Saturday, November 3, 2012

STEPPING OUT BY FAITH

 

Have you ever left your comfort zone and stepped out in a world unknown; that behind there's no where to go back to and in front you know not where it leads?  Or would you say that's something that you do each day when you rise not knowing how the day will end?  Well, if you stop for a while and review your life, you will come to understand that each day you've been stepping out by faith without knowing it, but just living it.

When you kiss your spouse goodbye as he embark on a business trip out of town, when you hug your children and tell them you love them and will see them later, do you know if you will ever see them again, no, sometimes you never do, but deep in your heart you hope you will and you also believe they will come home to you at the end of the day.

The famous saying "Faith is a journey, not a destination" is etched on my front door and deliberately so, because that's what it is and you take this journey each day in your different walks of life.  Sometimes the journey gets rough, sometimes there are stones that lines your pathway, sometimes you get tired and
weary and wonder when it will end, sometimes you see others idly pass you by, but  the clock ticks on and you have to believe that your day will come.  Your taste of happiness is not far away.  You cannot give up now, it could be nearer than you think.  You just have to keep stepping out by faith each day and learning from your experiences, get new strength from knowing that you're not alone, hang on to what you believe in and rise above the struggles and pain.  See yourself as a victor and not a victim and one day your faith walk will reap the dividend  of  success.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Are You Standing At The Crossroads Of Your Life


Are you standing at the crossroads of your life.  Do you feel like you are not sure where to turn, whether to continue straight ahead on the same dreary, lonesome and unexciting road you've been travelling or make a faith turn to the left or right?  

Well, we all stand at this crossroad sometime in our lives.   It may be shortly after finishing high school, university, when you have applied everywhere, but still no job, when you've lost a friend who you have spent so much of your life with, when a boyfriend or spouse walk out and you feel violated and sad, when you have been diagnosed with an incurable disease, when you wake up and find you are alone after your soul mate have died, when you have lost a job that provided stability for as long as you can remember, when you lose your dream home to foreclosure and you walk away from the storage you have crammed all your precious  possessions?

How do you decide which way to go?  Do you depend on your friends to steer you in the right direction.  Do you sit and worry about how to deal with the wind of change that has slowly blown in your life and left you spinning in a tail wind, do you get down on your knees and pray or do you wonder if it makes sense to go on in this life?

This crossroad comes in your life for a reason.  Life is not easy, it is challenging from the day you were born until the day you die.  The good thing is that it is not stagnant either, it changes and rearranges.  You turn over new chapters in your life, new dreams are fulfilled, you enter into new seasons, you grow and mature as an individual, you learn from your experiences, you get stronger and wiser, you discover that life is not that bad after all. 

When you get to these crossroads it helps you to discover who you are as an individual.   The totality of your life experiences play into your decision.  You have developed faith in the unknown, because there was someone who you could trust even when you thought no one cared, who you could turn to in the darkest night, you have become a different person because of this - you have proven that nothing is impossible with God as your guide.  You have discovered that the only way to live and survive in life is to put your hope and confidence in a God who holds the future.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Does maturity always comes with age or does age just come along?




What is maturity you may ask yourself?  Is it being a certain age?  Is it the fact that grey hair is visible all over your head?  Is it because you are living on your own?  Is it the degrees after your name? Is it because you are driving a fancy car?  Is it because you have become a parent?  Is it the fact that you take home a big paycheck?  Think again, because none of these come close to being mature.  They are just some of the many things that grown up do.

Maturity, on the other hand involves our state of mind, our ability to make good judgement, to bring a plan to fruition, to be able to make decisions and be accountable for your action, to be deeply aware of your responsibilities to yourself and to the society you live in.  To set a  trail of high standard, honesty, integrity and morality in everything you do.

Many of you might have experienced maturity early in your lives.  You might have gotten there because of the experiences that you gained as you grow older: the lost of a loveone, the heart break from a relationship, the lost of a job, losing your life savings, losing your home, just having your back against the wall.  All these may be painful at times, they may force you to re-think your current pathway.  You have no control about getting old, but maturity is the light that takes you to that next level in your life.  That is when you are ready to live this life to your best potential.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

I am what I am today, because of the choices I made yesterday





Life is never void of choices.  Every day you are faced with different choices.  Some may be simple as to whether you want to go for a walk or lie in bed, whether you want to go to work to earn your daily living or stay home and laze the day away.  Some choices may be big, some may be small.  Some choices you have to make immediately, like when you are in a dangerous situation.  Some choices can change your life forever whether for better or for worst, but does the choices you made yesterday influences who you are today?

