Faith over Fear | No Fear, Just Hope

LIVING FULLY AND FREELY | ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT

June 16, 2020

It all started upon reading this quote:
“It is a tragedy to look back on your time and realize that you failed to engage Fully and Freely”.…… Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry.

We tend to associate health to the physical but in the last couple of years, I have personally experienced and seen friends as well as colleagues, women especially deal with mental health and stress.

Many, I included, consider sacrificing our health, happiness, and well-being by working long hours under continuous pressure to meet unrealistic targets with little to no support or appreciation and worse off, not necessarily adding any meaningful value.

I used to be about efficiency – working long hours to get the work done, no matter the odds. It took a near death experience, a health crisis to wake up to the dangerous path I was treading.

Thankfully, I have since learned to remind myself daily of what really matters and nourish my core with this conviction knowing that despite my vulnerabilities and imperfections, discomforts are bound to come, which in themselves should not matter but, rather that I transform these disruptions to build a body of work from a position of strength with positive outcomes. Reframing my story, slowly and intentionally with purpose and meaning infused with hope in the certainty of the impossible is what I do.

A ruptured appendix woke me up!

It was brought about by a stressful and demanding project at a time when I had to be the single parent for several weeks due to my partner’s foreign assignment but all too often, powerful experiences emerge from embracing the pain that confronts us when faced with discomfort and disruption.

Though painful and confusing, my recovery set me off on a journey of self-awareness to raising awareness for a conscious style that is shaped through the art of repurposing and reinventing, which has blossomed into a social enterprise called UnikBlends that provides slow, conscious style and zero-waste accessories using sustainably-sourced African fabrics.

Desiring to have the possibility to serve and grow on my passion, priorities, and personal convictions, I consciously chose to give up some comfort with familiarity. I decided to leave a company I had worked for almost 12 years with, where I was fortunate to have colleagues whom I regard as friends. Thanks to a friend, who was once a colleague, I found a company willing to hire me on a part-time basis with flexible working conditions, so I could carry on building my project management career while creating a brand
that is inclusive, innovative, and empowering us all of UnikBlend’s products are handmade by female artisans.

It is my hope that UnikBlends products help in telling a powerful story as each of our products are infused with Africa’s rich textile heritage as well as the artisan’s unique art of repurposing to reinvent modern, multi-functional masterpieces from pre-loved clothing that would have been discarded as waste.

Making a Discovery to Shift the Norm

Given my engineering background, for most of my university education and career, I have been surrounded by men, and most times, especially in the last 15years, I am the only woman of color’ at the table.

Born to Nigerian parents from extremely different parts of the country to live in South Africa where I attended a once all-white school in a predominantly white neighborhood, then relocating to the Netherlands and working in an engineering firm, being different was my norm.

However, during my recovery, I engaged with people I refer to as “strong women” who are convinced about their purpose and did not allow barriers to prevent them from reaching their aspirations. Most of these women (and a few men) were of color and had energy, enthusiasm, and an entrepreneurial attitude not common in my normal sphere of activities – they propelled me on my new journey as they shared their “stories of hope”. These stories became a great source of inspiration and they still are.

By proactively reading, listening, and reflecting on genuinely sincere biographies and stories, stories that I could readily relate to and see myself in and connecting to a relatively small but diverse network of people besides those in my foundation engineering profession, I gradually got to see possibilities that allowed for my biggest paradigm shift in redefining myself as more than just a position, credential or role.

It is for these reasons that I decided to create SheSustains a not-for-profit initiative, based in The Netherlands, that offers a safe space and ample time for reflection and sharing in the form of annual Retreats and Sharing Stories that Matter events. Through this platform, it is hoped that women from diverse backgrounds, form long-term friendships, collaborations, and support systems that remind them of who they are and build better versions of themselves as they forge on with their busy lives.

Together with Veena Joseph as co-founders, we believe that through these get-togethers, we can authentically support, inspire and nourish each other, living fully and freely. This is on our individual journeys and collectively have a sustainable impact in making our world better

LIVING FULLY AND FREELY — Christy is a Project Management Professional. She is the Co-founder of SheSustains and the CEO of UnikBlends. She lives in The Netherlands with her family.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear Family Life & Marriage Motherhood Shame

ASSURANCE WHEN FEARFUL ~ AN ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

June 10, 2020

As a single mother of four I wanted to invite you into my journey to shed some light on some of the challenges I have faced as a single mother, and to encourage us as I write from a place of strength but also to make everyone aware of how they may have wrongfully judged single parents who are just trying to make ends meet in a clean way.

My story is long but I want to share in bits the journey of raising children single-handedly especially in a community that regards single mums as lesser beings.

When the world gives you lemons word has it that you should make lemonade out of it and well the process of making lemonade for a single mom may be next to impossible. Facing the world around me sometimes can be so depressing as I can’t control what society thinks of me. I can’t have male friends and peace in the same basket.

My job as a designer for both male and female attires has made me work on projects for couples and delivered good results because I am passionate about what I do. However, in many instances, I have later lost clients the moment they realized that I am a single mom.

Work goes perfectly well and even during fitting you see the husbands openly appreciating my work but the next thing I hear is they are no longer interested and it is usually the women (wives) calling or texting to cancel. It is like they start feeling insecure and threatened. I feel like it is also how society perceives single mothers, it’s like if you succeed or are doing well and have no husband, people assume you are probably being helped by a certain man and he is probably married.

The society does not categories us as victors or people who can stand on their own. It is like we need man to be our anchor. On many occasions I have had to ask God where does that leave me? because to me, He is my only refuge, He has picked me up from a messy miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and if my work and results is seen as an opportunity to break marriages, my heart turns to Him for assurance that I can still hold my head high and use my gift to fend for my children.

On one instance, I remember someone commented on a friends photo how his shirt was was nicely done and my friend who had seen the post , knowing my work, tagged me. For me, seeing my work being loved and appreciated was something really motivating especially coming from the humble beginings where I was struggling to fully accept and walk in the abundance that I am gifted.

So I immediately connected with the guy and ended up having a business date. After the appointment for fitting and deciding designs, fabric, and all that stuff, I made him the first shirt and he loved it so much that he started placing orders of 4 shirts each month. He seemed to be a busy guy, so every time I was done, he just requested I post/deliver the shirts wherever he was.

I did this faithfully until his wife called me one time. To my surprise, she had been discussing me with a relative of mine with whom they were friends and their plan was to attack me and they actually did this, saying all manner of things and calling me names.

I have seen this a lot in my circle of single mothers in businesses that involve them be of service to men whether married or not. It is very difficult to convince other people that one can be single at an age like mine and still be a virtuous woman. That you can have male friends in your circle as a single mom and still maintain respect.

The wives harshly judge and put me in a box labeled “ husband snatcher’ just because I am single. I can not blame those who have been hurt because of single business women who instead of offering professional services, they instead went ahead and made advances on the client’s husbands.

However, it is wrong to judge and talk ill about single mothers who are struggling and working hard to get clean business deals so they can make a living. In most cases, even when it was the only project at hand, I decided to save my name and I chose myself. I always choose and love myself. God has been faithful to always come through for me and my children in such moments when I had to let a project go.

Jeremiah 147:3 is clear that he heals the broken-hearted and binds their wounds. This has always been my encouragement word from the bible. No matter how much people hurt me out there, no matter what they say about me, there is that person who heals my broken heart. I pray that my heart and those of any other person going through this will be strongly rooted in Christ, so we can only believe His voice of truth and not easily be broken but what society says or judges.

My faith and knowing my identity in Christ has made me let those clients go in peace without fighting back, even if it meant seeing my children’s school fees walk out in my eyes. It is always interesting that after I have gone at lengths to refer them to other designers, they always end up coming back to me out of disappointments.

I thank God because it is clear that what He brings my way, no matter what society thinks, remains my portion of His providence in my life. He continues to look out for me in the midst of the noises and misjudgments. Therefore, I will not be discouraged by what someone else thinks of me. I will not give up on my talent for mere talk and noise made to distract me from walking my journey and using my talent to bless others.

In the middle of all these, through Christ’s strength and grace, I have also learned to come home with my head lifted up no matter what stigma comes with being single. As single parents especially mothers, we still have a long way to go. As God fights the noises for us, let us learn to mind our own business, seek His wisdom, discernment and clarity on what assignments to take and those to pass. I have learned to be quick in listening rather than responding in anger. If I have to talk then I must be mindful of what I would say so it doesn’t hurt another person.

I have had to ask for God’s ‘green light’ when I sensed that a certain project would face objection, He has always come through for me, sometimes I do not even need to turn them down, they just all of a sudden give an excuse that something came up ~ it is just God’s way of clearing the path for me. As He sys in His word Isaiah 45:2 ‘.I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.’’

I just want to tell the married women and those who have fallen into this, I would like to just say to you my fellow women, single moms also deserve respect. Some of us are single by circumstances, be it death, divorce, separation, estranged husband, parenting outside of wed-lock, by choice or whatever the case may be.

In the beginning of my single parent journey, this bothered me a lot because I was dealing with a lot of other loads of baggage. However, today am more stronger than ever with my head lifted high because am a virtuous woman and I know who God says I am. We are not virtuous because of our actions. God knows I have had my own share of mistakes and falling short. However, God has made us virtuous because of the Holly Spirit living in our hearts, nudging us to show grace, love deeper, forgive graciously , accept forgiveness without shame or condemnation because we are not perfect but we push harder every single day making our lives worthy of the sacrifice that He gave for us. This is how we get our badges of virtuous women.

I daily seek God to have a clean virtuous badge, that He can see me worthy and call me ‘good and faithful servant’.

I lean on His promises and HIs voice of truth. So, to you mama who is just starting this journey and all your lady friends do not want to hung out with you when they are with their husbands or have cut you out of those previous house gatherings and brunches, know that it gets better and it might be a great time for you to start thanking God for them revealing their character as friends, because a friend would not do that. Learn to put your trust in God, He who started the good work in you (yes, even the heart ache that does not look good) will see it to completion. Hold on, He is there with you every step of the way.

To every single mom out there, your greatest inspiration on earth is your child/children, be the best for them, be positive for them, for every child is a plan of God and every heart break is a sweet music.

Remember, at every cock crow at dawn, please shake the bitterness off and get out there and do what you do best in everything you do especially, raising your children to be the best versions of themselves, as your kids are cheerleading for you even when it doesn’t feel like it. You are everything they have.

You may be single moms today but we all aspire to raise the best future wives and husbands in our children and no one is helping you out, the stigma is unbearable, the society scandalizes you but it’s all about us, how we deal with these lemons, becauseto be honest, our integrity is alwaysat stake.

We cannot stoop low to their level of ignorance /misinformation/ insecurity and mis-judging, instead we rise above that. Let us remember that we are special in God’s eyes and he has our backs. Open wide your ears to listen and not to fight back in hurtful words, all the obstacles in your path are just corner stones to build you up to greatness. Your greatest achievement is raising a great person. Never ever give up. Never ever be bitter, never ever fight back. God has your back. Just be a virtuous woman and Much love.

My prayer for those women blessed to be in relationships is, for them to look up to God upon whom our identity is founded upon. Your identity is not built on mortal beings but on the one who has called you to be like Him and to love others as you love yourself. In doing this, you will find assurance when fearful.

Much love,

Eva Oguna.

ASSURANCE WHEN FEARFUL — Eva Oguna is a single mother of 3 boys and one girl. She loves singing and is passionate about training other single women to be economically stable.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear

PROMISE KEEPER | DON’T LOSE FAITH YET.

June 5, 2020

There are some things babies do that we just cannot comprehend. Though she gets four full bottles and two solid meals a day, somehow my lovely six-month-old will turn into a fire-breathing dragon whenever I *dare* to lay her down for a minute in order to prepare her bottle. A process that will take less than a minute, but to her, the world is ending right there and then.

The room is once again sandblasted by the bone-piercing cries and screams of a baby who believes I put her down for fun. When I get back to her and pick her up, she will be all red, and two huge tears will be on her cheeks. With a big sigh of relief, she’ll stretch out her little arms once she sees the bottle and grabs it as I bring it closer.

Two weeks ago, during a moment like this, I was just shaking my head and thinking why my baby was still displaying this behaviour. My heart actually kind of hurt because of the sadness and drama each time. I kissed her forehead as she drank from the bottle, the tears still on her cheeks, and said: “There’s no need to cry. Don’t you know that I will always feed you?”

And I meant what I said. Hell would literally have to freeze over before I’d wilfully let my own child starve. But if my baby knows that I love her, which I hope she does and feels safe with me, then why the disbelief and impatience every time she has to wait for a minute?

As I pondered this, I realised it’s probably pretty much what God must be experiencing when we express our needs to him. When we need or desire something, we must have it on the spot. Right now, preferably. And if not now, then at least next week. Or next month. Maybe even next year. But that’s as far as our flexibility goes, usually.

Now I don’t mean to make light of the things we ask from God, because, as you and I both know, the human heart can suffer greatly through unmet needs. We ache.

I’m thinking of those who are living off welfare programmes and benefits and trying to keep a roof over their heads. When will that job come around, Lord? When will we be able to save up for something instead of see our accounts drained deep into the red? The 41-year-old man who has been praying to finally meet and marry a kind, loving, caring partner, but to this day is still falling asleep to the noise of a quiet house.

When and where am I going to meet her, Lord? Come on, is she even out there? The mother sees her grown son still addicted to drugs and praying for him to turn around and find the Lord. When will you help him out of that ditch, God? When will he finally be safe?

The woman who is holding her gazillionth pregnancy test, hoping that this might just be that month, but after staring at it for ten full minutes realizes that the second line is just not going to appear, even though she could have sworn that she saw the faintest of lines on yesterday’s test. I can’t do this anymore, Lord. I just can’t. But I have to. I am losing it. When are you going to step in?!

When is God going to step in, exactly? I don’t know about you, but some of the most gut-wrenching pain this world has to offer will occasionally stop me in my tracks and make me tear up. When, Lord, when?! This plea, this cry for intervention in our broken lives, reminds me of the current uprising in the US against white supremacy and racism.

It also the words of Martin Luther King in his famous speech ‘How Long, Not Long’: “Somebody’s asking, ‘When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, and truth buried?’

I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because ‘truth crushed to earth will rise again.’ How long? Not long, because ‘no lie can live forever.’ How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow.’”

1965 was the year this speech was delivered. 55 years ago. A long time. Do you think Martin Luther King had expected racial injustice to have stretched far into the next century? And yet, full of faith and hope for change, he spoke of ‘not long’. What was his secret? Was it his faith in the goodness of man? I think he may have known better than that. It may well have been the goodness of God that MLK was lifting his eyes towards.

Perhaps it is exactly our faith in the goodness of God that still makes us cry out. That still has the tears run down our cheeks. That still captivates us with strong chains of disbelief that our deepest desires have not turned into reality. Perhaps my daughter was crying so hard because she couldn’t believe that I was putting her down when she was so obviously hungry.

And even worse, I didn’t just put her down and delay the feeding, I even disappeared out of sight. Isn’t that what God does, too? When we start asking for the things we want, he suddenly seems to be off the radar. Not only do our deepest needs go unfulfilled, the One we cling to for comfort in our time of need decides to leave the scene altogether. Or so it seems.

An eternity of tears to us, maybe only a minute to Him. To quote scripture, 2 Peter 3:8 says: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Now surely, God understands our world and our perceptions and knows that our wait can seem to last forever. Our waiting hurts. And if you’ve ever heard the begging cries of a baby, you know that even a minute is too long.

In Psalms 56:8, we read: You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? God knows, and counts every tear. Jesus got his fair share of waiting pains too. Firstly, he had to watch this broken world do its damage for the first 30 years of his life before He could step in and openly do something about it.

He witnessed his own people misuse God’s commandments on a daily basis and twist them so as to justify their own misdemeanors. And let’s not forget, He lived his entire life in anticipation of an excruciating physical death and the darkest battle our realms have ever seen.

So I just want to encourage you. I don’t know where you are right now, but I know that God cares. And He does make himself present in your situation, even if you don’t feel it. When you’re faced with an empty bank account and don’t know how to feed the family, He is there. When you don’t know if your heart can handle another loss, He is there.

When your child comes home bullied and beaten, and your own heart bleeds with agony, He is there. When your neighbor proudly shows off her new baby and you outwardly smile, but inwardly are about to break down, He is there. He will not leave you or forsake you, no matter what happens. Don’t you know that I will always feed you? Dry your tears, and be on the lookout. Surrender as best you can. Something good is coming your way.

Lamentations 3:25-26 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

God bless,

Annelies.

PROMISE KEEPER

Click here to watch the video on youtube

0 Comments

Faith over Fear Morning coffee with God

BELONGING TO THE LORD | OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.

June 3, 2020

“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” ~Romans 14:8

For a long time I felt like I was floating in between “the world” and God’s will for me in my life. I didn’t know where I belonged until I committed my life to Jesus. I knew God existed but I was not ready to commit my life to Him. And it was during that time that it would make me vulnerable to attacks from the devil who was trying to win my soul and destroy me! But I thank God that I always had my Faith and believed in the power of the name Jesus, which would set me free every time I got attacked.

When I was a teenager God gave me a dream which turned out to be a prophetic message from Him over my life. It also confirmed a scripture a friend of mine gave me exactly around the same time: Psalm 50:15 “and call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you will honor me.“

In that dream, I was being chased by the devil in my own house and he was trying to grab my throat and choke me. Now the reason he was grabbing my throat is so that I would not be able to say the name of Jesus because as soon as you say: “in the name of Jesus” the devil flees, AMEN!

So throughout my dream, I was fighting against the devil and had so much Faith that when at the third time he was trying to choke me, I reached out my right arm up to Heaven and screamed: “in the name of Jesus” As soon as I said this I woke up crying. Looking back today, I can testify that those 3 times of nearly being choked, were the 3 serious relationships with abusive men I have had. And in each one of these relationships, I called upon the Lord and He did set me free!

So my encouragement for you today is, call upon Him and He will help you. He will never leave you, nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8) Put your trust in Him.

Prayer: “Father God I just want to thank you for Your love, for your patience but most of all for Your grace and Your mercy. This morning I want to ask you to strengthen us where we are weak, to guide us where we feel lost. Lord, I pray for all of our brothers and sisters out there, that they are willing to submit themselves to You and Your will, that we may be a light in this dark world. In Jesus name, Amen”

God bless always,

Ursula.

Ursula is a single mother to a teen boy and a teenage daughter. She is a lover of her quiet mornings, her dog Angel and her beautiful flower garden. She loves hosting bible studies in her home and encourage women to experience Jesus in their various journeys.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear Hope

WAYS TO UNMASK THE GRACE OF GOD TO FULLY EXPERIENCE IT: SERIES 1

June 2, 2020

Episode 1. Letting go of perfectionism

~ and how letting go of it will invite God’s power to be revealed in our weaknesses. We see how it is unhealthy because, it is only Christ who came for the imperfect us, to make us perfect. If He found us perfect, where would that leave His son?.

We see how perfectionism is unattainable, it makes you feel you have it all figured out but in the end, what we get is an exhausted person and unhealthy destructive self-talk. We are instead called to live a life worthy of His sacrifice and it may look like having high standards for doing stuff but not perfectionism. 2Cor 12:9 His grace is sufficient for you, his power is made perfect in weakness.

Episode 2. Where does this Perfectionism come from?

Have you ever thought that you are enough and that you’ve got what it takes?. Striving to be perfect is triggered by many experiences. As a result, shame, fear of failing, making mistakes and disappointing people, and not meeting people’s expectations are triggered.

Our striving for perfectionism seems to be a counter effect of coping against shame, judgment, and blame. I wanted to prove that I can do better. Even though, those I was trying to prove myself to, were nowhere near my life. Its the continuous struggle to belong, feel noticed, to be good enough. I was trying to earn approval from external standards made by men.

So, have you ever told yourself that you are enough Remember, you’ve Got What It Takes? We are reminded in Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”.

Episode 3: Our personalities and how it impacts/ triggers our behavior.

We saw how Our personalities and our upbringing definitely influence how we relate to our children or those around us and also trigger certain behavior in them.

Christ came to make us perfect by taking our sins and imperfections. We went ahead and dug deeper to see the root of perfectionism. Irrespective of what you have done, know that God’s grace is sufficient for me.

All I have to do is 1st forgive myself and all those who punished me and didn’t relate the consequences or punishment with the misbehavior, which makes one shut down and feel like it’s about them failing and not having made a bad decision.

Episode 4: Let go of Control:

In Matthew 11, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So why do we still hunger for control? What is the way forward in letting it go? How do we unmask God’s grace and let ourselves soak in His unending grace?

It is not that we do not trust Him but could it be we are hiding some other weaknesses by striving to be perfect in others as we keep upgrading checklists from checklists as a sign of accomplishment and fulfillment.

There’s definitely something about letting go, not trying so hard to control everything ourselves and relying on God who will bring good things to pass.

How about, before we blame ourselves for failures because of checklists did not go as planned, we surrender to the one who can clothe us in perfection and take control of our lives. We only need to be still, get out of our own ways. We do not have to be perfect moms, wives.

Our spouses and children already knows how great of a mom and wife you are, you do not need to break your leg to prove it.

We have seen that we are enough and theres nothing that we can do to deserve Gods’ love or mercy. Lets place all of your worries, frustrations, and limiting patterns in God’s capable hands.

We need to have a daily practice of letting go.

Episode 5. We Unmask God’s grace by knowing that we are free off condemnation,

especially when we follow what God’s word says about us. It is the voice of truth. It says you are free, chosen, forgiven, called, and are a masterpiece.

Romans 8:1 ” Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus “. How is that even possible when are full of sin? Its because, we have the righteousness of Christ backing us up when we stand before the father. You have been forgiven, so so don’t condemn no one and not even yourself.

Remember, the old is gone and the new has come. Walk in that confidence and experience God’s grace fully.

Episode 6: We unmask God’s grace by changing our perception of who God is and who we are in Him.

God sent His son to die for you and me. He is not like man, His love is unconditional and knows no boundaries.

Oftentimes, we think of ourselves at the bottom of the pit, not worthy of love nor belonging. We see ourselves as ”Too far gone” or too damaged to be love or shown grace, then we see God as this wrath-filled God, full of anger and ready to pounce on us.

It is time to realize that God wants to trade our ashes for His beauty. He wants to take our dry bones and breathe life into them. There is no place too far for you to find God’s grace or where God’s grace can find you.

So come out of that lie that makes you think you are undeserving of grace live a life full of Grace. Let us not take God back to the battleground where He already won the battle.

Stop running away but approach Him because He is here to meet you and invite you back home to where you belong. Ephesians 3: 14-19 ( I pray you to grasp how He loves you..) ~ be encouraged!

A Prayer for the Ephesians 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,

15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I pray you know that you are : His beloved you are free, you are the temple of the Holly Spirit, God’s child, friend of Christ, His workmanship, you are adopted in God’s family, forgiven and clean, His masterpiece, whole in Christ, righteous, a co-heir with Christ, citizen of heaven, new creation, justified, free from condemnation, set apart more than a conquerer …etc.

Walk in the confidence that He delights in you and wants to enjoy your presence as well. Remember, nothing can EVER SEPARATE YOU FROM HIS LOVE!

More Than Conquerors Rom 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Episode 7. Several ways to unmask the grace of God.

Have you ever been offered a gift and the person offering has made it clear explicitly or indirectly that you have to do something in return for them? Would you freely take it? Nah! You would be like ”No thanks”.

Have you realized that we do the same with Christ? When we realize what the sacrifice for our sins cost Him, we are embarrassed to freely receive Him and all His promises, because we tend to think that there are some strings attached. That’s a big lie!!

So how do continue to unmask God’s grace: 7a). Simply asking Him ~ He is a father who is willing to give us good gifts.

7b.) Through His word ~ His word is life and comes alive in us revealing to us the secrets of His mercy and grace. His word will be revealed to you when your heart is open. Through revelations.

7c). Loving on others and fellowship ~ Once we experience His grace and it is manifested in or hearts, we can only pay it forward by showing the same mercy and love to those around us, whether deserving or undeserving of it.

7d). Realizing what a costly price he paid ~ the pricey price Romans 5: 8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! *** The sacrifice was huge.

7e). Realizing that the grace is free for us to receive~ As we partake of it and soak ourselves in it, we need to be aware that prior to receiving it, we did not deserve it: There is nothing we can give him back, but he gave it all. As humans, we usually love the tit for tat love kind of giving.

7f). This next way of unmasking Gods’ grace relates back to knowing our identity ~ The promises /results we receive from the mercy that He showed us through His sacrifice ~ through His love, we are called children of God. (1 John 3:1).

7g). Realizing that there are no strings attached ~ His grace was and is freely given. No repayment for the act needed. It is free for all who yearn for it.

***John 10: 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Going forward, let us continue to have a desire and hunger to experience His grace and love. Let us take off all the masks that hinder this experience.

Let’s seek Him, yearn for more of His presence and sink deeply in this love and sink deeply in it because, we have only scratched the surface.

Have you experienced a season where you feel like God’s grace was revealed to you through a different way?

Please share more ways we can fully umask the grace of God in our lives as this list is not conclusive.

God bless,

Nelly.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear

EPI 7: GRACE IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING ~ BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE?

May 29, 2020

GRACE IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING

So how do continue to unmask God’s grace:

***Simply asking Him ~ He is a father who is willing to give us good gifts.

*** Through His word ~ His word is life and comes alive in us revealing to us the secrets of His mercy and grace. His word will be revealed to you when your heart is open. Through revelations.

*** Loving on others and fellowship ~ Once we experience His grace and it is manifested in or hearts, we can only pay it forward by showing the same mercy and love to those around us, whether deserving or undeserving of it.

*** Realizing what a costly price he paid ~ the pricey price Romans 5: 8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ( The sacrifice was huge).

*** As we partake of it and soak ourselves in it, we need to be aware that prior to receiving it, we did not deserve it: There is nothing we can give him back, but he gave it all. As humans, we usually love the tit for tat love kind of giving.

*** This next way of unmasking Gods’ grace relates back to knowing our identity ~ The promises /results we receive from the mercy that He showed us through His sacrifice ~ through His love, we are called children of God. (1 John 3:1).

***Realizing that there are no strings attached ~ His grace was and is freely given. No repayment for the actions needed. It is free for all who yearn for it. {John 10: 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” }

Going forward, let us continue to have a desire and hunger to experience His grace and love.

Let us take off all the masks that hinder this experience. Lets seek Him, yearn for more of His presence and sink deeply in this love and sink deeply in it because, we have only scratched the surface.

Click here to watch the video on youtube

God bless, Nelly.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear

EPI: 6 ~ KNOWING YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST | WHAT’S YOUR PERCEPTION OF GOD?

May 27, 2020

KNOWING YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Recap : In episode 5 of unmaking God’s grace, we discovered that the one who is sovereign, powerful and with power to rightfully condemn us, does not do it. Therefore, we should not condemn ourselves nor others. today we look at ,

Episode 6 : Changing our perception of who God is and who we are in Him.

God sent His son to die for you and me. He is not like man, His love is unconditional and knows no boundaries. Often times, we think of ourselves at the bottom of the pit, not worthy of love nor belonging.

We see ourselves as ”Too far gone” or too damaged to be love or shown grace, then we see God as this wrath filled God , full of anger and ready to pounce on us. It is time to realize that God wants to trade our ashes for His beauty. He wants to take our dry bones and breathe life into them.

There is no place too far for you to find God’s grace or where God’s grace can find you. So come out of that lie that makes you think you are undeserving of graced live a life full of Grace. Let us not take God back to the battle ground where He already won the battle. Stop running away but approach Him because He is here to meet you and invite you back home to where you belong.

Ephesians 3 : 14-19 ( I pray you grasp how He loves you..) ~ be encouraged!

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,

15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name.

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. I pray you to know that you are: His beloved you are free, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit, God’s child, a friend of Christ, His workmanship, you are adopted in God’s family, forgiven and clean, His masterpiece, whole in Christ, righteous, a co-heir with Christ, a citizen of heaven, new creation, justified, free from condemnation, set apart more than a conquerer …etc.

song mentioned : https://youtu.be/ZpT-z48HrOs.

Walk in the confidence that He delights in you and wants to enjoy your presence as well. Remember, nothing can EVER SEPARATE YOU FROM HIS LOVE! ( I leave you with this encouragement)

More Than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Click here to watch the video on youtube

God bless you,

Nelly.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear New Normal

Episode 4: Depending On God Completely-Letting Go Of Control

May 20, 2020

In Matthew 11, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So why do we still hunger for contorl? What is the way forward in letting it go? How do we unmask God’s grace and let ourselves soak in His unending grace?

