Willpower!

Will power is believing in yourself even when the world does not believe in you or give you much of a chance, so against all odds - you become consistent, determined and willing to go on even when you do not feel your feet. Instead what you feel constantly carrying you are the equivalent of jelly beans.

You prove to yourself that you can break every obstacle, ruin every hindrance and even if it ruins you at the start, you still have another chance to ruin it.....that is willpower. it is not a measure of strength, but rather a determination of the soul. In essence anyone can have will power so you are in it for the long haul.make yourself the motivation to keep going and it will take you a long way!!

I cannot promise you that you will not want to give up, but i can promise you that every belief you have will be tested and the true pass of success is when you still hold onto your belief

Champions.

So shall we ever know what champions suffer....not really because we never see them behind the scenes all we see is them reach the finishing line and we as spectators jump to the cheering rejoicing in their victory but never being there at the tearful practices, at the endless training at the moments of exhaustion and near giving up. We never know the times they struggle with thier identity and own personal fears & anxieties. They keep going because the world is expecting them to perform and never gives grace to bear with their humanity.

Would we rather be spectators then than champions, would we be willing to join the track race and make it to the end, would we be willing to be subject to meeting the cost and reaching the goal still knowing that its going to take every thing away from us so we are left to the mercy of the whistle bearer.

Champions, who are we??? Who are we?? We are people who take every tear and wipe it off our brows, we take every strain, every crushing, every abuse, every push and we look up and we determine that we will reach the end, we are people who have purposed that no matter the crushing, the intense practice, the numerous shoutings from our captain, the squeezing from our coach that we will smile knowing that the coach knows exactly what the outcome will be.....and then our eyes will be opened and infront of us we will see the garden of Gethsamane and the cross standing in such elegance crowned with glory and we will rejoice and ask the coach to push us some more because the end is worth fighting for and going for.....

My dear champion am on the race too am in the ring, am on the pitch and am going to give the biggest 'slam dank' ever and i will look out for you being certain that you too will be there.....

Phoebe

You are too:)

Its amazing how the bible uses beautiful imagery to create a link between relationships especially between the father and his children. one that stands out for me is ' for God rejoices over you with singing' so in essence he has a melody over me. Then that song becomes the melody singing in my heart . I begin to behold what God is, he has sang his desire over me and then into me. His desires become mine, in another place it says he will give me the desires of my heart, on a closer look it really is his own placed in me. The melody of heaven becoming my song. it speaks of an intimacy with God becoming one deeper than any human mind can fathom. The beauty of two becoming one, my life singing his song- how beautiful is that?? I so in love with him that i emanate his image and person, becoming a reflection so like him before long no apparent distinction. I am his and he is mine, i become the revelation of the sons of God the world is eagerly waiting for. After all becoming like the father is not a rigmarole - a seemingly complicated set of rules or procedures stipulated by men. Instead a slow dance in step with the father one of intimate talk, a closeness so intense that i cannot help wanting to be like him, my heart feeling the pains of his. Mine being fully aware of the rose amidst thorns and then am ready to fall in love with him so intensely that the knowledge that this moment will not last long diminishes all i care about is being with him, a transfusion of soul to soul flowing into each other so oblivious of time and space, i hold on to this moment completely aware that this is all i have then like partners who have to leave the dance floor, we look each other in the eyes and the father speaks to me with a tenderness so profound, i can tangibly touch the silky tone of his voice, time stands still and then he says with all that he is....i love you , i have waited so long to find someone i can have confidence in....you are finally here.

I look in awe completely struck, like a young lass in love, am blown away at the thought that a God so beyond anything made can have confidence in one so insignificant. He turns to go and am left basking in the awesomeness of love and the passion that turns the eyes away from anything feeble to reveal the beauty hidden so deep.

Wow!! He said he had confidence in me, i heard him say he loved me, so softly into my ears such sweetness and then ...a surge of srength and purpose broke through my being. Life was never going to be the same again. I am loved, i am loved.....so loved.

Phoebe

Men who know the Times!

