The Dawn of a New Year

"The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." Deuteronomy 28:13

As the sun set on another incredible year, people exchanged laughs about the crazy memories they’ve shared, they reflected on the loved ones lost, new births celebrated and true loves found. They raised their glasses in honour of all they have achieved and all they are going to achieve, all their challenges overcome and their incessant battles won. As we look to Facebook to remind us of our “highlights” of 2013, can I maybe just encourage you to look at the lowlights which weren’t necessarily in the spotlight but have been a lamp unto your feet to get you to where you are today. The little moments that have shaped your heart to be bolder and more courageous, the moments that have stretched you to trust more and to be content with the love that God has for you. If I look at my year in reverse it has truly been the best year of my life, in 2012 God showed me a bit of the world, last year God showed me a bit of His world! I can honestly say that if you can’t sense God in the sunlight, in the smell of the ocean or in the splendour of nature then it’s all useless and the beauty of the world is without purpose.

Who knew that my travels wouldn’t end when I arrived home from London on the 14^th of December 2012, but that God had greater travels in store for me, to take me to new heights and to push me beyond anything I could have ever imagined, challenging me to rise above and beyond any obstacle I had to face with surety that His love would be there to catch me when I fall. As humans, love is just as much a necessity as water, light and oxygen, I’m happy I’ve found a love that never runs dry, a love that glows in the dark and a love that makes me feel like I can breathe again, I found my hope and love in Jesus Christ.

Here is a personal highlight reel of everything God has done for me in 2013:

My Job:

When I got back from overseas it was very, very tough trying to get back into the design industry, I went to several interviews all posing different problems, I was praying about it and wanted God to bless me with the right job. I met up with my friend for sushi and she gave me the contact number of the design agency her company uses and low and behold it was perfect, very close to home and they were indeed looking for a new designer but haven’t advertised the position yet. I went for the interview and got the job. During my first 3 months I wasn’t really entrusted with any work so the boss decided to cut my salary to half of what I was originally earning. For the first time in my life I doubted myself as a designer but instead of giving up, I decided to press into prayer and ask God every morning to bless me with more responsibility and then deliverance, and so He did. Each week I got more tasks and more clients and everyone was beyond happy with the work I was delivering, I received an increase and come year end I was running campaigns for huge clients. Sometimes God knocks you off your high horse so that you will become dependent on Him and not on your own abilities. God kept reminding me that 2013 was a year of preparation, and that this job was an “in the meantime job” I held onto God’s promise and now I’m lucky enough to be part of the Internship programme at Hillsong Church next year. The company I worked at was amazing, but I know that God has called me to do something even greater!

The Passing of My Uncle:

My uncle passed away at the beginning of the year, although he was only an uncle through marriage to my aunt, the loss of his life was no less painful. The family fought the good fight, we prayed and I fasted, and we truly believed for a miracle, but unfortunately God took him home. Through the loss of His life, the rest of my family gained life. We have not only become closer to each other but we have drawn closer to God. The loss of my uncle made me realise how desperately I needed to have God in my life which ultimately led to my salvation, and for that I will always be grateful. You see sometimes we have to lose the things closest to us to realise that inner strength can only be found from the sacrificial love of our saviour.

Driver’s License:

After failing my drivers twice in 2011, having my learners expire during my move to London in 2012, I was determined to make 2013 my year. You see some people are gifted with the ability to drive, and then there is me... frozen at the thought of ally-docking and pulling away on an incline. Not having my license made it very difficult to serve at my church so I decided to start this blog in the mean time. I made a promise to God and told Him that if He gave me my license I would serve my heart out. God blessed me with my license but because He always gives you more than you expect He also made it possible for me to use my dad’s car in the evenings as my dad’s working hours were shortened a week after I got my license. I now serve in Hillsong Kids and run a connect group with one of my best friends, Tara.  Can I just encourage you to get plugged in at church during 2014, not only will you develop a deeper relationship with God but you will start to see people the way God sees them, the more time you spend serving and growing in fellowship with people the more you will love them and have a deep desire to elevate and encourage them to become the best that they can be. To love others and to be genuinely loved in return is one of God’s greatest blessings.

Meeting New Friends:

Okay if you know me, or know me well, I’ve probably tried to make you my best friend by smothering you in hugs, adding you on Facebook and/or following you on Instagram. I don’t know why but I have an insane obsession with meeting new people, I wasn’t always like this but it’s become a habit of late. At the start of the year “I was just a small town girl, living in a lonely world...” okay enough of my Journey rendition, but being part of a huge church like Hillsong has its perks and its drawbacks. I found it very difficult to make friends at church especially when everyone already knew each other. After I was saved, I felt very alone, I didn’t really want to party hard anymore but I didn’t have a different group of friends to just chill with when my other friends were out partying, but after weeks upon months of prayer I met some amazing girl friends at Encounter the youth conference and as they say, “The rest is history”. Now I have the amazing Blackpanndjat, 4Shore and my connect girls, yes we name our girl groups because we cool like that. God still continues to bless me with amazing new friends all the time and this continues to be God’s greatest blessing in my life.

Favour is yours for the taking, you just have to be willing to acknowledge and accept the blessing. People often use the term, “Everything happens for a reason” to justify the so called failures in their life, but we sometimes forget that all our decisions should be within reason and that things will work out according to His reasoning no matter what silly mistakes we’ve made or what silly mistakes we’re bound to make. Let’s be sure to make 2014 a year of reason, to guarantee that only the best fruits are produced during each season. May you continue to draw close to God no matter what circumstances you are faced with, this is the only way I can promise you a prosperous year ahead!

