The Journey of a Thousand Miles ...

"The journey of a thousand miles," they say, "starts with a step!" That's an English saying! But, it is nevertheless the truth!

Procrastination and complacency are the robbers of destinies. Laziness in the mind leads to a truncated destiny. Pursuing irrelevancies either in your youth, midlife or in old age would probably be disastrous. Time is of the greater essence in each of our lifetimes!

While the above is true, laziness in the daily distension of body muscles leads to a dis-use. Disuse ensures muscle atrophy! In the end, you would agree with me that the Father-God created both our minds and bodies for work and the glory which is derivative of the dignity of labor and lifetime achievements of goals and desires!

What is the latest achievement that the dignity of labor has earned you? And how does that affect your senses - and personality?

What journey/journeys have you undertaken to get to where you are today?

What atrophy is to the muscles is what shipwreck is to a life decked with fears and doubts. Paralysis of the spirit is a result of the presence of fear within. Whether you're a male or female is irrelevant: When fears and doubts assail, you will be dwelling in a maze of confusion of the mind! Remember, that the Scripture says that God is not the author of confusion. Therefore, we know who that is; the Devil!

Whenever you are stuck in, right there in the mud of decision-making, and are unable to decide which way to take going forward, you know the enemy of your soul is lurking, gleefully. The scripture assures us of God's words: "I will guide thee with Mine eye; I will show you which way you are to go!" Prophet Isaiah heard God clearly speak to his inner ears: "You will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it!' " | Isaiah 30:21.

Then, there are those who are postponing their decision for Christ Jesus. The late American evangelist, Dr. Billy Graham once said: "To fail to decide, is to decide to fail!" How true that is! A decision un-made is a decision already made in favor of time being the ultimate decider. And no one ever had Time decide for them, in their favor!

We come to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, taking a step of faith. Forward. Towards Him. Not backward. We step out from among worldly peers and a corrupt evil set-up world on our way, Heaven-bound. We live step by step, a day at a time!

We also step forward to be counted in His army, in this modern evil and cruel world. Living a victorious Christian life in the twenty-first century is a commitment of a life of faith, one-step-at-a-time, faithful living in the trust and love and upkeep of the Heavenly Father. And though we cannot see Him, He promises to be with us, all through the way of our journeys onwards!

Take your step of obedience forward, today! For when you get Home, a big banqueting WELCOME awaits you!

Photo credit: Gigi Rosignol, Paris, Ontario, Canada. Copyrighted photo used by permission and must not be reproduced, stored, or altered without the written permission of the owner!

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Pollens, Pollinators, and Productivity!

In the United Kingdom, the pollen index - among other things - is used by biologists, scientists, farmers, and indeed weather forecasters (in the latter case), to warn us of the readiness to prepare to protect the noses of chronic breathing diseases-sufferers!

Pollen can cause great irritation and 'dis-easements' to sensitive noses and nostrils in particular. Various irritability types such as nose-bleeding, wheezes, sneezing, hayfever, and other mild to severe reactions in asthmatic sufferers! Pollen counts vary in intensity from region to region, and area to area. City-dwellers for instance, are less likely to be impacted as dwellers of the countryside. I happen to love the countryside where I live! It is far much more peaceful and relatively quieter than the city. In my garden, for example, in the 'pollen months', all kinds of pollinators visit. They fly, hum, and buzz around our American Falstaff apple tree - and its British Braeburn contemporary. We also have the succulent British pear tree whose luxuriant foliages cool us down when the summer's sun is highest. All that I have just described happen between the seasons: spring and summer. In the same way, God chooses to release pollinators into our lives in His due seasons of life. That's how He works: In seasons. Not in time-piece-kept times.

"Hence, you and I must release/produce pollens! It is your responsibility and mine to make sure that we both ready/ripen our pollens for the visitation of the pollinators!"

Pollinator examples are bees, butterflies, and other insects. Even humans are pollinators to some plants and fruit-bearing trees! A pollinator is an agent or reproduction; an essential agent for that matter that helps transmit/carry pollen from the male part of the flower (called in Biology, stamen) to the female part named stigma so that fertilization can take place. And a fruit formed!

God wants us to bear fruits. And abundantly (John 15). But just as the male gamete alone is not able to bring forth fruit without connecting with the female gamete to form a zygote, so also can we NOT bring forth fruits except we are pollinated by God's agents, the Heavenly pollinators.

