Beyond Beauty: Embracing a God Centered Identity

Dear Proverbs 31 Woman, or should I say, Aspirant, I hope you open your Bible with this unshakable truth in mind. Christ has already loved you, chosen you, and called you His own.

Before you tick off a single “virtuous woman” box, before you master any of the skills in Proverbs 31, you are already His beloved. This is a reflection inspired by Proverbs 31:30, one of the most-quoted verses on womanhood and beauty. It’s not a checklist to earn approval from God or others. It’s a call to anchor your worth in what lasts forever.

This is the Word of God, the inspired truth that stands whether we fully grasp it or not. As I read it, I believe the heart of this verse is not a warning against being beautiful or charming, but a reminder that these things, while good in their place, are not the true measure of a woman’s worth. They fade and can mislead.

What lasts is the posture of the heart before God. A woman who fears the Lord lives with Him at the centre of her choices, her priorities, and her identity. Her confidence is rooted in His unchanging love, her actions are shaped by His Word, and her life tells the story of His faithfulness. If we strip away the debates about makeup, hair, and physical appearance, here’s what, in my opinion, that fear of God might look like:

Reverence for God’s Authority. Recognising that God is King over your life and His Word is the final authority. You weigh your decisions, big or small, against His truth, not just cultural trends or personal feelings.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

A God-fearing woman doesn’t just know Bible verses, she lives them.

Trusting God Above All Else.
She anchors her security, value, and future in God, not in people’s approval, financial status, or physical looks. When life shifts (aging, loss, grief, career changes), her confidence doesn’t collapse, because it’s not built on temporary things.

Obedience from Love. Fear of God isn’t just avoiding sin because of punishment. It’s obeying because she loves and honors Him. She wants her choices, words, and attitudes to reflect God’s heart.

Humility and Teachability. She recognises her need for God’s guidance and is willing to be corrected.
She does not operate from pride or “I know it all,” but from a desire to grow in godliness.

Moral Courage. She stands for what’s right, even when it’s unpopular or costly. Her convictions are not swayed by social pressure or the desire to fit in.

Love that Flows from God’s Love. Her reverence for God fuels kindness, justice, forgiveness, and generosity. Her relationships (family, friends, workplace) become arenas for God’s love to be seen.

In short,  this fear of the Lord is not about shrinking back in terror. A woman who fears God is one whose inner compass is set to God’s truth and whose inner strength comes from His presence. She’s not perfect, but her posture toward life is God first, always. The world may applaud beauty, charm, wit, or talent, but heaven’s applause is reserved for the woman who walks humbly with her God. She is not striving to be “enough” for Him; she is living out of the truth that in Christ, she already is.

I pray the next time you read this verse, you will do so not as a burden or a checklist, but as an invitation to build the kind of beauty that time can not diminish and that heaven itself celebrates.
Because in the end, what will be remembered is not how you looked, but how you loved, and how you walked with the Lord.

Boot Camp- I almost didn’t make it

Earlier this year, I moved to Nairobi. One of the things I was most excited about while here was to join the Fearless Institute leadership bootcamp.

Our orientation class was on January 12th 2020, exactly four years to the date, since I walked into that same space for my orientation as a Discovery intern. This time though, I was older, wiser, and I believed more disciplined and aware of my space in this world. Initially, the institute did not look more intense than any other program. In fact it felt like it was the best way to ease into a new year and do something worthwhile. I remember the excited buzz in the Mavuno kids’ tent that first day. Walking in at 8:30 AM. I live two counties away so getting there meant I was on the road quite early on a Saturday morning, but hey.. what is a little sleep deprivation when we are working towards changing Africa?

Fearless Institute is a twelve months leadership bootcamp that includes monthly lectures and assignments, as well as yearlong assignments. The monthly assignments included reading a book or two and writing a synopsis; writing two blog posts as well as being part of an action group and doing a report together. Within the action groups, we had assessors to evaluate progress and advise on various things we encountered. The classes were largely based on these four key leadership issues; character, skill, motivation, and worldview. The yearly assignments included participating in two mission trips, writing and publishing a book, and action group assignments.

