Un-LEash

Freedom... it's a very interesting concept. In the natural, it means that we can do as like, when we like, how we like. We can say what we want, vote for who we want, etc. The list goes on. The problem with this is that our freedom to do - perhaps based on our morals or even that of our country or religion - may very well threaten or relieve someone else of their freedom. I found myself reflecting on this as news comes to us from Orlando about a mass shooting that took the lives of at least 50 persons, and even as we remember the many occasions before (both home and abroad) that many lost their lives at the hands of evil. I also had reason to reflect on this because of what happened yesterday. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours in Miami, specifically visiting the Dolphin Mall. It was one of those I'm-enjoying-some-Le-downtime, where I was free to do whatever I wanted - relax, window shop, eat... I was loving it. I decided with a hours to kill that I'd...

Pastor asked me to prepare perspectives on fearlessness from Luke 23:1-12 . I was actually excited once I got started. The below is what I prepared and presented at church today. I must say it was an honour to have been able to present in this way, and to know that persons benefitted from it. I certainly did. When one thinks of “fearless”, one may conjure the image of one who can face any and many challenges or life-threatening situations with confidence and a “I dare you” attitude. One may think of a man in a lion’s den like Daniel, or even David fighting the lion and bear to protect His sheep. My thoughts on fearless is well beyond this. Here’s how. When I started to think about fear and fearlessness, the Scripture that I was led to was 2 Tim 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind . At first, I wondered if this was because I knew this verse so well having heard it so many times before. But as I reflected, I saw the connecti...

2016 is my Year of Crazy, Radical Faith. There were some things I was relying on God to work out and that meant that I had to do my part and build my faith. In keeping with this thrust, I embarked on a special fast for 40 days. It started on Ash Wednesday and ended Palm Sunday. What was involved in the food fast: no flour, no sugar, no rice. The former two are pretty much in all processed foods which was the essence of my fast. This also meant no yogurt, no almond or soy milk, no juices from concentrate, etc. It also showed me how many of our foods are processed and contain these ingredients...quite a bit. What I could eat: all things natural, regardless of the preparation method. Milk (good ole cow's milk), banana, plantain, potatoes, oats, cornmeal, etc were included. As to proteins, I could eat fish, chicken, and nuts. The more important part of the fast was praying and spending more time in devotion. I tried to wake up for devotion on weekday mornings vs just praying as I...

Have you ever tried downloading a large file from the Internet that is going slower than snails' pace? Or perhaps trying to load a webpage full of graphics with "Weak" signal? It's a bit frustrating at times. I'm having a similar challenge...with answers to some of my prayers. I'm convinced that God has a sense of humour, and I sometimes take a while to get the joke. There are times I see what seems to be an answer or the direction He's pointing to. And then I see nothing...silence. No conclusion. Just "loading..." (with a smiley face sometimes). As the saying goes, "no gall, no glory", or "no pain, no gain". The wait may be challenging...rather, the wait IS challenging. But things will be better (though they're good right now) so I may as well enjoy the journey. My [faith] muscles will grow stronger as will my endurance. The wait continues, even as I develop my sense of humour!

We're all born with free will...the freedom to choose what we do in life, how we live it, etc. Our environment and circumstances will have an influence on how this freedom is lived out. They certainly shape the persons we eventually become, be it good or bad. I reflected on this while listening to an audio series online , and the speaker was preaching on How to Dream Great Dreams. The essence of the message: Christians only dream great dreams (and see them realised) when they have daring faith in God. He is the one that will ultimately decide what becomes reality. This is not an easy feat, to say, "God, take these dreams and do what you want". While he spoke, an imagery came to me - puppets. A puppet essentially is dead. Its only movements are orchestrated by a master puppeteer. The psychologists and pretty much anyone will say that we should always strive to be free and not be someone's puppet. It's therefore seen as an unhealthy way of living. But I dare say...

This morning was a special work-related event. I therefore had the opportunity to sleep a little later than usual because it was closer to home than my office. Those who know me well know I enjoy times like these (i.e., I'm not a morning person). I drive out of my complex, and stop before hitting the main road. I thought the road was clear, but after I came out, a van going in the opposite direction passed me within a few feet. Had a hesitated a split second longer or had he been driving a little faster, I'd have been a goner...or hospitalized at the least. And it would have been my fault. It seems the reason I didn't see the van was because a pedestrian blocked the view, but I clearly didn't think they obscured enough of a view for me to miss an on-coming vehicle. Rewind to about an hour and a half before this. I woke up (as I do all mornings), but there was one difference. While I was doing my morning prayer, I had a weird feeling/sensation  that I was hit and the b...

It's me, your wife-to-be (did you smile at my rhyme?! :-)). I've been thinking about you recently, and wanted to share some thoughts with you. Hope you don't mind. I don't know if we have yet cross paths. If we did, I hope I was pleasant and polite. It's a fact that I can be a little "crazy" sometimes, but it's the fun kind. At least that's how I see it. There are some people that make me feel comfortable enough to show this side of me, so if you have seen it, I hope it was pleasing...or perhaps piqued your curiosity. If we have yet to meet, there is so much to get to know! Here are a few tips. One of the first and most important things about me is that I am a Christian; I seek after God and try to do more than lip service. I know you have been praying for someone like that, so the future is really about us figuring out how we build on each other's strengths to serve Him even more. I'm confident that you will put Him first in everything...