music monday // still that girl

hey, hey, hey! I've been a lil MIA the past couple of weeks. my bad, folks.
so today, I'm gonna share a beautiful song of bravery by britt nicole! the song brings memories of the years when i was so wide eyed with so much hope that my plans were gonna play out. you know, when i thought there was no way God was going to deny me the scholarship i wanted with all my heart right after I completed uni. The world was before me and i couldn't wait to make a change.

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oh, but He had other plans. plans that i thought were too different from who i thought i was. plans that seemed way, way, way too good to be true to the point that they completely freaked me out.

but as the years have been passing by, I'm beginning to realize how perfectly faithful Father is. so not getting the scholarship for the program i wanted stung. buuuttt, He's so gooood. He's provided me with a scholarship to study what He wanted me to study for my masters all along! And me + God, we're still gonna make the change I always wanted. And it's gonna be waaaayyyyyy better than my dreams. some dreams must die for better things to be birthed.

so, yah, enjoy the song.

still that girl// britt nicole

Dreams, they come

Plans, they change. Yeah, we’re gonna break

Things we face make us who we are

Baby, you’re a star shining in the dark

Let’s go back to the summer,

The summer when we dreamed in love

Let’s go back again, let’s go back again

Yeah, back again, my friend to the summer when…

I’m holding a picture from 7 years back

I smile at the memory, it’s smiling right back at me, and I see

Brown hair and bright eyes, such a beautiful blue,

A heart full of laughter with nothing to lose

That’s how I remember you

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

Sometimes life don’t go the way you planned

And we all have days when we just don’t understand

Searching for meaning, it’s not always easy

But your story’s not over, it’s still being told

Your sunrise is coming, brighter than gold

Lets go back again to the summer when

What if the picture is bigger than you see

And God has you right where He wants you to be

Just listen to your heart

He’s telling you with every beat

You’re still that girl

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

I see it in your eyes, I see it in your smile

                                                                You’re still that girl

"In their hearts man plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."// proverbs 16:9


Remember that no matter how twisted your plans get, God has better plans for your precious life. It's gonna take some time, but things will pan out so well and fine if you truly trust in Him and never give up. no matter where your story has gotten to, you're still that girl and you're gonna change this world one person at a time. :)

and it doesn't even matter that i've blogged about this song before. ;)

xoxo, gen delali

music monday// lift my life up

unspoken is one of my new fav bands! There’s something about this song that pulls me in. have a listen and lemme know what you think.

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lift my life up~ unspoken

You brought me this far so why would I question You now

You have provided so why would I start to doubt

I’ve never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone

So I’m giving you control

I lift my life, lift my life up

I give it all in surrender

I lift my heart, lift my heart up

You can have it forever

All my dreams, all my plans

Lord, I leave it in Your hands

I lift my life, lift my life up

Have Your way in me, have Your way in me

If peace is a river, then let it sweep over me

If I’m under fire I know it’s refining me

When I hear You calling out,

I follow now wherever the road may go

I know You’re leading me Home.

Take my life and let it be all for You.

“keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ ” Hebrews 13:5-6

“many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ but you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:2-3

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that one of man’s greatest fears is being alone. God knew way before time that we’ll be bound to feel this way sometimes, and that is why He assures us time and time again that He is with us, and will never forsake us, so we needn’t be afraid. I used to be one who heavily craved my space and wanting to be alone without feeling terrible about it. I still crave for my space but interesting enough, these days I’m yearning for intimate, meaningful friendships, a safe community of friends who welcome vulnerability and sincerity, who understand that we don’t have it all together, and that’s ok.

I guess this yearning has always been there but it’s magnified at this point of my life than years past. And thoughts of who the special someone is going to be? Those thoughts are mixed thoughts of hope and uncertainty. God knows when and how He’ll sort it out. Mine is to keep praying about it and praying for the heart of this anonymous guy, while I keep pursuing the Lord. I know being alone doesn’t mean lonely. Yet when I’m alone these days it’s like loneliness tries to find its way to me. when this happens I remind myself that I have holy spirit within me + my guardian angel right by me, though I can’t physically see him. (to think that the angel is a him is kind of awkward, considering I’m a she, right? Oh well. shrugs.)

in the moments when you’re tempted to think you’ve been left alone to figure life out or that God has forgotten about you, know that those are lies. He said He’ll never leave or forsake us. Ours is to believe. Even in the darkest valley, He is with you. He is lifting your life up.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// still that girl

Boy, don’t we all have dreams and goals and plans, when we’re in school, especially in college. It’s like the possibilities are endless, and you just can’t wait to take on the world after graduation. But you wake up into the future you held so close and realize it’s not all that blissful like you planned after all. 

