A Walk To Remember

It's been 3 and a half years with you and it seems  like just yesterday that we met but at the same time it feels like I have known you forever.

Its  been the best and awesomest 3years of my life and I'm looking forward to the next 70 years with you(May God Keep Us For Each Other)

I knew immediately that it was forever. I knew that you were that special man who would hold my heart, protect it and love it.

I knew that that first walk was a walk towards our future. I knew it wouldn't be an easy road and I was right, it as been a road less travelled but it as definitely been a road of lots of blessing.

It's been 3 and a half years of growing, falling, learning, teaching, ups and downs and now you and I are planning on forever.

I never imagined what relationships were all about until I meant the you, I never knew or could never have imagined how much change can happen in 3 years.

I have learned so much from you in the last 3 years, not only about myself but also about life and most importantly about what it truly means to love.

I am definitely a better person since I have met you. You challenge me for the better, you encourage me to be the best I can possibly be, you have been bringing out the God in me for the past  years and you have taught me that that's a process that will never stop.

We have not always gotten it right, we have made our fair share of mistakes, but we have also learnt alot from trusting in God above all else and also trusting in each other.

I can confidently say that what ever life through at us in  future, by the grace of God we  are overcomers.

We have been through alot of things designed to tear us apart and through it all even when we couldn't see the light, we have always managed to make it out even stronger than before by the grace of God.

I love you more than yesterday and I will love you even more tomorrow because God is Love. You are a blessing in my life, my special gift from God. It as been such an amazing time seeing you transform into a man that seeks God first above all other things.


You have been and continue to be my strength when I am weak, You pick me up when I am down, you are my voice of reason, you teach me how to do things the right way everyday. I sometimes even get angry with how you NEVER compromise on being good and righteous. I know that life with you will be a journey where I will never stop learning and growing and I can't wait to do life with you.

It's been such a wonderful journey learning and discovering God with you, I know that the future is bright. There is so much ahead and so many gifts that God as ahead of us that we will open and unwrap together.

There is no us without God, through our ups and downs God as always been the centre and will continue to be our centre, our rock, our resting place. I am writing this in appreciation of you, few will get it, many will hate it but only you and I truly understand it.

We have seen friends come and go and have become better people for it., some come for a season, others for a reason and only few are for a life time. Either ways you are my life time and even if everyone comes and go's it will always be me and you.

So to my Best Friend, my soul mate, my greatest cheer leader, here's to the future. No this is not my Vows, way too soon for that :-)

My Attitude Of Praise - Praise is Gratitude.

As the Year draws to an end, we tend to reflect on the year as a whole. Our successes as well as our failures, our strengths as well as our weaknesses, what we want to keep and what we want to change in 2014.

2013 as really been my year of most growth, as I reflect on it through the good and the bad of it all, I don't believe that there is anything that I would change.

I look back and think of one thing in particular, something that I have been asking and wanting from God for so long and I will continue to trust him for but even so, even though I did not get it in 2013, I had to come to a point of realisation that I have so many other things to be thankful to God for in 2013 and It would be so bad to simply forget all my 2013 blessings just for one thing that is still within my reach when God's timing comes.

God as a funny sense of humour because this year more than any other year, I have learnt and I am still learning, you see God is teaching me to Submit to him wholeheartedly and to Praise him and I mean really Praise him in the Storm.

God as a way of just bringing me to my knees and making me praise him even when its raining and storming and there seems to be no sunshine, he makes me realise that he is my sunshine and it is in him that I will find security and peace.
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In my times of storm in 2013, I have had to hold on to his promises and continue to trust that even when it doesn't seem like it and I want to curl up and roll over and give up, God is preparing me for greater things. The greatest times of my life are still ahead of me and the devil would love nothing better than to have me give up, lose the faith and curl up
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This year was also filled with ups and I definitely have alot to be thankful to God for because he as truly been there and done alot of good things this year and as I look to the future and wrap up this year, I can only sit and be in awe of the goodness of God over me and my loved ones.

2014 is my wedding year and I am so much looking forward to spending the rest of my life with the second love of my life after God. I am looking forward to planning our wedding with friends and loved ones that we hold so dare to us.

I am looking forward to sharing the happiest day of my life as I make the second most important decision (after giving my life to God) with my closest friends and family.

Storms will come and go but it is what you do in your times of storm that defines you, it defines who you are and who you will become. It defines what God will do with your storms if you sit back and let him be in control.

Choose to praise God in your times of difficulties and hardship, look to God, the author and finisher of your faith.

So what ever went well in 2013, nurture it, be grateful to God for it,  for it is not by your own strength but it is by the grace of our almighty God and what ever did not go well in 2013, praise God anyways and thank him for his plans for your life for God desires an attitude of praise from us in every area and every situation of our lives.

Therefore in  glorious days,  praise God and in times of ruin,  praise him still.


PAISE GOD, PRAISE YOU FATHER. YOU ARE MY ALL IN ALL.

Beauty For Ashes...

Last week, I had a particularly difficult week. It's been a long year, a challenging year but also a very blessed year and I am definitely looking forward to December and holidays and just taking a break and unwinding.

Although I had a challenging week last week, I still had a blessed week. It is true that it is through adversity that character is built and sometimes although not all the time(I should do it more often) during hard times, I give praise to God and Thank him for testing him for without being tested it is impossible to pass an exam. I know and I am comforted by the fact that tough times don't last, only tough people do.

I am now sitting and pondering on the words of Isaiah 61:3. In this word God says: To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

Everyone has experienced hurt and disappointment, it is true that sometimes it is the people closest to us that the devil uses to hurt us and to get to us. We’ve all been burnt by life, but God doesn’t want us to sit in the ashes of the past. He wants to trade our brokenness for healing. He wants to give us beauty for our ashes.

God is such a gentleman though, he does not impose on us, it's not in his nature. The key is that we have to be willing to give up the ashes in order to receive the beauty. You can’t have both because the old has to go before the new can come.


The past is over, but your future remains and there is still so much ahead of us. God wants to show us s much and wants us to experience his goodness. Let God give you joy instead of mourning, and let Him make something beautiful out of the ashes of your life today.

I choose life, I choose beauty, I choose to trade my sorrows for Joys. Do You?

 

Putting on the Armour.

God tells us in the Bible that there are two spiritual kingdoms that humanity must deal with at the present time. The kingdom of light is one, and the other is the kingdom of darkness. God the Father has made Jesus Christ  the king over the kingdom of light, and Satan has been allowed to be the king over the kingdom of darkness.

 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Ephesians 6:12. I love this verse because every time that I read it, it reminds me that there is more to things than the eye meets. We are constantly fighting spiritual battles even when we don't know it, the little things that happen or the big things we brush off are not just chance or bad luck, it's the devil attacking us and we are meant to attack back and not just have victim mentalities.

 

A spiritual battle rages over the eternal destiny of our souls whether we know it or not, or believe it or not. Which then means if you are devoted to God, you are in a spiritual battle whether we like it or not. That's because God has allowed it to be this way, and Satan HATES anyone who is in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Satan is not after people that he knows already belong to him, he is after you because he sees that God as a plan for you, he sees that you are about to walk into your destiny and he knows that once you do you will be unstoppable. He knows the power that you possess and he simply can't allow that to happen and he will stop at nothing to stop you which is why we have to stop at nothing to fulfil the promises of God for our lives.

 

 

He is filled with rage towards us, because we are the "apples of God's eye," and Satan no longer is or ever will be. Just because a Christian believer may be in a season of peace does not mean the battle isn't raging all around us. It's just a matter of time before the devil will  make his influence greatly known to you, and when he does, God wants us to be fully informed in what to do. God expect of us to be wise when the devil attacks us, Wisdom to hear what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do in each instance, and courage and determination to obey as He directs. 

 

The word tells us in 1 Thessalonians that we must Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It is only through prayer that we become sensitive to the Holy Spirit and learn to yield to his guidance.I definitely feel that I am more lead by the Holy Spirit when I commit myself in prayer and to the word, that is when the spirit ministers to me the most and my spirit is fed.
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It is true that it is in Christ that you find all wisdom and understanding, in Christ we are able to do all things. We need to put on our armours and fight, the full Armour of God is our spiritual defence against attacks by Satan. So don't forget to put on your Armour every morning in order to be able to withstand whatever life through at you.

 

 

 

Be Blessed.

 

 

CONVICTION VS CONDEMNATION

It is important for those of us who are born again Christians, to know that there is a huge difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of the enemy of our faith, because it can affect how we approach life.

Condemnation is not of Christ but from the devil in order to keep us in bondage. The holy spirit convicts us in order for him to take us away from sin and to push us towards God in order that we may be set free while the Devil condemns us in order to keep us trapped so that we will drown in our sin due to the feeling of not being worthy of God's love.

