Going With The Ebb & Flow

Sometimes we are trying so hard to swim against the current that when we stop to look around, we're still in the same place we've been fighting to get out of, only that much more exhausted and disillusioned than when we first got there.

So what's the alternative? Do we just give up and give in?

No.

Take a moment to be still. Assess your surroundings and strategize.

There's no need to let our fight turn us into into lifeless seawood, just bobbing around after a while.

Ask yourself what is it that you're fighting so hard to get out of? 

What is it that's so bad that you need to get as far away from it as possible?

Identify it and break it down further.

Keep asking these questions over and over again, until you find yourself at the core issue - the root of your inner turmoil.

Now ask yourself where do you go from here?

Do you keep fighting and tiring yourself out?

If so, how has that been working out for you?

What's the point in reaching the life of your dreams and discovering that you're too exhausted to enjoy it?

Instead of fighting so hard against it, what can you do to work with the current so that it can take you to where you need to go?

Fighting against the current means using up all your energy,only to find yourself right where you started. This is when hopelessness and self-pity creeps in, and soon you lose focus on the journey.

Going with the current of your life does not necessarily mean that you are choosing to be complacent or in agreement with the environment you're trying to rise above from.

If anything, turning around to work with the current means that you are determined to get to your happy place alive and well, and with enough energy and zest left in you to enjoy a life that you so truly deserve.

It's about tact. It's about trusting that the difficulties you are facing are for good reason.

Let your surroundings help you to move in the right direction. 

Let your difficulties make you strong enough to carry yourself out of them.

Life is rough for the most part, and you don't have to always agree with it. But as long as your focus is on making your dream life a reality, you'll find that the current of your life, in its own unpredictable ebb and flow, will work to get you there.

Stop fighting. Be patient. Start working.

Mind & Matter

In any physical activity, more than our body, it is up to our mind to keep going. It takes great will power to push passed breaking point and conquer every obstacle. 

We may think that our legs need to be strong in order to get us over our hurdles, but our state of mind needs to be strong and healthy too if we want our legs to carry us at all. 

In order for our physical self to work at its greatest potential, our non-physical self needs to be at its best. We may have the fittest and best-looking body on the track, but if our spirit, our thoughts, and our sense of self is not as fit, we will not last very long. 

Sure we may keep going for a while, but when our muscles begin to tighten and our breath runs out, it is only our state of mind that can keep us in the race.  

We nourish our body with proteins and nutrients, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, and stretch our muscles so that they are relaxed and ready to move at record-breaking speed. 

Likewise, we must nourish our thoughts with goodness and positivity, replenish the light in our hearts with love and understanding, and stretch our minds with curiosity and knowledge. 

Our body is capable of performing great feats, pushing the boundaries to overcome obstacles and thrive. We see it daily - at sports events, on survival documentaries, in news reports on poverty and warfare. 

The human body is strong, powerful and graceful.

But just as we rely on our physical strength to carry us over our daily hurdles, so does our physical body rely on our mental and emotional strength in order to carry us over these hurdles everyday, without giving up. 

The strength, power and grace of our physical self comes from the strength, power and grace of our inner self. If we can remember this and apply it to our daily lives, there will be no obstacle too tough for us to conquer.

A Moment Of Reflection

Every now and then, in between our strides of glory and success, something happens to remind us of our younger self, and the pain of a past we've so neatly packed away deep inside our hearts. 

These moments happen to remind us why we are doing what we're doing, and who we're fighting for. 

Some of us are fighting to make a better life for our children, our peers, ourselves. 

Some of us are fighting just to stay alive.

Whatever we're fighting for, our cause is noble and our fear, a faint whisper that we seldom take heed of, let alone hear at all. 

So every now and then, when we encounter a pebble in the road that brings us to our knees, we need to take that moment and be mindful of how we feel. 

As difficult as it may be, when a recent event forces us to reflect on a turbulent past, we need to respect that moment for what it is - a reminder of just how far we've come, and a reinforcer of how far we are yet to go. 

If we are anything good today, as we stand, then we need to respect our past and all that it entailed, because it is in that past that we learnt our lessons, and it is these lessons that have helped us to evolve into the great versions of ourselves that we are today. 

And this is only the beginning. 

