Simply-Living

Helen. 24. Nigerian. London born. Jesus. Life uncut. Blessed

[coramdeo3-deactivated20180623]

“My feelings are not God. God is God. My feelings do not define truth. God’s word defines truth. My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. And sometimes - many times - my feelings are out of sync with the truth. When that happens - and it happens every day in some measure - I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth.”

John Piper (via jasminecrystal)

[jspark3000]

You don’t owe anyone an explanation. You’re not required to defend your passion. But you owe it to yourself to know what you’re really about.

J.S. Park (via jspark3000)

[helen8792]

NEVER MISTAKE UNFORGIVENESS AS LOYALTY!!

This dear reader is something that really touched at my heart. Coming from a place where loyalty was so heavily preached it is almost inconceivable as to how one can cover up not forgiving someone as loyalty. It’s is most certainly not loyalty to God. If you hold discontentment towards anyone at all, whether friend or foe, you are an UNFORGIVING being who is at Gods wrath! There is no two ways around it. Just because the status quo (majority) says to dislike, disengage and distrust someone who may/or not have done wrong, that is BLATANT unforgiveness. There are people I know who believe they are being loyal to a higher authority in disliking me that they cannot see that they are sinning right before a Holy God. It saddens me to think that the enemy can be so cunning in this way to allow false teachings to become a norm whereby the practice of forgiveness is now 100th nature as oppose to 1st *smh*. I’ve had ENOUGH. I’m no longer the person who would cry over these things or people, frankly I don’t care but where salvation is involved BOY you better expect me to care. I rather say that Lord help them to forgive me for whatever wrongs I have done and not for my own personal satisfaction but rather for their salvation. I REFUSE to hate anyone in this year 2017 and however more years God blesses me with but THIS I had to get off my chest. Time is too short to be childish. I pray that the eyes of the brethren will be opened to see their sin and that God will give us repentant hearts that want to change and turn from our wrongs. Never mistake unforgiveness as LOYALTY!!

[jspark3000]

If you express a strong opinion and get attacked for it, please don’t backpedal with “I was only trying to say” or “What I really meant was.”

Of course we want to be humble and teachable. There is always room for criticism and dialogue. It’s good to say you’re wrong: but don’t apologize for being strong. Please don’t hold back on your heart to look more rational than you really are. You can’t always be so cool and calculated. The strength of your voice is necessary in a nervously muted world.

Your expression is who you are in the heat of the moment, fully imbued by your wild strokes of passion and personality, and no one should be sorry about that. Don’t minimize your own humanness by trying to appeal to everyone’s civil sensibility. You might need to examine your content, but don’t let it shrink your character. In a silent world of jaded conformity, we need more of your voice and not less.

— J

[jspark3000]

Powerful word: No. Say no. I say “yes” too much and it gets me killed.  I get asked too many things from too many people who think I suddenly owe them.  Im glad to help, but I know when I’m being used.  Not everyone is entitled to my time, or yours. Not everyone has free equal ownership of your space.  You are not obligated by guilt or the fear of backlash. If you hear no, handle it with grace, accept it and move on. Getting mad only means you could never handle the yes.

[jspark3000]

Truth must be given in love, or it doesn’t lead to the intended freedom it wishes to bestow. Truth is essential, but must also empower.

[thesovereignword]

One of the things that really strengthened my relationship with Jesus was that, while everyone else came and went, He stayed. He always stayed.

(via thelivingword)

[helen8792]

The Christian who is so BOLD in their sin really needs to go back to the cross and understand that the pain Christ suffered was not for no reason! #UnderstandingRepentance

[helen8792]

Lord You're too amazing. Soooo happy 😁😁😁😁😁I rest on You and only You!

[jspark3000]

To listen first, to really listen, can be scary, because it means the other person matters more right now. But that’s how love and change work; that’s how miracles grow.

