Relationship Series Part 3: Pursuit

I am so sorry for the late post, the last weeks sINCE my last post have been hectic. The first semester will be ending soon and assignments keep coming 😢 BUT anywhooo, better late than never they say 😉

“When was the last time you enjoyed meaningful time alone with God, time so good that you didn’t want to leave? -Francis Chan

If I was asked this question a month ago, my answer would have been a sad but true “a long while back”. Today, I can answer with that it was with something like last week, or yesterday and sometimes this morning. I am not yet at that point where I can say that every day I find it hard to leave God’s presence but I hope to be there one day. I am seeking, I am pursuing God. I will continue to do this for the rest of my life. My hope is that I will pursue Him every day and that He’ll draw me deeper into Himself. I hope to continue to cultivate intimacy with God every day for the rest of my life. That I'll continue to grow.


I don't know where you are in your journey of faith maybe you relate more to my past, or present or future relationship with God. Whichever it may be, I want you to know this: you are not alone.

1. God is with you every step of the way
2. Other believers are in a similar situation/season/phase
3. We have people physically and spiritually cheering us on (Heb. 12)

So with that being said, don't give up, don't loss focus; He who started a good work in you will complete it. He is faithful.

Blessings x

Blessings

Relationship Series Part 2: Unsatisfied

I am not satisfied.

I am not satisfied with the level of intimacy between God and I. 

I came to realize this about a month ago, and although I am in a better situation than I was then, at the moment I am still unsatisfied. My number one new year’s resolution was “more Jesus, less of everything”, how did I deviate from such a beautiful desire? How did I end up in this state of lacking intimacy? 

I wish the answer to such a question was simple. But alas, it isn’t. However, despite the complexity of it all, I realized that the main reason was that I had not really sought God. I had not pursued Him. Yes, I was active in church, I had my daily quiet morning etc. I did all this but missed God. I honestly don’t know exactly how someone can miss God but I did. And I think it’s because I was too busy with school, work, university, church and an LDR. So I concentrated on getting stuff done and not really on Who I was doing it for or why I was doing it. I was going through the motions, trying to keep up with things without having to sacrifice something. But the truth is, I did sacrifice something and that was my intimacy with God. I also resorted to know about God from others and not from Him. I had spent most of the year sitting at His feet but not really listening to Him. I listened to myself or to other resources: friends, books, blog posts, sermons…you name it but I shut my ears to only voice that is worth listening to and that is His. 

What has happened has happened. I lost those opportunities to cultivate intimacy with God. But there is still hope, now I know that sacrifices have to be made and I’ll need to say “no” to certain things and say “yes” to some amazing time with God. Cultivating intimacy with God requires time, it’s something we need to fight to maintain, it doesn’t always come easily but it sure is worth it. The Bible says God wants to be known by us: He says we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. And it also says that what we sow we shall reap. If we seek Him, we shall find Him and if we sow in some good quiet time alone with God, we will reap a harvest of intimacy and transformation.

At the moment, I am fighting.

 Some days I win, some days I lose. I long for the days when I’ll win continuously. I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and I don’t want to give up knowing what I know-that the Lord is good indeed. My walk with God isn’t meant to be some mediocre journey. The Bible is full of people, like David and Moses, who had such intimate relationships with God, and man, weren’t their lives adventurous! You and I can have that too! And don’t forget, there is no magic formula to cultivating intimacy, but it does require that you open your heart to Him. Share your dreams, hopes, fears, worries…share EVERYTHING and LISTEN to Him speak. And if the going gets tough, don’t hesitate to ask for His help.

Blessings 💖

😊Check out this beautiful song:Kari Jobe-The More I Seek You

😊 Verses mentioned in text: Jer. 29:13, Gal. 6:7-10, 2Cor. 9:6

→ There is no magic formula for hearing from God. There's no checklist that will guarantee a message from the Lord. Still we can cultivate a relationship with God that creates room for dialogue. When we know someone well, our conversations move to greater depth and intimacy as we share our joys and fears with them... Just as we deepen our relationships with others theough spending time together and dialoguing about things that are important to us, so we can get to know God better by spending focused time with Him.

