For Starters, Praise God For Empty!!

In My Office At Work - Picture Taken To Publish In The Company's October Newsletter!

I just have not had a chance to catch my breath! It's been all go since the 7th of September to now. The Lord is Blessing me BIG TIME!! It's like being caught up in a whirlwind except being securely stashed in the centre of it. So all is peace and calm where you are but all around, everything is just being turned every which way!! I am dizzyingly happy, enjoying every blessed moment,praising all the way. God is just so AWESOME! I Love Him. He is my Abba,I am His daughter!!

What am I going on about this time? Well,you all remember my last but one blog when I said I was empty but excited about what the Lord was gonna do in my life next?! Just read it again if you have forgotten! Well this is IT! NEXT!

I had been applying for jobs for over 3 years consistently, sent out over 800 applications! No one wanted me. I was persona non gratia,it seemed and felt. Also, for various reasons which kept changing,I wanted to return to London. I just could not make it happen either. I was in a rut. STUCK!! I tried everything I knew how. I wriggled and squirmed,I prayed and cried,I ignored and berated my circumstances,I was determined to change stuff. Nothing changed. I was still stuck where I was standing.

Since I was standing I decided to "Stand Still, having done all, to just stand". Sound advice from the Psalmist ... he ought to know, being a man after God's own heart and all! Then I decided I might as well just sit while I was standing around anyway. And while I was sitting I started to think. I thought until I was all thought out. I was empty. This I told you guys about.

At first I hated being empty but there was nothing for it,I was completely EMPTY!!

Then, I KNEW something. You know when you know that you know something?! The Holy Spirit told me SOMETHING. This is the SOMETHING that He told me - "Being Empty is Good. Excellent in fact! Being empty was the time to get ready...Get ready to be filled up by the Lord". I shared this good news with you all. So I started praying, and praying. Then my praying turned to praising.

So I started praising. Like Jehoshaphat, the "Battle was not mine, but the Lord's". So I kept praising. It's amazing how much there is to praise God for when you get praising through the Holy Spirit. I was praising the Lord for the past,the present and in advance,for the future. I have been praising God for being God,for my Redeemer,for Salvation,for Mercy and Grace,for Life,for my Children,Family,Friends, for Prosperity,Love,Peace,for Blue Skies and the Rain,the Sunlight and Chocolate!! You name it,I praise God for it. Most of all, I praised Him for 'Filling Me up to Overflowing'.

Within a period of one week beginning the 7th September,I got a job offer,tickets to London and I was off. I arrived on Monday 13th September,PM. I started work on Tuesday, 14th September,AM and I have not had a minute since then. The education authorities said Zac would be out of school for around 4 weeks. Zac is in school after being out for 2 weeks!! I have secured accommodation suitable for us. I got paid my first pay check; a half a month's salary. I have been in London for 3 weeks now. How about that for the WHIRLWIND!

Sometimes HE IS NOT IN THE WHIRLWIND,RIGHT ELIJAH,BUT SOMETIMES ... HALLELUJAH, SOMETIMES HE IS!!

What am I saying then? Praise God for "Empty", Praise God for the Whirlwind, Just Praise Him and see what He can do! I will keep you all posted. GOT TO GO Praise Him In ADVANCE FOR THE FILLING THAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. BELIEVE!!

LOVE, BLESSINGS AND OVERFLOW!! LadyZaidie

True Identity

My son celebrating H.S Graduation - The Right Hand of the Lord God upheld him all through High School. Gratitude, Love and Adoration to God forevermore. We can do ALL things through Christ Jesus. Is there anything too hard for God?!!

"You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be."
Lyrics of the Gospel Song "You Raise Me Up".

Romans 8:14 - "For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God".
Romans 8:11 "But if the Spirit of Him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by His
Spirit that dwells in you".

The Eternal One created me.
Sin separated me from Him.
My Brother and my Lord purchased me with
His shed blood on Calvary's cross.
Recreated me in the image and likeness
of my Divine lineage. Now I am one with
My Father and my Brother, again.

Redemption, reconciliation, restoration.
God's sovereign strategy for my life rocks.
I know whose I am, therefore I know who I am;
Heir of Jehovah God my Father, joint heir with
Jesus my Redeemer, my Lord and my big brother.

My inheritance is to be like Jesus in every way.
His Victory is mine. His heart of love and compassion
is mine. His suffering is mine. His death, mine.
His resurrection is also mine.

I am life and truth even as He is. I am clothed with the
righteousness of the Messiah. I walk in dominion
and authority on the earth,conquering every adversity,
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
To God be all the glory and honor forevermore.

Do you know who you are?
Are you aware of your lineage?
Have you read the details of your legacy?
Are you reborn, recreated as a son/daughter of the Living God
through Jesus the Christ?

