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[ilza1]

Finding your people.....

More often than what I would like to admit has it happened that I've questioned my tribe and my place amongst the people I am surrounded with.

Not completely feeling like I fit in. The beauty behind it is that none of us are made to just fit in, we were created to stand out. To live a life that is full of purpose, passion and impact. The world comes and tells us otherwise and we believe the world.

Stop believing the world, stop thinking that you need to be in the corner, hear me loud and clear... "Nobody puts baby in a corner", don't be in the corner, don't be placed there and don't you place yourself there either.

I am still figuring out if my tribe is true and true to me.

I do know I am in a season of transition where my day to day tribe is about to change.

Regardless of where you are, if you found your tribe you love on them and you love on them HARD. If you are still working out your tribe, you love on them too.

Here is to finding your tribe 🥂

[ilza1]

Docking your boat? Adjusting your sails?

As I am winding down for the day, I cannot help but reflect on the last couple of months and the challenges that has been faced. Not having access to everything as readily as you would like and still working the business and still growing and increasing...

Or do you sit back and wait. 

So many times we have things happening outside of our control and we have the DECISION on how to react. Of all things we have the CONTROL over how we REACT to any and every situation we face. 

[ilza1]

[ilza1]

Let there be light

In my daily devotional today it started with God said in Genesis in the beginning “Let there be light”, and there was light.” It is important to note that He said let there be light not let there be a sun.... On the first day there was light but no sun, let that sink in for a moment.

It hit me hard and it gave me such a warm feeling. Simply because God is so good, He truly is so GOOD.

Here is why this fact is so awe inspiring to me and hopefully I belief it will be for you too. When God comes into your life and into your situation, things change. There is a shift.

Let me put it this way, for example, you are in a really bad spot in your life, you feel depressed, lonely, scared, unworthy, suicidal, yet the moment you go before the Lord and ask Him to come into your life and to help you, He brings LIGHT, the sun isn’t there yet. Your problem isn’t ‘solved’ yet, but He brings hope. That hope will carry you through, it will lift you up when you feel like you cannot go on.

Remember that whenever you are feeling down and out call on Him and feel how He will bring light into your spirit and that light will give you the strength you need to keep moving, to keep hoping, to keep praying and to keep living and loving.

My prayer is that you will experience light coming into your situations right now, that you will experience a supernatural calmness and clearness of mind. You will get fresh new and creative ideas. His light will bring clarity to you right now. Receive it in Jesus Name.

Amen

[ilza1]

Why the stubborness

On Monday 2 March 2020 at our weekly prayer meeting, we shared how each one is doing.  The majority felt a pain towards the church of today, the body of Christ. 

In short it came to the synopsis of the end-time church, Jesus is standing outside knocking, wanting to come in but we are not opening the door to Him, we have become empty of Him and full of self. This is in short what we felt, the rest is from me, my heart and vision that God pressed upon my heart. 

As we prayed I saw this a woman going to the front of the church and addressing everyone to repent and lay down what is in our lives that is not from God. She told us, to repent and turn from our ways.... With urgency and a pain in her face and voice..... NO ONE MOVED.... No one blinked, not from those in attendance, the leadership, the worship team.... there was no response only a sense of annoyance.... She looked up and said “Lord Jesus, they do not hear me, they do not hear You” and she wept. She repeated the warning, the message to repent, still no reaction.... 

My heart broke. I cried and I could not stop the tears. We walked through our church and prayed, I never felt the hurt so intensely as I did on Monday.  I looked at the seats and it felt like I was feeling the pain of the people that every Sunday occupy these seats.  It felt like the Lord made me feel what He is feeling and it broke me. And I cannot wrap my mind around why people will not surrender, why people would want to keep feeling these hurts, the overwhelming heaviness, to carry that by yourself every single day.  It boils down to only TWO main words, our own STUBBORNNESS and PRIDE. 

In the world today we are taught to do things by ourselves and through ourselves.  We are so accustomed to handle things by ourselves, that we rely on our own abilities and we do not want to hand our control over to the One that controls everything and anything in any case. We want to have control, yet we are slaves to to the world.  We are so stubborn that we keep making decisions that push us further into the world and it’s troubles than pushing into the One that can give us rest and peace amidst our storms.  Remember the Word of God says that we will face trials and tribulations, we will not have it easy, we will be persecuted by the world.But in Him we will find strength to face whatever comes our way. 

The one thing that is in all of our lives is pride in some way, this is something we struggle will continuously. I feel that people are too concerned about what people will say about them if they surrender to God, or when you stand up for Him, if you will be rejected by your friends and your family.  The Word tells us that even our family will reject us, Jesus walked this earth alone, with His disciples yes, but His family, His mother Mary wanted to stop Him from continuing on His journey but He remained true to God’s plan for Him.  

We want it so easy and COMFORTABLE... How arrogant of us? How arrogant that we want it easy, even though the One we are following, He didn’t have it easy on earth, so why do we think we should have it easy and comfortable, Jesus said He does not have a place for His head to rest, His own town wanted to stone Him to death.  But He kept pressing on and into His Father. He kept listening to Him.  

My question to you is, are you comfortable with allowing the world to dictate the way your life is going and heading?  Do you realize at the end of your life, the world and it’s people will not be standing with you before the Father, it will only be you.  