Fast forward, it is late November, graduation date is looming and yours truly is far from the enthusiastic, focused human who walked into orientation. What happened? Well, we could blame Covid-19. But I will not. When I signed up for the class, I had no idea that soon after that I would find myself seriously battling a bout of depression (fyi it took me months to even acknowledge this) and spend months not just wondering what was wrong, but having days on end where I could not bring myself to do any assignments or be excited about the possibility of changing anything. I had days when I could barely get out of bed, so assignments were the furthest thing on my mind.

In the year when I had made a commitment to complete whatever I started, it was beyond disappointing to get close to the end and have so much pending. I almost quit, infact this happened so many times throughout the year. I could not see the point of it all. And yet, as I dragged myself to each class(thankfully most were online so I had no excuse not to attend), had conversations with my action group and realized everyone had their own struggles happening, I was encouraged to take it one day at a time, to ask for prayer and allow my friends to give me some hard talks, and so much more. At some point I had to send through assignments that had been pending for months. Then came the book writing and there was such a block (if you know me you know I usually do not struggle with writing at all) I could not even get a paragraph down. When I finally did, I dismissed everything I wrote.

Long story short, I am graduating. This is nothing less than a miracle. It is about people who refused to give up on me, and on me refusing to give up on myself. It is about going through the motions of reality, taking a break when you need to, but using your good days and nights whenever you can. It is about realizing that God was not bored when he created me. In fact he was so intentional that he worked out a whole plan and I just know only a bit of it (yes, it’s on a need to know basis). It is about realizing that if I give up on me, it is not just me but those my existence, my gifts, and whom my purpose was to serve will miss out.

Recently in a conversation someone brought up the US navy seals training and how intense it is. They pointed out that this training pushes the limits to the point where the trainees understand their bodies and minds can handle so much more; to where they can trust themselves to do that which they signed on to. Something they mentioned reminded me of my experience with the boot camp. They shared that those who succeed through the training more often than not trusted the process. This year and for the rest of my life, my prayer is that I will always trust the process through which God chooses to refine me. I am aware that I may not like, enjoy, or even want some of them; or that those I want may not turn out as expected. But I pray I will have the staying power of a navy seal.

Tell your story

End of the year is usually a time of reflection. All of us have different views and approaches to this time of the year. While some are excited that it has finally come to an end, especially a year like this one, others still mourn its passing. One thing I like to do is go back to my journals to see what I wrote in the past. Why do I do this? It allows me to glimpse how my mind worked then and also bring comfort sometimes, in the sense of “I made it through that? I can definitely make it through this”. One of these that I came across recently was a journal entry from four years ago.

When I woke up this morning, I had zero intention of speaking before people. After a year of many surprises (some I didn’t necessarily care for at the time), I was looking forward to just sitting and enjoying today’s service.  Then in the midst of testimonies (which by the way I was listening to and thinking ‘God has been good to these people’) the music team went up and started singing a song that has come to mean so much to me this year. 

As I sang along ‘I stand amazed in your presence..there is nothing you cannot do…’ it really hit me that as I stood there, I did stand amazed at what God has done this past year. I felt challenged to share the brief of it because I was convinced someone needed to hear of God’s faithfulness. So I did!! 
Legs shaking(which many of my friends never believe happens every single time I have to speak in front of more than 3 people), I stood there amazed at what God has done in the year I agreed to obey Him.

Am I more successful? Not in most people’s books. Was 2016 a perfect year? Most definitely not!
And yet He took me from a place where I seemed to be doing well, placed me in a different country with no TOR except a promise that He would go before me and would be with me. Today, looking back on 2016, I realised that He kept His promise. Not necessarily in the ways I wanted or expected Him to, not in ways I was comfortable with..but He did.


After church someone shared with me how I told them the same statement God told me earlier in 2016, that ‘God can afford you’ and how this made it possible for them to go ahead and live out what they knew God was calling them into in peace.

