Ce-le-bration Time C'mon!

It's a special time for James and I. After months of praying, writing, preparing and working with our producer and publisher, JRB's new CD and my book are out! We invite YOU, our friends and family to join us THIS Friday to celebrate. Help us bless "Church Without Walls" by bringing new socks and blankets. **A special thanks to ALL of you who support and partner with us in many ways that keep us encouraged in our ministry. We hope you come. It's going to be a blast!

Fashion Fiasco

One of the most embarrassing things I have ever done happened last Wednesday. I was in church that night after getting my "praise" on when I sat down and noticed that the shoes I was wearing were NOT the same! I almost fell off my chair when I realized that I had been wearing them ALL day long. I had gone to work, met my hubby for lunch and even met a friend for dinner before heading to church. I was SO embarrassed that I took off my shoes and went barefoot for the rest of the evening until it was time to go home. At that point, I took a picture of my feet and showed my husband what I did. He laughed his head off! Here's why:



Did you ever have an embarrasing moment like that? Much to my surprise, I received quite a few comments from my friends when I posted my pic on Facebook. I'm sure I served for a good laugh and I laughed as they shared their similar stories as well. So what did I learn from my fashion fiasco? Yes, I need to pay attention to what I look like more before I leave my house in the morning! But more importantly, I was reminded that I'm human who is bound to make a fool of myself from time to time. Yes, at times we can be foolish, but never too foolish for God not to love us or not to use us.

I Corinthians 1:25-31 says, Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Thank the Lord that He doesn't call the equipped, but equips the called and among those I stand. Yes, even in all my foolishness (and I'm not talking about only my shoes!), I am chosen. May you be encouraged today as I was...to not let the silly things or sometimes, even the hard things, get you down because it is in Christ (not ourselves) that we boast!

Living It Up!

It's here!! I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning when my book arrived last week. Due to some delays in getting my book to this point, the anticipation had building for weeks. It was one thing to have seen the text in PDF form and the digital cover, but to see and feel it "live and in paperback" was really exciting.

Here's a little info on my book:

Living it Up!” is for anyone wanting to take their life to the next level no matter where they are. Whether you want change or simply want more in your life, this book will help you experience the life Jesus came to give you in greater measure. A better life is waiting for you through four key lifestyles: new life living, intentional living, sacrificial living, and supernatural living. You will find spiritual truths and practical insight to help stretch you in all areas of your life. Learn how “living it up” God’s way can change you from the inside out. This is your life. Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best for you!

Living it Up! can be read by an individual or even done in a bible study group setting. There is a worksheet at the end of each chapter to help the readers personally apply what they are reading. My prayer is that all who read "Living It Up!" will be encouraged, challenged and equipped to follow Christ more closely and experience more of the life Jesus came to give. If you're interested in ordering your own copy, you can at www.rochelleroots.com.

To Him be ALL the glory!!

Living it up with you,

Rochelle

Free AND Independent

Today is the second day of school for my two boys and Uriah (my 6 year old) got up bright and early. It's not so much that he's excited about going to school as much as he's excited to ride his bike to school! You see he recently learned to do this about a month ago. Even though our older son Jalen (who's 7) knew how to ride his bike last year, Uriah didn't, so they both walked to and from school. However, it's a new day! Uriah's always been free to ride his bike, but he did not have the ability to exercise that right. However, now that Uriah can actually ride his bike, he's ready to exercise his new independence.

I live in the great USA and we have many freedoms and rights that people around the world do not. For example, the right to worship is one of them. However, even though many Americans are "free" to worship, they don't exercise that right. To take this even further, Jesus died on the cross to give us freedom from the land of sin, but yet some choose NOT to receive Him and be independent from that dictatorship. Therefore, without Jesus, you may have the right to freedom but not the ability to leave the land of sin.

One thing God showed through my son this morning is that as a Christian, I need to be excited about exercising my freedom of independence from sin. It's mine and I don't want to take it for granted. What about you? Are you a believer exercising your right of independence? If so, be excited about it! Read these following verses out loud as a reminder to yourself that you not only have the right to freedom, but you're blessed to exercise your independence!

Romans 6:1-3 (The Message) “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—anew life in a new land!”

6:12-14 (The Message) “That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember,you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”

Blessed in the land of the free in the US and in Jesus!!

The Conception of a Dream

For years I knew that God wanted me to write a book. It was one of those dreams that was in me but it wasn't very pressing. I knew that someday, somehow, someway, God would give me more direction. Well, last year after our Corpus Christi Living the Life Women's Conference, the book idea was birthed from my message. The dream was conceived. I now knew what I was to write about!

As with any pregnancy, there is a nine month preparation period. Well, since last year's conference, life has been very busy and crazy (as it always is!), but with determined vigor and focused efforts, I made myself sit down and write. I'll be honest with you, it wasn't easy. At times I was so tired that I wondered whether I had anything good to say. At other times, I felt like I didn't have words at all. However, when it is GOD who conceives something in you, that dream comes from Him and so does the inspiration and motivation to bring it to pass. I endured my trying trimesters and kept on writing.

