The winter is passed…

When life becomes overwhelming and the desire to live escapes your heart,remember, there’s a reason why you’re still here.There’s a purpose for your existence. God is there and He feels and knows what you feel … Someday,somehow,it will happen because He’s a good God and His plans for you are awesome!

So,when non-achievement,delays,hurdles and obstacles whisper that you should give up, when your emotions lure you into cowardice and giving in becomes a pleasure,remember Song of Solomon 2:11-12:””For the winter is passed. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up. And the time of the singing of the birds has come.”
Things wont be like this always;there is always going to be a better day.

Love,
Adja Amy.

Let this bless you … Always-Jessica Reedy – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIvuK1SIba4

It could have been worse…

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7: 17

”You’ve been saying that you’re tired of going through, seems like everyone else is blessed but you .In church on Sunday preacher telling you your miracle is on the way but you’re confused…’’ As I listen to the lyrics of this song by James Fortune & Fiya from his recent release ‘Identity’, I’m simply pushed to acknowledge that everyday is indeed a ‘day the Lord has made ‘; we should and must be grateful for. You know, it’s an honour just to breathe again, live again and love again.

The song goes on to say,’ so you may not have a mansion in a gated neighbourhood but at least be grateful you have a roof over your head. Praise now, it could be worse …’’ Praise now, it could have definitely been worse!

Of a truth, any current challenging situation you are enduring could have been worse than it is. But, God has not allowed it to escalate because He knows just how much you and I can handle. The joyous thing about it all is through every such season, He offers grace to carry us through and enable us stand to the end.

As we wake to each day, let’s be grateful for the life we have, another opportunity to do what we were meant to but did not. Let’s be grateful that we are counted amongst the living .You may not have everything you ever wanted, things may not have turned out as planned but you know what, you are alive! That is just enough reason to scream ‘I am so grateful!’ (‘’Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5: 20) ESV

So, as you prepare to enter another month in this New Year, say to yourself:

‘I may not have had the best of 2011 but at least I am privileged to be a part of 2012…

I may not feel the best today but at least I am physically and mentally healthy…

I may not have a mansion in a gated neighbourhood but at least I have a roof over my head…

I may not have a Bentley but at least I have two feet strong enough to walk.

I may not wear the best of designer’s but at least I have cover for my body…

I may not dine in the most luxurious restaurant but at least I have food to eat…’

You don’t have to own the world to be grateful. Whatever you have is worth gratefulness.

‘Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.’1 Thessalonians 5: 186-18 MSG

Lessons of life

Lessons of Life

Hello friend,

It’s been a minute since I have come your way. I thought I’d leave a few with you as we enter a new season of life.

I’ll be sharing some of the lessons life has taught me over the year with the hope that you don’t make some mistakes I have made or just learn a thing or two that might be of help to you on this journey!

LIFE
* Procrastination feeds failure. Do what you must do now and get it out of the way. #Don’t report to later what you can do now. Tomorrow’s not a guarantee.

*In life, you have to fight! Cowardice doesn’t open doors. A strong-willed spirit does. #Be gutsy.

*Don’t let anyone take advantage of you! Adhere strongly to your principles even in the midst of challenging decisions. #Make decisions from your spirit and guard your heart.

#Everyday day we wake is another privilege to make a great day. It may not always be our way but there’s joy in standing firm in the midst of tough waters. #Be bold; be strong for the Lord God’s hand is reaching out to you.

*Pleasure is momentary. The aftermath of negative pleasure births long lasting pain. #Invest in the right things at the right time.

RELATIONSHIP
*There are times you must love someone enough to leave them, for their good. Not everyone is an asset to your destiny; some are an impediment to your progress. #Don’t hold unto an unnecessary liability.

*If your character sucks, even the friendliest, warmest and nicest person will flee from you. Truth is, as we are, there is just as much as we can take.#Integrity is important.

*Not every word, action or inaction deserves a response. Sometimes it pays more to shhh! #Keep quiet.

*We all have a right to respond or not to respond to certain matters. Don’t crucify another if they don’t respond when and how you want. You have no idea what is going on in their life. #People have a reason for not doing what you expect them too and they have no need of explaining themselves all the time.

*A person who cannot love you because of your limitations or weakness is not worth your life. #Love endures.

*In a multitude of many words, transgression is not lacking. It’s not always necessary to make your voice heard. Prudence calls for a restrained lip.# Silence sometimes speaks better.

*You can’t just say anything, anyhow, anytime to anyone. #Life and death are in the power of what we say.

*Be very careful who you call friend. # Not every friend has your interest at heart.

