My story- I choose to SMILE!

You do NOT know my story! The anguish that consumed me..... But GOD.....He has been faithful to me. That is why this smile is permanent!

If you know me, and still wonder why this lady is always smiling? It’s because I choose to smile and it looks good on me. I could have opted to look hurt and defeated, to walk with my head down because life can be stressful and lonely. Sometimes, I wonder why God allows me to go through what I go through.  Sometimes I want to know if this thing will ever work out for the best. The truth is, sometimes I wonder…..  

But I choose to smile, no matter the defeat, and mistreat, and failure. I choose to smile and have JOY! Because I believe with all my heart, soul, mind, spirit, and bones that God is ABLE! He is all sufficient, and kind. Because of who he is, I choose to smile.

In the words of this song; “You DO NOT know my story, the strongholds and the walls that severed me.”

I have just a few real friends, and I intend to keep it that way for a very long time; they are the ones who invest their time and energy just for me. I’ve heard stories of people stating that their friends are like family. I never understood it back then, but now I do. Because my inner circle, my confidants are like family. They are the ones who will be at my wedding, and genuinely be happy for my happiness and God’s favour for my life! They are the ones I can call, sms at 4am in the morning. They are my flamboyant cheerleaders; they are loud at times, beautiful all the time, wise most times, real all the time and imperfect just like me. They are truly amazing.

I am a realist, and the truth is........The only one who knows my full story is the giver of life. At the end of the day, I seldom run to my real friends when I feel at the LOW LOW LOWEST. The reason is that living in Christ is all I've know. I grew up loving the story of Jesus, that he gave his life for me and then, I found the courage to run to him, because he is all I knew. And all I know presently... I know that my friends are humans just like me, they go through some messed up situations just like me; we are all a work in progress, they are the ones who keenly trust in God’s promises just like me... It’s okay, and quite fine to be open and run to your friends when you feel crappy, because I do.. And sometimes you just need to verbalise how you feel; vent a little or a lot. But heyyy, do not end it there, run to the saviour, never resort to your friends only. Always seek advice from the creator of life. Pray and seek him whilst he may be found.

“As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.” - Jeremiah 18:6 ….  so, be still..... be still....

 

 I’ve learnt in all that I’ve been through, no one, nothing can take away my joy AND my SMILE. Yes, you can steal my happiness, because happiness depends on what happens, but, JOY does not. It is MINE. Happiness is not enough anymore for me, I choose the Joy of the Lord which is my strength day after day. My conclusion is that MY STORY is wrapped in my father’s care. He knows me, he knows all of me. He knows every detail of my life. Hence, I SMILE!

 

 

 Psalm 139:

¹ You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting

 

 

 

Be encouraged.

Accept Christ TODAY! Part 1

There will NEVER be a friend as dear to me as you, sweet Jesus. The one who gave up his life for all of us at Calvary. He thought of me and you whilst being bruised and severely battered. I am blessed to state that he is my best friend.

See, no one can compare to him. Nothing compares to him. Because he is EVERYTHING. The only reason I am alive. He is the mere reason for my existence. My life depends on him. My last heart-beat depends on him. It's just like a bride who depends on her groom to make a lifetime commitment with her. It's just like new lovers who depend on phone calls and sms. Well, this heart of mine really depends on the One who gives the greatest love.

There will never be a friend as sweet as Jesus. Because, the unpleasant truth is, men are subject to fail.

But Jesus..

And I’m stating this with a sigh of relief. I have a peace that passes all understanding because of this friend. A friend who comforts me daily. A friend of surprises. A friend, I, can RELY ON. A friend who sticks way closer than my brother or my sister. A friend who will be there for me, no matter the situation. A friend who does not go by his feelings. A friend who never changes. A friend who will be there at 4 am when I feel alone or sick in my body. A friend who makes it his duty to see that I am happy. A friend who keeps his promises. A friend who is faithful and gracious. Again, a friend who never ever changes. He is my friend. My best friend. I really hope you do know about this best friend of mine. I am not selfish when it comes to sharing this true friend. I eagerly want you to know him personally, just like I do. There will never be a friend as dear as Jesus. He is indeed the JOY OF MY DESIRE.

 Soo...

 You do not know him? Or you have heard about this Jesus thing, but you were not open or maybe too scared to accept him. Today, I have some good news for you, in fact, the best news. .

See, God is LOVE, and once you accept Jesus as your Saviour and invite Him into your heart, He can restore you and heal all the brokenness there. You don’t have to fix yourself before you come to Jesus; He will do it. Let God’s love, His amazing, all-consuming love, fill you and be made complete in you.(1 John 4:12: No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. )

There is no fear in love, so once you are filled and transformed by His love, you have the ability to walk in confidence and victory. God wants the best for you. All you have to do is accept his love and salvation. It is a gift; there’s nothing we can ever do to deserve it. He is waiting for you. He is waiting for you, arms wide-open.

 Accept him into your life today!

And when you do, when you receive him, many things happen: This includes receiving eternal life, your sins are being forgiven, and so much more. Now, your life is no longer yours, it is hidden in Christ. You can have it all, because you are serving the giver of everything! #smiles. I thank God in prayer for what he has done for you.

 

Suggestions for spiritual growth:

G: Go to God in prayer daily. ( John 15:7)


R: Read God's word daily ( Acts17:11)

 
O: Obey God (John 14:21)

 
W: Witness for Chrtist by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8)

 
T: Trust God for every detail of your life. (1 Peter 5:7)

 
H: Holy Spirit- allow him to control and empower your daily life and witness. ( Galations 5: 16,17; Acts 1: 8)

 
Love,

KF.

1 Corinthians 13 kind of love

1 Corinthians 13 kind of love is so important!

Let us LOVE God’s way!

Love endures long and is extremely patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with mere jealousy, it is not boastful or vain glorious. It is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it . . . does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything. . . . Love never fails {never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end.}

Inspired and written:
1 Corinthians 13:4–8

It instructs that we love with everything and anything that arrives. It instructs to stand still and to not move the “chairs” that quickly, and so, wait for his guidance, with love. It instructs to be tranquil and not arrogant in speech and deeds, and so, let it be seasoned with grace, with love. It instructs to be fair and to compromise, and so, no discrimination and intolerance, with love. It instructs to give its all, and so, it does not hold back, with love. It instructs that we stop thinking about the wrong that was done, and so, forgive, dance and smile again, with love. It instructs to move away from immorality, and so, to delight in right-doings, the pleasant ones, with love. It instructs to be brilliant, and so, to be the best you, with love. It instructs to be hopeful, fearless, and so, to persevere when it injures the most, with love.

It instructs us TO LOVE. Find ways to love, and love more.

A love that gives and believes and heals the soul. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 kind of love.

It was for your GOOD

It was for your GOOD: Romans 8:28.

After you’ve tried to make this career work, after you’ve tried to make your 1 year relationship/engagement work. After you’ve done all that you possibly could, after you’ve tried and you’ve tried to make this work, and then it FAILED. Or it never happened.

God promised: All these things will work out for your good.

You may not see it now. Especially in this hard-hitting season, but you will see the good eventually. You will see it was for your good after all.

Most times we need to find comfort in God’s word. So the more word you get in you, the more valuable you become to God, and vice versa. If you know that he is working it out, then, you are to achieve the PEACE of God that passes all human’s understanding. After all this, be still, and trust his word. Trust him. Trust him.

The situation had become unbearable; all your aspirations felt like it was just aggressively snapped from your heart, body and soul. And hysterical crying from this failure had become a custom. Trust him. Trust him. You must believe that he is working it out! His WAYS are HIGHER than your ways; his THOUGHTS are HIGHER than your thoughts. His ACTIONS are BEYOND you. Let God work it out for you. He KNOWS what is BEST!

All things work together for your good, because you are purpose-driven and you love God immensely!

Little things do matter the most

SO what does one do about the little things?

