PAJE Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 2 - Nathanael

APRIL 2022

"God has given each of us a dream… a vision… there will be deterrents between the dream and the destination, but if that dream was given to you by God. Trust that it will be accomplished in your life. Press on."

Dexter Johnson Jr. takes us on a trip down memory lane as he looks on how the show came together, the impact Gospel Deets has made and the year ahead!

... a dedicated Christian servant who defies the odds and is ready to share his story!

The Witty Traveler takes us on another awesome adventure with PAJE Explorer!

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 2

FOR THIS ISSUE

SPECIAL THANKS SPECIAL FEATURES

R.L. "Nathanael" Hamilton & Team

CONTRIBUTORS

Welcome

Can you believe we're already at the second issue of Volume 3, Issue 2 of PAJE Magazine?? Man, what a journey! I really want to thank you all for the support you've shown to us thus far with this magazine and overall digital hub being accessed in over 25 countries worldwide.

Your support helps to remind me that efforts, when submitted to God, will make the type of impact He wills, and it's an honour to see it all unfold.

That stated, I'm particularly excited about this issue! This one feels unique in terms of its content and the merge with the vibe in itself. So, I'm not gonna keep you any longer, it's time to turn the page, fam!

Cheers to what's ahead! Enjoy PAJE!

Charmian-Marie Beedle (Founder, Designer & Editor-In-Chief)

CORE TEAM

ATOM INC BRAND MANAGEMENT Co. Ltd (PARENT COMPANY OF PAJE MAGAZINE)

Charmian-Marie Beedle, Founder, Designer & Editor-In-Chief, PAJE Founder & Managing Director, AIBM Brian Beedle, Dir. Photography & Videography, AIBM Krista Fuller, Media & Engagement Officer, AIBM Wendean James, Partnership & Marketing Officer, AIBM Khalia Smith, Admin + Content Officer, AIBM Andrew Edwards, Digital Content Officer, AIBM Chanel Spence, Digital Content Officer, AIBM CONTRIBUTORS

Okeyno Morgan Sophia Campbell Charlene Tilbanie Akeel Henry Andre Whittaker Christopher Sinclair McCalla

Christopher James Victor Brown Mischa Christie Crystal Daye Wendean James

INSIDE PAJEMAGAZINE

52

NATHANAEL

PRE-PAGES

A. WELCOME & SPECIAL THANKS

B. CONTENTS PEOPLE

1 MY CHRISTIAN SISTERS We always hear about faith and its important in our Christian journey, but, how much do we really exercise it when we are faced with situations or decisions that need to be figured out?

10 A ROYAL REALITY

Over the past two years, especially, the entrepreneurial spirit has flourished! But, what are the steps you need to take note of in order to have a successful business? Take a look.

28 HEART MATTERS

Don't Be Offended! Yea, we hear that a lot when it seems like somebody is trying to belittle our feelings. But, are they? This one is going to definitely get you thinking.

31 THE HEALTH CORNER

Yes, there's already a debate about whether or not Christians should even drink alcohol. But, are we also balancing our thoughts by thinking about the effects on our health?

& MORE ADVENTURES

35 CHRIS' KITCHEN:

CARIBBEAN SHRIMP SCAMPI

Get ready for an exclusive, easy-to-make dish for Easter holidays!

37 PAJE EXPLORER:

23

It's time to discover MORE with PAJE!

TRAVEL: PRONE TO WANDERLUST

The Witty Traveler is on the go again! This time, he's in Brazil and we're excited about it! Take a look as he documents his journey to Brazil, and be sure to look out for follow-up articles!

38 KEVIN PARK - AN INSPIRATION AS HE LEADS OTHERS TO CHRIST

IN THE MOOD TO TRAVEL? VISIT BRAZIL WITH THE WITTY TRAVELER!

MOVIES: CJAM REVIEWS

So, movies are about to make a rise again and we want to make sure you know what to look out for! CJam Reviews has you covered with everything you need to look out for!

ENTERTAINMENT: GOSPEL DEETS

We've been loving the way Gospel Deets keeps us all entertained through their production! Why not take a look at what's been behind it all and what we can expect for 2022? Check it out!

PAJEMAGAZINE

INSIDE JOURNEYS

52 MAIN FEATURE: NATHANAEL

Life? Faith? Music? Yea, we talk about it all with Nathanael as he shares candidly about his journey!

Check it out!

47

43 CJAM GIVES US THE DETAILS OF THE TOP MOVIES TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS QRTR

ELEGANCE

LEARN ABOUT THE GOSPEL DEETS JOURNEY

75

66

66 THE SECRET TO WEALTH As Kingdom citizens, it is absolutely important to master personal finance management as we are stewarding God's money. Let's see how we can start 2022 on the right step!

71 THE TRUTH DISTILLERY Flawed? Broken beyond repair? Lost without hope? We think not. Let's explore the embrace of our entire being with the understanding of God's heart for us.

ARE YOU MAKING MISTAKES WITH YOUR FINANCES?

CLOWNS & THEIR CROWNS? LET'S EXPLORE

75 LET'S PUT THIS TO BED ONCE AND FOR ALL - WAS NOAH'S FLOOD ACTUALLY UNIVERSAL?

75 THE FAITH JAR So, we know that idol worship was prominent in the Old Testament, but have we actually taken similar practices with us through time? Let's examine.

CLOSING PAGES

VOLUME 3 || ISSUE 2

APRIL 2022

PEOPLE

Real, practical advice, stories and encouragement for every day people

with Wendean James

MY CHRISTIAN SISTERS

COLUMN

The past year has seen my walk with Jesus look a whole lot different from the previous year, as I decided wholeheartedly that I would no longer walk in fear but instead I would allow God to do all He wanted to do with me and through me.

To be real with you in the years before, though I was still trusting and believing that God would take care of me and all that concerned me, there were still a few areas in my life that I allowed fear to have way too much control of.

You see the sad truth of this is, if you allow it, fear will steal all those dreams, plans, and purposes that were predestined by God for you.

STEP

INTO

FAITH

You may ask “why is this so?”. If you were to give it some thought you would recognize that if you continually give in to your fear over time it cripples you and fills your mind with doubts.

It doesn't stop with you doubting yourself, it also leads to you doubting the authority of God. Doubting ‘whose’ and ‘who’ you really are. There is no mistake, we were created by the one true and living God to fulfill His purpose.

So in essence, fear can be described as the stealer of all things that God has called us to do if we allow it.

However when we step out in faith we embrace God’s calling on our life.

Another truth is if you've already failed in your mind, chances are you'll fail to start. Many times, before we even start something or before we even try to start something, automatically our thoughts are filled with fear and all sorts of negative reflections of why we can’t do it or even why we aren’t qualified to do it.

If we aren’t strong enough we eventually think ourselves out of doing that thing we’re supposed to do; I too have been guilty of this in the past.

Although there are times that we may not be qualified or due to limited resources, we may not be able to start that thing, this is not always the case.

Sometimes we may even be more than qualified and have all the resources to start but we allow fear to cause us to limit ourselves and our God-given abilities and talents.

Stop and think for a minute of how many times you’ve talked or thought yourself out of stepping out or even trying to do something a different way, or even just doing something new. More specifically something that God has been calling you to do. How do you feel about it now? Do you regret not letting go and allowing God to move?

Next, think about an instance where you stepped out in faith and allowed God to do what He called you to do. Even if you failed, were you or are you still able to look back and say, “Look what God did through me or with me? You can also make a mental note of how you feel about that situation now.

You see, our minds are very powerful. I believe that is why the Bible specifically urges us to guard our minds and our hearts because these two parts of us significantly affect each other. Mark 7:22 (NIV) goes further to look at this; “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.”

All of those sins are influenced by both our mind and heart, but I digress.

One of the things I’ve come to recognize is stepping out in faith is better than not stepping out in faith. As the former allows you to open yourself up to unexpected opportunities, opportunities for change, opportunities for growth, and opportunities to do something new. While the latter literally leaves you wondering “what if” or will have you saying “I’m sorry I didn’t do that”.

3 A continuous cycle of fear means that there is no trust in the capabilities of God. The Christian journey requires faith, unwavering faith at that. Hebrews 11:1, states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This scripture specifically seeks to advise and encourage us that we can’t or aren’t supposed to rely on the things that we can see, but instead we ought to trust and seek God so that He can help us to rely on Him as he takes care of the things concerning us that we can’t see.

While this is easier said than done. When we recognize that both fear and faith are choices, we also recognize that we have full control of which of the two we choose to operate or walk in.

So, do you continue to allow fear to cripple you or step out in faith and see what God does?

As for me, I’ve decided to choose faith. You see God has brought me through so many challenging and seemingly “impossible” situations that I know His track record is good.

He’s also come through on His promises to me so many times that I have to continue trusting and believing Him. And even when things are hard I persevere because I know and stand firm on His word that “Who God calls, He also equips.” (Hebrews 13: 20-21, NIV) And for those unanswered prayers I’m still trusting Him to come through once they are in accordance with His will and purpose for my life.

Now don’t get me wrong I too have had my fair share of crying sessions to God and those “Why God” or “God this is hard” seasons but that doesn’t change my resolve. I’m still choosing to walk in faith because I’ve chosen to walk in fear before and it didn’t work out, it just made me shy away from stepping out just because I wasn’t sure of what would happen or what would be the end result or simply because I didn’t want to fail or get a negative response.

But in doing that I limited myself to staying in a place of comfort instead of choosing growth. I’ve also learned that when God calls us to step out in faith and move, no matter what we do sometimes we still have to make that move. As it was already predestined and we just end up making that transition harder for ourselves, when if we had just moved in the first place it would have worked out better.

Just as in the Bible story with Jonah when God sent him to Nineveh and he decided he wasn’t going and went elsewhere, but in the end, he still ended up doing what he was called to do.

These lyrics descriptively speak of a boundless faith, or more specifically having faith so great that you can walk on water and know that you won’t drown because God is with you.

Though because of disobedience, he took the long route to get there, more specifically he ended up in the belly of a whale and had to pray and ask God for forgiveness. (You can revisit the book of Jonah to refresh your memory if necessary.)

And while these are just lyrics to a song, I believe these lyrics can be used as the words of a prayer to God to simply ask Him to lead you into that new thing and to increase your faith in Him as He leads you into that new thing.

Choosing to step out in faith led to me experiencing so many blessings, it opened doors of new opportunities and opened my eyes to the fact that I shouldn’t box God in or place my own limits on Him.

Now more than ever is the time to let go of fear as untold lives could be dependent on you moving.

Open doors for blessings and opportunities in your own life and that of your family could be dependent on you moving.

As with God, anything is possible, if we trust and allow Him to take us through. Stepping out and allowing God to move also increased my faith and strengthened my overall relationship with God. The lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Hillsong United goes:

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without

borders... Let me walk upon the waters... Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger... In the presence of my Saviour..."

A lot of times we put things off, saying we'll do it tomorrow or we'll do it when we get older or when we feel more secure in our faith but what if tomorrow doesn't come?

What if all you needed to do was take the first step and then God allowed everything else to fall into place?

But you will never know until you move in faith.

Fear holds you back because our natural response to things we fear is to run or shy away from it or to put it on the back burner or even pretend it’s not there. But that doesn’t make the calling that has been placed on your life not exist anymore.

What helps you to overcome your fear is trying.

Declare the scriptures over those fearful situations.

One of my go-to scriptures to combat fear is, 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

And I personalize that “us” to “me”. “For God hath not given me a spirit of fear…” you get the gist.

Fear prevents you from fully accessing the power of God. When you give in to fear you also prevent yourself from accessing or exercising your faith.

Christianity requires faith.

There is a saying I believe that goes something like; “Faith is like a muscle that needs to be exercised.”

The plain truth is that not using it causes us to become more fearful, but when we use it our faith increases.

Fear says, “No you can’t do this. You may fail”

Lastly, I’ll leave you with some scriptures to use whenever you’re faced with fearful situations: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13 (KJV) So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. – Hebrews 13:6 (NIV) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” – 1 John 4-18 (NIV) So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” – Matthew 10:31 (NIV)

Faith says, “Just step out, God can do this for you.

God can make a way.”

Blessings, I implore you to think about that calling that God has placed on your heart, possibly for months or even years.

But don't stop there, go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you start or to provide a way to start. Ask Him also to help you overcome your fear and increase your faith in Him.

My Christian Sisters

Wendean James is a Christian Creative as well as a Partnership and Marketing Officer and is truly passionate about uplifting and encouraging fellow Christian women.

PARENT

6

4 WAYS TO HELP YOU TEACH YOUR KIDS TO SAVE

CHATS

As a parent, you want the best for your children. This doesn’t necessarily mean you want them to have the best clothes, the latest toys, or the coolest gadgets. Most likely, it means you want them to be safe and secure.

And you want to lay a foundation that they can build upon to do well in life. The

question, then, is whether you’re teaching your children a key lesson that will impact whether they will do well. That lesson is about money.

