Faith Is A Choice

"If I can feel like I'm not doing well, why not feel like I am?"

I was reading the textbook in a class this week and that's the thought I had. 

And indeed, instead of thinking badly about my performance, why not think positively? Isn't it the same thing? If I can think one way, then I can also think the other way. If I can think the negative thing, then I can equally think the positive thing. If I can feel afraid, then I can also feel brave. You see what I'm saying? 

I. Can. Think. The. Other. Way. Too! 

If something bad can happen, something good can too. So instead of thinking the negative, I might as well think the positive thing! Faith is a choice!

"The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; but the desire of the righteous shall be granted" (Proverbs 10: 24).

Let's get some healthy desires rolling ;). 

Be Good To Yourself

The merciful man doeth good to his own soul (Proverbs 11: 17). 

Twenty-three days have gone out of the new year! 

My post today is about being good to yourself. Perhaps for you it comes easy but for me it has been a learning process. 

If I went into a store I would always be looking out for the cheapest thing. Now of course that isn't a problem in itself. The problem lies with me being so cheap that even if I could afford the pricier item, which I actually liked more and would enjoy more, I wouldn't buy it. I didn't think that I am worth the extra. 

I have come a far way though. These days I try to purposely go for the thing that I'd enjoy the most; I try to aim for the best. I am fortunate to have my husband who has served as a great example of being good to yourself. He has no problem with buying something that is nice so long as he can afford it. 

Recently, he bought us two watches. I won't lie, it was hard for me to digest the price (LOL). But he wanted to bless himself and bless me. What is interesting is after he bought them, the one I had wearing stopped working! I was going to church one Sunday, went to pick up the new one but changed my mind and put on the old one, and it almost caused me to miss the bus! Luckily hubby had been checking the time on his phone and realized it was much later than I had thought. I had no choice now but to wear the new one. And somehow I feel like God wanted me to and so He arranged for the other one to stop working. He wants me to love me. God wants you to love yourself! 

I've been a bit annoyed and uncomfortable at the lack of central heating here. I decided that instead of complaining, I'm taking matters into my own hands! I got an idea about how to be good to myself and have a more comfortable living space. I don't really like having to lock up in one room which is basically what you have to do here in the winter. I decided to put a heater in the hall area of the house. That way I can open the living room door if I want to, and even if I decide to close it, when I have to leave the room the cold won't just slap me in the face. 

Here's how it looks: 

Same area where the heater is. 

This is where we have camped since winter began. We no longer sleep upstairs in our bed but got out the futon we have. I can leave this door open because the area in the pic above has a heater. 

Happy winter, guys!!

Rhi-Keytta's Musings: Salt Up Di Ting

Rhi-Keytta's Musings: Salt Up Di Ting: Ye are the salt of the earth ( Matthew 5: 13 ) These days I am on a quest to think and ponder on happy things. Unnu pray fi mi deh :) ...

Salt Up Di Ting

Ye are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5: 13)

These days I am on a quest to think and ponder on happy things. Unnu pray fi mi deh :)

I was eating fish for dinner one evening. Hubby had prepared it. No salt had been added to the pot. Even though we knew that he hadn't put any salt on it, we decided to eat it as is (other seasonings had been added so it was 'eatable').

We had the same thing for dinner the next evening. This time I added some salt to mine. Mi seh di fish sweet so til! I could taste the awesomeness of the food man! My husband is a great cook. Hehehehe.

I thought about the big difference that the added salt made to the food. The fish was so delicious but the wonderful flavor only came to life when I added salt to it.

We who are believers in Christ ought to have that same effect. We are supposed to bring life to the place where we are at. Our workplaces should be different because we are there. 

Are you making a difference where you are?

Have a blessed week :)

Thankful

Yesterday as I stood in one of my classes, I was thinking about how awesome my life is.

What on earth am I doing in Japan? Imagine, students calling me "sensei". Who would have thought that I would be in a place like this. Traveling to other countries. I've been to the Philippines - me and my baby. I've been to South Korea - me and my baby. We have visas for places that we never thought we'd have.

I look at the students and I think about how I was once their age. I was once a student. Amazing. 

The Lord knew the plans He had for me. He knows the plans He has for our lives.  

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29: 11)

Be Nice

You don't fight fire with fire; you fight fire with water. 

When you're angry and when you've been wronged, your first line of defense is to fire back. Right? But what if firing back is not the appropriate thing to do or only adds to the problem? 

I felt very wronged by someone recently. Man was I piping mad. I felt like punching something. I asked God to help me calm down. I said, "God please help me". And you know what? The response I received was, "Be nice". I smiled. やっぱり. (It's no surprise). It's no surprise that God would expect that.

Seems pretty unfair though that God would expect you to be nice when you are not being treated nicely. But it's kinda His way of doing things. I guess on a practical level, if you think about it, it does make sense. If one person is shouting and the other person responds by shouting, then what you have is a shouting competition. If a fire is raging and you add fire to the fire, you're gonna get more fire. To put out the fire, you'll need water. 

Being nice when all you want to do is fight back is a challenge. Although it might not seem fair, being nice as a service to the Lord will not go unrewarded. 

明けましておめでとうございます！Happy New Year！