Can I encourage you to start your year off on the right with the How To Maximise Your Life Devotional by Ps Brian Houston.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

This topic has been on my heart for little over a month now, I’ve rewritten this post several times in my head but I finally have an opportunity to share something that I feel we should all re-evaluate in our life, allowing it to resonate within our heart, and ultimately changing our outlook on everything, the topic is Value and Self-Worth.


“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its saltiness, how will you restore it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another.” Mark 9:50


This wonderful teaching by Jesus can be interpreted in numerous ways, but my take on it is fairly simple. Value is great, but if we lose self-value, how can we expect others to value us? You can’t find value in the lives of others if you don’t highly value your purpose and reason for existence first. Always regards yourself as worthy, as valued, only then will you live at peace with the people in your life.

The Bible states that you should love your neighbour as you love yourself. The commandment always made me feel a little conceited, surely I should love others more than I love myself, but when I had this revelation about “Value” it occurred to me, I need to first understand my significance on this earth before I can fully grasp the importance of others in my life. We should first learn to love ourselves before we can even attempt to love others.

People oh so often let others determine their value and worth, they let others label them and define them forgetting that their names were already written in the stars long before they were even born. If someone makes you feel like you aren’t valued, that spending time with you is an effort rather than a joyous event and that speaking to you is just for their benefit, then I want you to know you deserve better.

Just because you value others doesn’t mean they will always place the same value on you. But at that point you should decide am I going to be the Pick n Pay No Name Brand to the people who undervalue me or am I going to choose to be the luxury brand that people will hold on to because they regard me as too valuable to use or lose. Ladies always remember one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, don’t settle for being treated like trash, you are beautiful, you are strong, humble, caring and independent and you deserve to be treated like Fine China. Find your Identity and self-worth in the Father, He loves you so much so how can you not love his perfect creation, yes I’m talking about you! 

“Worth is not achieved, it is received through God!” – PS Judah Smith.

Don’t manipulate or deceive yourself into believing that the person you regard as valuable carries any true value in your life if they not willing to place the same value on you! If you feel like you have to keep fighting to prove your self-worth, then is it really worth it? My advice to you is to simply let it go, you deserve someone who would do anything to have you in their life, a friend that would jump to help you in any time of need, a boyfriend or girlfriend that wants to show you off to the world, you should value yourself enough not to settle for anything less.

I want you to take a look at the things in your life that your regard as valuable, the things you feel you simply can’t live without. Is it worth the value you have placed on it? Some people, actually most people, regard themselves as more important than the people around them, making choices regardless of the effect it may have on others. The commandment states “Love your neighbour as you love yourself”, not “Love yourself more than you love your neighbour”. Yes you are a gifted by God, but you not God’s gift to mankind, that spot can only be filled by one person and that’s Jesus.

I want you to learn from others, when people tell you about their day, their testimony or even their revelation, don’t try and “one up” them, instead take in what they have said and learn from it! I believe if we can find value in the existence of others, in the words that they speak and the achievements they have accomplished, then we are one step closer to identifying the true meaning of what worth actually is. Words carry tremendous value when spoken from the heart, so make sure that your outward actions is a true representation of your inward thinking. Don’t be the person who only speaks empty promises and lies, make sure that every word spoken will have a positive reaction in the lives of the people that cross your path.

Be the perfect stranger that will spare some time to help out a ‘weary traveller’. Encourage your friends and family instead of snarking at their achievements. Love without boundaries even if you have been rejected, hurt or deceived.

God gave us the most valuable thing to Him, His one and only Son, because He placed value on us. In spite of how little people valued the teachings of Jesus, the miracles He displayed and the love He spread, Jesus had a mission to achieve, a purpose to fulfil. Even though people couldn’t see, or understand the purpose Jesus had while on earth, His existence made us who we are today, totally free.

Sometimes people can’t see how important you are until you take a step back, some people don’t even notice that you’ve left, but you have a predetermined destiny and you shouldn’t let the opinions of others hold you back from achieving it. Once you start to value yourself and see your identity in Christ, God will always have a way of showing you how valuable you really are... He will surround you with people who truly love you, He will bless you with favour whether it be a promotion, an increase or even a leadership role at your university or school. He will be sure to encourage you through your colleagues, your lecturers, teachers or parents. And if that fails, walk into your closest church, I can almost guarantee you that you will feel more loved than ever before.

You are worthy, you are chosen, you are loved and never forget it!

Loving Love - Part 2

As they say the best things in life come in two’s, it takes two to tango, things are twice as nice and everyone loves a two for one deal. So I decided to make this topic a two part series, because inevitable there are two parts to life, firstly pre-love and there after true love.

There will be many loves in your life, you might think that the person you spent 5 years with was and must be the perfect one for you. He ends up breaking your heart and you simply can’t muck up the courage to move forward. I want to encourage you not to be afraid to love again. “God never works backwards, he only moves you forward” Your future will always be better than your past. Yes, great, sometimes round two does work, but then don’t go into the relationship complaining about the same things, it was your choice to go back so now you have to take it as it comes which leads me to the next subheading...

