Thank God we have been told to live by Faith cos sight is not so encouraging right now huh!!! Read more in the link...

As 2015 draws to a close, I am bombarded with news on how terrible the new government is, how the state of the country has worsened, i am surrounded with silent and not so silent staff retrenchments in different companies and sectors of the economy. The air seems to carry fear as almost everyone is somewhat convinced that things will only get worse next year..... On top of that I am plagued daily by the impending fear of 'what will 2016 look like'....

As a Jesus lover and being the everly optimistic person that I am, one word comes to mind when I think of 2016 - GLORYYYYY'... I have been through too much to accept anything less; and as I keep making my positive declarations I am reminded by the Holy Spirit that we live by Faith and NOT by sight (2Cor5:7)

There is a reason the Bible urges us to live by Faith; it is not there to discredit what our eyes can see... That verse is there to tell us that God Almighty knew that sometimes the economy would fail, sometimes we would face so many challenges that we would want to give up, that sometimes we would become devoid of hope, discouraged, disheartened and sad...

But because He is such a great planner, He gave us a word, a command, a phrase that restores hope even in the most hopeless of cases...

What is Faith??
[NIV] Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

So today be encouraged that even though you can't see that glorious tomorrow, future, job, marriage, kids, finances, health etc right now.. God expects you to keep your assurance that it will come, to hold on to your confidence that if He said it then He will surely do it...

Drown out the 'no money' cries this season with gratefulness. Gratefulness for loved ones, for friendship and for the simple fact that we are never without hope!!

Even though I can't see that glorious destiny, glorious bank account:-)  and glorious home i desire, I choose to live by the assurance i have that it will come...

I am grateful to God for life, good health, for Sera's wedding, for my family whom I will see soon by God's grace, for new beginnings, for sister in law tins, for the joy of my friends and loved ones, for new friendships that are already taking shape in my life, lessons learnt this year and for so much more...

I urge you to do the same, list out the things you are grateful for... It doesn't change what your eyes can see or what your ears can hear, but it does change what your heart believes...

Shalom and thanks for reading...

True LOVE exists and I've finally found it!!!!

It takes the grace of God to live the Word! Stop trying to do it on your own...

Jesus preached the Word and lived it#LiveTheWord#

Zeal for God without knowledge can cause more harm than good! Read the story in the link...

Don't be afraid to speak God's Word!!!

Humility not pride got David to the throne!!! Stay humble...

Don't be angry at the 'King' says the Lord

[KJV] Daniel 6:21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

As i was reading this chapter this is what the Lord told me 'Don't be angry at the King'...

The 'king' is that person who you think could have done something that would have prevented you from going through that test, trial, challenge or tough time...

When I read the verse, I was a taken back by how Daniel addressed the same king whose decree sentenced him to the lions den...

'You're nice' I thought as I read it because my reaction would have sounded a bit more like 'you can stop pretending to care, if you cared so much why didn't you stop them from putting me in the lions den'?

Today the Lord is telling you 'Don't be angry at the King'. If I didn't want you to pass through that situation I could have stopped it, if i wanted the 'King" to help you i would've made it so; but beyond that I knew it would bring forth my glory and work for you good...

My ways may not always seem right or make sense to you but remember i said in Rom8:28 that 'everything will work together for your good and for my glory if you love me...' just as it did in Daniels case...

So love me and watch me turn everything that you've been through into good says the Lord...

Shalom!!!

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Are you a child or a servant of the Most High God???

[NIV] Daniel 6:20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

Daniel was referred to in the above scripture as a servant of the most high God.
I wanted to change the word servant to child but the Holy Spirit said 'Leave it because today God has many children but very few servants.

 He said ' there is a difference between a servant and a child.

A servant will never disobey your orders because he/she came to your house knowing the duties and role expected of him/her, and knows that disobedience or failure to adhere to those expectations could mean the loss of an opportunity to get a better life. To a servant, the penalty for disobedience is Life Changing;

A child on the other hand, comes into the world with a totally different mentality. He/she has no idea of your expectations when they come into your world. They learn it as time and years go by but a lot of times they dont conform totally to your expectations. They have the freedom to take or choose who or what they want to become. They know that there is no Life Changing penalty if they choose not to meet all of your expectations for them.