Once your kids are old enough to know they shouldn’t be sticking pennies in their

mouths, you should introduce them to coins and cash. Explain what money is and how it is used. Here are some ways to encourage them to save!

1

LET THEM EARN THEIR OWN MONEY

If you want your children to become savers, allowing them to earn and save money provides them with the opportunity to learn how to use it. When you offer allowances in exchange for chores, they’re also learning the value of their hard work.

2

SET SAVING GOALS

To a kid, being told to save—without explaining why—may seem pointless. Helping children define a savings goal can be a better way to get them motivated. If they know what it is they want to save for, help them break down their goals into manageable bites

3

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

If you want your children to become savers, being one yourself can help, as children live what they learn.

4

PROVIDE A PLACE FOR THEM TO SAVE

When your children have a savings goal in mind, they’ll need a place to stash their cash. For younger kids, this may be a piggy bank, but if they’re a little older, you may want to set them up with their own savings account at a bank. That way they can see how their savings are adding up and how much progress they’re making toward their goal.

If you’re a parent, making saving a regular part of your child’s routine can lay the foundation for a bright financial future.

8

5 WAYS FOR FATHERS TO BOND WITH THEIR NEWBORN

The connection or bond between father and baby is naturally different from that of a mother and baby, and so building a bond will always be completely different.

The truth of the matter is that the bulk of a father’s responsibility comes into play following the birth of a child, and we believe that our fathers can use that to their benefit while being intentional about getting to know their child. Let's jump into some of the awesome techniques our dads can use.

Although they would have seen or felt the baby’s movement while they were still in the womb or even sang, talked, kissed, and rubbed their spouse’s belly during the period of pregnancy they wouldn’t

have

experienced

the

immediate

connection or bond as the mother would have felt.

Here are five ways for first-time fathers to create a connection or bond with their newborn:

3

HELP IN FEEDING YOUR BABY

Newborns feed constantly as such this is a great way 1

CHANGE YOUR BABY'S DIAPER

Changing your baby’s diaper will not only help mommy to get a few minutes to herself, but it’s also a perfect way to talk, sing and play with your baby.

to connect with your baby and give mom some rest time. This can be done for expressed milk or formula fed babies and is especially helpful during night feeds.

4

HELP TO COMFORT YOUR BABY

Once your baby is not hungry or has a dirty diaper, a gentle rock, singing, or even just walking can help to soothe or settle your baby.

2

GIVE YOUR BABY A BATH

4

ALLOW YOUR BABY TO REST ON YOUR CHEST

Giving your baby a bath is another fun way to

This can be done safely during the baby’s daytime

bond and can also include talking, singing, and

naps as babies tend to sleep better when they rest on

playing.

their parents or caregiver. You can do this for one nap time each day. Just settle down and enjoy a movie or series while baby peacefully sleeps.

COLUMN Have you ever thought about starting a business? Or maybe you are already an entrepreneur trying to build a side-hustle? In this article, I want to discuss a few important steps to take if you want to be successful in your entrepreneurial ventures.

Let me be the first to say that entrepreneurship is not easy. It is not just about the pretty photos on Instagram, freedom you might get being your own

10 Vital Steps To Succeed In Your Entrepreneurial Ventures

A ROYAL REALITY with Crystal Daye

boss or coins you see stacking up in stock photos.

Entrepreneurship requires work.

It is about solving a problem in the marketplace for a specific group of people with purchasing power and the need for your products or services.

It also includes the competitiveness of other persons with similar businesses and you trying to market your business as the best option.

Yes, it requires dedication, passion, and commitment to see long-term success and eventually experience the joy of being a business owner.

These ten (10) steps are the first of many more steps you’ll need to take.

10

As you begin the journey of entrepreneurship, let your vision be guided by God. Let your desires concerning the path you choose, be guided by God’s desire for you.

Be intentional about the questions you ask Him. Who should you serve? What type of product or service should you offer? When should you start? etc.

MAKE GOD YOUR CEO The concept of making God our CEO in business may be considered by some to be fairly new.

Many years ago, it would seem like God and business had to be separate, and God was only concerned with activities related to the church.

Today, you find more Christian entrepreneurs partnering with God to give them wisdom, direction and even strategies they need to be successful.

Making God our CEO includes praying about our entrepreneurial affairs, bringing God’s glory in all our business pursuits, serving clients in excellence, and walking in our purpose as believers in the marketplace.

As a Kingdom citizen you must always remember that whatever you put your hands to, you must commit it to the Lord, as you are no longer your own, but GOD’S. “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” (Proverbs 16:3-4).

While it may be your name on paper as the business owner, may it always be God’s name in your heart as its owner.

FIND A SOLUTION What is a successful business without solving a problem? Non-existent? You guessed right! If you are unable to solve a problem, then why are you even in business? Statistics show that the majority of successful people who build profitable businesses have one thing in common: they are good at something that helps to solve someone else’s problem.

Whether you are starting a business full time or providing a product or service just as your sidehustle, you must find a problem to solve. So long as consumers have a problem they will search for a solution.

Fortunately for you, this phenomenon is typical as everyone has issues they desire to resolve.

12 It doesn’t have to be something massive like world hunger or world peace. Likewise, it doesn’t have to be an ultimate need of individuals, it can be merely a want.

Let us say you want to start an online coaching business because you are a certified leadership coach, you would have to research which age group or group of people is best suited for the service you are going to provide.

What may help with this is thinking about what you can do with what you have or what you can invest in to help others. Once you can “help” someone, you have found a solution.

Research how best to appeal to them, not just regarding how you market, but primarily how you structure and position your business to serve them. Whatever you are selling, you need to answer the question: who is your target customer? And the answer is never, “everyone.” If that is your answer it simply means it may not appeal to anyone, and you have no clear modus operandi for your business.

It can be something as simple as being a freelance graphic designer for marketers or babysitting for parents in your community or neighborhood on Saturdays.

Believe it or not, there is at least one problem you are able to solve and make a profit from - is it with a skill you currently have or is there any additional investment you must make?

Focus on building a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have’ product or service because necessary services will trump conveniences any day.

DO TARGET RESEARCH Any problem you solve, must be for a particular audience. You don’t want to stretch yourself too thin trying to cater to everyone. When you research your audience, it helps you to direct your marketing resources and brand message to a specific group of people that is likely to purchase from you rather than when it’s aimed at everyone. Research your audience.

Remember, you do target research so you can find out information about your target customer, to emphasize, your target customers are the ideal recipients of your skill or investment. Thus, it refers to the group of people with shared demographics who have been identified as the most likely to be interested in your product or service.

INVEST IN YOUR SKILLSET Learning new skills helps a lot with your professional life. When you invest in your skillset, you develop a mindset of doing whatever you can to prepare for your unknown future.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself and invest in your skillset. You become more valuable when you invest in your skills. If you want to serve others as best as you possibly can, improving your skill set is a great way to do so.

You can invest in your skillset through hiring a coach, reading books, going to an event which touches on the skillset, or enrolling in a course just to name a few.

Advancement always requires investment. Every successful business person knows they must invest to gain the knowledge and skills they need, being cheap will not serve you. Yes, you should be a good steward over your finances, but when it comes to improving yourself, learning what you need to know and connecting with the right people, you need to be ready to make wise investments.

CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT Create an environment suitable for working comfortable, yet professional enough to encourage you to stay focused. Your environment plays a key role in the regulation of your mood. It influences the extent to which you feel happy and productive or sad and fatigued, which leads to being unproductive. Know what works for you.

Do you rather bright colours in your environment to help you stay creative and positive as you work or do you rather Earth tones? Does greenery help? Can you work well on a bean bag or is a desk and chair the best workspace for you?

Be open to change and adjust to what suits you best. You choose the environment you work in, which will contribute to how you work and therefore how you serve. What will you choose?

LEVEL UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE In the age of digital media, inclusive of social media, as the world becomes more of a global village, where is your social media presence? Is there any awareness of who you are? Do people know what you offer? Are people engaged with your offers? Don’t be afraid to do the research on how to grow your social media presence and put in the work. For you to have a successful business venture today, you need to have an online presence. Social media has a robust impact daily.

Utilize the various platforms, keep marketing and evolving. You have a profitable solution to an issue.

Make it known!

Don’t just seek followers but try to build a relationship with your audience. Focus on helping rather than just selling. People love to engage, and this will drive them to willingly support. Be human! Likewise, stay active and consistent. Try to avoid disappearing then reappearing.

Also, keep present and if something does come up, you can notify your audience in such away that they feel included.

HAVE FAITH FOR SUCCESS Without faith success is unattainable! Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” As said in point one, make God the CEO of your business and trust Him totally.

In doing so you give Him the wheel; you rely on Him to come through concerning the success of your business even if it seems to be falling apart.

14 He is the God of the impossible. Believe Him for such and see what happens. Faith enables you to overcome every obstacle in your path towards success. Faith means you never quit on your dreams, goals, and purpose in life. It is the most important ingredient to succeed in your entrepreneurial ventures.

SET REVENUE GOALS

LEARN SALES TACTICS For your business to grow you have to implement various sales strategies that will not only help you to close sales but build your sales prospects. As such, educating yourself on methods to build relationships with your customers while availing yourself to them to resolve their needs will increase your sales.

One of the most important steps to consider in entrepreneurship is financial planning.

During this process you not only estimate the amount of capital required for you to operate your business, but you also engage in explicit planning which entails how you will manage your capital and profits.

It is pertinent for you to understand financial planning because it allows you to set revenue goals.

These goals will guide your expenditure and utilization of the profits gained. If you do not have any revenue goals or they are unclear, it is likely that your business will experience stagnation or bankruptcy in the long run.

Revenue goals elicit growth from you as the owner as well as the business on a whole.

Having a financial rationale also aids in your decision making as it relates to investment. As such, it is important for business owners to have financial goals aside from skills and faith.

FIND YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE In order to build your customer base, you have to have a competitive advantage.

What is it that you have that no competitor can offer?

What is your guaranteed benefit to your customers?

What is your edge in the industry? What makes your business and what you offer unique? What evokes loyalty in your customers despite the many competitors?

This list is not exhaustive, but if you follow it carefully, I assure you that you will see success. Happy business building!

Crystal Daye is an Author who primarily serves clients as a Book & Monetization Coach and is passionate about empowering others to walk in purpose

MARRIAGE

MOVES

Great Ways to Encourage Your Spouse

Whether or not words of affirmation or is your partners love language both of

you need encouragement. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says “Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed.” (New Living Translation). Here are some great ways to encourage your spouse.

Identifying and Affirming his/her gifts

One of the best ways you can encourage your spouse is by identifying and affirming his or her gifts.

Spend some time naming specific gifts in your spouse, and then outline a game plan for your family to practically join in loving others and sharing Jesus through those gifts.

16 Pay Attention to Their Dreams and Aspirations

Do you know what they are? Start a conversation about it and find out how best you can help them to work towards them. Accountability is key. Never let them give up. They'll feel so good knowing that you believe in and support them.

Don’t Belittle/Gloss Over Their Pain

Your spouse may be going through something that may not seem that trivial to you but it is never okay to shrug them off, tell them to 'just get over it' or 'suck it up'. Instead, allow them time to work through what they're feeling and help them to talk things through.

If they are not willing to accommodate you at first, give it a little time and then try again. However don't let it up and allow them to wallow in self pity or grief. When it's all said and done, they'll appreciate the time and patience you took to understand what they were going through.

Celebrate all successes whether monumental or 'minuscule'

Whether it's as big as a promotion or something as simple as baking a perfectly moist cake for the first time, all wins are credible, important and worth celebrating.

If they seem even remotely excited about something they've done, provide your support by congratulating them. Hugs, kisses and verbally telling them they did a good job never go out of style!

You can never go wrong with genuinely trying to encourage your spouse, especially as they pursue their passions. We hope these tips make you feel empowered to do your best in being that tower of support for your spouse.

Quick Tips on How to Move on from Arguments in Marriage

Consider: Consider the facts, evaluate, pray through the situation at hand. Sometimes emotions take over and escalate a situation. Stand back and see it logically, the both of you can be wrong, or even if it's not you but you need to consider how this affects your relationship and the family, then try to

Disagreement is unavoidable in any marriage even

put it back on track. Now, it's not always easy to be

among Christian couples, fights are going to happen

'logical' in moments of high emotions, so perhaps

— as are spats, snipes, and all-out fights. One of the

agreeing to a pause in the argument in order to

defining aspects of a strong, happy marriage,

process things clearly may be a good tactic for

however, is the ability to get past a fight.

allowing for true consideration.

It's not always easy to come back together when both of you are hurt or feel disrespected, but the truth is, if

Focus: Focus on the problem, not the person. Be willing to address the situation even if you know it is going to be uncomfortable. Avoiding it will not make it go away. If your spouse overreacts, work on keeping calm. When you focus on the matter at hand, you are more empowered to look at things like it being a partnership and both of you are working together to solve the PROBLEM, not working against each other by blaming each other FOR the problem.