When something happens to remind us of who we were, and what we've been through, we have to allow the moment to seize us. 

We have to allow ourselves to experience the moment in all its raw emotion. 

And then, we have to allow the moment to pass, by giving thanks to our younger self for being brave enough to make the pivotal change that has brought us to where we are today - as better versions of ourselves, and with the best yet to come. 

Embrace memories of your younger self, no matter how tainted some of these memories may be. 

Embrace your younger self, because she is your reminder that you have grown so, so much. 

Embrace her as she continues to push you to become the greatest version of her that you can be.

Understanding The Purpose Of Loss

By Dilshaad Bux. By Dilshaad Bux

By Dilshaad Bux.        By Dilshaad Bux

Have you ever thought about the similarities between loss and growth?

It may sound absurd, and impossible to compare, but this life - with all its ups and downs, and ups again - have brought me to observe, and believe, that loss is just as important for our progress as any progress. 

Loss, just like growth, is an inevitable part of life - when we are born, we lose our place of comfort, the first home we've ever known because, after 9 months, we've outgrown it and are ready for our new home. 

Likewise, every breath that we take, from our very first breath, our very first cry, is a process of loss and growth. We inhale oxygen to grow, and then lose carbon dioxide by exhaling. We let go off our first breath for the sake of the next. 

Loss, like growth, is crucial for our renewal. Milk teeth give way to stronger, more permanent teeth. Our skin cells die and fall away to make space for newer, more revitilized skin. Everything about us is about experiencing loss, and growing into a better version of ourselves through these losses. 

So why think of external loss as any different? 

We become so hopeless when we experience a loss in our lives, yet we forget to see that this loss can only be ever be good for us. 

It is only natural for loss to help us grow. A painful break up, the loss of our job, even the loss of a loved one - as difficult and impossible as it may seem to overcome at the time, loss is good for us, because it only means that we are strong enough and ready to grow yet again, and even more. 

Losing a loved one is probably the toughest form of loss that us as complex, compassionate beings can experience. The very fact that we have the power to acnowledge such loss, reflect on it, and eventually return to a normal way of life, is proof in itself of our great nature - a nature that has been granted to us from our very first breath, and that we are responsible of pursuing from every moment there on out. 

Whether loss is great or small, and whether it is inside you or outside in your environment, its purpose will always be for you to grow, yet again. 

When you experience a loss again, great or small, be sure to affirm that this is all part of your inevitable growth. Take from it what you need to learn, grow, and get that much closer to your true, great potential.

Your Diamond Self

If life were to be breathed into a diamond, this diamond would open its eyes as a woman. 

Beautiful, unbreakable. 

This is a woman. This is you. 

Women are born with so many gifts - including strength, courage, compassion, humility, and love. These are the facets of every woman's diamond self, with love being the most brilliant and admirable of them all. 

The natural traits of a woman are taken for granted by many women, and are therefore seldom respected by anyone else. Just like a diamond, we too deserve to be respected. To be respected, we must carry ourselves with grace, even on our worst days.  

Do not be deterred by your struggle. The obstacles and difficulties in your life are all part of your polishing process. Through your struggle you will discover your strengths, your gifts, your talents - your diamond self. 

We often make the mistake of believing that our difficulties are greater than us, but the truth is we already have everything we need to overcome even our greatest obstacle. 

All we have to do is keep going, keep perservering, and maintain a positive attitude no matter how difficult it may seem. 

Maintaining positivity is often a challenge, but we can work on this by being aware of the words we use in our daily activities and conversations - with others and, just as importantly, with ourselves. 

By embracing positivity we will ultimately unearth our greatness, and our true beauty will be revealed. By showering ourselves with positive actions, words and even thoughts, we will realize the great worth of our inner and outer beauty, and we will ensure that it is respected by everyone, including ourselves. 

This beauty is the only one of its kind. 

Your diamond self deserves to be protected, respected, and loved by you without limits. Only when you can truly love and respect your one-of-a-kind self, will others love and respect you too. 

As you go through this life you owe it to yourself to use every precious moment you have, and every challenge you face, to pursue your greatness and shine as the true diamond you are.

Tests Of Excellence

This life is a series of tests - every bad experience a lesson to gain tools from, every good experience a reward for our perseverance.

