Monthly Archives: June 2012

Day 2: Food

June 29, 2012

There is a song that I woke up with this morning:

“Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, Your grace is sufficient for me.

Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, Your grace is sufficient for me.

The Lord shall supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory,
He will give His angels charge over me,

Jehovah Jireh cares for me.

Today I’m giving God thanks for food. Yes, food.

I used to know someone who would always stop to give God thanks for food. It didn’t matter where, it didn’t matter who he was with, he would just bow his head and give thanks for food. I am not sure if this was a ‘religious’ practice, or just a truly grateful gesture, but I thought of him this morning, and how important it is to give thanks for the things we have in our fridges, closets, pantries, etc.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity of talking to someone in Guyana, who had to ‘borrow’ a 1/2 pound of beef to cook, and needed the equivalent of $0.20 cents to buy some kerosene to cook the food with (kerosene is the fuel that people in Guyana use when they cannot afford to buy a propane gas bottle for $25 CAN). I don’t want to get into all that was discussed, but it broke my heart to know that she was going around door to door to ask people for $.20 cents.

I am not going to compare rich vs poor, third world vs first world politics. But I examined my own refridgerator. And even though I am still a student, on any given day I have food in my fridge. In the past, I have always complained ”oh I have nothing to eat!” or “I don’t know what to eat”. But that’s really not true. There’s enough Kraft Mac and cheese and tuna for me to do a million things. I’m serious! And there’s always flour (I’m from the South. We always have flour around). I can make about 10 dishes, different dishes from those three things. And then throw some veggies near it, and I will have a scrumptious meal.

I also recall visiting my siblings, and they too always had food. Sometimes the fridge didn’t even have space to hold some take out.

And that’s another thing, we are privileged to go to Wendy’s, Mcdonald’s, the Whopper people (Can’t remember what it’s called). And we can pick up a sandwich at any point in the day and a large Coke for just 2$, to keep us going. How amazing is that?

Some of us have so much food, that we should really throw a get together once a while and just bless people who don’t have as much.

When Jesus was teaching the five thousand, he received a report that the people were hungry. And the only food around was 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The math didn’t make sense. But if you haven’t gotten the revelation, what caused it to multiply, was the fact that he raised it to his Father, and blessed it. Now, there’s a lot more to the story, but I believe every time you give thanks for food, God multiplies it. It seems so crazy, but He does. I can’t tell you of all the times when people just brought cooked food to my house when I needed it the most. Or when someone just popped in from out of town and took me out to dinner or lunch. All of those opportunities are blessings to me. And at times I get really ‘puffed’ up when people try to help (God is working on me ), but God always slaps me, reminding me that it’s Him providing. So between the whole wheat pasta, the left over pizza, and cook up rice that my friend made for me before he left, the rotis, the left over curry, the 1/2 tomato and the frozen veggies, the $1 soft serve ice cream vendor on my street, Mickey D’s, Toonie Tuesday, 3$ subs from Subway, an abundance of water, Tang juice mix with which I can make a mean iced tea, and the ravens that God sends,…I am pretty good. lol.

So, Lord I thank You!!! Thank you for the food that you provide day, after day, after day. I know I am not any different from a lot of people in the world, regardless of my status, but you have always, always provided food for me. I can’t take that for granted. Thank you for providing food.

How about you? How much food do you have in your house? Take inventory. Isn’t God good? Isn’t He faithful? Then don’t complain about what you don’t have in the kitchen. Give thanks for the food you do have.

PS: If you ever have a hard time figuring out what to cook with what you got, go here or here. or just hit me up! I’ll tell ya!

Posted by schadah in How He Loves Me, Thanksgiving Tags: Christian, content, discouraged, faith, giving thanks, God, gratitude, happiness

Day 1-All five senses

June 28, 2012

So here we go…(well, I hope it’s ‘we’ and not ‘I’). The first day is usually the easiest. But the key is to give thanks AND not complain. Otherwise this wouldn’t be a fast. Fasting is suppose to be a sacrifice of sumn’. So if you’re coming along with me on this, make a duty of not complaining. That is for every opportunity you have to complain, turn it into an opportunity to give thanks. I call it creative thanksgiving.

As I was meditating today, I thought I’d start out with thanking God for my five senses.

Do you know that our five senses are actually gifts from God? The ability to see, hear, touch, smell and taste….wow.

I don’t want to get into the “others don’t have it, so you should give thanks for it” syndrome. So, here’s my take on this.

