Rachel's Radical Rantings

Wow, it's been a while since I've taken the time to sit and write what God is doing in my life and how He has been growing me through this year. I know that there have been previous posts about some issues happening this year; but there is so much more that is "in between the lines." I have taken some time; because when it comes to listening to God, lets' face it, we don't always stop talking and listen, to try and be in tune to what He is speaking to us. I have several things mingling around in my mind. This year has seemed to be a roller coaster of illness for myself and my husband. When I stop and think about it, it's been year that we have been dealing with health issues that have required surgeries, hospitalizations, more medicine, CT scans, MRI's, ultrasounds, IV's, blood draws, therapy, and oh so much more. There have been times when I have felt that I am fighting a losing battle. The good news is though, we aren't losing this ba...

So God has been tugging at my heart for the past few weeks to write about generosity. Of course, the Christmas season was just a couple of weeks ago and that seems to bring out more generosity in people. Along with the season, I have been reading devotions on this very topic and lo and behold, it was one of the topics at Bible study the other night. So, I took that as my cue that God was speaking loud and clear! Now, when I talk about generosity, I don't particularly mean monetarily. I believe that when something comes up (especially in scripture), about giving generously; people automatically jump to the conclusion that we need to give all our money away. Wait a minute..." our money ?" Is it "our money?" Think about that for a minute. Scripture tells us that "Every good and perfect thing is from God." ~ James 1:17 The Message Bible states it this way, "Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven." So, here is a questio...

Wow! October is gone this year. I have to admit, there were times that seemed to drag on and others that were gone in the blink of an eye. The fall arrived with bursts of color and internally my colors seemed to fade. My most recent pregnancy test had come back negative, my in laws were due in, and my husband was preparing to head out to Afghanistan for his fourth deployment, so we had already started the process of getting into "deployment mode." Now, that means we do not just prepare physically. Most of the "preparation" is mental. Not only does all the equipment need to be inventoried and packed; but we both together have to prepare for the separation physically that we are about to face. There is a definite emotional and mental process that military husbands and wives go through. We get into a mode of: we need to make sure all of the important documents and bills are taken care of, what if there's an emergency, why does it have to be a year, and the ultimat...

Wow!! Okay, so it's been a few months since I have taken the time to sit and write again. I have had this topic in my head and on my heart for a while. This is something that we all, as humans, struggle with on a daily basis. So what, do you ask, is the reason for this title? Simple. I am not talking about living and dying in the physical sense. For the moment, I am referring to the power of life and death that spews forth from our tongues...every day! Whoa..yes I just went there! This topic is probably one that all of you have heard many times before. So, here is a question for you, "do you think about what you say to people before, during, and/or after you have said it?" Do you realize that your words alone can build up or destroy someone in a single breath? Scripture is filled with warnings and life lessons concerning our words. Proverbs speaks over and over about the words of the wise and the folly of the foolish. Websters dictionary defines folly as:the s...

Today I would like to talk about discipline and disciplined. Webster's dictionary defines the word discipline (n) as: (1)training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.(2)Controlled behavior resulting from such training. (3) A state of order based on submission to rules and authority. (4) Punishment intended to correct or train. (5) A set of rules or methods. It defines disciplined (adj) as: possessing or indicative of discipline. Now, where am I going with this you may ask? Well, this week as I was praying about what to write on here next, God answered me clearly with at least four references to discipline and/or being disciplined. He showed me something in my own personal quiet time in my devotional, through a friend, through my memory verse in His word, and through actions I have been taking this week. I realized this week that not only did I need to be disciplined in my physical journey, I definitely need to be more disciplined in my spiritual wa...

Good evening! It's been too long since I have been on here to write something! I have been so busy that I have neglected sitting and listening to what God is telling me. I am getting back to that now and have some things on my heart. Lately I have been feeling sluggish, exhausted, and not motivated at all. Yesterday I was chatting online with a friend and we got to talking about doing something to better ourselves. I personally need and want to lose weight. I have done it before and felt so great seeing and feeling how my body changed. Now granted it wasn't a huge loss, but still a loss. I keep thinking about the triathlon I did two years ago. I was probably in the best shape mentally and physically that I have been in a very long time. I was able to swim longer than I had been able to, lift weights that before seemed to weigh me down, ride a bike for 7 miles, and actually run! It was an amazing feeling. Now why, you ask, would someone ever want to let that go? Laziness..pure a...

