Friday reflections - week 9

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So I'm truly practicing what I preach! After dropping my girls to school yesterday morning,  I went on a mission (son snuggled up in his buggy) to seek out people in my local community who are in need. I had a bag with some jeans, a body warmer and a thick cardigan jacket courtesy of my brother who purged his wardrobe the night before and donated a large amount of clothes.

I headed out, praying to God as I went, asking Him to reveal to me who He wanted me to reach out to. First port of call was my local 'Savers' shop, (if you're not familiar, it's a bit like Wilkinson and the Pound Shop rolled into one). It stocks well known brands at great prices, so I bought toothbrushes, several pairs of gloves and a bumper pack of pocket sized tissues. Well you never know what someone might need do you?

I walked through the shopping mall and saw several people who caught my eye, in particular a lady with tears in her eyes, who looked directly at me and smiled, but before I could say anything to her she hurried off on her way, all the people I saw were not obviously down and out (not that they had to be), and they all seemed to be in such a rush. 

Undeterred I hopped on the train, determined to find someone I could give to. When I got to my stop I felt led to walk away from the town centre and towards the local park. As I crossed the road I saw a disabled boy crossing the road with someone who seemed to be his carer, they appeared to come out of a building on the corner. I approached a lady as she was about to enter the building and asked her what went on there. She said that it was a home for disabled children whose parents were too ill to look after them. Wow! I looked to the heavens and thanked God for leading me there. I was amazed. I had driven past this building numerous times and never once had I really noticed it or known its purpose. I asked if they took donations of any kind and they said 'No'. Not giving up, I asked to take their contact details so I could speak to the managers and see if there was anything I could do for them.

With a bounce in my step I went to the park, hoping I might find someone to give the clothes in my bag to, but since it was so bitterly cold the park was understandably rather empty. I let my son go on the swings for a bit then made my way to another train station to get home, again hoping I'd see someone to help. On this occasion it wasn't to be and I ended up giving the clothes to two charity shops instead.

Today I went out armed with some more clothes, it was wet and windy and quite difficult to determine who I could help. I'm going to continue with this approach though. I know in time I will build my confidence and find people to help. And I can't forget about the home I came across. I'm excited to discover how deeply I'll be able to help out there! 

I'm going to leave you with a blog post from Francis Chan's tumblr here. He is such an amazing preacher and he has truly inspired me to be a more radical follower of Jesus. Maybe you will be inspired to do something too.

Glory to God!

Those in need

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My sister and I have made a decision to do more to help others in need WITHOUT giving it a second thought. As Christians The Bible explicitly says that we are to love our neighbours as ourselves. It's the second most important commandment, after loving God with all your heart and soul. So if we are to love our neighbours as ourselves that means we must give of ourselves to those in need and yes I'm talking about the homeless, the drug addicts, the prostitutes and of course our families and friends. Giving doesn't just have to mean money, but time, resources, skills, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, food, clothes, whatever it is that you have to offer.

My sister told me that nearly every day on her way to work she sees a homeless man, asking for money and food and her heart has been telling her to reach out to him. For many of us our first instinct is to keep a wide berth, because who knows; they could be high on drugs, or mentally unstable or ready to lash out at someone, but we've now come to the conclusion, especially as the days grow colder, that we can no longer walk by and turn a blind eye to the blatant need that surrounds us each and every day. Yes, sometimes people are to blame for their own demise, but very often they are not. In any case who are we to judge? If we were without a roof over our heads or in desperate need wouldn't we want someone, anyone to reach out to us? Of course we would.

After watching numerous sermons by the amazingly spirit filled Man of God Francis Chan (seriously he is radical and completely on fire for Jesus), my sister and I feel strongly that God is leading us to reach out to those in need, and even if He wasn't this is something we should all be doing anyway. We are going through our wardrobes and our parents wardrobes to gather all the clothes and shoes that are no longer required, especially coats and winter boots, and we're going to start giving to people we see in need in our local community. These items do nothing but lie around, not being worn and taking up unnecessary space, so why not give to those who need it most? Come on, it is FREEZING out there. I feel cold in my home sometimes, so I can't even begin to imagine what it is like being on the streets at this time of year. We must all do MORE!!

