Monday, November 30, 2009
Keep The Faith.
My take: Keep "The faith". Don't stop believing! No matter how things may appear... God is working behind the scenes.
Life is so much more than your eyes are seeing,
You will find you way somehow if you keep believing.
I have seen dreams that move a mountain,
Hope that doesn't ever end,
Even when the sky is falling.
I have seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
That is what faith can do. Lyrics from the song "What Faith Can Do" By Kutless
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
You Can Start Again.
My friend,
You can start now,
And make a brand-new end.-John C. Maxwell
My take: I take comfort in such words... When at times, the realisation of wrong choices, wasted time, opportunities, etc clings to my heart, triggering pain... that is almost unbearable; and I have to face the consequences... At such times though I take a step forward, and give thanks. For such realisation, also indicates that I now view things differently... I am learning, growing and I'm wiser.
Such words reminds me of the opportunity I still have to impact the rest of my life in a tremendous way. It reminds me that I have been given an advantage... That enables me make proficient use of my most precious commodity which is my "time" and appreciate the value of the treasure that is "today".
For, every time in consciousness and every day is a gift from God... A chance to change the outcome of ones life- to re-write if you may, how the story ends...
Such words reminds me of the restorative power of my God... Telling me to;
Speak to the dry bones and they will live again!{Ezek 37:14}
Telling me, that beauty can come from ashes.{Isaiah 61:3}
Telling me to rejoice{Isaiah 54:1-4}.[Regardless, of whether I am a late bloomer or by any reason deemed incapable of blooming]
Telling me that, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ever ask or think{Ephesians 3:20}
Indeed with God, better is the end of a matter than the beginning!{Ecc 7:8}
The truth is, we may not always get it right... But let the faith we have in God give peace to our hearts as we completely trust Him to make it 'all right'. Even now; God is able to help us operate in the fullness of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Jesus did it. We are like Christ, we can do it also.
We can all start again. Definitely not from our beginning, but right now from where we are.
Thank you Lord!
What's your take? It's always a blessing when you share...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
A Way, With Words...
"No problem," said the biographer. "I'll say that Uncle George occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution. He was attached to his position by the strongest of ties, and his death came as a real shock." Culled from the book, "Today Matters" by John C. Maxwell
My take: The biographer sure has "a way" with words. lol
Health Matters.
I have been reading a book titled "Today Matters" by John C. Maxwell for a while now, and at a very slow pace because I truly want to take in a lot, of the life transforming truth contained in the book. But when I got to the chapter on health, I skimmed through it. I didn't think I had much to learn from the chapter, and did not see the big 'hoopla' on managing the disciplines of health daily.
I consider myself to be a very healthy person. I used to be overweight[not morbidly], but thanks to my husband's love and encouragement, I was able to do what was required in order to lose the excess weight[healthy eating and exercise]. I am hardly ever ill. The most times I have been to the hospital was related to childbirth. Thankfully, I have a high metabolism rate and I can burn calories fast if I exercise. So sometimes, I indulge myself and eat whatever I want and at anytime of the day.
Some days back, series of events made me re-evaluate my health choices and revisit the chapters on health that I had previously skimmed through.
It was a week day and it was time to get the children up and ready for school. I tried getting up but I was feeling extremely nauseous, dizzy and oh... the pain I felt in my stomach. I couldn't function. So I went back to bed leaving my husband to fly solo... and carter to the family's needs. Apparently, something I ate very late into the night, did not go well with my system and has made me very ill. Putting it mildly, "My whole day was very unproductive". After Several teaspoons of Pepto-Bismol[extra strength] and numerous visits to.... You know where, I started reflecting on what the author had written concerning the importance of maintaining a healthy daily discipline.
He writes:
"Neglect enough todays, and you will experience the 'someday' you've wanted to avoid!"
"You can move from one climate to another. You can stay away from someone who wants to harm you. But you can't get away from your body. For as long as you live, you're stuck with it. If you make choices that cause you to be continually hurting or unhealthy, it will affect every aspect of your life, your heart, mind, and spirit."
"Health often determine the quality as well as the quantity of life."
"Think about how hard it is to be positive, concentrate, or pray when you have a tooth ache. More serious conditions can be even more distracting."
If we are going to make the most of our lives, seizing every day and every opportunity; we have to take our health into consideration and go the extra mile to maintain a healthy daily discipline. Thank God I feel a lot better now, but the outcome of some health problems are long lasting and irreversible.
