Quality Time: Just You and God.

Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship:)

Lone time does something to a relationship..
Something good..
And that is why for EVERY Christian, it is very VITAL to spend some quiet time with God.

One thing about this is that it's something we've got to do with diligence.. regularity..
Not when it's convenient..
Haha..
Not when you have extra time..
Not when you feel like..

SEEK God.. Pursue Him.. Go After Him..
You've got to make an effort.
He already assures us that if/when we seek Him, we shall find Him.
If time is the problem, I encourage you to give God the little you have and He will bless the rest of the time you'll have left for the day.
For God so loved that He GAVE..
Time in itself is an offering..
Sow it like a seed.

The Bible is your number one weapon.
I'm sure you've heard of a verse the goes something like, "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6)
Let me add another.. "You are in error because you do not know the Scripture......" (Matt 22:29)
Here are some of my tips on Bible Study :
⚫Possibly download a devotional application on your phone or probably get those lovely diaries that have daily Bible verses.. Or a lectionary of any kind. It helps to have order:)
⚫Identify a good quiet place as much as possible, to keep away from distractions.
⚫Before you read the verse, pray that God may open your inner eyes to see what He has for you, your inner ears to hear what He has to say and your heart to the understanding of His word.
⚫Read the verse itself, the verses above it, and those below to understand the context.
⚫Pen down what you understand from it as God leads you. It really helps to write, for memory and record purposes. So, keep a Bible journal.
⚫Seek further understanding from commentaries on the Internet or from Books or from a spiritual leader, it does help.
⚫Pray in context to that Word, that God may help you to keep and remind you of it when you need it.
⚫Pray.
For yourself, your family... everything else..

The more you put into the Word of God, the more you get out of it.

You don't need to have the word of God in your brain, you need to have it in your heart.
So when you find yourself struggling with forgetfulness, like I do, don't beat yourself too much about it.
I've come to learn that for as long as I put that Word in me, at the opportune time when I need it, God will bring it out for me. :)
So, invest I understanding, not knowing.

PRAY.
Anytime, anywhere..
Learn to speak to God and love it!
About everything that is in your heart for we know that nothing in this world is hidden from Him.
However, don't do too much of the talking.
Listen.
He has something for you as well..

Look out for the next post, we'll be talking about Hearing From God.
I can't wait!

Love,
Laura.

The Love Chapter

Let's talk about LOVE.
LOVE God's way.. :)

"Laura, why love?"
"Because they will know we are Christians by our love."(John 13:35)
Not by works, or by majesty, but by our love..

What is love?
Who defines love?
Truth is, we all love by our own different definitions.. To one, love is giving and to another, the measure of love is in words..
But it's simple.
GOD IS LOVE.
He is the personification of love.
He defines love.

You're in for a great time as we go on with this discussion... :)

Allow me to take you to the Love Chapter, as I love to call it.. 1 Corinthians 13..
I'd encourage you to read through the whole of it but for now I will delve mainly into verses 4 to 7.
"4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[ b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Paul writes this to a dysfunctional church at Corinth to rebuke them for abuse of gifts. And this is a chapter that is now often read at weddings and anniversaries, of which there's nothing wrong with that. However, it's very easy to superficially appreciate love and claim to practise it.. Because love is not an emotion, it's an action. 
He describes a completely selfless love in these senses:

1.Love is patient.
Love God's way does not lose it's temper easily.. It doesn't say, "I'm giving you only one more chance."
It keeps calm, with people and through difficult circumstances.
God humbles us enough with our personal shortcomings despite the many times we fail.. The least we could do is show patience to others when they fall short of our expectations.
Loving people are willing to tolerate the shortcomings of others because they know they have faults too.

2.Love is kind.
Love God's way is kind.
Not too permissive, kind..
Not to mean that everyone and anyone can and may take advantage of you, but to mean that even when your portraying some tough love, your words and actions do not fall far from the will of God.

3. Love does not envy.
A loving person is as enthusiastic about the success of others as they are about their own.. genuinely.
Being a Christian doesn't mean you can never feel jealous. And there is something we can do about it, pray.
This is the best way to cure envy. To pray for him or her demonstrates love, and love and jealousy cannot dwell on the same heart.

4. Love does not boast.
Gifts are generously given to us by God, therefore we have no reason to attribute anything to ourselves.
Pride sets in from time to time, most times unwaringly..
But I do believe that the more you fill your heart with the Love of God, the more these vices lack room.

5.Love is not arrogant.
Love respects, does not push for positions, and does not demean others.

6.Love is not rude.
There is a graciousness in love that translates to how we speak.
Jesus can help us, even in this.

7.Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not possessive, demanding, stubborn, or dominating. Love does not talk too much but listens as well. Love does not insist on its own way. It is always willing to give attention to others, and even compromise, when need be.

8.Love is not easily angered.
Agape love knows nothing about emotional outbursts and tantrums.
It is able to control irate people or a annoying situations with calmness and maturity.

9.Love keeps no record of wrongs.
This one really got to me.
I keep journals and countless times my classmates would fear to even look at what I'm writing because (as I came to discover) most journals contained lots of heavy tantrums and all manner of things that so and so did or didn't do that hurt or annoyed you. Well, it's taken to be a way of venting, but I can imagine how it is to always read what you wrote about someone when you were very annoyed at them. It brings back a lot of things..
We'll, this is just but an example, but many times, even in our hearts, we hold something against people who hurt us for very wrong and it hinders us from ever relating with them in the same way.
Love God's way forgives. It covers a multitude of sins.

10.Love always:
i)protects
Yes, she got pregnant at 18, but don't be part of the 411 team.
Love God's way does not rejoice in failure of others.
Even when others come to you with the 411, you could change the story to.. "Do you love coffee? I loooooovvveee coffee.. Want some?!"

ii) trusts
Ever met someone who, you know they've just been duped, but they are convinced," she didn't mean it."
And you're like, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT?!"
Haha..
Well..
I don't know about you..but I wannabpractise live like my Jesus did.
The Pharisees are speaking ill.. But oh well, they don't mean it!

iii) hopes
Hope and doubt are oil and water.. They don't go together.

iv) perseveres
Yes, that irritating friend.
There's a reason they came your way.

11.Love bears all things!
This is pretty much like what I said earlier.
Love doesn't nitpick, looking for faults all around and having an eye for the wrong things people do.
LOVE doesn't broadcast bad news, it goes a second mile to protect.
I came across this quote somewhere:
“There are many times in my life when I’ve been sorry I opened my mouth. But there has never been a time I’ve been sorry I kept silent.”
Stay strong.
Persevere.

12.Love believes all things.
This is where benefit of doubt comes in.
Believing the best in people.
We all work best in an atmosphere where we feel trusted and appreciated.
Create an environment for those around you to perform to their best.
Look for the best. It doesn't mean you won't see the worst. But focus on the best.


13.Love endures all things.
Love God's way does not retaliate or reject.
It doesn't say, "I'm done with you!"
"I don't want anything to do with you ever again! "

Wow..
It's been one long post, I know..
But this is the most important part that I pray you understand with as much weight as I did.
We may make efforts to work towards practising all these things but without knowing the one true personification of love Himself then it's all null:(
Jesus loves you.
Greater love had no man than this.. That He lay down His life for his friends.
1 John 4:8:
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

I pray that we may all work towards understanding in depth the true nature of God because, then and only then will we be able to solidify our understanding of love.
We don't sign in to this by focusing on love but on the personification of it.. The definition of it.
Live it out! :)

The world will take notice, and lives will be changed.

