Writing is therapeutic ...!

"Write about what disturbs you... Be willing to be split open." - Natalie Goldberg #quotes #writing - http://pinterest.com/pin/187814246934092794/

What would you do if you truly believed God was guiding your every step?

Recently i have been reading historical fiction novels about the Christian martyrs of the time around 12th century, and just realising the resilience and determination one's soul can have in what one believes. Those are amazing stories of faith in God that is unshakable even unto death, men and women who were so convinced they were willing to die for their beliefs. Sadly though i believe there were some in those who were killed who believed because of public opinion, like they did nt have their convictions but went along because everyone around them pressured them to,or was going in that direction.
This brought me to the question; how much of what we do in our lives is a result of what people say, or demand of us,and how much is in response to God directing us? In my life right now, what is God calling me to do, and what is God demanding of me? How do i know if what I'm doing is in response to God's instructions or to people's demands? This was a very sobering thought for me as i reflected on how, in the recent months i have felt somehow unhinged,and therefore liable to flow with every wind that blows. My circumstances recently changed and my comfort zone was suddenly gone, in my desperate attempt to maintain sanity and still lead a somewhat normal life, i found myself scrambling around at such a speed that my time with God was relegated to the back burner.
So today I'm pausing and asking this question of myself,and of you. What would you do if you believed, no if you were truly convinced, that God was directing your every step? That He was in control and in charge of your life?What would your life look like, how different would it be from your present?
Would you be as engrossed in your current projects as you are now? Would you be having as many sleepless nights scheming and planning how to get that promotion, how to land that contract, seal that deal etc. What about ministry, would you be involved in that ministry, or would you be involved in something else? These are hard questions but questions we need to ask in order to find out if we are truly living as people who believe God is directing us and in control, or we are living life  according to public opinion and people's demands on us.

Wordful Wednesday

Hi folks, i just want to share a couple of scriptures as an encouragement this midweek . Psalm 139v13-14 tells us that God knows every  bit of our being and lovingly put every piece together for His glory, and for that I join the psalmist in saying "I praise you Lord". His works are indeed wonderful.
God loves us so much that He was willing to lay aside His glory and come in the form of sinful flesh to die on the cross so He could redeem us back to Himself, so that we can be called His sons (and daughters!)
So today  i would like to encourage us to be mindful of who God is and who we are in Him, for in Him we live and move and have our being.
Have a great week filled with His love and grace!

Returning to my first love

Having been unable to post on my blog these past few months has been like a punishment to me because i am a reader and a writer. So here i am excited that my technology challenges have been somewhat reduced, and ready to write up a storm(hopefully). This year's winter has been quite severe and long so i guess excitement is also because the sun is showing an appearance and the temperatures are getting higher, so we can all ditch our layers and embrace the freshness of spring. I can't wait because somehow it feels like everything begins anew in spiring, there seems to be renewed interest in life, maybe because we can all venture outdoors and enjoy nature. Forget the New year and its resolutions  im convinced spring is the time to start something new

this picture of the sun rising over the ocean speaks to me of a newday and a chance to start something new...what does spring mean to you.
?

till next keep well and keep the faith:

Motherhood and mother's day...!!!

With the past weekend being flooded with Mother's day messages and jokes around mothers etc, I got thinking of my own mother and my childhood. As a child I know I didn’t really give much thought to what a mother goes through especially on the inside concerning her children. She was someone who was there and provided what I needed when I needed it, and was a person who didn’t understand me, my feelings etc. She didn’t have needs or feelings as far as I was concerned. As I grew older I started thinking and blaming my mother for every thing I thought was wrong with me which I reasoned was due to my upbringing, I figured if she had done things differently or been a different person then I wouldn’t be what or who I am today. It is only now that I’m older and my eldest is now an adolescent that Im beginning to embrace and appreciate the full aspect of what my mother is and what she goes through even now as a mother ,even though we are all grown women with children. My journey as a mother began some 20 years ago when I was just a child myself and never understood the full implication or weight of bringing another human being to the world, and as the years have gone by I have grown in that role and have come to enjoy it and learn from each day as I mother these children God entrusted to me. Some days I feel like I’m not doing enough for my children and its as if im letting them down somehow, that’s when I feel like I am a disappointment to them and wish I could do more or do things differently, but even in that I realize I am who I am and as I learn daily I also improve as I go along. Some days on the other hand, I feel like im getting this mothering thing right and deserve a medal…’AHEM”… I am learning though that hard as the job maybe, being a mother is not something you go to school for and no one tells you if you are doing it right or wrong, its mostly a matter of instinct and trusting that what you are doing will yield the best results and produce well-rounded individuals who are an asset to the society as a whole. I’m also learning that being a mother is more than just giving birth to the children, it involves impacting future generations, and its not just about words spoken, its about the life you lead, the daily interactions and the unspoken behaviors that mark our days. Sometimes when I’m in the doldrums and feeling like I’m failing my children, I wonder if my mother ever felt like that and how did she deal with it, and those are the times that my appreciation for her is multiplied as I realize the immensity of the task every mother has. Read a quote recently that said “A man’s job is from sunrise to sunset, but a mother’s job is never done”. This tells me that even though your children may be adults with their own families and lives to lead, as a mother you do not let them go, I know for a fact my own mother still prays for us her children daily and that she still worries and cares about our daily lives even though we are hundreds of miles away from her.This is to all mothers, even though you may feel you work so hard and get little appreciation,( I know I feel like that at times J) be steadfast and never lose hard because your labor is not in vain

A friend indeed....!!!

