The Very Chocolatey Easter

 Easter is just round the corner and I thought it would be appropriate for me to re-post this from one of my other old posts on another website......

I love chocolate. So do a lot of other people, although they probably wont admit it in public. Personally I prefer the delectable taste of white chocolate (I have this belief that it has more calcium than its darker counterparts. LOL) Imagine that sweet, divine taste of gooey white, milk and dark chocolate tantalising your taste buds. Every bite so heavenly as the soft, creamy taste satisfies your senses.... Oops... let me not get carried away, back to the issue at hand.

This Easter there's an even wider range of Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, Easter chicks and other interesting characters which the commercially driven manufacturers have created to entice and dazzle our gullible minds. These all probably taste as great as they look in their pretty packaging, but its not the taste or the look thats nagging me.
Its the fact that Easter has now merely become a time for indulging on chocolate, a string of meaningless parties and celebration and a well needed break from work for many. Dont get me wrong I'm not against having good fun and time from work is always a plus in my book, but I think we need to really reflect on what Easter is really all about.

Some of the modern traditions of Easter such as the Easter Bunny and its accomplices all stem from pagan traditions and so we should not get too caught up in the hype and forget what the hype is all about.
Easter is and should be a time of celebration as we commemorate the dying and rising from the dead, of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I know you might not believe in Jesus and this might all be as strange to you, as Calculus and Greek are to me, but hear me out.

God loves us all so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. But it doesnt end there. Easter Sunday is a celebration of His glorious and triumphant resurrection, signifying His victory over sin and death. This victory has now been given to all those who have surrendered their lives to Him and we should
celebrate this day knowing that for all those who believe in him and live for Him, death is not the end for us, but like Him, we shall also resurrect and be with Him forever.

So as we indulge and enjoy ourselves, lets spread the true Word of Hope to a hurting and lost world. Lets share the message of His love with those around us. Lets demonstrate to them the Love of God in our own lives.
If you havent done so already, I encourage you to let Jesus come into your heart and let this Easter
mark the beginning of a new life in Him.

And so folks if any of you do get any Easter eggs or other
sweet delights, enjoy them (in moderation of course) and have a safe and wonderful Easter.
Finally my bros and girlies in Christ- Lets pray for that resurrection power to be at work in every area of our lives. We have the victory. LeTS wALk iN iT!!!

Get a grip - Don't Go Brocolli Green

Your friend gets a brand new car whilst you have a brand new oyster card for the bus... how do you react? Or your friend has a date with that gorgeous guy in the Choir who you also like. Are you happy for him or her? Or better yet can your mouth even manage to say a simple "That's nice" and really mean it. Or do you find yourself "going green" even though you don't care about the environment...? C'mon look deep within you ... only you know the real answer...

Its natural and quite healthy to admire lovely things. You may find yourself admiring your workmate's new suit that he bought at the Debenham's blue cross sale. Or the fact that your neighbour has returned home with a lovely tan he got on a cruise in the Caribbean. Its natural and even polite to sincerely compliment the owner of the things you admire. However if you find yourself seething because your friend has bought a bigger house than yours or married a prettier wife than yours then the warning bells should start ringing. Or if you find yourself fuming and turning dark green like a fresh piece of brocolli from Tesco or a lighter shade of green like Fiona from Shrek then you know you've got a problem. Yes ... like it or not, admit it or not..you're envious of other people.

One dictionary says that envy is "a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc."

The other day I was sitting in a park with a friend and we were eating fries. Now as you would have it, some birds started hanging around us, don't know if we just looked like good company or maybe the birds were hoping we would be in a sharing mood and give them some of our fries...
On our part dunno if it was kindness or the fries getting cold but we started throwing bits of fries to the birds (and before you get cross, they were NOT pigeons so relax...I know you're not suposed to feed those birds) The most interesting thing was that the birds started fighting for the fries. If one got a piece, the others would try and peck it away from them. It was funny and yet sad to watch. There was plenty to go round but it seemed they were all kind of "envious" when another got it.

 
I reckon that we all suffer from envy at some point in our lives...and if you're shaking you head and saying "not me"... (well I need to talk to our heavenly Daddy and see if we can get a Halo sorted out for you coz you're one exceptional child of God who needs to be raptured as soon as possible before the rest of us contaminate you!)
Now envy is not a great thing but before you go hang yourself in shame and mortification, give yourself a little  credit (micro little ok) for admitting that you have a problem. Sadly many don't even get to this point of self awareness. 
As the bible shows envy can often lead to serious consequences if unchecked. Cain killed Abel because of envy and even Jesus was accused falsely and crucified because of envy.
Right so we all probably agree that envy aint cool right, so now the question is what do we do about it?

As children of God we are so fortunate to have the privilege of going to God in prayer. That should always be our first step in every situation. Please don't take this lightly...yeah yeah I'm supposed to pray, I pray all the time...DO pray specifically about envy and ask the Holy Spirit to help you deal with this issue.
Like David prayed in Psalms 139:23 , "Search my heart oh God ...." Lets ask God to search our heart and "create a clean heart...and renew a right spirit..."  within us. (Psalm 51:10)
Next ask yourself some hard questions? Why do you think you feel the way you do? Are you insecure? What is it exactly that you want in your life? Are you afraid that God is not going to bless your life as he has done for others? 
Maybe the answers to these questions could help shed some light on your situation or maybe they wont...

