tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22772599751140624432024-03-05T23:21:01.222-05:00The Journey Deeper"Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, Lord, do I seek. Psalm 27:8Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-81612220335207014832019-01-13T05:30:00.000-05:002019-01-13T05:30:00.841-05:002019: PushI didn't think that I was going to pick a word for this year, but this word found me anyway.<br />
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I started out 2018 not knowing that it would end the way it did: some new friends, a new job, and a lot of new responsibilities. I learned so much last year about myself and my habits and patterns, and it has helped my find my focus and trust my instincts.<br />
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Then towards the end of the year, the word "push" started resonating with me in three ways:<br />
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<li>Push myself beyond my self-imposed limits, and outside my comfort zone</li>
<li>Push the boundaries at work and in life and in relationships, to live....more(?)</li>
<li>Push myself to be even better than what I thought was my best</li>
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Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14</div>
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I've been learning to let go of some of those "what-ifs", and to value moving forward even when I don't feel like I'm completely ready. I'm realizing that others can see my strengths and are ready to trust me with bigger things that I thought I could carry. I'm learning not to shrink to fit the expectations or perceptions of others, but rather to stretch myself to exceed my own limits.<br />
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Every area of my life is pushing me forward, and I'm going to go with the flow. I'm <i>pushing</i> for deeper relationships, and <b>pushing</b> for higher standards for myself, and <b><i>pushing</i></b> for excellence in all things, so that I may truly live a life worthy of my calling (Eph 4:1).<br />
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Do you have a word for this year? What is it? What does it mean to you?<br />
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Be blessed and keep pushing!<br />
Shanique<br />
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-31711572562283190392018-08-26T21:26:00.000-04:002018-08-26T21:26:05.769-04:00The Power of A Prayer JournalI always worry that God doesn't hear/answer my prayers. I keep thinking, I'm doing this wrong, or, I'm not asking for the right thing...my prayers are too selfish, etc. It always seems to me that I don't pray often enough, or long enough, or in the right way. And all of these may be true, but what I've learned is that God answers my prayers anyway. They're not perfect prayers but God's perfection more than compensates where I am lacking.<br />
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About five or six years ago I decided to start writing down my prayers in a journal. [I've been kind of inconsistent with this over the years, but that is irrelevant here.] I started the journal because at that time, I realized that God had answered a prayer that I'd fired off in a moment of frustration. That prayer was one of those sighs that you send heavenward in the moment, and it took several months for me to realize that that prayer had been answered. It wasn't until I faced a similar situation, and responded to it very differently, that I remembered that I'd prayed about it, and I simultaneously realized that my prayer had been answered! That prompted me to start writing down my prayers so that I could have a tangible record of what the Lord has done, and does, and is doing in my life and in the lives of the people I care about. I think this is part of what David meant when he encouraged us to "taste and see" (Ps 34).<br />
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Since then I've seen lots of my prayers, big and small be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways. Some of these were wishlist prayers -- the "God I would like" prayers that are fulfilled by tangible things: jobs and opportunities, money where needed, etc. But the ones that have blown me away are the prayers that answered needs that I couldn't properly articulate in words. Here's an example: At around age 24/25, I kept feeling like I didn't have great, solid friendships, the ones that I truly longed for. I wanted to ask God for those kinds of friendships, but the best I could come up with was, "God, make me a better friend." I have seen transformation in my friendships since then (including with friends that I had before that prayer), and those friendships have transformed my life.<br />
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Sometimes all we need to see the goodness of the Lord, is to find a way to make us pay attention. Life is busy, and we forget (or don't notice) that God is continually, consistently good. My prayer journal has been this reminder for me, and an encouragement to pray more boldly, and as specifically as I can. I've seen how God says yes, and how God says no to my requests and petitions. My prayers, written down, have taught me more about the God that I choose to serve, because I can see God's hand at work throughout my life.<br />
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Be blessed and keep praying!<br />
Shanique
