The winners and me speaking on video (last post!!!)

Good day all, 
Thank you to everyone that participated and left feedback. I absolutely appreciate it. 
So the winners are:
Runner up winner: Honeydame
and the first place winner is:.....Destiny - Yankeenaijachick + Success(yep you defiantly keep adding to your name...lol)
Please email me Destiny - Yankeenaijachick + Success and  honeydame. My email address is earthichick@gmail.com


I've come to realize that just like TV, I was wasting alot of my time online, sooo i have come to the conclusion that i need to LIVE life, life is too short for me to devote even a quarter of it to being online. If i ever return, it will probably be in terms of audio or video. 
So i leave you all with three vids, the first is a spoken word poem that i wrote myself. The second is a vid i watched today that touched me dearly. The third is a song that i heard in october in a funeral.  


First vid: Chizzy D last words on chizzyd.com plus spoken word

Second vid: This brought me to tears

The third vid: In Christ Alone(All other ground is sinking Sand!!!!)

My favorite part was:

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh

Fulness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied -

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

May we be his and he me ours, Amen!

Love, Chizzy ;D

A post that I couldn't write without shedding joyful tears!

Hi blogger fam,


I started this blog last november. To read my first real post(clickhere) and see where i am today, all i can do is shout in amazement of my God and how all along he had a VERY PERFECT plan for me, all i had to do was trust in him.
So, last i posted i was planning on moving to Colorado and i had a interview there before my planned moved.  Fast foward to today. I AM in Colorado(it took me three day of travel by car to get here), i have a very cute apartment, a 70 year old lady that I had never met before took me under her wings, hosted me in her home till i found my own place, cooked for me, showed me around, and helped me move into my apartment buying me some food, cleaning and kitchen supplies, and invited me to her church and yoga exercise classes. Oh and let me me not forget the biggest blessing, the EXACT day i planned on moving, the company i interviewed with called me to offer me the job!!!!!!!!

This is something that i have been praying about for over a year now. And blogger fam, out of all the positions i applied or interviewed for, this one IS the best. This position is something that entry level people in my field NEVER get until about ten years of working. Not just that, it's in a state and city that i absolutely desired to live in. HOW AMAZING IS MY GOD!!!!!!!!


I have been reflecting on this last year and how it was soo uncertain and how at times it made me really sad, mad, angry, depressed, grateful, emotional. I feel that God was trying to teach me MANY different things during that period and he was very successful. I, Chizzy D, have no power,  my WORKS have no power. All power belongs to GOD, he is the only one in control, so it only makes sense to surrender to him. 
If you are going through a similar period in life, use the time to seek what God is trying to teach you.  Regardless of the outcome, God is in control and he knows the plans he has for you even if you don't.


Thank you soo much blogger fam for your prayers and encouragement. Please pray that God continues to bring amazing ppl in my life, that i find a great church family, that i'm protected by him at all times, and that i transition properly to a professional job. 

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Rescue me

 Rescue by Desparation Band

You are the source of the life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You

I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else can I go
There’s no other name by
Which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You

 My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do
Lord I put my trust in You

I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else can I go
There’s no other name by
Which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You

This world has nothing for me
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
I will follow You 

Have a blessed day. Chizzy ;D

To Rihanna, From Jesus **a must see**

 Good day all,
When i initially clicked on this video, i thought it was going to be some crazy "funny" vid, but gosh this video totally brought tears to my eyes. What this women said applies to ALL of us. This was sooooooo beautiful to me, now if i can just have her praying for me everyday that would be great. 
Specifically check out the non-judgment, just prayer.




Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Homosexuality is a Sin, but...

 Good day all, 

I am a women of many verbal words, but of very few written words, soooooo i'm going get right to the point. 
Last year I went to one of the biggest, international, most awesome-est(yep thats a word) Christian missions conference for college kids called Urbana. It happens every three years, and this conference does not play. The speakers are bold Paul-type people from all over the world. I LOOOOOOVe this conference. The main speakers always speak on all the things the modern Church shys away from speaking about i.e..money, homosexuality, racism, marriage, hatred..list goes on.
I can seriously go on and on about this conference and how both(2006 and 2009) times i went REALLY impacted my life, but this post is on homosexuality, so here goes. 
I attended a seminar on homosexuality(there were MANY seminars on this topic) that really opened my eyes as to how God really sees it and how i also should respond. Although i have never been one to look down on homosexual people, this seminar really convicted me.

Is Homosexuality a sin?

 Yes, in Romans 1:26-31 it says: For this cause God gave them up into vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet"

Is Homosexuality different from any other sin?

Nope!!!!! A sin is a sin is a sin is a sin in God's eyes. 

Can you be a christian who struggles with Homosexuality?

