saltandstranger

[saltandstranger]

"What would you like?"

I used to be so scared of ordering in a restaurant/café when I was younger. I remember the first time I ordered in a fast food chain on my own when I was in elementary. I rehearsed my script in my head twice maybe thrice, took a deep breath before politely saying "hello po, good morning, pabili po ng isang apple pie". I turned beet red when the cashier laughed at me and said, "Wala kaming ganun dito (we don't have that here)" My present self would've said, "edi sorry sabaw aqouh", but back then, I was just too embarrassed I wanted to cry right there 🥲

I think the 10-year old "scaredy kats" still shows up every time I'd go up to order in restaurants haha. It's still a habit of mine to rehearse my order in my head and make sure that I know what I want to buy (even how to pronounce it) para hindi ako mapahiya at hindi ako magtagal sa pila 😂 Am I the only one?

And so I'm often caught off guard when I'm in a new café and there's too many unfamiliar names on the menu (and there's no photos nor description of the food pa my gosh kastress hahaha). "What would you like?" I'm scared to make the wrong choice. I'm scared I won't like what I'll choose. (Alam kong hindi naman ito exam Lord ba't ba kasi ganto ako mag-isip HAHA). But in those circumstances, I eventually learned to answer that question with another question, "what would you recommend?"

I realise that it's the same thing when God asks us the same question. "What would you like?" You see, not only has God given us the incredible gift of free will to choose, He has also given us desires...

Now, "what would you like?" is one question, "why do you want what you want" is another that can only and truly be answered by "Because it's something God has placed in my heart."

Think about that for a moment. I know the tension often lies in "is this me or is this God?" How on earth would you know if you can trust that desire?

Well, 1) Are you delighting in Him and spending time in His Word and presence? 2) Are you inquiring of Him in prayer? 3) Are you obeying what He's telling you?

How would you know if it's from Him? The Spirit of God is not fickle. Desires from the Lord are resilient - they withstand testing and are not easily shaken. Desires from the Lord are refined by fire. Desires from the Lord are backed up by His Word. And He confirms His Word with peace. He also confirms His Word by fulfilling it. The Spirit of God will bear witness with your spirit and what I mean by that is there's just a knowing deeply seated in your gut. It's spiritual insight and discernment, almost like an intuition. And if you're still not sure, then ask Him. And it's okay if you miss His leading (unintentionally, that is. MISSING it is way different from AVOIDING it).

You know, what's even more amazing is that every time we're faced with a "menu" right in front of us and if in the natural it's challenging to discern what to choose, the Holy Spirit guides us in that actual process of deciding. There will be markers and there will be wisdom, you'll see. He builds that in you, as you take steps of obedience and as you keep delighting in Him.

And so before He even asks, "What would you like", you already know. You just do. Because you'll want what He wants for you.

–K 🌊

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[saltandstranger]

Today /

The days go by so swiftly. For instance, in a couple of hours from now, today will soon be gone. I realise that I don't really have time to carry the weight of past regrets nor to worry about what's going to happen tomorrow because the days go by so swiftly and life is too short not to live it well. To number our days well means to live in the present moment well.

Be grateful today. Value the people dear to you today. Forgive today. Let go of things that are hindering you from living your best life today. Know that God's grace is sufficient for today, every day.

And so, I want to be all here now, today. Wherever I am, this is where I'll be found.

[saltandstranger]

God doesn't want just our attention. He needs our devotion. It's all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength, or nothing at all. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf_qp7Wvxrv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[saltandstranger]

I want to go where the blessing is. I want to go where I have not chosen for myself, but to where I have sought God and heard His voice.

[saltandstranger]

A couple of nights ago, I called my papa on the phone and asked if he could come pick me up at the office because I wanted to go home in our place in Silang. 😌 I looked at my watch and almost told him, "I'm joking", but the truth was, I was feeling worn out emotionally and physically then.

