LIFE

So I haven’t blogged in a loooooong while…and for good reasons chale.

I still start my sentences with ‘so’ and I still say ‘chale’. I guess not much has changed loool.

I haven’t blogged in a long while; life happened some might say. I disagree.

Life does not ‘happen’.

Life is here and now

Life has opposing attributes ….. 

Ebbs and flows
Good times and sober times

 Fun times and hard times

 Easy times and difficult times

That is life. It is a series of problem solving.

To expect anything more or anything less is to not understand life and its attributes.

Problems and challenges are a part of life; it is how we grow both mentally and spiritually. They call forth our courage and our wisdom and force on us to take action where we are mostly passive. In fact, it is in the whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning.

The times, the seasons……..that is what life is made of.

Embrace it!

Find peace!

And then maybe you can truly begin to live.

Not as the world lives, going about moaning incessantly, loudly or subtly about their problems and the enormity of their burdens as if life is meant to be easy.

Nah, look around you, get your eyes off yourself for a minute, and see? Everyone has their fair share of problems. Life’s difficulties are not a unique kind of affliction visited on you specially.  

                                       

I know. I have been in that place myself. 

Until we truly understand and accept this truth, we won’t find peace even though we have God, we will still seek the wrong things and our hearts won’t be in the right place.

When we embrace this, life is no longer hard because it no longer matters that life is difficult.

Then we can finally be FREE.

Free to use the hardship to be all that we were called to be

That’s the only way to begin to live optimally.

I have found my peace.

I have found my happy place.

It is in Abba’s arms, and this gift of life he’s given me.

Cheers to a life of ''problems''! ....for now I know, I am shaped by them. Like gold is purified by fire. 

#Betterlivingforeveryone

Dealing with being stuck.....

Hi,

 I was listening to a podcast today about what to do when you get get stuck and one of the points made was for one to analyze the reason for getting stuck (especially if it is a recurring thing)

Personally, I think the reason I get stuck is because I attempt a complete life overhaul and naturally, I do get overwhelmed and get stuck! The reality is that I still have my daily life schedules to deal with and old habits just wont disappear into thin air. IT IS A PROCESS! It is amazing how often I forget this. So I am saying to myself this morning,

 Dammie,

1) You will have greater success if you make small meaningful changes and build from there. Living a balanced life is a marathon and not a sprint.

2) Manage your expectations and set yourself up for LONG TERM success. Rome was not built in a day, It has taken you 29 years to form the bad habits of today, and you will not be able to change it in 29 days. While that is ambitious, It is not realistic. Pace yourself.

3) Be kind to yourself! Celebrate 'little' successes. Celebrate progress no matter how minute.

4) Look around you, there are lots of tools and resources you can use to make your goals and life easier to manage. For instance, getting a book on time management or an app that helps you track your fitness and nutrition.

5)Find support. While it is great to be your own man and be focused on your goals and all, there is great advantage in finding support. The truth is that you will not always be motivated and you will need all the support you can get. Find someone to go on this journey together and be accountable to. You will be amazed at how much help that will be.

Thinking about my weight loss journey, I think this are the things that have really helped me. Do I have bad days, yes! but I choose not to let them bother me. I pick myself back up and just move on! try harder next time. No pressure.

One thing I must also add is this;

GET EDUCATED!.....The way my mind works or should I say that the way I get myself to actually do stuff is by what I call "obsessing".....So I find myself spending time reading about whatever it is I want to do, every of my spare time is used researching about the thing and then more importantly seeking out success stories and soaking up all the positive energy. Researching more and more about their methods and approach. It is what puts me in a 'doing' mode. It just keeps me going.

I really want to embrace this method of staying focused and motivated in other areas of my life.

OK,

So that is about it for now. this is where I am now after my crazy episode. lol. I am really hopeful that the next couple of days and weeks will be much better.

I also sincerely hope someone learns something from this. As always please let me hear from you! It helps! :)


Cheers!

'Dammie

Current Situation.....

Hi,

I know I am supposed to post my goals and all but sincerely I have been feeling so down this month.

 My month has not gone the way I planned it in any way. I am so behind on my goals and milestones and I just can’t seem to get myself out of this rot.

The only aspect of my life that seems to be working right now is the physical area where my goals include weight loss and embracing a healthier lifestyle. With that, there has been so much going on in my head. I practically cried all evening yesterday. 

My weight loss journey is draining me mentally and emotionally. I am being forced to confront a lot of underlying issues that I didn’t even know existed. I am usually so mentally and emotional worked up it is hard to focus on anything else long enough for it to matter.

I am really not happy that I am not on top of my goals and plans and I cannot seem to snap out of it. It is almost like I cannot focus on two things at a time. This makes me question if balance is achievable. Right now, I am failing woefully.

Anyhoo, this blog post is basically me carrying you along on where I am at the moment as opposed to just leaving you hanging. On the flip side this is also part of my journey so ....yeah.

I understand it is a journey, but right now, I must confess that I am just…..bleh! So bleh that it is really surprising that I have been sticking to my weight loss plan and reaching my milestones in good time. Maybe there is a thing or two I need to learn about my approach. I’ll ponder more on that.

That’s it for now; I covet your prayers and please feel free to drop a line if you know something that can help.

Thank you.

Cheers

‘Dammie.

