Still Keeping the Faith

Yes it has been too long. I don't know the exact reason I stopped blogging but I know I want to start again. Even though I haven't posted anything over the last 5 years I have still been keeping the faith.

I mean there simply is no other option for me, GOD has BLESSED ME so abundantly. He has taken CARE of me through every trial, He as proven his LOVE and MERCY over and over again. I know that no matter what comes way my I will be OKAY because I have the power of JESUS on my side.

I look around me at the people who don't know or believe in the awesome POWER of JESUS CHRIST. My heart cries for them, they will never know what it feels like to be free, to be able to take everything that worries you and hand it over to someone else knowing it will be taken care off.

I pray for them, may GOD open their minds and hearts, May they be BLESSED and encouraged by his words. I pray that I can be a testament to them, I pray that GOD helps me help them because I hope that through me they see a piece of GOD.

If you are reading this and believe, I pray that you too can be an ambassador for Christ. I know that GOD will still love me even if I don't do this but I want others to experience his LOVE.

Keeping the faith Always
Jan 
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Back At One

Sometimes in life no matter how much progress we think we have made in our spiritual growth, all it takes is one setback that can rail road us back to where we started. I had one of those moments today, and to say I was upset would be an understatement, I sometimes feel like I am the “lucky” winner of the unlucky lottery. It’s just that I feel that every 2 steps of progress I make gets pounded by  10 leaps  back.

I want so much to be an encouragement to others but, how can I do that when I find it so hard to encourage myself. Those who know me on a personal level will know that I am a great person to talk to. I offer a certain insight into situations whilst not compromising on the truth or hurting one’s feelings.

So I decided to start talking to myself, now, now I have not lost the plot, I have just decided that sometimes GOD helps us but only if we begin to help ourselves. I realised that yes maybe there are a lot of “not so good” things happening to me but I have a lot of GREAT people in my life, and we all know that people trump things any day. I have a loving family, and amazing partner & an abundance of friends who I can turn to for help but 1^st and foremost is the fact that I serve an awesome God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” When we are down and out it is sometimes so hard to give thanks cos let’s be honest gratitude is the last  thing on our minds but it doesn’t say that we should thank GOD for all things but rather in all things. So maybe I can’t be thankful for what I’m going through right now but I can be thankful for many things, The air in my lungs, the hands and legs that I have to keep me mobile and my excellent eye site.

So I am going to continue talking to myself, and take my advice like I expect others to. I’m also going to have a conversation with GOD, sometimes I don’t hear him but I always feel him and I am going to let him guide me to where I need to be. GOD’s plan for our lives is at times a bit hard to understand but hey we never question that overpriced architecture who designed our house even though it took him 5 months to come back with the blue prints for our garage, then why exactly would we want to question the awesome power that created everything including us.

Keeping the faith Always
Jan 
εϊз

Confessions

I never imagined that I could doubt my faith in GOD. I was always someone who claimed to "trust" GOD and leave my burdens unto him to take care off but when it comes to the crunch time, the minute I felt a "real" obstacle I caved in ; I doubted and let GOD down. It took the words of a very close friend of mine to bring me back around. I know that we are not supposed to to place our faith in man BUT sometimes GOD uses people to do his work for him. She reminded me that GOD has always been there for me through some pretty rough times and he has made me victorious in all that I do. She reminded me of how things that I thought were impossible became achievable only through GOD.

Why is it so hard to trust GOD and believe him when he said that we should "give all your worries and cares to GOD, for her cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7

Why is it that we can place so much faith in a husband or wife ; a boyfriend or girlfriend or even our children yet find it so hard to believe that GOD is taking care of us. I have changed my mindset and thoughts. No matter how many times I fail GOD  he has yet to fail me once.

I have learnt that bad and trying circumstances are guaranteed in life; it happened to everyone even non believers.

I am fortunate in the fact that I have a loving father who carried me through these trying times. I feel guilty about doubting GOD but take comfort in knowing that our GOD is loving and forgiving and that he will not hold my transgressions against me.

"For  nothing is impossible with GOD! Luke 1:37

Keeping the faith Always
Jan
εϊз

The reason for the season

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the birth of the most special person who was ever born unto this earth, our LORD & SAVIOUR JESUS CHRISTMAS. For many its a time for family, fun and frolic.

I just wanted to remind everyone of the "The reason for the season" so don't forget to include our grateful you are that he came to this world to save us and how thanks to him we can all have a better life.

