Light in the Darkness

So we are officially at the end of 2017. In fact, in 2 days and a few hours we will be in a new year. As the year comes to a close, many reflect on the year and plan ahead for the future. For some, 2017 was a cruel year taking lives, homes, jobs and health among other things. However, with a new year approaching, it signifies new hopes, dreams and aspirations. 2018 has the potential to be your best year or your worst year with a tight 50/50 chance on either side. How your year turns out is ultimately in your hands. My question is, will you let your hardened heart say yes to God for 2018?  Saying yes to God does not mean you will have a magical year. It does not mean you will have a sick free year. It does not signify you will get the house or car you hope to acquire. Neither does it mean you will get that sought-after job or position you desire. Saying Yes to God means you recognize your limited ability and is willing to submit to a higher power in whom ALL things are possib...

With all the dazzling lights and beautifully wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree it's easy to get lost in the true meaning of what this holiday season represents. The noise from all the family gathered together, the sweet aroma of the many meats we have on the grill and the alcohol loaded on the wine racks may all distract us but I dare to remind you that Jesus is the reason for the season.  Friends let us take some time from the hustle and bustle of the festivities and reflect on what Christmas is all about.  Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Many argue about the accuracy of the time but honestly that is insignificant, what is important is that he was conceived by the power of the holy ghost and was born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1: 18-25; Luke 1:26-38). We celebrate Jesus today not as a baby in a manager anymore, but as Jesus the grown man that died for our sins, was buried and who has risen; Jesus the ...

It is Christmas! My favorite time of the year and not for the commercialized aspect of it but because it is the time of the year when family make deliberate effort to spend time together. More importantly, it's the time of the year whether accurate or not when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what His coming has done for mankind.  Therefore as another year comes to a close I think about all I have achieved for this year, as well as those plans I fell short of making a reality this time around. My reflection entails all my trials and triumphs, all the nays sayers that had their own ideas of how I would progress for this year but most importantly what I withstand with Christ in my vessel. While my year wasn't always on a high note I must admit that the things that worried me occasionally throughout the year don't even matter today. The beauty of time is that it heals. We often worry about today but if we live to see tomorrow we would see th...

 I was on my way home one evening from work. It was a long day that presented many challenges and I was rather exhausted and just wanted to get home in the shortest possible time. Unlike most days I would have patiently waited for a bus with empty seats, on that particularly evening  my body would not allow for that when I just wanted to get home and retire for the day.  Therefore, the first bus that came that was traveling on my route I gladly boarded, despite there wasn't much room to even stand. I figured with the day's earlier weather and the forecast that was out for the evening many others were eager to get home too.  We were all crammed in the bus, squished like sardines in a can which was quite the norm from time to time in some Caribbean Islands. I was standing closer to the front of the bus as it was already jam packed by the time I had boarded. A young lady was standing beside me in the bus with her cellphone in her hand. She had one hand holding the rail...

So in my line of duty from time to time I have to respond to emergency calls. With this, I am rostered to be on stand by, ready and waiting. Last Thursday I was rostered to respond to emergencies if any on that day. I got up early and  showered, had my clothes out and ready with my phones fully charged and my car in proper working order if any casualties. The most unfortunate thing about this scenario was that there were no sureties I would receive a call even though I was all ready to go. As I sat at home in my alert mode, the Lord said to me that just as how I was ready and waiting not knowing when I would be called just the same  I should ensure I am ready and waiting for his return as I know not when he  will put in his  appearance. This thought about my state of readiness  if God should surely put in his appearance lingered in my mind for the remainder of the day. I couldn't help but think on Mark 13:33-37 which advises sternly to be on the alert. As ...

Have you ever had people questioning your decision? Wondering why, how and when? Well as a young woman choosing to follow Christ it's almost asif I'm on trial each and every day.  People have their own ideas of how you should dress, act and even talk. When these standards are not met you are definitely the odd one out. Many young Christians like myself struggle daily to be accepted for who they are and who they choose to represent. The world as we know it is filled with darkness and this has been the case from the beginning. However, in the beginning God said let there be light and there was light (Genesis 1:2-3). While this verse speaks to the natural light, the truth is there is also the spiritual aspect of darkness and light. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) and as children of God we should reflect this light. If we are true followers of Christ then we can never walk in darkness, but instead have the light of life.  Being a Radiographer, if anyone has any ...

The word praise and expressions of same is used extensively throughout the Bible. In fact the entire book of Psalms is based on praise. It is rather amazing that as children of God we still have not realised the power of our praise. Too often we praise God out of routine, just going through the motions without our hearts truly matching our words. While we can fool others with our outward actions and performance for want of a better word, we simply cannot fool God. He knows our hearts and he knows the sincerity of our praise. As I read the story of Jericho in Joshua 6:1-27, it tells of the Isrealites victory over Jericho. However what I have always found to be of interest is the people's patience and obedience through the strategic actions  of the victory. They were given specific instructions they had to adhere to. Moreover, on the  seventh day they were told to do what they never did on the first six days. They were told to give out a war cry; to shout because the Lord had...

"As she pulled up her stockings absentmindedly and ruffled the hem of her dress the cry of the baby startled her.  It was at this time Sonica realised the child was wailing for a while despite her 14 year old sister's attempt at comforting her. Sonica had been in the faith for over 5 years but couldn't see any growth in her personal or spiritual life. The urge she felt when she just came to Christ had long died and she felt as though nothing was left or worth holding to. She was hardly going to church since she conceived a year ago with her last child. Her husband was a drunkard and situations at home weren't getting any better. She was basically jobless and only doing odd jobs occasionally to take care of her 3 children. Having no formal education meant her employability was drastically low in the mid recession. She cried to God night and day but for some reason she wasn't hearing from him. As the days go by things worsened. Sonica's faith slowly dying becaus...

It is so easy for us to say hold on to Jesus and trust in his words. However, as a believer  you will learn over time that this is not innate but developed as you are tested and tried with different circumstances. For many the question asked is how can I trust God when sickness is rotting my bones? When I am jobless? When I have lost a loved one? When I am childless? And the list goes on and on with the many moments we can't see past our circumstances and our faith is at its lowest. Having been in some deep troubled waters myself I can assure you that trusting in God is not easy but it is possible. I was employed in a private radiologic facility in 2015. The working terms and conditions were not the best to say the least. I was at a point of frustration and felt like giving up and going home. However, family conditions were not so great either. 2015 was the year of trouble for me. I was engaged to get married and my fiance had a terrible motor vehicle accident. After recovering f...