 - Melissa Spoelstra

Relationship Series Part 1: Eggshell

I suppose I can say that I grew up in church. I remember going as a kid and I continued to as I grew older. I was surrounded by Christianity not only in church but in school too. So, what I knew about God was mainly from Sunday school, youth group and school. My knowledge and understanding of God developed more in Suriname and Belgium between my late teens and early twenties. In this time, I began to understand God and the Bible more. God was no longer this far-off person and the Bible was no longer “that-book-that-I-couldn’t-understand”.

However, despite this progression, my life was not completely surrendered to Him. Sunday belonged for God and the rest of the week belonged to me. There was a disconnection between the girl who sat in church and the girl who swore and went clubbing until the wee hours of Sunday morning. I thought I could enjoy the best of both worlds but that was a lie from the very pit of hell. I blended in with other church folk externally but was empty on the inside, like an egg shell without it’s crucial internal components. Although I could fool others, I could not fool God. Christ was not the centre of my life.

It’s only by God’s wonderful mercy that I got out of that pit. He placed people in my path that planted seeds of truth that led to my liberty. 

I wrote this post to remind and warn that being a church-goer or in an open relationship with God isn’t real Christianity. The devil wants us to believe that it is okay to love both world and God; that we don’t need to choose one or the other. But that is such a big fat LIE! You can’t have the best of both worlds because you’ll love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24), and loving the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). Choices have to be made, all or nothing choices. God wants all of us not just some of us. We are to love Him with everything that we are: all your heart, all your mind, all your strength and all your soul. 

So maybe you were once like me, and well I thank God that He got us out of that pit! Maybe you are in that pit now, if so, don’t lose hope! He got me out, He surely can do it for you too. All you need to do respond to His call for surrender and daily pick up your cross and follow Him. It doesn’t mean you won’t fall, you will but you’ll get up each time (Proverbs 24:16). 

Blessings

Relationship Series Coming Soon!

Hi there!

I am doing a relationship series!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌

 In these posts I'll be focusing on the relationship statuses I have gone through with God. I have been wanting to write these for a while and was encouraged by a post by a friend, Jessica Starks! Please check out her post here what's your relationship status?. It is a great way to get you thinking as you wait for my posts. I hope and pray that the posts will help your reflect on your own journey: where you have been, where you are and where you want it to be in the future! The series consists of three posts each dealing with the above mentioned themes: past, present and future.

Hope to see you next week, when the first post is published!

Blessings ❤❤❤

Sharing is Caring

The societies we are a living in, especially in the West, are evolving from ones that are concerned about others to ones that are individualized and closed. And as a result, we are becoming the kind of people that "mind our own business" in other words, people that are concerned only about themselves.

 This change and it's consequences are contrary to what God desires of us. Human beings are created in the image of God. God is a relational being and is greatly concerned about our welfare. So when we become less relational and more selfish, we are acting in an abnormal manner. One of the most important ways to show genuine care for others is by sharing the Gospel in word and in deed, God doesn't want us to live among the lost without caring enough to tell them about His love which was so richly expressed in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection three days later.

In the years that I have been living in Belgium, I have found it hard to be an effective witness of Jesus not only because of the above mentioned reason. For the first two years, I was uncertain of my faith although I still sought God, it's not easy to talk about someone you don't know. After my baptism, it was mainly because I was afraid of what people would think of me if they knew that I believed or  I was not confident enough to start a conversation about the Gospel.

But last month, God had been speaking to me and teaching me about evangelism in so many ways.
- He encouraged me to not only know my faith but also share it and  He reminded me that I am His ambassador through whom many will come to know Him.
- He helped me understand that  it's not my job to convict and cause people to confess that Jesus is Lord but that my part is in planting the seed which He will tend and cause to grow.
- He showed me that each day is a day for salvation and that I should seize every opportunity that comes my way.
-  Although I can witness with my lifestyle, I can also do so with my mouth; after all, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This to for me, has been the most important lesson because I had always relied more on my lifestyle to witness to people. However, I have also been given a mouth to speak words of life. One method is not better than the other, both a biblical and both should be used.
- Lastly, He made me realize that wherever and with whoever I am, I am there to witness.

