HeArTbEaT

Diamonds or Sand?

2011-07-25T21:17:00.005+02:00

It has been a while since I blogged, actually over a year. I have decided to pick up the torch and write something at least twice a month.

I was in church this past Sunday and the preacher delivered a sermon that has got me thinking about my greatest desires in life.

Andrew Hunter, in his message said that the reason why humankind would choose sin over God is because we do not know who this God is. He gave the analogy of a bag of sands versus a bad of diamonds and said that the only reason someone would choose the former over the latter is because they do not know the value of diamonds.

I searched my heat in that moment and was brought to the words of Asaph the psalmist:

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth beside You." (Psalm 73:25 Amplified).
The Message says: "You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth!"

Now it is one thing to say: God is all I want in heaven. I mean, what more could you want there? But knowing the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts and worries of this world here on earth, Asaph boldly declares that God is ALL he wants on earth.

There are so many voices, pleasures, desires locked up in this world and our flesh that pull us into a pool of sin and make our hearts non-responsive to the beat of God' heart.

I then ask myself: Is God all I want in this world? Is He all we truly want from the depth of our souls?

May we be like Moses, who,

Aroused by faith, when he had grown to maturity,refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life. He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. (Hebrews 11:24-26 AMP + MSG)

May we be like David who,
Asked God for one thing,
only one thing:
To live with him in his house
my whole life long.
I'll contemplate his beauty;
I'll study at his feet." (Psalm 27:4 The Message)

May we be become so passionate for God and His name that we will see the pleasures of this world counting as nothing compared to God's glory!

God Bless.

GOD Lasts

2010-05-12T16:13:00.003+02:00

I have been going through a rough patch for a while, and often circumstances will cause you to leave the path that God has destined for you to walk on. Just because He did not come through for us as we thought He should have, we can easily be found questioning God's faithfulness. We have to understand that His ways are not our ways. I have decided to encourage myself with the following words:

"Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.
And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
they walk and don't lag behind. "

(Isaiah 40:27-31 The Message)

GOD lasts and He has a plan for my life. Hold my hand in these tough times.

Blessings :)

What's Your Passport?

2009-08-02T21:27:00.001+02:00

It had been a couple of days since I could not find my passport. I was not too sure where I had put it. Even to the point of not being certain if I had taken it with me when I went out two weeks ago.

I looked everywhere in my room. I searched all my clothes and on the table where I normally put it and still could not find it. I began to panic as I had not even photocopied it knowing I had visa stamps inside and am planning to travel this month.

Today, after cleaning my room and being fed up that I could not find it, I randomly opened one of my books and I saw my passport on the inside cover! I had such an unspeakable joy!

I instantly sensed God speaking to me about the things that we hold dear to us in our lives: passport, houses, cars, jewelry, etc but then how much value do we place on His Word? This may sound cliché but the psalmist in Psalm 119 saw it as a reality. For he said
"The law from Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces." (verse 72)
Do we have such a passion, such desire, such hunger, such craving for God's Word? May we re-evaluate our priorities in life.
I'll end with this:

"My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.
For they are a [victor's] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants [OF GOLD WORN BY KINGS] for your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9 Amplified,emphasis mine)

May we harken unto God's voice in His teachings and treasure it more than anything.
Blessings.:)

The Heart Matters

2009-07-28T14:29:00.001+02:00

I am excited about this new season in my life because God has been speaking to me through His Word, although the flesh does not want to hear it all the time.
I have come to know that in life, it is vital to have a clean hearts before God and not only have it altogether outwardly. People generally say that silent men are the most dangerous, because when they act, you would be so suprised and the impact would be deeper than the expected 'loud' person. There was something residing in their hearts that propelled them to act out so furiously.
I believe God's more interested in the condition of our hearts than He is with our works.

When Job's sons used to take turns hosting parties in their homes, Job would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a bust offering for each of his children, thinking, "Maybe one them sinned by defying God INWARDLY" (Job 1:5 The Message, emphasis mine)

There's a lesson I'm learning here: What do I have inside of me that is residing in my heart that is unpleasing to God. We may not be sexually active, but do we lust in our hearts? We may not be thieves, but do we covet or get jealous about other people's things? We may not be murderers but do we have anger towards other people?

