102 Years of Wisdom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What Is A Friend?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is That Your Real Hair?

The beauty of the black woman
lies in her hair

Since when is it politically correct to walk up to a Black Woman and ask her if her hair is real or not? I can't believe how disrespectful people are today. What I've noticed is that it's only the black woman who has this question asked of her. As we give honor to the black woman this year I would like to express praise to those of us who have started to embrace our natural hair. 
It is sad that we look at ourselves and base our beauty on the type, length, style and texture of our hair. It is said that we first developed this pattern from our ancestors being slaves. The female slave's hair was not considered beautiful. It was called kinky, nappy, suede caps, and that it was incapable of growing.

Many black women feel that they have to process their hair or wear a wig in order to fit in and appear beautiful. Some feel that they would have to weave in hair so that they could fit in. Now don't get me wrong. I believe that one should do whatever they feel necessary to achieve their view of beauty. If that means that you add, press, process or go natural that should be your right. Where I have a problem is when people suggest that we are not beautiful if we wear our God given hair in the way that He gave it to us. Hair for the black woman has become such an issue that when the gymnast Gabriele Douglas won both of her gold medals all everyone talked about in our community was that she needed her hair fix. When you looked at the other girls hair who happened to be Caucasians her hair looked the same. The focus was not on the fact that this young positive young lady made history only that her hair looked horrible.

We are told that if we want a job then we should not go on an interview with our hair natural. We are considered hostile if we have a natural bush or if we have locs called dirty. No other woman is labeled this way. Then the disrespect when people come to you and ask if your hair is your hair. If the real truth is told many Caucasian women wear weave. No one stops to think about asking them if it's their hair or not.

Another thing is that we are our own worse enemies. Many black women practice self hate by talking in a negative way about a sister that has decided to be free to be herself. They will say hurtful things to the woman who has taken that step. They laugh and talk about her openly to others. Then if your texture happens to be naturally straight or curly then they make it clear that it could never be the person's hair.

This lady starts to doubt her choice of being who she was born to be. She starts to regret her choice of being natural and may go back to the slave mentality and start processing, adding or wearing a wig. She must do what she does not want to do in order to have peace and feel good about herself. Its just easier than to deal with all the negative comments where her hair is concerned.

Black, beautiful and lovely ladies lets make it clear we can do anything we want to do with our hair and still look great. There is no good hair or bad. Hair is hair and we have the type of hair that really you can do anything that we want to do with it and remain the great lady that we are. However there are certain things that we must do. We must love ourselves from the inside out. We must look in the mirror and say pretty words to ourselves. We must take care of ourselves and eat healthy so that our hair will grow and shine.

We must be our own best friend and treat ourselves in the same way that we would treat our best friend. We must edify ourselves and then choose how we want to look. It does not matter if you are natural, straight, process, weave, wig or bald its up to you. Whatever you decide to do then own it and don't let anyone bring you down or attempt to make you feel less beautiful. When someone come up to you and ask you if its your hair then don't answer and keep it moving. They are not trying to do anything that will help you so don't allow them to bring you down.

If they keep on then let them know that you will not tolerate disrespect and that they are not to approach you in that way again. Then walk away and be you.
Women of color we are beautiful and its time that we embrace our beauty and walk with our heads held high. Allowing our natural or whatever we want for our hair to shine and glow. As sisters we should uplift each other and never beat each other up for our choice of hair style. We should not place such high priority on our hair. Yes we must fix it and look good and own it but we need to back up some and stop the mess.

It has gotten so bad that our daughters are feeling less if their hair is not the long flowing kind. We must stop and love whom we are and teach our daughters to love who they are and who they would become. As we walk in our glory this year let us all love our hair and let the world know that we do. Wear anyway you want and then respect your sisters for how they wear theirs. Compliment each other on our hair. Give another lady a high five for being who she was meant to be.

Drop terms such as good or bad hair. Never imply that only long straight hair is the best look that we can wear. Enjoy the fact that our hair can be anything that we want it to be. Don't ask another if their hair is real or not. Its really none of our business. We are the queens of the world and its time that we step into our kingdom and rule.