Compromise: Be willing to compromise so you both win. This means changing your thinking from “I” to “we.” You both win or lose together. It is not a competition against each other; it is a team. When you remember the foundation of partnership that marriage is, this will help to empower you both to press forward with you both feeling served, acknowledged, and powerful.

After looking at those and reflecting, we'll say this... It doesn’t matter if you argue, because all couples do; it’s about coming back to the table afterward and talking about what happened and owning your part.

It’s important so issues don’t get stored away and it allows a couple to share deeply how they feel without being angry or frustrated during an argument.

you both are still willing to move forward as partners, the issues will have to be dealt with - head-on together. Interestingly, though, you'll find that once this is done and you two TRULY decide to move forward with forgiveness, you'll be stronger than you were before. The best way to facilitate this is by keeping Christ at the center of your marriage, allowing Him to heal you both and enable you to press forward in love.

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

by Sophia Hunter-Campbell

FAITH JOURNEY

We tell our children not to talk to strangers. The world is… a very different place now. Most of us nowadays may find it strange when a complete stranger does something nice for us. We ask ourselves what is the ulterior motive? Things that make you go hmmm….?

I shared an experience with a friend of mine the other day and she did not agree that acts of kindness are as rare as we think.

She reminded me of times when total strangers rescue people from certain destruction and I thought…this is TRUE! When was the last time you were on the receiving end from the kindness of a stranger or strangers? Better yet, the real question is “when was the last time YOU SHOWED KINDNESS TO A STRANGER?” I chose to write this article because for the first in quite a longtime I experienced the kindness of a stranger and I can tell you; my first thought was not “how nice”, it was “Why is he doing this? What is the motive?

So here is what I experienced…

Working in a conference area at a nearby hotel one morning, a number of attendees to an event were passing by my location, entering and exiting. I was there for a few hours that led into the afternoon. Suddenly, I heard someone say, “I am going on the road for lunch, want something to eat?” I actually thought there were two persons speaking until I heard the question again and that is when I looked up.

The person, a gentleman, was looking at me.

20 I was quite shocked and looked behind me to see if he was mistaken and probably meaning to talk to someone else.

I was very sure was talking to me when he came closer and asked, “Would you like some lunch?”

I stuttered, because my mind was already thinking “Why I don’t know you!” and “Why does this man want to buy lunch for me?” Instead of following my initial thought however, I found myself saying “Yes, chicken is ok” as I looked for my purse to give him the funds.

Before I could give him the money however he turned and left, only to return a few moments later to ask me “Which part of the chicken would you like?”. By this time I was laughing and I replied “Leg and thigh”.

When he left, I paused my work and started writing down some questions I wanted to ask this stranger when he returned: Why are you doing this…this act of kindness?

What is your ulterior myou choose me?

Did I look hungry? (LOL)otive?

Why did About an hour later he returned with the lunch. “No need to pay”, he said and at that point I decided I had to ask him the questions, I had to.

When I did, his overall answer culminated in this one sentence, “You look like an Irie lady who work hard and I saw you have been here a few hours working, so I know how it can go sometimes, we don’t always get the time to eat. No ulterior motive”.

Yes, just like that. Just like that. I thanked him and said to myself, the “kindness of strangers” will be the title of my next article.

When was the last time I was kind to a stranger?

Was the question I asked myself, as I sat and ate my lunch. It made me reflect on how sometimes we can miss or reject the kindness of strangers based on our own suspicions.

When was the last time you were kind to a stranger? We all need kindness. It makes the heart smile, brings encouragement to the day and redeems our hope in mankind.

The world could use a little, or a lot more kindness.

It’s so easy to get caught up in your own routine and everyday personal worries that sometimes we just don’t remember to tune in to those around us.

The gentleman who purchased lunch for me has stuck with me and inspired me to pay it forward to others who look like they could use a hand.

It feels great to be kind, so it’s a win-win!

I encourage us to do RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS and pass the compassion along, a little bit can go a long way.

Remember, there is no law against kindness and it does not necessarily have to be to a stranger, kindness is kindness. Here are some ways that you can do this:

Recognize a co-worker It feels so good when someone recognizes your hard work! Highlight something awesome a colleague has done or is doing.

Pay for the person behind you in a line While you’re paying for a breakfast or lunch at your favorite place, cover the next person’s meal as well.

You could write a comment card, tell your boss, mention it in a group meeting, or leave a note on their desk—whatever works in your office culture.

It costs just a few dollars but can make a big difference to someone else. It may just inspire them to pay it forward to someone else.

Ask someone how they are doing, then really listen How often do we say, “How are you?” only to hear, “Fine, and you?”, all the time probably. The truth is people are not always “fine” and many could really use a kind, listening ear.

If you’re talking to someone you know, ask them about something specific in their lives. If it’s a stranger, allow them to elaborate more if they like.

Real kindness is to listen with compassion and without judgments or interruptions.

Handwrite and deliver a thank-you note Today email and texting is the norm so a hand-written note is a rarity.

It shows that the writer took extra thought and put care into choosing their words and making sure that the message was conveyed.

Let someone go ahead of you in line Do you have a full grocery cart and the person behind you only has a few items? Offer to let them go ahead of you in line.

Thank a service worker If anyone deserves extra gratitude these days, it’s the people who keep everyday life functioning.

Make sure to tell them, “Thank you.”

Give a stranger a compliment Giving someone a compliment—“You are really great at your job,” or “I love your shoes”—can make their day.

Hold the door Instead of letting a door swing behind you when you go through it, see if there’s anyone behind you and hold it open for them.

Offer to take a photo

Next time you’re at a popular place , event or gathering, chances are you will see a group of people trying to take a selfie, or one member of a group taking pictures of everyone else.

Ask them if they would like you to take a picture of all of them together.

Give blood Blood banks are almost always in need of a fresh supply. By giving blood you could help save a life.

Let us remember Galatians 6:10: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Our kindness can change a life, save a life, restore hope and restore love. Be kind today.

Sophia Campbell is a Christian Creative, Author, Mother, HR professional and passionate daughter of the King who prides herself in encouraging others and making Christ's name and heart known.

Living'n'Telling I am amazed by the inclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where anyone from anywhere in any circumstance can experience the heart-assuring, mind-renewing and non-condemnatory benefits of its message. Where we (believers) all have our share of the pie.

That is, God and His kingdom.

COLUMN with Akeel Henry

THE STORY OF KEVIN PARK

Also, it is progressive, as believers are encouraged to share this message with as many people as possible, hoping that they will accept it. Seeing men and women dedicating their livelihood to the sharing of this message is very heart-warming. Especially those who do so while experiencing an illness or a disablement.

In this edition of Living ‘N’ Telling, I share with you the story of a Christian writer and aspiring theologian, Kevin Park.

Kevin Park was born in South Korea, but he migrated to New Zealand in 2000. In 2011, he moved to New York to live with his father for three years. Then he returned to New Zealand in 2014 and hasn’t migrated since.

Kevin has cerebral palsy, which is a neurological condition caused by brain damage resulting in impaired muscle tone, coordination and movement( Cerebral Palsy (CP) (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth).

He has a speech impairment and experiences challenges coordinating the left side of his body, particularly his left hand.

Despite his condition, Kevin shared that he was a cheerful young man who enjoyed the company of others.

“I have always loved people, so I wanted to please them in everything I do. Although I have cerebral palsy, I hung out with non-disabled friends without any problems.”

However, this led to Kevin being a chronic peoplepleaser. His desire for friendship resulted in him imitating the friends he hung out with. Thankfully for Kevin, this desire to please people resulted in him being invited to church, and he enjoyed being there.

“Fortunately, one of my classmates invited me to his youth group. Since I liked it so much because of hanging out with lots of people and doing activities with them, I kept asking him to invite me to future youth events.”

Kevin continued attending his friend's church until he become an adherent in 2010. However, he didn’t stay there for too long as he migrated to New York in 2011 to live with his father. One would think that migration to one of the world’s most liberal cities would stunt any desire Kevin had of attending church.

Fortunately, that was not the case. Kevin got spiritually saved in 2011 when he attended an event hosted by members of the Promise International Fellowship church. It was at this event that Kevin felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to know Jesus more.

“At one of my connect group’s potlucks, I encountered God. I felt God prompted me to know Jesus better through the Holy Spirit. This was probably because I was not a faithful Jesus’ follower as I only went to churches to hang out with friends.”

Kevin responded by committing his life to know Christ and to make him known. His knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ grew exponentially.

So much so that he became a Christian writer in 2013.

His theological knowledge became noticeable to a close friend who considered him to have superior cognitive knowledge compared to the average person his age.

After he returned to New Zealand in 2014, a friend, who was a pastor, encouraged him to pursue biblical and theological studies. Kevin agreed to this and was enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Theology program at Carey Baptist College in New Zealand. He is currently in level 7 of this program, and he intends to complete it in the year 2024.

“When my close friend told people what my capabilities are, even though I have cerebral palsy, she said that I am a 120% functional man, and my theological knowledge is beyond my age. She also said that I am an overcomer, and my pastor friend told me that I am smarter than her. Because of these encouragements, I believe I can do anything, especially if it is related to biblical and theological studies.”

In spite all the progression Kevin has made in his Christian journey, he admits to facing challenges in his faith. Challenges stemming from, he believes, not being a consistent doer of God’s word. Where he sometimes does things that aren’t consistent with what he believes.

25 Despite these challenges, Kevin firmly believes that God requires him to trust in the sufficiency of His grace as he strives to be a faithful follower of Christ.

“We are not called to be perfect but obedient and faithful followers of Jesus. He is our righteousness as He bore all our sins and took them on the cross. I always try to serve others by sharing the good news of Christ as best as I can in humility, so they get encouragement to live their lives abundantly. Knowledge about Christ and faith in Him has to be shared with others, so they could build with one another effectively.”

Kevin’s life is another example of God showing His faithfulness to those who believe in His son, Jesus Christ. His work as a Christian writer has encouraged many locally and internationally.

He is a columnist for the Press Services International (PSI) New Zealand young writers and METANOIA, which is an online platform monitored by current and aspiring theologians in Auckland, New Zealand.

As stated earlier, Kevin believes that his life goal is to share the good news of Christ with as many people as he can.

Writing allows him to achieve this goal given his speech impairment. Furthermore, it enables him to encourage other believers to help each other in remaining steadfast in the faith.

“I plead with you to encourage and build one another up by sharing the good news of Christ.

Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” When we are building with one another, we are doing life and faith together. Life cannot be done alone. This is our role as missionaries, and everyone is called to be a missionary.

God has entrusted believers with the message of reconciliation with Christ, so the good news of Christ could be spread around the world. The main good news of Jesus is that He has given us eternal life through faith in Him. Jesus is the reward to those who seek Him wholeheartedly as He is the bright morning star. Jesus is the reason for the lives of believers.”

Kevin’s love for friendships led him into the greatest friendship man could ever enjoy in this lifetime. His desire to please men was transformed into a yearning to please God. His weaknesses, brought about by his cerebral palsy, gave rise to hidden strengths that continues to be nurtured and led by the Holy Spirit.

Like a skilled archer, I pray that Kevin’s ministry will continue to pierce the hearts of the proud and undiscerning and minds of the unbelieving.

Akeel Henry is a passionate Christian Creative who is on a mission to spread the Good News and educate others about Christ.

CHRISTIANS CAN'T BE DEPRESSED... RIGHT? As Christians we shouldn't entertain the dark thoughts and lies that the enemy plant into our minds based on our situation or even the lies he likes to tell us about ourselves. However it is not okay for Christians to pretend like depression isn't a real issue and sweep it under the rug and say "Christians can't be depressed", so let's talk about it. Let's explore three ways to help you on your personal journey with those heavy emotions.

TALK ABOUT IT Yea, sometimes this one may be the hardest thing to do given the actual cause of your depression, so this one is best gauged with time and the environment.

For this, you may be able to spend time with a friend you know you can trust and let them know what's been going on in your head and how you've been feeling. (Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.)

PRAY & REMEMBER GOD'S FAITHFULNESS When you're feeling downcast bear your soul before God. Getting things off your chest and getting out of your head will do you well. (1Samuel 1:10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord).

Choose to be grateful despite your circumstance and trust that God will make a way out of your present condition. Take courage in the fact that sorrow never lasts. (Psalm 30: 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning).

MEDITATE ON GOD'S WORD Now, sometimes, you're feeling so bound that the idea of spending time to meditate on God's Word literally feels impossible and almost repulsive. But, a reality is that the Word of God literally offers healing to the spirit, which is the type of food you need in these times.

Spend time reminding yourself of the goodness of God and his promise of love and most importantly, all the things He has done for you in the past. (Psalm 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.)

We know that everyone's situation is different and therefore, some of these tips may end up seeming 'generic' for some.

However, we've found that actively committing to these specific things literally helps to break some ground and create a route to healing with God as guide.

If you are experiencing depression or depressing thoughts, we pray that you remember that you are not alone and there is definitely hope and a way out.

