The Accidental Mogul

My birthday

2013-05-14T15:57:00.000+01:00

My birthday meal was SENSATIONAL. I want to eat it again.

It was my birthday yesterday and I had the BEST time. Despite some issues I am going through, the good Lord blessed me with a birthday I will remember for quite a long time, it was FABULOUS.

It started off with lovely cards from my mum and nephew which brought tears to my eyes, then both my little sisters had the day off, so they came over with lunch and flowers - I felt so pampered.

I launched my online store www.NaturallyNourishing.co.uk on my birthday too, which felt like such an achievement, plus I made my first 'official' sale; granted it was to my sister, but hey, a sale is a sale right?

In the evening we had dinner at the fabulous 'Burger or Lobster' in Soho. My sister did all the organising as she had been there previously with work friends and oh my it was bliss. My cousin and one of my good friends were also in attendance which was a wonderful surprise, the day just seemed to keep on giving, I was in my element. So back to the food and the menu was really simple, yet so astonishingly delicious. There were three options; burger, chips and salad or lobster, chips and salad or lobster roll, chips and salad. Super simple.

After dinner we pootled onto Haagen daz for more delicious treats and laughs aplenty - Such an extraordinary day.

Gulp...

On a separate note I'll be attending this years Curlvolution 'Curlfriend's day out' event. It takes place on Saturday 25 May at the Crowne Plaza Docklands and it is certain to be awesome. Last years event was a blast, so I'm expecting bigger and better this year and if the line up is anything to go by, I know there will be no disappointments. It's hard to believe that last year I went as an attendee and this year I'll be there as a vendor. I'm telling you God is so good, and SO ABLE!!!

If you haven't already got your tickets then what are you waiting for? This is an event not to be missed. They'll be giveaways aplenty. Plus the lovely AfroDeity are providing some excellent Castor oil and Pimento oil samples courtesy of Fountain oils, so I'll have some goodie bags and giveaways up my sleeve.

See you there.

Four!

2013-05-02T10:17:00.000+01:00

This cheeky little girl is four today. Oh my how the years have flown. She was the biggest of my three precious children and she made me work for her arrival into the world.

I am so blessed to have my precious little Amber. Such a loving, tender and kind child with a healthy dose of cheeky defiance for good measure.

I thank God for her life and pray that she will always be as happy, healthy and carefree as she is now.

Happy Birthday gorgeous girl. Mummy and Daddy love you to infinity and beyond xxxx

Stepping out in faith....

2013-04-19T15:52:00.000+01:00

Thank you to the wonderful Amy at Dotty pink Designs
for designing my fabulous logo.

So for a while I've been contemplating whether I could actually do what I'm about to do.....we can spend so much time pondering and analysing whether we are capable enough, whether we have enough of this, or too little of that. Well ENOUGH. The good Lord has provided us with everything we need and with Him in control, I've decided to step out and take the plunge....

www.NaturallyNourishing.co.uk
Twitter: @NaturallyNou

I'll be exhibiting at The Nubian Spring Event on Saturday 27th April in Hackney, East London, selling gorgeous Anita Grant goodies. Come and say 'Hi'. Details are here.

See you in 8 days!

Beautiful Bournemouth

2013-04-07T08:32:00.000+01:00

We ventured down to the South Coast last Tuesday. For ages Alex had spoken about wanting to take the kids to Peppa Pig world and since he had a few days off of work we seized the opportunity.

We reached Hampshire about 3.30pm ish, too late to make the most of the theme park, so the Mr made the fantastic decision to pop down to Bournemouth. I was not convinced at first, it's been cold and dreary, so why go to the seaside? Well I was left eating my words.

Tuesday was an exceptionally sunny day and the 30 minute drive from our hotel in Hampshire to Bournemouth passed quickly. When we got there to my surprise it wasn't ridiculously cold, but sunny and bright. The sound of the sea, coupled with the beautiful sandy beach and clear blue skies completed lifted my spirits, it took me completely by surprise and was so unexpected. I don't think I realised how much the insanely cold, dank weather had been affecting me.

So we meandered along the seafront, the girls went on a trampoline which they loved whilst I helped the little man walk along a wall. Then we had a Harry Ramsden fish and chip supper on the beach whilst the kids dipped their toes in the icy water and played in the cold sand. They had a complete blast.

After, we walked along the beautiful Bournemouth pier and took in the breathtaking views of the horizon. My phone battery died some moments prior so I was unable to capture the moment, but it will forever stay in my heart.

Our impromptu trip to Bournemouth made me realise exactly how tough the past few months have been. Just being able to enjoy the simply beauty of nature and bask in God's creation blessed me in abundance. The Lord always shows me His unending love, grace and mercy when I need it most. Thank you Father.

On a separate note the weather went Baltic the next day, so Peppa Pig world, although excellent was freezing. We will most certainly go again in the summer (watch out for the post), where hopefully we will be able to experience it's fun fabulousness in the warmth and brightness of the summer sun.

Growing

2013-03-25T20:56:00.000Z

It's been a while. There is a ton of stuff going on in my life right now. I've been really busy but feel I don't have much to show for all the busyness LOL. All in good time. God knows best.

It's been a while since I talked about my wonderful children so I thought I'd dedicate this post to them. They are growing so quickly and they are such a joy and a blessing; my three little companions.

My girls are coming on leaps and bounds at school. They love it. My 5 year old has started reading and writing, it's the basics at the moment but it is so mesmerising to witness my child doing all these things. I thought we'd have to do much more than we have to get her to the point she is at, but she is flying way ahead with little help from us at all much to my embarrassment. Her teachers are really pleased with her and her Dad and I are so proud.

Our three and a half year old is following swiftly in her big sister's footsteps and she can write her name and most of the letters of the alphabet. Like her big sis she is an amazing artist (they definitely get this from their Dad) and they both love to sing and dance and giggle all day long.

My little man has come on leaps and bounds too. I can not believe he is two in two and a half months times. It is IN.SANE. He is talking so much and I can hold a pretty meaningful conversation with him. He helps me to hang out the washing and do the hoovering, such a lovely little helper. He adores singing and dancing and it is such a pleasure to watch him in full swing. To top it all off he started telling me he wanted to do a 'wee wee' at the weekend, so I promptly sat him on the toilet and he went. Twice. On two separate occasions. Who said potty training boys was hard? LOL.... I know there's still a way to go yet, but I'll keep following his lead.

Oh children they are such a precious gift from God. Yes it gets hard and yes there are sacrifices that have to be made but I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything. I love my children with all that I am. Thank you Lord for blessing me with these little lives. I am teaching them about You and they love You, I pray they will continue to grow to know and love You more, in the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Until next time lovely readers stay blessed. Xx

Testimony Time

2013-03-21T13:51:00.001Z

It's TESTIMONY TIME. Today's testimony comes courtesy of the lovely Anne-Marie Clarke. Anne-Marie and I have been following eachother on Twitter for months and when I first started blogging I was going to feature her in an inspirational interview feature I was running at the time. For one reason or another the interview never materialised. However, fast forward several months and now she's on the blog to testify to God's amazing love, grace and mercy. I'm telling you when you make everything about Jesus, things that you never thought would/could happen or simply gave up on start coming into fruition. IT IS AWESOME!! Thank you Jesus!!

So without further ado here is Anne-Marie's powerful testimony taken straight from her blog.