Lots of Love,
Laura.

Hidden Faults

Unknown errors..
We all have these.

I recall sharing with you about my struggle with perfectionism.You my read about that here. It has a little to do with what I'll share with you on this post.

Being Christians doesn't mean that we never wander from the will of God, we do. We sin.
On to our first reference verse for this topic:
Psalms 19:12(NIV)
"But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults."
The first thing I derive from this verse is that as human beings, there are some errors we make that we can't notice, we can't understand, we can't detect.
Why?Simply because they are unintentional.

So, there are two kinds of sin: intentional (or rather, out of human weakness) and unintentional.
As Christians, any discovery of sin should lead us to the throne of grace, to confess and seek forgiveness. There is a natural proneness to sin even in the best of men, and if we don't constantly pray against temptation, we may find ourselves falling into it. Presumptuous sins are strangely dangerous.
In this verse, David not only desired to be pardoned and cleansed from the sins he had discovered and confessed, but from those he had forgotten or overlooked.
And that's what I'd like to encourage us to start doing from today.

Just to emphasize on the importance, Hebrews 4:13 tells us, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
He knows it all, He sees it all, So take it all to Him. He is abounding in grace.


Please pray with me:
"Oh Lord, wash away with your precious blood, even the sin my conscience has been unable to detect. Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable unto you. In Jesus Name. Amen"

God bless you! :)

Love,
Laura.

Guard Your Heart.

My Bible tells me to guard my heart, for its the wellspring of life..

Wellspring?
Chill out.. I'll explain.
A wellspring is a source.. Not just any source.. an original and bountiful source of something.
(this is how Google defines it, and I so love this definition!)
We view the heart as just the seat of emotions and will, but it goes without saying, that there's more to it than this verse states. Your heart is WHO YOU ARE.

At some point within this year, I was faced with many tricky situations whose way out was to "guard" my heart. I walked around daily, telling myself, "Laura, guard your heart!".. Before I picked certain phone calls, or replied to certain texts, or opened my mouth to give my view in a certain conversation.. I was just shouting at myself, " GUARD YOUR HEART! "
Yes, it's because I was afraid of bruising my heart because then I wouldn't have inner peace. And I was also afraid of making mistakes I'd made before..

We'll, the fact that I was trying to put scripture into practise, really went a long way..
But the problem come in whereby, I didn't really, fully, broadly, comprehensively understand what it meant to guard my heart.

Everything about God is just so beautiful.
Lemme share with you something in the Word that you probably didn't know.
(I didn't know until recently)
To every question in life, the Bible gives an answer.
And to the wonder of how really to guard the heart, the Bible gives us the answer in Phillipians 4:6-7..
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Paul tells us that prayer is the pathway to guarding our hearts and minds with the peace of God. Peace comes as a comfort rooted in our trust in God that comes out clearly in the process of prayer. So, guarding your heart is the result of clear communication with God about ALL you do.
And you see, the most amazing thing about all this is that once we take it to the King, then we've played our part.. The ball is now in His court..
See...
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Sweet! :)

Guarding your heart is essential, it can break you or make you..
It can liberate you or paralyze you.

What you have within you pours out with-out you..
Who you are affects what you do...

Therefore,
Guard your heart (who you are).. For it's the wellspring of life (what you do).

Blessed?
I hope..

Love,
Laura.

On Kingdom Assignment

I didn't write this..
(Lol.. What a way to begin a post)
I came across it and I resonated perfectly well with it, hence I had to share with you.

Please read it first before I say more:

“Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” Matthew 16:22-23, NKJV.

Peter didn’t understand at the time why Jesus had to die, but later on it made perfect sense. It was so that whoever would believe on Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life (see John 3:16).

When God has given you a kingdom assignment, there will be those who will not understand. They will try to dissuade you from doing the work God has called you to do. They will speak from their emotions instead of from the Spirit. But you can’t allow people’s fears and their feelings to become your own. You have to serve God with a made up mind as you focus on obeying His voice and His Word only. The deeper you go in Him, the harder it will be for others to understand. And while you’re sitting there trying to explain it, you’re losing time. Recognize time wasters and the distractions of the enemy. Recognize those who are trying to hinder you. Rebuke them in a spirit of humility if you must and keep on moving forward. Brave the waters, raise your sail and let God chart your course. Do what He has put in your heart to do, and you will hear your heavenly Father say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

What's your Kingdom Assignment?
Have you been called to minister through song, writing, journalism, photography....?
What's holding you back?

You see, Peter held Jesus back because he did not understand.. It's like that for the most of us on a kingdom assignment. They just don't understand.. It's not always necessarily because they don't mean well.
You can't afford to be distracted.
And whatever it is you've been called to do, give your all to it.

Sending blessings your way, faithful servant!

Jesus loves you! :)

Love,
Laura.

Perfectionism Chains.

For the better part of my life, I've been on a mission. A mission to be the perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the perfect student.... the perfect Laura.
Oh how it drained me!
Oh what a difficult path of life to take!

When my teacher told me, "You're a good student Laura. I'm sure you will not disappoint me." I heard, "You're a good student Laura. But you better not disappoint me."
When my parents told me," We trust you Laura". I heard, "You better keep it that way young girl."
Hehe.. It's a little funny to think about it right now. But for sure I was in chains.
Simple conversations had me setting out on a quest to prove that I was actually the best. That I was perfect..
Those few times I did get into trouble with my parents or my teachers, or I disappointed a friend, I felt horrible. And even though I got off with a few stern words, I still felt like I'd let them down.

My strife to be perfect gradually carried over to my relationship with God. I honestly thought that God would love me more when I read my Bible everyday, when I prayed everyday, when I attended youth meetings and participated in church events, when I fasted from time to time... and more. I believed that I would impress God more by doing all the right Christian things there are to do. Yes, I did want to do them because I partly understood the importance of feeding my Spirit and serving..but I found myself doing them mainly because I thought that was the best way to 'bribe'  God into blessing me.
I'd beat myself up every time I dozed off after a long day and woke up having realized that I didn't pray for atleast 5 minutes before I slept.
I'd feel as though I needed to get saved again.. Hehehe.. Like I'd messed up big time.
It wasn't cool one bit..

I know I'm not the only one who has felt (or feels)  that being a good person - being a perfect Christian - is the key to God's heart.

There's nothing wrong with striving for excellence in whatsoever field of life. Being always at our best is part of being a Christian. In fact, Matthew 5:48 says, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are supposed to shoot for the highest standard of goodness—God's goodness. And Paul tells the Corinthians, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

But here's the problem with perfectionism:
Perfectionism is doing our best, for the wrong reason. It is about you, it's not about God, or anyone else around you.
Perfectionism is selfish.
Perfectionism makes you believe that your worth is in pleasing your parents, your teachers, your friends, your God.. so that you may earn favour with them..so that you may earn love and acceptance.
Or rather, that's pretty much what it did to me.
Deep within, I was a little stressed out. And I didn't really want to admit that I wasn't perfect after all. I had to prove that there was one perfect girl out of about 400 in school.
(And I flopped, by the way..hehe..I messed up many times. And it got me walking with a stoop for almost a year, feeling unworthy)
I had to prove that I was the kind of child every parent desired to have.
The pressure to be perfect, was a little too much to handle.