Writing your own Life Purpose Statement.

So I got some emails asking me about how I was able to come up with my purpose statement and decided to do this post; 

I actually wrote some time ago about getting a material from Chip Brogden’s The School of Christ. 

This was what really helped me in coming up with my own purpose statement. I will share some of the steps with you here as I feel it will help you greatly;

STEP 1

Find a quiet place where you can be alone and undisturbed while you complete this exercise.  Then think about your answer to the following questions:  

1)  Pretend that you have all money you want and all the time you need. What would you do?      

2)  What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?     

3)  If your life was a movie, and you could write the script anyway you chose, what would happen?     

4) If you were to die TODAY, what incomplete, undone, never accomplished things would you regret the most?

STEP 2

Answer the following questions to uncover clues that will help clarify and define your unique Purpose. 

1)  What are your unique gifts and talents? (Things you are naturally good at.)    

2)  What are your unique skills? (Things you have learned to be good at.)    

3)  What are your unique experiences? (Positive and negative events in your life.)    

4)  What are your unique passions? (Things that get you “stirred up.”) 

a) What makes you happy, satisfied, or joyful?    

b) What makes you angry, furious, or frustrated?    

c) What makes you sad enough to cry out to God?    

d) What stirs you, or inspires you, to take action?   

5)  What is your unique time and season? (Are you preparing, or pursuing your Purpose?    

6)  Name three people (other than Jesus) that you admire most in the Bible, and why:  

7)  Name three people who have made the deepest impression on you, and why:  

8)  List your top three values (character traits you think are most important to have):  

9)  Ask three people who know you well to answer the following two questions about you:  

a) What do you think I am best at? b) What three character traits describe me the best? 

Summarize the feedback you receive below:  

STEP 3

Prayerfully consider what you have learned so far about who you are, what you are becoming, why you are here, and what God is showing you.  Then, write down a Purpose Statement for yourself that sums you up in ONE SENTENCE. 

“My Purpose is …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………”

If you get stuck at this point, don’t let it bother you.  Just adapt the Purpose Statement below and begin living according to this purpose right now!  Later, you can customize this to better suit your needs, or update it as needed to reflect your specific passions, gifts, skills, experiences, and character.  

Remember: Your Purpose is not your decision, it is your discovery!  

“My Purpose is to live, to learn, to love, and to leave something behind.”

1. TO LIVE is to take care of your physical health

 2. TO LEARN is to take care of your mental and emotional health

 3. TO LOVE is to take care of your social health (family, friends, and other relationships) 

4. TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND is to take care of your spiritual health – serving God, helping others, and leaving behind a Christ-centered testimony.  

You can get the full version of The Balanced Christian life here

Cheers!

'Dammie

PURPOSE....

I recently spent some time really thinking about what the purpose for my life is……and prayerfully and with a lot of thoughts, I came up with this purpose statement that for now sums up what and where I feel God is leading me to.

PURPOSE STATEMENT:

To live out my identity as a son of encouragement and a helper; helping people realize their full potential. 

To live a life of unhindered expressions of Abba’s heart by spending myself and my resources in service to my family (by blood and by faith) and the society at large.

VISION:

1)       To live and build a balanced and integrated life with God and His Kingdom at the center. (Spiritual, Physical, mental, social and financial Integration).

2)      To build/be a part of a family/community that is generational in thinking. Skilled and equipped to present to the world an alternative lifestyle of God’s Kingdom on earth thereby being a fragrance of life to thirsty souls.

3)      To create a support system with the following mandate as stated in Isaiah 58 6-14:

·         Loose the chain of injustice and be a voice for the oppressed

·         Share food with the hungry (physical, spiritual, mental and emotionally food)

·         Provide shelter and clothe the naked.

·         An enabling environment for people to flourish.      

“Those who are noble make noble plans and by noble deeds, they stand!” – Isaiah 32:8

This will be the bedrock from which all other things flow…… SO HELP ME GOD!

THOUGHTS

It scares me a lot when I think about the future and where I feel God is leading me to. I wonder if I can really pull this off….I dream so much but I fear that they will remain just that…DREAMS. I fear that I am not made of an over-comer's material. I know I really shouldn’t be feeling that way, but I feel it anyway….inadequate…..not enough. I am trusting Abba to really help me see that this is not about me. There is a bigger plot and I am just a small part of His Story. That in the end, it is his story and all I have to do is keep showing up to set, listen to the directors instructions and interpret my role to the best of my abilities…The zeal of the Lord will accomplish the rest.

QUESTIONS

*How involved are we supposed to be in carrying out God’s plan and purpose? What is God’s role and what is our role? Is it OK to be Ambitious? 

SELAH.

'Dammie

Hitting the reset button.........

OK! 

So for a minute there, I got caught up in only sharing some of my pensive thoughts and experiences and that’s great however, thinking back to why I really started this blog, I think I might have digressed a lil bit. Maybe it was my way of stalling on what I really will like to do.

I have however been reading a book….THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED by M. SCOTT PECK, M.D. and it really is teaching me to embrace my reality…It is the truth and the earlier I accept and confront my truth, the better. I hope I just made sense…lol!

So back to why I started this blog. I wanted to chronicle my journey to living a balanced life. I can hardly begin if I do not first clarify what my vision and purpose is…..at least my understanding of what it is right now.

So, In my next couple of posts, I will be posting on my purpose/vision statement and I will then post a background of where I am in each category/aspect of my life that will contribute to that balance. I will also include my goals for those areas. Big stuff!

I am going to be as real as I can and hope that someone somewhere learns something from all of  this but more importantly, that I learn something from all this…..lol.

I am still a bit wary of how much to share and how much is too much really and sometimes I wonder if what I am doing even makes any sense but this is my understanding for now and I see this helping me stay focused and on track so……I will give it my best shot!  I am not putting any pressure whatsoever on myself….it is a journey and I hope to never forget that. To always remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.

This blog is about to sound very much like a personal journal….that is what I started it to be really. I also will not be sharing my posts on social media as much as I used to do. Just with friends and anyone whom the Holy Spirit draws to it really. My aim is not to gain popularity and I must not forget that. I guess it is my way of control…lol. Whatever man.

Ok, I should stop babbling.

There you have it……..*smiles*

Please do feel free to share your thoughts at any time. I am open to receiving. No pressure though

Cheers!

‘Dammie

Shabbat.....and the rat race.

I love to celebrate Shabbat with my faith family. Each time I partake of the meal with them, I am reminded of the freedom I have in God. I am reminded of my true identity. I am reminded of why I am here and to whom my allegiance lie. My heart is full of pain, and gratitude for the cross and all it signifies. Above all, my heart is full of hope....one day Our King shall return! May we be found in him. Amen.

Ok.

So a few Fridays ago, after our shabbat meal, we prayed and Shalom my dear dear sister, drew our attention to how easily we lose sight of who we are, get distracted and step back into the "rat race''.

You see, I live in Lagos Nigeria and with the kind of lifestyle we lead, It is very difficult to get to do what your heart truly desires. Most people just go with the flow. There is so much pressure that it is almost impossible to stay  true to yourself and your purpose. Life itself with all its pressures can be daunting and overwhelming.

My favorite workout instructor is Billy Blanks and I love his charge. He would always say 'You have got to give something to get something...If you want it, then you must give it to get it!' I feel it is high time we really think about what we want from life. What is our definition of success? What kind of life do WE want to lead? (and not just what society dictates). What kind of life do we sense God leading us to live? What does he want to do through us? What is our role in His Story?

It is very important one has clarity....clarity of purpose! and ultimately let this purpose resonate in every aspect of one's life. After defining purpose (remember your Purpose is not your decision, it is your discovery!), one must then be methodical about the future and how one must proceed with life. We must ask ourselves, what does the future I want mean to my daily living? What does it mean to my weekly living? What does it mean to my monthly living? And then make necessary adjustments no matter how painful or drastic!.....sometimes drastic is what does it. (please read that with a pinch of salt. If you have a family make sure you carry your family along as the family is a unit). So that 10 years from now, you will be living the life you CHOSE and not the life society forced on you.

Now, I know this sounds very good and easy on paper, the reality is it is hard in real life and the fact that you want it does not mean the universe automatically throws it on your lap. Remember, you have got to GIVE something to GET something. If you have a vision, you must work painstakingly hard. When you live for a purpose, then hard work is not an option, It is a necessity!

The reward is that you actually get to live the life of your dreams!

I leave you with these words that have stayed with me over the years.....

"There are rules that govern the earth, and even unbelievers will profit if they know how and follow the rules. Our outstanding advantage is ZOE....the life of God in us! "


Shabbat Shalom!

'Dammie

His Love...our cross

Hi Hi,

It took me a while, but I finally came to understand that God will not sacrifice his ultimate goal in us in order to appeal to our emotions or comfort.

A lot of times, just like a child, we whine and cry for momentary relief of our pains and struggles, we would rather cry and whine than grow up!

The truth is;

He will not give you wealth until you have the strength of character to handle it. You will not enjoy sound health if you live carelessly and refuse to take responsibility for it. You will continually live in debt if you do not learn to live within your means and probably manage your resources better. The devil is enough trouble already.

I mean, it is like a child with wounds asking his father not to tend to his wounds because of the "temporary sting" he would feel. Love makes the father ignore him no matter how much he cries for mercy even though the cries pierce his heart. He knows he has to do what he has to do for the greater good!

I have come to learn that unlike us, Abba is not emotional about his parenting. He has no interest whatsoever in winning parent of the year award. He is very purposeful, disciplined and committed to his ultimate goal for our lives and when we know this, I sincerely believe life will suddenly be a whole lot easier and our attitudes will make a 360 turn.

Whether it be him working out character in us, or bringing us to a place of absolute trust and dependency on him and his love irrespective of what our physical senses tell us.

He loves us as we are however, that love will not leave us as we are. It will transform us from a worm into a butterfly. And sadly it is though the things we suffer, that we learn obedience.

Let this be our assurance, that he will not leave us in the fire a second more than is necessary to make us pure.

Hang in there...and while you are at it, Find JOY!


Cheers!

'Dammie

Relationships and putting your best foot forward

Hi hi!

I was talking with a friend of mine and she was sharing with me a conversation she had with someone about her relationship and this person had told her "In a relationship, a lady has got to put her best foot forward" 

Now I really didn't think much of this but it kind of just stayed with me like a pimple that wont go away. The more I pondered, the more I thought.....