Been thinking of the sons of Issachar, the bible refers to them as men who knew the times and understood the seasons! They were part of David's army a very vital component of what their commander needed at the time. I began to realise that this principle for war does not stop with the army only but boils down to our individual lives, because it is so easy to miss God's timing & seasons, to miss answered prayers or times of visitations. Mostly because as human nature we have unconsciously put God in a box, given the limitation of the workings of our mind, we are not able to comprehend the depths and the heights of how God works. We could have been praying over something for a time and then the answer comes most often it comes in a package that doesn't appear like what we have been asking for and because we have not grown attuned to the father we miss the answer that meaning we go through another season of asking and waiting. If we took the intial steps of asking God to open our minds, pull us out of the box of our own thinking, throw away prejudices, destroy our so evading mindset, to see things the way he sees them, then we do stand a chance of being like the sons of Isaachar men who were heralded and known for knowing the times.

i think again of Elijah during the three years of drought, he asks his servant to look towards the sea and tell him what he sees, Elijah had already heard the sound of rain, seven times he sends his servant and all he sees is a 'A cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea', he commands him to go before the rain overtakes him.

Elijah knew the times, he had accustomed himself to hearing the voice of God, he could tell that a cloud as small as a fist would turn into a torrent of rain. He didnt miss the season, this ought to be our prayer & a diligent cry to God that we would not miss the season of our lives, that we would get out of a cycle of missing answers to prayers because we are not able to see what God is doing. Remember his timing is not ours and is always the best, .....so my friend keep your eyes open, change your mentality, remove any prejudices, change your mindset, this could be your season don't miss it!!

Phoebe

You can do it:)

Anything you want to be you can be:-) am only coming to the realisation that God has given us everything we need to make it work for us. Recently i was going through a really tough time and i kept asking myself where i had done wrong to get to the place i was in, i kept blaming myself for the pain i felt.

At one point i felt God ask me the question- would you deliberately cause your self pain, would you allow situations in your life that you knew would depress you and cause you sleepless nights?? The answer was definitely not in the least!

It was all for a purpose to squeeze the strength out of me, so i could come to the knowledge that i can actually survive any situation that faced me, the faster we can learn this the easier we can face life's challenges.

My friends you can do it, you can be everything you & God want to become, never give up, as much as cliché it sounds ....there is always a 2 moro. Pray for wisdom to make the right choices, recognise what you are good, then delve into it and enjoy doing it, it is your identity,

Respect those who have greater wisdom than you do, love those around you, i have learnt that life is bigger than the narrow perspective i have always had, its not always about me, i need everyone whom i know love me without condition.

Life is your threshold, go for it, don't give up whatever happens, i know the pain of very dark nights believe me - i have been there and many times i didn't think i would make it through. I have been on the edge a number of times and even contemplated not living to see another day, i was too cowardly to think about it.

I want you to understand that life is never easy, but we get going, we wake up and even it means crawling thru another day, we do it, we stay alive and we make it, we get going and we fight our way through to our destiny.

God has faith in you and so do those who love you.

Whatever you do....NEVER EVER GIVE UP

i love you all

Phoebe

The Race

Whoever thought a race would have to be run with patience, not in the real world. Races are typically run with speed,precison and determination. The concept of running with patience is rather foreign . So when God says to run the race marked out for us with patience, what exactly does he mean? Again this race requires that we lay aside every form of distraction as we are surrounded by numerous witnesses, who are they we ask ourselves to whom its important that no weakness whatsoever is seen in the runners. Are they heavenly beings, or earthly spectators. Whatever conculsion we come to does not change the criterion of the race. If it requires a sufficient dose of patience, its not wrong to assume then that the race is metophorically used for a journey with probable stops necessary. Places that the pilgrim is refuelled, tested & tried, places of revelation totally required for the knowledge of the author of the journey. have you ever considered what it would be like taking a journey to a place unknown, without assurance of even reaching the place. surely you would ask yourself questions like-where am i going, who will be there to meet me, where are places of refreshment???