To my beautiful black sisters I just have one thing to say:
I really love your hair!!!
We got to love each other.....really we do!!!
Radical RevLa  

  
 

Unacceptable

This is never a joke.
 Its real life for too many women

If you were not married to or the girl friend of Chris Brown, Ike Turner, or Chad Ochocinco then your plight with domestic violence won't bring about any attention. While the ladies that were associated with these men should never had been placed in a situation where the person that they are in love with feels the need to physically hurt them, but because of who they are was how attention was focused on something that many women experience each day. This should never be this way. No woman should have to fear for her life from her spouse or male love interest. Your husband is not your father and should not feel that he can correct you by spankings, punching, slapping, punching, verbal abuse, or beating you into submission.

 We got an inside view when Tina Turner brought to the big screen her marital story with her then husband Ike Turner who habitually beat her every chance he got. While the story that we saw was fiction based on truth it would only lend to the imagination how someone could live with this type of behavior day in and day out. We were shocked when the charismatic  singer Chris Brown beat and punched the very popular singer Rhianna who was his love interest at the time. To see the pictures of her black and blue bruised face caused the world to want to hurt him. To see her pretty face so abused hit a cord in every woman. 

Now we have the latest with the Chad Ochocinco an outstanding player for the Miami Dolphins who head butted his wife. From what has been told in the press the couple had not been married that long. The Dolphins dropped him after the incident which I admire them for and hope it was to prove a point that this type of behavior is unacceptable. 

Ladies God did not create us for man so that he would have a lifetime punching bag. I don't care what environment that he was subjected to during his youth it still does not give him the right to become physical with you. While I understand that many men did not get the right upbringing and for those who did not they need some type of spiritual counseling and man training. Many men don't know how to be a man. A man that is cut from the body of Christ. The church must stand strong and take the lead for these men. The church must guide and direct. All men and boys need to be taught how Christ loves the church. His example shows the love of a real spouse. He is the head of the man and only when that man learns about Christ's love and learn from his Head can he be the proper head of his household. 

Love is not wanting your own way. Love is not hurting. Love is not demanding and love is not abusive. Love is not blaming someone else for your actions. Many women tend to feel that they are the reason for the abuse. Let's get one think straight no matter how you run your mouth. No matter how you attempt to provoke a man should never put his hands on you. While you should not push to cause a person to loose his temper or put your hands on him still it does not give him the right to hit. 

Accepting abuse for the sake of love is insane. The sign of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting things to change. As a woman of God remember He never wants you in a situation where you are not cherished, protected, and treated like the wonderful gift that you are. Ladies we must remember at all times who we are. We are the daughters of the King. The Creator. We have been made from precious material and we should never allow the world to make us feel bad about ourselves. 

Love God and yourself first and then you will never need to look for love from a man who is incapable of true love. I would rather be alone then to have to fear for my life or be called every name but a child of God. Understand verbal abuse is just as bad as physical if not worse. The body will heal but those words seem to remain forever. Many ladies who have been in this situation with abuse have stated that they never knew when it would come. For months things could be going well with them as a couple and then all of a sudden they would do something that would cause their spouse or lover to hit them or cause some sort of bodily harm. Sometimes the abuser would make attempts to say they were sorry and peace would come until the next time. Other spouses and lovers were just mean and would  keep abusing without remorse.

The very first thing we must do as ladies is respect ourselves. We must learn who we are and whom we belong to. God will be your mate, spouse and lover while He prepares us to be presented to the mate of His choice. While we wait we learn about ourselves. We learn how precious we are to Him. We have the time to do His Will and the assignment that He has created just for us to do. We won't have time to be lonely because we are busy studying ourselves and building a relationship with Lord Jesus. 

If you are in a relationship prior to this knowledge then pay attention to any red flags. Make sure that you are not ignoring certain behaviors that keep popping up that lets you know that he is not treating you in a way that Christ would treat his bride. Continue to study and watch for clues. Understand that if you are hit once you will be hit again. Leave the environment and seek help and counseling. Don't accept him back into your life unless he has sought and is in counseling and has an accountable partner that will help him in his actions. You seek help as well and make sure that you have heard from God to continue with this relationship.

This may sound harsh but emotions can not be the leader on this matter. We have been given freewill and loving a person is not an emotion but a choice. We must choose to love. We must understand what love really is and then make a choice to love fully. Once we do that then we will understand where we are and where we should be. Never accept abuse of any type. Physical, verbal and psychological abuse is not needed in any relationship. We need more focus on this besides those who are in the media or so called superstars. No woman needs this in their life and no one should blame the innocent person who is the victim. 

