Do Something

Posted on by iamsenz

Hello beautiful people

The Sunday gone was compassion Sunday in my church. Compassion is a term or trait that we use within the church and it means being concerned  and sympathetic about the suffering or misfortune of others.As people of the cross we are encourage to have compassion to those in our world and the world beyond us. In the UK there is a christian organisation called Compassion, this organisation selects children living in poverty and encourage people to sponsor them. The organisation assesses children whom are in need of sponsorship and they work in partnership with churches to get these children to be sponsored by the church. Sponsoring a child means you are giving someone the opportunity to go to school and in essence you are being an answer to a parent or child’s prayer.

I first heard of Compassion on UCB Radio last year and I remember thinking, i need to partner with this organisation. At that time, I wasn’t earning enough to provide for a child. Fast forward to end of April this year, when i attended Colour Conference, during conference I was inspired to pick up my sword and fight for the world, through prayer and also by being pro active. Being pro activesisterhood movementto me meant, adopting a child through compassion, It might not be much that I am doing however I am still doing something.

[Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others],
1 Timothy 6:18

there is so much that the world is going through, so much hurt, so much violence and as a christian I have to a decision that I will no longer stand or sit aside and count down the days till my saviour comes. Instead I am lacing up my boots and picking my armour and choosing to fight for the world. I know i am part of a sisterhood movement where I stand with the daughters of God and we are doing something. We are world changers for we are concerned about our fathers business. I choose to no longer feel powerless, instead I know i am equipped by my father and what ever i have right now, it is enough, for i will use it to honour God and help his people.

And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very corners, neither shall you gather the fallen ears or gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather its fallen grapes; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am the Lord your God. You shall not steal, or deal falsely, or lie one to another. [Col. 3:9, 10.]
Leviticus 19:9-11

God has blessed me with so much and with that I am grateful for. With his blessings I will serve him in my world. I encourage you to pro actively look for a need in your community and do your absolute best to meet that need.

There has been times when I didn’t bless someone when I could have and today I was reminded of something very important. When i choose to harden my heart, i would justify my actions by saying “well he would have used that money on drugs or alcohol, therefore its not a wise investment”. Oh how incredibly prejudice of me, it is not my place to assume what the person would have used the money on, God did not call me to judge the person, instead to bless the person. I encourage you today to bless someone, say hi to the shy kid in your class, Adopt a child via Compassion, open the door for someone, cook for your parents. As a christian and a human being lets be the good in the world, there is darkness in the world and we have the privilege to be the light of the world.

 

Much love

Senz x

P.S. Gals check this out: https://hillsong.com/colour/sisterhood/fightclub/

21 Lessons from my 21 year old self

Posted on by iamsenz

Hi guys and gals

I recently turned 21 and i thought i should share some of the things i have learnt and what I am still learning.

  1. God is bae. Trust God with your life because in his you will find peace, acceptance, love and grace.
  2. Do what you love. When it comes to your career ensure that you do something that you are truly passionate about because you will spend the rest of your life doing that. Life is too short for you to be moaning about a job that you aren’t willing to leave or progress from.
  3. Love others. This can be challenging however this is when you purposefully and consciously choose to love someone. The person may be not a great person however when you choose to overlook their short comings and forgive them you are liberating yourself.
  4. Respect your parents. This training prepares you for the outside world. When you respect your parents, you are learning to respect your future bosses and colleagues, respect gets you respect in the grown up world.
  5. Be Honest. Be shamelessly truthful with yourself. If you suck at one sport look for another that you may be great at. If you are in a not-so-great relationship, get out of it and know that you deserve better if not the best.
  6. Love yourself. When you love and respect whom you are, this makes it much easier for you to love others and identify their strength and beauty. Don’t base/place your value on what people think of you. When you place your value on other humans you will die at their criticism.
  7. Observe more. When in a crowded place, observe people’s behaviour. You learn about humanity and how people interact with each other.
  8. Work for what you want in life. You are not entitled to anything; the world does not owe you anything. Therefore if you want something you have to trust God and work for it. Success comes to those who plan and work for it.
  9. Read your bible, your daily devotional, read something that is good for your spirit, mind and your intellect.
  10. Go for a walk, jog or the gym. Play basketball or go swimming. Do something that is good for your physical body.
  11. Meditate, take time out to focus on your breathing, this relaxes you. It helps to relieve stress and clears your mind from things that may be going on.
  12. Invest in good people. Make friendships with people that will help you grow and you help them grow as well. Be the friend that you desire to have.
  13. Give generously. Give food to the homeless guy on the street. Give time to your family.
  14. We live in a world where we share so much of our lives with strangers and that’s all good well however, learn to protect your memories with loved ones. Instead of snapchatting an event, how about putting your phone down and actually experience it fully.
  15. For Ladies: Don’t let boys be mean to you. You are precious and worth so much. Know and value yourself for the queen you are.
  16. To The Gentlemen. Please learn to lead with love and compassion. Being vulnerable is not a bad thing. If you are vulnerable to the right person. Raise your standards and be men.
  17. Sleep is really important when done in proportion. When you get the right kind of sleep, you are energised and rested for the day ahead.
  18. Eat well. Pizza is delicious and Doughnuts are sweet as sugar, however they aren’t good for your heart and blood.
  19. De-Attach. At times you need to take time out from your daily routine and go somewhere there is No Service and reflect.
  20. Put on your favourite record and just dance. No one has to see you. You just dance because you feel the rhythm and let it be.
  21. Challenge yourself. The only person that I now compete with is I. Each day I look at how and what I can do better. I challenge myself to be smarter, more compassionate and more loving.

