Fledgling Wife

Rest

2008-04-25T16:29:00.003+01:00

It's the last working day of the week; Friday. There is nothing I want better than to rest in the arms of my everlasting father. To just allow myself be still...

Thankful Thursday - Rest

2008-04-24T09:14:00.006+01:00

Today, Iris who hosts the TT meme at Sting My Heart picked 'Rest' as her theme for this week's TT. And it's so apt. This week has been quite rough for me and I do have a lot to be thankful for.

I have had three attacks of wheezing and breathlessness since November, 2007. I could not understand just what the problem was. Well, this week I was diagnosed with asthma, it is a fresh occurrence. I am thankful that I finally know what was causing the attacks. I am also grateful to God for the prayers and encouragement of friends.

I have been able to rest in the arms of my father. I am thankful that I can relax and know that God is in control of my life and my health.

I run a monthly ezine. Compiling it and sending it out each month is a lot of work and is especially challenging. I learn so much from the process. The theme for the next issue is Achieving Your Dreams. One thing I learnt is that God has a plan for each and everyone of us and it should be my life's dream to achieve that plan. I am so thankful for that reassurance. I know I can rest in the knowledge that God's thoughts for me are of good to bring me to an expected end.

How To Achieve Your Dream

2008-04-15T10:25:00.009+01:00

I promised I'll write a brief post on achieving one's dreams; and I finally did. I would have done so sooner but my weekend was really busy.

I went on a 10-hour road trip (we describe distance by time here in Nigeria), got to be Chief Bridesmaid to my best friend No.2 (I'll soon share the pictures) and travelled back in order to be at work on time. Hectic!

Oh well, it was fun. So, here's the post.

Is there really any fail-proof model or are there any specific steps you can employ to achieving your dreams? Specialists and self-help gurus have come up with various and often contradicting plans and procedures. But do they really work?

I have discovered that as diverse as most folks are, in the same way, their motives differ and what catapults those motives into action, also differ.

However, certain things are basic to every man; the craving for love, the need for peer or self validation, the unrelenting desire to achieve are just a few. How can one channel these desires (dreams) into reality?

The following steps have worked for me and for most people whom I have asked. Other terminology might be used but the essence is still the same.

Define the Dream
Set Goals
Pray
Re-define your Goals
Seek Accountability
Go Achieve Your Dream!

I've explained each of the six points listed above; it will be in the May issue of my ezine so use the sign up box on the right!

40 Days of Focus

2008-04-10T09:18:00.005+01:00

I just joined Carrie, the barefoot executive at http://www.carriewilkerson.com/. I have committed to some serious focusing the next forty days.

I have four major things I want to focus on and I'll list them here:

Losing 5kg (I'll have one major meal, drink water and eat lots of fruit & vegetables for the next 40 days - God help me!)

I will keep in touch every week with my family.

I will read at least one chapter of the Bible every day for the next 40 days.

2 new paying clients for my newsletter business.

There! I'm listing them here so that I can be accountable.

Check out Carrie's blog and drop a comment if you are interested in being a part of this. There is power in focusing on a thing (well, a few things) at a time!

It's OK to dream

2008-04-09T12:18:00.004+01:00

I seem to be going on and on about dreams this week. I guess it is my 'Dream Week'. The truth is dreaming is a gift. Or rather, dreaming the right way. Sure, there is a right way to dream.

This is daring to dream even while working towards that dream. There are two terrible extremes: The first is the inability to dream; the second is the ability to do nothing else.

I envy kids a lot. A kid dreams of flying, he'll go climb a tree. She dreams of being a princess, she pesters her mum for a tiara - or makes a paper crown.

There needs to be a balance between just dreaming and at least an attempt to realise that dream. Achieving that balance is the challenge.

If you come back to this blog next week, I'll post something on realising your dreams.

KEEP YOUR DREAM ALIVE!

2008-04-08T11:15:00.006+01:00

(11) By Fenny West

Gen.37:9Hello friend, keep your dream alive!

