♡ My Testimony: UPDATED ♡

Last year I shared my personal testimony and a lot has happened since then so I thought I would write an updated version! BUT before you read the updated please check out my 'first part' so you know where I'm following from: Testimony

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So, from where I left off, I had the opportunity to do a dance course at a college. However, this did not fall through. LAST minute, a week or so before I was to start it and move to a whole new city with a deposit paid for a house share, I received a phone call saying that I could no longer attend due to me being the only person on this course. I was heartbroken- I did not know what this meant for me, or what to do next. With everything feeling like it was crashing around me, I honestly did know what was going on. I prayed that they could find other people, that they could make a way for me or anything. I was convinced dance was for me so I was confused! After there being nothing to do at college, being left unsupported and alone. I prayed that God would make a way, He got me this far, so I know He would not have left me. Not long after, maybe even hours after this happening something came to me 'Primary School Teacher'. I was like huh, well it doesn't sound that bad of an idea, I've always just wanted to be a teacher but I always thought I would not have the patience for it. Well, let's just say God thinks otherwise. I stepped massively out in faith, with everything in God's hands- believe me there were a few tears along the waiting- I moved out to the new city. With no idea if I could get a place at their university. I moved into my house share. Paid a months rent. I was there- so what next?

I prayed and prayed and seeked God every single day to make a way. With a couple of weeks til the welcome week, I applied to a Primary Teaching course and saw an Education studies one too. I had my heart set on the Primary course. I waited, and prayed and waited up until the LAST DAY OF WELCOME WEEK. Then I received an email saying I would not be able to join as it was too late for the Primary course. So, I was led to phone about the Education Studies course, if they would take me on. Guess what? All my prayers had been answered. God made a way. He did it. Imagine it being the last day of an induction week, and they let you join their course! After praying for patience a few months before this, I certainly did and still am learning to be patient in the waiting- but that is a whole other testimony in itself. I learnt a lot about faith during this time, I literally had to lean completely on Jesus because man had failed me and will fail me. But how about this: on the morning I got a call about the dance course, I woke up with this on my heart "Unwanted by man doesn't matter when you are wanted by God! You're let down by man- never let down by God". How about that? God had prepared me the very morning about what was to come. When I went back to that note I had written, I knew I was in His hands. 

So after the call back to check I could join the course, everything was final, I had to change it on UCAS, they accepted me and everything was going smooth again! I began on Monday and instantly knew this course was for me! A few months into living in this flat, some of the people living above me were bring a lot of trouble to the house- in fact they brought the police multiple times. Raids, drugs, and darkness. I did not want to be here. I remember praying with my boyfriend constantly to protect us because there was a definietely a spiritual battle going on. From when we first came to this point, a darkness had formed, and it would make you feel sick. It was like I could not even see in the corridors because it felt so dark. The only light places were where we had been praying. Because God was with us. I'm including this as part of my testimony because, as you read in the first one, I suffered a lot with fearing man. This, my friends, this experience taught me and knocked the fear for man right out of me. I had to look to God to protect me. And I knew, if God is protecting me, then nothing can come to me. The song for this period was Psalm 23 I am not alone by Peoples and Songs. This carried me through this time. I remember lying alone one night, feeling fear, my boyfriend was at football and I was locked in the room knowing what was taking place- then this song came on. It was like God played it for me, to comfort me to realise He is there with me, and I really am not alone! So, I'm guessing you want to know how God got me out of this one? Well, He did- big time. First, the ring leader was arrested and caught but only for less than 24hrs, then more darkness felt like it came back. They were more hard work than before with hygiene, drugs and safety. We just had to look to the Lord and He did come through. We went to the boys, and prayed with them. And not long after our housing agency informed us we could go move to another property and it felt light again.

Fast forward to the end of my first year, my boyfriend was finishing his course, so moving next year back to this city alone was not something I wanted to do. I prayed that whatever I am meant to do for Him to tell me. Then this idea of moving back home to my local university to transfer - same course, year 2. I was not sure if I was thinking this myself, so I prayed if this is what you want God, let everything, even the smallest of things, let it go smoothly.

And guess what? IT DID! The whole process-which can usually be known as being difficult- went smooth! I knew this was God's will for me. He answered my prayers- gave me confirmation! 

