Saturday 24 January 2009

the roar of a lion... the cowardice of an ostrich

I wish i could claim that everyday i felt like getting out of bed. i wish i could claim that i looked forward to going to sleep each night. of recent sleeping time has become a period of staying up late into the night fretting about this, about that. o boy do i wish i could claim to have it figured out, that i walk on water 24/7, 365... i wish i could say that whenever i think about my future i have 100% faith that everything i desire will come through.

i wish i could say that i lived perfectly grace or no grace. that if you watched me every day that there will be nothing contradictory about what i believe and how i live. but i can't so i won't.

I am not perfect i am far from it, not fit to teach but in need of schooling. it all gets too much and complex and I wish i could just disappear from earth and be with God in heaven and not have to deal with life,mistakes, people etc... and then i feel bad for wanting 'death' in those moments. until today, until today; i came across this verse in the bible:
philpians 1 vs 21-24: paul too wanted out, go read it yourself this aint no blasphemy, paul wanted to live all the chains and struggles and go be with Christ '..for I long to go and be with Christ' Vs 23.

granted some of you out there never get weak, weary, some of you out there have never wanted to just quit and run to heaven... well, good for you guys I sure wish I had a dose of whatever God put inside of you.

somedays i roar like a lion, other days i bury my face in the sand too afraid... longing to go and be with Christ. but his strength is made manifest in my weakness.

and the same holds true for you. its okay to want to run and hide, if it wasn't why would we need a saviour in the first place? why would Christ offer to take our burdens if we never had one in the first place.

'Jesus is the cure for a weary soul'. I am so weary so i go to him, my dear why don't you do the same.

his peace. my love. chichi.

p.s: this is my last post for a while. stay blest. x

Thursday 8 January 2009

Doing Life Differently,

Laws of the Lighthouse
by Max Lucado

The first of the year is known for three things: black-eyed peas, bowl games, and lists. Some don’t eat black-eyed peas. Others hate football. But everybody likes lists.

The Bible certainly has its share of lists. Moses brought one down from the mountain.

There are lists of the gifts of the Spirit. Lists of good fruit and bad. Lists of salutations and greetings. Even the disciples’ boat got into the action as it listed in the stormy Sea of Galilee. (If you smiled at that, then I’ve got a list of puns you’d enjoy.)

But the greatest day of lists is still New Year’s Day. And the number one list is the list I call the Laws of the Lighthouse.

The Laws of the Lighthouse contain more than good ideas, personal preferences, and honest opinions. They are God-given, time-tested truths that define the way you should navigate your life. Observe them and enjoy secure passage. Ignore them and crash against the ragged rocks of reality.

Smart move. The wise captain shifts the direction of his craft according to the signal of the lighthouse. A wise person does the same.

Herewith, then, are the lights I look for and the signals I heed:

– Love God more than you fear hell.
– Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.
– Make major decisions in a cemetery.
– When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
– Succeed at home first.
– Don’t spend tomorrow’s money today.
– Pray twice as much as you fret.
– Listen twice as much as you speak.
– Only harbor a grudge when God does.
– Never outgrow your love of sunsets.
– Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some.
– ‘Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny.
– God has forgiven you; you’d be wise to do the same.
– When you can’t trace God’s hand, trust his heart.
– Toot your own horn and the notes will be flat.
– Don’t feel guilty for God’s goodness.
– The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number.
– Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.
– Live your liturgy.

To sum it all up:
Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the captain. Fish a little. And then get off when you get home.


From
In the Eye of the Storm
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

Tuesday 6 January 2009

this thing called grace

so as you all know 'levels has changed!!' lol- as in my blog title or is it banner. amongst other things, it is also a remider to me that if not for Grace nothing that he has done, he is doing or yet to do will be, has been or is possible.

Grace is a leveler, the christain of ten plus years and the one of 10 seconds are both covered by grace. if we want to be honest so many of 'saved ones' tend to get all high and what not conciously or not, looking down on people who are saved but don't act/talk or walk like it or even those who are totally on the other side of the fence. I can be honest it happens to me everynow and again.

But I had a humbling experice and I heard that word "Grace."
i realized that honestly Grace had never meant more to me than its meaning now, 2009 is a year of Grace, of Gods Grace.

Grace is a force so strong and at work within us that causes us to cease from struggling with the same things, that enables us to declare victory over the very things that we( in the absence of grace) could have failed at.

Grace is the enviable generosity of God: blessed so much, people-even you are amazed. Grace is not about perfomance, but about who God is.

Ps23:3 'he leads me beside green pastures for HIS name sake.'

my hope is to come to rely more and more on grace, and to Know about this thing called grace.

But the trick is if grace abounds, as God said to paul 'My grace is sufficient for you.' why bother about uprightness, about the things of God since Grace is God choosing to be generous, tolerant, kind and understanding inspite of our short comings et al.

well grace is God's gift to us, in the form of his word, his son, his holy spirit and all other things pertaining to our salvation.

what is our gift to God? it is a love that causes us not to take his gift of grace for granted, in the absence of relying on self-power to fufil his calling of holiness upon our lives (1pet.2:13-16) but embracing everything he has made avaliable, provided inorder that we might fufil that calling;things as general as his word, and fellowship with the spirit, and the house of God i.e. church; and more specific like christain friends/mentors, christian literature and blogsville!!!

father in the name of Jesus I thank you for your Grace, for what it means and what it is meaning to me. for what it gives and what it is givivng to me. Lord let your grace transform me from the inside out, let your grace remain my testimony. in your grace i move, live and have my being. thank you lord in jesus name.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (Phil.4:23).chichi