An abundant life, aim to live;

Live a life of significance.

My pal, live a life of substance.

Do you know that you are different?

So refuse to be indifferent.

Leave behind a mark indelible.

With God all things are possible.

Know for sure that God is for you;

So no one can be against you.

Therefore let your dream be so big;

Because your God is very big.

Be wise,seek not His Hand,but His Face,

And you will go from grace to grace.

In His secret place always dwell,

To run your race and finish well.

Run to finish and finish well.

In His secret place always dwell.

Seek not His hand but His face;

And you will go from grace to grace.

Go from strength to strength,heigth to heigth,

And in the power of His might.

Time to fight the good fight of faith,

Not a time for fright or flight.

Banish every fear and be bold;

Shake off the mould and go for gold;

So to go from glory to glory;

As God seeks to change your story.

www.inspiration4generations.com
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com">CHRISTIAN WRITERS

Broken Dreams

2008-04-07T15:27:00.004+01:00

by Deanna Blanchard

Life just hasn’t gone the way I planned it to.

As a child, I dreamed of marriage, children and houses with white picket fences. I had no career in mind, because all I wanted to be was a wife and mother.

Today, I’m 43 years old and never married. And there isn’t a man in sight.
What do you do when your dreams don’t come true?
I don’t know about you, but I get depressed and eat chocolate. Lots of it.

And my singleness wasn’t the only thing that depressed me. I had a stalled career, financial struggles, and dysfunctional family members to deal with. It seemed like every dream I ever had for my life was stomped on and crushed beyond recognition. I was carrying all these broken dreams inside of me – and it hurt.

So I did what any good Christian girl would do. I prayed about it. The answer seemed a long time coming. And then one day, something broke through the dark cloud hanging over me.

It was a song by Aaron Shust that I had heard many times before. The lyrics went …
“All of my plans, all of my dreams, I lay them down before your feet …”

It caught my attention. He laid his dreams down at the feet of Jesus. Maybe that was what I needed to do.

In my mind’s eye, I could see myself carrying around a huge bag. It was labeled “Broken Dreams” and – judging from the sharp bulges – it was full. The jagged edges of the broken dreams cut through the bag, making it difficult and painful to carry.

I knew I should lay it down before Jesus – just like the song said. But something held me back. What could Jesus do with broken dreams? They were useless.

And what about me? Aren’t broken dreams better than no dreams at all? Wouldn’t I have a huge void inside if I give them up?

As strange as this may sound, it was a bit of a struggle to lay those dreams down before Jesus in prayer. But I felt lighter once I did it, like I had rid myself of a great burden.

I’m praying that Jesus replace those broken dreams with his own dreams for my life. I’m still waiting for an answer, but I feel at peace with my decision to let the broken dreams go.

How about you? Are you carrying around a bag of broken dreams? Jesus doesn’t want you to bear that burden. Just lay them down before him, and you’ll be surprised at how free you feel.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) NASB

Deanna Blanchard is a direct response copywriter at Response Ink. She is a freelance writer in her spare time.

Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com

From the Inside Out

2008-03-28T12:46:00.002+01:00

This is the topic of my newsletter this month. I'm currently working on it. Every month I feel the strain of getting the newsletter ready; this is because I choose the topic carefully and also the articles with a lot of prayer.

This is a topic I think will speak to alot of people. My aim is to show that change starts from the inside. Sometimes, the change is slow to manifest on the outside but as long as it has started, it will in time.

Do you have any comments on this topic? Please let me know.

You are Special

2008-03-28T12:22:00.005+01:00

You are who you are for a reason
You’re part of a perfect plan
You’re a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God’s special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason
Our God made no mistake
He knit you together within the womb,
You’re just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom designed with God’s plan in mind,
And they bear the Master’s seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you’d grow.

You are who you are for a reason
You’ve been formed by the Master’s rod.
You are who you are, beloved
Because there is a God.