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-87231563022483799812017-07-23T21:03:00.001-04:002017-07-23T21:03:36.021-04:00Half Birthday<p dir="ltr">Today is my half birthday. This means that in exactly six months I'll be thirty years old. I find myself looking forward to thirty, but not in quite the same way that I've anticipated other birthdays. There is, of course, the excitement as a new year approaches, but there is too, a sense of peace that whispers to me that my thirties will be just fine.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Like most people, my twenties have been turbulent. I've finished college and grad school, transitioned from being a student to being an employee, lived in three different states in the US. My friendships have changed too: I've made new friends and parted ways with some old ones; and of course I've had friends that have been with me through it all. At the start of my twenties all of my friends were students, all of us trying to work our way through early adulthood, today my friends are students and teachers and wives and mothers and professors and educators and business professionals and writers and dancers and so much more. As we've gone down different paths I've been constantly reminded that there's more: more people to love, more opportunities to take, more places to go.</p>
<p dir="ltr">My twenties have shaped me into the woman I am, and helped me determine who is the woman that I want to be. They have been filled with music and prayer and dancing and reading and writing. As thirty approaches I know these things to be true in my life:</p>
<p dir="ltr">1. Community in the body of Christ is imperative. I do not want to live life without being connected to, and serving in a church.</p>
<p dir="ltr">2. Prayer is important, and God is faithful to answer our prayers. I want to be a woman who prays consistently, in every season of life, not just the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.</p>
<p dir="ltr">3. Fear of failing is not a good enough reason for not trying. I've been disappointed quite a bit over this decade, about things for which I've been most hopeful, but I've been the most upset about the things that I never tried because I was too scared.<br>
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Phil 4:12-13)</p>
<p dir="ltr">4. I want to write. I've always wanted to write. I've been unknowingly creating opportunities for myself to write since forever. I will always want to write. I want to write as a major part of my job (which I do, currently). I want to write a book. And then another book. And then more books. I understand Jeremiah's feeling of having fire shut up in his bones.</p>
<p dir="ltr">5. There's nothing more encouraging than having friends and family and mentors who believe in you, especially on those days where you don't even dare to believe in yourself. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm thankful for the crazy turbulence of my twenties, and I look forward to seeing what the last six months of this decade will bring. Thirties, I'm looking forward to meeting you in six months!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Be blessed and shine through it all!<br>
</p>
Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-77910619991767087492017-07-09T13:46:00.000-04:002017-07-09T13:46:29.865-04:00Disturb us Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;">This Sunday's sermon by guest preacher Rev. Thad Austin was on David & Bathsheba. He gave me chills as he tells the story of the magnitude of David's sin, the calculated, heartless nature of his actions, and most of all David's need for God's resurrective power to restore his soul: a new heart and a right spirit within. Rev. Austin ended the service with this prayer, which I had to share:</span></div>
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That we too might realize that we need to be disturbed, our dreams too small, our horizons too near. That we might have limited God's power or forgotten it altogether. Disturb us Lord, forgive us Lord.</div>
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Be blessed and shine disturbed.</div>
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-70136517043223744082017-07-08T14:36:00.002-04:002017-07-08T14:36:46.270-04:00First Principles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This year one of my goals has been to read more. </div>
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I've always been an avid reader, with the tendency to inhale books fairly regularly, and the reputation of always having a book in my bag (at least one physical book and my kindle for emergencies). However this year I decided to take an intentional approach to reading, something that I haven't done since my early teenage years. [Family lore has it that I once read 20 books in 21 days over a school break.]</div>
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My decision to read this year has brought me back to those days, reminding me of how much I love devouring a good book, and all the random tidbits of knowledge and whispers of experiences that come along with it. But more surprisingly, it's brought with it a renewed enthusiasm for life and an excitement that I'd begun to forget.</div>
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In many ways a return to the voracious reading habits of my childhood have been a return to first principles for me. A reminder that beneath, behind and between all the stress of adult life: the frustrations of the present and the uncertainty of the future, I have been rooted and grounded in somewhere safe.<br />
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God has been whispering to me through my reading habits, reminding me of first principles: love for all, commitment and consistency in my faith, a desire to grow deeper in my knowledge of Him. I have been reminded that:<br />
<ul>
<li>we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)</li>
<li>seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33)</li>
<li>in this world we will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33)</li>
<li>God is my shield, my glory, the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3)</li>
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These simple lessons have meant so much to me this year, these reminders that I am indeed rooted and grounded in Christ's love.</div>
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Be blessed and shine bright [like a reading lamp]!</div>