Yes!! We were all born sinners right? Some of us struggle with lying, some with stealing, cheating, lust(homo or hetero), money loving, vanity, evil tongue<-------ME!!. Whatever it is, even after one becomes a Christian, there is still a battle between the flesh and the spirit. A battle that can and must be won, and can only be won through Christ.
Galatians 5:16-26....

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

How do you witness to a (very open or not so very open) Homosexual person? 

Same way you witness to anyone else. Because many homosexuals have a distrust of Christians, get on there level. Think about the darkest struggles that you have or are having and share with them how God has helped you over come this struggle or is helping you overcome this struggle. Ask them if they would like to learn more about the God who came to save the hopeless. Invite them to partner with you as you strive to grow closer to Christ.


The guy who taught the homosexual class is a guy that struggled with homosexuality named Christopher Yuan. I had the great opportunity to meet him and his parents. His testimony is on the Vid below:




To watch some speakers from Urbana, check out: Click-here


Oh my Chineke i wrote alot, go meeee!!

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Be praying for blogger Kimvan, Japan and surrounding countries

 In the last 12 hours, Japan was hit with a massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake (it the 5th-strongest in the world since 1900). It is reported that 32 people and counting have died. Pray that miracles happen today, that no more damage is done, that no more people die.

This is a reminder that this earth is not our home, stop treating it like it is. #Matthew 28:19-20

 I'm asking you to add Japan and surrounding regions in your Prayers today. Pray for the safety of fellow blogger, Kimvan, who currently lives in Northern Japan.




Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

My first time celebrating Lent, join me and World Vision!!!

 Good day all, 

I have never celebrated Lent before, but after coming across what World Vision is doing this year, i decided to join and you can too.  While looking through the program, i realized how spiritually beneficial it would be for me to partake in the "Lent 2011: Relentless Acts of Justice" online program that World Vision has set up. I truly encourage you to check it out.

 What is lent?
According to Wikipedia-------->Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, repentance, alms giving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Preview of what is being planned by World Vision:
Week 1: We will experience worthlessness through a story about microfinance by going without something physical.
Week 2: We will experience helplessness through a story about malaria by feeling vulnerable.
Week 3: We will experience carelessness through a story about HIV and AIDS by feeling ostracized.
Week 4: We will experience godlessness through a story about religious persecution by limiting our own spiritual resources.
Week 5: We will experience speechlessness through a story about sex trafficking by giving up control and ownership over our lives.
Week 6: We will experience hopelessness through a story about education by feeling forgotten.

These people are not worthless, helpless, careless, Godless, speechless and hopeless
because it’s their fault. In fact, it may just be our fault that we do not actively bring
worth, help, care, God, speech and hope to them. It is imperative that we seek to
understand their lives. Only when we see the humanity and divinity in a stranger’s eyes
can we love them as Christ calls us to love them.  


 May God Bless you and I with Discomfort

May God bless you with discomfort. Discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen

May God bless you with anger. Anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen

May God bless you with tears. Tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. Amen

May God bless you with foolishness. Enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen

And the blessing of God, who creates, redeems and sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen

Coming up Sunday----> Week 1: We will experience worthlessness through a story about microfinance by going without something physical.

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Are you seriously willing to die for Christ? This man recently did.

Good day all, 
Just last week Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Minorities Minister and sole Christian Cabinet minister was assassinated.

In the interview, Mr. Bhatti said of Pakistani Islamists:

They want to impose their radical philosophy in Pakistan and whoever stands against their radical philosophy, they threaten them. When I’m leading this campaign against the Shariah laws and for the abolishment of [the] blasphemy law and speaking for the oppressed and marginalized, persecuted Christians and other minorities, these Taliban threaten me.

But I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the meaning of [the] cross and I’m following … the cross.

I’m ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community and suffering people and I will die to defend their rights. So these threats and these warnings cannot change my opinion and principles. I will prefer to die for my principles and for the justice of my community rather to compromise.

*****Blogger fam, these kinds of things are happening everyday. While many of the people that call themselves Christians are worried about how they can use God to glorify self, this man reminds us that its ALL about Christ being glorified. *****


While on facebook this morning one of my mentors post this quote next to this story:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God... something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:3-8"

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Mental, Spiritual, physical, and Emotional goals for March and beyond

Good day all. 
Like i discussed yesterday I'm making new plans for March and beyond because I want to be productive. I've decided to put it in writing.  I did similar things like this when i was in school which has been all my life(lol). 

 

First, I plan on making a liberal plan for each day the night before. That way i have goals and and are more likely to achieve them.

Mental- Have a goal to read a book(gifted or bought that i have not read) and finish it by the end of the month. Substitute online T.V. movie time for this. At least one hour of reading(this is huge cause i haven't been a fan of physical reading in a long while now).