By Russel Kelfer – culled from The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, p. 25

Red Lipstick

2008-03-28T08:36:00.005+01:00

by Gwen Smith

Today's Truth

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

Friend to Friend

When my three children were young, it was a challenge to keep track of where they were. My husband and I baby proofed the house as best we could, used gates and hoped for the best. I'll never forget the day that Preston and Kennedy were accounted for in the play room, but Hunter had wandered off. I called for him, but got no response.

Curious, I headed for the front stair case and listened for his little two-year-old voice. I checked his bedroom -- no Hunter. I checked Preston's room and Kennedy's room - no Hunter. By now, my heart was racing as my concern grew. When I headed into my bedroom, I heard faint noises coming from the master bathroom.

Our bathroom mirror gave me all the information I needed. Hunter had gotten into my red lipstick and it was everywhere! I wanted to laugh -- I wanted to cry! He was unaware of my presence as he continued his creative lipstick artwork on my walls and on the linen closet door.

On a whim, I ran to get the camcorder.
Stifling laughter, I crossed the threshold of the bathroom and confronted my little chubby-cheeked 'red lipstick-all-over-his-face' boy. He immediately hid his scandalous tool behind his back...thinking I was none the wiser. I asked him what he was doing, to which he replied "Nothing." In my best trying-not-to-laugh mommy voice, I continued to ask him a series of questions and he continually denied any wrong doing.

Sometimes I wonder how many times I go before the Lord in prayer while trying to hide my red lipstick behind my back. How many times have I thought I was pulling one over on Him? Just as simply as I saw the tangible evidence of Hunter's red face, God sees our hearts and knows what we've been up to. He sees pride, anger, gossip and bitterness. He sees hurts not forgiven, sins not confessed, the habits we cling to, the shows we watch and the literature we read that don't honor Him. He sees our failures and lovingly longs for us to allow Him to clean up the mess we've made.

A few years back, after reading 2 Corinthians 7:1 and Psalm 51, and seeking God's heart in prayer, I was inspired to write the following song:

Purify My Soul
By Gwen Smith

know my heart and You know my ways
Yet You love me just the same
I know that You are able
You are God, it's true
Help me Lord, just as I am, surrender all to You
Purify my soul
Cleanse my heart and mind
Restore to me Your gentle, loving arms
Purify my soul
So I can go and be a true reflection of Your holiness

Create in me a clean heart
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away, Lord from Your presence

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
Lord, Your love surrounds me -- encompassing my soul
Mold me as a potter molds the clay
The freedom of forgiveness liberates my life
Renew in me a fire, in the name of Jesus Christ

© 2000 Audio 31 Music / Sunday Best Music (ASCAP)

What is your red lipstick today? Are you ready to hand it over to God?

To find out more about Gwen Smith, click here or read her blog.

This article was taken from the daily devotional of Girlfriends in God.

Rain or Shine

2008-03-18T12:30:00.004+01:00

By Angela M. Baker-Bridge

Rain or shine, Martha's outlook was always the same, dismal.

It had been a difficult year since her accident. Once a very strong, self-sufficient woman, Martha now could barely get through the day without the assistance of others. Most days she refused to get out of bed.

"What's the use?" she would yell while looking at the ceiling of her bedroom. "I don't want to live like this God! Why didn't you take me too? The people in the other car were innocent strangers. I was the one speeding. I should have died, not them!"

Daily she cried out in anger to God, daily he remained silent to her questions and plea.

One morning, her son called earlier than usual. "Mom, I'm calling to let you know the agency is sending over another aid today. You have to stop being so difficult. We cannot keep going through aids. Please try to cooperate and not scare her off on her first morning."

Martha sighed, "I can't help if the aids are incompetent and thin-skinned. Whatever, I really don't care who you send."

"Mom, that's not enough. Promise me you'll behave."

"Fine, as long as she doesn't tell me what to do or get in my way," Martha snapped.

An hour later, Cathy arrived smiling and carrying a bouquet of daisies.