When we can think of life this way, we will be less concerned with what we own or how much we earn. Instead, we will focus on being good and happy.

Goodness and happiness may seem like simple concepts, and it is because of this simplicity that it is often shrugged off as unimportant. Many consider the pursuit of goodness and happiness to be a playful past-time, important only to flower-children and fairies. 

But they couldn't be more wrong. There's nothing airy-fairy about striving for goodness and happiness, because to be good and happy you have to be as tough as nails.

Everyday we are bombarded with bad news and bullies - in the workplace, in the media, and often even in our own homes. To maintain our willingness to be good and happy through all of it requires strength. So be proud of yourself for pursuinggoodness even when life feels like it's all bad, and know that you are strong beyond measure when you are able to smile at the end of a rough day.

This life is made up of tests designed especially for you, to push you out of your comfort zone and closer to your great potential. 

As with every lesson worth learning, your tests come only when you have been given all the knowledge you need to pass with excellent results. 

Reflect on the experiences you have. 

Listen to what your daily encounters teach you. 

Gather your tools, and embrace every test with strength - strength that you've been unaware of, strength that you've had all along.

No matter how difficult it may be, or how many questions you feel like you do not have answers to, don't give up. 

Don't allow failure to be an option. You were born to excel. So work hard at your excellence everyday. Practise goodness and happiness even in on your most difficult day, and reap the rewards of a life superbly lived.

Powered By Grace

By Jadene B.

By Jadene B.    

Grace – we throw that term around a lot. It’s not uncommon to hear regularly how people impute certain occurrences in their lives to the grace of God and it is the most sensible explanation; but how many of us really understand what the grace of God is – and why it is has been extended to sinful mankind.

Grace means “unmerited favor, blessing, or kindness.” We can all extend grace to others; but when the word grace is used in connection with God, it takes on a more powerful meaning. Grace is God choosing to bless us rather than curse us as our sin deserves. It is His benevolence to the undeserving, which we all are.

The only way any of us can enter into a relationship with God is because of His grace toward us. Grace began in the Garden of Eden when God killed an animal to cover the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). He could have killed the first humans right there for their disobedience to Him. But rather than destroy them, He chose to make a way for them to be right with Him.

Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favor of God.Grace is God reaching downward to people who are inconstant rebellion against Him. Grace is unconditional love towards a person who does not deserve it.

Grace is most needed and best understood in the midst of sin, suffering, and brokenness. We live in a world of earning, deserving, and merit – where everyone is trying to earn and gain recognition from others, most of the time we seek recognition from people who don’t even matter.Some of us may even be trying to earn favour from Godand work our way into right standing with Him, but that dear friends is unattainable when it comes to our Creator. You cannot earn His favour nor be His favourite for God shows no favouritism (Romans 2:11). Nothing you ever do will be good enough for God, regardless of how good of a person you think you are; the Scripture makes it clear that “our righteous works are as filthy rags” in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6).

This is why everyone desperately needs His grace – it’s not about us. It is fundamentally about God: His un-coerced initiative and pervasive, extravagant demonstrations of care and favor. In grace, God gives nothing less than Himself. Grace then, is not a third thing or substance mediating between God and sinners, but is Jesus Christ in redeeming action.

Grace is important because God offered us grace by sending Jesus. Sin separates us from God. We can never bridge the gulf between us and God that was created by our sin. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” When we sin, we deserve an eternal death — being separated from God forever. If God gave us what we deserve, we would never be able to bridge the gap between God and us. However, grace means that God sent Jesus to die in our place and rise again so that the gulf between us and God could be closed forever.

In essence, if Jesus wasn’t executed there would be no celebration. This is why we owe our very existence to Him.Grace is a constant theme in the Bible, and it culminates in the New Testament with the coming of Jesus (John 1:17).

God shows both mercy and grace, but they are not the same. Mercy withholds a punishment we deserve; grace gives a blessing we don't deserve. We don’t deserve His grace but we need His grace. We need it first of all for salvation. Without the grace of God, we cannot have eternal life. However, we also need the grace of God for our daily walk with God. We are weak and prone to stray. Jesus told us that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). But God provides daily strength through His grace working in us. We should seek this grace for living for Him. Then, we should believe that He will provide what He has promised and walk with assurance that His grace is working in us.

I wished I was a little bit lighter

By Phemii. By Getty Images

By Phemii.           By Getty Images

Why does my reflection displease me so much? 

Why should the sun devour my complexion and leave me feeling stained?

Why am I not as fair as my mother?

Growing up with a goddess-like mother with lush thick hair and pale skin, these where the questions I asked myself. She was my ultimate idea of beauty. 

I went about my life the same way every princess with a Queen mother would, playing dress up and applying too much eye-shadow while at it. As soon as I realised that I did not look like this goddess, as soon as my eyes found my complexion and my mind noted it as dissimilar to my Queen’s, I questioned whether or not I had a face that remotely resembled beauty. You see it was before I even knew that beauty was subjective and complexion had nothing to do with it that I found my skin tone displeasing and myself not beautiful.

I grew up with a deep-seated hatred for my not-light-enough skin tone that brought me closer to my father than my mother. I was the product of a coloured and black eruption, the toss up of two races with different tones and I landed on black whichserved no bother however I did not come home looking like rooibos with milk, I looked more like coffee with not enough milk. “I did not receive enough lightness” is all I thought and all I grew up uttering to myself until it was embedded in my mind. I wished I was a little bit lighter. Through this, an inferiority complex developed in me where every girl who was lighter in complexion than me, was prettier than me. Every girl who was lighter was more desirable in my eyes because those girls were closer to my mother’s beauty than me, the darker-light skinned girl. 

When I moved to Joburg to end of my primary schooling and start with junior high, I met dark skinned girls whom I found beautiful, one of my best friends leading the pack. It would be an insult to suggest that I had never met beautiful dark skinned females however these girls where not just beautiful they had the knowledge of their beauty all over their posture right through to their walk. I was dumbfounded not by their complexion but their confidence and self-assurance in a complexion I had honestly never found desirable. It was the first time I found females who were more than ten-shades darker than my goddess, beautiful. A fair complexion was not the be-all and end-all of beauty and it seemed beauty too,danced on sunkissed skin. 

My insecurities were not cured but my subconscious had a lot of answering to do. 

When the light-skinned boom occurred and dark-skinned girls were relegated, spoken of as ‘the other’ that was when I realised just how destructive colourism really was. Even then I wished I was a little bit lighter, even then I felt displaced as a black girl. The mind is a powerful and misleading tool when not used accordingly and when it is not fed the right information. In a world where pale is pure and dark and sinister, it only made sense to pursue purity and this is where and how the poison spreads.  

Throughout my childhood, I was victim of self-imposed feelings of inadequacy planted and watered by the media but what I didn’t realise was, I was being indoctrinated into believing that I was not beautiful in my warm caramel skin. What many fail to realise is we rob our African sisters of the knowledge of their own beauty merely through repetitive comparisons in which one party is always not-as-pretty. It is all a joke until it is your daughter who bleaches her skin with harmful detergents in the aim to be lighter. It is fun and games until your sister’s self-esteem rests on the floor like her clothes as she seeks validation in all the wrong places. 

The black community needs to realize that it is one thing for the media to tell us that we are prettier when we’re lighter but a whole new ball game when we are fed the same demeaningdebris by our own people.

This Woman's Promise

In honour of the first day of National Woman's Month in South Africa, let us make a promise to ourselves as women - a promise that we will live every moment, from right now, in pursuit of self-acceptance and self-love. 

Let us promise to accept everything about our physical selves - from that bump on our nose, to the way our hair curls at the first sign of rain. 

Let us promise to honour our hands because even when they are rough from hard work, they are still soft - on our children, our partners and our fellow human beings - as they express our tenderness and our Divine ability to love.  

Let us promise to accept our non-physical selves - with all our hopes and fears, our dreams and our gifts, and the heritage that runs through our veins. 

Let us promise to celebrate our individual cultures with dignity and joy as they express a beautiful part of ourselves that has been entrusted to us, by previous generations, with love. 

There was a time when it became okay - no, extremely important - to lose who we truly are, in order to become a person that nobody can actually be. But this time has come to pass. And we, as women, have the power to ensure that this time does pass, and that history never feels the need to repeat itself again. 

When we wipe off our make up, un-do our hair, take off our high heels, and stand in front of each other, barefoot and real, with no distractions, then we will see just how beautiful we are. 

There is no such thing as the perfect woman - the perfect body, the perfect hair, the perfect lips, the perfect waistline. But there is a real woman, and she is here, standing in front of other real women, proud and excited to be who she truly is - herself. 

There is no one like you. Perfection is overrated. We are meant to stumble, fall, learn, and rise.

We are perfectly imperfect. 

All of our scars, our stretch marks, our birthmarks and bruises, are our battle scars in this beautiful life. They are testaments to our courage, our strength, and our capacity to love and to be loved, to be great and to encourage others to be great, against all odds. 

When we can accept who we are, as we are, then we will be able to accept our sisters as they are. Instead of competing against each other from a place of fear, we will work together from a place of love, we will recognize our common struggles and triumphs, and we will raise each other up. 

So, during this significant month and everyday after, let us promise ourselves that we will accept and love ourselves and our sisters as we all are, and that we will continue to pursue our great potential together, because we have been granted the privilege and the honour, not only of being human, but of being women. Strong, beautiful, courageous women.

The Virtue of Gratitude

Hearing footsteps in the corridor he knew might be those of the guards taking him away to his execution. His only bed was the hard, cold stone floor of the muggy, cramped prison cell. Not an hour passed when he was free from the constant irritation of the chains and the pain of the iron manacles cutting into his wrists and legs.


Separated from friends & fellowship, unjustly accused, brutally treated—if ever a person had a right to complain, it was this man, languishing and almost forgotten in a harsh Roman prison cell. But instead of complaints, his lips rang with words of praise and thanksgiving!
The man was the Apostle Paul—a man who had learned the meaning of true thanksgiving, even in the midst of great adversity. While he had been imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything" (Ephesians 5:19).
Think of it: Always giving thanks for everything—no matter the circumstances! Thanksgiving for the Apostle Paul was not a once-a-year celebration, but a daily reality that changed his life and made him a joyful person in every situation. Gratitude for Apostle Paul was not just a gesture, it was a lifestyle and in turn he went on to write 14 of the 27 books included in the New Testament, all inspired by the Spirit of God. Apostle Paul wrote that we should not let our minds dwell on negative thoughts. Instead, we should dwell on those things that are pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). 
Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness. 
Today, ingratitude and thanklessness are far too common. Children forget to thank their parents for all that they do. Common courtesy is scorned. We take for granted the ways that others help us. Above all, we fail to thank God for His blessings.
One of the Bible’s indictments against rebellious humanity is that “although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him” (Romans 1:21). An ungrateful heart is a heart that is cold toward God and indifferent to His mercy and love. It is a heart that has forgotten how dependent we are on God for everything. 
Why should we be thankful? Because God has blessed us, and we should be thankful for each blessing.
Thanking God glorifies and magnifies Him and also benefits us. The Lord doesn’t need our thanks, but we need to give it so we can become what He wants us to be: unselfish, encouraged, and confident. 
To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives’ events – the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections - that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only truly grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for.

Let’s not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God; for the trials we face regardless of how bad they are prove our undying faith for Him – “In this [we] greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Tested faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness if you had not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength if you had not been supported in the flood. Faith increases in quality, assurance, and intensity the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too therefore give thanks.Thank God for grace in all circumstances. We should be thankful everyday, not just when we attend a church service or observe a special day of thanks. This is because there is always something to be grateful forremembering that someone out there is praying for the kind of life you have.

THE GODLY MAN

By Jadene B.

By Jadene B.            

Let me first start by stating fervently that there are still good men out there, more specifically Godly men, who will pray with and for their woman, rather than prey on them. 

This notion might sound cliché but what isn’t these days? Talk about a good man and women roll their eyes and shrug their shoulders, as though you’ve offended them in the worst way. 

Ladies, not all men are dogs.... in fact there is the unique man who is overlooked and undervalued – the Godly man. It bothers me when I hear women bashing Godly men saying that they are no different than those they usually come across. Let’s just eliminate that accusation by saying that just because a manloosely calls himself a Christian, does not mean he is one. You will know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16), and their sole purpose is to honour God – and this shows in his actions & character. He is satisfied with his identity in Christ and finds no satisfaction in worldly endeavours.

