AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

A week ago, I visited my sister and a friend after going to town to sort out a couple of things. The previous day, I had been reading a book on starting a new business. One of the topics in the book talked about facing one's fears and so the book requested that we list the things that we are afraid of and what we thought would happen if we attempted them. I listed quite a few and put up the positive things that could happen if I decided to take a chance on them. The following morning, I realised that for some reason I was getting a bit unhappy with my circumstance. I was getting worried about the things I was looking forward to and didn't seem to be happening. I felt a tad bit sad and I think I shed a few tears when some results I was waiting for returned and they weren't the ones I was hoping for. Mind you, they were the wrong results which I was given ( I found out the following day) but because worry had overshadowed me, it added salt to injury.

So I decided to go and see my friend and sister and when I got there, we were having random conversations and the topic of "worrying" popped up. My sister stated that she had noticed that I had lost weight and my friend commented on the fact that I looked worried and asked if I was worrying too much. She spoke about the things that she had gone through at certain points in her life and how she had tried to keep her head held high and have the right attitude in those circumstances

Today, I watched one of Creflo dollars' messages entitiled "The attitude of affection" and he placed an emphasis on the fact that as Christians we need to have the right attitude towards God in every circumstance. That our attitude in life determines our altitude (i.e. how high we go).One phrase that stuck out to me was "You will arrive at the place of your attitude". This was evident in my case when I began to worry because, I forgot about all the brilliant things occurring in my life for a second and decided to direct my focus on those that had not happened as well as worry about the "potential wrongs" that could happen essentially causing me to be overwhelmed and depressed.

The other few things I learnt were that 

1. My attitude determines whether things will work out

2. With an attitude of Gratitude, I should serve God

3. My position of affection towards God will determine my success in everything I do in line with God's word

To emphasise on no. 2, I'm gradually learning that my service to God does not only include me working for God in church but also the way I react in various circumstances.

So e.g. If I find that I have no money and I continuously murmur and complain about it, that is indirectly a "disservice" to God. In exodus 15 and 16, the Israelites had been set free from captivity in Egypt and God had provided so much for them yet when they wanted something else and had not received it, they murmured against Moses and essentially against God and God heard these murmurings.

Numbers 11:1

"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in uttermost parts of the camp"

From this verse, it is clear that God is not cool with murmurings and complains. Therefore it is important that we have the right attitude towards Him in all circumstances and that our position in those circumstances include being APPRECIATIVE, GRATEFUL, THANKFUL and HONOURABLE as in the end these will create a FRUITFUL disposition. But a contrary attitude will cause us to serve LACK as written in Deuteronomy 28:47

"Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee"

So I guess all I'm saying is that I should learn to be more thankful in my circumstances as this is God's will for my Life [1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"]

Gracias a Dios por esta palabras- Thank you God for this word

LOOKING TO GOD IN QUIETNESS AND TRUST

Isaiah 30:15
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and ye would not"

So as you all know, I'm fond of posting videos that inspire me so today, here's a song by Jenn Johnson from Bethel Church entitled "God I look to you".

Sometimes in life, we become so overwhelmed with troubles that we ordinarily do not know how to deal with . I have come to realise of late  that most at times, these troubles come in batches and never one at a time. But when faced with them, God reminds us to trust in Him through the storm. The main verse above says that "in quietness and confidence shall be your strength" In other versions of the bible, confidence is replaced with trust, thus, Trust which is not based on our capabilities in those circumstances but Trust which is in the one who is ALL MIGHTY and reigns over every situation in our lives.

