Eucharisteo

“The Eucharest: Receiving the holy grail of peace, grace and joy with thanksgiving.”

It was on Holy Thursday that Jesus broke bread with his disciples. Before the Passover Lamb could be sacrificed for good, he wanted to have one last meal with his friends & followers.

Dr. Luke in the gospel account records the words of Jesus thus, “and he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them…” (Luke 22:19).

In the original language, ‘he gave thanks’ reads – ‘eucharisteo.’ The root word of eucharisteo is ‘charis’ which means ‘grace.’ Jesus took bread, saw it as grace and gave thanks.

So ‘eucharisteo,’ thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, ‘charis.’ And the Greek word for grace, charis forms the very heart of the word, eucharisteo.

Because it was soon to be the grace of God found in the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb which would form the very heart of the table of the eucharisteo – the table of thanksgiving.

And this brings us to the deeper meaning of the Greek word – charis. For it is derived from the Greek word, ‘chara’ meaning ‘joy.’

Because deep chara joy is found only at the table of the eucharisteo – the table of thanksgiving, where the grace of God that brings with it the promise of wholeness and shalom is enfleshed for us in the Person of Jesus – the Living Bread that was broken to give us new life.

Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Charis. Grace. Chara. Joy.

The days after The Lord’s Supper were days that were going to see the deepest kind of wounding inflicted on him, followed by a day of gloom and despair, before he would finally be raised back to life again.

And the days that we are now walking into this Holy week commemorate & celebrate the same reality – if we suffer with him, we will also be raised up in glory with him (2 Timothy 2:12).

A Friday that saw Jesus suffer as the Lamb of God, a Saturday that marked a bridge between his suffering and his glory, and a Sunday that saw the resurrection power of God triumph over hell and death for all time to come are not only a testament of great hope to us, but also serve to take us on a brief journey that we will from time-to-time embark upon this side of heaven.

Take my hand, friend and let me lead you through it.

Good Friday:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)

The above passage of Scripture reveals that though Jesus was sinless, he was not pain-free. He was in fact, ‘tempted in every way, just as we are.’ He too was familiar with the pain of abuse, persecution, insults, ridicule, rejection and betrayal; so much so that he eventually surrendered even to a most terrifying death on the cross!

This tells me that as we walk through the pain and trauma of this fractured world, we can trust that even when no one else understands what we are going through, Jesus perfectly does.

And he doesn’t tell us to deny it, bury it or numb it.

Much the opposite really.

He encourages us to bring our wounding to him, because by his stripes, we are healed. The day we reckon as, ‘Good Friday’ is proof of that.

For the crown of thorns on his head to be bartered for the wreath of peace we now wear, this was a day when the righteous died for the unrighteous, the godly for the ungodly, the sinless for the sinner.

It wasn’t fair, but it was necessary.

Likewise, your suffering and mine has purpose too. There is nothing glamorous about it, but it is glorious.

How, you ask…

Our pain, whatever it may be, when brought to the foot of the Cross, enables a divine exchange –

Brokenness for wholeness.

Human suffering now embraced by his glory becomes not only shared and dignified, but immensely transformative.

Eugene Peterson puts it like this,

“…people do not suffer less when they are committed to following God. But when these people go through suffering, their lives are often transformed, deepened, marked with beauty and holiness, in remarkable ways that could never have been anticipated before the suffering.”

Our pain produces purpose when it is embraced by the beauty and power of who God is. For this is the truth of the cruciform life –

The Lord walked through unjust suffering, we will too. There is nothing right about it, but I’m reminded that love is the logic of heaven.

So if our Savior hung on a tree that we may have hope in the midst of our pain and suffering, then let this somber yet sacred day called, ‘Good Friday’ serve as a reminder to us that our brokenness on this side of eternity does not disqualify us from the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. In fact, it is through our brokenness that God works all things together to qualify us and to script songs of glory for all generations to echo.

So, as we have opportunity, let us approach the throne of grace – the table of the eucharisteo – to find the help we need in our time of need, but to do so with hope and joy, praise and expectation …

.. and a ton of thanks.

