To The Land of Forever

The sun rays seemed to dance as they flickered on the tiny rocks that lined the sides of the road.
A few leaves rustled nearby as they were carried to unknown lands by the cool Easterly breeze.
Ahead of me, I could see many others like me, trudging along on this weary journey.
We had been walking for years towards the better place.
This is what we were born to do,
To walk this journey and make the most of it.

Many had wondered off the path,
Enticed by the beautiful flowers on the wayside, or the smoke coming from within the forest
Of freshly grilled bbq meat,
I often warned them not to lose sight of the mission,
We were not meant to get carried away by fanciful things,
Our mission was to reach our destination,
Taking with us as many as we could for the King.

We met many that had never heard of the King,
I tried to get them to join us,
I told them about Him, how He wanted to give us good things,
And show love and mercy towards all,
who would give up all, to walk this journey for Him.
They laughed and scorned,
"You're talking gibberish," they said.
I shied away, not sure what to say.
"Most absurd," said another.
"It's true," I cried, wanting desperately for them to understand and believe.
They turned away towards the bright lights where people ate and were merry,
I watched them them go, hoping they might change their minds,
But their hearts were rock hard, their eyes heavily veiled.
I only hoped someday, they'd know.


It's not easy though, this journey of ours.
Just last week, we were attacked by bandits from the Smoky Valley,
They came in droves and stole our food, our blankets and even our joy,
I didn't let it affect me much,
But some of the others began to complain and curse the King,
Why did he let that happen?
Some sulked and refused to walk anymore,
Some began to eat the forbidden fruits dangling from branches along the way,
"You know we mustn't do that, it will harm you."
But they laughed and ate some more.
"Nothing happened ...see.... nothing," they said raising their arms in glee,
"It's all a trick to keep us from having fun."

But their laughter was short lived
Their bodies began to degenerate.
Blisters and boils began to appear all over their bodies,
Meanwhile my skin began to glow.

What's happening to us? they asked fear gripping their hearts.
How come you're not affected?
That's because I drink Living Water from the King's well.
You drank and ate from the dark side.
And so from the dark side you will reap.

Is there any hope for us? What can we do to be well? they asked.
Cry out to the King,
He's merciful, He's kind,
He can heal you and He can make you whole,
And give you the strength to complete this journey.
.

A Pinch of Salt

Have you ever tried to use an appliance or piece of equipment and it didn't work?  I remember my frustration about two years ago when my almost brand new TV suddenly stopped working. I tried everything including banging it with my hands to no avail. The expensive top of the range TV had ceased to do it's job.

The bible says that we are the "Salt of the Earth". Think about this for a minute. When you add salt to any food say chicken for instance, the taste of the food changes. The salt adds a lovely flavour, without which, the chicken would be bland.

That means wherever we go, whatever we are doing, as Believers we have to be changing the environment around us just like the salt changes the food its added to. Our environment should be better because of us. If we are not affecting the world around us that means that we have lost our purpose and as Jesus says, "...that salt is good for nothing but to be thrown out..." Matthew 5:13 We will become like the TV I bought which stopped working and had to be thrown away.

How then do we enhance our environment? What are we supposed to be doing to add our saltiness to the Earth?

I believe that we are supposed to first of all demonstrate our love for God by loving other people. This can be through doing good for others whenever we get the chance, a helping hand here and there, a prayer for someone, a word of encouragement and so on.

The second way we can affect our world is by doing all things, for example our job, our ministry, to the best of our ability so that God's name can be glorified. Imagine if you serve in the Media team in church and you're constantly late and there's only one person serving instead of two. It may have an impact on the sermon CD production or the TV broadcast and it could give a bad name to the church.

Thirdly I believe that we can enhance our environment by sharing the gospel with unbelievers, we will ultimately play a role in changing their lives and henceforth change our environment. So when was the last time you witnessed to someone and told them about God's love or Christ's work on the cross?
Don't kick yourself if you haven't done so in a while. Dust yourself up and get going. There's many out there who are looking for answers and the good news is, we have the answer. Lets spread the love and share the message of the Cross with all.

Stone, Wood or Pop Idols - Help, I think I'm an addict!!!

"Hi, my name is GG and I'm a Social Networking addict. It has been err ... 2 hours and twelve minutes since my last log in."

I look around nervously at the smiling faces of all the fellow addicts, all welcoming and encouraging, their eyes telling me they can relate.
Men, women, boys and girls and wait a minute ... you're kidding me, is that a cat sitting in the circle as well?

Ok, so maybe I exaggerated about the cat and I'm not sure if anyone has launched Social Networking Anonymous but if it were so, this scenario is one I might find myself in if I don't keep myself in check.
Yeah, I have to admit the Internet has at times become one of my favourite past times, the other day, my laptop was so hot from being continually on, I was so sure I could have fried a steak on it...
Maybe you're very self disciplined and you're one of those that can go for weeks without logging onto anything and when you do, you only stay for five minutes...good for you, but for the rest of us, every now and then we find ourselves spending far too much time than is necessary. Sigh.

