Words To Nourish The Mind

The demands of modern life are never-ending and it often feels like a constant juggling of work, appointments, events, chores, grocery shop etc. In the midst of all this, we are beeping, tweeting, clicking and messaging. The list is virtually endless - I find myself drained and exhausted by the end of most weeks and just to do it all again on Monday. I typically run out of steam on Sunday, even the simplest tasks seems to be an effort or a chore – I felt I was in a crash and burn cycle, something had to give. I sat in on a woman’s ministry talk for working mothers on how we can manage the different demands or roles of work, home and life in general. I was left feeling quite perplexed as to why I am struggling so much.  On the surface, I seem to be doing everything right, from food preparation in advance to the delegation. The main premises of the talk was to think about your family values or priorities, asking yourself what is important to my family and use our time to ref...

Exploring the world keeps me alive. Exploring the world inspires my soul. Exploring the world ignites my spirit. Exploring the world educates my mind. Exploring the world gives me a sense of peace. Exploring the world gives me an appreciation of adventure. That is the magic of getting lost into the wanderlust Beauty of the world. Exploring the world keeps my focus on: The present and not the past. The possibilities and not the pain. The healing and not the hurt. The wisdom and not the wounds. The moments and not the memories. That is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. A breeze of fresh air can clear your soul. A quiet lake can refresh your spirit. The smell of wildflowers can connect your senses. A small act of kindness can restore your faith. Seeing the beauty of the world doesn’t change your story But it does pave the way for a new one. And that is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. To s...

The constant noise and distractions, make it difficult to embrace life. The busyness is drowning out the love, peace and joy that I have yet to notice. The softness of His touch and the gentleness in His spirit patiently awaits. The human mind can never be satisfied And is always hungry for more and the thirst has yet to be quenched. I am in search of something that fills my voids. The stuff of the world gave me a temporary high But soon depleted, leaving me to wander alone. I am running on empty, As I have yet to find my why. I can hear the delicate breeze of life that tells me I am alive or am I? The strife has become embedded in my DNA, It made it hard not to cave in. I saw the problems and not the possibilities, The bareness and not the beauty, The lifelessness and not the Light. I desired for a solitude that allows me to escape. I am so shattered in my spirit that I failed to see the glimmer of Light, Which entered my soul, ...

In a world of suffering, it is hard not to live in A space of suppression. In a world of injustice, it is hard not to respond in anger. In a world of unrest, it is hard not to reside in isolation. In a world of darkness, it is easy to lose hope. In a world of heartache, it is easy to feel bitter. In a world of brokenness, it is impossible not to inherit pain. Acceptance of these things doesn’t make them right But it does make us free. Life can be unfair, But it is still good.  Whenever there are obstacles there are also opportunities. We just need to remember the lessons and not the scars. Because yesterday’s scars are today’s strength. When we choose to respond with love and peace, Change will start to happen because To reflect a different message to the next generation. We first have to lead by example. Maybe when there are no perfect endings, It’s time for a new beginning.   Life’s defeat can also be life’s inspiration. ...

Saying Hello to My Pain The earth sits in darkness plighted by a fallen world, So brutal that it bruised the core of my soul. I am held captive by the sheer pain that dwells in me, Evoking grievances that reside around me. I am drowning in an ocean of bitterness that meets the depths of my sadness. I am on a moving sphere of victimhood, Created purely to endure the living nightmare that we call life. I am restless in my soul and distressed in my spirit. I am lost, having yet to be found, putting me into a blind state of panic. That twisted my faith in mankind.                                                              Little by little, bit by bit my living ...

Behind my new beginning, there was uncertainty, The unknown and the doubt. The hesitation of the what ifs All very abstract in my mind, But very real to how I was feeling, going through The seasons of transition. My head tells me that everything in life is either a Lesson or blessing, At the same time, I am still wrestling with the Mourning over the grief and loss. All that I dreamed and work for The stuff no longer exists but still sits in my mind. The injustice tormented me, The betrayal devastated me, The sadness paralysed me, The mistreatment wrecked me, The abuse damaged me, And the hate fractured me. As I sat in pain, I realised that I can Take cover to hide from the world or I can take courage and confront my wounds. I took refuge in knowing that I have hit rock bottom Now the only way is up, but I was defeated and deflated. It just seemed impossible, until I came across light. The light loved me when I was emp...