 

Much Love

Senz xx

AIDS is not a judgement on morality

Posted on by iamsenz

Hey Beautiful

Late last year Charlie Sheen spoke out to the world that he has HIV/AIDS. When Charlie Sheen spoke out about his diagnosis , I remember one of the articles I read focused on his sex life and possible partners. The fact that they focused on his sex life this came across as a judgement on his morality.

Fast forwarding to last week, while watching A Different World (shout out to NETFLIX) there was an episode where they focused on HIV/AIDS. One of the characters said “HIV and AIDS is not a judgement on morality” and resided within me and has lead to me sharing this post with you.

HIV means Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus attacks the body’s immune system (the body’s defense against diseases). People who live with HIV, they are living  with the virus in their body. If the HIV virus goes untreated this can lead to it developing into AIDS.

AIDS an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a syndrome (a collection of signs and symptoms). AIDS symptoms and signs include the HIV Virus and tuberculosis, pneumonia or some types of cancer. Due to progress in treatment many people can recover from AIDS, though they will still have HIV.

During the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s, most of the people who were at risk of contracting the condition were sex workers, gay people and/or drug users. The reason being that HIV/AIDS is transferable via infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal secretion or breast milk. HIV/AIDS is commonly passed through sex without a condom and/or sharing infected needles, syringes or other injecting drug equipment.

As a future heath care profession  and human, I am tired of the attitude that people have towards HIV/AIDS and the judgement they get. Yes, this virus/syndrome currently has no cure however look at how far we have came. In 2012 only 390 people were diagnosed with AIDS, 0.39% of the total number of people living with HIV in the UK. 99% of HIV positive women give birth to healthy babies without passing on the virus. This virus isn’t sexist, racist or ageist, this virus affects people of all ages, sexes and races. It does not discriminate.

I am educating myself. With knowledge, I will have power and with this power I pray that I will inspire people within the church or in my community to be compassionate. To love beyond the imperfection and health conditions. Therefore I encourage you to explore ( http://www.hivaware.org.uk ,  www.unaids.org  and @unaids on twitter. These organisations are informative, not only about the progress in the UK but also around the world.

Task :

Read Romans 14: 1 -23

 

Much Love to you

Senz x

A quick message to the ignorant folk: you are more dangerous to someone who has AIDS than they are to you. 

Racism and Religion

Posted on by iamsenz

The month of February is a month in which the Black Community Celebrates Black History Month in the USA. This year, through out black history month I have been enlightened about Black History. From Beyonce’s Formation to watching “A Different World” on Netflix I became proud of Black Heritage. When growing up in Zimbabwe I was told White People where superior therefore they where to be admired. This idea was ingrained in past generations in my family due to colonialism and unfortunately i accepted this idea in my younger years. However when I moved to the UK, this idea/attitude changed. I began to see white people as my peers, as people just like any other person.

