Lessons from Zion Harvey's Story

The story of Zion Harvey touched my heart in more ways than one. Despite losing both his hands and feet due to an infection from gangrene...this boy was full of so much energy and had an extremely positive outlook on life. Reading the stories and watching the videos on him receiving a double hand transplant made me tear up, not because I was sad but it made me realise how ungrateful I can be. Zion is a young, smart, intelligent boy who could teach us Christians a thing or two about living life the way God intended.

Here are few things I learnt from Zion;

1. Fall back on Christ;
In the video, Zion talks about not knowing what a child's hand looks like but said when he gets his hands, he will be so proud of them and if the surgery didn't go well - he wouldn't care because he would have his family to fall back on! That statement got to me....As christians, we should give  everything to God and have faith that he will take control despite things not going our way. But how many of us actually believe we will have God to fall back on? I'm sure we do from time to time but not all the time. I've been in situations were I've blamed God for certain things not going the way i expected instead of trusting him. 1 peter 5 vs 7 says "Give all your care and worries on to God, for he cares for you". Sometimes we go through trials and tribulations for a reason, but we shouldn't give up on the Lord because the going gets tough - instead we should trust him more and lean on his words. There are so many examples in the Bible of people going through tough times and still trusting in the Lord.

2. Be Humble;
Another reason why Zion's story touched me is because of his humility. In the video, he talks about about kids in his school saying mean things to him. Despite how hurtful their words can be,  he believes they don't mean to say the things they say - it just slips out so he doesn't take it to heart. I know if someone said something negative to me, I would have my back up straight away but Zion looks the other way which is what Jesus did. Ephesians 4 vs 2 says "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love".

3. Give Thanks;
Once Zion's surgery had been completed he attended a press conference and at the end of the conference he asked his family to stand and he thanked them for all their support because he wanted them to feel appreciated. 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 18 says "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you". It's important to give thanks to God at all times including the good and the bad times.

I hope you all found the video as inspiring as I did, this little boy taught me so much about living life in a Godly way. He's definitely a blessing to his family and I'm glad his story was shared with the world. I pray that God will continue to bless him and use him to touch other peoples lives.

Stay blessed x

Christian Relationships

I haven't blogged for a while because I've been going though some personal things in my relationship. I've been with my boyfriend for nearly 5 years and things haven't worked out the way I thought they would. I was so determined to make things work that I ignored all the signs....I don't really want to go through the ins and outs of exactly what happened but its reiterated the importance of having God in the centre of your relationship.

I remember telling my Godmother about my boyfriend for the very first time and she prayed for me saying "that if it was meant to be God will make everything work and if it wasn't meant to be then certain things will happen to make us fall apart". When she said it, I was completely against it because I was adament that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this guy but I'm glad she said the prayer because Lord knows I needed it.

As Christians, its important for us to find the right one - especially when your ready to settle down and start a family. The bible tells us in Genesis 2 vs 18 that God said, "it's not good for Man to be alone; I'll make him a helper, a companion". I personally believe that when God created us, he also created our companions who we would eventually spend the rest of our lives with.

A couple weeks ago, I heard an inspiring message about relationships which I thought I'd share. It was titled The Cornerstone of Christian Relationships. Here are a few pointers I took down;

1. You need to know who you are before Finding your Shining Star; 
Once we give our lives to Christ, we become a new creature so its important for us to understand our value and worth before finding our companion. Many people try and change who they are for love but if someone truly loves you then they'll accept you for who you are AND if they dont then thats they're loss - not yours. God had someone in mind for you when he created you so be patient and he/she will find you. 

2. Friendship is the Foundation of any Relationship, its the Master Key;
Ecclesiastes 4 vs 9 sums this up; "It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! Relationships shouldn't be based on lust, its more than that!"

3. Courtship is Making a Comeback;
It's important to take things slow and at a steady pace when developing a romantic relationship. Galatians 5 vs 22 -23 says "But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. There's no need to rush when God is in control, take it one step at a time. Your going to spend the rest of your life together if he or she is the right one!

