Where is your road leading to?

Isaiah 35: 8 says, "A road will be there; this highway will be called "The Road to Being Holy". Where is your road leading to?

We are all reminded that on earth, our life is a journey we take and our journey's road ultimately leads to somewhere. But where? Is your road leading you to fame, fortune or faith?

Further in Isaiah 35 in verse 10 says that this road will be for the people that God saves and the people that the Lord has freed will return. Will you be on this road?

What does your road look like? Mine, is long and it has cracks that God has filled with His living water. Mine also has speed bumps which some I have stumbled over and I'm sure I have some more coming but each time I stumble, I learn and turn back to the one who put me there. Sometimes, I think I skipped walking on my path, took a taxi and jumped a few miles ahead before I should have.

God didn't say our road had to look perfect, feel wrinkle free, and flow smoothly. He just wants us to let Him road trip with us. 

What do you think is at the end of your road? Well, I like to think and believe that the city of God is at the end of mine and a room awaits in His house for me. Will you be there in His house?

Every festive season, we are also reminded to put Christ back into Christmas but how can we expect people to do that if they haven't put Christ back in their life first? The birth of Jesus Christ was the beginning of our saving grace.

This festive season, I urge you to sit back, take a look at your road and where it's leading to. Is God traveling with you? Are you listening to Him guiding you? Telling you which way to go, which speed bumps to avoid?

Or you haven't invited Him yet? That's okay too. God doesn't put a time limit on His offer to save, bless and love. Consider it this festive season. Consider celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ this year by inviting Him to save you, forgive you and give you rebirth.

They will enter Jerusalem with joy,

and their happiness will last forever.

Their gladness and joy will fill them completely,

and sorrow and sadness will go far away

Isaiah 35: 

 

Never forget: You don't have to be perfect to be perfectly loved by God!

A piece of my heart

 

It's not often that I get personal in my blog. I don't like sharing personal things because it means I let people know the workings of my mind and the stirrings on my heart but then God reminds me that my personal blog might reach someone who needs encouragement, help and assurance that they are not alone.  So..this week I offer a piece of my heart.

Over the week-end I put this status on my social media page: "Maybe it's time to embrace being single and get ready to mingle". It's not the first time that I have pondered over this and it's not the first time I thought if I put this out in the public, I will be able to convince myself but that's not the case.

I am one of the lucky few who have family and friends around me who genuinely care for me and want to see me happy again. I'm sure for some of them, they are really tired of seeing me alone. But what they don't know, is that what is inside is not always portrayed outside.

I have realised in order for me to truly embrace being single, I have to face a few inner demons of my own. I have been a widow for over 10 years, having only been with one man in my life, it's not easy trying to let your guard down and open yourself up to that again. I'm not worried about losing a man in my life but I do have issues trying to be intimate with someone again, especially when you have had a really, deep loving connection with someone. You try to discover if you have the ability to connect like that again and I have no idea if I can. I also don't think someone else needs to get hurt or rejected because I have issues. That's not fair.

Another thing is, you have to start seeing what others see in you and let's be honest, what I see in the mirror is definitely not what others see. My family and friends around me continue to tell me what an amazing woman I am, how genuine and loving I am. I've been told that I have so much to offer but what they don't realize is I don't see that when I look in the mirror.  Now, before you start thinking "lack of self esteem", I don't lack it. To me, I am a plain Jane who truly cares for people and I look after and worry about others before myself. Doing too much for myself, often seems selfish to me and that's not because I don't think I deserve it, it's just my personality. It's who I am.

And I am not a dater! The thought of going on many dates trying to find the one (again!) seems like a lot of work and effort. Yes, I know if I don't make the effort, how will I ever know but seriously, do I have to!! My friends are way more adventurous than I am and they take dating in their stride but me, it feels like going to job interviews and I don't interview well! Did I add that I am one of the shyest people too when I am alone.

The only thing I could think of to deal with this, is lay it at God's feet.
He might send someone along for me or He might not. Maybe, God wants me to be alone and if I get that answer, I will be completely fine with that. But if God's plan is different then I seriously have to get the message right and walk in faith knowing He is guiding me..So here's me handing my piece of heart to God.