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The cold water of reality splashes on your face and you say to yourself, ‘wait a minute. Is this life?!’ it’s like school was this safe shelter you had and all of a sudden you actually have to go out there and make a life. Whew! And it doesn’t help either when the opportunities in the field you’re passionate about are close to none for the now, and it scares you that you’ll end up in a dead-end job or miss out on graduate school entirely.

I’m going through this kind of reality. Plans and dreams aren’t panning out like I hoped and prayed countless of times for. But God knows what He’s up to, right? Yurp. I watched a film titled ‘this is our time’, and there’s this guy named ethan. his story is so close to mine, it comforts and encourages me in a way. You should check it out, it’s a great faith based film.

I bet you have some dreams that seem so distant at this point in your life. I know it hurts. I know you get scared sometimes. I know because I’m right there in it too. But there’s hope knowing that God is able to restore our broken dreams, and perhaps we are where God intended us to be. The lyrics of this song speak so much to me.

still that girl~ britt nicole

Dreams, they come

Plans, they change. Yeah, we’re gonna break

Things we face make us who we are

Baby, you’re a star shining in the dark

Let’s go back to the summer,

The summer when we dreamed in love

Let’s go back again, let’s go back again

Yeah, back again, my friend to the summer when…

I’m holding a picture from 7 years back

I smile at the memory, it’s smiling right back at me, and I see

Brown hair and bright eyes, such a beautiful blue,

A heart full of laughter with nothing to lose

That’s how I remember you

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

Sometimes life don’t go the way you planned

And we all have days when we just don’t understand

Searching for meaning, it’s not always easy

But your story’s not over, it’s still being told

Your sunrise is coming, brighter than gold

Lets go back again to the summer when

What if the picture is bigger than you see

And God has you right where He wants you to be

Just listen to your heart

He’s telling you with every beat

You’re still that girl

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

I see it in your eyes, I see it in your smile

You’re still that girl

“trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“to humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1

“in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Your heart may be broken over how things unexpectedly have taken a turn, but remember that just because you’re lost doesn’t mean you’re alone. You’re never alone. Nothing is wasted. Take heart, friend! You’ll look back someday and see that God intentionally redirected you in order to walk in the purpose He planned all along for you.

xoxo, gen delali

a cleansed past: the room

hi guys! i would like to share a dream. not one of my own but one that deeply moved me and has been embedded deep in my brain ever since i got to know of it. remember how i was reading i kissed dating goodbye? i finished up last weekend and got to start when dreams come true by eric and leslie ludy & finished that up yesterday- but that book is for another post to gush over. ;) 

back to the dream- joshua harris shared a poignant dream he had some time ago while visiting a pastor in peurto rico in his book i kissed dating goodbye and i can't help but share it. here goes...

maybe you've blown it. maybe you reflect on past actions and wince with remorse. purity seems like a lost cause. this dream, called "the room," is dedicated to you.

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in that place between wakefulness and dreams, i found myself in the room. there were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. they were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. but these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. as i drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "girls i have liked." i opened it and began flipping through the cards. i quickly shut it, shocked to realize that i recognized the names written on each one.

and then without being told, i knew exactly where i was. this lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.

a sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as i began randomly opening files and exploring their contents. some brought joy and sweet memories, others a sense of shame and regret so intense that i would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. a file named "friends" was next to one marked "friends i have betrayed."

the titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "books i have read," "lies i have told," "comfort i have given," "jokes i have laughed at." some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "things i've yelled at my brothers." others i couldn't laugh at: "things i have done in anger," "things i have muttered under my breath at my parents." i never ceased to be surprised by the contents. often there were many more cards than i expected. sometimes there were fewer than i hoped.

i was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life i had lived. could it be possible that i had the time in my twenty years to write each of these thousands, possibly millions, of cards? but each card confirmed this truth.
each was written in my own handwriting. each signed with my signature.