"Well It's been a while,I don't know why I've been procrastinating, but I'm finally here! So the Holy Spirit showed up and stirred up the hearts of the young people in our regional praise and worship service last Sunday night. WOW WOW WOW! How Great is our God? It was truly a blessing. I was filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, and I felt strongholds being lifted off. WoW! I was truly in awe of God's presence, and since last Sunday I have been in the spirit of worship. I can't find words to describe how much I love God. On Tuesday night, I was talking to my amazing sister in Christ Kelsey and we were talking about the amazing things God has done in our lives and where He has taken us from. I felt in my spirit God saying 'It's time to 'Align myself with His word' I was like; '...errmmm, what does that mean God?' It simply meant for me that I had to get to know God truly for myself and what HE thinks of me! I was like 'woah'... that was truth right there. The enemy has a way of creeping in and feeding my mind with his lies, and for years I have believed him and carried on living my everyday life.

Since being sexual abused by my cousin at the age of eight years old the devil automatically allowed me to believe that it was my fault, that I was in the wrong somehow, and not knowing any better I believed him! My innocence was taken. I felt awful. I grew up thinking something was wrong with me, that no one would ever love me! I didn't know what love felt like from a male figure. My Dad left when I was seven years old and he was the only male role model in my life. So I walked around with this secret for years. Even at the age of nine, when I went to a child doctor for weeks of counselling to find out why I was different, disturbed and with drawn I still couldn't open up! I didn't speak up until I was 21 and I told a counsellor. But by then years and years and years of guilt, hurt and damage had built up! I believed there was no one out there who could help me! I felt useless, ashamed and betrayed. I remember being homeless and living on the streets. I would go to work with my bags and wash in the disabled toilets. An amazing family (the Beaumont family) took me in. I will never forget their grace and kindness, I will forever be grateful to them. After years of depression and self harm and 3 failed suicide attempts I am still here! Why?? Because GOD had a divine plan for my life!!! I did not see what God was doing in my life at the time, but He saw the best in me when the world could only see the worst. The pain had a purpose. He kept me even when I didn't want to be kept! He loved me when I was in my sin and shame. But what blows my mind is how he delivered me!

He delivered me from self harm. I was self harming two to three times a day. The fire, the iron, the blade, scissors. What ever I could get my hands on, where ever I was! I wanted to feel something, be something. But all I saw was blood, lots of it, It didn't heal my broken heart. But God!

Suicide. I was in the hospital many times, I went to the mental hospital for many different appointments. I was on all kinds of anti-depressant medicines. But in my head all I wanted to be was dead. I never thought there was a way out, a light at the end of a tunnel. My aim was to end my life. But God!

Depression. It took over my life for many years. I was forever low, unhappy, unpopular. I felt like I had no purpose, no goal, no ambition. I felt I was merely living to exist. I was bullied, pushed down stairs, bitten and blamed. I had no confidence no self esteem, no self worth. I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror, I cursed my life and asked God to not wake me up in the morning. I have no use or purpose in this life.

But God was there every step of the way. It's hard to believe that when I gave up on him, he NEVER gave up on me. When I began to seek God for myself and got to have a one to one relationship with Him I got to find him for myself. It was an awesome finding too. I began to see that I wasn't a disaster, I wasn't a mistake, I shouldn't have been aborted, I was here for a divine purpose and for a time like this. I had to really cry before God, and search deep into my heart and ask God for healing and forgiveness. I think that was the hardest part. But when I focused on God and His word, I began to feel and treat myself differently. I began to see myself like God see's me. I Am who I Am because I am His! Once you align yourself with God and his word you are going in the right direction!

"From my heart to the heavens, Jesus be the center and its all about you"

Deuteronomy 28:13 ^'And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.'

Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.'

Psalms 139:14^'I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.'

Such an Awesome testimony. Thank you so much for sharing Anne-Marie, I know God will reach out and minister to a lost soul through your testament to what God can and will do in the lives of those who really believe and trust in Him. Hallelujah Jesus!!

If you have a testimony of how God has transformed your life then please do get in touch by emailing me at: theaccidentalmogul@hotmail.co.uk

Friday reflection

2013-03-08T21:36:00.000Z

I went to my first ever pinky promise meeting last night and it was incredible. The pinky promise movement is a ministry that was set up by Heather Lindsey, for women who want to honour God with their lives and their bodies. So we're talking about no sex before marriage, women knowing their worth in christ and all that good stuff.

Six ladies which included my sister and I met up in a coffee shop in central London and the Holy Spirit moved mightily in that place. We shared our testimonies and gave eachother godly words of encouragement. These ladies were spirit filled and on fire for Jesus. It felt so good to fellowship with ladies who have so much passion for Christ. The way He transforms lives will never cease to amaze me. It was AWESOME and powerful and I can't wait until the next meeting. I could go on for ages about how positive the whole experience was but I'll keep this post short and sweet. What I will say is that God really does move in mysterious ways, there is only ONE God, ONE Jesus and ONE Spirit and after yesterday's meeting that became so very clear to me. I received confirmation on a lot of things. Who but God could move in this way? Thank you Jesus.

Hanging in there....

2013-03-06T20:43:00.000Z

First we were supposed to be getting married on May 11 2013, then March 23 2013, then April 12 2013 (this date is no longer happening either *sigh* *scream* - long story)....now it's quite clear to me that I don't know precisely WHEN I will be getting married. All I do know is that IT WILL happen THIS YEAR!! (I've bought virtually everything I need, so there most definitely has to be a purpose, I have faith that God wouldn't have me doing all this work for nothing). The past few weeks have been tough. Feelings of doubt, discouragement and weariness have plagued me, but I am NOT GIVING UP. God gave me a promise and He keeps His word. Delay doesn't mean denial, so I'm pressing on and refusing to be moved by what I see. Hallelujah Jesus!!

My next step now is to be patient and rest. I've done all I can do, so I must trust in God's timing as He works everything out for my good. Romans 8:28. Not easy, but very necessary.

So guys there will be no talk of marriage around these parts until the venue is booked and the invites have gone out. I think I'll drive myself and all of you stir crazy otherwise. I'm hanging on and keeping the faith, already I can feel God working things out in the situation, so it's onwards and upwards as I keep rejoicing His holy name. Thank you Jesus!!

Testimony time

2013-02-26T13:42:00.000Z

It's testimony time on the blog again. Testimonies are awesome and I absolutely love hearing about how God powerfully moves and transforms lives. It is wonderful to hear about God's enduring mercy and love. Today's testimony comes courtesy of the lovely Jules. I stumbled across her on twitter after someone retweeted one of her blog posts which immediately caught my eye. I began following her on twitter and after reading her fantastic blog I swiftly began following her there too. (Click here for Jules' blog). I found I had a lot in common with Jules, especially in terms of how we viewed God as we were growing up.

Even though we have never met, Jules' relationship with Christ is a real inspiration to me and I truly look forward to her blog posts where I can read about all the amazing things God is doing in her and her family's life. I could keep talking about how great Jules is, but I'll hand over to her and her awesome testimony.

My Story

It’s an honour to be asked to share my testimony with you. Testimonies are such a great way of sharing the love of God. After all anyone can argue about the truth of the Bible, or whether God exists and all, but it’s much harder to argue with someone's personal experience. And it’s all the disciples and early believers had to share with others - their own personal experience.

So, I was brought up in a Christian family. From a young age we went to church and Sunday School. I was baptised and later confirmed. When I was about 16 I started going to a youth group with a friend at another church and I think this was the beginning of my true journey with God, I mean I certainly had questions and I wanted to know more about God (although the boys at the youth group had a certain pull too and in fact one of them is now my husband…!)

So this was great for a while until I did the typical teenage thing of ‘going off the rails’ and got into all sorts of things that I am not particularly proud of. Although that said, We are all the sum of our lives so far and I know the things I went though in those years have made me the person I am today. And you know, if I hadn’t been there maybe I wouldn’t now be truly following God.