It is not that we do not trust Him but could it be we are hiding some other weaknessses by striving to be perfect in others as we keep upgrading checklists from checklists as a sign of accomplsiment and fullfillment.

There’s definitely something about letting go, not trying so hard to control everything ourselves and relying on God who will bring good things to pass.

Depending On God

How about, before we blame ourselves for failures because of checklists did not go as planned, we surrender to the one who can clothe us in perfection and take control of our lives.

We only need to be still, get out of our own ways. We do not have to be perfect moms, wives. Our spouses and children already knows how great of a mom and wife you are, you do not need to break your leg to prove it.

We have seen that we are enough and theres nothing that we can do to deserve Gods’ love or mercy.

Lets place all of your worries, frustrations, and limiting patterns in God’s capable hands.

We need to have a daily practice of letting go.

Click here to watch the video youtube

God bless you as you enter into freedom of just being held in the arms of the father.

Nelly.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear

Unmasking God’s Grace ~ Esd 1: Letting go of perfectionism.

May 20, 2020

Unmasking God’s Grace

This introvert is welcoming you to a series of talks around life and how we can align them with scripture to see what God says about each topic.

The 1st series will be ~ Unmasking God’s Grace.
In this 1st Episode I talk about what affects most of us ~ perfectionism, and how letting go of it will invite God’s power to be revealed in our weaknesses.

I will be posting on Wednesday and Fridays, not just videos from me but also from friends who have topics.
This is a gift to myself as it makes me reflect on the issues I have already worked through. Sharing it with you is the extra topping.

Click here to watch the video on youtube.

God bless,

Mama Faith, Hope & Love.

0 Comments

Faith over Fear

Be Considerate, Go Serve But Do Not Be Naive : Wash Your Hands!.

March 10, 2020

I love shopping in bulk ,especially for the necessities we often need, to me its just a simple economic sense and I love saving some euros when possible. I remember when I was still new in NL, I was amazed at how people only bought the things they needed for that day. I would see the person in front of me with 2 bananas and 1 bread bun and would wonder, because for me, I would have eaten those 2 bananas even before I reached home. I guess the things he/she needed for that day.

My husband was the same when we met, if he needed to make pasta, he bought 200gm mincemeat, 1 paprika, 2 onions , 2 tomatoes , you get the picture . For me, I know I will need onions , rice or tomatoes the whole week, I will buy 1kg of each or more. It is actually cheaper and saves the numerous trips to the supermarket. His comments to me are always ‘’ who are you buying all these things for?” or when I cook more portions because that’s what I am used to, he always wondered if we had guests coming over . This has all changed and he is practically Kenyan now .

Yesterday, I saw a post in a group I am in, a single mother with special needs kids was not able to find diapers for her teen boy. This was the at the fourth supermarket she had been to because of the shopping frenzy going on and people hoarding stuff. I don’t dispute the fact this COVID virus is real and we need to be vigilant in talking measures to keep ourselves safe but we also need to think of those around us or the next person coming for that item you just cleared off the shelf. Hoarding supplies has nothing to do with the virus.

Yesterday, I received an email from one of the mega supermarkets, saying they are doing their best in re-stocking and that there is plenty at the distribution centers and we should shop as normal like we usually do. I later went to one of the supermarkets in my neighborhood to get formula. Earlier this year before all the COVID cases, I had done an analysis and I came to the conclusion that I was the only one buying the hypoallergenic milk from this supermarket.

So, I am at the shelf yesterday thinking, should I get my ‘usual’ supply of 4 containers or take 3 and leave 3?. I decided to take one less incase there was a parent from the other neighborhood going round the city checking whether any of them had that same type of formula. I always wait until we get some money and then buy things like diapers when they are on sale , then I buy even unto 10 packs. However, we are not in the ‘normal’ times and I can not go on shopping like this. We have to stop and be considerate of those around us with not the same capabilities like us.

Later in the day, I saw more posts about the elderly also shocked to find empty shelves meet them at the supermarket. Then I realized, for these group of people, getting out to buy 2 bananas daily was an opportunity for them to get out of the house and get some human interaction which they would otherwise not get. Because for them, they will not just go for the 2 banana a and back, they will talk for 15 minutes with the downstairs neighbor, another 10 minutes with the Cashier and the other random people along the way. They also are not one social media to see that tissue papers are now gold. For them this is their normal routine life and something to look forward to.

Therefore, this self quarantine will affect them so much. Most of them are not visited often by family and just today, all elderly home and hospitals ,have cancelled visitations.

I am also thinking of the families our church has supported through food package program. These families, mostly of single parents, receive about 40eur or less for their weekly upkeep and baby supplies. These families have no luxury of stock buying, they live from hand to mouth. Therefore , they make daily visits to the supermarkets for deals after they have calculated what it is they really need.