May you too always feel blessed and loved in God's light!  

The Fence

 

Did you ever sit on a fence or a narrow wall and just looked around? The world is all around you but every fence has two sides. Generally, one side is to keep things in and the other side is the rest of the world, the  great outdoors.

A fence is like many decisions we are faced with in our life. We can either choose the option which keeps things simple, protected or we can step out of our comfort zone and take a risk, not always knowing what will happen.

Like a fence, you can't really say whether it's backwards or forwards because it depends which way you are facing while sitting on the fence.

How often have you wondered if you could just stay on the fence, undecided, but life, as we know it, doesn't allow it because something or someone will come along forcing us to decide. I think, what makes sitting on the fence confusing, is that many times both sides and all around looks good, promising.


Who makes us climb onto that fence? Who makes us sit there what seems like many hours considering the choices we have?

God puts us there.

God knows which side we need  to follow but God loves us and gives us the gift of free will which means it is  up to us. But we are not alone on that ledge. You are surrounded by the Holy Trinity. Jesus sits on your left, the Holy Spirit on the right and God is above, all coaching you, nudging you in His direction.

God waits until He can't wait anymore and that's often when something or someone comes along to help us make a decision.

Sometimes God keeps putting us back on the fence, waiting until we finally get it and sometimes He just leaves us there for a good while wanting us to look around and embrace, love, enjoy and be grateful for the life He blessed us with.

So, if you find yourself sitting on the fence trying to figure out what to do, remember to look to your left, your right and above. Talk to them because they are the only trusting voices you need to hear and obey. God didn't say it would be easy. He just said believe in Me. God put you there, let Him give you what you need to jump off and walk with Him.

Whether we pick the right side of the fence, just remember that God can always turn a wrong into a right!

Trust the Lord with all your heart,

and don't depend on your own understanding.

Prov. 3:5

Whoever listens to what is taught will succeed, 

and whoever trusts the Lord will be happy.

Prov. 16:20 

The Power of Aslan

How many times, do we feel like we are trapped and in a very dark place or space? How many times has Satan or one of his followers whispered into our ear, promising us all the desires of our heart?

On the 8th October 2015, I went to see the production of "The Silver Chair", the sixth book in the Narnia series by C.S.  Lewis. I finally saw what it meant to me as a Christian. The message I received was very clear to me during it.

It became so clear to me that sometimes Satan whispers in our ear promising bigger and better things. Power, money, status. Things that we think we can't get for ourselves by asking and trusting God. And the more and louder he whispers, the more we believe until it's too late and we find ourselves, like the lost prince, underground in a dark space waiting for the whispered dreams to be fulfilled. You also become enchanted and under his spell, no longer hearing God's voice. The lost prince, too could no longer feel Aslan's presence or hear his voice.

In Narnia, Aslan sends two chosen children to save the enchanted prince. Have you ever met people along your path? Have they tried to save you? Is it possible that God sent them?

God, whether we realise it or not, does send special people to bring us back to His love and power and once again, the right, intended bigger and better things start to occur in our life.

Following God helps us to bring us out of our dark place and into the light. Like the power of Aslan, the power of God helps us to see His creation around us as profound and a blessing.

Narnia is a wondrous place filled with mountains, blue skies, fluffy white clouds and green grass. All creation around Aslan bow to him, knowing that he is their God and Saviour. They walk with him in faith and grace, knowing that no other loves and cares for them as much as he does.

Do you see Narnia around you? Do you know the power of God working in your life today?
Do you know that God loves and cares for you more than anyone can?

Or are you still like the lost prince, too enchanted and trapped to look up towards God's light? God will wait for you and he will never leave, nor forsake you.

Lord, because I am poor and helpless,

please remember me.

You are my helper and Savior.

My God, do not wait.

Ps. 40:17

 

The Nerd in the Herd

Centuries ago, he walked this earth, in his flowing robe and his weathered sandals. No doubt his feet were dirty and his hair unkept. I can only imagine that he wasn't one of the most fashionable people. He wasn't the latest trend but he was being followed. He was the "Nerd" in the Herd. This man was Jesus.

If Jesus walked the earth today, he would still be ridiculed, insulted and bullied. We would doubt his "power" and know that he wouldn't be in the "popular" group. But he would still be important.

Bullying has been around a lot longer than we realise. Today, it is more widespread as we have the internet. Bullies are found in our homes, in our schools and in our workplace.The results of being bullied can be life-lasting and affects every area of our life.

The sad thing about it is a lot of the time, the bully is also a victim and in need of more help. A bully is often someone who is being abused elsewhere, has self esteem issues and even behavourial issues. A bully transfers their problem onto others as they have not been given the skills or space to express their emotions in a healthy and safe manner.

Bottom line, bullying in any shape or form is unacceptable. And it seems to be getting worse. This makes me think of Jesus. Jesus walked around to different places talking to people that others wouldn't necessarily approach. He told odd stories that not many could understand and he did miracles that people only believed if they saw it. Jesus must have had people bullying him through hurtful words and in the end, got physically bullied and abused yet God used His Son in the most powerful way ever. Jesus gave us the living word as told by others and God sacrificed Jesus to save us.

Jesus was a victim of bullies and God lifted Him up and did great things through Him. I find it fascinating too that even today, God uses a lot of victims of bullies to become great people who do great things. "Nerds" today become our famous scientists of tomorrow, presidents of the future and inventors of all time. Odd, bullied people often gain the strength the bully actually never gets by not giving up and knowing that there will come a day where their suffering will be their saving.

So....to those who get bullied, feeling often alone and like no one cares, believe me when I say, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You are also a "nerd" in the herd, and like Jesus you might be ridiculed but this does not have to shape who you are. Jesus walked in the victim's shoes and He walks alongside you today, wearing those same shoes.  Talk to him...he listens, he knows, he understands.

Jesus did have people that believed in Him and I am sure you too have people around you who truly believe in you and love you for being the "nerd" in the herd. Trust in God to use you for great things as a person not a victim!

And to those who bully, YOU TOO ARE NOT ALONE. May God help you to see you need His help as much as the person you pick on, if not more. Don't let other people cause you to be a bully. Stand up for yourself in a healthy manner and if you can't, ask for help and keep asking until someone does. If you feel like no one loves you or understands you, know this that GOD loves you, GOD hears you and God understands you completely and unconditionally!

He too has great things planned for you. It's up to you to allow Him to help you change and trust Him to work in your life.

God always sends someone in our path to guide us, lead us and help us succeed. You just have to open your heart, your mind and your soul to receive them.

Show respect for all people: Love the brothers and sisters of God's family, 

respect God, honor the King.

1 Peter 2:17

...but answer in a gentle way and with respect.

Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life 

in Christ will be ashamed.

1 Peter 3:16

The Dark Side

We all have a dark side, no matter how saved we might believe. Lately, we are intrigued by things from the dark side and this can be seen by our TV. programmes, movies and books. As Christians, we are taught to leave our dark side and temptations behind by turning to God’s words and ways.

So, how do we “feed” our interest in the  dark side without really “feeding” it? This is where, for me, my love for series come into it. I "feed" it by watching a series like “Supernatural”. This series is about two brothers who are hunters. They hunt for demons and basically anything from the dark side or hell. I enjoy watching the fight between good and evil. Angels do make appearances as well as heaven.  And of course, good always wins!

Is this right? Should I be "feeding" it anyway? Honestly, I don't know.  I need more thought on this one.

I also feel it’s a lot safer than playing games like “Charlie, Charlie” which is trending around the world at the moment. This game is currently being played by kids from primary school age and upwards, where they call spirits to appear. This is dangerous regardless of your age to play as we are not informed on all things dark.  

Dabbling in the dark arts is and will never be a good idea, regardless of age and generation. Demons are out there and so are Angels. I know Satan would love us to dabble and mess around with it because it gives him the gateway to get closer to us but don’t allow him to take the beauty and power of God in your life. The spiritual realm is constantly at war so let’s help by listening and following God. Let’s help by turning from our sins.

