General

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What is Love?

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Love happens to be one of the very common themes and emotions that we face within our society. People try to understand it but they can already see how vast the word and meaning truly is. I recently went through a written poem that I created and remembered exactly what love was to me and for me. 
LOVE (written by Jessica Ogola)
 
Love is a feeling that the self expresses
It’s a bond that connects the soul, heart and mind
It utilizes us and beckons us to being all involved 
 
Love is a reciprocation
It gives and receives to our transgressions
That with sin we were damaged 
But through His love we live
And it challenges us to give 
 
Love is a united front
It holds steady the relationship
Contains with no chains of bondage
But rather cherishes the closeness 
And speaks into existence the bond we seek
For He is love and always will be 
 
Because of God’s love 
I live a life of joy
Joy that feels my soul to the top
Overflowing joy that will never drop
It’s at its peak and continues to rise
 
Because His grace is sufficient in my eyes
I know the joy that He gives me 
Because with this is the love He always brings. 
Take a minute to ponder over these words. What do you think of as you’ve read this poem over? What represents love to you? Who is love? How do you love? 

God’s Love
 
God has always offered love onto His creations. When He created this world, He was creating a world where it’s inhabitants would cherish the connection they have to their maker. God created this world to be filled with peace and joy. It wasn’t meant to destroy us but to make in His image and likeness. 
 
If God could do all these things for us, why do we complain about the lives we are living now? 
 
It really wasn’t until the disobedient act in the Garden of Eden that separated our closeness and connection to God. We were now at a loss because of this. We felt transgressions and pains of sin in our lives. We lived and died though we were meant to live longer life in His presence, but that didn’t stop God from coming again with His love for us. 
 
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, so that those who believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” 
 
God didn’t want to lose His people. As years went by, God continues to find ways for His people to be drawn closer to Him once again. He kept giving us His love because to Him we are special. To Him we matter. To Him we are His CHILDREN! God continues to love us over and over again that when we are deeper in spirit, He forgives us of our many sins. He allows to repent to Him so that we can be cleansed and become better people. He wants us to clean our hearts and purify our minds to remain Holy and at peace. 
 
God continues to shine His love on our lives. The mere fact that He sacrificed His own son just to save all of mankind, shows how deep His love for us goes. God’s love is one of kind. And as His people we should drawn ourselves back to Him because of this very love He gives.
 
1 John 4:9-10 states,  “He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 
 
God did these things because He loves us. It wasn’t about our love to Him but about the life that He carries for us. 
 
How We Can Love
 
We can love by:
 
-Respecting one another
When we respect one another, we are showing them that we value whatever it is they believe or have to say. For instance in your workplace, when you want to respect your boss, you act in a certain that shows your boss that you hear them and will listen to what they have told you. You don’t act out against them or do things that would be disobedient towards them. This is how we should always be with others. Though some people may not be people you can get along with, there’s always a difference when you can still show that person or those people respect. No matter how hard a situation can be with someone you dislike, you wouldn’t want to do anything against them because you upkeep a level of respect towards them. 
 
Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility, value others above yourselves.”
 
-Caring for others
When you care for others, just as giving respect, you are showing them how much you value them. Care doesn’t result only from what they have done for you but it results from what you think you could do for another. When I lady discussed the act of giving, giving was being discussed by selfless care for others. Though you may not know the person, your sympathy for them shows a higher care and regard that you have for that person. Not many of us have walked the same walk and struggles as the rest of the world but we are willing to be understanding of those struggles. We are willing to acknowledge our care about those issues because of how it makes us feel and how we want to create a change. Whenever you think of something that makes sympathetic the next, think about how you can be more caring in that situation. 
 
