Hats

HATS by Rachelle Phipps

When you see me in town, then hear about things I do at home, well, it creates a lot of mystery. I kill opossums under my chicken coop one day, holding them up for the world to see on Facebook, and then show up in heels and skinny jeans the next. I'm really not who I seem to be, because I have to wear a lot of hats. I'm wearing the hat of an army wife and have been for over a decade, so I have to be resourceful and resilient and forgiving and sexy (more on that later) all at the same time. I say sexy, because that's how I maintain my sanity and it's a survival mechanism for feeling like I have it all together (plus I believe we should be good-looking for our men -more on that later). The more I look put-together and fashionable, the more you can bet, that it has been a stressful day and I honestly took 18 minutes to do something for myself, for once... As an army wife, my other survival mechanism is ferociously cleaning two days prior to my husband leaving and for a week after he leaves. I've come to realize it's the only thing I feel I have control over in this lifestyle.


I wear the hat of a veteran homeschooling mom and that one is quite puzzling. I'm never sure exactly how I feel about it because some days are amazing and grace-filled and perfect, and some days it feels like a Wild West show in which I created the performers. It's worth it though, especially on the days that I internalize the fact that my five kids are learning more than just academics, but life skills, ability to interact with any age, and a great work ethic (yes, I know they can learn those things in public school too, but let me just have this moment). Mostly, I'm just happy that I get to spend my whole day with them. Honest truth. ‪#‎phippsfamilyhomeschool‬



Speaking of the five children (and maybe more in the future), that's my other hat. I wear the hat of mom to a tribe of quirky kids who detest the questions I get from strangers: "don't you know how that happens?" or the questions they get from strangers: "Is that your sister or your mom?", (speaking of me) and "Why aren't you at school?" I like this hat though; I always wanted 6 or 8 kids and God's been good to us. Being a mom is fantastic work and I can honestly say I love every moment of it. Really. I was only supposed to be the mom of three but now I get to be the mom of five so I cherish every part...every season...every day. ‪#‎soblessed‬


My other hat should be labeled "network marketing enthusiast", because seriously, I wish I could join them all! I dabbled around in two network marketing companies before I found "my people" and "my thang". Yes I said thang, not thing...a thing is something you just do because you have to...a thang is something you're passionate about and good at. So I do my thang and love every minute of it. It's not going away any time soon!! ‪#‎plexusforlife‬
Another hat I wear is "small farm owner" but the farm seems really big when I'm trying to take care of it by myself. This is the hat covered in grass from weed-eating, dirt from gardening, and horse hair from riding bareback on the mare that I've owned since I was 10...I don't like to ride other horses; just her. The kids and I sell chicken and duck eggs on Sunday. Chickens have always been a passion of mine but owning ducks has turned out to be my niche so the "duck-girl" hat isn't getting discarded any time soon, either. There's too much to mention with this farm-woman hat. It encompasses my life...hence the reason I feel the need to dress up, even to church and Awana, or the grocery store. I'm a hillbilly bum, the rest of the time, so that's my only time to feel like a lady! ‪#‎hillbillycharm‬ ‪#‎kybluegrassgirl‬ ‪#‎thatduckgirl‬



One hat that confuses the hell out of me is my "Lover" hat. I'm a wife to someone who is incompatible with me but completes me in every way. Later you'll hear about a hat that is the epitome of antithesis (you know...the opposite of what you would think) and this one is like that hat, except I call it the epitome of contradiction. Everything I am that is good and worthwhile is not what he is. Everything in me that I am terrible or useless at, he excels at. Everything in him that is wonderful and true and pure, I am not even close to being. Everything in him that is undesirable, and worthless, I have an easier time with. Marriage was not created to make you happy. It was created to make you holy and IT WILL, IF YOU LET IT. The marriage hat is the hat I could pull my hair out along with, but I don't. To me, the marriage hat is as serious as the next one I'll be talking about. The commitment hat is what this marriage hat should be called...not always...but always when it can be. It should be sexy too, when it can be. Not always, but when it can be. Not when you're pushing an 8-pound human being into the world, but all other times. Sexy and committed. That's what I try to be. I think those two things will have you covered. You're not going anywhere and you look amazing where you're not going. Done deal. I need a hashtag for this area of my life...how about ‪#‎sexyandstaying‬ Cooking is important too, but I learned the hard way that it's not the most important. Sexy while cooking is snazzy though. Just don't fry bacon naked.