Lamentations 3:37 says "who  is he that saith and it cometh to pass unless the Lord commandeth it"
This is a complete assurance which God has given to His Children making us aware that though our situations may seem overwhelming and completely unsolvable, God is still in control and will never allow anything to take place without His permission. Therefore when faced with troubles and situations where we wonder how things are going to be, let's not forget to trust in God and sing the song "Halleluyah Jesus reigns" and continue to tell God that we look to Him because He is where our help comes from. HALLELUYAH! HALLELUYAH! HALLELUYAH! God is here with us and is always listening! He is our very present help in time of need. Thank you Jesus!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION UPDATE

So today is Sunday the 4th of November, a few more weeks to the end of the year, then 2013 begins. At the start of this year, I decided to make resolutions like everyone else because I felt like a new beginning had just arrived like I do at the start of every year lol. Anyway, I made a few resolutions and I thought I'd update you guys on my progress even though I would have been better off updating you monthly just so we could check each other's progress. Either way, I'm here now, so I'll get on with it.

Here are the original resolutions I made and the progress I made with them. 

1. Save money- £500- Saved £800 and spent it all so I'm back to square 1 lol

2. Learn Spanish- Purchased a Spanish book and have been studying nearly everyday

3. Work harder- Graduated from university so I guess I tried

4. Get a Job- Got one in June, starting a new one on December 3rd

5. Get a phone- Have a Sony ericsson xperia arc now so not bad

6. Sleep early= 12:00pm- I was ok for the first few weeks, then everything fell apart lol

7. Manage my time properly- Got a Diary which has been very useful so far


Commentary
It seems that so far, my money saving skills have been good but keeping what I've saved isn't my forte yet.
My job attainment skill is gradually falling into place but a little more work would do me some good.
As for sleeping early, only God knows lol... I need to sort myself out- a bit of strong will might do me some good at this point
Time management skill still  needs a bit more work but so far so good.

It appears these might not be the most inspiring new year's resolutions ever. Either way it was something to put on my to-do list and tick off and so far, it's been alright.

What is ONE of your new years resolutions and how have you been coping with it?

THE LESSON IN WAITING

So I finished university in May this year. I have been trying to find a job ever since I can remember and for some reason, it seems not to be working out as planned. Sometimes I get frustrated after I've stayed at home for a while because I feel like I'm wasting my time doing nothing at home. Mind you, I worked for 3 weeks after university as a door-to-door charity fundraiser. I was excited at the start because I had gotten a job but then it all began to change when at each door, a stranger would either be nice and not sign up to my charity or someone would be so rude I wondered how people could act like that. One time, I went to a man's door and as soon as I knocked, he came out and gave me the most unpleasant unwelcome I have ever recieved in my life.
Hebrews 13: 2
"Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it" 

Not that I'm claiming to be an angel or anything lol but anyway, My experience made me moan about the job all the time and eventually I was fired because I could not hit the target number of donors required by each employee within the 3-week period.

With that being said,  I was somewhat glad I got fired and regardless of everything, I am extremely glad I went through this experience because it built my confidence in approaching strangers and these days when I'm afraid to do something, my inner voice just says "act like it was a door-to-door fundraising" because in that job, regardless of whether I was afraid, I still had to approach the strangers door.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I have found myself on many occassions, "almost" securing a job and never quite getting it. I have moaned about it and then been thankful to God and then moaned about it all over again but then one thing I keep forgetting in my process of complaining is the many times God has worked the odd things out for my good. And so, whenever I remember these circumstances, I begin to think, maybe God is actually looking through the jobs to find me the perfect one. I read a few days in Golden thoughts' page on what God does when we ask for something; that He takes the opportunity to offer us the best out of the rest. And so bearing this in mind, I have decided to practice patience and learn any other lesson I'm required to learn whiles I'm at home

Besides, I might end up complaining when I get to work full time and there's no time to just chill lol.

Verse of the day- Isaiah 40: 31
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint"

Thank you Jesus, As I wait on you, I will not be wearied because I know that through it all, you'll work everything out for my good.


Espanoles frase del dia
Dios esta obrando cosas para mi bien- God is working things out for my good. 
Gracias dios!- Thank you God

Adios a todos!! - Bye everyone
Hablaremos mas tarde- talk to you later

THE ONE!