 All this has been a lot to take in but the Holy Spirit both teaches and enables us to do good works of which evangelism is one. We can not witness in our own strength. Instead effective witnessing is a result of a rich relationship God which develops from spending time with Him, the knowledge of one's identity in Christ and a correct understanding of the Bible. The more I will know Him, the easier it will be to tell someone about Him. And the more I understand that I have not been given a Spirit of fear, the more I will not be ashamed to tell others about the Lord. Lastly, the more I understand the Bible, the better I will explain the faith.

The sharing of the Gospel to a single person has a ripple effect, like that which is seen when a stone is thrown in a lake with each subsequent wave growing larger, it not only affects the person in which the seed was planted but also his/her lineage and  the lineage of others around him/her.

What greater gift is there to give to someone than the message of eternal life because of God's love displayed in Jesus' death and resurrection?

Now is the time of salvation! Be bold, be silent no more!



How has God been using you to draw people to Himself? What do you find difficult about the sharing the Gospel? Which songs inspire you to evangelize?

Two songs that have greatly inspired me about witnessing are Tell The World by Lecrae ft Mali Music and  Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective. 

Check out these devotionals from Our Daily Bread about evangelizing:
Evie's Decision
A Pleasing Aroma

Three & Free Indeed!

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. - John 8:34-36 

 Three years ago today, I got baptized and decided to take my walk with Christ seriously :)!
I have had ups and downs, overflows of  living water and dry spells. It hasn't been a problem-free, cherries and roses 3 years. However, it's still the best decision I have ever made, I don't regret it!

A wise person once said that you can't met the real Jesus and stay the same, having Him in my life has indeed changed me for the better. And I am sure that many fellow believers can agree with that! The Gospel changes everything! And definitely for the better!

The song, Thank You Lord by Israel & New Breed, is my celebration song  for this wonderful occasion!

 If you, my friend, are still doubting about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, doubt no more. Believe! His arms are open wide, ready to welcome you to a new life full of adventure! Delay no more. Now is the time for salvation.

When In Rome

I know I haven't written any posts in about 2 months, but my summer was pretty busy. And I enjoyed every (well, maybe most) of it so I would like to share part of it with you!

My boyfriend and I recently visited Rome for 10 days and here are some highlights.

It was lovely but HOT! People think being African means that you can survive all types of hot weather, forgetting that not every African country is located near the equator. I was literally dying lol but luckily, living in Belgium has taught me to appreciate sunny weather as such things are rare in rainy Leuven. Although, I did enjoy the fact that I could finally wear my summer clothes and shoes; some days we were literally either running toward every bit of shade we could find or praying for some clouds. I wish I could say I wasn't warned about the HEAT, I was but the thing is that we had already booked our trip and tried to prepare mentally as much as we could but alas no amount of mental preparation was sufficient. It was just HOT! But the heat had one great advantage, clothes dried by themselves, such a great reminder of Zambia :) (in October,the hottest month of the year.)

Apart from the heat that I enjoyed and dreaded at the same time, we met up with a great friend of ours who traveled all the way from a small town near Florence. Our first view of the city was with her. That day, we walked a lot but got to see the famous Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps etc. We ate some delicious pasta at Pasta di Roma and of course, we didn't forget about the ice cream. It took as some time to find a place with great ice cream at an affordable price but we did and it was super duper yummy. I got hooked on ice cream from then on.

After the first day tour with our friend, we took our time visiting the tourist sites since we had 9 days left.

We visited the inside of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum two days later, thank God that a classmate had advised me to reserve tickets ahead of time because the lines are EXTREMELY LONG. So when we arrived at the entrance it took less than 30 minutes to enter, which is  far better than waiting 3 hours in the heat to buy the tickets. The Colosseum and Roman Forum are breathtaking, it was amazing to learn about how the ancients lived, the persecution of Christians and other minorities. The following night, we meet up with a classmate and close of friend of mine who was also visiting Rome for a couple of days.

The days  in between visiting tourist sites were mainly relaxing in a park or spent indoors online or reading a book.

We also found a church inside the city, this was not an easy task because most churches were located outside the city, miles away from where we stayed. That Sunday we worshiped at Rome Baptist Church, the people are welcoming and the service was different from what we are accustomed to but  still powerful.