Fast forwarding to the last 3-4 years I have witnessed the police brutality via the press in America. This is a sensitive subject, I have read tweets, Instagram posts and articles on how the American system is prejudice towards people of colour. Through out all this, I actively ignored it because this did not affect me. I live in the UK and I have experienced little racism, No one has killed me or people  I know because of their skin colour. This wasn’t my business. I thought this wasn’t my issue or problem to talk about. However so far in 2016 I am learning about race from a biblical point of view.

In the book of Acts 10 there are some verses that surprised me because I wasn’t aware that the bible does talk about ethnicity besides that God had chosen the children of Israelite as his chosen people. In Acts 10 we see Peter trying to tell God what is considered clean and hallow God flips the script on him and sends him to a place which he and the culture considered as unclean and unhallowed.

 And he said to them, You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or [even] to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean.

Acts 10 verse 28 (Amplified)

God does not consider any human being as common, unhallowed or unclean. Despite how we humans may treat each other God, the marker of the universe, he made us in his image. Therefore no system can hold us down, no person is better or above the other in God’s eyes.

 And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons,
But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him].
You know the contents of the message which He sent to Israel, announcing the good news (Gospel) of peace by Jesus Christ, Who is Lord of all–

Acts 10: 34- 36 (Amplified)

God is the Lord of all. He is an all inclusive God that sees beyond being Black, Latino, Asian or White. I am not asking that people ignore the injustices occurring in the world. As an individual, I am choosing to love more and judge less. Practically this means telling someone they are beautiful, buying an extra coffee for a friend or the homeless guy on the street. Being nice to my bus driver who may have not treated me in the same manner. As for the racism occurring in the world. I can pray for those who go through it while i work towards changing it.

As a young christian I have learnt that white people aren’t superior in God’s eyes. Instead we all the same and therefore they are my brothers and sisters. I look forward to the day my children will look at me and my husband as mum and dad, not my black mum and white dad.

Much Love

Senz x

Let’s talk about Daddy Issues

Posted on by iamsenz

Hey Darlings

Daddy issues is something that is very popular in today’s society. Most guys when they hear “daddy’s issues” they think bingo! cause she is bound to have emotional issues and is willing to stoop so low to fulfill whatever fatherless hole she has. This unfortunately is true for some people. There are people who have had not-so-great relationships with their father or mother and that is the reality of it.

As someone child I can tell you that we all have issues with our parents at a certain period/s in our lives. That is part of the package of being in a family. At a certain point you may not like your parents however you always love them and vice versa. As a God’s kid there are times I feel or think that I have “Daddy Issues”, by this I mean I feel like God is not hearing me or is hiding from me and this can be frustrating.

Deep down you know that God will never leave you; once you enter into his presence, however when he doesn’t show up when you want him to show up and do something spectacular; It can be annoying.

Late last year I was going through a season when i felt as if God was distant or that I was being distant from him. During that I simply said “God, I do not know what you are doing in my life right now, however, I choose to trust you and believe that there is a reason for this season” . Fortunately (thanks to Youtube) I came across Pastor John Gray and he was speaking about One Last Worship. One of the things that stood out for me in this sermon is that, God does keep quite at times so that we can grow.

“When God is silent, heaven is working on our behalf” – Pastor Ray Bevan.

In Joshua 1:5 (NIV) God says to Joshua and the children of Israel “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. God told him this when they where about to enter Jericho which seemed impossible but they did it. See unlike physical fathers God will never leave you or abondon. He will never make you feel unworthy or unloved. He as God asks you to trust in him with all your heart (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

– Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

Having daddy issues sucks however and I am glad to say this, we have a heavenly father that loves you way more than an earthly could.  He knows you in and out and yet he still loves you. He will never walk out on you. He will never make you feel as if you are not enough. In his eyes you are enough and you are precious.

Love

Senz x

 

 

 

I Fell In Love With Women

Posted on by iamsenz

Hey Darlings

In 2015 I meet some incredible women. If you didn’t already know I am a feminists and to me this means being an advocate for women who are treated with indignity in society. I believe and work towards gender equality in society and economics. Women are beautiful, they may not be physically strong compared to men however they are smarter.

I Love the power and wisdom that Godly Women hold (Proverbs 13). They have such trust and faith in God which is inspiring and empowering.

