Hey guys!
I am Veroo Kaura AKA Vee. I am from Namibia, a beautiful country in Southern Africa. AllthingsVee is a blog where I will be sharing all things that are me,my experiences,thoughts and opinions on different aspects of life. This is a safe haven where I come home to myself, as I journey through life.
Life is a journey worth experiencing, I hope you join me on this journey. Let’s grow together.
XOXO
Vee.
Lately I have been learning to sit with discomfort.
The discomfort of not knowing what comes next. The discomfort of the emotional turmoil that rises up within me when I slow down long enough to notice it.
Instead of running from it, I have been trying something different: observing my thoughts. Not judging them. Not trying to fix them immediately. Just noticing them as they come and go.
Some days this is harder than others. But I’m beginning to understand that these moments are also invitations. Invitations to understand myself more deeply. To recognize my triggers. To see the patterns that once controlled me but no longer have to.
There’s something strangely grounding about realizing that discomfort isn’t the enemy. Sometimes it’s simply a signal that change is happening.
And maybe learning to sit with that discomfort is part of learning how to grow.
‘If at first you don’t succeed, then dust yourself off and try again”
Aaliyah
Ola my beautiful people. I know, I know I haven’t written in a while, I took a long un-intentional break from writing. During this time a lot has happened but I won’t get into that now. One thing that I can say is that during this time life has been teaching me some lessons. I have been learning, reading, listening and simply just being still.
What I have been learning lately though is to allow and give myself grace when I fail, to give myself the same grace that God gives me. See, I’m little bit of what one would call a ”perfectionist”. My perfectionist syndrome does not allow me to fail sometimes and when I do fail I beat myself up so much that I end up dwelling on the issue. which in return leaves me worn out and tired that all I want to do is give up.
What myself and many others who experience the same issue don’t understand is that we are human beings, flesh and blood, we are not perfect beings and that means that yes sometimes we are going to fail or fall. However what matters is what we do when we fall. Do we allow our mistakes and failures to dictate the rest of our lives by being held hostage and stagnant by fear and shame we place on ourselves, or do we stand up, dust ourselves off and try again.
The bible says in Proverbs 24:16” for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes”. Seeing that we are all imperfect beings we know that in ourselves we are not righteous, but because of what Jesus did on the cross for us we are now considered righteous in the sight of God, Amen! It is not by what we do but by what he did and by his grace that those that believe in him are called righteous. So yes even righteous people sometimes fail, even Christian sometimes fail, even successful people sometimes fail.
But hear me carefully ,I’m not encouraging deliberate failing or falling but what I’m trying to say here is that we need to allow ourselves grace to stand up and try again when we fail, instead of simply giving up on ourselves. why is it that we believe in others soo much that we forgive and give them grace for their mistakes and failures but when we fail we tend to be harsh on ourselves.
Never stop trying, you only fail because you stop trying.
So with that said I hope you give yourself a chance again, I hope when life tells you to give up that hope whispers ‘try again‘.
Running a marathon is commonly one of the to Do’s on most people’s bucket list…well I’m not that person. Running is not something I would say I like to do. However,for people that do like and enjoy running there are different reasons why they would run. Some enjoy it as an exercise,as away to lose weight, others do it as a sport, and others may just simply just do it for the fun of it. If you are anything like me than you probably like nothing about running. I am honestly not the type of person that likes to physically run, I mean its sweaty,its tiring and is just not for me.
But besides the physical running that I don’t like to do, I do find that life in itself is a race in which we are all required to run. I believe that we were all born with a purpose and put on this earth for a reason and while we are here on earth each and everyone one of us is assigned with a race to run. We all have unique races that we need to run and non are the same in its entirety. Thus its important to run a race specific to you, to run your own race. We all have goals and things we want to do that we aim at and run towards but ultimately there is a race that was set up for us to run and that we need to run with intention, the ”race of faith”.The Bible compares the Christian life to a race,the race starts when you become a believer. Sometimes life also throws us races that we don’t necessarily expect but requires us to run anyway.
Just as a marathon isn’t easy and requires some discipline, so does the race of faith. There are great principles that we can learn from physically running, for example running requires endurance and endurance is one of the key principle we will need in the race of faith. Usually way before the marathon the runners go into strict training. He/She does whatever needs to be done to be in the shape that he/she needs to be in to endure the race to the very end. This usually requires self discipline . 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 reminds us that “in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize but we are to run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever”.
The race set before us will also require discipline and training. Daily principles like praying,worshiping and reading the bible trains us and helps us remain strong and ultimately run the race of faith with endurance as to get the crown that will last forever. The prize for our race of faith is eternal life.
The bible in Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us that “since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with endurance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.