The next week, we visited the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. Again, we had reserved tickets and entered the Museums with very little queuing. The Museums are LOVELY and their collections are extravagant, but it's impossible to see everything because there is more to see than there is time. So we decided to see whatever rooms were on our way to the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms and whatever we came across on the way to the exit. The paintings are absolutely breathtaking especially in the Sistine Chapel! St. Peter's Basilica was also spectacular, we entered through the Holy Door which opens every 25 years  (We thought it was open every year but got to know this on the tour)!

We also did a free tour with "The Ultimate Tour Rome", it was about 2-3h and most places we went to like the Pantheon and Piazza Navioni for example we had already seen but what I loved was that we got to know the stories behind them. We also visited the oldest ice cream place in Rome, they have a 150 flavors! Their fruit ice creams are amazing!

Lastly, we did a day trip to Castel Gandolfo, where the Pope spends his summers. The train trip was about 45min and a return ticket was 4.20€! We spent some time swimming in Lake Albano and relaxing on the grass nearby. We had our last dinner here, I ate one of the most delicious seafood pastas I have ever had. However, we had to rush for the train since trains going back to Rome are hourly and we didn't want to head back too late.

All in all, it was worth it and  super grateful to God who provided the time and finances!

If you plan to go to Rome some time in the future, here are 10 tips:

1. Accommodation in Rome is expensive especially during the summer, so book months ahead if you can. You also pay a tourist tax of 3.5€ per day, so when booking check whether this is included in the accommodation price or not.
2. Flying to Rome isn't expensive if you book ahead. We flew to Rome with Ryanair for 64€ return. Ryanair is not very luxurious but it works for short distances and short holidays.
3. Transport to Rome from the airport is easy to find and cheap so no need to book a taxi etc. We took a comfortable bus from Fuimicino to Rome for 6€ and arrived at Rome Termini an hour later. Trains take about 30min for double the price. If you are in a rush or short on time, take the train.
4. If you are going during the summer, remember it's HOT so pack accordingly. You will not need warm or long clothes of any sort, unless you plan to go to the chapels; they have dress-codes.
5. Always carry a bottle of water with you, when it's empty you can fill it again at one of the many fountains in the city. The water is clean and safe to drink!
6. Beware of the street vendors, there are many of them selling items from selfie-sticks to water. They are very persistent, which is understandable because that's how they make their living. The only big problem we had was with the rose vendors who wouldn't accept a "no,thank you".
7. You can always get a delicious meal for a good price away from the tourist sites, if the menu has translations then it's main customers are likely to be tourists and then you won't get to taste authentic Italian cuisine. Don't eat anything that is placed on the table that you haven't ordered and remember that restaurants have the service charge.
8. If you have time, do a free tour!
9. If you have even more time, go for a day trip to a non-touristy area near Rome. Most people go to the beach in the summer, but if you are looking for a peaceful environment that's a no-no. We choose Castel Gandolfo for that reason :)
10. Eat ice-cream at GROM and Della Palma (the place with 150 flavors)! My friend recommended the former, the later is one of the oldest ice-cream places in Rome so drop by if you can! We normally got the small cones for 2.50€, we could choose two different super yummy flavors of ice-cream balls.

Blessings and hugs,

Twisile

Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

Sign post near the Holy Door

Inside the Vatican Museums

Saint Peter's Basilica

Castel Gandolfo and Lake Albano

Masterpieces of Grace

Leuven is a lovely small city. Every year and in different places something is always under-construction, it can be anything but usually it is a building, a road or a roof.The same is true for other cities like Ghent and Brussels. Renovation can be considered as something typically Belgium. Just take a walk outside and you will hear the drilling machines, the sounds of hammers hitting metal and you will see the builders at work from early morning to late afternoon in winter, spring, summer and autumn and in all kinds of weather too. Their dedication is visible. They want to see the project complete and to admire the beautiful result of hard work.  

Apart from Belgians, I  know Someone who is an expert and incredibly skilled in all things regarding restoration, renewal and rebuilding and He works on people. His name is Jesus. You might think and be convinced that people do not need repair, but we do. We are not in our original state. We used to be, until the fall and are in great need of restoration. Let me be explain further.