So, anyway, I was pretty desperate to get away from home and so I went travelling. Although God was often in the back of my mind I pretty much ignored him during this time. I did lots of very stupid things (drink, drugs, sleeping with people, generally being very careless and foolish) and looking back it makes me shudder to think of the path I was on. I don’t want to make it seem worse than it was, I wasn’t an addict and certainly wasn’t at deaths door but I was on a destructive path, I didn’t really care about myself. I was very insecure and had issues with not eating too, which didn’t help. So to cut this long part of the story short, I ended up pregnant, a long way from home with a man that was certainly not father material. Despite my situation I knew I could not have an abortion, I just wouldn’t even consider it – from the very second I found out I was pregnant I knew I would have the child. Looking back I think that it was meant to be, and considering the many factors surrounding both our relationship and how we lived, it is literally a miracle I even got pregnant and a miracle the baby was born healthy and happy. (not that I’m suggesting there was any divine conception, that was simply my own mistake...!)

I actually ended up coming back to the UK and settling near my family, who despite initial reservations (that’s a bit of an understatement…) were very supportive. I started to go back to church and actually got involved a bit with it, everyone there was very helpful and lovely. But still, I think I went more out of habit than because of a true relationship with Jesus.

A few years later I got together with an old friend (from that youth group), we fell in love, subsequently got married and had more kids. We continued at the same church and even got involved helping out some more, but my heart wasn’t in it and we rarely, if ever, talked about our faith. As I look back I’m not sure why or what I even believed over this time – I think I had some small measure of faith then but I was and continued to be plagued by doubts.

So finally, about 5 years ago I made the decision to stop going to church. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I had been confused for so long and the final straw was the thought that my children would go through the same as me – constantly wondering whether God was real or what to believe. That had plagued my life and I didn’t want them to go through that too.

On top of that we were actually going through a really tough time in our relationship too. That year was not a good year for us! I felt we were drifting apart, I couldn’t see us apart but we certainly weren’t together. Neither of us could see any way out of the situation unless something changed, and yet nothing could change. I had also been going to yoga for about 10 years and after effectively ‘giving up’ on a Christian God I started to ask my yoga teacher about going on Buddhist retreats, doing meditations etc, generally I guess I was looking for answers elsewhere. I began to embrace this and having always thought of myself as a ‘bit bohemian’ and being rather arty I felt comfortable that it fitted with me and my lifestyle.

…and that is when God showed up!

At this time we were planning an extension on our house and we became friendly with most of the builders, one in particular. I remember one day him saying he would tell me his story when we had time. A few days later (and the timing was totally lousy – the house was really at its worst point with stuff everywhere, my son was ill, I was due to leave imminently to drop him at my mums etc) he started sharing his testimony with me.

It’s fair to say, this changed my life. It was totally full on, right from the word go. I had never heard this kind of Christian testimony before, a real warts and all approach with such amazing experiences. I was completely blown away. Over the next few days and weeks he spoke to me more about his faith and what he had experienced. Some of it was really hard to believe, real ‘supernatural’ stuff and talk of Satan, the force of evil, demons and so on. In all the years I had been to church I had never heard anything vaguely approaching this. I wasn’t even sure I believed in hell. But I needed to hear this – My approach to anything in life is not to do anything by halves, I want to know everything about a subject and I do things with my all. Now, I was totally overwhelmed but couldn’t get enough at the same time. Prior to this I was one of those who thought that if I lived a good life and did the ‘right’ thing I would be going to heaven. How wrong I was! I didn’t even really know that the only way to God was through Jesus. I had always been confused about God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit and all I needed was someone to explain it to me really!

Anyway I can’t remember how long this went on for (but a few weeks I guess) and I gradually started asking more questions – things I had always had difficulty with or things I wanted to ask more about. I know at times I must have been a right pain in the butt, just asking all these questions, often not accepting his answers and disputing things, but during this time a few things started to happen to make me think more about it all and there were way too many ‘coincidences’ for me not to believe. Eventually he just said to me ‘I think we should pray together’ and that’s when I said the Sinners Prayer (a dedicating of ones life to God) on 16th December and gave my life to Jesus, surrounded by building chaos, screaming kids and the clutter of life – but it was perfect – that is what my life is like anyway and God knows that! Then the very next day I led my husband in the sinners prayer too, and shortly after that we started attending a local church – but this time one that is perfect for us. At the time I wrote this:

‘I know that I am saved. That I am starting a relationship with God, that I have a new life, I am reborn. I don’t recognise myself most of the time but it is the most awesome feeling! I know that my life has purpose, in fact I almost feel a bit smug some days that I know this great secret that others don’t know. I wish everyone could know it, if only it were so simple…’

And the thing is, it IS simple! And amazing and wonderful and transforming and overwhelming, and sometimes hard, but I hope I will never look back, never walk any other path than this one because it is absolutely the best!

The 'MGW' assignment - week 9 - Isaiah 53:5

2013-02-24T02:14:00.001Z

Happy Sunday everyone, hope you are all well. As you may have noticed I haven't been posting the memory verses on the blog each week as intended. Too much going on and too little time. To be honest it's not only that, I'm finding that social media, if you are not careful, can very quickly eat into a lot of your time, and before you know it your blogging, tweeting and pinning more than you're reading your Bible, praying or helping those in need right in front of you and that ain't good!! I'm trying to get the balance right by seeking God FIRST before and above everything. Pray for me. If you follow me on Instagram I have been posting the verses every week there so if you want to catch up on previous scriptures just pop over to my IG page. You can click on any of the IG pictures in the side bar on the right, and it will take you to the page.

So let's get to it. This week's memory verse as with all of God's word is powerful. The Holy Spirit laid this verse heavily on my heart in the early hours of this morning, so here it is. Isaiah 53:5 is a scripture which reveals what Jesus Christ overcame when He sacrificed Himself for us.

Jesus Christ is our Way Maker, He is our Intercessor, our Redeemer, our Healer. Without Him making the sacrifice of shedding His innocent, precious blood on the cross there was no way of us sinners being reconciled with God, our Heavenly Father. He who bore no sin was beaten, spat upon, humiliated and murdered in the worst way possible so that we could be cleansed of our sin and have eternal life with Him in Heaven, if we accept Him as our personal Lord and saviour, which is precisely what He is.

He died on Calvary's cross for our transgressions, for our iniquities, for our inability to right the wrongs, which began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. He bore the brunt of all of it for all our sakes. He was whipped with a lead tipped rope. His flesh was torn apart and by His very wounds, His very suffering WE ARE HEALED!! There is POWER IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS to break every chain of bondage, oppression, sickness, weakness, depression, addiction, anger, frustration, manipulation, self pity. Whatever stronghold is destroying your life, Jesus Christ can deliver you. Let Him into your life, into your heart and see how He transforms you.

Phew....I need to get my praise on!! Hallelujah Jesus!!! Holy Ghost power people. It is REAL. As always meditate on this verse in the morning and before bed and throughout the day if you can. I would also encourage you to read the whole of Isaiah chapter 53. It is mind blowing. This is in addition to your daily prayer time and communion with The Lord. Please feel free to comment so we can fellowship. Have a blessed week.

Friday reflection - Things are getting real around here...

2013-02-15T15:04:00.001Z

Hello everybody,

Well what can I say? A LOT has been going down. The Mr and I were at the registry office this morning giving our notice of marriage...yes it's all go, and we've confirmed the date and venue. Whoopeeeee!! The way the sun was beaming down this morning after the appointment, made me feel so blessed to be alive. I know the good Lord is shining His face on us and we are walking the path He wants us to walk. I know it's not always going to be easy, nothing in life is, but when I am weak He is strong. He has already proved this to me time and time again. Glory to God!!

