What if we chased Him as we chased money?
Then, even more?
Fellas,
What if you sought Him like that chick you thought would be your next boo?
Ladies,
What if we wanted to see His glory rather than 9 carats on the left hand?
What if?
What if we yearned for Him,
Longed,
And even,
Physically itched for Him,
What if we woke up thinking about Him?
Trying all day long not to grieve Him?
Just living each day trying to please Him,
To the best of our human ability,
But delete that,
Then add to that a healthy dosage of His precious Spirit,
The one, the only Holy Spirit
Cuz in the flesh we really can't please Him,
Which is why we gotta kill it daily,
But if we're emptying ourselves of flesh,
And not taking our daily bread,
Are then any much better than a car,
With road tax, insurance and MOT,
But no petrol?
Can we go anywhere?
Can we seek after Him,
Can we long to be in His presence,
Where we desire His presence rather than His presents?
What if?
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Saturday, 6 April 2013
8 Things Living In Jamaica Has Taught Me
I lived in Jamaica for most of my life, I was born in London, England and left when I was 5 and lived there for 12 years. Leaving at such an early age I didn't fully grasp the British culture so at that point I had nothing to compare. I returned when I was 17 and that was in May 2007. Being aware enough in both countries and for the love of reflection, I wanna share some things even though there's definitely more than 10 things I've learnt.
- What poverty REALLY means - In the UK and I imagine in the US as well, being "broke" means having no money till the next welfare payment comes through. In Jamaica being "broke" means being broke, it means looking in the cupboard and having no food, then checking your pockets and having no means to fill the cupboards. Being broke in Jamaica means you're BROKE!!
- How to make nothing from an empty cupboard - being "broke" teaches you how to make something out of nothing. So you go to the trees, you turn to nature and friends and beg if you have to, to get something on the wood fire that you have to gather wood for and make and you get some food!! Grandma always used to say "use wha yu hav fi mek wha yu want" and so we did.
- How to really appreciate the small things in life - we grew up with most of the "basic" stuff e.g. electricity, fridge, iron, cooker, running water, washing machine etc. One day in class we were discussing a topic (which I now forget) but it had to do with the issue of ironing clothes, I explained to the class that you don't necessarily need to iron your clothes, if you flash it out hard enough and put it out to dry in the wind eventually all the creases will come out... The teacher looked at me and laughed and said "Kristal is that what you had to do today?" I wasn't confident enough to smile and say 'yes actually' so I bowed my head and cried. Coming to the UK and seeing people panic cuz the Wi-Fi is not connected properly makes me giggle.
- Respect - no, really the real thing! I learnt how to respect my elders, leaders, teachers and authority. I respect them, may not always like them but I respect them in the way that if you're not respectful there's a swift wind that follows the slap that connects to your face. That hurts.
- Appreciation for education - in the UK and US education is free, I had to pay to go to public schools, yes I did!!! We often had to skip school or sent back home cuz our fees weren't paid.
- I've learnt what really matters - priorities in reality, I spend no time worrying about things that will in no way advance me. I've learnt that there's people out there that would KILL to have what I have so I've learnt how to appreciate what I have, I've had little so I appreciate the little I have now
- I've learnt the importance of reflecting - I've learnt how to look back, how to appreciate where I'm coming from to see that I've been worse and things could be worse.
- I came to the knowledge of God when I was living there - I knew OF Him, not what He meant to ME. But growing up in church made me appreciate the fact that God can reach anyone, He loves everyone and if it wasn't for mom dragging me to church every Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday and Friday, I wouldn't know how sweet it is to be in His house with His people - fellowship.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
F-A-M-I-L-Y
Family,
The only word in the English dictionary that means nothing to me,
But Christians aren't supposed to lie, right?
So I'll come clean,
I'll let you know the truth,
Which has been up till now,
A secret,
And a close guarded one,
Just imagine the wall that Nehemiah rebuilt,
On steroids,
Up, alive and guarding this secret,
So here goes,
Family,
When I think,
When I hear the word,
Family,
I feel distant, lonely, abandonment, suffer, abuse, alone, hurt,
Feeling,
Hurt feelings,
Feelings too hurt to even know how I was feeling,
Feelings buried alive,
And not being dealt with,
Only to be dug up years later,
Forcing me to deal with feelings,
The truth is I never really knew how to deal with feelings,
Or family,
So the real truth is you're strange to me,
Don't upset me by calling me family,
That means you'll only hurt, use and abuse me,
So no, we ain't tight,
We ain't family,
Cuz that word only means pain to me.