I am eternally grateful to him, the price he paid was immeasurable & I will def be celebrating his birth tomorrow, I mean after all he is the reason I am who I am, A FAITHFUL WARRIOR

Keeping the faith Always
Jan 
εϊз

Sweet Victory

Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

I was beginning to doubt the verse above too much had happened in my life too quickly and most of it was not very good. I wanted so badly to believe that everything was going to be okay but I just couldn't. I did everything including question GOD and even suggested that he has left me to suffer my hardships on my own.

Although I doubted him, I still asked for help, he was in fact all I had left and I knew deep down inside the only one who could actually come through for me. Like always he delivered what he promised, not what I wanted but what I needed. You must be thinking how can I be satisfied if I did not get what I want? That's the thing about the GOD that we serve, he is awesome enough to give you what you need but caring enough to ensure that his plan is carried out in your life. The truth is that his plan is the perfect plan, the only one that can actually make you happy and sometimes what we want is not always whats in his perfect plan for us.

One thing I am sure of is the fact that he listens to us, every time we call his name, He never lets us down. Even when we are angry or bitter with him because of our circumstances. I wish I knew all of this on Monday when I felt that the whole world was caving in on me.

I feel so relived now, knowing that I can trust him to take care of me and allow his perfect plan for my life to take its course. I LOVE JESUS and I am eternally grateful to him for carrying me through one of the most trying times of my life.

Here is my prayer of Victory

Dear Lord, I want to thank you and I lift my hands up to you in praise.

You have taken me from the darkness and showed me the light.

You have given me a Victory that I did not expect, more sweeter than any honey & more valuable that any treasure. You have proven to me that your love for me is never failing. I am sorry that I once doubted you.

I thank you for easing my heavy heart. I pray that others can experience this love that I know can only come from you.

Amen

Keeping the faith Always
Jan 
εϊз

Faith is

What is faith to you?  Is it, buying a lottery ticket hoping that you are "lucky" enough to be this week's grand prize winner. Is it landing that dream job or getting the perfect SUV that you have been wishing for.

Faith can be a lot of things to many people, different things to different people. For me, it is getting into my car knowing that I will reach my destination safely, saying goodbye to a loved one knowing that I will see them soon and they will be kept safe and sound. It means having the piece of mind to know that I can conquer any trial or hardships because the GOD that I serve is always there for me guiding me through every step of the way.

The thing about faith is every person has to have it either in another person, themselves and most importantly in GOD if we did not then well, we would not be able to live a fruitful abundant life. 

 The other thing about faith is it sometimes dwindles when things are going bad, we second guess the fact that GOD exists and always want answers to our questions. Remember that there is a time and season for everything. You may not know the reason why you are in the situation that you are in today but that does not mean that this situation does not have a purpose.

You need to be strong in your faith because everyday is a test easy enough to past but only if you want to. You will soon realise that "real" faith is better that any winning lottery ticket one can buy, faith in JESUS guarantees you an unmeasurable prize a one way ticket to eternal salvation.

Purpose driven Curveballs

I really did not want to write this post today, only because I am going through so many personal trials right now and keeping the faith through it all is not very easy. I am hoping that writing this post is in some way going to help me to keep the faith or at least remind me that I am not alone in what I am going through.


The title of this post may sound a bit weird but in a nutshell is about the purpose of all the negative situations we are placed in. When we are going through something difficult it is often very hard for us to look at the positive side of things, taking the high road or adopting the glass half full approach sounds ridiculous cos we can’t imagine this turmoil ever ending. The thing about those negative situations is the fact that they have a purpose.



I will use a famous bible parable to elaborate on this, Think of Joseph, if his brothers did not sell him to Pharaoh then he would not have been able to interpret Pharaoh'S dreams and prevent the nation from starving. You see just like Joseph your curveball has a purpose. It’s hard to see it now but it is there.




In Psalm 32:8 God says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” All we need to do is ask GOD for that guidance that we so badly need.


Here is a prayer that we can pray to him:

Heavenly father and most Gracious GOD, Please help me through this tough time that I am going through. Lord other have forsaken me and people whom I relied on have gone away. Lord I know that you are always here with me even through this, I remember the many other trials that I have been through and know that I am victorious only through you. I put my life in your hands and I ask that your guiding hand show the me direction that I need to take. I thank you Lord for this answered prayer.

Amen


Keeping the faith Always
Jan 
εϊз