Decision time

I had a crucial decision to make yesterday and agonised back and forth about it. Midway through I listened to a podcast episode that clarified so many things for me and gave me a framework to weigh up either side.

• First to be sure that I am in right standing with God and that’s obvious to make sure that I am in a place to hear from Him, to speak and have that conversation with Him.
• Then, listen to Godly counsel. Similar minded people also submitted to God and walking in the faith. Ask them to pray along and confirm what God is saying to me.
• What I am hearing from God and Godly counsel, is it aligned with Scripture? God’s true and living word?

After all this, step out in faith and trust God with the fallout from the decision made. Only God knows and He can see our hearts, we can trust Him always. So I have done that and I realised it was the fallout from the decision that was crippling me and once I stepped out, there was peace in my heart.

How do you make decisions?

Friday Moving Music

This song is giving me pause in this season of my life. God still moves, He still works, He breaks all chains and He can work even where situations seem dead and hopeless.

Sunday Reads

• The lies parents tell to keep peace and sanity around the house.
• May the Church of God continue to stand strong always.
• Just read a bit of the Word, regardless.
• This little baby made my day.
• These lessons can easily apply to any new job.
• Oh New York how much I love thee

Recipes

• Cilantro Lime Dressing
• More pasta recipes
• Must try this: Blueberry Ginger Sorbet
• Chicken breast recipes
• Chickpeas stew

3 Current Truths about God

Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com

In this season of late nights and quiet early mornings, of little cries and fussy babies I am learning three truths about God and really reflecting on that.

1. God the Creator. Throughout the pregnancy I have seen how God creates little beautiful people and the level of care and His great attention to detail. His ways make sense and when you read the Science behind it all, you cannot help but worship Him deeper and love Him even more.
2. God the Provider. Isaiah 49:15 talks about how just as mother will never forget the child she is breastfeeding so also God will never forget us and will always show us compassion because He has engraved us on the palms of His hands. God knows all the details of our lives and He sees to all our needs from the small to the large. He is our Source and Sustainor.
3. God is Love. I love my daughter and it sometimes overwhelms me just how much the little lady has captivated us and then I think that God loves me even more than that. That He loved me so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for me. Oh how He loves us!!

What does God mean to you as we approach this Easter season?

 

Sunday Reads

• How do you talk to kids about attacks on their faith?
• Economics meets theology, I love it!
• How to Discern God’s Will in Your Workplace
• I pray for strong faith like this Chinese Pastors‘.
• In case you are looking for some book inspiration …
• …. also how to get more reading done.
• I love it when Economics solves an actual problem.
• Enjoyed the writing not so much the subject of this profile.
• This Humans of New York story just broke me.

Recipes

• Yummy enchiladas
• Braised chicken thighs
• Spicy Coconut Vegetable Stir Fry
• Overnight Oats
• 15 Citrus Recipes
• Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad
• I want to eat these mashed potatoes …
• … but I am definitely making this Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala.

Sunday Reads

• What does prophecy look like today?
• How the Spirit draws a child.
• I generally like this blog but this post was tone and culturally deaf.
• This story of police neglect was heartbreaking.
• Loved the explanation behind Mummy Brain.
• I love bananas, here’s how to cook with them.

Monday Thought

⁴³ So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.

⁴⁴ The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands.

⁴⁵ Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 21:45 (NIV)

This year’s study of BSF begun with the book of Joshua and I am in awe of God and His faithfulness to His Word and His Character. God never lies and He can be depended on always as we see in these three remarkable verses above. I can trust God with my present and future cares, wishes and thoughts. He can be trusted.

I have also learnt about obedience through Joshua’s response to God’s commands. He was swift in His obedience and He always trusted that God would come through for him and the Israelites. How was he so sure? Because he abided in God’s word and spent time in prayer such that he knew what to ask, how to trust and how to obey. I want that, don’t you?

 

 

Belated Sunday Reads

Where are you going. You cannot leave with so many pieces of me still inside you. How will I ever put myself back together again.