Well, as you have probably already guessed, I like to keep people thinking! I should actually be in bed right now due to having to get up early tomorrow, but I have something on my heart and I feel I need to share. The topic for today is guilt. Now, I don't know about you, but I struggle with guilty feelings on a daily basis. Twice today I have had conversations with people on this very topic. Both times, the guilt talk led to what the bigger picture is...sin. So, here is my first question, "have you or do you struggle with guilt?" If so, (and we all do it so we need to own up to it) how do you handle the feeling? What is causing that/those feelings? Is it past sin (sexual immorality, lies, pride, hateful thoughts, revenge/unrighteous anger..fill in the blank), is it present sin, or a mixture of both? I struggle with both sometimes. Here is the next question, "have you confronted your guilt/sin?" If not, what are you afraid of? Sometimes it takes years for us to...

This week has had me thinking about being thankful. Yes, we have all heard the scripture, "in all things give thanks." The word of God is overflowing with thankfulness and how to be thankful in all things. Some would argue that those rules pertain only to the individuals/groups of people in the Bible. WRONG!! There are certainly amazing stories throughout the bible of God's grace, mercy, provisions, forgiveness, love, and so much more. There are instances that people could have cursed him and turned from him completely. Look at Job, he was a righteous man who loved the Lord. Even through his suffering, he thanked God. His own friends were telling him to curse God and die. I think he got a glimpse of the bigger picture...or maybe an aspect of God's character that we could only hope to see. Paul had so much persecution thrust upon him just by carrying out the great commission. Through his love for the Lord he took up that cross and carried it. Now, I am not...

It's no accident that today's topic is worship. I have been thinking about it lately. Not to mention, it was part of our sermon at church yesterday, and then today my sister told me an amazing story of awe inspiring worhsip. Here's a question: "what does worship mean to you?" Do you think of it as just singing songs or playing an intrument? Do you think of it as being in prayer..perhaps even constant prayer? I love to sing...I can't imagine not being able to sing to my Lord. One thing that I learned growing up was how to sign. I learned a lot from my Pa as he would sign every Sunday to the songs that he was lifting to God. I loved to just watch him. He didn't care what anyone else was doing..all he was interested in was worshipping the Lord. As I got older, I realized that I wanted to be in that constant state of worship. I wanted to block everything and everyone out and focus completely on God. I understood that when Pa was singing and signin...

Okay, so it's been a while since I have posted. No, I have not forgotten..believe me, I think about this every day. I have just not taken the time to sit and write what has been laid on my heart. So, I am going to do my best to keep up with it better now. I have been thinking alot about tithing lately. Now, you may ask.."then why is the title of this blog obedience?" Well, because tithing is an obedient act. Yes, it's a subject that many people shy away from. I have felt led to discuss this because I have heard many sermons lately that deal with this very topic. I will share what tithing has done for me recently. In the past, I have tried to tithe faithfully. I felt guilty at times when I could not monetarily give. I have a mother who would encourage me when I felt that way. She reminded me that tithing is not just a monetary act. It can also be your time that you tithe. I served on a board for three years and yes it was draining. However, God blessed ...

Okay, so lately there have been so many messages and conversations that have to do with spiritual gifts. I have heard sermons, gotten emails, had personal conversations with people, etc. I have been thinking about this for a whie now. Every time it comes up, I wonder what my spiritual gift(s) is. I had never taken one of the test to see what it/they could be. Recently I was told by a family member that she believed it to be singing (which falls in the category of music) and another close friend believed it to be hospitality. Well, I wasn't sure and I know that God speaks to people and we don't always see our gifts the way others do. So, I took a test to see what my spiritual gifts are. The first one that came up was: Music, followed by faith and then hospitality! See...amazing what others see. I thought it was something different the whole time. I wasn't sure what, because I believe that I posess other spiritual gifts. Actually, I think we all are born with all ...

How many times have you been listening to a song or see something in a store that just really speaks to you? Well, lately I have been noticing lots of things that seem to jump out at me. I started to wonder if I was just paying better attention to my surroundings, or if God was trying to get my attention. After further investigation into my heart, I discovered that I believe the latter scenario to be true. I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. I don't have a story of heading in the wrong direction and God pulled me out, I wasn't on a path that seemed to be destructive...or so I thought. Where am I going with this you ask? Well, this past weekend I had the privilege of going to visit with a very good friend. I had lots of time in the car to ponder different areas of my life. I started to think about the sermons I've heard lately, the devotions I've read, songs I've heard, plaques I've seen, Bible studies I'm involved in, so many thin...

Ok, now you might be asking right now why I sound like a boy scout leader! Well, I'm not a boy scout and I never will be. I do want to be prepared though. All around me lately, there are preparations being made. Some are preparing for: deployment, re-deployment, jobs, parenthood, leadership, marriage, to go home after being in therapy, and some are preparing to meet Jesus. Life just seems to be a gamut of preparations. Why am I asking about this? Well, recently I had the privilege of spending time with a very loving, caring, godly man who I like to call "Pa." A few months ago, pa fell and broke his hip. He has had surgery to repair it and he has been in physical therapy for about two months now. I am amazed every time I go to see him. He always makes sure that people are focused on the Lord and if they are "prepared" to meet him at any time. A few days after I was to arrive home, he was going to be having a meeting with the administrators in the esta...

My whole life, yes even to this very day 30 years later; my mom has always said, "patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace; both of these together make a very lovely face!" Now, as a young child I didn't quite get it. As a teen, my thought was, "yeah ok mom..sure, whatever." I was a teenager...what did you expect? As an adult, I am starting to understand that more. No, I don't know everything! Something I did learn as a teenager! So, what's with the "patience talk?" Well, today I finally took the plunge and decided to put my Christmas things away..hey I'm trying to keep the spirit alive all year! I had all of the decorations including the tree and all the trimmings, taken down, packed, and put back into storage within about 2 hours. Then, it was time to "re-set" the house to pre-Christmas. Growing up, my mom liked to move furniture around all the time..and she still does! That is something that I learned from her and I ...

Well, I've always heard that God has a sense of humor and I know that to be true. I also know that when we bring things into light and God lays things on our heart..haha surprise, he's going to test it! For instance, when posting something about unconditional faith, guess what?? He decided to test mine! Yes, I have my moments of question..but I pose this question again; am I going to slouch and be defeated, or stand strong in his promises? After all, has he ever steered me wrong? He has protected me my entire life from myself and the things in this world that attempt to distract me from his goodness and grace. My husband told me this morning that he is having numbness in his body when he turns his head one way or another. It seems to be an endless cycle sometimes when it comes to physical ailments. Now, I hae my moments of weakness and break down. I start doing that "woman thing" and questioning things and thinking way too far into the future. Instead of li...

My heart truly cries out and mourns with those who have been affected by the trauma in Haiti. Recently, I learned that a friend of mine has a young missionary friend down there and this 18 year old has not been found. My heart is praying and pleading God to allow her to be okay and be reunited with her family. Now, here is the question: in times of trouble, do you run for cover; or do you stand and face the giants leering down at you? Lately, I have been wondering about "true faith." True faith says: "when the world walks out on you, it doesn't matter," guess what? It was never about "the world." Yes, we are supposed to love others and we should be loving others. The problem comes in putting others thoughts above God's. God is the only one that matters and pleasing him should be at the top of our list of priorities. True faith, at least to me, is knowing God can and will...in HIS timing. It's not just trusting him when things seem p...

Okay, so last night I was looking at my blog and had someone tell me to check out a site to change the template. Well, while scrolling through the MANY pages of templates, we came across this one. I really loved the look of it to begin with, great eye appeal...and very me as my precious friend pointed out! Then, I took a look at the title of it. The title of this particular template is called, "Shhh...listen!" Wow! God really spoke to me in that moment. I never thought I would be a "blogger," but that is changing. I was reminded that even if nobody else reads this, I do and it's a therapeutic way of dealing with every day life. I used to write poetry all the time and got away from it for some reason that now seems trivial. When I looked at the title of the template, I started to think about how often do I just sit quietly and listen to what God has to tell me? Lately I have been slacking in my quiet time. I won't pretend that I do what I am sup...

Today has got me thinking about what I need to tell people. Truth be told, I have been thinking about it alot lately. Last night I saw a post on facebook that had people typing one word to describe you. The responses that came on my own personal profile were incredibly moving. As I sat reading what people thought about me, I was again struck with, "why do people wait until it's too late to tell others how they feel about them? and "have I told the people in my life just how much I love them and what they mean to me?" When I started thinking more about it, I discovered that I don't always tell people what I love about them. So, my challenge is this, each week, tell three or more people how you feel about them. It doesn't have to be long, it can be simply one word. Don't let the precious time we have here be winked away. For we know not what tomorrow holds. The only one who knows when we will take our last breath is God. Treasure the moments that...