Angels, for example, are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation. Other human angeloi are practically human beings whom God had reserved or instructed to bring you fruitfulness. For instance, that Egyptian soldier left to die by his Amalekite commander in the desert because he had fallen ill and whom David's soldiers had happened upon in finding the marauding troops that had seized his and his soldiers' wives and children from Ziklag had been a human angeloi to David. He would soon show them the way to fall upon the entre Amalekites. But not only that, he would become an Israeli citizen and a soldier in David's army, the army of the Lord! Read 1 Samuel 30. Or the widow of Zarepath and the Prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 17:7-16

The main reason the Spirit of God had asked me to pen these words is simple: 'Ask your readers, who they are, bees (or pollinators) unto?'

Are you a pollinator to anyone? Or a distraction. Or perhaps a squirrel that scuttles past the pollens, shakes the branches, eats the activities of another pollinator; buries the conkers and hops from branch to branch? Are you burying your helping hands? You are likely going to suffer spiritual atrophy due to dis-use!

Proverbs 3:27 instructs you to NOT withhold from your hand when it is in your reachability to help. King Solomon says do not say to your neighbor that came asking of you, 'Go, and come back tomorrow, when indeed you have it in your wallet!'

Then there are those calloused trees that are resistant to the many common agents of pollination. These are suspicious and distrusting anyone the good Lord sends their way to help them lest they be taken advantage of. It's like they are saying: 'Leave me alone and pass me by; I'm still hurting from my past, and I cannot trust you!' Such will only have themselves to blame when they get to Heaven only to see the many opportunities that would have yielded unto fruitfulness for God's Kingdom, waved over and dismissed with an atrocious, unbelieving wave of the hand!

Photo credit: Jobyna Dawson originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who now resides in Liverpool, England is a freelance photographer when away from her day-job. Copyrighted photo used by permission and must not be reproduced, stored, or altered without the written permission of the owner! Reach her on Instagram at @vis2020ion

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The Beauty of Youth

The beauty of youth - or youthfulness - is enmeshed in the abundance of energy, zest, strength, beauty, handsomeness, and speed of accomplishments, if they are well-directed/raised by parent(s) who chose to give to them, the advantage to name a few! Apostle John the Beloved wrote: "I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you ..." (1 John 2:14).

1. You are strong! Don't waste the strength of your youth on youthful exuberance. Life is fleeting. Time waits for no one. Chart your destiny's course with direct one-on-one communication with God in prayers and the Word of God. This is the way to develop inner strength. You will need more than personal resolve to combat the frustrations of life along the journey! Scripture warns young people to not give their energy to two entities: Drinks and lasciviousness in sexuality. Proverbs 20:1 – “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Proverbs 31:3 - "Give not your strength to [loose] women, nor your ways to those who and that which ruin and destroy kings."

2. Don't be all-wise: Listen to Godly counsel. The Bible exhorts you to commit your ways into the hands of God, that HE may direct you. Never lean unto your understanding. (See Proverbs 3:3-5). Believe God. Believe in your potentials and God-given abilities and instincts.

3. Believe in your mentor. Do you have a mentor?

A mentor is like Mordecai to Esther, Naomi to Ruth, Prophet Samuel to young David. Every successful young person needs guidance and counseling. Do not discount the ministry of your Godly parents - and all those whom God has sent across your way to guide you. Enjoy the beauty of youth. Enjoy your youth. But remember, God is willing to help you all the way ...

4. Enjoy the journey. Life is likened to a journey wherein as you cover the miles, the topography begins to change. And very gradually. And as you travel through life too, you will soon begin to notice physical changes in your body; mental changes in how you perceive, view, and interpret things, material changes in how you spend/save/sow money; and of course, emotional changes. Your moods will change whether you're a female or male, even though the females are more susceptible to mood swings, more than just a grouchy, foul male. Last of these changes is your eternal views on life's intrinsic subjects that hold younger men and women spellbound.

Changes to the physique and muscle tones are also pronounced. For instance, no infant arrived on this planet with a set of wisdom teeth at the back of the jaws! Wisdom teeth growth is responsible for a tiny tad of a fractional elongation to both your upper and lower jaws. It's just what it is :) Facial hairs too will begin to sprout like the green blades of baby grass of the field. Nice folds otherwise called wrinkles will announce their arrival at their destination: Your face. Your hitherto firm, strong muscles and 'make-me-happy' tissues will soon begin to obey the law of gravity and 'go south'. But the real strength is the moral strength brought about by the indwelling Spirit of God. Remember the counsel of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12. Here's is his opening verse:

"REMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them ..."

I would recommend that you read the entire chapter. It will bless your heart.

P.S.

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Photo credit: Sammy Joseph Ministries. Copyrighted photo used by permission and must not be reproduced or stored or altered without the written permission of the copyrights holder!