These are gifts. Every sense in your body, acts as a ‘sensor’ for alerting you to the things around you. They are given so that you can enjoy the very creation of God, and also to be able to identify good from bad.

1. Can you imagine what it would be like if you woke up this morning without the gift of sight?

You woke up and you were able to look at the ceiling, look around your room, look at your spouse, look at your bbm (cuz I know you did), look at your closet to decide what to wear. What would have happened if you woke up and couldn’t see? Give God thanks for your sight.

2. Can you imagine what would have happen if you woke up and couldn’t hear?

Your ear is one of the most complex organs in your body. You woke up and you could hear the birds chirping outside, or the train nearby…whichever. You heard the kettle whistle. And waitaminut! You were able to hear your alarm go off. If you had not heard your alarm, you might have been pretty late for work. Not only that, but your sense of hearing is directly connected to your balance and your body’s understanding of gravity. Thank God for hearing.

3. Can you imagine what it would have been like if you woke up and couldn’t smell?

Our nose is something we can take for granted. It is the primary gateway for breathing, filtering toxins and so much more. More than that, our sense of smell is the first thing that alerts us to threats around us. Think of all the things that you can smell, e.g. the pasta burning, smoke coming from your car….If you couldn’t smell, you wouldn’t be able to respond to these issues as you normally do. Think of all the goodies you can smell too:- Cinnabon! Coffee! Some of us don’t want to wake up unless we get that ‘wiff’ of coffee. Thank God for your gift of smell!

4. Can you imagine what it would be like, if you went to the kitchen this morning and couldn’t taste?

What if someone had accidentally put bleach in your Brita, and you thought you’d have a nice cold glass of H2O. You wouldn’t even know until you find out that half of your stomach lining has eroded! Think of all the foods that you are able to enjoy too- Mickey D’s ice cream! Big whopper! Chinese food! I read somewhere that it’s not really the type of food that satisfies us, but it’s the ability to decide that the food is a ‘belly full’ based on how it tastes. Thank God for your ability to taste!

5. And finally, think about what it would be like if you couldn’t feel anything. I mean, someone hugs you and you don’t feel it, Someone smacks you in the head, and you don’t feel it? You walk out in the middle of winter with a tshirt on, and you don’t feel it. Can you imagine? How would you know how to respond? You could get seriously hurt! Thank God that you can feel things!

God gave us all of our senses. And each of them are important to us. Do you know that each of our senses are laced by an intricate network of nerves? And also nearly 800 muscles. So intricate, that if just one is damaged, it could be problematic. And somehow. God keeps them all working everyday, so that we could enjoy things. Wow! We are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling human beings! Now if that’s not something to give thanks about, I don’t know what is!

(Father,) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made- Psalm 139:14

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving Tags: Christianity, content, God, gratitude, thanksgiving

21 Days of Gratitude

June 27, 2012

We all expect a party at wedding receptions. But in the Nigerian culture, when a couple has wed, it is customary for everyone to dance at the beginning of the reception…for a good 20 mins or so. The guests start prepping for an informal dance even before the couple come into the hall, usually it’s a song they all know, so everyone can sing along. The music is ridiculously loud, and so are the guests. I laughed a little as i saw the Bride and Groom waiting outside of the hall, also preparing to get their groove on. Coming from a totally different culture, where everything at a wedding is about keeping your attire intact, this is totally different for me. But once the wedding party entered the hall, it was on! There was dancing and singing and chanting and so forth… You could hear their praise from outside of the hotel.

I thought afterwards about this party that they had, and on the inside I knew why they had to ‘carry on’ the way they did. This marriage of theirs was God ordained, and though the enemy tried to stop it in so many ways, he had lost. The couple were rejoicing because God had been good. If you’re married, you also know the hassle that you can go through just in planning the wedding. Friends get upset if you don’t invite them to the wedding, Mother of the Groom and Father of the Bride always want things to go their way cuz…they know best. Wedding planner hassling you, musician can’t find the wedding march.. all sorts of stuff. Once you say “I do” it’s a relief! This too deserves thanksgiving.

It has been on my mind for a few days now that we (whoever will be following this blog) need to go on a “21 days of gratitude fast”. I thought about it, and at first it seemed so trivial, but that’s just when the enemy attacked me to say, “what the hell do you have to be thankful for for 21 days straight”. I am sure some of you are experiencing similar voices in your life. Here’s how you’ll know:

you seem to have something negative to say about everything that happens. And even if it looks positive, you feel like it’s going to end up working against you.
you wake up with no spunk in you. It’s just another day, that you are hoping will be over real soon.
you wonder if God has forgotten you and your needs.
you have no desire to pray, worship or give thanks for anything.

