Rochinda Pickens On Trusting The Process And Her New Book, ‘The Life I Love’
ENERGIZING, EMPOWERING, EFFECTIVE, creative and unique are a few words that define Rochinda. She is a wife, mother, national best-selling author, motivational speaker, life shift coach, philanthropist, owner of Chinda & Friends LLC, and the founder of Kept Woman of God Ministry, a ministry that impacts and empowers women globally. She is also a member of Sister Circle of Greater Kansas City as well as a proud member of Concord Fortress of Hope. Rochinda is a vessel being used by God to reach, teach, & inspire others by sharing her testimony, From Being Kept to Being Kept. “Until I surrendered my life and allowed God to lead me, I was a mess, not knowing it. I actually thought I was good until I experienced what a close personal relationship with God was, Rochinda says.
Raised by a single mother, Rochinda grew up the sixth child of seven. She recalls growing up being insecure and not knowing her worth. While searching for a relationship with her absentee father, she reached for substitutes, only filling a void that led to a winding road of false beliefs. As she experienced what she thought was the life she desired and deserved, suddenly, a shift happened. In 2007 both Rochinda and her husband of 20 years were in a tragic car accident. “I lost my late husband. That’s when my journey started,” she says. “God had to break me all the way down to build me all the way back up for me to know where my source came from, where my strength came from. And to let me know that I was not alone.”
What most people thought would shatter and destroy, Rochinda completely transformed her life. In 2009, Rochinda surrendered her life over to Christ. “I remember just saying, yes, Lord use me for whatever you have for me to do for your glory.” And that’s exactly what God did. There was a sudden change in the way she walked and the way she talked. Doors were opening up for Rochinda, and she was being pulled out of her comfort zone.
After healing and embracing who she was, Rochinda remarried a God-fearing man who she loves and adores. She reminds her husband he has her at her best. In 2016 Rochinda hosted her first women’s conference, the “Kept Woman of God” conference, where she shared her testimony with over 140 women in attendance. Because of Rochinda’s obedience to God in hosting her conference and sharing her story, she started seeing transformations taking place in her life and other women.
In 2017, she wrote her first book, “From Being Kept to Being Kept,” her testimony of how God released her totally from the misconception of what a KEPT WOMAN looks and acts like. “The next thing I know, this book becomes a best-seller, and my conferences became yearly where I went from having over 140 to now hosting a conference with well over 300 women.”
God allowed Rochinda to be on this journey to pour into women and to help women share their stories. “A kept woman and a kept woman of God may seem the same on the outside. But the inside of a kept woman of God is totally different”, Rochinda explains, “And I have been both. This is why I have always found myself connecting with those women. Rather we want to admit it or not. I already know what that dark space is going to look like when you’ve been broken and all you need to do is just look at how the needle was moving”.
The following year (2018), Rochinda released another book called Picking Up The Pieces, a collaboration with nine other authors of true stories that speak the truth about brokenness, betrayal, pain and loss. Each chapter shared evidence of the on-time GOD we serve regardless of what our circumstances are. “In this book, we helped women and men move out of that comfort zone so they can be seen and heard for God’s glory,” while picking up the pieces.
Rochinda released her newest book, “The Life I Love,” a collaboration of true stories revealing transformations that lead to living a life worth celebrating while embracing the now. The stories are evidence of the grace given for service and God’s divine timing regardless of our circumstances. “This journey has been amazing, and I’m always in awe with everything that has taken place; I know it’s not me,” Rochinda says.
Before putting herself into this project, Rochinda prayed over this book for a while because she knew its release would have affected so many people: she prayed over the title, the authors, and the purpose of the book. God revealed that what she had gone through was because somebody else needs to know where her strength comes from. But this book does not only tell her testimony: Rochinda is one author out of another nine amazing women “who are actually enjoying the life they love,” whose “stories reflect why they love what they do.”
When she figured out what kind of women she wanted to collaborate with, Rochinda prayed for each author she would invite on this project. Then she decided to operate in a very precise way: “I hand-selected each author, and I sent out an email,” Rochinda says. The particularity is that “Nobody knew who was in the book. I did not want them to be a part of something based on who else was part of it. I wanted them to be a part of something because they wanted to be a part of it”. Obviously, the mystery about the authors was put to an end after a Zoom meeting, which was planned to let each woman introduce herself and get to know each other better. The writing of the book was a very special process, and Rochinda defined it as “beautiful” and fulfilling for each author. Through this collaboration, they had the opportunity to start a new journey and share their stories preparing each for a new platform that God orchestrated for each.
Readers will be able to identify themselves during the reading, and they will also be able to start loving the life God blessed them with. Besides, as Rochinda added, the purpose of The Life I love“is about creating experiences of sisterhood, experiences that feel good” and memorable. She grew up with five sisters (and one brother), so she really knows her stuff about sisterhood. Thanks to the large presence of women in her family, Rochinda learned how to deal with different unique personalities. She did not know at the time, but that was the preparation for what she is doing today. However, this book is not only for women; it also helps men have a new perspective on women surrounding their lives (Rochinda confirmed that this book had men give their reviews).
God is using her life to reach out to people who perhaps are a little confused about where they are in life and on their purpose. The important thing “is to start moving forward and be intentional about everything. Be intentional about the next step,” as Rochinda suggests, “I tell people all the time. It is not about a conference. It is not about a weekend. It is not about a minute or a moment. It is a lifestyle”.
About the publishing date, COVID changed it a bit: the release had been planned for this Christmas, but it has been postponed to January 2021. Despite the tough times Rochinda had to go through in 2020, from the cancellation of her annual conference to the loss of her amazing mom to her being infected by COVID, her aim to glorify God has no end. She continues to host virtual monthly Chinda and Friends gatherings and help other women and men be their authentic selves and be all that God created them to be. As a visionary, she follows the lead of God to have the results that represent the almighty King.
Websites: www.keptwomanofgod.com | www.chindaandfriends.com
Rochinda Pickens, Photographed by Artis Photographers; G’wan by Charon- Blouse/ Skirt- Jewelry- Rissa’s Artistic Designs ( Necklace)- Sassy Jones Boutique- Bracelet- Phie & Kai ( earrings)
Written by: Sherrell Valdezloqui and Federica Longo