Besides all that I've mentioned and the ones I don't have time to mention, like: sister to three amazing people...friend to many (though I seriously suck at this one)... lover of all things Dwight Yoakam (most of my life- goals revolve around something to do with Dwight ‪#‎timedontmattertome‬ or the TV show LOST)...daughter of two fine people... hater of Pinterest (seriously, I hate Pinterest)... housekeeper (if you know me, this is one thing I do excel at...if nothing else...at least I've succeeded at the cleanliness-is-next-to-godliness thang-->notice I said Thang) ...amateur writer who struggles with security, competency, and capability issues, not to mention...finding the time to write and avoiding dangling modifiers (I definitely had to edit one sentence up there that sounded like I was selling chicken and duck eggs along with my children)...and many other hats that aren't worth listing, my last hat is who I really am under all the fluff. It's the hat that really defines me. I don't think many people know who they really are. They don't know the hat that really defines them. But I do. It's holey, its worn, its the opposite of everything you think it should be, it's been with me since I was 19 and selfish and proud and mean-turned-redeemed. It has stuck with me when I was self-righteous and judgemental and when I didn't deserve to wear it. It hung topsy-turvey, holding on by a thread, when I was heart-broken and desperate for real love and acceptance. When everything else was stripped from me, and I had nothing left to cover the humiliation and nakedness of a raw heart, I wore it because it was all I had left to wear. Even when I had to pin it, to keep it in place, this hat convinced me to keep it on; that it was worth it. When I went through circumstances that would cause most to throw this hat in the air and high-tail it outta there, this hat promised me it would never forsake me, so I didn't forsake it. This hat has seen nights of depression and desperate fighting down in the muck, for my place and purpose...valleys of disappointment, betrayal, confusion, cuss words in my journal, teardrops on the pillow... This hat has been to the mountains of promises fulfilled many times over, blessings bestowed on my undeserving life, the sewing and binding up of a wounded heart, extreme victories over captive, pet, and even non-conscious sins brought to the light. This hat is the real me. This is the hat that Christ himself gave me to wear. The other hats I chose to wear. This hat I chose, but it was also chosen for me in some weird, predestined, theological, way that I can't explain. There's this balance between laying your whole life down and giving up everything, but at the same time taking up something that's being freely given and placing it on your head and the only reason you are wearing it is because Christ chose to put it right there in your path. Christ predestined my path and where it would lead and he placed that hat there for me to find, and there in the slum of life, in the dirt of a twisted trail, I desperately gave up everything (just like I do to this very day), and I chose to place that hat on my head. I choose this hat everyday, but it also chose me. And it's white....Good thing.

Valentines Day All Month ~ Day 5 ~ Gentile Soldier

February 5, 2014 · Valentines Day All Month ~ Day 5 ~ Gentile Soldier


We are all Gentiles unless born as Israelites, but there is a uniqueness in the Gentile Soldier. Even more-so the believing, washed-in-the-blood, redeemed, righteous, Gentile Soldier. Rewind 2000 odd years...imagine a brown and green sandy shore, palm trees and ugly olive trees scattered around, walled houses of the town in front of you, fishermen, boats and nets, and the Sea of Galilee behind you. Capernaum. An Israelite man, the Word wrapped in flesh, wearing sandals and a robe, enters the town. He's greeted by Jewish elders sent by the Roman soldier. The Centurion. The one said later, to be the greatest in faith in Israel. The Gentile. The Jews hate him. He only has a few Jewish friends....the ones he sent to Jesus, even though he's done much for the Jews. He's a delegator. He has a hundred men under him. He's busy. Plus, he has this problem that's stressing him out. His servant, who he regards highly (listen...he respects those lower than he...he respects a slave), is sick and close to death. He sends his Jewish friends to Jesus. Why didn't he go himself? There's three reasons, plus a bonus reason. They unlock why he was the greatest in faith in Israel, but not only that: the reason any soldier is great, or becomes great....

