My 2014 as a playlist. Soundtracks to year past.

Twenty fourteen, Looking back at this year I cant help but smile from ear to ear, it's been a journey of faith to faith. Its not to early to do a reflection on the year's events and happenings right?! besides its only 16 days till Christmas and  21 days till the year wraps up, what's that they say about the early bird? Haha .. I'm not actually sure if it applies to this case. Back to the heart of the matter, Someone once said that music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent,  this year for me has been a year that has been marked by a lot of challenges, Iv fallen in love ( yes with a man lol) , I have cried and laughed and I have been happy and sad and excited and disappointed and proud of myself and others; the list goes on. Throughout all these experiences there has been moments when only music could express what was within that words could not express or describe. So I thought as I get close to wrapping up the year I could look back on what songs/ music I have listened to so much that inspired me, encouraged me or simply just expressed my inner feelings etc. and here it goes;

1.  You make me brave - Bethel music

When I first saw the promo to the album it was a rush of goose bumps all over my skin, I was so excited and just awed because the spoken word in the album promo totally resonated with my spirit and spoke into my life situation at that moment. And instantly the entire album became my life story at that particular time.

 I was in a place where I needed to make a major decision of starting TAFE (college as we know it) in a few months, my biggest fear which was fanned by the people around me was, "will I be able to afford". At that time raising A$6,500 on a part time job working few hours a week to cover my tuition for the semester seemed like a very intimidating huge mountain. I had thoughts to myself  "will I make it, what if I spend so much money and  later fail to meet my ongoing financial obligation, I'm I making the right decision?" To couple it up I had to face other personal and emotional challenges that at one point I felt so crippled and paralysed by the predicaments I was faced with. And that was around the time that Bethel music released brave. What timing, I believe it was orchestrated by God.  You make me brave has truly been a message of courage, faith and victory in the past couple of months for me. It was an exciting, daring challenge to take those bold steps even whilst still feeling the fear and the uncertainty, it was a reminder of the things God has spoken to me through his word, "that I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you my child" and that I could take him at his word as I took steps of bravery and courage in the face of the storm and that in Christ there's really no such a thing as falling and failing cause you are landing into him. #HeMakesMeBrave :-)

2. Cliff Notes Ep - Natalie Lauren

This is how Natalie describes her album .....

"I wanted to write stories on love but not the love we hear about often...Love is Hard & Hardly ever a fairytale. Love is not a one night stand or just some random cut buddy. I think we've forgotten exactly what love is or never really learned. All of our stories are different but love, though hard at times, it is a gift from God to be experienced & enjoyed as he has designed!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8"  http://noisetrade.com/natalielauren/cliff-notes-ep)

This extended play by Natalie Lauren formerly known as 'Suzy Rock' came in towards the end of the year.  This album is so simple and it was absolutely free but yet gold, I say its every Christian girl's dream of music to express the different sides of life and love, we all know that its not always plain sailing and it is not all the times that you want to sing hallelujah about it! sometimes you just want to whine about it, cry a river and at the same time not wander off into being vain and faithless, let's just say for a while I was over the songs that went like "oh I'll never love again or how do I breathe etc." Like seriously! I may be hurting but its not the end of the world, yes, sometimes you just want to pour out the exact emotions from your heart as they are but you dont want to forget that weeping may only last for a night but Joy comes in the morning, there is always healing on the other side, you will move on and grow. Cliff notes has been that breathe of fresh air that I had been longing and looking for. This year for me came with a twist of it's own on the matters of the heart. Let's just say it has been beautiful and perfect but the timing and setting was wrong and could just NEVER be! looking back I smile and I'm grateful, sometimes I shed tears too but I'm  healing too and my joy is still full . "Sometimes we get buried in the debris of what was not realizing sometimes Starting from Scratch is best!" #Cliffnotes

3.  The Undoing - Steffany Gretzinger

she's one of Bethel music's worship leaders and her solo album came right after the group album 'You make me brave'. This is not an album review but I felt in every sense that this album was more steffany and the minute hear it you don't relate it to bethel music ad a whole, it's very intimate and very personal and it's what I love about it.
"What does it look like to worship in the process of growth, love, pain, healing? The Undoing is Steffany's whole-hearted response to this question and the journey it beckons, resulting in 11 lyrically-rich tracks bearing honest lyrics, fresh melodies and unique instrumentation. Some songs began in spontaneous worship, others began as personal prayers or were written for friends. The Undoing invites listeners to embrace not so much the destinations we reach with God, but the many processes we walk out in this life with Him: the crucial moments along the way. It is from this place that Steffany has translated her experiences and passion into songs that are meant to last. "