Right, lets rewind for a minute, so I can put all this in perspective.
We all know that the Israelites messed about in the wilderness and because of that God made them wander around for 40 years instead of 11 days.
They did all sorts of terrible stuff, they complained and grumbled more than Mr Grumpy himself.
Then they thought, ahhh lets make ourselves a god. So they made themselves a golden calf. Who knows maybe they figured they could get some golden milk from it??? Beats me. Anyway the point is throughout the bible people did all forms of idol worshipping. Some preferred stone, some wood, others precious stone but bottom line is they worshipped other gods.

Now we may turn up our nose at them and think, how could they? But before we do, we need to examine our own lives and make sure we don't have our own idols. Now our idols may not be silver or wooden images and yeah we don't prostrate before them but our own idol worship takes a somewhat different form.

Pop idols - some people "worship" singers, actors, sports people and other celebrities to the point of treating them like a god. Some people take their direction in life from these people. Instead of looking to God and His word to lead and mould us, we sometimes look to these people to determine our way of dress, talk and so on. We emulate them in the way we carry ourselves.
There's nothing wrong with admiring them but make sure it doesn't go too far. As children of God, we need to be Christlike and let Him lead us in every facet of life.

Use of time
God requires that we should love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. And most importantly we should have no other God but Him. Exodus 20

This to me, denotes that we should spend as much as much time with God as we can. If we spend 10 mins with God in the morning and then spend the rest of our free time time going out for fun, or online chatting to our friends, face booking, blogging and watching TV then it's most likely that those things may have taken a bigger place in our heart than the things of God.
If we truly have a desire for God, we will cultivate our relationship with Him by spending more time with Him. He has said "Seek me and you shall find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Now don't get me wrong peeps, I'm not saying social networking or blogging or online surfing is wrong or evil.
NO, I'm not saying that.
And I'm not saying that we should spend every living moment of our lives singing hymns and carrying harps whilst sitting on fluffy cloud 9.

No.
I'm just saying, too much of anything is never good. The bible says we should exercise discipline and do everything in moderation.
Not everything that we do is profitable.
Besides God has given us special talents and assignments to do whilst we are down here. If we spend all our time on entertainment, we won't have time dream, plan and work our plan, and yet we will continue to dream of being bigger and better than Bill Gates.Hhmm.

Be honest with yourself. You may not be an addict but how much time do you spend watching TV? What percentage of your time do you spend going out with friends? How much time do you spend on your Nintendo Wii or PS? How often do you have the compulsion to log in and see whats happening with everyone on Facebook, Blogger, Buzz, Twitter or whatever it is that floats your boat?

The bible says the truth will set us free. John 8:32
If you think your time management may be a little out of hand, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you coz will power alone won't cut it. But the first step is admitting it to yourself.
C'mon guys we can all have fun but lets be wise with our time for one day, we shall all give an account of our time to our Daddy dearest.
                                                             ________________________________
Do you ever struggle with this? Or do you think you are very disciplined in this area? What advice could you give others?

Roses are Red

The huge strong hands threw me onto the ground,
Then firmly placed me in the soil and covered me up.
Silence.
It was pitch black and scary.
You know, like the alleyways you see in the movies, 
Except that, all sorts of bugs and slimy things rubbed up against me.

Then a few minutes later gallons of water gushed down towards me.
Nearly knocking the life out of me.
The water was stinging cold and the giant drops splashed all over me.

Then came more silence.
Nothing happened.
Why am I here? And why am I being handled like this?
No reply.
I sighed.

Then the sun came out and dried up most of the water.
Then the man with the big hands poured more water.
And the sun came out again and dried up all the water, nearly scorching me.
And so the cycle continued day after day.
I didn't like it one bit.
It was not exactly executive spa treatment.

But then I started to grow.
Shoots started to come out of every part of my being.
And I developed tiny cute roots.

As my roots began to grow, suddenly some other shoddy plants began to grow around me,
They began to eat my food, and take my share of the water,
Very soon they were encroaching on my very space,
Privacy became a myth.
It became so bad, I began to feel like I was being choked by these new plants,
Then along came the Man with his green can of Weed Killer
And within a day my unwelcome squatters were no more.

Then the man came back again.
What is he up to this time? I wondered suspiciously.

Then to my horror, he came holding a fork and a spade like thing,

And started poking the soil all around me.
The soil started brushing up against me and it was horrid.
Then he started tossing bits of grubby soil all over me.
As if things were not bad enough the new soil had a stench.
Why does it smell so much? I asked pinching my nose.
I looked at the big pack he was holding and noticed the name MANURE as he wheeled it away in his wheelbarrow.
Why, oh why, was I going through all this?
This is not what I hoped my life would become,
cold, stinky and lonely.

Then came the insecticide, strong and itchy,
It made my head spin and gave me a slight cough.
But after a while, the bugs that had started attacking me
were no match for it,
I saw a few the other day lying on the muddy ground.

Then for a while nothing happened again,
It seemed I'd been forgotten
Useless and unwanted.

Then the buds starting coming out and the petals started opening,
Others like me, stood all around,
Our home transformed as people came from far and wide,
to behold our beauty at the Flower Show,
Beautiful," they exclaimed.
"It is a true example of His workmanship."

I sway my bright red rosy head and stand tall and proud.
There is no other rose in the garden as sweet smelling as me.
It has taken hard work and a lot of pain to get me to look the way I do,
But I now realise the master knew what I could become,
So he patiently and tirelessly worked,
so that I could become the perfect Red Rose.

______________________________________________________


A note from Gospel Girl

I hate gardening. With a passion.
Firstly it's hard work and hey I'm not a bug lover.
So I've always stayed clear of the garden and all its weeds, bugs and slimy creepy things.
Then one summer I decided I wanted to have a BBQ so I decided to fix up my garden. Ugh.
I went to the local B & Q shop and got several tools, and one of them in came in pink - aah a touch of girl power.

Then later that afternoon I set to work in the garden.
As I worked that day I realised that our lives are very similar to those of the plants in the garden and I hope that the tale of the Red Rose has helped you to see that the process might be painful and uncomfortable but God knows what He is doing and at the end of all the challenges and trials we face, we will come out Beautiful.

In the words of Schwarzenegger, "I'll be back..."

Hey beloved blog readers,

I'm gonna disappear under my duvet for a few days because I need to concentrate on other writing projects coz deadlines are looming and I need to put all my focus on them. That's not to say blogging isn't important, it's very important to me and so are you my special readers but I just feel the need to put all my focus on the other stuff at the moment but I promise I'll be back soon...promise! :-)


I will miss u all but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Do pop back in a couple of days and we can carry on from where we left off...

xoxo Gospel Girl

The Bump

She had always been the sensible one,

Straight A's, no boyfriends and certainly no weed or heroine.

Everyone called her Miss Goody Two Shoes,

She'd had it all planned out, the Uni degree, then the wedding and the house they'd live in.

Now it was all a mess, yeah a big terrible mess.


She'd just thought it harmless when things had started getting heated up with Allen.

She didn't bargain for all that had transpired that night,

And now she had this bump before she'd even walked down the aisle.

She couldn't talk to anyone about it, not Allen, her mother or even her best friend,

She hoped the Pastor wouldn't see it in the Spirit and shame her in front of the whole church.

What to do? What to do? What's a girl to do?



Then she got a leaflet from someone,

Apparently they could get rid of it in the clinic down the road,

Maybe she should, no one would ever know,

But they say its a sin, would she be able to live with herself?

But then again she can't afford a child, and she just ain't ready

for the sleepless nights, the pain of childbirth, hey she's only seventeen.

The church would talk about her, her school mates would mock her,

What's a girl to do? What to do, what to do?



Mum can't tell yet, there's nothing much there but she can't hide it forever,

So a decision has to be made,

Finally her mind made up, tomorrow she will get rid of it,

Night time comes but all she does is toss and turn.



Mum asks her to got with her to the food market,

On the way back, they meet an old woman, mum talks with her and and as they part she breaks into tears.

"Mum what's the matter?" she asks.

But mum is silent, her face ashen, her fingers trembling.

"Mum whats the matter?" she asks yet again.

Mum just shakes her head, "it's nothing, don't concern yourself my child."


Later at home when she thinks Ayenda's not listening she hears mum tell auntie,

"I met her today you know,"

"Who?" Aunty asks with curious interest,

"The one who persuaded me to keep my child,

I can't imagine how life would have turned out without Ayenda,

she's my pride and joy, my reason for living.

I can't believe or forgive myself that I almost aborted her."

"Don't worry abot that now, you didn't do it, so don't fret."



As she listens to her mum and aunty, she holds her own tummy and she cant help but cry,

She looks at herself in the mirror, her sad face staring back at her,

She sighs and makes her decision,

She can't get rid of it,

the precious life within her yearns to grow and blossom,

Her mum kept her and gave her a chance,

Isn't it only fair and right that she gives her own baby a chance?

Knock, Knock...will you open?

Lately I've had a strong feeling upon my heart that God really wants us to draw nearer to Him than ever before.
Hence I wrote the post "I will make Time"and "The Master's Visitors" to remind myself and others that God longs for us to spend time with Him and become his closest friends.


Now if you've ever used Facebook you will understand the next few things I'm gonna talk about, if you haven't used Facebook don't despair, just flow with me... :-)

God is sending us a special friend request and its up to us to accept it or ignore.

He has created many events for which we are invited, the best of all being eternity with Him in Heaven.

He will send us many gifts over the period of our lifetime, not mere things like virtual flowers and jewellery
but peace and joy that will carry us during the during the challenging times.

He will never block us or remove us from His friend list.

He's the creator of a massive Group,
Have you joined his group of believers who meet occassionally to fellowship, pray and encourage one another?

Join his fan page by clicking on "Like" but don't be like those who disappear and never visit the page again after that. Be a regular and active group member in his Kingdom.

Friendship with Him doesn't just mean, having Him there in the distance as someone we can run to when things go pear shaped.
No, God wants to be involved in every area of our lives. He wants us to share our joys with Him, to talk to Him at the beginning and the end of our day and also whenever we have a chance in between.
He wants us to ask His opinion on everything small and big.