When God created the earth and made the first humans (Adam and Eve) in His image, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). But Adam and Eve went against God by disobeying Him. This lead to what we call sin, and every human being after Adam and Eve is born with it (Genesis 3). The problem about sin is that it destroys and disfigures us; it has stolen our true identity and left us empty and separated from God. Sin has made a mess of life. But the good news is that God has given us a solution to this sin problem. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who was in every way human as we are but without sin. He lived, died and rose again. In dying all sin was laid on Him and in rising up again from death, He destroyed the power of sin and all it's consequences such as death for example (Hebrews 2:10-18). So when we accept and confess our sins and  trust that Jesus did this for us, we are saved and we receive eternal life, new life (John 3:16, Rom.10:9; 2Cor 5:17).

This new life consists of a lot of restoration, God bringing us to be like His Son; so in a way taking us back to our original state. He intends for us to be as holy and blameless as He is. So Christians are in fact people under-construction, this project lasts for a lifetime and ends either when we die or when Jesus returns (1Cor 15:35-58). Jesus through His Holy Spirit and our effort is slowly but surely changing our hearts and giving us new habits, new goals, new attitudes (Titus 3:5). Some habits are easier to break than others, some new characteristics will take more time and energy to learn. Some wounds are harder to heal, and painful to treat but they will be healed completely because God is not the type who doesn't finish His projects (Philippians 1:6). However, we should not use this fact that we are being renovated as an excuse to fall back into old destructive habits but as a propeller that energizes to seek to work and cooperate with God. 

And the great thing about this restoration is that, God is not only restoring human beings but everything and one day there will be a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21).

Salvation is only the beginning and Christ is making all things new!

Share your story in the comment section below or with a sister or brother, what new habits has God placed in you? What old habits has He taken away? 

For further reading on this topic, check out the links below (the short list) ;)

http://odb.org/2016/05/01/the-restoration-business/
http://odb.org/2016/05/04/out-of-the-ruins/
http://odb.org/2015/12/02/glass-beach/
http://odb.org/2016/02/03/training-for-life-2/
http://odb.org/2015/06/03/something-new/
http://odb.org/2015/07/27/the-checkup/

Daily Choices & Decisions (Wisdom II)

In my last post, I wrote about wisdom and God (No Longer Encyclopedias). In this post, I am focusing on how to get wisdom and why it is beneficial. 

  

The Bible encourages us to ask for wisdom from God and trust Him to give it to us (James 1:5). Therefore, just as Solomon asked God for wisdom, so can we. For the longest time, I have only asked for academic wisdom but then I realized that I was limiting myself and was in greater need of wisdom for life.

Receiving wisdom doesn't mean that I will SUDDENLY know and understand all things. It's not automatic. If we look at Solomon, his wisdom was first displayed in the judgement of who the baby's mother was (1 Kings 3:16-28) and that was a sometime after he received it from God. And he didn't suddenly write thousands of poems and proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34), he wrote them over the course of his life. So when we ask and receive wisdom, we don't suddenly become super geniuses but it's a process that is visible in our actions and decisions day after day.
 

from 887thebridge.tumblr.com

Wisdom therefore is displayed in the daily decisions we make. For example, the Bible says in Proverbs that "he who vents his anger is a fool", but that "a person's wisdom makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 29:11; 19:11). This is something I am currently struggling with. The thing is, my boyfriend is forgetful unlike me; and there have been times where I have gotten angry over the silliest things that I could have easily overlooked but my own pride and foolishness always got in the way. And it's only afterwards that I realize that I have hurt his feelings and did show him love. So although I have asked for wisdom, I am learning to live wisely daily by seeing my wrongs and aiming to do better next time. It does not mean that I will not fail, the honest truth is that I will but the important thing is that I will get up each time and try my to do better the next time by the power of the Spirit (the righteous fall seven times, they rise again; Proverbs 24:16). 

