ARE YOU IN  A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP?

Simply put, a toxic relationship is one that gradually erodes your sense of well-being, your self-esteem and your enthusiasm for life and then, gradually introduces bits and pieces of a damaged and deeply disturbed personality into your being to the point where you start believing that you are really no good and that if you ever leave that relationship, that you might end up alone because nobody would want you. A relationship that makes you settle for way less than you truly deserve. Or a relationship where you are the reason why the other person feels all the things described above. A relationship where its either you are being "poisoned" or one where you are the "poison".
So, are you in one? Is your current relationship adding any positive value to your life(and I dont mean financial value alone) and are you adding any value too or is it draining you? Mentally, emotionally, physically, financially? Have you given so much to that relationship to the point where you feel like you have nothing more to give? Are you in the relationship as a matter of necessity and not really because you want to be in it? Is that relationship helping you grow and are you helping the other person grow?
If you, my friend that is reading this, after an objectively introspective consideration of these questions feel that you are in a toxic relationship, then may I respectfully ask you to "GET THE HELL OUT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP NOW. Whether "poisoned" or "poisoner", please get out now!
Yeah, I know that in relationships like this, its often difficult to just up and leave. I know. But you really need to sit down and define for yourself what you really want. The kind of person you want to be and the kind of person you want in your life.
So, for our Action Point this week, I suggest you sit down and write down at least 10 things that are most important to you when it comes to love and relationships. While you are at it, also write down the qualities that are most important to you in someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.
Next week Thursday, we will look at what to do next.

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: Is it really necessary?
"This I say then, walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" -Galatians 5 vs 16
The instruction to walk in the spirit in the above scripture isn't a mere suggestion, its a necessity. Why?
a.) Because nature(or your flesh) naturally tends to chaos and always needs a force to bring order to it. The Holy Spirit is that Force and
b.) Because we are basically spirits living in a mortal body.
Yes, you are a spirit with an amazing ability to operate both in the spiritual and physical realm. This understanding alone can bring a lot of amazing changes in your life if you can grasp it.
I actually like how Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola put it in his book "Oration On The Dignity Of Man". According to him,after God created all creatures, He conceived of another, a sentimental being who would appreciate all His works but there was no longer room in the chain of being; all the possible slots from angels to worms had been filled. So God created man such that he had no specific slot in the chain. Instead, man were capable of learning from and imitating any existing creature. When man philosophizes, he ascends the chain of being towards the angels and communes with God but when he fails to exercise his intellect(the knowledge gained from his communion with God),he vegetates.
Now, I would like to believe that what Pico meant by philosophizing was "man being in touch with his higher self(his spirit being)" since this is the channel via which God communicates his purposes to man.
You see, the challenges that we face in our christian walk, particularly as regards the lust of the flesh will naturally cease to speak in our lives if we maintain a close relationship with the Holy Spirit.
How can we do that? It starts with a desire on your part. The beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit is that all He needs is an invitation. Just tell Him you want Him and leave the rest to Him. You will be amazed at what He would do to you and through you.
I should know, I am a living testament to the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. Please invite Him today.

THE SEQUOIA SEED: A Testament To The Fact That Your Size Shouldn't Determine Your Results.

The sequoia tree, one of the biggest living things on earth that grows over 300 feet high(that's about the size of a 30 storey building),has a diameter of about 36 feet, lives for over 3000 years and whose roots happen to cover about 3 or 4 acres, comes from a seed that is about the size of a pin head. How awesome is that?
Who could, from the size of that seed, tell what it is capable of producing? I bet you no one.
You are like a sequoia seed. Your size and by this, I mean what you look like on the outside, has nothing to do with what you are capable of producing.
As a matter of fact, there is ample scientific evidence that human beings (that's you) only use about 10 per cent of their brain capacity.
Only 10 percent? And the world is like this? What then will happen if every human being uses at least 70 percent instead of 10? Scary thought, tho but you see, that's my point. We are capable of so much more than we are achieving right now. Yeah, you and I.
Knowing this, I have resolved to be all that I can be. I have decided to not place any limit on myself and my capabilities and so,I am going to ask you to do something for me: please never ever judge your capabilities based on what you look like on the outside, never do that.
You are a lot bigger on the inside than you are on the outside, particularly if you have the Holy Spirit.
And just incase you are wondering why I keep talking about the Holy Spirit, wonder no more. On Friday, 30th of October 2015, I will tell you why.
Until then, go out and conquer!