1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
 
-Living in the likeness of Christ
Just as mentioned before, God created us in His own image and likeness. When Jesus came into the world, He was there to serve our example of this same likeliness. To be like Christ meant that we truly lived to serve our God and give back the praise and worship. Praise once again is powerful. What we speak onto God is what we receive back in blessings. But being made is His very image, meant that we carried notable resists or the good hearted. That we were slow to anger and humble in all manners. That we don’t become raging bulls and hold grudges against others who wronged us. When Jesus came, His disciples learned how to be as close to His likeness. Now with Jesus in our hearts we should strive continues to do the same. This is a form of love that we give back on God because just like respect and care, we are molding ourselves to represent Him and all the things that He surely stands for. That is the love that we give unto God because Ge first loved us enough to sacrifice Christ our Savior. 
 
1 John 2:6, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
 
By doing these things we are bettering ourselves in His amazing image. We know what is good and how we can continue to draw ourselves to Him. Through love we understand what God has done for us and we know that He will always to do more for us. As long as we strive to be in His image and likeness, God will continue to pursue us and bless our lives. 
 
Be in love, forever and always!
 
Amen! 

The Act of Giving

-What is Giving?
 
What do you consider to be your definition of giving? Do you think of how someone can offer you something and you receiving it? Or do you think about how selfless some people can be by handing away the things they have?
 
Giving is one thing that can be done without the need being reciprocated. To give simply means to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.
 
There is one specific type of giving that I would like to focus on since Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow and we will have many things to be thankful for in our homes and with our families. The giving that I want to discuss is giving to the poor.
-Giving to the Poor
 
Every now and then you tend to see someone in need who can be holding a sign up or just happens to be disheveled on the side of the road or near a building with their remains fairly close to them. In that moment, what is your initial action? Do you continue to walk/drive/ move? Do you begin to feel compassion for them? Do you think of what you could do to help them? All these things may be running in your mind at this instance because of what just took place in front of you. 
 
When we see someone who is poor or who is very much in need we should always do our best to offer something to them. Now I know that there are times where some people you have offered help to are unappreciative of what you have done but the fact alone that you were able to give is the greatest deed of all. 
 
Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.” When you give to the poor, God blesses you mightily. He sees what you have done for another and repays it to you, not necessarily in monetary means but by what He has in store for your life. This simply means that blessings will be upon you because you have given.
-How Giving Makes You a Better Person 
 
When you give you are doing it not because you have to, but because you want to. Giving comes from the heart. It’s what brings joy to you knowing that you were able to help and aid someone. You don’t expect anything in return from them but just knowing that you were able to do such a good deed for another.  
 
People tend to feel that when they give, there is warmth and happiness inside of them. That they realize they have done something good and are proud of themselves for doing it. They feel more compassion towards others because of how generous they were whilst they gave. All these feelings of compassion, sympathy, joy, and happiness are emotions that bring up people with better attitudes. When you are thankful for what you have you would be happier to give to those in need. Just as last week I mentioned gratitude is of the blessed, when you give you are blessing others. 
-What’s in Store For Those Who Give?
 
When you give God blesses you in ways that you never imagine. All of your heart’s desires and prayers are answered by God with time. This is not to say that when you give, you will immediately be blessed with whatever you were yearning for. NO! God works in His time and His time is always right! 
 
God always repays those who do the good work and those who fight the good fight. What you do now to your neighbors, strangers, and those you love is how God in turn will bless you. He doesn’t only bless you with what you have given in monetary funds at church for tithes but He blesses you with so much more. 
 
When you give, God takes what you have given to Him or to others and replaces it with the blessings He has prepared for you. Whenever I think of this, I always think about one scenario. Let’s say you were given a book. You read the book and realized it was filled with so much knowledge and can see that not everyone had access to this book. Because you felt sad and bad for them you decided to share what you have already gained from the book. Just as you share what you have gained from a book, another person will share what they have gained from another book. This is exactly how God works. When you do good, give unto Him and give to help the poor, God gives back to you in abundance. He see what you are doing and knows what and where He wishes to take you in life. God will then start to place you on the right track and open the doors to the opportunities you thought you may never receive. 
 