4. Commitment is Key;
This is pretty self-explanatory - no relationship can work without commitment.
Proverbs 3 vs 3 - 4 says "Don't lose your grip on love and loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people."

5. Don't confuse the Strength of your Relationship with the Length of your Relationship;
The fact that you've been in a relationship with someone for many years doesn't mean that your meant to be. The enemy may send people your way to distract you from finding your soulmate. 1 Corinthians 13 vs 1 - 8 talks about "the way of love" and i would encourage everyone to read the verses to understand the meaning behind love.

In conclusion, it's important to have God in the centre of your relationship so he can guide you and give you the wisdom, strength and knowledge you need to make the right decision.

Stay Blessed xxx

When Faith Talks

Faith has a sound and it talks, Galatians 3 vs 5 says "So again I ask, does God give you his spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by you believing what you heard?" In other words, the faith of the spirit and hearing of miracles comes from God hearing your faith...faith is us hearing from God  and God hearing from us.

Have you ever heard the saying - "positivity breads positivity"? When you proclaim positive things over your life then positive things will happen. The phrase is similar to faith speaking in the sense that - when faith talks something positive is about to happen. As christians, we must have faith with a confession because there is power in speaking your faith. Mark 11 vs 23 - 24 says "Truly, I tell you, if anyone says to the mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea' and does not doubt in their heart  but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours".  In this passage, Jesus clarifies that the word of faith is in what we say -  we must speak it, believe it and it will happen. Miracles will happen by proclaiming positive words of God into our lives.

Apostle Paul preaches the word of faith in Romans 10 vs 8 - 10 'But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart  that God raised him the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved".  

Even God spoke his faith in Genesis chapter 1 when he asked for light and there was light. Jesus is the high priest of of our confession and we must never underestimate the power of our confession. We must speak the word God speaks, praise him and declare his words upon our lives.

It's important to stay strong and continue believing even when things don't go 100% our way. The bible tells us in Matthew 7 vs 7 "ask and it shall be given to us, seek and you will find it, knock and the door will be opened unto you". I believe that we can we can only receive these things by believing and having faith in God.

I was truly blessed when I heard this message and thought I'd share it with you all. 

Stay blessed x

The Power of Worship

It's amazing how worship can lift your spirit...theres something about the words you declare and the melody of the songs that draws you closer and nearer to God.

Worship is one of my favourite parts of the church service because I feel Gods presence over me and I know I'm at peace. Worships means giving all glory and adoration to God for his mighty works. John 4 vs 17 says "True worship has nothing to do with the external but everything with the internal, your heart, spirit and soul".

True worship comes from the heart, its not something were obliged to do - its natural and comes from within. God created worship to draw us closer to him so that we can develop our own individual and personal relationship with him. The power worship has over you can not be described in words - sometimes i cry, sometimes i smile but ultimately I'm filled with joy because i know all my troubles are far away and god is in control.

The christian journey is never easy, theres always obstacles in the way - sometimes you take a step forward and two steps backwards but thats what a journey is about at the end of the day. I personally feel that worship is an important part of the christian journey because it draws you closer to God despite what your going through.

The last couple of years haven't been great for me but every time I get into the attitude of worship - I feel God speaking to me and telling me not to worry because he's in control.

I just want to take this opportunity to encourage people not to give up, life is full of trials and tribulations and its never going to be easy. One thing that can help is developing a relationship with god and worship can help strengthen that relationship. 

Stay blessed xxx

Speak Lord...We're Listening

Speak, We're Listening was the theme of the Hillsong Conference this year. Roughly 22,000 people across Europe gathered together at the O2 arena in London to celebrate and worship Jesus Christ. Guests included Hillsong United, Pastor Brian Houston, Pastor Joseph Prince and  Pastor Jentezen Franklin. 

