At the end of this year and the beginning of a new one I like to reflect on this past year although knowing that we must not only make decisions and look ahead on the eve of a new year.
Looking back this year has been a really interesting one. Although in itself it wasn't always adventurous yet looking back I can see how God brought me to where he has me now and getting there has been quite a journey.
This year did not start too well for me and I did not yet know what lay ahead of me. The first few months were filled with many worries about the future, uncertainty and me therefore withdrawing and diminishing not being at ease.
Nonetheless there were fun times and God was truly moving, it was only me holding back a lot of potential.
Spring came and I made some tough choices. No more worrying about the future, no more holding back. I decided to work on some friendships and let God deal with some of the things. Amazing how I broke free of quite some hard stuff. You can go back on this blog and read my series about the Exciting times of waiting to get a feeling of these times!
Summer started and my first License thesis which I basically wrote within two weeks. How insane was I? No sleep, no rest, just writing and thinking and pressure. Don't follow this example. Don't know what I was thinking.
Anyhow, Campfour 2008 with the theme FRESH! It was truly the best Campfour we've had this far! God was stirring up things, equipping young people, challenging them to fight for their faith, to live a life completely surrendered to Him! Great things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city! I am incredibly blessed and honored to be part of ministering to the youth! I love them so so much and I want to see God doing even more through and with them!
I was also honored and blessed to be given the responsibility of planning and bringing together the big anniversary banquet for my pastors. 35 years of ministy! It was an amazing night!
The Hillsong Conference 2008 brought some great confirmation into my life. God really spoke into my life, challenging my stlye of leadership and affirming plans and dreams and visions in my life. God, I want to follow you only, hold my hand, never let me go! Jesus, you are the only one and I want to be part of building your house!
As of now, I am finishing up my bachelour thesis and will be done with university in a few weeks. It's amazing. God has brought me right here right now, with my past and a big plan ahead. I do believe that the best is yet to come and I am more than excited about that! I am to this day more convinced than ever how important it is to be planted in a local church, building God's house and I want to play my part, I want to fulfill God's will for my life! I am here to serve Him. Take my hands, take my heart, Lord. This is yours. I want Him to tell me at the end of my life: Well done, my good and faithful servant!
The best days still lie ahead of us.
xoxo Ramona
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
How to Date - Part 2
Let's continue with How to Date, today with part 2. Before starting though let's repeat a little from last time. Remeber the definition we formed for dating:
"Dating is when two people are together with the intention of getting to know each other better."
I just think that takes out so much pressure of dating and relationships and makes things a lot less awkward.
Last time we talked about the 2 lies of dating and I already announced a third one.
3. Dating is a game.
Dating is not just a game. There is so much more to it and it can become dangerous to think that way because it is out of pure egoism that you see it as a game. If it were just a game you would only want to satisfy your physical/emotional feelings but a relationship is more about GIVING than taking.
Yes, God has given you feelings and emotions but he wants you to controll them. And how does that work? Well, turn with me to John 15:19 where it says:
"The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world."
The Lord has called me to step out of the world, remember we are in it but not of it! And by living that way comes self control which in actual fact is a fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will yield out of our lives if we live not by the principles of the world, but by God's principles!
But it takes us to make the steps and give everything to the Lord, WITHOUT COMPROMISES.
Therefore before I continue let me ask you this question: Are you will to give up your dream to get married/have a boyfriend for the Lord?
We have to come to the point where we are not dependent on another person but on God and giving everything to him, letting go of everything includes giving up your dream to get married. God's plans are bigger than your own. That doesn't mean that you are not meant to get married or that God doesn't want you to. It simply means that God is in controll of everything.
So, once we're there let's talk about how to make the most out of a date. And if you are expecting a candle light and soft music answer, you are mistaken... so, fasten your seatbelt with me and let's throw away all the old perceptions of how things have to work.
1. Know, that you don't have to date
It's that simple. You don't have to date. Let's read out of the book of Song of Songs 2:7
"Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right."
Love will wake up when it is well rested and mature enough. Don't tell someone your love them if you can't take the responsibility of your words.
Let me ask you the question: Where have you woken up love before it was well rested?
2. Know that men and women are different.
There's not much to say about that except that you should keep it in mind. Be careful of the signs you send and how they might be interpreted. This includes touching, hugging, the way you dress. Reflect on how you deal with these thing.
3. Know that dating doesn't necessarily need to be romantic and tight up. Relax, have fun times together but take preventive steps when you are alone. Meet up in a public place or open all the doors and windows. Be careful.
Therefore think about your attitude about dating. Ask yourself the questions asked above. Take steps into the right direction. Dating is a serious thing and you will want God to be the center of it!