It was almost 9 PM. Papa was already probably in bed getting ready to watch the latest episode of "Ang Probinsyano" (haha don't ask). I would've been ready for him to say he couldn't drive all the way to Alabang at this time of the night. I'd be okay, to be frank, to go home to where I'm currently staying. But I guess that night, more than feeling tired, I was feeling homesick. I just wanted to recharge for a few hours, hug my parents, hug my dogs, and spend the evening sleeping under the covers of my bed. I just wanted to go home.

To my delight, papa said "okay, wait for me. I'll be there in an hour." And so for an hour I waited for him and mama to come pick me up, and for another hour we drove home. I was overwhelmed with a warm sense of relief, felt my body relax, and I fell asleep on the back seat almost instantly. I was homesick no more.

Is this not the same, or even greater with our Heavenly Father? He's just one call away- literally. And you don't have to fight it or hide it. You don't have to worry if you're calling Him past His bedtime because He is the God who never sleeps. Even before you find yourself waiting at the door to knock, even if you're still a long way off, He's already running to you with arms open wide because He wants you home more than you know and more than you want to come home yourself.

So for those who feel that they have been tired, weary, out-of-touch or distant – I pray that your feeling of homesickness won't go away until you come home. I pray that you cease resisting, wrestling, and rehearsing your speech. I fiercely pray that you find yourself back in the arms of the One who welcomes you home.

–K🌊

[saltandstranger]

Not your ordinary week | The events of that entire week was far from ordinary. The "passion of Christ" as we know it, "just so happened" to fall on some of the most important feasts in the Jewish culture: The Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits. But we daresay that it's no coincidence at all for God is intentional and has beautifully written the story of our redemption so precisely within the fullness of time.

In the Hebrew calendar, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan (1st month of the Jewish calendar - around Spring time) and it was on this day that each Jewish family would select an unblemished lamb to be eaten during Passover 4 days later (in commemoration of how God saved the children of Israel from the plague of death and freed them out of Egypt). The "Last Supper" when Jesus was saying, "this is the new covenant in my Blood" was spoken by Him just as all the other Jewish families held Seder (passover dinner) in their homes while remembering the story of how they were saved by painting blood all over their door posts back in Egypt.

Jesus Christ was crucified on the day of Passover itself, on the 14th of Nisan, and He breathed His last crying out, "It is Finished" on the exact same time that the Passover lamb was being slaughtered by the High Priest at the temple as a sacrifice (as prescribed by the Law) for the atonement of their sins.

This also just so happened to be "preparation day" (see Luke 23:54), for it was the day before Sabbath where the people had to make all necessary arrangements so they may observe total rest the next day.

And so it was a Sabbath like no other on that day when Jesus' body, wrapped in linen, was laid to rest inside a tomb hewn out of a rock, for on the 15th of Nisan they held the start of the Feast of Unleavened bread (they were to eat bread without yeast which was symbolical for sin, and was the instruction of God as the children of Israel was making haste to leave in Exodus). Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.

And of course, Resurrection day fell on the Feast of First Fruits - transitioning from Spring time to Harvest season. A picture of a glorious future and a guarantee that we, too, will experience the very same resurrection!

___________________________

I won't ever tire of recounting the story of Christ's redemptive work! I'm going to nerd all out even haha! Grabe kaya!!! What a sovereign, powerful, beautiful, good, and loving God we have!

This is the good news folks: Jesus came and died for you not to perish, but [as you believe in Him] to have and experience eternal life. The wages of sin was death and so the Lion waged war with the grave and the Lamb laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice. 💯

–K 🌊

[saltandstranger]

Fruits in the Fridge and A Ram in the Thicket

On this exact day two years ago, I had one of the most unexpected plot twists of my life. I was then at the hospital emergency room waiting to be brought to the telemetry unit because the doctors apparently found out I had a heart murmur (more of that particular night's story right here).

Just months later, I had a heart surgery. And here I am 2 years later, typing away on my laptop, sipping tea on a very normal January evening, with my heart beating as strong and steady as ever.

What. a. crazy season it's been for all of us. But we've got an even crazy better (crazy gooder? crazier better?) God who got us through to the other side!