 

The condemning spirit of the enemy of our faith works to push us away from God in shame and condemnation, so we are more prone in hopelessness, to continue to do what we should NOT.

For those of us who have sinned, there are usually two feelings that you feel when you sin, one is conviction and the other is condemnation. Conviction is from the Holy Spirit, where he prompts us to confess and be restored to fellowship so God can continue to bless us, Its purpose is to draw us closer to God. Condemnation is from Satan, trying to convince us that we’re no good, and that God will never forgive us. It’s purpose is to keep us away from God by making us feel guilty.

 

The bible says in Romans 8 vs 1 that "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. That for me totally clarifies the issue of weather the little voice inside of you is of Christ or of God, it's in the words that is being spoken to you. Is it positive or is it negative? Is it meant to encourage and uplift you or is it meant to keep you down in the feeling of worthlessness?

The bible says in 1John 1 vs 9 that "As soon as we confess our sins, we’re forgiven and the sin is forgotten as God immediately purifies us from all unrighteousness ". That then means that  any bad feelings we have after that are feelings of guilt that come from Satan.

So if you’re being drawn closer to God, you’re feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit. But if you feel like hiding from God and begin to doubt His love for you, you’re feeling condemnation from the devil. Rebuke those feelings in the name of Jesus. Resist the devil and he’ll flee from you as we are told in James 4 vs 7-10.

Guilt is too much of a load to carry and it is a burden that we need to daily rid ourselves off as it is not from the Lord. The devil will even go as far as bringing negative scriptures to mind because he knows how to quote scripture to his purpose.

 

The devil makes you believe that grace is denied because you didn’t fulfil the conditions where as the holy spirit brings positive scriptures into your mind that will renew your mind and cause you to change your heart.

 

The devil also loves to isolate you from others, Suggestions are sown that cause you to withdraw from other Christians and works on you to think that they reject you. In your isolation, you then feel lonely, hurt, unworthy, rejected by others and angry because his aim to to cause division.

 

The Spirit sends others to minister to you in love thus you learn to accept other’s words of encouragement and to appreciate one another and their ministry to you, he sends others to open your eyes to turn from darkness to light so you may receive forgiveness. He works to unite us in love with other believers and bring forth fellowship.

 

 

Unpack the bags of condemnation and let go of all things that are holding you back for if you are in Christ there is no condemnation and in Christ there is only forgiveness, healing and restoration.


*BLESSINGS*

 

 

INDEPENDENT WOMAN

So I was watching a TV show where they were discussing woman and whether or not woman are just too independent nowadays to the point where it emasculates men.

We all know that woman have become more independent presently than ever before. I must say that I don't like the way that some men make Women's Independence seem like something to be ashamed of or something that woman should hide in order not to make our brothers feel less.

I'm sure many Brothers out there would disagree with me and maybe even sisters but I think that being Independent is not a bad thing for a woman as long as it is accompanied by Humility.


Maybe humility is a characteristic that a lot of sisters out there don't have or maybe women have been oppressed for so long that we don't want to be humble, but we want to show off  our independence for as long as we can. Humility is definitely a good character to posses as a woman and even just generally as a human being.

Funny thing is that the issue of  woman being "too independent" seem to escalate mostly in relationships. I ask myself why is it that someone who claims to "love" you would not appreciate and love your independence? I am by no means defending woman that become too Independent that they "forget their place" as people put it.....lol even the term "forget their place" seem to aggravate some woman.

Let me just put it out there that I am a believer that a woman does "have a place". this is of course in the context of marriage. The bible clearly states that a woman is a helper to her husband." Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him. "(Genesis 2:18). It is not a myth or something that people just made up, the bible does call us Women "HELPERS". The bible does mention other responsibilities of a wife but that's a story for another day. BEING A HELPER HOWEVER DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T BE INDEPENDENT.

This is certainly an issue that as raised some interest for me. The bible says wives must submit to their husbands. It doesn't say that but if you become a CEO then you can stop submitting, there are no clauses or buts,  after all God is not Man that he should lie.

Maybe God knew all these things that would happen in the world, that woman would start becoming independent and that men would think that its "too much". Maybe that's why he put it in plain and simple English that "wives must submit to their husbands". Their is another leg to the submission though, it says that "Husbands love your wives like Christ loved the church". Christ loved the church so much that he died in the same way husbands must be willing and able to die for their wives.