God's Perfect Plan
When it comes to God's love, we perfectionists tend to get the order of things all mixed up. We think, If I'm good enough, if I do all the right things, God will love me. But God reached out while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). God made the first move.
Sin entered the world, straining God's relationship with man. We see man trying time and again to fix the relationship with God through animal sacrifices, money, even a tower going up to heaven. But it took God's sacrifice to bring us back to him. God's incredible gift of salvation is ours because God loves us, not because we earned it.(Romans 4:4-5.)

(Oh to grace, how great a debtor..
Daily I'm constrained to be.)

God's love paid the price for our misdeeds. Grace built a bridge brought down by our imperfections.

When Jesus tells us to "be perfect" in Matthew 5:48, he's saying that God's idea of perfection is radically different from the world's idea of perfection. The world says perfection is having the best body, the most popular friends, the happiest family. But Jesus tells us God is our best example of perfection. That means perfection is only found in striving to follow God. And as the apostle Paul explains in Philippians 3:12-16, God wants us to keep our eyes on him and follow the example of Christ in all we do.

Yet even Paul, one of the greatest Christians of all time, admitted he wasn't perfect. He knew he could only gain salvation through a relationship with Christ. But he continued to do his best as a natural response to God's love for him. And for Paul, doing his best meant growing in his faith, seeking God in everything he did, loving God with his whole heart.

The same is true for us. Being perfect in Christ isn't about living up to expectations—the world's, your parents', your own. It's about being obedient to God, day in and day out.

Showing others the light of God doesn't mean we can never mess up. That's why some people think they are not good enough to be Christians.
They don't think they can live up to the expectations everyone has of a Christian - always being nice, never getting in trouble.. etc. Our efforts to be the perfect persons sure doesn't help them think otherwise. But if we'd be more honest about our own failures and show them how God forgives, they might view everything differently.

Perfectionism is a losing game. Fortunately, it's one we really don't have to play. After all, God reached out to us when we were as far away from Him as we could possibly be. Being a Christian isn't about being perfect; it's about being forgiven. So we can relax and be confident that God knows we're not perfect and loves us just the same.

Break the chains now:)

Love,
Laura.

The Mind-Garden

Your mind is a garden
Your thoughts are the seeds
You can grow flowers
Or you can grow weeds.


As James Allen would put it:
"A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weeds will fall therein, and will continue to produce their kind."


The use of a garden as a metaphor for the mind works because it indicates the need for growth and maintenance.

The mind is the most powerful asset granted to us by our maker. We feed it in two ways; positively and negatively. Positive thoughts are the beautiful blooming flowers that brighten your life. Negative thoughts are the ugly weeds that spread faster than you can imagine and eventually suffocate the flowers.
What and who surrounds us has such a great impact on what grows within your mind.

Hence, I bring forth what I'd term as the first point:
❇Surround yourself with what you want to be.
Bad company corrupts good morals. I didn't say it, the Bible did.(1 Cor. 15:33)
I'm one who's really not easily influenced, especially by what I deem negative but indeed for a long time, I took this verse lightly. I assumed that I could be around people who from time to time discussed unproductive topics and leave the place without even the slightest desire to pursue these paths that would most probably eventually lead to my doom.
Until somebody told me, words are seeds and the mind is a garden. Enough said, eh?!
Avoid:)


I'm pretty sure most if not all of us are well conversant with the saying, "Garbage in, Garbage Out". Everything that goes in somehow comes out.
Viewing the heart and the mind as somewhat interconnected, let me share this.
"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. "~Luke 6:45
Feed your mind with life, you shall speak life:)
Feed your mind with deceit, it'll be all you are about.
So,
❇Feed your mind positively.

We've been talking about weeds for quite some time now, we may as well delve into identifying them:
°°constantly worrying about what people think.
~Caring about what people say is not the problem (because it can as well build you).. Worrying is. Caring about what others’ think means you respect their opinion and will bear it in mind, but it doesn’t suggest that you will rely on someone else’s viewpoint to determine your worth. Worrying about it implies that your worth is contingent on someone else’s appraisal. As James Frey put it, 'Worrying about what people say will always render you their prisoner'.
It is human nature to want to be loved and accepted but you can't please everyone dear:)

°°taking things personally.
Not everyone is out to attack you.
Relax.
It's never that serious.

°°stressing out about situations.
I'm an overthinker. Sometimes I subconsciously drift into deep thought and only until I develop a tension headache do I realise that I have spent a whole lot of time worrying about circumstances which most times, I can't change.
If you can change the situation, get up and do something about it.
If you can't, go on your knees and take it to the King.
I'm reminded of the nursery school songs, "Why worry, when you can pray? Trust in Jesus, He knows the way......".. And..." Cast your burdens unto Jesus, for He cares for you.":)
Oh, what a sweet feeling. :)!

°°gossip, illicit/obscene material..... You know..
These are stuff we should practically flee from.

°°doubt, fear, anxiety, insecurity, anger, self-centered egos..
Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil: for thou art with you; thy rod and thy staff they comfort thee.(Psalms 23:4)
Don't allow yourself to often lose your cool and only focus on self-centered ambitions.

Replace all these weeds with beautiful flowers:)
Kindness, Compassion, Love, Forgiveness.......
You can bring mercy and tenderness to the wounded parts of your mind so that the fight within you can come to an end.

It's easy to overthink things, jump into conclusions or get wrapped in negativity especially when you do not have others around you to give you a fresh perspective.
Being alone, majorly contributes to overthinking so you might as well consider appreciating company.
Also, avoid complaining. It's pointless, doesn't make anything better and drains the complainer as well as those around him/her.

Meditation is blissful. It can help your mind blossom:)
Learn to live in the moment, but do not entirely rule out the fact that there is a future.

Beloved, find ways to cultivate the beautiful flowers in your life. Remove negativity in your life in order to see positivity bloom.
Tending to your garden is an ongoing process.
Tend to it daily:)

Love,
The newest flower garden-tender in town..
The Ultimate #JesusFreak

Laura.

F.A.I.T.H!

I used to think I knew what it was to have faith until I actually studied Hebrews 11 in depth, only to realize that my faith was quite superficial.

Faith is a firm persuasion and expectation, that God will perform all He has promised to us in Christ. As God's word itself would describe it, it is 'being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see' (Heb. 11:1)
Faith proves to the mind, the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye.

Now, I wonder.. if I cannot even purchase an item I have not only seen but also critically analyzed, how can I just simply believe in the occurrence of a certain breakthrough in my life of which my current situation does not reflect one bit?
It's only human to think that way..

Faith is confident in unseen things.
(Romans 8:24-25) "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance."

Still in Hebrews 11, we are given examples of real faith.. From the creation of the world, to the worthy sacrifice made my Abel and Enoch's ascension into heaven.... These, among other numerous examples buttress the actual definition of faith.

I'm quite a pro in the game of Poker, if at all my skills haven't become all rusty and I can undeniably admit that while playing the game, I do exercise some sort of distorted 'faith', especially where bets were involved. I don't have to get tangible proof that I will pocket the several hundreds placed on the table, I will simply take a leap of 'faith' and cross my fingers (or not)
I notice quite an inter-relation between faith and sight. They are way parallel to each other. Hence, the moment we choose to walk by sight, then we completely lose the whole aspect of faith in our lives and we only THINK we have faith.

❇"We live by faith, not by sight"(2 Cor 5:7)

I was really struck by verse 6 which says, "And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
It hit me hard on the face, that I can actually exercise all the possible good traits taught in the Word, day after day, but for as long as my faith is wanting then there is NO WAY I can please God.

I'm guilty as charged of making the "give me a sign Lord"  kind of prayers. And when He doesn't SHOW me, then I begin to complain that He doesn't listen to me. I spend hours on end on my knees, asking God for this that and the other only to just say 'Amen' and get back to wallowing in self pity and discussing my misfortunes with anyone who gives me attention.
Lol. And I wonder why things are not changing..

When Jesus was asleep in the boat, the disciples were shaken and they woke him up like, "what's wrong with you?! How can you be asleep in the midst of a storm?".. I can imagine them saying this, especially the Sanguine of all, Peter. And when Jesus woke up, He rebuked them saying," Oh men of little faith!"
Lack of faith makes it difficult to get through to God, to get past our shortcomings.

When He tells us to take it to the cross, He doesn't mean that we only take a portion and go back with the rest. Then there was really no point of embarking on the journey in the first place. HE WANTS IT ALL. Because He can handle it. Faith is the ONLY way into great salvation. Otherwise, we are only living a lie. True faith is worth every step. It doesn't make everything easy, but it makes everything good possible, to be revealed at God's perfect time.

One of my favorite Hip-hop groups here in Kenya, Recapp, are soon releasing a song titled '5 Stones'.
I love how they use the analogy of David's battle with Goliath.
The chorus goes something like, "all I need is 5 Stones and I will slay the giant (Goliath)."

Stone 1: F, Two: A, Three: I, Four: T, Five: H.

By FAITH, just like David, we can slay every Goliath in our lives. We don't have to SEE how far the stone will go, or where exactly it'll hit Goliath (if not his forehead).. We just have to be CERTAIN, that it's a worthy stone-throw, that shall bring Goliath down and render us victorious.

:)

Wow..
I'm so glad that I have now assimilated this.
Currently a work in progress..
Please join the club;)

Love,
Laura.

DENY Myself, Take Up The CROSS, FOLLOW Him.

Hi there beloved. :)
You're going to love this one..

We are on Matthew Chapter 16:
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Everytime I come across these verses, or I hear someone mention them, I get this feeling in my heart. That feeling you get when you are so much in the spirit, you know. Or when you read a verse that you resonate well with.
But today, a deeper understanding was planted in my heart.

Much emphasis will go to verse 24.
Discipleship (going after Jesus) calls for three things, one: self-denial, two: cross-bearing, three: loyal obedience.
Going after Jesus is in His terms, not ours.
That's why He says, "if anyone...."


°Deny Yourself.
That to go after Christ, I have to deny myself? Hmm.. to mean what exactly?
That I should fast every once in a while? That I should sacrifice my leisure time to do His work? Well,that could work too..but here is the thing.
Denying yourself, means, to completely disown.. utterly separate yourself from yourself.
Huh? What did I just say....
That it's ALL about Him.
(Let me use an example I very much relate with..)
That when you go up on stage to perform your song, or spoken word piece, or present any kind of artwork with the message of Christ in it, it is ALL about the Father and NOTHING about you. NOTHING about who you are, what kind of background you trace back to, what brand of clothes you are in, or the number of fans who will scream your name.
How amazing it would be, if they would scream and shout, "Jesus!" "Lord You are Mighty!".. And not "Laura! Gurl, you are so talented!"
Don't you think?!

Jesus proclaimed that the first requirement for entering the kingdom is to be “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3 ), to have the spirit of utter poverty in regard to one’s own goodness, righteousness, worth, and merit. It is to humbly recognize one’s spiritual destitution.
It is only the person who realizes how poor he is who will ever know the riches of Christ. It is only the person who realizes how sinful and damned he is who will ever come to know how precious the forgiveness of God is.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18 ).
It is the broken and contrite heart that God loves and will never despise (Psalms 51:17 ).
It is not the self-righteous and self-satisfied but the penitent and humble whom God saves.
It was not the proud Pharisee who had such a high image of himself, but the brokenhearted tax collector who asked God for mercy, who Jesus said “went down to his house justified” (Luke 18:14 ).

Oh Lord help us to always keep this in mind..


“Growth in grace is growth downward; it is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves; it is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies.”
~Arthur Pink


°Take Up The Cross.
To take up one’s cross is simply to be willing to pay any price for Christ’s sake. It is the willingness to endure shame, embarrassment, reproach, rejection, persecution, and even martyrdom for His sake.

I was listening to a radio show a while before the inspiration to post this landed so heavily in my heart. And the lady was saying that, the cross is heavy to bear. Taking it literally, in whichever position you place it, it will remain difficult to carry.
Sometimes studying the word actually requires literal reasoning. Only until we take it literally will we realize the weight of the message.

The walk of salvation is not an easy one. Speaking for myself, at a time and age where 19-year olds like me would rather be in a club or at a 'weed' joint, being a staunch Christian is difficult. Friends desert you. The world mocks you. Mean words are hurled at you. More often than not, people misunderstand you.. I could go on and on.

Beloved, all these struggles are part of taking up the cross. This idea has profound meaning which must be understood. Taking up one’s cross is not some mystical level of selfless “deeper spiritual life” that only the religious elite can hope to achieve. Nor is it the common trials and hardships that all persons experience sometime in life like a sick relative, or betrayal by your better half.

Needless to say, if you haven't or aren't facing any of this, you are probably not taking up the cross rightfully. (Ahem.. Living a 50/50 kinda life?I might be hinting at you)
Sorry, sometimes ministry takes stepping on someone's toes.

During Jesus' time, a cross was an instrument of execution. Hence, part of following Christ is like carrying the very beam on which you will hang.
You will be hung from time to time. But hang in there.
It's a journey worth taking.

°Follow Him.
It's simple.
1 John 2:6 says..
“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”

When you look up to someone, you desire and actually strive to be like them. When you follow someone..you can't afford to walk in a manner less than that which they walk in.
Remember,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus declared; “but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 ).

To continue in His Word is to be His true disciple. See John 8:31.

Wow.
Amazing, eh?

Let's completely deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him.
Our reward awaits us in heaven:)

I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown:)
Love,
Laura.

Random #3

Laura Story says in her song, 'Blessings'

"We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise..

Does this spark up something lovely in your heart?
I believe so..

My God is awesome, He can move mountains
Keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain
My God is awesome, heals me when I'm broken
Strengthens where I've been weakened, forever He will reign

Our God is awesome..
Unfathomably awesome!

Hang In There!

As I sit here sipping my coffee, my mind is still clouded with chains upon chains of thoughts.I still feel like I need a long, fuzzy hug. But I'm glad that today is better than yesterday and the day before and the whole of my past week if I may be honest. It's better because my heart is less heavy, and I am slowly starting to see some light. That's why Sundays will forever remain my favorite day of the week.
I woke up late today, moody but I just dolled up to go to church because it's a norm. I was still lost in thought, all through the way to church. I still wonder how I drove all the way without badly hitting the potholes along the way (ofcourse the Lord was with me and I thank Him so much for that). I prayed for the first time in days, because I was required to go to the pulpit and lead the congregation in Praise and Worship. At that moment, if I may be honest, I really wished I could escape that role (not forgetting, this is a calling, a great role God has completely set me apart for)

Now, before I even proceed.
I'm sharing this with you so that we can learn together, because I know for sure that everything else I will say after this shall change a life today or someday.
I take you back to my blog description. God has called me to minister through my life. And sometimes it just costs me a bit of my privacy. All in all, I don't mind because I know a life shall be transformed or blessed.. :)

So.....
Back to today's service. Let me just say, God is able. He is so awesome. He filled voids in my heart. He revived some dead parts within me. And he brought me back to the sane and optimistic way of thinking. I was about to break out in laughter when I was called to lead the congregation in intercession. "Of all days to say a lengthy prayer?! before everyone?! really God?!" It was just so funny.. I really didn't have the right words to say in prayer to this great God that I hadn't spoken to in days.
But guess what?
Yes, you guessed right. I did it and did it well. And as others found healing (I believe), through the prayer I made, I found great healing even the more.

