Sunday, 9 April 2017
Lisa, Living and Leaving a Love Legacy.
She had only been here maybe a year or two. It seemed shorter to me. At first I was sad, I was looking forward to spending more time getting to know her, spending more time with her and to just be around her more.
I'll tell you why. This Lady Lisa, is a phenomenal woman. She is the sort of woman you want to be around. She has a truly pleasant personality, she is kind, she is warm and most of all she comes across as a truly real person.
In a world where it sometimes feels like everyone is either trying to keep up with the Jones's or trying so hard to fit in and losing their essence in the process, Lisa is a breath of fresh air.
Once I invited her over to my house for a ladies group meeting, she was a little late (not that I minded, I usually show up late everywhere I'm invited to, a bad habit I'm trying so hard to change) She apologized so profusely but that wasn't what struck me. What struck me was her ability to find some common ground with everyone who was at that meeting. It was a diverse group with women from different parts of the world, with different back grounds and different educational qualifications, you know different oomphs and different aarghs! for the lack of a better word.
I watched her mingle with everyone, smiling, listening, talking back with them. She felt at ease and made others feel the same.
Another time she showed up with a lady at my doorstep. You see this lady with whom she showed up with, had just moved into the kingdom.
Her name was Idy. Idy had just moved here from the United kingdom and is a Nigerian like myself. I had met her a couple of times and knew her but not so well. Lisa found her somewhere around the school both their children went too. She knew that it wasn't quite well with her and she was right because Idy was having a hard time settling into her new life.
Somehow Lisa must have known that all Idy needed at the time was a connection, someone to help her navigate through the glorious shock of living in a blessed desert place like this.
When Lisa showed up at my door step, She had the most concerned look on her face. She had the most compassionate glow written all over her being. She came across to me that afternoon as a sisters keeper, a dependable and kind person. She came across to me as a rare being, an angel, she reminded me of the story-The good Samaritan-a truly good neighbor.
I was able to help Idy to the best of my ability and built a lovely friendship with her.
As I think of her this morning, I am so tempted to ask myself and anyone else? What sort of life are you living in your now?
Are you content with your attitude or disposition to people around you who in need or not?
Are you living a purposeful life, impacting people around you for good?
Do people consider you kind, helpful, loving or not?
Do you think that if you answered no to any of these questions that you could do better, be a better person?
No, no one is good says the good book except the one who made us all. We can however try to better ourselves, to be more compassionate, to be kinder, to leave footprints of love and sprinkle a little happiness here and there over the people who pass by our way.
Lisa Sheldon Coburn, Thanks for reminding me and teaching me without even knowing, to be better. Godspeed my dear friend.
Ashufkoom Allah kair
Till we meet again, stay with God.
Monday, 26 December 2016
Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Tuesday, 20 December 2016
New Year Resolutions
I paused on my bed, reflected on how this year has come and gone in a huff and puff.
I thought about those I had lost in the year. I have lost a brother not of the same mother but as dear to my heart as a biological brother would be.
I lost a grandfather, not a biological father of either parents, but a father in so many ways to one of them. This grandfather of mine was a gentleman and one that was very much loved by me.
I remembered my sister too, not of blood, but in ties of a genuine friendship. This sister friend lost her lover, her husband, her best friend of many, many years right before her eyes. She hurts and grieves and I hurt so much for her hurt.
I reflect also on the lives of my children and the joy that their every kiss, hug and smile bring to my sometimes achy heart. I remind myself to be grateful.
I think of my better half, my husband who loves me in the most beautiful and sometimes unbelievable manner. I remind myself to be thankful.
I think of the many goals I have been able to achieve his year by no might of mine.
I think of the many many blessings, innumerable to count.
I think of the new friendships and partnerships.
As I looked back teary and wide eyed, I just could not but say It was all you Lord.
In my place, there's a saying that goes thus. Ore ni won.
This means kindness should have a limit. It also means carefully measure the amount of kindness you give.