So ever since I can remember, I've always thought that I have to be patient because God has "One" person for me and even though I am definitely not sure when, where or how I will meet that person, I have found myself in countless situations calculating the odds of someone being "the one". I think my expectations from my partner have grown so high that when I see the good side of someone, I immediately put him on a high pedestal and begin to think that maybe he's "the one" and we might end up being together and even sometimes end up having relationships with the person in my head lol... craaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzyyyyyyy!. I know right?  Then when I find myself thinking of the person and considering how it will be like when we have to date and other stuff, I end up reconsidering the idea.

Anyway, the long and short of the story is that I came across a video once again about "How do you know someone is the one"

Jefferson Bethke explains it a little more here.
He clarifies that there is no such thing as "The One" because we end up putting too much pressure on the other person to be perfect when we should be putting Christ first and learning to show love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to the other person plus holding people in high standards might cause us to miss the good, godly people surrounding us.

In a nutshell, WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE WHO WE WANT and it is important to be transparent in the process and trust God to enable us to make the right choice.
Ps: We still need to exercise patience because God always knows Best!

LISTENING!!!

I read a post a few weeks back on "the art of listening". Before that, I had spoken to my cousin and there had been a misunderstanding between us on a decision we were supposed to be making at some point. During the conversation, I realised that I was very keen on making my point clear, being argumentative and making assumptions on what I thought my cousin meant. He pointed out that when I am speaking to someone, I should listen well to what the person is saying before I speak. Something which I found quite insulting at the time and had an "all new" argument with him lol but anyway I'm gonna get straight to the point

After the conversation, I went about my normal duties yet the whole conversation ran through my mind again and I thought to myself "you are sometimes too keen on picking fights and assuming"

But that's not the issue here. The issue is my ability to listen attentively, be slow to speak and quick to hear as the Bible recommends that believers should do.

Because of this I embarked upon the journey to learn the act and art of listening. I read a post titled The art of listening in which an exercise requested that I listen to my favourite music and try to listen to every single word in the song. True to the findings in the post, I ended up drifting away about halfway through the song. I tried again as was requested by the exercise and the second and third times I drifted off again. This made me realise two things about my listening ability.

1. Familiarity (assumptions) prevents me from paying attention
2. I don't really listen to the words when I'm listening to music

So after these two discoveries, I followed up a link on conversations- urges of an untamed mind and I learnt a few things about conversations. About the fact that there are different forms of conversation that we have as humans. Sometimes its in the form of speaking, other times, its watching others speak and at certain times its through our own mental conversations which we have. And most at times these conversations prevent us from truly listening.

For instance, in my conversation with my cousin and even with other people, I've realised that often when the other person is speaking, I am already making up my own story in my head as to what to give as a reply hence preventing me from truly listening to the other person. The post also gave an instance of people who have conversations and never listen but are only waiting for the other person to finish so that they can give their own opinion on the issue (i.e me sometimes).

So I found here a video by Iyanla Vazant  on Listening. It just summarises the simplicity of listening; that the true art of listening is without judgement or expectation but is a process of love which comes from the "right now" moment when you make a connection with the person that you're talking to and finally, it comes from the heart

After realising these things about myself, I have decided to make a deliberate effort to be silent at certain points in the day, for I realise that sometimes silence brings more peace than noise and in so doing I'll learn to practice my listening much better than I have been doing so far.

The burden of Guilt!!!- Thank God for Jesus

Lately I've been burdened with sin and guilt over the things which I've done yet wish I never did. Most of the time, its to do with what I said, or the way I reacted in a certain situation and often I judge myself based on what I think other people might have thought of me in that instant. I've felt frustrated and upset and heavy hearted at times but sometimes it goes away and it seems like all is ok again but then I find myself once again being bombarded with these thoughts once more. Earlier this week I had to say to the devil speaking in the back of my mind to literally "F- off" (apologies for the language) because he himself wasn't perfect anyway so I don't know why he's talking. I know as a christian, I'm supposed to speak so that my speech brings grace to hearers. In this case it was in my head lol... not to make an excuse or anything but anyway I'll get straight to the point.

