Through painted deserts

I posted this blog a year ago, but for some reason the link got broken and i couldn't seem to fix it. So, i decided to re-post it. enjoy.

Have you ever read a book and enjoyed it so much you became sad that it had to come to end? It’s like you’ve become a part of the story and leaving the scene is hard for you because you want it to roll on for your continued enjoyment. Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller is one of such stories.Somewhere in early December last year, I was looking up Christian books I could put on my to-read list, and I came across Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It had good reviews and I found out it was even turned into a movie so I got convinced it must be good. Around Christmas I was looking for some good music on Noisetrade when I stumbled on a free audio version of Don’s book, Through Painted Deserts. Was I thrilled? You bet! I mean although Blue Like Jazz was what I was bent on reading, I was like why not give this a listening ear? After all it’s by the same author and if Blue Like Jazz is good, chances are Through Painted Deserts also is. Was I wrong? No!

 

In fact I’ve fallen in love with the book, seriously! (Sorry I had to scream that.) This is more like say, a short, informal review of the book with a bunch of my favorite quotes from it.

Through Painted Deserts is a memoir that takes you on a journey into how the author found the meaning of why God made us, his beloved creation... about changing, faith, finding light, friendship and beauty on the open road. It’s very touching and warms your heart in the right places. Oh, and the soothing voice of Don reading the book adds such calm and peace to the story itself.

It’s a book I will recommend for everybody especially those whose faith in God is a bit shaky and who doubt the goodness and beauty of God, people who wonder or doubt if God ever listens to their prayers and people who may need to leave their comfort zones and everything behind to go on an adventure to get a better perspective of life. It’s a book for people who get so caught up with life and forget there’s a big world out there full of the calmness and peace of God, people who don’t stop to enjoy the big, blue sky, people who don’t stop to breathe and experience the soothing nature, the works of God’s hands. Although we have to participate in life and go about our duties in order to survive, we need to take breaks every now and then to get away from the pressures and noise of it all and just enjoy God.

 

Considering I’m a ''small'' town kinda girl in this little country, Ghana, this book encourages me personally to venture out from my all too familiar surroundings to somewhere new, somewhere that’ll give me a new and beautiful perspective about life and God. I so want to leave, to venture out and experience and enjoy the magnificence of God somewhere away from where I call home, sharing His truth and forging beautiful friendships along the way... and I’m trusting God with that. I want to experience Him in canyons, on mountains, in deserts, in falling snow, in the falling of red autumn leaves, on beautiful beaches, on islands, on the open road... in different cultures. Nature has such an endearing way of reminding me not just of the greatness of God and the beautiful works of His hands but it also affirms that God really does exist.

So here are some quotes I totally love from the book. They’re like urm, spoilers of a good movie. LOL They’re quite a number but you can’t resist such lovely words that speak straight to your heart, right?!  Haha, here goes:

“Every person has to leave, has to change like the seasons. They have to or they die. The seasons remind me that I must keep changing and I want to change because it’s Gods way.”

“Everybody has to change or they expire. Everybody has to leave their homes and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.”

“I want to keep my soul fertile for the changes so things keep getting born in me, so things keep dying when it’s time for things to die.”

“I want to repeat one word for you. Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? So strong and forceful, the way you’ve always wanted to be. And you’ll not be alone. You have never been alone. Don’t worry, everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who would have changed.”

“No, life can’t be understood flat on a page, it has to be lived, a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath.”

“It’s a living book, this life. It folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters and it’s almost over for you. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It’s coming to a close quickly and soon the credits will roll and all of your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold, in still, in silence and they’ll make a fire, pour some wine and think about how you once were and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.”

“And so my prayer is that your story would have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is that your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born outside of you, about learning to love a man or a woman, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God.”

“Everything is like a symphony if you think about it; birds are perfect and crickets come out of the wet woods like a choir...nature itself worked perfectly to calm the soul.”

“Life is a dance toward God... and the dance is not so graceful as we might want. While we glide and swing our practiced sway, God crowds our feet, bumps our toes, and scuffs our shoes.”

“There is nothing I’m missing. I have everything i was supposed to have to experience the magnitude of this story, to dance with God.”

“I guess I’m looking for what any guy is looking for. I want a companion, you know. Just someone to share life with. I want her to be my biggest fan and i want to be her biggest fan too. I want us to raise kids in a home where they know their parents are in love with each other, with them, and with God. I guess that’s all I want.”