F - feelings, A - abuse, M - missing, I - insignificant, L - loveLESS, Y - youth
The only word in the English dictionary that means nothing to me,
But Christians aren't supposed to lie, right?
So I'll come clean,
I'll let you know the truth,
Which has been up till now,
A secret,
And a close guarded one,
Just imagine the wall that Nehemiah rebuilt,
On steroids,
Up, alive and guarding this secret,
So here goes,
Family,
When I think,
When I hear the word,
Family,
I feel distant, lonely, abandonment, suffer, abuse, alone, hurt,
Feeling,
Hurt feelings,
Feelings too hurt to even know how I was feeling,
Feelings buried alive,
And not being dealt with,
Only to be dug up years later,
Forcing me to deal with feelings,
The truth is I never really knew how to deal with feelings,
Or family,
So the real truth is you're strange to me,
Don't upset me by calling me family,
That means you'll only hurt, use and abuse me,
So no, we ain't tight,
We ain't family,
Cuz that word only means pain to me.
F - feelings, A - abuse, M - missing, I - insignificant, L - loveLESS, Y - youth
Monday, 18 March 2013
When's It Gonna Be My Time
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV
I shoulda called this piece 'Be Patient' but we all know that pill is just a lil bit harder to swallow!
We all know somebody, who's hooking up with somebody, or someone else who's just got engaged or someone who asked you to be best man, or someone who asked you to use your child to be flower girl in their wedding. Someone always seems to be hooking up with someone, old friends, new friends, random people stopping to tell you their amazing love story.
There's also that one married person who keeps telling you that it will happen in God's time, I'm not disputing that God does His thing in His own time, I'm just asking you nicely to SHUT UP cuz you got your partner and been through your process. You probably done forgot how hard it is to wait!! Thank you.
Keeping it real, we just want God to come through with some dates and times so we can know when our time is, but think about it, if He told you who, when and where you'd probably kick up another storm cuz you have all the details, you just can't wait to get there!
You stay wondering, asking, praying, seeking God, when is it gonna be my turn Lord? I've been single 3 years, I've been obedient, I've sought after You, I have done what You said, I feel like I've done, been through it all and through it all You have been my all, my everything, my only lover. See the thing I've noticed with people like this is that they stay close to God and the longer you stay close to God is the more He'll make you like Him and when that happens He's gotta find a partner that's just like you; just like Him. (I hope you can appreciate how few and far between these people are) God ain't tryna hook you up with no half-hearted, lukewarm Christian who falls at the FIRST SIGN of temptation. For all you know God has to probably bring someone fresh off the street and MAKE them your partner! One preacher said: "the reason you ain't getting with anybody like everybody else, is cuz you ain't LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!" And how true is that? I'm not saying that those who have hooked up aren't legit, I'm just saying God has a time, ordained down to the very second of when you're supposed to meet your spouse.
What do I do in the mean time?
The hardest thing ever... Wait! Not the type of wait where you put everything on hold and sit doing nothing. No, the wait where you prepare. Have you ever really looked into your life and seriously considered if you're really ready for a spouse? What do you have to offer? What do you have to give? See being single is a time to prepare and what better way to prepare than to let the Holy Spirit guide you? He knows who your spouse is! I dare you to ask Him: what's his/her favourite meal so I can learn how to cook it, how does he/she like their coffee, do they even like coffee?!
My most favourite thing about being single is getting to spend time reading my Bible. To me marriage is a ministry and if you're in ministry you understand that it's just not about you! But being single you get to make it about you! I get to spend time with my Husband (Isaiah 54:5 if you're confused) I get to know Him, His precious Spirit and I SUBMIT (I know some people don't like that word let alone the action!) to Him, I do what He pleases and learn to dislike what He dislikes and it's amazing.
There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 1 Corinthians 7:34
So yeah I do wonder when's it gonna be my time, yeah I do wanna punch you in the neck if you're married telling me to 'just wait' (not really😂) but I know, I've learnt to trust God and His timing and also His AMAZING match-making skills. He knows me and that means He knows EXACTLY what I want even when I don't know.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalms 139:13, 14
I shoulda called this piece 'Be Patient' but we all know that pill is just a lil bit harder to swallow!