[holdingontojoy]

The coolest thing about God is that even a “no” from Him has goodness written all over it

[jspark3000]

It’s interesting to look back and see the ones who left and the ones who stayed. Usually the ones who left hardly have anyone now, because they checked out when it got inconvenient or it was no longer about them; it became a habit to run. The ones who stayed have the deepest, truest friendships, because they persevered to the other end of that icky difficult season and found a depth that solidified from all that came before. And by staying, they made me better than I had any right to be. I think it’s okay to leave sometimes, but I hope you’ll stay for someone, because both of you could not be your best without each other. I’ll stay, even if you go.

[jspark3000]

I really cared about what other people thought about me and I would go out of the way to make them happy at my own expense. But they would end up doing what they wanted anyway. I kept trying to get over them, like it wasn’t a big deal or I did it wrong: but soon found quickly, I had to get over myself first.I had to quit trying to control the world around me with a desperate twisted-up death grip. I had to learn that part of love is letting go of other people’s perceptions and just letting them love me on their own. It matters less now what people think of me and just that they think at all. So I started saying ‘no’ more often: because not everything is okay with me and I shouldn’t have to explain myself. My happiness is not contingent on you getting some fake yes-version of me.

J.S. Park (via jspark3000)

[jspark3000]

I still believe the best about people. That’s probably a little foolish, and not everyone tries their best, but that’s my best: to believe you’re trying.

[helen8792]

Loving The Lovable?!

It’s so easy, in fact, too easy to love the LOVABLE. At the end of the day they’re the one’s who are nice, willing and most yielding. But what about the unlovable? What about the one who lets you down? The one who makes you feel small? The one who makes you question yourself? Or the one who never reaches out to you? I know it’s so cliche to say “we are all going through something”, but it’s true! Sometimes (if not all times) showing love to that person can be their turning point. Love must triumph over evil. Don’t just give up on someone because they don’t like the things you like or agree with the things you do. Life isn’t about receiving it’s about being able to give without condition and accepting that you may not receive that same love/giving in return. We need to have a forgiving spirit… don’t let something so futile take you to Hell! Love Christ, Love ALL!

[helen8792]

Leaving Church X

THIS topic right here is a topic I have battled with for some time on whether I actually want to talk about it but 2017 is a year where I’ve said I am going to be honest.

For the longest time my family and I had struggled to find the “right” church until at a certain point we all finally did (albeit separate). I title this particular church “Church X” as I have left many churches over my 24 years of living. But if the shoe fits…. Now, leaving was not the easiest decision at all. There are certain things that I genuinely miss but I’ve never been one to pretend I like something and stay there where I can see obvious cracks. I already knew the troubles that would TRY to follow me. But here are some of the things I want to say that I experienced:

1. By leaving a Pentecostal charismatic church do NOT expect to leave without your name being mentioned indirectly and directly when it has nothing to do with the topic being taught

2. Understand that the majority 99.9% of the friendships you have will be broken (you’ll see those that were really your friend and those who were situational)

3. Understand that even if you go to a more biblically sound church you are still seen as a backslider and rotten egg that no one should no longer engage with

4. Don’t expect past members that see you on the street to even acknowledge your existence (although I have not encountered this but some of my friends in the same position have) forgiveness? No, okay!

5. You’ll soon realise that a lot of the things you were taught had no biblical basis and scriptures were used out of context (but no one wanted to study so took every word and held it true)

6. The existing members will FORGET every good deed you have done and set out to cause the masses to hate you for no apparent reason

7. You realise that now you are growing and finally understanding things that were once obscure. You’re resting on the promise of Hebrews 13:5-6 of God never leaving nor forsaking you (an assured promise to the believers)

There are so many points I could write but 7 is a solid number that I will leave it on. 2016 was not the easiest of years but God was and IS faithful. I can’t stress over what was but rather I’m trying to look forward to 2017 and what God has in store for me. So onwards and upwards we go…

[helen8792]

Think I should start blogging more. So many things on my mind. Certain chapters that need to close.