Jesus said:
"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder'. I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder...You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices- they also corrupt." (Matthew 5:21-22a, 27-28 The Message)

Wow. May we be purified from the inside out and may our hearts be cleaned by Him that sees it as barely as it is.

Blessings.:)

Hold On

2009-07-26T11:30:00.001+02:00

Still on the book of Esther, I cannot help but be inspired in the way to persevere concerning our rights and promises in God.
The Jews were meant to be destroyed by Haman, the most powerful man after the king. But Esther prayed and fasted believing God for the restoration of her people.
She kept knocking both on God's door and on the king's too.

Jesus tells us to "Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.
For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keep on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. " (Matthew 7:7-8 Amplified).

I urge us to hold on to what we know is rightfully ours. For God does not forget.
I'll end with this:

"I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward." (Philippians 4:14 Amplified)

Blessings.:)

Walk With Me

2009-07-23T11:53:00.001+02:00

I'm enjoying writing these posts because these are practical lessons that I keep learning over and over again.

I have just been reading the book of Esther and the first chapter is full of lessons as it is. I'll zoom into one that stands out the most: "Who am I walking with?"
When Queen Vashti refused to obey her King Xerxes, the latter "called in his counselors, all experts in legal matters" (Esther 1:13 The Message). The Amplified says "...the king spoke to the WISE men who KNEW THE TIMES..." (emphasis mine)

This great king who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, who was wealthy enough to show the riches of his glorious kingdom for 6 months, this king in his situation where the queen disobeyed him, needed some advice.

Kings and presidents all have people around them to give them advice in governing a kingdom or country. Who do you run and listen to for advice in critical situations?

One of the king's highest-ranking priests who was also amongst his expert advisors named Memucan "spoke up in the council..." (1:16) and his "advice pleased the king and the princes, AND THE KING DID WHAT Memucan proposed" (verse 21)

When facing tough decisions, who do we listen to? Because "evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character." (1 Corithians 15:33 Amplified).

"Become wise by walking with the wise" is what King Solomon said in Proverbs 13:20a (The Message)
I choose this day to intentionally walk with the greatest counsellor there ever will be: the Holy Spirit. For He is a great "Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby" (John 14:16 Amplified).
He has counselled so many such as the Apostle Paul and other men of God and led them to do mighty exploits! And He does know the times I'm living in.

Join me to choose to have the G-O-D team on board to advise you how to best navigate through this life.

"The wise counsel GOD gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart." (Psalm 16:7 The Message)

One way, One vision, One door

2009-07-02T23:50:00.010+02:00

At some point in my life, I had found myself living a "double life" and I've come to realise that it is this lack of singleness of purpose that made me stumble. My God tells me that He has placed before me life and death and even goes on to advise me to choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19).

In the face of adversity we always have a choice to make. When Peter was walking on water, his focus was on Jesus, and when the atmosphere around him instilled fear in him, he stopped looking at Jesus and began looking at the waves and started sinking.
James tells me that the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (1:8). In Revelation Jesus says
"You're not cold, you're not hot- far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit."
(3:16 The Message). Other versions use the word 'lukewarm' which is double-mindedness. Have you ever had lukewarm tea or coffee? Its tastes weird in one's mouth..

What then is the solution? I've found out that singleness of purpose is the way to overcome. It is said of King Jesoshaphat that "He was single-minded in following GOD; AND HE GOT RID of the local sex-and-religion shrines" (2 Chronicles 17:6 The Message, emphasis mine).

That right there is the solution: to be focused on the person of Jesus, to be single-minded and as a result the things that used to appeal to you won't appeal to you anymore because they would have been displaced by a new vision, a new passion to please God.

I've found myself in the past lacking this single-mindedness and falling in the arms of temptation. But I now know better.
I'll end with this: The lover in Song of Songs describe his bride as follows,
"You're so beautiful, my darling, so beautiful, and your DOVE EYES are veiled" (4:1 The Message, emphasis mine).

I'm told that doves can only look at one direction at a time. This means that when the lovers look at each other, there is a passionate single-mindedness at hand that enables them to be focused on one another only..
May we be men and women of one vision like the dove, and as a consequence be victorious over sin.

Blessings.:-)

Wait A Minute...