We're getting married in mid April, not the end of March (as we thought last week), to be honest that is much better even though there's only a few weeks in it. So the date is Friday 12 April 2013 and it's all go, Go, GO!! 8 weeks TODAY!!! Ooooweeeeee!!

As mentioned last week, I had my first dress fitting which went really well. The seamstress is great. I've got a second fitting next Saturday, by which time I'll have to have my shoes. I saw a lovely pair last night at Westfield when Alex and I went out for a meal, but alas they were too small. The price was perfect but the hobbling after a minute on my feet was not... lol.

We tried on rings too that was VERY exciting. Alex isn't really a jewellery wearing type of guy but the ring looked amazing on his hand. This is all beginning to feel so real. I'm still in awe of how things have turned around at the speed they have, in the way they have. Seriously when God says something IT GETS DONE, and not in our time but HIS. Favor, favor, favor, Glory, glory, glory.

As the picture above says an AWESOME God deserves an AWESOME praise and let me tell you if you begin to take your walk with Him seriously your mind will be blown by the faithfulness He will show you. Praise Him forever!!

Doesn't the ring look gorgeous on his hand?
I loved mine too. So delicate.
Need to try on again with my engagement ring.

Friday reflections - dress fitting tomorrow!

2013-02-08T14:11:00.002Z

source

Phew....what a difference a few weeks make. This time last month I was a few weeks into the separation from my OH and today, on Friday 8th February 2013, we are on the verge of confirming our March 2013 wedding date. Who but Jesus could work such wonders? Our parents are meeting tomorrow to discuss all the details and I have my first dress fitting tomorrow too.....wooHOOOOOO!!

This morning I dropped my girls off to school and scooted off to my local town centre to see if I could get some bridal underwear. Apparently you have to wear the lingerie you will be wearing on the day, as well as the shoes you plan to wear, so the dress can be altered accurately. Thank God for Marks and Spencer is all I can say because I was in such a rush I didn't really have time to go to a lot of places, so in faith I went to M&S and I found precisely what I was looking for. A lovely attendant fitted me to double check my size (34B)...and fortunately I had a picture of my dress, so she was able to give her opinion on whether she thought the bra I chose was suitable. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was the one, and when I tried it on my thoughts were confirmed. It fit perfectly and gave me a nice shape (believe me I need all the help I can get after three kids and losing a bit of weight LOL). To add an extra layer of blessing into the mix, M&S currently have an offer where if you have a bra fitting with one of their attendants and spend over £30 on lingerie you get £5 off. I qualified for that, so I got the discount which came in super handy.

It really is all go. We've got our girls dresses and our son's suit to buy (not to mention a TON of other things), but I have seen outfits in Monsoon, M&S, John Lewis and Next which I think would work really well, the OH and I just need to confirm our colours/theme. I may even stick with the dresses I bought for the girls from Mini Mode last summer, but something tells me they lack the WOW factor...hmmmm.

The one thing I'm missing for tomorrow's fitting are my shoes. I didn't really want to rush that purchase, and I have to pick up my youngest daughter from pre-school by 11.40 am, so I think I'll just take some heels that I already have, at least that will give the seamstress an idea of height. My, My, my...I can't quite believe things are starting to fall into place the way they are. I will begin to feel more at ease when we have the date booked, but that will be in a matter of hours and anyway that is not for me to worry about because God has it all under control. Just look where He has brought me thus far?? Praise Him!!

There's something I have to tell you...

2013-02-07T17:14:00.001Z

...The Mr and I are getting married.....NEXT MONTH!! Can I get a Hallelujah and an Amen? God is so good. I'm probably being a little hasty, but I can't hold it in any longer. There's so much I have to tell you all and so much I have to do. I'm a massive ball of nervous energy aka STRESS and excitement. I'm keeping this post short and sweet but promise to keep you all in the loop.....watch this space.

Testimony Time

2013-01-31T09:11:00.000Z

Well, well, well what can I say...today I have the opportunity of sharing a testimony from a woman whose walk with Christ truly inspires me. I discovered Mimi Atkins several weeks ago when I started following her on twitter (@MiMiQAtkins),
and let me tell you her tweets are like being at Church, but not any old Church, NO, NO, NO, we're talking about Holy Ghost, spirit filled, fire and brimstone, telling the whole Biblical truth, not adding to it, not taking away from it, not caring who likes it, but speaking it straight from the heart of Jesus with the conviction that will transform the hardest of hearts...Church....Phew... Hallelujah. Believe me Mimi's testimony is POWERFUL (I know I say that a lot where testimonies are concerned but it's the truth. God is AMAZING!!) When I first read her story on her blog it completely wrecked me, so I knew God was at work when she agreed to share her testimony on my little ole blog. Believe me when I say He takes the very least and makes MUCH....woohoo. Anyway enough from me. Here's Mimi's testimony of how Christ transformed her life.........

"At the grand age of 30, I sit back and look at my life and I am simply intriqued that I am even here, nestled in the Father’s arms, a safe haven that I can now call home. Arms that I ran from and avoided when all along, I knew with God is where I belonged, but I fought and I fought hard for over 13 years until finally, I conceded, but go back with me to the age of four if you will to where my life began (at least in my eyes and where I can recall):

“Get over here, you little b*%&! Sit down, eat!” I got teary-eyed as she slapped me across my face. A slap so hard that her palm print was artwork on my cheek. Yes, those were the words and actions I was greeted with at the age of four. I was a victim of physical, emotional, verbal, and mental abuse from the very person who should’ve loved me most – MY MOM. My mom hated me and she made it known with each burn (from irons or anything HOT), extension cord, hangar, brush, belt buckle, broom, you name it, I got it. I was in and out of foster care but they always returned me to her home in the hopes that she was “rehabilitated.” But if you know any recidivistic criminal – old habits die hard. They just perfect hiding them. For me, it was long sleeved clothes and make-up. Just like you can’t cover sin, you can’t cover bruises; they soon expose.

I recall vividly getting beaten naked with an extension cord and stretching my arms out and asking this person called God to just let me die in the midst of her torture when I was 12 years old. Looking back now, that’s symbolic that Christ began his teachings around that age and my gesture resembled a cross as I endured pain at the hand of the “enemy.”

I was beaten until I bled everyday of my life until I was 18 years old. So how could I love myself when I was never shown love? That’s easy, I didn’t. I had no blue print on how to be a woman of morals, pride, esteem, nor value. I had NO self-worth.

At the age of 17, a friend invited me to her church and I learned about the man I only knew in name – Jesus. This savior who never saved me or had He?!? After two months of visiting church, I gave my life to Christ and after eight months, God whispered in my ear during service, “Surrender, MiMi. Let go of this world. You are called to evangelize.” I laughed at God as Sarah did (Genesis 18:12) and went about my life. I was on the verge of being 18; I had much partying, clubbing, and dating to do. Holiness was far from my agenda. I felt God never cared as a child so why should I listen to him as an almost adult.

At 18, I left the house of HELL! Not before I cursed my mom and told her that I hated her for abusing me. I made her look at every scar she had marred my body with and told her that I hoped she burned in HELL for being so evil and cruel to a child she bore. I walked away and never looked back. I was so distraught that I considered suicide because I felt so alone. I got in my car and just started driving despite crying, until I got to a building (which turned out to be the church I now attend) and saw three signs: HOPE, LOVE, and JOY! I closed my eyes and started walking and prayed that I would land on the steps of “LOVE” and miraculously God would send someone to love me. I ended up on the steps of HOPE. I took that as a sign from God to persevere. I chose life instead of death and I picked up my slumbered body and began living. I found an apartment and went to college where I majored in education.