So far, I have written about how we can get wisdom. Now, a good question to ask is: why on earth would you want wisdom? Here is a short list of the benefits of wisdom, the rest can be found in the Bible ;)         
Proverbs 19:8 = it shows that you love yourself and it will cause you to prosper
Proverbs 1:33 = you will live in peace, untroubled by harm.
Proverbs 2:12, 16 = will save you from evil people, from immoral women
Proverbs 3:13-18, 35; = more precious than silver, gold or rubies; life and riches and honor;
Proverbs 4:4-9 = protection, good judgement,honor

So don't miss out! Get wisdom!

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise" -Ephesians 5:15

God bless you!  

No Longer Encyclopedias (Wisdom)

In this post and the ones to follow I will be writing about wisdom: what is it, how to get it and why it's important (i.e. what are the benefits).

 Many of us when we hear the word  wisdom automatically think of Solomon. Although wisdom is instantaneously linked  to Solomon, it does not start nor end with him. 

So what is wisdom?

photo credit: simplydivinelove.blogspot.com

Wisdom is found in God and that's where Solomon got his (1Sam. 3). In Job and Proverbs, we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear the Lord means to have reverence for Him, and reverence is to show respect or honor. And what other better way is there to show God that He is worthy of honor and respect other than to obey Him? Wisdom is obedience, this should be an obedience out of love (trust me, you don't want be a Pharisee). Thus without God there is no wisdom and when you find God you also find wisdom. Colossians 2:3 also tells us that all wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ. That's why I think that the Bible also says that he who says there is no God is a fool (Psalm 14:1). And here is where we see that wisdom is not equal to intelligence because there are some pretty clever people out there that don't believe in God. Thus human wisdom will not get you anywhere with God,we need His wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

How does it differ from knowledge?

 "Wisdom is the right use of knowledge." -Charles Spurgeon

  

"Knowledge is awareness of facts and

 wisdom is awareness of how to use those facts for good goals."- John Piper

So it's knowing what you should and should not do, and acting upon it. (Eph.5:15-17, James 1:22)

Let me give an example to make it more clearer. I recently read a book on sexual purity. I learned a lot from it, it was a great eye-opener. As long as I don't apply what I learned, I am not better than where I was before. Yes, I may know that the devil and my flesh are fighting within me to take the upper hand and cause me to fail, and I may know that I need the Holy Spirit to win this fight.But as long as I don't apply what I learned; then I might as well have not read the book. Then I am being a fool! 

This is applies to everything.For example in our readings of the Bible a lot of truth is revealed to us but as long as we don't apply and use it. As long as we don't let it marinate and take root in our hearts, then they just plain facts. This is an issue I recognize in myself, I read the Word daily but I am very weak spiritually because one of the reasons is that I am being a fool and not applying what am reading. And honestly, am fed up and super happy that God has shown me the step that am missing out time and time again.

Thus in all our getting, let us get wisdom by acting on our knowledge.
  
 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." - Matthew 7:24

 "If you don’t have wisdom that goes with knowledge, you are only a walking encyclopedia. A book of knowledge is useless without the wisdom to know how to apply that knowledge." - Jack Wellman

Stay blessed xoxo

 The book I read on purity is called Sex and the Single Christian Girl by Marian Jordan Ellis (YOU SHOULD READ IT'S AMAZING). Thanks to my dear friend, Mukase, for recommending it to me :)

Lost & Found

I don't know why but I am learning a lot from phones lately. 

On Saturday, I made a trip to Germany. And on one of my trains to my final destination I found an iPhone 6 on a chair. I tried to find the train conductor to hand it in but there was none. So I took it with me hoping that the owner or one of their contacts will finally call after realising that it's missing. To cut the story short, a day later I received neither a call nor a message. I was desperate to find the owner but helas the phone was locked and I eventually was left with the option of handing it to the police which I did. I would have rather seen the phone back in the owner's hands but not handing it in to the police would have been deemed as robbery. No finders-keepers principle here. The law is clear about such things (theft by finding).

But then it got me thinking. How can someone FORGET AN  IPHONE 6 FOR SO LONG? HOW??? How can anyone forget their smartphone? Definitely not me (LOL) but now I know that it can happen. Maybe the person didn't value it or it's not precious to them. Or maybe they are not a phone person which is hard to imagine nowadays but it's possible. 