So if you love someone so much that you could die for them then surely washing dishes sometimes would be a walk in the park and likewise cooking(If you are able) if not make a plan...lol.

Okay maybe I'm deviating just a little bit but back to Independence don't think independence should be an issue in a relationship unless you make it an issue. Maybe men have become too insecure but I believe that an assertive woman should not be a bad thing. If it's an attractive characteristic before marriage then after marriage it shouldn't become the  cause of tension.

A Proverbs 31 woman certainly seems like an independent woman to me among other things so brothers when you pray for a proverbs 31 woman, you get the full package Independence included.

A man who loves a woman will encourage her to be greater each day and will not be intimidated by her independence. A woman who loves a man will humble herself, respect herself and her man.


<BLESSINGS>

 

 

INSIDE OUT...YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE.

This morning as I woke up, I was reminded of Psalm 139. This Psalm in a nutshell speaks about how we cannot Run nor Hide from God because he knows us inside out, the good, the bad and the ugly and yet God still loves us.

This for me was such a good reminder of the love of God for us because often in life we think that there is something we have to do in order to qualify for God's love. We feel that if we sin less or if we are nicer or if we give more that we will qualify but the love of God is so good and so pure that we do not need to qualify because we already qualified when we were born. We qualified when Jesus died on the cross for us.

This last week, I was  also reminded of just how fragile life is and how life can just change for us in a second. I was reminded of how we can have so many plans in the early hours of the morning when we wake up, we can plan tomorrow or even 10 years from now. We can plan what we going to have for dinner tonight and where we going for holiday in December. However life is just so fragile that in a second all those plans can be no more. Everything that we planned can just vanish in a blink of an eye and our lives can come to an end.

So as we go about this new beautiful week that we are so privileged to be a part of because so many people were alive last week but are now no longer with us, therefore we have to consider it a privilege to be alive. Lets remember that God's love is so enormous and so everlasting that we do not have to work for it. God as qualified us and he loves us regardless of yesterday or whats to come tomorrow, he will always love us.

The same love that God gives us so freely and so unashamedly is the same love that God requires of us and even more because we are often so undeserving but he loves us anyway.

I realised that just as fragile as life is and just as quickly as our lives can end, that is how fragile we should treat our relationship with God . We should never take anything for granted especially our relationship with God because it is the most important relationship we will ever have and anything so important should definitely be treated with care.

We shouldn't procrastinate on making our relationship with God right in the same way that we procrastinate making our earthly relationship with people right because tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

So as we go about this week, lets challenge ourselves to make all our relationships that are wrong RIGHT. Let's draw near to God and make him our number one, lets forgive all those who as hurt us and make things RIGHT. After all who Promised you Tomorrow??????

PRESENTLY ABESENT FATHERS.

Recently we all celebrated the fathers in our lives, Fathers Day.  Fathers were put into our lives for a reason, to love, protect and provide for  their families and Fathers are suppose to be their daughters first love and a son's first hero.


Thank God for all the awesome fathers out there who don't take their responsibilities lightly. I am grateful for all the opportunities that I had growing up, never lacked anything, always had more than enough.  However I always wished and longed for something more emotional with my father. He was not the soppy lovey dovey kind of dad.

My Dad never left, he was present but mostly in an absent kind of way. He was presently absent. He worked hard, he is a hard worker. Some holidays when I came home from boarding school and res he would be gone or would be going on a work trip. As a child I felt that he was always travelling and that made him presently absent.


My dad did alot of things right, sending us to school and giving us the best education that he possible could, he was present in may kind of ways but also absent in alot of other ways. I learnt watching him that a fathers job in the house is to provide for his family and educate his kids. Now while I don't disagree with that thought and I am so grateful for that oppourtunity because many do not have that same opportunity, I however missed out on the other aspects of a fathers role in a family, a father spending time with his kids, taking them out for ice-cream, simple father and child time.


I was never "Daddy's Little Girl". My Dad always assumed his role as the "FATHER" and that put me in line as the child therefore those 2 barriers just could never be crossed. Growing up I had a desire to have that, I never experienced that closeness that some people have with their dads, while on the other hand I was also very grateful to just have a father because I saw the emptiness that people often feel when fathers are absent and the destruction that it can even cause in the life of their kids. The devil comes to steal, to kill and to destroy and it is only god who can bring restoration into our lives.