I am sure there are more…But basically, you’re in ‘complain mode’. Whether you want to be or not, you are in it. And you might not even be complaining out loud, but you’ve been complaining to God. Something’s up.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.1 Thess 5:18

Why does God want us to be thankful in everything? Is that even possible? The same scripture says it is the will of God for us to be thankful. Which means that this is a secret to success. Has your mom ever told you to do something, and you wondered why on earth you should? It has no bearing on anything it seems. But she knows that if she asks you to do something, there is an outcome. She is keeping track of your obedience, and if you obey her, rather than complain about it, she will reward you….lt may not be today, or tomorrow, But she will reward you just because you obeyed.

God wants us to obey His will for us. It’s not our job to question it. We just have to obey it. Obedience encourages reward. So if the Word of God says, in everything give thanks, cuz it’s His will, just do it.

In our society, we have a tendency to complain about everything. Err’y thang!. We hate the winter, and we complain how cold it is, when spring comes, we complain how wet it is and how much allergies we get, when summer comes, we complain about humidity, when fall comes, we complain about going back to school, or how we wish summer was longer. Smh. Lol. I am not excluded from the group.

But you know what? Every opportunity that we complain, is an opportunity to give thanks.

So I know this is going to be hard, but I want to challenge you to come along with me and give thanks for at least one thing, for the next 21 days. I will blog about something to be thankful for and you’ll just use that as a starting point for your own fast. I’m going to say this is a fast that you’re going to need to prepare for. So gear yourself up tonight. Because from tomorrow, you will be on a fast of no complaints. I.e. NO COMPLAINING ABOUT ANYTHING.

My hope is that at the end of this fast, God will open doors for each of us in a supernatural way. And even more than that, we will begin to have an attitude of gratitude. They say that 21 days of doing something consistently, will break old habits and bring in a new habit. So let’s create a habit of thanking God. So see ya tomorrow!

Posted by schadah in Thanksgiving, Uncategorized

1 comment

Angels at my disposal

June 26, 2012

So, I reread yesterday’s blog to find a few typos…lol. Sorry. I should have slept in after 9 am since i got home at 4am. Needless to say, I corrected them.

Picking up from where I left off yesterday…

We managed to drive the car from the gas station to the highway and straight home. Our new found “Dad” from the gas station told us to drive slower than the speed limit, which of course was no problem since I was the one driving ( I’ve been driving cautiously ever since my first accident). So we said a prayer, asking God to keep us, and then we were on our way.

Unfortunately, the knocking clanging noise was still evident and I suppose, being in this human form, both my roommate and I were a bit worried. On top of that, I was tired…and I was the one driving. Nonetheless, we hit the highway and it was cruise control at 65mph from there. To take our focus off of all the problems, and on the God that was bigger than our problems, we put on some Christian music…And while everyone always laughs at the fact that I still have CDs, they came in pretty handy.

We began to worship, each to herself. And shortly after a thought came to mind. I saw 2 angels, literally, holding my car and pushing it forward. Their feet were like wheels and although they were reasonably tall creatures, I could still see in the front of the car. (Mind you, I said I saw in my mind). There was a peace in the car. Just then my roommate said that she just felt that there were two angels carrying us along until we got home. A word confirmed.

I was tired, and tendency to drift into lanes every now and again. But every time I did, the car would drift back into the lane I was suppose to be in. But for the remaining 3 hours or so, the car did not give out. The engine didn’t cease as one ‘soothsayer’ at the gas station had pointed out. They just brought us from the middle of God knows where, back to Canada and back to our homes.

As I thought about this, this morning, I remembered the Scripture from Psalm 91:9-15

9If you make the LORD your refuge,

if you make the Most High your shelter,

10no evil will conquer you;

no plague will come near your home.

11For he will order his angels

to protect you wherever you go.

12They will hold you up with their hands

so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

13You will trample upon lions and cobras;

you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

15When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

It brings me to a humbling halt when I think how much God loves us. Clear is His promise here that He will release His angels to protect us and that they will hold us up with their hands and keep our feet out of troubling. And yet, it is so much easier for us to complain rather than just run into His hiding place to get refuge. Let’s think about this. If it’s raining, and you don’t have an umbrella, but there’s a sign that says “Shelter here” to the left of you, which would you do: stay in the rain and talk about how it is ruining your life, or run to the shelter? Once in the shelter, you’d get all the help you need.

God is always there to help his children. And he willingly will release angels to help us. We run into His hiding place, and say “Father, help us”. We might not see any grand miraculous thing happening. But in the Heavenlies, He hears and He sends a Heavenly BBM message to His angels to meet us with an “umbrella” (or in my case, an old wise fatherly man to give advise, and a couple of angels to help get the car back to Canada). The angels receive the text, and those who are closest to the vicinity, will respond, “I got this”. And they come to our rescue. And all we had to do was run into His shelter and ask for help.

You see God may very well know what you are going through, but He never violates choice. His word is clear, “come to Me, take your eyes off of the problem and put them on me, your Problem Solver, Come into my presence”. When we do that, it is so easy for God to step in and help us. There are a host of angels at our disposal, They are sent by God to minister to us (Heb1:14). But we have the choice of coming to God for help, or relying on our own strength. That choice is ours.

As for me, I was able to get home in one piece, no accidents, no added problems with the car. God made that possible. That ridiculous noise stayed with us all the way home! But we got in just fine. And after I had gotten a few Zs, I took the car to the mechanic. lol.

Posted by schadah in Uncategorized

God’s orchestra

June 25, 2012

I got back from Chicago about 4 am this morning…(smile).

I think what i loved most about this trip was the really soft cushiony bed in the Four points hotel and all the fluffy pillows. I didn’t know there was going to be free internet, so i didn’t take work with me. SO the one night I stayed there, I had a decent sleep…although I forgot to set my clock to central time, so I still ended up waking at 7, even though it was really 8 according to their time.

I am also grateful to the ‘peeps’ who insisted that It would be crazy for me to drive on my own to chicago and back in one day…yea…God is still doing a work in me… I have a case of ‘Ms Independent’.

Anyhoo, I tried my best to get a lot out of my trip and I guess I will be touching on a few things I learned, here and there.

One of the things that really floored me though, took place on the i94 at a little gas station in Farmfield (I think that’s what it’s called).
My roommate all of a sudden felt ‘parched’ (I don’t know why. We had the AC on the whole way!). We passed one Mcdonald’s because she was trying not to stop until it was absolutely necessary. But at the sight of the next Mcdonald’s she decided she should go in We went to the drive through to get her a strawberry lemonade thing. It was then that we realized that there was a serious clanging noise coming from the engine of the car…. Oh Snap.

All ladies in the car, nobody new what the heck was wrong. Since it was my car, I thought maybe it was something to do with the oil change I was suppose to get when I got back home.. I think I was partially right, cuz the oil stick thing was really dry.

My negligence. But here we are in the middle of God knows where in a country that we don’t belong to and something’s wrong with the car. No one in sight, we’re wondering who could help us with the car. We saw a nearby gas station and so we thought we’d stop and check the hood and figure out what’s going on. Worse case we’d buy some oil and pour it in. But I think that’s when we began to pray that God would send us someone to help with this car.

Given the fact that most people are selfish and just want to be on their way when on the highway, it really was an earnest prayer. So we went into the convenience store and looked for some type of oil. Again not sure what we should be getting, my roommate asked the guy in the store if he knew. He replied with an expectant ‘don’t carish’ attitude. We asked another question and then we just gathered he really wasn’t going to help us. We proceeded to buy ‘some type of oil’, and I don’t know what I said about the car, but something stirred him to respond in an unexpected way. The next thing we heard from this old man, was that he had a daughter out in Florida around our age, and that since he can’t do much for her, the most he could do was try to help ‘you ladies out’.

For the fact that I am trying to keep my blogs short (lol), I can’t tell you everything. But this man basically came out of his store and was back and forth helping us with the car as best as he knew how. He even offered that if things didn’t look good, he’d get us to the nearest motel and have his mechanic look at the car in the morning.

Yea, that may not seem like much. But while we were sitting there trying to see if the added oil would make the sound ease up, he came out with a bottle of sumn ‘gooey’ and said, “this is my present to you. It’s what a father would do”. It was a bottle of oil treatment that he poored into the oil thingy. While we waited I asked him about his life. He proceeded to tell me that he left his life in another city to marry the woman he fell in love with, only to experience the heartache of a divorce later on. He had a B Ed degree before her, but he had moved to this little town for her and when they divorced, he had to find work really fast. The convenient store was all he could find in a down economy. “It’s not the best line of work given what I can do, but at least I get to do a favour for you gals who could get stranded on the highway in the middle of ‘hillbillyland’ “, he said.