From 18-26, I was a train wreck. I was sexually active and I used my body to get what I wanted from men. I did not care who I used or hurt, I just wanted my way. At the age of 20, I reunited with my high school sweetheart, Daniel and he drew me closer to Christ and we began to go to church together but still led a sinful lifestyle which led me to become an unwed mother. I was madly in love with Daniel, but he left me when I was pregnant because he did not want to be a father. I was alone and desolate in a big world with a big belly to bare my shame. Again, I wanted to die but God told me to live because in my womb, I carried a divine gift (think Genesis here again with the “birth of many nations”).

I admit Daniel jaded me a lot. He was the first person besides my dad to show me love and for him to leave me when I needed him most, pierced my very soul. But that is an understatement because I felt like someone gutted me, actually. To make a long story short, Daniel only saw our daughter once (when she was 5 months) and this is when the testimony turns into sorrow:

On November 1, 2006, I got the WORST phone call ever. Daniel had DIED! He was a pilot and his plane had engine failure and it crashed and burned. I WAS DEVASTATED. All the anger, bitterness, and hatred left my body as I fell to the floor and cried out to God, “WHY? WHY ME? I graduate from college in a month and I need to focus. I JUST GIVE UP, GOD! WHAT’S NEXT? I GET ABUSED FOR 18 YEARS OF MY LIFE, I FIND LOVE AND HE LEAVES ME, NOW I AM ALMOST THERE IN MY LIFE AND HE DIES! WHEN WILL SOMEONE STAY AND NOT LEAVE ME? WHO WILL LOVE ME FOREVER, GOD? WHOOO??” I asked in tears. God responded, “I WILL LOVE YOU. JUST TAKE MY HAND AND I WILL GUIDE YOU!” I rolled my eyes in disgust and sobbed into the pillow the entire night.

At the age of two, my daughter met her family for the first time at her father’s funeral. I was so humiliated and embarrassed because what I failed to tell you was this: DANIEL WAS ITALIAN and I AM BLACK. His family did not want us together because of OUR SKIN COLOR. So here I am, an abused child, living as a woman and ousted by the man I love because he could not defend me and his child. What more could a person go through?

Years passed, I healed and I even got married in 2010. That marriage was a disaster waiting to happen and we divorced in 2011. I realized then that I COULD NOT and was not CAPABLE of loving anyone until I learned to love myself. Daniel had taken my heart to the grave or so I thought….

On January 2, 2012 (my 30th birthday), I was leaving BAR ONE in Atlanta. I was on the Interstate headed east to my hotel when all of a sudden I realized my exit was coming and I could barely see it approaching even though I had on my contacts. My car skidded off the road and I was headed for several trees. I knew if I did not turn my car, I was going to die. I was scared and trembling but I veered to the left and my car halted on the side of the road with a major flat tire. My life was sparred and right then I conceded to Christ. I was tired of fighting and resisting such a loving God. I opened my arms and allowed God to take His rightful place in my life and heart.

Weeks later, Daniel appeared to me in a vision and told me to NEVER regret my decision and to, “Go with God!” I smiled because when we were at our best, he would always tell me that. He also gave me permission to let him go and to love again. He said I had held on to him for too long and since he could not return to me in the flesh, I needed to let go and love another again. As tears streamed down my face, I reached out to him only to wake up and see darkness.

For the first time, I felt free on all ends. Free to love and to accept God. That was six months ago and today I stand proud as a child of God who has endured the storms of life but I know God was always with me. I was created to be an evangelist, missionary, and work with youth. And no matter what I did, I could not run from what God wanted me to do. My life’s triumphs and struggles led me to where I am today: I am a teacher, writer, and speaker. And most importantly, I am His. Years ago, I told God, “NO!” Today, I proudly say, “YES, GOD! I am YOUR CHILD! I WILL OBEY YOU! I WALK INTO MY CALLING: I WILL BE AN EVANGELIST!”

I forgave my mom shortly after I cursed her very soul. I apologized to her for being rude and I repented before God. Thankfully, on September 25, 2006, Daniel called me and talked to our daughter – a mere month and a week before he died. I forgave him, as well. Since then, I have been hurt by many others and I forgave them. I don’t know how to hate or hold grudges. It’s not in me and I am grateful God made me that way.

Presently, I am letting God have His way in me. I am active in church. I am not evangelizing yet, but I am in spiritual training. When the time is right, I will preach my first sermon — NOT in my time, but in God’s time and I sit well with that because His timing is not ours. Pray for me and I will do the same for you!"

I told you her testimony was powerful didn't I? God is using Mimi mightily and I would encourage you to follow her blog and twitter account for more words of godly encouragement and wisdom. If you have a testimony of how God has profoundly touched your life and you would like to share it on the blog then please email me at theaccidentalmogul@hotmail.co.uk.

God bless you.

A lot of a little equals much

2013-01-30T00:06:00.001Z

It's been a truly mind blowing few weeks. A lot, and I mean a lot of little things have been going on in my life which has been literally knocking me sideways. By themselves each incident appears to be quite insignificant, but add them all together and my, my, my we're beginning to seriously enter into the realm of the supernatural.

Such is the extent of the daily blessings God is bestowing upon me I've had to start writing a journal just to keep up with everything. Don't get me wrong some days have been really, really tough, but I'm holding on, pressing in and keeping the faith and I'm giving thanks for every little thing, no matter how seemingly small and insignificant. I'm telling you when you allow the Lord to renew your mind and adjust your attitude then EVERYTHING becomes a blessing. You become grateful and thankful for everything He has graciously provided you with because things could be a whole lot worse.

I know something big is about to happen and although I can't see it yet, I know my God is a covenant keeping God and His promise to make everything work out for my good will come to fruition woohoo.

Romans 8:28 is the scripture that most speaks to my heart right now. It's so amazing how God works and I can't wait to share with you all the extent of what is going on in my life when the manifestations of His promise begin to really take place. Yes Lord!! Excited doesn't even begin to cover how I'm feeling and it's all because of my Lord and personal saviour Jesus Christ. Praise Him!!

Testimony Time

2013-01-28T17:36:00.001Z

It's testimony time again. God is working so mightily in my life and the lives of others and I give him all the praise and the glory for enabling us to share these awesome testimonies with you all. Hallelujah!! I met Kharissa via Instagram (her IG tag is @beautifully_wonderfully), she is a strong woman of God who is allowing Him to do so much in her life. It is AWESOME. I'll hand over to Kharissa to tell you her story.

Born Again At 23

Have you ever met the guy of your “dreams” and he turned out to be a fraud? Yup. I did. Have you ever really cared for someone and they cheated on you? Me too. Have you hoped that this person was the one but your relationship was so over crowded with lies that you broke up? That's me too. Ever met someone who put you last in the relationship? Yea. I have had that too. Ever dealt with someone leaving you because you wouldn't have sex with them? Yes I’ve been through it. Ever been pressured to have sex in a relationship but in the back of your mind it wasn’t right? I’ve been there.

My name is Kharissa. I'm from Queens, NY. I’m 23 (going on 24 years old) and I’ve spent so much of my time in the wrong relationships that I never really got to enjoy a good one. I wanted so badly for someone to love me, to want me, to desire me. Don't get me wrong I have an amazing family who loves me dearly but the love I wanted was from someone who could complete me. I felt incomplete. I often felt like a lost soul looking for another soul to make me feel whole again. I always had this idea of the PERFECT relationship. The house, the dog, kids, money and a husband that does it all!!! He doesn't lie, doesn’t cheat, works hard, is romantic, is loyal, is gorgeous etc. I wanted the most fairy tale, picture perfect guy imaginable. The prince that comes to sweep the princess off her feet and they live happily ever after with NO PROBLEMS. Imagine that, a relationship with no problems. Honey, from ages 16-23 I was stuck in a fantasy.