Unless you know who you are
You cannot know why you are

Blessings. LadyZaidie

Invitation To His Banqueting Table

It has been a while since I last wrote anything on my blog, not because I had nothing to write - I can always find something to say! It was simply that I did not feel compelled to share anything. I have been doing some editing for an autobiography and I have been transcribing some notes for my current manuscript - yes, I am in the process of writing another book - so perhaps I am in "over-write"! Not all dried out or burnt out but all 'written out',kinda. Yet. Here I am still attempting to share something even if it is to say what I am not able to share ... Confused?! Funny that,I am perfectly clear about what I am saying!! Believe that and you are all just as cerebral as I am. Welcome to my world!!

OK, Come back to earth,Lady! Well, the thing about emptying out a vessel is that one creates space for a refill and right now,having drained the very dregs of my creative mind, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am in a great position for new impartations. By this I mean that I am excited at being so totally empty, chumping at the bits to receive new insights/revelations from the Lord. And I know just which table I need to go sit at. Best of all,I have a standing invitation. I can hardly keep still knowing that I have made ready my heart, mind and spirit for a feast: "He invites me to His Banqueting Table" and I have gotten here on empty, ready for a refill at the Table of my Lord and my God.

Have you ever been invited out for a meal and prepared yourself for it? You have an invitation to an event, maybe to meet friends or family at your special restaurant. You eat very little during the day because you know that you want to have room in your tummy to appreciate and fill up on your favorite dishes. Maybe that's just me. Anyway, I have even gone so far as to wear my most comfortable,loose fitting dress so that I can really indulge - remembering, when I do remember, that gluttony is a sin! Of course when it comes to something I really like, it takes a long time for me to get full up, so gluttony is a long way coming into the equation.

Anyway, as I was saying, right now I am ready to receive abundantly at the hands of the Lord. And you know what, I do not have to be concerned about over-indulgence, hallelujah! Conversely, although I have not been able to write for my blog lately,all my spare time has been occupied with my Bible study. I have been able to spend a lot more time than usual each day, just reading and studying and immersing myself in the Word. I find that the more I study, the more I want to study. That is not me, that is the Spirit of the Lord for sure.

The desire for Truth and understanding, for revelation and Manna from above can take on a momentum of its own. The Word of our God and Lord is "more-ish". You cannot be so filled that you walk away without wanting any more. Not possible. There are deeper depths in the Lord and in seeking, we assuredly will find Him. And once we find our place in Him we just want to set up house; He becomes our "dwelling place", our secret hideaway even. What a place to be!

That's why, right now,I am thrilled that I am all 'writ-out' because I know that He is ever ready to "Fill my cup,fill it up and make me whole". So, Sorry that I don't have much to say at this moment, but just you wait and see; the banquet is just getting underway. You are invited too,no joke. Come away my Beloved. Happy Feasting. Love & Blessings. LadyZaidie.

Let Truth Conquer The Spirit of Compromise

How much does it matter to you, how other people see you;how and what they think of you? Or does it only matter to you what your family, friends and loved ones think? Do they know the real you? When you meet someone for the very first time, do you deliberately try to make a good impression? Are you comfortable and content to be yourself or do you try to say the right things, portray the right attitude, behave according to expectations, be who you are expected to be in that place, at that time? Think about this for a moment. Are you always truthful in your interactions with everyone, careful not to mislead or misrepresent who you are; your personality, your character, your principles, morals and convictions?

I have learned the hard way that we compromise in so many different areas of our lives. Often, we do not realise until the damage is done. I have been turning the Light of Truth into the far recesses of my mind. As a result,I have found that the cause of much of the heartache and pain I have suffered over the years has a lot to do with allowing the spirit of compromise,to set up a stronghold in my mind and heart.

It is so easy to tailor our persona to suit the situation, the company we are in or the expectations of others. And often, these others are strangers or mere acquaintances; people whose path we may never cross again. Most often we 'tone down' or 'tune up' our presentation of our self and in so doing we compromise. Yes, We Compromise!

Of course at first glance, compromise is such a 'now' word. There has to be compromises in just about every single relationship these days, apparently, or people would not be able to get on; marriages would not work - not that we are doing so great on that front anyway given the current statistics,Companies would fail to function efficiently, business would grind to a halt all over the globe, communities would be chaotic and countries would constantly have clashes and numerous outbreaks of war.

Well,there are lots of compromises going on everywhere,everyday yet all of the above scenarios are widespread! I humbly suggest then, that compromises are not working either. So why don't we just go for truth,honesty and integrity in all our dealings with each other. Let truth reign in our hearts, our homes, our communities and our countries. I know that this world would be a better place. It would be because Jesus is Truth and if Truth is in charge, righteousness is in control!! Compromise is not a part of the Lord's nature and should not be a part of ours either!

