Sunday 30 December 2012

Joy, my gift; Happiness, my choice

I'm going to tell you a little secret. But unlike most secrets you'd have to pass it along. Here it is... "Happiness is a choice". Some people see happiness as a destination, a place where all of their desires are fulfilled. They'd say, "When I get that car I want then I'll be happy", or "when I find Mr. Right then I'll be happy". They see happiness as a destination that they hope to arrive at when certain needs are met. But here is the truth, if you are not happy with whatever you have now or whatever situation you find yourself, you will not be happy when you arrive at your preconceived destination.Some people also delegate the responsibility of their happiness to someone else. They expect their parents, boss, spouse, kids, a song or even television show to make them happy. Why would anyone what to assign such an important and delicate matter to someone else? Don't get me wrong, these people can contribute to you happiness but they can never be the main source. Happiness is a choice. You choose to be happy despite the odds.As Christians there is a joy that comes with our salvation. Joy is a gift of God's Spirit. Joy is basically a greater degree of happiness. Joy is an attitude of the heart and is not based on external stimuli. Whilst happiness is a choice, joy is a gift that comes from within. Joy is more than an emotion, it is an energy, it is so powerful that people can feel it. Have you ever noticed people that walk into a room and just light it up? If you would pay attention You would notice that there is a smile on their face. The energy from their joy is what lights up the room. Certain conditions you find yourself may be particularly unhappy, but regardless of the situation choose to be happy. Every morning wake up and say "I choose happiness".Happiness fuels you to live, to work, to love , and to do everything you need to do to live a full life. Don't miss out on this full life by being unhappy.

The Joy of The Lord is our strength.... Nehemiah 8:10

Saturday 29 December 2012

The School of Life

When I was a kid I couldn't wait to be done with school, to finally put away a books and be done with the exams. Now I'm done with the University and I still study, but not for exams (I have none right now), I study to learn. I study my Bible and meditate on the words and God gives me revelation. Revelation is basically having a truth unmasked to you, sometimes the truth is hidden. Studying does not mean just books, it includes observing, listening, probing, meditating and anything else that can help you unravel something new. I'm intrigued by the things that can be discovered if we open our minds to learning. Have you heard the saying "Knowledge is Power"? I Believe that saying to be very true. Knowledge brings growth, it brings experience, it brings confidence. Life is journey, a journey to discovery. We would come across many teachers, they may not necessarily be people, sometimes they are situations, trials etc.  A person that is convinced that he knows everything, is ignorant. There is so much to learn about. So much to discover. Let's be open to learning new things, and be wise enough to discern what is good and what isn't, then we discard the bad and accept the good.
 "Study to shew thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"... 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
But remember, all the knowledge in the world is useless if it is not applied.

What are you saying?

Our words are an expression of our thoughts and an extension of our character. Sometimes we allow our mouths to wander and go to place that we become embarrassed about later. Words are powerful, they can build up or destroy. Some people don't think much about other peoples feelings when they speak. They believe it's freedom of expression. But is it right to express anger and hate to the detriment of someone else? Our words also affect our lives. When we speak, especially when the words are backed up by what we believe, They do manifest. We are responsible for all that we speak. God created the whole world using the power of His Words. "Then God said, Let there be light. And there was light"... Genesis 1:3. With our words we create. We can create a peaceful environment, we can create opportunities. Our words bring things to be. What are you saying right now?

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Gratitude, The best remedy

Life would not always hand you what you want. But on the road to getting what you want whining and complaining don't make very good travel buddies. I have met people that complained about almost everything, they had the ability to see the negative in every situation. This attitude never brought a solution, it only seemed to attract more things to complain about. These people end up feeling sad, frustrated, bitter and alone. No matter what anyone did it never seemed to measure up to what they wanted. I have come to discover that gratitude is an amazing remedy for a heavy heart. If you could just switch yourself from a frequency of complaining to one of gratitude, you would attract more things to be grateful for, you would see beauty all around you. Be grateful for whatever you have, and for the once you don't have be grateful still beyond the odds. Gratitude felt should also be expressed, that way the happiness that comes from it can flow into other people's lives. On that note, I want to say "Thank you for reading this".

Not so Powerless

Have you ever felt like your life has taken you to a point where all you could do was receive all that was dished out? That's how lots of people feel, too powerless to change anything. They feel like they need to adjust to whatever is thrown at them. The Bible says that God created man in His own image. God, is a creator, if we are made in His image shouldn't we be able to "CREATE"? The truth is, we do create, whether you are aware of it or not. Look around you, the life you have, whether it's wonderful or not, you created it. The instruments for our creative use are our thoughts, our beliefs, and our words. You are absolutely responsible for the life you have. The decisions you have made so far has brought you to this point. So yes, we do create, we create our world. If you are filled with negativity, your world will reflect that. Have you met someone who always seem to have all the good luck and always seem so happy? Guess what, he has all the good fortune because he is so happy and not the reverse. Why don't you drop the blaming and pointing of fingers to someone or something and pick up the drawing pad and paint a lovely life for yourself. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"... Proverbs 23:7. You are who you are because of all the thoughts you think. What are you thinking about right now?

Round Up

December is the last month of the year, but everyone knows that. It's a month lots of people choose to reflect on their entire year to see how far they have come. why some people choose to wait this long is beyond me, but different individuals have their methods. If reflections are done more often within the year we would have more time to make the changes we need to and get back on the track we want to achieving the goals that we had set. Regardless of our achievements or whether we have chosen to be passive all year round, time still keeps moving, and now December is almost done with. But not to worry, 2012 still has a week to offer, it could be the best week of the year, an ordinary week, or the worst, either way, we get to choose. I prefer to end the month on a good note, on a prayerful note, a note that ushers me beautifully to a wonderful new year.