“Every good thing is given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow [a]cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes]” James 1: 17 (AMP)
One of the most anticipated times of the year is here December 25th, where people would plan gatherings and prepare for memorable Christmas events. Many would rush to purchase the best gift for someone they love; a friend, a son, a daughter, a spouse, a colleague, or even a pet. The worst is when one has to look for the perfect gift that will represent the quality of their love for that special someone but scrambling at the last minute into the Christmas chaos. Well, this year, it’s a bit different, 2020 has brought its uniqueness into it, with the unpredictable aspect of a global pandemic and lockdowns. Many will not have the opportunity to share with family and friends or even present themselves at someone’s doorsteps to enjoy human warmth and laughter.
As an extravert, it was difficult for me to capture a moment without fellowshipping with my family and friends. Reminiscing, during my youthful years I was part of family gatherings since my late grandma Immacula Desloges always celebrated Christmas with the biggest Christmas tree she could find in Trenton New Jersey. My late mother Gloria Williamson would make sure we traveled from Montreal, Canada to spend our Christmas at grams. She wanted us to enjoy, laughter, worship, prayers, and memories we created as a family. We often would attend the Christmas Eve Service at church dressed with our Sunday best outfits. Coming from a big family, it amazed me how we just filled the church pews with most of our family members. I was proud to see everyone sitting and worshiping God, it was special to witness the joy in people’s faces when they worship like something was deposited in their hearts as they lift their arms surrendering all to Him. Nonetheless, all the kids ended up falling asleep when it came to the preaching, and grandma would slap a few behind their heads saying ” Wake up! You’re in the house of the Lord” while the rest of us burst into laughter. We soon had to straighten up our acts; when she gave us the serious gaze. Besides that, it was a memorable time together. Once we headed back to grams’ house, we would get ready to eat some good soul food made by the greatest chefs in the family. We had everyone around the living room spending quality time together, reading the bible, singing hymns of glory, and yes cracking up some good jokes after all. However, as children, most of the siblings and cousins never anticipated having a gift because we were overwhelmed by the power of our love, our presence, our positive influence, and our family values. As the years, went by we continue to serve in the same traditions on our own, impacting others along the way until 2020 hit us blindsided. Thus, we decided to still make a difference in someone’s life just by thinking outside the box and blessing others with our heavenly gifts.
Grams’ home in Trenton, New Jersey ( Where The Family Christmas Gatherings were held)
As often stated, people would mention “there is something about you guys that draws me close”. Just as they never suspected, that the spirit of God, living within in us was operating. We can see the description of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (KJV) “7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit thereby:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;10 to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.11 But all of these that one and the selfsame Spirit worketh, apportioning to every man individually as He will”. We cherished each-other as a gift within its self. Just as God created us in His image and set unique gifts within us according to the grace given to us. Romans 12:6 well describes that as believers, it is absolutely within us to use our gifts as a propelling tool of grace according to God’s perfect will. Similar to a body, that has its function we all have an important part to help it fully operate. For instance, the body without the brain, the heart, the lungs, can not function at all, same goes with the church,(not referring to the building but the people of the church) we need one another to function as a body of Christ. Christ is our source of light and our salvation. He has given us the perfect gift to help and support the body together to move forward towards his perfect will.
I encourage you to ask God about your gift in prayer, asking him your purpose, and He will lead you and give you direction, wisdom, and understanding. God is the source of light in our path as it is well alluded to in John 8: 12 (KJV) “Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” So in return, he asks us to be the same light to someone else, as a sense of hope in this dark world today. Grab hold in His promises and believe that He is and is to come. ” 6 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven Matt 5:16 (KJV).
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” Matt 5: 14
In the end, despite this pandemic, we are the perfect gift God created in His own image. As believers, we understand that God is the light of the world therefore he wants us to represent His light by shedding the light of hope in people’s lives today. So we are the perfect gift for someone else in need of support encouragement, love, stability, consistency, and most importantly Salvation. You are the gift of healing to someone as well. So do not withhold your gifts but instead, give them to someone in need of it. Share the love of God.
Merry Christmas Everyone! Be reminded that Jesus is the reason for this season. You are a perfect gift for someone out there.
Personalized Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for always being the light in my darkest path, you always took care of me and sent the right person to encourage, support me, and to show me your love and compassion. I am forever grateful for your mercies, undeserving that I am BUT you sought me out and gave me the perfect gifts to inspire others. In Jesus Name. Amen
Inspired Scriptures
1 peter :4 10-11, Romans 12:6 , Romans 11: 29, James 1:17
When one takes time to reflect on life and its ultimate purpose; you can be amazed at what God has planned along the way. In fact, it seems as if we can never see the bigger picture because we somehow, expect life to turn out the way Hollywood movies advertise”the perfect life”, “the perfect story”, “the perfect family”. However in reality there is no such thing as perfect as it sounds. I believe that we often face obstacles in life, which helps us built character, perspective, and wisdom which modifies our faith and patience. About that, it is well scripted in the book of James 3 verses 2-4 saying“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing” James 3; 2-4 (AMP). This segment goes into part 2 of “the labor of love” and how God uses a faithful woman to spread his love and perfect will through her obedience.
It is often reviewed that, a parent’s role is crucial in a child’s long-term development. However, a mother’s nurturing sense of unconditional love manifests its way in the child’s life as they grow. Generally speaking, many women have the opportunity to wrap, a growing baby in their womb for 9 months and can authentically connect on a phenomenal level. On the other hand, various women, may not experience the same, however may often share the burden to care for a child, just as if it was the fruit of their womb. It is a powerful experience to love a child, even more gratifying when they are not your own. The Labor of love Part 2, portrays a woman who loves God to the point that she gave up everything to give him precedence in her life. She was surely tested about her faith and continues to serve Him with zealous behaviors of worship and devoted prayer lines.
When looking at the story of Moise in the bible, it describes that when; he was only 3 months old, his biological mother, sent him on the Nile River, not able to bear the cruelty of Pharaoh’s sanction; to kill all boys under 2 years of age. She secretly placed him there and asked his sister to watch where he will go, trusting in God and hoping for a brighter future for him during this difficult period in Egypt. Later on, not knowing that God had a greater purpose for his life she found out that, he was embraced by Pharaoh’s daughter. Noticeably, she felt an instant connection with him and had compassion for the baby wrapped in the basket. She decided to take him as if it was the fruit of her womb. Knowing that Moise was a Hebrew child, she saw beyond his faults and loved him with all her essence. The woman presented in this segment had similar sentiments when she nurtured in her spirit the promises of God. In the long run, she decided to embrace the will of her Saviour and not turn away from the experience that lifted her faith. The Bible context referenced from Exodus 2-5-10.
Marie- Lourdes, Lafleur born in Port aux Prince Haiti, in 1959, coming from a well-educated family background. On the spiritual aspect, she grew up in a family that kept honoring biblical standards and God’s commandments for many years. As per her life calling, it started when she was 12 years old when she gave her life to her Creator and decided to follow him wholeheartedly and be a subject to his will. Nonetheless, during her juvenile years, she fell head over heels with a well-educated, ambitious, man she met; he was living in the neighboring community she lived in. Although she was aware that he had his eldest daughter from a previous relationship, she accepted his past, present, and future with all that he presented and did not hinder their unfolding love. Obviously, their love grew and manifested after several encounters, therefore they got married and she loved calling him, husband. Soon after their marriage, she conceived her eldest son and 1 year in a half later, her eldest daughter. These children were the joy of her life, she would never leave them out of sight considering how life was very unstable in Haiti. As a young mother, she did not expect the unforeseeable event that ruptured her heart. Without delay, years later, her husband requested a divorce, to get married to another woman whom he has been encountering in the same sector. Little did she know that his charm was effective at any cost, she let him go. Meanwhile, she remained, faithful to God and in His promises and received revelations on many occasions. One, in particular where God showed her in a dream that she would have a home full of children, living abroad with her first husband. This revelation was hunting her down, quite often as she would question God of its meaning and purpose. She was optimistic and did not want to discredit God’s blessings through disobedience. Therefore she eagerly agreed to His unexpected Will. Despite her long and struggling years as a single mother in Haiti, she never lost aspirations for what God had in store for her. Regardless, the man she once called husband, was infatuated by another woman whom, he had encountered during his youthful years when they were well-known as neighboring friends. Moreover, six months after his second marriage, he was sponsored by his new wife at the time, to come to Canada, as she was already residing in Montreal, Quebec. Nonetheless, Marie-Lourdes kept on praying for open doors and God’s favor and mercies in her life, holding on to the vivid revelation she once had. Despite the ongoing disappointments from the man she had married, there was something about this man she never let go of. She would pray for him day and night, wishing him the best in his new life, and stayed hopeful. Eventually, the other woman conceived a boy and a girl who were 1 year and 1 week apart. Shortly after, this relationship experienced high levels of ongoing issues, therefore this individual saw it fit to request, divorcing this woman to go back to marry, Marie-Lourdes whom he strongly was in love with. As a result, he went back to Haiti and requested her hand again promising his faithfulness and fidelity. In her forgiving heart and loving spirit, she agreed to marry him once more. Upon discussion and agreement, he decided to sponsor her, his eldest daughter, and his 2 children; who were 13yrs old, 11yrs old, and 9 yrs old at the time. Therefore, six months after, they immigrated to Canada on March 26th, 1989. Despite, the fact that the man had several children from various women, this selfless woman named Marie-Lourdes wanted to remain faithful and submitted to her husband and God’s promises. Nonetheless, her heart desired to cherish him and see beyond his faults and spend a normal life with him.
Furthermore, life in Canada was different; cold, and distant from her habitual warm culture from Haiti and cheerful environment. She was residing in Chomedey, Laval, where she was living in the apartment her husband was renting before they were going to move into a house. A few days into Canada, she was faced with a life-changing decision, where her faith was tested. One afternoon, her husband received a call, that the women whom he had married and had two children with, were going to be sent to a foster home if there was no one to take care of them. As the biological father, the authorities questioned his desire to keep the children with his wife for a few months until their biological mother would be stable to keep them again. Instantly, Marie-Lourdes was consulted about the matter and she happily, openly, and humbly agreed as she was reminded of the clear vision God once revealed to her. Similar feelings as the daughter of Pharaoh felt she had a sentiment of compassion for the children. Little this she know, that this event was part of the revealing revelation she once had.
New Reality
A couple of months after their acceptance to keep the young 4 and 5 years old, they bought a house with the savings her husband had gathered while he had the opportunity to work double shifts in Canada. Ironically this home was located in Laval on ” 421 foster street”. This home significantly became the receiving place so much as a foster home would be. Marie-Lourdes was only 31 years old at the time but was bold enough to take on this challenge to raise not only her children but children who were not biologically hers. With the limited support system, she had in Canada, as a mother she had to run a tight ship with what she knew best at the time. Hence, she took on an executive role which made sure the children would behave according to her rules and regulations. She was patient, but yet firm, she was vibrant but yet powerful in her authoritarian parenting style. She made sure there was structure, discipline, and most importantly God in the middle, the front, the side, and the back of all things. Every child had a role to play, especially the oldest ones, who had to take care of the youngest. House cleaning was her virtue to make sure a house was inviting at all times, therefore the children were made sure to keep up with their household chores and routines. On the other hand, she made sure everyone’s birthday was celebrated with lots of delicious homemade meals and individualized birthday cake. We were given more than our basic needs, as the house was always full of food which we never missed out on She often showed her language of love through acts of service and gift-giving and made sure they were well dressed as she had a strong fashion sense. Even though her husband had to work extra long hours of work, to maintain the household finances, she did not give up on what God promised her. A couple of months after, authorities contacted the couple to also discuss adding the two eldest sons of the ex-wife who were placed in another foster home at the time. Once, again she agreed and displayed compassion about the situation, and took on the role designated to her as a stay-at-home mother. Therefore, all the children were registered at school and had to maintain qualified grading scales, knowing that her husband was very strict about their education. Moving forward into their lives, regardless of them, experiencing marital struggles due to unbearable circumstances, they also added two more children of their own, embracing their last two baby girls who were 2 years apart.
The House Today (2020)
Spiritual Awakening and foundation
Nonetheless, Marie- Lourdes, kept the faith and prayed earnestly inviting all the children in moments of worship and overnight prayers. She became a vivid worshiper, beyond the walls of her church singing songs of glory to God day and night. She consecrated time for God to hear her cries and heartfelt struggles. Alongside, she made sure the children recited psalm 23 and remembering Exodus 20:1-17 by heart, and sang worship songs before opening prayers. She was mainly preoccupied with their spiritual growth and life therefore she dedicated each-one to God daily making sure his angles would cover them. She often alluded to this Biblical verse which mentions; But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Exodus 2-5-10 (AMP) “If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” She wanted to structure them in a way that the Lord, laid in her heart to know who is their maker, savior, and provider. Therefore she strongly believed in the promise that God stated in proverbs 22: 6 (AMP) saying; “Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” In fact, she vividly encouraged this notion whenever she could, even with her friend’s children. Gathering all around her, she enjoyed seeing them worship songs from her Chant de l’Esperance; entitled in french; Du Rocher de Jacob, Compte les bienfaits de Dieu, Non jamais tout Seule, etc
In the meanwhile, her husband’s ex-wife was able to claim her first two sons and a year later, her other children were also able to join their biological mother in 1994, as she was stable enough to receive them. Overall, Marie-Lourdes’s stoic behavior could no longer remain hidden, as she manifested her relationship struggles and pain in many ways. Shortly after, many humble years of marriage, the unfaithfulness of her husband became evident and heavy to bear. Therefore, they lost the house and divorced leaving young adolescents and children in despair. She forgave him and let her creator renew her heart and wash her as white as snow. Therefore, she left and let God lead the ship of her life despite the storm, He provided for her and made her a spiritual leader and virtuous women of God, still going strong today.
Pictures of the family , gatherings, feast , birthday celebration and more.
Here are the siblings who once shared the same household space: Fabiola Bercy, Nathanson Bercy, Tatiana Bercy, David Blain, Jonathan Blain , Jacob Bercy , Mary Bercy , Erika Emmanuelle Bercy, and Teesy Sowaya Bercy. (Total 9 kids)
Upon reflection
Looking back, on how God was working; He was shaping and modeling our character and foundation by using Marie-Lourdes as my first sept-mother to lead us to Him. She contributed to his labor of love by obedience to his calling. God did not look at her to be perfect but he wanted us to witness a fervent praying woman, daily seeking the face of her God. Some can reminisce that due to her dedication to God, there is a spiritual anchor that was deposited in our souls.
God wants to give us peace, during our storm. One can take the time to understand the purpose of spiritually connecting with God and His perfect will. It is important to be aware of his calling, if we are submerged by the worries and stressors in our everyday life, we systematically mute God’s ultimate calling. Sometimes, we may not understand why but trust God and he will show you the greater purpose of his calling, which will save many along the way. And like a tree that bears fruits and its season so are we who allow God to use our fruits to feed someone in need and inspire someone to do the same. God can use you to inspire and bless others with the fruits of your gifts. So be available and be the light He calls you to be. I strongly encourage your reader, to take the time to honor someone in your life, that God used to bless you in some way.
Inspired Bible Scriptures:
James 3: 2-4, Exodus 2-5-10, Proverbs 22: 6, Romans 12: 10,Exodus 2-5-10 and Exodus 20 1-17
Personalized Prayer
Dear God, thank you for allowing me to move forward from my past and understand what you did for me and my family. You though me the power of forgiveness and obedience through her therefore you wanted me to honor this faithful woman because she was part of your greater plan and your word says in Romans 12: 10 to be devoted to one another in love. Honoring one another above ourselves. You made me understand that you are not looking for the perfect being but the available one. Thank you, God, for helping me to share this and see your pure love. In Jesus Name Amen!
When we think about labour, we often refer to a woman giving birth to a child or the work someone has done over some time. This short story segment; the Labour of love, refers to how God used powerful women of Faith to compliment his labor of love on earth. In these stories, love required sacrifices and pain to fulfill God’s will which was not an easy path to bear but it was for a glorifying end. These women are admired to be planters and waterers in the spirit which was acknowledged with the increase God called it to be. When looking at the biblical reference in 1 Corinthians 3: 6, these women were part of the great labor of God. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth. 7 So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his reward according to his labor”. These testimonies testify to the faithfulness of God, his goodness, and everlasting mercies.
Gloria Williamson also known as Kettelie or Ketket
I present to you a strong and dedicated individual with a powerful value of life and a serene spirit of love. Gloria Williamson, born on May 25th, 1956 in Haiti, Port- au- Prince. The 2nd eldest of eight siblings where she adopted her role with dignity and pleasure as an older sister. Her passion for life was placed, upon her as she witnessed her mother’s pious and faithful devotionals to God. During her earlier years as a young woman, she and her sisters were anointed with a voice as of archangels, to worship and praise their first love, Jesus Christ. Gloria and her sisters Emireine, and Roselene were well known in Haiti for their musical ministries. They shared their gift in various worship groups named in french such as “Flambaux Sacre”, “Combat du Christ”, “Maranatha” and “Jesus Miracle”.
A couple of years down the line, Gloria immigrated to Canada during her late teenage years, in hope of a new opportunity as things were getting heated in Haiti due to political reforms. Out of her eight siblings, she was the first to venture out and settle in Canada while most of her family settled in the United States.
Her prudence was her disguise, she wore her natural beauty as a flourishing spring tulip. Grasping her enormous vase of charity and effective inclination of compassion. She would serve her family as kings and queens, never letting anyone down but keeping them on their knees, praying Jesus please bless this woman and give her many more years to live. She would advocate for people’s rights resembling the character of a peacemaker. Gloria, Williamson a Haitian pearl, a true definition of selfless attitude, polishing her soul with the word of God and his promises. As she interceded for her offsprings. She was blessed with six children to raise and honored her provider by naming each of them with biblical names reflecting what God placed in her heart. She cherished everything about motherhood and took her role seriously as a stay at home mom. Despite her violated relationships with men; who left her deserted to lust after other women, she remained dedicated to the gifts God gave her, her children.
Nonetheless, her daily routine was to honor her Sovereign King through prayer and worship at home. She celebrated her love for Christ by sacrificing everything to him, therefore with her zealous spirit, she often left her children home to participate in prayer devotionals at church. Until one night, things turned upside down, when she went back home. Fear invaded her mind, sadness her heart, confusion her soul, when she found out that her precious jewels were taken away and separated into different group homes. The authorities reported her as being a neglectful mother. Being pregnant with her last child at the time, she reflected upon the fact that she had no immediate support from family nor friends, she left her eldest son who was only 11 years old at the time with four other siblings in the apartment. This horrific memory remained in the mind of all her children as they travel from one group unit to another. Because they were separated from each other within a twinkle of an eye. They recall that phone call when a well-known individual called home and spoke to the eldest asking him the address to send some goodies and Christmas gifts for all of them. In his innocence he provided what she requested, little did he know that it was one of the last straw of his childhood memory, when a few minutes later, police officers knocked at the door, searching around for an attending adult .
With no justification from the legal standpoint, nor the spectator’s sympathy could bring her children back. She was hysterical at the idea of losing her precious gifts and had difficulty coping on several occasions. However, Gloria did not back down to any last verdict and took possession of her position and fought for her children until her last breath. She would pray at the corner of street lights where her children would live and earnestly seek the face of her Heavenly Father, she would cry out to Him day and night. Gloria and her faith in God grew more, as He was proving His love for her. She would remarkably hold on to her long- term memories of her energetic children. In the incident of this madness, her dedication was so tremendously felt that on the other hand, her children were also crying out to be back with her and their siblings. After a long process, she proved to the authorities that she was able to make better arrangements and was able to make positive steps forward into her journey.
On June 29th 1990, she gave birth to her last baby girl, and was able to keep her at the sight of the social workers, as she was living with the father of her first two sons, at the moment. She continued to, hold on to God’s promise well alluded in psalm 23:4 saying; “Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me”. Her consoler, provided for all her needs as her faith increased as the time when on.
Unfortunately, the sickness started to take over her body which led to severe heart disease. In her intention to not dramatic this news, she would not mention anything to her family and friends but brought everything through prayer and supplication to God. Philippians 4:6 (AMP)” 6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. She endured the news with pain because deep down she knew that this illness was more than she could withstand. Everything evolved so fast that she required a piece maker due to heart malfunctions. However, with diligence, she would strived for God’s glory, she was allowed visitation rights to bring her children to the altar on Sunday mornings. respectfully driven to her daily routines, her heart never stopped, think about her children which was a reciprocal connection wherever they were.
While being in agony, she would plead for her soul to God, asking him to live so she can build a relationship with her children to see them grow, get married, and have children on their own. After several revelations, she knew her life was held by a string. Determination gave her fuel, so she made everything possible to receive resources from social workers and other nonprofit organizations to establish a stable home for all of them to live in. In 1994, after, a few phones call she received a notice to participate in a news broadcast from Montreal, implying her to receive a new government housing project to accommodate her and all her children. She was overjoyed by what God was doing and embraced each moment. Later on, she was able to receive the blessings of having her children back living with her in a new government home in Cartierville Cousineau street, Montreal Quebec.
