A letter to a hurting friend

I would like to share a letter that I wrote to a friend last summer. Generally I can be a very private person but I’m beginning to learn that sometimes it’s important to be open and to share aspects of your life or personal experiences to help someone who needs to be encouraged.

If you are hurting maybe this will encourage you too?

For anonymity purposes I will refer to this friend as Mindy.

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Dearest Mindy

I see your current change of environment as a turning point for you and the beginning of a new journey. I know currently you feel lost and without hope and I know that deep down you desire to get your life back and to get back with God. The above things may seem so far away from you but know that even today, as you read this letter God is in the process of drawing you back to him. The journey has already begun!

I would like to open up my heart to you and share with you a story.

In 2012/2013 I was so broken and far from God. My life was a complete train wreck and no matter how hard I tried (in my own strength) I just couldn’t see beyond or rise above my pain and disappointment. I think it was in December 2013 that I finally cracked. I realised that I could no longer try and “live” without pursuing Christ. My life would always be empty and dry, I needed the fountain of living water!

As hard as it was I decided to be intentional about seeking the Lord and truly giving my heart to Him. I started by resolving to wake up at 5am every morning to spend time with Him (whatever that meant to me at the time). I knew that I was on some sort of journey and I knew I had to trust in the Lord and take things a day at a time. I needed a tangible way to document my journey back to the Lord so I decided to write a daily journal, writing one page a day. I wrote to the lord and told him about my day to day life, my hopes and aspirations in Him… I told Him what I had learned in my devotional time and asked Him to help me with scriptures that I didn’t understand. I asked Him to help me when I had issues with my car. I spoke to Him when I was upset, happy, sad, excited, confused… I opened up to Him about my weaknesses and asked for strength to overcome. Many times I wrote to Him in confession and repentance.

Over a period of time (quite quickly actually) Christ became my heart’s one choice, my greatest confidant and truest companion and friend. I felt alive Mindy, after being dead for a long time. Sometimes I look back at my journal entries and my experiences and as painful as things were at the time I can now see how God’s hand was in it. Christ used it all to help me to grow and to develop. I am so thankful to Him and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have had things any other way.

As I am writing my experience, these words came to mind, “In Jesus we have an enduring, unchanging friend, and though all earthly prospects should fail and every earthly friend prove treacherous, yet He is faithful still.” Manuscript Releases Vol 12 page 115

Please see enclosed a gift from a friend to a friend. I know that you are so hurt and broken at the moment but I believe God can give you beauty for ashes. Pain shapes the most beautiful things in the world. I know that God has a plan for you, I know that He is on your side, and that He will take this situation and use it for His glory and for your benefit. Please Mindy put your trust in Him and give Him access to your heart. Please don’t take this gift lightly please commit to the journey. I encourage you to be intentional about spending quiet time before the Lord and to write (as least one page) in your new journal every day.

I believe this time next year things will be a lot different and you will look back at everything while reading your journal and you will give all glory to God. Let it be beautiful Mindy, allow Christ to work on your heart.

I love you Mindy (even though I’m not always the best at saying it or showing it) you are a special and precious friend to me. I am glad that God has allowed us to share a close friendship on this earth. I can’t wait to see you happy again and I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in your life.

With overflowing Love,

xx Daisy xx

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Proverbs 17:17  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

New Home

Hi all, just a quick post to share a few photos of my new home.

Getting here was truly a journey of faith, all I can say is *sings* To God be the glory, great things he has done!

I hope to share the story with you soon but until then enjoy the pictures J

My cottage on the far right before the gate.

God does answer prayers!

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

Travel Diaries: Paris, France - Part 2

Continuing on from part 1 J

6) Beware of pick pockets!!!!

No exaggeration! I read some tips online on how to avoid being a victim of pick pockets and I determined to stay safe. I put all my valuables in a small cotton shoulder bag and wore it under my jacket. On the second day of being in Paris we were in Place de la Concorde and I saw a picture of Cain (from the biblical story of Cain and Abel) lamenting. I was taking pictures of it with both mine and Estella’s phone in my hands.  Three girls came out of nowhere and asked me if I could speak English. (They probably thought I was on my own as Estella was standing on the side of the statue and out of view.) Without me realising it the girls had formed a subtle circle around me and I was in the centre. As soon I heard the girl say “Sign here please” My mind went back to an online article I read and according to Estella I firmly said “No!” and "teleported" myself out of their circle! Estella found my swift exit incredibly amusing. Without hesitation the three girls quickly moved on. OK, you don’t need to be as dramatic as I was but make sure you keep your belonging close to you and also be aware of your surroundings especially in busy public touristy places. Estella and I giggled at the fact that those pickpockets would probably have relieved me of the banana peels and apple cores that were building up in my bag, but I guess it’s all about not giving them an opportunity at all.

