About Giving Up And Dreams And Freedom

August 13, 2017August 13, 2017 memaojukwu2 Comments

How are you doing today? I’d like to share a few things with you that I’m discovering. Do you feel like throwing in the towel right now? Let’s make sure you’re “throwing in” the right thing.

I hate the feeling of being stuck; it’s so overwhelming. Sometimes I get what feels like a panic attack when I feel stuck. It’s like you’re in a room without windows or doors, with no means of escape. Claustrophobia, anyone? When I feel stuck in my life, I usually also feel like giving up, because what else could I do?

Some days I lay my dreams on a proverbial table, and examine them. On the bad days, they look crumpled up, and dead. And I think to myself, “Why am I here?” Then I’m faced with a number of choices, the most prominent being to dump those deadbeat dreams into a bin and shut the lid. On those days, I feel so small. And then I wonder if I heard God wrong somehow. Maybe my part in this story of life is so minuscule, I shouldn’t bother with anything. Did God choose me? Could He have?

I’ve found myself rethinking my ideas about what life is. Push, push, push doesn’t always work. Sometimes you need to realize that the sign on the door reads, “Pull”. And what does that have to do with anything? Let me elaborate.

I used to make so many plans for my life: what I was going to do and who I was going to do it with. Then I learned to submit my plans, ideas, and dreams to God, and trust in His ultimate plan. Some things changed about me. I started giving more of myself to others for no other agenda but the agenda of God’s kingdom – the expression of His love, wisdom, and power to bring about righteousness, peace, and joy. I cared even more, and I was humbled. I was humbled because I saw myself under the light of God’s NESS: as self seeking, and sinful. And at the same time, God’s love worked tremendously in me to make me into His image.

Push, push, push says a lot about us, and what’s behind our actions. Trusting God is this necessary, amazing, and aggravating thing. And when we trust, we don’t always have to push.

Why are we doing what we’re doing? Why this dream, this way? Who are we serving? Is this what God wants? Would it really cost to let go? What would it cost?

And in trying to answer these questions, new ones arise. Who am I? Why am I here? What is the point of all this?

And then we cannot but trace these all the way back to God. God, what do you want from me? Everything?

I should give You everything: all my heart, and soul, and strength. And in doing so, be like You in this world, because I love. Just like You do. Why would I ever want to give up on this?

When I feel truly stuck, I realize that my focus is on the wrong things. This is not to say that focusing on the right things eliminates roadblocks from our paths. But that when our hearts and minds are in the right place, we are free, with no walls to trap us in, because we know whose we are, and who we are, and why we’re here.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1John 4:18)

We are it. We’re exactly who we need to be to become who we need to be, to do what we need to do, because God is able to place His great treasures in us, the earthen vessels. He wants to do so much in us and through us. So much! And much is determined by kingdom things, not the things of this world, which is passing away. Do you feel like giving up? Don’t give up on the right things. And maybe give up on the things that count for little in light of eternity – things that are fighting you for everything you have, but should not give.

Let your dreams be His dreams and let Him show you how beautiful life could be when His thoughts become your thoughts, and His desires, your desires. Let Him open your eyes to the things that count and you’ll never want to look back again. If only we could see clearly the things that count- the things that make for a life well lived. Dear God, could we really be that free?!

God is the one writing this story. It’s a story of mercy, compassion, great love, and power, and we could, each of us, play a part in this recreation. We are not less, but more when we are less. I’m discovering this truth only more clearly. It smells like freedom. So close, I could touch it. So close, we could have it.

What thoughts and plans of yours are preventing you from living an abundant life in Christ? Would you lay down your fears for a real adventure in God? Could you let go of yours in exchange for His?

Boy-Girl Dynamics · Everyday Life Hacks · Inspiration · Life Hacks · People · Relationships · Spiritual

Your Seductive Power

August 4, 2017August 7, 2017 memaojukwu2 Comments

One day, you wake up and you realize you have it: your new super power.

You speak, and they listen. You smile, and they nod their heads. You caress, and they can’t think anymore. You speak in that tone of voice, and they fight to do your biding. Now, you’re truly a daughter of Eve. Just give the fruit to him, and he’ll take a bite; he won’t even remember what God did not perhaps, possibly… exactly say. I bet you know what I’m talking about. Wink. Wink.