This is because kindness can be abused or mistaken for foolishness by ingrates.
As I struggled with the deepness of this thought, I was reminded about the love of God for humanity. How he measured not His love for humanity, withheld not His only begotten, that we might be redeemed and ransomed by His love so strong and blood so pure.
He freely gave His virtue and of His substance - so that those who did not have could receive and such that, those who had could be satisfied.
He gave without any limits, and even though the world did not accept Him nor appreciate His kindness, He gave until it poured out from His sides at Calvary.
My mind flashed back to the lowest lows in my life this year. The death of close and very much loved relatives, an abused friend and her ordeal of an unimaginable ill treatment and death threats, deaths of lives in Aleppo, terrorist attacks and more.
These and many more happenstances in the world have crushed me and others known and unknown.
Of a truth they have left many wounded, many empty and so many more numb for the inability to take any more of the darkness.
However, I am encouraged. I am encouraged that for those who have lived thus far, that there's hope for a better tomorrow. All these pains and sorrows are nothing compared to the joy that our saviors birth brings and what that means for the whole world.
It reminds me that kindness in its entirety has no limits.
It reminds me that even though death in every ramification is inevitable, we all have a glorious hope.
That even in the midst of pain and sorrows that we are able to have life and have it more abundantly.
That even though sorrow can endure for a while, Joy to the world, the saviors come.
This season is my joyful reminder.
I am reminded that I can be loving, forgiving and kind. That you can too, because you never ever know what people are going through.
So as we begin making our new year resolutions, let's resolve to be much more loving, much more kindly, much more forgiving in the new year no matter the situation.
Let's carry the message of this season into all the seasons of the coming year.
No matter what the year has thrown your way, remember that because of this season, you are the words of Angel Gabriel, blessed and highly favored.
Monday, 5 September 2016
Encouragement For Today: Defensive Praise by TD Jakes
When you first read about the woman who was healed of the eighteen year long infirmity, you might have thought that her greatest deliverance was her physical healing. The Bible says that when the Lord laid His hands on her, she was made straight. Now that's physical deliverance.
But I want to point out an even greater deliverance: Her attitude changed. She entered into praise and thanksgiving and began to worship the Lord. This woman started leaping and magnifying God and shouting victory like anyone delivered from an old infirmity should. While she was glorifying God over here the enemy was string up strife over there. She just kept on glorifying God. She didn't stop praising God to answer the accusers.
My sister, the Lord is your defense. You do not have to defend yourself. When God has delivered you, do not stop what you are doing to answer your accusers. Continue to bless His name because because you do not want your attitude to become defensive. When you have been through difficult times, you cannot afford to play around with moods and attitudes. Depression and defensiveness may make you vulnerable to the devil.
The woman had to protect herself by entering into defensive praise. This was not just praise or thanksgiving, but a strategy and a posture of spiritual warfare that says, I will not allow my attitude to crumble and fall.
When you get to the point that you quit defending yourself or attacking others, you open a door for the Lord to fight for you. When Paul and Silas began to praise the Lord, the prison doors were opened. When this woman began to bless God, she built walls around her own deliverance. She decided to keep the attitude that would enable the deliverance of God to be maintained in her life.
Can you imagine what would have happened if she stopped glorifying God and started arguing? If an argument had gotten through her doors, this whole scene would have ended in a fight. But she was thankful and determined to express her gratitude.
When you're in trouble, God will reach into the mess and pull you out. then you must be strong enough not to let yourself be dragged back into it. Once God unleashes you, don't let anyone trap you into some religious squabble. Keep praising Him.
Monday, 29 August 2016
When you are down on your knees- The Power of Vulnerability
It was betrayal of a friend that I really loved dearly. Quite honestly, It wasn't entirely her fault. I had my part of fair blame. This friend and I hung out together a lot, our friendship was new but to me it felt like I had known her for ever. During our course of friendship, we had shared so many things with each other. I shared past hurts from family with her and deep thoughts that went on in my head too. She also did, she shared her fears with me and I felt it was a beautiful and strong friendship.