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-39172510474868464772016-02-08T06:30:00.000-05:002016-02-08T06:30:12.652-05:00Savoring Prayer: A Lenten Series<span id="goog_515148453"></span><span id="goog_515148454"></span><br />
One of my goals for 2016 is to pray more. I feel like recently my practice of prayer has been erratic at best, and over this year I'm hoping to build a consistent prayer habit.<br />
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Even as I made this goal to pray more at the beginning of the year, I began to wonder what I would pray. The inspiration for this series came from the Gospels, where various people cried out to Jesus simple sentences that reflected their heart. So over the next few weeks, I hope to focus on each of these short sentences and the heart behind them. These include people facing doubt, those repenting, people desiring to be cleansed. These people, many of whom remain nameless in the various Gospel accounts remind me that many powerful prayers are also simple, and I hope to share my thoughts on these with you.<br />
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Also, wouldn't you know that my church is doing a series on prayer over the Lenten season? What great timing! Several posts over the next few weeks will be inspired by my church's prayer series, as well as by my own experiences.<br />
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This prayer goal is part of my #oneword365 for this year, savor, which inspired the name of this series, Savoring Prayer. Prayer invites us to savor God's presence in our time alone, and reminds us to take some time away from this busy life, to focus (and re-focus). Spiritually, prayer is that deep breath that we take before we give a big speech, or climb that next flight of stairs, or walk into that new situation. Our prayer time prepares us for every action and activity that comes next, and yet allows us to pause and reflect on what has come before.<br />
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I hope that you too, are encouraged to pray more over these next few weeks. And I'll end this short post with a prayer from Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:<br />
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<span id="emphasis">I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.</span><br />
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Ephesians 1:17-19</div>
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Be blessed and shine in prayer!
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-37154384862941863132016-01-09T18:54:00.000-05:002016-01-09T19:07:37.558-05:00OneWord365, the 2016 EditionLate in 2013 I heard about OneWord365, and immediately I was intrigued by the concept of choosing a word to focus on for an entire year. I mean, just one word, instead of making a list of resolutions that would almost certainly be broken.<br />
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So at the end of 2013, I picked my word for 2014, intentional. It was a good word for the season of life that I was in, and for most of the year I keep with my goal of being intentional about the things in my life: grad school and my career, my walk with God, and my relationships with others. But then the time came to start considering a word for 2015, and I was stuck. I couldn't figure out a word that I wanted to focus on for the year. So I halfheartedly chose a word (forward), and then forgot about it for the rest of the year. </div>
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However, at the end of 2015, I knew that I really wanted to pick one word for 2016. I went through lots of words in my head (most of which I've already forgotten), but none of them felt quite right. I was certain that like last year, I'd choose a word just to say that I had one, and it would have no impact on my life whatsoever. So I welcomed 2016 with no word in mind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkonMUfZzOYLWOtJpfboLTcoOYKZUrtTCVmj7l_dgddtmBaRawfWH9vsf0yd4DRFKpG_epaZx0aW2Ibowk-JlVlH9y-E57S40jDBlcrCBYMobMyMyilTztlA_lroz4XmBWBuV7Bq7dok/s1600/Savor.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkonMUfZzOYLWOtJpfboLTcoOYKZUrtTCVmj7l_dgddtmBaRawfWH9vsf0yd4DRFKpG_epaZx0aW2Ibowk-JlVlH9y-E57S40jDBlcrCBYMobMyMyilTztlA_lroz4XmBWBuV7Bq7dok/s400/Savor.png" /></a>Then, on the evening of January 1, my word found me! I was flying back to Indy from the East Coast, just as the sun was setting. Watching the array of colors across the clear sky from the plane I thought to myself, "<i>Wow, this is amazing, I should get out my phone and take a picture!</i>" And myself replied to me, "<i>No, no. Let's not look away to take a picture. Let's just enjoy the moment, and savor it.</i>"</div>
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At that moment, I knew that that was my word: <span id="emphasis"><b><u>savor</u></b></span>. </div>
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So this year, you'll find me trying as much as possible to enjoy life's little moments, while they are happening. I'll spend lots of time reflecting, having slow lunches and leisurely walks, hoping to savor every bit of this beautiful life.<br />
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If you could choose one word to focus on for all of this year, what would it be? Let me know!</div>
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Be blessed and shine anew!</div>
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-53375729455680034012015-10-23T14:55:00.000-04:002015-10-23T14:57:24.191-04:00Indy: A Next 'Nother New Place Again<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AetQlxx-JopAalaecxK6TqWiZra1kG2JM21MSygL3UtBjfdmtm2wzhrgnUexqIHgbj1lMV6Xsp9aZ-Fs9V0jj6zOFvlX1s2Grqi0SK6zkbFw8aVPQmqr5bLWDy6Cqk7W4JtnmgIpFoU/s640/IMAG0857.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my living room window! This picture doesn't even do justice to the beauty of the fall season.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AetQlxx-JopAalaecxK6TqWiZra1kG2JM21MSygL3UtBjfdmtm2wzhrgnUexqIHgbj1lMV6Xsp9aZ-Fs9V0jj6zOFvlX1s2Grqi0SK6zkbFw8aVPQmqr5bLWDy6Cqk7W4JtnmgIpFoU/s1600/IMAG0857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a> </div>