Here’s a list of women from the Bible who discovered their secret super power and used it how they pleased: Zeresh, Haman’s wife; Jezebel, Ahab’s wife; Mother Eve, Adam’s wife; Sarah, Abraham’s wife; Delilah, Samson’s girlfriend, and more.

If you recognize any name from this list, you may also know their stories. But I’ll give you a summary of each. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well for them.

Zeresh, Haman’s wife massaged his frail ego constantly, telling him to make plans to ensure the destruction of an innocent man. Well, that backfired, and Haman died in his place along with Zeresh, by the way.

Jezebel. Her name is now used to describe “a wicked, shameless woman.” Jezebel led her husband, the king, to abandon God’s law and worship a wicked god, called Baal. She killed God’s prophets, and also got her husband a gift he’d wanted so badly, by getting an innocent man stoned to death. She died. And dogs ate her body, real quick.

Eve gave Adam the “apple”, and we’re all here today, living a fallen existence. Thanks but no thanks mother Eve.

Sarah convinced her husband to sleep with her maid. It seemed God was taking too long in delivering His promise of a child. Then she gets upset at the whole thing. Thirteen years later, she has the son of that union kicked out.

And last but not the least, Delilah. She tricked her boyfriend Samson into losing his power and becoming a prisoner of his worst enemies. And she did it for a bucket load of silver. Samson also lost his eyes in the process.

There you have it.

I believe God gave women power. It’s a good thing. We should embrace it as a gift, but a gift that comes with responsibility. In our world today, we are made to think that seeking and having power over others for our own benefit is a smart thing. But nay, it is not. It’s a selfish thing, and it’s a dangerous thing.

God gave you the power to build up, to encourage, to give wise counsel, and to lead from whatever position you find yourself. In a marriage, in a business setting, in government, in your home, at your school, wherever. You have the power to change things for the better. You have the power to be the voice of reason where egos clash. Kings can seek you out for the counsel that God has given you. Take for example, my new favorite girl, Hulda the Prophetess. King Josiah sought her out when he needed to know what to do about the book of the law that had just been rediscovered, and she had words straight from God both as caution and as encouragement to the king.

The power you have is not a power to be overestimated either. You’re just a vessel and nothing more than a vessel of God’s power, and love, and good gifts. Anything else is from the devil. Yes I said devil. Don’t embrace your inner anything, but embrace God and humbly embrace His calling and purpose in and through you.
When you realize the truth about who God is, and the power He has given you, you’ll also realize that you’re not what Eve wanted to be. You’re not God, and you don’t have all control, as much as you’d love to. As much as I’d love to.

But it’s tempting. It’ tempting to use your power to have your way; to use your words, and to use our body to, as they say, “get what you want”. You know all the right buttons to push and you know the weaknesses to exploit. It’s not a safe place to be. You risk falling when you try to push someone else off a cliff. Don’t fall for the lies for they are many, and very convincing, because the truth is harder to swallow than having your own way.

I believe in you, and most importantly, God believes in you. He is a loving Father that gives good gifts to His children, and He has given you many good gifts. Don’t let anyone sell you short-by overselling or underselling.

I pray for you that you’ll choose to submit to God and trust Him with your heart desires, rather than try to make your own way. And I pray that you’ll use your God given gifts to build up and to make whole, but not to bring down. May the Lord keep all that you’ve entrusted to Him. In Jesus Name.

Faith · Inspiration · Life Hacks · People · Relationships · Spiritual

Not a Wall But a Fence

July 31, 2017 memaojukwu3 Comments

Walls. We have them. We experience them.

Walls exist to protect. They are built to fortify against enemies, known and unknown. They’ve protected nations, and they’ve protected facilities. And then, they’ve protected us…

From hurt. We think.

You know the phrase, “once bitten, twice shy?” I often think about it as “many times bitten, a thousand times shy.” It seems to represent my experience better. That is, the fact that we get hurt over and over and then we don’t want to anymore.

So we build walls. To protect us from hurt.

I like to see the good in people. I like to see the potential, and the possibilities. I like this trait of mine; I think it’s a good thing. But sometimes, I haven’t known when to see things as they are, and people as they are. I believe there’s a time and situation for both, and wisdom is in knowing when.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NKJV) I believe this verse is saying love is not blind. In love, you can ‘abhor’ what is evil, and yet cling to what is good. Love doesn’t say that what is bad is actually good. Love is honest. And again as the Bible says, we can “speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)

There’s a time to see the good in people, and love them as God loves us. There’s also the time to acknowledge that someone is in the wrong, and still love them. Acknowledging the truth can give way to forgiveness and healing. Holding on to a sliver of hope, and trying to make that hope reality, can set us up for a lot of hurt. “Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NCV) Again, don’t hold on to wishful thinking about a situation or person, but acknowledge when something is wrong.

