My heart leaps with joy not sadness, as I heard the news of the passing of Dr Charles Stanley. He’s one of my favourite preachers, whose messages I’ve listened  to for years. I’ve never met him, neither did I know him in person. But listening to him explain the words of the Bible in a simple easy-to-understand-manner, made me develop a deeper love for God’s word. Something I will never ever forget.

It shows you don’t have to know someone inorder to impact their life. I remember writing about legacy (on my blog) when I lost my mum, because I heard the amazing stories people shared about her life. A short while after, I came across Dr Charles Stanley’s message on Legacy. It gave me the assurance that building and leaving a lasting legacy that would outlive us (for God’s glory) is the way to go. For that, I will forever remember him. Especially for the legacy he left for us, to always ‘OBEY GOD AND LEAVE ALL THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIM.”  

Farewell Dr Charles Stanley, (to me) you were a man who taught the world the gospel truth about God without compromise. Rest in the perfect peace of God, till we (finally) meet in eternity by the special grace of God.

Please see links below for videos and tributes given to this amazing servant of God. He’s done the work God sent him to do (here on earth), left a legacy for God and I hope it will encourage you to do the same.

This post is a follow-up from my previous post 'To Live or Not To Live' which looks at the Mental Health crisis our world is facing today in relation to suicide. It is a very touchy subject, but one that is very close to my heart. In a world riddled with challenges (especially in recent years), people tend to seek out ways to escape and it's understable that no one wants to hear bad news. But the reality of the matter is this: 'Life is imperfect and that's perfectly okay'. There are times when I wonder (just for a split second), whether I'm doing the right thing by addressing these Mental Health issues. And articles like the one in the Evening Standard on Thursday 23rd March 2023, reaffirms (to me) that I am. I've come to realise that, there is much work to be done and mine (as a follower of Christ), is to do my little part to make the world a bearable place to live.

We walk past people daily, though we may not know them, it's proof that you are not an isolated being. We all have our struggles, but if we keep on fighting, WE CAN OVERCOME anything life brings our way. YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE just like everyone else. So fight for your life!

There are organisations out there, doing their utmost best to address the issue, so that we can keep on fighting the good fight of living life the best way we can. Organisations such as the Samaritans and United Christian Broadcasters. I know the tremendous work these organisations do, as I've had the privilege of using both provisions myself.  Additionally, the article in the evening Standard mentioned 'Shout', a free text messaging support service for those tackling Mental Health Crisis in Britain. Their work sounds promising. Feel free to visit their websites yourselves or share it with those you know may find it useful.

God loves us all, after all we are all his creation. This is what the Bible says to you when you're struggling to wade through the current of life. It says in the book of  Isaiah 41:10,

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
(Isaiah 41:10)

So, when you're struggling to keep your head above water, remember that you can reach out to God and to others for help.

Please note: This is my personal perspective and it's by no means an endorsement. The decision to use any of these provisions is ultimately down to you.

Stay blessed and keep on going. Because, you are not alone in the fight, for this thing called life!

Seeing campaigns around town encouraging people to STAY, got me thinking. Life can be unpredictably volatile sometimes and it is important to have something to focus on during those challenging times. For a Christian, that focus is the HOPE that we have in Christ. It is what keeps us going even at the most difficult of times. To share the words of an early Christian, the Apostle Paul, who went through hardships that made him despair for life. He said,

" I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm."
 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, New Living Translation

These were some of the things Paul faced in his life's journey. Which shows that no one really, not even Jesus Christ was immune to life's sufferings. That is why the Bible says,

" We have a high priest (Jesus Christ) who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin."
Hebrews 4:15 - New International Reader's Version

What got Jesus through his ordeal? It was having his focus and his hope on God. Because during one of his most trying times Jesus said this to his followers:

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me."
John 16:32 - New International Version

That is why Jesus is the perfect one to help anyone at a time of crisis, because he's been through it all and understands what we are going through. So focus on Jesus, make him your hope and he will be your anchor.

Stay blesssed and I humbly pray, that the Lord gives you the strength to keep on going.

Please note: Do find someone to speak to, if you're going through a hard time. There could be charity organisations in your neighbourhood or country that may be able to help you (if you do an online search). Here in the UK, we have the Samaritans at www.samaritans.org (available to anyone in need) or United Christian Broadcasters www.ucb.co.uk (there to help those wanting to know Christ or grow in their walk with him). You can also feel free to look through this website for posts you may find useful.

Exactly two years to this date, the 27th February 2021, I lost my mother suddenly and without warning. What made it challenging was that when it happened I wasn't there. Something I never imagined would ever happen to me. Mum was always there for me and the least I could have done was to have been there fo her. Besides that, there were so many things I wanted to do with her and for her, but all those plans came to an abrupt halt.