And then one day I had a relationship that just broke me. I cared about the dude so much and he left me because I wasn't ready to have sex with him. So he cheated on me. I was emotionally invested and for 5 years afterwards he would come and go. I would allow him back (I declared that I loved him) and he would disappoint me. Then he would leave again. He would want to come back and I would open up to him only for him to keep things from me then I would leave. It was a vicious, unstable 5 year circle. It rendered me depressed and undesirable. I felt like there was something wrong with me. I began wishing I was more desirable like other girls my age and then I became angry. I became angry with God. Why didn’t He make me with a perfect figure? Why am I so skinny? Why do all my relationships fail? Now God has always been a part of my life since I was younger and this was the first time I began to lose my faith in Him. The one time I felt He was a liar because the one thing I wanted so badly, He refused to give me. I was livid and sad all the time. I felt alone, lonely and unwanted. I never cried so much in my life. I let something consume me and take control of me so much that I was losing myself. I stopped praying. I stopped hoping. I stopped caring. My voice was lost to Him and I remember feeling like “He doesn't care about my happiness so why should I acknowledge Him only for Him to be silent?” No thanks.

When I thought it wasn’t going to get better something happened to me, to my soul. The Lord came to me in a dream and gave me the choice to choose His way or the way that I was living. I never got to choose in the dream but the idea was to choose in my waking life. I never prayed so hard and since that day I wanted nothing more then to change my ways because I knew in my heart that He was who I needed in my life. I didn’t realize until just today that even though my attitude was changing there was a part of my soul that still loved God. My soul must have reached out to Him because deep down buried underneath all my negative feelings, heartache and pain I still loved Him.

Since April 8, 2012, I have been an avid church goer, a server at my church and a strong believer in God and Christ Jesus. I have NEVER felt so alive and strong. I gained so much knowledge about myself that internally I have made almost a complete 180 degree turn. I'm still a work in progress because the devil tries to bring me back to the old me but I’ve been holding on for dear life to Jesus. He has saved me each and every time. He’s brought people in my life to help me grow and stay focused and He made lessons out of those who have left me in my walk with God. He’s made lessons out of those relationships that have failed and I honestly am happy that I went through it because if it wasn't for what I been through I wouldn't be here now. I realized through my teachings at church how much I had fallen away from someone who loved more than I could ever imagine. It’s so crazy because all those times I thought I was alone I really wasn't because He was watching. He was there the whole time with a plan to change my life, with a plan to make me whole. He was there with a plan to teach me who I am called to be, not who these guys or people in my life think I am. Jesus wanted to show me His way. I was one of His lost sheep but when I was able to understand I can’t live life my own way and that I need Him. I would then come back to Him. He knew that and waited for me.

Through all of this I have learned many lessons and made a lot of decisions molding me into the person I am to today. I made a decision in my life to abstain from sex until marriage. Sex is an emotion, a powerful emotion that clouds the mind and heightens the senses. I realized that in today's generation there are too many diseases roaming around. Too many unwanted pregnancies and too many relationships bound for doom. I believe that sex was made for marriage and I have faith that God has someone for me. I made the decision to teach myself to resist temptation, to have respect for myself and my body as a young woman and declare a relationship in God through prayer and faith. God will prevail where no man can. When everyone and everything fails, He remains constant.

I believe in God. I believe in Jesus. I believe there is someone reading this right now who has felt the same way I felt. Jesus can heal you. Jesus can strengthen you and God will forgive you. He loves you unconditionally; more than the human mind can fathom. It’s beautiful. He wants a relationship with you. He wants ALL of you. All of YOU! The good, the bad, the ugly and the hideous. I'm more than what my problems are and so are you. I'm called on a journey to be somebody in His kingdom. I'm important. I'm loved by a force greater than anything on this Earth. I'm loved by the creator ofthis Earth. The creator of you and I. He made us the way we are to fulfill a purpose in this life; to bring people to Him. I pray that you find God and you love Him through everything. I pray you find your purpose. God came and changed my life when no man could. He changed my attitude, my thinking and my focus. I'm thankful to be saved and I pray you will be too. Amen.

Glory to God. If you have a testimony of how God has transformed your life and you'd like to share it on the blog then email me: theaccidentalmogul@hotmail.co.uk.

The 'MGW' Assignment - week 5

2013-01-27T22:37:00.001Z

Happy Sunday everybody! Wow, 5 weeks have flown by. How are you all finding the 'Memorising God's word' Assignment? Have you all been able to internalise the verses each week and remember where in the Bible the verses are?

This week's scripture is beefy and powerful - Romans 8:38-39 . Beefy in the sense that it's rather long, but hey, God's word whether long or short has profound meaning.

^'38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Romans 8:38-39

As you can see this scripture confirms with no shadow of doubt that nothing, absolutely NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. He loves us so much and wants to transform our hearts and draw us close to Him (no matter our situation or circumstance), so we can live our best lives through Him and glorify His mighty name. Amen! Hallelujah Jesus!!

As always meditate on this scripture throughout the week as you get up and before you go to sleep. This is all in addition to your own personal prayer and Bible study time. Being able to internalise God's word and speak His word into your life can really turn situations around. This assignment is not about being religious or ritualistic. It's about developing a personal, intimate relationship with Christ by meditating on His word and speaking LIFE into our own lives.

Please do comment below if you are taking part and let me know how you are getting on. Fellowship is powerful.

God bless and have a great week.

Competition GIVEAWAY time!!

2013-01-25T19:34:00.000Z

Happy Friday everybody,

I do hope you are all having a blessed day.

Avid readers of the blog will remember back in early December I celebrated my one year of blogging. I was super busy with various things, so was unable to do anything major to mark the occasion, well the time has now come and it's giveaway time!!! YES!!

This giveaway involves not one, not two, but three prizes and I am super excited. The prizes are all great books, which I myself am planning to read so I wanted to share the love with my wonderful readers.

The first book 'Bringing up Boys' by Dr James Dobson was recommended to me by my Pastor. I started reading my copy today and it's already blowing me away. Here is an excerpt;

'....one of the scariest aspects of raising boys is their tendency to risk life and limb for no good reason. It begins very early. If a toddler can climb on it, he will jump off it. He careens out of control toward tables, tubs, pools, steps, trees and streets. He will eat anything but food and loves to play in the toilet.....'

Hahahaa - I don't know about you but that sounds exactly like my 19 month old son and I only have one... 0_o. I can't wait to get my teeth properly into this book.

The next prize is 'Bringing up Girls' also by Dr James Dobson. I haven't had the chance to read any of this yet, but here's a bit of blurb;

'Peer pressure. Eating disorders. Decisions about love, romance and sex. Academic demands. Life goals and how to achieve them. These are just some of the challenges that girls face today - and the age at which they encounter them is getting younger and younger. As a parent, how are you guiding your daughter on her journey to womanhood?'

The third and final book is 'Do yourself a favour...Forgive' by Joyce Meyer.

I love Joyce. She is such an inspirational woman of God. Her sermons, books and preaching always speak God's word to me in profound ways and this book is no different.

'Life is not fair. If it was, there would be no need for forgiveness. But we live in an imperfect world, and few of us will escape the pain and consequences of being hurt by someone else.'

So there you have it three books and three winners. All you have to do is follow this blog, like my facebook page and comment in the comment box below to indicate which book you would like to win. If you already follow my blog and you want to enter the competition, just comment in the box below and tell me which book you would like to win. You can also follow me on Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram to gain an extra entry. The competition closes on Friday 8th February and is open worldwide.

