THANKFUL

It's Thanksgiving!!! Yayy!! Can't wait for the turkey dinner!!

But on a much more serious note.. what are you thankful for this year? Let's give God the praise He deserves.

I dunno about you, but after I graduated, life just became a battlefield. Everything oh, my future was jus all over the place (it still is, actually, but things are coming together slowly), my summer was just not that great (though from the outside one will think I had the best summer ever), but I've had a lot on my mind.. life is just hard. lol

But alas, I've also learnt a lot..

- When you find yourself in hell, the best way out is to go THROUGH it.

- At some point you just need to cast your burdens unto God. Get on that 'Jesus, take the wheel, step on the gas, and get me the hell outta here' swag..and trust that He will cos he totally will.

- Don't worry too much. Just pray, do you and leave the rest to God. (I realize now, that if I knew what would have happened to me this week, I would have spent the time i spent worrying on productive things like studying, cos now God has sorted out that aspect of my life and now I am here stressing about all the crap I have to study within the next 3weeks and I honestly dunno how I'm going to do it. sigh... )

- Some people are just in your life to stress you out and give you pimples. lol. Don't let them get the best of you.

- Some people don't know you but feel the need to discuss you over vodka and ice. lol. Eventually, they will bite their tongues and stop.

- When you reach the lowest point in your life, that's when you know your friends. The people who still checked up on u etc, basically showed that you matter to them, keep those people close to your heart. They are the friends worth having.

- Everybody talks about everybody. Get used to it. Its not always with malicious intent, so you can't always take these things too seriously or else you are worrying yourself.

- Give everybody second and third chances, God did the same for you. However, once you know someone's character, just be careful.

- NOT EVERYBODY WANTS GOOD THINGS FOR YOU. DON'T PUT YOUR BUSINESS OUT THERE!

- Fasting is very effective. lol, like joke, it always works for me. Like when I 'gyiga' and I fast seriously, things fall into place.

- Life is hard, but don't fuck it quite yet.. hehe, i dun even know why I said that.

I'm not sure I had a point when I started typing , cos I'm not quite sure I'm making any point... I'm jus typing chao..so I'm going..

todoloooo!!!

Give Thanks with a grateful heart!!

The Will Of God

Hi lovely people!!

So I went to church today, and the sermon was on The Will Of God. I hope God's Will comes to pass in everyone's lives, Amen. That being said, I'd like to share an analogy the pastor gave, which I thought was interesting.

Imagine there is a stream, and kids try to create a dam in the middle somewhere, ok. What happens? The dam might keep the water for a while, but after a while the water either finds its way around the stones or pushes the stones away with a greater force, right? Especially if there's a storm or something. Well, its the same with God's Will - sometimes there are circumstances, internal and/or external forces, bad decisions, wrong choices, indecision, errors, temporary failures, enemies trying to just hinder your progress (like joke), and all these things try to block the God's Will from coming to pass in your life. However, His Will always comes to pass, one way or the other, there is always a way.. it might take a different form, change drastically or ever so slightly, you may go through through all sorts of hell, but like the water behind the dam, with persistence (prayer, fasting, hope, endurance, hard work etc).. there is always a way. It may be mad slow, but it always comes... that is, if its His Will.

Best Wishes,
Shels

Helloooo...

Hellooooo....

Hellooooo....

Can you hear me?






Silence?

Hellooooooo....

I feel like I'm having a one sided conversation. I'm always talking, always ranting, always complaining, and You don't say anything. I want You to talk to me. I wish You would just talk to me. I guess You can call me lazy, for not trying to understand through the little things You do. Maybe its human nature, or again, maybe I'm just lazy. I really just want You to talk to me. I want to have some form of dialogue, like when I chat with my friends and family. I want you to say something funny, and I want to be able to get the joke. I want to say something funny, and know if You feel disrespected or You also find it funny. I want to be able to ask the difficult questions, without being judged by others who might be listening. I want to be able to tell You about my ideas and theories without being afraid that I might get struck my lightening. Is it alright if I talk to You about issues like homosexuality? Is it okay if I have a discussion with you? Will you give me an instant heart attack if I said something like 'Well, God realized human beings need to learn to live with and understand people who are different, so there are people who are non-conformists, like lesbians and gay guys. Live with them, respect them and do not judge.' or 'Is that just some evil strain of who-knows-what that we need to fight', 'sin or no sin, is it in the Bible, i must have seen it somewhere, but I'm not too sure'? I wish I could just have a conversation with You. One that didn't involve me doing all the talking. One that didn't involve me waiting for answers. Like the one you had with Abraham, Isaac, Elijah, Paul etc..

Can I handle it though, or will it blow my mind right into insanity?

Sigh. I get frustrated sometimes. I just thought I'd let You know. Please show me what I'm looking for, before I really go insane.

FYI Lord....

Dear God,

It would interest you to know that you may have put a psychic power in the brain of a German sea animal. Yes Lord, I'm sure news has reached heaven about Octopsychic Paul. He's doing wonders and making a name for himself by predicting World Cup results and so far he's had all predictions right. Today if he doesn't get his prediction right, he'll be 'dinner for 8' by 9pm tonight (personally I think they'll eat him anyway).
So what should we expect next, an election outcome predicting crab? That should be interesting. I'm probably going to get me a pet that can tell future outcomes (an edible one just in case it predicts wrongly).

Rock of Ages

In my solemn times I've always found myself singing this particular hymn. It never bores, it never tarries to surface in my mind. It's the one song that draws me back into the loving arms of God whenever I go very astray. The one hymn that gives me good rest when I'm so very tired. The

I'm a difficult man, but I break down and weep bitterly when I sing:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

Close to Us

What a Might God we serve indeed
A thundering splendour, yet a loving Father
His Grace is free for all in need
His Glory from one other to another

His watchful eye is always over us
Our mortal bodies he keeps in his embrace
Whether we walk, glide, or ride in a bus
He lead the way to the next place

Our God is ever so near, yes he is
Through our valley and fear, his word still is
"I will never leave nor forsake you, my child
Only let your heart be trusting and true"

Broken Toys :)

I'd like to share a song that my grandpa and mum really liked when I was younger. Back then the only lines that caught my attention were 'chasing pretty rainbows' and 'broken toys'. lol

Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows?

Are you tired of spinning round and round?

Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life

And at the feet of Jesus lay them down.

Give them all, Give them all,

Give them all to Jesus

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys

Give them all, Give them all,

Give them all to Jesus

And he will turn your sorrow into joy

He never said you would only see sunshine

He never said there would be no rain

He only promised us a heart full of singing

For the very thing that once brought pain.

Give them all, Give them all,

Give them all to Jesus

Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, broken toys

Give them all, Give them all,

Give them all to Jesus

And he will turn your sorrow into joy

Give Them all to Jesus

At the feet of Jesus lay them Down

By Christy Lane- Give 'em all to Jesus

Sending a 'pick me up' your way. Whenever you feel down, depressed, tired, unloved, and ready to give up.. whenever you feel like the whole world must definitely be against you .. whenever you feel like everything is too heavy for you to bear, just remember that you can just lay them down at His feet. He will always be there. He will always make a way. Sometimes we go through down phases in order to grow spiritually, emotionally and mentally. So always look at these down times -- the shattered dreams, the wounded hearts, the broken toys ... ya, the broken toys :) -- as opportunities to learn something new (perhaps how to mend a toy? haha, or a sign that its time to play in the sandbox instead :). Don't fret about anything, just LET GO & LET HIM. :) xoxo

Latent Questions - Creation

Dear God,


What were you up to before you created the universe?

How did you come about the Adam and Eve (man meets woman) concept?

If we were created in your image and likeness, do you have a penis?

If Adam hadn't shown signs of loneliness, would you have created woman?

What were the other alternatives you considered before settled for woman?

So the other planets are just hanging there, just for show? Were you being creative or were you just showing off?

Why so vast a universe? You seem to like confusing us.

If you didn't want us to know good and evil, why did you plant that tree - especially right in the middle of the garden??

So I don't quite understand how Adam could just name so many animals; what kinda name is hippopotamus??!!

If we were still in the garden of Eden, what would procreation be like: where would it take place (randomly like dogs?), how would we pair up? Would there be such a thing as polygamy?

If Adam and Eve were the first of mankind, how did their son, Cain, find a woman in another town to marry? Did Adam and Eve procreate sporadically or were you busily moulding more clay on some other part of the earth?.... WAIT! now I've got it! You WERE busy moulding clay, that's how you appeared in the garden after they had sinned. I've always known that if you had been watching, you'd have prevented that sinful act in some way.

What's the big deal in eating a fruit anyway? You could have hidden the knowledge of good and evil on another planet instead. Maybe man would've been naive for a longer time until we discovered how to space-travel. Now you see, since Eden, the world had had to got through a lot of issues. You like the drama, don't you?
How did Adam know what to 'do' with Eve? Did she come with a manual?

So let's get this straight: Out of eternal boredom or something else you made the world, put unblemished humans in a garden, planted a very tempting tree right in the middle and let a 'serpent' loose on them?... Something is definitely wrong here. Either you are a puppet master who experiments with his toys or the Author of Genesis was NUTS!

I'll settle for the latter because I've known you for a while now and you're no puppet master. My questions still hold but I'll wait till I see you so we discuss them over a heavenly brunch? Do you have sushi or Chinese food in heaven?

INNER PEACE

Sometimes its hard to understand

Why things are the way they are

Why good things happen to bad people

And bad things happen to good people

Sometimes its hard to comprehend

How the world ended up so cruel

Why people act selfishly and shamelessly

Why people seek the downfall of others

Sometimes its hard to understand

Why the good people die

And why God asks you to forgive

When we will never see our loved ones again

Sometimes its hard to comprehend

Sometimes its hard to Forgive

Always its hard to forget

Always its harder to talk to God about it

But when you do

Oh, when you do

Sigh... such relief

Sigh... inner peace

For He calms our fears

For He soothes our aches

Though we refuse to understand

That He sorts out all in due time

Once we ask, When we ask

He grants us peace

He calms our fears

He soothes our aches

Would I?

Dear God,

What if you actually lived among us? Would we be more obedient knowing that you are with us or would we sin more knowing that you'll be visibly ready to forgive? It's something I'm thinking about this very moment. What would you look like? What would you wear? Would you live on top of an 'Olympian' mountain in all your bellowing splendour, with thick fiery clouds surrounding your abode, or live like an ordinary human, picking the bus with us? Or would you live as King of the world (I think not)? Would you visit us from time to time and actually have fellowship with us? Would you perform miracles overtly? Would you behold a woman and conceive a demi-god (I think you've done that already but with style)?

Would I love you more? Yearn for you more? Pray more (or less)? Speak of you more? Bask in your glory? Climb to 'Olympus' in search for you, the truth, answers? Would I ask for too much or less; or nothing at all?

Would you be black? White? Asian? Hispanic? Caucasian? Blonde? Red neck?

Would the devil have to live with us too, you know, for balance? Would hell be just around the corner?

Would I still have to work or school? I hope that's a NO.

Conviction

Dear God,

I was having a discussion with a friend about faith, religion and belief. First of all let me say that he's willing to believe in You if only he gets logical answers to his questions. He's just very technical and doesn't want to believe that there are some things that cannot be logically explained... Before I continue, let me just say THANKS for seeing me through last year and letting me smell 2010. I'm sure for you the year passed within the blink of an eye. That must've been a very LOOOOONG blink!!

So this guy thinks religion is just a hoax that has influenced the whole world and created some sort of stereotypical behaviour that's supposed to create and maintain social order. Truthfully Lord, he made a lot of logical sense. He also made sense when he said that when we're socialised in a family that practises a particular faith then that's what we'll automatically believe is the right one and what shows Christianity is the true worship of God and not Islam or Buddhism. After all they are all worshipping a higher being and your justification for one religion is as good as for the other. Or yet still, is there a God that is so all-knowing that he could predict the future and didn't do anything to stop the devil from causing so much chaos in the world?

Lord, I almost doubted your existence one but I jumped right back into your arms. While I was wondering and trying to lose my faith, these exact same question came to mind and oh my God, they were so strong and logical. But for grace I would've concluded there's no You and life is just a big mystery that would be figured out sooner or later. But then I began to consider the things no one has been able to explain, things that are obviously not hallucinations or tricks of the mind. How the firmaments are beautifully formed and how no one can ever figure out how the universe came to be and how far it stretches. I remembered the days that I knelt down and prayed and had instant amazing breakthroughs. I recalled the joy that I feel when I'm in your presence, the indescribable serenity and security that engulfs me when I cry out to heaven for help. All these little things that the scientists and atheists can't explain are proof enough that you are Alpha and Omega.

I admit, there are things I cannot even attempt to explain. But that's my logical basis for believing in a Supreme Being. What makes me believe in You, my dear Father is the conviction of your Spirit - that conviction that is the source of my faith and love for you. So if I ever incline towards atheism or an ounce of doubt, Lord, convict me!

Faithfully,
Ananse