Statue of Cain Lamenting - Place de la Concorde

7)  Understand who you’re traveling with

I learnt so much about Estella as well as myself on this holiday. Estella is very much into being flexible and ad hoc, I on the other hand am into being structured and following schedules. This could have been a point of contention as we are complete opposites but instead it gave us both an opportunity to explore each other’s personalities. Without prior planning day 1 of our trip was my day, it was very structured and all planned to the minutest detail. Estella took part in that and I think it allowed her to see how much organisation goes into planning activities for a holiday and also how many things you can fit into a day if everything is pre planned. Day 2 was Estella’s day which was very “as and when”, we literally woke up in the morning with no idea or goal in mind. This would ordinarily frustrate me but day 2 ended up being such a fun and spontaneous day. I learnt how to relax and simply “go with the flow” and allow the day to evolve naturally. So when traveling with anyone, seek to understand exactly who they are and do not allow your differences to hinder the holiday, but rather use it as an opportunity to get to know them (and yourself) better.

The Mona Lisa 

8) Being polite will help you

To keep costs low we booked to stay at a hostel in a female dorm room of 6. It was my first time staying in a hostel and I was nervous about the experience due to my own preconceived ideas of hostels and also not knowing who we would be sharing with. We got to the hostel early Sunday morning and clearly woke up the receptionist when we buzzed to get in. He asked if we could come back in an hour, we were so shocked and annoyed as the website stated that the reception was open for 24 hours. We found it hard to make out what else he was saying as he was literally half asleep and mumbling English words, but we think he was asking us to leave our luggage in the lockers and come back in an hour and we would be able to have our room. I was so tempted to make a fuss about the whole situation as we had travelled the whole night and needed to sleep, shower and eat ASAP! We complied however and came back after an hour. When we got back Ester decided to speak to the receptionist in French and to build up a rapport with him while he checked us in. Well, he ended up giving us a free breakfast, the best room in the hostel and we had the room to ourselves! Praise God, I was so happy and thankful!!!! Now I am not saying that you should be polite just so you can get what you want, but from our experience we found that it pays to be polite and build bridges when travelling abroad.

The "Love Lock" Bridge

9) Enjoy the experience

That’s it! Just enjoy it! Enjoy every moment of your holiday even the parts that don’t seem very exciting or that don’t go as planned.  I enjoyed sitting with Estella in a self-manned laundrette for an hour waiting for the hostel to open.  I enjoyed walking around Paris in the rain with our feet soaking wet, looking for a raw vegan restaurant which we didn’t even step into in the end as it was so pricy! I enjoyed taking pictures under a tree at the park and having a bird poop on my hand and screaming so loud that Estella got scared and ran into me and the bird poop smudged on her, we couldn’t stop laughing. I enjoyed just sitting on the L’Open Tour “hop on, hop off” bus all day with no real destination in mind. I enjoyed Estrella and I randomly discovering an open green park area and spreading my sleeping bag around the grass and just lying there watching the world go by. Those precious moments, relish them. You don’t usually experience those things and being in another country everyday so make sure you enjoy your time whatever happens.

Best Falafel Place in the world!!!!

10) Trust in the Lord

Last but not least, trust in the Lord J

Estella and I literally put this whole holiday in God’s hands, from our safety to our spending money, even to our friendship. It can be scary travelling to a foreign country as sometimes people go on holiday sadly to never return. Some may laugh at this, but I was amazed when I got to Paris and the realisation hit me that God is literally everywhere and he is always with me. This comforted me as there were times when I was concerned about whether we would be safe in Paris; I realised that I am as safe there (in Paris) as I would be here (in the UK) because ‘It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.’ Lamentation 3:22. God is always with us wherever we are so give your holiday to him, trust him; He will keep you safe, sustain your friendships and untimely make your holiday enjoyable.