God makes this clear by creating stops on this journey, sometimes places of green pastures lightly embanked with streams of water beautifully calm and promising, full of replensihment clearly scented with life and hope. the shepherd guiding and guarding. Then as though accurately punctuatued are valleys with shadows of death filing the air with the 'aroma' of death, the guide still running along side. your strides by this time have evenly slowed, your mind believing the race has come to an end. The finishing line is far in sight, actually not in sight your human mind telling you, this is it but you still hear the strides of others going past probably heavier sounding than yours. so you convince yourself there are still miles to run.

you lift your eyes up, behold there is a staff and rod your mind jogs its memory and nowhere does it make mention sheep feeding what only makes sense now is that the rod and staff must have something to do with you. so you cheer up because suddenly you are not alone.

Before long the mist clears and you start to see tables laden with such goodness, the valley now dimmed in the dark ahead of you famillar faces fellow travellers, you hear the sounds of cheering and joy the end is here, but not so fast there is a feast, tables laid out and the arousing atmosphere of victory.

on the centre of the table is a mighty jug of oil.....my my!! its anointing oil, you feel the soothing sensation as it flows down your face, your heart lighting up with assurance of goodness and mercy. You are here- its the father's house and you will dwell here forever, this is it forever. So pilgrim now you know, the race requires lots of patience.

I had fainted had i not believed to see the goodness of the Lord!!

The end is not as far as it seems

Phoebe

Angels Unaware!!

Dr. Robi's sermon yesterday on how we treat the least among us got me reflecting on a few things. His emphasis was on how recklessly we take advantage of children in our own community and those away from us. Emerging in the way we are slow to respond to the plight of children trafficked, abused and neglected and sometimes those in positions of influence do nothing about making the life of the child safer. I thought of those who are less fortunate than we are, the beggars on the streets, the addicts both to drink and drugs or those we see around us looking low & depressed. Most of us hardly take notice i don't mean you necessarily have to do anything - it would be great if you could! But do we ever spare even a thought for the predicament that they may be in, situations beyond their control have made them captive to something that has gripped their soul that it is impossible for them to see the light, have we ever thought what it would be like if we were in the place that they are in, and then in compassion said a prayer or given a helping hand or simply loved them!

Am reminded of what Proverbs says, that when we give to the poor, we are lending to God, Jesus says in the gospels that what we do to any child we do unto him, when we clothe the naked, help the weak, visit those in distress we are doing it unto him, no where does it say that if we did it to christians in need we were doing it to him although the New Testament says we ought to give a helping hand first to those of his household! Still that does not exempt those outside 'the pen' so to speak. The bible says God causes the sun to shine on both the wicked and the godly so to whoever we show love or compassion we do it to the father, how amazing is that!

Recently i was in a situation where i had to take care of a child who is disavanteged nothing of his own making and it required such patience and grace, sometimes i found myself losing the plot and i kept wondering why he did not do things the way they ought to be done, i caught myself a number of times on the edge of running out of patience and boy was i ashamed, so ashamed that i literally cried to God because i had missed the point, i was meant to be a courier of God's love & patience and all that he is and i had fallen short. I started to realise that this boy was God's child, his handiwork and even though things were not the same with him, God the father still loved him immensely but also in what soever way i reacted to him i was doing it unto Jesus, that put me straight!

I am so inspired by one of my sisters who loves Michael . W. Smith he sings a song about entertaining angels unaware from which i have borrowed the title for this note. How true that is , whoever we meet in every situation be it people we do not agree with, or people we secretly despise or those we cannot in anyway get a long with, they are still God's creation and the beggar we might pass on the street might be an angel hoping that you would spare a minute for him, not just practically but also with compassion. God will test whatever we claim as Christians in any way that he can.

Spare a thought, give some love today, open your heart, practice compassion, forgive, act deligently in love and response, do not judge people who are less fortunate than you, be willing to give, sow a seed Ecclesiastes 11 says spread your grain on many waters and it will come back to you. Make every opportunity a time to help, to sow a seed, to change a life give generously because where we are ultimately going we will have no need of what we have!! We learn to be careful with our words, when we hear stories of peolpe that have committed suicide or think of those who have lost their mind, we are gracious towards them because they didn't have the chance to find help, sometimes people are not as strong as we think they ought to be!