So hello there, 2022! I'm just gonna put it out right there that I am very excited for what's ahead of me this year - and I don't mean that in a naive/cliche way. I'm just genuinely excited and hopeful - it's the kind of hopefulness that's steadfast, unwavering, and enlarging. The kind that's anchored on God's faithfulness.

You see, January being sort of a "trial month" has been a running joke I've heard quite a number of times haha. But you want to know what I really think? I think it's worth going premium with our subscription for the rest of the year. It's true!! There's just something when the new year rolled in and I know it's because of God's resurrection power bringing dry bones back to life.

And so I simply can't let the first month of the year without sharing a piece of my mind through this write up haha (sorry dear stranger, I know I haven't been on here much hehe although I have been writing & journaling more frequently again!) Anyway, do allow me to ramble on for a bit. This is as real and raw as it gets.

I remember last December, we decided to keep Noche Buena very simple. We prepared just the traditional staples. Though I thought to myself on Christmas Eve Eve (the night before Christmas Eve haha), "wouldn't it be nice to have fruits for Christmas Eve?"

I'm telling you - God's ways are tender and His timing is impeccable. Little did I know that someone gave the Bible School staff some fruits days ago and left it in the fridge. My friends just got reminded of it and told me to get it during our church's Christmas Eve service. I was worried it would already be dried up it's still all fresh! I immediately felt the Spirit of God impress to me that just as it was with the fruits in the fridge, so is He with His promises for me.

Grabe naman, even as I'm typing right now in real time, He's speaking and revealing more things to me!

I have this larger-than-life dream that I've put on the shelf the past 2 years. I knew someday, I'd have to find the courage and strength to take it out of the shelf and wipe away the dust that might've layered the surface. But you know, just like those fruits in the fridge that were still fresh - God kept my dream preserved. I'm surprisingly unsurprised that there wasn't any dust after all. I got the dream from the shelf, it still had sparkles in it.

God has some instructions for me about my dream and there definitely is no question - I will go for it. Can I be honest though? Up until recently, I was waiting for a follow up ("God what's next?" Namsayin?). I limited myself with the "usual" process of step 1, step 2, step 3 that I almost forgot that God can never be boxed. During a convo with my mentor when she asked me what is it I'm desiring for, I've come to understand what's been there all along - that God's instructions are never incomplete and they are never without provision and grace!

There's always a ram in the thicket - but I've first got to stop squirming at the altar and just lay still. HAHA. Obedience and surrender. It sounds daunting but in truth, it's less so especially that I have proven out time and time again that obeying God and going all in with Him is the most strategic, productive, effective way because His Word has been established long before the foundations of the world. And our faithful God, in His sovereignty, orchestrates things in our lives so that we would enter into His due seasons where His promises would be seen fulfilled right in front of our own eyes. But it's a dance you see. God initiates and we respond in obedience.

I know it's urgent that I step in but by no means am I in a haste to overtake Him. I intend to be present and focus on "what is" instead of trying to map out the "what ifs" on a decision flowchart.

I know my God isn't just the Alpha and the Omega - He is also the God of the middle. My middle. My present. So as we go into the "premium months" of 2022, I will just be present in the here and now and will keep on leaning, contending, delighting, and letting Him write desires on my heart.

I've said it once, I'll say it again - I'm excited for this year! So let this real, raw, unedited ramble be a marker for where He's about to bring me into!

I don't really know how to end my post for tonight haha so I'm just gonna say see you soon!

Photo circa 2019 (I seriously need to take trips and take more photos this year!)

-K🌊

[saltandstranger]

2.5 Billion X

Close your eyes for a moment... Yes, everyone of you in this room. Put your hand over your heart, take a deep breath, and another, and one more.

Feel that?

That... is a miracle.

Since your alarm clock woke you up at 6 AM this morning, did you know your heart's been beating for 50-60,000 times already?

Tell me it isn't a miracle that that little muscle the size of your fist is able to pump blood non-stop around your body and beat approximately 100,000 x a day.

I don't mean to sound like a geek, It's just that I've come to realize – without exaggeration and a shadow of a doubt– that my every single breath and beat of my heart is a miracle.

Because you see, a year and a half ago, I had my heart broken. Literally. And quite unexpectedly.