When I was told mum passed away, everything as I knew it stopped and my thoughts began to run riot. I thought to myself, " Is this a joke?" Mum was just smiling the other day, looking like her usual self. "How could this happen?"

Next thing I know, I felt a flood of overwhelming emotion flow through me. My eyelids became weighted with the build-up of warm tears about to force itself through my eyes. I slumped to the floor, devoid of energy, feeling helpless as warm tears flowed freely down my cheeks.

Then I heard a strange sound escaping through my lips. It felt alien to me, like it was coming from someone else. The sound turned into an uncontrollable high pitched cry that would last for hours because I couldn't seem to make it stop.

In between this strange happenings, I started feeling angry, but my anger was never directed at God. It was personal, because despite what was going on, I had the underlying awareness that she had gone home to be with the Lord. My struggle and my challenge was about me letting go. It was about me having closure and that part was apparent to me.

I hadn't been in this situation before, so I did what I had always done when I needed a solution to something. I prayed about it and read my Bible. I began reading scriptures related to bereavement and started to find out how to deal with my grief. I saw how the Israelites mourned the loss of their leader Moses for,

‘Thirty days, then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end.’
Deuteronomy 34:8

This knowledge gave me the ability to grieve properly without inhibitions. It also made me comfortable to talk freely through my grief and even document my grief journey. Seeing how the Israelites grieved, for Moses for a period of time, gave me solace to mourn mum's loss, knowing that after a period of time (just like the Israelites), I too would be fine.

In exploring my grief, no emotion was too obscure. I allowed myself to work through my emotions and over time, I found myself in a better place or shall I say, a better space. Better, because now, I can think of mum without sadness (on most days), partly due to the legacy she left behind. That legacy, lives on in my household and in the lives of those she impacted.

That said, I must admit, there are still days when someone would say something or something would happen that would trigger memories of her. Memories that reminds me of the void she left behind. But that's okay, because I can remind myself that we will one day meet again in eternity and will never part again.

The Bible says this about death:

'None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle.'
Ecclesiastes 8:8 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Meaning that death is inevitable, it is a battle we all have to face and it can be a dark experience. However, when you:

'Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.' (Psalm 62:8)

He will give us the grace to face, endure and overcome it. For those who died believing in Christ, they overcome death by living on in eternity. And for the loved ones they left behind, the Bible says, this:

'Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.'
Matthew 5:4 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

So, take heart if you are grieving the loss of a loved one, especially on days when you struggle to hold back the tears. And Let these words comfort you:

"...Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning."
Psalm 30:5 — New Living Translation (NLT)

Which means, you will eventually overcome it and find your footing in life again.

I'll leave you with this uplifting song, 'Plain Sight' by artist Sinmidele. It's one song that never fails to lift up my spirit. Hope it resonates with you too.

This is one of the questions that make the name of Jesus an interesting subject of discussion. One that can sometimes lead to contention. In this post, I wanted to examine what the Bible says about who Jesus is and answer the very question that sets Jesus apart from any other name. Hope this brings some clarity on the subject. And remember, anyone can read through the Bible to find out the answer themselves. The Bible did say this in the book of Isaiah 34:16,  'In the Book of the Lord, you can search and find.' Which means, if you truly seek the truth when you read the Bible, you will find the truth. Stay blessed.

It When there was nothing more we could give God to atone for our sins, God decided to lend us a helping hand. How? By giving up his only son Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice for us. A pure unadulterated sacrifice, who knew no sin, yet embodied our sins without complaint. The Bible describes what Jesus did for us this way,

"He was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all."
(Isaiah 53:5-6)

He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
(Isaiah 53:7)

Basically, God loved us so much, that he gave us his most precious gift 'Jesus'. A love the Bible describes in this manner,

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

And God is still looking to give this gift, to those willing to open up their hearts to receive Jesus today. But if Jesus is a gift, why does the world hate him or have misconceptions about him? The Bible made it clear that,

'God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.'

So why the animosity towards Jesus or anything that is attributed to his name. The answer can be found in the book of John 3:28-21, it says,

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

The animosity the world has towards Jesus is one of rebellion. They fail to accept Jesus was God's gift to us. That is, God's way of reconciling us back to himself. A way to restore our broken relationship with God. It is that lack of trust (of God's uncompromising love for us) that will lead to God's judgement of man. Denying Jesus is like saying that God didn't do what the Bible said in the book of John 3:16. (See Bible quote above).

However, for those who believe in God's sacrificial act, the Bible says, 'there is no judgement because they believed.

