Is it Fight or Flight or Pray and Praise

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When you have been through a good amount of traumatic events in your life, your perception of things change. You no longer operate on FIGHT or FLIGHT mode but PRAY and PRAISE mode. Life knows how not to give us a break (at least not a long enough break). It is warfare, not because you are a great sinner and so you are being punished, NO! Life just happens because either God is allowing you to move to the next level in your spiritual walk where you no longer fight or flight during what looks like a valley of shadow of death, but you praise your way out to the next stage in your life. 

I have learned to trust God for good things that happen in my life. I have seen God's miracles. I have experienced God's message through dreams, songs, sermons, conversations, gut feeling and even a voice, His voice. But every time I or someone I love goes through trials, it wares me out. The thought of the injustice taking place has caused me to sin in my mind so many times. Yet God reminds me to FORGIVE. When I think maybe I should be on a warfare prayer, my spirit remembers me of a PRAISE or WORSHIP song. It has come to a point where I am learning to be awake, to realize warfare is a promotion - win or loss. When we are faced with trouble, we wish for things to go our way. But we don't realize that even when they don't go our way, especially when we surrender the situation to God (when we don't try to bring vengeance on our trouble makers) and say GOD YOUR WILL BE DONE. Then we should be prepared for either outcome. Eventually, His 'will' will be done and His plans for us are good, no scratch that, are perfect! He will give us what will work out for us in the long run. 

If you operate in this mindset of knowing warfare is inevitable to a Christian with a desire to grow spiritually, as well as the understanding that there are seasons for everything, seasons to laugh, seasons to cry, seasons to sow, seasons to reap. Then you should be on PRAY and PRAISE mode than Fight or Flight mode. The enemy both physical and spiritual will not hire a conference facility and have a discussion with you on how he or they will attack you. And that's okay. Besides, God already knows the end from the beginning, so why are you stressing about the outcome? 

The thing with warfare is that it comes with a cost, be it financial, emotional, physical, spiritual or all four. But ultimately, if it is all meant to be for our good, then we should do what we can (PRAY and PRAISE) and leave it all in God's hand. 

As I write this, it doesn't mean I have mastered this, but it means I am encouraging myself in the Lord and His promise. This is a reminder, a note to self. You can do it too. Let God handle it.

Parenthood 101

It is unclear why we desire children when we all know without a doubt children equals no more “me” or “us” time. They are the ones who call the shots and determine how our schedules should look like. I do also agree to disagree with those who may disagree with me and say we are in control of our lives and schedules, but to what extent? 

If we really think about it, even if we somehow have nannies to help us raise our kids in our absence, or day care centers that you pay a fortune to so that you can have time to go to work and provide for your family. In all these cases kids are the ones determining how our day should look like. Where you can go, what time you can go and so forth.  

A good example is a child who falls sick and causes you to call your supervisor and change your work schedule. Or a child that decides they want you to take them to school because they don’t want to be on the bus with the other kids. The demands and unexpected surprises are endless, yet we love them to the moon and back. 

Are kids a way of God showing us what true love is? A way for us to evaluate ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses? Our selflessness or selfishness? Are kids a wake up call for us? So, that we no longer make excuses of why we can’t do this and that, and decide to work hard to provide for these little humans that we’ve celebrated coming into this world? Are kids a way for us to be grateful to our parents for what they’ve done for us and what they went or are still going through because of us? 

The diaper changing days, the running around in the hot sun, the late nights, the early mornings, the car seats taking up space in our cars, the strollers that we depend on heavily, the messy house, the pile of laundry (thank God for washing machines),and the whole nine yards. 

Kids test our patience, our love language, our outlook about life and our inner fears. Kids are a way of God reminding us about forgiveness and love, unconditional love. And who doesn't love those mommy and baby photo-shoots with matching African fashion, kitenge dress and all. Ultimately, it's all worth it.

Why I love Fall

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Fall season is hands-down my favorite. I like the weather for so many reasons - wearing boots is one of them. I call Fall ‘the no sweating season.’I know a lot of people prefer Summer and that’s when they go out more often, but I feel like summer is for sports, doing things like hiking, photography, swimming or whatever else you want to do as a workout. Fall is a ‘mtoko’ season. Time to carry your pochi ya outing, wear your nice boots and I guarantee you, your makeup won’t disappoint you either. Enjoy Fall season everyone.

What are you learning about this year?

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For one of my school projects I decided to write about finances and I had to choose my own topics to research and write about. One of them includes financial institutions. I have to learn about bank fees charged by commercial banks and the types of accounts available to their customers. I am mostly focusing on individual steps to financial freedom therefore, I have’t touched on retail banks or corporate banking.  

I have realized that information is widely available for us out there but we don’t have the knowledge because we don’t search for information. Before I started writing about finances and financial literacy, I had this period where I did a mini research about credit cards (including talking to someone at my bank) and I gained a vast amount of knowledge. But I also realized that the reason we sometimes don’t learn about things is because the lingo may not be in our favor. Finance language is one of them. It requires having a dictionary handy to learn some of the terminologies so that you can move forward to the next piece of information (or have someone explain things to you in a layman’s language). 

I hope I won’t stop learning about finances once I am done with my school project. And as for you my readers, you can learn anything you want to. So, I urge you to make use of all the information out there - a lot is available online - educate yourself especially about things that affect your life one way or the other, be it health, finance, career, relationships, and so forth. It’s never too late to start. 

Love,

Mamatembo

Cars Cars Cars

I like Facebook market place, I like how they've set up their algorithm to show me the things they think I want to see, very smart. Only problem though, is that every time I look for cars I filter the search based on price and not brand, so they show me car brands that I don't want to buy. 

Sometimes, I wonder if we get ripped off because a company has done so well to make their brand so popular and in demand to the point where their products stand out of the crowd, or because their products are really reeeeeally that good.  It’s funny how when I ask about cars, the first two names that pop-out of anyone’s mouth are Toyota and Honda. And guess what, they are also not as cheap when compared to different brand vehicles with the same or lesser mileage. 

I know Toyotas are affordable back in TZ, cheers to Toyota Tanzania. But this end, these babies are like a gem. The reliability and durability of their vehicles is making us spend  some big money to own one. 

Was looking for Toyota IST for sale (it’s a Scion this end) on Facebook market place and they ain’t cheap yoooo, unless it’s a manual transmission coz kids these days don't drive stick. I have been looking for one of those and I gave up, I just couldn’t keep up with the price. 

Brokenness || Noorie York

May you be blessed by this message.