This album for me has been avenue for me to express my vulnerability and be open with God. Its been also a reminder that God knows what things I have to go through and that I have to face life everyday and that each new day comes with different situations and challenges, and that I will not always get it right and its okay, its not Just the destination or the outcome but the journey is more important itself. The process has a purpose and it is were the learning happens, Not that he wants me to get stuck in the same things or remain in the same place no, but for me to be able to learn and grow and become that person he has made me to be. I know I might not be there yet but I no longer fuss at those things I am yet to achieve or become, I can be happy and content knowing that when he found me I was in a worse off state but that didn't put him off to pursue me and he's not about to stop now. 

.... And that's a wrap !!!!

We are getting there

Nelson Mandela once said "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall." The past couple of months of my life are a living testimony to that. Yes, I haven't made the best of decisions of some situations but what makes me more proud and happy with myself is that instead of beating myself up and wallowing in self pity like in time passed, I have instead been able to pick the lessons from the not so wise things, see the beauty in it and appreciate the blessings that came along. The word of God itself has said that seven times a righteous man will fall and he will rise (proverbs 24:17), and God himself has said that he is the one who has started a good work in me and he will see it to perfection ( Phil1:6), I am rest assured that I haven't arrived yet and I'm still being perfected in my character, I'm getting there. And I'm confident that if I begin to go the wrong I will hear his voice that will tell me which way to go.           

(Isaiah 30:21 NIV Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”)

And above all I'm persuaded that nothing I ever do will make him love me any more than he does and neither can it break his love that he has for. This assurance is not a free pass ticket but  it gives me freedom and peace to enjoy life and busk in his love, it gives me the confidence to come to him boldly at any time, that's what his grace is about. He first loved us before we loved him, and our confidence is not in how much we love him but how much he loves. Because even before we knew how to do right he still loved us and gave us his only precious son.

That being said, I'm filled with gratitude and love and joy for the "blessing" that I have encountered this year, not everything turned out the way I would have wanted but I'm rest assured that in all things he works all things together for the good of those who love him.

So now I look forward to many of those good things. Goodness!  It's amazing that the year is nearly coming to a wrap. Bring on 2015 already, another chapter,  I wonder what lies in store. Oh my! The suspense,  it's like watching a good drama, with only the good stuff in it. One great thing to know is that the script and the scene has already been written and set out by my author and perfector,  and all I have to do is just walk onto the set, que the next scene.

I hear him speak

 

Moments spent with in the word of God are always moments of clarity and peace for me. And this is the one reason (among others) that I love my bible, it is the very voice of my heavenly father. So many times in the past I found myself screaming loudly in my head, " lord if you could just speak to me in a loud audible voice or at least give me a sign!" but as I grew in the faith I have come to learn that God will never speak to me beyond or what is outside his word, and that his word is complete,loud and living and active, all I have to do is listen. And as for those signs, yes the are also included in his word.

So every now and then when I feel like things are not going right, or feel sad, lonely frustrated, angry, I cant do this anymore,  I am just sooo tired; the list of scenarios are endless, but in every circumstance I have learnt that the only way I can come out of it is by responding that situation from what he has said, and that's another principal I have learnt, that the word of God is for talking and not Just keeping in our hearts, I can have confidence and courage that because God has said it, I can also make confession of that which he has spoken regarding my predicament or present situation ( Hebrews 13:5-6). I must confess that this is not always easy to do because I am usually challenged by my mind and feelings and thins that surround me, But my believing is not by mind or my feelings but with the heart, so its not that I'm in denial of the situation that I find myself  in, but its how I choose to respond or react to it. And by responding from what God has said, I am choosing to take the path of faith.


"your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" ~~Psalm 119: 105

Dreaming of Sydney, melbourne & Adelaide ...

