Author: Sasha Landall

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Freedom, What is that?

There is so much talk at the moment around freedom; freedom of rights, accountability, what opinions are allowed to be shared, and the list goes on, becoming endless. There are lots of voices crying out over particular topics or events, people losing their jobs left, right and center over an opposing opinion, others being sued, violence erupting or death threats taking place with the world in turmoil, thus making individuals wonder what on earth is going on? With the age of the internet and even more so, with social media, it is so easy for hate to spread, cyber bullying to occur, the sharing of different ideas, expressing oneself to millions. There are pros and cons that go along with such an invention.

Firstly when understanding true freedom, we need to take a step back from all this chaos to think more clearly and actually look at this word ‘freedom’, reminding ourselves of what exactly it is, and what does it actually look like. It can be too easy to get caught up in a lot of the different things/ ideology that is swirling around the internet or news media these days, where so many are jumping on the various band wagons out there.

According to the Cambridge dictionary freedom means “the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think etc. whatever you want to without being controlled or limited.” According to the Collins dictionary ‘freedoms’ are instances of this, such as freedom of speech, political freedom, freedom to decides one future, freedom of religion and so forth.

There are certain laws of the land that we are governed by, that I like to call more ‘moral’ laws for easy understanding, which are laws to safe guard humanity i.e.- laws against murder, abuse and road rules. These are rules to keep everyone safe and make the world go round. When discussing freedom for this article, we are going to park those laws to one side and discuss more the other freedoms as mentioned in the above paragraph.

As seen in the definition of what freedom means, true freedom is of being able to say, do and think how one wants and believes to be right. When we take a look right back to the book of Genesis in the Garden of Eden, God created Adam and Eve, both with free will, able to make their own decisions and choices. God could have made us like robots but that wouldn’t be true freedom, due to not being able to think freely as we are being controlled. He could have destroyed the devil straight away or Adam and Eve when they sinned but He didn’t, as that would’ve created fear in others hearts, resulting in worship or obedience to God out of fear rather than because they wanted/ chose too. A world of true freedom can only truly exist when you have the freedom of choice. The reason why saying “I do” when a couple gets married at the wedding ceremony is so beautiful, is because the bride or groom had the choice to say “I don’t”.

If we want true freedom to exist there will always involve risk/s- that is part of the package. God loved us so much and that is why He gave us the freedom to choose to follow Him or not. He’s not going to force it or take any individual up to Heaven who doesn’t want to be there.  He sent His Son Jesus down to this earth with the risk of being separated from Him eternally, just to give us a way out of this sinful earth through the gift of salvation because of His love for humanity! What Real Love!

No government, famous person or any other individual for that matter, has the right to control or stop the way people think, as God Himself has given that freedom of choice, NO ONE has the right to change that. What I am seeing today makes me very sad with the loss of respect for one another and people losing their jobs just because they have a difference of opinion to someone else. There is no true freedom in that. We may not always agree with what others say or do but we can’t stop them from believing in what they believe. As soon as you try to stop or silence someone by hating them, refusing to talk to them or letting them share their opinions, personally attaching them, firing them or forcing them to resign over an opposing opinion, you take away their rights. Some say that they are being discriminated against by these individuals who have opposing opinions, such as those from the LGBTQIA+ community, (which might be the case in some circumstances), but while there is great lengths to give them their rights, others rights of being allowed a different opinion in this area are being taken away. There is no true freedom in that while giving rights to one, we are taking rights away from another of being able to disagree. (Disclaimer: no one should ever be persecuted, no matter who they are or what they believe). We are seeing this in multiple places, topics or areas now. People such as writers or comedians will soon be out of a job because they are not allowed to joke anymore or share their opinions, if it is different from those with the loudest voice at the time.

I have seen a huge shift in generations and how currently, people cannot handle or know how to deal with criticism or differences of opinions. We have lost resilience and this is lacking in teaching our children this skill in our education. This is something that is mainly only facing First World countries. We have swung the pendulum too far and creating our children to be too soft, instead of learning how to deal with adversity.

True freedom is living in a world where we learn to agree to disagree with others and yet still live in unity, showing respect, respecting others viewpoints and learning to get along despite our differences. When we study the Bible, particularly the book of Acts we can see this quite clearly. There were many people from different walks of life, race, socio-economic backgrounds, age, experiences, differences of personalities and having a different opinion, but yet all came together, to work together for God.

This is something that society once had but is now losing, sadly. Personally I would rather live in a world where I could be offended and true freedom exists, than in a world where your freedoms are being taken away and you are being told how you should think.

Learning to deal with others who are different to us or have different viewpoints is through taking the time to understand them, walking in their shoes and understanding why they view things in that way. You don’t have to agree but we are called to love others as Christ loves them. Christ came to this earth to die for all, not just one or two or three, but all! Showing love and kindness to them- love always wins in the end. Learn not to make assumptions that can’t be seen and always pray for others!

When we look at freedom, we always need to go back and remind ourselves of what it truly means before we cry out over anything, especially without solid foundations.

Food for thought… 

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The Means We Seek

Faithful Prayer

“The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

As I ponder on this powerful statement by Martin Luther King Jr., I look around this world in chaos, hatred and selfishness, and I see how easily people can become caught up in some of the characteristics that go along with such actions of unkindness, hurt, lack of thought and evil, in different circumstances. I see these actions occurring through injustices that others see or experience which ignites retaliation, through showing governments how unhappy one feels towards certain actions or legislation, through the ambitions of getting a top position that has been desired for sometime, boosting ones business to make it bigger and better or any other such situation.