"What's with the flowers?" Martha suspiciously asked when Cathy entered her room. "And make sure you don't lose the key to my house."

"Good morning Miss Martha. I'm Cathy, your aid. I'm so pleased to see you, and excited to be assisting you. I found out from your son that your favorite flowers are daisies; mine too, so I stopped to get these for you. There isn't anything better than a bunch of daisies to brighten a room or day."

Surprised, Martha asked, "Why are you excited about working here and specifically with me?"

"Miss Martha, I guess you don't recognize me. I'm little Cathy Anderson, Pastor Anderson's daughter. You were my Sunday school teacher when I was ten-years old."

"Oh yes," Martha nodded, remembering her favorite little student.

"Because of you I accepted Jesus as my savior. Whenever things would get tough for me in life, I would think of you and the verse you made me repeat every time I was afraid to try something new. "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.*" Because of you, I was able to endure the pain of Dad's death. Because of you, I'm in nursing school right now. So, when I saw your name on the patient's list, I begged for this assignment. God told me you needed me. So here I am. It's my turn to encourage you not to give-up, no matter how bad things look."

"Oh," was all Martha could say with such a huge lump in her throat.

"So Miss Martha, do you still like almond tea? I hope so, because I brought a few tea bags with me. The water should be ready about now."

Cathy left the room singing, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Martha wept.

"Thank you God for allowing me to live... and to know that I did impact someone's life. Little Cathy is here to help me! Maybe I really can get through this... with her help, and with YOURS."

© 11-15-07_________________________________
*"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 (KJV)_________________________________
Married to a minister for 30-yrs, Angela has two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. She's passionately creative with a versatile portfolio. Out of hurt and pain, Angela writes from her heart and life. She touches others as she gives God the glory. She married a former pastor in '03.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

Love Covers All

2008-03-08T16:27:00.003+01:00

By Mary Southerland.
Email: mary@marysoutherland.com

Website: http://www.marysoutherland.com

But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4: 8-10

When I was a little girl, my mother collected S&H green trading stamps. She collected them while I licked and pasted them in saving books. For months, she would hoard the small, green stamps until she had enough to trade for something she needed. It was always something we needed until that Saturday in December. "Get the green stamp books. We are going to town!" Mama said to me, a strange excitement in her voice. I assumed that we were going to buy a Christmas present for someone in our family since I knew Mama never bought anything for herself at the Green Stamp Redemption Center. To do so would have been a luxury she rarely allowed. Stamps in hand, off we went to find a treasure.

When we reached the redemption center Mama marched straight in, past the appliances, toys, hairdryers and vacuums, heading straight for the linens department. She did not look around or hesitate until she abruptly stopped, a smile spreading across her face. "It's still here!" she whispered in relief. I remember thinking that whatever she had spotted must be very special to warrant such determination and such joy. When I realized that the blue treasure she clutched in her hands was just a tablecloth I simply did not understand. There were so many other beautiful things in the store and we had been saving those green stamps for months. And she was going to buy a tablecloth? What was so special about an ordinary tablecloth? I was confused -- until we got home.

My family was poor -- in material things -- and we lived in what most people would refer to as a "shack". My mother was an amazing woman who somehow managed to raise three children who never thought of themselves as deprived. Many happy times and scrumptious meals were enjoyed around our old, scratched, worn and downright ugly dining room table. That dilapidated table made the entire room ugly -- until the day Mama bought the blue tablecloth. As she spread her treasure across that shabby table, an amazing thing happened. Not only did the table look beautiful, the whole room looked better!

Love is like that, its mere presence transforms the ugliness of life into a beautiful trophy of grace. Love covers the scars of sin. Love heals wounds and eases the pain of the past. We all need to be loved and we all need to love.

Jesus was and is the living illustration and certain fulfillment of His Father's love. The love of God is unconditional, unfailing and will stubbornly pursue us no matter where we go, what we do or don't do. God's love satisfies the deepest longings of our soul and enables us to love ourselves and others.

