27 February 2016

Ways to Give Encouragement:




Have you ever received a word of encouragement which blessed you? A word which leaves you on the high for weeks....
I love encouraging words. I love to give it and I also love to receive it. I wasn't always a receiver.
For as long as I can remember, I held back from receiving, by refusing to share my feelings because I did not want any encouragement.

I was the giver right? I don't need to receive. I felt I was fine. I can encourage myself. Sure I can, but the problem with this kind of thinking is we become isolated from others, our friends and family cannot relate to this unemotional state of being.
Fortunately for me, my friends encouraged me regardless. I have been greatly blessed by the encouragements I received. I am now at a place where I can share my heart with someone dear just to receive an encouraging word.

I am even more blessed when someone is uplifted by a word of encouragement received from me. I feel humble at such times.
We are called to comfort others with the same comfort we have received. Spoken words does a lot for the soul. We can encourage each other in various ways.

Spoken Words:

We can encourage others by words, letting them know we sympathise/empathise with them at a difficult time can make a difference to how they feel.

Stories:
You may have gone through a similar experience, sharing that with someone, will help them to know that if you came through they can come through as well. If you are still going through your issues, tell them how you are able to cope and deal with it.

Use scriptures:
The word of God is powerful, nothing compares to speaking God's word to someone in need. Remind them what scripture says about the situation.

Do not overload them with it, just a few relevant scriptures they can hold on to will do.

Presence:
Knowing someone is going through stuff and being present can go a long way to comfort them. Job's friends were present, but said too much at times.
Just be present. You are not called to be the judge of the situation, so limit your admonition.
The presence of a friend in the time of need is as a warm blanket on a cold day. It is comforting in its presence.
There's is a time for speaking so you need to be sensitive to others and know when you can use words and when to just be present.

Pray
Prayer is the act of engaging with God for our needs. Tell God about the person and ask him to bring solution and clarity to the situation. You can pray with them while in their presence and continue after you have left. Prayer releases faith into a situation and breathes life into us.
Have you been comforted through you needs? Can you identify someone who may need encouragement today? Can you speak, pray, be present or do you have a story that will encourage them. Go on, call them today and let them know you care.

Let us bear one another's burden...

13 February 2016

LOVE


Vendors are usually in high spirits this time of the year, lovers, children, daughters, sons, all looking
to get something special for their loved one. Something of worth, something that demonstrates their love.

There's no greater love than this, to know that you are loved, truly and really loved.

It is a beautiful thing to treat those in our lives, on a day set aside to express love.
Love's Language is beautiful, and enticing.
Love in its truest form is purer than gold.
Love given without restrain frees the receiver to reciprocate.
Love’s barrier is the restraint placed on it by those who have refused to allow themselves to experience the true essence and worth of loving and being loved in return.

Love's place is in the eyes, eyes given to us to behold the wonders of our beloved.
Love conquest is the heart, in-prisoning us in its grip, drowning us in its sweetness.

Love defiles meaning,


surpasses understanding,

embraces fear,

releases faith

and gives freedom.

The world still needs love, love for the unborn, the lonely, the unworthy, the downtrodden, the unwanted.

Though we may be different in our spoken language, life experiences, ethical disposition, geographical location, cultural preferences and beliefs, our love is the same. At one point or another we all have experience the joys of love.
If your heart has ever beat for someone, if you have experience the delight of being loved and loving in return, if you have looked upon another with the eyes of love, you are a carrier of love.

Beloved, let us love one another for God is love, anyone that love is born of a God and knows God...
How can you say you love God whom you have not seen and hate your brother whom you have seen. I don’t get this, it is impossible.

Truly, love is the first emotion we experienced, because we were beheld with the eyes of love at birth. Love caressed us at our mother’s bosom, love nurtured us to health, love made us love others.



My beloved brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.


Love Knows No Fear






10 February 2016

Hide and seek




I love it when kids play hide and seek, thinking, they are actually hiding, even when we know where they are. The funny part is that they hide in the most obvious places. Hide and seek is really a child's play.

My girls get so excited when dad comes home, they often run and hide behind the curtains, doors, under the stairs. Same old places we know they will be, but places they believe or think they can't be found... I like the fun of hide and seek, the thrill when we find them and the let’s do it again.

We also play hide and seek as adults, often when we've done something we aren't proud of, we go away and refuse to communicate with whoever it is we have wronged. Or when we are wronged, we may hide from those who have wronged us.  

 Hide and seek is no fun when a wrongful act is involved, there's no thrill when the one you've wronged is looking for you. Maybe it's a friend you've wronged or a friend who has wronged you, either way someone hides and does not want to be found. 

Hide and seek started in the garden of Eden, when man did wrong and the Lord of the garden came calling. They heard His voice and ran away, they knew they had done wrong and did not want to be found. 

They hid because they were ashamed, they couldn’t stand and defend themselves since they no reason for their action, they wanted to be left alone. To sulk and deal with the consequences later. They did not want to be found; I think they knew he would find them but went hiding anyway. 

He knew what they had done, he also knew where they were hiding. Unlike the hide and seek kids play, this was no fun, there was no thrill or delightful squeals at being found. They wanted to be left alone to hide in shame. 

 It was no thrill to the Lord of the garden either, how would you feel if you found out that your kids had done something you told them not to do, and are now in hiding from you as a result. As a human being, I would be annoyed, not only did they disobeyed me, but couldn't even face up to me. 
I think God was grieved at their disobedience as well. 
He knew sin had driven them into hiding and he came looking and wanted to restore them to himself, despite their sin. 
  
Since that day at the garden, the Lord has tried every way possible to restore man to fellowship and sweet communion with himself. 

He tried the bloods of bulls and cows, priests acted as mediators, sacrifices were offered and burnt offerings were brought, nothing was enough, until he came and gave himself. He came to where man was
hiding and brought him out. 

He took us by the hand and led us to safety 
He made him better, he was not angry at man but wanted to restore fellowship 
His birth was his entry 
His death was the death of man's sin
His resurrection was man's rebirth. 

Love was the reason, relationship and restoration the result. Assurance of forgiveness guarantee. 

Are you still hiding from him? Look to his birth and beyond to his death, then to his resurrection 
You are free. 
He's already found you

He calls out to you, not angry, but with love, for him, there's no thrill in the sin which drove man to hide, the thrill was the restoration his resurrection brought, man was His again. 
This is Love, true unexplainable love... 

Happy Valentine's Day