Why did I stand up to speak in the thanksgiving service today, why share my story? Why should you share your story (which may not even seem like one worth telling in the first place)? Because someone somewhere will listen to your story and know there is hope for them. Because your story is proof or even confirmation to someone else that God is still at work caring about the little details of our lives.

I know not your story, but I would like to challenge and encourage you today to share it. Because by sharing you communicate hope, freedom, grace and healing to total strangers or even friends and family.

Purpose to share your story because believe it or not it really isn’t your story. It is God’s. And your life just happens to be the vessel blessed to carry it in this season.

Prayer struggles

Prayer has been one of the greatest challenges of my Christian life. While I know I am commanded, encouraged, invited and often compelled to pray, I have still struggled with prayer. My struggle has centered primarily on three areas.


First, I have struggled with concentration. Why is it that as soon as I bow my head to pray, my thoughts start to scatter…and I literally mean scatter? Instead of truly communicating with God, I think about meals I need to prepare, work documents that are still half done, people I need to call back, emails that need to be responded to . Or I’m so tired that I simply doze in the quietness of the hour. This last one does not bother me much though, after a class I sat in a few years ago where we learned about the “napsio divina” concept which encouraged us to get okay with falling asleep in God’s presence.


And I have struggled with content — just knowing what to say and how to say it. He is God, knows everything…what does one say to someone like that? And honestly, sometimes I feel like I am just repeating the same things over and over.

As I have sought victory in these three areas, I have asked God to give me solutions. And He has! Setting my alarm for an earlier time, allowing me to meet with the Lord before I begin my day, has helped with consistency. Writing down my prayers has helped not only with content but also with concentration.

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian followers of Jesus, and I pray these words for us as we seek to draw closer to God:
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

The purpose of prayer is not just to get answers. The purpose of prayer is to develop an intimate, personal relationship with the One who loves you, gave Himself for you and longs for you to live in the light of His presence. And it while it may not come easy for some of us, achieving the purpose makes the struggle more than worthwhile.

#Discovery

A few years ago, when I took my passion for leadership Development a notch higher, I applied for the Discovery Africa program at Mavuno Church in Kenya. It was a 12 month full time engagement that started me off on a very interesting adventure.

One of the fun parts was the day I met this group, all of them accomplished in their own right, with whom I was to walk that 12 month journey. At the time and for years after, many have asked about the Magnificent Seven. This year, I get to write our Discovery story. Writing the story of this particular group’s journey is so far one of the most exciting projects I have done. Because their individual stories and our collective story hold such rich lessons for me on leadership, and I hope it will do the same for you.


On how we got there: Often times when I read the Bible I am always amazed at how God does his thing. Moses encountered God while in hiding, as did Gideon. David had been forgotten in the fields, while Paul was the “wrong” candidate. Many times when God calls us, it may seem like a really bad connection, the kind where you think you heard what the person said but chances are you were mistaken.


On what we learned: Be it on our own or as a group, the lessons were numerous. From learning new skills like how I learned how to use propresenter from one of the volunteers in the services space; to learning to do the small things like when we had to go out every day for a week handing out flyers at the railway stations and supermarkets.


On the challenges: These too could fill up their own book. Today, someone suggested I write a book about the sagas that were part of the experience. We laugh at them now, whenever we meet and look back but we were not laughing then. In fact, each week when we met to do our weekly catch ups and storytelling, there was always over one person who would admit that that week was when they wanted to quit.


On the wins and losses: Throughout that year we had some great wins. We run outreach activities from scratch and they were successful; we did the classes; we bonded more than any other cohort before us; we raise funds for ourselves and for others; one of us had their wedding during the program and could still complete the program; we shined! We also failed often. One of us quit and left the program just a few weeks in; we were not always at our best; and we all agree we could have been more present, more invested, more of everything we were then.


On Divine connections: Who knew at the start of the program that we would become great friends, not just for the year, but even years after? Two of us got married, yes, to each other. One of us met his current wife during the program, while another pursued his call to missions in another African city and met his wife while there. Above all, the movement from strangers to family can only be God.

