I had to go to work. I would do my morning worship and then exercise. I would plan out my meals and place myself on a low calorie diet. I would have several hours of housework and then move to my office and work on my latest novel.

Once that was done I would go out and do a class or swim and then meet a friend for lunch. I would go and visit my granddaughter and my daughter for a short visit. Then return home cook dinner and then take a nap until my husband came home. I would work one day a week at my part-time job and spend quality time with my spouse. Before I retired for the night I would update my blogs, work on promoting and marketing the current book, do some work on the marriage and relationship ministry then take a nice hot bath.

I would go to sleep beside my husband after evening prayers and then wake up and do it all over again. Now I don't know what fairytale I was living in but none of this has happened yet. I'm working two days a week. All I want to do is sleep and stay in my room. Exercise and eating right has become a joke. My husband's job has changed his hours so many times that we don't know if he's working days or nights. My daughter is having another baby and leaning on me to help her with everything. The marriage ministry is growing. My first book is out and marketing and promoting is difficult and my morning worship had been off and on depending on when my husband is up or not.

Nothing has gone according to plans and I'm not living my life I'm just marking time. I must find a way to get a handle on this before I throw in the towel. When I couldn't do it because of work I was so organize. Now that I have plenty of time I just can't seem to manage anything. So I had to stop and look at what's going on with my life. I have got to find a way to live my life in peace and harmony for me. I can't let my husband , daughter, sons, or anyone else disrupt my peace. I didn't retire to lay around like a rock and do nothing. Or the things that I have done to just be in vain.

I must get a handle on the matters that are important to my life and not allow those around me to suck up my new life. So now I must look at myself for all that I'm worth and declare that I'm going to live for me and let no one take away my peace. This is the last week that I let someone else's choices reflect on me. I have been retired for a year as of this month and I have not done anything to break out of this mode.

This month Radical RevLa is going to make a change. As Michael Jackson once sang I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm not just asking him to change his ways but I'm saying "RevLa change now or shut your mouth".
Now you know I can't shut my mouth so I guess I have to make that change.

Gotta love me...and I gotta to love me first.

 Buy my new book:
Backdoor Tales: Tears of the Serpent and September Love
By:
SaBrowny Rae
 aka
 Radical RevLa

www.sabrownyraebooks.com

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Should Dark Skin or Light Skin Matter to the Black Woman

In 2013 should
 we be dealing with the difference in our skin color?

The Black Woman is just beautiful!
This statement I can make because I am one. In defense of us there is no other woman on the planet that is so different. We come in many lovely shades, shapes, and hair textures. We should never be at odds with each other where our culture or beauty is concern. Today I'm surprised and taken back a few because after all of this time we are revisiting ourselves in terms of color.

This should never be something that we should have to concern ourselves with. Many want to separate us as the light skinned black woman vs. the darker skin black woman. This to me is ridiculous.  We are like lovely flowers. That once we are put together we become a fragrant bouquet. I don't want us to ever allow others views to taint how we feel about our fellow sisters.

The world already want to make the black woman as the last person on the totem pole of life. We are under represented in the world and have to feel that if we don't look like other races that we are not beautiful. We are so lovely and strong. We can do anything because most of the black women start with nothing and turn that nothing into something incredible.

At this time in our lives we should be supporting each other in our beauty not attempting to separate by using color as our source. This is what they use against us from the beginning so we should not join in and start an under group that is doing the same thing. I know that its  unfair in the world market but ladies lets face it we are smart and strong. What we need to do is create our own markets. Our own  businesses our own movies our own whatever to show the world as we work together that we love ourselves.

If we look at each other in terms of color, hair, and body build then we are saying that we don't like ourselves. We are the mother queen and we must learn to love and embrace who we are. So I feel debating about the dark skin light skin black woman is a way for us to just be going around and around in circles. What we need to do is show on every level that we love each other no matter what the differences are and that we can work together to lift up each other.

We need to drop the crabs in the barrel mentality and push forward to represent ourselves as the mighty beautiful queens of God that we are. We have to turn a deaf ear on those who think that we don't count or we need to revisit the issues of light and dark. Face it we are all black women...beautiful women of color and that's the way the world will see us if we show them that this is the way we feel about ourselves.

As for Radical RevLa I love you all my sisters and my color is my color and it is great because the Almighty God made me this way. If I doubt Him and His creation of me than I'm saying that He made a mistake. Now we all know that God does not make mistakes so all my dear sisters of color lets love one another for who we are and embrace each others differences. Reach out and give your sister a hand up that way no matter if we are dark skinned or light skinned we are all able to reach for the stars.

What can I say but.....gotta love us....no really you do.

Monday, July 1, 2013

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.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

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

5.0 out of 5 stars Storytelling at its bestMay 31, 2013
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

Thursday, May 2, 2013

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!!!




Monday, April 1, 2013

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!!!

Monday, March 11, 2013

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

Saturday, February 2, 2013

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
 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

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!!!
 



Monday, December 3, 2012

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???

 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

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!!!