Like a deer pants for water, so did her soul for God. As her sickness manifested greatly through her changed figure, she realized that her illness prevailed over her. Therefore, she started sending subliminal messages to her 2nd oldest son saying “God willing if I am still alive” “we will see”. Until then she could no longer sweep it under her heart, therefore, she bluntly told him when he was only 15 yrs old; “my son soon you will have to take care of your siblings because I will die very soon”. Reluctantly receiving her words, he urged her to stop talking, feeling tormented at the idea. He was in denial of the reality that came as fast as she spoke it. She knew the damage and pain it would cause her family therefore she would not further express anything to alarm anyone about her illness. In light of the darkness, she found peace and comfort in the presence of God, through adoration, and in her children.
She often worshiped with one of her favorite hymns, she sang in her native language; creole entitled “As the deer pants for the water”.
“You alone are my strength, my shield To You alone may my spirit yield You alone are my heart’s desire And I long to worship Thee As the deer panteth for the water So my soul longeth after Thee You alone are my heart’s desire And I long to worship Thee You’re my friend And You are my brother Even though You are a King I love You more than any other So much more than anythingI want You more than gold or silver Only You can satisfy You alone are the real joy giver And the apple of my eye.
The creole version
From 1994 until 1997 she lived a glorious and productive life with all her six children; not shying away from all sorts of activities and outings she could do with them. She often spoke to God and asked him to protect every one of them. She recited this verse as a prayer as If she was the one living in the biblical context saying from John 17:24 (Amplified Bible)24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given to Me[as Your gift to Me], maybe with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world”. Gloria knew she was going to die and she left everything in the hands of God, that no matter what they ever go through, they will be well in Jesus’ name. She died at the age of 41 on July 16th, 1997; from a heart attack leaving her children and family with many years in mourning, her departure. BUT Her labor of Love and sacrifices was not in vain…
This is a picture of her own french Bible hinted towards the scripture of John 17:24 .This bible was kept by her youngest daughter Marie-Colombe Williamson.
I give tribute to my mother Gloria Williamson who honored and trusted God and fought by faith for all her children to be under God’s covering today. Here are her children’s names from the eldest to the youngest; Karl David Blain, Joseph Jonathan Blain, Pierre Jacob Bercy, Mary Mardochee Bercy, Moise Williamson, and Marie-Colombe Williamson. She named each one, from biblical names which highly stands out in their character today.
Starting from left to right : Jacob, David, Marie-Colombe, Moise, Mary and Jonathan in Montreal, Canada
I hope this segment richly blessed you to know that God is in control no matter, so do not worry over your circumstances and your life battles and struggles. Take a time to connect with Him again through prayer and in worship for God inhabits the praise of his people. Psalm 22:3 KJV.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank you for attending my life like a good shepherd who knows how to guide and love His sheep, even if one went astray you left the 99 to save one. Once again you proved your love to many generations and Lord I declare that I am forever yours. In Jesus Name Amen
“Happy Mother’s day to all the gorgeous mama’s of the world “
Dear Mothers,
You are exceptional in your disguise and I want to take the time to say how great you are each day you arise off your bed you put on the natural makeup of a mother’s grace. You take charge of your household like a manager on board, you evaluate every situation with fairness and compassion. You cherish every moment and celebrate every milestone and success as if someone won a million dollars. I am rested and assured that your love is unconditional not taking things for granted. Oh Mothers you are blessed beyond measures to give life to many and still hold on to grace. You embraced the first sound of a heartbeat of love when you heard it on the sonogram. This moment could not be expressed as you shed tears each time you heard it. Life was given to you to bear and share with the whole world as family, friends, and others partake in your bundle of joy. You have given life to a girl or a boy, to one or many at once, you have held strong through the nine months journey where no matter the fluctuating emotions; you love for a lifetime, and you sacrifice forever. Your grace is described to be Generous with your giving, Respected in your community, taking Action in your home, sharing your Compassion with many, and spreading your loving Energy which uplifts one’s life. A mother’s grace is what your bear, A mother’s grace is what you share. Despite the sleepless night, you wake up to make sure everyone is ready before you do. Despite the long hours at work or school, you run home to cook a delicious dinner. Despite the struggles of life you still decide to make ends meet. Never give up on your children, your family, your marriage, and yourself. Mamas YOU ROCK, you are a hidden gem needed to shine for the world to see how important you are no matter if you held a child for 9 months, or you adopted a precious treasure. You deserve to be honored 365 days of the year. For all the million tears your shed and all the pain you withheld fighting for the power of harmony, unity, reunification, love, and prosperity. No matter the distanciation measures that have taken place, you’ve kept your values close to you and inspired many along the way. With your dedication and your late-night prayers, you kept fighting the good fight of Faith. God choose you to lead, teach and hold on to a nation with the power of love you have within. Therefore teach your children the ways of the Lord and they will never depart from it. “Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” proverbs 22;6. So Mamas keep your eyes upon Jesus, the maker of heaven and earth , He is your refuge and strength, a helper in times of trouble, so trust in Him with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. Furthermore, Proverbs 31 verses 10-29 describe your many talents, purity, and admirable ways.
10. An excellent woman [one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous], who is he who can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls. 11.The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence], And he will have no lack of gain. 12.She comforts, encourages, and does him only good and not evil All the days of her life. 13.She looks for wool and flax And works with willing hands in delight. 14.She is like the merchant ships [abounding with treasure]; She brings her [household’s] food from far away. 15.She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And assigns tasks to her maids. 16.She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently]; With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. 17.She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong. 18.She sees that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead]. 19.She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing]. 20.She opens and extends her hand to the poor, And she reaches out her filled hands to the needy. 21.She does not fear the snow for her household, For all in her household are clothed in [expensive] scarlet [wool]. 22.She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is linen, pure and fine, and purple [wool]. 23.Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24.She makes [fine] linen garments and sells them; And supplies sashes to the merchants. 25.Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; And she smiles at the future [knowing that she and her family are prepared]. 26.She opens her mouth in [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue [giving counsel and instruction]. 27.She looks well to how things go in her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28.Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired); Her husband also, and he praises her, saying, 29.“Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], But you excel them all.”
A prayer for you Mamas:
I pray that God protects you always that he gives your strength beyond measures each day you wake up. Keep your head up mamas for your redeemer lives and holds you in the palm of His hands. The unrestricted power of your love, mercy, and your grace is the split image of our Lord and Saviour. Since the beginning it is written “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. Genesis 2: 27. I pray that your compassion for people grows like a flower that gives a spring of hope in the eyes of many. I pray that your positive energy lights up the world like the spirit of God. Accept your position and, take in your honorable moments for you are more precious than you think. I want to take the time to honor all of my spiritual mothers , the ones who God put in my path after losing my mother at a young age, the ones who taught me so much with their actions, and the ones who gave me great examples of the power of prayer wisdom and love. Thank you to all my sisters/in-laws, my aunties, my cousins, my friends who are like sisters to me, may God continue to bless you, and may you continue to inspire love around you in Jesus Name Amen.
P.s Jesus Loves you
I am back on the writing journey after a two months break to complete other projects and I took a moment of self-care. Thank you for your love, your patience, may you follow me as I follow Christ, May the goodness of God follow you all the days of your life in Jesus Name .
Stay tune for the next topic on “The Garden of Growth”
I strongly believe that one of the most important seasons of the year is the spring because its the time that the natural ecosystem flourishes again , even people’s mindset change as they see the sun, smell the fresh air; with spring cleaning in their minds, its about something new . Seeing nature take its course and feeding us with new beginnings. As, it starts again, new life, new leaves, new things. When we look at life’s natural process of growth in our garden ; we can be amazed at the outcomes. In addition to the natural source of sun, we can understand that rainy days bring about growth in our gardens, backyard etc . It encompasses the natural growing process of plants and organisms which is called the germination process. Well, let’s look at what happens when a seed is planted. The germination happens inside the seed, and with a sufficient combination of soil, water, and sunlight, the seed will start to grow from the bottom up. The seed requires stability when it sprouts it has established roots that enable them to stand firm. Once the seed has germinated, the embryo will sprout and pop right out of the seed. The roots will grow down into the soil and start absorbing water and food from the soil, and the stem will shoot right up towards the sunlight. Once the leaves grow, the plant will be ready to start making food on its own. Similar to the way we live our lives as beings, plants, animals, and humans all go through a growth process no matter what. As we all go through a season ; to hibernate, a season to be fruitful, a season to gather and a season to replenish.
Gardening became a newfound passion for me which started in the midst of the pandemic last two years on March 2020, when I was wondering what to do with myself. At the emergence of June when I planted a seed of love in my backyard. I had a few different fruits and vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, green bell peppers, sweet corn, beets, strawberries, cucumbers, coriander, and other flowers. I was already head over heels with my gardening journey that my backyard became my “safe haven”. I began to study my crops, and learn more about their growth pattern. Little did I know that some plants, fruits and vegetables require more sun, nutrients, and water than others. I also had to make sure the spacing was right for the plant to fully grow to its capacity. I wanted to get all the right measuring to grow the crops. In the heat of the motion, I gathered all that was necessary. I instantly felt at peace and connected to God’s creation, I started embracing the process, watering them with positivity and love. The environment, I created for myself, helped me heal mentality because the shock of the lockdown really had a toll on me. Being a social butterfly, I flourish with people around and, I love building strong connections with people. However, God had to teach me some things through what I dreaded, isolation. I did not know what was gonna come out of this pandemic but I was hopeful, that we could take the time to learn how to be what we are called to be; Gatherers, peacemakers, compassionate individuals and connected back with the foundation, our creator. When we look at the process of growth , having a good foundation , helps one develop and stand firm no matter the storm. Like my crops, they had to go through some harsh wind and rainy days but they were able to withstand the process . The same goes for us , if we have difficulty in ourlives we should always look at the way we cope with the foundation, what type of soil are we standing on, what mental nutrients are we adhering to. How can we positively impact the world around us if we ourselves , haven’t checked our foundation; values , beliefs. Or are we focus too much on ‘ourself’ with a spirit of vanity , contention , using social media to filter our imperfections ,and not understanding the essence of life, through love, peacemaking , giving ,and forgiveness.
Looking forward , I see how this lockdown has brought me rest , and time to think and grow. I was able to connect with nature again, love my family more and not take life for granted. I took this journey as a growing lesson, one that shapes the mind, the imperfections, and the peace that lies in the soul. Therefore, I shared this passion with my neighbors and told them to freely take croops form the garden . This garden brought my neigbough and I closer as we shared the goods of our home. She shared her delicious home made sweets . My children were delighted and this brought so much joy in the backyard. I thought to myself, well this is how we are suppose to live in unity , harmony as a community. Not envying one another, not hating eachother but pouring into one another greatness, inspiring one to go to the next level with grace and compassion. Well, these were my lesson and I just wanted to share it with you . may you be inspired to grow to be teachable, to serve, and to receive. May God bless you.
