The joy of walking on water...

Have you recently felt like you are being called to something new? A change of country/city, career path, pursuing further education, taking your spirituality more seriously? Or perhaps it’s something less drastic and yet just the mere thought of it presents you with doubt beyond belief, which subsequently affects your decision-making. Therefore you are also aware that whichever decision you do make will be costly, and this utterly scares you (though you may not want to admit it) You feel like the more you pray about it, the more confused and agitated you become towards the prospect of stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing something new. Well, I’m here to reassure you that you are not alone.                                                                  

Your life’s highest calling will always create the highest level of joy within…

I will remember you...

Just the other morning when I awoke and was reading my daily devotion, I stumbled upon a well-known story in the bible...it was the story of Joseph. (One of my all-time favourites). Surprisingly, the verse that I read seemed oh so familiar - except a tiny little detail that caught my attention and thus lead me to ponder on something that I've been struggling with lately, and nope, this isn't one of my 'post-graduation syndromes' as I like to diagnose it. (Or perhaps it is) but that's not the point. It's about the gift of remembering and Genesis 40 captures the moment Joseph (who ironically is the captain guard in the prison he is kept in) interprets two prisoners dreams and Joseph asks a simple yet, significant favour afterwards,

¹⁴ But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.

Taking time-out…




stunning sunset from our Campsite- Priceless

‘We need times of solitude and silence. We need times of refreshment, laughter and rest. We need to listen to the voice of God in our hearts as he tells us what we need.' – Captivating, by John & Staci Eldredge

I have just returned from a week-long camping holiday called FOCUS with my church family, which was hosted by HTB church network and was situated in the small town called Mablethorpe (far east-cost of England). It was simply magnificent. If I go on to describe just how awesome it felt to truly zone out from all the distractions of life and FOCUS on God…I would bore you with all the details. But it really got me thinking about the importance of taking time-out. This is something I particularly struggle with. The idea of putting a break to everything, simply letting go, inhaling and exhaling rest and exercising a prayerful lifestyle in exchange to living on a busy schedule and constantly being ‘proactive’ is not easy. How many of us really enjoy times of solitude and silence when presented with the opportunity?

Love is Patient...

I’ve recently been reading a really good book by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer called, wait for it… ‘Praying for your Future Husband’- (Preparing your heart for his) – I had to include that to make it sound less crazy. Hah. But seriously, as soon as I mentioned the title of the book to my friends, the response I get is always that of hilarity. The girls shyly smile or laugh hysterically, depending on how/when I bring it up…and the guys, well – rather freaked out by the idea to be perfectly honest. I seem to not understand why the concept of Praying for the ‘bone of my bones & flesh of my flesh’ is stirring up such negative connotation. Surely we can all relate to the idea that prayer is indeed powerful, and as we begin to pray for someone else…we are also being changed/transformed in the process? This should be great news for single ladies (myself included) to be aware of, knowing that there is something they can invest in now that will make a huge difference in their life and the life of their future husband?

Fear and Fatigue

So it’s been over a week since I graduated…and it still hasn’t sunk in yet. One thing is certain though, the reality of falling under the category of ‘unemployed’ has indeed settled in. I was filling in some application forms for job opportunities the other day, and it hit me that I am no longer a student. I don’t know how I feel about it. Does that mean I am now a fully pledged adult? What if I am not ready to embrace that fact? What if I just want to remain a student forever, acknowledging the benefits of what that brings along? It’s all too much to take in. Plus on top of that, some of my close friends are all leaving the city. And I for one hate goodbyes. In fact, I detest them. Yet I understand that this is a changing season, people are moving on, going places, accepting new challenges. So does that mean that I should just suck it up and be strong? What if I want to cry, and hide from it all? What if I am not ready or strong enough to stand firm in the midst of all these different waves of emotions? WHAT IF??

Graduating with gratitude

So, Monday was a joyous day of celebration. It was graduation day!! :) I was finally presented with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design. The sun was shining. My classmates were all dressed up, soaking up the occasion, I was surrounded by my wonderful family and friends (who were genuinely proud of my achievements) and had the immense privilege of rejoicing on the past 3 years of this unforgettable journey of University life. As the famous saying goes 'All good things must come to an end' and it did and it was unbelievably emotional. But I thank God for bringing me thus far, I can now declare that it was not easy...but with hard work and perseverance coupled with  faith and diligence I crossed the finishing line. And it was glorious!


You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated. - Maya Angelou


I could not have done it alone. I owe my family, friends and you wonderful readers so very much for your encouragements, prayers and support during these very trying times. As the picture on the left demonstrates...It was certainly a time of letting go of all the stress, by the infamous gesture of throwing the cap and leaping for JOY! And doing so in style...the 'Authentic Happyness' style.

GUEST BLOG: The Art of Being Happy

Is Within Yourself

Credits:

Picture: N/a; Words: AG

In the quest of trying to make this blog a little bit more versatile and inclusive, I have now opted on discovering new ways of shaking things up a notch... Bringing on some creative, cool, collected minds and generally people who are open to sharing a little bit of themselves whilst highlighting topics they feel passionate about. The purpose of this blog is so much more than just random rants, It is about using people in my surrounding whom I admire to pour out their gifts and souls to you guys for a little dollop of inspiration.the journey has just got interesting. This is a very exciting new conquest that also requires your precious feedback. But in the mean time, Happy reading!! :) Fufu

Words by “El” Rehema Mussanzi

I was watching a TED Talk this morning by Lisa Bu entitled “How books can open your mind” in which she shares her unique approach to reading with an enthusiastic audience in Long Beach, California, when I had an epiphany. About half way through the talk she made a comment which sparked me to examine what we, as human beings, consider to be the art of being happy. She said “it’s through translation that I realised ‘happiness’ in Chinese literally means ‘fast joy’”. Really! Fast joy?

 

Well, it occurred to me that the one question we all ask ourselves at varying points in life is what is the goal of living? How does one live a happy life?