“I want a friend, a true friend. Someone who knows me and loves me anyway. Like, when I’m through putting my best foot forward, she’s still there.”

“Real love doesn’t ask “what’s in it for me?” It just gives unconditionally, it just tries to take the weight out of somebody else’s pack, lessen his load and if it gets reciprocated, that’s great, but that isn’t what you did it for.”

“Don’t kick yourself around, if you can’t climb up out of a canyon real quick, just do it slow.”

“God made a whole beautiful earth and decided to put you in it, to experience all of this beauty. You can’t do that watching television all the time.”

“Life is not a story about me, but it’s told to me and I can be glad of that. I think that’s the why of life...to enjoy God.”

“Months ago I would have told you life was about doing, about jumping through religious hoops, about impressing people and my actions would have told you this is done by buying possessions or keeping a good image... but I don’t believe in that stuff anymore. I think we’re supposed to stand in deserts and marvel at how the sun rises. I think we’re supposed to sleep in meadows and watch stars dart across space and time. I think we’re supposed to love our friends and introduce people to the story, to the peaceful, calming why of life. I think life is spirituality.”

“If I ever get frustrated with life again, if I ever get into river deep debt, I will sell it all and move out into the woods, find some people who aren’t like me and learn to love them and do something even harder, let them love me. I will sleep beneath the stars and whisper “thank You” to the Creator of the universe as a way of reacquainting myself to an old friend, a friend who says you don’t have to be smart or good looking or religious or anything, you just have to cling to Him, love Him, need Him, and listen to Him while He tells His story.”

“Some things have to end, you know. I will be leaving soon and i want to feel this, really understand that it’s happening because God breathed some spark into mud that became us and He did it for a reason and I want to feel that reason, not some false explanation.”

"And if these mountains had eyes, they would wake to find two strangers in their fences, standing in admiration as a breathing red pours its tinge upon earth's shore. These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man's weak praise should be given God's attention."

"It's a wonder that those exposed to such beauty forfeit the great questions in the face of this miraculous evidence."

“I think again about this small period of grace, and thank God for it, that if only for a season I could feel the why of life, see it in the metaphor of light, in the endlessness of the cosmos, in the miracle of friendship. And had these mountains the ability to reason, perhaps they would contemplate the beauty of humanity and praise God for the miracle that each of us is, pondering the majesty of God and the wonder of man in one bewildering context. Their brows are rumpled even now and their arms are stretched toward heaven.”

Whew! (That’s a good whew, LOL) I’ve come to the end of the lengthy but lovely quotes from Through Painted Deserts. It’s such a good read and I love how the acoustic guitar plays in the background at the end of the final chapter. It ends on such a beautiful note that it even gets me teary-eyed (In a very good way.) I hope you enjoyed them and that you’ll read the book or better still get the free audio version right here. It’s a good read (have I mentioned that already) and you could listen to the audio book (all twenty-seven chapters) in a day. I personally didn’t want to consume all the yummy goodness in one day so I chose to listen to it in bits, over a number of days to let it all sink in. God bless Don’s kind heart for giving it away for no cost and for allowing others to go along on the journey with him through the mind’s eye. He sure has a way with words and he writes from a place of honesty and truth.

People travel all the time. Probably you do or you currently are. What I’m beginning to realize is that you could travel the entire world and it wouldn’t really mean anything until you travel with meaning, with the knowledge that God created all these magnificent things in life. Traveling should awaken us to the wonder of God and rekindle our love for Him. It should involve loving and sharing God’s truth to the people we meet along our journeys. Let’s always remember what Jesus said “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30,31 In our everyday living, we should not lose focus on loving God and people. And if you love people, you would want to share God’s truth with them so that they get saved. So travel to enjoy God and love people along the way!
:)

 Jesus loves you. xoxo

Delali.

On Being Free And Fearless

Don’t you just love it when you’re free? When your soul feels like soaring and achieving the ‘impossible’?

Recently, I boarded a bus to town. The bus looked all rickety and worn out, but I had just missed a bus going to my destination and the sun was at its best. So to avoid waiting and sweating in the heat of the sun, I boarded the over welded looking bus. I got in and sat right behind the driver’s seat and you could tell he wasn’t even sitting comfortably behind the wheel. His seat was a little too far from the steering wheel, so he had to arch himself forward.

At one point, something from the dusty looking compartment fell heavily to the rusty floor of the bus as it moved on the pothole filled road. I got a little alarmed but decided to overlook the condition of the bus. It rattled and made ear shattering noise with every move forward. And all the time I silently prayed that the horrific sounds wouldn’t put out my hearing. This vehicle wasn’t road worthy in the least but you see, I got on it because of its convenience rather than its quality.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be on a better and much comfortable bus, I simply didn’t have the patience to wait. So I endured the clink-clank noise of the bus until I saw sparks coming out from the battery beneath the driver’s seat. Did I get super alarmed now? You bet I did! Thankfully, I was wearing jeans so I couldn’t feel the sparks on my legs. The sparks became more frequent and I decided that I was getting off at the very next junction. I couldn’t deal with it any longer. So I did exactly that, praying that the vehicle wouldn’t fall apart before it got to the junction. It was so wobbly and people in cars that passed us by gave us looks that clearly said “Really? Who on earth boards a vehicle like that?” And some even laughed at us in the midst of the pathetic glares they offered.

Eventually, the bus slowly and dangerously made it to the junction. Boy, was I glad I got off that wrong bus! Funny thing was that after I got off, the vehicle couldn’t move again. The driver kept turning the key in the ignition, trying to revive the sick engine to life. But it seemed the vehicle was saying “Urm, no. I need a fix, now! My cable connections are really rusty.” It was as if my getting off was some signal, warning the other passengers on board to get off. Well I don’t know what happened next with this bus because a much more road worthy looking vehicle stopped and I got on it. All I saw was the driver getting out of his seat to check what was wrong with the battery beneath his seat. Feeling safer on the new bus, I continued my journey to town.

You may be wondering where I’m heading with all of this. My simple message to you is this; live fearlessly. Be free. Imagine what could have happened if I didn’t get off that bus. I didn’t like how the bus made me feel so afraid with every move. I didn’t like how it made my heart race and have irregular beats. I sure didn’t like how it made me hold my breath and had my tummy in many unpleasant knots. So I got off! I left it behind so that could feel peace and fearlessness surround me. Fear is not of God and you shouldn’t want to endure any situation that steals your peace.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

In life, we often get impatient and get ourselves into all sorts of craziness. We see the warning signals that tell us a particular thing is not best for us, but we go for it all the same, just like my impatience led me to that horrible vehicle. Other times, we feel weak to protest against people who rob us of our happiness and endure the pain in silence. This is sadly not the best.

Perhaps you’re in a wrong relationship, dealing with some guy who disrespects you and even goes as far as to hit you. You know you deserve way better, but your impatience to wait for that better led you into this harmful relationship in the first place. You keep seeing signs that he’s cheating on you...he feeds you varying shapes of lies, but you’re still with him. Why??? He’s clearly a wrong bus. Please, love yourself enough to leave! Walk away from that messy relationship. Love and peace does not dwell there. Sweetie, your life will go on even better without such a person. Don’t wait till it gets worse. Get out, heal and practice some patience. Trust God with your relationship and He’ll write a beautiful and healthy love story for you, not a toxic and depressing one.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

Or maybe you’re a child or wife being abused. Don’t keep quiet. Speak out now! Reach out to a trusted friend to help you escape this horror. Be bold, know your worth. Never listen to the crap he says about nobody believing you. People will believe. You need to speak out first. Be heard and get the help you need. Remember that “The lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble; He cares for those who trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7

And perhaps you find yourself in a job which brings you no fulfillment, a job which makes you all grumpy. Well, do what is required of you to get a job that makes you wake up feeling enthusiastic about your day and leaves you feeling alive. Discover your talents and you could make a living out of them. (I’ll write about this extensively in another post.)

Or maybe, it could be that new course you’re taking in school. You’re dreading how it’ll go and wondering if you can survive it and ace it. Believe in yourself and go for it fearlessly. Talk to God about it and He’ll strengthen you and grace you with the wisdom and knowledge you need.

“The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:2

You were not born for a life of bondage. You were made to live a free and happy life, to fulfill your purpose. How do you live your fullest when you’re letting a mere human or some situations dictate your life? Be conscious about choosing to be fearless and happy today.

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Let us work hard and work on ourselves to be better. Remember to live while you wait for that something better to come along. Let’s keep at the back of our minds that God never withholds good things from us, so let’s stop putting ourselves in demeaning situations. Let’s pay attention to the warning signs and avoid wrong decisions.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; He bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

                                                 Image taken by OAB Photography

Step into the future fearlessly. Is it an instrument you want to learn, a book you want to write, a career you want to pursue? Or is it an adventure you want to take? Go ahead. Trust God with it and don’t let anyone discourage you. Remember that this is your life and you have to chase after your dreams. Yes, even the ones that scare the wits out of you. Be bold. Be free. Be fearless.