Looking at the word “motive” I realise that this word is not something that we take a lot of stock of in our own individual lives, or talk a lot about unless it is in regards to the gym! But motive is something that underpins all that we do in the means that we use or seek, whether it is generating change, how we see others or gaining that much desired promotion. Motive in and of itself, is neither bad nor good, but depending on how we use it, is what determines the outcome for bad or good (Proverbs 4:23). If we see like Christ saw, our means would always be as pure as the ends that we seek (Proverbs 16:2). It doesn’t become about us but about God and what He wants or desires to have happen.

There have been times in my life where I have wanted to create or see change, to make something better or wanted others to know that an injustice has occurred. I remember there having been particular situations where I have wanted to and really wished that I could be mean back to that person or showed them how they wronged me, all in the hope to wake them up. My personality is not one where I could ever bring myself to do that, as I generally shy away from any conflict situation. Looking back on those moments I praise God that I never did use these methods, as even though I might’ve been justified in the way I felt, it wasn’t the right meansto use for the end result I wanted to see take place. It wouldn’t create change; only create more division and turmoil.

As Christians, in all that we do we should be able to give glory to God. For after all if we call ourselves Christians, it is Him that we follow, believe in and are ambassadors for. If we are using our own selfish ambitions to achieve the result we are wanting, then how does this glorify God? If we are using manipulation, lying and bullying tactics to achieve a great outcome for God, how does this glorify a loving God? The Bible clearly tells us that God is a God of love (1 John 4:8), patient and longsuffering (2 Peter 3:9), not wanting anyone to perish but all to be saved. Using these kinds of means or methods goes against who God is and ultimately does more damage than good.

Something I believe that is lacking in amongst society today including Christians, is the ability to pause before making decisions or reacting and especially for Christians is stopping to pray first. Often we run ahead of God, get tired of waiting and so as a result we think we know best and try to help Him, justifying that if the end results turn out good, its ok. This is unfortunately the wrong attitude to have and can lead to a slippery slope. This is not Biblical in any way (1 Timothy 1:5).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

– Psalm 51:10

The great thing is that we can become more pure in our means in all areas of our life but it can only be done through intimately knowing God. I’m not meaning knowing all about God in knowledge only, as this doesn’t take root in your heart. You can have a head knowledge without having the heart knowledge. Just look for example at all the fans of famous celebrities such as Tom Cruise for instance. They know all about him but they don’t know him personally or intimately. There is a big difference between someone who hasn’t met you, barely knows you and intimately knows you. It is the same for Christians, we need to be so careful we don’t get caught up in the very same trap where we know all about God but don’t actually know God intimately (haven’t had a real personal heart encounter). Its only through knowing Him intimately that change occurs and our means become more pure, where people can see the difference (Matthew 7:16). You will then be able to see people, objects, things and situations differently- through the eyes of Christ. We must strive through the help of God to always seek pure means, even if we don’t always see the results straight away, this is not our concern, as God said that He would look after you and fight your battles. (Exodus 14:14, Deuteronomy 3:22).

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

– Romans 12:2

The Bible is very clear when it comes to seeing what others are doing or a crowd, and not getting caught up in such, even if what they are hoping for as the end result is good, but the means to get there is not (Exodus 23:2). We can make a difference through other godly means. Humbly and prayfully we must take and make known our petitions to the Lord, listen to His voice for direction and search His words through the Bible to guide and direct your steps.

Have courage and be kind!

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Christians, Racism and Riots

Christians, Racism and Riots

[Firstly I just want to say that I hear the black people’s cries, recognize and acknowledge the pain, suffering, abuse and their history that they have had to endure. It hasn’t been right and no one should be treated in such a manner. God grieves at the way wicked men have treated those in the black community. ]

Over the last couple of weeks the news has been filled with the story of George Floyd’s death and the aftermath now fuelling America as a result. As we look at this situation regarding George and all the posts that have been put on social media platforms sweeping the world, what should we as Christians do or what should our position be on such matters?

As Christians in all we do, it needs to be based off God’s Word and how He wants us to act, for we are ambassadors of God. As sinners we have to be careful that we are not being lead by our own emotions and getting swept up into situations that could lead us away from how God wants us to be.

How does God view racism? When we look in God’s Word we find that God doesn’t separate His love and what He does for others based on colour, ethnicity, gender, and language. In fact it’s the opposite, He loves all the same and He deems everyone worthy and that is why He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that no one would perish but all would have everlasting life (John 3:16). He ultimately left the choice with us because we have true freedom of our choices but He has paved the way of salvation for anyone no matter what race they are. God is not racist and there is no place for racism in a Christian’s life. The Bible clearly instructs us to be kind and treat each other with love, even those who are enemies (Matthew 5:44-45). Love is an action word, it’s how you act towards others. You may not always agree with people, those around you or what they are doing but as a Christian you are to still show them love. This is the character of God and how longsuffering He is towards us (2 Peter 3:9). Remember Christ is and always should be our example, not our fellow man.

This situation with what happened to George Floyd and others at the hand of authority is absolutely tragic. Abuse of power is never ok and anyone who participates in such should be held accountable for their actions and pay the due consequences. God does not agree with evil and hate in anyway, shape or form. God too is saddened by what has happened and anyone who is involved has to ultimately answer to Him for what they have done. God tells us that even in these situations where one is persecuted that we must still show love, forgiveness (Matthew 5:44-45; Matthew 18:21-22) and not repay evil for evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Peter 3:9). God is very clear about this and lets us know that vengeance is His and His alone (Romans 12:17-19).