Silent Saturday:

“Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”
(Psalm 27:14)

Sandwiched between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection was a day where darkness seemed to have prevailed and all hope felt lost in Jerusalem. Grief and despair hung in the air as the disciples huddled together, without any comprehension of what was next. God had orchestrated this pregnant pause of sorts, but the atmosphere was thick with sorrow and suspense.

Friend, in our walk of faith, we too will have moments when we feel hopeless and discouraged. But when we do, we can always find comfort and camaraderie with the disciples. We can know that just like this wasn’t the end of their story, what we are walking through isn’t ours either.

‘Silent Saturday’ – a day riddled with fear and doubt – was in fact, a necessary bridge between the disciples’ history and their destiny. It was a purposed cross over between what was and what was yet to be – the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection, which meant but one thing:

Life would never be the same again. But on a despondent Saturday wedged between a catastrophic Friday and a monumental Sunday, this secret was hidden from them.

And somewhere I suspect the same holds true for us too.

We may not be able to fully understand or comprehend the ‘why’ behind our perceived delays, but one thing we can be certain of –

God is in it with us, and he is not busy preparing the blessing for us, but rather he is engaged in preparing us for the blessing he has already prepared for us.

In other words, our waiting is not the end of us, but rather the ‘becoming’ of us. He is the Alpha, he is the omega; but the journey?

That’s where we’ll find him.

Resurrection Sunday:

“It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
(1 Peter 3:21-22)

I took a walk with the Lord the other day – a phenomenon I love calling, ‘walking with the Lord in the cool of the day.’

And as I walked on, I found myself toying with the two keys I currently possess. One is the key to the main entrance of my home, while the other unlocks my personal almirah. Wrapping each key ring around my right and left thumb respectively, I smiled.

Peering into the face of Jesus, I suddenly realised that what I really had in possession was not just the two keys that opened up portals in the natural realm, but rather keys that had authority in the spiritual. As this epiphany came through, it brought me right back to the message of Easter:

“Because on the third day, he rose again, I now have the keys to hell and death, in Jesus’ Name.”

He is Risen!

I am Risen!

Hallelujah!

So this is the Good News we celebrate on Passover.

Death has been swallowed up in victory, and darkness has been eternally vanquished!

Therefore, we can never be deadlocked in any situation because the Lamb of God has overcome. As prized children of the most high God, we can rest in the assurance that what seems to be the end is now only a new beginning in his hands – which makes our lives a saga of unending hope, brave adventure and ceaseless glory.

The Bible states that we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). So as we lift up the cup of the new covenant this Passover, let us look at our challenges square in the eye, pick up the sword of the Spirit, and decree what he has decreed over our lives, thereby enforcing the triumph of the Cross and establishing God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

One of the Lord’s last directives to his disciples was to take the bread, the wine, and to remember. Do this in rememberance of me. Remember, and give thanks.

For the truth is that after what the Lord has done for us, we can never repay him. But we can remember him.

And as we remember him, it is we who will be reminded of who we are and whose we are. The Psalmist puts it like this,

“So now, what can I ever give back to God to repay him for the blessings he’s poured out on me? I will lift up his cup of salvation and praise him extravagantly for all that he’s done for me.”

(Psalm 116:12-13, TPT)

So friend, as we approach the Holy Week, let us lay hold of the life that is truly life, let us celebrate the Lord’s grace with peace, joy and thanksgiving.

Let us take the bread, take the wine and take communion.

Let us remember..

…and let us give thanks.

Eucharisteo.

Small Things with Great Love

The Lord first laid this verse on my heart a couple of months back with regard to a personal initiative that I believe He is calling me to take up. Someone who absolutely delights in chronicling everything that Jesus tells me in multiple journals, I made a quick note.

But as I did, a really funny thing began to unravel in the days and weeks ahead.

What began as a fancy name for a future enterprise slowly morphed into a most stunning personal revelation. Seeking to share what I have learnt, allow me to welcome you to a tiny segment of my personal walk with Christ called,

“Small Things with Great Love.”

I believe that it was Mother Teresa who first contrived this phrase in her well-known adage,

“We cannot all do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Though there is much to say about our faith walk with the Lord, what I love most about it is that it can all be summed up into one simple law, the law of love – ‘and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Mark 12:30-32, ESV)

More often than not, I feel that as children of God who are learning to walk with the Lord, we can tend to overcomplicate things. We can start to think about our calling and destiny in terms of something quite spectacular and grand which will happen, ‘one day when.’

One day when I get my degree and start my practice..

One day when I get married and start my ministry..

One day when I get my breakthrough and the path ahead is cleared..

But what I have discovered is that all we ever have is the ‘here and now.’ As long as we are sowing in love in our lives on a daily basis, we can be rest assured that whatever the Lord has promised us in the ‘then and there’ will manifest most organically as a result of our humble obedience and loving devotion – right here, right now.

1.Loving God well

Our primary calling in life is to know God and love God. I have learnt by experience that what this basically means is a lifestyle of unbroken fellowship with the heart of our Perfect Father, something which doesn’t only happen in and through our spiritual disciplines like prayer and quiet time with the Lord (though those are really important!), but rather in and through the beauty of an authentic heart-to-heart connect with the Lord through the hours of our day.

In my own personal walk with Christ, I have discovered that one way to effectively put this truth into practice is to remain in a relational dialogue with the Lord as we walk through whatever it is that we are called to in our day-to-day life.

Whether it is in the context of family, community, business, workplace or ministry, what confounds us is never beyond the wisdom of heaven. I have learned the value of taking my questions to Jesus, instead of striving to find solutions in my own limited strength. What inevitably follows is not only a satisfactory response from God that promises resolution, but also strength and strategy for the journey as I embrace my process, knowing that God controls the outcomes and therefore, they remain secure.

The net result of such a lifestyle, friends is a deepened and more dependent relationship with the Father where He leads, and we follow. Walking in humble steps that keep Him involved in our daily lives not only demonstrates our love for Him, but also brings the awe and wonder of God into our otherwise mundane lives, keeping the adventure fresh and exciting.

Love, I’m learning, is its own reward.

2. Loving ourselves well

Fuelled by the transforming power of grace, rest and self-care; I am also learning the power of loving myself well. We cannot pour from an empty cup, but for my cup to run over, I not only have to receive the love of God for me in its fullness, but let my experience of that love transform the way I see myself and love myself.

Grace
Talking of grace, our Father personifies it fully in the person of Jesus and as I take my cues from Him, I am learning to not be too hard on myself but rather give myself the kind of grace that I receive from the Lord too. Letting Him teach me to understand myself with mercy, not judgement has one of the most challenging yet satisfying part of my journey to wholeness thus far.

Though the times I fail or falter are many, learning to correct my posture in such times from self-condemnation to self-compassion has begun to awaken me to the truth that God does not call me to a life of perfection, but rather perspective. I wasn’t created to have it all together, but rather to bring all the messy parts of me to Jesus, letting His perfection fill in the gaps. For in Him, I am complete. The Lord couldn’t have said it better when He spoke thus to apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

And because it is, I am learning to let go and let God. Letting God not only inhabit those spaces of my soul where His power is made perfect in my weakness but also take over as it relates to the situations and circumstances of my life, which brings me to the topic of rest.

Rest
Friends, though there are many ways to practice rest, I have found that they are all rooted in one common truth – trust.

Our most basic human instinct is to have control, but the word of God says that love always trusts (1 Corinthians 13:7). Control has to do with fear, but love will inspire trust. As image bearers of God being transformed into His likeness which is the purest love ever, a huge part of our process with the Lord has to do with releasing control and replacing it with simple, childlike trust.

I am discovering that when I do what the Psalmist describes in Psalm 56:3, ESV “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you,” I immediately enter into a place of deeper rest as a result of placing my trust in the right place – Him.

