Godliness in Form and Power

Ready to Pump?!

chozenlady — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:10:41 +0000

Hey Fam! A few of you have been on me about blogging. I’ve been writing more poetry these days but I haven’t forgotten about my first love….my beloved blog!!

I have a few experiences that I want to share with you guys. One bad habit I have is letting my car get to E before put gas in it. One morning, I was rushing to church, I got halfway there and I noticed that the gas needle is actually BELOW E! I pulled over to nearest gas station. By this time, my car is on it’s last breath. I paid for the gas and watched as the numbers slowly ticked until they reached $30. I drove off and I didn’t get too far before I noticed the needle hadn’t moved and my car is on the verge of giving up lol. I make it back to the gas station and I explain to the attendant that I pumped gas but somehow my car is still on E. He tells me that it takes a while for the needle to move and that I just needed to wait. I asked him to check the pump. After resisting for a while, he checked it. Sure enough, the number are ticking but there is not a drop of gas coming out of the pump! Ok let’s fast forward to this past Sunday! I visited a church for the first time. I went with the intent to just sit and enjoy the service. What I hadn’t planned on is being called up to minister to someone! As I sat and reflected about what happened in service on Sunday, I thought about what would have happened it I hadn’t been prepared/ready to minister when I was called up. The Lord brought me back to the pump that looked like it was doing what it should, but actually it was ineffective! As Christians, we are all anointed to minister in one way or another and we must be ready! I pulled in to that gas station because I knew that I couldn’t make it much further! We encounter people everday that are on they’re last leg, that don’t feel like that can go much further, spiritually they are on E. How sad would it be for them to come in contact with us and leave only to find that they are still empty! I encourage you to spend time with God, study His word and SEEK HIS FACE so that when the time comes you’ll be ready to POUR!

love yall for real!

Rae

A Tale of 2 Boxers

chozenlady — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:39:11 +0000

I know it’s been a while since I blogged (I feel like I start every blog this way lol) but I want to share something with you. Thanks to all the people who encourage me to write, I’m working on a few things and I will def keep you all posted.

A few weeks ago, the Lord showed me 2 boxers in the middle of a fight. After the round was over, each boxer went to his corner. The first boxer was getting water and his manager was wiping his sweat and giving him encouraging words….”you’re doing great”, “you got him!” The second boxer was going through the same routine, drinking water while the manager assured him that he had the fight in the bag and he was definitely going to be the winner! The interesting thing was that both boxers had the same manager!! The same guy was wiping sweat, and giving water and encouraging words to BOTH boxers! As the fight continued I could see the manager running back and forth from one side of the ring to the next since he was supporting both boxers. He would yell “Get him!” but he seemed confused about which boxer he was really talking to. What the Lord showed me is the battle between our spirit and flesh. To feed the spirit is to weaken the flesh and to feed the flesh is to weaken the spirit. Many of us find ourselves supporting both sides, we operate in the things of the Spirit but still entertain things that feel good to our flesh. We put ourselves in the position of the manger supporting two boxers. The manager was worn out from running from one side to the next, his integrity was questionable because no one was sure of who he was really supporting and at the end of the fight, no matter who won, he lost because he was supporting both boxers. As Christians, we can’t support both sides. We will lose our peace, people will question our character, and we will always be in a losing situation. I’m making a decision not to support the flesh! I encourage you to pick a side! If you’re having doubts about what side to pick, here’s at hint: God’s side always wins!

Galatians 5:16-17 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

luv you 4 real ~ rae

A Little Help, Please?!

chozenlady — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:07:07 +0000

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

Close the Window!

chozenlady — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:30:41 +0000

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

No Eggrolls, Just Gasoline

chozenlady — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:18:12 +0000

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

A “little” Large?!

chozenlady — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:21:17 +0000

When I was a kid, we would always order a large a pizza for the family. I forget that pizzas come in other sizes because large has always been the default size. About two weeks ago, my mom and I were going to have pizza for dinner and Papa John’s had a deal on an extra-large pizza. Of course, I decided to take advantage of the deal! When the pizza came, we opened the box and just looked at it. It was huge! Last night, I decided to order another pizza for dinner. Since the XL special was over, I ordered the usual large. When I opened the box this time, the pizza looked so little! I even called Papa John’s and told them that they made a mistake and gave me the wrong size! The man at Papa John’s asked me what size was written on the box. The box said 14″. This little tiny pizza was in fact a large!! I couldn’t believe it. I ate the extra large pizza for days, now I’m sitting here trying to figure out how I can make this “little” large pizza last for the rest of the week! This is the same large pizza that fed my mom, me and 2 brothers, the same large pizza that fed my college roommate and I AND the girls down the hall….and now it looks LITTLE! I went to get a leftover pizza a little while ago and suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks! All it took was getting more ONE time and all of a sudden what I had been used to was not enough. Contentment makes you think that the small portion you have will always be sufficient. So I had to do a self-check. Have I become content with my job? with my finances?? with my walk with God??? I have made a decision to go for more! I know God has more for me. I will not settle for a portion when he has offered me ABUNDANCE! I encourage you, GO FOR MORE! Let your ceiling become the floor! Once you get more, you’ll never want less!

luv ya 4 real

rach

I’m a 45 and Proud of It!