Due to unexpected life circumstances, it delayed me writing my book by my deadline. It was now mid June and as a result, I had to find a different editor and publisher FAST, not to mention additional monies! I was beside myself. I just prayed and asked God for His intervention. I was amazed at how within a two day period, God provided EVERYTHING I needed. Yes, within two days!! I received it as God's divine provision and affirmation that my book was His will and more than that, His message.

I now pause to ask, "So what about you? Has God conceived something in you?" I pray that the Lord will give you clarity, strength, determination and provision to help you bring it to fruition. Don't give up on your dreams! Yes, life throws us curve balls and we may be detoured or delayed, but choose to be determined and focused as you trust Him who gave you the dream to begin with. After all, it is still His dream. He just chose you to be the carrier. He is the one who brings it to pass!

Well, I'm eight months pregnant with "Living it Up! Four Lifestyle Keys to Help You Live the Life Jesus Came to Give" and my baby will soon be birthed in September. I'm a happy and blessed momma to be!! My greatest desire and prayer is that my book will help countless of believers (or even nonbelievers!) to grow in their personal relationship with God and live the life Jesus came to give in greater measure.

My prayer for you is that God will continue to develop in you His dream (or dreams) and that the pregnancy process will birth His destiny in your life in amazing ways! AMEN.

Draw Me Nearer!

As some of you may remember, our theme for last year’s Corpus Christi conference was “Reaching Higher” and our song was inspired by the woman with the issue of blood who pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Well, this year, our conference theme is “Draw Me Nearer” and our new theme song was inspired by another woman found in the Bible.

As I was writing the lyrics for our new song, the Holy Spirit showed me a picture of Mary, the sister of Martha. Remember them? Imagine with me. Martha is frantically going back and forth from the kitchen to serve Jesus and whoever else was there. After all, this was her house and she was wanting to be a proper host. Then, out of nowhere, Mary decides to take a break to sit at Jesus’ feet. Well, as we know, Martha didn’t quite like that, but Jesus quickly reminded Martha that Mary had chosen the best part.

I don’t know about you, but I can probably relate most to Martha as there are always things to do, places to go and people to see. However, I am reminded by the Holy Spirit (almost on a daily basis!) that I need to slow down and spend some time before my Master and choose the best part. These two women loved Jesus. Martha was a servant. Mary was a worshiper and guess what? We can be both.

As you read the lyrics to our conference theme song this year below, I ask you to read them out loud and make it your prayer today. May we be reminded of Mary and how like her, we too need to take time out of our busy schedules to be still before our Lord and cry out to Him, “Draw Me Nearer!”

May I sit at Your feet
Let this world fade away
As You sing over me
With the unforced rhythms of Your grace

May I gaze into Your eyes
Will You speak life to me
Let Your words pierce my heart
May they bring me to my knees

Draw me nearer, closer to You
Take me deeper in the shelter of Your hiding place
Pull me further into the depths of Your endless love
Draw me nearer in the mysteries of
the mysteries of You

I cry holy cause Your worthy
I cry holy cause Your worthy
I cry holy cause Your worthy
I cry holy cause Your worthy

The Real Me

We just had a wonderful time in Taft, Texas this past weekend as the Living the Life team and I shared with a group of women. One of my talks was entitled "The Real Me".

I shared about how we need to take off our masks before God and before one another. Jesus warned against wearing masks like the Pharisees:

"...But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town." Luke 12:1-3 (Message)

Jesus is concerned for us. Lord help us NOT to be phony or double minded! We are not to pretend to be something that we're not. A great example of someone who chose to be real is the woman who poured the expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus as she washed them with her tears and dried them with her hair. Mary's story can be found in all four gospels.

Mary knew Jesus was the real deal and came to a breaking point. She made a decision that she was not going to keep living the same way anymore. Unlike Simon the Pharisee who was hiding behind his mask of religion, Mary chose to remove her mask of reputation and be real with Jesus. That's not to mention that she did this during a dinner party in a room FULL of people. Wow! She was being real and didn't care who was there to see it. Yes, she was criticized by Simon and others, but Jesus defended her realness and her act of worship to Him. As a result, she found forgiveness, healing and freedom. And not only that, the fragrance of her perfume filled the room and served as a witness to all.

I want us to be encouraged that this world is not looking for perfect Christians, just REAL Christians. Christians who choose to remove their masks of religion, reputation, self preservation, etc. to allow Jesus to shine through their true faces. You'd be surprised how God can use those blemishes we try to hide. Those scars can serve as a testimony to others of how in the midst of our brokenness and pain, we found hope in a God who forgives, heals and restores.

Choose to show your true face to God and to others so you can be trustworthy and gracious enough to allow others to be real with you, too. After all, God is not glorified in perfection, but in brokenness. I love these lyrics from Natalie Grant's song entitled "The Real Me":

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life into
A perfect tapestry
I just wanna be me

But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Oh,Cause you see the real me

And you love me just as I am
Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When you look at me

AMEN.