I went to bed last night feeling really sad about something that happened. I was in so much despair. Nothing my husband said to try to cheer me up was working. I refused to be comforted and just wanted to wallow in my self pity, so I did. I woke up this morning still feeling that sadness. It was a HEAVY weight on me but I felt I deserved it, so I kept carrying it. As I got up for my quiet time with God, a song started to play in my spirit. Every morning I wake up with a song that I know is from the Holy Spirit.

A few days ago, I woke up at around 2am. I knew it was my cue to pray. I was sleepy but pushed through and started praying in tongues. As I prayed, I was asking the Holy Spirit for revelation about what I was praying about. A friend’s named came to my mind. So I knew God wanted me to intercede for her. I was supposed to meet that friend later in the day so I started to ask God for a word for my friend. I kept pressing in prayer until I got a word which was a bible verse. I immediately wrote it down.

I just remembered my Sister’s story. Feel led to share. Years after marriage, my sister & her husband didn’t have kids. They tried IVF but it failed. They just wanted to be parents, so they decided to adopt and started the process. As they started the process, she started to feel funny. She took a pregnancy test & it was POSITIVE! What??? We were all so happy for her, as the adoption process was going to take at least one year. Her pregnancy was a miracle. The joy we felt could not be expressed.

Things to do to grow spiritually.

1. Read 5 chapters of the Bible a day
2. Choose a verse to meditate on each day
3.Listen to a sermon everyday
4. Pray for least 1 hour in tongues each day.
5. Fast at least each quarter. 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 21 days, 30 days. You choose 6. Read a book each month. God's Generals is a good one to read. See what has been possible in the past
7. Can't pray in tongues?Thanksgiving, worship, pray for the world, your family, friends, your church, yourself, your city are things you can pray for in your understanding

I met a lovely lady on the train the other day. She is probably in her late 50s or 60s. We got chatting and she shared with me that she and her husband waited 9 years to have their first child. I asked how she handled that waiting season and 2 things she said were insightful. She said from the time they got married, God had given them a word about their children. She said it was that word that she and her husband held on to. So when they eventually had their first child they saw it as promise fulfilled.

Two weeks ago, my daughter's nursery was trying to raise money for charity by selling cakes. We were asked to buy or make cakes that could be sold. The nature of the charity compelled me to want to put in some effort, so I decided to bake my famous lemon & blueberry loaf. As I wrapped up the loaf to take it to the school, my son Joshua asked if he could have a slice. I explained to him that he couldn't have a slice because it was a donation to the school. He was not impressed by this even after explaining to him it was to raise funds for charity.

When my daughter was 18 months old, she figured out how to get out of her crib. Everytime we put her in it, she found her way out. She'll turn up at our room grinning with pride because she "escaped". It was frustrating but we got used to it. Everything was okay until one day... I was downstairs in the kitchen and heard a BANG! A few seconds later, I heard TEARS and it was all I needed to know that our special climber had fallen during one of her escape missions. I ran upstairs &was relieved because the fall wasn't too bad. Her leg had simply slipped.

Met a young Nigerian girl doing her Masters here in Cambridge. We met on the bus when she asked to sit next to me and I recognized her accent. I struck up a conversation with her and asked: "how has it been for you here?". She said "its been very hard. It is a struggle" I felt so bad for her but I couls relate. Leaving home to a new country. She came in the winter which was worse. She fell sick. Didn't know anyone. Struggled to find accommodation. No close friends or community. Settling into a new country is hard!

Mr 4 Year old Immanuel woke up cranky today. Everything seemed to be a fight even as his siblings wanted to play with him. It was easy for me to see his behavior as annoying (I thought it was) and him just throwing a tantrum for no obviously good reason. It was too early. But I just completed 8 weeks of a parenting course and decided it was time to test my knowledge 💪💪💪. I remembered us talking about our kids' "Emotional cup" and making sure we keep filling it. A child throwing a tantrum or being 'annoying' is the child communicating.

My kids love sundays. They get super excited because we take the bus to church. They love the bus ride, seeing some of their best friends & after church snacks (we are working on the word). All I have to say is "hurry up so we don't miss the bus" & I get the most cooperative kids Last Sunday, we were quite early for our bus, we got there 5 minutes early. The bus stop is opposite our home, but we are always running late so this was a record. Thanks to timetables we know the bus times and we aim to get to the bus stop right on time to avoid real tears.

My husband took our kids to the playground the other day and when they got home, he told me about an experience with my 5 year old that made me marvel at the purity and innocence of kids. It also made me think about not giving up when you want something. There is always a way. Joshua is the social butterfly of our family, he enters a new space and immediately makes himself comfortable. He'll walk up to strangers and shout: "Hi Guys", then proceed to play. He has no shyness in him and as parents we are constantly trying to teach him boundaries.

I’ve had 2 abortions. I was scared and wasn’t ready.
I took the only options I thought were available to me at the time.
And even in this age of pro choice, I am not personally proud of the choices I made. And I lived in shame and guilt for years. It almost crippled me when I found myself fighting for the life of my daughter.
I couldn’t stop thinking: “I deserve this punishment. Now I’m ready, and God is finally ready to get me back”.
But then I didn’t understand the salvation and righteousness that I have in Christ.

Remembered a friend’s story today and I want to share it with you. My friend was one of the most brilliant people when we were at University of Warwick. She graduated with a distinction and won every prize possible. She was best in her class and an all round super star! #Thread After graduation, she got accepted to Oxford University (or maybe Cambridge, can’t remember) for her Masters. The only Problem was, she didn’t get a full scholarship and as an international student, the fees were too high for her to pay. She applied for grants etc but No luck.