The Real OC

Occupations. Doctor. Lawyer. Teacher. Engineer. Artist. Designer. Stylist. Caterer. Entrepreneur. This is what the world sees as occupations. And, perhaps, it makes sense to call a job an occupation in the sense that you spend a majority of your time at your respective place of business. But what if an occupation was more than just a title or set of duties associated with a career? What if an occupation was a mindset and a lifestyle as commanded by God?

To occupy literally means to fill up, take space, or reside in a place. What's interesting about our worldly occupations is that they tend not only to occupy our time but also pre-occupy our minds with the busyness of life. And lots of times, within this shuffle between what we do and who we are, we lose site of who we are supposed to be. We get caught up in trivial matters. Do things we shouldn't do. Say things we shouldn't say. And we forget that we are put on earth, not to serve purposes of our own - but to serve a Holy God. We become our occupations instead of letting our occupation be that of becoming consumed with Christ.

If an occupation was a mindset and a lifestyle as commanded and directed by God, we would in turn allow God to occupy us, fill us up, take space in us, and reside in us. And what happens when an object becomes filled with a certain substance? Like a cup filled to the brim, we would begin pouring out upon the area around us. In Luke 19:13, Jesus gives a simple yet profound directive as He provides the parable of the 10 minas. "Occupy till I come." As we wait for the return of Christ, we should all be following this command to "Occupy." Occupy here essentially means using our gifts, energies, and time to add unto the kingdom of God. Yet, how can you occupy when you are not first occupied with the God?

This is the directive for SheRocks (Shekinah Rocks Ministries) this year - helping others to be occupied by God so that we can all "Occupy till [Christ] come[s]." As we prepare for this new thrust, called Occupy(Me), in which more details will be provided in days to come, won't you ask yourself a few questions:

     -1.) Is the majority of my time spent doing or thinking about things of God?
     -2.)  If what was inside of me spilled out onto others, would it be pleasing to God?
     -3.)  Do I know how to make more room for God in my daily life?

If the answer to any of these questions was "No" we are praying that you will consider joining with us in this Occupy(Me) initiative. Please stay plugged in with us and tuned in so that you can be apart of this move of God. After all, He wants you to experience the Real OCcupy.

Keep Your Bags Packed

As 2012 comes to a close, one thing is very apparent. Many times, as we prepare to travel to a new destination, we pack our bags in preparation for the weather or the season of the place we will be arriving. However, as we journey with God this cannot be the same mindset we use in life. While God may give us hints and glimpses of what He may have in store for us, we will never know completely where He is taking us. As in 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

" But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Because of this, we cannot pack our bags adequately.

Therefore, SheRocks encourages you, as we encourage ourselves, to pack our bags full of the weighty things that would hinder us from walking in God's perfect will for our lives. We have no desire to see the same old tired wardrobe that is unbecoming and ill-fitting for the new season God is bringing us to; the wardrobe is outdated for a reason. For some of us, old wardrobe includes broken relationships, bad finances, difficult jobs, and/or a combination of all of these. We owe it to God and to ourselves to keep our bags packed AND let the door of 2012 close behind them, never to be opened, revisited, or unpacked again.
Let us take this time to reflect upon which things need to pass away so that God can do a new thing in us. A shift in 2013 is upon us, and we don't want you left behind because you were too busy unpacking your bags!
Love you! TGBTG!

Blast from the Past...yet it Still Lasts

Sometimes, taking a look back into our diaries or journals from the past, we learn so much about where we were and how far we've come...this original piece was written almost 2 years ago now (January 26, 2010). Quite frankly, it still holds true.  We hope you enjoy...TGBTG always.

I.Can't.Believe.I.Never.Realized.
I can't believe I never realized
How much he truly loves me...
Everyday without fail he is up before I wake
Lovingly watching me sleep...

And when I finally get out of bed
He is there waiting to help me on my way
Even when I don't have time to greet him
He still continues loving me anyway

I don't understand how he never gets tired
Because I call him all the time
And no matter how busy he could be
He is always ready to hear whats on my mind

And when I am working or going about my day
He sends me small reminders without cease
Just to make sure that I am certain of his love
So, that I can function not in stress but in peace

I can barely seem to fathom
How he can continue to patiently wait
When I've been too busy to even pause
To tell him that I loved him at all today

And regardless of mistakes in my past
He never stops seeing the best in me
Even at my worst and in my darkest hour
He still continues to invest in me

I can't bring myself to grasp
How sometimes I put him on trial
Even after days of not talking
He still manages to embrace me with a smile

And when I'm upset and alone at night
Unable to fall asleep because I can't stop the tears
He is readily on-call to come at my request
And gently whisper his love into my ear

I don't comprehend his ability
To see past the mess in my life
He keeps reassuring me of his role
To simply love me for the rest of my life

And sometimes I feel so overwhelmed
Because I never paid attention before
...never realized how much he knew about me
And how he longs to have me more

I can't believe I never realized
How much he truly loves me...
So much that he gave his own blood
To be sacrificed on calvary

And now I promise you God
That I will try to be the best I can be
I pledge my life, my love, and my body to you
...Because you first loved me

Emptying Out to Be Filled and Consumed

Wow.  What can we say but Glory to God!  On this day, 1 day before the official SheRocks Ministries launch, we both are very aware of the realness of ministry and the responsibility to God and His people.  We are humbled and so grateful for the opportunity to embark on this journey of serving God.

Today, it seems God is impressing in our spirits the importance of emptying out.  In order to be effective in ministry and to be effectively consumed by God, we have to be filled full of His love for us.  True to the Ministries' foundational scripture (2 Chronicles 7:1 "When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple." - NIV), what is apparent is that there is a burning sensation when becoming consumed by God's glory.  Not that it necessarily hurts as in literally being burned, but there is a flame that comes to incinerate those things that are not needed and set ablaze the things that have been fueled by the Holy Spirit.  This means that it is our duty to not try to hold on to things that have no business being in our lives, our bodies, our hearts, and our minds.  It is our desire that Shekinah Rocks will be a living, breathing example of striving daily to allow His consuming power and glory to reign in our lives.

Do we expect this to be easy?  No (Lol, the answer to that was easy)!  We know that it will be by nobody's help but the Father above.  But we know, beyond a shadow of doubt, it is so neccessary for us to BE the ministry, not to partake or just 'do' ministry on the side.  We pray that from SheRocks' blog, FB, Twitter, YouTube, and website that you will be able to infuse your daily lives with more of God, so that you too can be consumed by Him in all areas of your life!  God is so worthy of our all, our everything, our BEST...not just what's left after we've done everything we wanted to do.  We love God and we love you and are praying for you!

Be sure and comment, leave us a message, hit up our website (http://www.shekinahrocks.com/), Like Us on Facebook @Shekinah Rocks Ministries, Follow Us on Twitter @ShekinaRocks, Subscribe to our Youtube channel @ShekinahRocks!  TGBTG!!!

SheRocks is Gearing Up...

Its been a crazy month!  We've been taking a crash course in website design, filing necessary paperwork, honing our God given ideas/talents, studying, meditating, planning, budgeting...you name it, we've done it and are still in the process of doing it!  We sincerely pray that our ministry journey will be a blessing to you and a fragrant aroma unto our Father in Heaven.

Until we launch, we will periodically be posting some updates filled with our progress, spiritual food for thought, and whatever else the Lord may lay on our hearts to share.  Please feel free to follow us here or on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and/or Suscribe to our YouTube channel!  We truly appreciate your support and ask you to continue to pray for us as well! We will be doing the same for you!  TGBTG