The Girl in Purple Heels Part 3

This is the third part of the "Girl in Purple Heels". If you havent read the other two parts you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 before reading this one. Please feel free to give me your feedback on any aspect of the story, characters, plot, etc Like I said before last year people suggested/asked me to make it a full length story/book and I have some ideas about that but I'd like to know what you guys think as well.

And so the saga continues.....

The Girl in Purple Heels Part 3 

I sat up in my bed and put my head in my palms. I was sweating badly now and my heart was racing furiously. I wanted to see her so much but it would be going against everything I stood for.

And in that instant I decided.

"Look Lylah I don't know what you have on your mind but whatever it is, I'm not going to be a part of it. I have come too far to let a few minutes a pleasure pull me down. The bible clearly tells us how unmarried people should conduct themselves in matters like this. I firmly believe that sex should be reserved for marriage. I really like you but I can’t come over."

"The bible is outdated, this 2010 for crying out loud."

"Lylah this is a non negotiable issue for me."

"Suit yourself," she said, "Goodnight." And she hung up.

Gosh what was wrong with this woman? The dream girl that I had fallen for was turning out to be a different person whose values I wasn't particularly thrilled about. For a few minutes I couldn't think straight, I wondered whether to call her back and talk things over but something told me to leave it for now. I needed to speak to someone about my relationship, someone who could give me an objective view of things. I finally went to bed an hour later after resolving that first thing in the morning I would call my long lost friend... Isaac.

"You know what your problem is Solomon, you fall in love too quick and too deep," Isaac said as he furiously punched buttons on his PS3 console, "What you need to do at the start of the relationship is to take things slow." I had gone over to Isaac's place after work to get some friendly advice. As we sat there playing Street Fighter I couldn't help but realise how much I had missed hanging out with my boy, playing games and eating Dominoes pizza.

"So what are you saying man? Stop speaking in riddles like an old man," I replied as I thumped on his fighter with a double kick.

"K.O" the game announced as Isaac knocked me over in a ridiculous knock out.

"Yesssss!" he said grinning over his victory, "Hey I wouldn't be so cheeky if I were you after all you're getting first class counselling for free so don't complain. Now like I was saying man, you rushed into this without getting to know this girl and now you're beginning to see the real her and it sounds to me like it's not what you were looking for is it?"

"She's not exactly how I imagined her to be but get this she's not that bad infact..."

"No buts! Gosh you're more love sick than I thought. Look in a relationship the person is supposed to add to you, how has she done that over the last three months? She tried to seduce you and she doesn't stand for the things you do. You said so yourself so why are you still finding it hard to admit that she aint good for you and just let go."

"You wouldn't understand. It’s not that easy."

"Oh yeah try me?"

"It's complicated; let’s just focus on the game for now."

I knew he was right; Lylah was just as good to me as kryptonite was to Superman. What's a man in love to do?

As I turned back to the TV screen I could see Isaac shaking his head and I didn't blame him I was sinking faster than the Titanic...

I had not heard from Lylah since her midnight call two days before, so I decided to call her the following evening. She didn't pick up so I decided to go over to her place so that we could talk about everything. I didn't like the way things were going and if things didn't change I couldn’t go on like this. I was gonna lay it all out on the table and hear what she had to say.

As I rang the bell I wondered whether to start by saying sorry for brushing her off and not calling. But then again she was in the wrong so technically she should have called me, to apologise.

The door swung open to reveal a slim tall guy. 

"Is Lylah here?"

"Yeah and who are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend, and who are you?"

"I'm her ex, dude how come I'm the one in the house and you're the one standing outside the door. This is some twisted role reversal huh?" he asked with a wry smile.

I disliked his type, the ones who thought they were wise cracks.

"If you're her ex, what are you doing here?"

 "Hey brother, what’s a man to do? Your girlfriend called me in the middle of the night asking me to come over."

"I think you should leave. Lylah and I need to talk."

“Anything you wanna say to her, you can say to me.”

"Jay, who is it?" Lylah called out from the kitchen.

"It's your so called man."

Lylah was out of the kitchen faster than a rocket.

"Solomon, what are you doing here?"

"Lylah what’s going on? Who's this guy?"

"Solomon it's not what you think...Jay doesn't mean anything to me. He's just my ex."