Not in my limited ability, and not in the broken state of my circumstances, but rather in Jesus – the author and perfector of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). Each time I sense fear creeping up, tempting me to take control, I have to be very intentional about acknowledging that the Lord is sovereign – over every nation, every household, every heart. And if He said it, He will do it.

This is a gentle reminder that I give myself several times a day, and the more I do, the more I am able to trust Him and the more at rest I am internally.

Self-care
The third counterpart in the realm of loving ourselves well that I have found, friends is self-care.

Taking the time to engage in an activity that serves to rekindle our passion and zest for life while simultaneously connect us to the heart of the Father is a wonderful way, I believe, to remind ourselves that we are worthy to be taken care of, to be nurtured, to be replenished.

A personal revival is always at the core of revival in our families and communities. Though there are several things that we can indulge in, I have learnt that commiting to what is most authentic will be the most fruitful.

For some of us, this can look like catching up with a trusted friend over coffee at Starbucks. For some, it can take the form of reading through a fictional novel that transports us and stimulates our imagination. For some, it can even be fixing a jigsaw puzzle in the cosy comfort of their home, while for others, it can look like long walks and evening strolls with Jesus.

Let me share a true story at this point. On the other side of having begun this post, I found myself thrust into an unexpected trial. Since my temperament is basically like that of a finisher, I had kept a target of 2-3 days when I would write, finish, edit, pray and publish. However, the process that the Lord had in His mind for me, was quite different.

Though I don’t believe that He causes our troubles, I do believe that He uses them for our development. And this much I knew, I had hit a valley.

As the Lord shepherded me through this difficult time, I learnt how to love myself well in a whole new way. Walking out the impact I had endured hand-in-hand with the Father, I was compelled to give myself grace even if I never completed what I had begun. And perhaps, especially then. I was inspired to take adequate rest not only physically, but also spiritually as the Lord challenged me to trust Him to complete that which He had begun. Any voice of self-condemnation was replaced by the voice of self-compassion as I took the necessary measures to heal, recover and rebound well.

Coming out on the other side, I am so pleased to share that as a result of learning to love myself well through this time, I have come forth more refined, more rested, more whole, more free and more empowered. I also feel better positioned to love my neighbour more authentically because I know what it is to love myself the way God loves me.

3. Loving our neighbour as ourselves

I believe that God deposits the seeds of a prosperous future in our present. We are summoned by Him into a lifestyle of daily devotions and daily missions where it is not so much our ability that qualifies us, but rather our availability before the Lord.

The people that He has called us to love and serve are always around and about us. So, I will share here a couple of questions I have started asking God in prayer that have empowered me to be the hands and feet of Christ to help those around me:

– Who can I help today?
– Who can I encourage?
– Who can I pray for?
– Who can I bring loving correction to?
– Who can I forgive and bless?

As I write these questions for you to ponder, I am struck by the fact that all these questions have one thing in common –

‘Who.’

I feel we can often stumble over the ‘what’ in terms of our calling/destiny. My own experience testifies. But what I am learning and seeing is that the Lord wants us to pay attention to the ‘who’ – His son or daughter that is right in front of us. And as we do, He promises to make all things manifest in His perfect way and timing.

In other words, the question perhaps is not so much as, “what am I called to do?” as it is, “who am I called to love?”

Personally, this approach has been hugely rewarding for me. I have since found myself more present in my day-to-day life. Whether it was organising a vehicle for a young girl stranded on the street desperate for a ride to her destination, fetching medication to aid the recovery of my auto-rick guy, or agreeing to speak the truth in love to a family member; walking in tune with the rhythm of the Father’s heart postures me to be more aware of and attentive to the needs of the people that God has placed in front of me – right here, right now.

For it is our obedience in the here and now that is instrumental in unlocking the realms and doors of our destiny in the then and there, simply because all that we are and all that we do is grounded in the primary call of beholding and becoming love.