Nikita Gill

• Breaking up with your phone.
• The loneliness of motherhood.
• Podcast recommendations for kiddos.
• On raising a boy.
• Women and their self selection into low-status and/or low-paying jobs.
• Mhhhh, the true state of media in Kenya.
• I can’t imagine purging any books but this is how you could go about it.
• Hospitality and church planting go together.
• Women and active ministry.
• Black Panther will inspire a lot of hair styles.
• Do you Airbnb during your travels?
• Are you part of a momarazzi crew?

Recipes

• I love the idea of baking only two doughnuts.
• Have your way with vegetarian quinoa recipes.
• Lemon, garlic and shrimp, yummmy!!

Building an Active Faith

UNWAVERING

Romans 4:20-21 NIV

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,  being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Like Abraham, I want to face the truth of my circumstance and not flinch in face of them but to maintain my eyes on the focus on the truths of His promise and His character.  I want to have an active faith that clings desperately to God.

 

Why I Believe

This is the reason why I am a Christian. Truths I have been reminded through the study of Romans in BSF.

1. We are justified through faith because Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification (Romans 4:25). The great exchange: His life for ours; His righteousness for our sin.
2. Knowing this saves me from striving for salvation. There is nothing I can do to save myself., I am powerless to do this. If I do not accept this truth, I strive and try to work at my righteousness through works. All I can do is accept this free gift of salvation.
3. Christianity makes all men equal. Before salvation we were all sinners, after salvation we are all justified by faith. No one’s sin is greater than the other or the utter worst; none of us is more righteous once we have believed. God views all men as equal.
4. As a believer, I know what I am saved from (the penalty of sin which is death) and what I am saved for ( eternal life) and while here to do good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
5. While we wait for the day when we will be taken up to meet our Lord and Saviour, we have the Holy Spirit as a seal and a promise. He also reveals all truth and teaches us all things righteous.

So do you believe, and if you do not, will you tonight ask Him to be your Lord and Saviour (Acts 4:12 / John 14:6)?

Tuesday Tunes / Prayer

I have often heard of this verse (repeated three times) as a caution to young unmarried people to guard their hearts so I enjoyed hearing it as a prayer to God to stir up those feelings of first love we felt when we first became Christians.

 

Sunday Reads

• Speaking up for someone that can’t.
• God can bring us through tough times.
• Travelling while black and female.
• Laying aside insincerity.
• Creating a village to bring up a child.
• Cooking with zucchini: here and here 
• Salad dressing recipes.

Concluding Thoughts from the Book of James

It is quite funny how we can pick to do something and then later find that God had actually purposed for us to learn from that experience. Well, I picked James as I had just finished doing John and wanted something light for the BSF break. How very wrong I was as James turned out to be the very thing I needed to continue with the lessons learnt from the Book of John.

What character traits of God did I see?

• God as sovereign, ordering all my plans and in control of my future.
• God as Judge. Reading James 5, I learnt that the coming of Christ is imminent and that in all my plans I have to remember the eternal plan for mankind’s salvation.
• God as transformer who is able to change me from my fallen self through to the daughter that He would have me become.

What actions/thoughts do I need to stop?

• How I use my tongue. 
• What wisdom do I rely on, Godly or earthly? (James 3: 13 – 17)
• Are my works an outer demonstration of the faith that I profess? ( James 2: 14 – 26)

How has the study encouraged me?

• I was encouraged by the fact that by abiding in Christ and remaining in His words and teachings, I will grow.  This was brought out through the likening of God’s word to a mirror. (James 1: 22 – 25)

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

So be encouraged!!

An area of growth

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3 

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. James 1:26

With those close to me, I love to talk. But equally, I tend to say things that are undesirable or hurtful and so my desire and prayer is that I would learn to restrain my tongue, being slow to speak and anger and quick to listen (James 1:19) starting today and always by God’s strength.

Courtesy of this journaling prompt.

Thursday Music

 

I discovered Lauren Daigle this week and she has quickly become a firm favourite. I am amazed at how she sounds like Adele but different. Here are some favourites to enjoy:

Enjoy

xoxo

Concluding Thoughts on the Book of John

On the last night of BSF we typically have a sharing night where class members share with each other lessons and thoughts of the study. It is a very encouraging and motivating part of the lesson as the Holy Spirit continues to affirm that He is the one who reveals knowledge to each of us.