Don’t Settle

We all love to settle...We take what we can get, but why? Lack of confidence?  Loss of hope? Limited choices? Fear of rejection? I feel people tend to settle for someone they think they deserve, they aim low instead of striving high. Some tend to be with someone out of convince and commitment rather than passion and love. You may confuse attention for affection, everyone wants to be wanted, but when you knee high in a real-ationship you tend to realise that the zeal isn’t real and before you know it, you have to break the person’s heart. How do you determine if your feelings are real? Well for me personally I know that I want to see that person again as soon as they leave, hours feel like minutes and smiling becomes as normal as breathing.

God wants the very best for you, I’m not saying that the people you are choosing are not great people as we are all perfect in God’s eyes, but God wants the very best for ‘you’ in particular! He wants you to choose someone who will lift you up instead of tear you down, someone to make you flourish when the rest of the world is out to demolish and most importantly someone who is walking in the same path as you and not running in circles. There is a Mr Perfect, but with patience comes perfection.

Love to be Loved

All too often I have seen people in loveless relationships, to afraid to talk about how they truly feel. They sweep things under the rug until they choke on their own dirt. Love is a two way thing, you can’t complain about things if you not willing to work on yourself first. You go into a relationship to serve, to give and to put someone’s needs above your own.  Real love is selfless and kind, and when both people have this factor in mind, then a common denominator is found. Lack of effort and spitefulness are silent killers, as humans we always want to be put first, but when that happens it becomes all about me and less about you, and didn’t you get into that relationship, put everything on the line, just to be close to that person as much as possible? God loved us even when we didn’t love him, he loves us even though we continue to sin, he sacrificed his one and only son to save us and give us hope for better days, to give us an opportunity to be close to him. We need to love with our whole heart not just the parts we want to share otherwise you’ll be the reason for your own broken heart.

Don’t Make Someone Your Everything

As much as I just encouraged you to love with your whole heart I believe that one shouldn’t make someone your whole life. Your heart is only one part of your body, but there are many other vital organs that are needed to make your body function properly. People come and people go, love is lost, new love is found. As much as we like to hope that everything will always work out perfect in the end, sometimes it doesn’t and life throws you a curve ball. It’s your choice whether you are able to focus on the bigger picture or if you still trying to connect the dots to form the picture you have been trying to figure out for most of your life.

I wish people could understand that God isn’t a genie, we can’t just rub a lamp, make some wishes and then send Him to where he came from. We think because genies say you can’t wish for true love you kind of feel selfish when you ask God to bless you with someone perfect. I tend to dance around the subject, with the feeling that God has bigger problems to fix, I sometimes forget that He created love, He wants us to feel wanted, accepted and appreciated. He is our best friend, our wing man, our encouragement, our shoulder to cry on, the greatest listener and definitely offers the best advice.

The greatest love story ever told is the one of our saviour; it’s an epic love, an irresistible love, a love that knows no boundaries, an eternal love, a love that forgives, a love that comforts and protects, a love that offers security, assurance, understanding, peace and hope. A love that is sacrificial, effortless, and wholesome. A love that is unshakeable, unbreakable and undeniable.  His love surpasses all, even if the person you seek after is never found; find comfort in the fact that you will never truly be alone.

Just Keep Running

“Things fall apart for better things to come together” they say, but sometimes it’s really difficult for us to grasp this concept. After endless weeks of listening intensely to the word, and through the scripture God has been revealing to me, everything is finally coming together.

Everything in your life makes sense, when you begin to sense God’s movement. The Holy Spirit is our sixth sense, guiding us, informing us and reminding us of God’s divine plan for our lives.

People treat life as a race to the finish, competing with others to reach first place. Rushing through seasons, trying to outsmart and outwit life in general.

 I, however, see life as a relay, let me explain:

With heads down, heart pounding in our throats, unsure of what is to come, we walk up to the starting line:

This is our season of preparation, the season where we feel nothing is going right for us, where we feel the world is against us. For some this season of preparation is short, for others it can last way longer and for most they never really leave the finish line due to the fear and anxiety that has completely consumed their being.

I feel this season of preparation allows God to separate us completely from our fleshly lives. Ask yourself this question, would you still be happy if you were to be stripped from everything and only have God in your life? No job, no friends, no family, no cities, just you on open land with God? Is He enough for you? The moment you can say yes to this and mean it, then my friend, you ready for your race.

Someone will always start ahead of you:

We all like to point at people and say they were blessed from the beginning, whether it be being born into a wealthy family, having unlimited talents, or endless opportunities. Fact remains, we all have to start somewhere. We may even begin our race at a different time in our lives than others, but we are all given an opportunity for a start and it’s our decision whether we take it or not.

The race begins:

Boom, and we are off to a start, once God catapults us forward that’s when the race beings. With our head held high we off to a blistering start, He directs our steps and allows us to swiftly move forward. All the pieces come together and before we know it we in full motion, life seems great!

A steady momentum:

This is the point in our life where we seem completely content with everything, we happy with the speed we at and sometimes our contentment becomes complacency. I, personally, would not recommend this, keep pushing forward, strive to be like those leaders ahead of you and be an encouraging leader to those who trail you.

Out of breath:

As unfit as most of us are we are bound to lose our breath, we are going to feel like giving up, people are going to overtake us in life but we need to decided whether we are going to pull out and go off track or whether we are going to push forward no matter how the pain consumes us, how unbearable or even impossible another step forward may seem.

A burst of energy:

When gravity pulls you down, when your situations leave you feeling completely out of breathe, allow the Spirit to give you a burst of energy, a gust of fresh air. Refresh yourself in the word, in the love you have for others and in that intense bond you have with Jesus Christ our Saviour. The greatest push is at the very end, when your role in the race comes to an end. We don’t know when our race will end, it could be just around the bend, we need to stay focused and be ready to hand over the baton at any time.

Baton exchange:

When our journey comes to an end, we pass on our legacy to the next, the people we have influenced, the lives we have changed and the love we have shown all influences the lives of others, we can jump start their calling, through encouragement and support. The impact we make in other people’s lives can only truly be seen once we leave earth, while we are enjoying our eternal rest.

We are not on this earth to compete; we all start stagnant and strive for the same finish line, it’s our faith that gets us on track. We may fall behind at times, but truth is we are no different to the murderer who holds a gun to our chest, no different to the father who abuses us or the mother who left us, no different to the spouse who cheated on us or even the sibling who stole from us, the best friend that betrayed us, or our role model who disappointed us. We all have an opportunity to run the same race, restoration is better than isolation, lets run this race together because celebration is better together.

“...For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners!” Matthew 9:13

Encounter13 – Take it to the Streets

If you asking yourself what Encounter is, you missed out on one mad party. Encounter13 was a 3 day youth and young adult conference held by my church, Hillsong SA. I could do a whole write up about the physical attributes of the conference but it’s the emotional realization that truly moved and captivated every inch of my body and soul. From the herd, crowd, army of people, to the roar and cheer of hundreds during worship, words cannot explain what God is doing in South Africa. We look at our country as being hopeless but I’m telling you, our youth is warriors they are far wiser than one can ever imagine and with a force like this, South Africa will be a land that will prosper, a land that has leaders who genuinely care about the well being of their brothers and sisters, if we continue to speak greatest over our country it will happen, maybe not right now but in the generations to come.

Don't only praise Him in the church, praise Him in the Streets. God's goodness has no boundaries and our love for Him should be the same!

My personal Encounter was more than just a great time, in these last 3 days I have grown so much as a person, I have received direct answers and the plan and purpose for my life was revealed as if I were reading a story book. Through the words people spoke into my life to my own personal spirit filled moments, “You may be small, but I have BIG plans for you” being repeated over and over in my head as if I were listening to a motivational podcast or something, I know that only time is keeping me from pursing God’s divine calling upon my life. Funny thing is, I’m not exactly sure what my calling is yet, where I am heading but one thing I do know is that I trust His directions, as Robert Madu calls it “GPS, God’s Positioning System”.

On Thursday evening when I got back from Encounter, my mind was racing faster than Sea Biscuit on an open field. The next morning at work I decided to write down everything the Spirit laid onto my heart, last night Ps Robert Madu answered almost EVERY question I wrote on the paper that morning, crazy how God works right?

I wrote this in my journal: “I want an effortless Holy Spirit encounter, I try so hard to get that awesome Holy Spirit filled high that it tends to be the only thing I pray about! I forget just to be present, and that from the day I was saved the Holy Spirit already resonated within me and I in Him. Life is difficult enough! Trying to encounter the “feeling” of the presence of the Spirit should be effortless. I must stop trying so hard to “impress” God with my good deeds, and I should stop trying to win Him over, through the perfect sacrifice which is Christ we have been made perfect, if our hearts are right our deeds will follow, and then I will be a God pleaser and not a people pleaser or a self deceiver!” And if any of you heard Ps Robert Madu’s message last night you would know that he answer all of this so wonderfully! One sentence in particular summed it up for me “We seek so much after God that we tend to forget that God will seek after us, God has been waiting on us!” As soon as the podcasts are up I will post a link.

My Encounter Counter:

How to be a Proud Christian without being a Christian with Pride?

I have actually asked myself that question numerous times over, because we all know that pride is a silent killer. A Christian with pride says “Look at me and my good deeds”, a proud Christian allows others to see their goodness and points to Him in humility. A Christian with pride is quick to talk about how great God has been for them but has no interest in much else. A proud Christian is slow to speak and quick to listen, and appreciates the revelation and blessings others receive. Be proud of everything God has done for you without taking pride in your own capabilities “wisdom” and talents.

Changed and Not Ashamed:

People are reluctant to change; they can’t understand the difference in you and naturally tend to reject you because of it. When you experience a conference like Encounter the devil is on a mission to kill your spirit and on Thursday he almost did just that. Someone told me about something nasty someone else said about me, and it really upset me. I know it shouldn’t but it was something quite hurtful. I read my bible Friday morning and guess which passage God presented me with? The story about Joseph who used to declare his excitement for God and the visions God had for him, but as a result his brothers who did not share the same passion as he did sold him as a slave, and through the difficult experiences Joseph endured God developed his wisdom and prepared him for his life’s call!

Be Obedient:

Ah this has be to my greatest realization over the past 3 days, I listened for the Spirit and when I followed clear instructions that is where the miracles happened. Some too personal to share but all I can say is listen to that voice and do it no matter how terrified the thought of it may make you feel, your blessing is on the other side of your obedience!