Spiritual- First thing in the morning(before ever opening up my computer) have morning devotion. 
I am currently using solo: An uncommon devotional and it's pretty amazing, totally recommend it.


Physical- Workout at least three times a week for 1 hour. Focusing on running and exercises that increase my heart rate. Run at the very beautiful park near my home or officially join that really cool and expensive gym near my home. 



Emotional- hmm i'm not sure yet. Oh i know...Work on my Chizzy D book(yep i have one, its a pretty cool personal scrapbook). Being as creative as i want, writing poems, songs, drawing things i want to sew up, just digging in the book and being creative whenever i'm feeling down.

Question: Do you make similar plans?

p.s. none of this pics were taken by me.



Have a blessed day. Chizzy :D

"The eye of the Beholder"

 Good day all,
 Check out this twilight zone film about beauty and how society and people in power, control things like how the majority of humans view themselves. I find it extremely similar to the world we in today.

How to fight against this: Read the scriptures in the bible and understand how God sees you, then Fight It by seeing yourself the way the God that created everything about your image sees you.











Have a blessed day. Chizzy :D

Question!

 Why are you a Christian?

 Are you are Christian so that Christ would be glorified through you or are you a Christian so that you would be glorified through Christ?

Have a blessed day. Chizzy :D

Beware of False Gospels

Good day friends,
I feel an absolute responsibility to fully start calling out False gospels this year because this stuff has absolutely nothing to do with what Christ Jesus preached. If one really reflects and compares some of these gospels to the gospel of Jesus Christ, they would realize that these false gospels are actually more in line with what the Devil says. 

Please fully listen to these, especially the second video because it explain what it mean to live like Christ, pretty much what the bible says. 




Link to check out:
Watch Out for Those Who Lead You Away from the Truth

Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Passion 2011

 Good day all, 

So i'm very excited because i will be going to an awesome conference called "Passion 2011" come Friday. The conference will be at Atlanta from Jan 1st until Jan 4th. There are lot of amazing speakers and artists that will be there. Most notably, John Piper and Lecrae. Anyone who knows me or followed my old blog, knows how i seriously feel about Lecrae's music, they would also know my thoughts on John Piper. In 2010, my top three non-personal Christian role models were Shane Claiborne, Lecrae and  John Piper. I met Shane Claiborne last year in Urbana, but have never been to a Lecrae concert or listened to John Piper speak live(even though i have kinda tried). I registered to go to Passion 2011 with my church about a week ago, but this week i found out that both Lecrae and John Piper would be there. Words can not explain how excited i am. Those two people are only a small part of why i am so excited.  

• My old blog's name came from a lecrae song called: Go hard(one of my many theme song), check out articles i wrote on Lecrae click HERE

• To learn more about Passion 2011, click HERE

• To see articles i wrote on John Piper on my old blog, click HERE

Have a blessed day. Chizzy D and Happy New Years

Enjoy some Christmas Joy

Merry Christmas guys,

Enjoy this beautiful flashmob!!








Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Mold me Lord

The Potter's Hand

 Verse:
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted
into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Chorus:
Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through your eyes
I'm captured by your Holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing me to yourself
lead me Lord I pray









Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

How to forgive

The bible  commands us to forgive because Christ has forgiven us. Forgiving is much easier said than done as we all know. I read this article by: Leo Babauta from www.zenhabits.net and wanted to share it with you all. I hope it helps. 


Take it away Leo----------------->
We’ve all been hurt by another person at some time or another — we were treated badly, trust was broken, hearts were hurt.
And while this pain is normal, sometimes that pain lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over, and have a hard time letting go.
This causes problems. It not only causes us to be unhappy, but can strain or ruin relationships, distract us from work and family and other important things, make us reluctant to open up to new things and people. We get trapped in a cycle of anger and hurt, and miss out on the beauty of life as it happens.
We need to learn to let go. We need to be able to forgive, so we can move on and be happy.

