My 28 year-old sister is getting married on Saturday 16 August 2008.
It has been a hard journey for her. This is more than a breakthrough, not only for her but for our family (as there has been strong iniquities running in the family).
I have five sisters and she's the fourth in line. But she's the first of the Ndinga girls to have a white wedding. Two of my other sisters have had traditional ones (and I'm not implying that I'm against those, not at all) but there's a joy in (carrying on) having a white wedding. It makes those of us who do not understand those traditional ceremonies to celebrate with so much more understanding (lol).
My sister has been through quite a lot. She had been in relationship back in Congo. Then when we moved to Zimbabwe, the boyfriend had said that he would marry her. Now, those are "heavy" words to say to a woman. Anyways, he let her down.
After some time she got into a serious relationship. The "new" guy had even met my dad and they had almost gotten engaged. But he broke her heart.
Then later she met this wonderful guy. The traditional ceremony did not go well back in December 2006. I remember seing her cry.
But they held onto one another.
Well this year in April, the traditional ceremony (lobola) was succesful and now I am flying home in a few days to celebrate this covenant.
God is faithful. They are both believers (unlike the other wimps) and I know that God's hand is on them. She will be the first to have children within the context of marriage. I praise God for it.
Psalm 18:29a NIV "With your help I can advance against a troop (a barricade) "
18:29b AMP "...and by my God I can leap over a wall"
With God's help, His grace, His ability, my sister IS leaping over that wall of iniquity, that wall of shame, that wall of pain.. So can you! So can I!
Hold on to His Word even in hard times. His Word is truth and faithful.
Psalm 27:10 New Living Translation "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close"
May God by His Word hold you close even when man has failed you.
Now let me go get that suit... lol
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
But.. I've just landed.
I have just come out a season, and "immediately" getting into another one. But I've just landed in this "place". Can't I rest for a bit? I went to a fellowship on campus two days ago and during the ministry of the Word, my heart was pounding as the Holy Spirit was reminding me through the preacher about what He had told me years back. I felt like saying to Him "But can't I rest? I've just left this other 'place' "?
God predestined us to accomplish a task. And no matter what we go through, His intentions is to direct us back to that task that He had in mind for us.
God is a God of purpose.
In Galatians 1:13-16 (The Message Bible, the Apostle Paul says:
"I'm sure that you've heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God's church. I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. EVEN THEN God had DESIGNS ON ME. Why, when I WAS STILL IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB HE CHOSE AND CALLED ME OUT out of sheer generosity! Now he has INTERVENED and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him." (emphasis mine).
God had set apart Paul from his mother's womb. He had designs on Paul's life and intervened to bring him to the path of joyfully telling non-Jews about the Son of God.
Whatever you are going through, God is not only making it work out for your good but He is wanting to actively direct you in the path that He predestined for you to walk in.
I am going home this coming weekend for my sister's wedding. When I get back, I have to carry on accomplishing this study "task" that I started.
I'll end with this: God had a presdestined assignment for Jonah to carry out. He ran away from his task and yet God pursued him to get him back into his path.
God has given a choice to be participators in His purposes and not spectators. He won't force us but He longs for us to be on His team.
Yes.. I have just landed, in order to finish what I was originally meant to do.
Ephesians 1:4 (The Message) "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he HAD US IN MIND, had settled on us as the focus of his love" (emphasis mine).
Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)
"BEFORE I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
THAT'S WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR YOU." (emphasis mine)
God predestined us to accomplish a task. And no matter what we go through, His intentions is to direct us back to that task that He had in mind for us.
God is a God of purpose.
In Galatians 1:13-16 (The Message Bible, the Apostle Paul says:
"I'm sure that you've heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God's church. I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. EVEN THEN God had DESIGNS ON ME. Why, when I WAS STILL IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB HE CHOSE AND CALLED ME OUT out of sheer generosity! Now he has INTERVENED and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him." (emphasis mine).