May God's blessing and favor shine upon you. Praise His Holy name!

Terms&Conditions

1. You must follow this blog via google friend connect, like my Facebook page and comment in the comment box below for your entry to be valid.

2. The closing date is Friday 8th February at Midnight. After that your follows will not count.

3. Three winners will be picked at random.

4. My decision is final.

Testimony time

2013-01-22T18:54:00.000Z

I am really excited to be able to bring to you this blog's very first testimony, (well apart from my own of course, but I don't think that counts lol).

Author and Youth Minister Kimberley Woolerey sent me an email a few days ago, saying she wanted to share her story on the blog. I was over the moon, after all this is how the blog came into being, me wanting to share inspirational stories with others and what a better way to kick off 2013 with a POWERFUL testimony of how Christ can change lives? And believe me HE CAN! Nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). So without further ado, here's Kimberley's story. Praise God for all he does and and all He continues to do.

I’m K.L. Woolerey and I am a Christian from the UK. I used to work in business admin in my pre-Christian days, but now I write Christian romances for women. I am also a Youth Minister in my church and an evangelist. I have just written and published my first Christian novel, 'Love at the Altar.' I write under the name, K.L. Woolerey.

I always ask myself how I got here. By here, I mean at a place where I do not look at myself in the mirror and frown with horror at what glares back at me. I did not like the person I was. I felt that other girls were prettier, cleverer and worth more than I was. Sounds glum but frankly my confidence was at an all time low.

By the time, I was seventeen I suffered with my first bout of depression. I had just left college and started my first job in a sandwich shop. Things began well until I started feeling unhappy. Shortly after, I started going out with my friends and drinking. I quit my job and started temping and then unfortunately, I became unemployed. My twenties continued in that same self-destructive pattern. Because deep down I did not like who I was – I wanted to fit in with the crowd. It was easier to go along with what everyone else was doing than stand up and be an individual. I wanted to study accountancy and English – as I had always loved reading and writing. I used to love making up stories and telling them to my friends and family. In fact – I drove everyone mad with my tales. However, I did not go back to college. I wasn’t interested in bettering myself. I am an ambitious person by nature but my confidence would not allow me to stick at anything.

My family was at a loss as to what to do with me. I was bad tempered, ill mannered and miserable. I was not an easy person to be around. I hated the person I had become. I started writing again to console my unhappiness. However, even my writing was dark and full of horror. There was no light in my life. Therefore, I drank more. I found a new job working as unemployment adviser. I thought things would look up but they didn’t. In fact, it became worse. Unfortunately, I became more depressed and lost. Although I was able to hide this as I worked with many sociable people, which offered a place to hide who I really was. I was Kimberley, the life and soul of the party, not Kimberley a girl in need of help.

When I was twenty-seven, I went to church with my mother in Barbados. She is a Pastor and I’d always declined her offers before. When I first stepped into the church, I felt something different. Everyone just seemed so happy and alive. I remember a woman asking me for prayer – and I said no. I didn’t want prayer. I didn’t see how prayer could help me. Then when I went home that night I found myself reading a scripture from the bible and asking God what was wrong with me? Why was I always feeling like this? I did not want to spend the rest of my life in that state. I wanted to change. Shortly after, I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and started attending church. I started to build a relationship with God by talking to him every day about my problems and the way I was feeling. The first scripture that I started to learn was Matthew 7: 7. Ask and it shall be given onto you. I started asking. Every day I asked God to change me. When I went back to UK, God gave me the courage to quit smoking and drinking. I distanced myself from bad influences and spent a lot of time alone in prayer. I started to build relationships with people in the church and day by day, I found an inner peace that was beautiful, electric and addictive.

It was more addictive than alcohol or feeling depressed. I started to feel good about who I was. When I smiled, it was real. When I thought of my future, it was full of hope and prospects. Jesus had completely transformed my way of thinking and I was positive for the first time in my life.

I went back to Barbados some months later – not knowing that God was going to do something wonderful in my life. I began working on a Christian romance about a young girl who meets the man of her dreams while she is accepting Christ at the Altar. I did not even think I would complete it as I have started novels before. However, there was something different about this one. I knew that God was with me on this, as I could never have written this book on my own. Fast forward months later – I was looking at the Amazon Kindle chart and 'Love at the Altar' was at number 15! I shouted for joy. I have had such a positive response from people online, in the church, and now I really believe that God can work miracles. I am now working on the second instalment in the 'Love at the Altar' series, and I’ve got people telling me that the book has made them believe in love again. How wonderful. I feel so blessed that God saw someone like me as a worthy enough cause. Even when I was crying into my pillow at night – He saw my tears whilst knowing that one day He would dry them.

My journey to Christ and to publishing my book was a hard one, but He brought me out of a dark pit of self-destruction. My aim now is to inspire others. I want to tell people that they can overcome anything and achieve their dreams. Jesus doesn’t look at what you are. He is interested in what He can do with you. So do not look at what you are now. You are a work in progress. And when God is finished with you – your life will never be the same again.

Glory to God. Hallelujah!! What a MIGHTY AWESOME God we serve. Special thanks goes to Kimberely for sharing her powerful and inspiring testimony. If you have a testimony of how God has transformed your life and you too would like to share it on the blog, just drop me an email at theaccidentalmogul@hotmail.co.uk.

I look forward to hearing from you.

God bless.

The 'MGW' Assignment - week 4.

2013-01-20T18:30:00.003Z

Yes, it's that time. Time to press into God's word and internalise it. I love this assignment, it is really making me draw closer to God and listen out to everything He chooses to impress on my heart. So let's get to business.

This week's verse is short but POWERFUL.

'If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.'

Mark 4:23


Do you have an ear for the good news of Jesus Christ? In the book of Mark, chapter 4 Jesus speaks the parable of the sower who casts his seed and some falls on the wayside and the birds came and ate it immediately, some fell on stony ground and it bounced right back, because there was no soil for it to bury into, so the sun came out, scorched it and it withered away. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns choked the budding seed so it was unable to bear any fruit and some seed fell on good ground where it grew and increased and bore fruit thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. This parable is symbolic of how the word of God impacts (or not) lives.

Jesus says in Mark 4: 14-25

'14. The sower soweth the word. 15. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. 21. And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? 22. For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. 23.  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 24. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you:and unto you that hear shall more be given. 25. For he that hath, to him shall be given:and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.'

Do you allow God's word to penetrate your heart? Do you HEAR and DO? Or do you just allow His word to fall on rocky ground and fall by the wayside, not giving it the chance to transform your life? God wants us to live our best life, He wants us to shine the light of His love for all to see (just like a candle on a candlestick), not hide it away, so by listening to His word and obeying we are able to achieve just that.

As always, this week we are to meditate on this week's scripture Mark 4:23. Read it when you wake up, before you go to bed and throughout the day if possible. This is all in addition to the time you spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible. The aim is to internalise God's word and impress it onto our hearts, so we are able to speak life into our own lives and the lives of others correctly and consistently.

If you are taking part in the assignment please comment in the comment box below, so I know who you are and we can build a community for fellowship and encouragement. You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest too. Just use the hashtags #MGW #MGWA.

God bless and have a great week!

Friday reflection - week 13

2013-01-18T23:44:00.000Z

The Lord has been placing this scripture on my heart so much lately. 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' I wasn't sure where in the Bible it was, so I looked it up and found it in Acts 20:35. Such a powerful book of the Bible, which I must delve into more. Ever since I began to obey this verse and chase what God calls us all to do (give, rather than receive) the blessings in my life have just been pouring down on me. For real.