I remember that one January afternoon at the emergency room. The doctor placed his stethoscope over my chest, it took him a couple of seconds at best. With a look of worry on his face, right there in that tiny hospital space, he looked me in the eye and told me, "you're going to need open heart surgery probably immediately."

That moment, I was in shock and was holding back my tears. "Am I going to die young?" was one of my greatest fears. I held my mom's hand or she held mine, I don't really remember. The news felt like a bomb explosion and I couldn't take cover.

A sharp pain shot up my left left arm; It was a sign of a heart attack. Anxiety crept in from the tip of my toes to the pit of my stomach.

I stayed up all night because I knew I had to fight. I know God was with me and that He's not letting me out His sight.

It took my parents and me months of waiting, and crying, and asking, and praying before getting a date of my operation.

Some days I was fierce in my faith, most days I was shaken. But there was never a day that I felt forsaken.

When my heart murmur would get loud, His whispers would roar louder still. Yes, He whispers not shouts. That's how I know that He is near and that His perfect love drives out my every fear.

I didn't get much rest during those times. But I thank God that He is the God who never sleeps, so on evenings that I can't for the life of me get a wink of sleep because I was scared that the next heart beat would be my last, we would just talk.

There was this one particular time when I was slumped down on my bedroom floor next to what I had for lunch– yup I chucked 'em all. I just hugged my knees, gasped for air, and rested my head against the wall.

And in that split second that I closed my eyes, I felt fully loved by Him.

It looked like a scenario that's so untimely; I wasn't expecting to encounter His Love at a moment when I was feeling really sick and messy.

But doesn't heaven always meet earth like an unforeseen kiss? (Okay fine, sloppy wet, if that's your thing).

In my journey to recovery, there are still times that I would look at the mirror and all I'd see is my 6-inch scar and I don't feel very beautiful. How can anyone love a scarred girl like me?

Like a breeze He would come and brush my cheek with His nail-pierced hands and then all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by His Glory. And I realize just how beautiful this scarred Man is and how He loves me so.

My open heart surgery opened my eyes to see His goodness and love in a whole new way. Oh, He came with healing in his wings and with love in His eyes.

Here I am a year and a half later– healed, wholehearted, loved, and dare I say beautiful. How dare I see myself as anything less than what He has designed me to be?

And so to you, if you've ever had your heart broken - perhaps not literally like me:

Close your eyes for a moment... Yes, everyone of you in this room. Put your hand over your heart, take a deep breath, and another, and one more. Do you feel that?

That... is a miracle.

You've got about 2 and a half billion heart beats in this lifetime and every beat, breath, and second of your life is a miracle...

Don't you dare forget that you, my dear friend, are loved.

[saltandstranger]

Radical Forgiveness Awakens Radical Love #YouAreLoved

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii (which is about 2 years worth of wages), and the other fifty (that's about 2 months). 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both (Luke 7:41-42a ESV)

This passage in Luke 7 is a story within a story. Here we find that Jesus was talking to a Pharisee named Simon who invited him that evening for dinner. And He told this parable in order to drive a point which we will get to in a bit.

The events of that evening in Luke 7 probably did not go as Simon had intended because a certain woman, who was a sinner came by to dinner uninvited.

Word about Jesus spread because of what He's been doing all around town - healing lepers, opening blind eyes, making the deaf hear, raising the dead so it's no wonder that a distinguished man would ask Him to come over to his home.

It was customary in those days that whenever a special guest like a Rabbi comes to dinner, it becomes sort of a public gathering where people can take a peak at what's going on because they dine al fresco. It was also supposed to be the custom of the host to show honor to the guest by 1) greeting him with a kiss, 2) washing his feet, and 3) pouring oil on his head. Simon did not do a single one of those things.

Yet, here we have...

37 a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that He [Jesus] was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment [or oil], 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. (Luke 7:31-32 ESV)

So this was the backdrop of Jesus' parable - the story within the story. We are introduced to this "woman of the city" who had a reputation of being immoral, which meant that she was most likely a prostitute, which also meant that it was forbidden for her to go near religious leaders such as the Pharisees.

