Dont stop, CONTINUE

Happy new month! Cant believe its the second month of 2017 already.

It seems just like yesterday when we heralded the new year with so much pomp! Time is moving and so should we as its so easy to get stuck.

For some, the new year goals never got off the ground while pen never got to paper with others and there is a third group who got stuck midway or are challenged in fully executing set goals. It does not matter which category you find yourself  DONT GIVE UP. A new day has been gifted to you to  continue where you left off even if it means simply starting again.
The word continue means to persist in an activity or resume after interruption. It implies the following

• Persistence
• Diligence
• Commitment
• Discipline
• Strength
• Motivation
• Dedication
• Focus

It is so easy to give up when things don't work out but it is also wise to know what is worth pursuing. The bible is a beautiful story of God's relentless pursuit of man. Despite man's nature to wander and disregard God's affection, HE NEVER GAVE UP and you cant either because we are made in God's image "And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness" Genesis 1:26

A person's ability to continues at a task reflects the worth of the task or object irrespective of the surrounding environment or circumstance and in our case WHOS WE ARE. So how determined are you? February in my part of the world is wet and windy but die hard fitness people still brave the weather in other to achieve their goals. All it takes is few adjustment here and there. So the end is always worth it even if its experiencing the simple feeling of accomplishment but its always more than that.

Your present situation might be like an obstacle course but I encourage you to give it one more try with possible adjustment here and there.

So before you give  up on that set assignment here are points to consider

• Reflect on the reason why you started
• The worth of the project
• Does it (goal) really matter
• the expected end results
• winners don't quit and quitters don't win (which cap fits?)
• WHOSE ARE YOU

You don't have to go it alone. Find a friend who can walk the journey with you or even seek professional help. It might cost you but it will be worth every dime invested. Above all pray and the Holy Spirit will see you through. Remember winners don't quit and Giving up is not an option!

Tend your Garden

My neighbour has a very beautiful garden. He somehow finds time to tend his little garden despite his busy schedule. For the love of me, I think he uses magic! I've got this gut feeling he is a leprechaun..lol Whatever the season, his garden is always looking plush and radiant with colours. My garden on the other hand is like a little wild land filled with weeds.

 Mind you I am clueless about gardening but I do love the idea of having a garden that will be the envy of my neighbours. I'm sure the people that built the house and included a garden did not intend it to be a mini Amazon forest but a haven filled with lovely flowers and plants to enhance the features of the house and give some pleasure to the owners. Right now the garden is anything but!  So I have decided to enlist the services of a professional to help bring life back to my little garden.

To give more meaning to this post, I decided to check what it means to tend.Tend according to the on-line dictionary means to apply oneself to  a task, give attention to, care for or look after.
Do you have a garden and what state is it in? In this instance, a garden is a metaphor for a dream, vision, family, health, finances, relationships, anything at all that is of significant value in your life.
God has put in every life a garden that He designed ultimately to display His splendour.
"they will be called oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendour" Isaiah 61:3.
 There is nothing beautiful about a life gone awry and without structure. An untended garden has the tendency to attract wild creatures so does a life not fulfilling its original purpose. In fact its a sorry sight!
Like a garden, every life designed by God has inherent potentials for infinite possibilities if only we would guard and nurture what the lord has entrusted to us. Stop leaving your life to chance! Stop neglecting the things that are of utmost  important to you. Stop taking your health, family, finances, relationships for granted. Just stop because some of these people are irreplaceable.! Don't wait till it goes down hill before getting a grip.
I know what it is to lose grip on reality so this topic resonates deeply with me but THANK GOD FOR SECOND CHANCES!

Photo Credit:www.photos-public-domain.com

Every successful business or relationship is a product of conscious positive decisions. The people you see and admire did not leave things to chance but nurtured and tended their purpose, visions and that includes everything that is of significant value to them. YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. What you carry is too beautiful/important to leave to chance and wild creatures to peck on. GET A GRIP.
Admittedly certain situations happen to us that cause us to lose focus but its time to get back in the grid and allow yourself to smile again. THE WORLD IS WAITING!

