Life: A-Z; I is for Identity

identity: \ī-ˈden-tə-tē\;the distinguishing character or personality of an individual (Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess but confessed freely, "I AM NOT the Christ." They asked him, "Then WHO ARE YOU? Are you Elijah?"He said "I AM NOT." "Are you the prophet?" He answered "NO." Finally they said, " WHO ARE YOU? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us, WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF?" John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I AM THE VOICE of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" John 1:19-23 (NIV) Capitals mine

Jesus answered, "I AM the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE. No-one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV) Capitals mine

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites; I AM has sent me to you." Exodus 3:14 (NIV) Capitals mine

I started the Life:A-Z series a wee long time ago, just realised I never finished but as the Spirit leads. I had initially wanted to write on integrity or ice-cream (lol!) but Parakletos had something else in mind.

It's the age old question, when people meet you for the first time they want to know 'who are you?'. I don't know about you but it's a question I always asked myself as a child growing up..'Who am I, who am I, who am I?'. I guess from a young age I knew there had to be more to me than my name or position in the family!

I love the definition of identity, 'the distinguishing character' of an individual. Your identity sets you apart from the mainstream, that is why you are asked to show ID to verify that you are who you say you are. When we are asked about our identity, some people answer with geography, "I'm British or I'm Nigerian" e.t.c or by profession/career, "I'm an engineer, doctor, lawyer" e.t.c or by their roles, "I'm a wife, mother of one, single, married" e.t.c. All these things in of themselves are not wrong answers but they are not the essence of who we are. That is why on our ID it is not enough to put these without something that sets us apart, usually we need a picture, something unique. Who we are is bigger than geography, career or role. This is because these things change, you can change your nationality, change jobs and even roles and if our identity is tied up in these things we feel a great sense of loss because we struggle to understand who we are.

Our true identity can only be found in God. He is the I AM that I AM. He does not change. For sure, as we progress in life and our walk with Him, He reveals more to us about the 'complex phenomenon' known as you and me! and we learn more about ourselves. Our identity is linked to our purpose. John didn't say, "I am John, son of Zechariah, high priest and Elizabeth, cousin of Jesus Christ e.t.c", He said "I am the voice crying in the wilderness" because that was His purpose, his raison d'etre. Even Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, the life."

When you know who you, then you will also know who you are not and will able to say no to others and refuse to allow other people give you an identity or an agenda that does not belong to you. John knew he was not the Christ so he was able to send the people on their way. The Jews wanted a Messiah that would deliver them from Roman oppression but they did not know that He came to deliver them from eternal bondage. They wanted someone to provide bread to quench their physical hunger but they did not know that he came to give Himself up as the bread of life, so they rejected Him.

I am a believer, I believe God made me for a specific purpose and as I walk with Him, He is unravelling more and more to me and I pray to spend my days discovering and walking in the purpose He has called me into. Pray and ask God to discover your purpose, He created you and He knows what for. Walk with Him, one step at a time and you will find yourself doing things that you only dreamt about. 'Rediscover yourself'(thanks FG) and accept who God made you and the calling on your life and learn to say no to distractions.

IT IS WELL. 2008 continues to remain our year of UNCOMMON TESTIMONIES.

Remain blessed and highly favoured.

Life A-Z; G is for growth

growth (noun): the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase. (Dictionary.com)

And the child GREW and became STRONG in SPIRIT....(Luke 1:80a)

And the child GREW and became STRONG; He was filled with WISDOM, and the GRACE of God was upon Him (Luke 2:40)

And Jesus GREW in WISDOM and STATURE, and in FAVOUR with God and men (Luke 2:52

And the boy Samuel continued to GROW in STATURE and in FAVOUR with the Lord and men (1st Samuel 2:26)

All Scriptures from the New International Version (NIV), capitals mine.

Hmm, G was a difficult one to get. At first, I couldn't think of anything that started with G then thanks to all the suggestions from my fellow bloggers, I had too many too choose from but when the word growth dropped in my spirit, I just asked the Lord to reveal to me what He wanted to teach me.

Growth...........as I celebrate another birthday in a few weeks, I am undergoing a process of self-evaluation. I'm asking myself questions like; Where am I now? Where am I going? How have I changed? from last year, 5 years back? What is God saying? I think the basic question is; Am I growing? I know I'm adding another year to my life but am I growing spiritually, mentally and emotionally? I think I've passed the stage for physically because any increase now will be horizontal and not vertical!!!

The verses above allude to John the Baptist, Jesus and Samuel. Not only did they grow physically (in stature), the Bible also records that they grew in the intangible (Spirit, wisdom and favour). I love the definition of growth as a process of gradual increase and development. We give birth to babies and they grow through different stages of life until they become fully grown adults.

So am I growing? I think yes, in some areas but I know there is still a lot of work in this heart of mine for the Holy Spirit to work on. Am I growing in wisdom? I shouldn't be making the same poor decisions I was making last year, 10 years ago. Am I growing in the fruits of the Spirit? Am I more loving, more kind, more peaceful, more gentle, more self-controlled, more faithful, more patient and more gentle (Gal 5:22)? I think the reason why these characteristics are fruits of the Spirit and not gifts are because we are expected to grow in them. A fruit does not appear overnight but manifests when a tree has been cultivated in the right environment for fruit development. The same with us, as our spirits are cultivated in the right environment by living and being led by the Spirit of God we also will manifest ALL the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

As I was meditating on this topic, the Holy Spirit revealed something to me. For proper growth of any living thing, adequate nourishment is required. Food is to our physical body what the Word of God and communion with the Holy Spirit is to our spirit. Remember that who we really are is spirit but encased in our natural bodies or flesh. When we become born again, our spirits receive life from God. It is with our Spirits we interact with the GodHead but the thing is that we tend to forget that our spirits also require nourishment. We feed our natural bodies, exercise and take care of it, giving it what it requires for growth but our spirits are not nourished so does not grow.

This is why sometimes we struggle with temptation because our flesh is stronger because it has been fed better. The word tells us that John, Jesus and Samuel grew both physically and spiritually so we need both to be effective in the ministries we have been anointed for. This is why although physically Samuel was at a young age, his spirit was mature enough to handle hearing things from God even when there were people older than Him (Eli and his sons) present (1st Samuel 3).

When we choose to grow spiritually, God can reveal more to us and anoint us to do even greater things for Him. We need to desire it. It's no longer enough to have known the Lord for x number of years but have we grown? Can we truly say we know more about Him now than we knew then? Paul addresses the church in Corinth..Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk and not solid food, for you were not ready for it (1st Corinthians 3:1-2a). Physically, it would be strange to see an adult existing on a diet of milk only. So also, we should desire the solid food of God. This is someone described by Paul in 2nd Timothy 2:15 as ...a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Also, the stronger our spirits are, the better it is able to renew (reprogramme) our minds (our thinking patterns, process) to no longer be conformed to this world but to be TRANSFORMED to the way God wants us to think (Romans 12:2).

My primary goal now is to grow spiritually. I know there is so much God has in store for us if we are willing for Him to use us. I think I'm getting a bit tired of this milk and need some spiritual 'chicken wings'.

Remain blessed and highly favoured

Me

Life A-Z; H is for Happiness

Yes I know G comes before H, I'm still pondering on G so bear with me.

Happiness
The lie is
I will be happy tomorrow
..when the bills are paid
..when I get that great job
..when I am married
..when I move into my dream home
..when the kids grow up
..when I have a car
..when my miracle shows up

But the truth is
I can be happy today
even though some bills are due
even though the job is not always great
even though I'm still single (and now satisfied)
even though the dream home is still in my dreams
even though the kids aren't here
even though I'm still walking!
even though I'm still waiting on the Lord

I am learning
to enjoy where I am
on the way to where I need to be
I am learning
Not to delay happiness
And tag it to certain events
I am learning
to wake up each day
and find at least one thing
to be happy about

So today, I am happy and very grateful for my blog family. For your friendship, for your comments and for your encouragement. I thank God for you and I ask that He continue to keep you, guide you and grant you the desires of your heart as you continue to trust in Him.

Keep smiling

Remain blessed and highly favoured

Me

Life A-Z: F is for Finances

Started this a while back, picking up from where I left off. Let's see how it goes..

So let's discuss the F word. Well, not really discuss because I will be the first to let you know that this is not my area of expertise so sorry I can't tell you what stocks or bonds to buy or what real estate is hot at the moment. What I can do is share from the Word of God, scripture that has been impressed upon my heart regarding finances.

But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today Deuteronomy 8:18

As children of God, everything we do is linked with the relationship we have with the Father. I know money tends to be a volatile subject, most especially in the church BUT I believe that it is His desire that we produce wealth, not just so that we can wear Prada or Gucci or Manolo's (there's nothing wrong with that) but there is so much work to be done in the world, schools, hospitals, orphanages need to be built. Sometimes, we need to look beyond our needs to reach out to a hurting world. This verse confirms to me that God can give me wisdom concerning what investment vehicles I can board on the road to wealth creation.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs 1st Timothy 6:10

One of the most misunderstood verses in Scripture, I think. Don't love money, love God. We know which one we love when we are asked to give money away. I don't really want to talk about giving in the church because I know people have different views on the matter, what I know is that God is the source of all wealth and I will obey and trust Him with my finances. My view on giving is that God's work needs money and who else will give but His children.

He who loves pleasure will become poor, whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich Proverbs 21:17

Wine comes from grapes, oil comes from olives. Who is wealthy, the producer or the consumer? We can't all be farmers but this passage reminds me that to improve my finances, I need to own assets, defined by Robert Kiyosaki as something that puts money in my pocket at the end of the day. I don't think this verse is saying that we shouldn't enjoy the good things of life but we should strive to be producers because the vineyard owner in this case will be the one smiling to the bank!

....making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater Isaiah 55:10b

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has Proverbs 21:20

So which am I, a sower or an eater because what I am determines what I get. When money comes to me, do I think of the present or my future. A wise man said, the present is expensive but the future is cheap. How many of us know of cases where people were selling land for what seemed like outrageous prices at the time but fast forward 5-10 years and for what those places are selling for now you wish you had bought acres! Those who see their money as seed, see it as a tool for even more wealth creation but if we live for the present then we are eaters but remember the word says that it is the foolish that devours all that he has.

A sluggard does not plow in season, so at harvest time he looks and finds nothing Proverbs 20:4

Go to the ant you sluggard....yet it stores its provisions in the summer and gathers its food at harvest Proverbs 6:6-8

Life is all about seasons, our earning years are for a season, our youth is for a season. We will never at the age where we are now forever and I know by the grace of God we will get better with time but one day retirement will come, the question is will we be ready? Depending on what part of the world you live in, there will be different pension plans but I know I can't rely on any government or company in my retirement so I must now in my plowing season, like the ant store my provisions for the summer by making my money work for me because when harvest comes and I can no longer run around like I can now, I don't want to look around and find nothing.

The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty Proverbs 21:5

Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war obtain guidance Proverbs 20:18

These verses remind me to desist from get rich quick schemes, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is! Finances are too much an important part of our lives to be left to chance. There must be a plan for wealth creation and we must seek advice from professionals but most importantly, people who have done what we want to do. Do you want to buy property? talk to people who own property, their mistakes will help you learn. In the war against poverty, we need all the help we can get.

There were some other verses but I feel the post is long enough already. Please feel free to share Scripture or comments about this topic with me. Like I said, there are many books out there on finances, wealth creation e.t.c. I am learning but even if you don't need the money, I know a lot of kids who need sponsoring so you can write them a cheque!

Remain blessed

Me

Life:A-Z, E is for Exercise

1st Timothy 4:8 (NIV) For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life that is to come

So, some time last year I had a 'revelation' that the extra weight I was carrying was not just going to disappear on it's own. Changing my eating habits wasn't going to be enough..I had to sweat it out. So I took up walking, jogging and going to the gym. I haven't reached my ideal weight but anytime I go to the gym, I give myself a pat on the back because I know I'm closing in on the distance between where I am and where I need to be.

I encourage everyone reading this, no matter what your weight is to include some form of exercise into your life because it is quite important. If, like me you want to lose weight but it's something you've shelved for later, I suggest you take it off from the shelf, dust it and make a DECISION to start today. For some encouragement, read London Buki's and Mrs somebody's blog. You can do it! I'll also blog about my progress to encourage you and to keep me accountable.

I was pondering on the verse above..physically, i know the profit my body has made due to the exercise I have been doing but the Word says that this is little compared to the profit that I make through godliness. What is godliness? To me, it is becoming God-like, living how God would want me to live, exhibiting attributes of His character like love, holiness and purity.

I also realised that there are some similarities between bodily exercise and godliness which I now see as a form of 'spiritual exercise'. Firstly, living a godly life is not easy. I remember the first day I jogged last year..thought I was going to faint! Living a godly life, especially in the days we are in now 'where men have preferred darkness to light' requires more than willpower and discipline but the grace of God cos only He can give us the strength to walk on the narrow way.

Also, like having a jogging/exercise buddy helps me remain motivated, having close people to whom I can be accountable and who encourage and counsel me when I want to give in to popular culture instead of God's way has helped me greatly on my journey. Disclaimer: Please, please, please, allow the Lord to guide you in choosing those to whom you reveal intimate secrets of your life. I'm still praying and believing God to send the right people my way.

Finally, both types of exercise have their reward. Now, I can jog longer, lift heavier and stretch wider, spiritually I am walking in new levels in my relationship with the Lord because as I seek to be like Him, He reveals more of Himself to me accompanied by His favour and blessing because 'He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him'.

There are also long term benefits. I look forward to the day when I will take part in the London Marathon and fit properly into my dream dress size (with no acrobatics!) and also to when my Lord and Saviour will say "Well done, good and faithful servant".

Remain blessed

Me

Life: A-Z; D is for Decisions

Decision (n) A conclusion reached after consideration (Pocket Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus)

Life is full of decisions, from when I wake up in the morning till when I go to bed at night. From the day that I was born till the day I die, decisions will have to be made. When I was younger, most of the decisions that affected me were made for me by other people a.k.a the parents but one of the 'freebies' that comes with growing older is being able to make my own decisions.

Decisions are powerful because who I am, where I am and what I have are largely based on the decisions that I have made. So am I making the decisions that are taking me where I want and need to be? I used to find it difficult to make important decisions, just being content to allow life to carry me in whatever direction and then looking for something or someone to blame if I ended up somewhere I didn't really like. My wake up call came one fine morning when someone told me that 'not to make a decision is a decision in itself'. It's like my eyes were opened and at the end of the day like my pastor says "If it is to be, it is up to me".

So now I'm learning to make decisions. It's not easy, the road to success is usually accompanied with some tough ones. I've had to make some painful ones especially in the area of relationships. I've had to let go of some things and some people so that I can follow the purpose that God has for me. I've had to make some decisions concerning my health and my lifestyle especially in the area of diet and exercise (this has been one of the hardest!)

So what am I saying, we can't always blame others and external factors for where we are in life, it's largely due to the decisions that we have made. The good news is that if I don't like where I'm standing then I can make a decision to move. Is it always easy? The answer is no, some decisions are harder than others. Is it possible? Yes, as long as we are willing to admit there is room for change and take the steps towards where we need to be. Even the definition of decision shows that there must be a thought process before it can be carried out!