Our theme read, :"God Cares For The Marginalized Lot". The readings......
Psalms 146:
Verse 3 hit me with so heavy a blow right in my face.
"Do not put your trust in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirits depart, they return to the ground; on that very day, their plans come to nothing."
Beloved, please, let the lead voice in your life be the voice of God. One of the reasons why I have been so confused and lost for the past couple of days is because so many human voices have been speaking into my life, that I became so overwhelmed, I couldn't take in any more. At some point, I really didn't want to hear anything in the name of advice.
It's not a good place to be. Because you lose control over your life, you end up having other people on the driver's seat of your life. And by the time you realise all this, unfortunately, the pieces may not be all that easy to pick up.
The worst thing I did to myself, is that I didn't get down on my knees and get to understand God's will soon after I realised what had been happening with me. Well, I was so empty, for many other reasons, but that's still not justifiable.
A classmate in high school once told me, "when the world knocks you down, you are in the best position to pray." If you take it literally like I did, when you are knocked down, you are likely to fall on your knees, yeah? Do join the rest of the dots..... :)
Kindly read the rest of Psalms 146 at your own time. And be blessed like I was:)
(I would put it up for you but it's going to make this blogpost seem so long and someone somewhere will just lose interest in reading.. Hehe #truth)

Wait..
Does God really speak to people?
Yes, He does..
I'll put up a post on this some time soon.. :)

1 Kings 17:7-24:
Here is a widow in Zarephath, desolate, possibly literally marginalized because of her status and she was at her wits end, she had given up. This is another "God, really?!"  moment because of all people in Zarephath, God sends Elijah to this poor widow for food. A poor widow who was collecting firewood to cook the last meal for herself and her son and then die, because she had NOTHING else. Please take your Bible and see, she said it for real.
(Just like He did with me today, God can use you even on you 'empty' days. You remain His vessel.)
And then Elijah still insists on being served with bread.. Hehe..This woman was oh too graceful. She believed as Elijah had told her ("the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land") Crazy faith!
My dear, WALK BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT. Need I repeat that? Because I really won't mind..
(2 Cor 5:7)
It's sad that for some time now, I've been living on what I see, and I put all what I believe behind me. I thank God He reminded me all these today. I was heading for a fall.
Are you feeling me tonight?
Walk by FAITH beloved..

Galatians 1:11-24
I'll come back to this on a later post:)
But you can read it on your own..

Luke 7:11-17:
Another widow, who has just lost her son:(
The Bible says, Jesus saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry". His heart goes out for you..
Through my rugged week, at some point I felt so lonely, because I desired some love, attention and affection from specific people but I think I was probably asking for too much. Emotions were on the rise, clearly. I needed to vent.
I can tell you for free, there's no better place to vent than down at the feet of Jesus.Not everyone's heart will go out for you simply because people have their own lives to live. Listen to His calm and gentle voice telling you, "Don't Cry". I know you feel loved. I know you feel cared for.
There, you are at the right place. :)
Oops, I just slid off topic for a moment there.. Sliding back..
God can bring back to life the dead parts in your life when you just let go and let Him be God. This includes your faith.
Because honestly, we are human beings. We have limits. We fall weak and vulnerable from time to time. We get angry. We are tempted to give up. We speak with so much pessimism. We even don't feel like God understands us anymore.. etc..
God knows all these.
And He is always ready and willing to come through for us when we reach out to Him.
In Him, we find complete healing.

Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

I hope you feel more human now just in case you didn't. Because feeling low is just but normal.
I hope all what I have shared has helped you view your circumstances in a whole new dimension.
I hope you realize that in His presence, there is fullness of joy.

Feeling better?
I hope..

If you're not too tired of reading, please read my next post.
I promise it's short. :)

I love you.
Please smile.
(if you ain't already)

:)

Love,
Laura.

A Birthday Message:)

It's the 12th of June:)
My day:) :)
I'm joyful and greatful to God that I have seen yet another year.
Life is a blessing.

I am quite sleepy but I didn't want this day to end before I write this birthday message to you:)
Assume there is no irony in this case.. Lol..

Okay, here you go beloved..

1.Psalms 118:24 : "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the verse I wake up to every morning.The moment I open my eyes, I acknowledge that I am blessed to see yet another day, fresh in the eyes of the sun and every being on earth. I know that God has allowed me to see the day so that I can accomplish something. I will rejoice. Because every single minute of my day, is in His thoughts and plan. In joy and peril, I will rejoice. I will be glad. So, it's your birthday (Or not.. Pun intended.. Lol) Rejoice. And start the day on your knees. Begin a new chapter in your life with Him on the driver's seat.

2. Psalms 139:16b : “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.”
Our omniscient God knows the end from the beginning, and vice versa. Throughout the Bible, God’s all-knowing wisdom is demonstrated and celebrated.
In this popular psalm, filled with super self-image affirmation, King David recognizes the Lord’s daily and active involvement in his own life. He understands that God holds each of his days within His power and grace.
Please do too:)
You are so loved.

It gets better..

3. God Sings Over You
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Your Mum sang with joy when she gave you life successfully. But she wasn't alone. The Almighty was singing too.. With 'loud singing'! How exciting?!I love the line,'He will quiet you with his love'.. It gives me so much peace.
On your special day, remember this:)

4. Your Birth was Appointed by God
Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
God saw every part of you before you were born. He has it all in the book, your days from the very beginning, your every experience. He knew you would exist and what would become of you. As I like to say, let Him take hold of the pen in your life and orchestrate your every story even as you begin your new year.
:)

5.Wonderfully and Fearfully Made
Psalm 139: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”
This is just the most amazing verse on one of those dark days when insecurities creep in, because they do, we are human.
You were secretly knitted together by God in your mother’s womb. He knew what He was doing too. The way a human life is formed is too incredible to describe but even in your mother’s womb, you were “not hidden from” God’s eyes. He made you in the secret, inner most parts of your mother. So amazing, I tell you.

6. The Potter and the Clay
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
God prepared beforehand, every single detail of your life. You are created for good works and you should walk in them. So, this is to hint that if you are not walking in His ways then you should find your way back on track. Before you were even born, God prepared ahead of time good works for you to do for his glory. Now, find that purpose and fulfill it for His glory.

In conclusion,
Before sleep takes me...
Every Christian has two birthdays…one of their natural birth and the other on the day that they were born again because “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). If you are born again then you’ll die only once but if you’re born only once, then you’ll die twice. One will be a natural death and then the second death (Rev 21:8) will be in the lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15). I plead with you, if you are not born again, to repent today and place your trust in the Savior. Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness and He will take ever sin away (1 John 1:9) and then God will see you just as He sees His own Son, Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

Happy Birthday to me. 😊
I am so grateful for this day.
I hope you like my birthday message to you.
I do love you very much.