Before all the people present in the area, she stands at the feet of Christ with boldness and humility and begins one of the most scandalously beautiful expressions of love, gratitude, and worship ever recorded in scripture.

It's scandalous because she carries out gestures that are considered unthinkable amongst the Jews. Beautiful because it's a picture of Grace - she comes to Christ with all her brokenness knowing that He is the only one that can make her whole.

She kisses and drenches the feet of Jesus with her tears and wipes them with her hair – it was a disgrace in the Jewish culture at that time for a woman to let down her hair in public.

This was a woman who had nothing left to lose. It was no small feat to anoint the feet of Jesus with the most expensive possession she has - perfume that's a year's worth of wages. A year's worth! That tells me that she could have followed Jesus around for a year, and she witnessed all that Jesus said and done – not only the big miracles, but also the simple things like dining with sinners and tax collectors.

She may have been uninvited to that dinner, but she knew she was welcome  in the presence of Jesus. So there she was, fully engaged in her expression of love for Jesus and pours out her absolute best.

If you were there around the dinner table or even a bystander eavesdropping on what was happening, what would you think? I'm willing to bet we'd all have our eyebrows raised. Simon was thinking to himself "if this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (V. 39)

At this point, Jesus literally reads Simons thoughts and tells him the parable about the debtors. Jesus then asks Simon, "who do you think loved the moneylender more? The one who had a larger debt or a smaller one?" to which Simon almost reluctantly but correctly replies, "I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the larger debt."  (V. 42-43) Yes, Simon! That's absolutely right!

Jesus then arrives at a very important conclusion. "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (V. 47 ESV) in another translation it says, "her sins, many as they are, are forgiven; for she has shown me so much love. But the man who has little to be forgiven has only a little love to give.” (V. 47 J.B. Phillips)

She is forgiven much, for she has loved much. Her forgiveness was not caused by her expression of love. Christ’s forgiveness came first. Jesus pursued her first. This was the point Jesus was getting at with the parable. Her love is a response to this forgiveness that she encountered.

The problem of Simon was that his home was open to the public, but his heart wasn't open to Christ. He did not perceive how much he was forgiven because he did not believe Jesus' claims about who He is - that He was the Messiah. I mean, how would you respond if your bank calls you to tell you that your loans are paid for and you're debt free?

The woman recognizes the magnitude of her debt, acknowledges her need, believes Jesus Christ as HER savior, comprehends that all of her debt and the weight of her shame have all been wiped clean, and so she responds in utter gratitude for what Jesus has done for her. She is forgiven much, and so she showed it by loving much.

This story within a story is part of an even greater story. Where sin abounds, grace abounds MUCH more (Rom. 5:20).

How did grace abound for us? How loved are we? It was us who had a debt, but Jesus took our debt upon himself. Not only did He pay for what we owed, He cancelled all the records.

How BIG of a debt did we owe exactly? Just look at the provision that God made! Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sin through His blood. It’s an act of complete grace on God’s part. We don’t deserve it. We cannot earn it. All we've got to do is to receive the salvation and forgiveness that He's freely given us!

We who are forgiven and loved much, also love much. LOVE is the fruit (unforced response) and evidence (proof of authenticity) of the forgiveness we have received from Jesus.

Radical forgiveness awakens love and compels radical love - so that His great command for us to love one another is not a burden, but a delight and a desire, it becomes our nature.

If you want to love like Christ, then you've got to grasp how forgiven you are. We grow in our love, in our desire, and in our hunger for Jesus and become known BY our love to the degree that we comprehend the magnanimity of Jesus' finished work.

You know, the love of God for us is magnetic. It's impossible not to be drawn to Him for His Love is not to be observed from afar. It's to be tasted and enjoyed around the table He prepares for us. You're not a bystander at someone else's dinner. You are a son and daughter dining with the lover of your heart and soul. You are forgiven much and you are loved much and this empowers us to also love much.