COLUMN

HEART MATTERS 19

with Candicia Ashman

DON'T BE Picture this, you are with a group of people and you being a dog lover hear a comment about dog lovers; you say nothing but oh there is something that boils inside you.

A couple days pass and you see the person who made the remark but you walk by them as if you were strolling by a stranger.

You were offended by the comment and the person who said it.

Offended

Offense is a part of life, if you are human, chances are, you will be offended.

In fact, by reading this article you might be offended (chuckle). Contrary to what Christians may believe, offense isn’t something you avoid, but rather one that you DEAL WITH.

In fact, for those who follow the last days signs, this is a big sign that was mentioned in the bible

Matthew 24:10 “And then shall many be 18 offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”

It makes no sense pretending to be an emotionless robot that nothing bothers. We all have emotions, opinions, feelings and our background and experiences adjust the dials as to what ‘gets under our skins’ and what we simply brush off. The trick to this inevitable situation is knowing how to properly deal with your emotions and control them, lest they control you.

What is offense?

In Jamaica we would say ‘me feel a way,’ this is a perturbed feeling or discomfort due to the action or words of someone else. Offense has no boundary or specific trait, meaning you can’t know what will actually offend someone because each person can be triggered by anything (and sometimes nothing).

So you see, it isn’t something you can really avoid. It’s one of those ‘walk through the fire,’ sort of things that we must grow, mature and learn to go through.

Shocking Truths about Offense: 1. Bruh, it's not even about you!

Sometimes you can be offended or triggered by the most minute or seemingly insignificant thing (at least according to the opinion of the offender or an onlooker) because most times it’s not even about you.

It could be them having a bad day, this thing being said at the wrong time or as a result of past trauma and experiences.

So don’t be offended that someone is offended, sometimes it’s not even about you. If you are aware and you want to clear the air, just apologize and move on.

2. Yes, Christians get offended.

I’m sure some reading this would jokingly say ‘most offended,’ Being a baptized, born again, holy ghost filled, tongues spewing, bible wheeling believer does not shield you from being offended; and no not everything is demons.

30 18 Sometimes people are just unpleasant and that’s a character flaw but you being offended is your problem not somebody else’s because what you might be offended by was not intended to be used in that manner. Sometimes it’s not what is said but how it is heard. There are many scriptures that speak about offense and how it can affect a believer’s life.

3. The sooner you get over it the better.

Offense can become bitterness real fast. The sooner you get over it the better for you and your well being because they will keep on coming.

I heard an analogy once about a man who walks and picks up stones, everywhere he goes, he picks up a new stone and adds it to his collection.

One day he noticed that he was walking much slower and getting tired more easily than when he started his journey; it seems the stones he was collecting started to weigh him down and he had to let go of it or stop where he was on his journey.

If you think about it, when you pick up offense like any other toxic emotion, and you carry it around until you pick up another and another, you begin to get heavy and slow.

The sooner you release it and leave it where it's supposed to be, the better able you are to move on. Sometimes we fight so much in our head and see battles so much because of our own perception that we miss out on a lot on the journey of life. As much as you can-get over it.

Offense is linked to stubbornness and pride, holding on so you feel justified but in the end you only hurt yourself.

There is not enough concealer and foundation in the world to change God’s mind, when the heart is ugly.

You have to constantly filter out everything that doesn’t reflect a Godly mindset or heart posture.

Even at the expense of your pride.

In conclusion, things happen, offense will come, but let it come and go; don’t become trapped in the cycle of hurt because you refuse to let something go.

Also, be sure to seek clarity if you’re offended, sometimes the perpetrators aren’t even aware they caused the offense; it was instead caused by how it was received and not necessarily how it was said or done.

In a case where it was meant to be a shot at you, know that the moment you give someone the power to affect your emotions and get you flustered is the moment you are no longer in control. Let peace reign in your heart, protect that peace at all cost.

Candicia Ashman is an Author, Speaker and Christian Creative who is eager to make waves in the Kingdom through real conversations and encouraging healing through Jesus Christ.

COLUMN

THE HEALTH CORNER with Mischa Christie

ALCOHOL:

A Fun Time or

A Death Sentence?

Hello, everyone! I’m Mischa Christie, your friendly neighborhood Pharmacist and Health Coach here with a brand-new article for you from The Health Corner.

It’s April, and if you didn’t know it’s Alcohol Awareness month. By the way, that’s the alcohol you drink ever so often, not rubbing alcohol, just clearing that up haha. In all seriousness though, with alcohol you can find that it makes some situations a little bit ‘buzzy’ in a pleasant way.

However, as with everything you put in your body, you need to know the effects that it may have on the body, good or bad. “Bad?!”, you must be thinking.

Yes, if you didn’t know, alcohol can have a wide variety of negative effects on your body. Why do you think we always make sure to tell you “Don’t take alcohol with your medication”? It can be a very bittersweet substance, unfortunately, and if we aren’t careful, more bitter than sweet.

So, I think most of us know the good part of alcohol, helping to unwind a little, turning up the enjoyment of a get together. After all, Jesus wouldn’t have turned water to wine if he knew that we wouldn’t be having a good time with it. Otherwise, he’d turn it to grape juice. But on the flip side, alcohol can definitely have negative effects when used irresponsibly. That’s where I come in.

This article is going to be focused on the negative effects of irresponsible alcohol use. In medicine, examinations tend to go from a head-to-toe approach, so I’ll use that as a way to go through these effects.

Health & Fitness Mental Effects Over-indulging on alcohol can have detrimental effects on your mental health. It has been shown that people under the influence of alcohol experience loss of concentration, disorientation and impulsivity more often than those who are not.

According to Healthline in an article titled “What are the Effects of Alcohol on the Body?”, certain mental health conditions such as depression, bi-polar disorder and anxiety can be caused and/or worsened by the over consumption of alcohol and hence classified as ‘alcohol induced’.

This does not fare well for those predisposed to having these conditions or those who already have these conditions. Alcohol acts as a depressant in many cases, which means it can mess with your body’s natural chemicals and cause your brain to start working a little differently.

Emotional Effects Too much alcohol can also mess with your emotional health. It may bring on fits of rage or sadness. Did you know the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 55% of domestic violence cases were carried out by people who were under the influence?

That’s more than half of the entire cases. As said earlier, alcohol can make your brain work a little bit differently.

And just to clarify, no, not like the Lucy movie where she is extremely smart and had superhuman powers.

But more like the deadbeat parent in those inspirational movies where the child overcomes obstacles against all odds blah blah. When under the influence, you are more likely to be impulsive and do/ say things you might regret. We don’t want to be ‘that’ uncontrollable person that had one too many margaritas at the work function, do we?

Effects on Sight We who have a little sip every now and again know that when things start feeling ‘buzzy’, things start getting a bit fuzzy. Knowing this, we have to be careful/ avoid carrying out activities where impeded sight can be very harmful/ fatal, like driving. This may even stretch into a long-term effect. Constantly drinking too much alcohol may cause your vision to worsen over time.

Digestive Effects You see that burn you feel when drinking some alcoholic beverages? Yes, that’s the alcohol interacting with your digestive system.

Don’t worry though, that burn, isn’t damage being done to your digestive tract. That burn is actually caused by the activation of the heat receptors when they come into contact with alcohol. However, frequent consumption of alcohol can damage your digestive tract.

It may cause ulcers due to dehydration of the digestive wall. Ulcers may go on to cause internal bleeding which is not the best experience to be quite honest with you.

Overconsumption of alcohol too can also, famously, cause nausea and vomiting, which no one wants.

33 Again, don’t be that person at the get together.

Furthermore, if you have frequent heartburn/ GERD, or are at risk, alcohol may potentially make it worse by relaxing the muscles designed to keep stomach acid in the stomach and not the esophagus.

Cardiovascular Effects Your heart is a small and powerful muscle. Working overtime, 24/7, to pump blood everywhere in your body. It, too, is affected by alcohol consumption.

Drinking alcohol can increase your heart rate, decrease/ increase your blood pressure at certain levels or mess with the rhythm of the heart in rare cases.

The common effects tend to resolve after the quantity of alcohol passes through the system. However, when the quantity of alcohol in the body is too high or when alcohol is consumed too frequently, these effects can increase in intensity and may stick around with you for a longer term.

This can put you at risk for issues such as hypertension, arrhythmias, stroke, heart attacks or other heart diseases.

Effects on the Liver It is definitely popular knowledge that alcohol most likely will affect the liver adversely when consumed too much. And yes, it is very true.

The liver is the organ that is responsible for processing alcohol when it enters the body. It turns alcohol into a form where it can be easily excreted from the body.

With too much alcohol to work with, this can overwork the liver and put it at risk of certain complications such as cirrhosis or fatty liver disease.

Seeing that the liver is one of the main stars when it comes to detoxification in the body, we want to avoid putting it at risk of harm.

Sexual/ Reproductive Effects Heavy drinking can also affect your sexual health.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, if the previous reasons never inspired change in you to moderately consume alcohol, this one definitely might. Not because you might feel more confident on the drink, means that everything will translate well for activities with your partner. Too much alcohol can actually decreased the amount of sex hormones produced, which can affect processes such as sperm or egg production, leading to infertility.

Mischa Christie is a registered Pharmacist as a well as a Health Coach, and is passionate about helping persons to effectively avoid and manage lifestyle diseases.

ADVENTURES

It's time to bask in the life-giving discovery & embrace of self, God, the Arts and Nature

CHRIS' KITCHEN

Looking for a quick and easy dish for your Easter holidays?

Our resident Chef, Chris Sinclair McCalla hooked us up with an exclusive recipe for

CARIBBEAN SHRIMP SCAMPI

Alright, fam, so as we know, Easter is right around the corner. For many, this would be the end of Lent and so dietary items that they would've given up are now gradually reintroduced. For many others, Easter is actually the time that sees us consuming a lot more seafood.

With this in mind, we asked Chris to create a PAJE exclusive that would tickle your taste buds without hours in the kitchen and be light enough for a new addition to your diet - and boy did he deliver! Turn the page to check out this awesome recipe and be sure to try it out for yourself!

36

Ingredients You'll Need 5 tablespoons butter 4-5 large garlic cloves, minced 1 1/4 pounds (600 grams) large shrimp, shelled 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon scotch bonnet pepper 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 small green Bell pepper, cut into thin strips 1 small Red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Here's How You'll Make It 1) Heat butter in a large pan or skillet. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

2) Pour in wine, add lemon zest, Scotch bonnet pepper and lemon juice.

Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes or until wine reduces by about half then add the shrimp ( 1 to 2 minutes per side) and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3) Remove shrimp from the pan and add your cooked spaghetti or favourite pasta. Toss in the sweet pepper then let cook for 1 minute as you toss everything together.

4) Serve and enjoy together with your shrimp on top.

Christopher Sinclair McCalla is an internationally renowned Health Fusion Chef & Nutritionist, who originally hails from Jamaica. He is devoted to walking a full life with God and living out his passion for helping persons to live a healthier lifestyle

PRONE to Wanderlust

with Andre Whittaker

Journey with The Witty Traveler to

PhotoS contributed by Andre Whittaker

39 My tickets have been booked, bags are packed and I journeyed on the Knutsford Express bus from Kingston, Jamaica to Montego Bay, my departure city en route to Sao Paulo, Brazil. My check-in process had its challenges but I finally made it to the gate. Two months have passed since my last adventure to Peru and I’ve been itching to go ever since.

My plans have changed at least three times in the past two months as I prepared to venture to my second of twelve countries in my goal to visit twelve countries in twelve months, so I'm happy and relieved to finally be on my way.

The captain announced there is a challenge with the air conditioning system and that we would be returning to the gate to have it checked. After one hour of waiting, we were asked to exit the aircraft.

The flight was subsequently canceled and we all had to be rebooked on other flights for the following day.

The passengers were given vouchers for transfer to and from the airport and for the Holiday Inn hotel. I was definitely disappointed that my trip to Brazil was delayed a whole 24 hours, but my ocean view room at an all-inclusive resort was a suitable compromise.

The boarding process began and after being thoroughly checked because of a random TSA selection, I sat in my seat aboard American Airlines, carry-on stowed in the overhead compartment, personal item under the seat in front of me, seat belt buckled and ready to go! Or so I thought.

Flight Attendants Prepare for Take-off

Within minutes after leaving the gate, the unusual warmth of the aircraft became evident to all passengers, jackets were being removed, passengers were fanning with anything they could get their hands on and babies were crying because of the discomfort.

Eight hours was the longest I have ever spent on a flight, but it was a smooth and easy ride. Departing Miami at 10:50 pm, a slew of Portuguese chatter and infectious laughter filled the aircraft.

The following evening, things went smoothly! It was a quick one-hour flight to Miami where I had a fourhour layover followed by an eight-hour flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Prone to Wanderlust In each seat, there was a pillow and blanket and a flight attendant handed out a pair of headphones to anyone interested. We were served dinner, an extensive meal inclusive of the option of chicken and rice or vegetarian pasta, accompanied by a salad with dressing, bread roll, with butter, crackers with gruyere cheese, cinnamon cake, a small bottle of water along with the usual selection of in-flight beverage options.

