The Princess Diaries

My Dear Friends,

Call me a Princess, but part of me can't wait to get to heaven just to try on my gown and dress. Yes, I dream of a full on Disney sequence, in HD colour and surround sound! Jesus, my prince waltzing down the stairs and leading me onto the dance floor (think Beauty and the Beast- minus the Beast).

I am captured by the thought of spending an eternity with Him. I am homesick for the place I come from. For the One I love.

I long for heaven, yet while here on foreign soil, I must not forget who I am. He has called me by Name- I am His. Below is one of my favorite verses from Psalm 45, describing what it means to be a Princess for Him- the privilege and the responsibility.

Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:

Forget your people and your father’s house. 

11The king is enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord. 

12The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,

men of wealth will seek your favor. 

13All glorious is the princess within [her chamber];

her gown is interwoven with gold. 

14In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her

and are brought to you. 

15They are led in with joy and gladness;

they enter the palace of the king. 

16Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land. 

17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

This psalm, although originally sung by King David for a wedding, captures so beautifully the privilege and wonder of being called a daughter of the Most High: A Princess of the Kingdom of Eternity.

As a Princess of God's Kingdom you are:

- Loved

- Cherished

- Accepted

- Adored

- Protected

- Empowered

- Adopted

- Clothed

- Called

- Wanted

As His Daughter you receive Divine:

- Identity

- Protection

- Assistance 

- Wealth

- Honor

- Favor

- Grace

- Fruitfulness

- Blessings

- Respect

You are marked with His Royal seal. You are chosen by Him.

He has held out His scepter towards you. #You are Accepted.

So, when you find yourself struggling to breathe in this atmosphere, blinded by the pressures of this foreign world, remember- this is not your natural habitat. You are born of God, Created for Destiny and Life in the Spirit. Called to the Higher Life, in the world and not of it. [Romans 12:2]

You are redeemed. You are royalty. You are His. 

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." [1 Peter 2:9] NIV

Till then...

Keep Becoming His Best

© 2012 Allison Pillay

 

Of Blizzards & Cupcakes: Seasons of Faith

My Dear Friends,

I apologise for my short hiatus and for not posting sooner. I was catching up with some college work, but now I that am back, I hope to encourage and inspire you once more. Ideally, I would like at the very least to have a post per week, but as God leads, I will follow.

What a wonderful new season we are entering into here in South Africa- Spring! Everything is coming alive again; flowers bloom, landscapes change and a feeling of possibility permeates. How often do we find the seasons of nature reflected in our own lives?

Spring: Life abounds, joy is found, the air thick with expectation.

Summer: Seems to last forever with it's long days and endless nights. I remember my summer's in Chicago: Potbelly's pistachio ice-cream, my after-work swim in the lake and Salsa dancing with my friends...Sigh.
Sunsets at 10pm. Who doesn't love summer?

Autumn: nature's spectacular prelude to winter: Harvest-time, apple cider, beautiful hues of red, gold and brown as the leaves metamorphasize once more. (Can you tell I miss Chicago yet, lol?)

But then the flurries come. Or, here in South Africa, the wind. 
And before we know it, Winter is here. 

Sometimes in life, we try to fight the winter season.  Much like the great blizzard of February 2011, when we were snowed in for almost a week. We knew it was coming- and we didn't like it! Life came to a screeching halt. Roads would be closed down. There were already people stuck on the freeway from Chicago. I had to get supplies. Fast.

Me+ 3 kids under 8+ No school= #thinkonyourfeet and Pray!!!

Well, 3 cakes [a giant cupcake counts, ok:)]; 4 batches of cookies; 7 art projects; 2 movies [only 2!-I know!!], 5 games of Battleship and 1 AMAZING PIRATE-TREASURE-HUNT-DELUXE later, the snow cleared. 
The snow-blower came out, together with the sun. I had survived, and the scale was proof of my battle scars- Ouch! Still, while my success was evident, I knew that if I had spent more time preparing indoor activities for the kids- prior to the storm- I would have been better equipped for it.

Sometimes, life's like that. Sometimes, God warns us when we are about to go through a "blizzard" and need to stock up on spiritual supplies. Spending daily time in His presence and in His Word is vital, so that when the storms of life and winter seasons come- we can stand; we can overcome. There is nothing like the presence of the Living God to refresh a weary soldier. His Spirit lifts us up to a place of rest and renewal. We believe again, trust again, hope again- LIVE again.

Training our inner ear to hear His voice, amongst the many voices out there, is also vital. By listening to His voice, we are led to His will where we find peaceful pastures and abundant life.

"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me." 
                                                                                             John 10:27

Only God truly knows what is best for you today. He has promised that He will guide us with His eye (Psalm 32:8). You CAN trust Him completely because He loves YOU completely.

The Practice of The Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence is once such book that has brought a depth in understanding the wisdom of abiding in His presence. It has also helped me to better comprehend the seasons of life, and thus left an indelible impression on my walk of Faith. Here is one such excerpt about his views;

"During the winter, Herman looked at a barren tree, stripped of leaves and fruit, and realized it awaited the sure hope of a springtime revival and summer abundance. Gazing at the tree, Herman grasped deeply the extravagance of God's grace and the unfailing sovereignty of divine providence. Like the tree, he felt seemingly dead, but held hope that God had life waiting for him, and the turn of seasons would bring fullness. At that moment, he said, that leafless tree "first flashed in upon my soul the fact of God," and a love for God that never ceased."

                                                              

What a hope!!

So, when you feel the storms of life approaching, or become unsettled by the changing seasons- remember:

" Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow."                                        

                                                               James 1:17 ISV      

Seasons may change, but God alway remains the same: Faithful.

       

Until later...

Keep Becoming His Best

© 2012 Allison Pillay

WhO dO YoU tHiNk YoU ARE???

Welcome friends,

It's the end of another great week and God has indeed been FAITHFUL :)
In fact, He has surpassed my expectations!

Do you know what's my favorite attribute of God? Besides of course His Faithfulness, Awesome Power and Incredible Love? It's His ability to always show up. Every time. Especially, when we need Him. And we always do.. :)
 
Did you know that God knows absolutely everything about you? Every minute detail of your life, every whispered prayer? Even those things that we think He won't understand- because He is God and seems so far removed from the troubles of this world? He listens, He hears, He feels: With you, For you.

His plans for you are good. REALLY GOOD. REALLY, REALLY GOOD. :)
Can you believe it? God doesn't just love you- He actually likes you! Just as you are! Isn't that incredible!

When we begin to see ourselves through the eyes of a kind, caring, compassionate Father, we begin to see- to understand who we truly are. We find our purpose and align ourselves with God's opinion of us and His authority over us. We are empowered to walk in that authority through Jesus, and heaven's angels begin to recognise and respond to us as God's own children. The words of God in Jesus' mouth have the same power when we speak them. Therefore: Heaven pays attention when we speak the Word of God over and into our lives, families and nations.

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)

As believers in His Son we become the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Basically, God sees Jesus, living in us, through us, for Him. 

"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Something wonderful happens when we actually BELIEVE God's opinion of us: We begin to walk in agreement with Him. And we know that agreement, or unity of mind and purpose is a powerful tool. Throughout generations, alliances have brought down kingdoms and built empires. Imagine then, what could happen when we start to agree with The Great I Am?

The word symphony is derived from Greek συμφωνία (symphonia), meaning "agreement or concord of sound".

 

When we agree with God's perception of us- two sounds become one. One beautiful melody resounding into the halls of Eternity. We align the instrument of our life with God as our composer, and follow His notes so that we too can sing the sweeter song of Destiny. 

Heaven is waiting; Earth is groaning for the sons of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:19)

We are ambassadors of Heaven, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17)

We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. 
(Romans 8:37)

Let's begin to think and act and live in agreement with who God says we are.

Who do you think you are?

Here's a link to remind you: 
http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=knowing_who_i_am_in_christ

Until later ...

Keep Becoming His Best
 
© 2012 Allison Pillay
 
 

A Winning Attitude

Welcome Friends:

With the thrill and excitement of the Olympics now past, we are left behind with some lingering thoughts on a winning attitude. 

Over the years many athletes and professional sportsmen and women have gone on to document just what it took for them to win each Gold, Silver or Bronze medal. While many of them mention diet, training and exercise, you will find the key component to their success was the right mindset.

When it really came down to those last few seconds before crossing the finish line- they each BELIEVED that they could do it! They didn't waiver, didn't doubt, didn't complain, didn't compare themselves with their fellow athletes.They just KEPT FOCUSSED on their Goal- Go Hard:Finish Strong!

Proverbs 23:7 says that "as a man thinks so he becomes". How true. 

We find in Christ the perfect example of a Winning Attitude.
How did Jesus think? How did He run His race, when things were good? When His back was up against the wall? What was His mind-set when He suffered persecution, betrayal, denial and eventually death? I'll tell you how:

He stayed FOCUSSED. He did not waiver in God's plan for His life. He trusted God's perfect plan for Him. Especially when it didn't make sense. He abandoned His will to God's perfect will. And we are the results of His obedience.

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." John 6:38

Today, I learn from Jesus how to have a winning attitude:

I learn from Him how to be a better human-being. I am drawn to His humanity and transformed by His Divinity. Challenged by His Words. Changed by His Life

#Jesusnevergivesup- and neither should I.

Till Later...

Keep Becoming His Best

© 2012 Allison Pillay

Hello, Hola, Sanbonani, Aloha- Welcome!

Hi, and welcome to a New Day!

If you're anything like me (and chances are if you're human- you probably are!) then you're a little bit curious as to what's in store!

Well, I'll end your misery. This is my blog about how God is about to change my life, and hopefully yours forever!!

I have come across many blogs for young Christians, married and single- but I want this one to be different. Why? Simply because, I am writing from A REAL PLACE. A place where God wants to Be Glorified.

Today, I am a single Princess, tomorrow I may be on a missions trip in the Amazon- but right now, I am Becoming God's Best. Won't you join me?

 Let's Go!!

Today's message is on Singleness- Hot topic of the month!
We are going to redefine this word and give Singleness a make-over :)

  Below is a great link to an interview with Janet Folger about being your Best!

http://www.cbn.com/family/datingsingles/bagby-janetfolger0304.aspx



- Till Later 

Be His Best!

@EShet Chayil*

"Joy comes in the morning, ready to lift you up to a new place of rest in Him"
© 2012 Allison Pillay