*Love suffers long .However, no person should allow himself to be used and abused. Abuse, Manipulation or Control is evil! #Be sober. Be vigilant. You could lose your life in the name of love, marriage or submission to authority.

*Just when you think you cannot love again, love will come knocking at your door. Don’t give up on love because one person has hurt you .#Let go and love again.

*The more you relate with some people, the more you realise they should not be a part of your life. The more you relate with some people, the more you realise you should not be a part of their life.Time unveils the unknown. Not everybody should be your friend. #Be wise with your friendships.

*There is a clear difference between ‘judging’ and ‘speaking the truth in love’ .To judge is not to speak the truth in love. To speak the truth in love is not to judge. #It is our duty to discern which we will embrace.

FULFILLING PURPOSE

*Don’t be afraid to start from somewhere as little as it may seem now. #The start may be small but you will eventually grow if you are willing and committed.

*You are still alive because there is so much with your name on it. Don’t let any man hold you down. #Break out of people-opinion and reach for the stars.

*You may have been disappointed, cast out, rejected or had your innocence stolen but you are still alive. That simply means everything is not stolen. There is still hope. Rise from the dust and crawl, leap, and jump again. Nothing is impossible.#Make the best life.

*The process of healing is not a one time event. Some heal quicker than others.#
God can heal even when you think your soul is beyond healing.

*Regardless of what you say/do or don’t say or do, someone will always find fault in you. Someone will always hate on you. #But you know what, as long as your conviction is right and your deeds honest, you have nothing to worry about!Go for your dream!

*Peace begins in the heart. So does conflict.# Choose which you will allow.

*God will save and help you just in time.#Patience has many rewards.

Love and Shalom
Aminata.
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Rest on…

Our Father is rich in all things and there is no recession, repression, depression, suppression, repossession that can stuff life out of Him. No matter what happens to the economy of the world, He’s lack-proof. He needs no bail out from foreign nations. He has no need of any loan from the IMF to help him out of debt.

You can rest on His promise because all the animals of the forest are His, and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills… If He did not spare His Only Son but freely gave Him up for us all, how much more would He not freely give or do for us all things?

He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He only made use of five loaves of bread and two fish to feed thousands; that’s the power of His abundance. He surely has no issue providing; paying your mortgage, the bills, the children’s fees, food, etc. He has no issue making you a success. Rest on His promises today and believe He will do exceedingly, abundantly, more than you can fathom. Rest on His promises-The Word

No matter what…

We go through so many things in life enough to crush our souls and leave us more destitute than the prodigal son away from home. Challenges are a part of life we can hardly run away from. They come in every shape, size, and colour and from every sphere, people and the places we least see in our mind’s eye.

Regardless of any challenge ,trial, persecution, rejection, abuse we endure , we must embrace them with wisdom and always seek God to bring us out and use us and the lessons from our experiences as a source of comfort to others in the areas we have found freedom.

Count it all joy when you face those dreadful moments(Canton Jones calls them ‘season of difficult lessons’), for in and through them , your ribs of faith strengthen birthing out more patience, your muscles of hope build up and your heart of endurance becomes ready for come what may.

So, no matter what you’re going through, just remember you’re going through. Allow yourself to go through so you can breakthrough and breakout into new dimensions. Change is necessary so that change can come into effect. It takes change for change to happen and sometimes for that change to come to life it takes an excruciating painful change. But always remember, no matter what you’re going through, you’re going through.

God’s love and mine,
Adja.

I have peace…

Every day the world is awaken to a new calamity .From persecution of believers of Christ in Pakistan, most of Asia and the Arab world, hurricane Irene in the US that has put out of place millions ,the hunt for Gaddafi and the ongoing war leaving many destitute and bereaved in Libya, civil turbulence in Syria, tyrannical African leaders who refuse to relinquish power,because obviously ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’,to our own private challenges, ill-fated circumstances, failed prospects, etc, it’s enough to say the world is indeed living a turmoil.

However, for anyone who bears the mark of God, there is an assurance. The Master says ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us ‘. Again, he speaks to the storm, ‘Peace be still’. He speaks to us ‘ Be strong and courageous’, ‘Fret not’. ‘I will never leave nor forsake you’. ‘I leave you with peace of mind and heart’, the kind the world cannot give.’When the enemy comes against us, like a flood’, God says ‘I will raise up a standard against him.’ We have so much assurance in the Word of God, the Word of peace, and the Word of salvation even in the midst of unpleasant days.

The past week was incredibly wow for me. At a point, I became concerned but somewhere mid-week, I woke with such extraordinary peace that I had to tell God, ‘Wow what a peace you’ve given me!’ He gave me a reminder of the promise he made to me earlier in the year in John 14:27 ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’. This promise reminds me I must walk through life with faith, power, confidence, and a big smile.