Spend time praying!
Read the bible, not just two or three scriptures here and there when you get the chance but really take time to get into the word.
There are times when reading the bible seems like a chore and you don't feel like doing it, I know coz I've been there. Ask God to help you enjoy and have an appetite for the Word. Ask Him to help you understand and receive revelation so that you can see how what you read applies to your own life.

Sing to Him as often as you can. Sing songs of adoration, song of praise;
It doesn't matter whether you have a voice as bad as the Jedward brothers, sing nonetheless,
Let's tell Him how much we love Him, Let's tell Him how good He is...
I pray that as we draw nearer to the end of this year we shall move into a close, loving and heartfelt relationship with our Father. He's knocking at the door of our hearts, will you heed His call and open...???

Happy weekend everbody...

This week has been somewhat hectic for me, I've had two weddings to attend, one at the weekend, one on Thursday....I don't even know whether I'm coming or going...so I'm gonna be refocusing and taking time out over the weekend to refresh and replenish myself.
Therefore I'm not gonna write much today. I'll just leave you with this thought :

"Your attitude determines your altitude!"

No matter your circumstances, you can develop an attitude of gratitude.

God doesn't take it too kindly when we moan , whine and complain...I mean just check out the Israelites in the wilderness. Their grumbling didn't get them anywhere.

Look around you and give thanks for all the wonderful things and people in your life.

And on that note, thank you all for being such great peeps and reading my blog. :-)

Merci!!!

 Have a lovely and blessed weekend ya'll.

The Master's Visitors

They come from all directions with their worries and their woes,

Some problems are big, some are small,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all,

But if only they'd have some love for me.




"Can you pleeeeaze help my sick daughteeer?" the Indian woman asks in a desperate voice.

I take her daughter and place her on my lap,

A little TLC and a rub of the tummy,

And the girl is skipping and dancing around.



"Can you fix my lapy topy," the Chinese man asks with a smile.

I take the laptop from him, a little screwing here and a dusting there,

Within a few minutes, I hand it back to him good as new.

"Now stay off the streets and stop selling DVDee DVDee."



"My crop has failed and I have no food,

My family and I will starve if you do not help,"

The African man looks round hoping I'll offer him Supermalt.

Bags of grain, wheat and flour I give to him from my abundant storehouse.



"Yo wassup Big Man, I need your help,

Ain't good for man to be alone, you know the deal,

I need a honey, you know someone to love," says the American man with a twang in his drawl.

I point him to the East where a beautiful maiden is picking flowers,

Go to her, Your soul mate awaits you.


"Ma Mia, Help me Master, ze debtors in Milan are after me!"

I look at the Italian Shopaholic, carrying dozens of bags,

eyeing me from behind her Gucci sunglasses,

I sigh at her mess but still settle her debts,

Another satisfied visitor leaves without a second thought.



They come from all directions with their worries and their woes,

Some problems are big, some are small,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all,

But if only they would show an ounce of gratitude

Or treat me better than they treat Santa Claus.



Then I see a boy approaching,

"Master it's good to see you."

 "Good to see you too my child. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing. I just came to see you."

"You mean you don't need anything?"

"No, I wanted to spend time with you and tell you I love you

and appreciate everything you do."

The Silver Lining in the Grey Cloud...

Huge pellets of snow began to fall all around them.
"We have to turn back,"Andy shouted to the rest of the group.

It was at that moment that Angela lost sight of them.
"Andy! Pete! Lorna! Jess!" she called.
No response.

Angela came to a halt and looked around but she couldn't see anything. There were giant snow flakes everywhere and they were coming down so fast and hard as if someone was tipping a bucket of snow in the sky.
Angela started skiing again and suddenly she felt her skis hit a huge boulder that was hidden under the snow and her body went flying.


                                                                ******
A few hours before


Angela didn't know why she had let her friends talk her into going on this ski trip in the French Alps.
She hated skating so there was little chance she would enjoy skiing.
Never mind all the falling she would have to endure.
But then, Andy was going, so that was an incentive for her to go along as well.
Maybe this trip would be a chance for him to get to notice her.

The party of two girls and three guys set off from their chalet in the morning.
Everyone else was quite experienced except Angela and it wasn't long before she started slipping and falling.
"I can't do this," she exclaimed after her fourth attempt.
"C'mon Ange, don't give up now. We all started out just like you. In fact I was probably worse than you right now."
"Somehow I find that hard to believe," Angela said as she watched Andy manoeuvre his skis expertly like the people she used to see on TV.
“It's not that hard. What you need to do is use the Snow Plow. Position your skis as if they were a pigeon toe and slowly move the backs of your skis outwards, away from your body, to stop yourself. You also can control your direction of movement by simply bending your knees and leaning to one side or the other,” Andy said.
“So I have to bend my knees, keep my hands above my thighs and the tips of the skis have to be close together?” Angela asked.
“That’s right. Kind of like an up-side down V shape.”
As they slowly started skiing slowly down the slope, it started snowing.

After Andy's instruction, Angela fared a little better but she started lagging behind the rest of the group. Huge pellets of snow began to fall as the snow storm progressed.
"We have to turn back,"Andy called to the rest of the group.
They all went round a bend and it was then that Angela lost sight of them.
"Andy! Pete! Mike! Jess!" she called.
No response.

