It has been almost one year since the Coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.

My birthday was a few weeks ago (March 25, 2021), and I turned thirty years old. I marked this year as the year of the beginning of a new decade, new friends, and new memories for me in spite of the pandemic.

Lately, I have been opening myself to try new things so that I can meet new people. One of these things was that I signed up for a Connect Group at Passion City Church. I did this with the hope of meeting new people and expanding my social circle of Christian friends, who I can grow and do life with in my own life.

~”A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”~Proverbs 17:17, New International Version~

Now, do not get me wrong. I am not leaving my home church, First Baptist Church of Atlanta because I have a God-given responsibility to be the light and love of Christ through greeting and other church-related activities at this church. I am just trying out the Connect Group at Passion City Church in a few weeks so that I can expand my social network of Christian friends in my social circle and grow in the Lord with them.

I also made an account on the website, Hey Vina! I created this account with the hope of meeting new friends, who have the same hobbies, common interests, and common goals as myself.

I have not met people on this website yet, but hope to soon so that I can be the light and love of God to my friends, who I hope to meet and make, through this app.

~“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”~John 3:16, English Standard Version~

Besides looking to expand on my social network of friends, I am using this season of life to focus on growing myself inside and out in many ways. One of these ways is that I am working on editing my first book, “A Victory Song.”

This book, “A Victory Song,” is in the process of going through the second round of edits that are needed before it moves into the second stage of the publishing process of my book, which is the page design stage of the book. My hope and prayer is that, “A Victory Song,” will captivate and touch many lives in the Atlanta community and outside of my Atlanta community. As I put my heart and my soul in investing in this project, I hope that it inspires many lives to turn to Jesus Christ.

Another way that I am focusing on growing on myself is through writing to inspire. The only time that I write is if I am inspired to write. I write to glorify God first in my life as I let His Holy Spirit use me as His vessel to inspire many on this journey of my life.

A third way that I am focusing on growing myself is through setting boundaries in terms of spending and saving money. Recently, I set a budget to shop for clothes and items that I needed for the upcoming seasons of Spring and Summer 2021. I bought three of each item (three tops, three dresses, and three pairs of shoes) at the clothing store. Even though it was tempting for me to buy more than what I needed at the time, I stuck to what I originally planned in terms of my budget amount. It was worth it as the Holy Spirit of God is guiding me to be more practical, sensible, and discerning with my money.

God has been so good in my life lately! And it is with as I end this blog post that I challenge you: In what ways has God prompted you to expand your social network and work on growing in your walk and relationship with Him? All comments are welcomed. God bless you!

These past three and a half months have been a whirlwind!

Just in case my Facebook and Instagram followers have been wondering why I have not been posting on social media as much, I am thankful to God that I am back online and that the Lord is healing me.

I was recently hospitalized in March 2021. This was my second time that I was hospitalized since November 2020. While I choose to not disclose the reasons as to why or what led me to be hospitalized, I would like to extend my utmost thanks to my two friends (I will not disclose their names on this blog post) for praying and interceding for me. I even thank YOU especially for praying for me to not give up on my life or on my hopes and dreams for the future because God has great plans for me!

~”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”~Jeremiah 29:11, NIV~

Before I went into the hospital in March 2021, a Christian prophet spoke into my life that many people that I know would leave me and betray me in this season (this past season). This same prophet also prophesized to me that I would be called to walk alone (this does not mean that I cut myself off from my loved ones——it just means that I am doing the Lord’s work by walking in His divine will for me as I choose to walk alone with Him due to events that are out of my control and that are divinely orchestrated by the will of God to happen for His glory).

One of the reasons why I believe that God allowed me to be hospitalized a second time was for me to draw closer to Him as I soaked in the presence of the Lord during my time at the hospital. It is my conviction that during my second time at the hospital that the Lord wanted me to receive a sense of rest, but at the same time to enter into a sense of peace with who I am, as a child of God.

As I entered into the rest of the Lord for a second time at the hospital, I carried my Bible everywhere. I did not approach people and talk to them as I wanted to talk to them. I only talked to them as the Holy Spirit of God led me not only so that I could be a witness for them, but so that they could receive an encouraging Scripture or Scriptures that would empower them to get through the harsh time that or be equipped to handle the baggage that they were dealing with at the time.

There were a couple of instances, in which people at the hospital, would gather around me solely because they wanted to hear me read from the Bible to them. I read from the Bible to the people at the hospital and they would receive it (most of them) with joy and gladness in their hearts. A couple of people from the hospital even asked me to borrow my Bible so that they could read it themselves at the hospital. I believe that people from the hospital asked me if they could read my Bible because they were hungry for the Word of God and wanted to be encouraged.

I am glad that the Lord was able to use me during the time and season that He allowed for me to be hospitalized so that I could be a testimony and witness to the doctors and counselors and be the light and love of Christ while at the hospital.

Even while at the hospital, I did not give up praying for my hopes and dreams (such as, to graduate with my Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, get my first book published, etc.), or for my friends (even though I don’t have many close friends ) and family. There were moments in which I would walk around the hospital and pray out loud or to myself as the Holy Spirit of God led me. Those moments were wonderfully relaxing as I remained in the presence and rest of the Lord.

~”And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””~Exodus 33:14, ESV~

^~”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. We love because he first loved us.”~1 John 4:18-19, NIV~

I bless my friends. I bless my family. I bless those who did not betray me or leave me alone when mostly everyone did choose to betray me and to leave me alone. I speak the love of God over you and your families, husbands, wives, and children as I end this blog post, which much love from the Father and myself. God bless you!

• 

•