Are we really? 

What is this supposed to achieve?

Make you love me more? Or make you commit? 

What happened to just being me? Or is me not good enough?

Me consists of the best foot, the bad foot and then some.....and if you cannot deal with the total package should we even be together? 

I mean if we were talking business and unique selling points and all I can totally relate but this? 

This is love we are talking about, commitment.

Is love not supposed to cover a multitude of sins?

Is love not supposed to love irrespective of what "foot" you put forward?

Is love not supposed to look beyond who you are at the moment to who you can be?

Does love seek perfection or does it not just seek to find expression? 

Is love not supposed to be content in its recipient? 

Is love not a decision to love the recipient unconditionally? 

I would love to hear your thoughts......

A Poem for Abba

Background:

So I am sitting on my bed, thinking about life and its true meaning.....about the things that really matter....about the things that are important and those that are not so important. This flowed from my heart:


Dear Abba

Dear Abba, 
You are my priority
You are all I want
You are all I really need.

I long to know you, to understand your ways
I long to know your heart, the deep mysteries it holds
I want to love you with every breath that I breath
O Abba, You are the treasure that I seek. 

Take my hand dear Lord and lead me along your path
Take my roots deep down in the soil of your love
Help me to be grounded in you
Like any son or daughter, I long to be like you my father.

Open my eyes to see how you see
Touch my heart, to love how you love
Let our hearts beat as one.
For in you I am content. 

"In a dry and barren land where no water is, my soul is thirsty for you.''

Time....and goals

Wow!

I cannot believe how much TIME has passed since my last post! Yhoor!

BTW, don't you just love vintage watches? I love them like! OK back to time! *inserts side-eyes* (lool i'm so playful.)

Ok!

It really has been a long time since my last post chale! My sincere apologies.

It might be a wee bit comforting to know that while I was away, i did not stop writing and my journal is full of write-ups about my thoughts and experiences in the past month. I guess it will be good to share some of them before I go into the whole newness phase. Yeah, I think i'll will share a couple of them. *smiles*

Thing is, my laptop broke and although to be honest, i really needed that time off and I am grateful for the miracle of my laptop packing up.....Yes! It was a miracle because I was forced to step back from my rat race and really think about what I was doing with my life and boy, it really has been a very rewarding time for me.

I have finally been able to implement a lot of things I set out to do at the beginning of the year...at least I now have a plan.

Have you ever goal-set? I don't know about you, but the hardest part is knowing what you really want, the things you want to accomplish! and really tuning into what you perceive God wants to achieve with your life. Your role in His story.

It has really been a great beginning for me and even though the second hardest thing for me is putting myself out there, I have decided to embrace the real essence of starting this blog which is to chronicle my journey to living a balanced integrated life. Besides, I figure the best way to get it done is to tell the whole world about it! how's that for motivation?

Let's just say things are about to get very real on this street. :)

In the next couple of days though, I will be posting some of my write-ups from the past month so please stay tuned! or else!......i'll beg lol.


Enjoy the ride with me.


Cheers!

'Dammie

Being 29

So I am not one to be excited about my birth-day but amazingly, I have been unusually happy and full of joy. Asides from the fact that I have like the best faith family ever!no jokes! God has really been super good to me! Abba Rocks!

I have not had a rosy life, but I have had a really really good life so far. Abba has been really gracious to me. He has been super good. Through all my ups and downs, through the ebbs and flows, through the good and bad, God has proven Himself as GOOD!

I have felt unspeakable joys, I have felt deep sorrow . I have gone through unbearable pains and I have felt such love my heart could explode. And through it all, Abba has been a faithful friend.

If I have learnt anything in my short life, it is the following;

1) God is so so good! We have no idea how good He is, and it is because we are have a warped idea of what good is.

2) We NEED a family! Families are God's gift to us. and often times we bear much sorrow because we choose to isolate ourselves. God blesses families, He works in teams and the benefits of yielding is just profound! (I must however add that choosing families and especially what the family model should be like is post for another day).

3) I was created FOR GOD! Not the other way round!

4) Family and friends, good friends does not mean perfection. They are gifts and they will work out His perfect will out in you. Their frailty will show sometimes when you need their strength, It is all working together for your good. It does not make them less of a gift. They are special, cherish them! There is a reason God gave them to you!

5) Rejoice in hardship! This! I cannot over-emphasize. We learn Obedience by the things we suffer. My hardships have worked out a great deal of good in me! I love Abba, His love can be tough, but it is Love! My comfort is not the goal of my life, His Character and the working out of His will is! I am content in Him.

Lastly,

6) Money does not define me! This one took me a long time to finally get. But yeah. Abba defines me!

I am grateful for my journey, I am grateful for His dealings with me and I know without a doubt, that He who has began a good work in me, is faithful to finish it and bring me to His expected end.

Cheers everyone!

Much Love xoxo

Dammie.


P.S

Please join me in saying a prayer for 2 of my dear friends and family who are going through health challenges. That Abba will preserve them and perfect their health. Thank you.xx

Life in book titles.....

I love books....oh my do I love books sadly however, I do not have a good reading habit.