Conversations soon dwindled as passengers began falling asleep. After a restful few hours, I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise and was treated to a light breakfast of strawberry yogurt served with granola and a fig bar, again with the usual assortment of beverages. At 9:15 am, I safely landed in the capital city of Sao Paulo.

Bem Vindo ao Brasil To my surprise, going through customs was a breeze!

Agents collected my Health Affidavit Form (a document required to entire Brazil), took a look at my vaccination card and negative COVID test, and sent me to join the line to go through immigration.

The eyes of the immigration officer lit up when she saw my Jamaican passport, she quickly exclaimed “I love Bob Marley” with a smile, stamped my passport, and sent me on my way.

At the exit of the airport, there was a welcoming party of Uber drivers, taxi drivers, and tour companies.

There were also several waiting family members or loved ones of other passengers, many bearing gifts like flowers and welcoming helium balloons.

It was heartwarming to see the loving embraces or joyful children welcoming a returning parent.

My feet have finally landed on Brazilian soil, and at first glance, it's going to be a great time. Brazil honey, I’m home.

First Impressions The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Brazil is Rio and football. I had never done much research on the country and similar to Peru the destination seemed to have chosen me, and I couldn’t be happier with the choice.

Brazil is huge! Boasting the position of the 5th largest country, both based on landmass and population. I will have to fly to some of the cities I’ll be visiting or endure lengthy bus rides of over thirty hours.

It has one of the most culturally diverse populations with a vast complement of several nationalities, including the largest concentration of Japanese descent individuals outside of Japan.

There's a large contingent of Afro-Brazilians, and a large number of Germans, among several other resident nationalities. I’ve experienced this diversity the most in the food. There are so many incredible restaurants from almost any cuisine you can think of, Brazilian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, African, Mediterranean and the list goes on.

Brazilians are incredibly friendly, helpful, and passionate. Brazilians are animated and expressive, their eyes light up when they speak and their body language and gestures go a long way in communicating the essence of what they're saying.

So far in the city of Sao Paulo, there are not many English speakers or many English-speaking travelers, but everyone I’ve interacted with has been very kind and patient given the communication barrier.

Brazilians that know a little English have also been elated to share the few words they know, “hello, welcome, thank you” they would say with a huge smile and a laugh. Google translate has been a true gift on these adventures.

I can't imagine traveling to a country with a language I don't know without it.

42 There is a rich spiritual atmosphere and culture. In Brazil, there are churches on every street corner, similar to Jamaica. Vibrant church gatherings can be seen happening all over the city, even during the middle of the day on a Friday.

The Christians I have encountered are warm, welcoming and so happy, very refreshing even though I don't understand most of what they’re saying. “Jesus” is written bold and large in the backdrops of several churches which at least gives me clarity on who they are worshiping. I could also appreciate the shouts of the universal “hallelujah” and “amen” that are typical in charismatic Jamaican churches.

The culture of Brazil is alive and tangible. The music, the language, the religion, the art, the landscape all come together in a vibrant symphony that is intoxicating. You feel it everywhere you go!

It is both fascinating and enticing. With each interaction, you’re pulled deeper into its beauty and wonder, leaving you with a sense of belonging, ownership, and desire for more. In all my adventures in fifteen countries, I have never been so intrigued by a country. There are so many stories to tell, but they’ll have to wait for another article.

Home for the next 3 weeks The excitement is brewing as my trip has only just begun. Brazil has so much to offer and I want to see as much as I can in what feels like a short, three weeks. I’ll be venturing to the northern state of Bahia in search of Paradise in Brazil, more specifically Salvador, Morro de Sao Paulo, and Porto Segura, as well as the southern state of Santa Catarina, to enjoy a few days in Florianopolis. Tourist central city, Rio De Janeiro is a must, where I’ll get to see my second of the seven wonders of the world, the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue.

The magical Iguazu falls in the State of Parana and a few days in the capital city of Sao Paulo rounds out the perfect itinerary for my trip to Brazil. After 24 hours in Sao Paulo, my first official stop is Porto Seguro in the State of Bahia. Vamos!

Andre Whittaker is a Christian Creative and Entrepreneur who is passionate about serving God and His people, and sharing God's truth through the Arts & Nature

MOVIES

CJAM

REVIEWS

In case you missed it

Hey movie lovers, it is so good to be back with you, and we have so much to look forward to this year from big and small screens!

As you should know, I'm CJAM, host of CJAM Reviews on YouTube (Instagram @cjamreviews) and as a Christian first, I believe that we are able to live a balanced lifestyle, enjoying movies and tvshows, while still keeping Christ at the center of our lives, and so it is my hope that you are encouraged even as you check out what I have to share.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Since the beginning of comic book movie-making, this movie was probably the biggest love letter to comic book movie fans! Spoilers ahead, if you haven’t seen Spider-Man: No Way Home; the movie features our beloved Spider-Man played by Tom Holland going through his toughest battle to date, as well as his most emotional arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now, quarter one is officially over and it's a great opportunity to take a look at movies you may have missed between December 2021 and March 2022 before we collectively plunge into what promises to be a very ACTIVE quarter two and three!

Photo: Spider-Man (Facebook)

We also got flung into excitement when Holland’s Peter Parker crossed paths with previous Spider-Men in the form of Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 2012 & 2014), and Tobey McGuire’s OG Peter Parker (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 & 3, 2002, 2004, 2007)!

Along with the combination of Spider-Men, we also got back some previous villains from preceding SpiderMan man movies who faced off with our current Spider-Man, Tom Holland.

44 The villains we saw were the likes of Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx’s Electro.

The biggest hurdle that the Matrix Resurrections has to cross is the many questions that fans are asking, and the lack of action that is evident throughout the film.

I say “has to cross” because the fil and Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith, the film seems to be lacking in a lot of departments. The film has yet to break even and it is almost a month in its theatrical run.

Yes, the visuals are appealing and groundbreaking, which we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but on the other hand, in the eyes of the studio, Warner Bros., the film is proving to be bad for business.

Photo: Spider-Man (Facebook)

Spider-Man: No Way Home is truly a film for fans to remember and it has been breaking box office records all over the globe. Since the pandemic, it is the first movie to cross the billion-dollar mark, raking in approximately USD $1.5b (JMD $232,031,700,000.00) at the time of this publication. Have you seen it? Do you plan to see it? You definitely should, the hype is real!

Maybe it is being affected by Piracy globally, as it premiered on HBOMax and in theatres simultaneously, so that may be a factor. Couple that with key franchise names like Lawrence Fishbourne (Morpheus) and Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith, the film seems to be lacking in a lot of departments.

No Way Home is still showing in theatres and I recommend that when you go see it, stay until the end of the credits, there is a mid-credit scene and an endcredit scene that you DO NOT want to miss!

The Matrix Resurrections Photo: The Matrix Resurrections (Facebook)

The nostalgia train crashed hard into us fans as we got the fourth installment of the Matrix franchise in The Matrix Resurrections! The film rode hard and nostalgia while delivering mind-bending questions of what is real vs. what is fiction, but it may have been a hard pill to swallow, whether red or blue.

Evidently, the fame and appeal of start Keanu Reeves don’t seem to be enough of a return on investment, for Warner Bros.

Peacemaker (HBOMax) Starring professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena as the titular character.

The show is a spin-off of the 2021 film The Suicide Squad that was directed by James Gunn and features talent like Idris Elba (The Wire, Pacific Rim, American Gangster), Margot Robbie (Focus, Birds of Prey), Joel Kinnaman (Robocop, Safe House, Altered Carbon), David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man, Dune), as well as John Cena who made his debut as Peacemaker.

The series follows Peacemaker after the events of The Suicide Squad, carrying out military-style missions on behalf of his superiors, all while being hilariously funny with heavy graphic violence.

Peacemaker premiered its first three episodes on HBOMax on January 13, 2022, and is an actioncomedy rated for mature audiences, with its official rating of TV-MA.

The Book of Boba Fett (Disney+) Debuting on December 29, 2021, The Book of Boba Fett still makes my list as episodes are premiering Photo: Spider-Man (Facebook) weekly, rather than the Netflix everything-all-atonce We model. also got flung into excitement when Holland’s Photo: Peacemaker (Facebook)

Peter Parker crossed paths with previous Spider-Men in The withGarfield’s Boba Fett,Peter as he Parker seemingly theseries form journeys of Andrew (The comes back from the and dead following events of2, Amazing Spider-Man The Amazingthe Spider-Man Star Wars: Return the Jedi (1983).OG HePeter teams up 2012 & 2014), andofTobey McGuire’s Parker with Fennec Shand (played Ming-Na Wen) after (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 by & 3, 2002, 2004, 2007)! they appeared season twoofofSpider-Men, The Mandalorian.

Along with thein combination we also got back some previous villains from preceding SpiderMan man movies who faced off with our current Spider-Man, Tom Holland.

46 Super Bowl LVI (Super Bowl 56) happened in February and saw the Los Angeles Rams triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, at the SoFi stadium in Inglewood, California, USA. If you're not a fan of sports, the Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League in America; but for us movie and tv-show lovers, that's not why we tune in.

Now, the Super Bowl is known for showcasing the hottest and most anticipated trailers for the coming spring-to-summer entertainment season, as well as other top-shelf trailers for our favorite brands across the globe. Now, it is no surprise, then, that this event would have been the perfect stage to showcase previews that have loyal fans starting their countdown for movies to look out for.

From the previews... I can safely say that this Summer will be epic! Here are MY two most anticipated movies of the year: Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, followed by Jurassic World: Dominion.

I've got no apologies about it as the build-up to this point, for both camps, has been quite the journey.

Are you looking forward to them too? You can definitely follow me as I do my own countdown and provide you with spoilers, you share your thoughts and so much more in my online community.

Find me on Instagram @cjamreviews

Photo: The Teal Mango

Christopher James is a Christian Creative and Entrepreneur who is passionate about building the Kingdom through community and excelleence unto God.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Beats Behind Gospel Deets

with Dexter Johnson Jr

PAJE is absolutely excited to have Gospel Deets on board officially, providing you with exclusive content to enjoy! Journey with Dexter Johnson Jr as he takes us through a complete summary of what 2021 meant for the Gospel Deets team, and what 2022 promises.

COLUMN We made it! First of all, manners and respect to the Big Man upstairs who took us through another year. Another year has come and gone, and boy did we feel like we might not make it.

Having to continue to face the pandemic for yet another year, the journey through the 2021 seemed quite tedious.

We had to overcome many other obstacles; some of us wondered if we would be here.

48 Last year we lost a lot. For some of us, we lost family, friends, jobs, joy, and hope; we almost lost our minds, and some even lost themselves.

For some of us, we gained a deeper understanding of who we are, new opportunities, new possibilities, and a new perspective on who God is.

The fact that we now stand in the dawning of a new year is no easy feat and is a true testament to the faithfulness and goodness of God. For me, Gospel Deets was one of the new opportunities birthed from what should have been a dark space. When things were on the verge of ending, we started something new.

As the gospel industry started to deepen its roots and reshape its form, we decided to join the virtual stage and create a needed and relevant show for this new age.

It all started from a parking lot conversation. There was a need for an entertaining way to update the public about the gospel industry's happenings and show how the Jamaica Youth for Christ (JYFC) was reaching its youths across the island.

Through the initiative of Shannon Dale Reid, a member of the Public Relations team at JYFC Gospel Deets was born.

The show came together in that one parking lot conversation. It was there we discussed the structure - a simple 15 min show that would inform our audience about JYFC events.

We had the program and the platform, but we needed a presenter, and that’s when I stepped up to the plate as host.

Being the host is no small feat. Though many would say it is in my natural skill set, it was still a new space. I was no longer the manager, and I was the talent being managed. I was no longer the boss; I took the orders and the corrections. Take 1, take 2, take 3!

49 The producers called the shots, and I followed the instructions. Hosting Gospel Deets was constricting at times, and at other times it allowed me to express myself freely. But whatever cards I was dealt, I was determined to give my best to make this dream not only a reality but a huge success.

PAJE Magazine also came on board with a continued feature in their digital magazine. In addition, we were blessed with other sponsors such as Edge Accessories, Dre’s Body Delish, Dei Epowders and Trappings Wear, who sponsored giveaways for our loyal audience members.

Speaking of success, we had a great start. Season One made a name for itself and put it on the map. Season One was a fun experiment so we kept things simple, a fifteen-minute show of just the basics aired on Fridays at 3pm.

The show's essence is to look at lifestyle, entertainment, sports and everything kingdom related.

The new format featured past events, what’s recent and overseas events.

We started filming from a friend’s backyard garden and then transitioned to studio broadcast. We had a small dream, but God had much bigger plans.

After Season One, the program evolved, and we changed the structure was for Season 2. We shot many of our episodes at outdoor locations like Hope Gardens, Jamaica Stock Exchange, The Waterfront, The National Heroes Park and the Portmore Municipal’s Climate Change Park.

