"Your Truth" vs "God's Truth"

"My Truth" , "Your Truth" popular terminology that encourages that we embrace, accept, live, our own persuasion. As popular as this teaching is, however, it's major flaw lies in the fact that our persuasions are fueled by our experiences, individual preferences, emotions, and circumstance. None of these are final authorities, neither are they solely/ consistently reflective of God. When pursuing "Our Truth" where do we place God? and what do we do when "God's Truth" directly opposes  ours?

This week, Pastor Mrs. Valerie Charles Chike Nezianya gives us a reality check about truth, and submitting our truth to the authority of God. ___________

It's common for people to attach labels and titles to each other. These are often a reflection of how we see each other or the significance and social/ relational status we have ascribed to each other.  These days, it seems as if the introduction of new labels is increasing. Whether positive or negative, these labels have the potential to shape how we view ourselves and set expectations for ourselves and others. In the need to be accepted and recognised, many not only adopt these titles and labels, they live in pursuit of them. With life becoming almost a performance to be validated. The danger lurking here is that true identities can become blurred as individuals become engrossed in 'doing' and not 'being'. As believers, some of the fundamental questions to be pondered are: Are the labels and titles you're aspiring to, a reflection of your true identity?

By adopting these titles, who are you giving authority to define you?

What really is the meaning behind these titles? Do they have a Biblical reference? are they recognised by heaven? 

Would God use these same titles to introduce you?

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These are some of the questions we examined during this Couch Conversation with Pastor Valerie Charles Chike Nezianya, co-pastor of the Cornerstone African House of Praise, Singapore.

Even When We Feel Invisible Or Forgotten...God Sees Us She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me! [El Roi] “Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”  (Genesis 16:13) It's the only time we see God referred to by this name in the Bible, which speaks to how profoundly intimate and personal the encounter was. Here it was that Hagar, a mere maidservant, despised and overwhelmed with despair, has an encounter with God that helps her recognise that no matter how invisible or insignificant she may be to the world, God still sees her.  Our guest this week, Ms. Joanna Hioe, has a conversation with our host - Kareem O J Lee, about her own intimate encounters with The God Who Sees Us. She highlights how, just as in the days of Hagar, God is still touched by our individual struggles, and intentionally comes alongside us with care and compassion, even in the obscure places.

Joanna Hioe is a creative from Singapore, who has been uniquely crafted by the Creator. Having experienced God's transforming love, she seeks to express His wonders through words, songs, and videos. She is currently pursuing a PhD focused on disaster management. She loves a good adventure! ______________ Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we accomplish our mandate. For more information,  visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us on social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

In this episode of our Couch Conversations podcast, Ms. Shavonne Strachan joins our host, Kareem O J Lee, to share what's on her heart about embracing God's Definition of who we are.

Shavonne is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who is making waves in the nonprofit sector and business community, but more importantly she is a woman of faith who is intentionally nurturing her personal relationship with God. Shavonne Strachan grew up in poverty in the inner cities of Grand Bahama and was considered a troubled youth, after many struggles and personal battles both mentally and emotionally, Shavonne has accepted that her experiences were not wasted and that God had a purpose for her all along. She now dedicates time to advancing inner city communities and transforming lives. Shavonne Strachan is the founder of the NPO WeLife Foundation and has a track record of making an impact wherever she is present. Connect with Shavonne and learn more about her here:

Instagram/Facebook: Shavonne Strachan (Personal)

WeLife Foundation (NGO)

That’s_So_Lazy (Clothing Business)

Websites:

www.welifefoundation.org  www.thatssolazy.com

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Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us on social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

Charmaine helps us understand why discovering your true identity is a critical step in the journey to freedom and fullness. She also shares how an individual's true identity and divine purpose are intrinsically linked.

Charmaine Wright Orr is an integrator, thought partner, strategic voice, and spiritual midwife. As an unapologetic and uncompromising woman of faith, her core belief is that foundation matters. In other words, having clarity about who you are, being synergistically engaged in the relationships with people you should be joined to, and developing the grit that it takes to execute a sound strategy is the formula for success. She is anointed in the marketplace as a trusted partner to women Visionaries who are stewarding God ideas that will have a transformative impact on the world, produce generational wealth, and leave a legacy of inspiration and empowerment.

Beyond this, Charmaine is most passionate about her family. Her husband, seven children and extended family are the fuel of her inspiration and nucleus of her existence. 

Connect with Charmaine via email: [email protected]

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Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us on social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

In this episode of our Couch Conversations podcast, Reverend Denise Hinkson Lawrence joins our host, Kareem Lee, to speak about the power of being naked and unashamed before God.

Reverend Denise shares how women can tap into new dimensions of liberty and power by unmasking. What is unmasking? It's removing pretense and excuses and standing before God. By doing this, she dismantles the weight of human opinion, limiting beliefs, guilt, pride, and shame and allows Him to help her discover her true self.