Below are some suggestions the author gave in his book for maintaining good health:
1. MAKE THE DECISION TO KNOW AND FOLLOW HEALTHY GUIDELINES DAILY.
2. HAVE A PURPOSE WORTH LIVING FOR.
3. DO WORK YOU ENJOY.
4. FIND YOUR PACE.
5. ACCEPT YOUR PERSONAL WORTH.
6. LAUGH.
7. EAT RIGHT.
8. EXERCISE.
9. HANDLE STRESS EFFECTIVELY.
To have a more in-depth understanding on how to follow through on these suggestions, you'll have to read the book. On a final note, let this quote be a constant motivation to us all, that:
"It's easier to maintain good health than to regain it"- John C. Maxwell
Make the most of your life, Stay healthy.
Blessings and love.
Take Time Out To Reload.
My take: I primarily like this quote because, in life sometimes we have to take a step back, access things from a third person perspective [view things objectively], in order to move forward and stay on target. If we are to remain productive, and continue to be of value to ourselves and those around us, we need to take some time out to, periodically re-prioritise [because conditions in life are continually changing], rejuvenate as often as needed, and frequently re-energise... Else we are eventually going to burn out. Having nothing left inside of us, we start shooting blanks [become unproductive]. Ultimately, living unfulfilled lives.
Some people 'reload' by going on vacations, fasting and praying, or simply creating time to reflect daily. Some may quit their jobs, start a new career, start a new business or close down a business... whatever the case, the aim is not retrieving and giving up on our life's goals, but finding ways we can best actualize this goals without losing the essence of who we are.
Hmmm... Maybe I am reading too much into this quote. lol But seriously, what's your take? Have a wonderful weekend!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Get up!
Lately I have been pondering on the incredible resilience of the human spirit. And the importance of harnessing our resilient nature as human beings, if we are to successfully navigate, the sometimes very treacherous waters of life's journey. Resilience is one of the best response to circumstances that challenges or shakes the very core of our being as individuals.
Resilience is the ability to recover from {or to resist being affected by} some shock, insult or disturbance.-Wikipidia
The first segment of this definition "...the ability to recover from" brings to my mind, instances, when it seems as though life has packed up a punch, and has dealt us a blow that knocks us down and out for the count. This normally is, a very shocking and painful experience.... This blow can be: terrible financial problems resulting from the loss of one's lively hood, the betrayal of a trusted friend, or sudden death in a close knit family. The list of such disturbing situations goes on for miles, depending on the impact the situation has on an individual, and the way they respond to it.
At such times, there is the tendency to wonder "how did this happen? when and how am I ever going to get back on my feet?"
Here is something that might help; Believe that this is not the end of "you". Even after a devastating hurricane "deep underneath, the earth still has the ability to give life-Ekene Onu. You can recover. There is healing in Jesus name for that aching or broken heart. Your inner man can be strengthed once more, God can give back to you more than you ever lost {Job 42:12}, and even restore the wasted years {Joel 2:25}
Deep inside of you, lies the ability for new, fresh and beautiful things to spring forth again!
All you have to do is get up...
"Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong.-Mohamed Ali
Staying down... That is where the problem is! Instead, exhibit that beautifully and fearfully made ability in you to bonce back and recover. This is when you tap into that resilient nature that God has intricately built into the fibre of your being. No life circumstance can destroy your spirit unless you allow it. You are that strong!
"man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.- Bern William
Dwelling on the mistakes of your past is not necessary... No matter how painful or devastating the outcome of such mistakes has had on your life.
Mistakes are like signals indicating to you that you are/were on the wrong path. So most times all you need to do is change direction or try a different approach. It is usually encountered in the process of actually accomplishing something. " the man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything"-William Connor Magee
Hold on this truth most of all, that God is able to turn those mistakes into miracles. Miracles that will propel you full steam ahead towards that expected end.{Jeremiah 29:11} In the process you become a better stronger "you".
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called by His purpose-Romans 8:28.
All you have to do is, get up!
The other part of the definition of resilience emphasis the ability "... to resist being affected by". For me, my faith in God is the anchor that keeps me stable -in an "undisturbed" state. Psalms 125:1 says; "Those who trust in the Lord are as mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever". My trust in God, is what helps me harness this resilience nature when needed and confidently say "this too shall pass."
I really believe that our resilient nature showcases one of our many unique attributes as human beings. This is something to be admired, and exhibited as needed to celebrate our uniqueness and the Glorious God that made us this way!
