Our choices determine our perspective and outlook on life. By choosing to view challenges and obstacles as growth opportunities, we shape our reality. As Christians we can leverage the power of words and affirmations to shape our reality and create a meaningful and purposeful life.

The company we keep is also an important factor in our lives. Our relationships have the power to uplift and support us or to bring us down and hold us back. It's crucial to be intentional and deliberate in our choices, surrounding ourselves with people who support and encourage us, rather than those who bring negativity and harm into our lives.

In conclusion, our lives are a result of the choices we make, and it's up to us to exercise our power of choice to shape our present and future. Let's make intentional decisions for a positive, purposeful, and meaningful life.

Our lives are a reflection of the choices we make, and it is important to understand that every decision we make has the power to shape our present and future. From the food we eat to the people we surround ourselves with, to the thoughts we choose to dwell on, every choice we make has a profound impact on the quality of our lives.

One of the most crucial aspects of our lives is the mental and emotional nourishment we choose to consume. Just as our physical health is dependent on the food we eat, our mental and emotional health is influenced by the thoughts and emotions we allow ourselves to be exposed to. It's essential to actively seek out positivity and to avoid toxic influences that can harm our spirit and soul.

In addition, our choices have the power to shape our perspective and outlook on life. We have the power to choose how we view the different seasons and events of our lives, and can even choose to view challenges and obstacles as opportunities for growth and personal development. People of faith can take this a step further by using the power of words and affirmations to shape their reality and create a life of purpose and meaning.

Finally, the company we keep is also an important factor in our lives. Our relationships have the power to uplift and support us or to bring us down and hold us back. It's crucial to be intentional and deliberate in our choices, surrounding ourselves with people who support and encourage us, rather than those who bring negativity and harm into our lives.

In conclusion, our lives are a result of the choices we make, and it's up to us to exercise our power of choice to shape our present and future. Let's be intentional in our decisions and choose a life filled with positivity, purpose, and meaning.

New year, new beginning. As we turn the page on the calendar and reflect on the past year, many of us are filled with a sense of motivation and renewed energy. But the truth is, every morning is a fresh start. And making the most of these opportunities is possible when we put God first in our lives.

God is always making a new covenant with us, offering us the chance to start anew. And in order to fully embrace this fresh start, it's important to forgive and forget past mistakes and missteps, so we can channel our energy into something new.

Another way to make the most of a fresh start is to focus on personal growth. This can be achieved by reading uplifting books, learning a new skill, setting short-term goals, amongst others. It's also important to surround yourself with positive people who will support and encourage you in your journey.

By knowing that God will play his part and we will play ours, we can truly make the most of this new year. Let's start fresh, with God by our side.

New year, new beginning. As we turn the page on the calendar and reflect on the past year, many of us are filled with a sense of motivation and renewed energy. But the truth is, every morning is a fresh start. And making the most of these opportunities is possible when we put God first in our lives.

God is always making a new covenant with us, offering us the chance to start anew. And in order to fully embrace this fresh start, it's important to forgive and forget past mistakes and missteps, so we can channel our energy into something new.

Another way to make the most of a fresh start is to focus on personal growth. This can be achieved by reading uplifting books, learning a new skill, setting short-term goals, amongst others. It's also important to surround yourself with positive people who will support and encourage you in your journey.

By knowing that God will play his part and we will play ours, we can truly make the most of this new year. Let's start fresh, with God by our side.

The session about Role Models

The Plugged In session about Mental Wellness

There are a lot of articles that talk about depression in many ways, and it is being defined by many as a common mental disorder that can be medical and usually triggered by anxiety.

The truth is, life happens to us all and we handle things differently. Things like lack of accommodation, losing a loved one, unemployment, abusive relationship, and uncertainty about the future or a career can all lead to getting anxious and if prolonged, then one can be on the edge of becoming a depression.

As believers, praying is still one of the activities to engage in to get out of a depressive state and it is much more effective when practiced before things get worse in the first place.

What we listen to has a lot of influence on how we feel and how we feel determines if we will keep happy thoughts in a difficult situation or not. Listening to sermons and spiritual songs will help you enjoy inner peace by keeping your spirit lifted. 

Having people to open up to or someone to talk to whenever you are feeling down, prevents you from dwelling too long on an anxious thought way before it leads to depression. Being a member of a community like ours (TLC Youth Forum), having good friends, or going to therapy are ways you can use to empty yourself and maintain a balance within yourself.

Every single day we encounter opportunities; they are everywhere in different forms. When we talk about not having the right opportunities or any opportunity for that matter, the case is usually that we are not aware of what is around us. Our mobile devices have bridged the location gap and through unlimited information and access to people around the world, opportunities have become just as limitless.

There is a quote that says, "the top of a mountain is the bottom of the next one, keep climbing". The desire or the drive to move forward and advance in life comes from the understanding that what you are right now is the least that you can ever be then you will begin to identify opportunities better.