Friend, across your defeats spread the hope of a tiny baby lying in a manger! Across your pain, spread the unconditional love poured out on a cruel cross! Across your doubts and fears, spread the promise of an empty tomb! The love of God covers all and changes everything.

Celebrate Him! Celebrate His love!

Whose Strength?

2008-03-05T17:21:00.005+01:00

'my strength is made perfect in weakness'. - 1 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)

This is a scripture that has meant alot to me over the years. It started to mean so much in 1999, when I first got into the university (college). Even then, it took awhile to sink in. What I thought it meant was that I was not supposed to be weak. And that was tough. I tried so hard to be strong all of the time but like we all know, that is downright impossible. So I beat myself up each time I thought I'd failed. Again.

It's amazing how patient our Lord is with His children. I'm pretty sure that each time I wallowed in guilt and self pity He sadly shook His head. If I'd listened Iprobably would have heard Him say, Child, slow down. Let me be strong for you.

Well, I finally learnt to listen and I heard. His strength has indeed been perfected through my many weaknesses; I did not have to BE strong all the time. In fact, I did not have to be strong at all. I just needed to rely on Him and on His strength. He has been perfectly willing to be the macho man in my life; fight my battles for me; bolster me up when I'm drooping with fatigue; fill me with joy when I am weak... the list is endless!

God has indeed been faithful.

Searching for the Words

2008-03-04T14:40:00.003+01:00

I have not posted anything on my blog this month. I decided to take a break to write and send out my newsletter. its a christian and inspirational newsletter which I send out every month. I still haven't sent it out. I've been asking the Lord to speak to me on what to send out but I've heard nothing yet. And time is running out. I'll appreciate any suggestions, maybe God will speak through one of you.

I'm finally satisfied with my blog (I think). If any of you have come bye this week, you would have noticed crazy things on this blog; some really weird color combinations. Oh, well, I hope this is here to stay finally.

Scattergories?

2008-02-29T09:04:00.003+01:00

I saw this game at Cheryl's blog introduced by her friend Cheryl. Its a computer game called SCATTERGORIES. It is harder than it looks, really! But I had fun doing it. Copy and paste into your blog and try it!**Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following--they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up now! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name.................... Sharon

4 Letter word............................. Sand

Vehicle......................................... SVU

City.............................................. Seattle

Boy Name..................................... Shane

Girl Name..................................... Sarah

Alcoholic Drink............................. Schnapps

Occupation.................................... Sailor

Something you wear................... Shoes

Celebrity....................................... Sean Combbs (Diddy)

Food.............................................. Shawarma

Something found in a bathroom..Shampoo

Reason for being late...................Slept late

Cartoon Character........................Simbad the Sailor

Something you shout................... Shush!

Animal............................................ Spider

Body part...................................... Shoulder

Word to describe you................... Sweet

Beauty in Love

2008-02-14T10:18:00.003+01:00

Last night I and some friends got talking; with valentine in the air, the subject of course was love. On the radio, the presenter was instructing his listeners to tell their girls they were pretty.

One of the guys there asked; "what if she isn't pretty?"

My natural reaction was one of outrage. Why would a man marry a woman he does not find pretty? Ok. Scrap that. Folks get married for all sorts of reasons. But honestly, how can one truly say he is in love with his wife (or girl friend) and he does not find her pretty?
It is my personal opinion that when one is in love, beauty trancsends the physical. It does not matter how completely battered up that person is, or if she's fat, pregnant an pimply, she should always be beautiful in his eyes. But then, that is just me.

What do you folks think? Drop a comment.
And Happy Valentine's Day!

Loving Right

2008-02-12T17:56:00.000+01:00

How do you show your loved ones that you love them? Saying it is good; it is definitely a start. But if all you do is ‘say’, it begins to wear thin after a while.

So what do you do? Buy him or her things? Things are not bad either, but if you are buying things for your loved one thinking that alone should be sufficient you are going to find yourself with a resentful one instead.