Also read books that talk about how to overcome envy, listen to sermons, talk to other mature Christians you trust - find out about their experiences how they've been dealing wit it and also look for scriptures to help you.

Another thing which may help is to do what American show host, Dr Phil McGraw advises,

" Three assignments to change the way you look at the world in one week:

• Every day for one week, write down 100 blessings in your life. Do not repeat one blessing.
  
  
• Find every member of your family in one week, on the phone or in person, and tell them three things that you're thankful for about having them in your life. You don't have to tell them it's an assignment; just weave it into the conversation if you prefer.
  
  
• At least once this same week, go to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen and volunteer for eight hours. Then sit down and write about your experience there. " 

I think that doing Dr Phil's assignment will help us to count our blessings and when we realise we have so much to be thankful for, we probably won't have the time, desire or energy to be envious.

Keep working on it, it may not happen overnight, but with time you'll find yourself genuinely happy for others when they do well or get blessed.

What? When? Who? How? - Relax...Err The Future is O' So Bright!

As a young excitable ten year old, school holiday breaks were something to look forward to. We got to play dunhu and hang out with friends and also one of the highlights was listening to my favourite Radio station, Radio 3 in sunny Zim. I used to sit glued to my seat at 10:30 every Wednesday morning so that I could listen to a woman called Jill Darke; who used to to tell me what my star predicted for the week ahead. Then for added measure I would also check several magazines to see what else the future had in store for me. Now maybe you didn't listen to that same program but maybe you also read your star in a magazine, newspaper or from some website. Or maybe you still do...

Which brings me to the question.... what's the deal with star gazers, horoscopes, fortune tellers, sorcery, spirit mediums/clairvoyants, palm readers, n'anga and other such people who claim to be able to tell your future and be able to give you sound advice.... is there any thing wrong with using any of these to make yourself better informed as it were... well all I can do is to point to what the bible says and then you can make up your mind about it....

I've had conversations with several Christians about this particular topic, and have been quite surprised by the varying range of responses I get from people on the matter...anyway I'm gonna have a say and you are welcome to have yours too in the comments if you feel the need to...

 I firmly believe that if we are concerned about the future or if we need advice and guidance on a matter as children of God we need to always look to God for His counsel. The Holy Spirit can guide us through revelation of the word of God. After this we can also seek confirmation from trusted Christians such as pastors, spiritual parents and so on. Looking to any other source for guidance reflects a lack of trust in God so to speak and many in the bible perished because of getting into such occult practices...

"...So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance." 1 Chron 10:13

"Also Manasseh made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger." 2 Kings 21:6 


Some people say oh there's no harm its just for fun but I think the main problem is once you read and engage in stars and fortune cookies and the like...you may end up believing what they say about you and if you become dependent on those practices and the things they tell you, it can begin to control your life and it has the potential to lead your astray. This is what Deut 18:9-12 says

⁹ “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. ¹² For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you."

According to a 2005 Gallup Poll, about 75 percent of Americans hold some form of belief in paranormal activity, defined as one of the following: extrasensory perception, haunted houses, ghosts, mental telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, communicating with the dead, witches, reincarnation and channeling. Hmmm.

I've often told people that personally I don't read or watch Harry Potter, Buffy, Charmed, Twilight and other such magic and vampire related tv shows....and people say why not...don't be too spiritual...its just a book or a film. Yeah maybe it is but I'm allowed to have preferences and I choose not to because I believe that the more I watch such things the more I get conditioned to accepting such things as the norm and trust me there is nothing normal about being a vampire or a witch. Now sadly many young children all over the world think its cool to be a wizard or a witch because Harry Potter, Merlin and the girls in Charmed do it and they're so cool. (Not!)
If I get into the habit of watching witches, sorcerers and the like regurlarly whats to say that in my time of greatest need I wont feel the need to give it a try. Don't smirk, sometimes when you get into a vulnerable situation all common sense usually flies out of the window...

My pastor always says he laughs at educated people who visit spritit mediums (who often live in a shack) to find out how to make more money and yet the spirit medium they are visiting lives in abject poverty himself. If he knew how to make money...he, himself would be rich...and yet people spend lots of money paying him...utter foolishness if you ask me...

The Bible is actually against astrologers, stating that they cannot save people as God can. In Isaiah, God proclaims that Doom will come to Babylon and there is nothing the astrologists can do to save the people from it. Isaiah 47:13-14 says: 
"Stand now with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries,
      In which you have labored from your youth—
      Perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will prevail. 

     You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
      Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators
      Stand up and save you from what shall come upon you.
       ¹⁴ Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them;
      They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
      It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!"

 Someone asked me, what's the difference between a pastor prophesying the future and a palm reader or card reader telling you whats gonna happen? She told me that she knows of  some clairvoyants who have been accurate in telling the future. Well, in a nutshell all I can say is yes there are people who are not Christians who might be able to tell certain aspects of the future but the MAIN difference is that a person of God does it by the power of the Holy Spirit (please check that any prophecy is biblical and gives you peace and confirms with your spirit) On the other hand all other types...mediums, clairvoyants, fortune tellers and the like do it using power from other sources.... what sources you ask me...? Well go figure....! 

