She looked into the mirror and was excited about the new look, she looked pretty. She smiled and then widened her gaze to be sure she was seeing right. "I am a babe", she repeated it over and over. Then her husband walked in and said; "sweetheart, why is it important to look at yourself in the mirror over and over again he asked?" You are beauty personified, I appreciate God for bringing you into my life and you are the apple of my eyes.
She placed her head on his shoulder unable to respond. She feels so much confidence whenever she is with him... this is the man God used to restore my confidence she thought quietly. He has no clue where she is coming from... she can boldly say she's pretty now because God has taught her to love herself, accept God's love and brought a man who makes her feel like a million bucks into her life.
This write up might not necessarily speak to you if you see yourself pretty and gorgeous all the time. However, for the few who have had their self esteem and confidence damaged by words,actions or comment it is important to see yourself the way God sees you.
The Message version of the Bible is always so easy to read and here it is, Psalms 139:13-16
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
Have you been told you are so ugly, you are k-legged, your lips are too wide, too small, you are busty, your teeth have gaps, your face is wide, your ears are too big or small? You are too skinny,fat, too dark, too light complexioned. Whatever has been said to you to make you doubt God's impression about you is rubbish! Please take your time to read the scripture verses above and let it be encrypted in the harddrive of your mind that you are God's most valuable creature! It is not the outward or physical appearance alone that tells you who you are. Your inner man first, your ability to believe and accept who you are according to God's standard as well as effort to ensure you appear neat and tidy all the time all contribute to the enhancement of your God-given beauty!
Wonderfully and fearfully made!
If you are single, do not be decieved that you are unmarried becuase of your uncomely features. God is preparing you for the best man/woman! Overcome your inadequacies, love yourself and celebrate God for taking His time to make a master piece, yes, YOU are God's Master piece.
Agape!
Monday 18 June 2012
Sunday 17 June 2012
Finding another?
Good morning and blessed week ahead to you all.
How does God speak to you? Does God speak at all? When situations arise and our visions become clouded, then we get almost confused. Have I indeed heard from the Lord or perhaps the imagination of my heart played a fast one on me to believe God was indeed speaking to me...
Have you ever taken a decision and then wonder if you heard right? Perhaps you look back and ask yourself how you got into your present situation. I know a whole lot of individuals going through hardship in their marriages have concluded that they made a mistake...
Perhaps it is not so but God is training to temper you...hmm, does God test with evil, you question?. No He does not but he allows situations to come your way so you can become a better person. Once you pass the exam for that class then promotion awaits you for the next class.
Luke 7:20 KJV
20" When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"
I am not sure maybe you are "looking for another" at your job or in your ministry. Whatever God does shall be, nothing shall be added unto it or taken away. Patience is a virtue that needs to have her way in your life so you can attain that glorious destiny. A new week is starting and you need to be reassured that when Jesus is in your boat you need not seek another.
God is not going to kill your spouse so you can have another one that will "better" than the one you have... work on your differences and see the transforming power of God at work in your life.
Have a blessed week and do not be afraid. God is with you like a mighty terrible one.
Shalom!
How does God speak to you? Does God speak at all? When situations arise and our visions become clouded, then we get almost confused. Have I indeed heard from the Lord or perhaps the imagination of my heart played a fast one on me to believe God was indeed speaking to me...
Have you ever taken a decision and then wonder if you heard right? Perhaps you look back and ask yourself how you got into your present situation. I know a whole lot of individuals going through hardship in their marriages have concluded that they made a mistake...
Perhaps it is not so but God is training to temper you...hmm, does God test with evil, you question?. No He does not but he allows situations to come your way so you can become a better person. Once you pass the exam for that class then promotion awaits you for the next class.
Luke 7:20 KJV
20" When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"
I am not sure maybe you are "looking for another" at your job or in your ministry. Whatever God does shall be, nothing shall be added unto it or taken away. Patience is a virtue that needs to have her way in your life so you can attain that glorious destiny. A new week is starting and you need to be reassured that when Jesus is in your boat you need not seek another.