We had corporate and media sponsors joining the program, which meant a longer show time. The new format took us from a fifteen-minute show to a thirtyminute broadcast. We started streaming for the JYFC Youtube Channel.

Now Gospel Deets is aired on Iretimes TV, Caribbean Gospel TV and Love TV. Jamaica National also joined the family and was given the JN WAY segment. On each show, their ambassador, Anneque Bennett, gives us financial tips to help the audience develop healthy money habits.

Beats of the Deets is a unique feature of the program as it highlights the song for the week. Our chosen beat is often a new and emerging song within the industry, but sometimes we feature a beat we feel is taking the place by storm.

There was also a particular segment called, What’s on my mind? - here, I discuss whatever I want, like current events or trends, everyday problems we face, and food marriages that need to end in immediate divorce (Cornbeef and broad beans do not belong together - I rest my case).

Another new feature added was our interview section.

Here we highlighted various individuals who were making their marks within multiple areas of the kingdom. We spoke to Dr Racar Williams, who shared his studies and his books with us.

We talked to the CEO of Dayelight Publishing, Crystal Daye, who shared her testimony and insights into what is needed to publish and market a book. Another interesting interview was with Christian Connect JA, who thought Jamaica would have its own Christian dating app.

50 Some of my favourite highlights from the show were the spontaneous features. Like: 1. The Cook-Off with my cousin Horein Douglas, where I was robbed of first place (watch the episode, and I know you will agree with me), 2. The Jesus Party with DJ HD was the perfect blend of old and new gospel hits.

3. The Olympics showdown had the Deets crew competing in various events (Listen! I will run a marathon any day as long as food is involved, that’s the proper way to run a marathon).

4. The Question and Answer segment allowed the audience to get to know me a little more and get a peek into my private life.

The last two seasons were something to talk about, and we hope to continue this standard of excellence.

Gospel Deets is a success because it's a team effort.

Though I am the only one on camera, a support team works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything is well. Shanon Dale Reid, Linton Blake and Shemar Grant are the silent parts of the engine that keep the show running.

We had our glitches and itches, but it was a great attempt overall. We were blessed with a catchy intro song recorded by Lucas Music and the outro beat by Blue I-Steppa and Ashan Simms.

We saw lots of notable events for the last two seasons, and we look forward to more excitement for the year to come.

We closed out the year with a stellar staging of Genesis, and if you missed it, you need to watch the show on JYFC’s YouTube Channel. The artists brought the worship and a vibe.

The sets were entertaining, from Rian Davis to Goddy Goddy to Jermaine Edwards to Rhoda Isabella, each artiste represented well. The whole show had moment after moment. It was indeed a praise festival. No one can deny that we have fun lifting up the name of Jesus.

As the Jamaica Youth for Christ steps into its 75th year of serving Jamaica, we look forward to covering this year's events and taking Gospel Deets to a whole new level. We invite you to join us on this next leg of the journey as we continue to use our gifts first to glorify God and entertain you. For this year, our encouragement is this: Press On! The Journey Continues.

Dexter Johnson Jr. is a Christian Creative and Entrepreneur who is well known in the Jamaican Gospel arena for his passion for the advancement of God's Kingdom through work with Youth and other ministers of the Gospel

JOURNEYS Highlighting the journey of our Main Feature, with a view to uplift and encourage others to keep pushing forward with God.

18

"God has given each of us a dream… a vision… there will be deterrents between the dream and the destination, but if that dream was given to you by God. Trust that it will be accomplished in your life. Press on."

- Nathanael

MAIN FEATURE

For just over 10 years, R. L. 'Nathanael' Hamilton

PAJE Magazine had the honour of being able to

has been on a journey that has witnessed him

connect with Nathanael, allowing him to share

evolve emotionally, spiritually, musically, and so

candidly, and we'll prepare you PAJE Fam, we

much more.

weren't prepared for just how humble, open and transparent Nathanael was about to be!

Hailing from the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago here in the Caribbean, Nathanael has

We are truly confident that you're going to be

been consistent in releasing music that glorifies

encouraged as you read more about the man

God, uplifts people and quite frankly, provides a

behind the music. So, let's jump in!

refreshing flavour of musicality and excellence.

54 18

PAJE: First and foremost, let's just say that we've been following your journey for YEARS, and your passion, creativity and vibrance never seems to shift. How have you managed to remain a trendsetter and stay on this consistent path?

Nathanael: Trendsetter? Far from… lol Thanks for

the kind words, though. I appreciate the love and support, genuinely.

As for passion, creativity, vibrance – I have personal credo: input determines output, so a big part of it is remaining a student – being willing to learn, grow and

develop…

whether

spiritually

through

connecting with God, His word and prayer or creatively – connecting with the art, connecting with other creatives…

I think another critical part of the whole process is enjoying… having fun doing what you love. Loving on God. Loving on people. Loving on the music.

PAJE: How did you know that this [ministry] was the path that you wanted to take in your life and what has the journey been like?

Nathanael: Parents encouraged me to get involved

in music from a young age – pastor’s son, so I was pretty much involved in church ministry (by force – joking) since early childhood – youth groups, youth choirs, youth activities…

I don’t think it hit home to me personally until I left church and tried to do my own thing though…

I did music outside of church for a few years, until one day I clearly heard God say that He wanted me home. “I do not want you contributing to anything that compromises or contradicts the messages I have for you in this season or in seasons to come.” I dropped everything, and returned home.

Prodigal son style. LOL I’m not gonna lie. I tried to fight it a few times, but wrestling with that type of conviction will have you uncomfortable bad bad bad.

When He’s ready for you… you know.

PAJE: What is it about Christ and your relationship with Him that has kept you moving forward even in the midst of those dark moments?

Nathanael:

I

think

it’s

just

His

reputation.

Undefeated. It’s the knowing that regardless of what I see, regardless of what’s before me, around me…

He’s in control of the outcomes.

All I have to do is trust Him and be obedient.

Sometimes I may falter. Sometimes I may be up against it… but just knowinggggg God is able is enough for me.

When the world seems outta hand for you… it’s best to leave it and let it fall into the hands of He who holds the entire world in His.

PAJE: What would you say is the major way that God

I just learnt reliance. I learnt how to lean on Him in every

has shown up in your life in the past 3 years and why

and any situation or circumstance. I saw how much,

has it made so much of an impact on you?

even in bad times, He cares.

Nathanael: I struggled a lot when I lost my mom a few

We really never see the bigger picture when we’re

years back… with my faith, with my belief, just my all

consumed in the smaller sections of the frame… but

around mental and emotional state. God definitely

when God steps in and opens the view for you…

showed up when I sought him out.

something special every time.

Music wasn’t working for me. Community wasn’t quite

Wow... PAJE Fam, are you receiving this? The past few

working for me. No amount of books, reading did it for

years, especially, have been reason enough for many of

me. I think in my lowest state, God found me. I came into

us to question things, but, let us be reminded that God is

deeper understanding of his sovereignty.

truly supreme and He has our best interest at heart. He legitimately has a plan.

I saw His hand in everything… guiding me to purpose in the midst of pain. Comfort to my turmoil. Strength to my weakness. Peace to my confusion.

How willing are we to trust that?

57 PAJE: So let's allow our readers to pick your brain a lil

PAJE:

Wow,

wasn't

expecting

number

two

bit. First question - Have you ever been to Jamaica?

especially! Lastly, What are 4 things about Trinidad and Tobago that more people need to know and

I actually lived in Jamaica for a few years. Been there at

potentially experience?

least 3 times. I was there from about age 5/6 to 10. JA is

1) the food.

actually my second home. Last time I was there was 2019

2) the love of the people.

for a youth conference. Much love to the God-Centred

3) the music.

family for having me out there.

4) the food.

PAJE: Awesome! Sounds like another trip needs to be worked on. We'd love to be there! Next simple question... With specific descriptive words, describe Nathanael.

Describe myself? This is a harddddd question y’all. Who do men say that I am? Lol Serious. Joker. Creative.

Dreamer.

PAJE: Lol, alright, yup - those seem accurate! Tell us 4 things about yourself that people wouldn't readily know

1) I love all things cereal.

2) Not a big fan of crowds or large groups of people. Very introverted.

3) I’m a big fan of Tottenham Hotspur. My younger brother Daniel and myself have supported them since childhood.

4) I’m actually studied Communications & Spanish for my University degree and not music.

My Unique Purpose To

bring/encourage/share

biblical

faith, hope and love through the artiste (who I am), His art (what I create) and His heart (how I live).

59 PAJE: Who, would you say, are the persons that

PAJE: What would you say makes you different

you hope to reach most with your music? (the

or a bit more unique as an artiste?

broken, the outcasts, the lost...?)

Nathanael: Probably the fusion… the mixture of Nathanael: Humans. Lol I feel like I try to speak to

textures. I tend to dabble in a lot of different things

everyone… the broken, the outcast, the lost, the non-

– genre wise, so possibly that urban rnb/hip hop

believer, the new convert, the mature believer… it

with Caribbean sound mix. That’s my laneeee. I like

really depends on the season I’m in and what I feel led

it there. Plenty. This was a tough question. I think

to do in that timing.

listeners might best be able to say here.

PAJE: What can we expect to see from you in the next 3 months?

I’ve got a few projects in the pipeline… a couple of collaborations here and there. My main focus right now is to finish up another album – God willing. I really want to do another “For Better or Worse” type project, so stay tuned.

61 PAJE: As we wait to see what you've got heading our way, we'd love to hear the heart behind Dream, Simple Tingz and Your Daughter. Tell us a lil more about them and what you've hoped that persons receive through each of those songs.

Dream started off as an sport-themed inspirational record, aimed at encouraging young people to believe again, to hope and to continuously pursue their Godgiven visions and goals, in spite of life’s challenges. The song specifically dealt with the issue of fear.

A lot of us are stagnant because we are afraid – scared to fail, scared it doesn’t work out, scared of what people may say or think. I always say now is a gift. You don’t want to look back years from now and think, “My God, I should have done this or that…” That’s not how we were meant to live.

Your Daughter was written in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month. I try to touch on social issues because I believe the voice of the church.. the biblical perspective is important.

The song explores the story of a domestic situation – a prayerful message on behalf of victims and their families, as well as a call to action to us as a society, more specifically to us as men.

Simple Things was about exactly that. The simple things – simple acts of love, kindness that could go a long way. This song was basically to encourage us to be a lot selfless as a society… a reminder to love your neighbour and be your brother’s keeper – not in the professing of faith, singing of praise and worship songs, and church attendance but the real life application where we demonstrate God’s love to people in our daily lives… IN THE SIMPLE THINGS.

62 Listen, that core and inspiration? SOLID. The impact that has been made by virtue of that mantra is priceless, and we want to encourage you all to keep pushing.

We must commend the quality and consistency of you and your team, and we've got to say that it's also clear that your ministry continues to evolve and we're sure your listeners can attest to that.

With 2022 still mostly ahead of us we've got a feeling that a lot is about to unfold for your ministry, and the solid energy from your latest album 'Szns Change' especially the title track 'Szns Change' and also 'Deliver' somehow give a great preview of what is to PAJE: We truly love that your music stays true to your roots and has a unique signature no matter what.

Share with us the full inspiration behind Fisherman Project and the vision for the next chapter.

Fisherman Project is a song-writing/ production team comprising myself and my younger brother, Daniel.

Talented talented dude! We play on that scripture where Jesus says He’ll make the disciples ‘fishers of men.” For us, that’s what we’re aspiring to do creatively through our gifts.

Music and the arts – the bait. Our motto “create and cast; cast and create.” Create the ‘bait’ and cast it… so we can create other messengers of Christ and the gospel who will in turn do the same.

unfold - and best believe we're here for it!

PAJE: What message of encouragement would you want to give other artistes who are frustrated about the pandemic and its effects on their ministry?

Nathanael: Man… it’s hard. I feel it too. For me,

personally… what has helped is intentionally doing what I need to do to remain sustained – my prayer time, my bible study, my connecting with other members in the faith has given me much needed stability. Input determines output so you have to find time to feed you.

Additionally, remembering your why. Constantly checking back in to your purpose and reminding yourself of the reasons why you do what you do and who you do it for is important.

I look at Joseph’s story in Genesis – sold by his brothers, wrongfully accused by his master’s wife, jailed and forgotten… but even in that space, he was obedient. His willingness to serve in prison brought him before the king to serve in the palace.

God has given each of us a dream… a vision… there will be deterrents between the dream and the destination, but if that dream was given to you by God. Trust that it will be accomplished in your life.

Press on.

All this is easier said than done, but I hope I was able to encourage somebody.

Special Note from Nathanael: Thanks so much for having me. I really appreciate connecting

with

you

guys.

This

was

big

encouragement to me. I just wanna extend God’s richest blessings to the entire team. Keep up the good work. Keep being a blessing. Love y’all. Hopefully we can connect again soon. Y’all need to visit Trini btw.