Some of the elements that bring about fulfillment in life are the synergy between Opportunities, Value, and Faith

The opportunity itself is a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something, while Value is the importance, worth, or usefulness of a thing. and faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. The relationship between these 3 and the proper alignment of these elements will have a great impact on a life.

Faith will get you in the right mindset to be diligent even when things don’t look like they ought to. This will in turn enable you identify opportunities better and when they show up, it is the value that you have added to yourself that will help you make the best of the opportunity. 

Every day, you should look for ways to add value to yourself in preparation for opportunities because they will always come through. If you have failed to utilize an opportunity in the past, do not give up! Yes, failure can often feel like a setback but remember, all things work together for good to them that love the Lord… do not let the fear of failure cripple you. Remain diligent, keep adding value to yourself, and above all, remain steadfast in faith. You will not be let down.

Today we find that the word friend is loosely thrown around so much that its true meaning seems undervalued and reduced to merely a manner of speaking. The dictionary defines a friend as a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.

We found that there are 3 key categories of friendships to note. The first category is the basic level. This kind is often kindled by association. The Bible uses a term like neighbour to describe this level. Nonetheless, we are expected to show the love of Christ in all 3 levels of friendship. The next is the loyalty level. Now, this is loyalty in addition to the basic (association) level of friendship. At this level, you have gone past basic cordiality into trust. A typical example of this in the bible would be Jonathan and David, Ruth and Naomi.

Lastly, affection is the cherry on top. So, the ultimate level covers association, and loyalty, and adds affection. At this level, sacrifices are made effortlessly, and there is oneness and a lot of emotional investment from both parties.

Choosing your friends is a very crucial life decision as it can impact the very course of your life. There is a quote that says, “show me your friends and I will show you your future” because our decisions can be influenced by our friends, and decisions rule our lives. Remember, evil company corrupts good manners (1 Cor 15:13).

A good hack to friendship is to become the kind of friend that you want to have. When you are a good friend, you are more likely to attract even better friends or like-minded friends.

Proverbs 13:20 tells us that wise friends make us wise but a companion of fools will be destroyed. So here’s a quick drill:

Write down the names of 5 of your closest, inner-circle friends. It could be less or more. Now ask yourself; do they follow Jesus? Do they do the right things? Do they make you better? Most of all, are you doing the same for them? Perhaps this could give you some insight into the company you keep closest to your heart. If you surround yourself with people who require you to be honest, trustworthy, and faithful, you will become a better version of yourself.

On the flip side, a frenemy is a person that pretends to be a friend but is an enemy. To put that in proper context, a person with whom one is friendly with despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry, or a person who combines the characters of a friend and an enemy.

It is dangerous not to be able to tell if a person is a friend or an enemy. The Holy Spirit helps us discern these things. So once you get that nudge to be weary of a friend, take a step back and evaluate with His help how best to approach the situation. He is always happy to help.

The Bible commands us to love one another and frowns at selfish living. Thus as a Christian being a “frenemy” should not exist in your character.

Be a great friend.

God bless you!

Ref: Prov 27:6, 20:19, James 1:26, Prov 11:3, Psalm 55:21, Prob 14:20; Ecc 4:9–12; 1 Cor 15:33, prov 13:20

The cancel culture has been a part of society from time. People get canceled for many things. The advent of social media has enabled cancel culture thrive in the form of mob actions against someone who has erred or May share a different opinion from ours.   

We also see this happen sometimes among Christian communities. For instance, a sister being scorned at or discriminated for getting pregnant outside of marriage, A young man looked at with judgement and disdain for being all dressed up and “swagged out” etc.  

On the flip side, we can be victims of the cancel culture. For instance, when a believer gets canceled because of their faith and lifestyle. As believers we are often seen as weird and discriminatory when we decide to stand out from doing things that our Father does not approve of or when we use our voices to call people to correction.   

Many Bible stories give us insight into what Jesus did in cases where he should have canceled people but didn't, which is what God expects from us as believers. As much as we want to hold people accountable, there is also a way to go about it in a manner that draws people to Christ rather than repel them.  We can't bring people into the fold when we cancel them.  

A deeper look into how people get canceled mostly comes from rash decisions, incomplete views, or a one-sided perspective of how things should be done. And the fact that Cancel Culture leaves no room for redemption makes it have more anti-Christ than Christlike. Redemption is the entire purpose of the Love that Jesus showed us on that cross.   

We can use cancel culture against itself when it comes to populating the kingdom if we allow ourselves to be filled with the Spirit. The full manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit will guide us accurately on how to relate with people with different orientations.  We are guilty of cancel culture one way or the other, and a proper analysis of instances where we've canceled people will show that we operated in the flesh. If we let love lead us in our relationships with people who may not always be on the same page with us, we would truly be that beacon of light that leads people to God.  

Tell us about a time when you cancelled someone or got cancelled by someone; and how you handled it as a Christian.  

[Ref: John 8:3-11, Col 3:12-14]