The Lord has good plans for our lives (Jer 29:11), let us trust in Him with all of our heart....
  
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;
 ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:5-6 (NKJV)

All bible verses are from NKJV.
   

Looking groovy: Fashionable but Questionable!

I'll bet you all love to look good. (Men and women alike...though I know the ladies will identify more on this one) Yeah you know we all like to wear the stunning trendy outfits, have great accessories to go with them and oh yes the shoes and bag....need I say more..?
Well over the last few weeks God has been dealing with me about writing this post and I struggled beacuse I didn't realy want to and I kept thinking it might not go down too well with peeps but He continued to deal with me about it and well yes...in obedience ... here we are...

Over Christmas, one of my gifts was a lovely pair of olive green and tan coloured ear rings (similar to the ones in the picture but different colour) I was thrilled to get these earrings because I thought they were lovely and would go with my greenish outfits. I really couldn't wait to wear them. However as I was putting them away I noticed the name of the ear rings on the tag.... Dreamcatcher. My heart almost skipped a beat. I had heard this name mentioned before, a few years ago whilst listening to a preacher give a talk on dodgy symbols and the Occult.

Apparently the dreamcatcher is supposed to be something that was started by the Native Indians to control dreams. It is supposed to help you have good dreams and keep the bad ones out. Really? And my question is how does it do that? Has it got special powers or something? I don't know but all I can say is on all the websites I've tried to find out more about it, they all seem to be associated with psychics, eastern religions, and other dodgy sounding stuff. There are many websites that talk about the Dreamcatcher legend but I just got one and you can find out more on the website below.

http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamcatcher.html

Although my earrings were slightly different from the original dreamcatcher with the feathers they are all made in the same weaving manner and they have the same name. Who knows if that has any significance, maybe it didn't but I had no peace after that and I wasn't willing to take any chances so I got rid of the earrings. (just in case the same spirit operates within them.) Now I know some of you might think come on... they are just earrings but hey I think it goes deeper than that and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to invite trouble into my life.

I have become selective about what I buy...and I 'm always amazed at people buying clothes for their children with statements like "here comes trouble" or "Rebel." It may seem innocent but by letting them wear that you're speaking and confessing those statements over your child and surely you don't want them to be a rebel now do you? I was talking to a woman in my church about this and she was telling me that she never buys clothes for herself or her children with symbols or writing that she can't read or doesn't understand. She said for all you know you could be wearing something thats cursing you. I totally agree with her, I for one don't like t-shirts, caps, trainers or jackets with funny symbols or pictures of snakes, dragons and so on. Now you may say its just a brand logo but oh let me tell you the owners of some of these brands are working with the enemy and you don't want any part in it. Because the minute you have those things in your house you have given them a port of entry into your life. Therefore all I can say is prayerfully make your day to day purchases asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and if you feel doubtful about anything don't. It may sound silly and too spiritual but pray over whatever you have or buy, that if there is anything dodgy may the Spirit of God deal with it.

Guys this isn't meant to scare anyone but the war we fight is real and remember it isn't against flesh and blood...there's a lot more I could say about clothes and fashion but we'll save it for another post and oh on that note... happy shopping!

I also came across this website that sells dreamcatcher brand stuff from fashion, art to music. Hhmmm I think I'll stick to Amazon.

http://store.dreamcatch.com/

http://www.dreamcatch.com/

Happy New Year - Planning for the year ahead

I hope you all had a great time "eating and being merry" over the festive season. And hopefully as you exchanged gifts, I hope you remembered that Jesus is the reason for the season. God already gave us the best gift. "... His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. Its therefore up to you to accept God's gift and accept Jesus as Saviour of your life if you haven't done so already.

Now that Christmas is behind us and we have entered a New Year and a new decade, many are making plans and setting goals for the year ahead. It's good practice to make written plans and set goals. The bible teaches us to "Write the vision and make it plain..." Habbakuk 2:2. However we need to remember to include God in our goal setting and planning.

Since the beginning of this year, I have been asking God, what is your will for my life for 2010? What is it you wish to accomplish through my life? I am praying and entrusting my ideas and desires to God and searching the word to see if I am in line with his will. Prov 3:4-6 says to "Commit your ways to the Lord...." The Lord has good plans for our life as Jeremiah tells us in Chapter 29 vs11, so we need his direction as we plan for our future.
Once I am convinced that the desires and plans I have are God's will for me, I'm going to go for them with full steam ahead.

I believe that whatever God starts he will finish, so lets make sure whatever we start, we do so with God on our side because only then can we be guaranteed of his provision and his help. May 2010 be your year of the Lord's greatest blessing and favour and may you accomplish great things in His name.

Hurry up...I gotta rush!! (Who ate all my fruit of the Spirit?)

The other day I walked into a local bank (which I won't name but if u really wanna know, gimme a buzz) and I was shocked to see the line was almost as long as from here to Australia. And to confound things, there were only two cashiers serving. Half an hour later I had barely moved as the line was trudging along at snail speed. What frustrated me even more was that there seemed to be more bank personnel walking around the bank than behind the tills. Maybe there were other important things that needed to be done but judging from the mumbling and whining coming from the other customers in the queue we all felt that, we as the customers were "king" and should have been receiving the speedy and efficient service which we rightly deserved.