Yes they do.  The decisions you make in your daily life lies at the heart of who you are as an individual and these daily choices all add up to who you are today.  If you made bad choices, you  have to live with the consequences,  but there are lessons to be learned.  These lesson helps to build character in you and you become mature as an individual.  It is what is called a learning process.  If you do not have a past, you cannot have a future.  Therefore, as you mature you should think carefully before you make choices and ask God for wisdom, knowledge and understanding to make better ones.  None of us is perfect and it is through our choices that we will grow and be able to help and strengthen others.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Are you in an abusive relationship with food?






Are you proud of your food choices today?  Did you give thanks and really made a deliberate attempt to eat something that nourishes your body, that will makes you feel satisfied that your  stomach is happy, your blood will be pumping with more vigor, your whole system is strengthened, you have done the right thing and your body is grateful?

Well, did you know that food is one of life's greatest temptation.  There's such a wide variety of food that our taste bud keep flirting with our brains that it needs to be satisfied and it need it now.  Some of us eat when we have the time and that is a bad way to eat.  We have no time for breakfast, we grab a cup of coffee, a donut and off we go.  We have no time for lunch and then when it comes to dinner time we eat everything in sight, from the fries at a fast food, the pizza around the corner to the ice cream at 10:00 p.m.  Then we pull ourselves to bed with undigested stomachs and the heart burn and the night sweats and our aches for relief and we toss and turn all night, because we have abused the beautiful temple God gave us.

So are you really thankful that God made you and you are special?  That he gave you so many tasty and delicious food around you?  Did you know that a lot of the illnesses that we experience are all there because of our diets?  Are you an emotional eater, do you eat when you are sad, do you eat more when you are upset, when a boyfriend walk out, when you are lonely,  when you feel like life has let you down?  Well, it is not easy, but it takes one step at a time.  You have one body, there's only one you.  You've got to rise from the ash of despair.  Think before you eat, make a deliberate attempt to eat a balance meal, cut down on serving sizes, eat healthy snacks, an apple, a banana, a handful of grapes, a handful of nuts, just everything in moderation.  I am not encouraging you to go on a diet - just a change of life style and whatever you do, move your body.  Get tapes, stand in front of the TV and exercise, take a walk,  make love, dance, have some fun.  Take healthy groceries home, love yourself, love life, pray and ask God to help you to have a meaningful,  long-term  relationship with food.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Who Are We Outside The Church

Like ants on a mole hill we all gather together on Sundays in different churches to worship God.  We are involved in different ways: we are on the choir, we are playing the organ, we teach Sunday School, we are worship leaders, we usher, we serve on Pastor’s Board, we are deacons, we are pastors, we are greeters, we serve in all different capacities.  However, when church is over and we leave God’s house, who are we really, how does society sees us and how do we see ourselves?
Going to church is like wearing a different hat, but does it change who we are?  God’s word is the defining factor.  It says that we should not be conform to this world, but we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds.   So when we meet in God’s house it should be like being immersed in a spiritual shower, the songs that we sing, the words that we read, the prayers and the praise, and the message that is preached all goes together to prepare our hearts while we worship Him for life outside the church. 
If you are in a service industry like the medical field, banking, restaurant attendant, etc.  give of your service in a way that pleases God, give of your best, if you are a wife or a husband be sensitive to the needs of your other half, if you are an entrepreneur run your business with integrity, if you are a writer, write from the heart, if you are a friend, let your friendship be something to cherish.   Ask God to give you a clean heart each day.  Learn the freedom of forgiving, practice the joy of giving; open your hearts to other s with a smile.  Find time to relax and breathe the freshness of the morning air, be thankful and leave a rose petal of love wherever you go. 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Something to Hope For



Having hope is our bridge over troubled waters.  Hope enables us to see
sunshine when all around us is  dark with rain.  Today, everything may 
 seem to be  going wrong, but tomorrow all this may change for  the better.
Our lives are a reflection of  God’s grace  and wonder.  Hope helps us to reach
beyond our present potential, to take risks, to dream big dreams, to  fight feelings
of despair and to overcome the  challenges of this life.  A life without that
beam of hope deep within will never experience the brilliance  of the
sunshine  of success

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Facing Valentine with an Empty Pillow




How many of you know what it is like to be sound asleep and you automatically reach beside you to touch someone that is usually there, but instead it is a lifeless, cold, empty pillow that rolls in your arms.  You sigh as reality hit you for that pillow will never be filled by that person, those arms will never warm your heart again, those legs will never loving wrap your warm body, life has taken a new turn and you wonder if it is true or maybe you are still dreaming.  Well, my friends this is life when you have lost a love one, whether by the breakup of a relationship, the end of a marriage or the death of a dear husband.

