Faith’s Guide

It’s 2022, Where Are You?

Today is the 7th of the second month of 2022, and I am just getting round to saying Happy New Year.

It’s funny because I have been saying with a few friends that our new year starts in February.  That was mainly because we went away over Christmas and returned home mid January.  Arriving back we were all still fully in holiday mode.

Which for me had consequences.

At the start of this year I found myself asking:

‘Where Are You?’

I’ll give you a bit of background.  The end of last year was extremely busy. I was consumed with work, being down with Cxxxd, many cancelled flights, postponed weddings.  It was all very hectic and it felt like I was constantly chasing my tail.

This didn’t stop whilst I was away.  Travelling with two laptops, not knowing when to switch off.

It was still go, go, go.  Although fun (sometimes a bit too much) it was chaotic and this resulted in my being more out of sync.

Upon returning home, I found myself feeling completely lost. I was out of sync.  The truth is I had moved far from God. 

I had lost my bearings, I was not in good space spiritually and I didn’t know what to do.

What to do when you feel lost and far from God:

The truth is the only thing I really had to do was to pause and tell God how I felt.

  1.       Prayer (and repentance)

I said a genuine prayer, nothing fancy, no sophisticated language.  Just simple heartfelt utterances.  I cried, I confessed, I repented of my sins, and spoke about how I felt and where I would like to be.

 

  1.       Sought Counsel

I spent time speaking to someone in my family who had spiritual common sense.  I didn’t need someone that lacked empathy speaking spiritual jargon to me, condemning me, or quoting tons of scripture (out of context). Instead I need love, fellowship, correction and help with developing a structure.

 

  1.       Establish a Routine       

This was critical, because the late nights, early mornings meant my days were rolling into one.  At one point I was sleeping a couple of hours, working, going out in the evenings, back to work, a quick nap then early morning meetings.

It was important to create structure and contain myself. I decided to try to get to bed on time, wake up around the same time daily.  Eat regular meals (I was literally picking because I was always on the go), switch off my laptop and STOP working, set a time for prayer and reading my Bible and moving my body (some form of physical activity).

 

  1.       Follow a Bible plan

I initially started with a 5 day devotional from my Bible App, then when I had started to build a rhythm joined my Church in the Bible in year Plan.

As I’ve started reading the Word again, I’m incorporating studying, meditating scripture and journalling.

  1.       Get back into Church/ Fellowship

This should never be ignored or compromised.  The safety, encouragement and support we get from fellowshipping with other believers is so important.  I cannot stress this enough!  Even more so when you find yourself in a funk, or out of sync.  This is the perfect time to walk with other believers who can support you as you find your rhythm again.

Last but certainly not the least,

6. Invite the Holy Spirit not just daily, but into each moment. 

My pastor often says it is not about performance but pursuing presence.  I find this phrase so encouraging, it also re-orientates me back to what is important – The presence of God in my life. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Comforter and guide to help us daily on our journey!

We often feel lost because we are not aware of His presence. 

At the beginning of the year we can become so preoccupied with goals, plans that we dampen His voice or His presence in our life.

As Christians we can also become obsessed with things such as fasting, praying, bible reading (WHICH ARE ALL GOOD THINGS!!) that this becomes a task of performance or just a thing we ‘have to do’.  As such we do not acknowledge Him and His presence.

The truth is found in His presence.

Peace is found in his presence

Direction, forgiveness, wholeness (and the list goes on) are all found in His presence!

 

As we continue on with 2022, I encourage you to pursue His presence first.  If you find yourself lost, or far from Him, try out the steps I shared. 

 

If you take anything away from this it’s – just get into His presence, no agenda, just as you are.  Tell Him where you are, what is going on and lean into His love.

As you pursue His presence, you will meet with the Lord and everything else will fall into place.

Happy 2022!

 

Love, 

 

Faith xox 

 

It’s Not Too Late To Start Over

One of the most important lessons I have learned this year is ‘It’s not too late to start over’. 

Sometime we put unrealistic and unnecessary expectations on ourselves to get everything right the first time round. Why we do this I don’t know?

Recently I have spent a lot of time asking myself why I do certain things and for whom? These answers have often revealed that I have lost myself along the way, and I needed a complete U-turn!

There have been times where I have felt like I had to continue along a specific path because I was too far gone.  I had spent time, money, dedicated resources therefore I had to see things to the end.  However, more recently I have really started to understand the importance and freedom in knowing when to stop and start again.

Life is not static, similarly our identities are not fixed and immovable.  We grow, evolve and change.  Our desires and hopes also to reflect this evolution.  When this happens, it makes sense that our actions and lives align accordingly.

We do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved”

(Matthew 9:16–17).

We cannot expect to view life (or ourselves) through the old lens.  We also cannot expect to apply the same strategy for a new vision.

  • It is okay to change direction
  • It is okay to evaluate your why and change your mind
  • It’s okay to decide you want to start again.

Change in this context doesn’t mean giving up or throwing in the towel.  It’s acknowledging the new and embracing all that comes with this change.