Why don't you have a look around in your own home and see if there are any items you could give to someone who needs it more than you? 

Be a blessing to someone in need. You won't regret it.


"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed."
Proverbs 19:17

"Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
Hebrews 13:16

My blog is one today!

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I'm saying a prayer and blowing this candle out!

My blog is one today! My, my, my, Woop woop!! I really wanted to do something special to celebrate, what with Christmas being around the corner and all, but I'm a bit rushed off my feet and haven't been able to organise anything *sniff, sniff*. Never mind though, you can rest assured I'll be planning something special to mark the occasion. I'm not quite sure what yet, but it'll definitely happen, so watch this space.

12 months have completely flown by and my blog looks very different to what I planned it to look like when I started out. What is that saying about 'plans and fools'?? or is it; 'make God laugh, show him your plans'. Lol - Soooo true. Since I've been born again my life has been forever changed. Things that used to be important really don't make sense to me any more. 

This Christian walk is so exciting, yet there are sacrifices to be made in order to glorify God. Everyday I'm learning this and everyday God is giving me the strength to walk confidently in his truth. Wow what a difference a year makes. Here's to another year of following my God given purpose on this planet, drawing closer to Him and sharing my journey and revelations with all of you. 

I want to say a BIG thank you to all the wonderful people that follow and read my blog. I really do hope you continue to enjoy the ride.

xxx

The Kinky Curly Coily Me! Castor oil challenge

Woah 1st December already!!! 2012 is nearly over peeps......

You may or may not  know that  I completely love castor oil. Jamaican Black castor oil to be exact. My hair absolutely LOVES it. It leaves it feeling silky, soft and shiny, plus it has many health benefits for your scalp and overall hair health too.

Crystal Afro mentioned on her blog that she was taking part in the winter castor oil challenge run by Jenell on her KinkyCurlyCoilMe website. It got me thinking, it's December 1st, so a good a time as any to give this challenge a go. I love what castor oil does for my hair already, so why not start to document the progress properly?

I had BIG problems with Post partum shedding after all three of my pregnancies. I lost ALL of my hair at my temples, slowly it is growing back. Thank the Lord! I also seem to be having issues with breakage or slow hair growth in the crown area, so I'm intrigued to see if dedicated usage of castor oil will help in these areas. I have fine hair which seems to be different lengths all over, so I really want to promote healthy hair growth and a healthy luscious head of hair. Bring it on! Thank you Jesus!

Shedding at the temple, now growing back.
It was bald at one point.

If you want to take part in the Castor oil winter challenge you have until Friday 7 December 2012. You can click here, which will take you to Jenell's website for more information on how to participate.

Friday reflections - week 8

Wow. I have to share an amazing Joel Osteen sermon I had the pleasure of listening to this morning. I have been feeling forlorn lately. I'm struggling in my situation and I feel a bit overwhelmed at times. Well that weight was lifted  when Joel spoke God's words of hope, joy, peace and life into my own life today. He made things a whole lot clearer for me. I tell you, God uses people to speak truth into your circumstances and turn things around for you when you least expect it. 

For a few weeks now I've felt rather 'bleurgh', and quite frankly; I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS. I have no reason to, I have life, health, healthy children, healthy family and friends, a roof over my head, so much to be thankful for. Well you know what? I have authority over my feelings.  I am an overcomer through Christ who strengthens me. God hears my prayers, He knows the desires of my heart. My job now is to stop grumbling and dwelling on how my situation is going to change and start praising God for the changes He is already making. Amen!