The Bible tells us not to do spells, speak to the dead and tell fortunes, etc. We have to remember that Satan is a fallen angel. An angel created by God. Now, we know how we find comfort and beauty in God’s angels and we have an inkling of how powerful they are so imagine how powerful Satan can be especially since God created him.

God wants us to fear Him because of His amazing power and abilities to do things but we also need to fear Satan because He might not be as powerful as God but He does have power and abilities. Now, imagine how powerful his demons are, especially since they were created by one of God’s fallen angels.

Do not delve in dark magic as the dark side is just as mysterious as the light side. God warns us to stay away for very good reasons and we should be scared, not intrigued. Unfortunately, we are like children, who means we don’t often listen to God’s warnings and we test the world around us by trying things we, deep down, know we should not try.

I do believe that dark does exist but I know that I am more protected by God’s light and the spiritual realm and while I keep my eyes on Him, Satan has no place in my soul.  

How do you handle your "dark side"?

Don't let anyone among you offer a son or daughter as a sacrifice in the fire.

Don't let anyone use magic or witchcraft, or try to explain the meaning of signs. 

Don't let anyone try to control others with magic, and don't let them be mediums or try to talk with the spirits of dead people.

Deut. 18:10 - 12

Soul + Compelling = Spiritual Compulsion

For the past weeks and months, compulsion has crept into my life. Not just tempting compulsions, like having the chocolates I shouldn’t have but spiritual compulsion. I have other people also dealing with the issue of spiritual compulsion. So, what is spiritual compulsion and how do we listen to it.

Spiritual compulsion is when God speaks to your heart to do something or say something.  He keeps putting scenes, words or people into our minds. And no matter how we try to ignore it, it keeps coming back to us, day or night. That’s how we often know that it is God.

The Devil doesn’t have the patience to wait for us to “get the message”. He moves on if we don’t react quickly. But God, he chose you or me to do his bidding, and He is patient, kind and loving, and He will wait for us because deep down, He knows it will take us a while because humans will be humans!

But what happens if we do His bidding and the other person is not as responsive as we expected because who would deny God’s bidding, right?  We hear often in church how we need to spread the Good News, tell others about being saved by Jesus Christ and how we all need God but how often do we question Him when He needs us.  We doubt, mistrust and many times just don’t listen.

We can’t make the other person listen, trust and believe but what we can do is do what God lays on our heart  especially if we truly believe God wants it to better or help the other person. But we also need to patient, kind and loving to give the other person time to do what they need to do to know that God is using you to help them. And for the person being compelled, it’s not always easy; it can be frustrating but needs to be done.

God uses us in many ways whether we understand it or not. He is not asking us to understand, He is telling us to follow Him and do what He says. Maybe He uses compulsion to help us learn to trust Him too?  In Scripture, Jesus tells a rich man to leave everything behind and follow Him. He couldn’t do it. If God lays something on your heart like this, would you? Could you?

A few months ago, I saw a young man at robots. He has a growth growing out the side of his face, his right arm is crooked and he has a leg problem. When I look deep into his eyes, I see something; I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I don’t know why and can’t explain it because not many people affect me like this but he did. So, I did the only thing I could do, I prayed and I keep praying.  God wants me to do something and I don’t know what. I don’t even know if I have the courage to help. So, I give him money so he can eat, have electricity and try to look after himself. And every time, I give, He looks at me in the eyes and says “God Bless you”. Those three words pierce my heart every time and I often wonder if God is urging me to help him because maybe God is using me to help him believe those three words for himself and believe that God will bless Him.

And because I still don’t know, I am considering using my birthday to give him food stamps. Spiritual compulsion is just one of God’s mysterious ways and I don’t understand it, don’t know much about it, but I can’t ignore it. Can you?

The followers went everywhere in the world and

told the Good News to people, and the Lord helped them.

The Lord proved that the Good News they told was true

by giving them power to work miracles.

Mark 16:20

 

Perfect, period!

This is a humorous article specially written by a lady for the ladies. Gents, if you dare, read on.

I keep wondering why, when it’s our seven-day monthly special, men seem to find us so attractive, cute and sensual. So, I thought I would ponder on it awhile and give it a bit more thought.