My Garden early June 2020
Prayer
Dear God, creator of heaven and earth I am grateful for the growth process you allowed me to see throughout my life. You have shown me who I was and who I am today. You rooted in me a spirit of love such as scripted in your word “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” Galatians 5: 22-23. I want to continue to grow in your will and in your righteousness for you are the potter and I am the clay. I pray that anything that is against or in the way my spiritual roots to be broken right now in Jesus Name. As you know me before the foundation of the world, please fulfil my hearts desire according to your perfect Will. Thank you in Jesus name .
In March 2016, there was a powerful change that happened in my life, a change that spiritually connected me with the spirit of God through receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. I remember I was in a period in time where my soul panted after God for a deeper level, for direction and purpose in my life. In the previous month, in February 2016, I was going through a lot of emotional turmoil, besides the unexpected death of one of my late Aunt occurred and I was also in the process of detangling myself from my boyfriend at the time. In retrospect, I tried many times to fill a void in my life with men that I lost count of the encounters. Jumping from one relationship to the next never fully healing from the previous ones, little did I know I was emotionally dependent. I was living my worst nightmares being emotionally unstable and desperate for a glance of a fairy tale story of love. Therefore, I felt that my spirit was dried up like the desert of Acatama; which is known to be the driest desert in the world. I was spiritually evaporated because I was gone astray from the love of God and His will for me. Instead, I attracted sin at my doorsteps because of the choices I’ve made on the daily basis. I was in a relationship that was not found by God needless to say that I was living an adulteress lifestyle after separating from my husband in July 2014, with whom I married since 2009. My husband and I went through our rough patches due to our brokenness, unfaithfulness, and prideful spirits. In retrospect, throughout my adolescent years, I was in the pursuit of happiness, searching for the unconditional love and validation that I longed for from my own father. With that said, I allowed myself to suffer deep and great disappointment in men trying to quench a spirit of drought in my life. Consequently, I attracted whatever suited in my life which led me to act and receive such disorientation.
One Sunday morning, I was led to go to a church near my house. At the time, I considered myself a Christian walking in the ways of life listening to gospel music, randomly reading the bible, praying only when I needed something from God, seeking material blessings, and going to church just to heat the church pews without receiving a word that could change my life. I was living day by day with no feeling of cause and effect stating “I am a believer”. However, do not get me wrong, I did love and believed God with all my heart but little did not know I was a lost sheep trying to be a visible minority. Consequently, I thought to myself, I can not live a filthy lifestyle, like this and claim my rights as a Christian. Even though I did my due diligence to get baptized in Jesus name as the bible says in Acts 2: 38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost “. In my ignorance, I thought that baptism was the only dedication required of me because I felt as if I was not worthy enough to receive the Holy Spirit of God. But I was living with no direction, no purpose, no vision so my default was pure emptiness at the end of the day. Even if, I accumulated two College degrees and 1 College certificate at the time, I kept on wanting more. Also, I was on a successful career path established at a hospital working as a Social Work Technician. I was healthy, and I was able to share life with my two beautiful children at the time. But guess what, I was still riding life on an empty vessel. I felt unstable, incomplete, and unworthy therefore I became a church hunter, seeking to fill in a void that I was emptying myself because of the choices I’ve made. I thought it was ok as a Christian to live like that because I kept on looking at other Christian influences, instead of looking at Jesus who is the one I should follow as it is well scripted “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12: 2. Aside from that, I felt my epiphany happen shortly after I decided to stand firm on my walk with God. In a short while, I felt an urging sense of leaving my boyfriend at the time, to seek more of God but trust me I felt emotionally attached so it was a hard process to do. I was repelled by what life had thrown at me and was ashamed of living a double-minded lifestyle, in the bible defines “being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides]life” James 1: 8. Therefore, I wanted to be free, to love, to live again as I often felt as if I was a walking dead. One great Sunday morning, I took the luggage and walked to a church I felt strongly led by God. In my luggage, there was pain, confusion, hopelessness, shame, hatred, disgrace, a cloudy spirit.
When, I entered, the church doors with my conviction that change will greet me at the door and I will meet hope, peace, and love at the altar. Besides, I was greeted with harmony and love by the church members and I directed myself upstairs not wanting to be seen by anyone I already knew. I was there with a mindset to receive from God through preaching. Importantly to say, that I felt as if the preaching was directed to me as if God was speaking to me because I was living a subtle life with a man. I was constantly reminded in the spirit, that eventually the relationship I was entertaining, will bring me away, far, far away from God. Tears would flow down my face because I knew I did not want anyone to stand in the way of my love for God. So I made a prayer, saying to God “I pray that you set me free, help me and eventually give me a man who loves you more than me, a praying man, a lover of souls, and one to stand firm in your word”. Each Sunday, I went back to that church sat down at the same spot holding on to my luggage which was getting heavy to carry. I wanted to get rid of it but I was often paralyzed by my thoughts that everyone would see the walk of shame and what my suitcase was holding. Nonetheless, I am grateful to say that, I was marveled to see the joy on people’s face dancing and worshiping God at the altar as if it was a heavenly party. I knew, that the presence of God was felt and experienced tremendously, to the point that I saw people manifesting his love and purity all around me. One bright Sunday, I boldly went to the altar and wanted to be prayed for, one of the altar workers came to ask me if they could pray for me and I said “yes please”. That person, earnestly prayed for me that I instantly felt the presence of God surrounding me as if my “heart was on fire”. The person gently asked me if I was baptized in Jesus’s name and I said “yes I am” and they followed with the question that changed my life. They said have you ever received the Holy Spirit I said: “No, how can I get it ?”, that person said it a gift that God gives to all mankind.“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost ” Acts 2:38. Matthew 3:11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. With no hesitation, I said “yes I would like to receive it”, at this point I said to myself what am I gonna lose. The person first asks me to repent with my whole heart, to let go of everything to God, my worries, my sorrows, and fears to him. I subsequently, was told to start praising God by saying the highest praise which is Hallelujah. I immediately closed my eyes and felt like a surge of fire coming from my feet up to my belly as if I was getting a spiritual cleansing. As if I had chills running through my veins and let me clarify that it was not cold nor hot in the church. Tears kept on flowing down my face as I was repeating “Hallelujah” not letting anything around distract me. I suddenly started uttering sounds out of my mouth and foreign languages and I continued to feel that fire grow inside of me. My cry was deep and genuine, I wanted more of God and I received His Holy Spirit as it is well identified in the bible in Acts 2: 4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”. Let me tell you that this experience was one of the most life-changing events that happened in my life.
Following this life-changing experience, I was able to fully let go of what kept holding me back from developing a better relationship with Christ. I kept on attending that church and remained stable with God’s calling in my life, I tell you everything came into place even-though I lost some friends along the way, respect from others, negative views from family and friends. Eventually, my husband and I got back together as we had never processed any divorce papers. One important fact to note was that he was also under construction with God because in my heart I had denied ever go back with him. But as God was calling him on another level, he was able to let go of many lusting figures and seriously apply himself to be used by God. At this point, I knew that God had a ministerial partnership for us, He wanted both of us to submit to His will and stand out as leaders in our community. Since then, we both continue to stand firm in God’s word, praying, fasting, and glorifying His Holy Spirit through us. 1 Corinthians 14: 39 “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues”. Upon announcements, I was compelled by the open registration geared towards the UPC STL Music Summit Called “Heart on Fire”. Wherefore, I eagerly signed up for and felt lighthearted to participate in something that always kept me wanting God through praise and worship. If you remember in the story of the labor of love part 1, my mother Gloria Williamson was a young worshipper. And growing up I was surrounded by women who praised and worshiped God from the core of their soul. On March 10-12 2016, I attended the conference which blew me away as I was able to submerge myself in the powerful worshiping presence of God. I started crying and felt as if He was ushering me to his calling and the process began.
Since then, I am Called …
TO FOLLOW, TO LEAD, TO INSPIRE, TO LISTEN, TO INTERCEDE FOR PEOPLE, TO LOVE, TO INSPIRE, TO TEACH, TO BE HOLY, TO GIVE, TO RECEIVE, TO INSPIRE, TO MENTOR, TO EDUCATE, TO ENCOURAGE, TO SERVE, TO BE A WITNESS, TO BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. In Acts 1:8 “BUT you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Encouraging words
God’s Love is so great that He relentless pursuit after us making sure we can receive Him in our lives and live with him. God is so awesome that He sent His only begotten son Jesus to lead us and receive his Holy Spirit so we may walk a righteous life and I am not saying perfect life but a life walking desiring to do the will of God and lead others to Him. You have a purpose in God and all you need is to surrender to Him your whole self, not half looking to connect with His creation. I pray that you stay alert to His calling in your life, it is a subtle, pure calling. His word says in Matthew 11: 28-30 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”
Inspired Scripture:
James 1: 8, Acts 2: 38, 1 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 2: 4, 1 Corinthians 14: 39,Matthew 11: 28-30
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for calling me chosen and for pulling me out of the darkness into your marvelous light “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). You set my heart on fire for you for my soul longs after your presence. You are the father, I never had and you lead me to your righteousness. I pray that someone can also have a heart on fire for you and follow your calling, for you have a purpose for all and desire that none perish but have eternal life as your word says in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. In Jesus Name Amen.