About five months ago I packed all my stuff and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana for a new job. I'm not sure why I thought it would be easy to move 700 miles from my sisters and all my friends to a state where I only knew one other person, but I was certainly wrong about that.<br />
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Everything about moving, and being in this new city has been...not easy. It's not Indy's fault, it's a nice city. It just seems like all the things that fell into place and led to me coming here haven't stayed in place since then.<br />
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But even in this there are lessons to be learned, and old lessons to be reminded of. Here are five lessons from the first five months here:<br />
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1. <b><i>Life changes, and yet, it doesn't.</i></b> There are lots of things that are different about my life here (like not having friends that I can randomly make plans with), but there are lots of things that are the same. Fall is still gorgeous, I still hate getting out of bed in the morning, and perhaps most of all, I worship the same God at my new church.<br />
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2.<b><i> Friends are awesome.</i></b> First, shoutout to my roommate who puts up with me, particularly in my first few months here when she was the only friend I had. She'd make sure that I'd get out of the house and do things. Second, shoutout to all my old friends who've been messaging and following up with me to make sure I'm still alive and okay in my new home state (y'all better come visit me!) Third, shoutout to the new friends that I'm making here, which is exciting and cool and different.<br />
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3. <b><i>Know yourself.</i></b> It's always funny how new things and new situations teach you more about who you already are, and influence the person that you are becoming. I've learned a lot so far about the person that I am (for better or worse) and what I need to be content.<br />
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4. <b><i>Just go with it.</i></b> Sometimes (actually, a lot of the time) things don't work out quite the way you expected. It's been tough to learn to go with the changes, knowing that it will eventually work out. Which leads me to my last lesson...<br />
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5.<b><i> God is in the new place too.</i></b> One of the things that I sometimes forget (especially when things don't seem to be working out) is that God is with me here in Indy, same as in Jersey, and in Ithaca and in Bim, and everywhere else I've been. And I still need God just as much here as I have everywhere else.<br />
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Be blessed and shine through the changes!<br />
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-61026916392396193752015-05-10T01:03:00.001-04:002015-05-10T01:03:45.135-04:00Becoming My Mother<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aqbfF-RuiKbbK3yy_ajmuhZfA95uellAcCQ-K2qe24_d6U8CEk7z3ntVcHiki0pVDIc-mGApyqBD5NBjXwHWYcNPhCD1EJ2AyaaoPrjcrRKHXbX6-XzosnRWiRXjJvzVR31BoU05Rms/s1600/mother+and+I.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aqbfF-RuiKbbK3yy_ajmuhZfA95uellAcCQ-K2qe24_d6U8CEk7z3ntVcHiki0pVDIc-mGApyqBD5NBjXwHWYcNPhCD1EJ2AyaaoPrjcrRKHXbX6-XzosnRWiRXjJvzVR31BoU05Rms/s320/mother+and+I.png" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mummy & I, Christmas 2014</td></tr>
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I looked in the mirror the other day</div>
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And I realized</div>
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That slowly I was becoming my mother.</div>
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Somehow, her face was being superimposed over mine.</div>
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I opened my mouth the other day</div>
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And I realized</div>
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That my mother's voice was coming from my mouth;</div>
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The words and tone were hers, recorded in my voice.</div>
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I woke up the other day</div>
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And I realized</div>
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That becoming my mother wasn't such a bad thing.</div>
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My mother is superwoman</div>
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She has eyes in the back of her head</div>
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And the ability to read my mind.</div>
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My mother is a woman of high standards</div>
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"<i>If you're going to do it, do it properly</i>" she always says.</div>
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She will put me in my place</div>
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<b>And</b> push me to reach for the stars.</div>
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She's the one who would ask about the other 1%</div>
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When I brought home a score of 99 on an exam.</div>
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My mother is the embodiment of unconditional love</div>
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And my biggest fan.</div>
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She is my 4:30am wake-up call so I don't miss a flight</div>