Angela came to a halt and tried to look around but she couldn't see anything.
She started skiing again and suddenly she felt her skis hit a huge boulder that was hidden under the snow and her body went flying, her backpack landing on her arm.
Angela felt immense pain in her leg and it was then she realised she couldn't move. Maybe she had broken a bone or something.
The pain was excruciating.
Her vision was getting hazy and she could feel her whole body trembling uncontrollably as fear and cold ravaged it. She pulled her scarf tighter around herself.
She managed to drag herself on her stomach to a huge ledge which helped shield some of the snow. But at this rate she knew she wouldn't survive more than a couple of hours in the snow storm.
She called out again but there was no reply. Only the small eerie echo that seemed to taunt and remind her of her dire need to survive.
"Lord, please don't let me die out here," she prayed softly.


Minutes passed, though they seemed like days. The wind bellowed and the giant trees swayed threatening to fall on top of her. The icy coldness stung her fingers and toes, mocking her last bit of sanity.
Each minute that went by was as precious as gold. Except for her breathing, there was no sign of life and hers seemed to ebbing away slowly.

Then she decided to reach for her rucksack so that she could get the chocolate bar she had in there to give her a bit of comfort and strength. As she reached for it, she lost her balance and knocked the the ruck sack from where it had landed.
Angela watched as the rucksack fell down the slope disappearing out of sight, with it, her chocolate, flashlight, bottle of water, map, compass, flares and any hope of her survival.

She couldn't hold back the tears.
Lord that was all I had left...if you're gonna kill me why didn't you at least let me enjoy the chocolate?
Frustration overwhelmed her. She began to wail.
Anyone listening would have thought it was a hyena caught in a trap, in great pain.


After a while the snow fall subsided.
Angela lay in pain waiting. For anything.
A rustling and twig breaking close by.
What was that?
Angela listened closely.
Footsteps.
She wasn't sure whether she was dreaming or if it was real.
She wondered if she should shout? What if it was a bear or some other animal?
Did they even have bears in this part of the world? C'mon focus, this wasn't the time to play Animal Habitats.
Maybe she should keep quiet.
But what if it was someone looking for her.

Grey and Black Boots. She recognised Andy's hiking boots.
"Andy!"
"Angela, thank God you're alright."
"I'm so glad to see you guys. I thought I was gonna die out here. How did you find me?"

"We looked everywhere for you and we couldn't find you and we were about to give up. Then believe it or not, your rucksack fell and landed on Jess. We started walking in the direction the ruck sack had come from and as we approached this area we heard you crying.Thank goodness we found you before it was too late."

Relief swept over Angela and she couldn't help but thank God.
It was then that she realised, that although losing her backpack had seemed like a terrible thing at the time, it was the very thing that God had used to save her life.

Money cometh, money runneth

How can I get more money?
Oh how I wonder,

Where does all my money go?
Oh how I wonder.

One minute my bank account is overflowing and threatening to burst,

The next minute, it's sending out SOS signals for aid.



The Jones next door are making me sweat,

Trying to keep up with them is no easy task,

They've got a new ride, with alloys shining and the horse power of a thousand horses,

"Isn't it wicked? Isn't it sick?" The boys on the street shout as it goes past.


End of season SALE, red stickers are like magnets,

As the search for a bargain, gets the better of me.

I try to hold on to my Benjamins, but like a slippery eel they make their getaway.

Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.






Then Apple will come along with their new iPot ... yes that's right, iPot.

The sleek pot that lets you cook, take pictures and listen to music all in one handy appliance.

I ask myself...do I really need it?

But then again every one's got one, so before long I join the crowd.

No wonder then, the holes in my pocket increase.



Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.

 

Then there's the gambling gurus that want to put their hand in my pocket,

"Place your bets," the man shouts,

Machines glistening with coins, poker tables and  betting on who will win Big Brother,





Even the State Lottery keeps calling me,

Surely one day my luck will come and my number will be called.

I wonder.



Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.


Money is NOT the root of all evil BUT the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

Stealing candy from a baby...

Jasper loved stealing.

An apple here, an orange there. Then later a Nokia phone here, an ipod there.

When Jasper was younger his mum had always warned him about his new found habit.
His grandma had also taught him the commandment "Thou shalt not steal."
But Jasper had never paid any attention to them as a child and now as a grown man, he was set in his ways.

There was no changing his mind about stealing.
After all it had taken many years and hard "work" to perfect his art. He was no ordinary thief.
He was the Thief Extraordinaire...

Until one day when he decided to help himself to the offering basket at the Blessed Believers Church.

                                                         ****
Zam Zam couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't easy being a wasp when you couldn't sting.
Even her own mother was beginning to lose faith in her. Her friends were beginning to talk about her. After all who would want to hang out with a wasp that was useless at stinging? Wasn't it their job to defend the colony?
Zam Zam knew what she was called to do. She was one of the Hundred Defending Wasps but she didn't want to inflict pain on anyone...
She was just too kind...

But one day the taunting became too much for her.
She was minding her own business when she overheard two of her friends talking as they ate some fruit and nectar on a tree branch.