During my 55 minutes of waiting, I behaved worse than a toddler having a tumtrum; I sighed louder than necessary, sucked my teeth viciously, gave the bank staff "killer looks" and impatiently tapped my nails and drummed my feet so hard I almost made a mark on the surfaces. Then when I got to the till, I didn't even get the courteous "sorry to keep you waiting" line or maybe I was so angry I didnt even hear it. I was fuming, I'm sure I even had smoke coming out of my ears...lol. However as I left I had to laugh at myself. Surely as a Christian I could have exercised a little more patience...but oh no I wanted to be served asap. Now before you start laughing at me, think back to a time when you may have been quite impatient, whether at work, home, in a shop or even when driving along a busy road.

At one time or another we all run out of patience or sadly for some they never had any in the first place. But when we do, we need to take a quick trip to the fruit market and get us some more fruits of the Spirit. I find that praying and asking God to help me to walk in the Spirit helps top up my virtues. For as the bible says when we "...walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16 (NKJV). But once you've prayed you don't suddenly become perfect, meditate on scriptures on patience, listen to sermons on the subject and take it a day at a time. Choose to respond in a better way whenever you're put in a situation where you have to wait.

When I get stuck in traffic these days, I look at people walking around and sometimes I feel led to pray for some of them. One particular day, a woman walked past and as I studied her I noticed that one of her shoes had a huge hole in the sole. I wondered whether she was having financial problems and started praying for her to know Jesus if she didn't already and also for God to help her in her time of need.  Before I even finished the traffic had started moving. Well that was 5 minutes well spent, instead of imagining whether the pavement could be used as an extra lane to beat the traffic...lol

As someone once said, "Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting." So I urge you next time you find yourself running out of patience, relax, pray and smile. It may not necessarily get you want you want quicker but it will make the journey less frustrating.

Happy Thanksgiving! - Dinner with the VIPs (A Short Story)

To celebrate Thankgiving which most people associate with food, here's a short story about something we all love.... dinner....
Dinner with the VIPs

Tony smiled. He had waited for twenty eight years for this moment. Rumours floating around the office purported that he had been nominated for the position of VP (Vice President) of the Board. Now his lifetime goal was almost within reach. Almost. But he had to make it certain.
Tony knew that his academic record was outstanding, what with an MBA from Harvard and a PHD from Yale. He had been responsible for 75 % sales and 87 % growth in the company in the last two years. Try and beat that. But would it be enough? There were two other bright sparks to contend with. Tony knew he had to do something. Yes, something that would seal the deal. Then it hit him! He would invite the four board members and their wives for dinner at his home. They did say that the way to a man’s heart is through his pot belly (oops sorry I mean stomach.)

Tony emailed the board members who seemed surprised but equally delighted by his invitation. After that he got onto the phone and called his wife Macy.
“Honey, there’s talk in the office that I’ve been nominated for VP!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s great. When will you find out for certain?”
“The board will take a vote next week and decide between me and two others.”
“You’ve worked very hard babe and I think you’ll get it. I’ll phone the prayer group and ask them to pray for you as well.”
“Thanks babe, but I’ve also come up with an idea which could help to guarantee my place.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I’ve invited the board members and their wives to our place for dinner this weekend.”
Tony had already decided that Macy would not do the cooking, there was too much at stake here and he couldn’t take any chances with his wife’s homely but not elegant cooking. He would hire a chef for this particular occasion.
“Honey, I think we should leave it all in God’s hands. Besides you don’t want to look like you are sucking up to them, do you?”
But there was no stopping Tony, who had his eye on the prize and was sure that this was the perfect way to attain it.

Saturday night came round and the four board members arrived promptly for the evening dinner. They all complimented Tony on his home which looked like a page out of Contemporary Homes Magazine, with its elegant high ceilings, immaculate mahogany wooden floors, white furniture complete with an original Paolo Fazioli grand piano. Tony was dressed in a lovely grey Armani suit whilst his wife wore a stunning red number by Gucci (all bought especially for the dinner of course). Tony was an impeccable host making sure everyone’s glass never went below half, playing his classical music at just the right volume and helping Macy serve the appetisers; shrimp with basil garlic stuffing and fig and goat cheese bruschetta. Dinner soon followed, Tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belons oyster. Everyone seemed impressed by the posh and ludicrously expensive cuisine and the evening seemed to be going extremely well. Well until the unimaginable happened of course.

Suzie, the President’s wife suddenly asked for the toilet. She had an uneasy look as she scurried off to the toilet. When she came back she seemed flushed and somewhat queasy. No sooner had she sat down, another board member asked for the toilet. Over the next ten minutes, different members of the dinner party all took a trip to the toilet. Tony scratched his head and fidgeted in his seat as he watched them all. His shirt now had big wet patches under the armpits from the layers of sweat defying his deodorant.
As it turned out everyone seemed to have the runs. On further investigation, it turned out the chef had decided to put a special ingredient... a special powdered herb, which unfortunately he had mixed up with another white powdery substance - a laxative. Apologies were passed around and there were some embarrassed faces and a few dirty looks thrown towards the dejected host.
I’m sure you are wondering whether Tony ever did get the job, well that’s another story.

