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! =) 

MAY!

Saw this on Brenda Obondo's Instagram :-)

“Before she was in labor

she gave birth;

before her pain came upon her

she delivered a son.

Who has heard such a thing?

Who has seen such things?

Shall a land be born in one day?

Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?

For as soon as Zion was in labor

she brought forth her children.

Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?”says the Lord; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?”says your God."(Isaiah 66: 7-9)

There comes a time when, in the midst of your hustle and bustle of what has become your life, you stop in your tracks and then you see more clearly.... you see what's right in front of you... One of those times came for me towards the end of April... My sis Flo who's a nurse found this job for me for ten days back home... I didn't want to take it at first coz it would take me away from SB and my time here is running out fast... but sometimes a break is needed, to step back and gain perspective... Anyway at work I took my laptop with me so that I could use it during the down time but on May 1st I forgot to bring it with me so during the down time I read the paper and I also watched the movie, The Cinderella Man, with the nice elderly man I was taking care of. So let me share those visions with you: (Main Section: May: A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance and for application: "It's Time to Praise!!!)

May is for Unity!

I asked the man I was taking care of if I could make a collage using the newspapers he wasn't using and the pieces I ended up cutting out were flowers, the arts, colors, people from different ethnic groups together smiling and dancing at a music festival, family and hearts. Then I flipped over the page and saw this ad on the left, "ONE VOICE UNITED IN PRAYER: Over 40 churches from .... will be participating. May 1st, the National Day of Prayer." I was really excited to see this, coz the One Body group was planning an event called, "One Voice: A Night of Unity."-- I'll come back to that.

*Snack time: You probably saw this pic on my instagram with this comment: "Pistachios are awesome! I could eat them all day! Snacking at work with my boss n chatting about our identity (I'm Kenyan and he's of Polish descent) and living in America. Comparing and contrasting everything from education, culture, politics, religion, diversity, inequalities, effects of colonialism, health care, and the future of Africa. My last remarks: The future of Africa is my Generation -we are the future, right here and now. Taking our education and making the changes we want to see. #Caregiving #Companionship #ReimagineActivism #Snacktivism #ChangingTimes #LoveOneAnother #LearnFromOneAnother #Education #MovingForwardTogether" ♡ So yeah, that also happened on that same week.



K back to the story... I knew the month of May would be important (through various means). I saw that A.S Program Board was showing "300: Rise of an Empire"in IV Theater on May 27th and if you remember I had a "vision" when I watched the trailer when it first came out, like I shared in the Rise of an Empire post, "this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war" and that entailed a coalition of commanders including a female commander. Also, I mentioned that I watched "The Cinderella Man"- "One man's extraordinary fight to save the family he loved" and it's based on a true story. In his last big fight, his wife wasn't backing him up because she was afraid for his life but she decided to later go and support him and he was happy to see her and said, "I told you I can't win without you behind me." Then with the support of his wife and his whole hometown, who came together to pray for him in church during the big fight and cheered him on while listening to the game on their radios and others at the match, the "Cinderella man" fought the fight and won the price; he came from being a washed-up boxer to a champion and when he won they all won... with his winnings he was able to improve the living conditions of his family and he also helped out his town by paying back the money he got while he was on welfare. So what does that have to do with anything?? Moral of the Story: There is Power in Sacrificial Love. There is Power in Unity. It also brings it back to the body of Christ how there's different members and different gifts and how each part of the body is important... so we need to love and support each other while using our gifts so that the whole body is strengthened and that the war is WON. Related posts: Be ONE.
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May is on Fire!

On the last day of April it was super-windy (well it was in the OC don't know about SB coz I wasn't there) and then when I was reading the newspaper and saw this on the front page: EARTH, WIND & FIRE. And it blew my mind coz it reminded me of a sequence of events... during Spring Break there were many mini-earthquakes (also around the same time as the One Love March to Mayday tour -> they were putting on unity worship nights on different campuses) and then on the last days of April there were strong winds... and so what comes next?? FIRE! After Passover/ Ressurection Sunday weekend I was talking to Fernando and I think he was telling me about his lesson plan and said how the day of *Pentecost was 50 days after Jesus' ressurection (*the day the disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven) ... so God was telling me that it is time for His Holy Ghost Fire to Fall! It is time for REVIVAL! :D But here's the catch... it's starts with the church...