"Oh so now I'm just your ex huh? So is he the father then?"

"What is he talking about?" I asked turning from Jay to Lylah.

Lylah was quite for a few seconds which to me felt like eternity.

"Lylah, I said what the heck is going on?"

"I'm pregnant." It came out almost like a whisper. For a moment I wasn't sure if I had imagined it.

"What? How?" I asked feeling tiny sweat beads developing on my brow. 

And then it dawned on me. The jigsaw pieces began to come together. The whole time she had probably been seeing her ex behind my back. I felt my knees beginning to give in and I staggered to a nearby chair. The room seemed to be spinning frantically and I felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. Surely this couldn’t be happening to me.

“Solomon I’m sorry. Please say something...”

 I didn’t know what to say. I could now feel that thin line between love and hate that people often talked about. I wanted to grab her and shake her so hard until she begged for mercy. I wanted to cause her intense pain like she had done to me but I restrained myself. She wasn’t worth all that trouble.

I only had one more question to ask and then that would be it.

"Lylah did your gran die last week?"

Jay who had been listening to our exchange with interest began laughing.

"Delylah...you killed your grandmother again. You're pathetic. Dude she goes around pulling that lie every time she needs some sympathy. This girl's gran died six years ago."

I stared at them both in disbelief. It had all been a lie.

"...and is your name really Delylah?"

"Yeah that’s my full name," she said quietly.

A part of me wanted to lash out at her and tell her exactly what I thought of her but as I looked at her I felt sorry for her. She was so lost and she didn't even seem to realise it.

I looked at her for a few seconds, puzzled that the beauty that I had once seen seemed to have somehow diminished. She had no substance- it was like looking into an empty glass case, there was nothing there.

“Solomon I can explain...”she began to say but I didn’t want to hear it.

"Lylah, or should I say Delylah.... spare me the soap drama. I guess it goes without saying that it’s over between us, I hope someday you'll find real love in Jesus because He's the one man who can help you transform your life and enable you to love someone else sincerely."

And with those words I walked away from my Girl in Purple Heels.

The End.

© 2010 Gospel Girl

The Girl in Purple Heels Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of this story, you can click here and read it before reading this part.

The Girl in Purple Heels Part 2  

I didn't usually approach girls this way. Most of the time when I saw a girl I liked, I normally watched her from a distance for a few weeks. Then I would pray and ask God for direction. If I felt peace then I would approach the girl. But something was different about this girl and I didn't think I could wait several weeks before talking to her.

"Excuse me, hi..." I said flashing what I presumed to be my most charming smile.

"Hi," she replied eyeing me with interest.

"I'm Solomon," I said extending my hand.

"I'm Lylah."

"Nice name. So I haven't seen you around, are you new in church?"

"I've been coming for about three weeks now."

"Oh ok, so I guess you don't know a lot of people around. They're some nice girls in church, I can introduce you to some of them so that you have other sisters to talk to about makeup and handbags and all the other important things you girls talk about."

Lylah smiled. Good, now if only I can get her number. Don’t ask for her number or you'll seem desperate, my brain told me but I ignored it.

"Listen it’s been nice meeting you but I have to go, I'm helping my aunt to host a Christening Ceremony and I'm already late as it is. Thanks for the chat."

"You're welcome, but why don't you give me your number and maybe I can call you sometime and let you know what events are going on in church."

"Thanks but isn't that what the church announcements are for?"

"Well yeahhh but..."

"Sorry like I said I have to rush off. Maybe I'll see you next week."

And with that she was gone....

I stared after her until she was nothing more than a speck in the distance.

I didn't know what to make of our conversation. She had seemed interested yet aloof. Probably trying to play a bit hard to get. Well the hunter in me always liked a good challenge. This was going to be an interesting quest.

As I walked back towards the church, I saw Isaac and a few other guys walking out of the door. Isaac left the group and ambled towards me.

"There you are, I was wondering where you had disappeared to. Who was that chic I saw you chasing after?"

"Oh that’s Lylah, she's new."

"She looks nice."

"Yeah I think she is."

"Man you look like you're whooped; you're grinning like a Cheshire cat."

"Don't be silly. I barely know her."

"Yes but you want to, I can see it in your eyes."

"Whatever man."