Next time you’re chilling on the sofa flipping between channels and nothing good but tragedy, catastrophe and calamity surfaces, next time you receive unsolicited mails in the post, next time you feel you’re suffocating and your spirit is weary, remind you that ‘I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding’. ‘All my burdens, cares, issues, and worries can be taken care of by the Master’!

Stop Waiting For Life To Begin!

I cannot imagine though I have written more than a few times in the month gone, yet, I have not posted anything up until now. As one matures, responsibilities multiply and time becomes more of a luxury but always put first things first .Take care of the very essential.

Here’s one to bless you as you ponder about life, how far you’ve come and or how your life is delayed by circumstances you tried as much to evade but fate said otherwise. Yes, sometimes we plan our lives, what we want and how we want but it does not always happen as we intend. I’m at a point where God’s dealing me a whole lot. I’m not fully where I want to be, but I also remember that man purposes in his heart but God determines his steps-what happens, when it happens and how it happens. Moreover, He has great plans for you and I and He’ll make all things beautiful in His time, timing and season.

As you make decisions that will make your life better, I encourage you to not become too engrossed in the things that are not working forgetting the life you have; the air you breath that a person on the verge of death is wishing for; the freedom you have that someone in Iran or Libya is desperately longing for or simply the food available to you that a person in Somalia will do anything to lay hands on.

When I get more money…When I marry…When I go to university…When I travel abroad…When I move into my new house… When I…When I…You have a life to live NOW .Stop waiting for your life to begin because your life is waiting for you to begin. Don’t put you on hold because your hopes have not materialized. Hope does not disappoint nor make ashamed.

Live your life today so you won’t have regrets of having been alive yet not having lived at all. I have held me for several years, failing to socialize as a young person .One, because I have been a shy person for most of my life and two ,I had always told myself ‘until I got a little bit slimmer’, then will I begin to enjoy my youth. To be real,(I tend to go a bit personal in my writing because I am my best experience and can only share well stuff I have experienced) as I get close to the big 30 in a little less than 7 months, my perspective of life is changing. Things that tormented my soul and gave me constant migraine are no longer a stress factor. I find myself living God’s purpose for me, interacting and socializing more .All that is building confidence in this once shy princess.

There are far more important things to life than wanting to look like Halle Berry, having curvy hips like Beyonce , or possessing the riches of Beckham or Obama. Sometimes, cartoons give us some real life teachings. I don’t know if you do, but I remember a few lyrics from a song that used to be somewhat a national anthem for my siblings and I,, from ‘The Little Mermaid’:

‘The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake.
You dream about going up there but that’s a big mistake.
Just look at d world around you right here on the ocean floor…
Under the sea… down here it’s better take it from me.
Up on the shore they work all day. Out in the sun, they slave away…’

Now I have jumbled the words and I know for sure you won’t blame me considering the fact that I’m a little bit over childhood.:-) What’s the idea behind me striking your memory back to yesteryears? Be content with who and where you are even if someone’s seaweed looks greener. If only you could see beyond their smile, you’ll be amazed to discover it’s not as greener as you think. If God wants you ‘there’, at a particular time, He’ll take you there. After all, He is All-Knowing so has a better idea of all you need than you do. Stop waiting for your life to begin. Discover and/or live your purpose. When you truly begin to live in your calling, no trivial things will take you in as much as it did in the past or is doing now.

Life is for living. Take a look at your hand .Fold it into a fist and observe your knuckles.Again, release your hand from the fist and observe your knuckle. (Don’t just read, please do!) What do you see? As you fold your hand, the lines on your knuckles appear clear and youthful but as you release it from the fist, they become wrinkled. Use this to remind you that you may be young now but just as the unfolded hand, you’ll one day be at that stage where you will wish you lived enough to have life changing stories or a legacy for your children and grandchildren.

Life is for living. Begin living today lest you regret that you did not live when you had the opportunity. Let go some of the things, people you’re clutching unto as tight as a purse full of pounds or dollars. Let go yesterday’s hurt, lack, betrayal, disappointment, shame, failure, the nothings and make ready your future by living your best today. Stop struggling with and fighting life.As I love sayin:‘A tree-bearing fruit begins from a seed.Start from where you are now.Don’t wait for the big platform.God works in small ways that culminate into bigger things.

‘ Seek first the kingdom of God and all its righteousness and every other thing shall be added to you. ’ (This is a lesson to me personally too. I pray it blesses you. If you have struggled with life like I once did, it’s time to LIVE!)