My heart can only hold so much, my tears can only flow so much and my burden can only carry so much. I believe that everything in life has its limit when we can say enough is enough. This blog is a second segment of “He lifted my burden”(part 1), which refers to a heartfelt weight I was holding on to when I found out, that one of my old-time (best-friend) had a heavy burden in her heart. She shared with me her experience and all I could do is ask Jesus to help me support her and be there for her. The beauty in all of this is that this friend, I met her in 1999, in Markham Toronto, two years after my mother passed away, my father decided to bring my brother and me to live with him, there. That friend happened to be my first friend in this foreign place, I was living at, with one of my brother and our father. She was the closest neighbor I could have because I was living in the basement apartment of her parent’s home. We could only share so much with each other, coming from different cultural backgrounds but a heart sowed with love, waves of laughter, and long-lasting friendship, no matter the distance, culture, and language barriers. Her name is Prabhjot Jyoti Jaura, I loved to say her name teasing( jokingly) her at school but honestly loving the sound of her name as it was unique and intriguing to pronounce. In retrospect, I must say one thing I loved about living in Toronto was the fact that it is multicultural and the school system embraces the differences and nations of others. Nonetheless, Prabhjot and I could not spend a day without hanging out, she would teach me some Punjabi words and also introduced the fine cuisine of her mother’s kitchen. I remember as if it was yesterday; eating the curry chicken with naan bread. I could not stop indulging in some homemade spicy pizza her mother would make; when the smell would travel through the house ventilation system into my nostrils, it was good, I tell you. In return, being only 13yrs old at the time, I made her my homemade poutine with a generous spread of mozzarella cheese mix with hot gravy sauce dripping down the fries and cheese; how unique right!! but she loved it. You can only imagine, how much we shared; lots of good food, waves of laughter, and beautiful cultural traditions. We soon extended our friendship circle with another high school friend of ours named Janelle. We were remembered as the three musketeers or the inseparable. We enjoyed endless movie nights, fun times with each other, and creating lasting memories. I can only recall great things about our young lives sprouting until the time was cut short in March 2001. All of a sudden, I was urgently shifted back to Montreal, where I was residing before my mother passed away. It was a sudden change due to unforeseen circumstances.
Mary , Janelle, Prabhjot (Jyoti) in 1999
In the tornados of my life, I ended up back in Montreal, Quebec in a new high school, a new living environment to which I quickly had to adapt to. Furthermore, Prabjhot and I tried to keep up with our friendship but it was not as easy therefore we lost contact and went about our lives trying as much as possible to keep in touch here in there but we let life carry us through its wave. As time went by, one day I took the opportunity to visit Toronto, I always wondered about all my friends, classmates, and teachers I left behind due to a drastic change. Moreover, I always asked myself where was she? Prabjhot ?, what was she doing?, How was she? , my mind was filtering unanswered questions. Ultimately, I reached out searching through Facebook, and eventually found her. After several discussions on different occasions, I finally told her I was visiting Toronto in January 2018 with my family and told her “I want to pass by see you”. She automatically said “yes sure”, I was surprised after so long, she shared her coordinates with me but honestly, I could not deny that our connection surpassed the doubt and the discomfort of the distance we experienced. Therefore, upon my arrival, I was greeted by the whole family as if I was the “prodigal daughter”, greeted with love, compassion, peace, and remembrance, and guess what; her mother made, my favorite pizza dish; she once did. Nonetheless, Prabhjot and I chatted away and since that visit, and we never stopped connecting and making sure we catch up with each other as much as possible including visiting each other, when she was visiting Montreal or me Toronto. That same year we reunited, we carried over well, to the point that she even kept me informed of her pregnancy development and experiences.
This is us in Jan 2018
Inner Beauty
The story of a beautiful journey started after a memorable wedding ceremony in Jan 2016, this young couple soon decided to embark on the journey of parenthood to start a family. The “Inner Beauty” is the meaning of her name; Seerat Sadeora a lovely gift from God from the inner parts of her life to the outstanding manifestation of her flourishing life. This baby girl was born on Nov 3rd, 2018 in Ontario Canada being the golden treasure of two loving individuals Prabhjot Jyoti (Jaura) Sadeora and Jaskaran Sadeora . After giving birth to baby Seerat, to their stunning surprise, Seerat was born with a rare and unexpected disease referred to as the “Wieacker Syndrome”. (Click here for more info ) This was shocking news not only to them but the whole medical staff, family, and friends, as they were not understanding what happened or what may have been missed, throughout the medical appointments. Furthermore, I remember when she called me, she was expressing her concerns about Seerat not being able to eat because she was told by doctors that her daughter could not be able to swallow because of her condition therefore she will have a permanent tube feeding. Let us pause here and understand that the word of God says in proverbs 16:1-2 We humans make plans, but the Lord has the final word.We may think we know what is right, but the Lord is the judge of our motives.(To get a clearer understanding, this is derived from the CVE bible version). Besides that, if you recall from my previous post the doctor mentioned something similar under the lines that there will be physical permanency in the body. However, as a believer, I am convinced and have confidence that God has the last say in all things no matter what the medical realities are. Although, you remember, how Prabhjot and I would rave about the food, therefore the burden of her daughter not being able to eat left a heavy toll on her heart as well as mines. The way she described food was something we can connect to, something to be enjoyed and I agreed with her. I kept on thinking about her, more and more, and when the opportunity came up that my husband and I went to Toronto for a church Filipino conference. At that time, it was around April 2019 and Seerat was about 5 months old. Therefore, while I was in Toronto, I told my husband we need to go visit Prabjoht my friend, her husband, and baby Seerat (who I adopted as my Lil niece). I told my husband how it was a burden in my heart, to pray for them especially baby Seerat before we went back to Montreal. While we meet up, we ate and enjoyed each other’s presence, plus it was my first time meeting my Lil baby Seerat, with whom I fell in love at first sight. Nonetheless, as we drove into our conversations, Prabhjot Jyoti told me I quote “Mary you know how painful the feeding tube is? because I tried it and put it in my own nose and it felt terrible, I can only imagine how painful it is for her to receive food with that tube“. Just at that moment, I felt as if I could feel her trembling pain and I felt her burden which became mine also, and immediately I felt a strong leading from God that I needed to ask her if I can pray for Seerat . I felt a spiritual nudge as if God was telling me “Mary do not forget the power I have given you when you received the Holy Ghost”. As we see, in Acts 1: 8 it says “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth”(AMP). It is also clear in Luke 1:35 “The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you,…”. As well as in Mark 6:5 “So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them me”. Therefore, I went into her room and my husband and I prayed, laid hands on baby Seerat; declaring her healing and ability to eat in Jesus’s Name. We could feel His presence in the room as we prayed fervently for this beautiful baby. I could see the held tears in my friend’s eyes not wanting to express how she felt, but she sure knew that something was happening. My husband and I left the room with the assurance that Jesus will be doing a miracle in this child’s life continuously. Soon after we left to go back home and we continued to pray for baby Seerat , we left prayer request in our church home fellowship group (HFJ) about the healing process of baby Seerat. A month and a half later, my friend calls me and says “Mary thank you so much , because your Jesus heard your prayer, my daughter can eat solid food now and will never use the tube feeding again” . She later, informed me that the doctors conducted an X-ray test and saw that she was able to swallow therefore able to eat regular food and that the feeding tube will be removed permanently . The joy that overwhelmed my soul could not be explained, I leaped for joy and started praising Jesus for all He has done and will be doing for baby Seerat .
“Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]”
Galatians 6: 2 (AMP)
Seerat in the Belly of her
Baby Seerat at birth and couple months after
Word of encouragement:
I want to encourage someone, to stay faithful to God’s promises because His faithfulness is an assurance in our life. For He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow, still performing miracles. He is the one who gives us the strength each day we wake up therefore we should be thankful for the smallest things and in the end we will appreciate life for the bigger picture. The love of Jesus can overflow in your hearts, that you will not be able to contain your love for others, therefore, you will instantly have compassion and pray for them, talk to them about HIM, bless them with HIS words and love them your action and your words. As a result, you will only show them nothing but love. Let us not get deserted in our minds and forget that we need one another someway somehow. If only, we can show one another more love and, peace of mind; you could only imagine, how things could change. May the believers and non-believers who read this be encouraged to turn to Jesus and trust in the power in HIS Name and allow Him to operate in you to help the nation at large, be sensitive to His calling in your life” You all, have a Purpose and may HIS WILL be done in your life”. In Colossians 3: 17 it says ” Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him”(AMP). God is limitless and powerful therefore have confidence in Him, be strong and courageous and be confident in your ability in Jesus’s Name. Acts 6: 8 it says “And Stephen (as a christian), full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people” .
In Jesus Name , a Miracle can Still Happen Now!
Baby Seerat and her flourishing healing process!
Inspired Scriptures:
Acts 1: 8, Luke 1:35, Mark 6:5, Galatians 6: 2 , Colossians 3: 17, Acts 6: 8, Psalm 37:23
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, my God my savior, my provider, my present help in time of need, I want to thank you for always showing up at the right time for the right needs we have even more to see. Sometimes we doubt your amazing love and power that we can not fathom your simplicity because we often try to figure things out on our own but the bible clearly says in Psalm 37: 23 that…” The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]” (AMP). I love you, Lord Jesus. May you touch someone today and show them your wonders and power in Jesus’s Name Amen!
In life, we are often faced with so much to carry and absorb on the daily basis, that we continuously question our existence, our purpose and if God really exists. I once echoed those feelings and questions because I have been in that state of mind due to the unpredictable life circumstances, that almost dried up my cup of hope. But there has been something so special that kept me going and in my perspective seeing “the light after the tunnel “and that is with the exuberant grace of God. That grace-filled up my burden and filled my cup of hope in the most difficult times. Just to give you a little sneak peek of that grace I will shed light on His miracle by the grace of God.
“So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands”
Acts 14:3
“The Reminder of his grace “
Close to 8 years ago, I had an unusual growing mass located under my right ear. It was something, I never paid attention to as much. At the time, I was pregnant with my oldest daughter Amelia Katlee and I did not want to overwhelm myself with ideas and assumptions base on fears. Even though, I endured a very hard time during that pregnancy, which was filled with negative emotions and heartbreaking realities. But I kept my head above the waters, inclined on my faith in God and perseverance in life. Mind you, I was not as rooted in my walk with God but, I knew He existed and performed miracles.
One day, one of my closes friends looked at me and said ” Hey Mary “You have something growing on your face near your ear”, immediately I recalled touching the small mass I once felt near my ear. Once again, that same friend told me, “You should go get a check at the hospital”. By then, I was well advanced in my pregnancy at about 8 months, I felt as if, I didn’t want to know about any medical issues, once again there was already a lot going on in my life. So I disregarded the suggested visit because I convinced myself that it was not too bad ( knowing that I did not want to face a possible truth). Therefore, I can empathize with anyone out there who is going through or went through similar feelings when you knew there was something wrong but resisted the idea of going to the hospital to hear the worst-case scenario. Consequently, I became more distraught and distant in the last month of my pregnancy knowing that, I did not want to go do an MRI assuming that I would not be able to hold my baby girl. Negative thoughts swam across my head like on a polluted ocean, I was constantly manifesting a spirit of fear. Thus, I would cry day and night, enduring the facial pain I was experiencing, I felt aching spasm on the right side of my face. I also experienced seeing white flashes and painful jaw movements getting worst as the days went by. Nonetheless, I finally took an appointment and mentioned it to my family doctor, who referred me to an (ORL) Otorhinolaryngologist doctor who is specialized in head and neck practice. I was then, told that since I will be giving birth soon, I should follow-up with my appointments afterward. Dwelling, in the unknown, made me anxious, even worst when I had to wait for a doctor to find out what I had. After my beautiful baby girl’s delivery, so much anxiety pain went away as I took the time to embrace the bundle of JOY, I held so dearly. In March 2013, a few months later, I was able to leave my daughter with family and verify what I had through MRI testing. Eventually, results came in, the doctors announced that I had a parotid ( salivary gland) benign tumor growing on the upper right side of my face and I needed surgery to remove it. I was in shock, frozen in time, unable to talk as a rush of emotions gush through my heart. All I could think about is that my life is over and my face would not be the same anymore. The doctor very stoic in his demeanor informed me that the surgery would take less than two hours but I would need to stay at the hospital for one day or half a day and that I will have facial paralysis with a crooked smile because of the procedure will touch my facial nerves. He jokingly said ” I hope the man you are with loves you because your face will change and your smile will not be the same” but he saw it was not funny after all, trying to make me smile. When he left the room, I collapsed emotionally and let all my tears cover my face, my heart felt heavy, I felt as if I had something squeezed my throat, and had a sudden migraine. As I walked out of the hospital, I cried out “WHY ME GOD” which seems to be a normal statement, most people say when they are faced with difficulties. Therefore, I screamed, felt frustrated and I did not want to get this surgery done but I knew if I was not gonna consent to this, it could only get worst.
Furthermore, on the day of the surgery, there I was on the hospital bed, looking at the bright lights facing me and all the medical tools laying on the surgical equipment table. I saw the assisted nurse, the surgeon, the anesthetist as he was addmistrering the first general anesthesia dosage needed to knock me out. The first sense that faded away, was my sight as my eyes would slowly dim; I felt like I was falling asleep and my hearing was second as I could hear sound fading away, hearing the mumbling from the co-workers chatting. At that time, I made a conscious prayer, that God protects me and stays with me, and take control over everything. A couple of hours later, I wake up to the sound of beeping machines and the attending nurse, saying ” Hi miss Bercy everything went well the doctor will come to see you”. I felt numb on my legs and I could feel the bandage wrapped over my head. I was glad to hear, see and feel again as my senses would trickle back in. I thanked God for that. Soon after the doctor came saying ” Hi miss Bercy, I must say that the Man up there really loves you, He was in control over it all because everything went well and you have no signs of facial paralysis and the benign tumor is completely removed”. I could only tear up and whisper thank you Jesus and thank you, Doctor. I was also overwhelmed with joy that God performed a miracle in the medical field and in my life, also keeping the doctor and nurses in aha moment of His supernatural wonders. In Isaiah 55-8-9 it says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts, Henceforth, the word of God also says “And on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him” ( Mark 6:2-3).
“The reminder” of the Grace of God
In retrospect, I marveled at the fact that God was in control over everything, even building the faith of that doctor and other medical staff. Knowing that the surgeon was in the medical field for over 20 years, therefore he had experience with this type of surgeries, hence his declaration was off the records not knowing I was a believer. He was compelled to let me know that Jesus loves me and takes care of all my needs and heals me in the process of my journey. My faith grew bigger since then and, as a result, I wanted to draw nearer to God. Later on, the recovery happened so quickly and was able to enjoy an anxiety-free life again and enjoy my family. I ended calling this scar the reminder of his grace because I can smile without any facial paralysis knowing that the mass has been completely removed. Now, I am grateful every day for the smallest things and blessings God gives me, something simple as the air that I breathe. In the end, God wanted someone to believe and know that He is God almighty because our faith can move mountains through our praying abilities and belief. God asks us to have faith like a grain of mustard seed, as it is well scripted in Matthew 17: 20 “He answered, “Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you”.
Words of Encouragment
I want to encourage someone out there, who may be struggling with some, infirmities either mental, physical, emotional, or other. Rest assured that there are still miracles being done in the Names of Jesus Christ. Things that the human mind can not comprehend and discover. God is still a miracle worker and operates in the hospital bed or where ever you are, it takes someone who believes wholeheartedly with the smallest inch of faith. The more you see God, move in your life the more your faith grows no matter the circumstances. His words say in John 4:48 “Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” Be encouraged, and trust the process.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, my healer, my provider, and my refuge, I pray that someone can receive from you today and know that you can operate in their lives with so many blessings which will overwhelm their human understanding and in return will worship you and give you honor. I pray that someone’s faith can grow bigger than a grain of mustard seed as you lead them to you each day they live. Thank you for what you are doing, the mentally, physically, and emotionally healing in my life. I pray that as believers; we can operate in your holy spirit and discern your will, to heal others with the gift of healing you have given. This world needs you, God, show us your signs and wonders. Thank you once again for inspiring me to write even when it gets hectic at times but you give me the strength to pour out your love through me. May someone be touched by you and may you bless them in their journey. In Jesus Name Amen.
Inspired scriptures:
Isaiah 55-8-9, Mark 6:2-3, Matthew 17: 20, John 4:48, Acts 14:3
When I think about the five senses of our human body, I am astonished at the fact that we can use and significantly need these senses to make-up the world around us. Unfortunately, many individuals can not use some or all of their senses, due to their disability or undeveloped awareness to define it. Despite this, it is important to know that some senses can be more defined than others and they are as essential and helpful to make endless connections in the world around us. Having experience working with children and adolescents with special needs, I am amazed to see how they interact with the world around them with so much to give regardless of their disability. Some children have hypersensitive senses, to touch, sound, taste, and more. Also, scientific studies identify a sixth sense of awareness which is known as proprioception, which helps the brain navigate in the world using sharpened insight, intuition, or gut feeling. In my opinion, many people often neglect this sense because they do not understand its function or purpose. Alongside, If I may, I will add another important sense that we often, disregard to use effectively because generally speaking many lack the knowledge on how to use it and how to make it a vital sense in our daily lives. Hosea 4: 6 states “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge…” Thus, I call it the “the prayer sense”, and the way I understand it to be, that in our spiritual walk with God, prayer is one of the most vital compasses towards Him and a powerful way of projecting hope in this world. If I can define it; it would be that “the prayer sense” is the essence of our daily connection with our creator and the power given unto humans to maintain sanity, hope, peace, and love in a chaotic world. Like the “spider-sense” in the Marvel movie “Spiderman“, Spiderman requires his tools to fight off the evil around him and help his community as well because he believed in his ability and uses it for the better good of his mission. The same notion goes for prayer, we need it and use it as a powerful weapon and contributor for survival in this world. As a name, I would keep it as simple as it sounds ” The Prayer Sense “.
I recall, in my young years seeing people around me praying and I thought to myself, Wow I want to pray just like them one day and be as powerful. It seemed so special to observe people in the state of prayer, either on their knees, standing up, or pacing around the area where they were at. Furthermore, I decided to try it myself in my teenage years, and honestly, I was struggling to put words together to pray, and felt frustrated, and distracted because I was convinced I did not know how to pray. I resorted to the easiest way out which was not to pray at all. However, on occasion when things got really bad in my life of depression and anxiety, I requested people to pray for me and allowed many to lay hands on me to hear what God had to tell me through them. I often felt as if I was unworthy to pray in his presence because of the unmounted loads of sin I carried with me like a negative cloud all around me. But I was persistent and wanted to pray myself so I used to say out loud, Can you hear me? Can you hear me… someone, anyone? Can you hear me, GOD? I would stop there and move on about my day by trying to fill in a void. On the other hand, for many years, I would hear preachers say to the congregation “you have to PRAY, PRAY every day”. At this point, rock bottom hit me hard and I wanted to know more about how to pray, the reason, and the connection behind it. I needed to grasp and put it into practice daily because I often felt faint, discouraged about life, and not able to move forward on many levels. Even if for many years, it felt as if it was easier said than done, I had to push through that barrier, so I did and it brought me into a deeper level with God.
I want to share with you some tips that can be useful when you pray, to develop your “prayer senses”.It is important to take time for God out of your busy day. I recently read a book entitled “Powerful Prayers in the War Room” by Daniel B. Lancaster Ph.D. who referred to the use of the acronym of P.R.A.Y to connect with God on another level each day. Along with that, he strongly noted that we should use the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13) as a basic blueprint or template for our prayer. However, note that this is not to repeat each time as a default prayer because you do not make the effort to speak your heart out to God. Prayer should not be done vainly instead it should be sincere and heartfelt. In biblical reference we can see in Matthew 5: 6-7 it says “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [a]openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words”(NKJV). So just to be clear that you can use The Lord’s Prayer as a reference to help you access the throne of grace because later on, you will develop your own words that come from your heart. Besides, God teaches us how to use his word to pray and spend at least a 1hr or more in His presence. I know some may say; what a 1 hour, well that’s a lot and I used to say the same and often brought in the oppression of lack of prayer because my heart was not fully into it. I started noticing how I felt, every-time I wanted to pray, something started to get in the way, distracting me; all of sudden, I was more tired and pushed back the idea of praying. I wondered why and if this happened to others or it was just me not able to push through. BUT the more I entertained the thoughts, the fatigue, the more it took time away from me to pray. We can see in Matt 26: 39-40 Jesus went to pray as well to show us that it is possible to do. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me for one hour?” Matt 26: 39-40 (KJV).
Like every new learning experience, milestone, project, or plan you need to discipline and prepare yourself. For example, if you set your mind to work out for your health reasons, you have to discipline yourself and make sure you have a workout plan because if you are all over the place, you will not gain the right muscle tone or lose the right amount fat. I know that when I started working out, I only started 5-10 mins a day to get me in the groove and as the days went by I was more physically and mentally in-tuned to the workout and built momentum. I stopped contemplating in my thoughts on how will I get this weight off and get in shape, I just took action regardless of the stumbling blocks. Therefore, the key learning component in prayer; is to be consistent and do it wholeheartedly with a receiving mindset of God’s teachings, blessings, spirit, and more. Also being ready to hear from God who will operate in your life and your loved ones.
Here are some tips you can grasp to help build up your prayer walk with Jesus the God who created the heavens and the earth. This will build your confidence, your faith, and endurance in prayer, even if you start 5-10 mins it’s better than nothing at all.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”
Colossians 4:2
Praise
Coming to God with praise shows him the honor and respect He deserves. You thank Him for what he has done for you. Knowing and believing that He is the creator of all things, you can show him gratitude by saying ” thank you heavenly father, my God, my savior, the God of love and peace. Calling on his Name JESUS, JESUS, JESUS out loud and saying thank you for dying on Calvary for my sins. I also cry out Hallelujah, praise God, thank you for your faithfulness. You can notice it’s praising who created you, what helps us to think about something He did for you or did for someone you know. When I come to Jesus, I often start worshiping my heart out to him, saying thank you and letting my mind be set on him with very soft worship songs and this helps set the environment. Psalm 148 refers to praise; “13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.14 And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints—Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!”. We see as well in John 4: 23-24 “But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”.
Repent
Coming to God with a repenting heart, moves the heart of God to forgive you for your sins. He wants us to tell him our deepest secrets as He is the greatest therapist, confidant, and psychologist there is to know. As the prophet Isaiah well describes Him in Isaiah 9: 6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (NKJV). Moreover, In Jeremiah 29: 13 you can see that Jesus says; “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (NKJV).In your time of prayer, tell him how sorry you are for your daily sins and how you want to turn away from them and need His complete help and support. Regardless of how heavy your heart feels in this moment because of shame and pride, keep pushing with an honest approach to God. You might, feel to cry or sense a feeling of unworthiness overwhelm your soul but let yourself go. Because God will accept all your heavy burdens, fears, and concerns and replace it with peace, love, joy, and more .” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness“. 1John 1:9 (NKJV). In the end, we are more effective in the kingdom of God when we have a repenting heart. We see in Matthew 3:8 “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance”. Moreover, in Luke 15:7 ” I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance“.
Ask
Coming to God is asking what we need for Him to do in our lives or the lives of others. This is an essential part in connecting to Him on a level where you are humble and vulnerable to ask because he says in Matt 7: 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (NKJV). At this, the point I often would ask God to remove my fears and heal my heart from overwhelming pain. I also, have a strong burden for my family and friends and ask Him to intervene for them and give them salvation. In this part, I also caution what I ask for because I do not want to fall into the lust of my desires which may lead me away from God because of the lustful sense of my request. James 4: 3 is states “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures”. So I ask God to lead me towards what He knows is best for me and how my heart can receive it. I also ask him, that I stay humble in all situations, be a peacemaker and receive understanding and wisdom according to His will. But in this part, do not hesitate to ask God for he gives us according to his riches such as described in Philippians 4: 19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”( NKJV). In Psalm 37 it says; 4″ Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart“. In Psalm 37 it says: “I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears“.
Yielding
Coming to God is yielding to Him, it allows Him to draw nearer to us because we allowed him in our hearts. This an important part of the prayer because it entails you to wait on God and listen to what He has to say but most importantly waiting by asking Him what you want me to do? , How can I help your kingdom grow? How can I be available to you and may your perfect will be done etc? This section of the prayer requires your undivided intention because He will speak to you which can be done in various forms with his word, his spirit speaking through you, or in His audible voice. So pay attention, and be ready to receive from him. Also, in this part I am quiet and listening as I whisper softy “speak to me God”, “telling Him what you want me to do?” how can I be available to you, to help someone in need not matter the hopeless in this world? “. Romans 8: 28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. He knows the plan for our lives and wants us to prosper in this world and Him. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29: 11 (NKJV). Furthermore, we need to remind ourselves that, may his will be done. John 6: 38 declares “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me”.
In closing, I would often say, let your Will be done and let the meditation of my heart be acceptable unto you in Jesus Name Amen. We can see that in Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” Using the Name of Jesus to seal off my prayers and we see that in Colossians 3: 17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”.
Words of Encouragement
No matter, what is going on in the world keep praying, for God hears our prayer. In 1 John 5: 14 it says “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us“. Even if you do not understand what can be happening, He asks us to trust him blindly “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding .In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths“. Proverbs 3:5-6 ( NKJV). I encourage you to start praying even if you see it difficult for you to start, try your best God is not looking for word perfect prayers. He is looking for humble and honest hearts. If you want you can write it down, keep a journal of the written prayers, the date, and the answered prayers as well. Lastly, use the word in the bible to pray because it helps redefine your momentum and spiritual connection. You go this, baby steps but firm and productive ones! I will be praying that you connect or reconnect with God who is the author of our salvation. Keep using your “prayer senses” to bless yourself and others around you it’s a powerful tool.
Inspired Scriptures:
Matthew 6: 9-13, Matthew 5: 6-7, Matt 26: 39-40, Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 John 5: 14, Colossians 3: 17, Psalm 19:14, Jeremiah 29: 11, Romans 8: 28, James 4: 3, Philippians 4: 19, 2 chronicles 7:14, John 6: 38
Prayer
Dear God, I want to thank you for letting us come to you freely. You have given us access to your throne of grace with overflowing compassion. Help us to forgive one another and turn away from our wicked ways, let our actions speak love, compassion, and peace instead of shaming, hatred, and greed. As your word in 2 Chronicles, 7:14 says if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Even if we are overwhelmed by the cares of this world, I pray that you give us a heart ready to receive You and be blessed with understanding and wisdom. I ask that you, intervene in the lives of many around the world who suffer, from chronic depression, addictions, and many more negative torments. May you heal them and free their souls from this unwanted oppression. Help me make a difference in someone’s life, and touch the ones who are reading this blog according to your will. I Love you and thank you My Lord Jesus Christ, the savior of my soul. I pray in your mighty Name, Jesus. Amen!
Have you ever, played the game “broken telephone”? and often found words lost in translation, through the connection formed with the circle of friends? Well, I always wondered what did the person next to me say or mean, when it was my turn to receive and give the message. I often lost the words in translation and the message was not transmitted correctly at the end of the game. Nonetheless, I believe that communication is an essential part of our environmental connection and growth, with what we say, how we say it, when, why we say it; also when it comes to expressing our needs, our opinions, our thoughts, our emotions, and more. Even though you are a baby, a child with or without special needs, an adult, or an individual, we are drawn to communicate verbally or non-verbally and connect with the environment around us.
Furthermore, the Merriam- Webster dictionary defines that communication; is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behaviors. When we look at this definition, we can see that communication has different components and some are verbal and non-verbal and that people also exchange different information using language. Nowadays with social media and other telecommunication platforms, many people around the world can connect without borders. The powerlines of communication spread across various cities, towns, villages, and countries to capture the signal that keeps us together “communication”. Let’s not forget that it compensate much more than we think.
Nonetheless, I wanted to further my knowledge, therefore I recently took a virtual conference which was talking about the four-color model: Communicating effectively online and in person. I recollected two important aspects of communication which are; how do we mainly communicate a message? and how communication evolved looking at the evolving models? The speaker referred, that we convey most of our interaction with 55% of our body language, 38% with our tone of voice, and 7% with our words. Moving on to the other point, which I found very interesting; about the evolving models of communication. The speaker stated that in the 1940s we had a linear way of communicating, (to understand the visual, I saw it as a one-way street), in the 1960s it was a more interactive model, (such as a two-way street) and when looking at today’s era, we have come to the transactional way of communicating (which ends up looking like multiple crossroads overlapping each other from different angles with no stop signs or lights). I am baffled at the fact that when looking into this new era, we continually overlook the concept of communication which should be in my opinion a two-way interaction where people can see the non-verbal communication or hear a person’s tone of voice or receive through words a significant message. And not base our interaction mainly using emails, texting, and emojis symbols. However, embracing our interchanging behaviors by using FaceTime, zoom, phone calls, and other platforms effectively. I feel as if, knowing that we are in 2021, we should be better at this, since we have more platforms to communicate. But I’m not sure that sometimes we don’t get the bigger picture and beauty behind effective communication using the interactive model. The speaker also made notice that the transactional model, made us overlook the purpose of communication. Because many of us are distracted by external and internal noises therefore we often don’t receive the full context of the discussion. For instance, when sometimes we are speaking to ourselves ( in our mind like what am I gonna eat today?) while someone is speaking to us, or we are texting while hearing a podcast, or hear music while speaking to someone in front of us and answering an email. We are not using our active listening skills and missing some of the transactions along the way. AND, trust me I am guilty of it at times, that I miss out on a lot more because I am not entirely focused on the conversation while entertaining some thoughts, or other insignificant noises. It seems as if I was training my brain to multi-communicate which to my understanding is an ineffective style, in the long run, because someone or something gets lost in translation. We also see that texting has mainly taken away our ability to interpret a tone of voice or gestures therefore many highly rely on our emojis to interpret a message. But I see that it defeats the whole purpose of genuine connections. I feel as if we desperately need to go back to more effective communication styles by using the interactive model. Where there can be a two-way interaction and minimize the external and internal noises around as much as possible which are hindering the quality of the communicated ideas, thoughts, messages, etc. Once you practice, mindfulness and reflection, I believe we can manage the way we communicate with each other more effectively.
God, being omnipresent, wants to connect with us on so many levels. He wants us to build a relationship with him using communication which is a notion He established since the beginning of time. The same way God used communication with Adam in the garden of Eden, he wants to solidify the same baseline with us. God intended to have communion with his creation with an interactive element and not as artificial beings. God understands our hearts and observes our nonverbals to better establish a report using communication. God initiated communication when He spoke to Adam and told him what he expected of him. We can see it in, Genesis 2:16-18 “16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.18 And the LORD God said It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him”. In this last verse, God saw Adam’s heart and observed the non-verbals of Adam, also saw that he should not be alone so he provided for his need. Furthermore, Adam was in constant communication with God even when he did something wrong. We can see in Genesis 3:9-10; Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself. At that moment, Adam was afraid because he was worried about what God would say; not understanding that God wanted him to tell him the truth, and repent from the bottom of his heart but Adam let shame and pride overwhelm his heart and which shied away from his communion with God. So he hid from God. He did not want to communicate with his creator because he was ashamed of his sin and allowed worry and other interferences to burden his heart away from God to speak to him. The same as with Adam, we often see ourselves in that state of mind, hiding to communicate with God while he’s been calling us to talk with him. Another example shows when God spoke to Cain, He said to Cain why are you angry? In Genesis 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? This verse looks as if He was saying to Cain, talk to me, I see you are not happy, let us communicate tell me what’s in your heart, talk to me my son because I can help you just tell me what’s in your heart. Henceforth, praying is what we refer to as communicating, speaking to God about the deepest concerns, issues, joy, accomplishments, and all matters of our hearts. He is looking for our attention but we are often distracted by the internal and external noises that we often lose our innate ability to have interactive communication with our Creator. God wants to share and communicate with us using His word, His spirit, and more. Besides, He wants to show us love, compassion, foreignness, peace, and many more other blessings. But where are we ?, What are we doing with our time? Has social media taken away our precious time? We can see in Psalm 51: 17 says that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise to spend with God, praying and speaking to him about our heartfelt needs and request”. He also refers to, Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. But we often get the message lost in translation and stop focusing on God, who knows all things and sees all things”. We can see in Psalms 139: 1-6 which says; “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have [b]hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. We can see how His word is pure and can discern our actions the intents of our hearts as it is written in Hebrew 4: 12; “12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”. In the end, God is calling us to connect with him again and not hiding behind the shadows of our fears but to connect through a simple prayer line. He wants to hear from you and cares for your needs, just like a parent does for their child, even if they do something good or bad.