In Acts 1: 4-5 "On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then what did they disciples do? "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers." (vs.14) There was unity in constant prayer. And then what happened? "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them." (Acts 2: 1-3) So Jesus give them a promise then they prepared to receive it then they received what was promised. Dear church, let's apply this. We received the promise of a great revival (great move of the Holy Spirit leading to an awakening) coming from Santa Barbara. So what should we do in the meantime? Let's prepare ourselves. Let's wait on God. Let there be unity in constant prayer until we see breakthrough in this city, until we are consumed by the fire of His Love. We can do this church! :-) Related post: Time to SEEK! I also saw this yesterday:

Arnilie Liyai Esqr

12 hours ago

On this day in 1998 - British Protestants and Irish Catholics of Northern Ireland approved a peace accord. #Mayisawesome!!!

"If My people who are called by My Name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." =) (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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May is for Glory! 

Also, last Winter God had highlighted the month of May... I was reading some article about the planet Venus, the best time of the night to see it (coz I had seen this really bright 'star' late at night and I thought it was Venus so I just wanted to confirm) so anyway, I can't find that article right now but it had said that it was in May that Venus would shine forth in all it's glory. Venus was named after the goddess of beauty and love. Also, Venus is known to be the "morning star" coz it's said to shine brightest before the dawn. So what does all this mean?? I could go on and on but I think the point here is that God is calling the church, the body of Christ, to unite coz it's all about LOVE at the end of the day (even at the end of the age)... so yeah to love each other but also to unite and fight for the harvest -- through waiting on God (waiting while expecting) through corporate prayer and our praise.

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:6)

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16)

So am I saying that Jesus is coming back in May? No that's not what I'm saying... I'm saying that He wants us to be prepared for His return --Venus shines brightest before the dawn-- now is the time to shine through humbling ourselves before God praying together, loving and forgiving each other, serving each other through our gifts, and especially waiting on God for more of His Spirit. What brings glory? FULLNESS OF LOVE. FULLNESS OF GOD. (Related Post: Pimp My Ride) 

"May is for Freedom!"

I posted this on my instagram a few weeks ago: Vision of the day! :D My sis and I were driving on the freeway when I saw this! My people are you ready?? :D "But for you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go FREE, leaping with Joy like calves let out to pasture." (Malachi 4:2) // "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His Holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with Singing!" #Psalm68#SingaNewSong #Victory! #Freedom! #ThisTimeForAfrica :') ♥

And then I found out that Harriet Tubman died in May and she was known to be "A Moses for her people" freeing thousands of slaves through the underground railroad (post: Harriet Tubman).

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MAY: A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE

After last Friday night you don't need anymore convincing that May is important. For those who don't know there was a mass shooting leaving 7 dead and 7 injured. The news was so shocking and so sad. For more info read this: IV May 23rd. Earlier on that same Friday I remembered this post and I was working on it but then I decided to go support Maria at her salsa night fundraiser... and that's when the shooting took place...

Let me now tie in the importance of all of this... A lot of stuff has happened in IV this year: all the sexual assaults, Deltopia riot, a girl found dead at the beach and now this tragedy that has plaqued the whole town :'( ... but all this shouldn't be news for the church... in fact it reflects the condition of the church which is responsible for the city's direction and preservation (Matthew 5:13-16).

"Do Your Worst": The Death Plague before The Exodus

When a girl was found dead on the beach </3 I posted an article about it on facebook and my friend Ashira Angel Solomon, asked me, "What's going on in my town?" She lived in SB for a while before moving up to Redding to be part of Bethel. When I thought about what she asked I remembered these verses:"Raise the war cry (in some translations: "Do your worst"), you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! "Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us."//"Now I will arise," says the LORD, "now I will lift Myself up, now I will be exalted."(Isaiah 8:9-10, Isaiah 33:10)