I find it quite hard to finish a book. Mostly books with big grammar and a serious style to it....I would start reading with excitement and somehow a few chapters in, one thing leads to another and I just lose interest. Mostly because I have to read a chapter like 5 times.  I prefer an easy style with lots of stories, I get more from a story than I do from a 'lecture'. It is why my favourite books to read are fictions and biographies. I just relate better.

I realize however that sometimes, I have to go through the pain of reading heavy stuffs and so what I have been doing lately that has helped me so far, is to restrict my reading to a chapter per day. No pressure to finish it. Don't know if its the determination from starting a new thing, but it seems to be working so far. If you have any other suggestions on what can help please please please pray share!

OK, that was a digression, back to my post...lol

Because I love books, I find myself buying some anytime a chance presents itself. I really do not have a systemic way of buying books, I see something that catches my eye and I buy (I have ended up with many silly books this way but there is always something to learn though..lol).

I was going through my purchase in the past month and it is just amazing how the titles are a reflection of the things that have been on my mind lately even though I have not even started reading most of them.


*Infinite Impact ; One thing that have been on my mind lately is IMPACT. I am learning more and more that what makes my heart glad more than anything is serving. Service in whatever capacity presents itself (maybe not quite because I hate doing domestic stuffs....X _ X.....lol). Being Kingdom minded. Making things happen for people. I realized that the more I focus on Abba and others and stop obsessing over myself, the better life actually gets.

*Generation Next Marriage ; I am definitely not one to get a book on marriage lool. The book vendor however insisted on this one and so I obliged. I am GLAD I did. I love the style of writing. I love that it is a compilation of different peoples narration of different issues plus it is so easy to read. Marriage has been a tough one for me. I am going to be 29 in a few days and society seems to be having a tough time accepting my status. "They" make it seem like I have a problem. It irritates me to be honest. I mean I will like to get married, it is a beautiful thing to get to share your life with someone but making it seem like I am less of a person because I am not married is just plain ridiculous!.

*Breach of trust ; This one is a fiction. A series of events happened recently that left me feeling very alone even though I am surrounded by so many good people. It can be very hard when you are confronted with the frailty of a friend especially when you really need their strength....don't know if I make sense but.... anyway, It can make you question their love and even their commitment. And I really haven't figured it all out yet but one thing I have learnt is this - The best of man, is still a man at his very best...we are all flawed humans put together by good intentions - and that will just have to suffice. Only Abba can be a perfect friend. The rest of us are a work in progress. All of us! So I have learnt to accept and celebrate what I have. How blessed I am for the gift of them!

*Courageous Living ; This one I am reading at the moment and really I need to share the things I have learnt in a separate post. Courage is underrated!

*From my heart to yours; I haven't even read this book at all but lately, Abba has been talking to me a lot about my heart. My no1 prayer point has been that He give me a new heart, a heart like His. I watched a DVD on the story of David DAVID The Bible Collection and it has just further expanded this in my heart. The matter of the heart is indeed the heart of the matter!


Ok, that's about it! Please do drop a few lines in the comment box. I will loooove to hear from you as well!

Hope to write soon.


Cheers!

Dammie

I embrace it.

Hi guys!

Its been donkey years! I Know....I am sorry for going all quiet on you. (checked my stats and I realized people actually read these things I write....chale!...you guys are the real heroes...lol)

You see, I have been having some challenges with this blogging thing.

I NEVER KNOW WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT.

Lol.

It is not like I do not have anything to write about, it is just that I have too much happening and get a bit overwhelmed thinking of which one of them to write. I guess it is my obsession with making sense......I struggle with articulating my thoughts and even events and this can be a downer....:(

I must also confess that I was starting to sound a bit like a broken record to myself so I didn't see any need to push myself. Plus I find myself wondering about sharing too much as opposed to just experiencing life.

Anyways, I have been able to remind myself the reason I started this blog in the first place (why do we forget stuff so easily though?) and prayerfully, I am back on track.

It is a process......and I embrace it.

I embrace the struggle
I embrace the feeling of the worthlessness of all this
I embrace the feeling of Shame....yeah shame at revealing too much of myself and being judged
I embrace the fear of living to share....I am not sure if that makes sense to you, but I sometimes get this scare about fussing to put stuffs down and missing out on the experience. Chale!

Yeah I embrace all of it.....And Run to the one who owns me and gets me and strengthens me.
My Rock, My best friend, My Mentor, Abba.

Together, we'll figure this out.

In summary......I AM BACK!















LOL.

Cheers!

Dammie

When peace seems elusive

Jesus is the way!
Jesus is the answer.

I wish I could write about the steps....
Or the things you must do....
But I cant.

He just manages to reach me in His mercy and goodness.

Somehow, there's a crack and light comes pouring into my soul and I am just illuminated and I cannot deny that I have been touched by Him.

I wish I could say it was deliberate, but it wasn't.

I was just there talking with friends and somehow we start talking about Him....about us....about the big picture...and there His kingdom comes....His love pours into my soul, my heart..... and I run.....run and run till I am engulfed. And I am lost in His embrace.

And for the first time in a really long time, I feel hope. I know there is hope...I know I have a chance.


Jesus is the answer!

When the going gets tough and the ride gets rough.....

Jesus is the way!


PS

I know I haven't blogged in a long while, and I should probably explain why and all.....but I really do not feel like. So........yeah.

Cheers!