Jesus loves you! xoxo

Delali.

College And God

Hi friends, this past weekend has been quite hectic and busy for me since I had to pack up and leave for school. But the good part is that it’s my very last semester as an undergrad! Ever. The past three and half years in school hasn't been easy, but I survived it all only by the blessed grace of my Father. I’m excited and at the same time a bit nervous about what the future holds. I choose to believe there’s so much good at the end of my undergraduate studies and Jeremiah 29:11 helps ease my uncertainties about the unknown. It says “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Isn’t this wonderful? To know that I don’t have the slightest idea about what could happen tomorrow, next month or next year, but God does. I am His child and there’s no way He’s going to bring me to harm so I choose to believe in His Word.

 The whole packing, unpacking and settling in was quite overwhelming as usual. I’m still settling in and trying to get into a familiar pace. I’m back to the place full of worldly parties, fornication, perversion and all sorts of ungodliness, where few people are willing to stand, unashamedly for their Christian beliefs, a place full of lukewarm Christians and people who compromise to get whatever it is they want... a place where ‘Christians’ look exactly like the world and there’s no clear cut distinction. This is a world where you get mocked at because you refuse to go with the crowd which is doing the wrong thing, and people try to make you feel weird for choosing the road less traveled by, making it impossible for you to trust anyone at all but yourself. It’s a world where good is bad and bad is made good. I'm not some perfect person who doesn't sin, no. I fall but I'm determined to cling to God like crazy and walk in righteousness.I want my spirit to win the battle against my flesh. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

“Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you may no longer live as Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.” Ephesians 4:17-19

I’m back to the world where guys pass silly comments because you ignore them when they hit on you. (They seriously need to grow up and give that a rest.) It’s interesting how people do just about anything to cover up their wounded egos and try to belittle you. SMH I’m back to the world where some people try to pick a fight with you in the library because you tell them to shush up. (Yes, even when you say it in a polite way.) It’s like they just don’t get it that libraries are supposed to be quiet and not for chit chatting or cranking up their music. Sigh. This world can get crazy demanding from school stuff to extra curricula stuff and everything else in between. It can be a drag...and that’s the thing, I don’t want to be caught up in all these things in school and end up forgetting to live and not exist. I don’t want to get so caught up and forget my relationship with God.

In this final lap, I want to remind myself not to rush anything. Not my conversations with God or with anything else. Like this morning I had to rush to lectures and I didn’t have some quiet time with my Father. No, I don’t want to get too busy for God. He gave me this life in the first place and I want to acknowledge Him all the time because He doesn’t fail to wake me up and take care of me each day.

 I want to take in the scenery of my college more slowly and enjoy the cool breezes. I want to stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the skies above and simply live. I’m going to take a deep breath, take it all in and love it all out. I want to live the colorful and beautiful life that God Himself intended for me. I’m bracing myself up for the days ahead when things seem too tough and fear creeps in. In those days I want to remind myself of John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

 When I get weak and frustrated, I want to believe in the words of Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” I don’t want to do this thing called life without Jesus, at all. He’s my peace in this messy, troubling world. So on the heavy days, I don’t want to forget His peace and His many wonderful promises. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:3,4

I choose to be unmoved by the difficulties I’m encountering and the ones ahead. I may begin to panic but I’ll always run to the loving arms of Jesus, because He’s my hideaway, my closest friend who calms me and refuses to give up on me. Aaahhh, how comforting! I don’t want to lose focus in my walk with Him and I don’t want to feel discontentment creep up on me. I believe God’s words about me and I’m letting all insecurities fall to the side. 1 Timothy 6:6 “There is great gain in godliness with contentment.”

 I’m not going to follow what everyone is doing because the Bible, not people is my standard. I’m going to look within me and shine effortlessly because God is my source and provider. I’m going to try and be as nice as possible to those who push me to the wall and irritate the very life out of me because I choose to be like Christ every breaking dawn and each breathtaking sunset.

I pray for grace and mercies to embrace me and see me through this final semester. A number of unfortunate things have already started happening, causing some students to lose their dear lives. I’m holding these verses close to my heart in these times; Psalm 121:7,8 “The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.” And Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” I will not come to harm because God protects me each second and I’m going to finish everything I start. (Can I get an Amen?!)

A verse that totally warms my heart is Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I hope you believe in this truth, that absolutely nothing can keep you away from the soothing love of God. No matter what you’re facing, He’s right there with you and He’s asking you to trust His plan. He loves you unconditionally. The love of God never fails, it never gives up and never runs out.

Have a great week! And know that you’re dearly loved. xoxo

Delali.

Beautiful Acts Of Kindness

Being kind is not just an attribute of a Christian. Kindness is something every soul needs to show. First off, kindness is found naturally in love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says “love is patient and kind, love is not jealous or boastful.” So we find that if you have the ultimate thing which is love, kindness comes naturally to you. There are times when we find ourselves in certain situations where we have to be kind to even our enemies, yes, and we know it’s the right thing to do but our carnal sides try to win us over and serve our enemies hard, cold revenge. This eats our humanity away and does us no good.

So you’re thinking, but there’s no way I’m going to be kind to that guy who lied to me and did me in or that girl who called me fat and ugly. Relax. Being kind to people who hurt you does not mean you buy them a whole gift shop or you should go knocking on their door every morning to fix them snacks and lunch in their homes(unless of course they end up being very ill and you have to be the one to help out) and neither does it mean to pass them fake, forced compliments, no. What it means is that you’re stronger enough to forgive them of those horrible things they did or said to you. It means you don’t curse (even under your breath) at them when you walk pass them on the sidewalk or when you see them at the supermarket. It means looking them in the eye and civilly exchanging greetings with them. It simply means that you are kind because God, our Father, is kind, so much to the extent that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to come and die for the sins of you and I.

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Luke 6:35 So you see, God is kind enough to give breath to both the good and the bad guys in this world. So why won’t you be kind? Let’s also remember this verse “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”Ephesians 4:32

As a child of this wonderfully kind Father, it’s our duty to show off all of His essence. This is sometimes not naturally easy to do but we can’t submit to our own will and live according to our desires. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says “And He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.”

Do you see people genuinely in need of your help but you turn a blind eye to them? If yes, then that’s sadly unkind of you because sometimes God places into our hands more blessings than we need and we become the bad guys when we tightly clasp our God-given blessings in our hands and refuse to release them to bless others and show kindness. “One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. A liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 11:24,25

“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8  Does every good work in this verse mean to you supporting someone struggling with their tuition fees, or simply smiling at that girl who looks troubled and sits by herself all the time in the cafeteria? Then go ahead and be a blessing. Showing kindness doesn’t necessarily have to be in huge, sweeping acts but can be in the very little things... a smile, a genuine compliment, giving your seat up for that old lady on the bus who couldn’t catch a seat... No amount of little kind gestures go to waste.

I was on the bus some days ago and this woman in the seat beside me had a baby and another little girl with her. Because she couldn’t carry both children on her laps, the little girl had to stand so I decided to carry her till I got off the bus. It escaped me to even ask the permission of the young woman before carrying her little girl. I just did it. But she was so glad I helped, she even offered to pay my bus fare which I insisted she shouldn’t. Why? Because I didn’t want to feel like she was paying me for my kindness. You shouldn’t be kind with the intention of receiving some sort of reward back. Be kind and love just because.

She had a confused look momentarily cross her face when I turned down her offer to pay but she gave in after my insistent “Oh, no, I’ll pay myself.” ...So I paid my own fare. The little girl was sleepy and had her head dangling back and forth as she dozed off in the hot weather so I did what was the best to do by placing her head against my bosom. I’m very particular about not having sweaty people rubbing against me but that afternoon it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that the many beads of sweat around her head temporarily stained my silky shirt or that she was actually heavy and my thighs ached a little. (No lie.) LOL. I held her like I would my very own child, arms firmly wound around her so she wouldn’t fall from the ever swaying bus on the pothole-clad road. (The streets of Accra can be one bumpy ride, it can literally cause headache. SMH)  The Good Book says “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:1,2

Let’s get something straight. I didn’t help out because I wanted to feel good about myself and neither did I do it just because I didn’t want to look bad. I helped because the tired-looking little girl needed a place to sit her little frame and have some good ol’ sleep too. And since nothing was stopping me from offering a helping hand, I stretched it out. We should be kind not because it’s something on our to-do list but because we really want to lessen someone’s discomfort and bring a smile on their face. Kindness should come from a genuine place. It shouldn’t be forced.