We build walls because we are afraid. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18) Love casts out fear, which removes our need to build walls. It gives us courage to “hate what is evil” but “cling to what is good”.

Walls are great for facilities but not for our hearts. We can build picket fences around our hearts rather than walls. They’re cuter, and they don’t shut you away from people. We need boundaries around our hearts because our hearts are precious, but if we build walls, we get stuck inside ourselves. We get stuck in fear and we can’t go anywhere.

If there are people that have hurt us, we can abhor the wrong and yet cling to what is good. We can love them because love sets us free from fear. Love sets us free from fear, and the need to build walls.

This post is not about setting boundaries-we can really get into that in another post; this post is about choosing love and freedom over walls and fear. And I hope it encourages you and challenges you to choose a different perspective in dealing with your hurts. You’re not alone. 🙂

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Update: Change of Name

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017 memaojukwuLeave a comment

Hello!

I’d like to inform you about the name change of this blog. It’s no longer Hope’s Diaries but UpLift Girl at http://www.upliftgirl.com

I really appreciate your subscription to this blog, but I realized there’s so much more I would love to do with it. I’m expanding the content but also making it more geared towards the female folk.

I hope you stick around with me. I enjoy your comments, and just knowing that this blog is a blessing to you in some way. Do invite your friends and family especially the girls in your life.

Much Love,

Mema Daisy

Bible Studies · Faith · Inspiration · Spiritual

Hope, How I’ve Missed You!

July 13, 2017July 29, 2017 memaojukwu6 Comments

To hope is to be truly alive!

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three…” -(1 Corinthians 13:13)

Hope is essential. So essential, it made it to a very short list, which includes love of all things!

When I started Hope’s Diaries, I never imagined how great a thing hope was. I thought I knew its worth, but I’ve learnt over the past almost 4 years that I didn’t.

In some of my posts, I have written about my optimistic outlook on life. I’ve always been an optimist. I had no idea I could ever struggle with that part of myself. I thought it was this unshakable, unchangeable thing.

For these years past, I have learned patience and endurance, contentment and trust. Trust in God means that I don’t have to bug Him every 5 seconds about something I’ve thought or planned or wanted. It was first God’s offer and then it became my choice to learn patience, trust and contentment. It was very difficult- has been difficult.

However, somewhere along the line, having faced disappointments in walking down my path of good intentions, I lost a lot of hope. I say a lot of hope as if hope can be quantified, because my eternal hope in God was secure, and my hope in some of His promises was intact. I lost a lot of hope, and dreamed less. Why? I was afraid.

“I was afraid”, the very first words of Adam after he sinned against God.

“I was afraid, and so I hid”. I hid from life, from hope, from dreaming.

The Bible says that perfect love casts out all fear. Fear also works against hope. And hope against fear. To hope is to overcome fear. Hope.

Hope is essential for faith which is essential to please God, which is essential for life. I haven’t been taught much about hope; in some circles, hope is for the weak; for those who aren’t making their own destinies.

There’s such a thing as sure hope. Like the Hope the Bible talks about for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s a sure hope. And it’s within your reach. We can have hope assured because of God’s love and God’s promises which are so many. We can hope because we are loved by Someone so large, so…Love. We can hope so we can believe, and then we would truly live.

To hope is to truly be alive!

Can I hope again? Or dream again? Can I look forward even as I look up? Yes. I can. I will hope. I will have lot’s and lot’s of hope!

Faith · Inspiration · Life Hacks · Spiritual

Chasing Joy

July 11, 2017July 29, 2017 memaojukwu2 Comments

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

This world can be a difficult place some times; and during certain seasons of our lives, maybe more often than not. I’ve found myself moving down some good old paths as well as starting new things. I love new beginnings. But I realize new beginnings can be difficult too. New beginnings are even more difficult when you’re navigating them alone.