A good example is this: if you bring a servant into your house and decide to train him/her to become a medical doctor, they won't reject it and pick sociology (for example) because most often than not they realize that you have a ticket that can get them to where they desire to be....
Your child on the other hand may choose not to study medicine and in most cases you will still pay for the child's university education.

Both have the freedom to choose but  the servant decides to sacrifice it and conform to your choices in order to achieve his desires, while your child doesnt have to sacrifice to achieve...

As a child of God sometimes we take the freedom we have in Him for granted and like the child above want to do things our own way and still get His results.. 'He is full of mercy' we tell ourselves;

 As a servant of God, you are truly dead to self because you have chosen to lay down your rights and do what He says, be who He says and live life like He says...

In actual fact we are both: but our attitude towards His plan and purpose for our lives should be like that of the servant while our knowledge of Him should mirror that of a child..

Stay blessed

Know your reason for smiling else the enemy will turn your smile into tears like he almost did mine!!

I SMILE:because the wonders of God's goodness and mercy towards me and my family greatly outweigh the cushioned effects of the roars of the enemy in our lives.

Today the enemy has attempted to cause pain and sorrow in my family: but i decree that in the name of Jesus this will be the last time he uses anyone to bring sadness in my family... This is our year of jubilee....My faith in who God is stands sure..

My God is faithful, Awesome and will not give me any reason to cry this year but will fill my heart and mouth even with songs of praise.....

Why do I think so you may ask? After all my present life situations may not reflect what I believe?

My answer is simple, Because He said so and because I say so (Mark 11:23)...

Know the reason for your smile... Don't take the enmys blows sitting down... Rise up and decree, in Jesus's name, what you want to see in your family and if you are abiding in God, watch Him move to back up your decrees....

Don't wait, start decreeing NOW...

God is working everything out to give you a glorious end... Stay in Faith..

God says to tell those who are feeling fainthearted, that He saved the best for last...

Don't wear rags when you're going before a king, Queen Esther knew this well...

Obey His Commandments and you will live a victorious life here on earth

God wants you to live a victorious life while you're here on earth as well as in Heaven.. Salvation gets you the life in heaven but obedience to His word gives you victory here on earth... Be wise and God bless...

All things are possible to them that believe!!!!!!

Everything you lack now, you will have in abundance says the Lord...

It started as such a dreary day... The rain kept falling and falling and everything looked so gloomy. The weather was dull, my mood was dull and all of a sudden the challenges of life (financial, emotional et all) seemed bigger than my faith...

Every time I looked outside I saw the rain falling and wondered if it was the reason for my gloominess.. There was no sun in sight as the skies had decided to remain a permanent gray...

At around 2pm I noticed the rain had stopped, 'thank God' I thought but there was still no sun in sight and the skies were still gray... The gloominess in me remained as i went about my daily tasks...

At 5pm as I walked to the bus station I noticed the sky was a lovely blue with white clouds. This brightened up the skies and the day suddenly looked so beautiful. As I sat in the bus, the rays of the sun shone harsh upon me when I said to the bus driver 'can we move this sun is too hot'

That's when the Holy Spirit spoke and He said 'everything you lack now, you will have in abundance' and immediately my spirit soared for joy...

See sometimes in life we all go through dreary stages; stages where we don't have enough money, no fruitful relationship, poor business sales and so on and so forth. Today I encourage you to keep walking, keep going because as God said to me, He is saying to you today... ' everything you lack now, you will have in abundance'

The time for your abundance is known only to God so don't try to figure out when or how it will come... Just know that if God said it then it will come....

May the grace of God be upon us to stay in faith and keep walking with a confidence that our abundance is certain... It's only a matter of time...
Shalom!!!
(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Be mindful of your expectations!!!

Don't be a copy cat; be who God created you to be..

Joshua 1:5 - God said to Joshua ' ... As I was with Moses so shall I be with you...'

No matter how great your mentor is, you are not your mentor!!!
You are a unique individual created by God in a special way...

God is not trying to duplicate people all over the world, He is looking for vessels He can use to showcase His glory in different ways...

You discredit Him every time you try to be like someone else... He wasn't telling Joshua to be, act, walk or talk like Moses when He gave him that promise in Joshua 1:5

He was simply telling Joshua that He will be with him till the end and will not leave nor forsake him just as He never left nor forsook Moses. He is telling you the same today, that He will never leave nor forsake you...

