FIRST QUARTER DONE! WHAT'S NEXT?

Once again, welcome to April. How has the month been so far?

So soon we’re a few days into the 4th month of the year. I’m excited for what lies ahead but then I stop to ask, ‘how effectively have I utilized my January to March?’

There are a couple of areas I did well and a couple others I could have done better from my assessment.

I pose the same question to you, 'how effectively did you utilize your January- March?

Well, the first quarter is over but the year isn’t. There are three more quarters to go. There are a lot of things God wants to do in this second quarter and I believe that if we partner with Him, they will become reality. In partnering with God, there are things we must do and that's what this post aims to tackle.

Well, there are the obvious fundamentals-prayer, Bible study, fasting, living out the Word, evangelism etc. Without them, growth is stunted. There are some lesser known things that when we do will make our journeys more worthwhile.

1. Confessions and declarations

Create the future you want each day with your mouth. Declare the scriptures in each area of your life- health, academics, career etc. Prophesy the change you want to see. When it does happen you will be in awe of what the Lord has done and not surprised. Confession stirs up faith.

"I don't explain my experiences, I enforce my expectations, till my expectations become my experiences." - Debola Deji Kurunmi

Enforce your expectations by declaring them!!

2. Documenting your journey

When many hear the word ‘document’, they think its only when someone keeps a diary. Taking pictures is documenting. In the book of Joshua, God told the Israelites to leave memorial stones in the Jordan and at its bank to remind generations yet to be born that the Lord parted the Jordan for them. God being so good, we are in an age where we don’t necessarily have to lay up stones, so many avenues are available.

And Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of God into the midst of the Jordan and take up each one of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you? then you shall tell them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off. So the stones shall be to the people of Israel, a memorial forever."- Joshua 4:5-7 ESV.

As humans, forgetfulness is part of our nature. Save your memories, ideas, wins, stories, losses, lessons for future reflection. Take pictures, star messages, write notes, journal, save them on the cloud, back them up whatever you do, document your journey. It will be a template for someone one day, it will be a monument of the Lord’s blessings upon your life one day.

My brothers, this is not a girl thing, you should try it too.

3. Protecting your joy

Protecting your joy requires protecting your heart. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. In this turbulent world, please maintain your joy. Everyday for the rest of the year, please choose joy. Let joy be the standard at all times. Nothing and nobody should stop it.

That will be all, siblings. Exhaust the days ahead, listen to instructions to obey them. April, May, June was good to us. We enjoyed God's blessings, we did what He wanted us to do.

Spend some time planning and envisioning what’s ahead with God. Write them down and take practical steps to achieve them. There is so much joy in knowing that you are doing what God wants you to do per unit time.

I wish you God's best. Cheers to a successful rest of the year. Let me know some things you will be taking more seriously in this second quarter in the comments.