'Dammie

Best Believe!

Hello,

I don't know how many of you experience the struggle.....the struggle to be a changed person.

You try so hard...do all the worship centers tell you to do...Join the workforce, pay your tithes, partake in the 100 days fast declared by the pastor.... do everything....But still when you look at your life, or when you lay down and reflect, deep down you know, that you are not better. And then you struggle some more....

Funny thing is, the more we struggle, the more we fall short......Why do we work so hard when Jesus already said IT IS FINISHED. We busy ourselves being human-doings as opposed to human-beings.

I find myself asking.....Is it worth it? Struggling so much...It is not like I am ever going to beat this on my own....Why is it so difficult to just BELIEVE....and trust Him?

I realized that what we really struggle with is the simplicity of the gospel, we find it difficult to BELIEVE......and I know this is a process.....But, it is the degree to which we believe that we begin to BE.

When we stand up, no one struggles or even thinks twice about it, or worry about their feet carrying the weight of their body...you just stand and go because you trust your legs. It is what it does, it moves you from once place to another.

Cant but ask;

Do I really believe the gospel?
Do I really believe what Jesus did on the cross?
Do I really believe God is good and He loves me?
Do I trust Him enough to make me all that He has called me to be?
Do I trust His process?
Do I really believe all He has spoken concerning me?

What is the implication of my belief?

#SELAH....pause and think upon these things

Romans 8 The Message (MSG)

The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms

5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

 

Abba....

My heart is at war....

The man I have been is rising up in me again.....

My sins weigh me down......the chains of my past surround me.....the man I used to be threatens to take over.

Help me Abba.

I need your peace to get me through this night.

I know I cant live by what I feel, but by the truth your word reveals. But, here I am Abba, drowning in the sea of forgetfulness.

Help me draw comfort from the truth that I'm not holding on to you.....You are holding on to me and you will not let me go!

You don't have to try so hard.....

Hi lovelies

This song  Colbie Caillat - Try  has been playing on repeat in my playlist since noon......and it is just ministering to me in much deeper ways than the literal lyrics.

You see, we all fall into this trap of trying so hard to please.......there is a way society expects us to be, and if you are like me, there is also a way we expect ourselves to be. And so we put ourselves under so much pressure to conform.......to conform to these standards that have nothing to do with who we really are or who God says we are. We try so hard just to get people to 'like' us....we even try so hard to get God to like us....like seriously! He loved you Dammie!...with all the mess and all.....He loved and still loves us!!

Why are we like this?

We put ourselves through so much pressure..we try so hard to be who we are not just because we want to appear a certain way or appeal to a certain crowd.....oh the weight of it!......I know this!....I feel this weight every single day.....I feel it with this whole blogging thing....I feel it with my family...I feel it with my friends...I feel it with this course I am taking......and to what end?

So what if I disappoint society? what if nobody ends up liking the real me?  I don't know about you, but I really am tired of  doing things just for show...I am just too old for it.... I am not going to play this game anymore....like I am so done! I want to like the me I am when I am alone...I want all my me's to be just one me...the real me!..and if that me is not good enough for society.....too bad!

The only me I am interested in being right now, is the me God says I am! It is the me Abba has spoken to me about....I am excited about this me, and I would not let society's expectation of me take that me away from me! I want my choices and my decisions to be in line with who I really am and who I want to be and not just what is 'expected' of me.

So when next I feel that weight...I am not going to crumble under the weight of it, I am going to love me! and fight for me...and embrace what really matters! Over and over again.

And while I am at it, I am going to be kind to myself and less judgmental, I am a work in progress and I trust Abba to make me all that He has called me to be.

I am going to let this light shine! For the glory of the Lord is risen upon me!


Care to join me?


Cheers!

'Dammie

Blogging......and Mental health

Gosh I love blogging....

I know I am probably still at the honeymoon stage..(I sincerely hope not), but boy do I love blogging.

Apart from the fact that I love starting new things and engaging in new activities, I love that it helps me to THINK. My mental health is something that is very important to me....I believe it affects everything.....It is where we win or lose. It is where our level of productivity and output is determined.. Like our mind has the ability to take us far beyond where our physical strength can. I believe it is the first place we see evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in us....at least for me it is.

I love blogging because it helps me think and pay attention to my life. It helps me meditate and spend time on things that really matter to me and not just random stuffs that fly around me all the time. ( I hope to publish a post that speaks more on this).

I love that it forces me to learn to put together my thoughts constructively and objectively.

I love that I can feel myself grow with each posts......be it published and unpublished.

Indeed writing is fast becoming a very rewarding activity for me.


I really do recommend it....and feel no pressure to share your writing with the world, a private journal should do if you are more of a private person.


and,.....don't you just love how really short this post is...hahahahaha.


Cheers!

'Dammie

A note to self; .......Get Over Yourself!

Dear Dammie,

'If you died tonight, would you know for sure that you have finished the purpose for which you were created?'

Do you even know why you are here?

Do you have something you live by? something you live for?

You see, I think one of the reasons why life can be so hard is that you are so focused on yourself that you cannot be anything but miserable! The whole world, you like to revolve around you and when life does not go according to how you want it to go, all hell breaks loose!  My Happiness! My feelings! My Blessings! My Comfort, My Breakthrough! Me! Me! Me!