The Bible says that perfect love casts out fear. Sometimes resentment is born out of fear. Virginia Satir understood this. As the pioneer of family therapy in the US, she discovered in her work that a troubled child is often the product of a troubled family. A lot of the time, the family is troubled not from the absence of love but as a result of the inability to express that love. Maybe those families thought ‘things’ should adequately express love. Love however, takes a little more than that.

Love needs to be shown in a person’s attitude. One great way of expressing love is an uncritical attitude. Nothing kills love faster than criticism. There has to be a degree of freedom in any relationship.

Freedom goes hand in glove with love. Virginia Satir mentioned five freedoms:

The freedom to see and hear what is here, instead of what should be, was, or will be;
The freedom to say what they feel and think, instead of what they should;
The freedom to feel what they feel instead of what they ought ;
The freedom to ask for what they want, instead of always waiting for permission,
The freedom to take risks on their behalf instead of choosing to be only “secure” and not rock the boat.

Go through the list again, slowly this time around and carefully examine your relationships. Answer the following questions:

How do you show your loved ones that you love them?
Do you let them love you back by giving them the freedom to them?

Being protective of the one you love is a very natural bye produce of love the emotion. However, love is more than just the feeling; it is very much the doing also. Giving your loved one the space and freedom to grow in that relationship is definitely a practice of love the verb.

This will be a bit difficult for those who suffer from over protectiveness. But that’s fine; the grace of God is there to make it easier – if you let Him.

Sharon Famonure loves the Lord. She has been in Youth Ministry for several years and has worked as an informal counselor. To read more inspiring articles go to her blog http://sharonife.blogspot.com

I'm Free to Love

2008-02-07T10:59:00.000+01:00

I walked in the sandy bogs of fear
Swum the muddy waters of despair
I gave up hope, lost all held dear
Until I said a prayer

You filled me with comforting warmth
Wrapped me in your loving arms
You said to me, ‘Go spread my word
You are now free to love’.

God’s love is all I need
It’s strength when I am weak
It’s life to this dying breed
This love has set me free

My Encouragers

2008-02-05T16:20:00.000+01:00

vulnerability is a great teacher because it crystalizes what is really important in our lives

I am reading this book by Mike Pegg; The Art of Encouragement and though am just on the first chapter, it has been quite an eye opener. I've learnt so much that I have decided to share some of it with you.

I have noticed that quite a number of people can only achieve when they get external encouragement. By external encouragement, what I mean is that somebody else, either through a speech, counselling, a book or a pat on the back has to get them motivated.

But it is very possible to encourage yourself. What you should ask yourself is this question: how can I encourage myself? To answer this, you would need to take a trip to memory lane. What were those moments when you felt the most encouraged? Why did you feel that way? What did you do then to make you feel encouraged and motivated? What has helped you the most to grow in your life?

Mike Pegg suggested two exercises:

How Can I Encourage Myself? Here, you make a list of 3 (or more) things you can do to encourage yourself. I listed three and I'll share them below.

My Encouragers: This is a list of all those who at one time or the other encouraged you and what they did to encourage you. I'll share mine some other time. You can download this guide to help you with your encouragers. Just click here.

Ok. How do I encourage myself? I'll call the list Sharon's Self Encouragement

I talk to God about it and read his word

I listen to inspiring music

I write

Well, do post a comment and let others know how you encuorage yourself. It might help those who are not so good at self encouragement.

what will people say?

2008-02-03T18:52:00.000+01:00

Sometime ago I was thinking and I wondered what people would say about me when I was dead. It shouldn't matter right? I'll be dead and gone. But it does matter. What people say is indicative of how I've lived and the sort of person I have been. So I made a list and decided to share it with you.