ELEGANCE Seeking to distinctly represent Christ with Truth, Good Stewardship & Excellent Creative Expression

66

COLUMN

with Charlene Tilbanie

Financial Mistakes Christians Should Avoid

Financial mistakes or money mistakes are quite common and often leave a trail of shame, regret and lack of confidence in their wake.

Unfortunately, money mistakes are very common in Christendom due to the pervasive lack of financial literacy in the churches.

However as with all circumstances, knowledge is power and many money mistakes can be avoided simply by being informed on what they are and how they can be avoided.

In addition to knowing what the pitfalls are and where they are located, it is also helpful to know what to do in the event that one has already made these mistakes.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes Christians should avoid and how to overcome them.

Mistake 1 – Not Having A Clear Plan “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time” - Zig Ziglar .

Without any goals and plans for money, financial failure is almost inevitable. The truth is goals are absolutely pivotal as they provide a compass, focus and an overall sense of direction. With no goals in place, Christians will end up in situations where there is little to no savings, no strategy to pivot in the event of emergencies and no plans for the inevitable retirement.

In Proverbs 13 v 16, the Bible says “a wise man thinks ahead, a fool doesn’t and even brags about it”. Without any thought to the future, Christians end up in a situation where they just live day by day, just coasting through life and praying it all works out in the end.

As a child of God who walks in the authority of the One who created him/her, that is no way to live.

God is a God of order (as seen in Genesis 1 and 1 Corinthians 14 v 33), plans and strategy.

As representatives of Him on earth, we need to act accordingly in our lives. If you have never set financial goals before, take the time to do so.

Ensure that your goals are clear, specific, realistic for your circumstances and can be measured.

Mistake 2 – No Spending Plan Let’s face it. Budgeting gets a bad rap. However the bad rap has been misplaced due to the notion that budgeting is only about restriction, deprivation and frugality.

The opposite is actually true about budgeting.

Budgeting gives you the freedom, peace and ability to spend your money according to your lifestyle, goals and values.

In Proverbs 27 v 23, the Bible instructs the following “Know the condition of your flocks”. In modern day language this means, “know the state of your finances”. Having a budget is the equivalent to having a strong foundation when constructing a house. Without a budget, you will find yourself running out of money before the next salary or contract payment arrives, simply because a plan was not put in place before you were paid.

Budgeting methods include the four walls budget, the 50/30/20 budget and the zero-based budget.

Regardless of your choice, take the time to first determine your expected income.

From there, outline your basic expenses, loan payments and variable expenses and assess if your income can cover these expenses. If it can, awesome! Use the extra funds and save it towards a future goal or invest it.

If your expenses are greater than your income, then revisit each line item and see where expenses can be reduced.

Mistake 3 – Spending More than You Earn Simply speaking, if you spend more than you earn you will always be broke. By committing this mistake over and over, you fall into the paycheck to paycheck cycle. In order to save money, invest money and build wealth, you have to be in a position where you spend less than you earn.

The Bible cautions against spending more than you earn in Proverbs 21 v 20 where it says “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get”. The key to spending less than you earn is to be aware of how much you spend on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

You can use an expense tracker app to make note of your spending. Alternatively you can use an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet or go old school and use a notebook.

Mistake 4 – No Emergency Fund One of the issues that creates the never ending cycle of paycheck to paycheck and the cycle of relying on debt in the event of unfortunate circumstances is the lack of an emergency fund. An emergency fund can be likened to an oxygen mask or a life vest in an aircraft.

These devices are rarely used but you do not want to be caught in an aircraft that’s about to crash land without one!

In the same manner, funds should be set aside in times of prosperity and plenty. Put another way, you should always save for a rainy day.

This emergency fund should not be used for spontaneous shopping trips, ad hoc vacations or unnecessary expenses. Rather it should be used for emergencies such as medical issues which insurance does not cover, major car repairs, reduction in income and loss of income.

Mistake 5 – Not Securing Health and Life Insurance Insurance is one of the most overlooked forms of wealth protection . Not only does insurance protect your wealth, it can be a source of generational wealth for your children and grandchildren. In Proverbs 13 v 22, the Bible says “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous”.

1 Timothy 5 v 8 confirms this – “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

The key to securing health and life insurance is to do so as early as possible as premiums tend to get more expensive as you get older.

Additionally, these should be reviewed and updated as life circumstances change (e.g. in the event of marriage, remarriage and the birth of children).

Mistake 6 – Taking on High Interest Rate Debt High interest rate debt is a common issue for many in and outside of the church. High interest rate debts commonly take the form of unsecured loans, personal loans and credit cards.

They are the source of anxiety and stress in the lives of many, due to the notion that the balance owed seems to hardly decrease, in spite of monthly loan payments.

In fact, Proverbs 22 v 7 captures the emotions perfectly when it says “the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender”.

Not all high interest rate debts are due to poor spending habits. Some people fall into this situation due to medical emergencies and unfortunate situations such as divorce.

Regardless of the cause, it is possible to get out of this situation. By refinancing the loans and getting a new loan at a lower interest rate, getting in control of your spending habits and by having an adequate emergency fund, it is possible to get out of and avoid high interest rate debt in the future.

Mistake 7 – No Investments The world is currently experiencing inflation at near record levels. In fact, many countries are recording inflation that has been the highest in 40 years.

Simply put, this means that the cost of goods and services are increasing. Unfortunately, salaries and incomes are not increasing at the same pace.

As such, paychecks are not stretching as far as they used to. Persons are now faced with a situation of either buying less food/gas/necessities or spending more money for the same basket of goods/level of service that they received in the past.

At the same time, interest on savings accounts is next to nothing. In most instances the banks are paying interest at rates that are less than 1%. This creates a situation where the savings account in the bank is worth less as the days progress because the cost of living is increasing.

In order to counter this and actually build wealth, Christians need to invest money in securities or products that give a return that is greater than the pace of inflation. This inevitably protects wealth against the rising cost of living and builds wealth for the future generations.

Mistake 8 – Not having the right view of money In 1 Timothy 6 v 17-19, clear instructions are given on how to handle wealth as a believer. In this passage of scripture, Timothy instructs the church as follows: “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable.

Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

The Bible provides the perfect manual for our finances. It’s a roadmap, blueprint and financial planner all in one and shows us the importance of goal setting, budgeting, tracking spending, avoiding high interest rate debt, building wealth, protecting wealth and also sharing wealth.

Followers of Jesus should never trust in their wealth. In fact believers should always remember the source of their wealth. By doing this, Christians will not fall into the temptation of serving money instead of serving God.

If followed to the letter, Christians can avoid many of the common financial mistakes that plague the world today. We can then be in a position of using our wealth to do ministry and to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

Taking it a step further, followers of Christ should remember that their wealth is to be used to further God’s work here on earth. The wealth of the saints is not for self-glorification, but should be about the one who called us.

We should bear in mind that money is just a tool – it is neither good nor evil. It is simply a tool that can do greater works in this world.

It should be used to help those in need, those in unfortunate situations and those who can be reached through the ministry of giving.

Charlene Tilbanie is a Money & Finance Coach who is passionate about helping others to manage their finances and escape debt-riddled lifestyles.

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COLUMN

THE TRUTH DISTILLERY

CLOWNSTheir Crowns WITH VICTOR BROWN

&

Jesus asked quite simply in the words of Mark 8:36, a scripture which has become so commonly quoted I appreciate it’s ubiquity but fear it may have begun to lose some of its gravity;

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

We live in an age where many desire to be “IT”. The “IT” woman dating or married to the “IT” man.

DEEP DIVE

Together they want the “IT” relationship which produces all the “ITs”; perfect, healthy, model

children, wealth, the “IT” home with the 2-car garage (at minimum) which houses the “IT” cars.

All these crowns captivate the eyes and minds of so many. If these jewels don’t glisten before your eyes

Why chase a crown when you’ll have to lay it down at the feet of the only king?

dear reader, perhaps your interests lie elsewhere.

Your crown may be a career, your family, personal

ambitions, a business, your church or some other earthly trinket.

Whatever the silver, whatever the gold, whatever

Who is not a clown lives their entire life in the

the ornate crown to behold, these crowns only

perpetual, harried, frenetic hamster-wheel of an

give us temporary ‘chief clown’ status.

existence for a toy crown? A title of significance only to those who are themselves doomed?

Chief clown? What could this humble writer mean? Allow me to explain, a king/queen is only as

It marvels me but convicts me at the same time and

powerful as his/her kingdom right? And a kingdom

at risk of echoing the ecclesiastical sentiments of

is only as powerful as it’s territory and subjects.

Solomon I see that all this world offers is absolutely,

Now this earth is a fallen world as scripture

utterly, meaningless. The world tells us, study hard,

teaches us.

work hard and win much.

Pardon the reference to the human race as

It tells us love self, be loved ( and liked) by others

“clowns” but this is by no means intended to be

and live well. It tells us make money, stack paper,

inflammatory or derogatory, I am simply using the

chase paper, save paper, spend paper (repeat?).

term to graphically illustrate for us all the central idea of this piece, clowns rule clowns with earthly

It tells us to amass unto ourselves all the

crowns.

accomplishments

and

achievements

that

we

possibly can over the brief course of our futile little The subjects/citizens of this fallen earth are broken

lives and that will be enough. It is indeed enough…

sinful creatures who are subjects of God’s wrath

for a clown.

until and unless they repent and renounce their current liege and accept His dominion and Lordship of their lives.

All the glistening, bedazzled crowns the systems of this world entice us to pursue to our graves only afford us temporary power here on earth.

Earthly

wealth,

prestige,

power,

affluence,

influence and accolades are incapable of holding any real eternal value. Who, if not a clown, chases a fantasy?

For a clown celebrates his demise and laughs in the face

It would be one thing if this pursuit of the little this

of his peril without thought or concern of consequence.

world had to offer was limited to those the Bible describes as being “darkened in their understanding

We run to and fro as hummingbirds flitting from tree to

by the god of this world” (Ephesians 4:18), but the

nectar-filled tree in search of the next crown to wear.

sickness has permeated the church too.

We brag about the people who love us, respect us, fear us , serve us and want us.

We are trained and taught by this fallen world to boast about the size of our churches, the eminence of our leadership panels and the “power” of our ministries.

All these crowns, for all these clowns.

Meanwhile Christ, the only true King sits in eternity, truly omniscient and omnipotent gazing though time upon all our collective existences…

Caught between a chuckle at our folly, which to be fair can be quite amusing; and a deep cry of anguish at what often appears to be His efforts wasted on us.

“How?” He ponders, “did I redeem mankind and the universe wearing a crown of thorns but my subjects believe they can top that like a top hat?”

It’s sad really, that our king wore a crown of thorns and cried with torn flesh to win the eternal victory for us but we strive for temporary crowns of corrupted glory in this dying world while enjoying our flesh.

Far too often today our ministers and brethren chase titles and the grandiose status or influence to lay their claim to fame in this lame domain.

But why?

If scripture defines us as the head and not the tail and God says He is our Father and we are His children; If Christ goes as far as to refer to all the household of faith as “joined-heirs” and His “brothers”, why do we seek the approval and validation of men so much?

I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s charge to the

That crown upon your head, cast it down voluntarily

Colossian church which reads:

for you will have to cast it down before the one who wore the crown of thorns but now sits exalted above

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your

all, wearing the crown of life and possessing all

hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the

power and dominion. Choose to refuse to work for

right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1) And I am concerned

this circus of a world any longer and wipe the mask

that a number of us may have lost sight of this cardinal

off your face.

truth. Nothing is here for us, nothing here belongs to us.

Heck, we don’t even belong to ourselves!

The mask that covers your brokenness and spiritual poverty, for there is a true king who desires that you

We were bought with the precious blood of the slain

become His. When we embrace this liberating truth,

and risen lamb. If we truly understood that we are

we no longer feel compelled to walk the tight ropes

merely pilgrims passing through this foreign land called

that we find ourselves traipsing, delicately balancing

earth, we’d travel light and focus on getting home to

our self interests with those of the expectations of the

Christ in paradise safely and with as little weight as

world. We no longer have to jump through flaming

possible.

hoops to be affirmed let alone approved when we know that we are marked with the promised seal of

I do grow rather concerned for those of us who are quite

the Holy Spirit. When we live for an eternal crown we

occupied with loading bag after bag and suitcase after

no longer have to perform for congregations,

laden suitcase with trinkets and trophies that God will

admirers or critics; we no longer have to entertain

consume with His fire on that day.

fans, audiences, or demons.

If the 24 elders in heaven bow down low and cast down

Are you feeling like it’s time to stop being a clown?

their crowns of gold before the Lord, do you think your

Me too. Let’s not chase this circus of a world’s

“apostate apostle” or “blind bishop”, your title of

popcorn rings anymore when God promises us the

“reviling reverend” or “proud pastor” will remain on your

crown of life.

head (or in your hands) when His glory is revealed?

I urge you my dear comrade in the faith, do not be a clown. If you are not yet a comrade in the faith but a bystander, I urge you to stop clowning about for there is absolutely no time to lose.