It is an opportunity to exercise autonomy and demonstrate initiative for your life. Your story does not need to end where it currently is, we have the power to change and alter the narrative of our life.

Sometimes we need to hone in and accept when things aren’t working out.

This is one of my favourite scriptures:

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

(Proverbs 19:21)

Whilst we acknowledge that it is the will of God that we want to prevail in our lives, I do not believe our role in this is passive.  We have a living relationship with God, thus when we are unsure or not pleased with how things are going, we can take it to Him and ask for clarity for our journey or even a brand-new road map. God wants to partner with us in our lives and for His Kingdom work

As we are slowly winding down 2021, I want to encourage you that with each new day comes new opportunities.  Goals and plans needn’t be restricted to the 12 months of the calendar year, if you’ve got to keep going – do just that keep going! And if you need to start over – do just that! You are not a static being, but a growing and evolving child of God.

 

With love,

 

Faith xox

Thrive Where You’re Planted

If I was offered the role of being a nomad blogger (or whatever they’re called) I would say yes, please! I love travelling and just being in different places.  But I have come to realise the importance of being planted! Being rooted somewhere and thriving in that community.

One day last week I was sitting in my living room in silence, and I started thinking about what it means to be planted.  I thought back to when I was in primary school and as a class, we were growing beanstalks!  I remember in the mornings excitedly running to the tray by the window to see my transparent glass labelled with my name which contained my wee bean. I was excited to see the transformation and growth.  Even on the days when there wasn’t that much physical change, as a class we learnt that we would eventually see the growth of our plant.

We learnt one of the first stages of the bean plant is the splitting of its outer layer.  This is essential for the plant to get oxygen to produce energy it needs for germination, and also to set its roots.

As I pondered on this process, I thought about how aesthetically unpleasing the splitting may look but how crucial it was to the growth of the plant.  If the outer layer doesn’t split, then there is no oxygen, roots cannot be formed, the plant doesn’t get the required nutrients and eventually it dies (or just doesn’t grow at all).  This isn’t supposed to be a morbid post, but it did make me think about not being planted or fully committed to my community for long enough to break the outer layer (for me I have to admit it’s itchy feet and a lack of commitment – I just want to be free!!) in order to thrive. 

If you believe God has placed you somewhere, no matter how abundant or derelict the place may seem, commitment to that place will result in some growth.

Think about the dry, harsh nature of a desert, yet there are certain species of cacti that survive and do well.  You are an important part of your current ecosystem, so whether you’re there for life, or a short-term stint – split your outer layer, establish roots, yield to the environment (your community) and allow yourself room to grow.   Where you grow you thrive!

Our growth isn’t for selfish reasons. Think about it the bean plant doesn’t eat its own harvest. Similarly, those around us benefit from our growth and the production of our fruit.  As Christians the fruit of our growth should equip, encourage, impact and mobilise our community towards His kingdom.

With love,

Faith xox

Transitioning Into Fall

It’s that time of year when our feed is full of ‘fall outfit inspiration’, ‘transitional pieces’, ‘fall essentials’, and so on.

Fall or autumn as we call it here in the UK is one of my favourite seasons.  I love the richness of fall colours, the warmer tones, and pallets we add to our wardrobe.  I like the brown, oranges and deep shades of yellow leaves that decorate the ground.  I particularly like the early days and weeks of autumn.  We get the odd sunny day where we can leave the house with sunnies on, a small jacket and a scarf and we’ll be okay.

Recently, I’ve been talking to a lot of students new to my local church and the city and it’s made me think a lot about transitions.

  • Being new to a city

  • New to living alone

  • New jobs

  • New relationships

Transition is an expected feature of life, but it doesn’t take away that it can be scary and anxiety provoking.

I’ve had to deal with my fair share of transitions, and I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me – hoping they help you.

1.   Establish a routine as soon as you can

Routine introduces order and gives you a sense of stability.  This is particularly important when you’re in a new space and things feel uncertain and unpredictable.

Make your routine REALISTIC.   Starting off small and when you have a good rhythm going then you

Easing yourself into this new routine by starting off small. Small, manageable steps are usually easier to implement and keep up. Consistency is key!  Once you have established a good rhythm you can think about building up your routine.

Also, make sure you are scheduling in nice things.  I know this isn’t a Bible scripture but ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’.

2.  Make schedule time daily to pray and read The Word

(This probably should have been number one but)

Seeking God daily, spending time in His Word, and conversing with Him regularly is essential to us functioning effectively.

I like to see the Word of God literally as food.  In some ways it helps me stay on track and encourages me to read the Word. When I go a few days without reading my Bible I ask myself would I really go without food for days?  Probably not, therefore why am I starving myself of Godly food and His presence?

3.  Join a local church and attend a house group

This is especially important if you find yourself in a new city, country, town, or new geographic place.

It’s a good way to make friends and be part of a community of like-minded people. If you’re struggling with making time for God during the week, this at least guarantees that you have designated time to spend with God and other believers.

