"No Man is an Island"

"No man is an island entire  of itself, every man is a piece of the continent". 
- John Done, 'No Man is an Island'

We need each other. Life is about working together; yes, they are some things that each of us can manage by ourselves but there are many things that we could not, cannot and will not be able to do without the help of others. The Bible encourages us to care for each other whether it be with food,clothing,company or spiritual growth. To name a few verses;
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
 
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:4).

Therefore, I would like to thank a couple of people, that God placed in my path, who put aside their own interests and guided me to make my faith a vital part of my life.

I spent my last 3 years of high school at a Christian school in Suriname and I want to thank all the staff for organizing youth group, encouraging me and answering my questions when I was confused. Thank you Mrs Lightcap for helping understand how loving God is, Mrs Fernandes for giving me my first Bible, Mrs Ndlovu for being my first mentor and for giving me my very first devotional (My Utmost to His Highest) and last but not least, Ms Carmen, I can't mention everything that you have done and still continue to do but I truly appreciate all of it; you provided me with many Bible study books and also encouraged me to find a church here in Leuven.

I want to thank my church family at the Christ Centered Church Leuven. You have all made me feel so at home and being around such godly people has resulted in my growth. Pastor Seth and Mama Rosemary, thank you for organizing Bible Study and Prayer Meeting and for encouraging people to not only participate but also lead, and also for telling us to subscribe to Our Daily Bread and thus helping us read our Bible's everyday. Naomi, you have been a great mentor. When I used to cancel and not really appreciate our Bible Study you never gave up. You have taught me so much and you never forced your opinions on me, you always let me decide for myself what I was ready to give up or change about my life.

Lastly, I want to thank my older sister, Chibwe, who encourages me when am down and stressed and overwhelmed and also makes me laugh.You know my addiction for Christian music and you have helped me add new songs to my playlist. Staying in Belgium with you has made life easier and I am truly grateful to be here with you!

So dear reader, take the  time each day to thank God and also the people in your life  for who they are and what they have done and continue to do for you. Also help others achieve their goals and dreams. Help them flourish, the little that you do can have a great impact.

We all need each other, no one can truly say that he has achieved everything in his life by himself. I would not be where I am now spiritually if it weren't for all these people in my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for my family's care and love.

The Lord's Plans Prevail

Ask anyone who knows me very well and they will tell you that I am a planner. I love to make plans, schedules and organize things. So when it came to this blog it was not an exception, I had many plans. I had planned for this blog to be about fashion and my experiences as a student in Belgium. However, all that changed recently and that is as a result of getting closer to God. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's go back to the beginning.

Every year at graduation, it was my school's tradition to give the graduates a Bible as gift. So when I graduated on the 27 of May 2011, I was also given a Bible. I have been reading my Bible everyday so far this year,and on one of those days, I opened the very first pages and this was written by our Director, Mrs Evelyn C.Jones:

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." -Proverbs 19:21

I remember that after I read these few words, I was in complete awe and shock because they were very true. God's plans are sovereign, they cannot be changed or stopped. They are final. The verse does not mean that we shouldn't make plans but when we do make plans, we should keep in mind that in the end God has the final say over everything! In fact, as I consider this simple truth, I am overjoyed because not only are His plans far better than any human plan (Isaiah 55:8) but they are also good (Jeremiah 29:11). So I have no need to worry and I am happy that in this way, through this blog, I can glorify God. I wanted this blog to be all about fashion and my life abroad but now it will be all about God. I want to share with you my experiences as a Christian. I am not an expert, I am still growing but I do hope that the little that I will tell will touch and change your life.

PS: I saved the very first post I ever made. Don't hesitate to check it. It clearly shows how the plans have changed :)