Victor Brown is a Christian Creative who is passionate about educating others about God through sound teachings nested in Biblical Truth.

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THE FAITH JAR

WAS NOAH'S Universal?

FLOOD COLUMN

WITH OKEYNO MORGAN

The crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, the

In verses 11 and 12 of that same chapter Moses

floating axe head, the purification of poisonous water,

wrote that “the earth was depraved and putrid in

Jesus’ walking on water and turning water into wine

God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence

are just a few instances in both the Old and New

(desecration, infringement, outrage, assault and lust

Testament scriptures where God demonstrated His

for power). And God looked upon the world and saw

sovereignty over water and nature in general.

how degenerate , debased, and vicious it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth

But no discussion of miracles, certainly those

and lost their true direction.”

DEEP DIVE

involving water can be complete without mentioning the account of Noah and the flood as recorded in

It was this gross degeneration of a perfect creation

Genesis chapters six to nine.

that would force the creator to destroy His creation.

According to the book of Genesis, the flood was

God, before executing his judgment found that Noah

because of God extending His Judgment on a people

was a righteous man as declared in Genesis 6:9 and

who had wandered away from His original design.

in recognizing Noah’s faithfulness God decided that

This failure on the part of creation was because of

He would not destroy creation, instead he would

man’s active rebellion and scant regards for the laws

preserve mankind through the loins of Noah and his

that were established by God.

family.

Genesis 6:5 records that “the Lord saw that the

It was for this reason that Noah was commanded to

wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that

construct an ark to save his family along with all air

every imagination and intention of all human thinking

breathing creatures from the wrath that was to be

was only evil continually.”

poured out on the earth (Benware, 1988).

The ark which was three stories high (45 feet) was also 450 feet long and 75 feet wide was made of gopher wood and would be adequate to preserve Noah and the members of the animal kingdom during the flood which was to come 120 years after God’s initial pronouncement.

There are many historical and theological debates surrounding the account of Genesis 6-9.

There are those who question whether the events are historically factual and if they are, how could one prehistoric man and his sons create a vessel that would be able to withstand a catastrophe of such a great magnitude.

77

Just two weeks ago in a meeting with some Bible translators several questions came up surrounding the account. The question of the flood being local or universal was one of much heated discussion. Here, I will seek to discuss this aspect of the debate surrounding the flood of Noah’s time. Was the flood universal or was it local? The paper will present arguments from both sides of the debate and then present an analysis as to why the scripture should be taken in its literal context if we are to fully appreciate the truths that are hidden in the scriptures.

The Case for a Universal Flood Many biblical scholars are of the opinion that there are several pieces of evidence from scripture and geology that point to a universal flood.

Wolf (1991), posited that the language of the flood narrative, size of the ark constructed by Noah, the duration of the flood and the covenant that God made with man and the earth after the flood are all signs pointing towards a universal flood.

Genesis 6:17 records God’s saying “For behold, I, Even I, will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and the spirit of life; everything that is on the land shall die.

The language of this verse and others in the same scripture suggest “the flood was a catastrophe of global dimensions” (Wolf, 1991).

Other verse that suggests that the flood was one of

Wolf, in his commentary provided a greater insight

global magnitude is Genesis 7:11 “ … on the same

on these two verses and the flood that would have

day all the fountains of the great deep burst open,

occurred.

and the flood gates of the sky were opened.”

He writes “since water seeks its own level, how would The descriptive language used in this verse points to

it be possible to cover one high mountain without

all the water sources on the earth opening which

covering the entire earth?

would logically result in a flood of global proportion.

Even if the Alps and Himalayas were excluded, hardly Wolf (1991), noted that “this description seems to

any creature could have survived such a tremendous

reverse the work of creation, when God “separated

flood.”

the water under the expanse from the water above it” (Gen 1:7) and when He distinguished between the

A third evidence that points to a global flood was the

dry ground and the seas (1:9-10).”

size of the ark that Noah was instructed to construct and the duration of the flood. According to Wolf

Wolf also posits that as the flood continued,

(1991), the size of the ark indicates how extensive the

everything disappeared in the water, and the earth

flood was.

became formless and empty as it had been- returning to a watery chaos as it was before the creation.

He writes “such a ship could accommodate thousands of animals and birds, far more than would

From a geological standpoint the description of the

be necessary if a localized area was intended.”

Genesis flood also points to a flood of global proportion. Genesis 7:19-20 records the following,

Likewise, Wolf also wrote that Noah and his family

“the waters prevailed so exceedingly and were so

were in the ark for more than a year.” John J. Davis as

mighty upon the earth that all the high hills under the

cited in Wolf (1991) also posited that “a flood which

whole sky were covered.

lasted 371 days cannot be anything short of universal.”

[In fact] the water became fifteen cubits higher as the hills were covered.in commenting on this verse

This position is also supported by Benware (1988)

Benware (1988) states “that all the high mountains

who argued that that the flood lasted for more than a

were covered by more than twenty feet of water

year is proof that the flood covered the entire world

dictates a flood that is not confined to a local flood.”

as the same is not true of local floods.

Another claim in favour of a universal flood is the

The apostle wrote “Above all, you must understand

covenant that God made with Noah and creation

that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing, and

after the flood had subsided.

following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our

When God made the covenant with Noah, he

ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since

promised that He would never again destroy the

the beginning of creation.”

earth with a flood as recorded in Genesis 9:11 “I will establish My covenant or pledge with you :

But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s

Never again shall flesh be cut off by the waters of a

word the heavens came into being and the earth

flood: neither shall there ever again be a flood to

was formed out of water and by water. By these

destroy the earth and make it corrupt.”

waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

Wolf, in his analysis pointed to the numerous local floods which have occurred since the flood of

By the same word the present heavens and earth are

Noah and suggest that if one interprets it as being

reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment

a local flood one would also be implying that God

and destruction of the ungodly.” Based on the

had broken His promise to man and to the earth.

writings of the apostle, one is left to question why

Wolf writes “since the purpose of the flood was to

would Peter compare the final judgment with the

destroy sinful mankind, a strictly Mesopotamian

Noahic flood unless the whole world were involved

flood would be ineffective, unless everyone were

in both events.

still living in that limited area.

Yet

when

one

looks

at

the

longevity

of

antediluvian man, the population must have increased rapidly, making it unlikely that the many millions of people would all have been able to stay close to Tigris and Euphrates rivers.”

Finally, in the New Testament writings of 2 Peter 3:3-7, the apostle compared the flood of Noah’s days to the impending coming of the Lord and the day of reckoning.

The Case for a Local Flood: Just as there are many arguments that have been purported to support the claims of a universal flood, there are also many claims to support a local flood.

Scholars who are in favour of a local flood hypothesis use the language from the narrative, geographical evidence and in text evidence to support their claim.

On the matter of language Wolf writes “the Hebrew word for earth (‘eres) is in fact often translated “land’ or “country,” and its meaning has to be determined by context.” He also posited that “it may be significant that the other common word for ‘world’ (tebel) does not occur anywhere in the flood narrative.

Elsewhere in Genesis the word ‘eres has the same ambiguous sense in connection with another catastrophe, an extensive famine.” This was the story of Joseph and the famine which occurred in Egypt, though extensive the famine is never interpreted as being a global one but one that was limited to the then known world.

In the same way those who are of the local flood theory are of the opinion that when the scripture made note of the waters covering all the mountains, it was referring to all the known mountains which existed at the time. This assumption on the meaning of the word translated earth.

On the matter of geography and geology, Wolf also suggested that the narrative is based in Mesopotamia “and even after spending more than a year in the ark, they landed on the mountain of Ararat (Gen 8:4)” which is in Assyria.

The argument made here is that if Noah was on the ark for more than a year, why didn’t the ark drift further than a few hundred miles?

Another argument that has been raised on the matter of geography is that how does one account for where the water came from and where the water went after the flood had ended. Wolf (1991) writes “a flood that covered mountains 15,000 feet high would require several times more water than the earth presently holds.”

The statement made by Peter in the book of 2 Peter 3:6 is also reinterpreted to support the claim of a local flood. Wolf (1991) posits that “perhaps Peter’s reference to the flood waters that destroyed ‘the world of that time’ has a similar limited sense (2 Peter 3:6).

In Colossians 1:23 Paul rejoices that the gospel ‘has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,’ a statement very close to Genesis 7:19 but clearly understood as hyperbole.”

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His promise with the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-14). That bow is still in existence today and is not limited to one geographical location but in all parts of the world and to all the people of the world.

This is testament in my opinion that the flood was a universal one as all people can bear witness to God’s warnings and promises.

The claims of the local flood theory are also limited in the level of potency ascribed to God. To argue the source of the water or the process by which the excess water was removed from the surface of the earth is to limit the all-powerful God to human understanding.

Conclusion: There are strong arguments on both sides of the debate to support the claims of a universal flood and that of a local flood.

Not only that but to argue the source of the olive branch that the dove delivered to Noah is a failure to recognize that the runoff may have been greater in some areas and because of this new life (trees and shrub) would have been very possible.

After examining the arguments on both sides, I believe the claim of the universal flood is a more plausible one and the one that is more in line with the evidence that has been presented in scripture.

One of the most compelling reasons for supporting this claim is the covenant that God made with mankind and the earth at the time. Not only did God promise that he will never destroy the earth with water again, but he sealed

Sources: Benware, P. N. (1988). Survey of the Old Testament (Revised). USA: Moody Press.

Brueggemann, W. (2003). An introduction to the Old Testament: The Cannon and Christian Imagination. Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press.

Wolf, H. (1991). An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch. Chicago: Moody Publishers.

Okeyno Morgan is Lecturer and Speaker, eager to uplift others through the Word of God and play his part in advancing the Kingdom.

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Foul language, swearing, how we communicate with people on a daily basis, and even how we speak to ourselves; God is concerned with all of the above and presented us with guidelines in His word pertaining to these things (Colossians 4:6).

Truth is, life, especially in these past two years, has seen its fair share of difficulties or challenges, causing anger, hurt, frustration, disappointment, and more.

However, how conscious are we of this? We sometimes find ourselves moving towards justification of these acts rather than acknowledgement and repentance. So, we do that without recognizing that we're working against our own spiritual health and growth.

Nevertheless, there's a difference between stepping into the realm of degrading speech and acts as a temporary action that is followed by repentance and heart-work, versus stepping into it and staying there.

Not even just on a global scale, but also in many inter-personal interactions.

Where exactly would you say you are?

Let's remind ourselves of some truths:

1. God asks us to keep our speech pure, wholesome and to use our speech to uplift each other and to give thanks.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth (Colossians 3:8) Dirty stories, foul talk and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of God’s goodness and be thankful! (Ephesians 5:4).

2. What we say not only affects our lives but is indicative of what we believe.

The tongue has the power of life and death.

(Proverbs 18:21).

How can you who are evil say anything good?

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

3. We have the power to influence others with our speech and a responsibility to use that to win souls for the kingdom.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

(Revelations 12:11).

When we take note of these points, it becomes even more apparent that God doesn't just care about the worship music we sing, the amazing sermons we preach, the food that we give to the poor and the number of deliverance sessions we lead.

He cares about our entire being and what marinates inside us.

He cares about our hearts and the fruits that we display on a daily basis, not from a place of ultimate judgment, but rather as a reminder that:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him (Matthew 12:34, 35).

We are His standard and image-bearers and should talk and walk accordingly

Proverbs 16:24 “Kind words are like honey– sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

He wants to journey with us as we consciously embark on a deeper healing journey

84

We are all but imperfect humans serving a perfect God, who have access to grace and mercy and can benefit from that in the midst of repentance.

It's not too late to fix these things about ourselves, or at least begin deliberate work on ourselves.

This piece has been written, not from a place of accusation or condemnation, as we all are battling our own flaws and challenges. Instead, we pray that this nudges you into your own time of reflection and healing so that your spirit can be rejuvenated as you press forward into 2022.

From time to time - well, actually incessantly, the enemy tries to push, kick and keep us down by telling us we aren't good enough to be a Christfollower, we're too sinful, and we don't have the strength to overcome our weaknesses and change.

The last thing to do in moments like these is to give ourselves over to these thoughts Instead, flip the script and speak the truth that God has given you.

Here are some reminders to speak over yourself in these moments.

From "Not good enough to be a Christ-Follower" to "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" - John 1: 12

From "Too sinful" to "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Romans 8:1

We'll always be engaged in this battle, and it's important to remember that God, in knowing this, has equipped us with truth so that we can stand.

The individual moments tend to be difficult, but clinging to truth, especially the God-given truth that you have gained the strength to speak over yourself - that will always trump any plot of the enemy.

Finally know this, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

From "We don't have the strength to overcome" to "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8: 37 and "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" - 1 Corinthians 10:13"

Nothing can keep you away from God once you come back to God with a repentant spirit. He is faithful and just to forgive you. (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9) Walk boldly as a child of the King.

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 || APRIL 2022