Shame Stories

“If we share our shame story with the wrong person, they can easily become one more piece of flying debris in an already dangerous storm.” Brene Brown (Daring greatly). I read this book a few years ago but it came to mind today as I sat in a matatu in the famous Nairobi traffic.

It is often easy to share our successes, innovations, even great ideas. But when it comes to sharing our mistakes, failures and sometimes shame we often tend to clam up. Not necessarily to appear perfect (we all know no one is) but because when/if we do we are trusting the other person(s) to hold our vulnerability in respect and love and we are not always sure that is a worthwhile risk.
Truth is there are no guarantess that they will which is why I believe that vulnerability is a faith step. Faith that it will not be used against you; faith that it will not make the other person run in the opposite direction; Faith that vulnerability is indeed courage that many of us cannot get ourselves to.

For everyone who has shared their ‘shame’ story with me which they considered better off unshared, thank you for trusting me to love you enough to hold it as dear as you did. Because though I have always thought it was easy, I now know it is nowhere near and takes such grace and understanding of God’s love for you (and yes, maybe some level of ‘madness’) to bear your ‘soul’ to another.

This reminds me of how crazy I always thought the woman with the alabaster jar at Jesus’ feet was. Because really, it wasn’t one of those ‘Jesus, you know me inside out. You know where I have been and what I have been up to. Please deal with me’. Nope! This was a woman whose lifestyle the whole city knew of, had judged and concluded on what she was due. Yet she went into a space where these same judgemental and knowing people were and threw herself at the mercy of the one who knew even more than the city (he knew her motives, her fears, her plans, her heart!!) so she could receive mercy. . . 

Vulnerability is not easy. It is definitely uncomfortable and many of us would rather live without it. Yet failure, mistakes, looking bad, even ‘shocking/correcting’ others’ ‘clean’ view of us is what life is really about. Because when we do look back, we can often see how our experiences have taught, reformed, informed, and hopefully grown us. Could we have been better off without them? Maybe, but now that that is our story, will we dwell on it or will we embrace it, process it; and if we are lucky to have someone ask be willing to share it, not knowing how they will take it but trusting that there is a good reason and freedom with it.

I am not encouraging you to go shouting your story from the rooftops (though if that is what you need to do, why not?), but don’t close people who are important to you out in fear. It may be that your story will have someone else go like ‘what!! You too?’, or it may make them realise theirs is not so bad after all.

In a generation where masks and filters are the norm, allowing us to see the real you, yes, that fresh faced- just washed look with us. Allow us to love you with all your flaws because what you see as flaws we may recognise as battle scars and honor you for fighting, for not giving up on yourself, for engaging in the battle of life that intentional growth can be.

Random Questions…Part 1

I have had some serious writers’ block this year, and I really don’t like it. Isn’t it funny how when we are supposed to do something it suddenly doesn’t come as easy as it used to? I still have a few blog posts to deliver, and I reached out to a few friends to help with the block. How? I asked them to send me questions they would have me answer. Some were too personal and I am not ready to answer those yet while others were open-ended and I would need pages. I tried to answer some of them and maybe in future will do more of these in future posts. So here goes.

What is your full name?

Wooooooo…Even my ID missed one. Belinda Uwizeye Tunga Kakazi

What do your names mean?

Belinda- Beautiful or at least this is the meaning my Mom chose to go with when choosing the name)

Uwizeye- “One who has faith”. I must admit I didn’t like this name initially, because it’s so common where I come from. Also, my teachers in school (who for some reason liked using all names) would always mispronounce it but it has grown on me. When I need faith and think I don’t have enough I remember my name says otherwise.

Tunga- “Be wealthy”. Before I knew what this name meant I loved it just because it was short and easy for me to pronounce as a child. It never made it to my ID so I use it mostly as a pen name.

Kakazi- Precious Daughter. I love this name. My grandmother gave me this name. How it moved from nickname to ID is an entire story. Now, depending on what language you speak, this means different things, from tiny woman (which I am) to small job (and I have been told I can be a piece of work sometimes).

Were you named after anyone?
Nope. I asked and found out Mom read my name (Belinda) in a book and liked it. She decided if she had a daughter, she would name them that. Here we are. The rest of the names were also based more on the namers’ wishes and emotions.

When was the last time you cried?
Hmm… a few days ago. This is where I admit that I cry quite a lot; during movies, while reading books, and every time someone around me cries.

Do you like your handwriting?
Nooooooo. Gosh, it looks like a bird scribbled in my notebook… It is legible though, so that’s something.

Do you have kids?
Not yet.

If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
Yes.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Moderately. Though some of my friends may disagree with me on this one

Would you bungee jump?
I like to think so. It is on my bucket list. Hmmmm, maybe my next post should be my bucket list.

What is your favourite ice cream flavor?
Butterscotch, with coffee a close second.

What is the first thing you notice about people?
This question is really hard because it’s such a subconscious thing. I would say, gait. I know, not exactly a thing, but I tend to recognize people from how they walk, so I assume that’s what I notice first. I also notice people’s hands, especially their nails.

Red or pink?
Red

What is the least favourite thing about yourself?
It used not to bother me before, but lately, the fact that I take things very seriously.

Who do you miss the most?
I went through a big move/relocation earlier this year and I miss everyone, especially my family. .

What colour shoes are you wearing?
I am inside the house so no shoes at the moment. I am wearing blue and grey socks

What was the last thing you ate?
A bun with peanut butter… I love snacking.

Favourite smells?
Freshly baked goods (cake, cookies, bread), clean hair, freshly dried laundry, the ground after a drizzle, freshly showered humans, especially babies.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
A colleague at work #adulting

Scary movies or happy endings?
Happy endings all the way!

Hugs or kisses?
Have you met me? Both!

Any tattoos?
Nope! Not to say my mind had never toyed with the idea.

Favourite sound?
Oh, interesting. Miscellaneous nature sounds, does that count? Rain on the Roof, soft bird chirping, breeze blowing through trees, streams trickling, a child chuckling.

Favourite dessert?
Seriously, who asks me this? Dessert is the food! Do I have to pick? My go to anytime anywhere is Warm chocolate cake with ice cream.

And on that sweet note, I gotta take a break. I have a few more questions though, so I guess this will be part one…

Taking Stock- Part 2

Started writing this and suddenly it was too long. So here goes the continuation. The taking stock series are an idea of what it might look like when we pause to see what we are up to on a random day. For me, it leads me to ask questions like “what does this tell me about myself?”, “what does it remind me of?”… It doesn’t even have to be that serious. So today, I am:

Wishing: I had the energy, both physical and mental, to do all the things I want to, should, and are supposed to, do. I find myself with the time, the space, etc to do so many things but on most days, absolutely no energy to get anything done. Someone pointed out that this could be more of a mental issue and maybe it was. Who knew that getting out of bed could be so hard some days? I also wish I could end world hunger, domestic violence, and corruption.

Enjoying: The free time I have had this year. I have to admit this only happened recently. I did not appreciate it for most of the year. I constantly felt guilty for slowing down, almost got depressed over it. Recently, I was able to see it for the gift it has been, understand that it will not always be this way, and purpose to be grateful for it. So yes, now I sleep in, not because I am depressed, but because I know a time is coming when this will be but a dream.

Loving: Being in my 30s. There’s so much I want to share on this topic but I believe this needs to be unfolded over time. I foresee many a blog post on this topic in the future. Unlike Kamala Harris (I have to put something here that tells you I am not locked away in some cave), I am not the first woman to be here. I am also not the last. But I am the only me in my exact mind, body, circumstances, and on my journey. And no, I do not have a guide for your 30s. But I would like to say to every 20 something out there who may feel that they are running out of time to do everything and be all things that your 30s are not hell (unless you are stocking some fires right now…) as you may have been warned. They are just another decade that brings you an opportunity to do better, or worse; to grow and learn, or not; to make strides, or stay stuck… Just another decade.

Hoping: to set up a pretty solid routine that will help me get in the right mind frame every morning, manage my time well, get everything done, balance my energy, and be the person I wish to be, a well-balanced one (all this time we just knew we needed balanced meals but we also need balanced people).. I am curious to know what your current routine looks like btw. Please share in the comments.

Smelling: Sunshine. I know, what does sunshine smell like? In this particular case, it is a blend of freshly done laundry, dusted rooms, the wind blowing through my open bedroom window. I think my favorite scent of all would be that of sunshine and clean clothes, that scent that perfectly dried clothes after washing have when the sun is just right (warm but not burning, bright but not blinding, the kind you notice and appreciate as opposed to the one that seems to be playing games with the clouds or fighting wars we know nothing about).

Looking forward: To having my very first book published next month.. That, next to not giving up, will be my highest accomplishment for this year. I have struggled with this book. What to write about, how to write about it. How it may affect those around me, whether I should even write about anything (self-doubt is real, people!). I have drafted manuscripts and then gone back and deleted the whole thing after a few chapters simply because they didn’t “make sense” to me. As I type this, I am doing my final draft of a book about a topic that is very close to my heart. I am plagued by so much self-criticism (yep, so bad that no one else has even seen this draft yet). But the manuscript will go to the editor in 2 days! And after that, I cannot retrieve it or cancel it. Mostly because, it is a major requirement for me to graduate. I so cannot wait to have this book out and to share it with others.

Noticing: That my cup of tea run cold as I was typing these posts and now I need to go warm it. This is quite common for me. I don’t eat very hot food, can’t eat cold food, yet I eat and drink slowly (I don’t know what that means but I eat slower than people around me, I think I should start a club of slow eaters…). So I tend to warm my food and drink at least twice during a meal.

Knowing: that I am exactly where I ought to be. You would think that’s an obvious one, right? I don’t know about you but I tend to second guess myself so often. When things seem to go too well, when they don’t, and when I feel unsettled. I usually begin to try identify the culprit, the reason for the imperfections and so often it is a location, a situation, a season, etc. As a Christian I have had to keep reminding myself that God doesn’t make mistakes at all and as such, I am here for such a time as this.

Taking Stock- Part 1

HEY! Are you still there? I didn’t realise just how much of a toll this year has taken on so many of us, and specifically on me, until I decided to read a few of my journal entries from the past months. Weh!! And yet, even as I did, I also realised that there were times, seasons, and things in the past which I considered as the most difficult and now look back on and have to admit I didn’t know then just how much harder things could be. On such days, when I find myself stuck, overwhelmed, or even just lost, I try out something I picked from a Kenyan blogger (This is Ess) a few years ago. She called it “Taking stock” and I consider it as one of those opportunities to stop and smell the coffee (or flowers depending on what your smell sensibilities prefer). So yes, let’s take stock of what I am up to today.

Making: Up for lost time. Or should I say for a dangerous bad habit called procrastination! One of the decisions I made at the end of last year was to join the Fearless Institute this year. Then Covid-19 happened and everything, including the classes went online and my self-discipline went into quarantine, somewhere away from me. It is now a few weeks to graduation, and after battling the unending temptation and justification to quit, I find myself facing a huge mountain of incomplete assignments, a half written book, and so many other internal battles. But this year is my year of seeing my commitments through so I have to see this through. I also know, that if I don’t do this now, chances of me finishing up these things later, ie next year, are slim to none. Wish me luck!

Eating: an apple that was part of my breakfast, although it is now lunch time (have never understood who set those times for when people should have meals… shouldn’t my tummy and taste buds be the board for this? If we want cereal at 1pm then cereal is lunch, right?). A typical example of my bad eating habits. I prefer to eat my meals in phases. I am skipping lunch because I am finally writing and I fear that if I stop I may lose the high I seem to be on. Plus, I am not hungry thanks to a late breakfast which I did not really finish and I am finishing now. I really wonder how my mother put up with this all my life.