God had set apart Paul from his mother's womb. He had designs on Paul's life and intervened to bring him to the path of joyfully telling non-Jews about the Son of God.
Whatever you are going through, God is not only making it work out for your good but He is wanting to actively direct you in the path that He predestined for you to walk in.
I am going home this coming weekend for my sister's wedding. When I get back, I have to carry on accomplishing this study "task" that I started.
I'll end with this: God had a presdestined assignment for Jonah to carry out. He ran away from his task and yet God pursued him to get him back into his path.
God has given a choice to be participators in His purposes and not spectators. He won't force us but He longs for us to be on His team.
Yes.. I have just landed, in order to finish what I was originally meant to do.
Ephesians 1:4 (The Message) "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he HAD US IN MIND, had settled on us as the focus of his love" (emphasis mine).
Jeremiah 1:5 (The Message)
"BEFORE I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—
THAT'S WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR YOU." (emphasis mine)
Friday, August 8, 2008
You Aint On my Radar... "oh really?"
I am deciding to do my third blog immediately after the second one.. My thoughts are "bubbling".
Well this semester, I picked some interesting courses such Social Anthropology and Organisational Psychology. (On this note may I say that the more you study, the more you should "see" God and learn about Him in your studies). I am also studying African Dance.
Having been away from home, I have had such a worldview shift. I began to notice the "simple" things in life. This post is based on Elisha's prayer for his servant. You may be familiar with the story.
Elisha was surrounded by the Arameans army with horses and chariots that had surrounded the city. His servant panicked but Elisha was confident in seeing what could not be seen. He prayed "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see" (2 Kings 6:17). It goes on to say "Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
The horses and chariots of fire were "always" there. Elisha's servant couldn't see it. These horses and chariots of fire did not appear on the servant's radar but they were there.
As I am coming out of this "zooming out" to see the whole picture, I want to further emphasise on seeing NEW things, discovering new things.. Doing things you've not done before (such as go carting and ice skating for me) and open your eyes to what is already there. I hear preachers say that Scientists are now discovering that there is a maker in the way the universe is made. And they say in addition "I could have told them it was in the Bible!".. But wait a second, at least those scientists did something in finding that out. They sweated during their research. What have you done preacher?
I do not want to only have a spiritual emphasis on "opening one's eyes". Anthropology is changing the way I see and think about things. Many of us would think of the word "spouse" according to the dictionary definition but there is more to that word in practical life.
I am also learning about how the "poor" are made invisible. We go about our days and not seeing the disadvantaged in our society, simply because they do not show up on our radar. I am deciding to consciously and intentionally help those I can.
My room shuts me out from seeing what's really out there. The media does a great job at that too.
I challenge you to let your eyes be opened in "all" spheres of life. What you see is not all there is to see.
I'll end with this: When Elisha was raising Shunammite's Son from the dead, it is said in 2 Kings 4:35 "Elisha...stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and OPENED HIS EYES" (emphasis mine).
You may think your situation is dead but there is another of looking at it.. Open up your eyes..
It is right there in your radar...
Well this semester, I picked some interesting courses such Social Anthropology and Organisational Psychology. (On this note may I say that the more you study, the more you should "see" God and learn about Him in your studies). I am also studying African Dance.
Having been away from home, I have had such a worldview shift. I began to notice the "simple" things in life. This post is based on Elisha's prayer for his servant. You may be familiar with the story.
Elisha was surrounded by the Arameans army with horses and chariots that had surrounded the city. His servant panicked but Elisha was confident in seeing what could not be seen. He prayed "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see" (2 Kings 6:17). It goes on to say "Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."
The horses and chariots of fire were "always" there. Elisha's servant couldn't see it. These horses and chariots of fire did not appear on the servant's radar but they were there.