Jesus himself demonstrated what he came to earth to do, when he ministered to the Samaritan woman at a well in Samaria. The Bible says that at a time when the Jews didn't engage with Samaritans, Jesus did an unusual thing by asking the woman to give him a drink of water. His request took the woman by surprise because she responded,

“You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
(John 4:9)

Though Jesus would have been aware of what the Samaritan woman was inferring to, he responded back saying,

“If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
(John 4:10)

Meaning that he didn't come to earth merely for the Jews, but was available to anyone who was willing to receive him. Once the woman understood who Jesus was and realised that he didn't see her as an outcast, she was able to open up her heart to receive him. That same principle still applies today. Jesus was God's gift to mankind and he's not restricted to the privileged few. 

The Bible says in the book of Luke 2:7, that Mary, the mother of Jesus,

'Gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room available for them at the inn.' (Luke 2:7)

Here's the interesting thing, somebody did have room for Jesus. That room just happens to be a humble manger. Which is saying something. That, if anyone humbly makes room for Jesus in their heart, he would gladly receive them.

The only question is this: Have you got room in your heart for Jesus this Christmas? Hope you make a little room in your heart for him, as you celebrate his birth and what he did for all of us.

Here's wishing you, a Merry Cosy Christ-mas!

Notes: Understandably, Christmas can be a difficult time for some. If that is you, take comfort in knowing that God will be there for you, if you just call out to him. You can see the link below, where I have explained more about this issue under the heading, 'The Hidden Side of Christmas'. If you know someone struggling this Christmas, why not say a prayer for them and if you don't know what to say, you can say the prayer below.

A Christmas Prayer:
Father Lord, please visit those in need this Christmas, including those who may find it difficult to cope during the festive season. May you fill their hearts with your peace, your comfort and your joy, in Jesus name. Amen.

Take care and stay blessed.

A short while ago, I was asked to write about 'what Christmas was like for me back home', as part of the advent season and thought to share it here with you. So, what was Christmas like for me, in my childhood home? Well, in preparation for Christmas, the children would be taught to sing Christmas carols, which they would sing in Christmas plays, nativities and other festive events in schools or churches. Whilst adults would form Christmas choirs and performed in Christmas plays. The story of the birth of Jesus was usually told, with the visit of the three wise men bearing gifts, right through to Christmas day!

One of the highlights of Christmas back home, was going to church with my family and watching my father sing Christmas carols from his church hymn book, along with the congregation. We would sing Christmas carols like, "O Come, O come, Emmanuel."

In the build up to Christmas, we would hand out Christmas cards and gifts to our neighbours, friends, colleagues and those we wanted to wish a Merry Christmas. The best part, was decorating the house, with all the Christmas cards we had received over the years as a family and putting up the Christmas tree.

Then a few days before Christmas, the real festivities begins, as we watch our parents buy  Christmas food in advance and store them in the pantry, ready to be used on Christmas day. One nostalgic thing I remember, was the aroma of mum's special Christmas cake filling the atmosphere of our home. It was tempting, knowing mum's scrumptious Christmas cake was within reach, yet, we were forbidden to touch it before Christmas day!

On Christmas Eve, we would head out to church for the Christmas service, where we would watch Nativity plays, sing Christmas carols and pray. Come Christmas day, everyone was in the Christmas spirit, as we would help mum prepare the Christmas meals.

The aroma of mum's Christmas meals were a delightful treat, well known, not just to our family, but to our relatives and neighbours as well. Mum would dish out generous servings of Christmas meals in beautiful ceramic dishes and place them in sturdy bags. One by one, she would hand it out to my siblings and I to deliver it to our neighbours, who were already looking forward to mum's tasty Christmas meals. Our relatives would also visit throughout Christmas day to spend Christmas with us and enjoy mum's Christmas meals. Christmas for us, was a full house affair!

Though the way we celebrate Christmas has changed significantly, one thing remains the same. It's a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to show the love of Christ to others.

This year, however you choose to spend Christmas, be it alone or surrounded by people, let's have our focus on Christ and what he's done for us.  For that is what Christmas is truly about and in return, we are reminded through the death of Jesus, that God really cares for us.

Here's wishing you all, A Merry Cosy Christ-mas!

Notes: Understandably, Christmas can be a difficult time for some. If that is you, take comfort in knowing that God will be there for you, if you just call out to him. You can also see the link below, where I have explained more about this issue under the heading, 'The Hidden Side of Christmas'. Take care and stay blessed.

Revisited the Jesus project I did a short while ago, turning it into a fridge magnet. Something to use for sticking reminder notes to the fridge, whilst reminding me of that wonderful name and the awesome things he's done for us!