Fast forward to today. I have nearly finished my first week of my second year and I love it! I know that I want to be a Primary Teacher and this course is perfect for it. 

You see, God takes us through these experiences but He never lets go of our hands. He knows what He is doing. He answers prayers not in ways you thought of- and they work even better for you than you could think of. Let this testimony be a reminder for you as it reminded me, God has His hand on you through your life. Your highs and lows. He has perfectly painted your life. It involves some storms but it is He who carries you through them. 

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Maybe next year will be a whole new update! Until then! Thank you for spending your time reading this update! I've loved looking back on what God really has done for me. God is amazing, He truly is.

See ya! ♡ 

What does doubt create?

In a world full of doubt, it seems impossible to do the opposite. Doubt creates blockage. What does that mean? It means that when Jesus tells us that when we ask in prayer- BELIEVING- we will have it. So when we doubt, we create more room for the enemy to snatch and steal. So the more we water our doubt, the more it grows. However, when we fuel our faith, our trust and belief- we close that gap. God's Word is 100% truth. He is a promise-keeper. So hold close to your heart Mark 11:22-24. God knows our hearts, our desires. Trust in Him and believe. It is a relationship. I mean, who knows us better other than the One who created us? God is greater than any doubt. It takes faith the size of a mustard seed. It takes believing when you ask Him in prayer. He simply breaks it down- just believe. 

"So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. Forassuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."- Mark 11:22-24

Stop giving into that doubt. Stop feeding it to grow. Listen to God and His Word not the enemy and his lies. Incline your ears to Him. Learn to truly trust and believe in every word that God says because it is truth.

Doubt creates blockage.

Thank you for reading! God Bless!

Until next time.. x

In the Season of Waiting...

In our lives, each one of us will go through different seasons. There are different seasons for different people, there are different reasons for them also. As a whole, they are all part of God's plan. One season that I know is experienced across all Christian's is waiting. We all wait for something- answered prayers, an answer, a path- we just wait. I am currently in a season of waiting, so I write this as a fellow Christian woman who is waiting. Our reasons for waiting are all unique to our own. What I am waiting for, somebody else may have, what I have may be what somebody else is waiting for. It's no competition, God just knows each one of us best and in depth. 

In the season of waiting, there are a few lessons we can learn. Waiting produces faith, in the midst of waiting, we have faith that God will deliver- you wonder why some things take seconds for God answer yet some take years? It is because His timing is not ours, He teaches us through these moments. He can teach us patience, faith, trust or for us to just grow closer to Him.

We must understand and know that waiting is not a bad thing. Through the waiting, He moulds us and teaches but also He prepares us for what is at the end of that waiting. We must daily be preparing, by digging deeper into His Word, communicating with Him. Be honest with Him, He knows everything. Speak to Him, as He is our Father, sometimes we just need to ask Him and you will be surprised how He answers. 

Let the season of waiting be an addition to your testimony to share to others. Enjoy the season of waiting, for God has a plan and path for you! Just look to Him to keep on it!

While being in my own season of waiting, some verses have stuck to me that may also encourage you as they did for me:

❁ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.- Mark 11:24 ❁

❁ Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!- Psalm 27:14 ❁

❁ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.- James 1:4 ❁

❁ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.- Philippians 4:11-13 ❁

What can you do through the season of waiting?

1. Trust. You have got to have faith in God, you've got to look forward to see how beautiful your creator has painted out your path. It is easier said than done, believe me I have had moments where I have crashed down and cried out to God questioning why, but that's when Mark 11:24 came to me and it encouraged as well as comforted me and I have believed in that verse and trust God for He is not a liar, He is a promise-keeper; remember that!

2. Grow. You have God's Word, stick yourself into it and grow! Let God do His work in you, give your all to Him. He is the potter and we are the clay, we as clay can't build or change ourselves- only our Creator. Take time to spend with Him, fellowship with others, worship, pray- do whatever it is that let's you did deeper into God's Word. Just do it- it is the best thing you can do! I can not stress that enough. Whenever I feel down about it or feel like I'm drifting- when I pick up my Bible- everything changes, I have this sense of peace and encouragement. It's only God who can do that.