I thought about this on the way back, My roommate getting thirsty and wanting to go to Mcdonald’s. If she had not stopped, we never would have heard that sound. And God knows what would have happened. And this man- A daughter that he can’t see much or help ..for whatever reason…A failed marriage relationship that forced him to take an unexpected route…Working at a place that he’s really over qualified for.

I thought…God allowed all of this to happen…her getting thirsty, all of the stuff to this man…because He foresaw us needing this particular man’s help at midnight on a Sunday on the i94.

I know it’s a bit of a read, this blog…but you know what I want to say? All of the things that we go through in life….God may not have made them happen, but He allowed them to happen for a reason. Our experiences, our directions,..He will use it all for His glory. And everything that we go through, be it positive or negative, has been orchestrated by God. What you are going through, may make absolutely no sense to you…Why you are where you are right now in life may be frustrating, but your hurts, your pains, your joys, your gains…God will take all of it and use it to help someone in need…at a gas station…in the middle of nowhere…

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are thecalled according to his purpose.-Matt 8:28.

Posted by schadah in How Great is our God, How He Loves Me

2 comments

TGI…T

June 22, 2012

This morning my mind flashed back to a moment in time. I recalled a very sad experience when I was about 22 years old.

I had a neighbour who used to wake up every morning around 5 am to go to the marketplace and open her vending stall. She did this every morning, religiously. And the reason I remember so well is because my room was situated such that every morning as she opened the gate, it would wake me up. Her leaving, became my alarm clock. This was in a time before Blackberry and ITouch were around.

One morning, I woke up at 5 am…expecting I guess that I should hear the gate squeaking as she left. But it didn’t. I thought it strange. Because she had been doing that for at least the year since I had lived in that neighbourhood. Six am passed…the gate didn’t squeak. …7am passed the gate didn’t squeak. At 7:30 as I was heading out for school, I thought it best to ask her daughter if Mrs M. had gone out that morning or if she was out of the country or something. She said no, she was sure that she left for the market. I rebutted, telling her that I didn’t hear her leave. Both puzzled, she went into her mom’s room, only to find that her mom had passed away in her sleep. Mrs M apparently died from a brain aneurysm.

What was wrong with her? Nothing. She had only complained of a headache the night before. A headache. She took a couple of aspirin and went to bed. But she didn’t wake up the next morning.

When Friday comes around, we usually say, “thank God it’s Friday”. I guess in a way, the rest of the week sucked, and so we are ever so glad for some ‘downtime’.

But as I thought of Mrs M, I thought…Thank God it’s Today. I will be honest, this morning, I woke up feeling…’blah’. Just ‘blah’. Hormonal issues most likely, but life in general sometimes has its toll on me, and it can take a few minutes or hours before I reject what the enemy is trying to do. I’m sure someone here got up this morning feeling, “just let’s get this day over with”, “another day…. here we go”. But, shouldn’t we be grateful, that Death did not take us in our sleep? We can see our children, talk to our friends, watch our shows, enjoy the summer weather….

This weekend, I will be singing the hymn “great is thy faithfulness” at a wedding in Chicago. It was the request of the Bride. But I meditated on the words of that hymn this morning, I recalled the scripture in Lamentations 3, that says:

²²Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I could truly say to my Father this morning, “Lord, thank you for today. Thank you for waking me up. Everything may not be going my way, but I declare it will go according to Your perfect way for me. I greet today with expectation, vigour and fight and with the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes! “This is the day, that the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be GLAD in it”.

God is indeed faithful. Even if your circumstances suggest otherwise, it doesn’t change who He is. He is Faithful to you. A lot of things may have happened to you yesterday, yester-year, but you didn’t die. lol. By the grace of God, you managed to get through it. You are still here. So God is faithful.

Here are the lyrics of the song “great is the faithfulness” and if you don’t already know it, I will place a video of a modern day rendition.

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Posted by schadah in How He Loves Me Tags: faithful

An uncommon situation.

June 21, 2012

Last night at my class, our life coach mentioned something that struck me:

1 Cor 10:13

¹³The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

It was nothing new. Because in times past, I’ve heard many people use this verse to dissuade hurting people from feeling what they feel. But when our pastor was talking about it, he said it…friendlier I guess. He said even though in our heads we might think that no one else is going through what we are going through, someone else really is.

A light bulb of revelation went off on my head at that point. For simplification I am going to use one pronoun…let’s say that we’re talking hypothetically about ‘I’.

“I” am having a really rough time in life. The man that I love so much doesn’t seem to be interested in me, and no one seems to understand how I feel. They tell me to let go, it’s been years in waiting, but I keep thinking that he will turn around and things will change. Everyday is a struggle, because I wake up feeling at one point “let go” and then later on “don’t let go”. To top it all off, I am out of a job, and although I trust God, it’s like, nothing seems to be happening. I lay in bed at night, wondering, if God really cares. All of my bills are stacking up, and it’s becoming harder and harder to even put food on the table. I can’t talk to family, because they are just going to make me feel like I have no ‘real’ problems, and then they’ll start mentioning people in Africa…to make me feel bad. And If I talk to anyone at my church, they are probably just going to get really super-spiritual on me. Don’t tell me that my situation is normal. You don’t understand how I feel.

First of all, I should point out, having studied a Masters’ in Development Studies, some people in different parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America are actually going through serious life and death situations. What you are going through won’t kill you, although the enemy may make you think so. So hold on.

Secondly, I (S) cannot tell you how much I identify with that “I”. But I have come to accept that what I ‘feel’ cannot trump what God’s word ‘says’.

There is no temptation, problem, hurt, etc, that I am going through that someone else is not or has not gone through.

Here’s a case in point, often I hear testimonies from you guys that I seem to know exactly what you’re going through. And while I do pray to make sure that what I say ministers to you, believe it or not, everything I write, has affected me at one time or the other. I might even be going through it at the same time. So, see? There is nothing that you are going through that is not common to man. The Word of God is proved correct.

If this is so, and it is, why do we feel as if we’re the only ones going through the problem? That’s the question I asked myself last night. This was my lightbulb:

The situation may be common to everyone, but how I respond to it is what makes it different from everyone.

Let’s take my wonderful example of Kool Aid. You can take your single pack of Kool Aid and mix it in 2 quarts of water. That’s the standard procedure. What determines how the Kool Aid will taste, is how much sugar you put in it. Now you could put 2 tsps of sugar and it will not have much of a taste. Or you could put 5 cups of sugar and it will become a nectar. On the other hand, you could mistakenly put 5 cups of salt thinking it’s sugar. That would be a really bad summer drink. The Kool Aid mix is standard for everyone-kool aid and water. It’s the rest of ingredients that you put into it that makes the difference.

The issue that you are facing right now, you’re not the only one going through it. But one of the reasons why it hurts so bad, and why you continue to feel the way you do, is because of what you’ve put into it: your time, negative thoughts. comparisons of the past, words, fear. Put a whole lot of negative into it, and you will feel miserable…everyday….and I am not prophecying. I’ve simply been there a loooottt of times. On the other hand, put a whole lot of positive thinking, faith based thoughts, hope in the future, laughter into it, and your situation will be something else! Something-positively- else. Either way, how you respond to the situation is what will make it unique to you.

So this word is really for someone stuck in limbo between breaking and breakthrough. You know you’re suppose to have victory as a Christian, but you don’t know why you’re still stuck with the feelings of being ‘broken’. I can tell you how to feel… encourage you, but at the end of the day, how you feel will really be determined by you.

So….Selah….:)

Posted by schadah in Uncategorized Tags: issues

3 comments

A stinkin’ situation

June 20, 2012

Jesus had just found out that Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha had died. It was going to be a long journey by foot, but He insisted that Lazarus was asleep and that He was going to wake Him up. What He meant was that He would raise Him from the dead.

It was pretty much an impossible task logically. I am sure those around Him thought Him crazy. Raise him from the dead? Are you kidding me? Who does that? But what stood out at me as I read the Word this morning and last night, was not that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead. He had done enough miracles and odd things in the preceding chapters and gospels. No, what stood out at me, was how stink Lazarus was.

John 11: 39

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.

Lazarus was dead. And I don’t mean recently dead. I mean this dude was at least 4 days dead. Scientifically, it meant that he had already undergone rigor mortis. He was stiffened. Cellular respiration and all other functions had already stopped. More than that his body had started to undergo the process of putrefaction. Basically, the gases (stink gases) had already started to work, and although he may have been wrapped up in some cloth, his body had started to decay. the stench of those gases would have been evident. Real evident.

Now why did Jesus wait until Lazarus’ body was stinkin’ before He raised him? I mean, why didn’t He tell the man that brought the news that He didn’t have to go to Lazarus’s tomb, but that he would be healed as He spoke. He had done the same for the centurion, whose servant was healed at Jesus’s word, even though Jesus never went to his house.