The value that God places on love above all else is clearly revealed in the passage that says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, ESV)

I believe that God here is saying that no matter how accomplished we are, no matter how much knowledge we possess, no matter how theologically sound our doctrine is, if we have not love, we have nothing at all.

Conversely, even if the areas of our calling and destiny seem a bit obscure, we don’t need to despair. We are encouraged by heaven to start small and begin right where we find ourselves. We can all learn to love God, love ourselves and love our neighbour as ourselves right where we are at. And as we do, the Lord promises to go before and do what only He can do.

So as we walk in radical obedience friends, may we be encouraged to remember that our tiny acts of faith executed on a daily basis will inevitably add up to a glorious destiny. For the liberating truth of the Simple Gospel is that we don’t really need to do grand things for God to make a difference, but only small things with great love.

🤍🎅🏻🤍

2 Fish & 5 Loaves 🍞

Grace

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

What I believe I am increasingly learning is the power of living in His Strength. Not struggling in mine, but thriving in His.

Where I am weak, He is strong.

And in Him, I am complete.

Praying for the power of the Most High to overshadow us, family as we tread into a new week!

His Grace is sufficient.

Shalom
🤍🌈

Miracles in the mundane

I got these yellow cookies the other day. In India, we call them ‘besan-elaichi’ biscuits.

I didn’t plan on getting myself any cookies really. I had a simple plan for the day. But how many of us know that some of the best things in life aren’t really planned?

Not my encounters with Jesus. And not my spontaneous shopping spree.

Nope.

None of these things are planned, because I believe that our Good Good Father loves to hide good good gifts in our days as we journey on with Christ.

It was a smooth flow of the Spirit that saw a simple plan morph into a delightful evening.

An evening that had me hold out these delectable yellow cookies as a testimony of God’s Goodness for some of the most beautiful moments of discovery are what our Father hides in the seemingly mundane.

In the everyday business of our day-to-day life is precisely where we come face-to-face with the Father’s business.

Whose primary business is to shape us into the image of the first born of all creation, Christ Jesus.

The hope of glory.

He dwells within. He stands behind. He goes before.

He enfolds us within His warm, tender, protective embrace and as He moves on our hearts, we find ourselves heeding His still, small voice deep within and His gentle whispers of loving truth that beckon us to pay heed to the beauty in the brokenness, to the fruit in the barren place, to the rainbow in the clouds…

…Till the spontaneous flow of the Spirit through an unsuspecting, simple plan forges great delight in the soul and tiny blossoms of favour cause the peace and joy of believing to take root deeper still.

…Till the natural testifies to the eternal, and yellow cookies speak to the early signs of His plans and purposes bursting forth.

…Till the vineyard of our love is an uncluttered and free wide open space for the King of glory to take up residence in; and the seemingly mundane becomes an act of God worship.

…Till moments spent savouring ‘besan-elaichi’ cookies collected in The Cookie Jar become a kind of memorial stone resembling the kinds that the Israelites assembled together to attest to the faithfulness of God as they crossed the River Jordon on dry ground.

On the way to their Promised Land- a land flowing with milk and honey.

Transitions are often like that, I’m learning.

You don’t know what’s up ahead but what you DO know is that the land is good, simply because our Good Good Father delights in giving good good gifts to His children.

And no.

Giants in the promised land don’t intimidate us any longer.

Because our Father’s primary business is to shape us into the image of the first born of all creation, Jesus Christ, it turns out that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

And The Cookie Jar testifies.

To the beauty in the brokenness, to the fruit in the barren place, to the rainbow in the clouds…

💗

Jesus beckons

God recently connected me to another one of His precious vessels, Liz Wright.

I first saw her on a podcast with Dr Brian Simmons recently and felt the unction to check out her ministry.

Liz was quite disarming with her charm and compassion. Full of the love of God with a clear understanding of people’s eternal worth and value, I took to her instantly.

One thing led to another, and before long I found myself mailing her office to get my hands on one of her resources which in my estimate, is easily a must-have for anyone on a journey with Christ.