God is not going to kill your spouse so you can have another one that will "better" than the one you have... work on your differences and see the transforming power of God at work in your life.
Have a blessed week and do not be afraid. God is with you like a mighty terrible one.
Shalom!
Sunday 10 June 2012
Proper Dressing
For everyone who has ever received an offer letter for a job, you are
congratulated, told the terms of employment and then given a start date
as well as orientation date. Every serious corporation knows the
importance of training and investing in their employees, for those who
take short cuts, they end up paying for their mistakes big time.
As I was writing this morning I wondered what the correlation is between choosing a way of life and getting equipped for it. It is not enough to choose a way of life,you have to know how to work and function where you are. For as many as work in the corporate world, once you get employed, you are 'programmed' to reason,dress and relate in a certain way. The expectation is that you will become 'refined' and be able to grow within the organization. You are expected to go through orientation to know what the organization stands for, understand the corporate vision, know where to go if there is an issue, understand the purpose of every department, become trained and mature as an asset within the company. You can relate this to any area of life.
We have also been called to a way of life, a way of life of love. Here is what the scripture says: Colossians 3: 12 - 14 MSG
"So, chosen by God for this new life of love,
dress in the wardrobe God picked out fr you:
Compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.
Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.
And regardless of what else you put on, wear love.
It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."
When you work in the corporate world or any organization that has structure and order, you are expected to behave in a civil manner, when you have an issue, you are expected to call the other party, try to sort things amicably. The story is no different when we choose to follow Christ. Our thinking, perception, orientation and disposition is expected to change and fit into God's own way of doing things.
As God's own children, He has chosen the kind of garment we ought to wear for us, let us adorn our lives with each item. It is no easy feat to forgive an offense quickly or be even-tempered when you think you are being walked all over, however, God is able to give you quiet strength to overcome challenges.
As you go into a new week, try and list the items in the scripture above and choose to wear each one at home, when dealing with a difficult relationship, at work, school or wherever you need to "dress" appropriately this week. May the joy of the Lord be multiplied in your life in Jesus name. Everything God has given you to make you happy will not become a source of sorrow to you in Jesus name.
Shalom!
As I was writing this morning I wondered what the correlation is between choosing a way of life and getting equipped for it. It is not enough to choose a way of life,you have to know how to work and function where you are. For as many as work in the corporate world, once you get employed, you are 'programmed' to reason,dress and relate in a certain way. The expectation is that you will become 'refined' and be able to grow within the organization. You are expected to go through orientation to know what the organization stands for, understand the corporate vision, know where to go if there is an issue, understand the purpose of every department, become trained and mature as an asset within the company. You can relate this to any area of life.
We have also been called to a way of life, a way of life of love. Here is what the scripture says: Colossians 3: 12 - 14 MSG
"So, chosen by God for this new life of love,
dress in the wardrobe God picked out fr you:
Compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.
Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.
And regardless of what else you put on, wear love.
It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it."
When you work in the corporate world or any organization that has structure and order, you are expected to behave in a civil manner, when you have an issue, you are expected to call the other party, try to sort things amicably. The story is no different when we choose to follow Christ. Our thinking, perception, orientation and disposition is expected to change and fit into God's own way of doing things.
As God's own children, He has chosen the kind of garment we ought to wear for us, let us adorn our lives with each item. It is no easy feat to forgive an offense quickly or be even-tempered when you think you are being walked all over, however, God is able to give you quiet strength to overcome challenges.
As you go into a new week, try and list the items in the scripture above and choose to wear each one at home, when dealing with a difficult relationship, at work, school or wherever you need to "dress" appropriately this week. May the joy of the Lord be multiplied in your life in Jesus name. Everything God has given you to make you happy will not become a source of sorrow to you in Jesus name.
Shalom!
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Falling In Love Is Easy...
Falling in love is easy, wedding is thrilling and exciting,however, marriage is hard work! It is daunting, boring and sometimes unfair to put up with some inconveniences. Effort,commitment,loyalty and a development plan needs to be put in place for you to grow and handle some tough calls.