You should forgive him but that does not mean that you have to continue to subject yourself to the abuse. Forgive and keep distant  until you know he is right or wish him well and keep it moving. If he is the type that stalks you then you must seek help from the law. You may have to move out of state. You must do whatever is necessary for your safety and the safety of your children if you have them.

Keep in mind at all times that you are royalty and must be treated in that way. Likewise you must treat him as you want to be treated. Remember that marriage and amours relationships should be based on God. Be there for any of your female friends who are dealing with this trouble. Not as a counselor but as a listening ear and a comfort. You can't tell somebody what to do but you can give love when you can. Don't allow that person to use you as their sounding board. Direct them to a pastor, domestic violence group, or to a Christian counselor. You are adapt to handle this complex situation. 

Pray for all women who are dealing with this issue. Ask God to lead them out of that situation. Ask God to strengthen them so that they can live in peace. Most of all keep your negative comments to yourself. If you have not walked in their shoes you don't know how hard it is to get out of. I for one have not been in this situation and would not like to be. I pass no judgement on anyone that has to. I pray that I could be a help rather than a hindrance. 

So my great readers I'm still my radical RevLa self but this has touched me. I won't make fun or have my same old crazy ending. As we celebrate the year of the black woman I felt that this is something that has no color to it but has gender. Women all over the world are dealing with this. We don't want this pushed in the corner and only brought out when there is a celebrity involved. Lets embrace each other and come together. We must let men understand that we were not put in their lives as punching bags. Domestic Violence is 
Unacceptable not now.....not ever!!! 

So as I end this I just have to say
Who are we?
The Daughters of the King!
How should we be treated?
Like the Royal Queens that we are!

Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 
 1Corinthians 13:4-8

I rest my case!!!
Gotta love me....no really you do
Radical RevLa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       

This is all I have to show after a lifetime working for the man

This is the way I felt about my manager for the pass two years!
Sad but true

Have you ever woke up and said to yourself "Self today I'm going to try and be like everyone else"? Or maybe I'm the only one that has that conversation with themselves. I can say that I'm not one of the normal people. I'm not like the other female ministers, I'm not like the other nurses, I'm not like my sisters and I'm not like most mothers. I'm just me good old Radical RevLa.

I have attempted to do things to the best of my abilities. I've attempted to be fair and to give 150% in all that I have set out to do. However none of my efforts have been accepted in the main stream. No matter how hard I have tried I have been labeled as non compliant. This brings me to explain how for the past two years I have had a manager who I knew could never manage me.

While I do know that she may have some skills she lacked the skills that was needed to carry out the job except for the skill I could never obtain no matter how hard they attempted to teach it to me. She received an "A+" in the skill of kiss up. I refused to compromise who I am just to get a pat on the head. I realized early in my working career that I had a higher boss to represent. In choosing God as my commander and chief it gave me a set of different standards.

Many times mine did not match up with those of the so call powers that be. However I had to be respectful of those who hired me and give them what they asked for. What my many "stupid-visors" didn't like was that I could do the job ten times better and would not hold my tongue when I saw an injustice. Many times I was right but because of that they would never acknowledge the fact that I was. Since I had a big mouth I watched those around me who would call for my help and direction get ahead or be treated better because they were not considered a threat.

As I saw these things going on and was left out of all the groups I would feel so alone. I just wanted to wake up and be like everybody else. I just wanted to go in and receive no attention and do my work. It never happened. Right up to the last day that I had to work full time my manager was still finding a way to cause me an unnecessary stress. So I prayed and asked God just what should I do?

He walked me down the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus and I got to see that He never fit in as well. He showed me how He had to continue to be who He was and to do the assignment that He had been given no matter what happened. No matter who attempted to make Him feel odd. I knew that I could never be Him but I knew that if I had to copy somebody then He was the one that I needed to be like.

So before I got into a cat fight with my manager I threw in the towel and resigned. I was going to retire anyway and now I have. So what in the world will Radical RevLa do with herself? Well it won't be punching a clock for the man. I have a great work ahead of me and I plan to do it with all that I have for Kingdom building. As for those dear ones who just didn't think I fit their mold then I simply say:
"Keep your mold you have a million want to be's who will fit it" I have stepped out on faith and it's my time.
To the world all I can say is:
"Get ready because here I come. Free to be me and to live for God and myself."

To my old manager I leave you with these words:
"Nannie....Nannie...Boo...Boo Ginger Snap!!!"
I know bad me but what can I say:
Gotta love me!

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*