3. Don't focus on what you don't have. You can't get everything by the click of your fingers. So while you don't have what you're waiting for, soak in the moments you are in and be content. Focus on what God has already blessed you with, give thanks and praise. 

4. Don't let satan win. Satan will do whatever he can to destroy you. That is a simple fact. So any doubting thoughts, anything that will remove your focus or steal your joy is him. We must realise that Jesus has already won, He paid it all. Sin does not have any dominion over you now, and certainly satan does not. We are God's chosen people, His beloved children- we are His. So walk in confidence of that today!

Where a season of waiting can seem never-ending; trust that God's timing is perfect, and it will all work out because He is the perfect painter, perfect creator and He is in control!  Remember : Until the door is open, Praise HIM in the hallway! 

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Thank you for reading this post! Feel free to get in touch for any prayers, blog ideas etc! Praise God!

Until next time... Bye! x

God Turns Chaos into Peace!

Have you ever felt like your mind is an absolute mess? Like it is so fuzzy that you can't even see past the cloud- or like you are thinking 1,000 thoughts at once? Something that I went through not so long is just that, it's like you can't even open your eyes because your mind is just a fuzz. I felt like I couldn't escape the thousands of thoughts, like I had to think them all at once.

That was until I realised what I was missing. My mind was so fuzzy because I had shifted Jesus from my focus, I let my mind become a occupant of the things of this world and not fully on Jesus. In times like this, we literally just need to be still but also, we need to re-align and reset ourselves with Jesus. This is about laying everything at His feet, giving Him control back of everything that occupies you and your life- it is about asking God to take out the things He doesn't want and to place/keep what He does. It calls for a time to examine ourselves to look at what we have been consuming and asking God to clear it & then re-aligning us with Him.

The moment I sat down with worship blasting through my ears and with my journal and some pens, I promise you that there and then God started to cleanse the fuzzy mess to bring my focus back to Him. I had a peace cover me, my mind no longer thinking thousands of thoughts but it was being re-centred back to Jesus! Sometimes we can go off on one, but you know who is always there waiting to grab us in His arms? Yep, you got it, Jesus. No matter how many steps you have taken, He still will have His arms waiting for you. Countless times we can get eaten up by this world, and countless times God has grace & mercy to bring me back on the narrow path. Sometimes in this crazy life, we need reminding of who holds our future and who holds everything from beginning to forever and it is HIM! Praise the Lord that He has a plan for each and every one of us because we would be walking in twenty different directions at once. He has a reason behind every turn, every direction and every path but it is to ultimately keep you on the narrow path that few find to reach Him in eternity. 

So, do not panic on those days where your mind feels messy and your life feels messy, God is waiting for you to just simply turn to Him- to fix the chaos back into His peace. He is always letting us know that He is there and He is the answer for all your needs. He turned my fuzzy mind to a clear, peaceful space. He has re-aligned me to seek His will and not my own nor this worlds. 

Lord, keep us walking down the narrow path, keep us focused on You, let it be You that occupies our minds and lives and not this world. Reset us Jesus, we need you every day. Even though we may feel fuzzy and messy, remind us that all we need is You, because You alone can turn the chaos into peace.

In Jesus' name, Amen

God Bless! Thank you for reading!  ♡

Deepening my series: talking to God

Last time for this 'Deepening my...' series I covered prayer where I uploaded a prayer journal resource so to continue with the topic of being able to talk to God as part of our personal relationship with Him.

He is our Father, and always has His ear ready to listen to our needs, our requests and when we just need to vent- anything, He is there. 

Feel free to use this to just pour out what is on your heart to our caring Father and let Him know everything. This comes with two sections: 1: can be to write random words, phrases or anything  2. can be to just pray and ask God for anything, on whats on your heart or even just to tell Him what you need to.

God Bless ♡

Stop pointing your fingers.

Something that constantly keeps appearing to me, in recent and distant events is that we need to stop pointing our fingers. Jesus told us to take the speck out of own eye before removing the plank from others. This is because He knows that humans are hypocritical. Believe it or not, we all can be hypocrites, some know it and some are too blind to see it. Ultimately, there needs to be change. 