In a marathon the runners usually run light, they don’t carry baggage or wear clothes that would weigh them down. In the same way, running the race of faith requires us to run light, to strip ourselves off of anything that will hinder us from crossing the finish line. Sin is one of the weight that hinders us in our faith journey. Sin entangles us, it keeps us bound to things we are suppose to be free from and thus discouraging us from running our race. Therefore it is vital to throw off everything that hinders us. In running our race we will also realize that there are those who have ran before us a “great cloud of witnesses” those who have fought the good fight of faith and finished strong are still giving witness to the fact that the race was indeed worth enduring.
Life can be so unpredictable that sometimes we find ourselves in races that we didn’t see coming. One of the unpredictable race that we all have to run this year that I can think of is that of Covid-19. This pandemic has affected almost everyone and in different ways and we are all required to keep moving and find ways to cope with this,to run our race. The bible tells us to run with endurance, the word endurance comes from the Greek word hupomonē, which means to be under and to remain there. Hupo is under, monē is to remain. Running any race is not easy , it is full of ups and downs as life happens to everyone, but to endure is to remain under the challenge to run while still under the difficulty or struggle. What we should remember is that this race is not about speed, but about faithfulness and perseverance.
It is important to know that you are not running against anyone but yourself. You are running to become better than the person you were yesterday, you are your own opponent and competition. A strategy runners often use is to pace themselves off. It’s essential to find your pace, sometimes you will be required to strive to run faster and other time you will need to stride.
One way that we can persevere in our race is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. So no matter what obstacle may come our way instead of looking at our problems or at our opponents we should look to Jesus who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,the one who died for us who also encountered opposition for us but did not give up but instead endured the cross for our sake, he ran his race and he will give us the strength and power to run ours if we fix our eyes on him. Jesus not only starts us on our race of faith, but he runs right alongside us. He encourages us, refreshes and recharges us when we grow weary.
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
May we all be able to say at the end of our life what Paul said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7 ).
P.s Remember in the beginning of this post when I said I don’t like running?well, while I was writing this blog post, it motivated me to give running a chance (physically). I started going for early morning runs around my neighborhood. Running is teaching me a lot about self- discipline and endurance. I’m beginning to enjoy it as it also helps me clear my mind before I start my day. Who knows maybe running is for me after all 😉
‘’Your identity will be tied to whatever you give your heart to’’
The three most important questions to human kind are; who are you? Where did you come from? And why are you here? These are important questions that I’m sure we all at one point thought on or tried to find answers to them. But today I want to talk about the first one, so let me ask you; who are you?
When some people are asked this question you usually hear answers like; well I’m a mom/dad, a husband/wife, a doctor or a lawyer. They start mentioning what they do for a living, or who they are as a spouse or a friend or whatever else that they have attached themselves to. But is that really who they are? If all of that had to be taken away, if the jobs had to be taken away, if their kids, husband or wife God forbid had to be taken away, who will they be then, does that mean they wouldn’t know who they are anymore?.
This leads me to this question’; what have you allowed to define you? In who or what have you tied your identity to?
Your identity will be tied to whatever you give your heart to. So what has your heart?
Does the world/people have your heart or does God have your heart. You see if God has your heart it means that you are defined by him, that he gives you identity. Who knows the creation better than its creator? No one. But if the world has your heart and you allow it to define you, to validate you, that means you put the responsibility in their hands to tell you who you are, but what do they know, they are not your creator they are just a mere creation trying to figure things out just like you.
However, if you find identity in God, you will know who you truly are, you will know that you are a child of God, the child of the most high, loved, cherished, accepted, redeemed, forgiven chosen, sealed, a joint heir with Jesus, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods special possession and many more.
Yes you are a mother, a sister, a lawyer, a pastor, a coach and all of that but those are just titles,there is more to you then that.Only God can define you because he created you. It is important to know who we are in God, if not other people or our situations will tell us who we are not. Today I urge you to find identity in him. Don’t let this world put labels on you. Give your heart to God and let him reveal to you who you are in him.
Attached below is a link to more affirmation on who you are in God, click on the link and read more.
At first thought one would think it would be easy for us to differentiate who the source and distribution channel is in our lives, but is it really?. A lot of people still struggle to differentiate between the two in their lives. according to Pediaa.com a source can be defined as an origin from which something is obtained. This can be a place, person or a thing.
Using this definitions above, if I had to ask you to write down what your sources of joy, love, peace, knowledge and income is, how long would it take for you to list all the other things down before you write down God?. But you see all of the things we put our security in and all of the things we think are providing us with money such as our jobs or providing us with joy such as our spouses or friends, are not really our source what they are is resources,what they are is Channels. Believe it or not the real source is God. All the other things are just channels in which God uses to bless us or spread his love and provide for us.