The first verse, the one from Isaiah 8:9-10, I remembered from 2 years ago, back when I was in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship... we had come out of our Pre-Fall Leaders Retreat and a lot of students were on fire for the promises God had given us at the retreat, the new thing that happened, the revelation of spiritual warfare and how that brought us so much closer, well atleast for the beginning of that school year... So anyway, more students were taking the lead: sharing encouragements and instruction on our InterVarsity facebook page, leading prayer walks around IV and prayer meetings (such as Lissah [black] and Shayne's [mixed: white and latina]  Racial Reconciliation prayer meeting and Wisdom [black] and Chris Taylor's [white] Family prayer meeting) and it was so great to see this happen... all this movement... without the Staff having to initiate. So yeah, about that verse... it was Alex Jensen (Now a married man. Congrats!) who shared it on the facebook page. He said he felt led to share it though he didn't know what exactly it meant... but I knew it was important (because it was God's word and I usually like to believe Him) but it was now that I saw the full meaning....

*"Do your worst"* At that Pre-fall leaders retreat lots of people had visions which I've shared in different posts... One of them, Marissa (she was one of the InterVarsity staff) shared a vision: There was a shooter on campus and Marissa and Ekaete (she was also one of the staff) were running away from the shooter while holding hands but then their hands part since they ran in different directions. Marissa was running looking behind coz she thought he was behind her but once she looked ahead he was right in front of her with the gun pointing right at her... In the end Marissa and Ekaete were together again but there was a dead body in a bag. And that was the end of the vision. 

In the Hair Revival post God had reminded me of that vision and gave me one interpretation which I shared in that post which I'll get to... I was hoping that only the metaphorical meaning of the vision would happen rather than the literal meaning but unfortunately worst came to worst :( but not all the way due to some divine intervention.... So what am I talking about?? So the weekend before the Isla Vista tragedy, One Body (United for Christ) -the organization God told me to start on campus made up of representatives from different campus ministries- had an event called "One Voice" a night of unity in prayer and worship. After the tragedy happened, my friend Lois Carmen, said, "It's good we had the One Voice event the weekend before because maybe it could have been worse if we didn't have it...Imagine if he went on campus? He could have killed so many more people in the open air and it would have probably taken longer for the cops to get to him... And you know what, I wish that we also did a prayer walk into IV at the end of the event." She said this two different times in our convo and then at the end of the conversation God revealed something to me: First I remembered Marissa's vision ... in the vision the shooter was on campus but what happened was in IV... so I realized that by our united prayers for IV on campus we had built a wall of intercession around it and prevented a bigger disaster from happening. That's the power of prayer! =) That was good to know but only partial consolation for the reality of what was...

So you see like I said before, at Prefall Leaders Retreat many people had visions of a great awakening coming to Santa Barbara but first they saw a huge cloud of darkness come over SB (representing demonic forces) and lots of conflicts and division happening within the church (one of the visions specified racism) and then other visions people shared involved unity -Alex Jensen shared a vision that we were at the top of the hill holding hands and praying, there was a cross in the middle, and our unbeliever friends were going up the hill towards us, Judith shared a vision that we were marching down DP holding hands (she was holding hands with her friend from Real Life) - I take that to mean unity in the body of Christ and boldly taking back territory for the Kingdom (related posts: Let There Be Light and Let My People God). So yeah, unity in engaging in spiritual warfare is key in seeing revival happen in a city. So if you see all this division and violence happening in IV it should surprise you if there is division in the church in the city. So church this is really convicting: we didn't cause the shooter situation, but we could have build a wall through our love and unity in intercession. If you want an illustration, the movie "Frozen" is a perfect example how disunity in the royal family affects the rest of the city. What's convicting for me is because I know this but I'm tired of telling the church what God says we should do and they don't listen, so each time before I initiate I am discouraged by knowing that I will just be ignored or facing opposition like in my past experience. And also being discouraged keeps me from interceeding myself. But church NOT ONE MORE person should die in this city, NOT ON OUR WATCH! THE WALLS MUST GO UP! #UnitedWeStand It's time to fix our eyes on Jesus, abide in love and contend for our city.

THE EXODUS: A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE

Ariel made this picture his profile pic and someone commented: "Moses" when I saw that it reminded me of how it was Passover the other day and I had re-watched Prince of Egypt... God sent Moses to Pharoah to free the Israelites from bondage but the Pharoah's heart was hardened even after God sent 9 plagues... and it was only after the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn of the Egyptian sons (God told the Israelites to smear lamb's blood on their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their houses). So after the death plague the Pharoah finally cooperated and allowed Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. The Israelites had been mourning under their slavery for a long time and Moses was also mourning for his people... and it's only when there was unity in mourning -The Pharoah also in mourning for the death of his son - that led to the Phharoah being humbled and freedom for the people. And after they crossed the Red Sea they sung, danced and rejoiced in God's great deliverance. This reminded me of Marissa's vision... at the beginning her and Ekaete were holding hands (representing unity in the multiethnic body of Christ) but then they became divided and it was only after  someone died that they came back together. I could see this after last weekend's tragedy, it produced a lot of solidarity in the school and also in the church -- it brought humilty, the church coming together united in mourning and praying for the city, but the battle's not won yet.

IT'S TIME TO PRAISE!!! :D

The week before One Voice I had an idea of getting together all the believers and doing the very praise flashmob like in the video above. I felt like God was calling us to praise Him and as we praise Him together He will fight the battle for us. Also, Ariel included this gospel song as his caption: "You don't have to worry and don't you be afraid. Joy comes in the morning. Troubles they don't last always." And it reminded me of this Scripture that I posted in Africa ARISE!

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(2 Chronicles 20)

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. 20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanksto the Lord, for His love endures forever.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah ("praise") to this day. 27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets. 29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

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And then today Ariel posted this "Stomp" song by Kirk Franklin: "Lately I've been going through some things that really got me down. I need someone, somebody to help me come and turn my life around. I can't explain it, I can't obtain it. Jesus your love is so, it's so amazing. ...Makes me clap my hands. Makes me wanna dance... Its been a rough week gentlemen. A praise break is in order. Find a worship song, get somewhere you're comfortable, and Dance."

I think God is calling us to exalt Him through singing and dancing and with the expectation and faith that He will come through and defeat all our enemies (spiritual strongholds) bringing breakthrough in our lives and our city. It's time for the church to lead the revolution! Some application:

• Every Praise flashmob-- This was actually Pie's idea and we need help in carrying it through: Help in gathering people, getting the word out and filming the flashmob.
• For InterVarsity-- I know most people went their separate ways, moved on with their lives and are doing their own thing even for those still in SB. But it's always been in my heart for us just to come together, pray and worship as we wait on God to finish the work He started in us as a family. Some people come back to SB to visit their friends or for events, so why not come back and come together also for the sake of our city. The tragedy last weekend has united us in mourning though we are apart... some people came back to see the memorials. What if we could end the war by coming together... won't that be worth it? Anyway, that's just my heart.
• Everyone else -- we need to keep praying, worshipping together and loving each other. We can make use of the prayer shed for times of prayer and intercession. Also all this stuff I've prophesied about May-- it's not about "lets wait and see" it's always up to us to claim the promises for them to materialize (like the children of Israel making rounds in the desert before reaching the promised land and once they got there they still had to fight to take the land). So help us God. And thank You so much for Your aMAYzing Grace! (It was so cool to hear them sing that song at the Candlelight Vigil before we marched)

http://charlenediaries.blogspot.com/2012/04/rest.html

ONE VOICE

The Sound of Freedom! It is time to demolish the prison industrial complex.  Yes let's put an end to mass incarceration in this nation. It's time to take down the institution of racism. It is time to bring down the empire! It is time to usher in a whole New world! Let Freedom reign! WE ARE THE REVOLUTION! IT'S A LOVE REVOLUTION!!! :D

"All of our lives, we have fought this war. Tonight I believe we can end it. Tonight is not an accident. There are no accidents. We have not come here by chance. I do not believe in chance. When I see three objectives, three captains, three ships. I do not see coincidence, I see providence. I see purpose. I believe it our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives... This is a war and we are soldiers. Death can come for us at any time, in any place... Now consider the alternative. What if I am right? What if the prophecy is true? What if tomorrow the war could be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for? "~Morpheus, The Matrix.

Dear UCSB, UC Students, Professors, Activists, Revolutionaries, Believers, Prayer Warriors, Worshippers, Dreamers and Everybody else,

Hey! I'd like to invite you to a very special night... ONE VOICE ~ A Night of Unity this Saturday, May 17th (tonight) at 7pm at the UCSB Storke Plaza. I've made some really bold claims in the introduction of this post, well it's ABOUT TIME! This is year 5774 on the Hebrew calender which coincides with the UC school 2013-2014 year, and do you know what time it is? It's time for BOLD MOVES and BIG IDEAS. It's a year marked by lots of collaboration, lots of activism and lots of CHANGE!

"Today I feel tremors of a volcanic spirit starting to build around the world, to the cry: “Another World is Possible.”...”I wonder, if somewhere between the opposing forces of spirituality and activism, between the inner and the outer, lies a Power that’s waiting to be released...“In that convergence of spiritual people becoming active and active people becoming spiritual that the whole of humanity shall arise.” ~ Fierce Light, When Spirit Meets Action.

This a Call for Greatness 2014!! =D

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation."~ Mandela.

If it was possible to end the institution of racism this year wouldn't you want to be part of it? Well this is going to be a Great year for those who say Yes! This year is really significant on God's calendar coz it's the year of the open door! God is a God of Love and Justice and is all about changing the world and empowering those who have the same desire. Ok it doesn't matter if you believe that or not but I have the faith and our common struggle unites us. For huge problems such as mass incarceration, a holistic approach is necessary ... we need to work together and use all sorts of weapons to take down the empire... and I have GOOD NEWS! I have a friend in a very high place who wants to help us take down this monster. I'm from Kenya and this year is our year of Jubilee: "This fiftieth year is sacred—it is a time of Freedom and of Celebration when everyone will receive back their original property, and slaves will return home to their families."(Leviticus 25:10) When it comes to racism it's hard to think that it would come to an end coz of the issue of land and wealth allocation... but that's a God- problem... and He wants to even tackle that... but first let's focus on freedom for those in modern day slavery in American prisons... So this is what God wants us to do.... SING PRAISES! Hahaha I'm not joking though...

History Lesson: Real Identity and Midnight Hour

Ok let's back up... why does God want to solve this problem? and why now? So you see, if you've ever read the Bible God does crazy things to free his people the Israelites ... but today when we think 'Jewish' we think religion, tradition and white people. But there are 12 tribes of Israel which were scattered throughout the world and lots of migration and intermarrying... so it's more of a bloodline thing so I won't be surprised if there's Hebrew people within all ethnic groups. I don't know everything but through my experiences at UCSB (my classes and interactions with different people) and in my family, God has revealed to me that there's Hebrew blood within the following communities (I'm not saying everyone but some people) : blacks, whites, latinos (tribe of Judah, Ephraim, Benjamin respectively). Judah means Praise. I don't want to go into all the details coz the point wasn't to lecture you so you can read this post if you're interested: REAL Identity. So anyway during the end times, the dry bones (scattered people of Israel who've lost hope in God) are revived, they unite and form an army in preparation for a whole new world... an army that will break all chains of oppresion. In the end times (end of the age) God brings freedom and restoration to his people... yes even restoration of fortunes. K cool, back to application... 

DESTINATION SB: SPRING INTO DESTINY! SING A NEW SONG!!

Why Cali? Why SB? California is special, it's a pioneer state. California has birthed many movements such as: The Black Panthers, The Hippie movement, and Christian movements such as: The Azusa Street Revival, Kathryn Kulman's healing ministry, The Jesus movement, The Catholic Renewal etc (California Generals website). Let us also zoom into Santa Barbara, "Santa Barbara is crucial for California and California is crucial for the world…"-Lou Engle, spiritual father to the Prayer Movement and founder of The Call (source: SB House of Prayer website) "UCSB is the center for the study of race in the West Coast if not the nation... There's no place better and stronger and more radical in the United States... The very institution that would be at the center of the study of race, the radical interrogation of race would be the place where you have most movements... I don't think its an accident that at the institution center of race you have black students making change. The students are more visionary and radical."- Robin D. G. Kelley (At The Mcc's Final event in the Race Matter Series in Winter 2014) And you probably have heard about the demands that UCSB BSU put forth, well you haven't hear you go BSU Demands Institutional Change,  and over the summer Coalition of Justice SB was formed and they successfully organized a march and other actions on campus, also the Student Worker Coalition also had a great victory this year after lots of organizing, coalition-building and the UC-wide worker's strikes. Here are some videos I made that capture some of this history:

So now to seal the deal, and end the year with a bang another convergence needs to happen... where spirituality meets activism and that's where I come in... So my gift is that I can see the bigger picture -the future, the deeper picture ~there's another level to the struggle... the roots, and roots are spiritual not material... you can't touch stuff like greed and fear... so from my background and understanding of spiritual warfare the weapons you use to fight these is music- praising God (Praise is super-powerful coz the enemy's goal of oppressing us is to keep us from knowing God's love for us and His power over our circumstances, and also who we are in God- royalty! we have authority!), prayer (asking and believing God to do the impossible) and love (forgiving those who have wronged us, also loving people so much that you tell them the truth). Anyway, I am not asking you to do any of these. We all come from different backgrounds and we all have different gifts. What I'm asking from you is simply to come together for one night. You don't have to have the faith, I have enough faith for all of us so let's just get together.

So why is this so urgent? Let's do it for the people, and also for our own freedom as perfect love drives out fear. Things are changing in this world, the darkness is thicker than what we see. The forces of evil has wicked plans for humanity in this hour and the deception and oppression will only increase, but we are not powerless, we can fight back and with God on our side we have the victory! "Believe me when I say we have a difficult time ahead of us. But if we are to be prepared for it, we must first shed our fear of it. I stand here, before you now, truthfully unafraid. Why? Because I believe something you do not? No, I stand here without fear because I remember. I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me but because of the path that lies behind me. I remember that for 100 years we have fought these machines. I remember that for 100 years they have sent their armies to destroy us, and after a century of war I remember that which matters most... We are still here! Today, let us send a message to that army. TOnight, let us shake this cave. Tonight, let us tremble these halls of earth, steel, and stone, let us be heard from red core to black sky. Tonight, let us make them remember, THIS IS ZION AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID!" ~Morpheus.

So let's unite and sing a new song! All you have to do is show up. My work is to gather you, God promised me that when you show up (people who are hungry for change) He will show us His glory. I know all this sounds crazy but something similar has happened before here in California (William Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival) -- there were crazy healing miracles like arms growing out to stubborn racist hearts being humbled but this year it will be greater coz the very foundations of the earth will shake to open the prison doors bringing freedom to the captives. "For Moses, I part the waters but for you I will split rock."~The Bible series ~> In Joshua and the battle of Jericho - all they had to do is march around the city, shout and blow trumpets then God made the walls of Jericho fall down. Have you been feeling the many small earthquakes we've had around Spring Break? Around the same time there was a movement going on called "One Love" on different college campuses in California to unite people in worship. Also, it's not a coincidence that black power week fell during passover week (when the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt but God sent Moses to call out Pharoah to let them go and he was like No so God sent a series of plagues and at the last plague -the death of the Egyptian firstborn sons the Israelites were to smear lamb's blood on the doors so the angel of death passed over their houses and spared them from the plague. Then the Israelites were to be prepared for their Exodus (freedom from slavery) and it is not also a coincidence that that same week was the blood moon prophesied in Joel 2 as a sign in the heavens before the day of the LORD. And California is now expecting a huge earthquake. So let's shut this thing down shall we? ""Come, come, children, rally around, and maybe together we can make a sound that will shake the trees or rattle the ground,make strong our knees, we’s freedom bound...Reclaim the crown. Hold onto the prize, never put it down. Be firm in the stance, no break, no bow, got to forward on, Mama, make your move now. Forward on, Papa, make your move now. Forward, dear children, ’cuz FREEDOM IS NOW."~Sunni Patterson.

So once again, it's tonight at 7pm. If you can't make it at 7pm you can come at 9pm that's when we'll have food and a concert by Thaddeus Brown and Chris Baylon who are both UCSB alum, here's some of their work: 

 

If you don't come at all. At least you now know why I am here. Just wanna give back before I finally leave this place after this quarter (oh and the other reason was friendship so let's hang out before I leave!) God bless! Peace and love! =)