2009-07-02T22:56:00.003+02:00

Wow, it has been a while since I wrote something. These past six months have been quite turbulent for me and I had found myself neglecting the crucial need of inquiring of God before making decisions.

I learnt something today: "the Art of Asking HIM before doing it". I came to learn it as I studied the life of Asa, King of Judah.

In his thirty-sixth year of reign, the king of Israel attacked him. Instead of first seeking the face of God, King Asa was found giving silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of GOD to the King of Aram in order to help him.

This is what God had to say:
"Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn't ask GOD for help, you've lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn't the Ethiopians and Lybians come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked GOD for help and he gave you the victory...You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble- one round of war after another" (2 Chronicles 16:7-9 The Message).

Could the trouble many of us find ourselves in be attributed to the fact that we haven't asked for divine help? I've found myself making decisions from a merely intelligent point of view without 'consulting' Him that knows the way ahead and I'm still paying the price for such decisions.

Three years later, "Asa came down with a severe case of foot infection. He DIDN'T ASK GOD FOR HELP, but INSTEAD went to the doctors. THEN ASA DIED..." (verses 12-13 The Message- emphasis mine).

Once again I observe that King Asa relied on human help rather than inquire of God. It is crucial in this day and age to be found inquiring of God when faced with life's difficulties and pains. For it is in Him that we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

I choose to wait a minute (if not an hour or days) in order to seek God before I make a move simply because unless the Lord Himself builds the house that I'm building (ie have His blessing) I would be building in vain (Psalm 127:1).

I'm choosing this day to embrace King David's habit of inquiring of God before making a move.
I'll end with the words of King Asa's son, Jehoshaphat: "Before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance" (2 Chronicles 18:4 The Message)

Blessings!

"Oh Snap! What Was It Again?"

2009-04-17T09:31:00.001+02:00

It's been just over a month and I decided to even blog from my mobile! Because I desire to be intentional about this:

I was having a cell (connect/home) group meeting last night and whilst we were praying, I was stirred to challenge us all about the things we allow to be fed into our systems.

On many instances, when God revealed Himself in the Old Testament, the people built altars as a visual remembrance of what God Himself had done, or to recall and mark down the encounter they had with Him.

In fact, Psalm 106 tells us of how many times the Israelites would turn away from God, just after He did astounding miracles such as letting crossing the Red Sea!
"Our Fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not [earnestly] REMEMBER the multitude of Your mercies nor IMPRINT Your loving-kindness [on their hearts], (Amplified)... They were barely beyond the Red Sea when they defied the High God-the VERY PLACE HE SAVED THEM! -the PLACE He revealed His amazing power! (The Message)
(Psalm 106:7-8)

That's because when they were faced with a situation, they immediately placed their focus on that problem they had, instead of "meditating on and talking of God's wondrous works" (Psalm 119:27b).
We become what we behold. And many times, just like the Israelites, we're faced with situations even just after our breakthrough, yet we end up 'meditating' (aka worrying) on the issue at hand than ponder on His previous works in our lives.. For this reason Moses commanded the Israelites to magnify God's commandments:

Deuteronomy 6:6-9
"And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then]
You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them PENETRATE, and TEACH and IMPRESS them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.
And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes.
And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Wow! God wants us to have His Word "dwell in us richly" (Colossians 3:16a) in order that we may be ready to bounce back with it when we faced with challenges..
I urge you to start writing the Word on your walls. Use a big foot, make them large so that you can always SEE it and refer to it in your trials. May we be people in whom the Word of God is found richly than all the other intakes life throws at us such as movies, newspapers, music, television, studies.
Blessings on you all!

Polo... Inside Out

2009-03-07T20:31:00.004+02:00

One day, I decided to go to the Polo shop in a prestigious mall in Cape Town. I was window shopping in order to spoil myself for my birthday. On that day I was wearing a golf Polo shirt and as I looked at the shirts that I liked and looked at the price tag, I felt small. I felt like I did not belong there. And yet I was wearing an even more appealing Polo shirt with better design than the ones I was looking at.

Why did I feel that way?

I began to realise that self-worth and matters of identity works from the inside out. It's not enough to own a Merc and let it determine one's self worth because it simply overshadows one's insecurity.