In gardening, certain activities are carried out to ensure a very aesthetic outlook and these rules are applicable to life.
DE-WEED-weeds are undesirable plants that have the tendency to choke out more desirable plants. In order to have a "beautiful" life vigorously uproot emotions, relationships and attitude that would bar you from making your desired impact.
NURTURE- This means care and feed what has been given to you and this includes your family, health, business, finances. Every farmer knows to nurture their plants and flowers so the garden does not grow wild  Don't let wild creatures devour what you are blessed with and don't you mess it up either. What you have in your hand is delicate.

PROTECT- Set barriers around your vision. Guard it jealously. Mind your influencers.
PLAN AND STRUCTURE: Not all gardens are shaped the same way. My garden is oval in shape while my neighbour's is square but enough to plant flowers and plants. What you have might seem small but it is right for you. Work with what you have.

SEEK HELP: Its OK to ask for help if you don't know what to do. There are people out there who have overcome the challenges you are facing, seek them out. You only have one life, pride won't help you in this matter. I know what it means to ask for help and its beneficial in the long run. No use groping in the dark when help is only a phone call away.

Other factors include patience and commitment(would expand later. dashing for a meeting)
My prayer is that as the year draws to an end, you will receive grace to attend to the things that truly matter so your life will display the splendour of God. DON'T LEAVE YOUR LIFE TO CHANCE. TAKE CHARGE.
HAVE A GREAT DAY AHEAD.

Miracle in the mailbox .

Her heart pounded and she could feel the beady sweat running down her forehead as she heard the postman slip letters through the letter hole. "O lord", she prayed. "let it not be another bill". she'd been overwhelmed with bills this month and it seems they just keep pouring in. the gas bill, electricity, motor tax, insurance, school fees, on and on the list kept growing. The economic recession seems to be biting harder than it was 3 years ago. "what do I do lord", she panicked as she picked up the first envelop she could touch while straddling her little one on her hips. The little girl giggled as reached out and pulled her mother's luscious curls, mindless of the turmoil going on around her. "kids, how innocent and impervious they are to situations", the young mother mused. She walked back to into the kitchen while clutching the envelop in her hand. It was an official looking envelop with a government ensigna boldly printed on it. "O lord" she panicked too scared to open it. Could it the bank wanting to repossess her house because she'd been behind on her morgate repayment? "O God! no please" she pleaded as she opened the the envelop with trembling hands. she had been out of a job in six years and all her efforts to get back in the game had been futile. Nobody seems to want a single mother of three well into her late thirties1. sad, but that's how the world is she thought to herself. The absentee father of her children was not helping matters. He had not made any contribution for the children's upkeep in 4 years. "oh my God" she screamed crumpling the envelop in her hand, startling her little baby still straddled on her hips. "Oh my God", she repeated as she unfolded the letter again and her eyes ran through the already very crumpled letter soaked with tears. she was holding a miracle in her hands, an unexpected answer to a desperate heart cry. Three years ago, she had written a proposal to a government department highlighting ways that special needs education can be improved in public schools. As the years rolled by she felt her proposal had been dumped in the bin just like her other dreams had crumbled and died. In that dreaded sound of the postman dropping letters through her letter box had come a dream reawekened and renewed strength for the future. The future didnt look bleak anymore. Ironic it seems, doesn't it? that life's greatest miracles come from the most unsusual places, people and situations. My friend dreaded checking her post because of the recent onslaught of bad news that she'd received but her miracle came through the same mailbox. Imagine what would have happened if she'd chosen not to open her mail that day out of fear. I have learnt that obstacles are only stepping stones to promotion and opportunities are wrapped in the least atractive packaging.Isaiah 45:3 "And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel". God, Himself will deliver life-transforming opportunities from unlikely situations . It is possible only if we believe! Like a lot of people, I have my share of challenges but I believe the solution is closer than i imagined all I have to do is enjoy the storm and the miracle is a post man away