Are we selfish towards the good things? Some call it the little things that matters the most. I am not highlighting the promotion that you got, or the day of your university graduation, or the new, special, significant other in your life. And I am not saying that these things do not matter the most, because it extremely matters. But, today, I am talking about being thankful that you have $20.00 in your purse/wallet. I am talking about the stale fries and distasteful chicken that you got at the fast food restaurant, but you still had something to eat, or at least to satisfy your empty stomach. I am talking about the fast hug that you received after a meeting, church or a function. I am talking about the random "let me help you." The little thing is: A detail we don't always recognize. The things that are not always delightful.  Someone quoted “If we're selfish in the little things, thinking they're minor, we just might be unknowingly sacrificing the biggest things we want the most.” I am here to challenge you today, to be thankful for the little things. We all want to be better; we all want to move higher. In this longing for significance and impact, I dare you to appreciate the things that are not always lovely. God is testing you in the little things, the not so important things. So when he finally blesses you with the bigger things, “ie: the significant things that you identify as the BIG things,” then, you will genuinely know how to be thankful. If you cannot appreciate the little things, then how on earth will you appreciate the big dreams and visions for your life when it finally comes into fruition?

In this encouragement, this spells out gratitude. To just be thankful at all times and to limit complain. My friend once told me that complain is an ungrateful fruit in a growing, well nourishing tree. It is pointless to complain and get your heart all bitter and sour. I dare you; don’t allow your heart to be crushed that easily by this “stupid” thing called complain.
Someone prayed: "May every tongue be loose from the prison of complaining, and find liberty and praise!"
Do something different, you can start by loving the not so loveable, and not so forgivable, and you will see the marvelous beauty of this little thing.

Again, if we're selfish in the little things, thinking they're minor, we just might be unknowingly sacrificing the biggest things we want the most.

 

FORGIVE and MOVE ON

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

If there is repentance, YOU MUST FORGIVE.

Joyce Meyers said that one should do his or her self a favour, FORGIVE. We all have experienced situations in life where we struggled to forgive a person or persons for something wrong that they did to us. And in that period you find it very hard to forgive and love that person(s), then, you start to feel bitter about them. Watching them would make you sick to your stomach. Seeing them happy would make you feel like sending a big rock at them and utter “yall deserve it!”  This is a serious issue; Unforgiveness and Bitterness. But with experience, I have learnt that these things are not worth it. It’s just like how worrying would not change the situation? Well, it applies to unforgiveness as well. It will NOT change a thing, not even half of it, it never changes things. That person lied on you? Well it will not change the fact that he or she did lie and decided to be with someone else. The harsh reality is that this person(s) often moves on with his or her life, and you tend to still be locked up in your room sobbing and feeling extremely low. Now tell me what benefits you to turn up your nose, to forfeit sweet sleep, to be bitter, and to have tons of unforgiveness in your heart. What is the benefit? The answer is NOTHING. YOU GAIN NOTHING.

Unforgiveness tends to kill you. It kills everything that you ever hoped for. It kills everything that you ever desired. It tends to make you look at things in a “down in the dumps” way. It kills your destiny because you are bitter with your life. All your excited faith feels like it’s been ripped from your heart. I know this very well. We’ve all been affected by people who mistreated us, and then we struggled forgiving them.

Now do yourself a favour, forgive, and please move on. It’s not that easy as it seems, trust me I know. But you are not meant TO STAY in a pity-party zone. God is asking us to keep our hearts clean. You truly deserve better as a child of God. Life is tooooooo precious to be living with tons of bitterness, resentment, offence, and unforgiveness. God does not desire that for you. He desires beauty for these ashes, oil of joy when you feel like giving up and gladness when you constantly cry at nights. Joy is here. Grap that mobile phone and give that person a call. Confess that you are willing to forgive him or her for the wrong that was done, and if you feel the need to ask forgiveness, so do just that. If deciding to call is insufficient, then plan to meet in person; talk it out through a lunch gathering. Make sure your conscience is clear, and you can now exhale. 

Warning: After forgiving someone, this does not mean we should be friends again. Chances are you might go back to square one, and you and I do not want that to happen. Sometimes, you need to just forgive, pray for one another and go your own separate way. God is in control of your life no matter what happens. He has your back  wholeheartedly.

Always remember that forgiving someone is for YOUR BENEFIT. It's in your favour. Now it’s time to think about your happiness. Start by writing down new perspectives for your life, new visions, and new desires. You are going places; you are moving forward in Jesus’ name. God is about to blossom your life. Let every day be a special occasion, and  let it start today. This process will change YOU. You will look and act different. People will be drawn to your positivity.

What does the bible say about forgiveness?

Forgiving Others:
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18:21-22 ).

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35).

Take comfort today. Take that stumbling block of unforgiveness down. God loves you like crazy. He wants you to tap in his promises, and trust me; unforgiveness, resentment and bitterness will not take you there.

Be always inspired for his glory and honour!!

Love,

KF.

 

 

 

 

Secret Faith- SpeakUp- Devotions

A Secret Faith is a Shallow Faith by Rick Warren

“Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man answered, ‘Teacher, I want to see.’” (Mark 10:51 NCV) Go public with your goals in life! Announce your intention, the change you want to make in your life, what you’re asking God to do. Clarify what you really want, and then state it publicly. You need to tell everybody, because a secret faith is a shallow faith. Mark 10:51 says, “Jesus asked him [Bartimaeus] ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man answered, ‘Teacher, I want to see’” (NCV). Question: Why in the world did Jesus ask this? He walks over to a blind beggar who’s sitting on the ground by the road and asks, “What would you like me to do for you?” Didn’t he already know what the guy needed? Couldn’t he read his mind? Didn’t he know what the guy’s problem was? Absolutely. So why in the world would Jesus look at him and say, “What do you want me to do for you?” He was doing it for Bartimaeus’ benefit. By asking that question, he allowed Bartimaeus to publicly announce his faith. Bartimaeus said, “I want you to heal me!” You don’t ask a guy to heal you unless you believe and have faith that he can do it. He’s saying that he believed Jesus was who he said he was, that Jesus had the power to change him, and that Jesus would do just that. It was a statement of faith. Here’s the amazing thing. Jesus asks you the very same question right now: “What do you want me to do for you?” He asks it every day, every morning. If Jesus Christ were to come to you right now and ask that question, how would you answer? God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to do incredible things in your life. But you have to ask in faith. Did you know that every time you set a goal, it is actually a statement of faith? There is one qualifier: When you set a goal and say, “I’m going to do ‘this’ with my life,” you need to add the phrase, “if it is God's will,” because you don’t know the future. You should also announce your goal publicly. The more people who know, the more support, encouragement, prayer, and accountability you’ll have. If you want to make a major change in your life and you keep it to yourself, that’s a sign of a pretty shallow faith. Hope this devotion encourages you just the way it did to me, and more...

A Message of Comfort

 

"Heaven... is the place-

where everything lasts forever,

where love fills every heart,

where praise never stops,

where pain never enters,

where joys never cease."

By Anonymous.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared... I Corinthians 2:9

 

Seize the Moment- Devotions

Jesus Says Seize the Moment by Rick Warren

“Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’” (Luke 9:62 MSG)   In Mark 10, a huge crowd was following Jesus as he left Jericho. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Bartimaeus got up that morning, he had no idea that Jesus Christ was going to be passing by him that day. He thought it was just another ordinary day: same place, same cry for help, same miserable, lonely, pitiful lifestyle. He had no time to prepare for Jesus; it was just an opportunity that was dropped in his lap. He had to seize the moment. He said, “I’m not going to miss this one. I’m going to take advantage. Jesus is coming by my place right now. I’m not going to delay. I’m not going to procrastinate. I’m going to do this now.” That’s the first key to a fresh start in your life: Whatever you’re going to do, do it now. Don’t say, “Next year I’m going to make a fresh start. Next month I’m going to make a fresh start. Tomorrow I’m going to make a fresh start.” It’s now or never. Seize the moment!   Every day, there are opportunities all around you for a fresh start, but you don’t take advantage of them. Why? One word: procrastination. Procrastination is a strange phenomenon. We think it will make our lives easier; we think it will make our lives more present when actually it just creates more stress. The truth is, you already know the right things to do and the benefits of doing the right things in life. So why don’t you do them? The Bible warns us over and over about presuming upon tomorrow. I’m not guaranteed a tomorrow and neither are you? Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day” (Luke 9:62 MSG).   You have no guarantee that you will live tomorrow. Whatever you’re going to do, you better do it now.

The top 7 "mmmmm" quotes pt 1

1.