Then I remembered Jesus who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10, Matthew 18:11). He went to great lengths, the greatest lengths actually to save us who were lost. He didn't forget about us nor leave us to find a solution ourselves; But He became flesh and died a criminals death for our sake and He rose again on the 3rd day so that we may have eternal life. We sure are precious to Him. No doubt about that.  He did so much for us all. He came for ALL people, every single human being is precious to Him. Today He is calling and opens His arms to everyone who believes in Him and sees their need for Him. He loves you and has shown the greatness of His love. A love that nothing can separate us from. 

We aren't meant to stay lost forever instead we are meant to be with Him forever. 

Thank you Lord that you didn't  forget us but came to seek and save that which was lost. 

"Jesus, you are the one who saves, not us. Thank you for rest, for hushing the furious winds of our faithless works. Thank you for stopping the strivings of our souls. Overcome us more and more with the glory of your grace, and make our posture toward others echo this summary of your gospel: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”" - Jonathan Parnell

If you haven't accepted Jesus into your life, you can do it now. Now is the time of salvation. Don't delay.

God bless xoxo

Underneath It All

I finally got a new phone! 

It's been a journey. My last phone ditched me at my sister's birthday party. It fell down to its destruction. I must admit I should have handled it with more care. When my phone stopped working, my sister gave me her old phone to use [good sister :)]. But man it was a struggle. The first week with that phone taught me a lot about myself. I could hardly take out the phone in public. I was ashamed and afraid of what people might think. I remember texting with my phone hidden in my bag and the frustration with the fact that it was super slow whenever I wanted to call someone. All in all the phone showed me that I view myself and others mostly based on what they own. I judge someone mostly based on their appearance. And that's just horrible.
It reminded me of Samuel when God asked Him to go and anoint a son of Jesse to be Israel's new king instead of Saul (1Samuel 16). When he saw David's older brother, tall and handsome; he thought to himself surely this is the one the Lord meant to appoint as king. But he was wrong and God told him “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” . - 1 Sam.16:7

Many a time we are too quick to judge people and ourselves based on the outside. But a beautiful face doesn't necessarily mean a beautiful heart.

Jesus also talked about this. He called the Pharisees and teachers of religious law white washed tombs with rattling bones inside (Matthew 23:27).

The world does emphasize an external beauty. You see outward beauty promoted everywhere. The media is constantly promoting fashion and weight loss above good behavior and the celebrities some of us look up to have no depth when it comes to character either. 

I don't know about you but I want to be different. I don't want to judge books by their covers. Yes nice clothes etc have their role to play but they are not and should not be the deciding factor about a person's identity. I wanna choose character over wardrobe. And I thank God for my broken phone cause I desperately needed an awakening. I want to see people the way God sees them. Some might argue, well maybe God created us to see people that way after all He said that people don't see as He does. That argument however is only correct to a certain extent, yes we are not God and can't see people exactly as He does but we as believers are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. And Christ was not partial, for example He approached the Samaritan woman at the well despite cultural differences.Therefore, we should strive to be Christ-like with the help of the Holy Spirit because its not something that we can do on our own.

"Dear God, help me to value what You value. 

As I follow Your example, I pray that You will be pleased with what 

You see in my heart. "- Our Daily Bread (An Inside View)

God bless you all xoxo

This Year #2016

The count down is over, the anticipation has ended. 2016 is here!

 And day 1 is almost gone. All I can say is that time flies. It waits for no one and is controlled by the Almighty God Himself.

2015 was quite a year for me, a lot of things happened, things that broke me and others that built me. Things that made me laugh with joy and others that made me ache with pain. But through it all God was faithful and continues to be. When I entered 2015 last year, it was a new year full of hope and expectations and some fear. I didn't know what lay ahead days,weeks or months from that very first day.

And here I am again. The first day of 2016, still not knowing what lies ahead but hoping and trusting in God that whatever comes, all I need is Him by my side. The only way I will be able to face anything that comes, be it victories or defeats, is by getting to know Him at a deeper level. That is my top priority, more of Jesus less of everything. 


Happy 2016 everyone! May God continue to bless you and  continue to seek Him in all you do :)