You are so absorbed with yourself that you become inattentive to the world around you and the needs of others. You lose focus of the main reason why you are here, unfortunately, the only thing that can give you fulfillment and then end up living a sub-optimal life.

I have a message for you;

GET OVER YOURSELF!!!
Get a life!
Get Purpose!!

Instead of siting on your chair or lying on your bed or whatever it is you do.......brooding, seek God's face and get some direction on your life.

While at it, try not to be spooky.....Saints like to go all mysterious and sometimes you lose the answers right under your nose. I have learnt that life in God is really very simple. It is humans that complicate things.

Think about who you are, what you would do if money and time were no issues?, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?, If today was your last day on earth, what incomplete or undone things would you regret most?, What are your unique gifts and talents? unique skills, passions and experiences? What infuriates you? What inspires or stirs you to take action? Who and what have made the deepest impressions on you? Why?

Prayerfully consider what you have learned so far about who you are, what you are becoming, why you are here and what God is showing you. Then write out a purpose statement. this can always be updated as things get clearer. Remember, your purpose is not your decision, It is your discovery!!

This is just the beginning but trust me, It changes everything!

When you engage life, everything doesn't seem so bad, you find a renewed sense of understanding....and it is OK to feel low sometimes, for these treasures have been put in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not of us.


Remember, you are on a journey! Do not be so hard on yourself!


Talk to you soon.


Cheers!

'Dammie

Do not deny yourself greatness! 

Darkness....then LIGHT.

Hi again!

In my last post, I hinted about how things have not really been going OK with me mentally....well, on completing my book on The balanced Christian life, I became very depressed! Like I had zero will to do anything. Why is life so hard? I asked myself, Why do we suffer so? Why do good people suffer? What is the point of it all? I am Ugly!...yeah I got there....I cannot be who He wants me to be, I am a failure! It is hard to succeed at anything!  I was in a very dark place. I resorted to a very bad habit I am trusting God to help me overcome and naturally I felt worse with myself. I struggled to get out of bed and face the world, poured myself into work, but when I got back , I retreated into this dark place.

Deep in my heart I cried out....'Save Me Abba'

And what He whispered in my heart amazed me..... 'Dammie, I have saved you, this one is on you, you need to snap out of it! I have given you all that you need that pertains to life and godliness, so snap out of it!You know who you are in me so stop believing lies! and while you are at it, stop being so hard on yourself! give yourself a break!'


 :O ....I was 'shockprised!'  I sure was not expecting that! Hmmmm. Chale! Still pondering on that.

So lets us just say, I snapped out of it! It tried to rear its ugly head severally, but I am a survivor!!


I have a friend, she is also going through this 'darkness' and I spoke to her about what the Holy Spirit told me, another friend had told her the same in not so many words....I pray she finds her way out as well. I pray she feels Abbas love like never before! Amen.

As I was discussing with her, something dropped in my heart...something really profound that has just helped me put things in perspective...like!!!!


I heard a question, Dammie, why do you think you are on earth? Why do you think man is here?....A lot of us actually feel like the earth is some 'holiday getaway' or 'Airport lounge' where we lounge and have fun, amass wealth and 'oppress' those that we can in the name of blessings......Naaah, that is not why we are here! We are not here for the 'comfort' of man. The earth is actually a refiners fire, and we will ALWAYS feel the heat. The reason we are here is to learn obedience through the things we suffer...It is so that like gold, we can come out pure like He intended. It is so that we build strength of character, the character of a leader, of a ruler, of a 'Son'. And that is what Jesus came for.....to show us the WAY! The TRUTH!, and The Life! .


So the earlier we grow some thick skin, the better. Knowing that whatever happens, as a saint, there is a purpose, a greater good.....though we go through fire, it will not consume us....ALL things are working together for our good!!


And all I can say is that I felt Peace! I trust Abba, I trust the work he is doing in me!! I trust that He is able to make me into who He intended me to be!


I trust Abba! and that is enough!!!


I SEE LIGHT......Do you?

Living a Balanced Life

Wow!

I cant believe it is over a week I blogged! mehn my fingers have been so itchy but I really wanted to keep to my promise.

So, I finally finished going through my audio book  The Balanced Christian Life and I really do not know where to begin! I am a changed being!

I am highly recommending this to anyone who feels overwhelmed with life! Anyone who cares about how they live life, and anyone who cares about living optimally.

The things I learnt:

• The importance of living a balanced life - the truth is as long as one aspect of our life suffers, our LIFE suffers! It is impossible to have success in just one area of your life, it is only a matter of time before the failed areas bring it down! Major life areas include: Spiritual, Physical , Social and Mental.

• Living on purpose - Defining one's reason for being. You know how they say imagine you struggle to climb to the top and after it all, on getting to the top, you realize the ladder has been leaning on the wrong wall. That is what happens when we refuse to define purpose at the beginning. WHAT DO I HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH MY LIFE?

                  
                  Finding purpose is what inspires us to do what needs to be done day by day. 

           

           What I love about this book is that you actually also get a workbook that helps you through a               step by step process of discovering and defining your purpose if you don't already know it. 