Fathers need to realise the crippling effect that not being around as on their kids, absent fathers is one of the largest if not largest social issue of our time.The facts surrounding the impact of a fathers absence tell a story. While it is easy to focus on the increased rates of addiction, depression, crime, poverty, abuse and alike associated with those who have grown up in a fatherless environment these are only symptoms Fathers presence are needed in homes today and Fathers should make a concious decision to be present in their kids lives and families.


While its not about bashing fathers because blame and guilt doesnt fix things, the kind of family that you were brought up in, the kind of Dad you have or had, absent or present or even presently absent does not define who you are today, only God defines who you are. You get to write your future, your story and  although you cannot change your past, you can leave it in the past and look to the future.

Let's not make the kind of father you have or had define who you become. Alot of woman suffer from the "Absent Father" syndrome but having an "absent father" or a "presently absent" father does not mean that you have to act in a certain way or make bad choices. Your father as lived or is living his life and he made his decisions weather or not it was for your good. All you can do is move forward and write your own future with God the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

I pray that God will teach all Fathers and Future Fathers how to love their kids and cherish the time they have on earth with them.

                        

<BLESSINGS>

The Power of the Tongue.

I had the most amazing week and I'm just in awe that I would like to share some of my experiences with

all of you. If there ever was a time when I believed that all things are possible, its now, its this week, its right here, right now.

When God shows up, he shows up with all his power and all his might and when the bible says in Matthew 19 vs 26  "But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" it is all true"

This week I experienced the power of the tongue, the power of professing and confessing positive things, I experienced what it really means when the bible says that his power is made perfect in weakness(Yes that is my favourite verse). I experienced the true meaning of Gods grace being made sufficient for us and what God meant when he says " things which are impossible to men are possible for God"

I had amazing encounters and true revelations of the love of God and how it is almost as if we each have our own peace of God because the same God that shows up for people all the way on the other side of the world, really does show up for you if you ask.

Things which were previously impossible to me were made possible this week. I almost feel as if when we speak positive things into our lives and allow God and the Holy spirit to just work in our lives and to minister to us, things change, situations change, circumstance turn and things that were previously impossible for us become possible with the blink of an eye.

I truly believe that the power of the tongue is the most important lesson that came out of this weak for me. It literally as the ability to make you or break you and this week it definitely made a difference in my life.

Lets look at some of the verses in the bible where the power of the tongue is mentioned:

Proverbs 18 vs 21 - Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

Provers 15 vs 1- A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger

1 Peter 3 vs 10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil

Those are just a few of the verses in the bible that addresses the power of the tongue. So therefore our tongues have so much power,  the power of life and death, the power to make us or break us then let us profess only good things into our lives and the lives of those we love for it is our words that will bring fruits into our lives.

Thank you to my MR for catching me when I fall,  for being strong when I'm weak, for teaching me how to be strong by being an example of strength and for always reminding me to speak positively into my life. You simply the BEST, I fall in love with you all over every day :-) (Don't get me started)

Try confessing goodness into you life today and see things change and things coming to pass, keeping professing, keep confessing. Things will eventually happen.

<BLESSINGS>

Delay not Denial, Silence not No.

WAITING ON GOD.....

So I have been asking God for a couple of things in my life. Things that I want God to bring to pass in my life. However a couple of Days ago, I was really struck by something I read. It went like this: HAVE YOU PRAYED ABOUT IT AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.

My answer to that very simple question was NO. I have prayed about it but definitely not as much as I have talked about it. Yes I have prayed about it but  not consistently.

Does God need us to consistently pray about something we want? Is praying for the same thing over and over again not an act of impatience to God's timing or a lack of faith? They say God heard you the first time you prayed for that thing and you don't need to keep on asking him for the same thing over and over again. They also say that you should pray consistently in order to show God what you want. BUT WHAT DOES GOD SAY.......

Well I finally found the answer to my questions in 1 Thessalonian 5 vs 17, the bible tells us  Rejoice ever more, Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

God wants us to Pray without ceasing yet man tells us to pray once and leave it to God.

Sometimes when we pray for something and we don't get an answer to our prayer, we think that God isn't listening, that he doesn't love us, that our desires are not in accordance with his will and although this can be very true, it is not always.

Sometimes God is simply telling us not yet my child, not now, not like this, not at this time. Its not a now, its just a Delay. Its not a No, its just a not yet. A perfect plan comes from the Lord.