"I thought you would go after Molly."

"Molly? She's just a good friend."

"Yes, but everyone knows she's got a thing for you and I think she's a great girl. She loves God, she's pretty, intelligent and gets along with everyone. Besides you guys have been good friends for ages, what more could you want bro?"

"She's alright, but she's like a little sister to me."

"Man, if Molly was into me, I wouldn't waste any time with anyone else."

"Then maybe you should go after her."

"I would but it seems like she's only got eyes for you."

As I drove home that afternoon I thought about what Isaac had said. Molly was a cool chic but I just didn't see her that way. I was sure that Lylah was the one. 

I just had a feeling.

Over the next few weeks, things started happening fast. Firstly Lylah and I bumped into each other the following Sunday and we started chatting again. She told me she was from St Vincent and she worked as a Marketing Executive for a small company in South East London. Being a Marketing Manager for British Gas myself I thought it was great that we were in the same field. She finally gave me her number and I started calling her. As we talked and got to know each other, we found out that we both liked the same music, Tonex and Deitrick Haddon to be precise. To top it off we both loved chicken and we were both Nando’s fans. It was as if it was confirmation that we were meant to be. So you can imagine how delighted I was when I asked her out to lunch and she immediately said yes. I almost did cartwheels in my work place. I almost didn't care what my colleagues thought, I was on the way to getting the heart of my dream girl.

I took her out to a posh Italian restaurant in Canary Wharf. When I got there I hoped I would impress her with my Ralph Lauren shirt, Calvin Klein slacks and my neatly trimmed hair.

"You look great," she said as she gave me a big hug.

"Thanks, and you look stunning," I responded admiring her skinny jeans and green halter neck top.

We sat down and ordered. We both ordered a Pasta and Salmon dish and J20.Orange.

“It’s amazing how we both like so many of the same things.”

“I know. Funny isn’t it?”

“Well just as long as you don’t start wearing the same perfume as me, that’s fine,” she said laughing.

“No way, ladies fragrances are not my thing.”

The afternoon went pretty quick and we had a great time talking about Tennis and movies. She then told me that she had gotten saved about a year ago at a church in Leeds whilst she was visiting relatives. However she hadn’t gone to church for a while after that until she started coming to Majesty. I was glad that she was now taking her Salvation seriously.

By the time I dropped her off at her flat in Lewisham I was beaming. Our date had gone better than I could have expected. That evening when I got home I prayed and thanked God for the lovely time I'd had with Lylah. I also asked Him to lead me and reveal more of Lylah's character to me. I felt quite optimistic about things.

After that Lylah and I began spending a lot of time together. 

One afternoon after church, I bumped into Molly outside church as I was leaving.

 "Hi Solomon, haven't seen you for a while," Molly said. Strangely Isaac and a few of the other guys in church had also said the same thing. Gosh people can be so needy, how do they expect me to have a life and still spend huge amounts of time with them. I smiled apologetically at Molly.

"I know I've been so busy."

"Yes I figured you must be busy, but you always had time to chat every now and then. We haven't seen you at the prayer meetings for a while. How are things? I feel like we haven't talked in ages."

"Sorry Molly, it’s just that with work, family stuff going on and err..."

"Lylah?"

"You know about her?"

"Yeah, everyone in church knows that you two are together."

"Oh I didn't realise. Yes well, I'm also spending a lot of time with her so I hardly have much time for anything else. Anyway I have to go meet her right now but maybe we can catch up sometime," I said just to end the matter.

"Sure," she replied and I could tell she knew that that wasn't going to happen.

As I walked towards the car park, I was glad to get away. Strangely, my conversation with Molly had felt awkward even though Molly and I had always been close. We used to talk about almost anything and everything. I brushed it all aside, after all the bible says "forget the former things..." so I told myself not to dwell on the past.

I got into my car and drove to Lewisham were Lylah lived. The Blackwall Tunnel was a nightmare and I ended up getting there forty five minutes later than we had arranged. I tried to ring Lylah to tell her that I was running late but my phone battery had gone flat. Uggh.

When she opened the door I could tell she wasn't too happy because she opened it and immediately walked away without giving me a hug.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic and I couldn't call coz my battery was dead."

"Sure," she said with a slight nod looking like she didn't believe me.

"Listen I'll make it up to you. Saturday I'll take you to watch that new Taye Diggs movie that’s just come out."

"Cool," she said fumbling about in a drawer.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Why?"

"You seem a bit distant and you're only giving me one word answers."

"I'm stressed that’s all," she said taking out pens, scissors and other miscellaneous things out of the drawer.

"What about?"

"I don't really want to talk about it at the moment," Lylah said pulling out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes from the drawer. Then to my surprise she lit it and started puffing clouds of smoke in my direction.

"You smoke?"

"Yes, why do you have a problem with that?"

"I didn't expect you to that’s all," I replied trying to hide the fact that I disliked people who smoked. I figured I could deal with the problem later.

After that we were both quiet for a few minutes, each probably wondering what the other was thinking; then I said, "Lylah what’s wrong? You have to talk to me, maybe I can help."

At that point she started sniffing and I saw tears welling in her eyes. Within seconds she was crying uncontrollably.

"Please talk to me."

"I'm sorry but I can't talk about it. Solomon I'm sorry but I need to be alone right now."

"But I don't want to leave you like this."

"Please just go..."

I didn't understand what was happening. The past two months had been amazing; things had been going so well and then without warning things seemed to be taking an unexpected turn.

I reluctantly got up and walked towards the door. I hoped she would call and stop me but she didn't. I walked out of her flat feeling crushed and confused...

As I drove home, I couldn't get Lylah out of my mind. I kept seeing her dark beautiful face and jet black hair shaped into a "bob" which made her look something like Rihanna. I decided I would call her tomorrow.

But when I did she didn't pick up the phone. It wasn't until I'd left three messages that she eventually called me back.

"Sorry I was out of it that’s why I couldn't call you earlier," she said in a hoarse voice like someone who had been crying.

"Lylah you have to tell me what’s going on, we can’t have a relationship if there's no trust or communication."

She sighed and said nothing for a minute or so.

"Are you still there?" I asked impatiently.

"Yes I'm here. I didn't want to talk about it but my grandmother passed away, that’s why I’ve been so upset. Sorry I didn't say anything earlier."

For a moment I didn't say anything I was stunned.

So that was it....she had been upset about her gran....

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened, was she unwell?"

"Not really, she just died unexpectedly, that was the most shocking part. I actually called my family in St Vincent spoke last week and I spoke to her and she was fine."

"I'm really sorry. Do you want me to come over?"

"No, its fine. I just need to be alone for now."

"Ok but call me if you need anything. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask ok?"

"Sure I appreciate that."

"...Lylah remember that God will see you through this ok? I'll be praying for you."

"Thanks, I'll give you a call ok, maybe tomorrow or something."

After our conversation I felt relieved that Lylah had told me what was going on because I have to admit I had begun to get suspicions which I didn't like. I still wasn't comfortable with the idea of her smoking but maybe it was a one off. Maybe her Gran's death had been too much and had forced her to give in. I guess I could let it go this time around. I remembered her warm smile and suddenly I felt good again, surely everything was going to work out fine. I prayed and then went to sleep dreaming about my bright future with Lylah.

Lylah didn't call for two days and when I tried to call her I couldn't get through to her. She eventually called on Friday and said she'd been grieving and she wanted to be alone.

"I understand that may want to be alone but I'm your boyfriend. You should let me come over and cheer you up or just be there for you. I don't think it’s good for you to go through this on your own."

But Lylah declined my offer and said we could hang out on Sunday afternoon after church.

When I saw her on Sunday she seemed bright and cheerful and it seemed her grieving plan had worked.

"I liked the sermon today except the part about giving ten percent of your money...what do they call that again?"

"Tithing."

"Yeah that, what’s that all about?"

"Well it’s biblical," I replied and went on to show her scriptures in the book of Malachi that talked about tithing.

"I'm not buying that," she said after reading the scripture, "Do you know how much I earn, I take home about two grand and you expect me to give two hundred away every month just like that? No, not me, mama didn't raise no fool. Don't tell me you do it?"

"As a matter of fact I do tithe because the word of God says I should do so and because I'm grateful for everything God has given me. Everything I have including my job, God gave to me and if He wanted he could take it all away today. To be honest ten percent is little in comparison to what He's given me. And the best part is whatever you give to Him, He gives you back more in return."

"Yeah well if it works for you do it but I'll never be duped like that. That’s about two and a half grand a year. Imagine how many Jimmy Choos I could buy with that kind of money?"

As Lylah was talking I began to get an uneasy feeling. I had never realised that she felt so strongly about this. Maybe I just needed to explain it better and pray for her to get a revelation about it. Yes that’s what I would do. Our cars were parked on opposite sides of the car park so we went our separate ways and agreed to meet in Stratford.

As I walked to my car I saw Molly walking towards me with a guy I didn't know very well. They seemed rather friendly.

"Molly," I said calling out to her, "how are you?"

"I'm fine and you?" she replied as they got closer to me.

The guy she had been talking to gave her a hug and said "I'll see you later," then he walked off. I quickly walked towards her.

"So who's that?"

"That’s Dave,” she replied with a small blush.

"He seems nice," I said, hoping she would shed more light on the situation.

"Yeah he is."

I tried to act casual and engage in some boring small talk but my curiosity wouldn't let me walk away without knowing what was going on.

"So are you guys seeing each other?"

"Well he's told me he likes me and wants to get to know me and I think I'm gonna give it a go."

"Wow that’s good. I'm happy to hear that," I said although I was feeling a twinge which I couldn't quite identify. 

"Thanks, I hope it will work out. How’s Lylah?"

"Fine. Things are going well." I wondered why I was exaggerating. I used to confide in Molly before but somehow I felt embarrassed to tell her the truth about my relationship.

She said she had to go and attend an Usher's meeting and rushed off. As she walked towards the church door I couldn't but help wondering why it felt like I had lost something which I had never had.

Lylah and I went to Pizza Hut for lunch and then she said she needed to go and prepare for work the next day. I walked her to her Rav 4 and watched her as she drove off before I walked to my own car and drove home.

I was fast asleep when the phone startled me.

I picked up my mobile and saw that it was Lylah ringing. I frowned and checked the time.

12:05am.

"Hello, is everything ok?" I asked.

"Yeah but I need you to come over."

"Why, what's up?"

"I miss you and I want to see you."

"But I saw you this afternoon and besides it’s after midnight. I don't think it’s a good idea for me to come over at this hour."

"Why not?"

"Lylah c'mon you're an attractive girl, I'm a human being...I'm tired and my brain isn't thinking straight. I don't want to put myself in a position where I might compromise my values. To be honest I would really love to come and see you but if I come, I'm afraid that I may not be able to resist the temptation."

"Well who said anything about resisting? You don't have to resist....I'm up for anything if you are..."

Warning bells began to ring in my mind. My brain was telling me: This is the part where you run... but every fibre of my being wanted to grab the car keys and rush over to her place. I could just picture her sexy body at that very moment...and my pulse started racing, what was I to do? I just wanted to go and see her.   

To Be Cont....

The Sex Issue...

Some church folk are doing it. Yes, some single Christians have sex on a Saturday night and then show up in church on Sunday. When I first became a Christian, I used to naively think that single Christian folk wouldn't venture down that road but after a couple of single church gals I knew got pregnant I had to face facts, premarital sex was happening in the church.Yeah as unholy as that sounds...it is sadly true. Now I'm not judging anyone, I 'm just stating a point about something which I know God does not promote in the lives of single people.
I believe that sex before marriage is not biblical and is therefore not right in God's eyes. The problem with sex is that unlike other sins, a person actually sins against their own body and this has serious spiritual and in some cases physical or health consequences.

The greatest thing is God is a God of second chances and no matter how far you've gone, He is always willing to meet you where you are and bring you back to His righteous presence. He will forgive you and give you a brand new start in Him and enable you to live a holy life until you meet the right person who you will spend your married life with.(and enjoy sex with in an unhibited, guilt free environment)

Anyway last summer, this issue of sex in the church was really bothering me and one night God just impressed it upon my heart to write a story that would deal with this issue of sex in the church. I don't know if that story was meant to help any specific person but God led me to write it and post it on my blog, so I did. I never wanted to get into the topic of sex in my writing because I was afraid people might think I was judging them or trying to act holier than thou...but despite my not being comfortable with the whole thing, I strongly felt led to write the story. I had no idea who the characters would be or where the story would go but I decided to obey God and started typing. It took me about three hours to write it without any planning or editing. And this is the story I wrote, some of you may have read it before (u can delve into it again for old times sake) Anyway the thing is some people have been asking me to write a continuation of the story or make it into a longer work. I'm not sure yet if I will. But your feedback on the story would be appreciated. Is there anything that could be improved? Anything that you really like about it or dont like? 

The Girl in Purple Heels

I caught a whiff of her tantalising perfume as she walked past and suddenly all my thoughts of a quick prayer before service vanished faster than a bargain at the Next Sale. As I looked up from my seat in the sixth row of Majesty Pentecostal Church, I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed with what I saw. I didn't know her name. But this I knew instantly: I had to have her.
She was pretty, elegantly dressed and certainly curvy in all the right places and she walked with all the grace of a queen as she strutted past me in her purple and white dress. Great, I thought, beauty and curves, that’s two ticks for her. My eyes eagerly followed her as she walked down the aisle in her purple heels towards the front of the church looking for a seat. I quickly removed my car keys and bible from the seat next to me and I hoped she would turn my way, notice the seat and take ownership of it. She didn't. She opted for a seat two rows ahead of me, where she found herself sandwiched by two elderly women. Never mind, I consoled myself, there's always time to mingle after church....

I could barely concentrate throughout the service. Every time I closed my eyes I could just see her beautiful brown eyes beckoning to me.

Stop it, I told myself. This is church for crying out loud. A place of prayer and decency.

Guilt and fear began to entwine their nasty tendrils all around me.

What’s going on...? Here I was a bona fide Christian Brother, tongue talking and all that jazz and I couldn't even focus on a sermon because of a girl I didn’t even know.

The harder I tried to stop thinking about her, the more I did. My eyes wandered in her direction again but I couldn't see her because the woman sitting in front of me had strategically positioned herself and her blue over sized head tie right in front of me so all I could now see was a dark shade of blue.

My mind began to wander again. That girl radiated such immense beauty; I prayed she would also have impeccable character and a great spirit to compliment her looks. After all what good is a fine porcelain tea cup without any tea?

 What was that? Pastor Abednego was saying something which suddenly caught my attention.

"..a prayer for anyone believing God for marriage. If you are one of those people please come to the front."

Prayer for Singles. Hhhmmm, I wanted to go up front but what would people think. I didn't want the other brothers thinking I was too eager. That was a woman's thing. I glanced around wondering if anyone would step up. Then a girl in the second row got up. Desperate Housewife, I thought eyeing her with pity knowing everyone would be looking at her from head to toe trying to determine the reason why she was still not hitched. I couldn't face that kind of scrutiny, so I sat glued to my chair. Three more girls got courageous and went to the front. Still no brothers.

Probably their desire to get married was superseded by their gigantic egos which they didn't want anyone or anything to diminish.

Then to my utter surprise, the mystery girl got up. Yes, the girl in the purple heels.

So... she is looking for a hubby huh, that's a good sign, I thought.

Well I was looking for my wifey and maybe if I went to the front we could look at each other and maybe the rest would be history....

Before my brain could talk any sense to my pounding heart, my legs had done the unimaginable and carried my reluctant body to the front. As I stood there with my head bowed low...I didn't know where to look.

She was now just a few inches away from me...

This could be us in a few years time...I thought...standing here at the altar...

I didn't even hear the prayer that Pastor Abednego made, all I heard was the Amen at the end and as he said,

"Go back to your seats; you shall receive your heart's desire in Jesus' name."

I received the prophecy with a loud “Amen” that made mystery girl turn and look at me. It was a brief look and if I had blinked I might have missed it. But that look as fleeting as it had been made me feel giddy; finally we had made a connection.

As soon as church was over, I raced towards the front to try and have a word with her.

A hand on my shoulder brought me to a halt.

"Solomon how've you been man?" Isaac, one of my good friends asked as he gave me a handshake.

"I'm fine," I said my eyes still on the girl afraid I might lose sight of her, "Listen I can't talk now, we'll speak later ok?"

"Sure, where's the fire mate? The way you're racing out of here, one would think the building is on fire," Isaac said laughing.

"You've got jokes. I just have something I need to do ASAP. See you later."