We as Christians should be praying for George’s family at this time (Romans 12:15) and acknowledging what his family must be going through. But we should also be praying for Derek the officer who killed him and those associated with the crime. Pray that they recognize the wrong that they have done, seek forgiveness from George’s family and that they may fully repent, turning to God. God died for all and we must learn to not only pray for those who are good or whom we like but also those who do wrong, who hurt us and others. There are accounts in the Bible of hardened evil men who murdered, sacrificed children and did other horrendous crimes whose lives were changed by God. There are even stories around the world too of evil men finding God and turning from their ways. Pray for leaders in power, in the decisions that they make, that their eyes will be opened so that change can take place.

There is nothing wrong with standing up for ones belief, justice, religious freedoms, racism, bullying or what’s right but we are called to do this peacefully and in displaying the character of God. Rioting is not of God and no Christian should take part in such violence (1 John 4:8). As we can see the rioting in America is destroying other peoples livelihoods even their own black people, causing more financial ruin in a time that is already causing so much hurt due to the coronavirus, lawlessness, people brutally beating up other people, stealing and even death. This goes completely against who God is and what we believe as Christians. Violence only fuels more hate, anger and is not an effective way for change, instead installing more fear. Those that have had the greatest impact for change in America were people like Martin Luther King Junior who never used violence. Lessons we should never forget. God doesn’t always call us to sit back and do nothing, that is not what I am saying at all, but He wants us when we stand up for justice to do it in non-violent ways. We need to and can acknowledge the struggles, pain and injustice that others have been receiving. Not brushing it off to the side in a un-christ like manner.

As Christians, prayer is the most important key to unlocking the heavenly powers and for seeing change, we must never forget that. It is through prayer the greatest revivals took place. God tells us that He will fight our battles (Deuteronomy 3:22, 20:4; Psalm 34:17) but we need to let Him instead of going a head and trying to fight them on our own or for Him.

Unfortunately due to living in a fallen world there will be injustices in many forms but often we don’t see as much change as we could because we don’t pray like we should. God also doesn’t promise to take a way all trails in this life but He promises that He will carry us through and be there right beside us.

This situation is a reminder, for us to look at ourselves, reflect and ask God to show us/open our eyes too, to if there is anyway we are wronging others in our thoughts, personal blind spots and actions, to help us change, that we can help to make this world a better place, even if only in our sphere. We need to reflect on how we would feel in any of these given situations and remember that we can’t taint everyone with the same brush. It is only through God we become changed and see change occur.

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Isolation- How to Survive

Christian and Isolation

With this coronavirus outbreak we have and are having to face new challenges that we haven’t had to deal with before. For some this is causing a lot of fear and anxiety while others are just going with the flow. We are all different and handle situations in different ways to each other. As Christians we are lucky that we have a hope and know that Jesus is with us ever step of the way.

To help surviving the lockdown I thought that I would write down some ideas to help get you through:

  • Firstly some of it is about looking at the situation from a different perspective or point of view then we otherwise might. We know that the mind is a powerful thing, so for some of us it might be about trying to look at this situation in a new light. View this as a “staycation” rather than being stuck and that maybe we have been given this time for a reason. This will help us to cope easier.
  • Create lists- if you have to work from home, write a list of what you need to do so that you remain productive. Personally I am more productive in the morning than in the afternoon, when I am working from home- so I do most of my work in the morning. You could also create a list of what things you could do while at home such as projects you have put aside for years because you haven’t had the time or things you should do like clean your car!
  • Another list to create is activities to help you stay occupied and productive during this time, as this will help ones mood. If we stay in bed or in front of the TV it will create our mood to be more depressed and flat, which wont help for survival during this time. It also doesn’t help ones health. They say if you get up and make your bed you are more likely to be productive and enjoy your day.
  • Some people are realizing that they don’t have any hobbies that they can do at home. This might be the time where you can learn new hobbies via online courses or YouTube. For those who have had hobbies in the past- you can relearn or pick it up again such as learning an instrument.
  • Learning new skills is always great. We often don’t have time for this but now is a perfect opportunity for us to do it. There are a number of places offering online courses. You can do a range of courses and even spiritual courses to help grow your faith too. They say- knowledge is power!
  • Exercise- it is important to keep exercising, as the body needs it and to maintain ones health. Exercising helps with anxiety, worry and depression- very important for ones mental health. There are YouTube videos showing different workouts you can do at home (inside and outside). Also don’t forget to get outside in the fresh air- walk, run or bike.
  • Stay connected with others- this is so important as we are created as relational beings. We are called to help encourage each other and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) for it isn’t good for man/woman to be alone (Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:10). It is especially important to keep in touch with those who are on their own or elderly. Loneliness affects ones mental health and increases things such as suicide rates. It is super important to stay connected with each other and especially to help ones faith stay strong. #weareallinthistogether
  • Staying connected with God- this is the time that we need to stay even more connected with God than ever, not lax in our faith. God is the provider who says that He will meet your needs and fight your battles (Philippians 4:19, Exodus 14:14). He will look after you as you claim His promises (Isaiah 46:4, Psalm 91). God out of His love has forewarned us that things like this would happen before His coming (Matthew 24: 7). Some ways to stay connected and to grow in faith is keeping regular devotional times, praying, Bible studies on your own or with others via video chat (zoom), Bible courses online, listening to sermons, Christian music, keeping church via zoom every week (my church is doing this), memorizing scripture, create your own spiritual studies, videos, blog site or podcasts.
  • If living with family- this is a special time where you can bond even more strongly together. Have games nights- board games, charades, and croquet, create videos for sharing, competitions, or doing a jigsaw puzzle together.
  • Spring clean- this is the perfect opportunity to do a clean of all cupboards and de-clutter. Create a pile for rubbish and a pile for the second hand store to donate. This will certainly make you feel good afterwards- will I know that it does for me. Those of us in first world countries have way too much stuff- more than we need.
  • Get cooking- often with busy lives we don’t have time to try new things like healthy food or baking. Now is the time to try those recipes you’ve been wanting for a while. You could even have cooking competitions with friends or a bake off. One thing I have wanted to do is make bread- so this is something I am going to give a try during this lockdown.
  • Create a blog- time to put those creative thoughts out there for others to see. It could be on anything such as food, travel, fitness, crafts or a ministry.
  • Pamper night- have fun looking after your skin with face masks or a candle lit bath.
  • Keep immunity up- it is so important to look after your health. This can reduce the chances of getting sick or even if you do get sick you will recover a lot faster. Nutrition is super important so make sure you have lots of fruit and veggies, have high antioxidant foods, smoothies, or try a plant based diet as this is more healthier for you. I am not sure how many people realize that a lot of diseases like coronavirus came through the consumption of eating meat. Having a good sleep- not going to bed too late and having a regular sleep time helps you to not get run down and to maintain your health. Try also having a rest day every week- my rest day is my day of worship where I go to church and reconnect with God and others of like faith as it says we should in Exodus 20: 8-11. This will also help with stress and anxiety, as stress is harmful for your health.
  • Other ideas one could do to survive this lockdown could be read a book, create a photo book, learn hand lettering, paint, make bath bombs, write letters, gardening- planting veggies.