"Here comes the wasp with an attitude.." the slim wasp said to the chubby one.
She pretended not to hear them.
"Miss Think She's Too Good To Do Her Job. I'll bet she won't ever find a mate. I mean who would want a woman who isn't all woman... What's a lady wasp without her sting?" the chubby one said with a sneer.
They laughed.
Zam fought back the tears. It was all too much to bear. Rejection by her family and friends. Why didn't they understand how she felt?
She flew past them in a huff knocking over the leaf filled with the nectar which the two were enjoying.
"Hey watch it!" the chubby one called, mouth full, waving its leg.
Zam didn't care. She just wanted to get as far away from the colony as possible. She flew off, not sure where she was going.

                                                              ****

Jasper clad in his only grey suit sat in the back row, so as not to arouse any suspicions. 
Half an hour after the service started, it was time for the offering.

"Give and it will come back to you," the choir members sang heartily.
"Fools," Jasper thought to himself, "Today you're giving to me and it certainly ain't coming back to y'all."

As the basket was being passed round, Jasper smiled and pretended to sing along, clapping his hands out of rhythm.

Then the basket got to him. He pretended to put something and then dropped the basket on the floor.
"So sorry" he called to the usher at the end of the aisle, "I'll pick it all up for you."

Faster than lightning, Jasper stuffed several £20 notes and several offering envelopes into his pocket. As he was about to get up from the floor where he was pretending to rummage for lost coins and notes, he saw another twenty wedged deep in the basket. He grinned. He had to have that one as well.

He shoved his hand right to the bottom where he could see the twenty pound note sticking out...
It was then that he felt it.
It was the sharpest pain he had ever experienced in his life.

"Ouch!" he shouted and everyone turned and stared.

Unbeknown to everyone deep within the offering basket sat Zam Zam, who had been relaxing after her long flight from home. She had seen Jasper's hand come towards her and fearing for her own life she had stung the young man using her ovipositor to release the venom.

"Owww help me, someone help me," Jasper cried as he pranced about scratching himself furiously. His face began to swell and go beetroot red.
"Oh my gosh, what's happening to him?"
"Something stung me and I think I'm having going into anaphylaptic shock. Help me, please!"
"Calm down sir, we've called an ambulance," a young usher told him.

As he jumped around all the offering envelopes and money began to fall out of his pockets.
"What's going on here?" "I don't believe this!"some of the church congregants exclaimed.

Everyone looked in amazement and as the reality of what had taken place began to dawn on everyone, the looks on their faces began to change. This man had tried to take from them. He deserved some form of punishment.

But they didn't have to worry about punishing him, because the Lord who works in mysterious ways had already done it on their behalf.


                                                           

The power of the gloss

I glossed my lips with my favourite shade,

Next came the powder and eye shadow in pastels,

Jewellery, Sensible heels and Clucth bag to complete the look,

I smell like an "Angel" thanks to Thiery Mugler.

One glance in the mirror told me, I was ready to go

Transformed and zangy, a Fashionista I became.


Out the door towards the car,

Spring in my step, a little swagger,

I press my lips together for the lipgloss to set

Little do I anticipate what will happen next.



The poor tiny insect didn't see it coming either

As he landed on my lips and got stuck in the gloss

Not sure if he drowned or got knocked in the crash,

I wipe off the small lifeless creature

Sad that I had played a part in it's demise.


Poor thing must've been thinking

Why, oh woman did you have to gloss so much?

You trapped me on your lips

And now my dinner I will miss.

I will make time...

I stumble out of bed,

More tired than I was the night before,

Work starts in less than an hour,

Out of the corner of my eye I spy my Word for Today

No time for Quiet Time

Will have to pray in the shower.




Boiler playing up, so its a cold shower marathon today.

Two minutes and I'm out, prayer will have to wait.

Weetabix and toast gulped down as I try to read my bible,

I lay it aside, can't concentrate at all.



Dashing out, I miss the bus, trot to the station heels in my hand,

My iPhone is ringing, the Blackberry is vibrating as peeps are hitting me.

Facebook is open and someone is poking me, another tagging me.

Everyone wants a piece of me

I have nothing to give.

I'm empty... I need refreshing...yesterday was just as bad

I need to make time,

Yes tomorrow.

I will make time

Tomorrow.


Three hours and two projects later, leave the office

Lunch with the girls, salads and chicken to fill our hard worked bellies,

Doesn't do much for me, should've brought my pounded yam from home.

Back in the office, memos meetings and deadlines

Where did all the time go?

I want some time to myself

Is it ever gonna happen today?

Doesn't look like it...

But tomorrow I will make time.


Soaps, Reality shows and Facebook keep me company as I have my supper

More phone calls and chats online.

As I get into bed, I want to pray

But my eyelids have a different mission

To the Land of The Nod I go,

Empty...

A void within needs refreshing...



I need to make time,

Yes tomorrow.


I will make time


Tomorrow.

A love like no other...

I love my family to bits. And there's nothing I wouldn't do for them and I know without a doubt they feel the same way about me too. I would do anything in my power to make sure they never lack or get distressed in any way. I would defend and support them in their times of weakness and try to make sure that no one ever did them wrong.