We all know somebody, who's hooking up with somebody, or someone else who's just got engaged or someone who asked you to be best man, or someone who asked you to use your child to be flower girl in their wedding. Someone always seems to be hooking up with someone, old friends, new friends, random people stopping to tell you their amazing love story.
There's also that one married person who keeps telling you that it will happen in God's time, I'm not disputing that God does His thing in His own time, I'm just asking you nicely to SHUT UP cuz you got your partner and been through your process. You probably done forgot how hard it is to wait!! Thank you.
Keeping it real, we just want God to come through with some dates and times so we can know when our time is, but think about it, if He told you who, when and where you'd probably kick up another storm cuz you have all the details, you just can't wait to get there!
You stay wondering, asking, praying, seeking God, when is it gonna be my turn Lord? I've been single 3 years, I've been obedient, I've sought after You, I have done what You said, I feel like I've done, been through it all and through it all You have been my all, my everything, my only lover. See the thing I've noticed with people like this is that they stay close to God and the longer you stay close to God is the more He'll make you like Him and when that happens He's gotta find a partner that's just like you; just like Him. (I hope you can appreciate how few and far between these people are) God ain't tryna hook you up with no half-hearted, lukewarm Christian who falls at the FIRST SIGN of temptation. For all you know God has to probably bring someone fresh off the street and MAKE them your partner! One preacher said: "the reason you ain't getting with anybody like everybody else, is cuz you ain't LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!" And how true is that? I'm not saying that those who have hooked up aren't legit, I'm just saying God has a time, ordained down to the very second of when you're supposed to meet your spouse.
What do I do in the mean time?
The hardest thing ever... Wait! Not the type of wait where you put everything on hold and sit doing nothing. No, the wait where you prepare. Have you ever really looked into your life and seriously considered if you're really ready for a spouse? What do you have to offer? What do you have to give? See being single is a time to prepare and what better way to prepare than to let the Holy Spirit guide you? He knows who your spouse is! I dare you to ask Him: what's his/her favourite meal so I can learn how to cook it, how does he/she like their coffee, do they even like coffee?!
My most favourite thing about being single is getting to spend time reading my Bible. To me marriage is a ministry and if you're in ministry you understand that it's just not about you! But being single you get to make it about you! I get to spend time with my Husband (Isaiah 54:5 if you're confused) I get to know Him, His precious Spirit and I SUBMIT (I know some people don't like that word let alone the action!) to Him, I do what He pleases and learn to dislike what He dislikes and it's amazing.
There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 1 Corinthians 7:34
So yeah I do wonder when's it gonna be my time, yeah I do wanna punch you in the neck if you're married telling me to 'just wait' (not really😂) but I know, I've learnt to trust God and His timing and also His AMAZING match-making skills. He knows me and that means He knows EXACTLY what I want even when I don't know.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalms 139:13, 14
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Trust
It's amazing the people we trust everyday... From the people who make you a cup of coffee to the bus drivers who transport you to destinations, it's amazing how we often never stop to think how much trust we are giving these people, how much our lives are literally in the hands of the bus driver, one wrong slight and lives could be lost. We often underestimate how much power these people have and how trusting we are we trust these people, with our lives we trust them.
Then we look at Jesus, we look at the Man who became sin to save us from sin, we look to the Holy Spirit an we complain that we can't see Him, but we trust the air we breathe. We look at the Father everyday and refuse to acknowledge, we refuse to put our trust in the One who gave us life and refuse to trust His Son who gives us life more abundantly we won't trust Him. We don't WANT TO trust Him.
Then we look at Jesus, we look at the Man who became sin to save us from sin, we look to the Holy Spirit an we complain that we can't see Him, but we trust the air we breathe. We look at the Father everyday and refuse to acknowledge, we refuse to put our trust in the One who gave us life and refuse to trust His Son who gives us life more abundantly we won't trust Him. We don't WANT TO trust Him.