Valentine is almost here and you dread the day, but just bear in mind that this pain you are feeling is not here to stay, it will go with time.  Life changes and rearranges and you will be ok.  You have got to slowly start to get up out of the ash of mourning, and start to cherish the memories, if they were good ones, relive them and know they live on within your heart.  The bad ones will make you heal.  It’s like having a sore; it will begin to get better.   Keep that inner thought going and keep telling yourself “You are beautiful, God has made you special and He is preparing a way for you.”  Another door is about to open for you, it may be career, new friends, new hobbies, but it will get better with time.  The morning will come when you look through the windows and smile at the sunshine, see the rain, hear the thunder and lightning, see God courting you with the Fall leaves and realize that there are seasons in our lives. 

You may not be able to change the things that has happen around you, but you can start over again and find a new normal.  What is your normal, what is my normal, I cannot say I know, just know that day by day God will show you another door.  Yes, you never know what is behind it, but fear will lead to procrastination, which will never get you anywhere.  You have to face your liberation, find a meaningful hobby, make new friend, discover a new you, a new reason for living.  Later you will be at the stage that you can help others like you who are facing the same empty pillow and you can show them that it can become a solace of strength to propel them forward to an adventure of discovering a new you.  Valentine is just a day; your life is an ongoing journey of faith.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

MY VALENTINE LOVE


Heart 29 Clip Art
Where is your love throughout the year
Where were you when I needed you near     
Spending your time where you can dance and dine
Promising to be home on Valentine

When last have we spoken as lovers do
When last have you bought me something new
You are always on a hurry saying no time
Remember I will be home on Valentine

So you are really home on Valentine
Holding me tight and saying be kind
But my Valentine love I am sorry to say
That love for me is not only for a day


A simple poem depicting the habits of some men.  They are never there when needed most, except when they think their needs are to be satisfied.  Whether Valentine or not, we all deserve someone who is there for us and who we can share our emotions, our good times and bad times.  We all deserve the best!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Can your love relationship be compared to a roller coaster ride?

Vertical LoopA roller coaster can take you on one of the most hair-rising rides, if you are a thrill seeker.  It rises like an eagle in the sky, and then suddenly you feel that belly-bottom surge as it plummets down and before you know it you are going up again.  Up and down and up and down it goes.  Oh the screams that emit from people’s lips, but is this pleasure, is it fear or is it sometimes used as an escape route from reality?

How many of you are currently facing an emotional roller coaster in your personal relationships?  As soon as you’ve gained sufficient confidence that it is growing, your love world crashes to the ground, then when you feel it is all over, he or she starts to pay you the relevant attention you crave and you keep opening your heart and allowing him back into your life.  But what can you do about this? How does it affects your daily life and is it beneficial to your emotional well-being and should you stay in this type of relationship?

Your personal relationships should uplift you.  It should complement your life.  Yes, you will go through rough spots, which you can deal with and face if the love is strong enough, but sometimes, instead of facing the truth and realizing that it is not going anywhere, you continue to build your emotions on a house of sand.  Your mate maybe just a fun seeker, he may be a  player, he is not ready for commitment to a real relationship or anything else, yet you cling to him knowing that he will just take you on an emotional high and drop you  like hot bread all over again.

This type of relationship can cause stress, because you are going from one extreme to the next and usually he is very good at giving the false impression that he really cares and somewhere deep within, by his actions you know he does not care about you, yet you refuse to face it.  You wait for his call like a dog salivating for food.   You look and thirst for that special email, but it never came.  Then after a long while when it pleases him, he or she comes back in your life like a boat drifting to shore and there you go again the same as before.

Your work is often affected, because it can be a nagging pain on your thought process.  It weighs down on you like a rock, robs you of your appetite or you end up eating more for comfort in your lonely confusion and before you know it your self confidence and self respect are totally eroded.  But how can you deal with this?

You need to evaluate and love who you are. Accept and give yourself credit for your achievements and think of the good points about you that your friends and acquaintances always compliment you about.  Take a good look in the mirror – head to toe, clothe or undressed and ask yourself, “Do you deserve this disrespect?”  Tell yourself you deserve a real man or woman and a stable, caring relationship, because you are worth it.  Are you just afraid to be lonely?   Do you believe life without a mate, no matter the time and energy he is prepared to give, is hopeless?   If you constantly feel like you are involved in a tug-of-war game most of the time, you are wasting your time.  People treat you the way you allow them.  You have to set high standard for yourself as an individual.  You do not have to settle for less than you think you truly deserve.  You cannot make your mate the person you wish he were.   People seldom change. 

Is this relationship beneficial and does it have a real future?  You usually know the answer to this if you are truthful enough.  One of the greatest stabilizing forces in a relationship is security.  Is your mate there for you in time of need or do you have to turn to your friends or families?  If the answer is ‘no’ then you do not have a relationship.  A mate who is just present for sex is using you for his own sexual satisfaction.  This emotional high that you experience may only be a false high or just an illusion in your mind and you certainly can do without it.  You usually can if you try hard enough and oh the relief, if you can only face the cruel truth.

Where does your real passion lie?  What is your talent, what makes you happy and fulfilled?  You need to sit and examine your life’s path.  Your mate is not a catalyst for your future, you are.  Find time to do other things, volunteer, visit friends, read good books, exercise, go to seminars and learn new things, find a new hobby, join a book club, help less fortunate kids or adults, give of yourself in some way.  Then your life will begin to have true meaning and you will be able to define your purpose on this earth.  Therefore, if your relationship is not working, you can say “Goodbye” and have the strength to move on gracefully.

Lastly, you need to communicate your feeling to your so-call mate and mean every word you say.  If it is your style to use ultimatums, use them, but recognize when it is useless.  You cannot go on like this.  Someone has to take a stand.  You have to know when to hold on and when to call it quits.  That is sometimes the hardest thing to do, because it hurts so much, but time will heal the pain and you usually end up stronger, wiser and a better rounded individual.  Life is too short for needless stress.  Roller coasters are for entertainment; your heart is too precious to be trampled on.  Move on while you still possess your dignity!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

' The Grand Essentials of Happiness are: Something to do, something to love and something to hope for'

Life is a gift.  Happiness begins in our lives when we can stop and be thankful for being alive on this earth and for who we are as individuals.  This means that we accept that we are special and that we are in this place at this time for a reason and at each stage of our lives we need to maximize our full potential. 

Something to do..

As human beings we all have something to do each day.  This is called survival.  It may be at home, in  the workplace, at school, wherever it may be, we are all part of that great chain of life - we need each other.  No man is an island, so whatever we do affects others in some way.  This give rise to what we do in terms of our talents, our goals and just being busy in order to make our everyday lives count.  We have to make a concertive effort to do our jobs in the best way we can and keep solving problems, keep making people's lives and ours better and in the end make this world a better place by the things we do. 

Something to love.......

What would life be without love?  monotonous, meaningless, hopeless, there would hardly be any reason for living.  As human being, loving ourselves first of all helps us to see others in a different light.  We are able to see their faults, yet love them anyway.  This does not mean that this love extends only to our families, it means that we should be open to see some good in everyone.  When we have something or someone to love, we extend ourselves by giving, listening, sharing, caring and forgiving, because no one is perfect.   Sometimes it is a pet who brings that wonderful feeling in our lives, but whatever it is, love is a light that brings that special sparkle in our eyes.  To experience love is to live.

Something to hope for..

Having hope is the main key to survival.  Hope gives life a perspective.  Today everything may seem to be going wrong, but tomorrow all this may change for the better.  We therefore live life as it comes.  Hope helps us to reach beyond our present potential, to take risks, to dream dreams, to fight feelings of dispair and to overcome the everyday challenges of this life.  A life without that beam of hope deep within will never experience the brilliance of the sunshine of success.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

A THOUGHT



Choose a companion with high ideals
For the bond you make will your future seal
This road of life is filled with crooked paths
So never let a handsome face rule your heart


Reflection:  The decisions we make when we were young changes as we mature and develops the ability to identify the quality of people's hearts in their words and actions.  VG