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She still buys all my favourite foods when I come home.</div>
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My mother is Excel spreadsheets and lasagna</div>
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And reading all the instructions in the box.</div>
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She is tea in the morning </div>
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(Two cups, and one more in the afternoon, and at night).</div>
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My mother is dark skin and curly hair</div>
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And singing hymns and reading books</div>
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And smiles and laughter (and scary silence when she's mad).</div>
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My mother is "<i>If you don't know it, look it up</i>"</div>
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She is "<i>Godliness with contentment is great gain.</i>"</div>
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And "<i>Tomorrow is another day.</i>"</div>
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And "<i>Don't be sorry, be different.</i>"</div>
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She is the voice in my head that whispers,</div>
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"<i>Keep going</i>"</div>
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When I don't think that I'll make it to the end.</div>
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My mother is the reason why I can embrace change</div>
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Because she always has:</div>
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"<i>Never a bad happening</i>" she says.</div>
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I looked in the mirror today</div>
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And I realized</div>
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That if I could be half the woman that my mother is,</div>
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I'd be a remarkable woman indeed.<br />
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-20378114857842948582015-02-14T23:20:00.002-05:002015-02-15T08:02:34.605-05:00Where my trust is without borders...<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I get ready to start a new chapter of life, I've been learning a lot about trust and about faith. I'm at a time when everything in life is uncertain, or at least, the things that seem to have the greatest impact on my day-to-day life. But although I'm worried on the inside, I have also been (mostly) at peace, knowing that there is a hope and a future out there somewhere, even if I'm anxious to know what that looks like: where will I be living in six months? What will I be doing? What will happen to the friendships and relationships that I've built over these past few years? </div>
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And through all this, I remember these words from Oceans by Hillsong United, which truly capture the prayers of my heart:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMUHBtzWCxGrWrRGLL4SH7I-z9wGhoFC_06T98c2BYNV3cF72uR9r8MG6qZBl12n-NYJZfqiJ6mI9A9ZvukeDf8XXd2vcg0cDuh83c-VDMgWvM0C7VJMzYJWW_Z57jgLAYyntbF0zLwg/s1600/Where+my+trust+is+without+borders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMUHBtzWCxGrWrRGLL4SH7I-z9wGhoFC_06T98c2BYNV3cF72uR9r8MG6qZBl12n-NYJZfqiJ6mI9A9ZvukeDf8XXd2vcg0cDuh83c-VDMgWvM0C7VJMzYJWW_Z57jgLAYyntbF0zLwg/s1600/Where+my+trust+is+without+borders.jpg" height="512" width="640"></a></div>
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<i>Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me...</i></div>
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Whenever I hear this song, I always think of standing at the ocean, on the shore with the vastness of the sea before me. I smell the salt and feel the wind and the ocean spray hitting me. And then I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit saying, "Step out, walk."</div>
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So I take the first step, and then another, and then a few more. I look back and see the shore fading in the distance as I move away from its safety. But in looking back to see the shore, I've taken my eyes off of Him, the one who leads me, and I stumble, and panic. I cry out, "Lord, save me!" just as Peter did when he took his eyes off Jesus as he walked on water. I turn my eyes back to Him, and I stop flailing and I can walk on water again.</div>
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And so I follow Him, across the waters, far away from the shore. I still smell the salt, still feel the wind, and the brush of the ocean spray, but I've left the shore and I am walking into the unknown where my trust has no borders.</div>
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That's okay though, because as the shore becomes ever more distant and fades away, so does my fear, being replaced by increasing faith and trust in the One who leads me.</div>
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In this, I can be confident: that the One who leads me is always working for my good, and for the good of all those who love him. So who knows? Maybe in six months I'll be living in a new state or country, far away from all that I know and love. As scary as that may seem, that's okay. I'll just keep my eyes above the waves, and on my Saviour.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dy9nwe9_xzw" width="640"></iframe>
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Be blessed and shine without borders!<br>
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-74506764640861262352015-01-23T05:38:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:01:32.794-04:0027 Verses<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's my birthday! Woot woot!</div>
