Time to Dream Again

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney

Around 5 years ago this house (top)was empty and open for sale /rental. About the same time, I started a small a music lesson studio in a townhouse(bottom)
At the back of my mind, I’ve always thought it would be nice for me to have my studio in a bigger house and that house in particular. The day came when it was time for a bigger place and a more convenient space for the parents to drop the kids.

Top : the new double storey studio
Bottom : The first baby studio

All I had and have right to this minute is prepared by God and sometimes I felt I could be one of the laziest kind of businesswoman yet God never gave up on me. God has taught me dependency and responsibility.  I did my best not to overwork and in everything give thanks. I committed the business to God on a daily basis and pray for Him to fill in the void of my inadequacies.

God planted the desire for me to move and though I was afraid of what the future holds, He kept making the visions clearer. Even as I spoke to my mentor for the first time, there was peace.
I really thank God how it was all arranged and how I got to meet with the owner of the house. And for that, the rental was negotiated to a price both parties could agree to. Besides that, I thank God for my godfamily and some of the teachers who took the trouble in helping me shift. In fact, God sends the right people to my life to uplift me, to encourage me and to advise me. I'm also thankful for a prayerful mentor and though our paths have crossed before, it was only recently that we were connected. And truly, a divine connection.

I am so thankful for the teachers who are working with me currently and also those who did in the past. They fill the void of the studio and made it home.    ☺️

And not forgetting parents who entrusted us with their children and all the other older students, I’m truly grateful.

In all that we do, we need to submit to God's guidance. It is the only way to make gentle mistakes and fail safely, and on the other hand, succeed effortlessly, have divine connections.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:16-17

Time of Faith

It was the first day of class for a new teacher and a new student at my studio, but I knew the area where my studio is will not have electricity. It was stated in the memo that it will be off from 

10am -7pm.

In my heart, I did pray that it would all end by 5pm, the time of the class. So I didn't cancel or postponed the time. I wanted to have their first class running smoothly. You could say it was a risk taken in the natural. And if the electricity doesn't come on in time, class will be canceled.

At 4.25, the teacher came early and texted me that there is still no electricity and asked if she should cancel, I said to give it some time till 4.40pm. Weirdly I knew the time given was 7pm but something inside me still didn't want to give up on the faith I had on the return of the electricity. I was in the car driving to another class at that point in time and I started to pray hard and I took authority that God has invested in me to command the electric back. For a moment I thought why would God grant me favor for this minuscule petition and then I stopped praying.

And so at 4.40 pm she texted that she's going to call the father of the student to cancel the class and I replied alright then. 4.45, I got a surprise text from the teacher that the electricity came back and she will have the class. My jaw dropped and with a huge relief I started to thank God for His timely intervention. I was and still am so grateful.

Never think that God doesn't care, He always does because it is His character and the Word doesn't lie. He wants us to ask His help but if He doesn't fulfill your prayers, there is always a reason because He knows best. I would always say this, we can only see the present time we are in, the next second, minute or hour, only God knows. Don't lose faith in Him. No eye has seen, no ear has heard what the Lord has prepared for those who loves Him.

Mambo No.5

I'm not sure how many of you know the song Mambo No.5. But that song has become an imprint in my spiritual diary. The song is catchy and a type of song dancers probably like to move to, well that was when I was 17. Dancing was my first love in music and I know temptation was strong to be in that crowd, like disco-ing, free styling. All along it has been performing kind for me,  routines and formation but freestyle dancing gives you no rules and lots of freedom.

That day came when I knew my curiousity would one day get to me, and all the while I was saying no to my good friends. I know God doesn't approve of us getting into that secular kind of things as it could lead to bad unforeseen circumstances.

One night, I agreed with my friends to go to a pub and dance, I heard the song Mambo no 5 came on and I thought this kind of song was a song I like to dance with. I did and before the song ended, I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to leave. I wasn't feeling comfortable even while dancing,not like how I was when dancing at home or with my friends in school. So I excused myself and called another friend to take me home. And from that day onwards, I never did disco ever again. Dancing isn't bad till it's been misuse or done at the wrong place.

God knows us better than we know ourselves and He intends only the best for us. I did not grow up with a lot boundaries. I'm free as a bird. Had I not known God in the early teens, a lot worse would have happened. 

I'm grateful for that whisper that came in the midst of the noise. The noise I thought would satisfy me. God lets me see the satisfaction in Him. With satisfaction, came security and discernment of the things around became clearer. 

10 Steps to Know God

Pastor Gillean Levick, our anointed, bright and colourful woman of God spoke in one of the churches at Butterworth one evening. The message was practical, profound and prophetic in the way that she spoke about knowing God. Her life testimonies tells it all, and you know when the glory of God is upon someone,they shine. It was an eventful night with laughters over dinner, prayer for a cancer patient and the Word of God delivered. I took my friend's notes on the preaching that night to share it with my readers here. It may not have the same impact as to hear it live but I hope these notes will somehow encourage your walk with God.