I watched this preacher on a Hillsong tv program and he basically talked about the rooster that crowed 3 times for Peter to finally realise that he had denied Jesus and confirm what Jesus had told him earlier.
The preacher compared this rooster's crow to the voice of the enemy that constantly accuses us when we've faltered as christians and time and time again, the rooster constantly crows to remind us of our mistakes which only ties us down and prevents us from fully going for what God has promised us.

In the end, the preacher spoke about the day of pentecost after the resurrection of Christ which meant that the disciples; Peter in this case was filled with the Holy spirit and at this time, when the enemy's voice might have showed up again to bring him down, the Power of the Holy spirit was there to combat every accusation so that Peter was able to go on and achieve the goal which Christ had set i.e. to build His church.

Revelation 12:10 says "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his christ: FOR THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN IS CAST DOWN, WHICH ACCUSED THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT"

Thank God for this reminder. He knew I'd need it today

vs 11 says "And they overcame them by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death"

So this is what I am doing now. I declare that I am a child of God. I am no longer a servant of sin. I am a servant of God and I am more than a conquerer through Him that loved me

Romans 7vs 19 For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do
vs 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
vs 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin

So when I am burdened with sin I'll remember...

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit"
vs 2: For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death"


My sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus.  I no longer heed to the voice of the enemy that constantly points at my mistakes and causes me to be burdened because I am free from his accusations .. After all he himself is not perfect! God has saved me and my response today is to fully recieve the true gift of salvation which He has offered me by believing what He has said about me. I was never "perfect" yet He called me and so I will not try to be because now, God calls me His child. I am His righteousness and so I stand no longer ashamed because God forgives my sins and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). I belong to Jesus. Sin no longer has dominion over me for I am not under the law but under GRACE (Romans 6:14). Thank you Jesus!!!

I know that time and time again the enemy will try to burden me with guilt but thank God for the holy spirit for He will bring to remembrance what I have learnt today about freedom in Christ and so I declare that I am an overcomer in Jesus name Amen!!!

I remember- The joys of being a child in Africa

I remember as a child, the many times myself and my siblings would walk about our neighbourhood exploring the different places we could find
I remember when the Muslims used to celebrate "idr-fetir", the festival after their fasting period.
It was always fun because we used to see the many different cattle and how big they were. Some with horns, others without and some so strong, it took more than 5 men to bring them down before they could be slaughtered for the festival
I remember the many different coloured outfits people would wear out just to display the festive spirit.
I remember the foods which were sent over by the Muslim friends which the whole family enjoyed .

I remember Easter, when we used to make palm nut soup and different decorative items with the palm branches
I remember when the church would walk around the neighbourhood singing songs of "hoseana, (Ashanti way of pronouncing hosanna" just to commemorate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem
I remember Christmas  It was a beautiful time to have chicken. Yes Chicken!!! and all the many meals which we could eat just because it was Christmas!
I remember 24th December, the night before the real day of Christmas  when music would be played so loud and Christmas lights would be displayed infront of our family house; many neighbours would walk past and some would stay just to enjoy the festive spirit
I remember when we were bought beautiful dresses and new underwear, socks, shoes and jewellery just to go to church on Sunday to celebrate Christmas
I remember when we used to go to the rubbish dump site to explore the surroundings. It was always a fun opportunity to find objects which we could play with on our return home
I remember when we used to make little soups and stews in empty cans of tomatoes which we could find in our little pretend kitchens
I remember when we used to play "mum, dad and family" with our cousins and sometimes one of us would get upset and decide not to play
I remember when my grand mother would buy us little mortars, pestles and ladles to make our own "fufu" and soup
I remember when she used to go to the farm and return a few days later with bananas, plantain and other food stuff.
I remember the plant she called "see koto" which we used to knock each other on the head with just for the fun of it
I remember when my cousin would intentionally drop his meat into our soup just so he could pick it up and scoop some of thesoup up whilst doing it
I remember when my auntie would leave some of her evening rice till morning and the first person to find it would have the right to eat it with the tasty tomato stew from the previous day
I remember when my aunt used to go on her trips and we had to clean up the house and set it in order before she arrived to avoid gettingtold off
I remember when my teeth used to hurt in the evenings because I had stuck tooth picks in the gaps to get out locked up food.
I remember the times I cried and my older sister would pick me up andgive me a "piggy back" just to calm me down
I remember when my sister, myself and my cousins would sing and drum on anything we could find just to make music
I remember the ants in Ghana which would bite us and leave bumps which itch so much so that we immediately developed hatred for them and wanted to squash them the moment we found the "culprit ant"
I remember the times when we were told scary stories of the Ghosts of people dying in one town and being found in another
I remember the Nigerian movies that used to scare us so much because of the "Juju" which was portrayed in them
I remember when life was so simple, beautiful and fun without costing money
I remember the good old days and now I thank God for bringing me up in Africa to enjoy the simplicity of life in my childhood.

