Faith’s Guide

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

20-MINE-TEEN. 2019 We Here!!

I remember this time last year one of my friends  named the year ‘20-gr8-teen’. I laughed and told her  several times that it was cheesy.

 

But in the final week of 2018, as a group of us sat down to talk about our year. I said, Remember when X said this was 20GR8Teen and we laughed, it was actually an amazing year for her.  As a friend we saw 5 main areas of her life flourish.

  1. Spiritual
  2. Financial
  3. Personal Development/Career
  4. Relationships
  5. Family

We saw God physically pick her up, move her geographically and bless her greatly in the aforementioned areas.

As the wise woman I am I told her I needed a word for 2019.  She replied….hmm I’m going to pray about it and I’ll get back to you. So she did and she came back with ‘20-MineTeen’. Before I allowed the fulness of my laughter to erupt I remembered Sarai (before she became Sarah) and how she laughed at the promises of God because it seemed cheesy and silly.  I also remembered my friend and her 2018 testimony. I wisely thanked her and during my personal prayer time with God asked Him for  a personal word.  Which confirmed the what she had declared.

It’s already day 3 of 2019 and the excitement still remains.  I have a great feeling about 2019, because ALL His promises are yay and Amen.

I wish you all a very prosperous new year.

May 2019  bring you lots of joy, happiness, blessings in abundance and every other good thing His Word promises.

 

I’ve got my word for 2019, and I’m about to run with it

 

In truth and with love

Faith xox

01.10.18

It’s been a minute since I have put my fingers to work on a post, and it feels…I’m not sure how it feels. But I’m gonna write and I hope you read. My aim is not to write  soley for entertainment purposes, but if you chuckle or smile whilst reading that is a definite bonus.  My aim is to encourage you to think, reflect and then act…make a move…hopefully towards God and the good things in life.
 

In the last few days, two beautiful women I know have passed on.  Two very unfortunate circumstances, and two sets of ‘they had so much more to live for’. 
 
Death doesn’t usually move me to tears, but yesterday I found myself hysterically saying to God that ‘this was unfair’. One of my biggest cheerleaders passed away yesterday, I thought about how much my cousin had achieved in her short time on earth. I thought of all she had given, and how much more she had to give. 

Achievement isn’t just about the accolades and tangible things you acquire, it is about the impact that you make. The way you inspire others, your ability to encourage and pull the best of those you meet.
My uncle wisely reminded me that while she was young, she lived a good life and this may have just been her time and we are to cherish the beautiful memories we shared.
 
Thinking about how kind, loving, caring and giving she was I went on Instagram and scrolled through one of my favourite bloggers page Kyrzayda Rodriguez.  I started following Kyrzayda a couple of years ago because I was in love with her hair, but she also had amazing style! But as she shared with us her battle with cancer, I had a new found love and respect for her.  Even in her dying days she kept working, to inspire us, to encourage us.  She fought the fight with cancer fiercely but with so much grace – to her followers and readers she never gave up, and even in her dying moments she wanted to continue giving.
 
I woke up today telling myself

 

 

You Mustn’t Stop Giving.  You Mustn’t Stop Doing. 

Do It For Yourself First, Then Do For Others. 

Whatever your ‘IT’ is, do it till you can’t do it anymore,  give it till you can no longer give it.
 
 

So my ‘doing it’ for today is putting out this post. I feel tempted to include disclaimers of the quality of this post, the images used…but this will be an excuse for me not giving it.
 
So today 01.10.18 I encourage you to DO IT, and give IT your absolute best shot.
 
Happy new month

 
In truth and with love,
 
Faith

Are you walking in your purpose?

The word of the season seems to be ‘purpose’. I guess the obsession is understandable for this time of year, as many use the first couple of months to set goals and plan the rest of their year.

 
I’ve heard so many…

‘I need to walk in my purpose’, ‘I need to find my purpose’, ’I’m quitting my job to live my purpose’, ‘what is your purpose, and are you walking in it?’

These questions sometimes make me cringe or roll my eyes. Reason being, is the trending nature in which these purpose fuelled conversations are discussed.

Quick disclaimer: Purpose is important. Knowing your calling, identifying and using your gifts and talents are all vital parts of our existence.  I strongly believe it is important to live a purposeful and fulfilling life to the glory of God. 

My issue lies in this unrelenting quest to discover ‘purpose’.  Some are so bent on discovering their ‘purpose’, they’re no longer living life, as this pursuit has positioned itself as their biggest if not only mission in life.   

 

I also hear bold talks of giving up day jobs to ‘pursue purpose’.

Call me a cynic, I honestly believe many have not actually realised their purpose and are quitting jobs and assignments to follow their own dreams or desires. I do not necessarily disagree with this, but when I think of ‘purpose’, I consider it to be far greater than personal wants or desires, there is a bigger picture which I’ll touch on in more detail later.  There are some extreme cases where people follow trends and disguise it as ‘pursuing purpose’, which is too dangerous and unfulfilling game to be playing.

 

What exactly is your purpose?

Do you have to know what your purpose is?

How do I fulfil my purpose?

How do I know if I’m in my purpose?

 

I recall my pastor’s commentary on purpose at a young adults meeting,  he frankly started that purpose is something only revealed by The Creator. 

He asked us to think about what we would do with a product we were not sure of its use.