10 steps to know God (with some paraphrasing - mine)

1) Grateful heart

- be grateful with everything we have as we are already blessed, reach out and receive it. Gratefulness takes you away from worrying and opens the way for God to bless us. 

2) Be thankful

- in all things give thanks. There is no need to ask God, thank Him for what He's given and for the things He is going to give. Remember God works all things good for those who loves Him. God in His agape love wants to kiss our wounds to heal us. 

3) Praise God

- a merry heart is like a medicine, bringing health to our bones and mind.

- when our emotions are bossy taking the leader role, we become double minded, don't know the arthur from the martha. God gave us the spirit ability to be leaders, to lead over our emotions, to tell our emotions to behave when they are not. Praising God puts our focus on Him and not on our difficult situations.

4) Trusting God

God is the only one who is 100% trustable. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Prov 3:5-6, James 1:2-4 - there are 2 roads to choose, which will you choose.

A)When difficult things happen in our life, throw a party and rejoice - God will make you laugh. If we are full of joy, it will bring change to our situation.

B) road of despair.distraction, arrested development, depression, destruction and this is where the devil wants us to be.

If you want to trust God, you must take risk in taking that 1st step to cross the river, and take the journey He has prepared for us. Our inheritance is a spirit of boldness, love, and if sound mind. 

When we are different, we will make a difference. It doesn't matter how people look at us, it matters how God look at us. 

5) Worship

When we learn to trust, we begin to worship. Our whole life is an act of worship. 

6) Obedience

-When we worship, we move into obedience... God is pleased when we obey

- Isaiah 1:19 when we are obedient, we will eat the fat of the land (we'll be blessed)

-Let's come into the Lords presence and not be afraid of our disobedience but repent and continuing on this journey with God. As we surrender unto Him, He will help us with our shortcomings and weaknesses.
A true story of this lady in the bus. Daily she takes the bus to work and one day, a voice told her to go to the Coke machine and do a headstand. She thought that was the devil and it must be crazy to do such a thing. Day after day, she kept hearing the same thing and finally she gave in and got out of the bus and did a headstand at the Coke machine and this man came down from the bus and asked her, "Why are you doing a headstand here?". She answered (probably in embarrassment) " Because God asked me to". He told her that He had asked if there is a God, let someone do a headstand at this machine. She was appalled but I believe she is so grateful a soul got saved because of her obedience to God. She asked God why did He picked her to do that and He said many had turned Him down and she was the only one who obeyed.

7) Intimacy

- intimacy with God brings freedom to be who we are. When the Son sets u free, you are free indeed

- Profess : I promise myself to be kind to myself , to forgive myself, to bless myself ,to make mistake so I can grow and develop true intimacy with God.. Amen

8) Authority

-When there's intimacy, we begin to know who we are and when we receive God's love, we can love ourselves, then loving others becomes easy.

-we hold the glory of God (ie the attributes and character of God)

-Rom 3:23 we hv fallen short of God's glory.  But we should not focus about our behavior, but God's glory

-Phil 1:20 even though Paul is in prison, and others think bad of him, as long as he bring glory to God, other things don't matter

- We have the authority, and when we pray, declare, and speak forth, things will happen

- Gen 1:20 Abraham left the land, sees Abimelech and lied about Sarah... He was looking at the king rather than God. Though Abimelech is innocent, God gave him a 'spanking' but Abraham got lifted off (Read more on the story at Genesis)

- Abraham was considered righteous because he believed God, not because of his behavior. Because he's righteous, God backed him up. God also gave us the same authority and will back us up.

9) The Power of God for us

- When we connect to the Source, miracles, healings, blessings comes into our life and through us we  are able to uplift another.

10) Dominion

-It does not mean lording over others but have victory over areas of our life, then we can be useful to others and help them to have victory. Remember that Christ lives in us, through us and for us.

There are 10 steps but they are not in anyway in sequence because each of us have different issues in life that needs alot of work on. Some of the steps for some might have already come to a certain level of maturity. So work on the areas that need working by the grace of God.

I Am Thankful, Am Grateful to Him

How much faith do we have in our heavenly Father?

Matthew 7:11 "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."

I asked myself on my faith very often when I'm faced with difficult situations. The challenge of taking the step of faith is harder than being practical and go with our own wisdom. Many people say seeing is believing but with God, we walk in a different realm. What seem logical to others does not mean it has to be that way. God can make a donkey talk, divide the Red Sea, the phenomenal is even beyond God.

There are just times when unsaid prayers are answered but do we recognize the hands of God in it. I am convince with all my heart that the God who is in us (believers) knows what we need and though we do not ask but He knows when to give the right answers to our prayers, said or unsaid. Sometimes He just wants us to ask, just as a child makes request from his earthly father.

I am taking baby steps to walk in faith with My Father.I have grown in a deeper faith and hope He will lead me further. He has been faithful every step of the way and I hope I give Him more credit though no amount of praise is ever enough. But I know He will be glad that I trust Him.

I just want to say thank you, Lord!