However It will take a newness and a boldness on your part to allow God lead you His own way...
Keep the promise of His constant presence with you but you have to be ready to let go of what you had in mind; because God never promised to do what you had in mind...

Shalom and God speed as we all ride on the wings of fulfilling destiny....

Time to get your praise on... It is a powerful weapon!!!

All God requires is that you 'Abide in Him'- Jn 15:7

Unto Him who is able to do....

God cares... To all who believe and are expectant, may He do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine in Jesus name, Amen...

Do not promote yourself; promote the God you serve!!!

Promote Him by acknowledging Him in your day to day activities, in the little things you do daily and those around you will learn to do same...

Learning to trust God ain't easy but it is soo necessary...

Have an awesome Sunday ahead and remember God's plans for you are of good and not of evil...

You were created for greatness!!! Don't let anyone or anything make you believe otherwise...

Taste and see that the Lord is good!!!

Psalm 27:14 - KJV:Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord!!!

The word of God found in the Bible is alive and active! How can it be alive you may wonder!! Next time you need direction, or are confused or perhaps filled with joy; settle down, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand then open your bible and read...

I guarantee you that at least one verse will suddenly make so much sense that you'll wonder why you never thought of it that way before!!!

That moment is the word coming alive in your spirit, to teach you, to comfort you, to help you and to direct you.
God shows no favouritism so go ahead and give it a try...

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

FREEDOM!!! Learn to be free!!!

No matter what the world says, You are not a mistake!!!

The world SEES in you what you BELIEVE about yourself....

People see what you consciously and subconsciously project through your words and actions. Instead of trying to convince people that you're great, resourceful, helpful, kind, hard working etc why not simply believe that you are; because when you believe it, we will all see it!!!

New Monday, Praise God for HIS faithfulness...

What do you see and What do you hear???Mark 1:9-11

Mark 1:9-11
KJV:And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan
KJV:And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
KJV:And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my Son the beloved in whom I am well pleased...

It surprised me today to know (for the first time) that it was only Jesus who saw the heavens open and heard the voice of God in the above passage.

Only He heard it because it was confirmation to Him that He was in the will of God. Everybody wasn't sent to die for the sins of man so everybody didn't need to hear that message and especially not at that time.

When God confirms a thing to you it is first and foremost to tell you that you are in His will and He is well pleased with you.
Like Jesus did, learn to keep it to yourself until the appointed time, because I have come to realize that even good and great news have an appointed time to be shared...

Shalom!!!
(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Give Your Kids A Bit of This Western Culture

In the western world children are encouraged to get menial jobs once they hit their teenage years. Both their parents and society believe this encourages them to become more responsible and mature. Along with their new job status they are given small responsibilities at home such as buying milk, toilet paper etc.

Having had the priviledge of living and schooling in a few countries, this reality first hit me during my university days. My British-Polish friend, who got her first job in her early teens and has been working ever since, told me that she had to pay rent, as a young adult, while living in her mothers house. 'What' i exclaimed with my African mentality kicking into gear three; why and how could a mother ask her daughter to pay rent? Unfathomable I thought at the time.

She went on to tell me she was responsible for buying milk for the home as a working teenager. At the same time my mind went to my own mother and how i take what my parents do for me for granted as do most African children.

Financial discipline, though teachable in class, can only be learnt by experience. I have come to realize that helping your kids learn the value of hard work, responsibility and financial discipline is not a crime or a sin. Even the Bible encourages us to 'Train up a child in the way he should grow...' Such training actually contributes into helping them become well rounded individuals and gets rid of the 'entitlement' mentality a lot of African children have, myself included. It pushes us out of our comfort zone.

Though such practices are not common in our society, it would do us good to imbibe it. We, as children, would learn from an early age that mommy and daddy cannot and will not provide everything we need in life all the time. We need to work hard too!
Children are tougher than you think, under well supervised conditions and proper arrangements, why not give your child a chance to learn and become more responsible financially et all...


R•I•Edet

Monday again, be grateful you lived to see it!!!

Gratitude goes a long way...make the choice to be grateful...

The key is to first believe it in your heart even when you don't feel it or see it...

Faith really does move mountains...

It's not always about you or your needs! Think outside your box today!!!

As the work week comes to a close, I pray God finds us faithful in the daily things He has called us to do...
Have an awesome Friday and brighten up someone's day!!!

