The pictures that I took may not be beautiful, but I found them interesting. The fallen leaves on the grass, and the little caterpillar walking across the street. The vines wrapping over the fence, and a squirrel that just wanted attention . I had fun today, I am learning that I may not know where this photography journey will take me, but it’s the day to day experiences that will get me there.

I trust that my life is in God’s hands, and as long as I say yes to Him and surrender, I will please his heart! That is my desire.

Photographs found on: advocatephotography.wordpress.com

Love to Love,

Peninah

One thing that I have noticed about myself is that I do not yet believe fully or trust in God’s love. I found this out because I am so protective of my heart. If I really knew that God loved me and restores me everyday, I wouldn’t be so quick to guard my heart from the world. God’s love is freeing – I  have had lots of moments where I live freely, giving and receiving love, kindness, joy. But when I feel like my heart is being attacked do I respond with Love? No! That is a true test. Will I respond with love even when I am hurt or feel attacked.

I am taking it one day at a time, but I want to be like him:

Matthew 5: 43-48

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

One day at a time!

Love to Love

Peninah

I am currently on a purposeful love journey. My heart is opening up to new friendships, I am learning how to love even in conflict which is probably the hardest thing to do. Also, even if I know someone really wouldn’t care if I was around or not, I am learning that it is better to be optimistic than think the world is against you (oh boi!!!).

Recently I was presented with the question, what does it mean to love my neighbor? Shortly after I had a little test of that question and it went a little bit like this:

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like, “What am I doing here” and you don’t relate to anyone or anything at that moment, but still you stay because you love the other person so much, so you do what you usually wouldn’t do to show them you care. Well I wouldn’t take the awkward moment back for a second in this case. The experience that I had really showed me how in some ways I have matured as a friend, and that you can’t please  everyone. It also showed me that I don’t really know how to react when I feel like I don’t belong. I could have been a little more positive during the event, but it was a step forward.

This experience also helped me realize that love is one step at a time. Doing certain things that you don’t necessarily like but at the same time not compromising on what you believe is important. The lesson I learned about Love this time around is, Love understands that your intentions are always good, even when you or the other person doesn’t see it that way. That’s all for now!!!

Worship Always,

Love to Love

Me

Acts 17:24-28

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.

-Biblegateway.com (New International Version)

Love to Love,

Peninah

How is it that someone could rip the very soul from a human being, building a wall of despair over and over again around the walls of the heart. One wretched act thrust upon someone who trusted in another human being, turned into months or years of pain. That person who trusted now hurled their inflicted pain onto someone else, paying back their anger to an unknown heart.

When and where will it stop? I cannot go on turning a blind eye to this, my heart now beating to the same rhythm as my Creator. The one who fashioned me in my mother’s womb, who grieved with me as my soul was shattered, and the very identity God designed in me was stripped away. How could I turn away from someone who has not yet found the true love that comes from God, the Love that sought after me, that I surrender to.

“Show them who I am” is what I heard one day when I asked the Lord “What  can I do for you?”. Now my prayer is how? With the same love I was shown, the Redeeming Love.

Although I started the day with a heavy heart, it was a burden I carried and gave to the Lord. In return he brought me worship and fellowship (Love).

I am excited about the next season of my life. What a privilege to serve the Lord. Although I may not be living a life that I thought I would, I already have experienced the richness of seeking the Lord.

If you don’t know Jesus, please get to know him. He is alive, and he is coming back again.

Isaiah 61:1-3

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,^{[a] 2} to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

My Heart is overwhelmed

When I sing to you, it brings tears to my eyes

Who else’s’ words bring joy to my spirit

What other words edify and restore my soul

Nothing is Greater than your Love

I think of you when I work

When I’m at home, I seek you in your word

When I wake up, I sing praises to you

When I sleep, I speak to you through the night

What love is this, with the Invisible One, Creator, God

Jesus, son, lover, friend

What is this Love that I seek?



On to my reflections about the trip, it was a lot of fun. Although my body was sick during my stay there, I received so much just by attending. Myself and 4 other friends travelled by car and met up with a HUGE group from Toronto, honestly felt like we held the conference right here in Canada because I kept bumping into church and THOP family. Anywho all of us Canadians joined tens of thousands of people there to encounter God and learn more about Him.

I spent half of my time in the prayer room (a demonstration of heaven), and the other half gaining knowledge about the Bible, didn’t take any notes (purposefully) except in one session (3 or 4 points in Mike Bickles teaching) but the reason why I didn’t was because I knew that my heart was being affected by just being in the presence of so many believers and the presence of God in that city.

What I left with was a new fervency to encounter God in my day to day. You can have too much of a lot of other things in this world and it’s not good for you, but you cannot get to much of God! So I am going to, in this new year, see how much I can absorb (how deep I can go) in understanding the Spiritual realm, and knowing God. Some of you may think this is a little too intense, but I am excited to see what this year will be like. I also already know that God has strengthened me in knowing Love, my heart is so full.

I wanna say thanks to my car mates for making the trip there and home fun (time flies when you’re having fun) and for being men and women strong in their faith in God.

This post is dedicated to my late Aunt Cassie, God be with you.

Love to Love

PM

Before I moved back to the City in April, I had a clear vision of why I was returning and what I wanted to accomplish which included seeking God, returning to my home church ( www.churchwithoutlimits.com) and being a part of the vision (posted on the CWL website). God has blessed me with all of this and more.

However, at some point between when I arrived back and now I had forgotten exactly what my goal was,  the majority of time I have been here, I have worried about myself. For example, where am I going to work, God had already provided a home for me so I didn’t have to think about that, what is my future going to look like etc… Well last night at the Church leadership meeting, our Pastors’ Pastors who visited from Atlanta for our 10th Anniversary,  spoke to us about the vision/mission of our Church. In their teaching, I was able to remember why I came back.

As soon as I started focusing on my life primarily, I realised that fear of the future consumed me and I was becoming ineffective and uninspired by my daily work. I took my focus off of others (not completely but it did not have my primary attention),  and directed it to my life (existing day to day). So last night as I listened to our Leaders speak, I was reminded that when you put people as your primary concern, not only do the days become more fulfilling, but God puts those areas in your life in order as well (God is concerned about us and every area of our lives). God blesses those who work for peace (Matt 5: 9). One of the ways to work for peace is by helping those in need.

So always remember that what God has called you to do, will always involve people and impact people!

Love to Love,

ME