 © 2009 Gospel Girl


I might not be an American but to me Thanksgiving is a time to thank and appreciate God for all He has done for me, my family and friends. I encourage everyone to take time to give thanks to God this Thanksgiving.
I have included this story to celebrate Thanksgiving ... I think it fits the occassion, seeing as most people relate Thanksgiving to food....lol. Happy Thanksgving ya'll!


Brief History of Thanksgiving
After the Pilgrims left England in September 1620, they arrived in Massachusetts in late November. More than half died before spring due to sickness and harsh winter conditions. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. Although Thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607, this was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.

Picture source: Google Images
History Source: Christiananswers.net

Designed for Purpose – Avoid the Malfunctioning Syndrome

Imagine if the toaster decided one day, “you know what, I don’t feel fulfilled as a toaster, the rice cooker seems to be getting on alright, why don’t I try cooking rice for a change?” The result would be a total mess, the rice and water in a toaster would probably cause it to stop functioning properly. Or imagine if the all the cutting instruments in the world like knives, scissors, and lasers had not been invented or stopped performing their function. The whole world would find it difficult to do so many things. The medical field wouldn’t be able to perform life saving operations in theatre and many industries wouldn’t be able to function properly. Now as absurd as these examples sound, a lot of us find ourselves doing the very same thing every now and again.

God created each of us with a specific plan for our lives. Jeremiah 1:5 (paraphrase) says that God knew each of us before we were born and He sanctified us and ordained us for certain callings on this earth. Now I don’t know what God ordained you to be or what specific gifts or talents He has given you, but your highest priority should be to find that out. Now I’m not just talking about spiritual gifts here but your ultimate purpose in life. Let’s ask ourselves some key questions. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are we in the will of God for our lives and are we doing what we are supposed to be doing?

We need to come to a place where we recognise what we are supposed to be doing. Then prioritise that one thing or things and get to work doing our Father’s business. Please let us not become a CCC (Copy Cat Christian). Just because Brother X is a guru at playing drums and he is anointed in that area now you also want to play drums because it looks like so much fun. Hello...is that what YOU are really supposed to be doing? Be honest with yourself and prayerfully consider this. Don’t jump into things just for the sake of it. Now that’s not to say that we don’t do anything else in our lives but we should prioritise our life purpose. It should be the very thing that drives us to wake up. When Jesus came to earth, His mission was to die on the cross in order to redeem mankind. Now while He was on earth, many suggested that He do other things. Mind you, some were tempting offers that would have led some of us astray. Others wanted to make Him King so that He could rule over them. But Jesus knew why He was here and ultimately, He fulfilled the purpose for which He had been sent, by dying for our sins.

Wouldn’t it be a shame if you passed through life and didn’t do what you were supposed to do? You could do a lot of good things on earth but if you failed to do that most important thing that you were created for, you would have missed the mark all together. Many people will lose out on being blessed by you because you failed to deliver. How about that life changing invention you haven’t started working on yet; that half written song that’s supposed to encourage someone; the orphanage you want to open; the book that was started and never finished or the captivating movie you’ve been dreaming about that could bring could many souls to Christ? Who knows maybe God may choose to use someone else to do it but wouldn’t it be great to know that you played your part in the Big Maze of Life?

The story of a lighthouse keeper below is an extract from the devotional "UCB Word for Today" but it kind of links in with what I am talking about:
“There was a lighthouse keeper on a rocky stretch of coastline who received a new supply of oil each month to keep the light burning. Being close to the shore he had lots of guests. A woman from the village needed some oil to keep her family warm; a farmer requested some for his tractor; a mechanic wanted some to lubricate a wheel. All the requests seemed legitimate so the lighthouse keeper tried to please everybody. Before the month was over his oil was gone and the beacon went out. As a result several ships were wrecked and lives were lost. When the authorities investigated, the man was very repentant. But to his excuses and pleading their reply was, 'You were given oil for one purpose - to keep the light burning.' Be wise - prioritise!”

Society's wrongz and rightz

I'm appalled by the fact that people seem to have a waning sense of consideration for the next person in our society. Take a walk on the street and you'll see what I mean, you find people spitting all over the place; their spit missing your leg by a fraction of a millimetre.Ughhh. I wont even mention the litter bugs. No one seems to care much about the next person (or the environment for that matter). It seems most are shifting somewhat in the direction of "each man for himself". Now before you yawn, this has nothing to do with politics, saving the environment,socialist or communist theories or any other deep stuff...just musing over some observations I've made...

In most European countries, people have a reputation of being cold and unfriendly whereas in most developing countries people who've never met generally greet each other when they use public transport.(There are of course exceptions to this). In my home country people on a bus or a commuter taxi will often say hi or ask how you are and sometimes a conversation can take place between several passengers about a mutual topic of interest. Its not beacuse they want something from the other person but its just a matter of being friendly and a sense of being one. Try saying hello to a stranger on the tube...they'll probably call you "Freako" and move to sit somewhere else.. !