The Eiffel Tower

Thank you for reading my travel diary. Until next time J

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

Estella, we did it!!!!!!

Travel Diaries: Paris, France – Part 1

I spent the last May Day Bank Holiday in Paris, France, with my friend Estella. It’s amazing how this quick, cheap, minimal holiday turned into one of my best holidays so far. We are definitely not seasoned travelers but we did learn a lot of things during our 3 days in Paris, here are some of our tips - 

French Flag

1) Make a covenant to remain friends no matter what

It has always baffled me how people can go on holiday as best friends and come back home with a severed friendship. Estella and I were very much aware of this possibility and promised each other that we would fight to stay friends no matter what! (sounds funny right!) This included choosing not to make small things an issue, being flexible, praying together, dying to self, putting the other person first (e.g Estella knees were killing her but she still spent the day walking around Musse du Louvre with me because she knew it was something I really wanted to do - what a sweet heart J) and working together to make the holiday enjoyable for both of us. I’m telling you it really worked! Estella and I came back from holiday even better friends.

2) Learn your maps as much as you can

There’s nothing that screams target than a confused tourist reading a map. Estella is an excellent map reader but even then we had to be careful. We were trying to get to a raw vegan restaurant on day 2 of our holiday and it was raining so heavily that our paper map was literally being dissolved by the heavy rain drops. We were on the right road but didn’t quite know where to turn off so we spent some time staring at the map and out of nowhere a man was trying to help us. He was quite persistent even though we explained we were OK, Estella then firmly declined and we carried on our way. I questioned her about it and she said “Be careful of those that are oh so willing to give their help, especially in crowed places”.  I don’t think she is saying that we should walk around paranoid but that we must be aware of our surroundings as you may find this friendly helper has associates (who you probably wouldn’t notice as they look like casual by passers) that are helping themselves to your belongings.

Musee Du Louvre 

3) Set rules at the beginning

You didn’t go on holiday on your own so be mindful that someone else is accountable for you so you shouldn’t really try to do your own things This was not an issue for Estella and I but we definitely think this is a worthwhile tip. If you want to have a bit of independence while on holiday with someone else, communicate this clearly and set rules from the beginning. For example no wandering off, if you’re going somewhere say where you’re going, set meeting places etc. This will allow the holiday to run smoothly and will also provide accountability and safety.

4) Be careful when taking Touristy pictures at night

We made this mistake when walking home on day 2 and ended up being followed. Thankfully we managed to get away by asking a waiter if we could sit in his restaurant until the men that were following us went away. Once the coast was clear we watchfully hurried back to our hostel. We were so confused as to why we were targeted and it was only when Estella took her phone out we realised that it was because we were taking pictures which made it obvious that we were tourist.

Good Vegan Food

5) There’s no point of everyone bringing everything

This is key when going on a “Budget” minimalist type holiday. Estella and I purposed to try and bring as little as possible on this holiday in terms of clothes, toiletries, travel items etc. Estella is the champion of this as she went with just her hand bag! She didn’t bring any shower gel or tooth paste, which was OK because I had some and she knew she could use it. Apart from my “pick pocket proof” bag I didn’t have a suitable bag to carry around my non valuable items, but Estella had a fold away shoulder bag that I could use. Some people may not be too keen on sharing personal items but if you’re going on a short holiday where there may be times you will need to walk around with your luggage then this would be the more logical approach. Plus you want to leave space for your souvenirs and other things you buy on holiday.

Tuileries Garden

More tips to come in part 2 J

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

Journal Entry – 18th May 2015

What Shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? (Psalms 116:12)

Long title, but truly I am so thankful for 26 years of life! I feel like I am getting old but at the same time I feel like I am growing and maturing. Lord help me to become the woman you want me to be, please help these years not to pass by in vain.

I am thinking about all the things that you have done –

The many ways you have protected me.

The times you have comforted me.

The times you have chastised and corrected me.

The people you have allowed to cross my path.

The talents you have given me.

The heart you are shaping and moulding 

Lord I am so thankful, for all these things come from you.

Right now I am still worried about the house*, but Lord you know what? I choose to trust you instead. I choose to let this day go by and allow you to work out events. At the end of the day your Will will be done and you will fulfil your good purpose.