4. Rest in Him and His Grace!

 

The thing about transitions is that it doesn’t mean the core of you changes.  Think about it like this, in autumn we layer up with scarves, wear coats etc.  We do this as a way of adapting to the conditions of our environment.  We adapt to the season, by changing what we wear, so that we can survive, cope, and ultimately thrive.  Transitions in some way is similar.  The core of us does not change, however, it’s an opportunity to increase our capacity, grow to thrive in the next season.

Whatever your transition – starting school, a new job, moving countries, starting on a journey of motherhood or marriage, be confident that God’s grace is more than sufficient for this transition the next season of your life and beyond!

I’d love to know if you do something in particular to help you adjust to change?

With love,

Faith xox

The Comeback: Learning and Unlearning

 

It has been about 3 years since I (consistently) posted on Faith’s Guide, so much so that I forgot what it felt like to sit at my laptop and write a post.  However, I quickly remembered the joys of blogging  when my laptop decided to switch itself off not once but three times!

This is now my fourth attempt at this post, so bear with me as I try to recover from memory a pretty decent post.  If the post is incoherent, remember it’s my fourth attempt and it has been about three years!

Not exactly the kind of introduction I was going for, but hey! I also did not intend for this social media break to go for as long as it did, but hey, your girl’s back!

walking away

 

So I initially took a break because I went back to school and moved countries and needed time to find my feet and get a good rhythm going.  However, unbeknownst to me I was about to go through a period of learning and unlearning. 

This season of my life was characterized by stripping back and asking quite profound questions about my faith.

I did not necessarily doubt my belief in Jesus but I had questions around certain doctrines and teachings I had adopted.  I questioned what and how I prayed; how I quoted and used certain scriptures. I also wondered if I actually understood scripture? And could I share my understanding clearly to unbelievers and even believers? 

I spent time teasing apart cultural practices that are infused into teaching and presented as the Word of God.  Some of these practices I wholeheartedly believed and engaged in without question.  There were things that I could have sworn were the truth but have now come to learn are nothing but personal opinions dressed as ‘the truth’. 

 

Cognisant of these questions and the weight of uncertainty, I thought it would be best to pause, strip back in order to get a better understanding of my faith.

During this time away I explored things such as: tithing, first fruits, discipleship, The Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, prophecy, dreams/visions, ‘God said’ statements, religion vs. spirituality, new age practices within the church…the list goes on. 

For me, it was important that I wasn’t a ‘blind’ Christian, and that after considering the costs I was wholly committed to walking this path. 

 

Here are some of the things I learned and unlearned during this time 

  • Nothing will and should ever replace your individual time with God.  that personal quiet time – never compromise it, and try not to skip it. 

 

  • Do not despise those around you, whilst we may put big preachers, or the ‘saints of old’ on pedestals, if we believe it is the power of God working in them…then guess what that same power is present in your local pastor’s life, your friends and family that are Christian and that same power is in you! 

 

  • Do not, I repeat do not put yourself on a pedestal.  Do not think ‘I could never do that’, or ‘that could never happen to me’ – because you really don’t know!  In the last couple of years, I think the Christian world has had some unfortunate scandals which have been quite public.  My personal response to this is:  forgiveness, grace and refrain from gossip.  In these situations you cannot confidently say what you would or wouldn’t do.  When you think you know yourself, your heart reveals otherwise. Two scriptures that keep me in check: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:19 KJV).  If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). 

 

  • Listen to that feeling in your gut and respond to it. You know that feeling you get when you hear a word that doesn’t sit well with you, or you meet someone, and the interaction is a ‘bit off’.  Attend to that feeling through prayer, weighing up what the person said/ did against the word of God – For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).  And find Godly counsel around the issue. 

 

  • You need to be planted and discipled in a local church! Online church has been an absolute blessing, especially during lockdown. However the value and blessing of being connected to and doing life with people you see, feel and who know you is priceless! 

 

  • Ask questions, wonder, be curious. From my understanding and experience, God doesn’t chastise you or penalise you for asking questions.  We have lots of examples of the disciples asking Jesus questions.  This presented beautiful opportunities for Jesus to teach, and His disciples to learn! 

 

  • Be open to learn new things and have your existing belief system challenged.  We are all learning and on this journey.   It’s not about knowing everything right now.  The truth is we know in part.  Life is beautiful when you see it as a journey and you walk through it with God.

 

Although this is not a Christian blog (I’m a Christian woman that runs this blog), I felt a huge sense of responsibility to those of you who read my posts and follow me on social media. I wanted to make sure that I was not leading you astray or purporting erroneous messages.  Therefore, I did not think the blog or online in general was the best place to explore these curiosities.

My primary hope is that my blog is a place you can come to for encouragement.  I would love for us to engage in healthy discourse around faith and life and learn from each other.  If I say or share something that may be biblically incorrect, please let me know comments and corrections are welcome (especially when done in love).   I hope my posts are encouraging and give you a healthy push in the right direction.  

I am interested to know what you have learned, unlearned about your faith, belief system or even yourself in the last year?

 

With love 

Faith xox

Faith’s Guide