FAMILY REMAINS FAMILY!

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2020 has finally ended and 2021 is already on its way. I can vividly remember crossover into 2020 and how everyone had high hopes for the year and then Covid 19 hit and things didn’t look so possible and it seems like all hope was lost. Its no wonder almost everyone was happy to leave 2020 and say good riddance to it. 😝

Don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful for the New Year and for the blank canvas it holds, laid out for me to paint my future and how I want my 2021 to look like.🎨

2020 taught us a lot of things that we shouldn’t just sweep under the carpet and pretend it didn’t happen because of the bad experience that happened. Afterall, life is a combination of the ups and downs and all the experiences we have had and will have, both good and bad.

You can choose to just pretend 2020 never happened or you can be like me and take the lessons you learnt from it – Gratitude, cherishing the face on face time you get to spend with family, friends and loved ones, being thankful for the little things like hugs and handshakes, realising that the little things in life matter, and by taking care of yourself mentally, healthwise and all round you are ensuring the safety of another, learning to make the most out of the time you spend with others and cherishing the sweet memories, having time to pause and rest  from the rush of the world and understanding how fragile life is.

I’m not saying you should dwell on the bad memories from 2020 but pick a lesson 2020 has taught you and use it to make 2021 an amazing year for you and those around.

One lesson I got is that God has given us strength and with Him on our side we can weather any storm. You will never know how strong you are till you face some certain challenges and 2020 has showed us how much inner strength God has placed on our inside and that there is so much we can achieve together.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👫

If 2020 left a bad taste in your mouth, remember God said in “Isaiah 61 vs 3a – To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes.” So give Him the ashes from 2020 and watch Him turn it to beauty this 2021 surrender.

For me I’m grateful for life and that God brought my family and I through 2020 and we came out stronger,United, bigger and better with a Texas sized heart of love and gratitude.
I’m grateful that *FAMILY REMAINS FAMILY.*♥️

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From my family and I to you, Cheers to an amazing New Year ahead. This year is what you make of it.
Happy New Year to you and yours.

With Love,
Sparkle.

THERE IS LIGHT

There is light
There is clarity
Things are opening up
The fog is fading
And dawn is about to break
There is new utterance
Words flow freely from my lips
For the first time since I can remember
I step on the stage
Spotlight flashing
All eyes on me
The applause of the audience is deafening
I search for the paralysing fear to choke me up
I wait, but, it doesn’t come
In it’s place, there is a peace beyond all understanding,
The one only Jesus can bring
With this knowledge
I take the mic
Look my audience in the eyes
And I speak.

With Love,
Sparkle✨✨✨

ADDICTION

She came for me
This wasn’t a first time visit
No, she was no August visitor
She had the keys to my heart
I guess I must have forgotten that fact
She entered my room
And filled up my space
I thought I had won this battle
But the war was still raging on
And I just realized that,
This was nowhere behind me
And just as easily as she came for me
I fell even deeper under her lure
And when she was done with me
She kissed me goodbye
And told me she will be back
At least the routine hasn’t changed
I was amazed at how quickly
I had fallen back into this vicious circle
This time I knew she’ll be back
She had the keys to my heart
Whenever she comes, would I be ready still?
That would depend on my actions
Maybe on my inactions
Or as the saying goes
Only time will tell

With Love,
SPARKLE✨

Reflections

This write-up wasn’t planned. I didn’t even know that I would write today but here I am after running away for a long time. We give a lot of excuses as to why we don’t get involved in things, people and situations we are avoiding. But the funny truth of the matter is that we always one way or the other run smack into the very things we are avoiding and running from and finally there is no place to run to and no where to hide.

Two things are involved in this scenario:

Its either you face your fear and fight or you cower to it and let it defeat you finally.

If the later is your option, then it is such a shame because you wont realize your full potentials because of fear and you will pass away, another grain of sand in the sands of time without any impact-nothing to be remembered for or even by. Maybe a reference for those who let fear get the best of them, a negative reference, I might add.

If you picked the first option, good for you. But when that fear is overcome and the task completed, you will realize precious years wasted because you choose to act out in fear.

I’m not criticizing anyone neither am I judging, we all have been victims of fear one way or the other. I’m still running from what God has called me to do, even though it hitting me smack on the face. I’m still trying to get back the person I lost 10 years ago and build on her but if I cant at least make the person I am a better version.

Fear still holds me back, not because I have failed or because I know I will fail in another area because I am only human but because I do not feel I deserve greatness nor success.

But truth be told, does any one deserve anything we are receiving freely on earth.

The simple answer is; NO.

Jesus died on the cross, redeemed us and gave us everything freely as long as you choose to believe in Him, take up your cross and follow Him.

Yes, we do not deserve it but He has given us freely.. Its our choice to accept it or not. The key word being CHOICE.

The same way we can choose to cower in fear or step out in faith. For my Bible tells me in 2 Timothy 1;7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (KJV).