Blessings!

Love,
Laura.

Random #2.

Staring at my phone.. Hoping someone could text me and ask me how I am.
It's easy to say "I'm okay".. And add a smiley face.. :)
Sigh.. If only they knew..

:(

How could God let this happen to me?

I never thought I would ask this question.. For so long, I lived the almost perfect kind of life.When sorrows would only last for the night and joy came in the morning. Literally.

Hehe..

I never thought I'd feel this lonely.
Lol.. I'm finding a new hood in solitude.
I never thought I'd really feel this confused and lost for options.
What to do?
Who to talk to?
These among many other questions keep running through my mind..

They say happiness is a choice.
Is it really?
Because if it was, then I would press the happiness button, and everything around me would change..
Haha.. (insert sarcasm).. Truly, some things are easier uttered than put into practise.

Oh wait.. These are just circumstances.
Scratch that.
Let's just assume I didn't just sound so pessimistic for a moment there..

You probably won't feel me on this vibe.. Or better yet, you probably will.
(There is some sort of comfort and relief in knowing that you ain't alone)
You feel like you can't talk to anyone?
Because you are aware of what they are going through on the other end of the line and it's probably worse..? Or because to them it'll sound like every other random problem, and they will take you round and round, leaving you with no solution..?
I know!... Or because you are afraid to sound fussy and nagging..?
Sigh..
My veins could burst within my head right now..

I'm just too human to think like God..
Not now especially..

:(

All I know is..
For sure..

I just need some heaven.

Just chill right there..
There seems to be some sort of interruption.......
❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

"My Child..
I can read your thoughts.

You know what?
I understand your every feeling.
And yes, sometimes I let these things happen to you so that you can learn.. Other times so that other people can witness my glory and power through you.
I have my reasons.
I have my ways.

Two things:
One:..... I have given you seven fruits of the Holy Spirit. One of them includes joy. You've got to keep in mind that the devil is not happy when things are going well for you. Listen. He is not after your finances, your family, your job, your studies.... he is after your Joy. Don't let him take it away. He feels completely defeated when he realises that he cannot take away your joy.

Two:... Be still and know that I am God. I know the plans I have for you and my promises are true. Would you please just let me be God? Be still..

I know you weren't really talking to me.
But I am everywhere.
And I care about you.

Let me wipe away your every tear.
My love will carry you.

~GOD.

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

Are you still reading?
I'm tempted to get back to my senses now..
He is quite brief, yet so clear.

I choose to listen to that still, small voice.

Earth is not our home.
Our home is being made ready for us.
And the time will come.

I'm still a Christian.. But I just figured how human I can be..

He is actually here with me..
What more do I need?

As Meredith puts it in song:

I searched for love when the night came and it closed in
I was alone, but You found me where I was hiding
And now I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice that called my name..

You cry yourself to sleep
Cause the hurt is real and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost with heartache your closest friend
And everyone else long gone
You've had to face the music on your own
But there is a sweeter song that calls you home, saying.

You're not alone for I am here
Let me wipe away your every fear
My love, I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
And I'm the One who's loved you all your life
All your life


(Buries head under pillow.. And can now sleep soundly)
:)

~Anonymous~

Or not..

Forget everything else I said.
But don't forget..

You're not alone..

Write It Down..

Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain on tables, that he may run that reads it.
Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Time and time again we make promises, set goals, etc. Some we keep/achieve, others we don't. Spoken words are easily forgotten, but what is written can always be revisited.

Analysis is important.
We spend alot time with other people and sometimes forget that our happiness and fulfillment of our desired goals, requires isolation.
Reflection, reassessment and self-evaluation are best implemented during times of solitude.

Once a week, in the middle of the year, at every end or beginning of something of a certain chain of events........
Meditate.

Where am I right now?
Is this where I should be?
What have I achieved so far/from this?
How have I failed?
Way forward?
...........

It helps, to forge ahead stronger.

When an eagle is old enough and about to die, it sets off to a far away place in the rocks. There, it plucks of all its feathers, one after another, until it is bare and scrapes its beak over a rough surface until it is very blunt. It stays there until all its feathers grow all over again and its beak grows back too.
It's a time of restrategizing for the Eagle.
At times we need to shed off old habits or setbacks so that we are able to move forward with our lives as it should be.

Jesus too, if you notice, set off to a place away from other people to pray.He could have done it in the presence of his disciples or his audience, but in solitude, he could connect better with his Father and with his inmost being.

I found this quite a timely piece to write, this being the 1st of June - the middle of the year.
I hope you will find such a time today or some time soon. And once you have done your analysis, do pray about all your plans. Trust the Lord with your future. Seek God's guidance, for He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.

Go on, write it down:)

Love,
Laura.

When He Scripts Your Life Story..

When you take hold of a pen to jot down something, you are in control. Whatever you write, is up to you. However your handwriting appears, is entirely up to how your hand will write. You are in charge.

This week has been so good for me..For sure, not in terms of what I have been through but because I've finally assimilated very clearly, the concept of letting God take charge over my life. Everything! From my family, to my finances, to my alliances and relationships, to my worries and hurt.. Everything.
My Mum and I were talking over cooking chapatis some time this week.. and I was a little in distress regarding my musical journey because it has been slightly stagnating lately (and I must admit I over-thought the situation and ended up stressed). All she told me was, "take it to Jesus". It wasn't what I wanted to hear.. but it was what I needed to hear and understand.

I don't know..
I feel it so heavily in my heart that someone really needs this message..
I'm hoping I have the right words to pass it.

God loves you my dear. He really does.
Sometimes you may wonder why you face certain situations.. It's like wondering why God made water wet.
He made water wet because He willed so.
Sometimes he allows storms to come over our lives for some time so that we may learn a thing or two.. or so that, through us, others may witness His power and honour Him.
Sometimes the devil brings along your path various obstacles. Recall, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. It shall be formed......... (can I repeat that?) It shall be formed... But it shall not prosper!

When you let God script your story.. You will not have to worry about where money to pay school fees will come from..
When you let God script your story.. You will not have to cry for days about your families woes.. About your broken family.. About your differently structured family.. About your drunkard parent........
When you let God script your story.. You will not have to struggle for approval, for opportunities.. He will open doors for you. And the doors He doesn't open will remain closed because that is not His will for you.
When you let God script your story.. You will not struggle with past pains of defilement and brutality, bullying and being downcast..
When you let God script your story.. You will not have to worry about whether you will ever be in a good relationship.. Or whether you will ever find the 'right one'.. He will script your love story as well:)

Friend, will you let Him?

I know, sometimes He doesn't take away all our troubles as we would want Him to. But we just need to trust Him. :|

When you let God script your story..

Every letter, every word, every coma.. He will have control over it. Even when the pen blots.. Hehe.. He knows what He is doing. Let him orchestrate your life story...
There is a song I love which says, "Father let your will be done. For I am just a piece of clay and you are the Potter."
Like Mary, just say, "Be it unto me, according to your word.."
Jesus acknowledged this as well.. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Just get on your knees and say, "Fit it Jesus"

“Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

I love you friend.
And God loves you more.

Love,
Laura.

Stand Guard

When you put a little puppy and a great roaring lion together within a cage, which is likely to prowl over the other?
Foolish question, eh?

However, you could change the outcome of that fight.All you would need to do is stop feeding the lion and start feeding the puppy. If you were patient and continually fed that puppy week after week, he would become strong and healthy and the lion on the other hand, would become too weak to even lift his paw.

When you become a Christian, your inner nature is like that little puppy. It must be fed, taught and trained. Your outer, fleshly nature, like the lion, must be starved until it has no strength.

People who do not live in the abundance of God continually feed the lion. Very little of their time is spent in Bible Study, prayer and the likes. They will sit in front of the computer or the television, feeding their carnal (fleshly) nature by the hour. The old lion roars, louder and stronger, and they wonder why they do not achieve victory.

Two scriptural references:
Romans 8:5 tells us that people who live in accordance to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires and people who live in accordance to the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires.It continues to say that the mind of sinful man is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life."

Dear, choose life:)

The devil is looking for someone to devour. And that's why he will use your frustration against you and take you back to your past bad habits in the name of consolation. He will lock you in doctrinal chains and hide the great truths about God from you.

STAND GUARD at the door of your heart dear one.. at the door of your mind.. at the door of your spirit. Read good books, read good blogs, watch good movies, listen to good music, surround yourself with people who have chosen life, study your Bible, pray........ In all this, the Lord shall guide you.If you ask him for wisdom, He will give you immeasurably and without finding fault. (James 1:5).You choose what shall come in.
Choose life:)
Choose peace:)

Love,
Laura.

Let's Talk Forgiveness.

I love how Jesus, in His teachings, got down to the nitty-gritty of life, that He even spoke about brothers disagreeing amongst themselves.
Matthew 18:15-20
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.''

This concept really bugged Peter, one of the realest Sanguines in the Bible. And he couldn't help but ask, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?"
So human of him.Because really, this forgiveness thing is easier said than lived out.
As many as seven times?” He continued to ask. 7 times was already enough, in fact more, in his thinking.
Then Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

In other words, forgiveness is an attitude, a way of life. It's something you do everyday, even when your human nature pushes you to dwell in anger or seek revenge.

Jesus continued in His sermon, explaining the importance of forgiveness in Matthew 18:23-35,
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[a ] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[ b ] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
a. Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
b. Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii ; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.

Three things:
*God looks at our failure to forgive others as wickedness. He has forgiven our sins of the past, and He continues to do so, without placing conditions, unhesitantly. How much then, should we forgive others?
*If we are going to live a life that is pleasing to God, then we must forgive others.When we fail to forgive, we provoke the anger of God.
*God will deal with us the same way we deal with others if we fail to forgive.He will deliver us to the tormentors. Now, this does not mean hell, because hell is forever. Jesus paid the debt for us and we do not have to go to hell:)It means, UNTIL we forgive.

FORGIVENESS=HEALING
Many times, people who are seeking healing, really need to walk in forgiveness.
It may be physical healing, emotional healing or spiritual healing. All in all it's healing. And when you are healed, you are set Free!
As you forgive, you will reign in life as a king over circumstances, disappointments and sorrow!

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Anything means everything, big and small.. Even that which doesn't seem forgivable.
Anyone means everyone, including the thugs and muggers who get away with robbing us and we do not have the slightest idea who they are.
Bitterness has a root. Get to the bottom of it. Get to the root of it.
You see, unforgiveness blocks the pathway between our prayers and God's answers. It's one of the reasons why sometimes we feel as though God is not there.

FORGIVE ONESELF
We may dwell so much on forgiving others and forget to forgive ourselves..There are times we make mistakes, we could have avoided, or fail to do something that was required of us. Then it eats us up.
I had this problem for about one year in high school, I made really silly mistakes, was demoted from the school's leadership and I lost so many opportunities (or so I thought). I really thought that everyone was disappointed in me. My parents, my teachers and maybe even my fellow students. True to the fact, for a moment they were, but shortly after, they forgave me, forgot about it and life went on for them..I battled for an entire year, feeling so shy to express myself, often times opting to hide. I buried my head in my books just to try and shed off the terrible feeling. I'm no bookworm, that didn't work out. The more I 'studied', the more my grades went down because I wasn't at peace with myself, and that created more disappointment within me.
I cried a lot. In the privacy of my bed, at night, when the lights were off in the dormitory. I journaled about how much of a let-down I was. I really wasn't helping myself.
During my final year, I realised that I had battled long enough and that I actually needed to let go of so much pain and bitterness that I bore in my heart (including a bad childhood experience which I'm still not bold enough to share)
I thank God for a few good friends and teachers, who held my hand, walked with me, encouraged me and prayed with me. I was back on my feet:)
It's like somebody had pressed the play button of my life, and I could finally live again.

Forgive yourself dear. You'll finally get to unlock the chains.. And your life can move on.

YOU'VE GOT THE POWER..!
TO FORGIVE!
I know sometimes it feels like a really hard thing to do. You may say, "I was defiled as a child.. My mother abandoned me..my best friend betrayed me.. I can't forgive!" Yes you can.
You can forgive because God provided forgiveness at the cross for you. You are forgiven, not, because you deserve it but by grace. By the grace provided at the cross, you have the power necessary to forgive others.
Isaiah 53:4-6
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Only on the basis of the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross can we receive forgiveness from God.
Only on the basis of the grace of God offered to us by His death can we offer forgiveness to others.
Forgiveness is a decision.
As you stand on that decision, God in you will choose to love the person who has hurt/wronged you.

To be forgiven by God, is also as decision. If you choose to believe in His truth, then the blood of Jesus which was shed on the cross, will come through for you. You do not deserve it, but He loves you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus(Romans 8:1)

Psalms 51 is a wonderful prayer for forgiveness.

Psalms 139
23
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts.
24
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Sometimes we go about our daily lives thinking we are alright.We feel we do not harbour any bitterness or and grievous sin. This is a good prayer, to allow the Holy Spirit to make us aware of our misdeeds or burdens we may be bearing unwaringly.

I hope this has blessed you as much as it has blessed me.

From my heart,
Laura.

Random #1

Kambua (left) and Makena, amazing Kenyan-based gospel artistes .

Hello there:)
I titled this 'Random #1' :
i) because it is random😛
ii) because there are many more to come
iii) because randomness is like my seventh name.. Hehe..

Allow me to briefly tell you how this whole idea of starting to blog came about..
Writing turns out to be one of those several aptitudes that God gifted me with. From my primary school days at ACK Thika Memorial School, I used to write very good compositions.
And it went on to high school.
I found writing to be one of the best ways through which I could express myself and so I kept many journals- A prayer journal, a song book, a schedule  diary(for assignments and all), a study plan book, and the biggest one in which I'd write (and still do), anything that came to my mind.
I LOVE to tell stories!
Especially when I know that whatever I'm saying will positively impact another's life, I'll tell it.

Yvonne Makena once mentioned about Kambua Manundu's blog. At that time, it went in passing but it later came to be rekindled in my mind (after I finished high school-2014) and I decided to check it out.
I was wow-ed! 👇
kambuam.blogspot.com
You'll love👌
Immediately, it occurred to me that there was really something I could do with my writing. A blog, being something that can last as long as the Internet exists, seemed like a good way to go.
And so I created it..

'The Laurel Wreath' is a crown of honour.. Uhm, let me just leave it at that for now because the rest of the story is quite long..

Anyway, let me get to the main point of this blog post.
Being an ardent reader, I come across quite a number of beautiful pieces, from books and other blogs which I'd love to share.
For this reason, I'll be attaching links in a couple posts so that you may also get to widen your reading scope and we enjoy and learn together..
I wouldn't want to copy-paste other people's material so I find this the best way to go.

So..
For today, I'll share with you something that resonates well with ladies more than it does with guys but I'm sure it'll be a lovely read for all anyway.

 This One:)  

Stay blessed.
Love,
Laura.

One On Friendships.

Friendship involves recognition or familiarity with another's personality. It's said that true friends are hard to find and I couldn't agree more in such an isolatory and self-centered world.
I believe though, that everybody needs a good friend in their life. We are not made to be alone.

❄TIME: Building a good friendship takes time. To know each other, to build and share memories and to invest in each other's growth. In short, friendships grow.
❄ACTIONS: They express our love for our friends. Actions complement words, because words alone can't do the trick. A gift, once in a while, going over to spend time and the likes. It's also genuine enough when we do all this without expecting anything in return. Of course you have to weigh the situation so that you don't end up being the only one 'giving' in the friendship. At times it's easier said than done, but it's not impossible. In good friendships, you will not fear judgement or criticism.
❄TRUST: Everyone needs someone with whom they can share thoughts, ideas and feelings. It's important to keep to self whatever is told to you by a friend who trusts you. Loyalty; Faithfulness! Next to love, trust is a strong pillar to great friendship.
❄DEPENDABILITY: A good friend doesn't always have to have the solutions to all problems but simply being there means a lot.
❄SACRIFICE: Jesus, our ultimate friend, loved us so much, that He lay down his life for us. That's the best definition of sacrifice -  when it's more about the other and less about you.

There's more I could point out, but this one sums it up:
💖❄LOVE: Unconditional love. When we have love in our hearts,  then the rest of the qualities won't be as difficult to practise. Friends are God's way of taking care of us. And God is love:)

Genuine friendships bear a great sense of caring and concern for one another, a desire to see one another grow and develop and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life. It'd be so wonderful if we'd all be as enthusiastic about the success of others as we are about our own. It'd be great if we always spoke health and prosperity into each other's lives.

A dear friend once shared this with me..
☀Keep older friends for wisdom.
They are wiser because they have more experience hence they are best placed to mentor you in different aspects of life.
☀Keep friends of your age for measure.
When friends of your level are slightly above you,  it should challenge you to work as efficiently as they did to get to where they are and beyond. In the same vein, if your friends seem to be left behind a little, it's your chance to hold their hand and pull them up along with you.
Just a wisdom nugget about success:
It's like a ladder. And in the ladder of success, it's good to climb along with others, so that in case you slip, those below you will hold you up. Otherwise if you climb by yourself, you may slip and end up falling completely, because they'll be nobody to hold you up or to help you pick yourself up.
☀Keep younger friends for relevance.
Just as you look up to others, you may not know but there are also those who look up to you. Are you a good example they can emulate?

Forgiveness. None of us is unerrant. Friends are likely to wrong each other but it is important to apologize and/or forgive each other to sustain the friendship. It's not always, that we will have the patience to deal with certain circumstances whereby friendships seem to be rather rocky. But we can pray about it We can pray about anything! God gives guidance..

A good example of great friendship in the Bible would be that of David and Jonathan (see 1st Samuel 20)
I hope this has encouraged you, to pull up your socks where you have failed before as well as to keep doing what you have been doing right so as to maintain healthy friendships as Christ would love it.

Be a blessing to your friends. Pray also, and God is gracious enough to bring good friends your way.

Love,
Laura.

Colour On..

We are all a little broken..
Some, a little more than others.. For different reasons, in different ways..

This thought takes me back to my days in nursery school.. When drawing and colouring was the order of the day, alongside counting and naming the letters of the alphabet..
I loved colouring:)
With crayons, especially..
Several times, I used broken crayons.. But they still coloured the same..😃
I coloured on and on until they were just but a little piece..

I wanna be like a crayon..Though broken, I can still do what I was made to do..
What strong will!
I may break because I've been pressed too hard, or because I've been mishandled.. I may break on several edges, all for different reasons, like falling to the ground..
But I want to still colour on..
So that by the time I'm all but gone, I'll have given my all to do what I was made to do..

Friends, COLOUR ON...
You may feel like you have reached the edge.. NO, please get up.. And colour on..
You may feel completely pressed down,  useless, too shattered..
PLEASE, get up and colour on..

Stressed? Confused? Lost for options?
These are things of the world.. and the Lord of all comfort can and will give you unending peace because He is far above all these things of the world. (John 16:33)He has overcome all these things..
Take heart friend..
The Lord is our refuge and strength,  our ever-present help in times of trouble. he has not given us a spirit of timidity,  and He will come through for us whenever we call unto him..

So again I say.. COLOUR ON..
Better than you ever did before.. Even far beyond the edges!
Because you are His. :)
And you were made for a good place. :)

Love,
Laura.

Sio Kwangu.

Hello:)

Allow me please, but most of the words I'll use today are not my own..Today, I found myself singing this song, and really, everytime I sing it something quite heavy builds up in my heart..

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth,
would care to know my name
would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I that the bright and morning star,
would choose to light the way for my ever wandering heart?

I don't know how you feel when you consider that the Lord of all the earth knows all your names, all your thoughts, the number of hairs on your head.........It's too amazing! It's so humbling, and it makes me realise just how special I am, no matter what the world may think of me.There is the only one who matters, up in heaven, and He is concerned about every single thing about me.
But what about me?
Am I really deserving of all that love and honour?
As I was singing this song I found myself placing myself in God's position and I figured just how hurt I'd be if I were God..Being so concerned about someone who many times forgets about me, doesn't bother to talk to me.....you know.
My ever wandering heart, is still cared for, is still considered..the sun, under His command, still lights up the way for me in that I still rise up each day and go about my business..

Verse 2:
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin,
would look on me with love and watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea,
would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me?

He sees my sin, but He still love me..
Really, this kind off love is beyond compare.

The chorus says:
I am a flower quickly fading,
here today and gone tomorrow,
a wave tossed in the ocean,
vapour in the wind,
still you hear me when I'm calling
Lord you catch me when I'm falling
And you told me who I am
I am Yours!

Sigh!Doesn't it give you such relief to know that you are His anyway..no matter what?!
Pause, I'll get back to that....

I'm a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow;
A few days ago, my great childhood friends lost their Mum over sudden illness.Being there for them, seeing them doing their best to stay strong, hearing them speak of their Mum now in the past tense and also recalling how she was such a lovely and sweet woman, brings tears to my eyes..And it reminds me that life is not forever, our forever is in heaven.It brings that spark within me to get up everyday, be grateful to my Father and give my all to pleasing Him through all I do.
My condolences to the family.Goodbye Mum Stella, we'll miss you.
Tutaonana tena!(we'll meet again)

Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
You are His my dear..and he loves you despite your battle with lust, alcoholism, hatred, you name it.He's willing to take it up from where you stopped, so let Him do it.What Jesus did on the cross was so great, and He's not even done yet..

Bridge:
Not because of who I am
But because ofwhat you've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who you are

It's ALL because of Him!

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

And remember, you are not too bad to be loved by Him..
Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

In Swahili, we say, 'Sio Kwangu..Ila ni kwake Yesu'.

Blessings!
Love,
Laura.