The other day God made me realise that He loves me even more than I love my family. And since He loves me more, wouldn't He be more concerned about my welfare than I could ever be concerned about those I love.
I realised in that instant that I should trust Him more than I do. After all He loves me more than I love my own family and if I am willing to do anything for any member of my family.
What more would God be willing to do for me?

Yes, it is sometimes hard to trust God when things are not going the way we want them to...we ask well does he really care? If He did would he let my loved one die? Would He not give me the job I want and so forth?
I don't have all the answers and it's certainly not easy to trust during such times but I've learnt that through the good or bad, He is the best person to cling to all the time. I share my anger and frustration with Him and tell Him honestly how I feel about everything and you know what, He totally understands my pain and my fear. During such times He gives me the grace to get through the situation and when I look back now I don't know how I got through some of those times... but I'm glad I stuck with Him.

I've always been very protective of my younger siblings. I remember when we were in Junior School, if anyone messed about with my brother or sister they had to answer to me. And because I was a Prefect in the school, it made me a force to be reckoned with. And so people knew not to mess with those dearest to me.

God feels the same way about us but take that feeling and multiply it by a zillion, that's just the beginning of measuring how much God cares about our lives.  He calls us the apple us His eye, His treasured possession...wow that's so amazing, that  a God so big and magnificent could take the time to care about each and everyone of us in a unique and individual way.

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus...

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus: Why, oh why would anyone make such a comparison? Me wonders.

Where they in any way likening  the female and male genders to the green big headed creatures that we see in every Hollywood adaptation of Alien movies? I hope not, with a head that big it would be hard to get a weave that would fit well. And us ladies know that wouldn't work now would it?

I've always wondered about this as I was growing up and as the years went by in my interactions with my many male and female friends the truth of this statement began to emerge. Men and women ....are so so different.... and I'm not just talking about physical looks here..

Women love to yap yap, men don't.
I think every woman I know can talk for all England, including yours truly... (I'm certainly gifted in this area...and I don't need batteries to get me started...)
Men on the other hand love to give a summary of everything, a one liner will do the trick and then they shut up. (Well someone has to or else the women wouldn't be able to get their talk on...)
Here's a conversation I had with a male friend, "How was that wedding you went to?"
"It was alright."

When I've asked a female friend the same question, she said, "It was really good. Their colour theme was gold and cream. The bridesmaids had gold dresses and shoes. They had lovely flowers and balloons everywhere and the most beautiful glass centrepieces. As for the bride's dress, it was really lovely. It was a strapless ivory Alfred Angelo dress with diamante detail at the top and back...blah blah blah " I'm sure you get the picture!

Women also love to shop. Men generally don't. (They may be exceptions of course) Yes, girls you know we love us some retail therapy... for clothes, shoes, handbags, food, house stuff...u name it, we'll buy it. Especially if we see that big magic word SALE. All logic flows out of the window...
A woman can easily spend hundreds of pounds on shoes and clothes after a full day's shopping. Men generally shop for an hour or less and then they get bored. Even when they are shopping for technical gadgets  men will tend to take shorter periods of time as compared to women.

Women are generally safe drivers but they can't park to save their lives. (Oops did I just say that...?) Its true though, so may times I've gotten so impatient with women taking ages to park whilst I'm waiting to leave a car park. So annoying sometimes.
(I have to add parking is one of my greatest talents so if you need lessons you know who to speak to.)

Men love to channel surf and dominate the TV remote
There's a saying I invented, never come between a man and his remote. Men love to have full control of the remote (most anyway) and then when the adverts come, they love to do this thing of flipping from one channel to the other to see what else is on. Grrrr...
Women normally find a channel and they stick with it until whatever they are watching finishes.

Men love sports, sci fi and the tech gadgets shows. Women love soaps and chick stuff...you know the romantic, soapy , mushy stuff that gets us all emotional and then the tears start rolling...


Getting out of the house 
When men say they are ready, it means they are ready but when women say they are ready it means they're almost done as soon as they find their handbag, the right earrings and finish fixing their hair.
So in actual fact when a woman says give me 5 mins she probably means 25 mins.


Men say they don't get us and I guess we tend to think they don't just get it. Who knows someday we may reach a place where men may have a special enlightenment about the complexities that make up their feminine counterparts.

I guess the thing that makes life so interesting is the fact that we're all different. Imagine how boring it would be if we all talked the same, liked the same things and everything was predictable and constant.
Life would be a complete yawn. Thank God for our unique female nature...and certainly thank God for our macho men...what a weird and deprived place this world would be without them.

The "Tiger" within...

You see her in the office, hair in a weave, heels like a pencil

prancing about,

her Prada fragrance following her everywhere she goes.

She is an enigma to all who behold her

Her aura, filled to the core with allurement

She smiles at you on her way to the copy machine,

You smile back.


Your phone beeps, its the wife texting again,

The bolier is leaking and a reminder to pick up the dry cleaning.

You scratch your head, the money is nowhere in sight

Your life so full of worries, demands and insecurities.

Oh... if only you could get away

From all the stresses and hassles that threaten to engulf you.