He answered, ‘you would probably refer to the manual’.
Why?
Because it has a description of what the product is, how it should be used, and step by step instructions on how to use it. Using our intuition and instincts to piece the product together will probably result in mis-use or even complete damage.  Hence the importance of the manual, it is essential for proper and maximum use.  I believe this same principle should be applied to us.

To live a full, life of purpose, to understand our purpose; what we were created for and how to properly utilise our skills, gifts and abilities we need to refer to our Manual.

The Manual.  

 But, this is a step we often skip, as we tend to head straight over to ‘in-use’ mode.  Then when things start creaking or playing up we begin the hunt for the instructions.  At this point you would think we would refer to ‘The Manual’, nope, most would rather refer to a quick read because of that very reason –it’s quick; there’s no need to take time to understand, a quick glance and you get the gist and off again to in-use mode.

We rush to sign up for conferences, seminars, talks and the likes, to get understanding of what our purpose is.  We begin looking for answers that can really only be provided by The One who created us.

 

Do not misunderstand me; I believe attending conferences, seminars, workshops are great.  Having mentors, coaches, teachers are all really important, but they cannot give us the specific answers we need for our lives, only God can.

If we look at Samuel for example, who called out to him? God.

 

Only God knew exactly the reason and purpose for which He called Samuel.

Eli functioning in the capacity of a mentor was able to guide him towards acknowledging the voice of God. Eli did NOT act as an intermediary and get Samuels purpose downloaded from God and then transfer it to him.  Nope, being someone who was experienced in the office of a priest and having the understanding that God speaks to His people, he was able to share this knowledge with Samuel, so Samuel could respond.  It was God who called Samuel; Samuel had the responsibility of responding and listening to what God had to say (see 1 Samuel 3 for the full story).

This is how we should see our mentors, coaches and teachers.  Most of them have walked the road we intend to, thus more experienced in particular areas. They lend their knowledge and expertise to help and nurture us in these areas.  They are to help us identify areas of strengths and improvement so we can fulfil that calling. But they cannot tell you what your purpose is; only The One who created you knows the specific reason for creating you.  Only He knows exactly what you should be doing and how you should be doing it.

If you do not know what your purpose is, that’s fine (for now). I would advise spending quality time talking to your Creator, inquiring of Him.

We need to break this ‘I need to know now and do right now’ frame of mind.  We cheat ourselves of n developing a deep relationship with our Creator, cultivating our character, honing our gifts and skills because of this need to obtain quick answers and results. 

We are told:

For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.

(Matthew 7:13)

This road is wide to accommodate the multitude that travel through and  fit the plethora of glossy and well manicured tips and suggestions to live life.  We know from this scripture that this attractive wide road only leads to destruction.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

(Matthew 7:14)

 

The truth is spending quality time seeking God is not always fun and glamorous.  But the narrow road is narrow for that reason, it is tight, it squeezes out of us the excesses of life contaminated by sin.  It is sometimes hard; this moulds us, shaping us to be more like Christ.  It is narrow because not many choose to journey through, and not all who choose this path make it all the way to the end.
 

To find your purpose you need to get yourself into His presence, spend time in The Word, engage in dialogue that means pray, wait and listen.  This will probably give you the answers you need and provide the clarity and revelation you so desperately seek. 

On a practical note, be diligent.  We need to learn to consistently put our best foot forward.

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of unknown men.

(Proverbs 22:29)

 Learn to be content in whatever season of life you’re in, this does not mean settling or burying ambition. It means to be okay with where you are now and who you are, trusting God has got you and:
[..]know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28).

Meditate on this scripture and live it!

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men

(Colossians 3:23)

Do not be fooled, this dream that the world and social media is selling about purpose, is not all glamorous. I believe whatever your purpose or calling it is beyond you.  It is to be used for God and to serve humanity. Therefore, whatever you are doing now, wherever you are now, whatever season you’re in; it’s a purposeful season to serve God, serve others and develop yourself in preparation for the next stage. 

In truth and with love,
 

Faith xox

 

 

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2018

08.01.18. Day 8 already!

Happy new year everyone.

I’m sure some are already tired of hearing ‘Happy New Year’.  I’m one of those people that continues to wish people a happy new year well into March! If I have not seen you in the new year, whether it be mid February or late March you will most certainly receive new year salutations from me.

Earlier last week one of my Pastor’s posted on Instagram that before wishing her followers a happy new year she meditated on what she was actually saying. Yesterday at Church, the senior pastor along the same lines spoke about the weight our words carry and how greetings such as happy new year are  almost said with no true conviction. 

With this in mind, I genuinely wish you all a very Happy New Year. A year filled with the blessings of God. May He make all things new and beautiful for you and to you this year.

 

In all my reflections of the last year, I can truly testify that God indeed answers prayers. Though it may tarry and take longer than we expect, He is true to His Word.

 

Last year I saw the manifestation of this scripture:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,so shall my word be

that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I

purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55: 10-11)

If He says He’s going to do it, trust me (well trust Him) He will do it.

To trust in Him means to surrender it all to Him. When we offer our prayers, make our applications and requests known to Him we need to leave it there at His feet and trust that:‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28).

I’m sure many of us have major plans, goals, vision boards and all that good stuff set for 2018. I pray that whatever is in our hearts, whatever we desire God will grant us this year and more.

And whatever the year has in store, just remember that ‘many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails’ (Proverbs 19:21).

That being said know God has got you 100% this year, hold on to what He has said and remember He will never leave you or forsake you (Joshua 1:5).

 

Happy new year!

In truth and with love 

Faith xox

 

 

Faith’s Guide