WORSHIP

What is Worship?

When you hear the word ‘WORSHIP’ what comes to your mind? I was approached a couple of weeks ago and was asked to talk to a couple of young adults in my church about Worship. I do have the privilege of being a facilitator of Worship at my church and when I was asked to talk about it, I had to first pause and ask myself this question… ‘What does it really mean to worship God and what does worship mean?

So I started doing research about ‘WORSHIP’. While on this quest, there are quite a number of things that came to my mind and also I got to discover. Some were obvious and others were quite profound because they are found in the Bible itself. The very WORD of GOD. And I had never really thought about them in the context of WORSHIP.

‘All of life is a Sacred Act of Worship’, I have heard said by my pastor for quite sometime now, but apart from the occasional cliche’ I had never really sat down to think about and internalise it. All of my life, everything that I do and say, has got to bring Glory and Honour to God. WORSHIP.

And so when I was asked about WORSHIP, I had to stop and ask what what aspect of worship should I talk about… Is it in the SINGING sense of things or is it in the LIVING sense of things?

Clearly it was in the living sense of things and so that is the approach that I took. This led me to two verses in the Bible and it also led me to a series of questions. But for now, lets talk about two verses.

Romans 12: 1-2 MSG: So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life- your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Do’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from inside out.Readily recognise what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity. God brings the best out of you, develops well formed maturity in you. 

That’s one of the verses that literally tells us that all of life is a sacred act of worship. Everything that we do is an act of worship because we have been created by God to worship him. We have been created to lift up, love and honour God in everything that we do.

1 Corinthians 10:31 MSG: So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you -you’re eating to God’s glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God’s glory. At the same time, don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone’s feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be too.

Worship is done as unto God. But even as we do it as unto God, we cant forget the reality of the fact that we need to each have our own experience when it comes to Worship. I am not able to rely on the experience of someone else to Worship of Love God!!!! It has to be out of an overflow and an abundance of what God has placed in my life and out of an abundance and quality of relationship that I have with God.

Someone once said that we are here to touch heaven. And one of the ways that we do touch heaven is by ‘WORSHIPING, CELEBRATING and KISSING JESUS’. When you think and analyse how kissing happens, it happens when we are close to someone. Unless it’s a flying kiss. But a kiss in the actual sense calls for one to be close. And that is the way we are with Jesus. For us to Kiss him, we are supposed to be close to him. And how do we do that? We have to have a daily walk with him and read the from his word and also talk to him daily.

Part 1

 

 

 

2015 Left.

Hiii… Hahahaaha am back. Its been quite a while since I last wrote here. Not that I have not been writing.

There have been many things going on in my world and in my family but all in all God has been good and well I am here to testify of God’s goodness.

You know when one tells you or says that they are above a specific things in their life.  Or how you sit back and in pride think that you can not do certain things because of who you are or who you think you are based on your strength and abilities. Then this one fine day  you find yourself in this situation that you never saw coming or thought you were above.

That was where I was about half way last year.

There are lessons in life that come and are hard, but at the same time if we actually view them in light of what they are here to bring, we will be amazed at just how much one grows.

To be continued….

 

 

 

Becky Nampijja and 308 Others

ssennoga - mind and heart

This week, the Ugandan community is awash with news of the demise of Becky Nampijja, a recent graduate and a beneficiary of the Watoto Child Care Ministries.

Becky was raised up as one of the thousands of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children that have characterised the Ugandan social scene in part due to the scourge of HIV and AIDS reaping their parents or the burden of social responsibility being too much for unemployed parents.

In a unique model of a foster community, off Mityana Road, Watoto Child Care Ministries places 8 such children in a home with a mother and there, their lives being to take shape as they should have been had they stayed in a proper home. They get brand new brothers and sisters, and learn to accept new mothers with whom they share life. They go to school, have a medicare facility and a community centre where they meet…

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CULTURE

I had the prevellege of traveling upcountry with my family this past weekend. The reason for our travel was to go for negotiations for a bride. My brother is getting married and he found a wife from Nebbi which is a good thing. 

Out of my mother’s four five children, three of us including me, have gotten mates from other cultures and this I think is a very good thing. I am thankful to my parents who did not limit us to getting mates from our tribe but instead encouraged us to find love in whatever place we could find it! 

The diversity of tribes/culture is an amazing thing that can be seen from even the smalls of things! It is evident in the physical as much as it is in the non physical aspects as well. 

The drive up north was really beautiful. The scenery as we went further up kept changing and becoming more and more beautiful. The landscape of Uganda makes me realise why Uganda is indeed the “Pearl of Africa” Beautiful just.

We crossed the river the twice. The first time we were greeted by baboons. The “red butts” I call them. This was after the Karuma Falls which are rough and white as they are scenic and soothing. The second time was as we approached Packwach. This was through the game reserve or the game park and as it should, there wild animals to behold. Elephants, Impalas and a couple of Zebras. This part of the river was calm and soothing as well as humid and hot!