Remember it is by grace that we have been saved nothing of our own doing, but his love and mercy! Do not forget to be good to whoever you meet, you just never know.....you might be entertaining an angel, and friend am certain you do not want to fail that test....for all you know it could be Jesus himself!!:)

Phoebe

Black girls Rock!

We sure do rock,

I rock because am beautiful

I rock because am loved

Because am not afraid to make it

I rock because i do not give up

I rock because am not afraid to cry

Because am not afraid to say i almost gave up

I rock because my grandmothers had faith in me

I rock because i stand on the shoulders of great black women

So i rock!!

I rock because i am determined that no matter what i will leave a legacy

I rock because i have a dream

I rock because i have untapped potential that would change the world

I rock because i have dreams & a purpose

I rock because am God's handiwork

Because everytime i fall i get back up again

I rock because my father has faith in me

I rock because he is proud of me

I rock because i come from a lineage of men & women who paid the price so i could be who i am & who i want to be

I rock because am blessed beyond the curse

Because am an embodiment of God's will

I rock because i am an inspiration to other black girls who have had the worst of life's tough kicks

I rock because i have just one option.....To Rock.

I rock because i rock!!!

Go for it black girls make a difference inspire those younger than you, be a model, make no compromise, live & leave a legacy. Together we can raise a generation of women who know they do not have to demean their integrity to be accepted, women who know that they have a special place in God's heart and ultimate plan!

because you Rock!!

Foiled Pity Party!

I had a rather interesting experience......i saw a well planned 'pity party' come to a massively halting stop with a tasty backfire. I had it all worked out ,got the tear rug ready, pillow in the right place just next to the radiator so i would be warm enough as i slowly 'pitied' myself to prayer....how funny!

So it started and i thought it was going really well and then all of a sudden the plan was foiled. Out of nowhere he took over and i didnt see it come. The room was filled with such a presence, It is one of those times that the Lion of Judah , the warrior himself steps in, one of those times that he too has not only had enough of seeing distress but he has seen how much you have made an effort to get yourself up that he decides that this fight is his.

What A God! What A God! it turned into a party of praise, of revelation in this amazing God who is never struck by sudden occurrences , suprised or utterly helpless at what life can throw at his children.

In my mind i began to hear the voice of our great God say, i am here, am in charge, i am the author & finisher of your faith, whatever i start i finish, in essence i don't just start and finish, i make a point to finish & to do it well. I make a celebration of the end. You will end well. I could hear the still small voice remind me of the place where it is written 'your name is engraved on the palms of my hand' i could see deep engravings as though on a stone, with that revelation came an understanding of God that is so intense of A God who so in love with creation, he is so determined about turning me out well, & about turning you out well. Whatever he does is good.

Then my mind's eye saw a battalion of angels all at war at his command and i could see God rendering the heavens because his children were calling. It made sense God is and will forever be on our side.

Wow!! it was so calming just to know that none that he calls his own will be lost, they belong to him. We are safe, we are loved , we are not forgotten. He really does have a plan. The creator of heaven & earth does have a plan. My human eye could see a maze of utter confusion, a world riddled with painful experiences, sorrow, infirmities of all sorts, people of his household suffering such distress it didnt make sense.

It later did he is the creator & he still is in charge and he is able to create beauty out of confusion, so i asked him if he would make sense of all that surrounded his people and make beauty out of ashes & in the meantime would he give them strength and grace not to give up. But above all that their eyes would be opened to see that in a world that was cruel, harsh & unkind sits a God enthroned on high who is able to turn things round but who is always at the ready to create beauty out of seeming pain.

So friends that is our God enthroned on high as king of kings, totally in control waiting for any challenge to prove to you that he is the God of impossibilities. Take the challenge, today take him a platter of your pains, hardships sorrows, discouragements, questions, doubts, fears and ask him to create something or even things outstandingly beautiful.

I bet you he will, and before long even while you are presenting them to him he will turn your pain into praise, because he is good & it pleases him to see you rejoice! remember he is a refuge & sure rock for anyone absolutely anyone who will ask, that is all it takes.....ASK!

Take the challenge and am waiting to hear what you will say to me, i am certain it will be good!

Cheer up our God is good, really good! His word is more true than you will ever know.

You are loved:)

Phoebe