Joel's sermon went something like this;

When we pray, yet our situation continues to look bleak we can sometimes begin to beg God for deliverance by praying the same prayers over and over. This is not the correct approach because God hears our prayers the first time. The right approach is to switch worry, doubt and complaining into PRAISE. We must thank God that our prayers have been heard and He is changing our situation even though we can't see it yet.

Praise, worship and thanksgiving is what changes situations. Joel gave the analogy of his family. When his son passed his driving test he bought him a car, his 13 year old daughter asked if she could get a car when she passed her test. Joel said yes. From that point onwards she trusted her father's word and even began to speak as though she had the car already, giving thanks to her father for his love and kindness. She had faith in her father and believed she would have the car she was promised. Imagine if his daughter on a daily basis kept asking 'Daddy, can I have a car? Daddy where is my car?'. It would make no sense if the car had already been promised. And would only serve to upset her father who would be heartbroken that his daughter had no confidence or trust in his word. That is what God must think about us when we don't have faith in Him and His glory.

Be a believer not a beggar. Pray then Praise. Believe God will do what He says He will. We grab God's attention by thanking Him for the answers to our prayers before they come. We must thank Him for His grace and mercy, for the favour that he pours in our lives and the abundant blessings that are in store.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight'

Proverbs 3:5-6

Let us learn to speak positively into our lives, to have faith, hope and joy.

Have a blessed weekend x

LEGO DUPLO - On Safari

It's that time again. Another great review post courtesy of the fantastic Lego DUPLO. This time we go on safari and oh my, were my children excited to get this parcel.

I was as excited as my girls to get stuck into this set, however I must confess I have struggled to get decent pictures, mainly because my 17 month old was more interested in breaking everything as fast as my girls and I were building, then he felt the need to throw the pieces around, but hey that's the joy of toddlers right? They throw EVERYTHING and cause chaos where ever they go. Nevertheless we had lots of fun and there are lots of pieces to play with. We built trees, bridges, towers, not to mention the safari trucks, aeroplanes AND all the fantastic animals; a hippo, a leopard, a giraffe, an ostrich, an elephant and even a scary crocodile with a fish in its mouth. Aaarrgghh!! It really is a brilliant set and there was something for us all to get stuck into, despite my mischievous toddler.

You'll also be happy to know that
as a special holiday treat, Toys-r-Us are running a special promotion nationwide where you will receive a super cute DUPLO bunny plush toy as a free gift when you spend over £25 on LEGO DUPLO. Now that is great timing if I do say so myself, especially with Christmas around the corner.

This set retails for £49.99. This is a review post. All views are my own.

Let's do this!

Snap, Snap, SNAP!!

We managed to build a tree. (Just about)

That's a bridge.

More of the bridge and safari animals.

Plush bunny is so cute. Big Squeeze from little sis.

Friday reflections (a late one) - week 7

I really wanted to get my Friday reflections post up on Friday, but hey stuff happens and things kept cropping up, so here it is on Monday. Will try not to make a habit of this..... 

I've realised that I've been pretty hard on myself lately, what with everything that's been going, (or not going) on. But I must always remember how far I have come, not how far I have to go. It really is all too easy to forget, when you are in the midst of a storm.

I've been listening to a few Joyce Meyer sermons to feed my faith; for those who don't know her, she is a spirit filled woman of God who motivates and encourages through God's word. She's like a teacher, preacher and Momma all rolled into one. She's been through some terrible things in her life, but through God's magnificent grace and mercy she's turned her life AROUND and has been ministering the Gospel to millions for over 30 years. Glory to God! Anyway her sermons have been speaking  to me massively. 

So many of us have God given talents that we just sit on. We don't use them to bless others or ourselves we just let them go to waste and wonder why nothing good seems to happen to us. I'd like to encourage everyone out there to take whatever talent they have, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem and use it to make a difference to the lives of others NOW. Often the cure to lifting your own spirits is to lift the spirits of someone else. 









Go and be a blessing to someone today! 

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