I'm fortunate in that I drive almost everywhere I go and I don't have to use public transport regularly, but on those few occassions that I've had to leave my Rolls Royce (I wish) at home I've been dismayed at the actions of some commuters. I think apple should consider installing a sensor in their iPods which will detect whether a person is in a public area or not, if they are in public, then it would automatically reduce the volume of the gadget so that it doesnt annoy those around them. I'm telling you some of those kids are gonna go deaf before they're even 25. For the entrepreneurs there's an idea for you (volume reducing sensor)...free of charge...you can thank me later...
Gum on the seats in buses, trains and now even in church....yeah dont get me started ya'll...
The smelly hot food... hot wings, fish and chips on the tube ...I mean c'mon... If u are hungry dont get take away...find a table and eat, THEN jump on the train.
And what of the love birds who want to act out an X rated movie on public transport...Please go home or if you cant wait till you get home...get a room!
Gosh!

Ok let me calm down....I had an interesting tube ride the other day, a young lady whose face resembled a stormy day (by this I mean she looked like she was about to explode with anger)sat on a seat at the end of a carriage and put her bag on the seat next to her. At the next station a couple of people got on and there were no more seats. But to everone's surprise she still didnt move her bag, she just glared at everyone in silence, her dark gothic like makeup probably intimidated people. At the next station another woman got on and asked if she could have the seat. The stormy girl glared at her and moved the bag slightly to the side so that the lady could have 2/3 of the seat. The lady sat down and she looked uncomfortable but she was probably scared to ask "Stormy" to remove the bag entirley. Sad state of affairs but everone was relieved when Stormy got off at the next station. Infact one man looked in my direction, shook his head and made a little chuckling sound.

The saddest tube ride however was one evening about 9pm when I was coming from Central London. A young lady got on the tube and she was in tears. She sat down and people just looked at her. She continued to cry all the way from Bond Street to Mile End. It wasnt a loud wailing kind of crying but soft whimpering accompanied by gallons of tears. I wanted to ask her if she was ok but she was two people away from me and I guess I was worried that she might shout back and tell me to mind my own business and then I'd end up embarrassing myself. No one said a word to her but she was obviously very distraught about something.I feel terrible that I didnt have the courage to say something but then again its so sad that the society we live in that makes us feel that saying something would be intrusive. Sigh!

My most interesting tube ride, was on one of those miserable rainy days. Now I'm not sure what happened but a woman came and sat two seats away from me. A few seconds later I saw her put her hand on the seat and then bring it to her nose to sniff it. A few seconds later she mumbled somthing about the seat being wet to her friend and got up. Odd I thought. I wonder how the seat got wet. Now there are many reasons, someone could have sat there with a very wet coat/or an umbrella dripping, or maybe there was water seeping into the carriage from somewhere or worst case scenario someone had taken a pee but thats highly unlikely on the train (at least I'd hope.)

The next person to sit there was a nice young man in a suit who had probably had a long day at work. Being the considerate person that I am, I decided to warn him about the seat just as he sat down which was a little hard because the seat wasnt next to mine, so I kind of had to shout over the other passenger for him to hear me. The young man thanked me and quickly got up. Two other people sat in the same seat and I wanted to warn them but the train was now quite full and it was difficult for me to get their attention without shouting or causing some kind of scene. So I kept quiet and so did the people who were sitting next to them who were very much aware that the seat was wet. I wondered why they couldnt just open their mouth and say something. The "wet seat victims"  immediately got up once they realised that seat was wet.I wished I had a big piece of paper and I could have written in bold letters "WET SEAT" and put it on the seat to warn everyone else but I didnt have any paper so I had to watch in silence.

Anyway as I got off the train, a girl who had been the last victim of the wet seat walked right past me and to my horror and unbeknown to her, her short grey skirt now had a big dark wet patch almost the size of a melon and to anyone who didnt know the story, it looked like she had missed a trip to the John ...oopps daisy, I was embarrased on her behalf to say the least. Shame!

The Me,Myself and I Culture

Who likes noise? Not many people I am sure. (unless you happen to be a hormone infested teenager...lol luv u teens...which doesnt count in this case)
Yes, undoubtedly we all detest any noise that disturbs our serene tranquil state of being. The irony of the situation is that many a time we are the greatest source of noise ourselves, not literally, but in our actions. The bible says that if "... we have not love we have become a clanging gong or sounding brass.." 1 Cor 13:1 NKJV Oucchh!

Now I dont know about you but I dont want to be no gong or even sound like one and I encourage us to pray and ask God to fill us with love for those around us. Let's purpose and determine within our hearts to walk in the love of Christ. Now its not going to happen overnight, neither will we ever arrive at the point where we'll be perfect on this earth but its a decision we'll have to make daily to do the best we can.

There are so many people out there hurting emotionally and physically. People going through enormous challenges and sometimes all it takes on our part is to pick up the phone and say "hey how are you? I was thinking of you, praying for you..." Who knows...That small gesture could make such a tremendous difference to that person.
I remember a few years ago I met someone in church who I wasnt close to but I just greeted them enthusiatically and gave them a great big hug. The person later told me that they had been going through a very rough patch and that hug had meant so much to them than I could ever imagine. I was utterly amazed, what had merely been a friendly hug on my part had actually been a comforting gesture to them. Prayerfully ask God to lead you on how to minister to different people. Each situation is different, you might need to help in other practical ways. You might have to give of your time, money, talent or whatever but it will always cost to walk in love.
Jesus loved us and it cost Him His life. He has therefore set a high standard for us to emulate. Sometimes the temptation is there to wallow in self pity and concentrate on whats wrong in our lives but lets reach out to others and chuck that "its all about me attitude" in the bin.