SYDNEY

Love the cosmopolitan, fast and trendy feel of Sydney

 

 

MELBOURNE

Always dreamt of melbourne since day one of arriving in Perth, WA

 

 

ADELAIDE

Love the countryish feel of adelaide, picnics, the beach sight seeing.

 

Hope that stands still in the storm..

Today I came back home from a church outreach to news of my aunt's passing. We prayed we spoke God's promises and believed that she was whole from the illness that was inflicting so much pain for, her discharge from the ICU to home was an assurance for me, but today I still come back to the news that she is no more, must have been the irky feeling I constantly had within my spirit. It hurts so much, that she will no longer be with us, that her grand kids who are  on their way will only hear that they once had a grandma, that my cousins will no longer have a mother, God knows how much of a strong pillar she has been in their lives, it hurts that my mother will no longer have her big sister and it also hurts that my grandmother who is old in her age will get to have another of her children buried.
But as much as we are are hurt  I am again reminded of the apostle Paul's encouragement,  and I give thanks and glory to God for the life she livef, her salvation and the work that she did for God while she was still here on earth.and that she is free from her mortal body that only only caused her pain and that now she rests in the arms of our Lord jesus.  For now we can only look forward to seeing her again and we who Ard left behind also rest in that assurance and tihe comfort of the Holy Spirit. 
Rest in Jesus aunt Marjorie xxx

Pursuit : Jesus Culture

 

 

Strip everything away till all I have is You
Undo the veils till all I see is You

Strip everything away till all I have is You
Undo the veils till all I see is You

I will pursue You, I will pursue Your presence
I will pursue You, I will pursue Your presence

I'm pressing in to You so do not pass me by
I'm breaking through the boundaries
I will not be denied

I will pursue You, I will pursue Your presence
I will pursue You, I will pursue Your presence

Open my eyes, search me inside, I cant live without Your presence, I can't live without Your presence

 

 

 

Dear Jesus......

I don't know if I need to tell you or begin to explain
but my heart is aching and I just want to cry but the tears wont come,
 I wont bore you with a long winded explanation  of why or
how or blame myself because you already know too well
all I ask all I need is that you steady this heart of mine
from this pain that I feel, am not going to worry about a thing
because I know that you hold me in the palm of your hands and
that you are the lover of my heart and healer of my soul. Calm this
raging storm inside.

love always,

Me xxx

A tribute to Marvin (B3)

This man is Marvin, Iv only had one up close encounter with him, and the rest was through his music ministry. From that one instance I met him, I know he was a very humble and respectful man, and now he is gone and passed on to glory. The body of Christ stood up and prayed with one desire to see him recover and stay with us longer, his death has caused so much sadness and pain but it has united us as Christians and we are greatly encouraged and made stronger. Heaven is now his reward for he lived for Christ and his death is only a gain,I can see him worshipping at the feet of father. I am greatly moved by his death because I was expectant to hear that he is well, I couldn't help but shed tears but am reminded and strengthened by the word of God to mourn with hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

by this assurance we are at peace and we are not moved or discouraged , and we don't mourn like the unbelievers who have no hope, we have a hope in Christ.

his work and service for the lord while he was still alive just reminds me that when all is finished, when all is said and done, what you had done for God is all that matter, and it is all that you will have to show, not the earthly pursuits, the all come done to nothing. I am greatly encouraged to serve God with passion because of this man, and to any one who does not know Christ I would just encourage you to stop chasing the with wind and give your life to Christ, life's pursuits are all empty without the love of God in your life, let him give your life a more fulfilling purpose and meaning.

Marvin's life may have short but he has fought a good fight, he has run the race and he has kept the faith. he lives behind a far greater legacy than when he was alive  and because of him the name of the lord is glorified, heaven rejoices because a son is finally home. For now I pray for the comfort of the holy spirit to be with his family his fiancee friends his twin brother colleagues, and everyone who's life was touched by him in one way or another .until we meet, rest in the peace of God, ulale mu chibote chafumu.

24 thoughts at 24 ....

 
So I turned 24 3 days ago, normally my birthday is just like any other day and on this particular day I had work training all day, but this time around I decided to at least do something different just for a change, so I decide to have a meal at the twilight hawkers market in the city with a friend I recently met and it turned out to be lots of fun. A couple of months prior to my birthday I was feeling somewhat anxious about turning a year, anxious about being 24 and not much accomplishments to show for it, I am not in uni yet and still haven't even started studying something that will lead me to the actual degree I want, and the list is endless. I realised later that these feelings were stemming from the comparisons I was making to those around me and I was just feeling left out, but thank God I got to shake these feelings off before my birthday.

twilight hawkers market
 

 I know my life at this moment in time is far from what I want it to be but choosing not to focus on what my current situation looks like is what gives me a whole lot of confidence and just leaves me in a place where am at peace with myself, because let's face, seeing things with your physical eyes, you will not fall short to come up with a list of a thousand things that are wrong with your life, but instead I now see from within, I see with my spiritual eyes and every time I do all I see is greatness, I wish I could go back in time to that young and miserable girl I was and just hug her and tell her that you are letting the wrong things run and ruin your life, to that girl who stayed up all night crying because it didn't work out with her boyfriend, to that girl who was resentful because she though she had the worst father ever, to that girl who never felt enough or good in any way, I wish I could reach out to her and just hug her and tell her things can never get any worse than they were because it only gets better and that her best days of her life are ahead and not in the past, and that she could only begin to live that best life if only she decided to because it was all up to her. for now I know am grounded and in a place of stability, no matter what challenges I get to face, I can get battered, I can stagger but I still come out strong, I don't give up and resort to vices, I now resort to God and I stagger not at his word, its what keeps me coming out of every storm, I now know I have a future and hope, that all things are possible and that the sky is the limit, am still learning and I know that better things are still ahead, I know that the man of my dreams awaits me and that some day I will love falling in love with him , I know that only greatness lies ahead of me, and for now all I have to do is prepare myself for it. so here's to being 24 and the many lessons that still lie ahead .....

1. The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom.

2. the word of God is the best manual you can use for life, it gives you light on every situation you can ever find yourself in, it gives you direction, there is no getting or feeling lost.

3. Success is not about acquiring things or reaching a status, its investing in yourself so that you can reach out to other people and make their life better, the number one investment I can ever make is in the gospel of our lord Jesus, making his good news known to everyone.

5. never lower your standards or make excuses for people who don't have any standards of their own or refuse to raise them, stand for something or fall for anything!

6. if you still stuck on the last chapter of your life you will never get to the next one, flip the page and move on.

7. being jealous of other people is like counting their blessings for them, it just puts so much pressure on you and puts you in an unnecessary competition

8.dont fall in love because everyone around you is or because you are lonely and feel left out, fall in love when the time is right, saves you the unnecessary heart ache.

9. only aim to become better than the person you where yesterday and not the person next to you. focus on you because we all have a different purpose in life and are all called to do different things.

10. the power to shape you own life, your future and destiny lies within you, your past struggles, mistakes and pains, they no longer define you (am a new creation in Christ)

11. but company will at some point corrupt you, if you have to be alone it is way better than being with the wrong people. make your friends wisely, if they don't bring you closer to God, stay away from them!

13. doing things the same way over and over again and expecting a different result is pure madness, things wont change and till you confront them or work on finding different approaches.

14. be the person you want your life long partner to be before you can start thinking of sharing of sharing your life with someone else.

15. be confident in yourself, don't keep second guessing yourself or try to be a perfectionist, get things done and if it doesn't work out try again. its people who try and people who do things that society gets to reward.

16. life is fragile: handle it with prayer.

17. don't seek happiness, seek joy. happiness is a state of mind that comes from external factors while joy is true contentment that comes from internal factors.

19.life is too short to spend it with people who don't add any value to your life or are there to just suck out the happiness out of your life.

20. worrying will not make things any better but will just steal you joy from your now, its like that rocking chair quote, so instead of worrying talk to God.

21. don't worry about the wrong things that people have done to you or live in hurt, because hurt in your heart will consume you so much so that you will end up hurting more than the people who hold that hurt against.

22. the number one thing to look out for in a man is his love for God.

23. don't live in the fear of the unknown and sticking to what you know, great things were achieved by people who were willing to get out of their comfort zone.

24. its never too late to achieve or do something, so long their is life then there is still hope and the best time to do it is now.

I know there are challenges that are still ahead of me but they will be only to help me grow in faith and character because I know that am already an overcomer.



HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY TO ME........