Iron sharpens iron... Are you being sharpened in every area of life??

On a good foundation your building will stand no matter what!!!

You are what you think you are!!!

The elephant is the biggest animal, the cheater is the fastest and the hippopotamus has the toughest skin; yet the lion is the King of the Jungle.... that's because it Thinks it is...
When you think it you will act it and when you act it you become it...
Who you think you are matters!!!

Be like Jesus and let your compassionate bone outweigh your judgemental bone

Being judgemental is one of the easiest things we humans do. If you think different from us we judge you, if you don't act like us we judge you, if you don't believe like us we judge you...

Today I want us all to make a mental effort not to judge anyone because a righteous holier than thou attitude is easy to put up until you find yourself going through the exact situation you once passed judgement on....

And when that happens you either realise the error in your thinking and make changes or you suffer in silence because you can't seem to get past your own judgement...

The Bible says '...judge not lest ye be judged...'

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

God of possibilities!!!

God wants to restore you to your rightful place!!!

God desires to keep you close but He'll never force you into it... You have to desire it too!!!

Mercy - His Amazing Gift

God may give strange orders but they sure do bring great results!!!

Your thoughts also matter to God...

If you also have a current or past storm calming verse please share....

If you don't have a Google account, drop your comment as 'anonymous'. The site will ask you to verify that you're not a robot (technology tins)...
Sorry for the complexity but i would love to hear from you...
Happy Friday

God has an appointed time for your recognition and reward!! Keep doing the right thing!!!

There is A Time

It is so easy to get discouraged when doing the right thing seems to go continually un-noticed. As human beings it is down right disheartening to receive no appreciation for good works or services done. It is most especially hurtful when the lack of recognition is as a direct or indirect result of a persons action or inaction. Such feelings are present in our homes, workplaces and in church.

Every human being desires recognition, even toddlers demand your attention and verbal approval for good things done and good attempts made;
Recognition is an intrinsic value that transcends race, tribe, sex, religion and age.

When the motivation to do the right thing wanes, do you stop doing the right thing? NO and i'll tell you why! There is a time for everything, the Bible says so and life teaches us same.

Like Mordecai in the Bible story of Queen Esther, several times he gave information that saved the Kings life, but it wasn't until Israel was rescued through Queen Esthers actions that Mordecai was pomoted to a prominent place in the kingdom.

Some of us would have become the kings enemy immediately we were not given a place of honor and recognised for our initial help. We would have gone forward to label him ungrateful, unappreciative, selfish etc not knowing that our reward is for an appointed time.
 This story may be over 2000 years old but humans never change, it's all in our attitude, our character!

A more recent example is Josephine Ugwu, the Nigerian cleaner at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) who returned a passengers lost N12 million in foreign currencies, which she found while cleaning. I don't know her past, but from that action alone i can tell that she is disciplined and used to doing the right thing, whether someone is looking or not. If this were not true, do you think she would have been able to return such a huge amount of money, especially in economic down times like these? She mentioned in an interview that this was the 3rd time she would be returning passengers lost money to Airport security.

Integrity is not developed over night, it takes years of making the right decisions and doing the right thing no matter what price has to be paid.

Keep doing the right thing because no matter how long you've been doing it; God has an appointed time for your recognition and reward. {Galatians 6:9}

Stay Blessed

The path to everlasting life is hard (math7:14) but you don't have to go it alone...

Don't be surprised at the hardships you face on your Christian journey for Jesus already said it was gonna be hard...
However be encouraged that you're never alone, that even when you give up Jesus will never give up and that your destination in Christ is Heaven...

God is reminding you today that He's still able!!! Shalom

Sometimes force is required, other times love is required

Some opponents are conquered by force while love does the trick for others!!! Don't fight amiss else you waste your time and energy!!! 

Happy Monday:-) 

The great Shepherd has already provided!!!

You think life is unfair, well so does the 2 yr old you refused to give chocolate at 10pm; SMILE:-)! Read more in the link below!!

Sometimes in life unfair things happen to us and no matter how we try to reason it out we end up with the same conclusion ' Its not fair'

The toddler whom you refuse to give chocolate at night says the same thing ' it's not fair'
The teenager who is not allowed to go for that hotel party being held by her friend also says ' it's not fair'
The hard working student who gets a C while another student buys his grade and gets an A says ' it's not fair'

Life sometimes isn't fair; at times God does it that way for our own good ( even though it may take years to see it that way, like in the case of the toddle and teenager) and at other times it just simply isn't fair ( like the student) and there's not much we can do about it...