Recently I read the story of how a man was preaching salvation to some starving people in a third world country and one of the women said to him "Your words are nice but they aren't gonna feed my stomach." It might sound bitter but to be honest I dont blame her. Its alright to talk the talk but there comes a time when you have to walk the walk as well. I know we all have our own "issues" to deal with but lets take a minute to forget ourselves and consider how we can be a blessing to others outside the four corners of our church. If your church is not involved in outreach or community projects and you want to be involved in something "holla". It's not just about what we can get from God but more importantly what we can do for others on God's behalf. We are His ambassadors, lets be creative and go out there and make a difference.

Thought I'd share this video....

http://www.joycemeyer.org/ourministries/broadcast/?myVar=2

The video's entitled "God's passion Part 1" and it aired on 21/09/09. I believe it's an excellent example of love in action. Please consider sowing your seed in this ministry which is making a difference in the lives of others.

Afraid of the Dark

As a small child I remember begging my mum to leave the light on in my room every night when I was going to sleep. Why? Because I was afraid of the dark. Many people are afraid of the dark and for most the reason is fairly obvious, it’s hard to see in the dark and we don’t know what might be lurking about out there.....to put it simply we are generally afraid of the unknown.

As we all know life can be tough and from time to time challenges are thrown our way. For many this can be a very rough and dark patch in our lives. These dark periods come in all sorts of forms. For some it could be a terminal disease, a divorce, a major financial crisis, losing a loved one, parenting a troublesome teenager, losing a job or your home. You may feel discouraged, hurt or anxious because you don’t know what the future holds. You may even find yourself asking why? There’s no simple answer to that but the following insights have helped me and might encourage and help you to get through the difficult and painful times.

James 1:2 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” God wants us to develop perseverance and he will allow trials so that we can grow in our faith. Take for example a guy trying to build his upper body and biceps. He has to spend hours lifting heavy weights over a period of time. It’s not an easy process and he has to endure some pain but in the end he develops his muscles and becomes stronger. I believe that in every situation in our life God will always take the pain and use it for our gain. I know it’s not that easy to count it all joy when you are facing a crisis. I know how hard it can be, I have faced some difficult situations in my life. I lost my father after a short illness at a very young age and I have also faced periods of long term unemployment in my life. During those times I felt helpless and frustrated and a part of me wanted to give up on life but I hung in there and continued to look to God to strengthen me and as a result I became closer to him and my faith was stretched and grew.

I’ve realised that things that cause great pain and frustration to us can be turned around by God to become a blessing to us and/or other people. Although at the time it may not make sense to us, God sees the bigger picture and in all things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28a) We should walk by faith and trust in God even though we can’t see what lies ahead. I always like to tell people about oysters. Now before your mouth starts watering let me tell you, it’s got nothing to do with food. What I find fascinating about oysters is that when a foreign substance such as sand or seaweed enters its shell it causes painful irritation to the oyster and in response the oyster begins to secrete a substance called nacre onto the foreign substance. Over time this irritant covered in nacre develops into one of the finest gemstones, a pearl. We should therefore look to God to give us strength to endure the trial knowing that, “... weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)I sincerely hope and pray that as we continue to believe God and trust Him no matter the odds, He will turn our frustrating situations to pearls.

There are things that haven’t come to pass yet in my life and I continue to pray and trust God that as I serve him, love him and walk in obedience to him, he will give me the desires of my heart according to His will and may He do the same in your life IJN.

Being not so young and single....to be or not to be that is the question?

I’ve heard many single folk (both male and female) say that they hate going to Singles events(Christian or non Christian) and they wouldn’t be caught dead there (or alive). I am not sure what the real reason behind this is, but for some they seem to view such events as a “hunting ground” and therefore do not want the added pressure of possibly "pairing up" at such an event. For some they merely fear being considered desperate. Then there is the daunting task of going to weddings, dinner parties and other gatherings alone or with your single friends who you have been hanging around with forever.

It appears that being a single person whether divorced, never married or widowed somehow seems to carry some unwritten social stigma. It’s almost made to seem like a bad disease which should be treated as soon as possible by getting married. Some people even regard one as a failure until they have a hubby/wife and a couple of rugrats in the backseat of car. I’ve heard of well meaning family members that like to ask questions like , “So when are you getting married?” to which most singles would answer, “When I meet the right man or woman?” to which Auntie X would be so quick to reply, “Well you better hurry up because you’re not getting any younger you know.” Gee thanks Aunty, like they don’t already know this simple fact which they’re reminded of every time another birthday rolls around.Hmm.
Let me say this...Peeps,just because you are single it doesnt mean there is anything wrong with you...dont believe the hype! You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God loves you in your very situation. Have fun, pray and maintain an active social life...God will do the rest in His time!!!