"Your eyes are the windows to your soul...Pay attention and you will know who is GENUINE vs. ENTERTAINMENT."

2.
"Don't lose yourself trying to hold on to someone who isn't afraid of losing you."

3.
"The more you know about what God says in the Holy Bible, the better prepared you are to love and understand his people."

4.
"Be a better person, and you'll attract better people. Be a bitter soul, and you'll attract no one."

5.
"Stop letting silly arguments tear down the friendships and relationships in your life."

6.
"Some people just aren't meant for you. If it's not God's will, your will won't prosper over his."

 

And by yours truly; 7.
"Sometimes in life you must be a tough cookie and not a soft one."
"Years of striving, and believing, I still have immeasurable faith in God."

 

Perfect Love

It was never meant to be if you had to manipulate love.
It was never meant to be if you had to force love.
It was never meant to be if you had to control love.
It was never meant to be if you had to buy love.
It was never meant to be if you had to fake love.
It was never meant to be if you had to doubt love.
It was never meant to be if you had to cheat love.
It was never meant to be if you never truly loved.

He that fears is not made perfect in love.

 

 

To be frank, God's love is the PERFECT LOVE. You will never find perfect love in MAN. God's love is complete for me.

Facebook post- True words

Dillyon Henry posted this on facebook:

When ppl can walk away from you, let them walk, it doesn't matter what they did 4u or what you did 4 or invested in them in the past. Ur destiny was never tied in da person/s who left!

Any1 that left was never joined 2 u & u can buy d best glue, they still wouldn't stay with u. If it's God will they will return, just let them GO, their season is over!

Try Harder or Trust More

By Jon Walker..  I stumbled on this devotion today, 11th August 2012 at 11: 20am. This is real. God knows of the countless times I tried so hard to make it work. But with trying HARDER, I am trusting MORE.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:28-29a MSG) Most of us would like to live a life of extraordinary quality that is not only fulfilling but also carries significance beyond ourselves. That’s most likely one of the reasons you became a Christian, and it is exactly the kind of life Jesus promises if we will follow him. So why isn’t it happening? Why, instead of the abundant life, do so many of us end up living lives of quiet desperation? We go to church; we read the Bible; we pray; we try to be good people and to serve others. Yet, our life with Jesus doesn’t seem to be much more than an add-on to our increasingly complex lives. So we try harder to live the abundant life. We work harder, pray harder, study harder, and keep trying to figure out what we’re doing wrong. Isn’t that what Jesus wants us to do? All the while, he keeps asking, in a sense, “Are you tired of this yet?” Matthew 11:28-29 says, “Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” (MSG). Jesus calls us away from the “hows” and “whys” of our lives into the rhythms of his grace, standing before us as the Son of God Incarnate, Jesus, God’s Word in the flesh. The answer to our frustrations is “who,” not “what” or “how.” When we try to relate to Jesus on the level of “what” or “how,” we end up in the never-ending cycle of trying harder to fit into an equation that God never meant for us to solve. Instead of trying harder, we need to trust more.

Secret Desires

Keep in mind that we’re all waiting on something no matter where we are in life. Being married (and having children) is wonderful, but I guarantee that every person who is reading this has some secret desire in their heart that they would like to see fulfilled. I have so many things in my life to be thankful for, but there are other things that I dream about and hope for and, honestly, I do not know if those things will ever come to pass or not.

All I can do is keep my eyes on the One who knows everything in my heart and trust that He knows what’s ultimately the best for me. He hasn’t let me down yet.

Something Changed

Something changed inside me, something changed about me, and it shows. I no longer fear how my future will be or how it will end. I no longer live my life for people. I have embraced the power of loving people, especially the ones who hurt me unconsciously. I have understood the beauty of praying for the ones who mysteriously do not like me. And I have learnt to smile, and smile sincerely; even when it feels like the world is on my shoulders. I recommend that you also should smile at each other, smile at your husband or wife, your friends, a stranger, or your family, it does not matter who it is and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other.

In the words of Sara Grooves:

Something change

Something changed inside me
Broke wide open all spilled out
Till I had no doubt that something changed

Never would have believed it till I felt it in my own heart
In the deepest part the healing came.

“Change is everything” Keshia Francois.