By Trudie

What do you remember as a child?

Finding oneself- confidence

1."God has not called us to look down on ourselves"

2."God personally forms and shapes us for a purpose and that purpose is for the Potter's Glory"

I was speaking to my friend today and the topic of "Confidence" popped up. She told me about the fact that she felt confident the previous year but all of a sudden, she seemed to have lost it all.
I remembered the time in high school when we used to talk about this issue and I figured that this hadn't been dealt with properly by both of us even up until now (i.e. about 6years later).

I asked her about this and posed the question "How long is it going to take for you to be confident in yourself? Is it when you are 50 or maybe  80years? This made me realise that the more we dwell on the issue of not being confident, the more we spend our lives not really going for what we want.

Our perception of ourselves is projected out whether we like it or not and this causes others to either respond in a negative or positive way towards us and in turn, our own spirits are either lifted or dampened.

"Clay sculpture...representing me, i'm in a fetal position, small and alone, crying and completely self-focused, feeling rejected, this is what it looks like for me when i've allowed myself to be consumed by all my insecurities, fears, & hurts."


God has not called us to look down on ourselves; His creation.

He said to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous" when He chose him to lead the people of Israel after the death of Moses, their leader. God repeated this several times and we should be aware that each time a particular verse is repeated, it suggests its importance and thus should be taken note of.

Fear is the consequence of a lie. The same applies to having a low self esteem. We have been told that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God (Psalm 139:14) so listening to any other voice contrary to this makes us wonder, whose voice are we listening to? Are we paying attention to the lie we have told ourselves constantly or the truth that God has clearly spoken about our identities.

"My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me" (John 10:27). Do you know the voice of the one who has spoken truthfully about you, and do you know what He has said?

Let us find our identities in God and always remember that He has called us His own and has made us in His image and likeness regardless of our "flaws" (Genesis 1:27).

It is important that when we find ourselves losing confidence, we remember that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Even if it doesn't seem real, meditate upon it until it becomes a part of you. Let it be like a silent prayer in your head at all times and remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philipians 4:13)

Let us not try to find ourselves in achievements, aquisitions (i.e. material things), relationships, appearance or any other thing that might temporarily fill that Gap. Only God can fill it. Find the truth in His word and walk in that Truth daily.

"This is my second clay sculpture...representing me, i'm part of a friendly clay coffee mug that is meant for daily use to be filled up and poured out in relationship, i've got my arms outstretched looking outward ready to dive deep, it's no longer all about me and i'm standing with courage knowing & trusting that the Potter is the one who will take the mug in his hands to use as He desires. Here Am I Lord, Send Me. Have Your Way."

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105)

What issue of confidence have you had and how have you dealt with it? Care to share!

7 THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR

"Focusing on gratitude unleashes the love that lives within"- Gabrielle Bernstein

Lately, I've figured that I have mainly focused on negative things which I've felt have happened to me and to be honest it has become an energy drainer. So I came across MISSLARA's blog update on "11 things I'm thankful for" and I thought "why not do the same?"...I wanted to put up 10 things I'm thankful for but 7 just popped up in my head so I figured I'd put them on here and build up on it in my next posts. Let's see how watchful I'll be in the next few days to notice the good things going on as well and truly appreciate them.