Jesus answered the question in the Word. He waited until Lazarus’s body had already started to decompose so that God could get the glory.

“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4

I want to say a bit about stinking situations. You may be in a situation that has been happening for so long that it seems like there is absolutely no hope. It’s terrible. Miserable. You’re not even talking to each other. Things are so bad, that there is no possible way for them to get better. It’s just a stinkin’ mess. And God has said that He will restore, He will heal, He will make it right, but that was four days ago. Shoot, it might have been four years ago! How does anyone get rid of such ‘stink’.

Or it might just be you. You’re the stink! You’re thinking how can I get better! There’s no hope for me” you say. “I am a cynical, hard hearted, hateful beast”. “I have cancer, and my body has already started to deteriorate”. “So much has happened to me that I am half past dead”. “I can smell my own stink.”

God loves stinking situations. Because it allows Him to prove that only He can fix them. Sometimes, He will allow it to get so bad… (NB. I did not say that He will make it bad. He will allow it to happen), So that he can get the glory. If it were any less stink, you would take the glory for yourself. But He brings you to a point where you have to say “this has got to be God”.

I am sitting here thinking about several stinking situations in my life. And if it had gone any other way, I would have cause to say ‘yea, this was because of something I did. It was because I was a good person or it was because they liked me’. But there have been situations that have gotten so messed up, because either I was the stink, or the circumstances were just awful…I can testify that in those situations, He showed up. I am still amazed at how He’s worked some of them out….Lol. I will share my testimonies one day. For now…buh bye.

But know this: God will get the glory out of the stinkin’ situation.

Posted by schadah in Tidbits for Trusting God, Uncategorized Tags: encouragement, hope, trusting god

3 comments

The Perfect Couple

June 19, 2012

I had another topic in mind today. But as I was praying this morning, in my spirit I felt I needed to go here.

I got saved when I was 8 years old… in creek called “Red Water” in Guyana. Red Water because the water was very red, but that’s how we did it back in the day. When I got saved, I didn’t intend on it, but as a whole group of church folk were driving to Red Water, something came over me, and I asked my mom why people got baptized. She said that it was because they loved Jesus and wanted to commit to Him. That stuck with me.

Many people are afraid of the words “Salvation”, “get saved”, “baptized”, “give your life to the Lord”. I want to break it down so that you don’t.

When a girl is really in love with a guy, the logical step for her is to commit to that guy. She’s probably thinking let’s get married. I know many guys are scared of the ‘m’ word. But let me explain why she wants to: For her, there’s no one else like you. She has found love, and she’s found someone who loves her the way she wants to be loved. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re da bomb or not. She loves you and she wants you to know that she is willing to commit herself solely to you ‘come hell or high water’. She wants to take on your name, she wants to be a part of your family. Whether you’re rich or poor, she wants to share that with you. And whatever struggles and victories you have, she has made up in her mind to share those with you. Men, don’t try to rationalize it. Believe you me, she’s already weighed everything. She wants to spend the rest of her life with you.

I didn’t know this back when I got baptized, but much later, I would come to realize that this is what Salvation means. Essentially the word Salvation in the context of Christ, means “fullness of life”. So when people talk about being saved, they mean (well, they are suppose to mean) receiving the fullness of life. That’s basically what commitment is about.

I know giving your life to the Lord sounds major. Many people want to be perfect before they give their lives to God. I don’t know why. But I understand. They probably think that they need to be perfect in any relationship before fully committing.

Here’s an eye opener. And I want you to share this with anyone else who thinks they are ‘not good enough’ to ‘give their lives to God’:

You’re right. You’re not perfect. And until your dying day, you won’t be.

Committing to someone in a relationship does not require you to be perfect. Even when you think you’re perfect, you’re going to have to blend your ‘perfect’ self with that other person’s supposed perfectness. It would be like makin’ Kool Aid. You’d have to continually stir in the sugar to get the right degree of perfection.

Let me ask you this. How perfect do you think you need to be before coming to God? Let me guess. It’s when you get the ‘perfect’ job, and the ‘perfect’ car and the ‘perfect’ enjoyment…. right? When you stop swearing and stop smoking and stop having the craves that you do?

