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.