"our greatest glory in not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.-Confucius
"A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again... {Proverbs 24:16}
It's time... to get up!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Your Choice!
Complain about them,
Stumble on them,
Climb over them,
Or build with them.-William Arthur Ward
My take: What we choose to do with whatever life presents to us, becomes a defining part of the story of our lives. To a great extent, our lives today is the result of series of choices made in the past. I pray, that God helps us to always make wise decisions in Jesus name amen.
Perseverance
One of the most interesting definition of perseverance that I got on line, as I was doing some research, was that perseverance is "doggedness: persistent determination".
This immediately put a picture of a bull dog latching unto something on my mind. You would agree with me, that it is quite a sight to behold. Once that dog pounces on anything it really wants... The vigor and grit with which it holds on, is something we have to emulate when we have our hearts set, and our minds made up to achieve a goal.
Another definition I got online describes perseverance as "... the steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state etc especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragements.
I also like this definition because of the emphasis on the phrase" in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement" This is actually when the true trait of perseverance comes to light. When something is easy you really don't need to persevere, but when something is hard, it doesn't mean you give up! So when next you encounter challenges on the course of your life's journey, just tell yourself "all I have to do right now is persevere". Keep at it. If you feel are not gaining ground at the moment, at least you can strive not to lose ground! Maintain that which you already have.
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places"-Author unknown
"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a note and hang on" -Franklin Roosevelt
"You can't go through life quitting everything. If you are going to achieve anything you've got to stick with something" -From the television show Family Matters.
"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did" -Newt Gingrich
Now, this is a quote after my own heart. lol. Sometimes that extra push is what makes all the difference.
If you want more inspiring quotes about perseverance visit http://www.quotegarden.com/
Perseverance is indeed something that can be learnt. Life is the school, the Holy Spirit is our enabler, and He will help us endure till the end. Our passion, our belief in God, in ourselves and in whatever we are doing will make it easier for us to learn how to persevere!
God bless you.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
What Is Your Definition Of Success?
Today I am just curious to find out what people's definition of success are. One of the best definition I have read is by John C. Maxwell, who writes:
Success is...
Knowing your purpose in life,
Growing to reach your maximum potential, and
Sowing seeds that benefit others.
I have heard people describe success as a process, others says it's a season.
For me:
I am a success each time I am doing effectively, what I believe God wants to do.
What is your definition?
Honoring Our Father.
I have only, always, associated this scripture with tithing and offering until yesterday as I watched the plumbline, with Faisal and Sabina Malick of Covenant Of Life Ministries. They were teaching on financial stewardship and the significance of our offerings unto God. I listened attentively as they focused on the word "honor". I was beginning to have a better understanding about the offerings we gave unto God. And view it from a perspective that I have never seen it before. I was glued to my television set, desperately grabbing onto every word the couples spoke, because I did not want to miss a thing. For a brief moment while in this attentive state, I thought "What a privilege we have as Christians to honor the king of glory with our tithes and offerings ..."
They spoke on the truth that, when an offering was given, specifically as stated in Proverbs 3:9-10 {Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency[from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; [Deut. 26:2; Mal. 3:10; Luke 14:13, 14.] So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. [Deut. 28:8.]} We are blessed with increase. An increase that is not affected by the world's economy. I don't know about you, but to me, now more than ever, that is very good news!
I gathered also that our motive for giving should be taken into account. We give to honor God, not to impress people { Mat. 6:1-3}. In regards to our tithing, we are simply returning to God what belongs to Him. In the book of Malachi the Lord says the tithe belongs to Him! When we don't give our tithes, we are taking what doesn't belong to us, hence stealing from God. Is it wise for a man to rob God? I think I hear a resounding no, lol.
The manner in which we give also is important. An example is in Mat 26:6-13, which describes how the woman with the alabaster bottle, offered to Christ with great reverence. She offered out of the essence of her being as she washed the Lord's feet with her tears. At this point she could have asked for a cloth to dry the lord's feet but she used her hair. As I reflect on this for a minute, for most women I know, their hair in something they don't play with. They invest thousands of dollars yearly just to make it look good. But she didn't stop there, she gave her most expensive possession, and treated it in front of the master, as though it was absolutely nothing compared to the privilege of offering it to her Lord. Hence she broke the bottle and used the perfume to anoint Jesus.