Below see some of my thoughts and I pray that you will be deeply encouraged/challenged as I was.

1. The Father and the Son act in one accord always. Jesus acted in total obedience and submission to His father and was obedient to death, even death on the Cross (Philippians 2:8).
2. God is Sovereign – He ordains all things so that scripture will be fulfilled. This was confirmed for me particularly at the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord – He was in charge at all points, even when He gave His spirit on the cross.
3. Through looking at the relationship between Father and Son, I was able to reevaluate my identity as a Child of God (John 1:12 -13) and to critically evaluate those relationships that were providing a pseudo identity. It particularly helped to read that believers are a gift from the Father to the Son (John 17:2) and we are securely held in the Father and the Son’s hand (John 10:28).
4. Believers bear fruit as they abide in Christ. This forced me to look at the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) again and ask those around me to help me identify where I am not bearing fruit. It was challenging to hear but definitely true and it gave me another reason to trust and ask God to help me overcome this area of growth.
5. The character that most reminded me of myself is definitely Peter. Oh how I wish I could say I was like John but I saw repeatedly how self confident I am as opposed to being God-confident.
6. I was struck at how unbelief in Christ existed throughout the gospel. I had previously thought that it only grow during that Holy Week but it was only present among the Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders throughout His life on earth. However as John explicitly says that he wrote this book that we would believe and by believing we would have eternal life (John 20:31), this is what I learnt about belief:
   • Jesus confronts unbelief to expose the heart. I was particularly challenged at how praying small prayers ultimately demonstrated that I did not fully believe that God is able to achieve significantly above all I can think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
   • A believers’ sole identity is in Christ and nothing (or no one) else.
   • God provides evidence for each step of belief.
7. I also learnt that obedience is the lens that allows us to see the purpose that we were created for. Also, through the depth of my obedience am I able to show my love for Jesus Christ.

Having learnt all of this, I can also say that my discomfort at the number of the unreached (unsaved) also grew. It is appointed for man to die once and after that to face judgment (Hebrew 9:27). My responsibility is purely to share God’s word and leave it to Him as he awakens faith in us and causes us to believe. While scary, failure to believe means meeting Jesus as Judge as opposed to as Saviour and Great High Priest. So I pray that we may continue to share the reason for our Hope when asked (1 Peter 3:15).

 

Word for the Day

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 18)

Through the intense study of John in BSF this year, I have had occasion to think of the verse above. To me, God’s word is living and inspiring and able to cut through flesh and bone. When I read the Bible, it speaks to me and I gain understanding and learn something about the character of God, about my faith and sometimes about myself. And this is different from my feelings – it is an internal working of the Holy Spirit in the heart of someone that is submitted to God. But, this verse also helps me understand that for those that do not believe the Bible is God’s inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17), it is all foolishness.

Be encouraged!

John 6:16-21

I love it when Christian rock is so steeped in Scripture. As in this case Third Day have done with the track, when the rain falls. In the storms of life, let us never forget that Christ is with us.

When the rain comes it seems that everyone has
gone away
When the night falls you wonder if you shouldn’t
find someplace
To run and hide
Escape the pain
But hiding’s such lonely thing to do

I can’t stop the rain
From falling down on you again
I can’t stop the rain
But I will hold you ’til it goes away

When the rain comes you blame it on the things that
you have done
When the storm fades you know that rain must fall
on everyone
So Rest awhile
It’ll be alright
No one loves you like I do

When the rain comes
I will hold you!

Source

Positive relationship related jams

Relationships are not easy. Conflicts are a side effect of all relationships and sometimes it’s all about the perspective we select.

Enjoy!!!

True Love is this …

This week’s lesson at BSF was on John 3, where Nicodemus approaches Jesus and learns that all who believe in Jesus are born again and have eternal life. Salvation is the necessary prerequisite to access the kingdom of God and eternal life. We become children of God when we receive Him, believe in our hearts and confess in our hearts that Jesus is Lord. I love the song and the lyrics below because they express this point in a beautiful way. Salvation is to be found in no other name but the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4: 12). There is only way to heaven, not many.

There is Love
That came for us
Humbled to a sinner’s cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

Faithfulness none can deny
Through the storm
And through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

No beginning and no end
You’re my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross