Window of Hope

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In Genesis 6, God recognized righteousness in Noah and his family amidst the wickedness of humanity at the time. God gave Noah specific instructions to build an ark, providing detailed guidance. Noah obeyed God meticulously, without fully understanding the reasons behind his actions. Though it didn’t make sense to the people of Noah’s days, and not entirely to Noah himself, he remained committed to obedience. His primary concern was following God’s will.

In Genesis 8, after the flood, Noah sought to understand the situation. He sent out birds through a small window, using this as a way to gauge the state of the world. He was hopeful and saw the birds’ return as a sign to be optimistic.

Matthew 24:37-39 reminds us that Jesus’ coming will be like the days of Noah, but there’s also a deeper lesson on true faith. Noah found himself isolated from the world in a challenging situation. Despite feeling hopeless, he kept his focus on God and His promises. The small window in the ark represented a glimmer of hope for the future after the flood. This, my friend, exemplifies true faith. When you find yourself feeling cornered, look for your own window of hope.

Shalom

Sosasmama

Be Curious… don’t be afraid to take risks.

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On a very recent cold morning, I thought it would be a good time to take a walk, so I decided to head to a nearby grocery store. It seemed like a good idea to get some needed items while also getting some exercise. As I walked down the familiar road, I remembered a shortcut I had previously discovered with my daughter, so I confidently took a turn I thought was the right one, only to find myself going in a circle. At this point, I had walked quite a few miles and was tired. I thought to myself, “just go home.” But that would have been me quitting, so I decided against that, turned back to the familiar route on the main street, and continued. Because I had missed it initially, I was determined to find this shortcut and get it right this time. On my way back from the store, I took the correct route and quickly realized that when I thought I had missed the shortcut at the start of my walk, I was actually near the exit I was looking for. Without any regret, I laughed at myself and wished I had just been curious enough to look a bit further past the sign to see the walking trail.

The moral of the lesson I learned on this fateful morning, and there are two ways I choose to look at this experience:

1.     Check your attitude when things don’t go your way, whether it is by your doing or not.

2.     Be curious and take risks; don’t be quick to accept things as they appear.

Shalom

Sosasmama

Lessons from Joshua’s leadership.

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A little background on the book of Joshua:

The book depicts the account of the Israel ‘s conquest of the Promised Land, which began around 1450 BC, and lasted for approximately 5-7yrs. 

The Characters of this book consist of God, who spoke and directed Joshua, Moses who handed over to Joshua, the 12 tribes, leaders of cities conquered, and of course Joshua the main character.

Joshua was a great leader with great military skills, he was a person of integrity, and could be trusted by God to deliver. Joshua was totally dependent on God for directions and how to navigate his assignment. Though a skilled military man, he chose to obey God’s order  on how to bring a city like Jericho down(chapter 6), even when it didn’t make sense to human logic. Joshua communicated clearly the mind of God to the people, and also was stern with them(Joshua 24:15). Joshua was fair in his allotment of lands, following all of God’s commandments. Joshua was humble; he took care of everyone before he took care of himself. 

The biggest lesson however, learned from Joshua is that when a leader acts out of disobedience, there are consequences (Joshua 9:14). And also, there was no record of anyone who succeeded him, like he succeeded Moses. 

To conclude, though there’s no perfect leader, but a leader who does not derail from God’s word will always finish well.

-Sosasmama

Trust in the Lord!

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Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Even they are not exempt from the troubles, hardship or confusing situations of this world. Bear in mind that the righteous are not necessarily going through hardship because they sinned(remember Job). Man lives in a fallen world, therefore not exempt from the challenges. The goodness however, is that God promises to deliver them from all of their troubles. How exciting is that? Beloved, we can be at peace and rest knowing that in our hardship or confusing situations, we will not go under. To God be all the glory for His promises are yes and amen!

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”-Psalm 34:19(KJV)

Blessings,

Sosasmama

Imposter Syndrome

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Imposter syndrome is feeling a lack of confidence or incompetence and feeling anxious regardless of what you have achieved.

This is a condition in which an individual feels anxious and does not allow themselves to experience success internally. This individual, despite their achievements constantly feels like a fraud, and doubts, and second guesses his or her own abilities.

A person with this condition has a deep fear of not being enough, that they are going to fail, and there is also that fear of being found out by others. “Imposter syndrome distorts your perception of reality and how you’re doing. You don’t see your own achievements.”-Michael Drane, PhD, LMHC (Counseling Today, January 2024 edition). This condition creates in an individual a perfectionist, as you are constantly in competition with yourself, trying to prove a point to yourself.

Beloved, do not be discouraged, or dismayed, there is an answer for everything, in the word of God. Explore the Bible, remind yourself of what it says about you, and how your reliance ought to be on God, not your abilities or achievements. Proverbs 3:5 & 6 is a good place to start. This is what has helped me as a Mental health counselor. I have felt this way and struggled with these thoughts of being an imposter. I apply the word of God and constantly challenge my irrational thoughts. When I am triggered to question my ability, I simply remind myself that I am enough, and I bring a lot to the table.

May I encourage you to go easy on yourself this year. Give yourself some grace and take one day at a time, leaning on Jesus, He loves you more than I could ever.

Blessings,

Sosasmama