This was my first time attending the conference and it was an amazing experience...Check out the highlights from the conference below;

1 Samuel 3:10 is says, “The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening"...I definitely felt the Lord speak to me during the conference, he spoke to me in more ways than one - through the word, worship, prayers and testimonies. 

The word the Pastors shared on each of the three days were powerful and inspiring - I learnt about FAITH, MERCY, GRACE AND BEING A VESSEL for GOD. The worship team were fantastic as always and it was great to see Hillsong United rock the stage. One of the things that struck me about the conference was the amount of people who attended, it was crazy!!! People from various countries, both young and old came together for one cause - to celebrate JESUS. It felt like being part of one big extended family and the Lord's presence was in the arena.

I've always been sceptical about conferences due to the costs but I would definitely recommend trying  it out, even if its just once. I'm sure many people would spend the same amount to attend a Beyonce or Jay Z concert...so why not spend it on something that will benefit you? As christians, I think its important for us to meet and network with other individuals who share the same views and beliefs. I love the fact that you can learn so much in a space of 3 days from inspirational leaders.

Photos via hillsonglondon instagram

Stay Blessed xxx

Welcome Home

Jeremiah 24 vs 7 says “And I’ll give them a heart to know me, GOD. They’ll be my people and I’ll be their God, for they’ll have returned to me with all their hearts.”

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been complaining about the responsibilities I’ve been given at church. I wasn’t doing them because I wanted too but because people (my parents and pastor) wanted me to. I wasn’t growing or learning and felt like it was one of the main things that was affecting my relationship with God. I knew had to make some changes but didn't know where to start.

My sister had been going to Hillsong and New Life for a couple years and I could definitely see a difference in her. So I thought - why not try it out? I did some research and went to the Bermondsey campus in London. I’m not saying this for effect but it was an amazing experience, I could feel the presence of the Lord from the moment I walked through the doors. The worship was absolutely amazing and it was the first time in a very long time that I actually worshipped God with all my heart. I cried so much, I just couldn’t control myself and till this day I don’t know what triggered it. Personally, I think my soul was happy because when I left, I felt a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt like God was  saying “WELCOME HOME, you have returned to me”…it’s kind off ironic because Hillsong have a massive sign that says Welcome Home once you walk in and I always feel at peace whenever I’m there.

My new home is Hillsong and I’ve been going there for the last 6 months, its still early days but I’m enjoying it so far. There is a lot to do in terms of my journey with Christ but I’m confident that I will get there sooner rather than later. Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and try something new, I’m glad I did because I’m a lot happier now and can't wait to see where my new journey is going take me.

Stay blessed xxx

My Christian Journey So Far

I grew up in a Christian household and have always been an active member of the church. I gave my life to Christ at the tender the age of 12 and became a worker in the church. Whether it was being part of the choir, chorography team, the announcement team and even working as a youth co-ordinator (name it, I’ve done it all). Although, I’ve consistently been going to church and participating in these activities….I’ve lost my way, it’s hard to admit but I’ve struggled to keep my relationship with Christ.

It all started when I turned 18, I went to university and decided to explore what the world had to offer. I wanted to party, drink, smoke and be like everyone else. I got distracted and eventually began to question God’s existence.

Despite this, God still had my back and has always loved me unconditionally. One thing I’ve always asked for is wisdom, knowledge and understanding in all areas of my life and he has definitely granted me that. Particularly in my finances & career AND I will forever be grateful for that.

Over the last couple of years, my heart has been heavy and I knew it was because my relationship with God was going down the drain but I kept ignoring it until the point where I decided I couldn’t continue living my life this way. I needed to start my journey with Christ again so I stopped all my church activities and decided to find a new place to worship so I could have a fresh start.

Isaiah 53 v 6 says “we’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve done our own thing, gone our own way And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong on him, on him…."

So here I am today, documenting my journey back home to Christ. I know its going to be tough and there will be trials and tribulations on the way but I’m READY to take this JOURNEY. The LORD consistently had my back while I was moving away from him and I can only imagine what more he will do for me now I’m back.

Stay blessed xxx