This is a give and take situation. What you give to God and His people is what you will take  from God when He blesses you. Not only that, but you better yourself because you have done something that can be paid forward to another. Because you offered something to another, God will place the right people in the right places for you to receive something from them. This is the cycle of giving. Because you do good, others too, will do good to you. 
 
Allow this to be what you think about as we come to celebrate this coming Thanksgiving Day. What can you give to another? How can you pay it forward in this week? What good deeds do you wish to do on Thanksgiving? How can you help the less fortunate? What could you do for a neighbor? What can you do for your community? 
 
As you think of these things reflect on this bible verse:
 
Deuteronomy 15:10 
“Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”
 
 
God will surely bless you, Amen! 

Hello Friends!

It’s Been a While… But I’m Back! Here’s What’s Been Going On.

Hello, friends!

First things first, I owe all of you an apology. I know it’s been a while since my last post, and for those of you who’ve been waiting patiently (or perhaps wondering what happened to me), I just want to say: thank you. It means so much to me that you’ve stuck around.

The truth is, I needed some time to step away and recharge. Life can get overwhelming, and sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to take a pause—whether that’s from work, creative projects, or even our passions. So, that’s what I did. I took a break from blogging to focus on a few personal things, reflect on where I want this blog to go, and rediscover the joy of writing.

But now, I’m excited to say that I’m back, and I’ve got a fresh perspective and a whole new approach to share with you. 🙌

Why I Took a Break

I’ve always believed that creativity thrives when you give yourself permission to step away and let your mind breathe. For a while, I felt like I was going through the motions—writing posts because I felt like I had to, not because I was genuinely inspired. I didn’t want to just churn out content for the sake of it, so I decided to hit pause, take stock of my life, and spend time doing things that refueled me.

During that time, I read books, took long walks, traveled (a little), and spent time with friends and family. It was a period of rediscovery for me, not only as a writer but as a person.

I also spent time reflecting on what this blog means to me and what I want it to offer you. I want this space to be more than just a collection of posts—I want it to be a place of connection, inspiration, and meaningful conversation.

What You Can Expect Moving Forward

So, what’s next? Well, I’m so glad you asked! As I dive back into writing, here’s what you can look forward to:

  1. Fresh Topics: While I’ll still be covering: personal growth, travel, lifestyle, expect some new areas of exploration as well. I’m excited to share more and dive deeper into subjects that have been on my mind.

  2. A New Focus: One of the things I realized during my break was that I want this blog to feel more intimate, more reflective. Expect longer, more thoughtful posts where I share not just tips and advice, but personal stories, struggles, and victories. I think we can all use a little more vulnerability in our lives.

  3. Consistency, But Flexibility: I won’t be posting every day or week—life happens, and I want to make sure the content I share is meaningful. But I will be here regularly, sharing stories, ideas, and insights that I hope will spark something in you, too.

What I’ve Learned in the Time Away

Taking a break isn’t easy, especially when you feel like you’re leaving something unfinished. But sometimes, letting go for a while helps you come back stronger. I’ve learned that:

  • It’s okay to take a step back: You don’t always have to be “on.” It’s okay to pause, regroup, and refocus.
  • Creativity requires space: Pushing yourself to create when you’re not inspired only leads to burnout. Space allows inspiration to breathe and flow naturally.
  • Community matters: I’ve missed hearing from all of you. This community means so much to me, and I’m so grateful for your patience during my time away.

What’s Coming Next?

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing posts, new and old, and I can’t wait to dive into it with you. I’m looking forward to getting back to what I love and having more conversations with you, whether it’s in the comments, on social media, or through email.

Thank you for being here, for your support, and for sticking with me during this break. It’s good to be back. And as always, I’d love to hear from you—what would you like to see more of on the blog? Let me know in the comments below!

Here’s to a new chapter of inspiration, growth, and creativity. Let’s make it a great one. ✨

With love,

Jess