Stop being stubborn! Stop being prideful! Stop being directed in your life by your fears and people. And START to turn to God for the answers to your needs.  Start becoming quiet and listening, stop talking, stop asking, stop the noise and start being quiet, stop being on your phone and be in the Word. Start living in His Word. 

It is not promised to be easy, but it is promised to be worth it. 

Jesus is always worth it! 

[ilza1]

Comfort or Discomfort

It has been one rough and challenging year and more than ever I wanted to slip back into comfort. 

Doubting my decisions, unsure of my future, feeling of weakness in my faith and now I see it as growing pains. 

The saying goes bloom where you are planted and that is very true.  We need to use where we are to make a difference and make an impact on people around us. 

But does that mean we should stay in our comfort zone?  

In the Bible it says Psalm 1 v 3 “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do”.  They are planted in the ground, roots growing and going deep into the soil, making them not whither or whimper in the winds of life.  Strong, sturdy, grounded, ROOTED!

When you are going through something difficult it is so easy to slide back into comfort and choose the easy option.  

If you look at a tree planted in a pot, it is growing, it’s leaves are green and it might even bear fruit.  BUT it is limited!  It’s roots can’t go deep, it can’t grow in to the tree it is supposed to be.  But what if the pot breaks, or you plant the tree into the ground, imagine it’s potential.  Imagine how it can grow big and give shade to many.  You might be able to climb in it or enjoy its wonderful fruits? 

Well we are the same, we put ourselves in pots, the world puts us into a pot.  What they think suites you, what they see as acceptable.  Well, what they see as acceptable is most probably not what God sees as acceptable.  He sees your potential and wants you to grow into it, the world wants to stop you because you might turn into a real mover-shaker-devil-stomping-Christian!?!

Is it easy being a tree planted in the ground, feeling the winds from all directions? NO

Is it worth it to be that tree, growing deep roots, giving shade and hope to others? DEFINITELY! 

Don’t let the world determine your roots 

Break out of the comforts and grow into who God wants you to be

#deeprooted

#plantedinthelivingwaterofGod

#iamamovershakerdevilstompingChristian

#Heismyrefugeandstrength

[ilza1]

The Lion and me

It is December holidays which means I would be heading to Kruger for a week. In the weeks leading up to the holiday I just kept praying one simple prayer to the Lord, a request rather, I want to see a lion in the Kruger Park.  I’ve never seen one before, only in zoo’s or in a circus but my desire has been to see one in his natural habitat. It was literally the only thing I wanted to see, if I see the lion I can exit the park and I will be one very happy camper.  

THE LION OF JUDAH.  Our Lord, our Savior, He is a roaring lion, He is the Lion of Judah.  That was my drive for wanting to see one in person in nature, is it is just an animal, yes, BUT, it is the Lord’s representative animal.  He is the Lion, He is the Lamb.  Flawless but fierce.  

Saturday morning came, 5h10am we were sitting in front of the Crocodile Bridge entrance into Kruger and I just kept repeating I want to see a lion, I want to see a lion.  At about 6am we are in the park and we spot animals, Bushbuks, giraffes, elephants, rhino, buffalo, warthogs, zebras and the list goes on.  

And then you see a whole multitude of vehicles looking at ‘something’, and as we round the bend and approach these cars, there it is, there HE IS, THE LION. My immediate reaction was ‘DANKIE JESUS!!’ and I was so close to tears, the overwhelming feeling of seeing this beautiful animal, a prayer being answered.  I really just wanted to cry and keep thanking the Lord for this blessing, which I kept doing the whole time.  The thanking not the crying.  Now typical human being, I wanted more.  I wanted to see more lions, one wasn’t enough.  I gave this little chuckle because I realized that in my prayer I only asked to see A LION and that is what I saw.  But the Lord is wonderful and when you ask He gives and He gives in abundance.  We saw more Lions on a kill.  And that is a story for another time....

I am in awe of the beauty of the Lords’ creation.  That Lion so fierce, so proud, yet looks so gentle like you can pet him (which would not be wise).  He was the picture of perfection.  He might have some battle scars, he might be bruised, but he still remains the king of the park.  Just like our Lion of Judah, He has his battle scars, His wounded hands and feet, His side pierced for us, but still He is perfect, still He is our King, the Creator of all, the Giver, the Friend, the Father.  He is the Almighty Ruler and no weapon formed against Him by man will ever be able to defeat Him.  He has conquered death for us.  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Looking at the lion, at his posture, at his gentleness you can be deceived, you can end up thinking that je is ‘like a house cat’, but then you look at those eyes, those piercing eyes and you know different.  You know that he is a force to be reckoned with, he will fight and protect and provide.  WE should be the same, we should take on the attitude of the lion, we should fight the good fight, protect those whom can’t protect themselves and provide for those around you.  

We should go out into this jungle of a world and be representatives of the Lion. Walk boldly because we are part of His Kingdom, we are a chosen generation, to stand for Jesus, to spread the love of the Lord and to be true light bearers of His Word. Just like this lion, all on his own, we might have to be like that as well, standing alone fighting the good fight.  Do not get discouraged, for the Spirit of the Lord is in you and you can defeat the enemy.  Keep fighting and keep finding your strength in His Word.  

Eat it, Pray it, Live it, Share it!

#Arisewarriors  #theSpiritofGodisinyou  #walkboldy  #blessed   #Likealion

#tearsofjoyandthanksgiving   #DANKIEJESUS  #Heanswersprayers

#roarlikealion