Most people desire to be married one day because marriage is a great blessing but while waiting for marriage let the joy of being Single flow through your very bones. Woooaa! Pray that God will help you to be content at the place you are at. I believe that everyone has an assignment for every season in their life and for you as a single person it might be to be the best single person for God there is. Seek Him and find out what He wants you to do with your life in the meantime. And I just encourage every one of my Single peeps that if you have put your life on hold till you get married...STOP! You need to start living life NOW.

Now I know that being Single has its downs and yes being human means that we have feelings and yes I know once in a while we feel lonely and we want to have that special person to go home to and snuggle up to...and we’ll stop there... but there’s so many other positives to being Single. Yes...you heard me...lots of positives...and you should enjoy every moment as much as you can because once you get married ...well it will be a different ball game altogether.

Just for fun here's a few things that should bring a small but significant smile on your face....Being single means that:

1)You have plenty of time to develop your relationship with God. Now I know many of us have probably heard this said so many times and blah blah blah...been there done that, got the t-shirt and all that jazz ....but really think about it. You can give your undivided attention to God without worrying about spending time with a spouse or children. You can wake up anytime of the night and pray or sing as loud as you want without worrying about waking up your husband/wife, you can also get involved in church ministry without the undivided responsibility of family life.

2)You don’t have to make decisions with anyone else... (well other than God that is) in simple terms you are the king of the castle. (or queen for the feminists of this world)

3)If you choose to travel around the world for a year, that’s fine as long as your pocket can pick up the bill, if you want to give a million to the church...you don’t have to answer to anyone about such generosity...

4)You can basically eat whatever you like for supper; a sandwich an orange or whatever thy taste buds desire without worrying about anyone else, you can get home whatever time you want and you don’t have to check with anybody if that’s ok.
5)You don’t have to share the bathroom with anyone or pick up after anybody other than yourself. Also you do half the laundry, half the ironing that you would have to do if you were married. Now aint that a peach! :-)

Now there are those who are called to a life of Independence and have no desire whatsoever to get married, that’s fine too if that’s what you want. People should not think you are strange or weird, it’s simply a choice.

Finally for those who dream of a trip down the aisle one day: Learn all you can about marriage, what it is and its purpose, also pray and stay positive ... and of course mingle ...!!! Lastly like Joyce Meyer always says “enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going!”

P.S Don’t forget to send me a wedding invitation when your time comes!

We got to pray just to make it today!!!

"We got to pray just to make it today..." I remember singing and doing the running man to that song when I was a little girl. MC Hammer had a point when he sang that song in the early nineties... we have to pray to be able to make it every day.

Prayer is talking to our Daddy, baring our heart and soul to him... The question is though ...do we really understand the power of our prayer?

Our prayers can move mountains and change the world if we truly believe.

The bible tells us that we should "pray without ceasing." 1 Thess 5:17 and that "...the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16b)

Lets do our part, small as it may seem...lets take the time daily to go boldly before His throne and make our requests known unto Him. Pray for your family, pray for your neighbour, pray for your enemy. You never know, your very prayers could save someone's life or more importantly their soul. Join me and lets shake things up in here.

In the words of Aretha Franklin..."Each morning I wake up, before I put on my make up....I say a little prayer for you...."

Get Up and Do It!

Like Martin Luther King....So many people have dreams ...very big dreams, but sadly only a handful of people ever strive toward the realization of their dream.
If you have a dream, make sure its from God and then pursue it. As soon as you take the first step, He will guide you.
Do whatever it takes to see the dream come to pass.(this doesn't include by hook or crook methods or devious ways of getting there, These are a complete no no! :-))))
Be creative! Work Hard!
Dont be afraid to try something new... With God on your side all things are possible! As somone once said "Amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic."

The 3 L's of Love!

The 3 L's of Love!

Love God, Love others and Love yourself.

I like to call these the modern day commandments. If you havent done so....Try them...I assure you...its utterly infectious and to top it off, you wont regret it!
What is love? 1 Corin 13 describes it best...

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  ⁸Love never fails.

Love God.
Most of us have been in love before.... what do you do when you're in love with someone...we will probably exhibit some of these things...

1.You spend as much time as you can with them.
2.You cant stop talking about them to other people.
3. You can't stop thinking about them.
4.You do everything you can to please them.
5. You give them lovely gifts.
Well if we can do all this for a man or a woman we love, what stops us from acting the same way with the lover of our soul...seeing as we profess to love God. Is it that maybe we need to examine our hearts and truly see where our true love really lies? Whatever the case let's cultivate our love for God. It's important to note that if we dont love God the way we should, it will be difficult for us to love others or even ourselves in a healthy way.

Love others as yourself.
I pray that God will help us to walk in love and show kindness, patience, generosity, forgiveness and be gracious towards others around us whether or not we feel like it. As we do this we will demonstrate love in action.

Love yourself.
This doesnt mean turning into the snow queen and asking the mirror on the wall, who's the prettiest of them all...no no, all it means is that we should find out what the Word of God says about us...
"You are fearfully and wonderfully made.." Psalm 139:14 paraphrase "...a treasured possession and the apple of God's eye..."
We are made in His image, therefore we should treat ourselves as the royalty that we are. Don't look down on yourself.
Love who you are, you're an original unique individual!