Rosh Hashanah 2014 & The Days of Awe

"I set before you Life and Prosperity, death and destruction... Choose Life!"

I came home from SB for the two weeks before school starts =) The days have been going by pretty fast and I've been letting them slip through my fingers for the most part :/ and it's crazy how we're almost in October and just seem to be in huge hurry to end the year. I was on you tube the other day and I saw a video about Rosh Hashanah and realized that the Jewish New Year has already started. I also looked up some more information online (about the first 10 days on the Hebrew calendar ~> a lunar calendar)  which I'd like to share with y'all as well as the application so read on. But first, I find it interesting that this weekend my family all came together -which has become rare coz of the distance and busy-ness of everyone so it reminds me of a holiday gathering =) K read this first before I add my commentary and share the application (References: Huff Post: The New Year Begins, About.com: Holy Days, Wikipedia )

*Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew, literally for "head of the year"), the Jewish New Year, is celebrated in 2014 from sundown on September 24 to nightfall on September 26. The new year is the only Jewish holiday that is observed for two days by all Jews (other holidays are observed for just one day within the Land of Israel) as it is also the only major holiday that falls on a new moon.

It is considered the new year of people, animals and legal contracts. In the Jewish oral tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the completion of the creation of the world. The day is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of humanity's role in God's world. Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar (a hollowed-out ram's horn) and eating symbolic foods such as apples dipped in honey to evoke a "sweet new year". The mitzvah (commandment) to hear the shofar, a literal and spiritual wake-up call, is special to this time of year.

*Days of Awe (Yamim Nora’im) or the "Ten Days of Repentance" (Aseret Yamei T’shuvah) begins with Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur. The time between these two main holidays is special in the Jewish calendar. Jews are required to focus on repentance and atonement during this period. The Mishnah refers to Rosh Hashanah as the "day of judgment," and it is believed that God opens the Book of Life on this day and begins to decide who shall live and who shall die. . While God passes judgment on Rosh Hashanah, the books of life and death remain open during the Days of Awe so that Jews have the opportunity to repent and change which book they are in before it is sealed on Yom Kippur. Jews spend these days working to amend their behavior and seeking forgiveness for wrongs done during the past year.
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TIME TO REPENT: INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE APPLICATION :)

This week, my sis Sheila and Kenya had encouraged us to fellowship together as a family (read the Word and pray together) and I find it interesting that last night and tonight (though my family were unaware of the Rosh Hashanah holiday coz we don't usually celebrate them and I had also forgot about it) my dad lead us into reading Deuteronomy 30: 15-19

"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants"

My dad then briefly said that God gives us free will and it's up to us to choose life and blessings or death and curses. And that we are living in the last days so it's best to make the wise choice. I find it interesting that God definitely used my dad to share this with us yesterday and today, and that's exactly what Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe are about... First to tie it to the idea that Rosh Hashanah is "the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of humanity's role in God's world" Adam and Eve were created last because humans are special (made in the image of God) and they were also given free will to choose life and death.... And you might be familiar with the story titled, "The Fall of Man" if not check out this quick read "Beauty and the Beast: Prologue  the story of Adam and Eve (The Fall of humanity) leading to the story of Jesus ("The Salvation of humanity) all explained using Beauty and the Beast movie =) You can also check out this really cool spoken word piece that I got to see at Rhetoric 2014. So powerful! =)

And like in the times of  Adam and Eve we are on the verge/ at the beginning of a whole new world but we have choices to make... we can choose to rule and reign with Jesus the King of Glory in His Kingdom, abiding in His Love and filled with His power, or we can reject God's leadership and love and just do things however we seem fit and then find ourselves mislead and miserable :(

So the call is for us to rise up :D asking God to examine our hearts, confessing our sins and releasing to Him all our burdens, in exchange for His freedom. The blood Jesus shed on the cross is sufficient to wash away all our wrongs and God our Father is so full of love, He doesn't care what we've done in the past He is so this is not a call to beat ourselves up but rather receive God's grace, love and freedom free of charge =) Related posts:  Behold!, The Kingdoms, My G.P.S, Pimp My Ride.  Also get yourself a Bible and dig in! :)

IT'S A NEW YEAR!!! GOD HAS SO MANY BLESSINGS AND BREAKTHROUGH IN STORE FOR THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. REDEMPTION AND RESTORATION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME JUDGEMENTS ARE COMING UPON THE LAND SO WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND SEEK GOD. PRAY FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS. IT'S A TIME TO RECONCILE WITH EACH OTHER AND TO GOD OUR FATHER THROUGH JESUS WHO MADE THE WAY FOR US :D

Let's return to our Father's unfailing Love! :-)

 

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (Acts 3:19) post: Search me. Test me. Lead me.