-K

[saltandstranger]

Don't Buy Smart Watches, Tech Pens, and Junk Food

I had a dream last night that roused me out of my bed at 5:53 am this morning. Haha the thing about my dreams, I usually forget them so when I do remember one, I jot it down as quickly as possible. This is me jotting down a raw memory from a dream that I knew was also a wake up call from Him. Sigh! ✨ His ways on how He speaks to me are sometimes so peculiar, but I have come to recognize them so strongly in my spirit. (By the way, I'm going to have to let you know too that since I've had time within the day to process things – Take note it's "process", and not overthink haha– I'm seeing more and more how this is truly more of a reminder.)

In my dream, I was in a shopping mall with a friend, and she told me to buy anything I wanted. Anything! So I went to this stall with a lot of other people lining up to buy a certain item (it was a smartwatch haha). I didn't want to get that so I proceeded to look for other stuff. I remember looking for tech pens (haha tech pens talaga 'no?) I didn't really need them nor want them, but I asked the clerk anyway. He showed me an old stock of the pens (they were dusty and already faded) so I didn't proceed to get those. I also saw some junk food I was craving for and thought about buying those but I said nah. I decided not to get anything that day, and told myself it's okay because I didn't want to waste my friend's money and generosity. I was told to buy anything, and it would be paid for no matter how much it would cost. I could've bought absolutely anything but didn't, and would rather wait to buy something I really wanted.

So 3 things I did NOT end up buying:

1. That latest gadget that a lot of people were getting - something I didn't WANT

2. Those old faded tech pens - something I didn't NEED

3. Junk food I was craving for - something I wanted but only for the moment

What do these things remind you of? Is it beginning to make sense to you, too? Oh, to me it is! I know that He's reminding me not to go for what's "trendy", not to go back to the old/my past, and not to give in to my temporary cravings. He's telling me not to shortchange myself. He's that friend who's telling me I can have anything I want for free, and frankly that sounds super good. But I don't want just anything. I want the best for me. I want what He wants for me!

God, I can wait a little longer– I'd RATHER wait a little longer if it means that I'm going to be able to have what You have promised me. It may take a while, but I'M GOING TO WAIT because I know that Your promises have no expiration dates!

[saltandstranger]

WHEN CHASING LIONS: BE BOLD, NEVER SETTLE, DARE TO BELIEVE

So, here we are at the close of the 1st half of the year. And it's with twice as much hope & anticipation than at the start of the year that I look forward to what's ahead for the remainder of 2021.

I want take you to this incredible story in the Bible about courage, never settling, and about the relentless pursuit of the dreams that God has placed in your heart.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a valiant man of Kabzeel, a doer of great deeds. He struck down two lion-like men. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and won a name beside the three mighty men. He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard. -1 Chronicles 11:22‭-‬25 ESV

I needed to pause when I first came across this passage in order to process it because clearly these are no small feats.

So this Mr. Benaiah, son of Jehoaida, from Kabzeel is not only a hero-conqueror, he's also a lion-slayer and a giant slaughterer. No wonder why he was captain of King David's bodyguard.

I wanna zero in on one of Beniah's three recorded mighty deeds: Benaiah slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen (1 Chron. 11:22)

Read it while imagining the scene unfold before your eyes. This is intense!!!

And this is such a special teaching moment because here we learn that while there are times when God delivers us from lions (like Daniel in the den with the lions), there are also times God gives us the strength and courage to slay them.

Now this happened during the most dire of circumstances when the ground was slippery and he could have easily lost his footing. Benaiah slew a lion in a pit. IN A PIT. In a pit. He was up against the worst possible beast, in the worst possible circumstance, and the worst possible place. And yet, he chased and slew that lion down the pit.

When's a good day to go kill a lion? There's none! I'd rather not face one thank you very much. But if a lion does come at you seemingly out of the blue, then let me ask you is there a better time other than TODAY to kill it?

You can't keep putting off the things that you know you need to do today. There are just times in your life when you've got to make up your mind and determine that it's NOW or NEVER.

I want to reference another story in Joshua 17 when the Israelites were being given their portion of land. The children of Manasseh complained that the land allotted to them had Canaanites living there.