A few half hours later we were in Nebbi. I was very much take up by the huts and the homes that they build. They structures are so neat and the finishing is quite pleasant. Not anything like the ones down south in the most rural of areas! This got me into thinking about just how proud the people in the north are of there way of life. The simplicity of their way of life was as well very refreshing. We were far from the hassle and bustle of the city and it was very evident. Naked children with no worry or care in the world. The older generation just happy doing life in peace and quiet. it was mango season, so as we got closer the mango trees were pregnant with fruit! it was a sight to behold.

Anyway, i could go on and on about these things but i will now go onto the next best thing which is the food!

Of course first on the agenda was mangoes! The season was a good on to travel in because those mangoes were just right! Unlike the ones in Kampala that are picked raw and become ripe after some time, I am sure the ones we were picked ripe from the tree! Ummm Ummm good!

Then came the Kalo. Unlike any I have had down south. I love Kalo, but the one I had up north was nothing like any I have ever eaten. They love goat meat prepared nothing like how we do it down south. The n there is the Odi. The Sim sim and ground nut paste. Ummm Ummm…. finger liking good, i tell you! 

Lets just say that by the time we were coming back to Kampala, I had packed on some pounds and I am happy to say that I am ok with it!

They celebrate differently that we do. They dress up differently from us in down south. I am sure they made the decision about their dress code according to the weather which is also something that I totally like.

[To be continued…]

 

Ignorance

When we think that we are sharp, and fool the whole world into thinking we are sharp, we should then be very careful the things that we say and especially to the people we say them to.

Its sad when someone that is in a position of influence does not improve themselves and yet is constantly expressing their opinion about something and yet all the while they just might slip up this one time and expose just how uninformed they are about a particular subject!

So i put up something that i have experienced in the last couple of days and it was something exciting. And then this one person who lets the work know through the things that they say and really tries to always be the wise one in any given conversation just blubbers out the direct opposite of what i was saying.

In the end they just used their mouth to speak and not their heads and that has ended up being such a disaster to say the least! 

So its is a wise person that once told me that you can never be known to be a fool until you open your mouth to speak. Because when you were quiet the whole world thought you were sharp until you opened your mouth to speak and yikes!!!! You lack of information just got put on display!

LIFE LESSONS

I have been away and quite silent for too long, but in my silence I have been learning some things in life that are really amazing. 

I will share them as I am led. Loss in life is something that human beings don’t deal well with. Loss of any form. A friend of mine a couple of weeks ago lost her dad and it was really tough on her. They had the kind of relationship with her father that God has designed it to be. it was intimate and friendly. He was one of her best friends and he knew many of her secretes.  It was one relationship that I personally loved because I don’t have that kind of relationship with my father.

So when her dad died, I kept thinking about how I would feel and how I would react and handle that death of my father if it happened. Each and every one of us has experienced some sort of loss in our lives. Tangible and intangible loss has come our way in our walks of life and in the different seasons of life.

Tangible in a sense that they are either people that we love, or the loved ones of people that we love. Material loss, or loss of things that matter to us and mean the world to us. Some of us have lost time, time which is part of the intangible things. Some of us have lost dreams and hopes and just those things that we cant place a hand on but they are there. It could also be the loss of opportunities and the loss of friendships either by choice or by accident. But all in all it has been loss and it has happened. 

What have we done about it though? How have we handled our different losses? Have we held people accountable or have we held them ransom because of those things that we have lost that we think have not been our doing but their doing? Or have we sat back and mourned our losses and felt what we needed to feel and them boldly allowed the Holy Spirit to help us handle our loss and still be positive while we are at it?

How have you handled the loss in your life? It could be the most mundane thing in your mind that you have lost but even in its state has left you a not so positive person?

How have you handled your loss or how are you still handling your loss?

More will come…. 

 

 

Self

Every once in a while its great to take time and think much about yourself. It’s great for you to just say to yourself all those good things that God says about you.
I am at the moment listening to Kirk Franklin’s song “I like me” and all he is saying to himself is that God likes him just the way that he is. Whether he is a loser or not, God likes him the way that he is and at the same time he ‘Kirk’ likes himself. I think it’s a great thing to do, just love on yourself and say all these things to yourself about you. He takes time to major on the things that the world may not like about him, that is what he talks about!
At the same time what are those things that we struggle with about ourselves? Have you ever asked yourself why you struggle with those very things that you struggle with? When you take time to zoom in on those things you will find that they are the things that people say about you. They are the things that people have majorly said about you or the perceptions that other people have about you that you struggle with and not so much you. Just pause for a bit and think. In fact make a list of them and you will find that it might not necessarily be things that you have a problem with, but things that other people have a problem with that become the things that we are insecure about.
Isn’t that quite amazing? So what are some of those things that you have discovered? When you sit with yourself and are honest with yourself, who has a problem with them? Is it you or the people whose opinion of you matters to you? And while you are at it, what does God have to say about those very things that are on your list?

Asking

The enemy of God hates God and he don’t care about me! That is something I have heard being said and now I know for a fact to be the truth!
Satan wants nothing good for me, he wants me to live a defeated, miserable and confused life. A life that is not worthy of what God has instore for me. He is doing everything in his power to undermine the work that has already been done by Jesus on the cross. He is using the things that matter to me the most to blind me from the truth of the fact that the work that was done on the cross is done and it will not be done again. It is FINISHED!!!!
I am reminded today that God knows me by name. I am reminded that He sent His only son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I am reminded that there is a battle that was won at calvary by Jesus and that the victory is mine. I am reminded that God knows me by name and that His plan for my life is yay and Amen. I am reminded that if God is for me, then who can be against me? I am reminded that no weapon formed against me shall prosper and that every tongue that rises up against me has been condemned!!!
I am reminded that I have to ask, seek and knock!!!! And that every time I do that, I will recieve, find and doors shall be opened for me by God! I am reminded that God is not at all tired of me asking for the seemingly mundane thing and that there is NOTHING too hard for God.
I am reminded that God is the God of the IMPOSSIBLE. In His vocabulary, there is no IMPOSSIBLE but POSSIBLE to me if I believe. I am reminded that God will answer every prayer if I do excercise my faith and that all I need in any situation is faith as small as a mustard seed!!!
I am in awe of the fact that God is for me but the enemy tries so hard to make it seem like God is not for me all the time!
Help me Father never forget the truth about the work that was done at calvary. Help me not to forget the reality of my worth to You as my Lord and King. Help me never allow circumstances to dictate Your greatness. I should not even measure You against my circumstances.
And above all forgive me for believing the lies from the enemy and not the truth about You and me.
I therefore choose to ask and seek and knock. I will always ask, seek and knock!!!! Until something something gives…

Timing

Hmmm this is the third time this morning am writing this post and it actually not going through. I am told that three is a charm, so I hope that this time it will actually be posted.

Have you ever wanted something so bad and you even knew the time in which you want it or need it and also prayed about it and received it? At the same time have you ever wanted something so bad and did everything you know how to get it and it just never came at the time that you really needed it?
What have you done or shall I ask how you have responded to both situations?
At the moment my husband and I are at a place in our lives where we are totally surrendered to God. We have given Him every aspect of our lives because we know He is the best Keeper of all things concerning us. You name it, we have given it to Him.
We are also at that place where we are sure, we have no doubt that God can do exceedingly, abundantly above what we could ever ask, think or imagine!!!!! Literally!
We have been through those moments when God has answered prayers in the time that we have made our requests known to Him and also in the seasons where we have asked ans expressed the urgency of the situation and have ast back and watched as He has seemingly done nothing. Yet at the end, when His timing has come, He has done more than we even asked for or thought or what we imagined.
In the seasons where He has taken His time, a lot of things as the years have gone on have also gone through our minds. At first we doubted His ability, and when He came through, we would apologize profusely, then there were seasons where we would sulk at God and just plain tell Him that He did not care. Yet all the while He kept coming through for us faithfully in His timing.
Now we are at that place where we both know that God is true to His word and He is faithful and when He does not respond immediately, that does not mean that He is not going to come through. It has taken us many situations and many emotional ups and downs for us to get here.
Now we make our requests known to Him in faith and we sit back and trust that He will come through for us in His timing and our prayer is that we will not grow weary in waiting on Him and for Him, but that we will hold steadfast in our faith and trust in Him. And that every lesson that we are meant to learn while we wait, we will learn.
I am not saying it is easy, but it is a great place to be because He always comes though!
Stay blessed!

Need.

As the year slowly unfolds, I am looking at the reality around me. The very situations around me and all I can say is how can I get the Lord to use me and make me relevant in my world?
I realise that I need to up my game in terms of what and where I want to be positioned for the Lord’s using. I have a group of mothers it’s a page where we go and vent and talk about anything and everything and this week the topic has been the birth of the ‘Carter’ baby vs the children born in Mulago Hospital right here in Uganda.
Many things have come up but the one thing that I would like to bring up today is the issue of the need that is right here in Uganda.
I had never realised how dire the situation in Mulago is where it comes to the Maternity Ward. When compared to what the Carter’s did in NYC, its such a shame. It got me thinking that there has got to be something that we as Ugandan’s do and I don’t think that it should entirely be about the money, though we need money to get some things done, I believe that it’s the heart that matters and the spirit in which things are done.
Mothers in Mulago are on the floor right after they have given birth to their children… That is sad, sad, sad. Right after the most amazing experience of giving birth or partnering with the Lord to bring a life into this world, the least the mother can get is a comfy place to rest right after what her body has been through.
Anyway, at the moment I am just putting my thoughts out there and I am planning on writing a proposal where women are taken care of for free right after childbirth.
Who is with me on this one?