Let’s be real here ladies. This is one of the times during the month where we feel bloated, unsexy and hate the thought of pampering any part of us. Our clothes seem too tight on us, our hair won’t flow the way we want it and frankly we are just not comfortable in any way. These seven days are our “leave me alone” and “I need chocolate” days. But yet, our husbands, boyfriends and men in general, notice us, give us the time of day, compliment us and generally seem to levitate towards us.

Have you ever noticed that after these seven days, their attention is not as strong as it was during them? They can smell those seven day hormones miles away.

And then I had a light bulb moment. God is great and even when we are feeling down and dirty, He uses it for the greater good. We just haven’t realized it! Now, you are wondering how on earth, can this be possible.

But think about it, we spend most of our time, trying to look and feel younger, sexier, and thinner, etc. Convincing ourselves, if we dress this way or wear this make-up, we can have their attention every day, all day.  If we exercise more, pamper ourselves more, they will listen more, do more, etc.

Well, ladies, I think God made us perfect every day regardless of the material items we think we need and/or the shape we’re in but let’s get adventurous.  He gave us seven days to flaunt our faith and figures in a respectful and self-honoring way!

Let’s use our hormones to encourage our fellow ladies to keep feeling positive about ourselves, sexy in our sexuality and down-right beautiful in our God given bodies!

Men don’t need to touch us to remind us and let’s be honest during those seven days he’s got no chance but let’s flaunt our natural beauty, our personality for God because He created us in His image and man, do you all look good! His blessings and our personalities shine through, spreading His love all around. 

So, let’s take our “ugly” seven days and turn them into our “proudly perfect” days because God didn’t make mistakes and He has given us seven days to show the world. You don’t need extras like heels, make-up and perfume on these days. All you need to do is flaunt your faith by being NATURALLY YOU!

Why wait for August to be Women’s month to flaunt it! Once a week, once a month is our time to shine!

You made my whole being;

You formed me in my mother’s body.

I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way

Ps. 139:13-14

PS: And for our dear ladies, who have done their time with this “milestone”, use those hot flushes to make the young men think they have the right stuff! It’s our secret, go on – have faithful fun! You are perfect in God’s eyes after all!

Silence is.....

Silence is…….Golden.

Important

We need silence to relax our mind, our body and our spirit. It is important that we have silence regularly to give us the time and space to listen to God talking to us. God’s presence brings us peace and complete calm physically and mentally. In our silence, God can truly reward us and be with us.

It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save

Lamentations 3:26

love

In our silence, we are relaxed and we are able to truly feel God’s presence and His embrace by sitting still, our mind clear, our spirit calm. We are able to truly feel God’s arms wrap around us in His eternal Fatherly love. We can feel the Holy Spirit’s warmth course through our veins.

You only need to remain calm;

the Lord will fight for you

Exodus 14:14

Eerily effective

Sometimes silence can seem scary to us as we hate being left alone with our own, private thoughts but we need it. The silence helps us reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. The eeriness and overwhelming presence of God opens our eyes and our ears to receive and see His message clearly and without interference.

I find rest in God;

Only he gives me hope.

Psalm 62:5

Necessary

We need it. We need silence. Silence is our solitude and saving grace. We need it to survive, to strengthen our soul, to relieve the stress from our busy lives, to stay sane. Silence is necessary to remind us of what is important in life, what we want out of life and to ask God to guide us in the His direction.

He should sit alone and be quiet;

the Lord has given him hard work to do

Lamentations 3:28

Teaching

Silence teaches us to be patient, to embrace our relationship with God and to realise our blessings and be grateful for them. Silence teaches us how to be with ourselves, how to relax and how to enjoy simple moments in life. Silence teaches acceptance, reality and about our faith journey. Silence helps us to be in tune with our spiritual side and realise God’s love, faith and hope in us.

Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet;

if they don’t speak they appear to understand.

Proverbs 17:28

Silence is…golden.

To some, it can be a blessing or a curse. Silence is valuable and free. Silence is what God uses to be with us in prayer, in presence and in prosperity. Sit still and be with God. Let Him use it to realise your importance, His love for you, to fear Him, to realise your necessity to Him and to teach the many wonderful things He has in store for you.

God says, “Be quiet and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10