And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.  -Joshua 17:13 NKJV

How many of us have grown strong through the trials and the fire, but still allow Canaanites to dwell in our land even when God's clear instruction is to drive them out completely? We can't keep sweeping things under the rug. We can't be partial with our obedience. We can't NOT slay that lion.

Eventually, you will have to run towards the very thing that you're afraid to confront, grab it by the throat, and face it head-on to finally and fully overcome it.

We can't keep waiting for the perfect circumstances before we move. If Benaiah waited for it to stop snowing, he would have been dinner. If he had been content to leave the lion in the pit, who knew if it would come after him? If there's one thing we should NEVER do this 2nd half of the year, or EVER- it's to settle for less.

Don't run away. Don't shy away from uncomfortable situations.

Brave confrontation even in the midst of inconvenience will often times set you up for great victories.

It's not new to us that the sequence of events the past year and a half have unfolded a certain way and so we found ourselves in this pit or cave. Yes we go through the coping or healing process. Yes we indeed had to pivot or adjust. But that doesn't mean we should settle. You've got to stop allowing the circumstances or past hurts, our shame, or our fears dictate our future or stop you from going after what God has for you! We need to make that choice to chase down the lions of impossibilities and fears into the pit and slay it right there.

What is it that you have your eyes on? What's your dream? What's the prayer of your heart that makes you go shikarababaseteyy? What has God been instructing you to do in this season?

I know "Today" looks different for each of us.  And so when I say don't put it off "today", what I mean os do not quench your spirit. If the instruction is to pray, don't put if off. If your dream is to buy a house, start looking for listings and saving up diligently. If you want to write a book, stop spending meaningless time on social media and just start writing. Don't be afraid to start small. Don't despise the days of small beginnings. It always starts with a seed anyway.

When I went through the entire ordeal last year with my heart and my health in the midst of the pandemic, I can't count how many times I wanted to quit being in the ministry because I felt so beat up. But what God did was make it all the more clearer to me where He wants to take me. And so to you who are reading this, I pray that your heart for God and His will for your life would be amplified all the more even in the midst of a day when snow is falling and you feel like you're up against a lion in a pit.

It takes supernatural courage I'll tell you that. But what's great is that courage and tenacity during times of relentless pursuit aren't personality-based. They are dependent on who God has called you to be. You see, the meaning of Benaiah's name is GOD BUILDS, and the meaning of his dad's name Jehoaida means GOD KNOWS. God loves you and KNOWS His plans for you and He KNOWS exactly where to take you. Trust that there is a purpose and a season for every activity under heaven.

God doesn't do things for nothing. He is always intentional with you. God is BUILDING you for something more than what you can ask, think, dream, or even imagine. So to you- hero conqueror, lion slayer, and giant slaughterer- be brave, never settle, and dare to believe.

-K 🌊

(Photo courtesy: @bravoprince on Unsplash)

[saltandstranger]

The only time that God said, “this isn’t good” was when He saw that man was alone. We are not designed to do life alone. We are made for community with one another.

If you have ever felt isolated, unwanted or set aside, know that that’s a lie. He’s the One who leaves the 99 to find the 1. He wants you back home because He wants you thriving in a place of community and fellowship.

[saltandstranger]

I imagine the people of Israel scratching their heads in confusion when they were told they had to make a detour when the main road was already right in front of them. . And just like the Israelites back then, you might have already mapped out your plan, pinned your location, and calculated the time it would take you to get from point A to point B, but then God is telling you to go another way. . Can I encourage you– when God gives you an instruction, don't argue with Him, simply obey. You see, the shortest route isn't always the best one for you to tread. It's infinitely better to go with His way every single time. It will save you energy, resources, and it will save you from heartache. God is efficient and never wasteful. You can trust that when He reroutes you, it's not to trick nor tease you but to TRAIN and PREPARE you. . It might take a while, but He knows what He's doing IN you and FOR you. He wants your character developed. He wants to make your heart steadfast and unwavering. He wants you equipped and ready for battle. And He wants to show His glory in your life. So trust His grander plan, trust His way, trust His route, trust His timing. . . . . . . . #saltoftheearth #strangertotheworld https://www.instagram.com/p/CPPB4VLlHUM/?utm_medium=tumblr

[saltandstranger]

The crowds of people that came to welcome this Man were expecting Him to be a great political leader and a military liberator who would free them from the Roman rule. Imagine their confusion and utter dismay when Jesus, who was riding a donkey instead of a horse, headed towards the Temple instead of the palace. . We're all looking to find salvation right now, aren't we? And I mean, salvation from our present troubles with this pandemic and all, salvation from our frustrations with the matter of governance. And it might seem that our disappointments are piling up. This was exactly what the people back then felt when they thought that their Messiah was someone who would liberate them from the tyranny of earthly empires. . WHO'S YOUR MESSIAH? Do not be confused. We belong to the kingdom of our God that is not of this world. Our Messiah, Jesus, did come to save us indeed- from sin and the powers of the kingdom of darkness. He has conquered the grave and is seated for the Work is finished. . In light of what's going on in our nation and in the world, the fight is never flesh and blood, and our Messiah knows this very well. We must remember this too and take the fight to a higher level. Don't let disappointments and frustrations of the present get the better of you. Fight with our spiritual weapons. Stand on the full armour of God against the wiles of the enemy. Uphold our nation in prayer. . We're not part of the crowd, aren't we? We're followers of Christ. Follow Jesus all the way to the foot of the cross and the entrance to the empty tomb. The battle belongs to Him and victory is already won. . . . . . . . #saltoftheearth #strangertotheworld https://www.instagram.com/p/CM8QbeGlAiV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[saltandstranger]

Years ago, I wrote these 10 statements down on my SOS (school of the spirit) notebook. Coming across them today after randomly rummaging through that notebook was not an accident. These aren't just words on paper; these are living and active promises of God that remain constant through different seasons.

1. I am blessed beyond measure, beyond the natural.

2. I am highly favoured. His favour surrounds me as with a shield.

3. I am disciplined and diligent. All I do, I do unto the Lord.

4. My future has been decided. Bright, vast, good, and wild are His thoughts for me.

5. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

6. I am secure, whole, and complete in Him.

7. My call is protected.

8. I am a child of God.

9. The Lord is my shepherd, my family and I shall not lack.

10. I am no longer lost, but found.

Remember that your words are seeds, and that life and death is in the power of your tongue. You decide what seed you sow. Sow life, speak life.

[saltandstranger]

From my archives, 1 year ago:

"Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone about the season she's in. Her answer: "I am preparing myself to see the Lord."

Come to think of it. Is this not where we all are? In a season of preparation, perhaps for another, but ultimately aren't we preparing for that grand and glorious moment? Yes? Yes.

But between here and there, there's this space where we grow, toil, hope, expect, fight, win some, lose some, yet always conquer, plow, sow, harvest, weep, laugh, love, and live. Whether we have barely begun or are almost at the close of this life (metaphorically and literally if you will), we are all relatively in the middle. As long as we are here on earth, we are in the middle.

And what I mean by this is simply that no matter where we may have come from and we presently are, we are IN this world (yet not of it) where our days are clearly numbered. But even this very fact is the mercy of our God, and His gift. For by knowing this, we gain a heart of wisdom, understand our purpose, and comprehend that we are all closing in to the real life: eternal life, and it doesn't start when we're at the end. It starts when you have the Son, even when we are still in the middle.

And so while we are all in this vast space which is the middle, God, who is the alpha and the omega, always meets us there. I pray that our pinned location would always be right at the center of His will."

#ForThoseInTheMiddle

#ThatsAllOfUs

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[saltandstranger]

More than the Flowers

Lilies of the field

More beautiful than kings' robes,

Their splendor unmatched

But wildflowers wilt

Here today, gone tomorrow

Their beauty fleeting

Come and see, My dear

I clothe you and care for you

More than the Flowers

The grass they wither

The breath of God falls on it

The flowers they fade

Come and see, My dear

How my word stands and endures

More than the Flowers

A haiku on Matthew 6:30 x Isaiah 40:8

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