This was very symbolic as Jesus later explained that He was being prepared for His burial. Sometimes when we are led to give, we might not fully understand the sacredness of our giving, as it is tied to the Father's agenda. A lot can be learnt from the manner with which the woman with the alabaster bottle gave unto the Lord. The reverence that went with the offering obviously touched the Lord, hence He said that everywhere the gospel is preached she will be mentioned.
Another example of someone in the Bible whose manner of giving got heavens attention was Solomon. He gave with such reverence, as though nothing he gave was enough for such an awesome God, the God of his fathers. The Lord was so pleased He payed Solomon a visit. My Prayer today is that we learn to give in such a way that pleases God.
For the longest time, giving my tithes and offering was done because it was required as stated in the bible... and there has been many disputes in the body of Christ if "born agains" are even supposed to give their tithes... which is one tenth of what you earn. There are times I go like, "well... God understands, I don't have enough money right now... so, I will start all over again next paycheck". Because of this mind set I have not been consistent giving my tithe nor considered much the significance of my offering. And that is obviously because, I did no fully understand the dynamics involved with giving unto the Lord.
As I listened to the ministers, the longing in my heart to give grew, I wanted to honor the Lord. But I knew for the moment I couldn't give the way my heart desired. As I sat back on my chair almost feeling a sense of sadness, a thought came to my mind almost like a revelation saying " you can honor God with other things that you do..." I was elated! Definitely, there were other things I could do to honor the Father, while I wait for that awesome privilege to honor Him in my substance.
For honor is, the great respect, regard , esteem shown to another. {www.thefreedictionary.com}Every child of God can honor Him in so many ways. This should be a lifestyle... What we do, what we wear, what we eat{healthy food}, at our places of work, in our various vocations, how we treat others, how we take care of our families, in our thoughts..., the opportunities are endless...
As I write this blog post today, I write with a renewed sense of purpose. I write honoring my father, the great "I AM".
How are you honoring Father God today?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Showing Forth His Praise In All We Do.
My Take: That the name of God be glorified in all we do, great or small.
Powerful Prayers For The Month Of November.
Subject: Its a NO-vember of many NO and that divine YES.
Beloved, It’s so amazing the month starts with 2-letter NO, because heaven wants to say NO to certain things that have not made the years the best we envisaged and say YES to our expectations.
JOIN me as we declare these NO-sayings throughout the month of NO-vember
NO evil will befall you (Psalm 91: 10)
NO enchantment against you (Num. 23:23)
NO weapon formed against you will prosper (Isa. 54: 17)
NO strife (Gen 13:8)
He suffered NO man to do them wrong (I Chro. 16: 21)
He commands Do my prophets NO harm. ( I Chro 16: 22)
NO war against YOU ( 2 Chro 17: 10)
NO more reproach (Neh 2: 17)
You will fear NO evil (Ps 23: 4)
No delay, no tarrying (Ps 40: 17)
NO good thing will He withhold from YOU (Ps 84: 11)
NO complaining in our street (Ps 114: 14)
NO sorrow (Pro 10: 22)
No peace for the wicked over your life and family (Isa 57:21)
NO oppressor ( Zec 9: 18)
NO man shall hurt thee (Acts 18 : 10)
NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ( Eph 5: 11)
NO plague (Ex 30: 12)
NO other gods (Ex 34: 14)
NO wrath (Num 1: 53)
NO man will stands on your way (Deut 11: 25)
No want of anything (Judges 19: 19)
No more sadness (I Sam 1: 18)
No hurt; as the LORD liveth (I Sam 20: 21)
Violence shall NO more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. ( Isa 60: 18)
Thy sun shall NO more go down ( Isa 60: 20)
Thou shall NO more be called forsaken ( Isa 62 :4)
Surely I will NO more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured (Isa 62:8)voice of weeping shall be NO more heard in her, nor the voice of crying (Isa 65: 19)
There shall be NO more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days ( Isa 65:20)
I will NO more make you a reproach among the heathen (Joel 2: 19)
I will afflict thee NO more (Nah 1: 12)For there shall be NO loss of any man's life among you ( Acts 27: 22)
NO flesh shall glory over your life ( I Cor 1 : 29)
As you touch NO unclean thing ( Isa 52:11)
Because there is NO God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts ( 2 Ch 6: 14) It’s a NO-vember to RE-member in Jesus name ( Amen) (Thoughts and prayer as written above were God's inspiration to my household and I believe what He says unto one, He says unto all)Toyin Adekanmbi Champions Family - a Facebook Group committed to championing the cause of heaven in every family. NB - Please share this declaration with friends and family as email attachments, referrals to join via http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43749937064
Shalom
Monday, November 2, 2009
Your Worth Is Not in Your Achievemets.