As I am coming out of this "zooming out" to see the whole picture, I want to further emphasise on seeing NEW things, discovering new things.. Doing things you've not done before (such as go carting and ice skating for me) and open your eyes to what is already there. I hear preachers say that Scientists are now discovering that there is a maker in the way the universe is made. And they say in addition "I could have told them it was in the Bible!".. But wait a second, at least those scientists did something in finding that out. They sweated during their research. What have you done preacher?
I do not want to only have a spiritual emphasis on "opening one's eyes". Anthropology is changing the way I see and think about things. Many of us would think of the word "spouse" according to the dictionary definition but there is more to that word in practical life.
I am also learning about how the "poor" are made invisible. We go about our days and not seeing the disadvantaged in our society, simply because they do not show up on our radar. I am deciding to consciously and intentionally help those I can.
My room shuts me out from seeing what's really out there. The media does a great job at that too.
I challenge you to let your eyes be opened in "all" spheres of life. What you see is not all there is to see.
I'll end with this: When Elisha was raising Shunammite's Son from the dead, it is said in 2 Kings 4:35 "Elisha...stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and OPENED HIS EYES" (emphasis mine).
You may think your situation is dead but there is another of looking at it.. Open up your eyes..
It is right there in your radar...
zoom OUT... i see NOW!
Wow, it has been a couple of months since I blogged. I am determined to finish what I started.
I have begun a new semester in my first year at the University of Cape Town. Having been away from home in a "non-churchy" environment (though I was away from home last year, I was doing missions work), I have been through the bad and the ugly. I came to to a point of assessing my own convictions.
It has been such a hard journey going through periods of loneliness, pain and so much more. This post is based on a popular Scripture (amongst Christians), namely Romans 8:28
Often when we are so swamped with pressure, difficulty or even sin, we can easily lose hope and not see the big picture. When we are so zoomed in on a picture and just see one pixel and not zoom out to see all those millions other pixels that form the whole picture, we may lose it.
And I did lose hope. I had a breakdown but I thank God for His grace. He enabled me, in the last couple of weeks to "zoom out" and see the whole picture. Now "everything" is making sense. And His peace is guarding my heart in Christ Jesus.
God is right there with you. Read this Romans 8:28 (The Amplified) "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their (the saints) labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose" (emphasis mine).
God is a partner in our labour. He is not inactive. He is such a participator in our lives though we may not feel nor see it at the time. I encourage you to be assured and to know that all things do work together and are fitting into a plan FOR GOOD.
I do not like using "popular" Scriptures but I sense such an urge in believing that indeed HE knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Are you hurting? Can you not see any way out? Are you stuck? Do you feel hopeless?
Well, hold onto the imperishable truth of the Word of God and trust Him above your emotions.
I have begun a new semester in my first year at the University of Cape Town. Having been away from home in a "non-churchy" environment (though I was away from home last year, I was doing missions work), I have been through the bad and the ugly. I came to to a point of assessing my own convictions.
It has been such a hard journey going through periods of loneliness, pain and so much more. This post is based on a popular Scripture (amongst Christians), namely Romans 8:28
Often when we are so swamped with pressure, difficulty or even sin, we can easily lose hope and not see the big picture. When we are so zoomed in on a picture and just see one pixel and not zoom out to see all those millions other pixels that form the whole picture, we may lose it.
And I did lose hope. I had a breakdown but I thank God for His grace. He enabled me, in the last couple of weeks to "zoom out" and see the whole picture. Now "everything" is making sense. And His peace is guarding my heart in Christ Jesus.
God is right there with you. Read this Romans 8:28 (The Amplified) "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their (the saints) labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose" (emphasis mine).
God is a partner in our labour. He is not inactive. He is such a participator in our lives though we may not feel nor see it at the time. I encourage you to be assured and to know that all things do work together and are fitting into a plan FOR GOOD.
I do not like using "popular" Scriptures but I sense such an urge in believing that indeed HE knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Are you hurting? Can you not see any way out? Are you stuck? Do you feel hopeless?
Well, hold onto the imperishable truth of the Word of God and trust Him above your emotions.
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