Drinking: Tea. Black. My go to drink as I keep away from my coffee and cocacola addiction, and rationalization for not drinking water (the tea is like 90% made up of water, no? The tea leaves and sugar just make it easier and more fun to drink. I really don’t understand those who enjoy drinking water, I tend to view them as some mystical beings. I find that while I can finish 8 glasses of tea a day (and more), I can barely finish one of water..and yes, I have tried adding lemon, mint, etc to the water. For what it’s worth, drinking more water is on my daily to do list.

Wearing: some comfortable slacks. On a Wednesday afternoon! Before this year, if someone had suggested that I would be wearing lounge clothes on any other days except for weekends or annual leave, I would have laughed at them. I have also been awakened to how my wardrobe was not set up for long stints in the house. But my love for pajamas has been solidified, so much so I believe we have redefined our relationship, renewed our vows, and reignited the spark that once was. Btw, have you tried taking a nice shower in the morning, changing your beddings, wearing clean pajamas, and getting back in bed with a cup of coffee and a book? No? Pleasure my dear, can be simple. Try it out, let me know.

Wanting: A week long, paid, guilt free holiday. I am exhausted, mostly from running all over the place in my own mind. The kind of exhausted that a long nap may not help at all. I could go as far as to say I am soul exhausted. This comes with side effects of constantly feeling like you are in slow motion during a sprint.

Listening to: Tasha Cobb’s recent single, Royalty. I love this song! Heard it for the very first time ever this past Sunday at church and it has been on replay since. I feel that this has been my spirit’s meditation these last 2 months, as I am reminded that first and foremost I am God’s child. Simple yet powerful. Are you, like me, amazed at the power that music carries?

Your words matter- November Challenge

What if your life took the direction of your words? What if someone’s life took the direction of the words you speak to, about, over them (they don’t have to hear them for them to take effect)? I know, I know. You are probably thinking “Naaah, I am not that powerful”. And yet the Bible tells us that our tongues have the power to create and to kill.

What if the words you speak were seeds being planted to one day be harvested? Would you then be forced to consider what seeds you may plant? Or would you leave it to chance, act ignorant, and just throw around seed aimlessly? Would this change how you speak to and about yourself, your spouse, your children, your family members, your colleagues, your neighbors, your employer, your employees, your Pastor, your leaders, your nation?

As we close the door on October and look forward to a new month, my hope and prayer before the end of this year is that, starting with me, we will speak life into people, situations, even the future. Not so we ignore reality, but so we can spur ourselves or someone else on to do better, make better choices. How would your life be different if every word you spoke, or that was spoken to you throughout this month was positive?

Challenge: For the next 30 days, be intentional about seeing the good in yourself, others, situations and focus on that instead. It may surprise you when you notice the good that the bad may take a turn for the better (not guaranteed, but wouldn’t it be a great month just by trying it?). I know there are bad things happening around. People make mistakes, we fail often. Illness and death are a fact of life. This coming month, please try to share news, comments, feedback, thoughts, etc in a positive light.

Does this mean we should not call people out who are messing up?
It just means we should pause, find what they are doing right, and ask them to keep doing that. It could be the start of a beautiful story, of growing confidences and getting results without breaking a sweat, or breaking a spirit.

Yes, sometimes a word from you, however well intended or well-deserved by the other person, could break someone’s spirit. And you could say “they need to stop being too sensitive” but since you do not understand what made them that sensitive in the first place, how about you work with them as they are and watch all the possibilities unfold. A kind word in a tough season could be all someone in our space needs. You don’t need to know what they are going through, just assume everyone has their own issues and be kind to them, anyway.

Does this mean I will not have negative thoughts?
Of course not! But I hope my tongue will be tame enough not to speak them. And where I cannot see anything positive, I pray I will shut up. If you know me at all, you know this is a tall order, but it is one I plan to take in small sips, one day at a time.