Be Thankful:

Yes as humans we tend to never be happy with things, I’ll be honest I complained about a couple of things on Thursday, like Encounter opening up the doors to everyone after I registered and paid, and the church being so full on the first night that I was cramped and had to sit on the floor, but then I thought to myself how amazing is it that a church in this modern day is filled to the brim with youth. I should be celebrating not complaining, if someone who has never been in God’s house has the opportunity to come bring them, bring them all! This is revival. I am truly thankful to Hillsong as a whole for being a strong foundation for me to stand on while continually reaching out to God! For feeding my restless soul with soul food and for pouring His living water into my life! Encounter13 must have been one of the greatest experiences of my life, it challenged my heart, it was truly a revelation!  A special thank you to all the guest speakers, our amazing leaders and to all the people I met who inspired me with their stories!

Always remember to check yourself before you wreck yourself, believe to receive, a Bentley can still leave you feeling empty, love like it’s not enough, be happy even when times are crappy, be proud even though you might have to face a crowd, serve before you hit a curve, rejoice so that others will join the noise, trust when your own decisions are a bust, be obedient so that God will be lenient, listen and your heart will glisten! (wow I was on a roll there, I’m sure if I carried on Timberland might have thrown a recording contract at me...Ha!) Until next time Encounter, I’ll step it up and take God’s goodness to the streets!

Be Expectant

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” Revelations 12:11

It is so important to share the big things that happen in your life no matter how small they seem to others, because when you have fallen and Jesus lifts you up your testimony allows you to stand against evil and ignorance and rise up as a beacon of hope for those who may feel defeated and out of luck.

One of the most important things as a Christian is to be expectant, expectant of the supernatural, miracles and breakthrough. We live through the eyes of hope; we see the future as a better and brighter place because if we lose hope we lose life. I want to tell you about something amazing that happened over the weekend, and I want you to take it as opportunity to see and feel without truly seeing and believing. You will understand what I mean after this story.

On Saturday evening after my dad got home from work, we got to talking; firstly discussing the Joel Osteen book my dad told me to read entitled Your Best Life Now, then onto the topic of having a relationship with and strong faith in Jesus. Before I continue let me tell you a little bit about my dad, he is a funny, caring, warm hearted individual who shows a passion and heart for the things my sister and I love, and he is our number one supporter in everything we do. He has always been fascinated with the unknown, sci-fi movies, magic and all of that. As our conversation continued he was telling me that he needs to sort his mindset out because he becomes so fixated on the fact as to why things happen, he said he always wants to see the end result and it’s very difficult for him to understand Christianity because he can’t see any facts, and there is so many other things in this world that causes him to be curious. Where my response to this was that he needed to go to church the next day being expectant, expectant that God will deliver the right answers, expectant that peace will fill his heart and that the Holy Spirit will guide him in the right direction!

Here is where the miracle happened, if any of you attended Hillsong Canal Walk yesterday you would know that Ps Ron Martin delivered a great word about becoming a doer of the word, reading the bible and claiming victory as your own. Doing the unexpected to receive blessings and not to persuade yourself out of the blessings God wants to give you (podcast here). Just before Ps Ron’s big finish, I looked at my Dad and he looked back at me, smiled and nodded in agreement. I smiled back, with tears in my eyes, thanking God for continually pouring his love and encouragement over my family members and for constantly providing me with answered prayers.

I’ve been reading Genesis and the story of Abraham’s servant’s first encounter with Rebekah who later wed Abraham’s son Isaac (read story here)  made we think about going into a situation expectant, he traveled across the country to find a wife for Isaac being obedient to God and to his master Abraham, he prayed and asked God to bless him with a woman who is fitting for Isaac, expecting a miracle to take place, and the Lord God delivered and when he delivered he delivered his best, as Rebekah was described as “beautiful”. When he saw the miracle within reach he already thanked God before Rebekah even agreed to return with him to marry Isaac.

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, ²⁷ saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” Genesis 24: 26-27

He claimed the situation and believed that he would end up victorious, and he did! God says: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

If you go into a situation with expectation you will come out victorious! If you are seeking answers and direction open your bible and declare the words on the page as if it were written especially for you! Go to church services, conferences, listen to podcasts and read blogs expecting to be moved, expecting to be changed and expecting a supernatural miracle. When you pray believe with your heart that your desire will be met and go into everyday expecting that miracle to come to pass!

Expect your life to change at any moment, and when that change comes about, it will be perfectly timed and it will take your breath away! See your life being transformed for the better over and over again  in your head, see your victory before it has even happened, and once you receive your miracle drop your head and say thank you in the midst of your situation. A lifetime of happiness can start at any moment, God wants us to be happy but we must want happiness for ourselves first. If you desire favour claim it, it is yours for the taking!

Sticks and Stones

The power of a word, statement, phrase, whatever you like to call it can carry way more meaning than we think. Words have the power to make or break you and it’s often the incredible or downright nasty statements we tend to remember. Ever tried to shake off a terrible nickname? Try having a couple of them to keep you company... although you laugh and smile through it, being called things like a rat isn’t as amusing as it sounds, although the nickname died off as high school came to an end, up until this very day every time I catch a glimpse of my profile in the mirror I always think to myself “Oh... that’s why they called me a rat”.... So why am I sharing this with you? Not to look for pity but rather to think about the impact that words have.

Even though my life has been the butt of many jokes, literally, (one of my other nicknames in Anus... oh the joy of that one) I’ve always laughed through it. Listen, I love sarcasm, but it’s become very easy for me to distinguish between a lighthearted joke and a joke with a bit of venom. I really don’t understand the point of belittling people’s characters... yes sometimes people look weird, do weird things, or even wear weird things but why point it out in front of a group of friends just to be funny? Sometimes it’s better if its just said behind your back; at least you won’t look like a complete idiot in front of people with nothing to say.

Okay I know it may seem like I’m letting off a bit of steam but something happened the other day where I got to observe someone mock something my mom just bought. My mom never buys herself anything so she was very proud of her new purchase but for someone to take a jab at it, although it was a joke, I could see how it hurt my mom and it really hurt me to. This has really opened my eyes to the fact that, yes we are all uniquely different, and before passing comments about someone else think about how much that person might love the thing you mocking, it’s hurtful and will probably make them very insecure about it in the future.

So why do people belittle others? To make themselves look good? Because of jealousy? To break someone’s happiness? I truly have no idea, I for one will never belittle someone, although sometimes I think of something funny or nasty I will never ever say it at the expense of someone else's happiness, I receive no pleasure out of it! Exchange belittlement for encouragement, don’t use torment for amusement, because in the end you are going to be the only one laughing when you look around and wonder where all your friends have disappeared to.

God specifically warns us against the negative power of words “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” Proverbs 13: 3 “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” Proverbs 21:23

If you are someone who gets brought down by words that aren't always pleasant, let me tell you this: Jesus Christ is your greatest role model! Tons of people mocked and tormented him all the days of His earthly life. Maybe out of jealousy, or his “weird” ways of doing things completely different to others or maybe even just out of shear disbelief. But it didn't sway him from his mission, his vision or even his genuine love for the people around him (even sinners)! Jesus gave up his life for our life and even to save the people who mocked him. So I looked at it like this, let people bring me down, let them slap me in the face with words, it won’t shake me, or break me, I know who I am and words don’t define me!

Just as bad as words may be they too can bring life, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21. The Bible is the word of life. Although God only spoke words to a specific nation of chosen people His words carried such power that it has influenced the entire world for years upon end. Let our words bring joy and hope. Let’s think twice about the impact our words have on others. Words of encouragement, wisdom, guidance, compassion and love can change a person’s universe. Words spread like wildfire so let your flames burn with wholesome talk.

I Can See Clearly Now

As with most of the tumbleweed thoughts that roll around in my head, so were my thoughts when it came to knowledge and understanding. It has carried a lot of meaning for me over the last couple of days particularly because I've been reading the book of Genesis. Too much earthly knowledge causes us to trust in ourselves rather than trust in God. I have been so focused on trying to know everything and learn everything that I often miss the mark. To have a clear understanding of things we are required to simply slow down...

As developing humans we tend to try and equip ourselves with as much knowledge as possible. We often see and experience things that get locked away in our memory bank forever. But what is the point of a memory bank if we don’t draw anything out of it in order to invest into our future? Understanding extends beyond just the fact of knowing, it’s a feeling that moves and stirs us, and it allows us to be wise instead of just insightful.

• Knowledge informs us that God has given us willpower, understanding allows for us to decide whether to use our willpower for our own man power or for His divine power.

• Knowledge tells us to be good and do good, understanding allows us to reflect goodness because of the impact it will have within ourselves and others.

• Knowledge instructs us to read endless scripture allowing us to quote verses and know every single story in the bible, understanding allows us to be captivated by a single line of scripture that becomes so embedded in our soul like a stain that is impossible to remove. It turns a piece of scripture into peace for the soul.

• Knowledge causes clutter, understanding allows for clarity. Knowing countless facts doesn’t make you smart, if you focus your time and energy on one thing you will be able to peel off the layers of unending mystery.

• Understanding feeds passion and love, where knowledge fuels pride. We love being “know-it-all’s” and correcting other people’s mistakes but when you have understanding, you use it to inspire and encourage others to share the same understanding or revelation that you have had.

• Knowledge tells us to find God because we want to go to Heaven; understanding is living through God as if we were already in heaven. Knowledge is religion, understanding is a relationship. Knowledge makes you look good where understanding makes God look good.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to dumb down, continue to seek knowledge; it’s awesome to have a file of facts and to equip yourself with “how to’s” in order to fight the battle. But is the knowledge of surface ideas really good enough? I would like to encourage each and every one of you to take time when learning new things, once your soul is captivated with the thought move on to the next challenge. There are so many things to learn during our visit here on earth that we tend to sprint through our days, we don’t let the small things move us the way that it should.

I can honestly find splendour and peace in a flock of birds who circle the same spot in the sky day in and day out, my understanding is that they cling to comfort and to each other. When you start to unlock mysteries this world becomes a joyous place to live in and your relationship with people and with God become more meaningful and powerful.

Don’t focus too much on summer you might miss the beauty of spring... 

God Confidence

Ever heard of the statement Confidence is key? I’m sure you have... well confidence has been a dominant word, a recurring theme, since my coffee date last week with the friend I mentioned in my previous post. We were talking about having confidence through the fact that God has already pre-planned our future, she calls it “God Confidence” such a powerful way to put it.

After hearing Ps Gary preach about confidence when it came to your purpose in life I knew I had to unlock this word and how it affects us or could potentially affect us in the future.

I have only ever had confidence in the things I know I am able to do, but it’s that type of confidence that can easily be broken by a little bit of criticism. So my question is what is the point of outward confidence if you have no self confidence?

Self confidence is something all of us should have; we are all uniquely different and should be confident that we were chosen by God to succeed in life. Truth is there is always going to be someone better than you, but it’s your confidence that sells you no matter how awesome the next person may be. I can stand here honestly and say I have little to no self confidence, if I’m thrown into a losing battle; I tend to withdraw and run into the opposite direction, although the best way to overcome a storm is to hit it head on. With people who are way more creative than I am, girls who are prettier, more subtle and lady like than me and even friends who are more outgoing and easier to get along with, no wonder self confidence in my life is as mythical as flying pigs.

When I look around and see people who have confidence that illuminates like a spotlight they are usually the ones who walk around with their heads held high knowing that the world is theirs, I sort of envy them, envy their courage to say I am here, I have talents, and I am damn good at what I do. That might come off as pride but when someone is proud of their God given talents and uses their talents to hold his name high then is there anything wrong with it?  God even tells us that through Him all things are possible! We should replace any self doubt with God confidence!

So what exactly is God Confidence?

1. In the past I couldn’t go into a room without feeling out, or like I don’t belong, I would never ever have walked up to a person that I have never met before or even people that I know but don’t reeeeally know and just start talking to them (unless I’ve had a bit to drink, people seemed to like me better then). But now I have God confidence I know who I am and what I am about, I know that if I want to talk to someone I can, without preplanning strings of conversation in my head. I’m more at peace with myself and genuine people enjoy my company without the company of alcohol. (I’m not saying that I don’t like to still have a drink every now and then... but when I do drink it’s not for the wrong reasons anymore.)
2. Recently I was tested when it came to my confidence in my design capabilities, I lost my passion for it because I was criticised and I deceived myself into believing that maybe design was not for me, but the moment I changed my perspective and looked at all my accomplishments in the field I couldn’t help but feel a surge of happiness, a surge of confidence in knowing that I am good. One opinion couldn’t hold me back from doing something I love.
3. Confidence in my ability to get a guy, boy or man whatever you like to call it. This is where my confidence was and sometimes still is at an all time low. But my God confidence is in other things, I’m confident in what I am deserving of. There is no point in me settling for someone just to have someone. I’m confident enough to say if you don’t like me as a person, without all the extra add-on’s you know where the door is. Self integrity allows for self confidence. I would rather be single and confident in who I am and what I stand for than be with someone who makes me doubt myself and every move I make, who makes me feel like I am not good enough and that I have to fight for his affection. I am confident that I will find someone who will respect me and honour my role in his life.

This can all be summed up into following “With Him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:8. If the Lord is with us then who can be against us? Go into problems and situations with the mindset that you’ve already succeeded and you will win. Be confident in who you are because you are perfectly made and our creator makes no mistakes!

Phil-osophical Friendship

Yesterday I had the opportunity to reconnect with a friend that I haven’t see in ages and this got me thinking, thinking about how important friends are. With the busy, fast pace life we all live sometimes friends can fall on the wayside. We were talking about how important it is to be a friend that invests time into each others’ lives. Ps Phil Dooley summed this up into one powerful sentence in his first message about trusting and doing something about it, he said, “Become the friend you want to have!” This is true on so many levels, if you are not going to give genuine interest, love and time to the friends you have then don’t expect them to return the favour!

Okay, okay before I get all deep and Phil-osophical (excuse the pun) I want to tell you about my rollercoaster friendships. I’ve been blessed with some unbelievable friends, friends that I’ve had since first grade. Some closer that others yet equally as important and as the years progress my friends tally has grown as I’m sure most of yours has too. I wrote about friendship briefly in my "Acceptance Like It Or Not " blog post but I’ve decided to dig a little deeper. I use to be really shy but somehow I always managed to make groups of friends that I always feel comfortable with and friends that I can act myself around, sadly I’ve lost contact with some of them, they've turned from everyday friends to every now and again acquaintances but when you see these friends again and have a mini catch up (where you cram years of your life into a 15min conversation) it feels like no time has passed at all. London forced me to make friends on the spot, with the job I had it was vital to have good conversation skills. The friendships I made there are ones I will keep with me forever, they were all so different but each made me wiser in their own unique way. Since London I’ve had this hunger to become friends with absolutely everyone.

But on the other hand isn’t it better to have a handful of genuine friends rather than bundles of friends who simply don’t care whether you have a smile on your face or not? (They shouldn’t even have the right to be called a friend then) You see we like having numbers, more is better in our eyes, we think the more friends we have the less lonely we will feel! Wrong! Isn’t it better to have 1 true friend than 1000 fake facebook friends? Surface friendship is good for the good times, but who’s there for the bad times? Who’s there to encourage you for even better times and to congratulate you on your best times? What about those friends you have who put you down in front of others to make themselves look good? Although you laugh it off it leaves a bruise every time. What about those friends who say, “Hey, how you?” but don’t really take an interest in your reply?  

Well it’s very easy for me to sit here and point fingers but as the Bible says “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7: 3-5. Here is where the reality comes, take a look at how you treat your friends, dig deep into your heart, look into your past and draw out the friends you have neglected to contact, the ones you need to thank again for their support and wisdom during your time of need when no one else offered up time to listen. Reconnect with the friends who moulded you into the person you are today and give loads of hugs to the close friends you have now because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Although God warns us against false friends who only want to see us fail he also encourages us to seek genuine friendship, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17. This verse has governed my thoughts on what friend I ought to be and I hope it makes you think about your friendship with others too.