When I'm gone, I want them to say I:

cared
loved
understood people
was never judgmental
had a positive solution for most things
taught positively
was joyful
was humble
empathized & had sympathy
was honest
was gentle
had a clear sense of right & wrong
did not take nonsense
had integrity
was hard working
was dedicated
was passionate about helping others
was goal oriented
was loyal
had principles & stuck by them
was highly organized

Well that's most of it! Quite ambitious huh? Oh well, I try. But the good thing about it is, so long as I am conscious of this list, I make an effort to tailor my life and everything I do now to fit into the list. Hard work believe me.

Feel free to drop a comment and share your own list with me.

So tell me, what would you like folks to say about you after you're gone and buried?

God Is Good

2008-02-01T12:24:00.000+01:00

By Maggie Brittain

Three simple words that made such an impact on my life and continues day by day. These are life-giving words, words of wisdom, words of hope, words that can take a spirit and lift it to higher ground. "God is good."

He never changes, the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8. On that verse, our hope can stand secure on the solid Rock.

As a young Christian, I was fooled into thinking that life would get easier and major difficulties would become a thing of the past. However, life got a lot meaner, times got leaner and many times, I would hear those three little words, "God is good."

There was a lot of confusion in the early days of my walk with our Lord. I read just about everything I could get my hands on that would enable me to have a better understanding. I read my Bible every day but life continued to get ugly from lack of money, chronic illness to loss of friends.

Getting angry with God was about a two-year struggle. I could never completely turn my back on God; however, I wasn't as close as I should have been either. There was one attack after another with no end in sight.

Over and over the words would come back into my mind that a little old preacher man uttered to me upon leaving Sunday services, "God is good." I always thought it odd how he never said anything else to me, only those three words.

Many nights I'd lay awake wondering if God is so good, why am I sick without reason, why am I struggling to feed and clothe my little boy? Why, why why? All that ever came back in response to my questioning is that "God is good."

As the years passed, so did my many questions. Through that time, I learned that God is good, He is the Best Friend I ever had, He stuck with me when others turned away, He never left me when I gave Him every reason to do so.

I don't ask God why any more, I have no reason to as I've learned to trust Him regardless of how grim a situation may look. How things appear is seldom the real issue.

Grab a hold of the greatest blessing that God Himself has given to us. Take the opportunity to know Him personally, up close from your heart to His. Ask Him to show you where He is in your day because we are often too busy to see Him. He gladly reveals Himself just because we ask Him.

All this is ours simply because God is good.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS-MAKE A WEBSITE

These are a few of my favourite things...

2008-01-31T13:29:00.000+01:00

Send in your own favourite things. This is definitely not limited to pictures

alone. Send in anything which makes you feel good; pictures, books, music, sites ... Anything!

From time to time I'll post some more of mine.

Dealing with Fear

2008-01-31T10:23:00.000+01:00

"The wise man in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger, but from deliverance from fear"

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

No matter how serene and unaffected a person may seem, there isn’t anyone who is totally impervious to fear; everyone gets afraid sometimes. It is therefore not what you feel (fear) but what you do with what you feel. I’ll get to that in a moment.

For many years, I suffered from the debilitating effects of fear. It ruled my life so thoroughly I could not see anything else. Because of this emotion,

I could not realize my full potential
It stole from me; my joy, my dreams, so many things I did not even know about
I lost the friends I could have had. Because I did not want to get rejected, I did not give myself the chance to be accepted.

Countless books and theories abound by the so-called experts on how to deal with fear. I tried them all; self affirmation, mind control et cetera. The question is, do they actually work? Well, maybe they do. For a couple of days. Then the fear breaks through the banks of the mind and floods the soul. Again.

In dealing with fear I discovered certain things:

That there was One who is greater than my greatest fear
That I could get in touch with Him and He was willing to help me.
Of course I already had a relationship with Him, which began when I accepted Jesus Christ as Lord over my life.
I got into the habit of literally giving him my fears.
I spoke what I was afraid of into my palms, clutched them tight and told God about it, gradually releasing them and my fist to Him. It helped
Then I got to know what the Bible said about fear and kept repeating it to myself.

