I've been on both sides

There I was on this beautiful empty beach, all alone. It was hot and sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was on a summer break abroad and my uncle had dropped me on the beach for a few hours while he went to run some errands. I should have been having a lovely time. What person in their right mind wouldn’t want to have a whole beach to themselves, but that awful feeling was there. That horrible dark cloud, deep in the pit of my stomach that just wouldn’t go away, no matter where I was or who I was with.

I’d been battling with depression for a few years and I just couldn’t shrug it off. All I kept thinking was of how happy and carefree I used to be, without a care in the world and then suddenly, without warning and completely out of the blue, this depression invaded me.

I stared into the sea. The water was a rough that day but the sound of the waves, the way they looked were beautiful. Why wouldn’t this feeling go away? What was wrong with me? I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood up suddenly and ran into the crashing waves. I started sobbing and I looked up and screamed, “WHY ME?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? WHY CAN’T I JUST BE HAPPY?” Then I realised that I had been screaming at God, although I didn’t actually know if He existed or not. I just stood there, being tossed to and fro by the waves, crying uncontrollably. “Give me anything else”, I whispered, “... “but not this. If I have to have something wrong with me, then give me a sickness, give me something that I can go and get medicine for, but not this, please.”

Look at what I was thinking. I thought that I was supposed to be suffering for some reason. And so I was asking to swap one sort of suffering for another. Thank goodness, I found the UCKG where I learnt that I didn’t have to suffer anymore. I learned that I could reject any problem and if I used my faith, I could be totally happy.

If there is any problem you’re going through, never think that you were meant to suffer, that it’s your fate somehow. That’s a big fat lie! You weren’t born to be unhappy. The sooner you believe that, the sooner you can fight to overcome WHATEVER is putting you down.

Take it from someone who has been on both sides. There is a different life waiting for you, no matter how hopeless your situation may seem.

Which one are you?

I've worked in various different roles in my time and have learnt that we will normally fit into one of three categories.

Below expectation: People in this group are a pain to work with. They will not even do the minimum expected of them. They will often turn up to work late, take advantage when it comes to sick days (e.g. even the slightest headache will be enough for them to call up and say they are not coming in), they need to be pushed all the time to get any work done, if you give something to them, you never trust that it will be done and so need to chase them up constantly. You can't help wondering whether you would be better off without these people 'working' with you. You try to be patient, you try to invest time and effort into them but to no avail. They just don't get it. They won't budge. Normally, this group doesn't last long anywhere, and then they turn around and blame everyone else for their failures.

Does what is expected: You can't really fault this group because they do exactly what is expected of them. They come to work on time, and they also leave dead on time too. Whatever you ask them to do, they do it, exactly as you have asked, nothing more, nothing less. It's good to have them around. It helps. But you know that if something unexpected turns up and you need some urgent help, or need them after hours, they probably won't be available. Sometimes, you get frustrated as you know they could acheive more with a little extra effort, but that rarely happens.

Exceed expectations: These people are full of surprises. They frequently go beyond your expecatations. They don't just do what you ask them to do, but they find ways of doing it cheaper, faster, better, etc. If you leave something in their hands, you can even forget about it because they won't. They will make sure it's done and on your desk even before you need it. And they don't do these things because they're trying to impress you or to get a promotion. They do it because they have a passion for what they are doing. They take pride in their work and won't settle for the norm.

I have to say that working with people in this last group is wonderful. You love being around them and listening to what they have to say. You want to make sure that they were rewarded for their efforts, and so will contact the Personnel department and ask what can be done for them - a bonus, a pay rise, something... It's not that you dislike the people that fit into the other groups, but it's just not the same...

Apply these examples to any area of your life and it's the same thing. If we exceed expectations, great things will always happen to us...

David & Goliath, John & Edward… People who have really caught my attention.

First, boxer David Haye who looked like he could never beat ‘Beast from the East’ Nikolai Valuev, who is over 7 foot tall. Not only did Haye's opponent have size on his side but he also had a pretty impressive record, having only lost once in 52 fights. These two things alone would have put anyone off, but not David. I admit, he was very mouthy to Valuev and said a lot of personal things, but can you imagine how much he believed in himself just to dare to step into the ring with a man so huge and with such a good record? The press here in the UK called them David and Goliath, and David won!

And then there’s good ol’ John and Edward from the X-Factor (a national singing competition for those outside the UK). These guys CANNOT sing, but somehow, they seem to keep surviving and staying in the competition. What I love about them is the way they come out all confident and smiley even though every single week they get booed and then get slaughtered by the judges. How much rejection can a person take? But do you see them getting upset, or giving up? Nope, they continue to perform week after week and annoy everyone. Makes you think doesn’t it?

Don't want to be rich? You could be selfish...