JOSHUA GENERATION - THE CALL

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua Assumes Command

¹⁰ And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹ “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”
¹² And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, ¹⁵ until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
¹⁶ And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
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TAKING TERRITORY 2014

So this has been in my drafts forever (like since 2011), the original title was "Taking Territory" and all I had was this picture... it was from a UC-wide strike from way back when, I liked the idea of "Occupy UCSB"... taking space and ownership/responsibility also in unity (UC-wide)... And especially applying that to spiritual warfare. The Book of Joshua came up the other day so I decided to read it. Chapter 1 really gripped me and reminded me of this post. This Generation is super special and I feel like the charge given to Joshua by Moses is for US and for NOW(related post: A Generation Arising! ~> super-brief). K let's move on to stuff I got from it:

1.THE CALL OF GOD UPON A GENERATION: RISE UP NOW! (Joshua 1:1-9)
So yeah in chapter 1 Joshua is chosen (not randomly as we are told he was Moses' assistant) and charged with great leadership responsibility. Our generation is also chosen and charged, many great leaders and world-changers in our lifetime have passed and now  the responsibility falls upon us and we have to step up to the plate.

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom." ~ Nelson Mandela." you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)

And that is quite exciting to be called to TAKE OVER and to LEAD  the NEW GENERATION of world-changers into possessing the PROMISES of God.... but upon closer inspection of the text this is actually a Call to Intimacy with God. Yes Joshua is told to arise and to be strong and courageous and to possess the land and all but God also tells him that He will be with Joshua like He was with Moses... And how was He with Moses? I just read Exodus 33 (right now after my mini-nap lol) which is perfect to compare with Joshua 1.

"Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. Remember that this nation is Your people.” The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33: 12-14)

So yeah God just wants us to seek His face - His presence- letting Him fill us and guide us. And by His Spirit and His power -- through Him and with Him-- we shall accomplish what we are called to. Waking up to the revelation that God doesn't need us or just wants to use us... He actually just wants us, to be with us and everything else flows from resting in the power of His presence.

So LORD please help me rest in You, I don't want to go anywhere without Your presence. I need You. I want You so please fill me, remove anything in me that's not of You and make me wholly Yours! All I want is You! And yes Lord equip us by the Power of the Holy Spirit to rise up and thrive in the days we're living in. ♫ Take me back to You, to the place that I once knew, as a little child, resting in the bed of faith prepared for me... I will rest in You! ♫ post: The Bubble (How I find God "in the bubble"... Story of my life part 1 =) )

 

So that's the first point I want to highlight before we move on with the "Taking territory" series... we are called for relationship with God, our Creator and Father... we are called to Love... Intimacy with Him will release strategy. So stay tuned for the exposition of the rest of chapter 1 and other chapters in the book of Joshua. In the meantime, here's another related post: FULL Armor of God

RISK!

"To Risk" by William Arthur Ward

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach for another is to risk involvement.

To expose your ideas, your dreams,

before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To believe is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken, because the

greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The people who risk nothing, do nothing,

have nothing, are nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,

but they cannot learn, feel, change,

grow, love, live.

Chained by their attitudes they are slaves;

they have forfeited their freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

A CALL TO FAST FOR THIS GENERATION

40 DAY FAST
GOING DOWN STARTING SEPTEMBER 1ST! :D

(yeah should have shared this earlier... sorry!)

Details coming soon!

In the meantime you can check out:

http://charlenediaries.blogspot.com/2012/03/call-to-fast.html

https://www.facebook.com/events/836976083033340/

http://youtu.be/arDeuU1ITM8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-2Mc6fvo9I

Let the Lion Rise in US!

I noticed that lots of my facebook friends were born in August and one of my friends mentioned that it's "Leo season" which made me want to look up the sign coz I'm not into astrology so I don't know these things. And when I looked it up I got confirmation for the season we're in -- whether or not you were born in August -- it's always the right season to be yourself...it's REVOLUTION TIME! :D

Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Source of article: http://www.astrology.com/leo-sun-sign-zodiac-signs/2-d-d-66944
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. These folks are impossible to miss, since they love being center stage. Making an impression is Job One for Leos, and when you consider their personal magnetism, you see the job is quite easy. Leos are an ambitious lot, and their strength of purpose allows them to accomplish a great deal. The fact that these folks are also creative makes their endeavors fun for them and everyone else. It's quite common to see a Leo on stage or in Hollywood, since these folks never shy away from the limelight. They are also supremely talented and have a flair for the dramatic. Warmth and enthusiasm seems to seep from every Leo pore, making these folks a pleasure to be around. They do love pleasure!

It's the Lion that symbolizes Leos, and the king (or queen) of the jungle is a most appropriate mascot, since they consider themselves the rulers of their universe (and the zodiac at that). Like Lions, Leos tend to be dignified and strong, and itÕs this sense of their power that allows them to get things done. A Leo on your team is a good thing, since Lions are eager to see their projects through to completion. Putting these folks at the helm is a good thing, too, since the Leo-born are natural leaders. They may ruffle a few feathers along the way, however, since they can also be overbearing and somewhat autocratic. This may be in keeping with the Fixed Quality assigned to this sign -- Lions are indeed opinionated and set in their ways. That said, they are well organized, idealistic and have a knack for inspiring others.

Leo is ruled by the Sun -- the center of the universe and the fuel for our being. In much the same way, Leos consider themselves indispensable and the center of the universe, and those who would tell them otherwise had better look out! Lions are outgoing, self-assured and have a tremendous zest for life. So what if the world revolves around them? There are worse role models, for sure. The Lion's enthusiasm is boundless, and along with that comes generosity of spirit and the determination to succeed. That focus may be construed as vanity and even bossiness at times, but Lions would say 'No way!' and continue along their regal path. Regardless of appearance, those born under this sign can be counted on for their loyalty and sense of honor. They are also decisive, intensely proud and wonderfully romantic.

The element associated with Leo is Fire. Everything about the Lion's personality is hot, hot, hot. Those born under this sign are fearless and strong, which may be why Lions plunge in headfirst and let the chips fall where they may. Thankfully, Leos are dignified enough not to commit too many pratfalls. It's the Lion's unswerving courage that wins so many folks over. If you need someone to lead the charge, call a Leo -- and the bigger the project, the better, since these folks love an expansive stage (and the audience that comes with it). While some would take to calling Lions status-conscious, these folks are truly warmhearted and want everyone to be happy. Hey, it's their kingdom, and happy campers make for a perfect peace. Further, it's the great gift of the Leo-born to be dynamic, forward-thinking and self-confident. These attributes certainly catch the attention of others, making Leos sought after by both friends and lovers. The Lion's charms extend to all, even to the children they dearly love. Yes, the pleasure principle is paramount to the Lion, and along those lines, Leos are great at spending money. Lions can't fathom an uncomfortable throne. Leos also enjoy trying their luck at the tables, so expect to find them living it up in Las Vegas.

Come play time, Leos are at their best. Those born under this sign enjoy fun and games both outdoors and in (and with a group), so expect to find them playing softball, hockey or a game of cards. Lions are also a natural at the gym, where they can show their stuff to a crowd. When the lights are low, the essential Lion comes to the fore, since this beast is 90 percent fun and 100 percent romantic. The Leo lover is devoted, creative and almost too hot to handle! Since Leo rules the heart and back, however, overzealous Lions may have to take a deep breath and slow down a bit. You can bet that the Lion's home will be swaddled in royal purple and gold.

The great strengths of the Leo-born are their creativity, idealism and leadership. Lions don't lack for ambition, either, so they're likely to accomplish a lot -- and have fun while they're at it. Their warmth and loyalty ensures that others will enjoy the ride as well.
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I named this post after the song below... I compiled the video during Spring Break when I had read Joel 2 and 3 (before the blood moon happened... a sign of the urgent times we're living in) and the song was from the Gospel Music Workshop of America in L.A that I got to attend with the UCSB Gospel Choir.

 "And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered" (Revelation 5:5a) "Afterwards I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions... I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth... And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved..." (Joel 2:28-32)
 

So it's "Leo" season which reminded me of this Swahili saying:  Leo ni leo. Asemaye kesho ni mwongo. (Leo means today in Swahili and it's pronounced as leh-o not lee-o. And that saying is roughly translated as: Today is the day. One who says "tomorrow" is a liar. And I also stumbled on this song on soundcloud which is really good and by a Kenyan musician... I guess Kenyan rock is now a thing :) But yeah, it confirms the urgency of the season.... NOW is the time to act. We can't procrastinate any longer... we can't afford to. We must rise up now. It's time to prepare the way for the reign of Justice, equality, peace, love and solidarity. It's time to prepare the way for the LORD! It's time to sing a New Song! So let the LION RISE IN US! Related posts/ For application: A Generation Arising! , FULL Armor of God , Pimp my Ride and Prepare the Way!

The Neglected Art of Self-Care

"Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."-Maya Angelou.

"Learning to listen to the body, to rest it and honor it as a place where God makes His presence known becomes, then, an important discipline for the spiritual pilgrim."-Ruth Haley Barton.

Listen. Reflect. Create.

 Looking back, this year been my most restless year... and the main reason why is clear... I stopped listening to myself... I stopped listening to God...how did that happen? Well I stopped writing for me. I stopped making time to self-reflect.


Rants: Writing has been a means to heal, to listen to myself and listen to God. I do it for me but I also share my writing coz I care about others and I don't want to benefit from it alone.  In my Remember post I said, "I choose to journal about it {my past} since writing is therapeutic for me and I choose to blog about it because it's the only way I can get myself to journal consistently since I'm not just doing it for myself, other people may also benefit from it." And it became such a natural response, an outlet for the flood of emotions I was experiencing, the many thoughts running through my mind and the tons of observations I was making. But it was mostly my brokenness that forced me to resort to writing... so I never really saw it as a strength... until I stopped. I gave in to the pressure to be normal, because the world said, "No one reads your blog. No one cares what you have to say." But not really the world but mostly the people I care about... I gave in out of a desperation to see change and sought more direct methods of communication. Long story short, after I gave up writing I received so much affirmation to write my stories, my reality, hopes and dreams, from the heroes who have walked before us. And through my many mistakes (stemming from not listening to myself) I've learnt that you can't work for seeing transformation in our world while rejecting yourself - coz transformation always happens from the inside out. So no matter what happens, I should stay committed to my own healing and existence through the methods that work for me (writing and creating) -expressing love for myself and others through being myself. Here are some quotes I encountered that affirm my identity, and writing as a form of existence:

"This (liberation) can be done only by means of the praxis: reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it." ~Paulo Freire, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." ~e.e. cummings.

“Why am I compelled to write? Because the writing saves me from this complacency I fear. Because I have no choice. Because I must keep the spirit of my revolt and myself alive. Because the world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a handle so I can grasp it. I write because life does not appease my appetites and hunger. I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me, about you. To become more intimate with myself and you. To discover myself, to preserve myself, to make myself, to achieve self-autonomy. To dispell the myths that I am a mad prophet or a poor suffering soul. To convince myself that I am worthy and that what I have to say is not a pile of shit. To show that I can and that I will write, never mind their admonitions to the contrary. And I will write about the unmentionables, never mind the outraged gasp of the censor and the audience. Finally I write because I’m scared of writing but I’m more scared of not writing.” — Gloria Anzaldúa “Speaking in Tongues: A Letter to 3rd World Women Writers,” from This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, 2nd ed. (Latham, NY: Kitchen Table, Women of Color Press, 1983), pp. 168-9.
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SELF-CARE / SPIRITUALITY : TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! 

The theme of the Women of Color Conference this year was: "Nourishment before Action, Action before Change." I went to the first workshop session: "Redefining and reconsidering spirituality as a means of healing" and the facilitators asked us why we were there and what spirituality means to us. I can't remember what exactly I said but I remember linking spirituality with self-care... Self-care is taking care of yourself... your whole person... including taking care of your spirit. I shared that for me spirituality was having an awareness of how I'm really doing (my state of being), an awareness of God (the state of my being reveals to me my relationship with the Creator coz He is my source of peace, love, joy and Hope...) and an awareness of others. That reminds me of this verses from the Let Go. Let Love Flow post: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 23: 37-40)

K let's now jump to the self-care tips:

1. Write- I already went over why writing is important to me. There's lots of noise and so many other voices out there so just sitting in silence or processing with other people and taking to their advice isn't always helpful for me. So a way of quieting myself down to hear my inner voice, even the voice of God is through writing. Also, I've seen that it's important to self-reflect to keep myself accountable to what I'm learning so that I don't make the same mistakes, for growth and for healing. So yeah, I do encourage you all and especially myself, to write consistently. Related post: Stories.

2. Check your sleeping schedule- I tend to be restless and depressed if I'm not taking care of myself. And something I need to check is the number of hours of sleep I get but especially what time I wake up in the morning... I've realized that if I sleep early and wake up early I am more refreshed and have some time to meditate in God's word (how God sees me and His promises over my life) which affects my whole outlook on life, how I start my morning and how the rest of the day unfolds. My sleeping schedule has been terrible this year and that explains a lot :/

3. HYDRATE- Water is life. Your brain cells and every other cell in your body needs water to function properly so if your not drinking enough water then that can affect your thinking, your mood and health in general. 4. Eating a healthy, balanced meal is always recommended as well as cutting down on too much junk food.

