WOMEN IN ACTION

There are many times when we tend to make ourselves the victim. Just because something isn’t exactly how we want it, we have an urge to point the finger at someone else and blame them for what’s happening, or in some cases, what’s not happening.

I used to do this a lot. I would say I wanted a closer family. I would say I wanted that mother-daughter relationship every other girl had. I would say I wanted my parents to watch my games. I would say I wanted to bond with my brother. Point is, I would say a lot of things, but never actually did anything to work for it.

I thought of myself as the victim. Since I am the youngest in my family, I thought ‘Why should I have to put in the effort if they’re not? Shouldn’t they be working towards making this better?’ I made plenty of excuses for why I couldn’t be the one to change things. My age, my dependency on others, my intellectual proneness, etc.

I had been thinking about this situation and how things needed to change for a while already. But I was still stuck on the concept that everyone around me needed the change, not me. Then I came to a sudden realization, it hit me like meteorite. It was I that needed the change. I was so fixed in the idea that I was the one doing good, and they were the ones doing bad. But in fact, we were just alike. I had grudges I never let go of. I had anger inside me that I tried to hide from myself. I had all this extra negativity within me, and I didn’t even see it.

It wasn’t until I let go of all this that I was finally able to open myself completely to God, unlike I had before. I started looking at my wrong-doings, instead of other’s. I’m a work in progress, and I know there are always ways to improve oneself. Things have dramatically changed in my family, and I know they will only continue changing for the better.

Lily Torneros – Pledge from Houston, TX

I want to thank all those who have bought one of our handmade pieces and have contributed to our fund raising on behalf of an orphanage in the inner side of our country (more details on the institution will follow). I trust that whoever got your gift will be very pleased.

Therefore, we will carry on with our fund raising throughout the month of May so that we can offer a great help to this institution. Again we can only count on your support to our cause.

You can still get one of our jewellery pieces in our churches. Today I am posting the photo of our WiA members in Pietermaritzburg who have diligently worked with their skills to help us in this fundraising.

Many women live their life wondering what others think of her. Some go to the point of changing what they really are just to match other people’s opinion on how she should be.

Sad though that many changes are done, external and internal, but not because as a human being they will feel better like this or that but just to agree to the general opinion of society or their interacting group.

At they end of the day, many are frustrated and not fulfilled because they do not look like, behave or live as they would actually enjoy.

There is something I have learnt in my walking with God and it may be the answer or changing of attitude for those who fit in the above examples.

I do enjoy and respect other people’s opinions, suggestions, and observations about myself or about any project I might be working on but I care much more for God’s opinion on my life.

Before making any decision, before planning something, before doing any change on my interior, I wonder what is God thinking about that.

Do you know what God thinks of you? I am going to invite you to hear directly from Him:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

God is the source of all goodness in your life, He loves you and cares for you, His plans are to fulfil you – why not to give Him more ears than to criticism and words that constantly put you down?

Experience God’s plans in your life and all changes you might do will only make you whole.

The New Year’s Night Vigil in Port Elizabeth brought lots of blessings to the UCKG Family in Nelson Mandela’s Bay! The cherry on the top  was the special participation of the wives working there who have prepared a song presentation to entertain our members and to break the year in pure joy. Well done WiA from PE!

It’s far easier to look at all the bad things that have happened in our lives. All the words you’ve heard that hurt you so deeply, the affection you didn’t get, the appreciation you never received and all the bad stuff that is engraved in the way you react to people and situations.

It’s easier to look at everything you have lost and the opportunities you have missed and the mistakes you have made.

It’s just easier to look back and see the good things you had in life and not really be happy about them, but instead, simply focus on the fact that you no longer have them.

But to dwell on the good things… that’s not so easy.

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Few Saturdays ago I had a wonderful surprise of having the sun back into our life, so strong, so bright, so warm after this dreadful winter with low temperatures and bad weather.

But you know what? This whole transition marked my year, not physically but spiritually.

It was very captivating to observe the changes in nature and follow closely to each stage of it up until now.

The leaves on trees turned dry and fell off; the lawns looked more like carpets of straw so dried out by the early frost; flower pots were so withered that I could guarantee they would never flourish again; birds were eating dried sticks and branches; poor bees… no flowers to gaze upon.

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