Post 365: Becoming a Citizen of Change

So here it is (written 30th September 2013): post number 365 of 365 in my '365 days to change the world' daily blogging challenge! For those of you who are new to my blog, I started this challenge on 1st October 2012, dedicating myself to post a tip, organisation, cause, issue or inspiration every day for 1 whole year to help each of us to figure out how we can make a difference to the world we live in. You can read my first post 'New Year's Resolution... in October!' to find out exactly what inspired me and why I committed myself to do this a year ago.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog so far and that you have been inspired and helped to find your place in standing for change and making a difference in the world that we live in. I have loved writing this blog and finding out more about those who are in need and the organisations and individuals who are standing in the gap on their behalves. 

Over this year, I have become even more convinced that I want to be one of those individuals, a 'citizen of change', and, with over 14,500 views in just one year (thank you to each and every one of you for reading and sharing!), I have realised that using my voice and sharing what I am discovering is step one of many more steps to facilitate this! So, I am glad to announce, I will be continuing with this blog! :) I may not post every single day (though I will aim to), but I will post as regularly as I can, so please do stay tuned (you can follow this blog using your gmail account or by email if you wish) and please keep sharing on facebook and twitter! I have also been invited to post in an online community called 'The Mandela Project', started by two of Nelson Mandela's grandsons as a way of bringing together citizens of change and allowing them to share their thoughts, inspiration, causes and organisations online. 

So I will leave you with the same thought at the end of this year as I did at the start with a quote from my post on 1st October 2012 ('New Year's Resolution... in October!'):

"So here I am again, 1st October… This year, instead of giving up a bad habit, I have decided to form a positive one, birthed out of the passion I feel for making a positive difference in this world and in the lives of others. I want to be bold for God and to make a difference in this world that He has entrusted to us. Like my good friend @JamiePoch wrote on his Twitter bio: “I want it to be said of me:'He took risks, not eating raw cookie dough kind of risks, but risks that challenged himself &others to do something daring for God.'”.. well, I agree!"

Stay tuned to find out about my 'New Year's Resolution... October 2013'!

Blessings!

Ronell x

{photo credit: http://tylerknott.com/}

Rick Warren > Don't Give Up!

My friend shared this quote at church last night and it really inspired me to just keep going!

I hope it inspires and uplift you too!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"When God gives you a dream, you can be sure you'll run into delays, difficulties, detours and dead ends along the way. They are a natural part of life. But you can be ready for them.

Now if anybody had a right to be discouraged, it was Noah. Do you know how long it took Noah to build the ark? 120 years. Could you go 120 years on a project without one word of encouragement from anybody else in society?

Noah trusted God. And when he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was no sign of a flood. I bet there were many days that Noah didn't feel like going to work, but for 43,800 days, he went to the same place and he worked. He never gave up.

Don't give up on your dream either. Don't give up on the marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control. You haven't read the final chapter of your life. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.

The Bible says, "God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him." God is looking for people that he can bless. I want you to be one of those people.

Don't give up!"

Don't Give Up- Press On!

Press On

by Joyce Meyer - posted May 20, 2013

That night the Lord said to Gideon, Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has and cut down the Asherah [symbol of the goddess Asherah] that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold with stones laid in proper order. —Judges 6:25–26

History is filled with people who accomplished great things even though they had to persevere past the criticism and judgment of others. Some of the world’s greatest inventors were persecuted by their family or friends, but they pressed on because they believed in what they were doing.

Benjamin Franklin longed to write for his older brother’s newspaper where he worked as a printing apprentice, but his brother refused to let him. Ben wrote stories anyway, under a pen name, Silence Dogood. Every letter was snuck under the printing shop’s door at night to avoid discovery, and “Silence Dogood” became wildly popular. When Ben finally admitted that he was the writer who was getting so much attention, his brother only grew angrier and more jealous. This resulted in Ben receiving beatings and finally running away.

Among the many inventions and improvements he created in his lifetime, Ben eventually started his own printing shop and took over a newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which under his supervision became the most successful in the colonies.

Lord, strengthen me in my inner being to be able to persevere against adversity. I can move forward confidently if I know it is Your way. Amen.

---

From the book The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.