At the risk of sounding sarcastic, good luck with that. None of us will ever be perfect enough to enter into relationship with God. So what did He do? He said “hey you, come to Me with your imperfect self. And when we mix together, we will make a ‘perfect’ couple. Why? My strength is perfect in your weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

I know many people also think that once they stop doing all the wrongs in the world and start doing rights, then they will qualify to be in a relationship with God. Wrong again! Ask yourself: “How much good would I have to do to match God’s perfect self?”…..yeah… exactly. So, you are NOT saved by your works…lest you would start boasting how fantastic you are (Ephesians 2:8-my version). You are saved by HIS GRACE. That means again, that He is anxiously waiting for you to realize that you don’t need to work so hard before coming to Him. His Grace ( the metaphorical sugar for your Kool Aid) will make the relationship work.

So I guess the point that I am trying to make is this: “getting saved”, “giving your life to him”, is not as deep and scary as it seems. It simply means you recognize that there’s no one else like Him and if anything is certain, you know that you want to be His and you want Him to be yours for the rest of your lives. You two have the rest of your lives to work on you. But like any relationship, a commitment has to be made.

That commitment is pretty simple. Romans 10:9.

1. Believe in JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Savior. That’s God’s connection to you.

2. Confess with your MOUTH, that JESUS CHRIST died on the Cross and rose again for you. Say. “I believe that Jesus died and rose for me. And I make the decision to commit my life to Him.

3. Get Baptized. It’s like a marriage ceremony. You need a couple of rings or something like that when you say “I do”. When you commit to Christ, you need to baptized to legitimize your commitment.

4. Go to church. C’mon people. Don’t you go out when you’re in a relationship? Hang with other couples? Yea. Ok. So go into a public place and spend time with your God in the place He loves most.

That’s it. That’s what getting saved is about.

Posted by schadah in High, Healed, Delivered, How He Loves Me, Uncategorized Tags: relationship

1 comment

Jesus is not on the boat!

June 18, 2012

My peoples! Apologies for the late writing.

I actually did my devotions at 6am, but then I went to bed after having pulled an all nighter. But I somehow thought I had already written the blog…Probably in my dreams.

This is what i read today: John 6:16-21.

¹⁶That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. ¹⁷But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. ¹⁸Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. ¹⁹They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, ²⁰but he called out to them,“Don’t be afraid. I am here!” ²¹Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

My life coach says that when you read the Word of God, you should try to apply it to your life. So when I read this, I asked God what was the point. Then I re-read it and I saw something I had not seen before.

¹⁶That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. ¹⁷But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.

These dudes, knew very well that they should have waited for Jesus, no matter how dark it got. But they didn’t. Why? They were afraid that if it got any darker, they might not be able to get to their destination on time. So they left…without Him.

I am tempted to think of all the times that we find ourselves approaching ‘dark times’. The future seems like it’s going to get worse. We don’t know what will happen if we go forward, but panic sets in. “OMG, I am getting older!” or “What if he doesn’t come back?”, “My emergency fund is going to run out! What’s going to happen?”

I call it ‘panic mode’. Panic mode is when all of a sudden a whole lot of fearful ‘what ifs’ come to mind all at once….and you think you have to act fast in order to prevent them.

When the disciples saw it getting dark..they rationalized that it was time to proceed. Jesus didn’t seem to be anywhere near. Isn’t that just what happens when situations get dark? We think, “Is God really here?”, “Is He going to get into this boat with me?” And the more we rationalize that He’s not there, we decide to leave Him out of the boat.

It’s not strange. It’s rather normal. I mean, you called and called, and there’s no answer. You assume that He must not be with you on this one. So it must be all up to you.

Big mistake.

What happened when the disciples tried to take off without Jesus?

¹⁸Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. ¹⁹

That’s when the waters got rougher. And that’s a ‘rough’ that you find that you can’t handle alone.

You see no matter how dark it gets, it’s important to know that God is with us in the dark. Without Him, dark is just dark and you can never see your way out. But with Him? He is Light in the darkness. The moment I am writing this, the Holy Spirit keeps reminding me of this verse in Psalm 23:

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

That’s because no matter how dark it seems to get in your life, as long as He is there, you have nothing to fear.
So do yourself a favour. Don’t panic. Is it a job that you’ve been praying for? Are you overdue on your rent? Are you thinking that you’re getting old and you’re still single? As long as God is with you, there’s nothing to be afraid of.

Rest in that.

Posted by schadah in How Great is our God, How He Loves Me, Uncategorized Tags: trust

Monthly Archives: June 2012

Day 2: Food

Day 1-All five senses

21 Days of Gratitude

Angels at my disposal

God’s orchestra

TGI…T

An uncommon situation.

A stinkin’ situation

The Perfect Couple

Jesus is not on the boat!

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