"A friend in need is a friend indeed." Ever heard this saying, and what do you think of it? It makes friendship sound like a parasitic relationship, doesn’t it? I mean, does it mean if I don’t need anything from you then I cannot be a real friend to you, is that really how our friendships are structured, are we in it only for what we can get or because we are needy ? Well, as I was thinking on this profound phrase, I came across a few other interesting quotes on friendship: Aristotle said “ What is a friend,? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” And C S Lewis said “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” And better yet Shel Silverstein said “ How many slams in an old screen door, depends on how loud you shut it, and how many slices in a loaf of bread, depends on how thin you cut it. How much good in each day depends on how good you live each day, and how much love inside a friend depends on how much you give them.” Looking at these quotes it became clear to me that we all are friends with the people we are friends with because of what we get from them. Now you may say that is not the case with you, but I challenge you to look deeper into the reasons you are friends with your friends, you may be surprised what you find. Friends fulfill a need in our lives and therefore it means you need them, and vise-versa. So friendship is all about needing each other, hence the expression. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m sure if you didn’t need anything from your friend the friendship would die a natural death. Take for example the friendships you had when you were growing up, some of the friends you had were for being naughty with, some for sharing school stuff like studying and projects etc, just to mention a few. It was all because you needed something different from each and each fulfilled a different need in you, in return they were also getting something they need from you at those times. This is because friendship is a give and take kind of thing, as I’m sure it still is with your friendships today. You are like two souls in one body, and the friendship is nurtured by what each part can give, so its depth depends on the involved parties’ contributions. You find that when the need is gone, or if one part is no longer giving anything the friendship might also take a knock, unless you find something else to keep the wheels turning. Without doubt a friend in need is a friend indeed, and friendship is a symbiotic relationship, which is mutually beneficial to both parties involved. In a friendship there is a kinship that is born out of our mutual need for each other.I would love to hear what you think, how do you think your friendships are made, and any other interesting thoughts you may have on this topic of friendship. Please leave your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom.

Happy Easter

"“He paid a debt, He did not owe I owed a debt , I could not pay I needed someone to wash my sins away And now I sing a brand new song, Its Amazing grace, How sweet the sound, Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay” This is a song we used to sing back in the day at school, and I didn’t give much thought to the meaning of the lyrics, but now as I’m singing it to myself I realize what a profound truth we were singing even as ignorant kids back then. As we get into Easter, lets be mindful then of the real reason for this holiday, its not just to break away from work as we close the first quarter of the year, though God knows I need that right now, or just to play the Easter hunt games with the children( I’ve been hounded about this since March started, and I’m sure we wil have a great Easter hunt this year), but Easter is a time to remember what happened more than a thousand years ago, on that lonely hill outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem. On the cross Jesus the Christ was crucified and hung to take away our sins and our shame. He suffered and died brutally at the hands of the rulers of that day so that you and I can be reconciled to the Father, who is the Lord our God, , and rose again so that we can be set free from the rule of the devil in our lives.I will let another song tell the story, here are the lyrics to an old hymn, The old rugged cross On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. Refrain:So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown. 2.O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above To bear it to dark Calvary. 3.In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see, for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, to pardon and sanctify me. 4.To that old rugged cross I will ever be true, Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then he'll call me some day to my home far away, Where his glory forever I'll share. I hope and pray we all have a happy and meaningful Easter as we remember the price paid for us at Calvary to be free so that we can be a light to the world which is in need. Let us reverently shine our light brightly so that those in darkness can see the it and come to His light, for it is not our light, but His light in us. HALLELUJAH FOR JESUS IS ALIVE..!!!

What're you doing mummy?

This is my toddler daughter’s latest favorite phrase, when she comes upon anyone doing anything at all even just sitting and doing nothing she will pipe up in her cute high pitched voice… “What’re you doing mummy or daddy” whatever the case may be. As I listed to her continuously asking this question during this festive season I found myself seriously asking myself the question, what am I really doing? I’m not talking about my current activity but about my life in general, what am I doing with the gifts, my abilities and talents that God has entrusted me with, what about the relationships I have, my career and so forth. And most importantly what am I doing about the Jesus in me, am I letting my light so shine that the world can see or am I sitting on my talents(gifts and abilities) thereby hiding my light under a bushel? As we enter into this New Year I want to challenge us to look searchingly at ourselves and our activities and ask ourselves this simple question, “what am I doing? I know I am a work in progress and working to make every second count every single day. Am I doing what I am here on earth to do, even though our purpose is not always clear in our lives lets learn to listen and seek beyond our human ear for God’s voice and for His wisdom to guide us along the path He has set for us. In the world we live in, sometimes we may struggle to find our purpose, let alone walk in it but at times one has to stop and be still, observe and re-take what we have done so far, ask the questions that we afraid to ask, (what exactly is my reason for living, in the past year(s) what have I done to get closer to fulfilling my life’s purpose; and what can I do differently in order to life a life of purpose). Am I living my life to the full while I have the time, as the bible says that we must redeem the time? All we have is today and tomorrow is not promised, so while you have today take the time and ask yourself if what you are doing is what you should be doing or you could be doing more to live a richer and enriching life. It is in living out our fullest potentials and purpose that we make a difference in the world. (I am of the conviction that we all have a contribution to make towards the greater good of all of mankind, however small that contribution may seem). Have I done enough to make the world a better place for the next person? Be the blessing you would want to receive, God has blessed us in many ways, take the time to use the blessing in your own life to enrich another life, it may not be a physical blessing you can see or touch, but it may be the key to enriching your own life by helping some one else, just take time to find it within yourself. That is my challenge for all of you beautiful folks out there, let not this year just be a statistic, but let it be a year that counts, a year in which you make your life count for something. Here is to a great year ahead. A big toast to 2013…!!!