But I made a big mistake. It wasn't a mistake of trusting too soon. It was far from that. I talked very carelessly with her. We had a mutual friend, who I really did like. There were certain things she did that I didn't agree with at the time, I judged some of her decisions poorly without understanding them at all. I mean who am I to judge anyone? So I spoke about some of these things with friend A, lets call her that. Friend A totally agreed with me and that was it. A careless conversation that should never have happened. Read here
My friendship with friend A soon fizzled out, I don't really know why. I tried my best to pursue the friendship, but it just didn't quite work out.
Well, friend A and B got closer in their friendship and friend A decided I wasn't a good friend to Friend B and narrated our entire conversation to her.
During this period, friend B's friendship with me became quite forced, I wondered what it was but I just decided to carry on. I never thought that friend A had anything to do with it, there were times I worried friend B was a little strange but I never thought much of it.
A while later friend B opened up to me and told me what had happened. I was gutted and decided that it would be best, all three of us sat and ironed things out.
The story went downhill from there, It wasn't as if I wasn't guilty of saying what ever it was, I was guilty of a number of things, but the things I said had been retold maliciously and Friend B was understandably disappointed.
There was no amount of apologizing, maybe denying, or explaining.
It was bad and it really couldn't be fixed. There were some things I felt that were told out of context but that is secondary, As a christian woman, I had no reason to say them at all. Our families had become involved and of course it filtered into our homes. Read here
I thought that I had been down and empty before, this was a different spectrum.
I was drained, I couldn't pray, I couldn't function, but the Lord saved me.
I had prayer warriors around me, as I shared my disappointment with myself, my hurt and my grief with them, they counselled me and they prayed for me. There was a release in my spirit and I became free. It was a long journey but I made it. You see whoever the Lord sets free, He sets free indeed.
There was a lifting. An unbelievable lifting. So I decided to draw closer to the lord, I told the lord everything. How I felt, my grief and my shame and He began to give me rest. Read here
One day He spoke to me, He told me for all your shame, I will give you double honor, I asked Him, I said "But why lord? You know my heart, why did this have to happen to me?"
First to teach me a lesson- He told me. He reminded me that when words are many, transgression is not lacking in it. So I had to learn the power of quiet lips.
He told me that most importantly, what was meant for evil, He would turn around for my good, that the enemy thought he could kill, steal and destroy my joy because of my unique personality and fervour for the Lord. The Lord turned that deed by friend A into a testimony becase of a truth I was crushed but the Lord revived me. My testimony also by Gods grace will bless others to the glory of God and shame of the devil. Read here
I realized then that, it was when I was down on my knees and called on to His name, that He healed me and began to show me great and mighty things. It was a period that I kept to myself in order to find myself in God.
I cut out unnecessary socialization and sought God out. I prayed and studied the word more, the more I did, the stronger I became spiritually and physically. The lord washed away all my sadness, for all the ashes I was covered in' He gave me beauty. Read here and again here
In fact there was one day my husband held my hands and said "baby you are like fine wine?" I looked at him confused because this man is not a drinker. He said "you're like fine wine because you're getting prettier with age" That was a good one- only that I knew where that beauty and radiance was coming from. It wasn't from getting older, It came from my maker, my beautifier, the King of kings Himself.
One of the things the lord directed me to do was; First, to pray for forgiveness. That friend B forgives me no matter if she wasn't entirely a good friend to me herself.
Two, that I truly forgive friend A and ask for a heart to love her even more than I did before.
Boy! that was hard, but I did it. The more I did, the more healing flowed into me.
Thirdly He did something for me through someone, a friend who is like a mentor to me suddenly got in touch with me without knowing any of what I was going through at the time, she blessed me with a book- The Anatomy of Peace.
This book entirely changed my life and re-organised the thoughts in my head based on the hurt I was going through. (It is a must read)
The lord also asked me to begin to pray for godly associations, I began to pray for that. Shortly after that I was invited to join a prayer ministry.