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Last year I did <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html" target="_blank">26 bits</a>, which developed into Biweekly Bits of wisdom that I've been sharing for the past year. For this year, I wanted to do another birthday post, so I decided on 27 verses!</div>
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The title is really self-explanatory. For my birthday this year, I've decided to share with you 27 of my favourite Bible verses in pictures! (Feel free to download the ones you like. I made them the right size for facebook/IG.)<br>
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These are verses that have challenged me and encouraged me, verses that remind me of who I am and tell me who God is, verses that help me to grow in my walk with Christ.</div>
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[Disclaimer: there are a LOT of images in this post, so it may take a while to load!]<br>
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</div><a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2015/01/27-verses.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-27957210908943901262015-01-22T01:34:00.002-05:002015-10-07T13:01:18.694-04:00Biweekly Bits #26: Always a New Lesson to Learn<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" width="400"></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="emphasis">Every year that you live, there are more lessons to be learned.</span> And I look forward to them, even if they are difficult ones.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2015/01/biweekly-bits-26-always-new-lesson-to.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-61748332149806521232015-01-08T08:30:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:01:03.977-04:00Biweekly Bits #25: Pick Your Battles<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" width="400"></a></div>
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<span id="emphasis">Pick your battles.</span> Not everything in your life requires that you respond to it. It took pretty much the entire 26 years that I've lived thus far to learn this one. I don't think I'm done with this one either.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2015/01/biweekly-bits-25-pick-your-battles.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-65930912001192792932014-12-28T07:30:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:00:47.852-04:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "Come and Join the Celebration"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" width="320"></a></div>
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The last Hymn-ful Sunday post! It's hard to believe that it's been a year already.</div>
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This week's hymn again speaks of the birth of our Saviour Jesus. It is a celebratory hymn written by Valerie Collison and is sung as one of the Christmas/Advent traditions of my home church in Barbados. Valerie Collison is a contemporary hymnwriter and organist from the United Kingdom, and this is one of her most popular compositions.</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/hymn-ful-sundays_28.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-90986475770561583522014-12-26T07:30:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:00:36.284-04:00Biweekly Bits #24: Encourage others<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" width="400"></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span id="emphasis">Encourage others.</span> My senior year of college, I was a tutor for students in 100-level biology and chemistry. All of them were students of color, many of them were first-generation students as well, and all were science or pre-health majors, and were struggling in the intro science classes that they were required to take. But we worked hard, and they had practice problems and analogies (and the occasional marker thrown at them for saying foolishness). But I didn't realize until much later that the greatest thing I did for them was that I believed that they could do this whole college thing. One of them said to me one day, "Shanique, sometimes I think you believe in us more than we believe in ourselves." My reply to her was, "Well, someone has to believe in you." They all have either graduated from college, or will graduate this academic year.</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/biweekly-bits-24-encourage-others.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-7994294468578933652014-12-21T07:30:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:00:20.715-04:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "Joy to the World"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" width="320"></a></div>
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This week's hymn continues in the Advent trend with a popular hymn by prolific hymnwriter Isaac Watts, who lived in the 17th century in England. Watts wrote many hymns and songs based directly on passages of scripture. This one is based on Psalm 98.</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/hymn-ful-sundays_21.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-90214717471219874372014-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:002015-10-07T12:59:52.457-04:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "Love Came Down at Christmas"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the third Sunday of Advent I've chosen this short poem by Christina Rossetti which was set to music as a Christmas hymn by several composers. The poem was composed and published late in the 19th century, and was one of many poems composed by this poet. Christina Rossetti began writing poems as a teenager, and religious devotion became a big part of her life after a nervous breakdown which caused her to leave school. Christina became well-known for her poetry, and her siblings were creative as well, one brother becoming a celebrated artist, and the other brother and her sister both becoming writers.</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/hymn-ful-sundays_14.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-1006976079020048842014-12-11T08:30:00.000-05:002015-10-07T13:00:04.678-04:00Biweekly Bits #23: Speaking the Truth, Graciously<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" width="400"></a></div>
