Musings of BelovedEsther

The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. Psalm 30 verse 5b

Be blessed as you listen. BelovedEsther 

What a beautiful day it has been. I hope you had a wonderful day. Today I'm thankful for blessing of having a support system was and I want to express my sincere gratitude.  I had an amazing experience this morning which made me realise that when we trust our lives to God, He, for our own good and growth, places us in support networks. This is what I've seen Him do time and time again. Even in seasons when I withdraw (another day's story), my support networks give me strength and enable me to keep going. I believe if we're willing to be open, honest and vulnerable, God will place us in the right support networks that will encourage our learning, healing and growth. This is another area I'm learning to trust in the process because I know it all fits into a grand plan. Do you have support networks you can lean on? Your family, a group of like-minded friends, a church family, etc. If you don't have any, can I encourage you to ask God to lead you to the right ones f...

It's Friday, yay.  I tell you, it's been a long week and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to stop and rest. I will resume my thoughts on habits on Monday. As I'm taking my much-needed break, I'm hoping to squeeze in some pampering in there somewhere. Not too many days ago I mentioned my next read would be The Girl With The Louding Voice by author Abi Dare. Guess what, I finished it in just 2 days, wow. I really tried to pace myself, but my old bookworm self sprang up to life and I gobbled it up.  An excellent read, it shed light on the realities of modern day slavery, especially the plight of the girl-child in certain parts of the world, often viewed as the vehicle to a family's success, regardless of the effects or the consequences. Why don't you check it out? Till tomorrow. BelovedEsther

Hello Yesterday I hinted that I've experienced some struggles in setting and maintaining habits. This really baffles me because I know I'm a great starter, but for whatever reason, until now, I've found it hard to follow through to the complete end.  I've been listening to a brilliant series on the habits by Pastor Chris Groeschel, Life.Church. You can listen here - Habits . He explains that successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally . Hearing it put that way was a light bulb moment for me. While I'm good at starting things, I often get to that point I'm sure many do, where I've felt like, hey I've got it together, take a break, only to realise 1, 2, or even months or with this blog, a year down the line that I've lost my focus or worst still gone completely off track. I realise that I was mistaking my early success for an established habit. Success in this context of habits isn't just about the attainment of a desired ou...

Hey guys Hope you're well.  I've spent sometime over the last few days thinking about what to write and my thoughts keep coming back to habits, perhaps because it's an area where I've had a lot of struggles, so I think I'll dedicate the next two blog post to it. I have a love and other type of relationship with habits and I want to share some of my personal insights and what I'm learning about myself along the way. To kick off, here's a definition I came across which sums perfectly up what a habit is.  A habit is formed when you consistently meet an important need with a chosen behavior. Let’s break this down into an example of a good habit and a bad habit. Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally  Chris Groeschel, Pastor, Life Church

I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. Philippians 3:13  TPT

Hey guys Hope your weekend has got off to a brilliant start.  For me, it's been a long but fulfilling week and I'm so glad for the opportunity to recharge.  This week I had the privilege of working on a project within an area of my passion, and I am so thankful to have had that opportunity. I learning that living a of gratitude starts with acknowledging what we sometimes classify as minor victories. This could be anything from expressing thanks and gratitude to God for the gift of life, for the support of family, for having a community and networks to draw in this tough season to being thankful for food to eat and a place to call home.  When we search hard enough, there is much to be grateful for in life. As we express gratitude for these things, it becomes much easier to find something every day to be thankful for and to step over into a lifestyle of gratitude. Beloved Esther

Hey guys How's your day been? I wanted to share with you one of my next reads.  It is  The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare.   This book throws the spotlight on modern day slavery and has received fantastic reviews. It's been a long while since I've read anything like this and I'm excited for the next few days, yes that's how long it will take me to get through this book and that will be me mostly pacing myself. I love a good book and constantly have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the ride. That's it for today, till next time, stay blessed. BelovedEsther

Hello I recently finished reading a book by John C. Maxwell titled  The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. In it, John identifies the law of curiosity as one of the 15 invaluable laws of growth.  Reading the chapter on this law was really an eye opener for me.  John put forward the idea that curiosity is the key for lifelong learning. He also explains that  'the way we approach life and learning has nothing to do with age but everything to do with attitude.  Having a beginner's mindset means wondering why and asking lots of questions until you get answers.' The main point that stood out for me centred on the benefits of asking questions continuously. He challenges the general perception of situations and suggests some questions to encourage the curiosity mindset, which really is a mindset of asking questions. The questions are: If it ain't broke, how can we make it better? The general view is usually why fix it.  If it ain't broke, when is it likely to break in ...

Hello,  How are you doing? Can you believe it, we're in the second half of the year, just like that and what an eventful year it's been. It feels like only yesterday when we were happily chanting happy new year and looking forward with expectation.  Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? Isaiah 43:18  What a challenging year it's been. From the natural disasters reported at the start of the year, to the current global pandemic, to the current fight for justice for the lives lost at the hands of those in authority.  Faced with these uncertainties, and what we now term the new normal, many don't know how they'll make it through, but I'd like to encourage you to  keep pressing forward despite all the challenges. With less than six months to go, there's no telling what you and I can accomplish in between that time. Don't give up hope, kee...

Happy weekend What a week it's been and the weekend couldn't come fast enough. Today I'm just grateful for life and the opportunity to work on tackling long-standing issues. So what are you grateful for today? Drop me a line. BelovedEsther

Happy Friday  I am so looking forward to an idyllic weekend. I have nothing planned other than to complete my scheduled workout and meal prep for the coming week.  I've finally come to the end of my reflections and learning from Detola Amure's Slay Doubt Challenge, adapted from her book,  Slay Doubt!: How to recognise and confidently manifest God’s calling on your life .  You can connect with Detola via any of her social media handles Instagram - @detolaamure Website -  www.detolaamure.com I hope something I've shared has provoked you to take some action. For you, it could be as simple as getting a copy of the book on Amazon , signing up for the next round of the challenge or even revisiting an old passion or dream, knowing your nation awaits your emergence. The options are endless. If you have, please drop me a line in the comments section, I'd be interested to know. My immediate next steps include taking time out to do some internal heart work. I've put i...

Hebrew Mindset vs Greek Mindset The calling of God on our lives must apply to every aspect of our lives. God's desire is that we are whole in every aspect of our lives here on earth. This happens when we are authentic and align our spirit, soul, and body to God's purposes, when we apply the mind of Christ to every aspect of our lives. As mentioned severally, we're all here on earth, each with a unique assignment, and in the closing chapters of this book, Detola explain that everything we do must flow from that perspective.  She explains the concept of the Hebrew vs the greek mindset. The Hebrew mindset is about ' having a holistic lifestyle where there is no compartmentalising.'   The Greek mindset, however, is about 'different personalities coming into play in the different aspects of our lives.' For me, it means that every aspect of my being coming into alignment - spirit, soul, and body - all in alignment to God's purpose.  It also means being authent...