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 1 John 3:20.
I want to encourage someone, to communicate with God which is what we refer to as prayer, speak to him, let your request made known. Pray for someone you know who needs help, support, etc. He hears you and knows the deeper intention of your heart. Use your basic skill to communicate and connect with Him on another level. Let all distractions aside and spend some quality time in His presence, trust me you will be liberated, feel peace and receive from Him as your heart is set to receive with your faith and belief in Him. Stay connected and I encourage that someone uses the interactive model when communicating with our Creator, so come with a heart to receive from Him. I just want to share with you, what God has done for me. When growing up, as a middle child, I often felt lost in the siblings’ jumble mumble, just like the broken telephone game. I can recall that by the time my request was made known it was often put to the side, miss understood, and miss communicated. Therefore, I often practiced observation as a developed skill and I ended up, unable to convey my thoughts, emotions effectively at that time. As a result, I withdrew myself, which portrayed a very obedient and well-mannered child in the eyes of my parents and family members. I was always afraid of what someone would say, or often had the feeling of being judged, or even just allowed fear to overwhelm my ability to express myself in various ways. That single notion of “fear” followed me for quite some time, leading to my adult years. This startled, my ability to communicate effectively. Furthermore, I was frequently rejected and bullied at school for stuttering and not being able to read and write properly because I struggled with dyslexia as a learning disability. Therefore, I dreaded reading and writing especially when I was dealing with mathematical assignments. I often stumbled in my speech which felt, as if I had a mental hiccup or a cognitive glitch. Consequently, I could not put a word in place and I often would say something different from what I originally thought about. I can go on about this but you can only imagine how my conversations were sometimes calculated as if I was walking on eggshells. Sadly, I allowed my disability to take over by anxiety and lack of self-esteem. As a teenager and growing young adult, it was as difficult therefore one of my ultimate goals was to develop my communication skills at all levels. My eagerness to learn allowed me to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually. Although I use to oppress myself with negative ideas and self-fulfilling prophecies, therefore I surrender to God and I invited Him in my life, and my thoughts, to help me defeat this language processing disorder which was enabling me to express myself accordingly.
An audio of my prayer.
Prayer
Dear God, my Heavenly Father, my Creator, my present help in times of need. God, you are an amazing God and I thank you for taking away the fear in me and replacing it with boldness to speak up about your goodness in the lives of many. You are powerful in all your ways, I see how you communicate with me, responding to my heartfelt desires. You made me weep like a child this week because you showed me how you understand the desires of my heart and you wanted to give me clarity and understanding of your perfect will. You thought me how to wait on you and dive deeper in love with you, my heart could not stop praising you in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I thank you for the heart of worship you gave me and the ability to communicate effectively with You; using your powerful words. I pray that someone can do the same out there. I pray that someone can receive from this blog and be bless and have the desire to know you more or go deeper in their walk with you. Thank you for accepting my imperfections and allowing me to grow each day. I love you, and thank you for it all, In Jesus Name Amen.
December 31st is a special date, where people get so impatient to count off the seconds of last year’s momentum. In order, to welcome a new beginning, a new month, and a new YEAR. Looking back on December 31st, 2019 at 11h55pm, minutes before midnight revealed itself, my heart was palpitating and overwhelmed at the fact that we were entering a new era. An Era, where people proclaimed a 2020 vision of hope, aspiration, and prosperity. I remember a couple of days before the big turn over of the new year, I felt God confirming in my spirit that we were entering a new “Dimension” and that we were called to pray, to serve, to listen, to follow, to give, and to be a witness. At last, when I was sitting on the church pews, I could not contain my excitement and joy seeing the crowded church service on the night of December 31st, 2019. I was praying for the new year to come so fast that by the second shout of “HALLELUJAH”, we jumped off the count down and celebrated. We went forward to enjoy ourselves with family and friends and embracing each other’s presence. On another note, I usually gather my husband and children, on the 1st of January, to pray and talk about our personal and collective resolutions. I recall us saying that; we wanted to get closer to God, pray, fast, read His word more as a family, we also wanted to spend more quality time together and try to do some activities such as traveling. A few of my personal resolutions was, to write, do some projects, and work where God led me. I also wanted to have more “time”, which was something that, we all desperately were searching for, like a needle in a haystack. I heard many chanting on the fact that we needed “more time to do this”, “more time to do that”, “oh if only I had more time”, if I would, if I could, knowing that time was precious and of an essence. Consequently, many of my family and friends expressed their concerns about this main factor called “Time” which took away from us every second of hope due to the overwhelming spirit of work, work, work, and more work, in order to fulfill life’s biggest dream of success. Henceforth, one of my biggest new years resolution was to spend more time with my little family.
As the months, were passing by I had a strange feeling that 2020 was, but going to be different but … different but I did not expect the unexpected to come so fast when March 2020 turned things upside-down. Despite all this commotion, I was fortunate to have my father-in-law visit us for the first time in Canada; coming from the Dominican, on March 4th, 2020 (for what was supposed to be for a month but ended to be four months of his helpful resources). As the news was going ramped on the fact that China, France, Italy were impacted by this major life-threatening disease, spreading as vicious as wildfires. It was alarming, especially when I first heard that my, children’s school had to shut down due to an outbreak of a so-called “coronavirus” spread in our district. I also remember finishing my last adult education classes online not being able to gather with classmates to celebrate our finals. Nonetheless, we followed the provincial laws which soon after became a worldwide lockdown. I felt as if time was paused for a moment as if we were watching a science fiction movie and was consumed by it with no port of exit. But this minute took the extension it wanted to take, while we had to face a new reality when something that was supposed to last 2 weeks, dominated our human comprehension.
Weeks and months into it, I could say that I was overtaken by fear of the media, the articles which were exacerbating my spirit, regarding this harmful disease. I would not bear, hearing more about this terrorizing feeling of losing people over this deadly encounter. As a result of this outburst, we were obliged to remain at home, reorganize our affairs, and maintain the media lines on high alert. My heart was bursting with concerns which, I brought to God in prayer, asking him to lead me and show me what I should do instead of murmuring. Because I was not having it easy at the beginning, because I felt paralyzed and numb about what was going and I did not want to face the new reality due to my resistance to change. I think a lot of people can relate; as many fell into a deep depression, anxiety attacks, and random addictions. Not negating how other people coped with it. But I chose to grab hold of God by not letting one bit of these notifications, sanction my desire to live and stay hopeful. I was determined and asked God to work through me, give me strength, and help me to help others. I recalled, that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). I was dedicated to keeping, my mental health uplifted, as well as others around me. I was reminded that the word of God says in Ecclesiastes 8:4-7 “Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Whoso keeps the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discreteness both time and judgment, Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him what is to come?” This verse showed me, that we may have plans for tomorrow but have no clue of what will happen, we do not have control of the outcome of tomorrow, and that only God knows, so He asks us to have faith and trust him along the way. Not to complain about things we have no control over no matter what happens tomorrow, no matter the circumstance, even if it hurts, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to the human understanding. God says in his word in Mark 5; 36 ” 36 Overhearing what was being said, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; only keep on believing [in Me and my power].”Overall, this is the essence of our faith, as it is well described in 1 Peter 1:6-7 “6 In this you rejoice greatly, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”.As a result, it is a great attribute to be teachable in the middle of any circumstances, to be receptive to receive something that will benefit personal, professional, and spiritual growth which will empower one’s life to live gracefully.
In addition to that, I started to shift my mindset, and minimize my hours spent watching the news and feeding my soul with anguish. Instead, I took a turning point and decided to uplift others with positive encouragement from what God inspired me with. I gave my focus fully back to Him, by leading me to start new projects such as gardening, family midnight prayer intercessions, and starting this blog. In expansion, I became more receptive to his calling in my life and my purpose because He caught my attention which was taken away by the time I diapersed in other things before the pandemic. Therefore, He wanted me to draw closer and be sensitive to his spirit and not murmur about the things I, may have lost but looking at the things I have and not taking life for granted. Therefore, I started to count my blessings by being grateful for my life, my health, my children, my family, even my time. As well as the power He has given me with his Holy Spirit, and many more other significant blessings. Altogether, the pandemic though me to be more conscious of others by wearing a mask for the safety of myself and others, for being patient, and being creative with my time. As a matter of fact, God allowed me to put into practice more the notion of “the fruit of the spirit” which is well settled in Galatians 5: 22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”. So I started to adopt a different attitude and practice mindfulness with His promises mentioned in James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. Following in, Philippians 4:6-7 which says “Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus”.
I want to encourage someone out there, to not give up despite what happened in 2020, stay convinced that, we are more than overcomes. Nonetheless, if you are not sure about your own life and want to give Jesus a chance, it is the best decision you can make if you give your life to Him and obey the gospel, and apply His word in your life. Ask him and he will confirm His truth. Likewise, tomorrow is not promised, and do not worry about it. Matt 6: 33-34 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. With that written, it is a reminder that we need to trust Him in the midsts of our tomorrow, which is not saying that we may not have plans of any sort but to put God in all of it and seek Him first. To my fellow believers, stay strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. He has never lost a battle and has brought you from a mighty long way, so He has no attention on leaving you right now and never will. Be exhorted to continue to trust Him in the process, we call “life”. Furthermore, let us practice mindfulness and gratefulness for the things we can cherish now and not take life for granted.
Happy New Year 2021, may this year be a valuable one for you, May God’s peace and covering be with you all-around your family. May you be inspired by Him and bless others with your positively echoing words and compassion. May last year be a lesson for tomorrow and may we learn to be appreciative of our lives today.
Inspired Scriptures
2 Timothy 1:7, Ecclesiastes 8:4-7, Mark 5: 36,1 Peter 1:6-7,Galatians 5: 22-23,James 1:2-4, Philippians 4:6-7,& Matt 6 : 33-34.
My Prayer
Dear God, I thank you for what you have given me thus far and what you will do in 2021. I may not notice it at first but I have confidence in You! that Your perfect will be done in my life. I am praying that we can fall in love with you, again and again, each day that we wake up knowing that you give the breath of life and you have given us so much more. I pray that we make YOU our main focus and you will take care of everything else. You ask us to rejoice in the good and in the bad because we need to be grateful for everything and in everything give thanks, no matter the storm, and trust You and learn to discern right from wrong.You though me to be physically and mentally present for You and my little family and not to overwhelm my mind with concerns I have no control over. Thank You for all of that. Therefore, I leave everything in Your hands. I pray that someone can be blessed by this segment In Jesus Name. Amen
Faith Builds You 