Another thing I've learnt is that when I commit my decision process to the source of all wisdom, I make the right ones. Problems come when I want to go on my own way so Lord please give me wisdom for every single step, for every single day, hour and minute so that I can remain in the purpose You have designed for me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isiah 30:21 (NIV)

Remain blessed

Life: A-Z; C is for Character

Dictionary.com defines character as;

1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
2.qualities of honesty, courage, integrity

There are so many C words to choose from. Commitment, courtesy, compliments and some others reigned at the top of my list but when I think about it those words and most of the stuff in our lives are linked to character one way or the other.

The best definition of character I have read is "Character is who I am in the dark". The real me, when I am on my own , when no-one else is there and I can finally drop my mask, stop acting and face reality. The question then becomes who am I in the dark?

On my journey, I am beginning to learn so many things about myself, some good and some bad. For the good, I compliment myself. For the bad, I've got the greatest Life Coach of all walking this journey with me so I know it's all going to work out.

I like the first definition.."the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of a person". Think about it today, in your life what is the aggregate of features and traits that makes you, you? Do we stand for what we believe in or what the crowd believes in? There are so many things that make for good character but character is like a foundation (SIMILE!!) it's like a bedrock on which we build our lives, if it isn't very good we might deceive people for a while but eventually the weight of the pressures of life or even the storms of life will expose us for what we truly are cos in this life I've learned that..we can only pretend for so long.

So I choose (another C word, Choice..for another day) to walk towards good character. I want to give you my word and you can take it to the bank. I want to be compassionate (yes..c again I'm on a roll!) not judgemental. I want to love unconditionally, not based on behaviour. I want to be diligent in all that I do so that I can excel in all areas.

How do I get good character? I listen to the voice of my life coach cum best friend cum lover cum Father (yes He is the all in one) because it is only through and with Him I can make it. He also gave me a manual (known to some as Bibeli mimo) and through it's pages I see a reflection of who I can and should be and I strive towards that every single day.

That's all folks, seems a bit scattered to me but I hope you find a little something something that is a blessing to you.

Remain blessed

Me

N.B: C is also for compliments. We can never give to many as long as they are genuine. I am sensing that some people are being a tad bit miserly with theirs so please this week try and put a smile on as many faces as possible. I'll start.

Although I don't know you, thanks for taking the time to read my blog. You are looking great today so keep stepping ans shining cos you are a STAR! Pass the compliment on to those at home, work e.t.c.

Remain blessed.

Me

Life:A-Z; B is for Brokenness

When I think of this word, i think of the term 'breaking a horse'. It's a classic scene in an old Western movie, wild horses are brought to the ranch and the cowboys make wagers as to which of them will be able to break the horse, to break in this sense means to tame and make useful for a particular and specific purpose.

The aim of being broken is not to destroy the spirit of the horse.."for who can bear a broken spirit" (Prov 18:14b). Wild horses are beautiful and fast but they live for themselves, are masters onto themselves and live for no specific aim so they must be broken.

Before, I was like that wild horse, living for myself with my own plans, my own agenda, my own view e.t.c. but then I had an encounter with the Love of my life and although at the beginning it was all good and sweet, He soon made me realise that if He was going to be able to use me, He would have to break me escpecially my will so that He could use me for the specific purpose He had for me.

At first like the horse, I resisted violently but then I realised that He would be doing it Himself and because He loved me, He would never allow me go through anything beyond my capacity to endure also as I see what He is doing (this process is far from finished in my life!) it's really great! One thing I've come to realise in life is that there must be PROCESS before a PRODUCT and usually the more valuable the PRODUCT (e.g gold, perfume, pearls) the more stringent the PROCESS. Also, I noticed that He didn't change every SINGLE thing about me, just how I expressed my gifts and myself.

I think a lot of people shy away from my Love because they have this idea that you need to be perfect before He can use u, i want to tell you that is not just true..don't let our Baptist shouts and Pentecostal halleluyahs fool you. Underneath it all, there are cracks from where we have been broken and it is through these cracks that His anointing, power and love can flow from us to reach a hurting world.