5. MUSIC-- Music's a big one for me... music is how I fight all the lies and negativity that tries to fill my mind. Listening to music or singing a song of praise to God, calms me down and gives me hope, it reminds me that I'm never alone. God is always with me so I never have to be afraid of the unknown, all my fears and worries I can give to Him, all my questions, curiosities and thirsts He can fill. So yeah music reminds me of the Real Reality... so I definitely need to surround myself with Truth, Love, Hope, music. Identity music. Music for my soul.

6. "Quiet time" -make time for you / Learn to say NO- Community is great. Healing can be done and

needs to be done in community... but it's still important to prioritize self-care.... coz when I don't (prioritize self-care) even when I'm in community I may not be mentally checked in so lack of self-care also affects my relationships with others (coz I'd be too preoccupied with my own issues). But yeah that doesn't mean we have to wait to be perfect to be in community... yes I agree that community is imperative for healing to take place and we need to learn to reach out for the help of others... but sometimes it takes your own self-care to get you to that point of reaching out. I also agree, from my own experience that sometimes I isolate myself to work on me first but those are the times I need to be in community and I'm in fact slowing down the healing process by isolating myself. So it all comes down to balance -making time for yourself and that may take learning to say no to some things / people. I can't be a yes girl trying to please everyone coz that always brings failure and burn out... the only One I want to please is God and He likes it if I'm taking care of myself coz that means I'm letting Him take care of Me =) So yeah it is important to make time to reflect, to relax, to read/watch something for your own relaxation and nourishment. It is important to refresh ourselves to avoid burn out or being stuck in half-hearted routines and living like a robot.

7. Community /Outdoors - Community is super-important, nobody with whatever personality was made to be an island we all need community- friendship, love and support. So a self-care tip especially for those who struggle with depression like I do, is to get out of the room... wake up early, get ready, if you have work to do take it with you to a communal space like the SRB or Ucen or somewhere outdoors - the beauty of nature usually helps me maintain a positive attitude -- for me creation reminds me of the Creator and His presence with me wherever I go and in whatever I am doing. Following those tips usually increase my productivity and just uplifts my overall attitude... Also, like I mentioned before, healing has to happen in community... coz we are communal beings,... healing won't be complete until it happens in community, restoration has to happen in community... so what I've seen this year is that God was leading me to spaces where I felt safe, safe enough to be vulnerable, and safe enough to expose my brokenness without being judged, and where the unveiling of my brokenness would be met with affirmation, love and support... but yeah those are the spaces I didn't take advantage of coz I was busy either fighting to make other places my home or I was isolated and depressed which both kept me from seeing what was right in front of me... and when I made this discovery (where I was actually meant to be) I'd feel ashamed that I hadn't been there all along, and then the cycle continued. But yeah, honesty with myself and others is what's needed to break those cycles coz we all need somebody to lean on :-) Oh yeah, and join clubs/ organizations that work towards the same things you are passionate about. Surround yourself with people going and growing in the same direction of life as you, and it's okay to let go of those who aren't coz they may drag you behind with them. Yes I learnt all that through mostly through my mistakes this year.
8. CREATE- Make something, draw, paint, take pictures, make a video... tap into your artsy and craftsy

side and you'll discover a well-spring of life even in the midst of a desert season. The arts can be used to tell our stories which is empowering... and what's even more powerful than retelling our realities is the fact that we can create the world we envision, a whole new world, all our hopes and dreams, through speaking it forth, drawing it forth, dancing it out... we can sing out the Freedom we want to see, Hope we want to hear, and the Life we want to live. Try it out: paint, write a poem, take pictures, and then share it with the world. And it makes sense that creating makes me feel closer to the Creator, and also gives Him an avenue to create through me, to feel His heartbeat. Though our world is filled with darkness and misery, God gave us the power, this light of creativity dwelling within us, and as we claim it and use it we transform not only ourselves but also our world. God is so good! =)
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Summary: BE YOU! You are enough. --The world likes to tell me otherwise so just recalling this truth: I am beautifully and uniquely made by God and it's totally okay to be exactly who He created me to be is freeing. But yeah there's lots of distactions and discouragements in this world that's why I need to apply these tips to make sure I keep listening to myself, keep listening to my God, keep being true to my heart. And reaching out when I do need help. So help me God =)

I love these songs, these images and these Scripture; love and affirmations from my Creator <3 =) 

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to Him who has no might He increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:27-31)

"But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me."(Isaiah 49:14-16) 

For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem."Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass"(Isaiah 66: 12-14)

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."(Isaiah 41:10)

Related posts: Wait!, Be Still and Know , I have a Father! Peace! =)