It’s not that I want to exclude people. In fact, I think, now more than ever, I’ve become more inclusive. But at the same time, I’ve learnt to be completely cool with being by myself. We won’t always have the pleasure of other people’s company especially the pleasure of the company of like minds. And some times, we wish, only wish, someone else would physically come alongside us on our journey. At least I feel that way.

Sometimes, I think, in the middle of all this, we have to chase joy. Joy can be elusive. We have to actively look for joy in the Lord, because the joy of the Lord is where our strength lies.It’s not an easy thing to do. Some days we just want to drown in the pool of our self pity. It’s much easier – less tasking.

Joy requires a little bit more energy than self pity, but its reward is so worth it. There are some dark days, when the only thoughts that come are thoughts of failure, loneliness, confusion, worthlessness, but joy is always so near if we would only reach out just a little bit.

It usually takes one painful step to get to joy. It takes looking away from all the ugly, closing your ears to the heartless voices and looking up. Just one act and then another. It begins with lifting up your head, your eyes shifting their gaze. Then you utter one word and then another. God… Lord… Father.

Father, help me. Help me. I trust You. I choose You. Help me, I have no strength of my own. Your joy is my strength. Thank You for joy. Thank You for making my life so beautiful. Thank You for never leaving me or abandoning me. I’m so glad You think of me. And You love me, and You’re with me. I cannot be brought down because You lift me up. I can never be ashamed because it is Your face that shines on me! Hallelujah! God is with me now!

So one first move, and then another. Look to Jehovah and give thanks. Thanksgiving is a wonderful expression of our faith in an amazing, unchangeable God (who is Love, by the way). So chase joy; don’t let it slip away. Chase joy in God; He is never far away from His family.

And finally, you can be a part of God’s family by calling on the Name of His Son, the Lord Jesus, who has already paid the price for your sins. Is sin a dirty word? Yes, but perfect to ascribe to us. No one, not one is righteous. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. Call on the Lord and discover the joy of the Lord as your strength! Choose God; choose joy.

You can comment or email me directly if you have any questions about this call to God’s family. You can comment or email anyway! 😀 I pray that you will know God’s joy, love and mercy in Jesus Name. And so it will be.

Inspiration · Life Hacks · Spiritual

To Own My Definition

May 29, 2017July 29, 2017 memaojukwu1 Comment

Wow. I don’t know where to begin with this. I feel like I have so much to say and yet so little.

I’ve been asking myself and God some tough questions that have been bugging me; all surrounding the same issue.
Why am I so restless and anxious every day? Is there a life that normal people have, different from mine? And can I have it?

I think I’ve been looking for this life for a long time, wondering if it even exists. For years I’ve been trying to make the grand discovery of what I will be, and what I will be doing with my life. I thought wrongly that those labels would determine who I am. Doctor, Artist, Engineer. Those are nice labels but they aren’t “who” we are. They could be a part of who we are but we are defined by so much more.

I wish someone explained this to me a decade ago. But it’s okay because I get to look forward to a different chapter of my life, free from anxiety.

I know who I am, and I know some of what I can do, but the important thing is that I know who I am. And I can own who I am.

God has done in me what He does best; He has transformed me. This is beyond receiving quick answers to prayers. It’s more like seeing the answer to your prayer unfold.

I feel like a rock. Solid. I’m no longer seeking my definition in labels. I am defined by who God has made me and is making me. I am a rock. And God is my Rock. I love it.

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Whispers in the Silence

May 11, 2017 memaojukwuLeave a comment

I’m learning slowly but surely how God leads. He knows all the parts and how they come together. Sometimes He seems too silent when I want Him to spell everything out clearly. Clear instructions written in the clouds. But not quite.

God is so precise in how He leads. He sees the whole picture in a way that I can’t. It’s so much easier when I don’t have my own agenda. So much easier when I count on Him to write the whole story and not just a part.

I can follow, I know I can. Even when it’s only His whispers I hear in the silence. He does speak, little brushes over our spirits.

I haven’t blogged in a while mostly because I’ve been technologically disadvantaged for something like a month. I apologise. I’ve also been waiting a lot. And in this period of waiting, I have seen myself more clearly than I ever have. It’s been refreshing. 🙂

Anyone else feeling God’s silence this season? Any lessons learned? 😀

Bible Studies · Faith · Inspiration · Spiritual

God Knows Me.

April 2, 2017July 29, 2017 memaojukwu2 Comments

God knows me.