These are just some suggestions to help inspire you and to give you some ideas.

Stay safe and keep looking up!

Much Love.

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Covid-19 – Where is God?

Where is God

In just a matter of weeks the world was gripped with the knowledge of a new disease that had rattled China forcing the country into a lockdown. We all looked on in amazement, as this was something unseen before and even still as we watched never really expected this outbreak to affect us personally. All of a sudden as cases swept across the world, surreal moments occurred with country after county going into lockdown, closing their borders and restricting everyday activities, creating a new norm for the time being.

As we come to grips with what has just occurred some are wondering where is God in amongst this situation, especially where certain countries have seen a number of deaths, unemployment rising and as a result some are questioning where is God? How can we deal with this situation as Christians, is God really still there in the pandemic?

Particularly in a situation like this one, it helps to firstly look and remember who God really is. God is not some being that we can put into a box nor can we limit Him in His abilities. God is God, a supernatural being who created humans so that He can have a relationship with them. God doesn’t change, as He tells us in His Word in the book of Hebrews 13:8 that He is the

“same yesterday, today and forever.”

He is still the all powerful God who parted the Red sea, all loving God who sent His Son to die on the cross and mighty God who created you in His image, who loves you with an everlasting love that He deemed you worthy to pay the penalty of the cross so that you may have an everlasting life with Him. God is still in control- even in this situation. Even if it doesn’t look like He can be and the situation looks really bleak, He is holding you up, the world in His hands and has a purpose for allowing this to take place. As we have been shown His abilities through countless accounts of His leading, guidance and protection throughout the Bible.

Unfortunately we live in a sinful and fallen world where we will go through trails and tribulations but God says that He will carry us through, that we wont go through more than we can bear, and promises to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19). We also have a blessed hope in this situation. God loves us so much that He shared with us through His Word various situations that would happen and take place throughout history (history books prove that these events came true). God has given us all the signs and wonders because He doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9) and be able to live with Him forever. That is how much He loves us!

One of these promises that God shares with us, is that He will come back again a second time- His second coming. He gave us signs to help us know when His coming is near so that we may remain awake. God didn’t have to do this but He has chosen too for He wants all of us to come into a saving relationship with Him before it is too late. Some of these signs that God shares with us we can find in the book of Matthew in chapter 24. One of these signs in particular is that there will be a rise in pestilences (diseases) in the world. We have been seeing a rise in outbreaks such as SARS, bird flu, swine flu in the last number of years and now Covid-19 that has become more global than the rest. God who is all knowing, the alpha and omega (knows the beginning and the end) knew that this was going to take place and out of His love has warned us so that we may know when He is coming back soon to live in a world where there is no suffering, pain or death- because He loves us that much.

He is allowing us to go through these trails so that we may grow in our faith, trust in Him and that hopefully we may draw closer to Him and be saved.

It is our time to shine as Christians, be the calm in other peoples storms and share the love of Jesus for He is most certainly still in control and He is there amongst Covid-19, just like He will continue to be as He has been through out history and will continue to look after you. Let us come together to encourage one another, build each other up and help our neighbours at this time, for we are all in this together.

Much Love.

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Being A Blessing In Your Work Place

Christian at work

As a Christian or follower of Christ, we are called to be His ambassadors. This means everywhere we go, in all that we do and with all whom we meet along the way. Work places can be very interesting environments, as there can be a lot going on, lots of different types of personalities mixed together, with some that we may even struggle at times working along side. No matter what industry you work in, there can be highs, lows and challenges. God does tell us in His Word that we will still go through trails and tribulations even once we accept Him into our lives, but the difference being that He will help us through. In our work places as Christians/ believers in God, we still need to uphold who we are, what it means to be a child of God and to see everyone through Gods eyes. We also should be a witness, sharing God’s love and looking/ praying for opportunities to do so.

Here are some ideas of how you can be a blessing in your work place and be a reflection of Christ:

1. Saying good morning/ goodbye even if people don’t say it back– Persistence pays off. Be that happy person.

2. Bringing in food to share every so often – Going out of your way to show hospitality and kindness.

3. Smile lots – You never know what others are going through and this could make someone’s day and be just what they needed.

4. Every so often helping someone’s workload – Flexibility, as long as it doesn’t put you in a bad place or behind. People really appreciate those who a flexible and alleviate their work loads.

5. Seizing opportunities– Help where can in situations that you hear about (if people are struggling, someone has passed, planning a surprise etc).

6. Offer to pray with or for someone who’s distressed– But remember to always pray anyway at home or quietly at work for your work colleagues daily/weekly.

7. Complementing– As this helps focus on others rather than ourselves, even if they get a position that you wanted. It might not be God’s time for you to have that position or He has something else better for you. Don’t ever bully or lie to get what you want or to the top, as God can work anything and everything out in His time and for His glory.

8. Always being punctual, tidy and organized (work dependent)– This reflects on your character and also the character of your God if they know that you are a Christian.

9. Doing your job to the best of your ability– Reliable and can be counted on. Making an effort even if others are slacking. This builds a good reputation for you which can help you later in other positions and jobs in the future.

10.Having an encouraging Bible verse on your desk– This can be a conversation starter if another worker asks you about it. Don’t use it to Bible bash but let them ask you. They may never but it doesn’t mean that they haven’t noticed it. You may not know the effect it has on someone.

11.Not letting your personal life effect your work ethics and that of others– Trust God that He will take care of you and everything your going through, even if its hard to understand at the time. But God promises to look after you and to fight your battles. This can also be a witness to others of your faith, as you remain professional at work.

I would love to hear how it is going in your work place with trying some of these ideas! 🙂

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Guide to traveling for the single Christian girl.

Christian Girl Traveling in Cuba

Traveling is something fun, amazing and beautiful. There is so much that this world has to offer, exploring different cultures and places to see. I think it is really good to visit a country and culture other than your own; to grow in your understanding and appreciation, but it can be hard if there is no one who is able to go with you. This scenario happened to me, where my friends were just unable to travel with me, so after working up lots of courage I decided to go for it- alone. At the same time I had to think about a lot of things, as some things change in your trip when you are doing it by yourself and particularly as a girl you want to stay safe. Also as a Christian girl we do need to maintain our God given standards, morals and values while we are traveling. It doesn’t change just because we are not in our own country or comfort place. So here are some tips if you want to travel as a single Christian girl:

Staying Safe and planning your trip:

1) Read up about each country that you are potentially interested in visiting before going. You can also get Lonely Planet guides out of the library as well to help you in your decision-making.

2) Firstly plan most of it! You can leave room for some spontaneous adventures but you don’t want to be caught off guard or find yourself in a difficult situation. Since you are by yourself the situation of things change, especially depending on where you are going.

3) For safety measures give your whole itinerary to someone such as your parents, so that they know where you are all the time, log your travel online- I know that my country has a website where you let them know what dates you will be in certain countries so that your government/ embassies know if something like a terrorist attack happens.

4) Keep in regular contact with someone back home like your parents so that they also know that you are ok. If anything happens they can let authorities know where you last were.

5) Avoid certain places like bars, pubs and clubs besides from the fact that they are not places that Christians should be attending, but these are places where you are more likely to run into trouble especially for a single girl on their own. I would also avoid if possible walking the streets at night alone.

6) Tours- these can be over a number of days, a day tour or half-day tours in groups or private guide. This is one way to keep yourself safe with people and also to make friends whom you can then tag along with on their journeys or day trips out. I did a mixture of these but I was particular on the group tours. I specifically picked some that went over a fewer amount of days, as I still wanted to honor my day of worship/ the Lords day and not be in tour groups over these days due to the fact that they also weren’t Christian tours. I highly believe that while you are traveling that you still honor God and His day, that you attend church where possible. Just because your traveling, you don’t throw God out the window or do things that you wouldn’t normally do or agree with. I chose to do 3-4 day group tours in some of the places that I went so that I still could honor God and it was a blessing to attend church in another country- you have a world wide church family always remember that.

7) Don’t book all your tours through a travel agent as they can charge more sometimes and also book in such a way that you may not have enough time to get from one place to the next. I recommend searching up the tours that you want to do from the brochures that you get at a travel agency to check them out, ask others what they recommend who have been to those countries as well, Google, visit an isite center when you arrive and then decide what you might like to do. You can also look at maps that are normally free within the isite centers, as this can give you a rough idea where activities/ attractions are etc. I did a mixture of these options when travelling.

8) Searching and exploring the city is sometimes better than going to all the tourist attractions and generally the cheaper option too. You get more understanding of that country and its culture, just simply by walking around.

9) An app that I highly recommend is the app “Here We Go”. It is a map app that you can use when walking around a city and you don’t need Wi-Fi/ data to use it. The only thing is you will need to download each map using Wi-Fi (but this can be done at a motel etc.) first but once downloaded you can walk around the city using it offline. You can type in the address of where your staying if you get lost and it will lead and guide you back. Also will take you to any place that you want to go. Its fantastic! Plus it is another way to stay safe! You can also still use paper maps if you desire too.

10) Use intuition!