I give, not because of what I can get out of it, but because I want to have a heart like Jesus. I yearn for it, I long to be like Him. I want to please Him and glorify His name on Earth, so by giving consistently I am able to do just that. It doesn't have to be major or monetary just the smallest of sacrifices can make all the difference to someone's life, maybe it's clothing, or your time, or taking a friend out to lunch, babysitting for a friend, offering a shoulder to cry on, paying for someone's shopping, buying someone a coffee anything that takes the focus off of you consistently and places it on someone else.

Seriously ever since I've begun to pursue a heart that gives, things have been happening to me that are unexplainable. Here I am a stay at home, more or less single mum and yet I honestly do not go without, and I don't just mean financially, but emotionally and spiritually too. I am so at peace with where God has placed me it's crazy, because from the outside looking in, my situation is faaaaar from perfect. But where God guides, He most surely provides and by me obeying Him and being a blessing to others through giving, God is in turn blessing me and I'm not even seeking the blessing. Oooh weee glory to God!

My sister actually said to me today: 'Is there something we should know Natalie, because I don't see how you can afford this and that when you have no job. All I could say was 'It's all about the blessing'. It's available to us ALL. I'm telling you God is so faithful. Just trust and Obey and He will take care of your EVERY need. I can hands down testify to that fact!!! Praise Him!

A New Church

2013-01-15T18:38:00.001Z

I've found a new church and I love it. Just before Christmas I'd been praying for God to lead me somewhere new because I didn't feel I was growing where I was so I really wanted God to confirm if what I was feeling was of Him or me. He confirmed that the tugging at my heart was definitely Him and He set about making things work out and man have they WORKED OUT!!

A few weeks before Christmas my mum was given a flyer from some young people who were rapping, singing and envagelising outside KFC next to Barking station in East London. I was seriously impressed by this flurry of activity despite not seeing them myself and I felt heavily called to go to the Church and I'm so glad I did go because it is truly amazing. Christ most certainly answered my prayers. I have been going for just over a month now and I feel like this is where God wants me to be. The Pastor and his wife are great people and the sermons are powerful and convicting. The congregation is relatively small but already it is growing week by week with people from all walks of life.

In addition to the Sunday morning service, we have Sunday evening Bible studies, and a Wednesday evening service. I love the fact that services go on in the week. Seriously if I could I'd be at there EVERYDAY. I yearn for God's word so much. This Church has me so excited because they are seeking to find solutions to the problems within the local community by using the principles of God's word. Pure and simple. It is SO POWERFUL. A large percentage of the congregation are under 21 and believe me when I tell you that these guys are on fire for Jesus. They are spirit filled and on a mission to live as God has called them to. They are completely set apart and they set such an awesome example for the even younger children who are in attendance. It is amazing to witness, especially when these days the youth are accused of bringing so much disrespect and disruption to society. Christian youth are the role models our communities so desperately need. Amen!

I am bubbling with excitement when I think of how God has led me to be precisely where I was praying to be. There is so much potential for me to grow spiritually and minister to others. We come together in fellowship frequently and there are plans for concerts, a football team and a variety of other community activities that will bring Jesus to the people, just as God intended...Woohoo! Hallelujah! Such exciting times ahead!

I serve such a mighty, awesome God. His glory amazes me every single day. Thank you Jesus.

The Science Museum

2013-01-14T14:21:00.004Z

Cars and planes

Daddy, the kids and I went to the Science Museum in South Kensington on Saturday. It was a pretty spur of the moment decision but we had a great time. Admission is free and it's a lovely big building with TONS to see and do.

I've wanted to take the children for ages, but we've never found the right time to go, so the last minute nature of the trip really gave us all the shove we needed. I'd made plans to see my cousin in the evening, so we only had a couple of hours to see a few things together. The museum is sooo vast and there is so much to do, including scheduled experiments and documentary showcases that I'd definitely recommend going early and making a day of it. We'll definitely be doing that next time.

What we did get to see however was great and we watched a bubble show which I loved (I LOVE bubbles) and the kids did too of course. It really was a lovely day out which I would most certainly recommend for all the family.

Daddy and the girls checking out the steam trains.

Apparently this contraption took people into space.

Little bro getting his beauty sleep.

The 'Memorising God's Word' Assignment - week 3

2013-01-13T22:20:00.001Z

I really wanted to get this post out this morning. I managed to get the instagram post out before I went to church, but for some reason or another the blog post got delayed. Praise the Lord anyway because the post is here and it's that time again. MGW!!! This week's memory verse is Matthew 6:33.

'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'
Matthew 6:33

The book of Matthew is powerful and Jesus speaks mightily throughout it. In the sixth chapter of Matthew He teaches the importance of forging a one on one relationship with God based upon doing things because they are right and pleasing to our heavenly father, not because of who sees us and what acknowledgement we can get in the world for it. God knows the intentions of our hearts, and if we do things just to 'appear' holy we are mocking Him.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus teaches us to seek the Kingdom of God first before anything else. By this He means we are to look to Him for our every want and need, we are to communicate with Him through prayer and obey His word, we read our Bible's diligently, we praise and worship Him, go to church and fellowship with other Christians, HE (underlined, bolded, covered in flashing lights) will supply all our needs. If we abide in Him and seek Him first and His goodness (righteousness) everything else falls into place. I can testify to this. I seek God's face daily and He truly supplies all my needs. As long as I have my Heavenly Father, I want for nothing. He is such an AWESOME, awesome God. Hallelujah!!

So guys meditate on this verse daily in the morning when you wake up, before bed and during the day too if you can. This is in addition the daily time you spend with God praying and reading your Bible. This assignment is not about being ritualistic or memorising God's word because it is something to boast about, no. God's word is powerful and provides nourishment for the soul, so by internalising it we are able to speak life into our own lives and situations and those of others. AMEN!!

Facing up to things

2013-01-10T16:19:00.001Z

You may have noticed that talk of weddings has been very much absent around these parts of late. (Those of you who read my blog frequently will be up to speed with all the 'ins' and 'outs'). Well it's not a coincidence to be honest. Things went very down hill with my relationship. To the point that I told OH it was over and I gave him back my engagement ring. Yes. It's that serious. Miraculously though, things have been better between us than they have been in a very long time. This is despite the no sex, separate bedrooms and now separate homes.

You will most certainly find this hard to believe if you are not a believer in Christ, but in the very brokenness of our situation God is working supernaturally. Believe me when I tell you we are getting on better (from afar) than we have in years. There are changes taking place in BOTH of us that I never thought were possible. I am telling you GOD ANSWERS SINCERE PRAYERS AND REWARDS OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. I thank Him with all my heart for the change He is bringing because I really didn't like who I had become in my relationship and that was a nagging, angry, bitter and resentful miserable mess. God in His divine wisdom has removed us from a fruitless situation and through our separation we are BARING MORE FRUIT!!! And this is because I am choosing to abide in Him and His word (John 15:1-5). Glory to God for His power to transform.

I'm not going to lie, it hurts to have to go through this. I feel a lot of guilt, especially where our children are concerned but I know God is making things work for the greater good to glorify His holy name. His ways are infinitely higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9) and He knows best. I am praying HARD for Alex's salvation because I truly believe in my heart of hearts that we will be united in a christ centred marriage and we will raise our children together in a Christ centred home.

When all is said and done if it is God's Will for us to be united then nothing can stop it. And if it is not in His Will for us to be together I am at peace with the sacrifice I will have to make, after all I'm already doing it. I trust my God with my life because I know He loves me and wants what is best for me and all of His children. Hallelujah! Praise God!