The blessings that He has brought my way by just being down on my knees to Him are innumerable.
Who do you go to when you are down on your knees and you can't go on? You need The Healer.
You need to surround yourself with godly women who will stand in the gap for you when your mouth is heavy with your cries, who will be honest with you and correct you in love when you stumble.
My friendship with friend A and B has changed, and I can't say I miss our friendship, I just ache for what could have been. We could have been a bunch of God loving friends who supported each other, prayed together and grown together. God has filled those aching parts with His love.
When the devil reminds me of what name friend A gave me, He constantly reminds me that I am not a failure, that I am good, kind, wonderful, beautiful, loving and righteous because Jesus lives in me.
He also told me that He sees friend A the same way, He sees her as beautiful, special, kind and wonderful and to never look at her through the eyes of the enemy.
He told me He loves her more than I can imagine and I should never for a second doubt that.
He also surrounded me with people who see the good, beauty and love and appreciate what God has deposited in me to give, and I can still give despite my hurt from this friendship.
And I will keep giving because I own nothing yet everything in Christ Jesus. If I can rise, so can you.
Today let go of your past hurts, get up, get up from your thinking corner and get on your knees, go down on your knees and go to your Way Maker. Let Him begin to restore and mend your btoken heart. I pray healing for you through our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen..
If my people humble themselves and pray, then I will hear and I will heal. 2nd Chronicles 7:14
Tuesday, 23 August 2016
NO DEATH, ONLY LIFE! By Joseph Prince
Proverbs 12:28
In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.God does not want us to worry about whatever happens in the world. We don’t need to be affected by whatever is causing the world to be afraid because we are the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) And the Bible says, “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is nodeath.”
The patriarchs of the Old Testament did not suffer during the famines that occurred in their lifetimes. Abraham remained very rich in livestock, silver and gold. (Genesis 12:10, 13:1–2) Isaac reaped a hundredfold in the land he sowed. (Genesis 26:1, 12–14) Joseph, with his entire family, was richly provided for in Egypt. (Genesis 47:11–13, 27) They weren’t just spared from suffering—they prospered exceedingly!
So even if our nation or the world enters a recession, we need not suffer. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, our righteousness, we will thrive!
This proved true for a church member whose boss told everyone to expect a substantial pay cut during an economic downturn. But while her colleagues received pay cuts, she received a substantial increment! As the righteousness of God in Christ, she saw provision in a time of lack.
In the midst of fearful news such as terrorist attacks, deadly pestilences and natural calamities, God says, “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” In fact, He protected an entire coastal town in South India during the Asian Tsunami in 2004.
A pastor who lived in that coastal town was praying that morning when he felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to plead the blood of Jesus over his entire town. So he did just that. When the tsunami struck, his town was untouched while five other towns, which were further inland, were wiped out by the devastating flood.
My friend, God protects us when the world is experiencing evil because we are the righteousness of God in Christ. His Word declares that “in the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death”!
Thought For The Day
You don’t need to be affected by whatever is causing the world to be afraid because you are the righteousness of God in Christ.
Testimony: Few months ago, it was bedtime and I was extremely tired, as the wave of sleep swept over me, I started to say my bedtime prayers whispering them in my heart as my eyes closed to nature, I felt the prompting of the lord so strongly to anoint every opening of my home. I began to plead every window, every door with the blood of Jesus. I didn't get up from my bed I just anointed it in faith not physically with oil or anything. That morning as I woke up, I felt some kind of presence around so I just prayed it away. My helper told me later that day, that she had a strange dream. In her dream, she saw a dark figure with dreadlocks and torn clothes fighting so hard to gain entry into my room in the dead of the night,he tried so hard to get in through my bedroom doors that open to the balcony but couldn't because he was prevented by guess what? The Blood!The Righteous Blood of Jesus. Stay in the Lord, He is our righteousness and our covering, glory to God, Amen.
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