I like the way the NIV puts it: 2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Since God has endued us with power, why cower in fear? He knows fear is a foe we face daily, that’s why He tells us 365 times in the Bible “Fear Not”, enough dose of courage to last us every day of the year. It will interest you to know that almost every time God talks to someone in the Bible, the first thing He says is, ‘Don’t be afraid!'”

So armed with this reassurances, I’m on a journey to fight this foe called fear and recover the woman God created me to be, you can tag along. Lets take it one step at a time. I wont say this journey isn’t scary after all I am facing off FEAR himself. But, there is one thing I know and that is I AM NOT ALONE. God is leading me on this journey against fear, this journey of self recovery and self reflection. Armed with my daily dosage of anti-fear capsules, I have nothing to fear, instead, fear should be afraid of me and not the other way round.

I hope to see you at the other side of fear, a victor living triumphantly after conquering fear.

Till God inspires me and make words flow from the ink of my pen again, do not stop SPARKLING.

With Love,

SPARKLE.

Who Am I?

I hear the voice call out to me  It happened the first time I wanted to fly like a bird
 It was the same voice that spoke when I took to the waters
 It echoed in my heart when I took to the streets to find relief
 It sang out to me when I buried myself in books, trying to get lost in the world's standard
 It found me too within the depths of my vices while I held on to the darkness
 It remains a gunning ache within my heart
 It cries out to the very core of my being
 And it calls me out every single time
 Its an indelible mark imprinted on every fibre of my being
 Each a silent tattoo that echoes the words I can't speak
 I can't find rest for this wretched soul
 Not till the question imprinted in my mind's eye is answered
 Who Am I?
 Why Am I On Earth?
 Most times the answers we seek are not that far away
 We just have to look within, beyond ourselves to The One who made us
 Then we can find rest for our days
 And the fulfillment we seek will become imbibed in our souls.

WITH LOVE SPARKLE

Dear God, Its Me Again

Dear God,
Its me again
The third day of the year is almost running out
I guess that’s how long it took me to get to you
Its a new year again
And I’m not up to it
I had things planned out
On how I would have loved this year to turn out
I started preparation in December
But that didn’t work out
Cross over night caught up to me
And bam its 10:35pm January 3rd
At least I’m making an effort
But I don’t want to ‘try’ this year
I want to ‘do’
I want to actually get things done
And on time too, if possible
So I’m doing something different this time around
I’m going to plan along with you
And pray you give me the strength to carry it out
I won’t wait for time to pass me by
Nor waste it, hopefully
Or cry over spilled milk
Like I do every time things don’t go my way
Instead I will pick up the pieces and move on
Its high time I moved out of the ‘City of Regrets’
And stop throwing myself pity parties
I’m starting over but I ain’t starting without you
So guide me and let your love lead me
I patiently await your reply

With Love Your Prodigal Child
SPARKLE

The Man Named “JESUS”

She was broken and she knew it.
She thought she loved with the whole of her heart.
She literally gave herself to the man she had lived with.
And now she is left alone trying not to fall apart.

She begins to resent love day after day.
She gradually fills herself with hate.
She’d cry over again not knowing how to pray.
Accepting this life she now lived as her ‘fate’.

Then she hears a knock to the door of her hateful heart.
A knock she tries her best to resist.
She is soon convinced with no reasonable doubt,
That with this ‘knock’ comes a reason to exist.

But then hatred says ‘NEVER’
But He who knocks says ‘I’ll love you FOREVER’.
Though not healed of her brokenness,
The One who knocks loved her first.

The love He brings shines light into her heart.
The hatred that once lived knows he must depart.
Washed in this stranger’s Love,
She knew her help had come from Above.

So glad, she let this man in,
Her broken pieces slowly come together.
Having His great love fills her to the brim,
She knows her heart belongs to Him forever.

The man named “JESUS”.

SPARKLE💖

LESSONS

I learnt a big lesson today
I learnt that I will be a story tomorrow
I learnt that I have to let tales of yesterday go
I learnt to be the future that awaits me
I learnt to refuse to be the past that pursues me
I learnt to live beyond my present
I learnt to live for more than just today
I learnt to be happy with what time brings
I learnt to fight against the odds of life
I learnt to decide between good and evil
I learnt to choose right and forsake wrong
I learn to be the zero that has God for a hero
I learnt to be me for my sake
I learnt to love for His sake
And as I live I will keep learning to be like Him. 

I AM SPARKLE

I AM SPARKLE

I write not with flair of words nor eloquency
I write not in parables nor metaphors with hidden riddles
Neither do I write in rhymes
I write with simplicity of words
I write my heart out
I preach Jesus
So those who are lost, those in pain and those who are hurt can see the truth plainly
And slowly and surely they will come to the light
I write to those in pain because I can relate to that pain and Jesus gave me reason to live above that pain
I write because this is my life and means of expression
I write because if I can’t talk and change lives, at least God can use my words to heal lives.
I write because I can.
I AM SPARKLE.