James 1: 17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change Ilike shifting shadows. So contrary to popular beliefs, our jobs are not our source of income, God is. God is not limited to our capacity, he can use different things and people to bless us. God deserves credit for all the good things we have in our lives. He is the one that moves through people to bless us, to show us love, to give us jobs, to heal us, to teach us etc. whatever good thing it is, God is the ultimate source. If you know that he is the main source ,then you don’t have to be afraid to lose the things that he has gracefully given you, because you know he is Jehovah Jireh, your provider.
So instead of putting our security in the things of the world that can be easily taken from us, let us put our trust in something that cannot be taken from us which is God, he is our real source and we can depend on him to provide for us and meet our needs according to his reaches and glory (Philippians 4 :1) and at the same time we can be grateful and content with what he has given us.
So often we get self sabotaging thoughts in our mind that tell us we are not good enough, that we will never amount to anything that nobody loves us and we are going to be alone forever,etc. Whatever self-sabotaging thoughts that play out in your head, have you ever stop to think where these thoughts are coming from? where they are rooted in?What makes you think you not good enough? What made you believe that nobody likes you? Who told you that ? It is pivotal to take self-inventory to think about where our thoughts are coming from and then to turn them around and think better thoughts. Most of the time those thoughts are not our own, they are from the people we have allowed to speak negative thoughts over our lives. But let me tell you something, you are enough, and you do not have to conform to the ideologies of negative people. God made you, and he does not make mistakes. You are special and loved, you are Gods most valuable possession. He loves you so much that he sent his only son to die for you, darling you are worth dying for.
This takes me back to the beginning of the book of genesis in the bible, in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree after the snake/devil had convinced them that it was okay to eat from it even when God had ordered them not to . After they had eaten from the tree they then realize that they were naked and they hid from God and tried to cover themselves up with leaves. God calls out to Adam and ask him where he was, he responds saying; “I heard Your voice in the garden,and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”God then ask a very interesting question, he asks him; “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”(Genesis 3:11). I think that God asked that question to make them realize that they had disobeyed him by listening to devil and letting the devil fill their minds with thoughts that went against what God had told them . Now Adam and his wife Eve were both naked in the beginning before they ate from the fruit, but they felt no shame in it. However the moment they listened to the devil and sinned against God their eyes were opened and they were filled with shame and unworthiness that they had to hid from God and all cause they listened to the wrong voice.
So like back in the garden, my question to you today is, who told you? Think back on all the thoughts you have and think about if they are thoughts that align with Gods thoughts and words for you or if you are listening to the enemy and all those people who speak negative words over you. Whose voice is more dominant in your life is it Gods or the devil? Know that God thoughts of you are good and pure, if it doesn’t align with his words it’s not from him . So next time you think badly about yourself, examine your thoughts, if it’s not good thoughts let them go and don’t dwell on them.
They say as a man thinks in his mind, so is he. So Think on whatever is noble,whatever is right,whatever is pure ,whatever is lovely ,whatever is admirable and on anything that is excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4;8 ).
And remember God loves you and thinks highly of you.
It’s safe to say that we all will experience some sort of rejection or disappointment in our lifetime, whether its rejection from friends, family, colleagues, spouses,jobs etc. I don’t say this to sound negative or anything,but that’s just part of life. But in the midst of rejection we can be assured that life doesn’t always happen to us, it happens for us. Our disappointments, rejection and closed doors can serve a bigger purpose, it can teach and redirect us to better our lives. So perhaps you didn’t get that job that you applied to, or maybe your relationship didn’t last, your business might have closed down, maybe you didn’t get accepted into that college, whatever it is, it’s not what happens to us that really matters but how we react to what happens to us. It’s about how we use the pain for our victory.
When we go through rejection, It’s often easy to feel like everything is working against us, but that very rejection might actually be working for you if you change the way you view and perceive it. The very thing that you thought you best with, might be the very thing you best without. Every closed door is not a detriment, some doors are meant to be closed so that you can open another door that will lead you to better opportunities, and some relationships need to end to make room for better ones. The mistake you make will teach you to great lessons,which you can learn from. At the end of the day everything happens for a reasons and for our good even though we may not realize that at the beginning or as we are experiencing it.
Let Romans 8:28 comfort you ; “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Rejection can serve as a form of protection. You might not know what you being protected from, from that rejection and closed door. That rejection may be a blessing in disguise. Don’t take rejection personnel, often times when we are rejected it has nothing to do with us. It just mean we just don’t fit the part for that specific job, opportunity or person, it has to do with them,and not you,it has nothing to do with your worth. And that’s okay because not everything is for you and you are not for everyone. Why worry and waste time in convincing someone of your worth and value or trying to kick down a closed door when there are people who will willingly acknowledge your worth and doors that are readily open for you.
So next time you face a rejection don’t fall into self-pity, fear ,insecurity and resentment, but redirect it by changing the way you perceive it. If you are facing rejection, let go with grace and trust and believe that better is on it’s way. It all requires patience, perseverance, and faith. So rejection or redirection? you choose.