Reverend Denise H Lawrence is a Mindset-Shifter, with a passion for transforming lives. Her signature program 'ReBirth' allows women to overcome imposter syndrome, discover their identity, increase confidence, and eliminate comparison and perfectionism for a purposeful life. Denise is a Wife, Mother, Evangelist, Global Podcaster, Author, Writer, Conference Host, International Speaker, Coach, and Mentor with a mandate to empower women in personal, spiritual, and leadership development. Denise guides women in navigating difficult experiences, dismantle harmful messages about self-worth, pivot their pain to purpose, and become empowered. Reverend Denise strongly believes that "There is therapeutic value in shared stories".

Connect with Reverend Denise via the following platforms:

Facebook

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Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us on social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

In this episode of our Couch Conversations podcast, our host, Kareem Lee speaks about how important it is for women to acknowledge and address the issues caused by absent fathers or unpleasant experiences with fathers.

Using her own experience as a reference point, Kareem shares how a daughter's relationship with her father sets the tone for every other relationship she will engage. She highlights how social, professional and spiritual relationships are influenced by the residual effects of problematic or nonexistent father-daughter relationships and zeros in on how paying attention to reoccurring themes in relationships could lead women to begin the process of healing.

Kareem is a woman of faith who is intent on seeing the Word of God come alive in her own life and in the lives of those she comes in contact with. She is spends time engrossed in studying the Word and welcomes opportunities to share its truth, especially with women. Kareem hosts the Couch Conversations podcast by Hummingbird Journeys. She is also a multi-passionate entrepreneur and published author/faith Writer.

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Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us on social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

Bianca is a phenomenal woman with a huge heart for helping others. She is a motivational speaker, author, business owner, travel agent, social worker, Air Force veteran and wife.

Bianca obtained her Associate of Arts (2012), Bachelor of Social Work (2015), where she graduated with honors and as a member of Phi Alpha, her Master of Business Administration- Healthcare Management (2020), and a Ph.D. in living her best life!

She is an avid traveler who calls herself a xenophile and can always be found loving on or helping children, whether it’s at an orphanage somewhere around the world or home with a collection of kids, somewhere with animals such as swimming with the dolphins or on one of the world’s beaches’! Bianca has proven that her purpose and passion for helping people worldwide through empowerment, mission work, mentoring, and leadership are needed, and God sent her on assignment to deliver.

Today she speaks to us from a place of experience, reminding us we are required to intentionally own our healing journey when it comes to matters of mental and emotional health. 

Follow Bianca on all social platforms @allthingspositive and also be sure to support her new book. More details here: https://www.iambiancashante.com/

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Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us via social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

It is often thought that being strong means not needing help and that, if a person does reach out for help, they may be considered weak. This notion is also present amongst Believers who consider that seeking help, especially when it relates to matters of a mental or emotional challenge, could mean that the person is weak in their faith or is lacking in spiritual discipline. Mindsets like these cause mental health concerns to often go unaddressed in faith communities.

Our guest today, Mrs. Feona Charles-Richards, is simply a lover of people. That love has pushed her into seeking ways to make lives better. She is passionate about issues concerning Mental Wellness and Neurodevelopmental challenges.

Feona is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, who holds a BSc in Psychology with Sociology and an MSc in Clinical Psychology. She is also a trained Neurolinguistic and Mental Emotional Release practitioner. Feona believes strongly that thoughts become actions and in order to have extraordinary outcomes there must be a shift in thinking. She continues to seek opportunities to educate the community about Mental Health challenges across various platforms. ___________________________________________

Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfill our mandate.

For more information, visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us via social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

Reshaping the narrative about mental and emotional health in our faith communities

The topic of mental and emotional health is generally an uncomfortable one to address. Within our faith communities, the conversation does not become less challenging. The topic is however an unavoidable and highly critical one, especially in the season that we are in.

Our guest today is a woman of faith who is passionate about engaging persons at different levels to help clarify misconceptions, raise awareness, change the narrative, and ensure that structures are in place to provide the support persons may need to better care for their mental and emotional health.

Kimmil Hollis is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist who enjoys working with children, teens, and adults who experience depression, anxiety, psychosis, and crisis. She is passionate about seeing Believers experience emotional healing and freedom through therapuetic techniques and God's Word.

Kimmil loves talking about Jesus and sharing mental health care tips that help Christian women live a better life.

For faith and mental care tips, follow Kimmil's IG page @freedom_awaits_4_you

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About Hummingbird Journeys

Our mandate at Hummingbird Journeys is to create safe spaces where women heal emotionally, grow spiritually, and are equipped and emboldened to live victorious, impactful, Christ-centered lives.

This podcast is one of the platforms through which we fulfil our mandate.

For more information, visit our website: www.hummingbirdjourneys.com

Stay connected with us via social media @hummingbirdjourneys @kareemojlee

Remember to bless someone else by sharing this podcast with them.