Holy are you Lord et al...

Hello peoples,

I've been away for a while, I'm back now. I've been reading a lot of blogs but not writing anything on mine. So today I purposed in my heart that I will write even if my post does not have a flow to it.
First, I would like to share this new song by Hillsong that I love. It's called Beautiful Exchange, and my favorite part goes:
Holy are you Lord,
Holy is Your name,
With everything I've got,
My heart will sing how I love you.

So, I've been through some ups and downs regarding my courtship with Mr. But I thank God that He's brought us through it, and we're stronger for it. I'm just learning to be still and know that He is God. I'm learning to take all my issues to Him in prayer and trust that He will work things out even better than I can ever arrange for myself. He's just good like that. So I roll all my cares over to Him for He cares for me. I will not lie though it is not an easy task to just be still. We're doers, always trying to figure out what to do to fix a situation, it doesn't come to us instictively to just let go and trust God. Oh but I'm learning to do that. To not say too much, to not worry too much, to not react at all. He is faithful.

So my dear friends, till I return again, have a blessed week ahead and be still and know that He is God.

Musica!!!

I hope this song blesses you as much as it blessed me.

A musical evening

I hope this song blesses you as it has blessed me and enriched my worship. Till next time!

Frustration

I am frustrated at many things right now.
Frustrated that my job is not as satisfying as I expected.
Frustrated that answers are a bit slow in coming.
Frustrated that the one I call lover is so hard headed.
Frustrated that I have no outlet for all the songs and screams that are bottled up.

But as I think on my frustrations, I remember Calvary

I remember a God whose glory supersedes all

I remember that it is only when I'm in His presence that I can be renewed

I remember that He has loving arms in which He wants to wrap me in

I remember that His love is never ending

And so remembering this I make a decision
I choose to go to that place where I'm safe
I choose to stay and remain in The Presence
I choose to let the overflow of Glory flow out of me
I choose to love
And be loved.

An Unselfish Love.

Love Is...

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Happy Valentine's Day!

All In God's Time

"When will my Prince Charming come?" "When will someone come and sweep me off my feet?" "Will I have to grow old living with my parents, while aunties pity my lot?" Labake asked herself while she combed her hair that morning as she got dressed for work. Just as the thoughts settled in her mind she made a conscious decision to shove them into the dark places of her heart that no one else saw. Not even her. What would happen if she opened the door to the overstuffed closet that contains all her regrets and fears? No, she would not go there. Instead she would soak in the beautiful morning around her; the birds chirping outside her window, and the sounds of school busses and moms saying goodbye to their little ones.

Really she had nothing to be concerned about. She was quite successful at her young age of 26 years. She had been awarded a first class degree in Computer Engineering from Hull University in England before she moved to the States. She had a great job, one that had afforded her the privilege to be a homeowner in the nice suburban town of Topeka, Kansas. To top it all, she had the best friends and family anyone could possibly ask for. Anyone would look at her life and call her blessed.

As Labake pulled her hair back in a ponytail, her mind raced back to a family retreat 2 years ago in her Western Nigeria village of Ora. It was late evening, and her parents were entertaining aunties and uncles who were also around for the annual Christmas family retreat. They had set up some chairs around a small fire pit to keep warm during the harmattan season. She pulled up a small stool and sat next to her mum in order to be able to listen to what the older adults were talking about. Not long after she had joined the group, her aunty Bola looked at her and said, "ah Labake, it's soo good to have you around this year. Last year your mum told us you couldn't take time off work since you just started working." To which Labake replied, "Awww aunty! It feels so good to be home." "Yes my dear, there's no place like home," aunty Bola replied and continued, "ehen I've been meaning to ask you something." Then as if she wanted to get permission before proceeding, she looked at Labake's parents and then said, "when are you going to settle down? Don't you know you're no longer getting younger? Just last year we had the mo mi mo e (Yoruba introduction ceremony) of your cousin Bimpe." At this point Labake looked at her mum then her dad, smiled, and answered, "aunty all in God's time." And ever since that conversation that is what she's been saying whenever that question comes up.

Now fully dressed, she takes one final look at herself in her tall mirror and snatches her purse off her desk and runs out of her room, down the stairs, out of the house and into her car. Getting into the car she chides herself for getting carried away in her thoughts when she has a report to give that morning for which she needs her mind clear. Thoughts about Mr Right are just going to have to wait till lunch time.

Labake was glad to finally be heading towards the cafeteria of her company for her lunch break. As she set her tray down, her phone vibrated. It was her close friend Toke. She hesitated for a second before answering, this better be good she thought. "Hello... Toke what's up?" "'Bake! How are you? I think I just found your Mr. Right!" Before Ronke could finish the last word, Labake rolls her eyes as Toke always finds her "soul mates" Amazing how one person can have so many. "So what is this one's name this time o?" She asks, wanting to amuse her friend. "Ore, you won't believe it! He is the son of the Oba of Benin. I met him at a conference on African Development at Harvard this past weekend. Immediately I saw him I thought of you. You too have to talk. I hope you don't mind but I gave him your number." Labake almost choked listening to her friend, she had to cough to prevent from passing out. With a raspy voice she said, "You did what?!?"

Take Heed!!!

"You who think you stand, take heed lest you fall."
Ever been in that place in life where you've always said, "if I were in that position, I wouldn't do such and such." Only to be confronted with the situation and alas you fall....
Your story then becomes easier said than done.
The word of God says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord"...
I was in that place just recently... I had been soo sure of my ability to resist that thing that so easily beset me that I forgot to flee every appearance of evil. The end result was obviously not pleasant. Now while I was rescued in the nick of time, my spirit was still unsettled knowing that I had grieved the Holy Spirit of God.

And so I turned back to Him, like a child that has been wounded and I sought Him... still seeking Him. You know that song that talks about His steadfast love and His mercies that never come to an end but that are new every morning? That song is so relevant. He says that if we confess our unrighteousness, He is faithful and just to forgive us. Isn't that amazing? He is still willing to show me loving kindness for His Name's sake. He says that He longs to show me compassion.

But here is the difficulty or should I say the struggle. While I am aware that He is ministering His love and forgiveness to me, my mind/soul cannot but wonder if I'll be able to forget what happened or if I'll be able to have peace about certain decisions I made. In the midst of all that, I get that impartation in my spirit that says, "You cannot have peace until you embrace joy." In other words before I can even begin to understand whether or not I have peace about my decisions... I first have to joyfully accept the free gift of love and forgiveness that He's given. Like how about I start from there right? So I remember that I need to put on the garment of praise to shake off the spirit of despair and guilt.

Two scriptures for today:
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
--Philippians 3:12-14

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely."
--1 Cor. 13:11-12

Have a blessed day! And remember to press on! :-)