Colossians 3:15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in onebody; and be ye thankful"

1. Family (Dad, mum, siblings, cousins etc)

2. Friends

3. Graduating from university- (The opportunity to go to university and graduate; I learnt quite a lot whilest I was there and would definitely recommend it to anyone)

4. Life

5. Experiences-  The good and the bad- They've made me better

6. Opportunities- They give me a chance to explore (realise) my potentials and develop

7. Laughter- Brings instant joy and happiness

So what are you guys thankful for? Care to share!!!

MY QUIET TIME WITH GOD

So I just commented on FunTo's post on "Read the bible...Part of a check-list? and I figured I'd take my own advice so I thought I'd share with you guys...

"I admit sometimes my quiet time becomes a "to do" list in my head which I have to tick and I feel guilty when its not done so I've found myself sometimes doing it just for the sake of it. But I realise that the moment I take my time, relax and just enjoy reading and praying, it becomes more of a genuine way to spend time with God. So I guess all I'm saying is, just make time for God in your relationship. It might take some time to set up a specific time but God is always there and we just have to enjoy being in His presence and not make it seem a duty.. (wow I think I'll take my own advice lol)"

So yh, do you guys ever feel that way sometimes and how have you gone about dealing with it?

Your Identity Shapes Me Too

So I was just watching this video and it made me think of the effect that the people surrounding us (i.e. parents, friends, acquintances e.t.c) have on us. So I thought I'd share it.

Be careful of the people you surround yourself with & listen to. They all nurture a behaviour in you.

Would you like the positive ones to grow or the negative? It's definitely your choice!!!!!!

THE CONSEQUENCE OF A LIE

"Avoid fear for it is the consequence of every lie"

"Marriage- Faith & Forgiveness"

1. Marriage is a journey of Faith.
2. To err is human, but to forgive is divine

I recently attended my friend's (kea) wedding and during the service, the pastor quoted "Marriage is a journey of faith"- This touched me because it made me realise that even though people get married mostly because they love each other, none of them know what they will face along the journey. Neither do they know the outcome. All they dwell on is the "love" they have for each other in that moment as well as "hope" that all things will work for good in their marriage. Hence indirectly they are exercising Faith- (A substance of things "hoped" for and the evidence of things unseen"....Hebrews 11: 1) in their journey together as a couple.

The second lesson I learnt was "To err is human but to forgive is divine".
I had heard this quote many times yet did not really understand it until the preacher set an example in the case of married couples who because of the amount of time they spend together are bound to offend each other. In certain cases, the offence would be so much (Jesus says, blessed is he who shall not be offended in me... Matthew 11:6) so that, the foundations of the marriage could be shaken and if this happens, a marriage that has been built on a strong foundation with its entirety entrenched in Christ would find that the only thing they can do is to go back to the founder and ask for strength and this would be the definition of the divinity in forgiveness.
You see, when we are offended, we don't forgive because we are perfect and it's so easy rather we forgive because, we were once sinners deemed to perish except for the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus

Therefore as humans we are bound to err, but when we offend others, their ability to forgive us is only due to the fact that, they themselves have been forgiven hence they are able to do the same to others i.e. divine forgiveness. God alone can help us to forgive. We cannot give what we do not have. We can only forgive because we have received forgiveness from God. Hence he has shown us an example and is only asking that we do the same with others.

May God help us all to practice forgiveness in our relationships and allow us to abide in faith and love in our marriages in Jesus name Amen.

9 THINGS I'VE LEARNT THIS WEEK

1. Be willing to step out there on faith
2. It's not how heavy the load is you carry; It's how you carry the load
3. Don't lose sight of the mission
4. Count your blessings each day
5. Get a grip of what has a grip of you
6. Drop activities that sap your energy
7. The borrower is servant to the lender
8. Do not borrow unless it is to create wealth
9. Whatever takes money out of your pocket is a liability

Ambition!!

Texttexttiles blogged this video by TDS on "Ambition" and drive and I was inspired after watching this so i thought I'd share. I hope you are too.

 

Have a pleasant week!

7 things I've learnt

I just thought I'd reenact berry-haute's blog on "seven things I've learnt this week" as I find it quite interesting.

I've learnt that;

1. Jealousy creeps in when I only focus on other people's achievements and not my own- figured it out when I always missed a beat when I looked at certain people...It was hatred for the things they did turned eventually to jealousy- God help me

2. I need to learn how to be a better friend

3. sometimes it takes God to help us love even our family the way they should be loved- it doesn't come as naturally as I originally assumed

4.  I need to be courageous in other to be free

5.  whatever I want, I should make an effort to go for it. If I don't get it in the end, at least I tried

6.  I have to get my eyes off others, stay before God, forget my past and recondition myself in order to be content with my present state and not complain- I'm working on that

7.  I need to treat my studies as a critical component of my kingdom assignment

8. 30years experience is not the same as a 1 year experience over 30years

9. I need to stop winging about things and get them done

10. Fear is a lie-

11. I need to start studying finance and money to know what to do with the money God gives me

Thought I'd just make it 11 for the sake of it...
What have you learnt in the past few weeks and how have you gone about with the knowledge you've acquired?

xoxo- Berry Lessons!

FREEDOM!

 Let go of the constant need for people's approval. Once you do, you realise that you are able to experience the complete freedom which God intends for you to have.
Christ has come to set the captives free. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Freedom: "The power or right to speak, act or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint"

Never will a rock cry out for me!

A song by KING'S MINISTRIES...Listen and be blessed

INTERNAL PRAYER

"The Art of the internal prayer to God can keep us on track when opportunity opens itself"

Nehemiah 2: 4-5 "The King asked, "well how can I help you?" With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, "If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried"

Nehemiah has been praying to God about a particular issue but when the opportunity comes that it be answered through the King, he does not in haste reply but rather says a prayer first!.

-Daily Bible Verse-

Interdependence!

So many including myself are "guilty of independence". Watch this video to grasp the concept of depending on one another to attain success instead of sweating it out all by ourselves just to say we did it alone!

Let's make good use of the people and resources God has placed in our lives' journeys so that our work will be much more easier in the end + we'll be able to gain more knowledge along the way.

Genesis 2:18 "And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him an help meet for him"

My Little trip to Amsterdam

This title just came to my head and I thought I'd just update my blog. How are you guys doing...It's the14th day of the new year and I hope you are doing great as well as still holding on to your resolutions.

So I spent the new year in Holland with my family and returned on the 6th back to England. It was a really nice trip because I got to sit in the ferry for the first time, pass by France (Calais) and Brussels. I was planning on telling my friends that I actually went to those countries but I realised that was one too far lol so I thought I'd leave it.  Nevertheless I let them know about my passing by. Here are a few pics from my trip..enjoy

Meatballs from the petrol station @ Brussels

My sister and I

Amsterdam City Centre...So Beautiful!

Yummy Hot Dogs...mmm...(excuse the chipped nail)

A shop in Amsterdam

The ferry Back to England

New Year New Resolutions!

I asked my friend what her new year's resolution was for 2012 and she simply said "to take care of myself"..That's a pretty good one I think. Last year I made a list in my head but at the end of the year i realised that I couldn't remember what they were so this year I thought I'd make a written list. Hopefully I'll actually get down to doing them. So here are a few of mine.
1. Save money- £500
2. Learn spanish
3. Work harder
4. Get a Job
5. Get a phone
6. Sleep early= 12:00pm
7. Manage my time properly

Trying to be specific as I've learnt that setting specific goals gives permission to achieve specific results. On that note I'd like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps"

Care to share you new year's resolutions?