This is something I learned the hard way — after years of holding onto anger at a loved one that stemmed from my childhood and teen-age years, I finally let go of this anger (about 8 years ago or so). I forgave, and not only has it improved my relationship with this loved one tremendously, it has also helped me to be happier.
Forgiveness can change your life.
Forgiveness does not mean you erase the past, or forget what has happened. It doesn’t even mean the other person will change his behavior — you cannot control that. All it means is that you are letting go of the anger and pain, and moving on to a better place.
It’s not easy. But you can learn to do it.
If you’re holding onto pain, reliving it, and can’t let go and forgive, read on for some things I’ve learned.
1. Commit to letting go. You aren’t going to do it in a second or maybe not even in a day. It can take time to get over something. So commit to changing, because you recognize that the pain is hurting you.
2. Think about the pros and cons. What problems does this pain cause you? Does it affect your relationship with this person? With others? Does it affect work or family? Does it stop you from pursuing your dreams, or becoming a better person? Does it cause you unhappiness? Think of all these problems, and realize you need to change. Then think of the benefits of forgiveness — how it will make you happier, free you from the past and the pain, improve things with your relationships and life in general.
3. Realize you have a choice. You cannot control the actions of others, and shouldn’t try. But you can control not only your actions, but your thoughts. You can stop reliving the hurt, and can choose to move on. You have this power. You just need to learn how to exercise it.
4. Empathize. Try this: put yourself in that person’s shoes. Try to understand why the person did what he did. Start from the assumption that the person isn’t a bad person, but just did something wrong. What could he have been thinking, what could have happened to him in the past to make him do what he did? What could he have felt as he did it, and what did he feel afterward? How does he feel now? You aren’t saying what he did is right, but are instead trying to understand and empathize.
5. Understand your responsibility. Try to figure out how you could have been partially responsible for what happened. What could you have done to prevent it, and how can you prevent it from happening next time? This isn’t to say you’re taking all the blame, or taking responsibility away from the other person, but to realize that we are not victims but participants in life.
6. Focus on the present. Now that you’ve reflected on the past, realize that the past is over. It isn’t happening anymore, except in your mind. And that causes problems — unhappiness and stress. Instead, bring your focus back to the present moment. What are you doing now? What joy can you find in what is happening right now? Find the joy in life now, as it happens, and stop reliving the past. Btw, you will inevitably start thinking about the past, but just acknowledge that, and gently bring yourself back to the present moment.
7. Allow peace to enter your life. As you focus on the present, try focusing on your breathing. Imagine each breath going out is the pain and the past, being released from your body and mind. And imagine each breath coming in is peace, entering you and filling you up. Release the pain and the past. Let peace enter your life. And go forward, thinking no longer of the past, but of peace and the present.
8. Feel compassion. Finally, forgive the person and realize that in forgiveness, you are allowing yourself to be happy and move on. Feel empathy for the person and wish happiness on them. Let love for them, and life in general, grow in your heart. It may take time, but if you’re stuck on this point, repeat some of the ones above until you can get here.
Have a blessed day. Chizzy ;D

Umm death..Are you ready for it?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29175012@N03/

So I've been thinking about death alot since returning from Asia this summer, i'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with my experiences in Asia or a combination of other things. Either way, like i said in an earlier post, "We have all been diagnosed with a terminal illness(called: our bodies will fail us one day illness) so why not decide today to make sure everyday is not wasted." 

Most of us walk around pretending that death is something that only happens to others. Why do we do that? Now i'm not saying that we should go around thinking about death 24/7. I'm simply saying that it's important that we realize that this earth is not our home and any day, any minute, any second, we will disappear.



 Listen to this very passionate piece from p4cm.



Have a blessed day. Chizzy D

Choices, Lack of choices, whats next?

 Good day, 
Welcome to my new blog, I'm glad your here, look forward to your contribution.

Sooooo....So much is going on in my life. I will be graduating this December by the grace of God. I have applied for sooooo many jobs and have been interviewing for jobs as well. This process is alot harder than i thought it would be. I always thought i would get a job in my field easily because in the past semesters, students(in my field) that had resumes that looked like mine got plenty of job offers. I am now REALLY aware of how bad the US economy is. 

I have no idea where i will be, or what i will be doing come January. At first this really scared me, then i got a tad depressed cause being rejected over and over is kind of a self-esteem blow. Now i'm at the point where i see this situation as a blessing because it is forcing me to depend on Christ alone. 

Last week on Friday,  ridiculousness happened that had me messed up for some days. Twin sisters (International students from India) that were my exact age and were also set to graduate this December with Masters degrees in Chemistry, got in an accident coming back from an Indian wedding. A car hit them from the back. One of them died that night in the hospital and the other twin woke up a couple of days later to realized that she is paralyzed from the shoulders down. They have not told her that her twin is dead. I started envisioning the accident over and over in my head and what the family may be going through for many day. A couple of days ago, I realized what i was doing was not healthy and decided to pray for the family every time my mind wanted to replay the events.


That situation reminds me of a banner i have on the left side of this page that reads: "Dream as if you'll live forever, Live as if you'll die today."
Here's my remixed version of that quote: " We have all been diagnosed with a terminal illness(called: our bodies will fail one day illness) so why not decide today to make sure everyday is not wasted. Application: " Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands i have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."Matthew 28:19-20

 Pray request: That God's will(not my will) be done come January.


Question: Have you been at point where you did not know the next step? What did you do?


Have an awesome day my friend,

Chizzy D