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<span id="emphasis">Everything that's true doesn't need to be said.</span> I'm not saying to lie to people, but if the truth isn't constructive (constructive => construct => building up), then is it beneficial right at that moment? For example, when I was in fourth form (~9th grade), one of the girls in my class decided to shorten her school uniform skirt by folding its hem on itself and stitching it up. As a result, her school skirt had a hem of about 5-6 inches, which was quite noticeable, and quite frankly, did not look good. She was also sporting a red weave that day. Self-conscious, (mostly thanks to the snide remarks coming from other students) she asked one of the other girls how she looked. The girl replied, "Your hair looks bad, your skirt looks bad; you on the whole look bad." Was it true? Yes. Did it need to be said? Probably not. Definitely not in that manner. (Also, refer to #17.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/biweekly-bits-23-speaking-truth.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-82570253705932982312014-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:002014-12-14T03:00:27.330-05:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's hymn is, once again by Charles Wesley! Charles and his brother John were founders of Methodism in the eighteenth century, and Charles was a prolific hymnwriter, writing many of the great hymns of the faith. This hymn of his is generally sung at Advent, which makes it a wonderful choice for today, the second Sunday of Advent!</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/12/hymn-ful-sundays.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-33515944963181942462014-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:002014-11-30T08:00:01.848-05:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTxGaQfcbN2A-aTdJ6ez89Jq2Xnbrvz55uMudh3_E-gtF7329gz7Mgnp6GoAg1u_woAflg4p0TA8mEIEfQIxozydL874NhxeOLUty19_TTtOh2rzP7PeePuS_5djEce4bOL6IkToRMIM/s1600/hymn-ful+Sundays.png" height="219" width="320"></a></div>
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Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the season in the liturgical tradition which prepares us for the Christmas celebration. Thus for today I have chosen a well-known traditional Advent hymn, which dates from the 12th century. It is said that this hymn has several contributors, so there isn't a single author, but it was translated from Latin by John Mason Neale, an Anglican priest and hymn-writer in the 19th century. The versions of verses vary, especially for the later verses, so I have chosen the version most familiar to me. </div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/11/hymn-ful-sundays_30.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-72133461265736080112014-11-27T07:30:00.000-05:002014-12-28T18:34:52.469-05:00Biweekly Bits #22: Tell others how much you appreciate them<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DbuwVe9qxivoEqIz3-gHOgIcSWGpVGiW7_prp8otg944XHTXu6F9nxaRVn4POKY7IPdEqLcD22CaVGUCRwAWTArBRKJhQ2IUOuB1YlCnnuhxg61CuJ4CR4LTpMwbFVbl0tNf677xwWc/s1600/Biweekly+bits.png" height="350" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span id="emphasis">Tell people how much you appreciate them.</span> This past year, one of my favorite secondary school teachers passed away quite suddenly. She made a huge impact on my life, and taught me how to dodge markers aimed at my head, as well as the most excellent Spanish (I stopped Spanish after 5th form/10th grade and my senior year of college I took the Spanish placement exam and placed into 300-level Spanish [i.e. almost SIX years later]). I never got to tell her how much I appreciated her, or even that I ended up being a language major in college. How I wish I had.</div>
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There's a saying, "Give people their flowers while they're alive." You know, when they can still smell them, when they can appreciate their beauty and feel the love with which they were given.</div>
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When you're young, sayings like that don't mean much to you: you think that everyone is going to live forever, yourself included. But then someone passes away suddenly -- an accident, an undiagnosed health condition, a sudden illness, a crime snatches them away from you all too soon. Then you realize, life isn't forever, and someone, anyone could die before you were able to tell them how much they meant to you, how much of an impact they had on your life, or how much you looked up to them. And you're left thinking, <i>If only I'd said "I love you" one more time</i>, or <i>I wish I could have told her how much she meant to me</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoBoKQ5yNLmxsGtREgKWo5UM8z79tj7mCMya0UmH4eyApBqZi0yfyfL0gerBtMtzZvdH2yeMuZCD0xRHZrGTyCwkm2oQZ7NMkkYaTt65bc1dpFRr80_YemZBlL6-6B7X1fdFN5UbgUa4/s1600/BB22+-+appreciation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjoBoKQ5yNLmxsGtREgKWo5UM8z79tj7mCMya0UmH4eyApBqZi0yfyfL0gerBtMtzZvdH2yeMuZCD0xRHZrGTyCwkm2oQZ7NMkkYaTt65bc1dpFRr80_YemZBlL6-6B7X1fdFN5UbgUa4/s1600/BB22+-+appreciation.png" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