I raced towards the door where the girl had just made her exit and to my utter disappointment as I searched the foyer I couldn't see her anywhere. The girl had vanished. A group of snobbish sisters I wasn't particularly fond of stood in one corner showing off their latest weaves and manicured nails.

"I love those shoes," I heard one of them say.

On the other side of the foyer the "Holier than thou Girls" stood discussing how short one particular choir member's dress was.

"I couldn't even concentrate during worship you know. Her dress kept distracting me."

"Me too."

"You can tell she's not led by the Spirit. Otherwise she wouldn't wear that kind of dress."

"I agree. She needs some serious deliverance."

A young mother nearby was trying to get her baby to stop crying. I looked left and right hoping I would catch a glimpse of the girl in the purple shoes and just when I had almost given up, I saw her come out of the ladies toilet and head for the door. I decided, it’s time for me to make my move and I dashed towards her...To Be Continued 
(Because the story is a bit long, I decided to break it into parts to make it easier to read so that the length doesn't overwhelm people. Please give any Constructive Feedback you may have... :) )

© 2010 Gospel Girl

All for Trainers, Mobile phones and Big Screen TVs

Woman jumping from a burning apartment

As most of you may have heard, there has been a lot of rioting and looting in several parts of the UK. It all started after a peaceful demonstration in London about a man who had been killed by the police. Most of the rioters are teenagers (though some shameless grown up folks who are eager for freebies are also taking part) wearing hoods and masks and they've smashed windows of shops, stolen things then set the shops on fire.
In most cases the shops that have been vandalised are mobile phone shops, electrical appliance shops and clothes shops. Cars and buses were also set on fire. Even innocent people have been caught up in what had started off as a fight between the police and youths.

It is really sad and disheartening to watch, not to mention scary as well. I don't even want to be out at night because the thugs have also been stopping cars with barricades and pulling people out of their cars so that they can burn the cars. My local shopping centre was also targeted and it's just horrible seeing the damage that's been caused and I pray that it doesn't reoccur. Our country is a bit "soft soft" with these people and a part of me wishes they could get the riot police from African countries who would clamp this riot down in a few hours. lol ...they don't mess around and when they show up you run for your life... I think that if people are going to act like animals and infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens then they should be dealt with harshly. It's not the time to "coddle" the thugs and go go "koochie koochie koo". Its not the time to be seen to be politically correct but react appropriately to deal with violence....where are the rubber pellets or water cannons? This country goes out of its way to protect other countries but are afraid to do what's necessary to protect their own citizens...people are standing outside their homes with pots and pans to stop thugs from trashing their property .... shm...anyway that's another story all together. Please pray for us. *sad face*

There have been four fatalities linked to the violence which has now spread across the country.  I think the thugs engaging in these acts realised that they can possibly get away with this sort of behaviour and started rioting and looting in other parts of the country.
I stopped to think why would these young people do things like this? Why would they destroy their own community? Why would they torch another person's car? Is it just because they want a new pair of trainers or a new 40 inch LCD TV? I don't know if there are any clear answers to all these questions.
People talked about how it could be a result of high unemployment, poverty, lack of male role models, anger at society or government, boredom, dissatisfaction with life, bad relations between ethnic minorities and the police. But I ask, even in the times I have been disatisfied with life, I have not engaged in rioting or looting...because I believe there are other ways of dealing with such emotions. So what makes other people do it?

People came up with all sorts of different reasons but I think one of the main reasons why someone would riot, loot and destroy is that when you take God out of any equation then the enemy will fill that void. It's no surprise then that these young people do not respect their parents, teachers, other members of the community and now it seems even the police. When people have no conscience or fear of God, anything goes and lawlessness comes into force. So who is to blame?
Is it the parents for not teaching their children the right way to go? Is it the government for making cuts in services or for giving children and young people more rights and liberties than necessary? Is it the church for not doing more to spread the gospel? Only God knows.

One of my favourite hangouts was burnt and destroyed :(

I just ask that we all pray to God to intervene, He is Jehovah Shalom (our peace) and we ask that He may bring peace into the UK. May people who don't know God find Him during this trying time and may we emerge stronger and better as individuals and as a nation.

A shocking discovery

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

Judge not!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!
Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil...
It has no point!

Writer : Unknown