What Is Real?

As you very well know, the title of this Blog is, "What If We Were Real?"

The inspiration for the title came from a song by Mandisa by the same name "What If We Were Real?"

But what does it mean to be real?


In this post I am going to explain what I think that question means.





Back in August I had the opportunity to attend a Beth Moore: Living Proof Conference with some ladies from my church.

As I listened to her speak, I felt like she was talking straight to me. Not over my head, not below me, and not at me...but to me.

She laughed. She wept. She shouted. She was alive and full of energy. When the band came on stage for worship she was right there with them praising Gos and singing.

During one of the breaks, a friend of mine made the comment "I just love watching Beth, she is so real. You can tell she has a heart for what she does."

That comment still rings through my head now, nearly 2 months later.

I want to be like Beth! I want be thought of as "real"

But how?

Well first of all we need to admit we aren't perfect.

We need to get it out of our heads that we are some type of super human beings that can handle everything by ourself.
Even Beth doesn't do it all.

She has Travis to lead worship
She has camera men/women
She has publishers, web designers, and booking agents
And I guarantee you she has a strong support of friends and family to lend a hand when the need arises.

Second, we need not care what people think of us.

Beth is a speaker....a poised professional speaker, that just so happened to join in on stage during worship even though she claimed to not be a singer.

So many of us are afraid to do anything fun or out of the ordinary just because people might think we are weird! Let them! At least you are having fun. The Bible even says we should be a peculiar people.
Why focus on being serious all the time? There is time to play regardless of what people say,

Thirdly, Be open and sympathetic.

We need to show concern for others.
How can we expect others to be open with us if we show no sympathy....and how can we expect others to sympathize with us if we don't share our burdens?
It all goes back to point one....we aren't perfect and we need not claim to be. It's ok to show weakness.
In fact sometimes, and I am stating this from experience, It takes more courage and guts to open up than it does to keep everything bottled up

and lastly, we need to remember that main purpose.

Just like I said in my last post, its not about earthly things. If we want to be real for God, we need to be a constant witness of His goodness.  We need to share the good things He does for us and praise His name. We need to remember that saving souls should be our number one focus.

In closing.

It takes a lot to become real.
We are all born real, but society puts us in a little box that says we have to be a certain way and do things a certain way. We become like everyone else, so....cookie cutter in a way. We aren't the real people God vreated us to be.

We become copies of what societies idea of real is which is the opposite of God's idea of real.

I once heard it said that one of the hardest things to do is to stand up in the midst of a fake world and be real....

God made you special. Not perfect and not self-sufficient. He made us to be real, and He wants us to stay that way.


Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

What Matters Most

Tonight concluded a four day long series of revival services at my church.

And let me just be completely honest with you, the Lord is doing something great in the midst of His people.

I went into the revival with the attitude of "bless me if you can"....an attitude that doesn't get you much of any where.

I was letting little comments tick me off.
I was bringing outside drama into the sanctuary, that didn't need to be there.

I sat with my arms crossed and warmed a seat until the closing prayer was said and I could leave.


Satan had his hand over my eyes and he was blinding me to the reality of what was going on around me.

He told me the lie that since the revival theme was "Biblical Basics" that there wasn't anything I could get out of it.

"You have been in church your whole life....why do you need to sit and hear the basics all over again."
That was the lie, and that's what I believed.

I was ready for it to be over! I wanted my evenings back. I was tired.

Lucky though for me, a good friend had been praying for God to get my attention.
And slowly yet surely, my wall began to crumble...til at the end I was balling my eyes out (along with everyone else).

Guys, I saw 7 teenagers come to know Christ tonight as their personal Lord and Savior. Count them 7!!!
TALK ABOUT A MIRACLE!!!

Kinda puts everything else into perspective a little more if you ask me.

I've heard people talking a lot about reasons why they chose a certain church over another.
Some of the more recent ones are...

• the type of music
• size of the congregation 
• the pastor's preaching style
• activities
• and my personal favorite.....which one has the best restaurants nearby 

We have lost our focus!
Is the church harvesting souls??? Is the church preaching the truth with authority??
Those are the questions we should ask!

I will admit, my church isn't the largest church in the world, or in the country, or the state, or the city, or even on the street... and by some people's standards, it could even be classified as tiny.

I caught myself becoming a little jealous at the beginning of tonight's service.
I was coveting the numbers and talents found in a another local church. (how silly)
Caught myself wondering that maybe if we had more people....we would have more of God.
(which isn't the case, because the Bible clearly says that where 2 are gathered in His name He is there with them.)

But I tell you what. I have seen God do more in my tiny church over the past couple weeks than I have ever seen Him do! There is no denying His presence is flowing freely in the midst of our people. He is touching and changing lives on a weekly basis.

The revival week has come to an end. Life is going back to normal. (whatever that is)
Commitments and decisions were made. But will they be stuck with?
Thank God that even though the services are over, He is still sticking around.
Lord knows He ain't finished with me yet.
He is never really finished with any of us. Not until He returns or calls us home.

Until that time comes.
Remember what matters the most.

This post wasn't just meant just to brag on my church, it was meant to brag on the God my church serves.
It was meant to help me and anyone else to re-focus their minds on what truly matters.


Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3