Friday, 15 February 2013
Colossians 3:1
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is,sitting at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1
If then you were raised with Christ
For you to be 'raised with' Christ you would have to be dead like He was, you would have had to be accused of something, you would have had to know that you were sent into this world to die, you would have had to know that they would choose you over a real criminal, you would have had to know that you would bear your own cross, walk to your place of death, be continually mocked and then stretched wide, and hung high and left to die, you would have to know that the heavens would close cuz your Father couldn't bear to look, angels weep, the ground shakes and the very sun looks away. To be raised with Christ you would have to die WITH Him as He died, you know you would call and say Eli, Eli lama sabachthani you know it wasn't even about you! IF THEN YOU **WERE** RAISED "WITH" Christ
Seek those things which are above
Jesus is no longer here, He stayed for 40 days after He rose from the grave on the 3rd day, He ain't here no more, He's above! And if we're raised WITH Him, just as He had His sights set on things above, kingdom business, so should we! So should we be focused on things above so when the boss gives you a hard time, look up! It's for His glory, when the kids drive you up the wall, look up. When you feel you wanna strangle your spouse (yeah don't look at me like you ain't human) look up, when the driver on the road cuts you up in a bad way, look up... Look to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, look to things above as you should do once you've been raised from death, SEEK those things, go in search of, go on a quest to find out those things which are above! Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
where Christ is,
There we shall be also, where you heart is there your treasure is also, where we look to, the things we seek and set our heart to there we shall be too. I go to my Father's to prepare a place for you... What He also said is: while I'm gone, you can find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart, you should prepare yourselves to come and be with Me, you gotta take off them shoes cuz where I am is holy ground, you gotta strip yourself of that bad attitude, them lying lips have to be cured with a hot coal, that envious spirit has to be tested and discarded of, you gotta prepare yourself for the place I'm preparing for you. You gotta have a clean heart, mind and soul to come to My Father's house, where I am is holy ground
sitting at the right hand of God
I am sitting, I ain't roaming no more I have a place to rest My head, not only am I sitting but I'm seated at the RIGHT hand of God my Father. You don't need me to tell you that biblically the right hand means power the right hand means strength!!! I am seated beside power and strength. Look this is where I need you to be, it ain't impossible because I done it. I'm here. I made it.
I died but I'm here, I was raised now I'm here. Where you are is not your destiny I have greater things planned for you but I ain't gon' force it down your throat you have to SEEK the things which are above, I've left nothing on the earth for you. Your riches are in heaven just as Mine are I have prepared a place for you. Are you ready for it?
Colossians 3:1
If then you were raised with Christ
For you to be 'raised with' Christ you would have to be dead like He was, you would have had to be accused of something, you would have had to know that you were sent into this world to die, you would have had to know that they would choose you over a real criminal, you would have had to know that you would bear your own cross, walk to your place of death, be continually mocked and then stretched wide, and hung high and left to die, you would have to know that the heavens would close cuz your Father couldn't bear to look, angels weep, the ground shakes and the very sun looks away. To be raised with Christ you would have to die WITH Him as He died, you know you would call and say Eli, Eli lama sabachthani you know it wasn't even about you! IF THEN YOU **WERE** RAISED "WITH" Christ
Seek those things which are above
Jesus is no longer here, He stayed for 40 days after He rose from the grave on the 3rd day, He ain't here no more, He's above! And if we're raised WITH Him, just as He had His sights set on things above, kingdom business, so should we! So should we be focused on things above so when the boss gives you a hard time, look up! It's for His glory, when the kids drive you up the wall, look up. When you feel you wanna strangle your spouse (yeah don't look at me like you ain't human) look up, when the driver on the road cuts you up in a bad way, look up... Look to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, look to things above as you should do once you've been raised from death, SEEK those things, go in search of, go on a quest to find out those things which are above! Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
where Christ is,
There we shall be also, where you heart is there your treasure is also, where we look to, the things we seek and set our heart to there we shall be too. I go to my Father's to prepare a place for you... What He also said is: while I'm gone, you can find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart, you should prepare yourselves to come and be with Me, you gotta take off them shoes cuz where I am is holy ground, you gotta strip yourself of that bad attitude, them lying lips have to be cured with a hot coal, that envious spirit has to be tested and discarded of, you gotta prepare yourself for the place I'm preparing for you. You gotta have a clean heart, mind and soul to come to My Father's house, where I am is holy ground
sitting at the right hand of God
I am sitting, I ain't roaming no more I have a place to rest My head, not only am I sitting but I'm seated at the RIGHT hand of God my Father. You don't need me to tell you that biblically the right hand means power the right hand means strength!!! I am seated beside power and strength. Look this is where I need you to be, it ain't impossible because I done it. I'm here. I made it.
I died but I'm here, I was raised now I'm here. Where you are is not your destiny I have greater things planned for you but I ain't gon' force it down your throat you have to SEEK the things which are above, I've left nothing on the earth for you. Your riches are in heaven just as Mine are I have prepared a place for you. Are you ready for it?