Compromise is really a lie dressed up in human logic to appear honest, essential and beneficial. In the end however,it is just another method used by the enemy of mankind to ensnare and destroy us. He even tried this approach with Jesus during His temptation in the Wilderness. "I will give you all the kingdoms of the earth now. No need to suffer, no need to minister to captive, suffering, lost mankind". Following God's agenda, he implied, was unnecessary. "If you just do one thing,worship me this once, you can forgo crucifixion on Calvary,dying,the grave,and you become ruler right now", Satan pressed!

But Jesus saw through Satan's plot. He refused to compromise and act to please anyone else but God. Jesus the Christ KNEW that at the time decreed by God, "the kingdoms of earth will become the Kingdom of our Lord!!" Satan was presenting a package that, although it would achieve the same outcome planned by God,the method and timing was contrary to that established by the Father in His divine wisdom. Compromise is disobedience to the commands of God to live in truth. In fact, I would go so far as to say, that I have learned that in many instances, compromise is a manipulation of truth; as first practiced by the enemy, that old serpent, in the Garden of Eden. It lead to the Fall of the Human family from God's grace!

So please my beloved ones, learn to recognise when you are about to compromise. You can compromise your thoughts, your principles, your beliefs, your salvation. You can compromise your dreams and hopes, your ambitions and choices and in so doing you can compromise your divine destiny! Be on your guard! Compromise brings negative consequences to bear in your life. You or your loved ones, your community, your country will suffer the cost. Logic is not the right lens through which to view life. Jesus is the Way to salvation, He is the Truth concerning all things and Jesus Christ is Life, life everlasting in God's Presence. So, don't compromise in any way that diminishes truth, honesty, integrity and righteousness!

Truth, Love & Blessings. The LadyZaidie.

A Recipe For Survival

I decided last night to re-read Maya Angelou's book, "A Song Flung Up To Heaven" again. I came across it and it drew me. I finished it and enjoyed every page again. I really admire her body of work; her love affair with life and with words. After my last post, I just wanted to share this. Actually it's a quote from James Baldwin that Maya quotes ... Be Blessed. Here it is - speaking of Black People on the day Martin Luther King Jnr. was killed;

" We survived slavery: Think about that. Not because we were strong. The American Indians were strong, and they were on their own land. But they have not survived genocide. You know how we survived?"

"We put surviving into our poems and into our songs. We put it into our folk tales. We danced surviving in Congo Square in New Orleans and put it into our pots when we cooked pinto beans. We wore surviving on our backs when we clothed ourselves in the colors of the rainbow. We were pulled down so low we could hardly lift our eyes, so we knew, if we wanted to survive, we had better lift our own spirits. So we laughed whenever we got the chance."

This is beautiful and this is truth ... and what is more my friends, I know that God laughs with us too!

Does God Laugh Too?

My cousin's beautiful grand-baby with the laughter that is fresh from the Lord on her lips! - Being held by my brother who is clearly infected by her pure joy of life!

I just heard from a friend that I have been out of contact with for 4 years now. I think of her often and miss her tremendously. Her email was almost as good as having her right next to me - I started reading and I began smiling. The more I read from her the bigger my smile became until I found myself laughing right out loud! She has always been able to make me laugh, always. Even if I don't feel much like it. When I am around her and she finds something that tickles her sense of humour or fires her imagination - which is just so vivid especially when it comes to romantic takes - her extremely infectious laughter has me in stitches before long. It is just impossible to hear her laughter and remain sullen, sad or serious. Of course once I get started, the tears start rolling down my cheeks and pretty soon I need to search for a bathroom!! I am totally reduced to a big 'ole mess of jelly!!

My friend reminds me of my mother. She was another of those individuals with a terrific sense of humour and one of those highly infectious laughs! I miss her too. She passed away many, many years ago but I can still hear her laughter and see her doubled up with the sheer joy of the moment; holding her tummy when she got going. I remember that even if she was so far away that I could not actually, physically see her, once she started laughing she could be heard over a long distance. And one could not help joining in, although unaware of the specifics. It would start with a chuckle and quickly grow into outright laughter. Laughter is one of the few infectious things that one is happy to catch. I know I am! I love a really good dose of laughter. So this made me wonder today, does God laugh too? And if He does, what makes Him laugh??

Well according to Psalms 2:4 God does indeed laugh. But the reason for His laughter is somewhat different to the main reason I laugh,I think ... or is it? The psalmist David writes that the One Who dwells in heaven laughs at the foolish efforts of evil men to destroy His people. The utter futility of their planning and persuasion believing they can possibly prevail against the protection, power and providence of the Almighty Creator of all, must seem ridiculous indeed to our God. The Creator, Who knows the beginning from the end, Who is the creator of even those who strive against Him! Think about it, it must appear as ridiculous to God as a dog trying to catch it's tail seems to us! At first take, it seems that God's laughter is only ominous and is directed only at those foolish enough to go against Him. However, on reflection I can completely see why our Heavenly Father laughs. I see the same foolish pursuit of the saints every day by our enemy and wonder, does he not know that he has already lost?! Why does he not read the Book of Revelation and see that all his evil plots and plans fail and those who are his agents, his supporters fail, along with him? Yes,God is justified in laughing and in "holding them in derision"!!

There is a Yiddish rhyme that says "Ah mentch tracht, und Gut lacht" - "Man plans, and God laughs". We should take this to heart and realize that the only certainty there is in our lives is that the will and purpose of God will be accomplished. Stressing out is futile, relying on our own so-called reasoning while ignoring divine guidance is foolishness, and walking a path other than that directed and ordered by the Lord is certain destruction. So we need to make the choice for Good and for God. We surely want Him to delight in us, not laugh at our futile rebellion against Him and His way. I want God to laugh with me the same way I laughed with my mother or with my friend; in an intimate, shared delight.

But the revelation of the Holy Spirit to me on this point goes beyond the doctrinal exposition just stated. It is a simple, overwhelming truth, an immense honour and blessing beyond compare. It is quite simply this;we have and will continue to hear God's laughter if we listen, carefully. It happens all about us, all the time. In the sounds of a hungry child that has just been fed the first meal in days and can think of playing instead of crying. In the merry discourse and joy of women returning with full jars of clean water from a newly sunken well to look after their families. In the whoops of delight experienced by a man just released from slavery after years of oppression and pain by a cruel slave-master. The prisoner, the sick, the naked, the lonely, the heartbroken, the bereaved and all those to whom we have just shared the heart of the Christ; whose joy and delight is beyond words. If we listen with our spirits we can hear the Father's pleasure as He laughs in utter delight and love.

I saw my cousin Pat's grand-baby recently, after a couple weeks of not seeing her. I bent over her push chair and said "Hello beautiful girl". She was so tickled, for some reason, she began to laugh. A beautiful, pure, innocent and refreshing laughter that rang through the hallways of the church. It seemed her laughter was way over the top in comparison to my simple hello. But in that laugh was the pure, sweet laughter of my Lord. A pure sound that reached straight to the depths of my spirit, and lifted me to a higher plane of happiness than I was feeling prior to this encounter. It was the joyous sound of my God and my Lord, telling me all is well. I know this to be divine revelation. So,I advise you to listen. He/she that has ears, let them hear. Next time the sound of laughter reaches your ear, your heart, your spirit, know that it might just be our God laughing with you!! And His laughter is infectious too!! Blessings and Laughter. LadyZaidie

Let the weak say, "I am Strong"

Last night I got scared. Last night my sons got scared. Last night we were all so scared again that I sinned. My oldest son sinned. I was trying to protect us,again. He was trying to protect us, again. But we sinned. Again. After the storm was averted, my son asked me, "Mom,aren't you a strong woman?" "Yes", I said, "I am a strong woman". "OK" he said,somewhat satisfied perhaps, as he walked away. But since he left me,I have been pondering this question for a few hours now. Am I a strong woman? What exactly does it mean and do I really believe, know that I am a strong woman? Did I answer my son correctly?

Tonight, like so many other times, I was faced by a situation that we had experienced many, many times before. Do I face up to it, to the consequences and all. Or do I try everything in my power to avoid going through all the hurt and humiliation that it entails. I had no strength for this battle again, no strength for the wounds that would be inflicted;no strength to nurse my children's hurt and restore their confidence. I had no strength tonight. I wanted peace. The children wanted peace tonight. I was a weak woman tonight and I had made my children weak also. I had relied on self in the moment. And in the moment I had failed my Lord, myself and my children. I had sinned and so had my son. Our eternity was lost in a moment of fear; the fear of a man. Human strength had failed me and my son. Our faith was placed in our own ability to fight the enemy's attack. And of ourselves, we failed. "But if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father". "Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds". Thank God for Jesus. Thank God for Grace.

In truth, I am weak. I have never had any strength of my own. I know this full well. "Not by might,nor by power but by my Spirit", says the Lord. It is only His Spirit, His love, His word that has kept me and my children through the severest trials and testings I have ever faced in my life in the last few years. But, "Let the weak say I am strong!". Hallelujah!!

The answer to the question then is YES. I AM STRONG. I AM A STRONG WOMAN. Not by myself, not my own strength but by and through the mercy of my Saviour Jesus. My sons and I will have this discussion later in the morning. We will not respond to fear by sinning, we will not seek to be safe by sinning, we will not allow the enemy to intimidate us, corner us like wounded animals so that we sin against our God, again. We will look at such situations squarely and we will keep our peace. We will allow the Lord to fight our battle. He is our true strength; always,in all situations,at all times. Next time we will be prepared; we will be ready to be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Blessings & Peace. Ladyzaidie