when i pulled out the file marked "songs i have listened to," i realized the files grew to contain their contents. the cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, i hadn't found the end of the file. i shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time i knew that file represented.

when i came to a file marked "lustful thought," i felt a chill run through my body. i pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. i shuddered at its detailed contents. i felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

suddenly i felt an almost animal rage. one thought dominated my mind: "no one must ever see these cards! no one must ever see this room! i have to destroy them!" in an insane frenzy i yanked the file out. its size didn't matter now. i had to empty it and burn the cards. but as i took the file at one end and began pounding it on the floor, i could not dislodge a single card. i became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when i tried to tear it.

defeated and utterly helpless, i returned the file to its slot. leaning my forehead against the wall, i let out a long, self-pitying sigh. and then i saw it. the title bore "people i have shared the Gospel with." the handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. i pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. i could count the cards it contained on one hand.

and then the tears came. i began to weep. sobs so deep that they hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. i fell on my knees and cried. i cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. the rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. no one must ever, ever know of this room. i must lock it up and hide the key.

but then as i pushed away the tears, i saw Him. no, please not Him. not here. oh, anyone but Jesus.

i watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. i couldn't bear to watch His response. and in the moments i could bring myself to look at His face, i saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. why did He have to read every one?

finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. but this was a pity that didn't anger me. i dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. but He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. starting at one end of the room, He took out the file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

"no!" i shouted, rushing to Him. all i could find to say was "no, no," as i pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. but there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. the name of Jesus covered mine. it was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign the cards. i don't think i'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed i heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "it is finished,"

i stood up, and He led me out of the room. there was no lock on its door. there were still cards to be written.

"so let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in dissension and jealousy. rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." romans 13:12-14

***

joshua continues...

maybe you have a particular memory that continues to hound you, a memory that makes you feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. don't let the past beat you up. forget it. don't replay that moment or any others like it. if you've repented of all those behaviours, God has promised to remember them no more ["for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." hebrews 8:12]. move on. a lifetime of purity awaits you.

***

i believe God gives us dreams to show or reveal certain insights we don't know of or certain spiritual mysteries. i don't know if the room and the files joshua saw in his dream are exactly as the records system in Heaven concerning our activities down here on earth. but what i do know is, God does take notice of every single thing we do. He knows our every move and thought.

"Your eyes saw my unformed body, all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." psalm 139:16

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 Jesus sacrificed His life while mankind was in sin in order to reconcile us back to our Father. and when we truly believe and surrender to God, our past sins are washed white as snow and the purity of Jesus clothes us. 

"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him." psalm 103:10-13

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have you messed up? i've made mistakes too. hush, it's okay. ask for forgiveness from God, your Creator and Redeemer. surrender your whole heart to Him and start the journey of purity with Him right by your side. let's finish the race clothed in purity. :)

xoxo, gen delali.

linking up here and here.

It's the second half of the year!

So, it’s the first day of the second half of the year! Woop! Wasn’t it just recently that Christmas came by? Whew! How time flies. Today’s Republic day down here. I honestly don’t really see the difference between holidays and regular days lately. Hey, it’s not my fault. It’s a no school, no work policy for now. ;) Every day is literally like a holiday for me these days. I mean, after all that stress from schooling I deserve it right? Good. Anyway, happy Republic day to all Ghanaians and honorary Ghanaians. ;)

                                                                                          

Today marks the first day of the month which begins the second half of the year and I wanted to drop by and encourage us to keep pursuing our goals. You know, the ones we resolved to chase after during New Year? Yes, those goals/plans you wrote in your diary/journal, tucked away somewhere among books on your desk or right under your pillow. 

I look at my vision board and I realize I’m not totally through achieving all the things on it, but of course I’m on it and I pray most if not all are fully satisfied by the end of the year to make way for other dreams and aspirations. 

I pray you keep dreaming, hoping, praying, believing and achieving. Don’t give up on those dreams, no matter how small or big they are. Go over those goals and figure out what you’re not doing right that’s hindering them see the light of day. Make the second half of the year count! :) Are you waiting on God to come through with His promises? Well, hold on, He will come through. He hasn’t forgotten about you. He wouldn’t forget. :)

Enjoy Brandon Heath's lovely song, 'Wait and see'

                                                                                    

Cheers to a fruitful second half of the year! Do not stop believing, keep hope alive. Have a blessed new month. Jesus loves you! xoxo

Delali.