Do you feel safe or put your trust in material things? I urge you to do some heart check.

Hear these words:

"I'm happy from the inside out" (Psalm 16:9a The Message)

"I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you're after is truth from the inside out" (Psalm 51:4b The Message)

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out" (Romans 12:2 The Message)

May we learn to be who are called to be and not be shaken by the outside factors.
Polo doesn't give me an identity. God does.

You're still HERE?

2009-02-17T14:34:00.005+02:00

I have not written in this blog in a while. It is easy to obtain, hard to maintain. I have not been consistent with writing in this blog.
And I have been going through tough times that I had even that I had a blog! Tuscanie Ngwena is the person that inspired me (still does) to start blogging. I had a look on his blog a moment ago and he's still at it. And a thought dawned on me. "He kept blogging even when I seemed to have stopped".

And this is such a strong metaphor for me, as I began to think of the constancy that is found in God.

He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut 31:6).

It is one thing to hear a human being say such words but God Himself putting His stamp in every word He speaks makes it sure, steady, reliable, approved by our souls.

He remains Faithful to us, even when we are not.

King David declared : "You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!" (Psalm 138:2b AMP)
Not only has He exalted both His name and word above all else, He has magnified his word above His name!

May we grab hold of this powerful truth and not only believe it but live it out knowing that "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind" (Numbers 23:19).

He is the the constant in this world. God is light (1 John 1:5) and everything is relative to light.

Though we fail, HE still is here with us. In fact He is the One who will believe in us even when no one else will.

Be encouraged and remain in His grip (that's Tuscanie's line...lol)

Ink it

2008-10-30T22:33:00.005+02:00

I have just learned the power of journaling. Having faced a tough moment in the last few months, I decided to read my own blog. To my amazement I was encouraged by what I wrote a few months ago. A friend of mine recently told me, "your mind will forget but ink won't". In other words, as we journal our lives down, we are tracking down our journey and when faced with challenging times, we can just pick up that journal and say "hey! I remember God coming through for me in February. I will trust Him through this hurdle."

God spoke with the Isarelites saying:
(Deuteronomy 6)

6And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then]

7You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

8And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes.

9And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

It wasn't enough to have it in their hearts. God made sure that His words were visible: on their hand, forehead, on their doorposts, even on the gate!

There is such a power that comes in being re-affirmed from our own personal victories.

From this day, I give myself to the power of the ink and document this awesome journey!

With YOU, i can

2008-08-10T20:22:00.008+02:00

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

But.. I've just landed.

2008-08-09T21:20:00.006+02:00

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)

You Aint On my Radar... "oh really?"

2008-08-08T01:42:00.006+02:00

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...

zoom OUT... i see NOW!

2008-08-08T00:50:00.000+02:00

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.

"Excuse me, am i beautiful?"

2008-05-29T01:07:00.000+02:00

As I was growing up as a teenager, I suffered from acne problems and sometimes would not go to school, or church as my pimple would have reached its "full potential". Having been ignorant about it, I consumed oily stuff, which made it worse but I loved margarine so much. This has caused me to look down upon myself over the years. I struggled with rejection too.

When I went to my mentor's place a few years ago and saw a photo of himself on his wall smiling, a thought dawned on me, "I hardly take photos of myself...I'm always with people in photos. Is that why I don't take the time to intentionally love and lavish myself?".

When I got to university, a close friend of mine told me "i like your nose". Now this surprised me simply because my nose is what i disliked the most due to the acne issues I had. Her words broke my insecurities at once. But then I began to see that her words had its source from the One who made me.
He likes me as I am. He loves my nose. He loves my thin body. He loves my skinny being.

James 1:22-24 says: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Many do not know what they look like because they have not been doing what the Word says and that includes BELIEVING who God says we are. In Psalm 139:17-18, I am told told there are thoughts concerning me, that I am yet to access. Can't be going around asking people "am i beautiful?" Their thoughts concerning me are too low, too carnal. I am deciding to hook up with my Maker's thoughts concerning me.
Do you know what you look like?
Do you go around asking people to get their approval?
I encourage you to dig in the Word of God and gain access to your Maker's thoughts concerning you and stop being worried about what others think.
Look at me. This inspired me to take photos of myself.
I am FREE!