I hope you enjoyed the series about dating and start going into the right direction. Let me know about it. Let me also tell you that each and everyone of you is so important to me. I do care about your lives. It matters to me!
In this sense
xoxo Ramona
"Dating is when two people are together with the intention of getting to know each other better."
I just think that takes out so much pressure of dating and relationships and makes things a lot less awkward.
Last time we talked about the 2 lies of dating and I already announced a third one.
3. Dating is a game.
Dating is not just a game. There is so much more to it and it can become dangerous to think that way because it is out of pure egoism that you see it as a game. If it were just a game you would only want to satisfy your physical/emotional feelings but a relationship is more about GIVING than taking.
Yes, God has given you feelings and emotions but he wants you to controll them. And how does that work? Well, turn with me to John 15:19 where it says:
"The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world."
The Lord has called me to step out of the world, remember we are in it but not of it! And by living that way comes self control which in actual fact is a fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will yield out of our lives if we live not by the principles of the world, but by God's principles!
But it takes us to make the steps and give everything to the Lord, WITHOUT COMPROMISES.
Therefore before I continue let me ask you this question: Are you will to give up your dream to get married/have a boyfriend for the Lord?
We have to come to the point where we are not dependent on another person but on God and giving everything to him, letting go of everything includes giving up your dream to get married. God's plans are bigger than your own. That doesn't mean that you are not meant to get married or that God doesn't want you to. It simply means that God is in controll of everything.
So, once we're there let's talk about how to make the most out of a date. And if you are expecting a candle light and soft music answer, you are mistaken... so, fasten your seatbelt with me and let's throw away all the old perceptions of how things have to work.
1. Know, that you don't have to date
It's that simple. You don't have to date. Let's read out of the book of Song of Songs 2:7
"Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right."
Love will wake up when it is well rested and mature enough. Don't tell someone your love them if you can't take the responsibility of your words.
Let me ask you the question: Where have you woken up love before it was well rested?
2. Know that men and women are different.
There's not much to say about that except that you should keep it in mind. Be careful of the signs you send and how they might be interpreted. This includes touching, hugging, the way you dress. Reflect on how you deal with these thing.
3. Know that dating doesn't necessarily need to be romantic and tight up. Relax, have fun times together but take preventive steps when you are alone. Meet up in a public place or open all the doors and windows. Be careful.
Therefore think about your attitude about dating. Ask yourself the questions asked above. Take steps into the right direction. Dating is a serious thing and you will want God to be the center of it!
I hope you enjoyed the series about dating and start going into the right direction. Let me know about it. Let me also tell you that each and everyone of you is so important to me. I do care about your lives. It matters to me!
In this sense
xoxo Ramona
Saturday, November 22, 2008
How to Date - Part 1
So finally I am starting my two part series about dating. I am taking my notes from you(th) as we've talked about that the last two Wednesdays.
For those of you who expect to hear a list of things on what to do in order to date the right way will be mistaken. This is not to tell you how to date and get a boy/girlfriend, but to explain you that Jesus always must come first, that God's intentions for you are always the best and that it's all about stepping into His will and His plan for you life!
So in this sense let me give you two verses to encourage you concerning this:
Ephesians 1:18 "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance"Psalm 100:4-5 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."
So, what is Dating?
The world tells you that Dating is two people are togehter with the goal of sexually getting closer. But this is not what God has in mind.
Acutally the interesting thing is that you will not find two many verses to tell you, this is how to date.
Your parent's opinion would probably be that dating is two people who like each other and are over 25. Well, they want to protect you and make sure you are mature and old enough to understand the responsibility that comes with dating.
Your friends would probably say, dating is when two people from different groups of friends are together to romantically get closer.
But when we look at the core of dating it is merely what we have seen above. Why putting so much pressure on yourself by having to have the romantic atomosphere or feelings in the beginning. It can make a situation really disconcerning.
So a definition for dating could be:
Dating is when two people are together with the intention of getting to know each other better.
Hence, there is no romance in the beginning. I want to encourage you take out the awkwardness and fill it with meaningfull quality times of getting to know each other. How could that look like? Well, let me ask you this question: Does a date always have to be candlelight, dinner and a movie? Could it not also be a hike, hang out time with friends, doing life together? I honestly believe it can and I also want to encourage you to not only hang out just the two of you. Get together with a group. Experience, how the other person is around his/her friends, around their parents, sibblings. That's when you get to know the person's heart, the person's attitudes and not only the way he/she behaves around you.
Therefore, dating is the process of getting to know each other better in order to build up a FRIENDSHIP.
There are three lies about dating and I will give you two today and the third one in Part 2.
1. Everybody dates somebody.
Everybody talks about it but it's not true. Not everybody dates somebody and it is totally fine to not be dating. Often times it is probably better to not date in order to be able to fully focus on Jesus and draw from His love, get confirmation from Him instead of another. Especially we women would easily do this.