Okay, so I know the title is a bit strong but I wanted to get your attention. I’ve been wanting to write this blog for a while now but wasn’t sure if it would get misunderstood, but I’m going to take that chance. Before you get offended, hear me out and then draw your own conclusions.

One day, my husband and I met a lady in the market who had previously said that she’d had financial problems. However, since then, she had gotten a job. My husband invited her to the Monday meeting at the UCKG and she smiled sweetly and said “Oh, I now have everything that I need. I have enough for me and my family so we are happy thank you.”

I’m not criticising this lady as she didn’t know any better but I couldn’t help feeling sad and angry at the way many people think when it comes to money. I’ve heard many people say, even Christians, that as long as they have enough to get by, they are happy and that they shouldn’t be greedy, afterall, “there are many people so much worse off than them,” although I'm sure that if someone offered them a million pounds they wouldn't hesitate to take it.

Okay, you may have enough for you and your family but just think about what you could do if you had more. Think of all the others out there that could benefit from your wealth. Think of how many good and worthwhile projects you could contribute to.

And there's another thing. People take notice of prosperous people. They listen to what they have to say. Have you ever taken advice from a beggar on the street or even been interested in what he/she had to say? Be honest. Cruel? But it’s true isn’t it? Now turn that around. If you met someone that was rich and successful, wouldn’t you be interested in them? Wouldn’t you want to know more about them and the way they think and what took them where they are today?

Imagine yourself as a successful, rich Christian. When you talk, people will listen, when you tell them about the foundation of your success, they won’t be able to deny that it’s true, when the church is in need of something to further God’s work, you will have no problem to sponsor it. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine how much you could do! On the other hand, if you wanted that kind of life to show off, or to indulge in your riches without a second thought for anyone else, then you’d have it all wrong. Of course, God wants you to have the best of everything, but He also expects you to use what He has enabled you to have, to help and save others.

One day, I really understood this. My husband and I were in our early twenties and were blessed. We had really good jobs and always had offerings to give, owned a three bedroom house and were going on 2 or 3 luxury holidays a year. On one holiday, we were even asked how a couple so young could afford such a holiday. We were comfortable. But one day, I realised that it wasn’t just about us and that our lives should make an impact. So I started aiming higher, although deep down, I really wanted to do God’s work, but in the meantime I was going to go higher. It’s funny because when I took a step towards that, I was invited to work in the church as an employee, but that’s another story for another blog.

So you see friend, it’s never good for us to remain happy in our own little bubble, only thinking of ourselves. Perhaps when a Campaign of Israel comes along, you don’t even think that you need to take part. You say to yourself, well, I don’t have any serious problems to solve anymore and I am happy with my life. Spiritual life is good, family is getting along, good health, all is well. But answer this, can people really see God in the whole of your life? If you opened your mouth to speak about Him, would people sit up and take notice?

No one’s going to do it for you

I once had a friend that wanted to lose weight. She wasn’t happy with her body at all and I sympathised with her as I had once been in her shoes and I know how uncomfortable it feels.

And so I tried to help her. I wrote out a diet plan for her, encouraged her and even offered to be her personal trainer (no charge of course :-)) but I soon realised that there was only so much I could do. I could see that although she said she wanted to slim down, sadly, she wasn’t willing to pay the price to get there.

You see, you can get all the knowledge, advice, encouragement, etc. that you want, but at the end of the day, if you fail in making your sacrifices, nothing will change.

No one is going to get up a little earlier to pray and read the Bible for you when you realise that you are feeling weak in your spiritual life.

No one is going to make more effort at work for you when you realise that you’ve been lazy.

No one is going to stop arguing back for you when you realise that the situation in your family is getting worse.

You just have to get on with it and DO it. If we’re not willing to do what we know we have to do, if we keep trying quick fixes or the easy options, we shouldn’t expect much.

As they say in the retail world, you get what you pay for. In this case, you get what you sacrifice for.

Easy, natural and cheap hair treatment & face masks

These are so easy. I found them today. I haven't tried them yet, but I'm going to... Enjoy. :-)

Avocado Hair Treatment

•1 medium avocado — peeled and stoned
•2 tablespoons honey
Mash together the ingredients in a small bowl. Massage into hair. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Wash hair as usual.

Tightening/Toning Lemon Egg-White Mask

•Juice from 1/2 a lemon (strained)
•1 egg white
Beat together the egg white and lemon juice for 3 minutes. Apply directly to your face, avoiding the eyes. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Revitalizing Mask

•1/2 cup chopped cucumber
•1/2 cup chopped avocado
•1 egg white
•2 tsp. powdered milk
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender until they form a smooth paste. Apply the mask to your face and neck using circular upward movements.Leave the mask on for 30 minutes, or until dry. Rinse your face and neck with warm water and finish with a cold water rinse.