When looking back at these 26 years these songs lyrics come to mind

“All along, Your hand has been guiding me, shaping my life to be a beautiful song. All along, You've led me through things that you knew would make me strong. Your love has been there all along."

Thank you for bringing me to Germany to spend my birthday here, I am having so much fun with Rona and Malaika.

Thanking you for the life you created (my life) and for the life that was given so that I could have life (Christ’s life).

And thank you friends and family for all the lovely birthday messages and kind words. I am so grateful for the contributions that you have made to my life.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

*During this time I was praying that I would get a particular house and I got it 4 days later J

Travel Diaries: Cologne, Germany

This month my mother and I traveled to Germany for a little respite from work and to visit my sister Rona and niece Malaika. I was literally living between London and Germany for most of 2011 so I was excited to go back after almost 4 years.

Interestingly enough there was almost no holiday as we missed our early morning flight, which left me in a very rotten mood and I vowed to go back to Wales. The situation was a complete disaster - the cab driver came really late, the self service bag drop wouldn't register our bags so we had to take them as hand luggage, I had almost all my liquids thrown in the bin at security, as we rushed to the gate we forgot one bag at security and had to turn back and then my mother and I ended up going to two completely different departure gates...it was awful! But I guess you live and you learn. That day I learnt the true meaning of the phrase "Character is not formed in a crisis but rather revealed". Running late, missing our flight and being extremely stressed really showed me how dreadful I can be when under huge amounts of pressure...hmmm this is probably a discussion for another blog post so let's get back to the holiday. 

So we finally arrived in Germany and were greeted by Rona, Stephan and Malaika. When I saw my sister I realised that I hasn't seen her in almost two years but it felt like I just saw her the other day. My niece on the other hand didn't remember me at all, even after showing her pictures of us having fun times together. Despite forgetting who I was she greeted me which such affection and warmth. I realised how important it is to be active in a young child's life and to make an effort to be there as children will forget who you are if they hardly or never see you. It's nothing personal, I guess so much happens in a young child's life and they are constantly making new memories who those around them. 

Malaika and I - Creating new memories

When I was last in Germany my sister was living in a modern apartment in Bonn but since moved to a house in a small village in Cologne. The village isn't too far from an apple farm so we spent most of the trip in the house enjoying the sunshine with freshly squeezed organic apple juice.

Mum, Niece and Sister

On Sunday we visited the historic town of Aachen which is still in Germany but borders Belgium. Almost everything is closed in Germany on a Sunday, but the town's main attraction, Aachen Cathedral, was open. I only managed to get one decent picture of the outside (the cathedral is much bigger than pictured) and I wasn't too sure if I was allowed to take photos of the inside, but definitely look it up on the internet as it is quite an interesting building. The outside of the Cathedral had a very gothic and medieval feel but the inside was quite bright and had some very detailed artwork - especially on the ceiling. Overall I would describe the interior as being quite spectacular. It's strange because even though I found some parts of the Cathedral very  beautiful, I couldn't help but think how much money was spent on the interior and the ornaments and wondered whether it could have been put towards a more needy cause. 

Aachen Cathedral 

Well, that pretty much sums up my trip to Germany, I think this short holiday really ignited my love for travelling. I want to do a lot more traveling in the future and explore the world that God created. One thing is for certain, I will definitely be making trips to Germany more often than not. 

Be ready for more travel diaries.

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

A Letter to a Bride to Be

Last December my close friend Anike got married. I was so overwhelmed when she asked me to be her Chief Bridesmaid and to travel with her to Nigeria for the wedding. I was so excited and couldn't wait to share the experience with her!  With that said, you could probably imagine how utterly devastated I was when plans for me to go to Nigeria didn't work out. I was so upset but nevertheless I wanted to be there for her so as a special token (and as part of a group bridal shower gift) I decided to write her a letter before she left for Nigeria.

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Dear Miss Anike Akinrinlade,

Wow this is the last time I will be writing your name in this way as you are soon to be known as Mrs Anike Igunnu. Congratulations sweetie!!!!

We have known each other since we were 11/12 years old and I have seen you grow into a beautiful, intelligent and God fearing woman. Anike, you have truly come a long way in your journey with the Lord and I am so thankful that he has allowed you to enter into this wonderful new season. It feels like only yesterday we were talking about our desire for God to bless us with a Godly man and, for you my dear Anike, that time has come and God has truly provided.

Anike, choose to love Tope daily even when your feelings tell you otherwise. Remember that love is a high and holy principle, it is not a feeling, it remains steadfast, immovable and doesn’t die when severely tested. When test and trials come, meet them together in the strength of Christ with fortitude and courage.

Do all you can to make your home a little heaven where Tope can find rest and refreshment in your love and God willing one day in the love of your children. Seek daily to be a husband and wife that please God, forsaking all rude, harsh, angry and unpleasant words and choosing to speak loving, kind, pure and affectionate words to each other. Keep Christ as the central pillar of your home remembering that He is the cord that binds your hearts together in love.

I’m so happy for you Anike and I pray that all the blessings that God intends to bestow on the marriage union will be yours as you both walk faithfully with the Lord bringing Him into your home and hearts daily.

I would like to leave you with two of my favourite quotes:

“Love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened.” The Desire of Ages pg 22

“The Presence of Christ alone can make men and women happy. All the common waters of life Christ can turn into the wine of heaven. The home then become as an Eden of bliss; the family, a beautiful symbol of the family in heaven”. The Adventist Home pg 28

May your married life be a foretaste of heaven.

With Overflowing Love

♥ Miss Daisy ♥

Anike and I at Heathrow Airport at 5am. Bidding the bride to be goodbye.

The Hidden Work

Ok, this could just be me, but sometimes when I see people preaching, teaching, singing or just generally sharing the word of God, I gain a wonderful blessing from it but at the same time I start to feel extremely discouraged. I often think to myself “Daisy, what exactly are YOU doing for the Lord?” “People are out there and you’re just…there.”

I had one of those moments this month and God had to remind me of The Hidden Work.

I think it was towards the end of 2011 when I watched a YouTube video of some young people that I knew who were preaching across the “mean” streets of London. I remember calling a friend and describing what I had seen and how guilty I felt because it seemed like I wasn’t doing anything. At the time I was one of the main teachers within a medium sized bible study group. We met every Friday night and Sunday afternoon to study bible history, prophecy and a variety of topics concerning the life and character of Jesus Christ. To me, the work I was doing with the bible study group couldn’t compare to what I was seeing on YouTube.

My friend listened very carefully to what I was saying and replied “You may look at that and think wow and then feel really bad and useless, but you do know that there is a great work that goes on that isn’t captured on camera?”

Hmmm, that comment made me think – maybe my understanding of the gospel work was all wrong. Should I really be looking at God’s work in that way?

Let us consider this - God does have a great work for us to do, that’s a fact. However, it might not be for you (at the moment) to be seen of men and to be out there and visible to hundreds or thousands via media or through foreign missions. Maybe your great work is to be committed to your weekly bible studies teaching 2 people for the next 3 years. Let us remember that the work of the gospel is more than our finite minds can fathom and often God works contrary to our own human ideals and imagination. You may look at the above scenario and think it is of little value as its only 2 people not knowing that under your influence, guidance and mentorship those 2 people will impact so many others, people perhaps that you could never reach. Did you do a great work? Yes. Were you seen? No.

For some of us that work may be for us to be still before the Lord doing nothing but sitting at His feet daily, studying His word and allowing Him to break the stony part of our hearts. Being visibly active may look all glamorous but even those who are out there will tell you that it isn’t always easy and they often have to face much discouragement and disappointment. You want to be active and out there but are you ready for the tests and trial that come with it?

Another thing to consider is Matthew 20:1 – 10. It doesn’t fit the situation we are talking about like for like but it brings out a very good lesson. In this parable some labour in the vineyard from the morning, others come in the afternoon and some come at the 11^th hour but at the end of the day all receive the same wage. This is an illustration of the gospel work, naturally some will do “more” than others but ultimately all will receive the same reward. So there is no reason for us to feel like we need to compete with or compare ourselves to others.

Let’s not be discouraged people, if we avail ourselves God will do a great work in us but let us not think doing a great work automatically means we will be out there for all to see. It isn’t about us so let’s allow God to lead us to do His work, while we continue to study the bible and make good use of the opportunities he has already put before us.

I often forget the lessons that God has shown me in the past…so thankful for gentle reminders.

Be encouraged!

Love, your girl forever,

♥ Miss Daisy ♥