Number 1: the soldier knew that he had to multitask. He needed to use his time wisely. He needed to maximize what had been given him. So he delegated. He shows wisdom, commitment, maturity, stewardship of his resources, responsibility, and fore-thought. All Of these qualities make up a great soldier.

Number two: He sent his Jewish friends, so that it would not cause a ruckus in the presence of Jesus, since Jesus was likely on his way to the Jewish synagogue...if he had gone himself, it would have caused an uproar because he was hated by most of the Jews. This would have prolonged the healing of his slave-friend. Again, the soldier shows tactful thinking, logical reasoning. He's smart. More great qualities in a soldier.

And number three, the exact reason (if you've ever wondered) why this soldier was said to have the greatest faith in all of Israel: this man knew that he didn't need to be present to have his orders carried out, JUST LIKE Jesus didn't need to be present to heal his slave. It only took faith. And not just plain ole faith. This was faith from a roman gentile who had no religious or Christian upbringing. He was just like many of us.


If these things aren't enough to blow your mind, there's also this tidbit tucked away in Luke 7: he didn't come to Jesus himself, because he felt he didn't deserve to be in the presence of his Lord. He demonstrated a humility not often seen in soldiers. Even though he had a hundred men UNDER him, he knew there was still authority OVER him. He lived humbly under the Lordship of Christ. He carried out his duties with honor. He surrounded himself with men (the Jewish elders that he had befriended) who could teach him. He wasn't above being taught. He wasn't below giving orders. He led with competence but lived under Lordship. Not only this but think about it: why would any of us feel we don't deserve to be in the presence of Christ? Maybe there was some shame behind him. Maybe there was some sin behind him that made him feel he didn't deserve to be near his savior. Maybe he didn't quite know his identity yet, but I can guarantee you that if he had been Moses, I doubt he'd need to be asked to remove his sandals at the burning bush. Just saying.


And one last quality of this great man: He HAD a servant but he WAS ONE! He served Christ by helping to build the synagogue in Capernaum. We don't know if he literally helped build it with his hands or if he donated money for it to be built. If he donated money it was probably anonymously done. Wow! No wonder Jesus said in the hearing of self-righteous Jews and hypocritical Pharisees, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." While he likely mopped the brow of his servant-friend fretting over his life, and dare we imagine: probably changing his bedpan and bedding, he lived out Jesus's words without even knowing it...."Whoever does something for the least of these, does it for me", said Jesus. 'Last will be first'...'Least will be greatest'... 'God gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud'.... ........God gives grace to the humble...... I daresay.....God in human flesh probably gave a lot of grace that day in Capernaum. He healed a soldier's servant-friend....AND....told him he had the greatest faith in all of Israel.... And maybe....just maybe that Centurion had killed Christians in the past....maybe he had been a carouser.....a drunkard....greedy.....an idol worshipper....HE WAS SOMETHING....SOME KIND OF SINNER LIKE WE ALL ARE..... God gives grace to the humble.... <3 References: Luke 7:1-10 Note: The story is also told in Matthew 8:5-13, to which it is written that the Centurion did go to Christ himself. This is not a contradiction but a difference in how it was written and why, by each author: In dealing with the messengers Jesus was dealing with the centurion. Matthew wrote to Jews, so he emphasized the gentile man's faith. Luke wrote to Gentiles so he emphasized the good relationship between the Jewish friends and the Centurion, trying to highlight the need for barriers to be broken down (racial, ethnic, and social barriers). It's also good to remember that Luke is known for his more detailed writing than any of the other gospel writers. Hope that makes sense. :)