A Little Help, Please?!

Today a minister that I respect and admire very much tweeted something that caught me off guard. He said that he is need of a father and someone to minister to him. This blew me away because he serves as father to so many people! He has instructed, corrected, encouraged and loved us for years.  He has such great anointing and such spiritual insight that it never crossed my mind that he would need to be fathered and poured into. The fact that it never crossed my mind really saddens me. After I read his tweet, I tweeted “Even the strong need support. Don’t spend so much time coddling the weak that you forget to support the strong.” It’s easy to minister to the broken, to spiritual babes etc. but we can’t forget to encourage and support the rest of the Body as well. The other day someone asked me “Are you okay?” and then they said “I know you’re good!” and walked away before I could answer.  At that time, I really wasn’t okay!  People usually assume that I don’t need help because I’m usually pretty good at getting through things on my own. The truth is, I need help (especially in this season of my life).  I was so upset that she didn’t bother to make sure I was really okay. Today, I realized that in a way I have been doing that same thing to some people. It’s easy to forget that the people that we look up to, that lead us,  that pour into us, or the people who just seem to have it all together can  still use our help! Take some time today to encourage and pour into the people that encourage and pour into you. Even Moses had someone to help hold up his arms! So give someone  a little help, please!

luv ya 4 real

rae

Add a comment March 26, 2011

Close the Window!

I live in Alabama and the weather here is crazy! We can experience every season in the same week. Earlier this week, it felt like it was the middle of July! I went to turn on my A/C, heard a few clicks then…nothing! What a wonderful way to find out that the air doesn’t work lol. As the day went on I did my best to cope with the heat. I finally decided to open a window.  When the sun went down, a breeze started to blow and my house was the perfect temperature.  It was so refreshing! A few days later, the temperature dropped (of course). I never closed the window in my room so all the cold air was rushing in and I was freezing! I got up and got a blanket. I warmed up a little but I was still cold. I put on a pair of warm pajamas then got back under my blanket hoping that I would get warm.  I eventually told myself “You’re doing too much! Just close the window!”  Why didn’t I just close the window?! I kept thinking about  how good the breeze felt on the hot day, and I told myself that it would probably be hot again  soon so I should just leave it open.  I don’t know what was wrong with me that night! The next morning, I thought about what I did the night before and found a few other situations where I was doing that same thing! I have been doing things to try and make myself more comfortable with some things  and people in hopes that they would eventually serve the purpose that they once did. I had to admit to myself that seasons change.  Trying to turn something seasonal into something long term just causes unnecessary work on your part. I  also remembered when I was in a relationship that I knew was outside of the will of God. I saw the negative impacts that it was having on me but I did everything I could to ignore it, disguise it and cover it up. I just  wanted to focus on the fleshly gratification I was getting.  I ended up wishing I had just ended the relationship, just like I wished I had just closed the window. Whether there is something in your life that you’re holding on to past it’s season, or whether you have opened yourself up to something that you should never have been apart of to begin with…I beg you to let it go.  Close the window!

luv ya 4 real

rae

Add a comment March 26, 2011

No Eggrolls, Just Gasoline

Hey Everybody! Happy 2011!! We’re already in the third month of the new year so I needed to get the blogging ball rolling.  Big things are happening this year, I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

I was getting dressed for a concert the other day and  I realized that I didn’t know where the concert was being held. I asked my friend where the concert was and she responded “It’s at the old St. Luke.” Since I’m not from here, that meant nothing to me!  She told me the name of the church that is CURRENTLY in that building and  I knew exactly where she was talking about. I laughed because I could think of several places in my hometown that we referred to as “the old _____” or “where _____used to be”. I said to myself “I wonder how long the new places have to be there before we stop describing them by what they USED to be?” I repeated the question to myself a few times. I thought about people I’ve met. To me, they were just Sally, Joe etc. until someone said “Sally that used to____”, “John that was involved in _____.” Then I thought about myself? Do I see something “new” when I look in the mirror or am I still reflecting on the past?   Isaiah 43:18-19a says, “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a NEW thing!” We are supposed to not only see the new thing, but stop dwelling on the old things.  When my friend told me where the concert was,  she omitted the current name of the place altogether! She didn’t acknowledge what IS because she referred to what used to be! Sometimes,  we can get caught up on who someone used to be that we don’t acknowledge who they are.  Apostle Paul wrote letters that still teach us how to live a Godly life.  He is the same man that worked to have Christians executed. Imagine what we would miss out on if we closed our minds to his teachings because we didn’t want to let go of his past.  There is a blessing in being new, not only for the person that has changed but for those around them as well.  Since I’m fairly new in the city, I don’t know what used to be.  I only know what IS! The Shell station might have been a Kung Fu buffet in the past but to me it’s only gas station! (No Eggrolls, just gasoline). That’s a fresh outlook! I will not use the past as a description for my present or for anyone else’s. God give us a fresh outlook, for ourselves and for those we encounter. Help us  not to bind ourselves or anyone else to their past ways, open my our eyes to newness!!  Help us to see what You see. Amen!  I challenge you to change your perspective and see how it changes your life!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 1 Cor 5:17

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

luv you 4 real

Rae

Add a comment March 23, 2011