2. In order to be somebody you have to be with somebody
This lie can easily lead you into dependency of a significant other. Like I said above, sometimes it's better not to date to not get into this despendency, but to fully rely on Jesus!
Hence looking at both these lies we can see that initially it is about our IDENTITY, who we are and who we build our identity on!
Let me remind you, God wanted YOU! You are WANTED and He has a great plan for your life, so don't listen to these lies and listen to Jesus. Have Him in the midst of your life, build your identity on Him and be with him!
Open your spiritual eyes and see yourself the way God sees you!
Read Romans 5:8 and Psalm 139!
So to finish part one on How to date let me summarize this in one sentence:
Your worth is not in who you are with but who you are!
That's it for now with Part One, come back soon to read more about How to Date in Part 2.
Until then.... Focus on Jesus!
xoxo Ramona
For those of you who expect to hear a list of things on what to do in order to date the right way will be mistaken. This is not to tell you how to date and get a boy/girlfriend, but to explain you that Jesus always must come first, that God's intentions for you are always the best and that it's all about stepping into His will and His plan for you life!
So in this sense let me give you two verses to encourage you concerning this:
Ephesians 1:18 "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance"Psalm 100:4-5 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation."
So, what is Dating?
The world tells you that Dating is two people are togehter with the goal of sexually getting closer. But this is not what God has in mind.
Acutally the interesting thing is that you will not find two many verses to tell you, this is how to date.
Your parent's opinion would probably be that dating is two people who like each other and are over 25. Well, they want to protect you and make sure you are mature and old enough to understand the responsibility that comes with dating.
Your friends would probably say, dating is when two people from different groups of friends are together to romantically get closer.
But when we look at the core of dating it is merely what we have seen above. Why putting so much pressure on yourself by having to have the romantic atomosphere or feelings in the beginning. It can make a situation really disconcerning.
So a definition for dating could be:
Dating is when two people are together with the intention of getting to know each other better.
Hence, there is no romance in the beginning. I want to encourage you take out the awkwardness and fill it with meaningfull quality times of getting to know each other. How could that look like? Well, let me ask you this question: Does a date always have to be candlelight, dinner and a movie? Could it not also be a hike, hang out time with friends, doing life together? I honestly believe it can and I also want to encourage you to not only hang out just the two of you. Get together with a group. Experience, how the other person is around his/her friends, around their parents, sibblings. That's when you get to know the person's heart, the person's attitudes and not only the way he/she behaves around you.
Therefore, dating is the process of getting to know each other better in order to build up a FRIENDSHIP.
There are three lies about dating and I will give you two today and the third one in Part 2.
1. Everybody dates somebody.
Everybody talks about it but it's not true. Not everybody dates somebody and it is totally fine to not be dating. Often times it is probably better to not date in order to be able to fully focus on Jesus and draw from His love, get confirmation from Him instead of another. Especially we women would easily do this.
2. In order to be somebody you have to be with somebody
This lie can easily lead you into dependency of a significant other. Like I said above, sometimes it's better not to date to not get into this despendency, but to fully rely on Jesus!
Hence looking at both these lies we can see that initially it is about our IDENTITY, who we are and who we build our identity on!
Let me remind you, God wanted YOU! You are WANTED and He has a great plan for your life, so don't listen to these lies and listen to Jesus. Have Him in the midst of your life, build your identity on Him and be with him!
Open your spiritual eyes and see yourself the way God sees you!
Read Romans 5:8 and Psalm 139!
So to finish part one on How to date let me summarize this in one sentence:
Your worth is not in who you are with but who you are!
That's it for now with Part One, come back soon to read more about How to Date in Part 2.
Until then.... Focus on Jesus!
xoxo Ramona
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Fruit of the Spirit
Hi,
before I start my series about "How to date" I want to give you a little impression of my last weekend. My friends and I went to the Swissalps to stay over night. What a refreshing time!!!
It was perfect timing as I had a pretty hard week behind me and just needed the time off to refresh again. On that Saturday morning I was journaling and God just showed me again that I am connected to His Powerhouse! But I have to decide to plug myself in. So I did and I read Galatians 5: 22: "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (NLT)
Let us produce those things. May we ever grow in living in the Spirit and hence producing His fruit which will endure enternity.
Keep clicking on the page for more about How to date soon.
before I start my series about "How to date" I want to give you a little impression of my last weekend. My friends and I went to the Swissalps to stay over night. What a refreshing time!!!
It was perfect timing as I had a pretty hard week behind me and just needed the time off to refresh again. On that Saturday morning I was journaling and God just showed me again that I am connected to His Powerhouse! But I have to decide to plug myself in. So I did and I read Galatians 5: 22: "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (NLT)
Let us produce those things. May we ever grow in living in the Spirit and hence producing His fruit which will endure enternity.