Sometimes in the process we might experience a great deal of pressure, especially when we feel we are not meeting our set goals, and discontent when we perceive that we are not doing the best that we are capable of. The enormity of the task ahead at times can be overwhelming. People whose dreams are bigger than they can humanly handle, usually experience this state of being now and then. A word by Dr Charles Stanley seems very appropriate to note at this time that "No dream is too big for God" So whatever the case, be encouraged.
The major problem in my opinion, arises when we start equating our worth with our achievement or believing that our worth is based on the things we possess. Nothing could be farther from the truth. {...for man's life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs -Luke 12:15}.
These days the society which we live in, and sadly sometimes in our places of worship, make matters even worse. More often than not, people are regarded as important and valued mostly based on the things they have achieved or possess -it's the reality we all face.
Recently I got an e-devotional from Lakewood Church Ministries written by Pastor Joel Osteen . This mail actually triggered my thoughts concerning this issue. I have to confess at first, the words in the mail were hard for me to accept. I had to disabuse my mind with the word of God before I could come to terms with his message. He writes:
Few things compare to the pain and disappointment of not accomplishing what you set out to do.
It seems in our culture that our worth and happiness depend on success, wealth and fame.
When you live with this mindset, it's extremely hard to accept God's unconditional love. It can become difficult to be grateful for ALL of the wonderful things God's ALREADY done in your life. You find yourself continually thinking, "What's next?"
God's Word is filled with His plans and promises for your life. It teaches that your value DOES NOT come from your success. In God's economy you are not measured by what you've accomplished.
The key to achieving is to realise that what you achieve does not determine your worth.
So how then, do we know our worth as human beings? The answer lies on the cross! For the worth or "value of a thing is determined by the price paid".- Jeremy Pearson. The highest price that can ever be paid for anything was paid for us. The bible declares we are bought with a price {I Corinthians 6:20}. A price so high that it should at least give us an idea as to what we are worth to God and as human beings. Nothing can top that... no matter what we achieve or don't achieve, it can not add to or diminish our true worth.
With this truth in mind and hopefully settled in our spirits we become more confident... Knowing that we are the apples of the Lord's eyes {Psalm 17:8} Treasured, valued, significant and very.... important. Our focus is now primarily on God. And rightly so for "it's not about us, it's about Him!" Ecclesiastes 12:13 says " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Our life should be about stewardship not the pursuit of self-fulfilment. Being a good steward doesn't involve money alone. It also includes taking proper care of and making the most of everything He has entrusted to us. this requires that we set properties and maintain balance in all we do.
Ultimately, love becomes our driving force. We aspire to do things with dedication, commitment, tenacity, unwavering zeal , making the most of our lives because of the love we have for God, and more importantly because of the love He has for us. This love should reflect in the way we treat others and take care of ourselves. We then carry ourselves differently, think differently, speak differently and do things with excellence because of who we are and whose we are "A child of the king". We no longer try to become "somebody" important because we know, we already are!
With such a drive, and a healthy state of mind {which is the mind of Christ-1Corinthians 2:16}, achieving great things for God is guaranteed and success in life becomes inevitable! Glory to God!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Opportunities All Around!
So I said a little prayer in my heart "Lord, help me recognise daily, all the money saving opportunities around me so that I can make use of them". In my train of thoughts I figured, "It will be foolish of me not to... it doesn't make any sense throwing money away, spending more than I should, after all this money could be redirected to doing other important things". Interestingly, some minutes later, one of my favorite songs started playing on the car stereo. Titled "lord Give Me Your Eyes".- By Brandon Heath.
Parts of the lyrics to the song says:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so that I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your love for the broken hearted, the ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten, give me your eyes so I can see...
...then it occurred to me, when was the last time I prayed that God should open my eyes... so that I could see all the opportunities around me daily... to be a blessing in ANYWAY to others. Opportunities to share with all the gospel... planting seeds that would bring souls into the kingdom. For this is indeed a wise thing to do. { ...and he who is wise wins souls - Proverbs 11:30} After all, Christianity is about sharing the love of God through Christ to others.
A lot of such opportunities present itself to us everyday, but sometimes, for one reason or another, we miss... it.
With a heart felt prayer this can change. We can be a blessing to others DAILY and impact our world for Christ. Happy new month all! Below is the youtube link for the the song "Lord Give Your Eyes".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDEvXMzZWUs