Rachel's Radical Rantings

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...