This resource called, “REFLECTING GOD” is packaged as a book and a soaking album. I have been able to access the latter, and sat in it for about 4 hours at a stretch last night!

Though that’s been the longest I have ever sat in a soaking experience, it left me longing for more.

More of God. More of His Presence. More of His Light.

As I sat in the Word today friends, I learnt that the Aramaic word for light is “noohra,” which points to revelation light. This, I feel, is the hallmark of Liz’s ministry and her teachings.

Immersed in the Presence of God with a deeper revelation of the Truth of who He is and who I am in Him made for an experience last night that I will forever hold close to my heart.

Experiencing a deep catharsis in Christ and learning to rest in Him as a child of God slowly awakening to her Identity as a co-heir with Christ, I’m being found.

But as I am, I wanted to pop in and invite you too.

Invite you to linger. Invite you to heal. Invite you to awaken.

Will you come?

💌

He’s always waiting.

He knows what moves you

Honesty hour.

I have often heard people worship God with phrases like,

“You reign above it all! You reign above it all!”

Until some time back, I used to think that this meant that God reigned above the messes of our everyday lives, above the chaos and confusion, above the trials and the tribulation, quite unmoved and untouched because …

… well… because He is God.

But I am so delighted to learn that I was wrong.

Our God reigns above it all. Yes, absolutely He does.

But what I’m learning now is that He reigns above it all because He is not intimidated by the work of the powers of darkness in the world.

It’s a different deal altogether.

The truth is that God is not moved by the condition of our world because He is confident in His ability to redeem and transform. In that sense, He is not moved means that He is not intimidated. It does NOT mean that He is not touched by it.

He is.

He created us and He created the world. So how can He possibly not be touched?

I repeat.

He is.

God is very much touched by what touches us. He is grieved by what grieves us. He is moved by what moves us.

John 11:35 testifies to what I feel is one of the most profound Bible verses to ever be recorded. Though the shortest, it is one of the most loaded verses ever. It goes something like this,

“Jesus wept.”

That’s it.

Two words that reveal the sheer humanity of Jesus.

God, who wrapped Himself up in flesh to tabernacle with us and make His dwelling in our midst, wept. God, who spoke the Universe into existence at His command such that it continues to expand even today, wept. God, who reigns higher than the highest heavens and remains securely seated on His Throne forevermore, wept.

Jesus wept, friends.

And that’s exactly why He moves.

He moves when we are moved for He is moved by the feeling of our infirmity.

When we are overcome with sorrow, He is moved to heal, mend and restore us. When we are confronted with an impossible situation, He is moved to give us His promises and the assurance of our hope. When we are walking through a trial, He is moved to lead us, guide us and shape us through it.

Rewind 2000 years back.

When we were unable to do anything in our own strength to save ourselves, He was moved by the feeling of our infirmity so much so that He sent His one and only begotten son, Jesus to hang on that Cross at Calvary as both, our redemption AND our redemption price.

He was moved to make a way for our salvation and our connection to the Father Heart of God.

So how can HE not be moved by what moves us?

He absolutely is.

He is moved when we are moved by the condition of a lost and broken world. He is moved when in the face of hate, we choose love; in the face of anger; we choose peace; in the face of judgement, we choose grace; in the face of injustice, we choose forgiveness; in the face of persecution, we choose prayer.

Indeed, He is moved.

And when God is moved, He moves mountains.

And guess where it all began?

With the feeling of our infirmity.

Selah.

You’re a Miracle

Hershey’s.

Hershey’s and peanut butter- strawberry sandwiches were my favourite this winter. A change in season saw me unwittingly stash away the chocolate sauce in the refrigerator.

But again.

Seasons change.

The lunar eclipse yesterday was a pretty stunning sight. A big saffron ball of light hanging low in the evening sky caught my attention like little else does.

Realising something was peculiar as the lights shining on the mountains my window overlooks had this uncommon companion last evening, I reached out for my lenses.