So Put a smile on your face anyways because:-)  because even if you dont see it yet, I know God is working everything out for your good.

Happy Friday:-)
(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Be happy and laugh out loud...a happy you makes for a happier environment!!

Some people are so caught up in responsibilities and in the different issues life throws our way that they forget to just BREATHE!!!

What is your hobby? Do you have one or do you even remember what it is??

Take some time today and laugh out loud LOL!!!

Appreciate where you are right now!!! Don't think about tomorrow, just thank God for today!!!

Happy Wednesday everybody :-) 

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Good people skills is an essential ingredient for a fruitful and happy life!!!

No man is an island... Try to get along with others...

R.I.P Kristina Brown... A life gone too soon!!! Teach us o Lord to number our days and make them count for good!!

The value of your life is not dependent on the number of your days but rather on what you do and the people or areas you are able to impact positively!!!

Make your life count!!!

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Women beware of spiritual pride!!!

A Lesson From Mary

No matter how spiritual you are, take a leaf out of Mary's book of submission to Joseph! If you are married then Jospeh represents your husband but if you are single, Joseph represents the man God is sending your way.

Mary was the first one the angel told about Jesus, yet after her acceptance '...be it unto me according to thy will o Lord' there is no other direct record of angelic visitations to her!!!

All further instruction from God was given to her husband because she needed his covering! Imagine an unwed pregnant girl of those days in Bethlehem not today where wrong is portrayed as right! She would've been ostracized and living in shame, now try to imagine Jesus being the son of an ostracized woman and trying to become the Savior of the world!! It wouldve been a tricky situation and His ministry would've sufferered no doubt.

As I wrote this the Lord gave me understanding to know that she needed her husband's covering to fulfil her destiny and I've heard great women of God say the same thing. This brings me back to the topic at hand!!!

Some of us today won't allow our Joseph to lead! Our reasoning would be that God spoke to us first so that makes us equals or that we were the ones carrying ' the Savior' so we obviously can't take instructions from a mere Joseph!

Spiritual pride has crept into women today... Some feel they are better than the men and some are simply acting out of a misconception of God's design for them...

Today I want to remind women, myself included, that as great as God's assignment to us may be, that husband He gave us and the one He will send our way is not there to prevent us from carrying out our God given assignment but rather he is there as the covering we need to successfuly complete it...

So be on the lookout for the ugly head of spiritual pride and be sure to uproot it anytime you see it in your life!!!

Thanks and God bless!!!

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

To every Father and every Father in waiting...

Joseph played a huge role in the life and destiny of Jesus. He accorded his family the protection that Jesus needed to live to the age where be would begin to fulfil purpose. 

As I read Mathew chapter 3, I was struck by how many times the angel instructed Joseph concerning the welfare of Jesus. Joseph was instructed to take his family and flee because Herod was after the life of his son. When Herod died, Joseph was again told where to go... His obedience saved the life of Jesus; to fulfil purpose you have to be ALIVE not dead!!! 

As a Father you are the custodian of your children, God needs you to stay connected to Him so you can hear from Him concerning your childrens destiny... 

You have to protect them from destiny killers until they are old and wise enough to hear from God directly... You need to steer them in the direction of God's calling on their life where their gifts and talents will be developed... But if you as the father are far from God then whose purpose are you directing them to???

I don't know what God will require you to do or not do for your kids but I am certain that if you remain connected to Him, He will keep you informed... May the grace to obey be upon each and everyone of us in Jesus name, Amen!!!

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Our physicality is the only thing that stops growing when we reach a certain age, our mental faculties ( emotional, behavioral etc) never stop growing till we die!!!

It's time to carry out a self examination on yourself. Are you growing?? 

Have you learnt something new about yourself or acquired new knowledge??? Are you still less tolerant of others?? Have you become more accommodating than you were?? Do you still flare up easily or have you learnt new ways to manage anger of discouragement??

These and so much more should be checked, assessed and necessary changes mademade!!!

Shalom

(c)2015 Rosetta Edet

Time for reflection, what're you chasing after in life??? Will it add value to you in any way or will it take value away from you!!!