Keep clicking on the page for more about How to date soon.
Friday, November 14, 2008
How to Date
I plan on doing a 2 part series on How to date soon... So keep coming back to the site to hear more soon!!
xoxo Ramona
xoxo Ramona
Monday, November 10, 2008
Let's do Life together
Today I want to talk a little about friendship. We easily call somebody our friend, but do we really understand what friendship means?
According to Dictionary.com, the word friend is from before 900 and comes from the word to love. Now isn't that interesting that the word friend and love are connected? I am not suprised. And Jesus talks in John 15:13 about the greatest love of all, for it is to lay down your life for your friend. It Jesus's case that was meant literally, he laid down His life, so that we may be His friends!
So in order to understand what a friend is we first understand what love is. At this moment I like to quote 1. Corinthians 13
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! (NLT)
Having this in mind, let us ask ourselves: Am I really this kind of a friend? Am I enduring through every circumstance with my friends, o matter what comes? Have I ever given up on a friend?
I know none of us is perfect and through different stages of our lives, we have different friends, or people move away or go into different directions. I understand all of this. But look at the friendships you are having right now. How's your attitude about this friendship?
I once heard somebody say that in our journey of climbing the mountain there are people who walk before us, they lead and guide us on our journey. Then there are the people who come after us. Those are the ones we lead and guide on their jouney - oh what a responsibility!
And then there are those people who you are doing the journey with, you are climbing the mountain with them. Together you can do it, together you are able to go around one more time, make the next steps. These people are peers and friends. Do we have these kind of friends who we do the journey with or differently said, people who we do life with?
I want to encourage you today to find people like this. Don's shut yourself out thinking you can do it all alone. Find people you can trust. Build up these kind of friendships where love is the center of it. Find people to do life with!
So... enjoy the journey!
xoxo Ramona
According to Dictionary.com, the word friend is from before 900 and comes from the word to love. Now isn't that interesting that the word friend and love are connected? I am not suprised. And Jesus talks in John 15:13 about the greatest love of all, for it is to lay down your life for your friend. It Jesus's case that was meant literally, he laid down His life, so that we may be His friends!
So in order to understand what a friend is we first understand what love is. At this moment I like to quote 1. Corinthians 13
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! (NLT)
Having this in mind, let us ask ourselves: Am I really this kind of a friend? Am I enduring through every circumstance with my friends, o matter what comes? Have I ever given up on a friend?
I know none of us is perfect and through different stages of our lives, we have different friends, or people move away or go into different directions. I understand all of this. But look at the friendships you are having right now. How's your attitude about this friendship?
I once heard somebody say that in our journey of climbing the mountain there are people who walk before us, they lead and guide us on our journey. Then there are the people who come after us. Those are the ones we lead and guide on their jouney - oh what a responsibility!
And then there are those people who you are doing the journey with, you are climbing the mountain with them. Together you can do it, together you are able to go around one more time, make the next steps. These people are peers and friends. Do we have these kind of friends who we do the journey with or differently said, people who we do life with?
I want to encourage you today to find people like this. Don's shut yourself out thinking you can do it all alone. Find people you can trust. Build up these kind of friendships where love is the center of it. Find people to do life with!
So... enjoy the journey!
xoxo Ramona
Monday, November 3, 2008
My God is the God who provides
Hi... I mean hello,
I am so sorry that it took me forever to update this page. A lot has been going on in the last 2 months with the banquet for my pastors, Hillsong Conference in London (which was amazing, envisioning, encouraging and equipping) and visits at my grandmothers! Life is great and I belong to a great God who is ever faithful, ever loving and ever true! What would I do without him. I have such a love for the Lord in my heart I cannot describe it!
Here are the words of a worship song which I fell in love with recently:
Desert Song
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire
In weekness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved to more worh than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and he is here
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir of Christ
So firm on his promise I stand
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
And I have have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
I hope that your walk with the Lord is going good that you pursue to go deeper with Him and love Him more every day!
Love
Ramona
I am so sorry that it took me forever to update this page. A lot has been going on in the last 2 months with the banquet for my pastors, Hillsong Conference in London (which was amazing, envisioning, encouraging and equipping) and visits at my grandmothers! Life is great and I belong to a great God who is ever faithful, ever loving and ever true! What would I do without him. I have such a love for the Lord in my heart I cannot describe it!
Here are the words of a worship song which I fell in love with recently:
Desert Song
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire
In weekness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved to more worh than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and he is here
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir of Christ
So firm on his promise I stand
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
And I have have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow
I hope that your walk with the Lord is going good that you pursue to go deeper with Him and love Him more every day!
Love
Ramona
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