We should not get tired of being kind to others who don’t even appreciate our efforts. The good ol’ Bible says “And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household faith.” Galatians 6:9,10

Let’s however be cautious in offering kindness in order not to get duped by people who go about in life thinking it’s fun to take advantage of kind hearts.

Be kind to yourself of course but don’t catch the “me me me” syndrome because life is not only about you. Open your hands and heart and practice some random acts of kindness today! God sees you and He smiles down at you when you make someone smile. So go on and be a kind soul, will ya?! Surprise someone with kindness! And know that your kindness permits others to also be kind to other people, creating one beautiful chain of kindness around and within us. Let’s be sweet, kindred souls on this temporary, earthly journey on our way to eternal life.

Jesus loves you. xoxo

Delali.

New Year, New You?

So it’s a new year ...again and most of us have decided on some changes that need to be made in our lives. These changes could be in the area of how we are, our attitudes, our spiritual lives, careers, education, relationships, health and the list goes on. We’re all determined to make the best out of this New Year and that’s a good thing.

Some map out things that are attainable within their capacities while some people get so carried away with all the excitement and make over the top goals that do not look close to reality. It’s good to make changes and want to be better. And yet some don’t even make an attempt to set goals for the year because they have this mentality that people never really change and that’s a rather sad and pessimistic way of thinking because change, and I mean good change does really happen. With such mentality such people find it difficult to embrace anything good because their minds are in this dark, gloomy place and their attitude can unfortunately dim the hopes of others who genuinely want to change for the better. To the cynics and pessimists out there, stop believing and spreading that lie that people can't change, because they do change by the grace and help of God.

A new year does not mean you automatically transform into this whole new person in a blink of an eye or achieve all these things you want in the year without any hitches here and there. No, that’s some fantasy. In fact for the new year I didn’t get me a new hairdo or some new look. I look like the same ol’ me but I have a renewed mind. Moreover, the only sure time we will change in a twinkling of an eye is at the sound of the trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52. So till then let’s keep working on sticking to our plans for that change that we so desire because change can happen when we are deliberate and conscious about it.

A new year gives all humanity a whole new slate to write on, it’s a chance to somehow get it right this time. Change can be a gradual and stressful process and needs utmost commitment. We shouldn’t expect any of our plans to see fruition when we’re still so lazy, making excuses and keep postponing things we ought to do.

We start the year with so much energy and enthusiasm but as the days slowly pass by, that fire and passion slowly dies out. You may be wondering why. Well have you spoken with God about the plans you have? And what did He say? God speaks to us through His Word. 2 Peter 1:3 says “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”  So are your plans for the year in accordance with the Bible? Are they godly plans or a bunch of selfish, ungodly goals? God put us on this earth for specific purposes so we must seek Him and be sure what we plan is endorsed by Him. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

We must not lose that passion we commence the year with. We must keep it burning anew each day. A vision board might as well help you focus on these plans. Here's my vision board for the year.

I don’t want to be getting mad all the time so I write boldly “SLOW TO ANGER”. Also, I want to learn how to drive this year (I know, I’m such a late bloomer, lol better late than never.) So in view of that, I put an image of a car on my vision board. I've also decided to write and blog more often this year in working towards being a professional writer soon so I put there “Writer”. Seeing these visual representations of my goals helps me remember what I need to be doing. If you’ve not yet come up with any goals, do some soul searching and find what you really need to do this year. It’s not too late, you can create your own vision board too, plus we’re only a week into the New Year. :-)

We must continually pray about our goals throughout the year and ask God for the strength to stay on track. We must be patient in Christ for all that we pray for. “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31 Lets not try to do it all by our strengths but rather put all our hope, dreams and goals in the Lord.

Don’t be like Nahor who didn’t even start the journey to Canaan by being all pessimistic about change. Don’t be like Terah who stopped midway in the journey because he got into a comfortable zone. Don’t be like Lot who strayed from the right path because the beauty of the Jordan valley caught his eye when they were so close to stepping into Canaan that he decided to settle in Sodom where there were wicked men and great sinners. But rather be steadfast to your goals like Abram (later Abraham) who obeyed God and stayed committed to the journey and in return God was faithful and gave all that land to he and his descendants. Genesis verse 11:31,32; verses 12 and 13.

We must not expect God to turn our lives around when we fail to do our part. He’s ever willing to help you but are you willing to sacrifice time to help you? Are you going to stay new throughout the New Year?

Jesus loves you for real. xxx

Delali.