A worldly guy would have no problem trying to sleep with you before marriage, he desires to please himself more than anyone else. He wants the relationship between just you two. He wants little if any accountability and little or no interaction with family members. The man after God's heart works at keeping you both pure because he honors you and God – why? Simply because he’s a man of the Word and rejects the rules of society to follow the principles of God. He desires to please God above everyone else.

He places his relationship with God above you so that he is able to love you with the same love imparted unto him by Love Himself. He leads with authority, displays the love of Christ towards you and each day commits himself little by little to dying to selfishness. His ways are not of this world as he adheres to the standards of his Father’s Kingdom.

We live in a society that is burdened by compromise but the man of God is not moved by what other men are doing.

While the unsaved man cringes at the idea of marriage and the classic ‘ball and chain’ theory, Godly men know the purpose of marriage. Marriage is the depiction of Christ and His church. 

Now onto the question of their existence... you might ask where they can be found. Well, that’s not your problem... the bible tells us that “HE who FINDS a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22)”. Pursual is not your job. You are the one who is to be found. The woman was God’s gift to man, NOT the other way around.

Worldly men are attracted to carnal things. They are attracted to your physical appearance, body, your morals (or lack thereof), personality, your body, education, your body, and oh yeah your body! Their focus is more temporal than eternal. Now I'm not going to say that Godly men don't care about looks and body because they do. Men are very visual, but he cares more about your spiritual than the physical. 

A Godly man knows that Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain(Proverbs 31:30)  and is attracted to a woman's love for Christ,biblical way of dealing with development and growth, chastity and purity, your humility and submission, your devotion to God, your modesty, meekness, biblical womanhood and femininity, and self control. Her spirituality is preeminent because He knows that you won't look the same way in 30 years. He also knows that this will be the mother of his kids, and it's important that she has certain attributes to raise Godly children.

The Godly man has given up his own desires and submitted himself to the will of God. He is more concerned with bringing glory to God through your relationship. It's not about perfection, it's about direction. Godly men are not perfect, but their heart is set on pleasing God. They are all a work in progress and have to grow & mature as we all do. We have to stop acting as if there is no difference between Godly men vs worldly men because there is.

But first we have to examine ourselves, does a Godly man even have a reason to approach us? God will lead a man to you but the only way that will happen is when you yourself are aligned to His will, rooted in His word. God will not place this valued man into the hands of a foolish woman. If you are to be his gift, make sure you are neatly packaged.

Hometown Glory

By Dilshaad Bux. By Dilshaad Bux

By Dilshaad Bux.        By Dilshaad Bux

One of the unsung beauties of a vacation is the feeling of being unknown and unrecognized, free to observe and absorb an ethnic energy that we would otherwise never have the opportunity to experience. 

In this way, we elevate ourselves from our small-world thinking. We expose ourselves to different ways of being, different struggles, and different examples of endurance and triumph. 

Some of the best holiday destinations in the world are not found in first-class destinations, but in third-world countries, where locals overcome the challenges of their land so much so that we find ourselves inspired by them, and we keep coming back, over and over, just so that we can feel their love and zest for life again. 

We're always seeking an escape, somewhere to go to and get lost in. We think that we can only reignite our life's spark by fleeing our own situation and getting as far away as possible, even for a little while. 

We go through our lives not seeing our own triumphs, and noticing that our own stories and struggles inspire so many around us, and keep them coming back to us, over and over again. 

We all need a vacation every now and then, but I think instead of waiting for that time to come around once a year - or once in a lifetime - we should look around ourselves, in our own environment and take the time to step out and experience our hometown as a tourist would. 

More than that, we need to look at ourselves and admire our struggles with as much awe and respect as we would with anyone else who embodies strength and endurance.  


See yourself through the eyes of a stranger. 

Experience your hometown with the bright-eyed bewilderment of a tourist. 

Recognise the strengths of your community and your self, and use this as a fuel to change all the things that you do not like about your circumstances and your surroundings. 

Make your homeground one that keeps you and everyone else coming back, over and over, to embrace your love, your light, and your ethnic energy. The world will thank you for it.

Into The Unknown

By Dilshaad Bux. By Dilshaad Bux

By Dilshaad Bux.        By Dilshaad Bux

When last did you try a new hairstyle? Cook with a different herb or spice? Wear a colour that you've never worn before? 