Practically:
- cut out a cardboard sheet to the size of playing cards
- Write down on Bible verse on fear or being afraid on each card. You can do a keyword search on Christianity.Com or Bible.Com
- Read one card everyday. Take it everywhere with you and constantly pull it out to remind yourself.

One thing you do need to remember is that God keeps His promises. If he said He will free you from all your fears, then he most certainly will. You have to have faith though.

Note: He did not say you will never have fears; they just will not have the power to paralyze you anymore.

finding the right words

2008-01-23T18:35:00.000+01:00

Its now one week (almost) since my last post. Its not that I did not want to post anything or that I did not have just what to post, no. I was searching for just the right words to write. See, this is supposed to be a blog about helping people, so i wanted to make sure I did indeed help. What I failed to realise is that there are no right words. I do not have to struggle to make sense. It is left for the Holy Spirit to choose my words for me and bless all those who read this.

Anyway, I just resumed work from the holidays this week and it has taken me a while to shake off the vacation lethargy and get back to work. In fact, after three full days at work I am just finally waking up. I guess that is why most of what I've read in the Bible this week has been about work.

This morning, I read that I should not be lazy but should work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically (Romans 12:11 NLT). It jumped out at me particularly because throughout this week, I've had this verse in the Bible that says whatever my hands find to do, I should do it with all my heart as though it were for the Lord. I kept wondering. I've never had a problem with laziness. Well, not really.

But I have learnt a lot about work this week. It is not about whether I feel like working or not; if I have work, I've got to do it! And more than that, I appreciate that God cares enough to speak to me.

It is easy to know with the head that God cares, but what does the heart say? I suppose this is also like work in a way; it does not really matter if my heart feels that God cares or if it does not. He still cares anyway and He is bigger than what I think. If he took the time out to create a little insect and still takes the time out to make sure they get fed...?

Diggin Out the Pain

2008-01-16T01:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I watched this film about a girl who became an unrepentant prostitute. She was a prostitute or "ashawo" as we call it here in Nigeria but was resolutely unapologetic. This particular young man took interest in her and tried to get her to turn form her ways but his appeal made no difference to her.

As I watched I tried to discern the rationale behind her chosen profession. It obviously was not solely for the money; she was young and had no aversion to hard work. So what could have caused it. What bothered me most was not even the fact that she was indiscriminate about who she had sex with, once she got paid. What really disturbed me was this hardness about her. She did not want to hear about God or a better way of life. She did not want to hear anything at all. When the gospel is preached, there are a myriad reactions. Not everyone is receptive, but at least they react; even if it is to laugh in disdain. She was completely indifferent.

Later on, as the film progressed, i discovered that she had been continuously raped and abused by her father who was a pastor! How was anybody going to convince her that there was a good God out there who cared about her? All of a sudden, her antipathy and hardness of heart made sense. She had suffered so many hurts that to arm herself against further hurts she made herself stop feeling. She had buried the pain so deep, she could not feel it anymore. In order to begin to feel once more, she had to dig up those hurts and examine them. Give them a chance to heal.

A lot of us have gone through one experience or the other that have left scars. we have pains we have buried deep inside that we cannot even remember they exist anymore. But the subconscious remembers and that is why we act the way we do.

We all want to love and be loved, to live a normal and well balanced life. But somehow we find that we are never able to get there. The mind can be funny like that. If there are hurts that have refused to heal, or pains buried deep down, they block the way for the spring of love to well up. It could be anything: childhood abuse; rape; a broken home; a broken marriage; you name it, if we have not allowed LOVE to heal them then it will be impossible to experience love.

Psychologists and Shrinks have said to look deep inside self for the strength to go on. Well, what happens when we dig into the reservoirs of self and come back empty? The Lord Jesus says "Come unto me all you who labour...and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NKJV). The hurt might be decades old and it might seem like its too far gone to heal. But He made us, surely he knows how to fix us. Until that pain is dug out, the love certainly can't spring out.

Read the article Cure for a Broken Heart by Wilma Watson to get practical steps on letting God heal the hurts.