It gets better...when you have studied the other party, you are able to apply wisdom to avoid confrontations and ultercations but you learn to reason one with another. Your backgrounds are different and your views about life are likely to stem from your value system or upbringing. Do not force your views and ways on the other person.
I have noticed that when couples decide to see things from the lens of the other party, they enjoy their differences! A man who grew up playing soccer with children from the streets and a woman who grew up within high walls and manned gate will differ in opinion about how their own children should play or interact other children.
Your spouse is not the problem, seeking a way out by flirting outside will not end the issue at hand. Prayerfully tackling issues will give you peace and you will fall in love again. When you fall in love, it happens to you, but to stay in love you consciously work at it, you have to decide to ignore all the distractions and focus on what you have decided to do that is, STAY in love.
Do not be too mature to play, share a joke, do not be too busy to remember what is important to the other party. You were stealing kisses before you got married, now you are married and you have forgotten how to be romantic. You were dying to have sex before marriage, now you have to schedule and plan towards making love, you could never have enough of each other's company, now you are married and your spouse is a bore. Remember what brought you together and preserve the love.
Do your friends tell you they have a perfect relationship with no issues? They are telling you a lie! Every relationship has an area where there is need for improvement. You have a choice over how you react to any situation even though you do not have a say over other people's actions. Keep working hard on your relationship and the day of promotion will come.Value your partner and keep the fire glowing.
Blessings.
It gets better...when you have studied the other party, you are able to apply wisdom to avoid confrontations and ultercations but you learn to reason one with another. Your backgrounds are different and your views about life are likely to stem from your value system or upbringing. Do not force your views and ways on the other person.
I have noticed that when couples decide to see things from the lens of the other party, they enjoy their differences! A man who grew up playing soccer with children from the streets and a woman who grew up within high walls and manned gate will differ in opinion about how their own children should play or interact other children.
Your spouse is not the problem, seeking a way out by flirting outside will not end the issue at hand. Prayerfully tackling issues will give you peace and you will fall in love again. When you fall in love, it happens to you, but to stay in love you consciously work at it, you have to decide to ignore all the distractions and focus on what you have decided to do that is, STAY in love.
Do not be too mature to play, share a joke, do not be too busy to remember what is important to the other party. You were stealing kisses before you got married, now you are married and you have forgotten how to be romantic. You were dying to have sex before marriage, now you have to schedule and plan towards making love, you could never have enough of each other's company, now you are married and your spouse is a bore. Remember what brought you together and preserve the love.
Do your friends tell you they have a perfect relationship with no issues? They are telling you a lie! Every relationship has an area where there is need for improvement. You have a choice over how you react to any situation even though you do not have a say over other people's actions. Keep working hard on your relationship and the day of promotion will come.Value your partner and keep the fire glowing.
Blessings.
Saturday 2 June 2012
The Seed of Karma
I observed a couple this past week and I knew I had to share what I saw. The setting was a vulnerable one, far from everyday expectations or romance. The woman was ill, she was attempting to get up but could not. She turned to me and said "am not making this up", her husband jokingly said, yeah, you are pretending. I said to the lady; "do you want me to send this man out"?teasingly. She said, "oh, no! please". He is my angel, we marry for 52years, he take care of me, he loves me". Well, I became interested in both of them...
The man reported to the hospital promptly at breakfast time to feed his wife, bathe her and keep her company. When he confirmed that she wasnt going to be discharged as planned on a Friday afternoon, he said, "please I come back, I need to extend television for her". Their television service was going to run out that evening, he had an errand to run and he said he would return later to pay for television service so his wife would not be bored. The woman told me she had become totally dependent on her husband for everything because her illness was beginnng to take a toll on her ability to function independently. She said, "my husband a good man, I was 17years and he was 21years when we got married, he loves me, he takes care of me, good,good man".
Later that day I pondered on every word the woman said and how the husband was all over her... then I remembered another couple, the man was sick and dying. I could tell that the man was going to pass away within a few hours, his family was called in so that they could have their last moments together. The whole day, the man held on, his breathing became weaker but you could tell that he was holding on, struggling to stay alive. The wife went home and came back, she saw that the man was still breathing, well her next action gave me the shock of my life; she slapped the man real hard on his shoulder and said; "you are still here, go!go!go!". The staff members present exchanged glances and we were all dumbfounded. I wondered what the Lord was saying when he brought back the memory of that man and his wife...
As a husband, you are the breadwinner in every sense of it, ask for grace to be a kind and compassionate leader. What you sow now will speak for you later especially at a period when neither money or possessions can speak. I see husbands who are abandoned and checked on as time permits when they lay critically sick in the hospital. I also see husbands whose wives literally move into the hospital to take care of them.
Well, your action towards your spouse now, will determine what type of affection is shown to you when you are no longer in charge. Whatever you sow you will reap. If you are a wife and you have no time for your family, husband or children, a time will come when you will no longer be as strong as you are now and you will need help and company. The friends you run after and "honor with your presence" at functios to the detriment of your family will not be there for you. Be careful so you do not spend the rest of your days in loneliness and depression. Blessings!
The man reported to the hospital promptly at breakfast time to feed his wife, bathe her and keep her company. When he confirmed that she wasnt going to be discharged as planned on a Friday afternoon, he said, "please I come back, I need to extend television for her". Their television service was going to run out that evening, he had an errand to run and he said he would return later to pay for television service so his wife would not be bored. The woman told me she had become totally dependent on her husband for everything because her illness was beginnng to take a toll on her ability to function independently. She said, "my husband a good man, I was 17years and he was 21years when we got married, he loves me, he takes care of me, good,good man".
Later that day I pondered on every word the woman said and how the husband was all over her... then I remembered another couple, the man was sick and dying. I could tell that the man was going to pass away within a few hours, his family was called in so that they could have their last moments together. The whole day, the man held on, his breathing became weaker but you could tell that he was holding on, struggling to stay alive. The wife went home and came back, she saw that the man was still breathing, well her next action gave me the shock of my life; she slapped the man real hard on his shoulder and said; "you are still here, go!go!go!". The staff members present exchanged glances and we were all dumbfounded. I wondered what the Lord was saying when he brought back the memory of that man and his wife...
As a husband, you are the breadwinner in every sense of it, ask for grace to be a kind and compassionate leader. What you sow now will speak for you later especially at a period when neither money or possessions can speak. I see husbands who are abandoned and checked on as time permits when they lay critically sick in the hospital. I also see husbands whose wives literally move into the hospital to take care of them.
Well, your action towards your spouse now, will determine what type of affection is shown to you when you are no longer in charge. Whatever you sow you will reap. If you are a wife and you have no time for your family, husband or children, a time will come when you will no longer be as strong as you are now and you will need help and company. The friends you run after and "honor with your presence" at functios to the detriment of your family will not be there for you. Be careful so you do not spend the rest of your days in loneliness and depression. Blessings!
Friday 1 June 2012
Path Cleansing
Youths/Singles: The Lord is still very much into the business of Holiness, that is His nature. Does that sound old-fashioned? God is the Ancient of days...
There are no two ways to put it, it is challenging emotionally to be single, your body speaks to you, makes demands, tells you to give what it what does not righfully belong to it - SEX. For a Christian youth, the only solution is in the word of God! It only makes you appreciate marriage when you find the right person...
Psalms 119:9 The Message:
"How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word".
KJV: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word".
May you find joy and fulfillment as you cleanse your way through His word.
There are no two ways to put it, it is challenging emotionally to be single, your body speaks to you, makes demands, tells you to give what it what does not righfully belong to it - SEX. For a Christian youth, the only solution is in the word of God! It only makes you appreciate marriage when you find the right person...
Psalms 119:9 The Message:
"How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word".
KJV: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word".
May you find joy and fulfillment as you cleanse your way through His word.
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