Yes, it was indeed the moon hanging lower than usual. A saffron ball with craters that billions across the planets had looked eyes on.

Slowly, the ball began to rise. Bit by bit till the hue changed to a bright white and the moonlight was, now that I was back in the safety of my room, shining from underneath my curtains.

I looked, I smiled, I worshiped.

Beholding the beauty of the moon through the eyes of the Father till joy bubbled up and my childlike wonder, reawakened.

Till today’s evening meal saw me toss aside the boring, mundane menu in exchange for some delicious mouthwatering Hershey’s chocolate sandwiches.

An epiphany.

Seasons change, friends. But we often miss the turning of the leaves.

So as I hasten to a close, I hope you find the courage to find your own miracle in process, because you yourself are one.

You’ve gone through the fire and the flood, the test and the trial, the mire and the mud.

And you’re still here.

Because you’re a miracle.

It’s time to make some chocolate sandwiches.

🍫 ❤️

Our Love Language

A sliver of Grace, a slice of Heaven.

So it’s a beautiful man playing a flute on the streets right outside our community garden.

Distant strains of music, still deeply resonating with my heart.

A bird starts to chirp as the sun begins to set. It’s golden rays are beaming on my face as I dare to look towards it.

Squinting, I look away and resume my writing.

In the midst of an unrelenting lockdown, the cars that are buzzing to and fro seem to point to a people that are determined to not let anything stand in their way.

I bless them.

Evenings walks with Jesus never felt more full of wonder. In the light of the mysterious way that only He knows to connect, yellow flowers have now become our love language for this season.

But wait.

The sound of someone precious putting the utensils away right where they belong.

But I know where I belong, so I resume my writing.

Stone benches held up by layers of cemented bricks are my favourite place to park myself.

But as I do, I notice that the roses in these bushes close by are a bit closed up. I sort of miss them blossoming forth as usual. But love is patient, I remind myself.

So as I resume my writing again, I seek to draw to a close.

Swift enough to return to the wonder of communing with Jesus through the majesty of creation, but hopefully potent enough to let you linger too.

Linger in the presence of His Love and linger in the beauty of your own unique miracle story with Him.

In a coffee shop. In a park nearby. In the sanctuary. In the friend’s garage or in the comfort of your home.

Because Jesus will find you anywhere.

Be still and know…

He loves you 💛

🌼🌼🌼

The Pentecost P’s

“Passion, Power and Purity.”

It was Pentecost Sunday yesterday, friends.

I was exhilarated to spend time with the Lord on a day when the wonderful sweet, precious Holy Spirit of God was sent from Heaven into the Earth nearly 2000 years ago.

However, I am intrigued as I ponder the fact that the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives on the inside of me. And having being released in response to the prayers and intercession of the disciples of the Lord as they all gathered with one accord to bombard Heaven, He now lives in me.

It’s so beautiful to note here that Heaven was invaded by earth first, before earth was ever invaded by Heaven.

The disciples wanted what the Lord had died to give them, and they wanted it not only for themselves but also for the world they were called to shift the trajectory of.

They were passionate about the faith, moved in power and were marked by purity. Signs, wonders and miracles were the norm. Healing and deliverance was at hand for all. Salvation had finally come.

As the last days church, I believe that’s what the Lord is doing within and amongst us as He brings about the restoration and fulfilment of all things according to the counsel of His will.

I couldn’t be more ecstatic really.

In the midst of the whirlwind of the world right now, He is calling us to a place of deeper intimacy with Him, to be a people marked by the fire of His Presence.

Because His Presence is where we meet with His glory.

His Presence is where we encounter His passion for us that ignites the flame of passion within us. His Presence is where we we begin to understand His power that enables us to come to terms with our own. His Presence is where we come face to face with the purity of His selfless, sacrificial love that empowers us to lay our own lives down to see His Kingdom come.

It’s all about the Presence, friends.

As we make our way into the week ahead, let us run into His Presence. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him mark us, make us and mould us.

With Passion, Power and Purity.

Hallelujah 🙌🏼