No Good  thing happens without prayer, and that is why we are told to pray without ceasing. The pain of feeling like your prayers are not being answered doesn't compare to the Joy that's coming when God answers your prayers.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere you go. He’s the one who will keep you on track.

Woman In waiting...

 

Dance with God and he’ll perfect everything that concerns you:

"Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone; to have a deep soul relationship with another; to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God says, “No, not until you’re satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone, and with having intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone, discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found; only then will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me. Exclusive of anyone else, exclusive of any other desires or longings, I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you. You just wait. That’s all. Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry. Don’t look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don’t look at the things you think you want. Just keep looking off and away up to Me or you’ll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you could dream of. You see, until you are ready (I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), until both of you are satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have planned for you, you won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me; and this perfect love. And, dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love; I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me, and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God. Believe and be satisfied.”

THE POWER IN WEAKNESS.

I have been pondering on a verse;  2 Corinthians 12:9 which says: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

The reason why I have been pondering on this verse is because sometimes when we are going through situations in our lives, we feel as though we cannot and must not show weakness. I have felt like that so many times but not any longer. If Gods power is made perfect in weakness then we must be weak for GOD to be strong because how can God show his strength in our lives or in our situations if we are always strong?

This verse was further solidified for me in the story of Hannah and her quest to God to give her a child. In 1Samuel we read about how Hannah went before God and cried out to him. She showed her weakness before her most strong God, when Hannah could no longer bear the pain of her empty womb, she went to the temple to present her supplication to the Lord. She cried out to the Lord and wept bitterly. She was so upset that she made a promise to the Lord in her request for a son.

Do you know what happened after Hannah cried out to God in desperation, not long after her visit to the temple to present her request to the Lord, she was pregnant. God revealed himself to Hannah in her weakness. In Hannah's weakness God's POWER was made PERFECT and he answered her request.

I realised that I need to stop trying so hard to keep things together especially before God. If we cannot come to God with our weaknesses and in our weaknesses then we are missing out on the opportunity for God to show is power, his might and his strength in our lives and in our situation.


In 2 Corinthians 12 vs 9 God's word says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Let us boast in our weakness before God, whatever we may be struggling with in any area of our lives, it is an opportunity for us to go before God and Boast about being weak in that area and be glad in it so that he can come into that area or that situation and perfect all that concerns you through is power being made strong.

You cannot save someone who doesn't need saving or who is never weak, that person is doing fine on their own. Go to God with your weakness and he will do Great things even greater than that of Hannah.


<BLESSINGS>



FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM AND SELF MANAGEMENT.

So lately I have been thinking about forgiveness and unforgiveness.What does it really mean to forgiveness?  I don't want to harbour unforgiveness in my heart because unforgiveness only causes stagnation in our lives and stands in the way of our relationship with God.

Forgiveness is required of us even when the person who we need to forgive does not acknowledge that they have wronged us.

Often the people who hurt us and who need us to forgive are those closest to us, and who we hold dear. Regardless of who may have wronged you, you need to forgive because living in unforgiveness hinders our growth and progression.

In Matthew 18 vs 22 , Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times, but Until seventy times seven.

Jesus speaks to us in this verse and commands us to forgive 70 times 7 times. Let's think about what this really means. Even the one person who annoys us or even offends us the most could not possible need forgiveness 490 times a day, therefore this would mean that as we go about our daily lives, we are required to forgive every single person who does wrong to us. EVERY ONE.

So while dealing with some issues where people who are very close to me hurt me very badly, God spoke to me about my difficulties with forgiveness. You see, God is in the business of refining people. He wants us to be the very best that he created us to be therefore God will constantly reveal to you areas of your life that require attention.

One of my areas that requires attention is that I struggle to forgive when someone as not acknowledged that they hurt me. I even sometimes hold on to unforgiveness as a way of control. It is a lie from the pit of hell if you think that holding on to anger and past hurt gives you control over the person that inflicted pain on you. It is a lie from the devil if you think that the "hurt"  is too big to forgive or that because the person who hurt you is too close to you i.e Father, Mother, Brother etc they don't deserve your forgiveness. The devil lies to us in order to keep us in bondage because when we are in bondage, it kills other areas of our lives that God wants to bring light and victory to. The devil will keep you in darkness for as long as possible in order to stop you from seeing God's light therefore we need to break free.