02-02-2020 is a very special date for me,this is the day that I got baptized. Just to give a little bit of context of my journey with Christ ; I gave my life to the Lord back in 2009, when a friend invited me to a Saturday afternoon bible study. Ever since then i was more intrigued about God and wanted to know more about him. I started attending church,watching sermons and reading my bible.
After some time,being young and still wanting to experience life in the world ,I went astray from God and started living life by my own terms.However, God was always there with me he never left me nor forsaked me. Living life by my own terms never really satisfied me,my soul was screaming and yearning for more, I felt like there had to be more to life than the life I was living. I tried to live for God again but my fleshly desires kept on pulling me to the world,I was half in half out,Luke warm if you may call it.No matter how far I ran from God,there he was,his love kept chasing me down. I wanted to change but it was so difficult to do so. I could relate to Paul in Romans 7:15 when he said “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”
The things I wanted to do I didn’t and the things I didn’t want to do I kept on doing. Its not until I realized that by my own strength I wasn’t able to change and had to surrender to God, and that only God has the power to help me live for him and so I stopped running away from God when things got difficult. I decided to stay and ask for God to help me change no matter how long it takes.I know I’m not perfect ,but there is a perfect savior who died for me on the cross even when I was yet a sinner so that I could have relationship with God. I know that there is nothing I can do that would make him stop loving me, and this grace made me want to change and to surrender to him. I wont say my journey has been easy but it’s definitely worth it. One thing I can say is I’m constantly seeking God , trying to be better and do better for Christ. God is working on me,molding me and shaping me to be more like him . I’m grateful that he is a loving and patient father. All he wants is our hearts he knows that we cannot change our self by our own strength,but he empowers us to be transformed into his image. I might not be where I want to be on this journey ,but I thank God I’m not where I used to be. I’m a work in progress, and I’m confident that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
Read more about baptism by clicking on these links below.
Have you ever wondered how trees can go through different seasons but still stand strong?This is because trees have strong roots,they’re attached to the ground so powerfully that even through harsh weather, it’s still able to stand strong in away that nothing will move it from it’s place. Roots are said to be the most important attribute of a tree. They carry water and nutrients to give the tree life, while extending deep underground to make the tree stable and stronger, so that its more able to resist storms.Just like the seasons changes , our lives go through different stages as well. We don’t always experience the sunshine of summer, but we go through the falls of autumns to.Like trees we to can stand strong through the different seasons of life,when the storms of life overtake us we can stay rooted and grounded. But the question is,where are you planted and rooted? In who do you put your trust and confidence when storms come your way? .
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” ~Jeremiah 17:7-8
The verses above, tell us how we can be like a tree and prosper in every season of life even when it may seem difficult to do so. We don’t have to let the circumstances of life define us and make us weary.They don’t have to hinder our success or our perception of Gods goodness. God wants us to be prosperous and fruitful at all times even when the conditions may not be favorable. No matter the circumstances of life we may be facing it is possible to still be bearing fruit,to still have joy,peace,faith and love in our lives. let’s break down Jeremiah 17:7-8 ;
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream”
Just as a tree cannot grow and thrive without water, neither can we grow and thrive without God’s Word in our lives.When we are rooted in Gods word and our trust and confidence is in him we will be like a tree planted by the water,You will draw nourishment and strength from him to press on as you go through life.Many of us are being hydrated by the wrong streams ,we are putting our trust and confidence in our own ability,degrees,career,money, and other security blankets of the world.But those streams cannot sustain us,they will always leave us thirsty wanting more and never really satisfy us. But when we put our hope in God we will no longer thirst, for he is our stream of living water,whoever drinks from him will never thirst again.
“It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green”.
A tree planted by the water will not fear the drought because its being watered by the living water, and it will not be damaged by the heat.When our trust is in the Lord we don’t have to live in fear of the season we are in cause we know God will see us through, we know that he is in control, he will carry and rescue us. You will be evergreen for he will supply all your needs according to his riches and glory.
“It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.“
when you are rooted in God you do not have to fear the dry years,the bad economy etc. for God will sustain you. you will be blooming even through the dry season.You will be overflowing with the fruits of the spirit.The wind may try to uproot you but Gods strength will hold you firmly to the ground.Pest and disease may attack your leaves but your spirit will prosper and remain secure in God.God may prune you and remove weeds surrounding you and as difficult as the pruning process might be,it will be for the betterment of your spirit and it will promote your growth.
Trust in the lord with all your heart for he is good,his love endures forever.Firmly attach yourself in God,let you roots stretch out to the living water,Build on the foundation that which is God. Be still and know that he is God,that he is in control of our lives,believe that he wants you to prosper and drink only from the water he gives. Let us move away from the polluted streams of this world and plant ourselves by the life giving river of God, than we will bear much fruit and be blessed to be a blessing.
Allthings_Vee_ 