We feel comfortable with the familiar, we feel safe when we follow what others say is good for us. But by sticking with the masses, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to experience so much more. 

We were born for curiosity, to push our boundaries and discover the new. Our limits are dictated by our fears. They hold us back from experiencing a world that was created to be discovered. 

When we make an effort to take little steps out of our comfort zone everyday, we are stepping out of our self-limiting state of mind and taking leaps and bounds towards the greatest version of ourselves. 

Nothing great ever comes from living a life of sheer comfort. When we become too familiar with a life of safety and luxury, our fear of the unknown becomes stronger than our admiration of it, and we start to believe that it is somehow stronger and more powerful than us. 

This is not so. We are beings of rationality, intellect, and instinct - the best of creation. We have been given everything we need to survive. 

We are born to thrive. 

Use all your blessings and all your material luxuries to step out of your comfort zone and into a space that pushes you to conquer your fears and discover your true self. Only then will you unlock the door within yourself to all the greater immaterial treasures you have been blessed with. 

These treasures cannot be bought. They are already yours, and only yours. They are unlike any other, and to be worthy of them you have to prove that you are unlike any other. 

There is something greater in you that has always been protecting you and guiding you to this point of reflection and self-discovery. You owe it to yourself to pursue this feeling. 

Start today - try something new, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem. Try it in goodness and with sincerity. Try it with the intention of discovering something new and greater within yourself.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like Christ

By Jadene B.

By Jadene B.            

After watching the movie ‘Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man’ a few years ago, I examined the principles these females thought were necessary to apply to their relationships in hopes of keeping the men who pursued them. Not only did I marvel at the naivety of the amount of women who were keen on attempting the “90 day rule” or whatever other advice that was being offered, but I found it odd that most of the ladies actually believed that following a list of rules would get a man to be committed to them.The Word of God instructs that we shall "Let this mind be in (us) which is also in Christ" (Philippians 2:5).

I stopped to remind myself of the reality of this generation and the volumes of women who find themselves taking desperate measures to secure the man of their dreams.

A lot of young women have no idea what “acting like a lady” means. Society tells them that being a “Barbie” is the new beauty and being a bad b**** is the new woman’s international anthem.

However, society neglects to tell these “Barbies” that boys soon grow into men and they stop playing with toys. Clearly we can see throughout this generation that how we define what being a woman is will always be shaped by some kind of outside influence. 

Unfortunately, I can’t blame most of the young girls who idolize Nicki Minaj and Beyonce and see them as the standard of what a woman is. Frankly, we just do not have enough Christian women role models who are equipped totrain up this generation of young women like Titus 2:3-5 tells us to.

Thinking like Christ sounds boring compared to thinking like a man. I really can’t blame young women for this perception either because how can you think like anyone that you do not know. It is far easier to assume you know what guys want and how they think, rather than committing yourself to a life style of learning about Christ.

Let’s begin with an examination question. Where do you stand with your relationship with Christ? More than likely there are only two ways to answer this question. Either: 

1) You have a relationship with God; or

2) You do not have a relationship with God

Some of you reading this article may ask… “Well what about those in between?” I love God….BUT I just can’t give up my secret sin!  I’ll answer and say to you that it is impossible to be sitting on the fence. Scriptures tell us in Matthew 6:24 that “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

What Steve Harvey forgot to mention in his delightfulmovie is that most men can read your fears, insecurities, and life aspirations before you even open your mouth. 

How you carry yourself as woman. How you dress andhow you do your hair says a lot, including what you idolize. Are you consumed with getting attention from men? Are you hiding behind your career? Do you think you are unattractive? Do you think that you are very attractive and every man wants you? Or do you cherish God? Do you care about your brothers in Christ? Do you have a heart to serve others?

Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of the world but let God transform you and renew your mind so that you will know His will for you which is perfect, good and sufficientfor you!

In every situation, good or bad, always act like a lady first!By asking God to renew your mind so that you can BE like Him, THINK like Him and walk in His likeness and allowing Him to teach you His standards.
You are what you idolize so draw close to Christ daily sothat you can be all that HE is instead of constantly trying to adjusting to a superfluous image society entices you to become.