So recently I asked God to  teach me how to forgive the way that he forgives me, to show me the relationships that require my forgiveness  and to teach me how to forgive the way that he wants me to. Forgiveness should be on God's term and not on our terms.

Forgiveness is  an act of "Self Management". When you forgive someone who hurt you, regardless of whether they acknowledge it or not or asked you to forgive them or not, its a act of self management. You are managing and controlling yourself, you are taking ownership of your emotions. Maturity is getting to a point where you realise that you cannot control other peoples reactions, you cannot manage other peoples, their reactions nor opinions. You are only in control of yourself and you have to excess self control and manage YOU.

So as hard as it may be sometimes to let go of past hurts, by forgiving those who have wronged and hurt us, we are not only setting ourselves free but we are also obeying a commandment from the most high God and  walking in freedom because Forgiveness is Freedom.

So forgive your mother, father, brother, sister, cousin, nephew, aunt or uncle, husband or wife. Who ever may have hurt you yesterday, today, last month or last year, no matter how long you have been harbouring unforgiveness in your heart, its never too late to let go and forgive Today.

Take it one day at a time, ask God to come into your heart and teach you how. Ask your advocate the Holy Spirit to show you how.

When you truly forgive, your heart will be set free and you will be able to hear that person's name, see that person and feel nothing. Infact you will love them, even if its from a distance and you will wish them no harm.


<BLESSINGS>

Necessary Roughness.

I was speaking to a friend of mine today. Someone very special to me and whom I hold  dear. We were discussing tough times and tough people. I was so inspired by the life that she spoke into me this morning.

In life we go through situations and it is in those situations that our character is defined. However whats important to realise is that God doesn't make situations happen just for the fun of it. I you are a child of God then every situation that you go through is for a reason. There is a lesson that you are suppose to learn from that situation and until you learn what it is that God wants you to learn from that situation, it is impossible to progress from that situation and that is the school of life.

I was so inspired by these words because of the fact that I have been going through a certain situation in my life. In that situation God as shown me victory but however even though I have seen victory in this situation through God speaking to me and telling me to write a testimony about it, I am still struggling to get to the finish line of this situation.

Let me elaborate on that, God as told me that I will OVERCOME, I will WIN, but yet I'm struggling to win at the moment. In fact, I feel that I am losing which is causing me or was causing me to doubt the word of victory that God as put into my life.

After this mornings conversations though, I now understand exactly what to do I order to bring the Victory into actualisation. I know how to bring the Victory from the spiritual into the physical and I would like to share with you how to bring your Spiritual victory into the physical.

Before Jesus descended  into Heaven the Bible tells us in John 14 vs 16 that "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever"

Jesus speaks in the verse about leaving the Holy spirit to be our Advocate, comforter, helper. The interpretation behind this verse is that No one needs an advocate, a helper or a comforter unless they are in trouble, going through a period of trails and tribulations and needs assistance. Therefore this verse proves to us that Jesus knew while on earth that we would go through trying  times and he knew that he would not be with us "physically" to help us and that is why he left the Holy spirit which the bible tells us is for all of us if we receive him.


If I have received the Holy spirit, he therefore lives in me and if he lives in me and is a part of me then nothing I do can chase the holy spirit away. All the Holy Spirit needs is acknowledgement. Therefore how can I bring my Spiritual Victory into physical, I can do that with the help of the Holy Spirit who is within me and who is my Advocate, Helper, Comforter.

I realised this morning that the mistake that I have been making is 2 very important things  that I hope will potentially Change my situation and bring my victory into the physical and those 2 things are the following.

1. The school of life is such that through any hardship there is a lesson that God wants us to learn from it and we cannot progress until that lesson or that character  as been built in us. Therefore when faced with a situation in life which seems to be a mountain before us and which does not seem to want to move, we need to ask God to reveal to us and open our hearts to what it is that he wants us to learn from the situation. The word says that if we ask, we shall receive therefore If we ask God to reveal the reason behind a situation to us, he will surely reveal it to us.

2. The second lesson that I realised this morning is that although I know the Holy spirit is in me, I don't give him enough acknowledgement. I have been so caught up in my life that I have not been involving the Holy Spirit in every decision, every challenge, every situation that I have been faced with. Therefore from this day forward, I will consciously acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in me and invite him into everything Good and Bad because although he is a spirit, he is very real and very much a person.


Tough times don't last but tough people do. It's time to toughen up, only the strong survive.

<BLESSINGS>

There is Power in a Praying Man.