Living in a world of consumerism, it magnifies The haves and have-nots. The message seems to be as cut throat as can be. The value of one appears to be largely defined, By how much one can afford. To those who have little, life can have little meaning, If one continues to conform. And may even subject one to a slow death, If one doesn’t look beyond the things. The world is filled with stuff but somehow can Still leave one feeling nothing, empty, alone and afraid. Leaving the sense of belonging melting, As the nothingness feels like Deep emptiness, creating a sphere of space Widening daily in the breaths that we take Making us living, but are we? Leaving one to further question its existence. When we soak up the little things, from a Simple walk through the forest, It can stir up our senses through being In the natural wilderness and Drinking from the fountain of life that gives life, not attached to things. Perhaps the nothings...

Marcela and her daughter, Isla, went for a stroll and discovered a beauty spot - filled with wildflowers and lavender fields under a blue sky and sunny spells. It could only be described as breathtaking. Marcela and Isla lost themselves amongst the meadows; it stirred up their creative spirit and left them both deep in thought.  A rainbow shortly appeared, which moved Marcela to share a profound moment with Isla. Marcela said, “When we look up into the sky, most will only see the external beauty of the rainbow and fail to see the real appeal that actually lies from within. Whenever darkness strikes, light is also near, comforting and guiding us through life’s trials. Just like when the rain meets the sun, it’s the universe showing us there is light after darkness.  Marcela added, “Life is rarely a smooth line. For a rainbow to appear there has to be a little downpour, just like this morning but it turned into a glorious day. Life today has become more about things and...

I have had quite a tough period physically, emotionally and spiritually. The demands of modern life had got to me. I had to take stock and re-evaluate, as the way I was dealing with current issues remained unsustainable and unmanageable. Forgiveness is a subject that I am constantly coming back to. The whole back and forth notion was draining the life out of me. When I am offended - whether it be bullying, abuse, lack of consideration, lack of empathy  - the memory of that offense is attached to that person, in how they made me feel- my emotion. I built a wall around myself, as I no longer felt safe in their presence. In doing so, I was indirectly keeping myself imprisoned by the offense. As the saying goes forgiveness doesn’t make it right, but it does make you free. I also note my response conflicts with the Word of God – Love one another, including your enemies. I had a discussion with another believer and she suggested that I focus on the positives of the perso...

This is the final part of Time is of the Essence series. This week I wanted to give two specific examples of how Christ helped me to become better and not bitter. I chose these two because they could have become one of my biggest time eaters had I allowed it. I realised that time is simply too precious to be taken up in this way. My first example is having a very short tolerance level to mistreatment of any nature and typically I tend to be passive or aggressive in response to this. The Holy Spirit prompted me to realise that the people who have mistreated me will not be the last. The problem isn’t the problem - it is my response to the problem. I need to focus on what I can control, which is my response. This involved a lot of soul searching and prayer.  I had a few situations where the desire to help others has become more of a liability to my well-being and wellness. The Holy Spirit prompted me to take stock and I realised it’s not wise to continue and that I nee...

I pray this blog post is a blessing to you.  I made a conscious effort this year to be more mindful of how I use my time. As discussed in last week’s blog post. My reason for doing this is whilst we may have come from backgrounds that could have disadvantaged or limited us in some shape or form. Feeding on this negativity can only paralyze us into thinking we are powerless, which isn’t necessarily true.   Time puts us all on a level playing field, it is something we all have that is the same; it is such a precious and priceless commodity and once it’s gone, it’s gone. No amount of money can buy more or buy back time. Despite this, most of us underestimate the value of time and its ability to change our lives depending how we choose to use it. Mindlessly wasting my days are no longer an option. Somehow my days were consumed with everything else apart from driving myself forward.  There was a time when my world was consumed with the little things. ...

I am on a mission this year to focus on what can be changed (future) and to be at peace on what cannot be changed (past). Last month’s blog post series was all about clearing out past, hurts, pain and wounds.  This month’s theme is building on how we see things that influence how we use our time. We all have varying stories from our makeup to circumstances, which can be put into the following opposites: Advantage or disadvantage Opportunity or obstacle Aspiration or adversity Triumph or trials In other words, most things, if not all things in life, are relative. What one deems as an advantage can also have a drawback(s). Life has a habit of swinging in roundabouts through seasons of joy and moments of pain. The differences in our lives set us apart and mould us into the people we are today. Good or bad, we are human - prone to hurt and make mistakes. Our perceptions of life may not always be accurate, but we all have a t...