He knows my likes and dislikes and He knows what makes me tick.

He’s led me through beautiful scenes just to bring me pleasure – to make me smile at the sunrise early in the morning. He knows me like that.

Some days I don’t feel worthy at all. On those days I see myself through what I think are other people’s perspectives; I see myself through the eyes of condemnation. On those days I feel that I look like the version of myself God saved me from. The more I look into people’s eyes to reveal what I look like, the less satisfied I am. And then I find myself becoming more like that terribly inaccurate reflection of me.

I am not my old self; I am my new self. God knows me.

He knows when I struggle under the weight of my own expectations. He also knows when I’m triumphant, and when I act like He does.

Early today, I prayed to my Father and asked for His help. I was struggling with my negative thoughts about myself and others. In that moment I really asked for His help and believed He would help me. He helped me. He really did. And He helped me while He showed me beautiful sights. I saw plains and felt the cool breeze on me, while the sun was rising. I like things like that, and He knows. God knows me like that.

I am under my Father’s wings. Kept and groomed. And much loved.

Sometimes I fear that I am far from Him. He is always near to me. Never departing. I actually, not figuratively, have the Holy Spirit living in me. Don’t ask me how. He’s living in me, He’s all around me and near me. With me.

I know God – at least I’m getting to know Him. And He knows me. What’s better than that? What’s better than His love? Like David said, God’s love is better than life! Cool huh?😊

I’m at peace now. And I can rest in this truth: I’m known and loved by God. God knows me.

Bible Studies · Faith · Inspiration · Life Hacks · Spiritual

The Twenty-Third Psalm

March 27, 2017July 29, 2017 memaojukwu4 Comments

The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.

Go on…

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

Wow. If I’m sheep lying down in the only food I want to eat, and surrounded by it, then that’s where I want to be.

He leads me beside quiet waters.

Again, really feeling this whole sheep with Shepherd thing.

He refreshes my soul.

Sounds like heaven: A soul refreshed. It’s like being in bliss. Like someone diving into cold streams after walking days in the desert. That’s what this reminds me of. And instead of dryness, dust and sand, there’s peace and quiet music, nature welcoming, coolness and a refreshing of the soul. ‘So good it gets all the way to your soul’ kind of experience.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

He does the guiding. I never have to worry that I missed a turn – if I’m the sheep in this story. There are so many possible wrong turns and paths leading to nowhere or much worse than nowhere. But that’s not my problem. I get to go on the right paths. For his name’s sake? Does this mean if He can’t get me on the right path, then “he” has failed? But does the Shepherd ever fail? This is all theory; if I was guiding and I couldn’t guide you right, then it’s on me. But He’s God, and He never fails. I can fail if I’m doing the leading. I don’t want that responsibility – not when God’s offering to guide me!

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Valleys are usually dark. So dark, I can’t see. Fear feeds on my fears. What wolf-like creature could be lurking in the dark? No. I don’t fear because my Shepherd is with me. He must be Super Shepherd. Is there an “SS” embroidered on his cape?

Your rod and staff, they comfort me.

Every now and then when I’m walking through the valley, I feel your touch. Your staff gently redirecting me. No, not there. Left. Go left.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Now the Psalmist is talking about himself as a human. No longer his sheep form.😊 David, a man after God’s heart, anointed to be king! People after his life and his rightful throne. How audacious that he would be dining and drinking to his fill in the presence of those who seek his end! Because God Himself decides.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

Surely! All the days of my life?! I’m going to try to let that sink in.

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Forever and ever. And ever. The hope after now. After this broken world. We get to be with Him. Lord, friend, lover of our souls. Everything.

This psalm is cool. I could be the sheep. Sign me up. What are the qualifications for the role? Dumb? Helpless? Dependent? Trusting? Seems pretty simple to me. Except those are not words I’d use to describe myself. Maybe God wants me to be that with Him.

If I acknowledge that I really don’t know what’s best and He does; that I can’t do anything without Him; that I completely trust His judgement, then maybe I’ll fit the role of sheep.

When Christ judges at the end of the world, He says He’ll separate mankind into two groups: The sheep and the goats.

Sheep may not sound so desirable but how about goat?! Sheep sounds pretty good to me. How about you? Sheep or goat?😃 Which do you want to be?

Peace!

P.S. The Psalm is Psalm 23:1-6 (the whole chapter), NIV version.