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When my secondary school Spanish teacher, Mrs. Wilson passed away suddenly last year, I was shocked. She was my mother's peer at school, so she wasn't an old woman. She was vibrant and inspiring. She was a phenomenal teacher and not only taught me some excellent Spanish, but she encouraged me so that I was confident in using the Spanish that I knew, and figuring out how to work around what I didn't know. I never got to tell her how much she inspired and impacted me, or that I'd decided halfway through college to add a language major. (I also still have her copy of <i>Punto por Punto</i> but I never told you that, because I'm still afraid of her.)</div>
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I wish that I could tell her what her teaching, both Spanish lessons and life lessons meant to me. I wish I could tell her what an amazing woman she was. But she is already gone, so I'm hoping that she knew. Instead, I will tell the other inspiring, impactful people in my life how much they mean to me, how much I admire them. I encourage you to do the same.</div>
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Be blessed and shine with appreciation!</div>
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-65046209527564887032014-11-23T16:35:00.000-05:002014-11-27T23:21:18.222-05:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "We Plough the Fields and Scatter"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's hymn is one by German poet Matthias Claudius in the late eighteenth century. Matthias' father was a Lutheran pastor, and he originally went to university to study theology, but then changed his course of student to law and languages. He wrote many many poems, several of which were under the name Asmus. His work includes the poem Death and the Maiden, which was used in a composition by Franz Schubert. He turned to writing religious works after a grave illness caused him to return to the faith of his childhood. </div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/11/hymn-ful-sundays_23.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-52981408827924427242014-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:002014-11-27T23:21:09.141-05:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "Jesus Calls us o'er the Tumult"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our hymn this week is the work of Cecil Frances Alexander, an Irish nineteenth century hymnwriter and poet. "Fanny" as she was best known, began writing at an early age, and wrote many many poems and hymns, including some well-known children's hymns. In fact, hymns for children was her specialty. This week's hymn is one of the few that she wrote that weren't for children.</div>
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<a href="https://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/11/hymn-ful-sundays_16.html#more">continue reading -></a>Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-20115274824605577212014-11-13T07:30:00.000-05:002014-12-13T00:30:49.892-05:00Biweekly Bits #21: Let your grain die<span style="text-align: justify;"><i>After writing <a href="http://www.thejourneydeeper.com/2014/01/26-bits.html">26 bits</a>, I realized that there is so much I could elaborate on with each of my bits. So I decided to turn them into a biweekly (i.e. fortnightly) series, for the next year.</i></span><br />
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<span id="emphasis">Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24).</span> Your greatest impact is found in dying to self. If you're just caught up in you, you can't bear any fruit. I'm pretty sure this verse will teach me many more lessons in life.</blockquote>
I never noticed this verse in John until a few years ago, but it has stuck with me ever since. These words of Jesus speak one of the greatest truths of Christ's life on earth and our responsibility as we walk with Him. This truth is that service costs us.<br />
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And serving does come with a cost. It requires us to put ourselves, our desires and wishes aside for the good of others. If each of us is a grain of wheat, it is only in allowing ourselves to be used by God, to be emptied of ourselves, that we can multiply and have impact.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hUQBQIRWaIF0dPhiDPUOJQy39G5uaJdV13d8NO8hx18FgRnbVnyIVRfvg33o7BFsGk6zHh-geKO4i61535J5Ng0nYiXidPDPyVWrq6tHbW14N-4YX5UzXimHJ9nQKOB_4Hf4bwkkT9A/s1600/Eccl+11v6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hUQBQIRWaIF0dPhiDPUOJQy39G5uaJdV13d8NO8hx18FgRnbVnyIVRfvg33o7BFsGk6zHh-geKO4i61535J5Ng0nYiXidPDPyVWrq6tHbW14N-4YX5UzXimHJ9nQKOB_4Hf4bwkkT9A/s1600/Eccl+11v6.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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Too often we have this individualistic view of service and ministry, which can make us lose sight of our goal, which is Christ, and spreading the Gospel throughout the earth. Too often we are afraid to take risks in our walk with God, not knowing that it is only by the death of that single grain that new life can come to many. Something must be sown for the harvest to be reaped.<br />
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So today I challenge you to focus on where in your life you've been afraid to let your grain of wheat die. I challenge you to allow the fruit resulting from your grain to be nourished and grown. Let us live a life of service to others, for it bears much fruit.<br />
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Be blessed and shine, bearing much fruit!<br />
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Shaniquehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957949806613582486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2277259975114062443.post-55153468120531082312014-11-09T18:06:00.002-05:002014-11-27T23:20:59.507-05:00Hymn-ful Sundays! "O Happy Day"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's hymn is by Philip Doddridge, and eighteenth century writer, teacher and hymn-writer in Britain. Doddridge was the youngest of twenty (!) children, and a clergyman of an independent church in Britain.</div>
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