Then you have the normal, healthy and working class group of people like us, who have the luxury of buying an extra pack of anything we need or even want. Is this really the time to buy 6 dozens of tissue paper when you usually just buy 2?. Have we become greedy? This is definitely fear at work, that is making logical people make illogical and rational decisions. There is actually no manual for surviving these COVID times but here are some of the things we need to ponder on and as take home message.

* Fear is a liar and has no hold of us. What do we want to are we teach our kids with how we are responding to this virus.

* I know so many towns are under lockdown and 50% of the population are up for it while the others against. We live in fast paced communities of always going through the same busy routines and lifestyle. Maybe this ‘self quarantine’ period is time to cook those hearty family meals, love on your family, do those crafts you never have time for and maybe have dinner around the table. Ohh and maybe find those quiet times.

* Be honest with your kids about why you are ‘cancelling’ that playdate or birthday party. Teach them the importance of patience in the unknown.

* There are families currently separated due to the travel curfews implemented by several countries, limiting outward and inward travels. We need to check on the dad in our group who’s wife is stuck abroad and can’t mange to take all kids with him to the supermarket to get supplies or cook for the kids.

* Offer extra support to the mom , whose husband was to return from a business trip weeks ago but still hasn’t and she does not know how to cope anymore due to the unrest and not knowing how to answer the 100th question why is dad not coming home.

* Watch local news to get necessary facts and avoid channels that cause extra panic.

* The elderly in our communities need extra checks during these times. As you go for your supplies, can you get a few extra and pass it along to those around you?. I have a seen several posts in Maastricht and Den Haag of students putting up adverts outside their doors ‘’ please knock or call me if you are sick or not able to get your supplies or pharmacy rounds, I will do it for you”. Imagine if we could all be this considerate that the 1st thing we think of is the all being of others.

Another lady mentioned how she has rolls of tissues in her trunk and when she drives in the neighborhood or to and fro work, she hands this out to the elderly and needy she sees in addition to the extra home made sanitizers she carries.

* As you shop, be grateful and have empathy for the people working in retail.

* Do the best you can to keep yourself safe and those around you. Hoarding numerous bags of sanitizers does not make you immune to the virus. Think about others.

* I have seen 2 groups people, those saying let’s all self quarantine , shut down schools and those who see this whole COVID thing as a joke. All in all, this virus should at least teaches us to value life. Those who have lost lives and can’t see their close family members see this clearly, we all should.

* As you self-quarantine or socially distance yourself because your work can be remotely done, be mindful of those without that flexibility, those with temporary contractual jobs – where if you don’t show up, you automatically lose your job.

* In one of the school’s my church works with in Kenya, the children love to come to school because it is the only place they get their daily meals. There is no right or wrong in either keeping schools running or closed but we should keep in mind all connected factors. Including the parents working on contractual jobs and keeping kids home, means they need to find childcare for them which they have never afforded or even had to think about.

*Enough with the judging!. On of my colleague is half Japanese -Chinese and during a recent holiday trip, she literally saw people avoid being near her. It did not matter that she has not been to China in the recent months or year, its just because she is Chinese.

Who are we to judge? I pray this virus will leave having taught us to live as a community. I don’t suggest that they should have hugged her either. but a little kindness would have gone along way. Imagine, if this Chinese was the only one with supplies in your neighborhood, would you die of starvation in your house because she is Chinese!.

* We need to seize this opportunity and go the extra mile to love, serve our neighbors as we spread hope to counter the spirit of fear which seems like its winning now but there is hope.

* As you serve and go the extra mile, do this in wisdom and do not be reckless in the name of serving. Follow the health recommendations; avoid crowds, practice good hygiene and disinfect those surfaces.

* I just read this morning that food banks may suffer closure as well. Let us look out for opportunities to serve. By either dropping some soup and supplies at the salvation army or charity organizations that usually offer support to those in need.

* Give an extra donation or offering to your church or your organization, because when disaster hits, most people find solace in the church or Mosques.

* Pray for those with weak immune systems and for the elderly who we know already go through depression and loneliness everyday and this adds to it.

* Be grateful and pray for the health workers working overtime and having to stay away from their own families for long periods of time.

* Part for the separated families.

* Let us avoid unnecessary panic on what is seen , instead let us trust in God as He is sovereign over all this. lets….’’ fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’’ 2 Cor 4:18.

There is no formula or manual on surviving this virus or how to carry out our lives during this time. Truth is, we are all like fish swept to the shores and now trying to swim back to the water. As we do this, let us watch out not to step on others and let us show grace to all, point is we all need it.

Joshua 1:9 ~”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.“

Do not forget that fear will rob your peace and make you panic. …”He is a liar, he will rob your rest and steal your happiness” -ZW. Don’t give in.

We are surrounded with so many negative things, what are some of the positives you have experienced as a family or individual?

The Dutch government has canceled all gatherings of more than 100 people, so we are having virtual church today and the 99 will gather physically. Hope you tune in somewhere.

Be Blessed.
Mama Faith, Hope & Love.

0 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts