Tuesday 30 June 2015

Let's talk about love.


We couldn't help but smile!

The topic of this week's meeting was love and as often is the case when we talk about love, we all melted! We finally found the perfect Partner, One who is flawless and can fix all your flaws! Can you imagine all our excitement?
A perfect life

Imagine having a partner who was able to fix every error you ever made - One who would make sure that every single mistake you ever made, with NO exception, turned out to be good for you? You would practically be leading a perfect life. 

It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't! With God, ALL things work for your good. 

Many who were present in our meeting, as have many of you now reading this article, have had bad experiences in life, some they wish to forget. 

But, when reading this Bible verse, the word ALL spoke volumes to us. Although none of us can erase our past, God can make every single bad experience work out for our good - no exception! We need a partner like this in our corner!


CaTroi found a reason to smile through difficulties.
"The word ALL made me realise that the terrible mistakes I made will work out for good. I don't need to keep suffering from them.  As long as I keep doing my part, God will lift me up and give me victory over all my troubles.

That was exactly what I needed to hear, because I am currently going through difficult moments, but I left the meeting very hopeful and excited. I now know that everything will work, because He will not disappoint me or leave me hanging."


CaTroi Renee - Luton

All He needs is love 

In every partnership, there an exchange. With God it's no different. He is willing to fix your life, but He requires something in exchange - your love! It is a give and take, your all for His all.


Nastacia - young, but wise!
"What stood out the most for me was when we spoke about loving God. When we think of love ,we always think of the Hollywood version of love, which involves butterflies in the stomach and our emotions, but God views love differently. When God speaks about love, He means obedience.  What He wants from us is to obey His instructions. Every time that you choose to obey Him and do His will instead of your own, you prove to Him that you love Him. It is a sign of complete trust. That is when He will reward you for showing that you love him above all things."

Nastacia Steward - London




Monday 29 June 2015

What have we been up to this month of June?



We can't believe it's already month end. Time seems to have flown by so quickly. Every month end we take time to reflect on all the lessons we've learned that month and June has certainly been a month of many revelations...

Have a look at this video to see 
the highlights of our meetings this month


A true life story

The women's meetings have given her a reason to smile.
"The women's meetings have made me appreciate my value and I have been taking the time to look after myself as as a woman. Each week the topics have really helped me to look after my family and appreciate them for who they are. 

After putting into practice the teachings and looking deeper within myself, I was able to identify what I needed to change especially in my behaviours towards my loved ones. 

I am now communicating more with my family members and we are getting closer because I was able to cut off many bad roots that I had developed over the years.

I am going to continue to attend because I am learning so many things of how to improve myself to give my best as a mother and friend."

Ms. Amarjeet Chahal from Southall.


The life-changing revelations continued this week as we meditated on the Biblical verse below. Join us tomorrow as we delve deeper into this verse and reveal all we've learned from it. Don't miss!


Saturday 27 June 2015

The diary of an ex-sufferer - The bread and the milk finished.


Antonia Alencar shares her diary.
The alarm rang at 6:00am and I could hear the rooster crowing. I could hear the cupboards being opened and my mother's loud breathing, which caused me a lot of affliction, because it meant we didn't have bread and milk to eat. As usual, we went to school hungry, with sad expressions on our faces. 

Life was cruel

I thought life was cruel with my family. Coming back from school, I hoped that that day we'd have something to eat. But, all we had we was flour and water, and that's what we'd have for breakfast and lunch. We slept early so we wouldn't feel hungry at night, since we had no food for dinner.

I had nothing

For months my stomach hurt from the hunger. I'd walk on the streets and see united families, children with beautiful clothes and shoes and I would think, "What about me? What do I have?" I had nothing! I used to wear a garment made of cloth patches, sown with a machine. 

My suffering only grew

At night I'd pretend I was sleeping and would hear my parents crying and fighting. How could my father work and spend all his earnings on alcohol? 

My suffering only grew inside of me. As time went by, my anguish would only grow and my dreams got farther and farther away from me. 

I would look at the moon and think, my dreams are as far away from me as that moon is from the earth.

Next week, I will tell you more of my story as I continue with my diary. Part 3 - The unexpected arrives!

See you then!

If you missed the first part of this diary, read it here.

Friday 26 June 2015

All About You Studio Chat - 001

Hi friends,

Here's a little bit about us, to introduce ourselves to you. We'll be recording these weekly studio chats, so you may get to know us a little better. Leave your comments below, so we may get to know you as well.


Thursday 25 June 2015

Trusting even when things go wrong.




How would you react if everything started going wrong all of a sudden? Would you be ready for that? Many times we go through certain situations where the only option is trusting. But, what does trusting mean exactly?

Is everything going wrong?

Trusting means having faith, believing in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something. Everything in life passes and everything serves to teach us a lesson, even though the situation we are going through may seem to not have a solution. 

Perhaps everything is going wrong for you at the moment - at home, in your financial life, in your love life, inside of you or in your life in general. 

What you see around you is different from what you hope for - but I propose that you trust. "Trust in whom or what?" you may ask. Trust that everything will change. 

Wouldn't it be great if you didn't need good moments to smile, but were able to smile even when things are going wrong, because you trusted that they would change?


The sun will shine again!

Even when things are all going wrong,
Ludymilla can still smile.
Trusting requires having no doubt. If you've been doubting, it's because you lack trust. You need to develop this powerful tool, so that you can use it to bring to existence what doesn't exist yet in your life. 

This is the only way we can go through tough moments. You can't look at things in a natural way, as many see them. You have to believe that after a great storm comes the sun will shine again. Do you have this kind of trust?

If you would like to learn more about having this kind of trust, come and participate in our seminar this Sunday at 5pm, where we will be chatting woman to woman about how you can get this tool and be able to use it any time you need it. 


In faith,
Ludymilla Viana.

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Is it good to feel pain?


This week in our meeting we delved into a subject we definitely all have in common... pain! Who has never felt some sort of pain? But, the question is, is it good to feel pain?

When the memory of our painful moments comes to mind, the answer is most definitely NO! And, that's how the majority of those who were present at our meeting answered this question. 


A warning signal 

We resorted to learning from our physical body and looked at the reason why our bodies feel pain. Pain is a signal that our body sends us to warn us that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. So, whenever we feel pain, we immediately know that we need to do something to sort out that problem. 

Imagine never feeling any pain

There are people who are born with an incapacity to feel pain, and while that may sound like a dream scenario, the majority grow up to develop serious deformities and disabilities, some as serious as blindness. 


A life without pain on 20/20



Do not ignore your pain

Many deal with emotional pain by shoving it under the rug. No one wants to remember their childhood traumas, hurtful words, betrayal, abandonment, etc. People tend to erect walls to protect themselves from such pain. But, refusing to deal with this pain will lead to emotional deformities and disabilities later on life. 


Unless they are dealt with, these painful situations will end up causing you emotional deformities and disabilities, and reducing the quality of your life.

Now, the question is, how do you deal with emotional pain and heal from it? 

Join us this Friday when we'll be answering this question for you!

Saturday 20 June 2015

The diary of an ex-sufferer - the beginning.


Antonia Alencar shares her diary with you.

We were three sisters and I was the youngest. My mother always worked hard to provide us with our daily bread and milk. She was such a fighter, she did all she could to make sure we grew up to become honourable, well-mannered and respectable women.

More about her story coming next week
My father on the other hand was an alcoholic. He spent all that he earned at work on drinks. I used to always think about my future, wondering what would happen to my sisters and I. Months went by and our money was getting short – our cupboards were getting emptier and I could see the desperation and affliction at home.

What did the future hold for me?

I always thought, “I need to do something about this. I can’t just stay on the sidelines and look in.” In truth, I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. I was still very young and used to go to school.

All of a sudden our food finished! What were we going to do now? Next Saturday we’ll bring you more from the diary of an ex-sufferer – The bread and the milk finished

We would like to hear from you. Please leave your comments below!


Thursday 18 June 2015

How to deal with disappointment


Anyone who has ever had to deal with disappointment knows that it can be a tough pill to swallow. Whether it is someone you trusted betraying your trust, a friend who failed to honour their word, someone who mistreated you or someone who did not show you the consideration you felt you deserved, disappointment can leave a bitter taste in the mouth. So, how do you rise above it? A friend of ours recently went through a disappointing situation and here's how she chose to deal with it...

It hurt a lot

"One of these days someone I cared about very deeply forgot about me and it hurt a lot. There we were about to enjoy a beautiful party, the tables were set and the guests' names carefully placed on it. As I went round I could see my friends' names, but mine wasn’t anywhere to be found.

You can just imagine the thoughts that bombarded my mind. “She doesn’t care about you as you thought she did. She doesn’t consider you as much as you consider her.” And it hurt a great deal! My immediate desire was to run away. Tears were about to run down my face and at that moment I knew I had the choice to either allow my heart to be broken or to protect it. 