You turn your gaze to her again.

She is such a beauty

Now why doesn't the wife look like that?

She drops her file as she approaches your desk

Then stoops to pick it, her loose top revealing all to see,

You jump, ready to help, but not before you catch sight of her twin towers.

You hand her the file, she smiles and whispers her thanks.

You pretend not to notice how her fingers linger over yours,

The so called innocent brush radiating heat up your arm,

Heating up your blood to a temperature higher than the boiling point of mercury


 Run my good man run.

Her claws long to clutch you, and entangle you like a spider's web

Once you're in her embrace there will be no escape.

So I say to you again,

Run my good man run...

Or stay and face death in the eye

And should you choose to stay

Know there will be no recourse to life's kindness...

No...

Decadence will become you.

The Boy is Mine

Susie watched him as he got out of the car, biceps like Van Damme, face like Denzel, a heart after God like King David.
What more could a Christian girl want?

"You're so lucky to have landed such a fine boy," Maggie said as Tim walked over towards the three girls who were standing near the church entrance.
"The Boaz prototype..." Anne added.
"You two are funny but I am blessed aren't I?" Susie replied eyeing her boy wonder. He was such a sight for sore eyes.

 Susie and Tim had been together for three months and they had tried to keep the relationship under wraps for a while, between them and their close friends but word gets out in church like this. Its as if there was a 24 hour news broadcast keeping everyone informed of the latest news.
Tim had been the most sought after guy in church before he and Sue got together.
Now that he was off the market, a number of females' hopes had been dashed.
"Hey babe, you look great!" he said as he gave her a gentle hug.
"Thanks, I'm on duty so I'll see you after service babe. Maggie hun, we'll catch up later ok."
"Ok," she said turning her attention to Tim, "Did you watch the match?" Maggie asked him as Susie walked off.
Susie rushed off and left them discussing Alex Ferguson's expertise or lack thereof.
 
                                                              ****

"Anne, I just don't know what to do," Susie whispered in between tears.
"I'm sorry babe, just pray and give it to God," Anne replied.
"That's what everyone keeps saying but it's not that easy though is it?"
"I know hun, just give it time."
Susie grabs the Kleenex and blows furiously.
"He says he just doesn't feel that its God's will. This is the same guy that told me that God told him I was his future wife a few months ago. As if God would change his mind; such a jerk!"
It had been two weeks since their break up. Susie thought maybe he would reconsider but it didn't look that way. It hurt so bad, she still loved him.
And then there were all the plans she'd started making. She'd even pictured the dress.
She would get over it somehow.Yes she would, for now some Alicia Keys. Sleeping with a Broken Heart.

                                                                ****

They were in a church service singing "Trading my sorrows," when Susie first noticed them.
Tim and Maggie.
They were sitting three rows ahead of her. She hadn't spoken to Tim for a few months now, other than a hi here and a hello there. She felt a little stab in her heart, that Maggie and Tim could still laugh and talk, yet her friendship with Tim had been destroyed along with the relationship.
Susie tried to ignore them and went back to trading her sorrows.

                                                               ****

Susie could not believe it. She had seen them sitting very cosily at the Singles picnic. She had blinked and rubbed her eyes. But when she opened them again, they were still there, they were now holding hands.
She winced. It was as if someone had punched her hard in the stomach and knocked all the wind out of her.
"Hey Susie, are you ok?" Anne asked noticing her gaze.
"Not really. Are they...?" she couldn't even say it.
Anne nodded confirming Sue's unspoken question.
"I take it she didn't tell you. I'm so sorry, I thought you knew. I would never have suggested that we come here."
"How long have they been seeing each other?"
"Two or so months. They got together about three months after you guys broke up."
"I can't believe it. She's my friend. Isn't there an unwritten rule somewhere about dating your friend's ex. Seems like she couldn't wait to pounce on him."
"I'm sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable. It must be difficult for you but if it makes you feel any better, I don't think she intentionally meant to hurt you."
"Yeah right. I think I'm gonna go."
"I'll come with you."
Susie told everyone she had a head ache or something to that effect and then she and Anne ambled off towards the car.


"Hi," a voice said.
Susie was busy doing her makeup in the church toilet when Maggie walked in.
"Hi," Susie replied. She was starting to come to terms with Tim and Maggie's relationship. It was hard but she was learning to let go of the resentment she'd felt towards both of them.
"Look, I never got the chance to speak to you. I wanted to call you but I wasn't sure what to say to you. I wanted to tell you but I knew how you felt about him so it just made everything awkward but you know, he liked me and I liked him and then ..."
"Its ok, you don't have to explain yourself. I'm fine."
"Really are you sure?"
"Yes, he's not God so yes, I can live without him. I'm over it, I hope it works out for you."
And with that Susie walked out of the bathroom leaving Maggie gaping like a fish.


"Did you hear the latest?"
"I don't wanna hear it. I'm done with Sky Church News."
"I know, I know but I'll bet you want to know that Tim and Maggie have broken up and guess what?"
"What?"
"He's now dating Maggie's cousin."
"No!"
"Yup...I kid you not. What goes around comes around babe!"