Please Come!
And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Luke 7:37, 38
This woman knew what she was doing, this woman, who in the text is referred to as 'a woman' had this planned a long time ago, there's no way she did this on a whim. She knew what she wanted to do and she went and got it done, she wanted to be forgiven for her sins, which Jesus pointed out in verse 47 of Luke 7, were many. This woman had a plan to push past everything to get what she wanted from her Master. She just had to, she was broken and had to be mended and all she had was the remnants of her past; her alabaster box.
She's strategic, she waited till Jesus was comfortable, she knew that she had to bring the best to The Lord and even if it meant bringing the wages of her prostitution, she brought it anyway. She had to position herself, behind Him because she knew she needed to be led and then she brought her tears, she brought her pain and cleansed Jesus' feet with her pain. She dried her pain with her crown of glory, kissed His feet with lips of praise and them anointed them with a sacrifice which would be a sweet smelling aroma to God.
I could go on and on with this scripture but I hear God calling His ladies, the ones that are so broken they think its no way He loves me now, the ones that have lost their way because of not taking heed to His voice, I hear God calling you home, He's saying come, bring your broken relationship, bring the sexual abuse you suffered at the hand of your father, uncle, brother, close family friend, bring Me your childhood pain, bring me the alcohol and the sex addictions, bring them to Me, lay them at My feet, I died for this, you don't have to bring the cross to Calvary, I already did that, though your sins are many please, please bring them to Me, lay them at My feet and I will make you whole. I will because I know the plans I have for you, to give you hope and a future and an expected end, I will because I have loved you with an everlasting love, I will because I have had a plan for your life from BEFORE you entered the womb, please just come!
And to my brothers, I know the testosterone, ego and pride will try and keep you from coming to God and laying down your hurt, shame, guilt and pain but The Lord is calling you too, if anything The Lord needs men, more spiritual leaders in His church, more sons to lead His daughters, He's calling you because He needs you.
And I, I beg, beseech, implore, ask, petition and pray that everyone will answer His call, if you know someone who needs to read this PASS IT ON. This is for the glory of the Most High King, who loves us all no matter where He has ordained our footsteps to trod, He loves you, He needs you and He's calling YOU!
This woman knew what she was doing, this woman, who in the text is referred to as 'a woman' had this planned a long time ago, there's no way she did this on a whim. She knew what she wanted to do and she went and got it done, she wanted to be forgiven for her sins, which Jesus pointed out in verse 47 of Luke 7, were many. This woman had a plan to push past everything to get what she wanted from her Master. She just had to, she was broken and had to be mended and all she had was the remnants of her past; her alabaster box.
She's strategic, she waited till Jesus was comfortable, she knew that she had to bring the best to The Lord and even if it meant bringing the wages of her prostitution, she brought it anyway. She had to position herself, behind Him because she knew she needed to be led and then she brought her tears, she brought her pain and cleansed Jesus' feet with her pain. She dried her pain with her crown of glory, kissed His feet with lips of praise and them anointed them with a sacrifice which would be a sweet smelling aroma to God.
I could go on and on with this scripture but I hear God calling His ladies, the ones that are so broken they think its no way He loves me now, the ones that have lost their way because of not taking heed to His voice, I hear God calling you home, He's saying come, bring your broken relationship, bring the sexual abuse you suffered at the hand of your father, uncle, brother, close family friend, bring Me your childhood pain, bring me the alcohol and the sex addictions, bring them to Me, lay them at My feet, I died for this, you don't have to bring the cross to Calvary, I already did that, though your sins are many please, please bring them to Me, lay them at My feet and I will make you whole. I will because I know the plans I have for you, to give you hope and a future and an expected end, I will because I have loved you with an everlasting love, I will because I have had a plan for your life from BEFORE you entered the womb, please just come!
And to my brothers, I know the testosterone, ego and pride will try and keep you from coming to God and laying down your hurt, shame, guilt and pain but The Lord is calling you too, if anything The Lord needs men, more spiritual leaders in His church, more sons to lead His daughters, He's calling you because He needs you.
And I, I beg, beseech, implore, ask, petition and pray that everyone will answer His call, if you know someone who needs to read this PASS IT ON. This is for the glory of the Most High King, who loves us all no matter where He has ordained our footsteps to trod, He loves you, He needs you and He's calling YOU!
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