11) Have money on your phone at all times for an emergency. I would recommend just using Wi-Fi to save money but you need money on your phone if you have to contact someone in emergency if you find yourself in a tricky situation.

12) Just in general be aware of pickpockets and scammers. Also be careful of homeless, some will come up to you and shake cups in your face wanting money, some will enter places that your eating at to try and ask for money too. As a general rule they do leave you alone but just be aware.

Accommodation:

1) If you are staying in a hostel I know that mixed rooms can be cheaper but remember we are still to honor God and not be lead into temptation- so book the rooms that are for girls only.

2) Air bnb is really good and they have an app that you can keep on your phone and can contact your host through. I again would recommend that you only book ones that are hosted by girls. You can book a room at someone’s place or a whole studio/apartment/house to yourself.

3) Hotels and Motels are also options and some motels depending on how far away from attractions, you book them can be cheap still. Booking.com, Expedia and Trivago are all good sites to compare prices and book from.

4) Another option is you can make contact with local churches in those countries and see if anyone at the church would put you up or take you to church.

Transportation:

1) Check and book travel transportation from airports if you can through recognized companies and also look into public transport. In LA I found Prime Time Shuttles pretty cheap (do not get a taxi), other places like Rome and Amsterdam the bus and train are really cheap and easy to use.

Prime Time Shuttle: https://www.primetimeshuttle.com

2) If you do not want to catch a plane from one country to the next or are traveling from one town to the next I found Flexi bus really cheap and really good. They also have an app you can get. You can also car share/ride through Bla Bla car but again I recommend that you only travel with a girl.

Flexi Bus: https://www.flixbus.com

Bla Bla Car: https://www.blablacar.com

3) Hop on Hop off bus is also pretty good and has lots of different routes that you can choose from all over Europe. I personally haven’t actually used them yet but I know people who have and recommend them.

4) Trains and Metros are good especially within a city; they can become expensive sometimes when traveling from one country to the next so that’s why I recommend something like Flexi bus or Bla Bla car.

5) Hire a car but make sure you have looked up and know the road rules. But this is a more expensive option and is better with others who can share cost.

6) Uber is also good option depending on where you are. In Europe I would do the other options but in America Uber is the best option (Will I personally found it was). It is so much cheaper than a taxi and will save you lots of money, as your only paying for the distance traveled not the amount of time spent in the car, which you will with a taxi. In places like LA you will get stuck in traffic, which will make the trip really expensive. Taxis will rip you off especially as a girl traveling on her own. I had such fantastic Uber experiences in America. Again there is also an app you can get for this, which I recommend.

7) Grab app is really great when in places like Malaysia. It is like Uber but only cheaper. Just remember that you will need wifi to get a Grab. Trains are also really easy to use in Malaysia too.

Money:

1) Always carry some cash on you. Places like Germany if you are wanting something that costs under 10€ you have to pay with cash; they will not let you use card. I found this interesting as in my own country we can buy anything using card even if its only $1!

2) I highly recommend getting yourself a money card just for your travelling money so to protect your bank accounts from being hacked. But also I would carry a spare card like a credit card incase you lose your money card. My money card was through – cash passport. I got mine through my local bank. You can top up as you go and change different currencies. Just remember that sometimes it takes a few days for the money to be converted so make sure you have enough money and transfer from your bank account in advance. https://global.cashpassport.com

3) When your out and about and you don’t want to carry a big back pack, I recommend a small pouch bag that you can wear over/across your shoulder (so that no one can steal it off your arm) and have your money and passport in the inside of the bag-not in any front pockets. I found mine so good and helpful when I didn’t want a backpack.

General Tips:

1) I don’t recommend carting around 2 suitcases even if one is a small one. Just one suitcase and one backpack, or a super large backpack that holds everything. I guess it also depends on how long your traveling for but you have to remember that you have to transport your luggage from venues and modes of transport. Have locks on your luggage that are security locks too so that no one can tamper with it.

2) Search packing tips on Pinterest as they have some really good hacks. I also got some great ideas of things I wanted to see and knowledge about countries from there as well. www.pinterest.com

Go for it! You will learn so much about yourself, your capability, self-discovery and strengthen your faith with God by total reliance on Him. Make sure you stay connected to God, the One who created you, by reading on the airplane through books, apps etc. You can also do this on the train, bus, in a park etc. Download sermons and have them on your MP3 player/ iPod to maintain Spiritual food while on your journeys. Pray always without ceasing!!!

I hope these help and have a wonderful time :).

Much Love.

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Do we really need to belong to a church to have a healthy Christian walk?

Holy Bible

To answer this question we need to look at the existence of churches in the first place, why and how they were set up. A lot of people when asked about the origin of the Christian church, point back to the time of the apostles after the death of Jesus. Where they went from house to house, town to town, preaching and sharing the Word of God to both the Jews and the Gentiles. This has also been used as an excuse as to why some Christians believe and feel that we don’t have to meet in a church/ organized church but can have what is known as ‘home church’ instead or just keep their day of worship at home with just their family. One point to remember here is that back in the apostles time gentiles were not allowed to go into the Jewish synagogue to worship or certain parts of it, so they had to meet in places where they all could gather together, both Jew and gentile to hear the message of God being taught, before creating their own building as they grew in number. In certain areas because of their geological location there might’ve only been a handful of believers in God, so as a result they would meet in someone’s house for church because they either didn’t have a building to use or the affordability of one as well. There are a few factors to consider when looking at this reasoning.

For me the idea of church goes back even further than that of the apostle’s time. We can even look back to at of when the sanctuary was built in Moses time. God asked specifically for a sanctuary to be made as a replica or pattern of the Heavenly sanctuary, where He gave clear instructions in the way things should be built and done within it. Note to remember- only the ceremonial side of the sanctuary/law was done away with at the cross because Jesus was the official sacrificial lamb, that came to pave the way of salvation for all, from sin. Those ceremonial practices where symbolic, pointing to the coming lamb.

One of the reasons as to why He asked for a sanctuary to be built was so that He may dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8). He also used the sanctuary to reform the children of Israel’s character and to point them back to Heavenly thoughts, which is the same for us today. The principles have not changed, as God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). There is an extra special blessing for those that keep the Sabbath and come into a place where God’s presence dwells, just like in the sanctuary in Moses day.

We are created in the image of God and are designed as social beings intended to have relationships with God and one another. God tells us not to stop the meeting of coming together as found in Hebrews 10:23-25, for a lot of good reasons. Apart from there being a place where He dwells (and yes He does also dwell in our hearts), church is a place where others of like faith can encourage one another through what is going on in each individuals lives, teach children how to walk rightly, to live an abundant filled life through the virtues and to learn about God. A place of spiritual growth, understanding gained and to be challenged otherwise one can become stale in their Christian walk. If you don’t ask questions, find out others perspectives and only gain your spiritual food off a sermon you watch on TV, no real growth will happen.

Church is also a place of accountability or should be, learning how to connect with others, learning to work with different types of people, and their personality types. You can achieve more as a body united, be a greater witness and empowered than just on your own. Going to church isn’t about yourself (though one grows by attending church), but about honoring God, as He’s the head and what He has asked us to do.

Sabbath is that time set apart to spend with God as He instituted right back at creation, to connect with people of like faith, and to support others on their spiritual journey within your faith. It’s about God and not about what we want. If we are not getting spiritual food in church, how can we change that? Could we be the one to give the spiritual food, which in turn will help you, as you remember 90% of what you teach? I encourage you to be the change you want to see. Is it about you or about God?

Food for thought…

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How to have a devotional time with God

Opened Bible

What is the point to morning devotions? This is a question that I have pondered before and others have ask me the same question. Jesus was our perfect example for us to follow if we want to live the best life possible and to establish an eternal life with Him. Since He is our best example we see that He chose to rise up early in the morning to spend time with His Father everyday so that He would remain connected no matter what happened throughout His day. The reason for this is to start your day right, right with God in it. Through spending time with God is how we draw closer to Him and when situations arise during our day we have God at the forefront of our minds to help us, to know how to deal with it and to send the devil packing. When the day starts and we haven’t spent any time with God, we get too busy with work or everyday daily living, that we often forget to spend any time with Him at all and how do we expect to have a relationship or grow in our faith if we leave Him out. Like any relationship, if we don’t communicate or communicate often enough, it soon breaks down and withers away to non existent.

I wrote this list to help someone I know who was struggling with having a devotional time. As we all have struggles, knowing what to do for our morning devotions and being motivated to get out of bed, haha, I thought that I would share this, so I hope this may help you too:

  1. Get to bed at a reasonable hour even if you don’t want to. Allow a day like Saturday to be your late night unless there is an exception like you’ve gone out for someone’s birthday meal etc. Otherwise it makes getting up in the morning harder, especially if we are always tired.
  2. Wake up early and just start off with 15mins if that is all you can do to begin with. That’s better than doing nothing. Then you can slowly build up to a time you feel your able to do.
  3. Pick what you would like to do in your devotional time prior such as the night before or beginning of the week, so that you don’t have to figure it out in the morning. Here are some ideas to help you get started:

    a. Read a chapter of Proverbs every morning. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs so this will last a month if you read one a day. Read over each chapter and carefully look at what each verse is saying. You can even write down what you get out into a journal if you are someone who keeps journals to help you remember the key points.

    b. Buying a devotional book or e-book and read this through the month/year (how ever long that one goes for). You should be able to get these at your local Christian book store or online at book depositary etc.

    c. There are devo plans if you download the Youversion Bible app (it’s the little brown Bible). There are lots of different devo plans that you can do on a range of different topics. They also vary in how long they go for, such as some last 5-7 days while others go for 13 days.

    d. Lesson Book if your church does one. My church does one for our Bible study hour- read each day’s lesson and look up the Bible verses with it. You can also read up on the verses in a commentary to help you understand the context and meaning more. I sometimes do this and write certain key points in my lesson book for easy remembering.

    e. Could choose a book of the Bible that you really want to study or a Bible character. I often like doing this along side the Bible Commentaries and I write it down in a journal. (Not all the time). This isn’t my specific way of studying, but this could be one of the ways that you really want to do every morning. I do this not as a morning devotional but rather if I am just studying something in particular.

    f. Write in your prayer journal every morning or once a week. There are a few websites now with people creating prayer journals or devotional writing journals for quiet times that you can order to help you. (www.wholeheartedquiettime.com, www.findwondrousthings.com/heyfriend– are a couple of those sites) I will write up a post sometime of how I made mine.

    g. Get little study books and read a page every day and fill it in as you go. (Manna Bookstore has some. I have 3- Prayer, Joseph and one on the Prodigal Son). You may even be able to buy study books for Kindle.

Other ideas of staying in tune with God:

  • Reading a good Christian book every night just for a little bit, helps you stay in tune with God also right before you fall asleep. This helps you to think on good things and to have God always on your mind.
  • Memorizing scripture- write on big pieces of paper, stick to drivers wheel and when you stop at lights etc, you can start to read and memorize some. You could also place one on your fridge so you read the verse every morning as you have your breakfast.
  • Change the music you listen too. This is one I am trying to work on haha. And also the entertainment you watch or involve yourself in. Don’t let the devil in, in any small or big way. We don’t want to give him even an inch. What ever you see, hear or taste moulds us.

Hope this helps you in some way :).

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Visitors, will they be back?

Welcome Please Come In

There it was! The same universal, worldwide sign, so recognisable and even though the words may sometimes be in another language, I can still tell what it reads. It was my church family on the other side of the world. With great anticipation and excitement, I walked across the street and stepped in the doors to fellowship with those of like faith, my brothers and sisters in Christ, on the other side of the world. I walked in, sat down, no one came near me and no one spoke to me. Suddenly someone approached me and sat down. This was nice I thought, only to have them ask and gesture for me to move along the pew so that their friends could sit next to them. When I was unable to move any further as I had reached the end by the heater, I received a dirty look because this now meant that there wasn’t enough room for all their friends to be able to fit and they wanted me to vacate my seat. The sanctuary was so full that day that there was actually no seats left for me to even move to as some members were having to stand at the back due to it being all full. Throughout the service I kept on getting glared at so in due course when the service ended, I quietly got up, walked out of the church unnoticed, and off down the street the way I came.

One of the most exciting things for me on my ‘big trip’ was this moment, where I was about to go to a church in another country other than my own, but only to come away with questions, disbelief, and amazement. This was only one of my experiences.

What do you think of your church? Is it a friendly church? Welcoming? Hospitable? Or do you feel that it may be only because you already know people there and have friends that attend? How would a visitor feel about your church whether they be a member from another church or someone off the street?

These were just some of the questions that I started asking myself during and after my big overseas trip. Growing up in the church, I always knew people. Through attending youth camps and other church gatherings, I developed great friendships with others in different parts of the country. Whenever I visited, they would welcome me into their church, introduce me to other church members and plan social events. I always felt welcomed! I was really excited to visit other churches in different countries and to experience their church as every country may do things slightly differently even though we share similar beliefs. It would be the first time that I was the observer and the visitor that no one knew. Unfortunately my thoughts were only to be completely changed.

Now don’t get me wrong, not every church I visited was lacking in hospitality, as I did have great experiences also and met some really great people whom I still keep in touch with. I am truly thankful for those amazing memories and great experiences. But I can’t say the same for all the churches I visited. Now thankfully I am someone who doesn’t mind spending my day of worship to myself in another country and I don’t rely on others to do that for me. I am also someone who doesn’t get offended easily so these experiences haven’t changed my faith in God and I still 100% believe in the faith. This experience was great and has taught me a number of things and made me question, what is my church like?

Now I am not saying that you all of a sudden have to open up your homes to every visitor who walks through the door, but i know that if it was someone else who experienced some of these receptions and a lack of interest or welcoming, that this could’ve really affected them. I looked the part of a well-groomed Christian all dressed in my best. But I wondered if I wasn’t, would people have made more of an effort, thinking that they could convert someone or win a soul to Christ? But because I was already a Christian, does that mean that I didn’t need that welcome?

We have no idea where other Christians or non-believers lives are headed and what they have been going through. What if I had walked away from God and just decided to try and come back, so yes I looked the part because I already knew about dressing right, but I walked into a church as unfriendly or as rude as I experienced. Would that person have stayed or become discouraged again?

We need to remember the principle spoken about in Matthew 25:31-46, when Jesus was talking to His disciples about how others are treated, which in turn was showing how you were treating God:

“The righteous will answer Him, saying ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (vs 37-39)

The key point we need to remember is:

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, You did it to Me.” (vs 40).

We know this verse but how many of us stop to ponder it and its meaning. If you keep on reading from verses 40-46, you will find out how upset God is when others are not taken care of by those who know God. Just like the verse above, Jesus also says:

“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (vs 45).

As God’s followers, we are called to care, look after, welcome all those whom we come into contact with, as we are a reflection of Christ to others and we may be the only Bible some people see, through our actions and words.

So I want to encourage you to take a serious step back and look at your church. our churches should be one of the happiest places to come to as we are all coming together to worship our Creator with the amazing truths that we have. We are a helping and healing ground to all that we come in contact with. What can you do to make your church more welcoming? or what can you do personally even if other members won’t get on board? What you do or don’t do will have an affect on others lives.

Let our churches be praised for being the inviting, welcoming place that new or old comers love to dwell as we dwell in the presence of God.

Much Love

Sash

Shame It Needed To Be Said

She was on holiday and called in to your church to worship, but oh dear me,
No friendliness was shown, so after the service she left immediately.
She wasn’t impressed, and no doubt God wasn’t either, for it’s His church, you know,
And His church isn’t exclusive, so back again she’s hardly likely to go.

She had the whole day to kill, could’ve done with an invite to lunch, some friendship,
But no one seemed to care, and why lack out the front door she was soon seen to slip.
And no one feeling guilty — some witness, I must say — so why’s anyone there?

Well, for the little good they’re doing; and I thought that Christ we’re supposed to share.
Oh, she visited another church to worship. Was it yours? Fared better there,
Because at least one person responded, maybe you, but I still thought, “Oh dear.”
Only one person? And how many others were there? Yes, what a tragedy,

So I guess they might as well shut shop, for why would Christ want to be there? Or me.

By Lance Landall

(www.poetrywithamission.co.nz)

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