Something I saw before was that when we point our finger, three are pointing back- it is a reminder to check yourself instead of being quick to point at others. We point our fingers, always being confident that the problem is not with us, but with the person we are pointing at. Do not take pride in yourself, do not be a hypocrite. We must examine ourselves as Jesus tells us, so we can seek Him to be changed. We most definitely are not perfect yet we judge and point to others as if we are. My point is, who do we think we are pointing fingers when there is only ONE who can truly judge us.

Change needs to start with yourself. As much as we would like to, we can not change others but we can change ourselves through asking and seeking God. The message that I'm trying to put across is, as followers of Christ, we are not meant to be like the world and we shouldn't be so quick to point people out. Pointing at others should not make you feel good or better about yourselves. If you want to point at anyone- point at yourself and begin to ask for change. If someone has offended you, pray that God will help you to not be quick to offence, that He will shape you to deal with the things that may offend you.

Pointing fingers also does not just come down to judging- but comes down to spreading harsh words about someone- ultimately you aim these words at them for someone else to begin to think and point negatively and harshly. It literally comes down to doing to others what you would want done to you. With having such an attitude and harsh outlook towards someone, if that was to be applied back to you, how would you feel? Of course, you would think it is not fair, or that you haven't deserved such treatment. This is why it is so important to think before we speak and act- our words and actions ( especially as Christians,) are being watched more than most people so by you saying that one harsh thing, think about how that is representing Christ. In all honesty, we can slip into moments like this, we all have, but start re-aligning yourself with God and His truth- ask yourself 'How does this represent Christ?'- don't be selfish to please your flesh. Be self-less to please God and put Him first.

Jesus teaches us to love, He teaches us to encourage others, to serve, to be kind. Pointing fingers, having a bad attitude or acting ungodly does not serve God, it does not edify you, it does not have any good impact. Light and darkness does not mix, God has made that pretty clear. We need to serve God and not serve this world nor our flesh. Change starts from you. Stop pointing your fingers and seek God to change you.

Thank you for reading! God Bless !

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What's Love Got To do With it?

Love. We all think we have got it right? I mean you say you love your family and friends? Yet your actions speak different. You say you love your enemies right? Until they actually do something against you? But I mean you pray for them? But how can we pray for people we don't actually genuinely love? Love comes from deep within your heart and your heart is what God knows perfectly and with detail. God- who knows our thoughts before we think them; knows our prayers before we pray them; our actions before we do them and our words before we speak them. He knows all. And He most definitely knows our hearts.

To be able to pray for others, it has to come from a place of LOVE.

To be able to help others, it has to come from a place of LOVE.

Why? I mean why can't we just act without love? 

Because without love- it is nothing.

God is Love. In John 14:15- Jesus says to us ' If you love me, keep my commandments'

You know why? Because obedience to keep commandments comes from a place of love- you want to listen to them because you genuinely want to do what they say because that is love. You can easily avoid most sin when we have a genuine heart of love. 

The greatest commandment surrounds love. 

But why is this SO important?

Because in a world full of hate and evil, there is limited space for actual love. The love you see in the world is not love. Love is laying one's life for the whole world after living a perfect life. Jesus did just that. He is love. He shows us time and time again what love is. Most people think love is just a feeling. It is so much deeper and more than that. Look how God loves us endlessly- in fact, we turn from Him daily and disobey Him- and He still LOVES us! Most of our backs have turned on Him- and He still loves us. The love He has for us is true Love. 

The world's love does not even come close. 'Love' today is full of lust, is full of sin, is full of pride. 

God defines love to us time and time again. 

Look at the words Paul writes showing the definition of Love- THIS IS GOD BREATHED. This is God telling us- look this is love not the kind you think. The world defines love yet is parading it around. Yet God tells us- Love does not parade itself. Satan has corrupted the most greatest commandment to turn it into sin. This is so true Christians are deemed against the world and different. From what may seem so small- Satan and this world has corrupted it into evil- it is all setting up towards his overall plan through the great tribulation.

I ask you all to examine your hearts. Ask God to show you if you have love and to create love within you- to let His love pour over you and surround you. To let His love be the only love you need and to be the only definition you follow. I pray you feel God's love today and that it is poured over you all- that He sets it in your heart to love.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post! Praise God for He is love!

God Bless! xx