chozenlady — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:52:09 +0000

Earlier this year, my job had a theme for each day of the week. Thursday was Jersey day. You could wear jeans and tennis shoes to work if you wore a jersey. I’m not really into sports so I don’t wear jerseys but I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to wear jeans! I asked my cousin Ronald if I could borrow a jersey. He gave me a Michael Jordan jersey. I don’t know much about sports but I do know that Michael Jordan’s number was 23! I was a little confused when I saw that this jersey had number 45. My cousin explained that when Michael Jordan retired and came back, he wore number 45. I had never seen anyone wear a Jordan jersey that didn’t have a 23 on it. I wore it to work the next day. I saw SEVERAL Michael Jordan jerseys; ALL had a 23 on the front. I felt really awkward for a couple of reasons….. 1.) I don’t wear jerseys and 2.) Mine looked different from everyone else’s! I took the jersey off and laid it on top of my file cabinet. As soon as I took it off, every guy that passed my desk stopped to admire it! They told me how rare it is, and many of them said that they had been looking for one! Here I was with something to be admired and I didn’t realize its value because it didn’t look like anything I had seen before! I left my desk and went to lunch proudly displaying my 45 jersey!! Each gift and call is different. Many of us don’t fully walk in what God has called us into because it doesn’t seem normal. Don’t put your self in a box. Stand out! Don’t be afraid to do what has never been seen. You might be the difference that the world needs. There a many 23′s, we need a 45! Be a 45!

Love you 4 Real

Rach-NoAssemblyRequired

I’m the Ram?

chozenlady — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:29:45 +0000

The Lord has been recently dealing with me about sacrifice. On yesterday, the Lord spoke to me about the “ram in the bush”. Most of us are familiar with story. God spoke to Abraham and told him to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham was obedient to God and was willing to sacrifice his son. An angel came to Abraham and told him not to kill Isaac. Abraham saw a ram entangled in the bushes and he used the ram as a sacrifice instead if Isaac. This story led to the often-used phrase “The Lord will send a ram in the bush”, I’ve even heard people say, “the Lord will ALWAYS send a ram in the bush”! Yesterday the Lord said, “Stop looking for the ram!” I can’t explain how shocked I was lol! He said that too many people are expecting a ram (wanting to take the easy way out). Sometimes we don’t need a ram, we need to die!!! We have to kill our flesh! There is no scapegoat, WE are the ram! There are some things in our lives that we should have killed along time ago. Let those things die; leave them on the altar of sacrifice. Abraham had the knife in his hand….he was willing to give up his son, his own flesh and blood. God is not impressed by what we lay on the altar, He wants to know what we are actually willing to sacrifice (kill). This week I’m working on dying to myself and killing the things that I should have left on the altar a long time ago. What do you need to kill? What are you willing to sacrifice? Don’t just lay it on the altar, go all the way…KILL IT!
luv ya 4 real
rach
feel free to email me: time4outpour@aol.com

Let Me In!

chozenlady — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:21:56 +0000

I went home to New Orleans last week. I called my dad and let him know that I was coming and I checked in with him as I was on the road so that he would know when to expect me. When I got about fifteen minutes away, my dad sent me a text and said that he had to teach a bible study and he wouldn’t be back until about 8:00p.m. With my dad, 8:00 usually means about 10:30! I looked at the time and it was 6:20. I was aggravated to say the least. I went to work at 7:00 a.m., left work at noon, went home to pack, and hit the road. I was ready to relax but instead I was waiting on my dad to open the door! I brought my mom to her friend’s house and went to dinner in an attempt to kill time. Eventually, I called my dad and asked him if there was any way that he could come and let me in before 8:00. His response was the LAST thing I expected to hear. He said, “You have a key!” I debated with him for a minute then he said” look for the ke. If you don’t have it, I’ll come”. I looked down at my key ring and started going through the keys…car key… house key… storage unit…RANDOM SILVER KEY! There is no way that I’ve been waiting for him to let me into the house and I have a key! I put the key in and it didn’t turn, I tried it one more time and it opened the door!! Instantly, God said to me “You’ve been waiting for me to let you in but I’ve already given you access!” My dad put that key on my key ring in May of last year. I had been walking around with that key everyday for 10 months and never knew it! There are a few areas in my life where I have been waiting for God to “open doors” when He had been trying to show me the whole time that I already had access. What has God given you access to but you haven’t walked into yet? What is it that you are waiting God to do? I encourage you to seek Him about those things….you may think you’re waiting on him when really you’re waiting on YOU! Open the door….walk in!

Luv ya 4 real

~ Rach

Black Friday! Don’t Miss This Opportunity!

chozenlady — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:56:26 +0000

So, it’s Black Friday! Many of us got up EARLY to catch the deals that may not be available after today. I can’t tell you how many text messages I got to let me know what times the stores were opening and what specials they were having. My co-worker went out this morning and came to work to let us know where all the good deals are. Everyone was so excited…I started thinking: Why is so easy for us to get up at 3am to make a good sale but when the Lord calls us to early morning prayer we are too tired? Why are we so enthusiastic about getting the word out about special deals but we are apprehensive when it comes to evangelism? We need to get out priorities straight! How dare we recommend a trip to the mall but not offer salvation to the lost? That being said: If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, please do so TODAY! You can have eternal life! All you have to do is accept, Jesus already paid the price! Now that’s a good deal! Salvation can be yours today! Tomorrow is not promised, you don’t want to miss this opportunity! To my brothers and sisters in Christ, make sure you are spreading the Word, we don’t want ANYONE to miss out on this!

John 10:9-10 “Because, ifyou confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord andbelieve in your heartthat God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

love ya 4 real

~rach