In this day and age I have been living in denial and that denial is that domestic violence doesn’t exists. I am disappointed that domestic violence towards women still exists. I have met women from across all races and age ranges whom have been in abusive relationship and each one of them gave me the following advice: If you sense or feel that something is wrong about a guy, chances are that your feeling/senses are correct. When you physically sense that something is not right, do not pin it on nerves or butter flies. Leave that person before it is too late.

As a Christian I am grateful for the fact that I found my identity and value in God and I am glad I have grown to understand that God validates me. With this understanding it is difficult for me to stay in a crappy relationship because I know I deserve more and I came at such a high price (the blood of Jesus). I am not saying that women who have been in abusive relationships are in them because they don’t value themselves. They may have been the most confident and outgoing person, However from my understanding some women they take on the mothering role with their partners and instead of protecting themselves, they protect the very person who is harming them.

This is sad but by openly having these conversation with the women I have met I have learnt how domestic violence can affect the victim, which resources are available for women who want to leave that life and what support is available for them.

As a young woman in 2016, I have made a vow to my self. I am not to judge those around me. I am going to be well informed about the things that actually matter. I am standing up for women and MEN who have experienced/experiencing domestic violence. As a christian or the church, this is something that we don’t talk about. In church often pastors preach about wives submitting to their husbands, what they omit at times is the fact that husbands are to love their wives in the same way that Christ loved the church. As the church let men educate themselves or be educated on the importance of leadership. I pray and hope that as the church we are raising men who are willing to die for the women in their lives.

It is time to educate little boys who pretend to be men. Who force their authority on women. This breaks my heart however this is a time for change in society. A change in the church. It is a time for REVIVAL!

Much Love

Senz x

P.S. If you are victim of domestic violence or you know someone who is going through it. Get in touch with the police and also my personal advice is if your friend is in an abusive relationship and isn’t ready to leave yet. DO NOT leave them, be there for them. I know it doesn’t make sense but DO NOT leave for they will need you in the near future.Also below is a link to a domestic violence helpline and their phone number.

http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk/

24-hour National Domestic Violence
Freephone Helpline
0808 2000 247

 

 

 

 

 

Why I Stopped Playing Church

Posted on by iamsenz

Hey Dears

Happy New Years Guys and I hope you are still keeping your New Years resolutions.

Have you ever been in church and just felt off. As in I don’t feel in touch with God. I am praying but nothing. As in Nothing, Na-Da, Nought. That feeling, That moment that makes me feel disconnected from God and in all honesty is does SUCK!!!.

Late last year I made a vow to myself and to God. From that day I promised to be honest with myself, to be honest with God and i find writing as the most honest way in which I can express my self. Therefore I started to write my prayers and thoughts. This is a way to relieve stress and be REAL with God.

I grew up in the church and I tend to see some people forming habits of worshiping Pastor’s or Preachers and that is Idolatry. There is a difference between respecting a Pastor or being Inspired by someone and worshiping that person. If you find yourself referencing a Pastor/Preacher more than the word of God, I encourage you to take a step back and search the scriptures for yourself and learn them for yourself.

It’s kind of similar to being a student at Uni, most of the time after a lecture or seminar, you go home and have an in depth study of what you have learnt so that you may develop a better understanding on the subject at hand.

Also have you ever been in church and looked around while people are praying or worshiping and thought “how come i don’t look as spiritual as X, Y or Z ?”.  The honest trust is you won’t look or behave like them because you re not X,Y or Z. That isn’t your potion or business, it is theirs, its their journey with God not yours.

During this season in my life i went back to christian basics. In John 10 verse 10 Christ said ; “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (AMP) I personally don’t believe that trying to be like sister A or Brother B is part of enjoying  life. Instead of trying to be a replica of someone else how about you find out God for yourself.

Another awesome attribute that God has is a cheat sheet. The Bible is our cheat sheet in how we can develop a relationship with him, for example in Jeremiah 29; 13 God says “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (KJV)

If you truly and honestly desire to be honest and stop pretending with God; you can. As God’s Kids we need to find out about him for our selves. I am Not saying you should disregard your pastor/preacher. I am saying recognize that your Pastor/Preacher is human like you and I , He or She is not perfect therefore they sometimes may not have the solution. However when you have that direct line or fellowship with God that is authentic and is not based on pretense, I believe that God will enable you to grow to a whole new level in your faith journey.

This is something I too am working therefore be encouraged and be of good courage for all things work together for our good – John 16:33.

Much Love

Senz x

p.s. the above picture is from a scene in the movie “The DUFF”. I do not own the copyrights to this image.

 

 

 

 

 

Take Good Care Of Yourself (Part 1)

Posted on by iamsenz

During this weekend I was watching Enjoying Everyday Life With Joyce Meyer and if you know me you will know that Mama Joyce (that’s what I call her in my head) is one of my favorite preachers because she tells it like it is, she doesn’t sugar coat she simply shares the word of God without dressing it up and making it glamorous. During this programme Mama Joyce shared the word and thoughts about taking better care of ourselves.

In this message Mama Meyer said something so profound that I had to take a minute and just snap my fingers in agreement. The best gift you can gift someone is a healthy you. You  need a healthy you emotionally, spiritually and physically.

Beloved,

I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically],

just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually] 

3 John 1: 2 Amplified version

God actually wants us to be in good health. Being in good health or having good health allows us to have the energy to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. We need bright and clear minds that will continue to manufacture brilliant ideas. When we are tired we are likely to be dragging ourselves around and complaining about everything. Having someone who is grumpy and constantly complaining is energy draining to others. This isn’t someone that people enjoy being around because they are literally bringing you down. Going back to the earlier statement; the best gift you can give to someone is a healthy you.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you,

whom you have [received as a gift] from God,

and that you are not your own [property]?

You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own].

So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amp)

This scripture is often used in relation to tattoos or sex within the Christian community and there is nothing wrong with that however in this context I am going to use it in relation to your physical health. As a born again Christian with the holy spirit in you, you may understand that your body is a temple of the holy spirit. A temple is a place of worship, it doesn’t matter what religion you identify with because all of them they do recognise that a temple is a place of worship which then means it is a house of God. Your body is literally a house of God. In the scriptures heaven is described as a place where there are streets of Gold (Revelations 21:21). Heaven is God’s Kingdom and your body is his home and traditionally Kings live in a castle or palaces therefore your body is God’s palace. No wonder this scripture says we have received our bodies a gift from God. God has gifted us with his palaces and even more he bought our bodies and internal being with the blood of Jesus.

When you break down this scripture and start to realise what a big deal our bodies are to God. This does gives an awareness of the responsibility we have when it comes to taking good care of our bodies.

This week I encourage you to get some good sleep and drink 2 litres of water.

Side Notes: I am going to be uploading the following part/s of this post. There is so much I want to talk about in relation to this subject that one post wouldn’t have done it justice.

Much Love

Senz x

why i stopped using the N word

Posted on by iamsenz

In modern society black people or African Americans have the right to use the N word.This is a right that is exclusive to the black culture because we are black, it’s that simple.The N word originates from the Spanish language however from education (From R.O.O.T.S and ) this word was widely used in the slavery days. This word was used to oppress black people as they were slaves. Since the end of slavery the N word has stuck along within the black culture and it often used to classify your authenticity amongst men.

I grew up on hip hop and from Tupac to Jay Z, from The Fugees to Kendrick Lamar and J Cole, the N word has evolved. In today’s hip hop, the N word is used to showcase how authentic or real the artist is. The irony is that they all sound the same so there goes the real n***** business. I find it sad that these artist are trying or have found identity and value in a word that was used to oppress their ancestors. What saddens me even more is that they are influencing the next generation of men to think that their self worth is in proving how much of a real n**** they are.

I personally have used the N word in the past but as I learnt more about the impact that words have, this was one of the words that quickly left my vocabulary. When I stopped swearing/cursing I stopped using the N word for i see it as a curse word. To me it feels like I am cursing fellow black people into remaining in a mentality of slavery. The N word was used by Massa’s to show off their power and authority over slaves therefore when I use it towards another black person I feel as if I am asserting my power and authority over them and yet I do not own anyone as if they were my property.

If a white person used the N word towards me or any other black person I would raise an eyebrow or educate them that they can’t use that term. I have heard many people complain that white people can’t use this term, In Fact if a white person used this term they are likely to be deemed as racists.

I am not saying that we should let white people say the N word however I am encouraging Black people and people of other ethnicities to be careful how they use this word; for word have power and an impact on people.

I encourage you to be careful about your choice words for they have a lasting impact.

Much Love and Blessings to you

Senzeni