• Goal Setting with God - I particularly love this. You see, a part of me felt setting goals was sort of useless especially as a christian. You see, the church has sold us this "faith" life where we feel all we need to do is just pray really hard and somehow all of our life will fall in place...A big lie from the pit of hell!!! As Christians, we must set goals....make our vision plain and run with it! I love love love the step by step process in the workbook as well. How to list action plans that one must embark on to achieve the goals. And more importantly I love that it touches all the core area of our life. 

• Lastly, Simplifying One's life! See life is not hard, and we really need to just take things easy, yes I know there is an urgency that comes with living but simplifying our life ensures we only do things that really matter, ensures we give adequate time to de-stress an refuel. I for one have learnt a long time ago that getting yourself stressed over issues or work is counter-productive. It is impossible to function optimally when stressed. Really learnt a lot about how to simplify and plan ones day to achieve the highest impact on our overall purpose. And of course a super reward and renewal system. 

Gosh! this post feels super long! Yhoor! My apologies, I really am just super excited! 

Now I need to say that it is not like suddenly my whole life is perfect! In fact, far from it. Like never before I have been so depressed....(I will discuss this better in my next post.) The devil knows I am on the right part and he is doing all he can to frustrate the work in me BUT, I am an overcomer, I HAVE OVERCOME! 

Still working through my workbook, really want to take my time with that one. Hopefully, I will talk to you about that soon.


PS

If there is anyone out there, how are you doing? Chale, life can be really hard but hang in there....please hang in there. God is with you! You are loved!


Cheers

'Dammie

My open letter.

I know I said I was not going to do any post till I finished my tasks from the last post, but I just needed to get this out before my chest bursts......(I can be really dramatic Yhoor!)


So, please bear with me.


I feel so alone! Not alone as in lonely, but alone as in a-lone!...OK Dammie, that does not make much sense. :)

This is what I mean, I have not been with God much, I have not been dependent on Him, I have not really had any fellowship with him. I have talked to Him and He has spoken to me a few times, but our relationship is not in a good place right now. And yes I have just coasted for a while now but mehn, I am SPENT! I am bankrupt! So here is me writing a letter to Abba, and hoping, if someone reads this, you please mention my name to Him.

Dear Abba,

I NEED YOU!

My Spirit is poor and I turn to you. I know that you do not leave me, it is I who often crawls away from you. Why I do this I do not know especially since it is apparent that without you I am lost!

Draw me and I will run to you! Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth for your love is better than wine. My soul is thirsty for you, my Spirit seeks you. Draw me Abba....draw me!

Draw me into your presence once again, I want to behold the beauty of your holiness. I want to fall in love with you all over again! I want to be consumed by your love. I want to learn at your table. I want to be purified by the waters from your stream....till I am no more and you reign in me.

Draw me Abba! Please draw me to yourself.

I am empty and I need You!

Its me,

'Dammie.

       “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” MATTHEW 5:3     

The Second Chronicle

Dammie, you really need to come up with a more catching post title don't you think?.....Its OK though, no pressure! lol.

So.....

I woke up this morning to a post from my favourite blog at the moment www.paulcampillo.com. Paul had blogged about "The miracle of feedbacks" and boy i couldn't get enough of it. What resonated most with me was I quote

"To correct mistakes quickly, to address situations before they get out of hand, and to acknowledge the elephant in the room is not just critical to progress, it gives you an opportunity to find and express your humanity"  - Paul Campillo

You see, yesterday, when I got home from work, I did some thinking....About how far I am from my goals, about how much I had derailed from my "perfect 2015", about how at the rate at which I was going, I'll probably be depressed come December. See, I did a whole lot of thinking, got slightly depressed, stuffed myself with some food and went straight to bed. Little wonder I haven't made much progress with my life.

This is not the first time my evening has gone this way....in fact, this month alone, I have had at least four nights that pretty much went the same way. I have this bad habit of just tucking away issues as if by some crazy chance they would all just disappear and the sun will be bright again. It is how I cope.

<enter Paul's words>

"What good does it do to get the message, then ignore it? What good is it to look at myself in the mirror, see those unwanted results, then go back to doing the same things?"


It is safe to say Paul hit me real hard this morning. Real hard!

I am going to change my life! At least I will make an effort  try my BEST! :)

So this is what I promise to do before my next post

• Finish my audio book on living a balanced christian life by Chip Brogden
• Revisit my 2015 Vision Board
• Review my 2015 Vision board. Set realistic goals. 

I hope to be able to come back here as soon as possible. 

Off to make some change

Cheers! 

'Dammie

The First Chronicle

Ok......So I have been sitting here thinking of a really cool first post. After a few minutes, I thought to myself Dammie, away with the drama...and Be!....be yourself that is :) 

So....

First things first.....some background.

I have always loved to write but never really got around to writing or taking it serious. I came across this article that however inspired me to start this blog. You can read here - Writing is thinking really. 

A line that stayed with me from the post is this - "If you’re not writing, I hope this post inspires you to write. You learn so much about the world, and most of all, yourself. " - Paul Campillo

So here I am, witting, about myself, to myself and everyone who cares to join in the ride.


What I hope to get:

• Have Fun!
• Mental Clarity
• Growth
• More Fun!
• Order
• Maybe a few friends :)
• Get to know "Me" better

Life Areas I will touch:

• Spiritual
• Mental
• Physical
• Social
• Financial

So, how's that for a first post. 

Cheers!

'Dammie