May Is Here! + Kicking Fear To The Curb

Hi friends, May is finally here!!! :D Yaaaay! Wanna know why I’m so excited about May? Well for starters, it’s my birth month (hint, it’s AU day ;) ), my mom’s birth month, and I finish up undergrad this month! (the day before my birthday!) Finallyyyyy! I tell you, I’ve had it with school. I’m so tired of having my face in academic stuff and constantly studying, especially at the moment for my very last finals. So seeing May arrive just lets me know that I’m going to have my life back soon. I can’t wait.

Undoubtedly May is my favorite month and I’m pretty sure it still would have been even if it wasn’t my birth month. There’s just something about it. MAY. Simple, and yet so beautiful and compelling.

Today’s a holiday here- Labour Day. But of course, I’m stuck with books to study for my finals. :|

 Via

Oh well, before I get carried away about this special month of mine, lemme share this super inspiring poem on the very first day of this beautiful month by Marianne Williamson.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others. 

The first time I heard this poem was from the movie, Akeelah and the Bee. That was about six years ago. And these words have since then been stuck in my mind. I’m sure they aren’t going to fade away from my memory any time soon. I have bits of it pasted on my wall beside my bed. (Yeah, I like it that much.)

As we welcome this new month, I want to urge you on to step out in faith and start to live the meaningful life God made you to live. I want to remind you of how wonderful you are. You don’t have to be like someone before you realize you are special. Do some soul searching and ask God what gifts He’s placed in you and go out there and make life happen with those gifts. 

I want to ask you to look back over the last four months and see if you did the things you set out to do in the beginning of the year. (I blogged about New Year plans here.) Are you on track? If you aren’t, it’s not too late. The first quarter is gone but we have two more quarters left in the year, make it count. You can start living that fearless life God needs you to live, the life which speaks loud and clear that you are not ashamed to be known as a child of God, a child of wonder who has been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. 

The clock is ticking sweetheart. We are not promised tomorrow. Today is what we have, and we might as well make the best of it. Let go of all the things that are tying you to the ground and take those bold steps to make your dreams a reality. Living fearlessly has been something dear to my heart lately. I blogged about it here, and there. 

One of my favourite verses in the Bible says:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Dear one, stop trying to belittle yourself. Stop trying so hard to convince yourself that you don’t matter. I’ve been there, doesn’t do any good. You really do matter, that’s why you are breathing at this very moment, that’s why you are still alive. Your heart is beating in the left side of your chest right now because of a great purpose. Each heartbeat is a reminder of a purpose God needs you to fulfil.

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 

You need to trust His plan. Jeremiah 29:11 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 hope.”

Comparing yourself to others who you deem to be better at something than you, would just make you feel inadequate and less than. It’s the worst. Stop hurting yourself and stop the unnecessary comparisons. She may be smarter than you or she may easily make friends than you. But so what? You are good at something others aren’t good at too. So just focus on your strengths and quit beating yourself up. Remember that we have different personalities, so know yourself and your strengths. We are each moulded uniquely and intricately by the hands of God. 

“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

The good thing is, God loves us just the way we are. We don’t have to be smart or good looking like someone else before He loves us. He created us after all and there’s a purpose for each one of us to fulfil before our time on this earth runs out. Make sure you spend your time wisely before it slips away. So no more excuses, no more procrastination. Ask God for your purpose and talents and passionately pursue them for His glory. Focus on your journey and allow God to make something beautiful out of your hurts, brokenness, hardships, guilt, regrets and pain. Isaiah 61:3 says He bestows on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes. 

  

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10

May you see some beautiful, meaningful and happy times this month. Philippians 1:6 is my prayer as I trust my Father to bring to a beautiful completion this month, some things He began in me some years ago. The verse says “And I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  This month is extra special because it marks the end of my four year journey in pursuit of a degree and it marks the beginning of a new year for me. :)

May you allow the things that need to die away in your life do so as you embrace the new things that’ll be born in you. Let your light shine dear, someone needs it to find their way. Be strong in the Lord & have yourself a meaningful and magnificent May! xoxo

Delali.