Another misconception is that He will change us into 'zombies' but just like breaking the horse doesn't change it into a cow, this process just makes you the best you that you can be because the One who created you is now in charge and He knows what you are capable of. The same giftings and talents you have now will just be redirected by Him to His own purpose. So no, you don' have to join the choir if you aint got the voice ( was that sigh of relief from me or you? ha ha)

I end with some lines from one of my favourite songs..'Holiness' by Micah Stampley

Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for
Brokenness is what I need
Brokenness, brokenness is what you want from me

Remain blessed

Me

N.B Just a quick prayer

Dear Daddy

I am giving a shout out for myself and any others that have found themselves in 'breaking' encounters. Please give us the strength to endure all that we must face and also the ability to trust that you are with us in everything even when we don't understand. Also, bring divine messangers that will help us on this journey.

Thank you so much. Love u loads (though some days I know I don't act like it).

Keeping it real as always,

Your girl (I'm so proud u chose me!)

Life: A-Z; A is for Acceptance

Authority, anger, advice, acceptance...some words beginning with the letter A that went through my mind but I decided to stick with acceptance. So what do I have to say? Hmmm, okay here goes.

I think there is a desire in everyone to be accepted. We want to be accepted into the right University, accepted on the perfect job or other great opportunities. Most importantly, we want to be accepted by others. The Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines accept as to approve, to consider someone or something as satisfactory.

I think I chose this word because I have struggled and sometimes still struggle with wanting to be accepted by people. For a long time, I tried to say the 'right' things, in the 'right' way and at the 'right' time so that I could have a sense of belonging. I did this until I began to lose a sense of my own identity and what made me me, my unique selling point.

I don't have anything against learning from others and adapting to new environments and situations but I don't think we were created to conform to a mold that was designed for us by others. We are created unique and I had to learn to accept the TOTAL me, with my flaws and imperfections and I realised that the most important person whom I would need to be accepted by was God and He had already accepted me just as I was but would work with and in me until I conformed to the image that He had of me. I didn't need to earn His acceptance, all I needed to do was to accept His forgiveness and I was accepted into His Presence.

Now I live for His approval because I love Him so much, I just want to do the things that make Him happy. It's still a journey for me breaking this cycle of 'approval addiction' as Joyce Meyer calls it but every day I am learning and I am changing.

I now realise that it is easier for me to accept others as well because as we are all loved by God. I'm learning to love and accept the person while not accepting the sin. Loving unconditionally.

My literary skills are limited but I pray this has been a blessing. If this is an area that you have had struggles in, remember that God loves you just as you are, you just need to accept His love and if you haven't please accept him into your life today because His greatest desire is to have a relationship with you.

Romans 3:27 (NLT) Can we boast then that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds it is based on our faith.

Romans 15:7 (NLT) Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.

Remain blessed

Me

The similes of life

My posts keep becoming more sporadic..that has got to change. I have decided to do a kind of series..'The A-Z of life'. I'll just take random words from A-Z and see what sense I can make of the words in my own life and just anything about it in general.

This got me thinking about my life. These days I seem to be doing a lot of thinking which is good as it is reducing my talking which usually gets me into trouble!!! My question to myself this morning was What is life like? I wasn't a fan of English literature in school but I think I remember my own definition for a simile as a statement that had 'as' or 'like' so I decided to write down some similes for my own view on life.

1. Life is like a play..it doesn't matter if you are the main actor/actress or just a backstage hand, if everyone does not fulfill their role the play will not be a success

2. Life is like a train journey..some people are going to get on at the first stop and stay on till the end, others are going to get on and get off at various points, the most important thing is that everyone reaches their final destination

3. Life is like a building..the most important bit is the foundation, if it is strong enough the building can take a lickin and keep on tickin!!!!!

What's your simile?

Remain blessed

Me