There is Power in a praying man...

I never really knew or understood the power of a praying man until I started really growing up.

 Since the age of 24, I have been so blessed to be exposed and to know praying men.

In the 21st century, there appears to be a lot of women in church. Although the numbers are changing but there seems to be a general consensus that woman tend to open their hearts easier to God than men do.

In the 21st century, women are also taking on a lot more responsibility than God may have intended them to. Woman are becoming more independent than in previous years and in some cases there seems to be a shift in the roles of Men and Women in the households.

Women are taking on the roles of mothers as well as fathers and although I salute those strong women out there whose men may have left them with the responsibility  of raising their kids alone, I'm talking about women who choose to carry the responsibility alone.

The reason why I started with the emphasis on church is because women are been encouraged to be a praying woman, to pray for their households, their husbands, their children. So many books have been written about the power of a praying woman, wife, mother and although all of this is good, I love the praying man.


I was listening to a DVD a couple of weeks back where TD Jakes talks about how the devils main starting point in destroying a family is to start with the head of the family. According to the word of God, the head of the family is the MAN.

The devil knows that if he successfully eliminated or even wounds the "head of the family", the rest of the family will be left unprotected. Lets elaborate on this statement.

The head of the family is the protector, the provider, he leads the family. If the devil eliminated the head of the family, the family is left vulnerable and easier to be targeted by the devil. Therefore although I am not taking anything away from a woman who prays for a husband, a loving woman would cover her man in prayer. I am saying that there is tremendous power in a praying man.

Real men do pray and a real man must pray. Prayer as a man does not only begin when you are a husband or a father but it is a life long  commitment that a man must make from a young age as prayer succeeds when all else fails.

A praying man can be set apart,  he loves God above all else and always puts his commitment to God as the most important priority in his life.

A praying man makes decisions that are centred around his relationship with God.

A praying man will do things that are impossible to the world because the spirit of God lives in him.

A praying man will love one woman and place no one except God above her.

A praying man will show weakness to God for it is through weakness that his strength is developed.

A praying man is lead by God and not by anything else or any other external forces.

A praying man chooses to love, Honor, respect, adore and be faithful to one woman.

A praying man admits his mistakes and prays to God to help him to stop making those mistakes.

I could go on and on about the characteristics of a praying man.

 I pray that all women and children out there get to witness the "POWER OF A PRAYING MAN" in their lives.

Thank you God for My Praying Man :-)

"THE WAITING PERIOD"

I have been struggling in the waiting periods of my life. I feel that God has been putting me through so many waiting periods. However through and during these waiting periods, I have come to realise that life does not have one waiting period but that in life we will be faced with several waiting periods as we  wait on God to bring something to pass, or to just guide us through certain periods of our lives.


I have been feeling encouraged and so I would in return like to encourage all of you who may be going through waiting periods and  who may be struggling through this period in your life to hang in there and   continue to trust in God for it is only him who can bring things into being and who can make that thing which your heart desires to come to pass. For the Lord our God calls things that are not as though they are.

Jeremiah17 vs 7 says that "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose confidence is in the Lord"

As I go through the struggles of life, I continually have to remind myself and renew my mind  that struggles is not a bad thing as Struggles represent the Lord working in ME, YES ME AND YOU TOO a purpose for my pain.

PAIN without purpose means that God's hand is not in it, he is not involved and as not part in it, but pain with purpose is a cause to rejoice because God will bring you out of it and will make all things beautiful.


The Verse that makes the most sense to me is Ecclesiastic chapter 3 verse 1 which speaks about there being a time for everything. God's timing is perfect therefore we should not rush the seasons of our lives because everything as its own Divine timing.

I have learnt that God knows us well enough and knows that we will overcome any trial and circumstances that he puts us through, he would NEVER put us in a situation that we cannot overcome. Behind every trial is a triumph that's not only ours but God's too.

God is always on time, never behind and we should be happy as we wait on God and learn to pray and never lose patience with God for God's timing is the best time.

Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not put us in shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy spirit who has been given to us, Romans 5 vs 3-5.


I pray that God gives power to us when we are  weak  and strength to us when we are powerless as he as promised to do in Isaiah 40 vs 29. God made that same promise again in Psalm  115 vs 12 where he says that "The Lord remembers us and will bless us"



I know the BEST IS  YET TO COME. I'm going to be faithful for God knows all the things he has promised will completely become real.