Acceptance, Like It Or Not

Time to get serious, and by serious I mean tackling probably one of the most challenging aspects any human will ever face and that’s the continuous desire to be accepted and loved by everyone around us. From our very first steps trying to impress mommy and daddy right until the end trying to impress our family and friends with a bounty of success, a legacy should I call it, after we have passed on to our next life.

One could write an entire book about how we all seek acceptance and how it has become a pivotal point in our lives, I surely can. Fact is, as imperfect humans, we live as people-pleasers, everything we do is to gain some sort of approval from one another. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with it, human gratification is definitely a confidence booster and compliments can definitely brighten up any day. The problem comes in when we start changing, settling and living a false life to try and fit in. Our modern day world thrives on approval, appreciation and acceptance (The AAA generation) with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Keek you name it, we are all left wide open to the sting of not receiving enough likes, retweets, followers, comments etc. you may deny it but you always going to wonder why you lost those 5 followers in last 15 minutes or why that photo you just uploaded only got one like and surprise, surprise, it was from your mom...again. As humans our good enough will never be good enough. That’s why we continue to seek more and more from other people. But why put you happiness in others? Yes our destiny is in other people and to make their lives a better place to live in but don’t be dismayed if the other shoe drops. You will always be able to determine whether the effects will make or break your spirit, it can crush you or make you try even harder.

With acceptance comes the negative connotation rejection, there are always going to be people and situations in life that are going to continue to hack at your spirit like a lumber jack. When we invest all our time into trying to gain acceptance from others that’s when our heart is going to be left torn. We always want what we can’t get, whether it be that promotion which was already assigned to someone else, that awesome out of this world project your colleague has been briefed to do, that one guy or girl you know will be perfect for you but somehow due to this twisted world we live in already have those exact same feelings... but for someone else. How about those friends you have, yes those ones you try to be extra funny in front of super fun and carefree, the same ones that go out together over the weekend and somehow manage to lose your number due to a mutant attack on the human race. What about your parents? Okay I can’t find anything wrong there, my parents have always loved and supported who I am, yes my true self... no matter how many hours I’ve spent in front of my mirror pulling the UGLIEST faces ever known to mankind (it’s fun okay, and my sister always seems to get a kick out of it) but I know how some parents can be, pressurizing their kids into being someone they want them to be rather than just letting them be. And one of the worst forms of rejection is from the ones you love, when they simply just stop loving you, even though you have loved them and will love them day in and day out for a very long time maybe even for the rest of your life.

When rejection strikes, and sometimes it strikes like an iron fist, many people tend to seek acceptance in the darkest of places, consumed by sin which is hidden under glow sticks of short-lived love and happiness. But there is someone who accepts you no matter who you are, what you've done or what you are going to do. 

In the book of Jeremiah God tells us that he knew us and our purpose before we were even born: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5. 

God’s love is an unconditional one; He knows the difference between your fake smile and your real one, the difference between your online life and your everyday life. He knows when you are being truthful or when you trying to impress. He knows you a sinner that’s why he sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, and the moment we accept God into our lives is when we grow and become more like Him, separating ourselves from sin. When we become God-pleasers our attention and attitude turns to Him and guess what, people start to recognise the change in you and they welcome it. I have received more heart warming messages from people in the last couple of months than I have in my entire life, I want to inspire rather than impress, I want to induce change rather than change and to set an example rather than being an example. Be the change you want to see in the world, evil with never prevail and God will never fail!

Deception A False Reflection

Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading the book of Jeremiah and one verse in particular has truly captured my thoughts and inspired me to write about deception and how it affects the way we think. The verse is as follows: 

“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! (Jeremiah 37:9 NIV)

Thing is we deceive ourselves, people deceive us and so do situations. I'm sure you familiar with the saying 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch' well unfortunately it's human nature to spin a situation around to suit us. I do it all the time and sometimes I blame it on positive thinking but deception is an entirely different ball game. Self deception leads to excuses, false hope and depression. It is the ultimate soul crusher. We always plan 5 steps ahead but if you struggling to get past step 1, change your direction and focus on something healthier and better for you.

I've decided to make a list of common deceptions we fool ourselves into believing:

1. I know he likes me but he is to shy or can't be with me.

Fact is if he wanted to be with you he would've made every effort to be with you. So stop making excuses pick yourself up and move on to greener pastures.

2. This type of drug or that type of drug isn't as bad as the others

You still doing the deed, it doesn't matter what you do you still altering your state of mind, there is moral lines you have to draw in your life and walking the line is just as bad as crossing it.

3. Deceiving yourself into becoming someone you not, liking things you don't truly like just to feel accepted by the people around you.

Truth be told you've had the same friends for many years, they already know who you are and if they good friends they should know your ins and outs. If you have to change who you are to fit in with them then it's time to make other groups of friends. Easier said than done?

4. Deceiving yourself into thinking you free from the devil's attacks.

The devil is the master of deceit, he makes you doubt your faith, doubt your reasons for doing right, doubt that you have any real purpose or calling in life. He sends people into your life to feed you with empty promises, and to pressure you into doing things that are morally incorrect. Pray for freedom against deception from the devil and keep praying for it. It's been working for me and I'm sure it will work for you 

We need to learn to face facts, we can't change the inevitable, things are going to happen no matter how hard we try to fight destiny! Make peace with the situation and move on, remember there is always a better option we just have to change our perspective to notice it. You beautiful and bold, don't deceive yourself into settling for anything less than perfection!