Protect your heart

I chose to protect it! How? By changing my thoughts to positive ones. Rather than thinking that I had been forgotten, I chose to think that something might have gone wrong and that probably she didn’t even know what had happened.

By changing my thoughts I was able to not only get rid of the pain, but also to stay in the party and have a good time with my friends. 


Disappointment is a feeling that only flourishes when it's fed. To rise above it, you have to squash it. You have to deny it space in your head. Stop seeking retribution for what went wrong. Change the direction of your thoughts. Choose to see the bigger picture of things and allow your heart to move on from that disappointing situation. 

Go on, let go and choose to be free now!


Wednesday 17 June 2015

How to throw a good tea party


Thinking of throwing a tea party for friends, but don't know where to begin? Tea parties are a great idea for entertaining friends and celebrating those special occasions. But, although they're very simple, one could end up overlooking certain things. Here are tips on how you can make your tea party a success.

Send an invitation




A beautiful invitation sent will let your guests know about your party in a unique way. Send it with plenty of time to RSVP, so they can arrange to attend the party. The invitation should be creative and personal, letting them know of the date and time, location, theme, dress code and details and deadline to RSVP.



Pick a theme for your party



A meaningful theme will set the mood for your guests and let them know how to dress for your party. Think of whether it will be outdoor or indoor and pick a theme accordingly. 

Vintage High Tea, Princess Tea Party and 50s Tea Party are some examples of themes you can pick. Choose your decoration to match your chosen theme.


Offer a variety of teas



Since you are throwing a tea party, you should offer a wide array of teas. Have the option of loose tea or tea bags, flavoured or plain, black, green, white or red tea. If possible, you should have a variety of tea pots, so your guests can easily serve themselves, without having to wait for long. In summer you may opt to also offer iced tea for refreshment.

Have different kinds of sugars and sweeteners, slices of lemons, milk and honey, giving your guests plenty of choice to prepare their tea.


 The Food

Offer finger foods and delicious snacks that you can eat in one bite. You should have savoury and sweet treats. When preparing sandwiches, use different kind of breads, to give your guests an option. Fruit and snacks without bread are also a good idea.

Presentation is key! Lay your food out in an appetising, neat way, so your guests may not be put off by what they see. 

Popular savoury tea party menu items include cucumber, egg mayonnaise, ham and cheese and smoked salmon sandwiches, while sweet treats include scones with clotted cream and jam,  cup cakes, sponge cakes and trifles. 

Be sure to have enough food for your entire party. Plan how much each guest is likely to eat and then make slightly more. 


Entertainment


Provide your guests with things to do. Planning activities ahead of time is crucial. They are especially good if you have friends who will be attending who don't know each other. They tend to break the ice. Make sure your activities are age appropriate and stimulating for your guests and don't include any activity that may potentially harm or offend them. Playing charades or a trivia game can be fun, where you will have guests trying to guess a movie that's been enacted by someone or picking fun questions out of a box and answering them. You can use a pretty gift box, matching your theme, to hold the questions. Always keep the mood lighthearted.



Remember that the idea of a party is to entertain your guests and allow them to have a good time. Be the perfect hostess, never taking attention away from your guests at any time. And, never place a financial burden on yourself by creating debts or over-stretching your budget. Be wise!

Now get planning and enjoy your party!




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              



Tuesday 16 June 2015

How to achieve your dreams.



This week's meeting initiated the second series of Parts of Me and the theme of the meeting was lights. In this series we will be focusing on bringing to existence what does not yet exist in your life. Sounds very abstract, but it's simple - we'll be teaching you how to achieve your dreams!

Where should you begin?

Dreams without vision are impossible to achieve!
It all begins with having clarity - an idea of what you want to achieve. Often times, the things you want to achieve may be very intimidating and daunting, especially when they've never been achieved by anyone you know before. But, the secret is not to be afraid of your dreams. Put down all you want to achieve on paper, so that you are clear of what you want to bring to existence in your life. Without clarity, it will be like performing a simple task with a blindfold. Though it's simple, the lack of vision makes it harder to complete. 


What next? 

This magnificent building is the Temple of Solomon in Brazil. The building took four years to complete. Now, a very interesting detail about the construction works on the building is that from the very second the work began, it never stopped. Day and night there were people working on the building until it was completed. There was never a single moment where the work stopped. 

That's what needs to happen with your dreams. Once you are certain of what you want to achieve, you should start working on it immediately and never stop, even if all you are doing is thinking and planning how you will achieve your dream! It should never be far from your mind. Like your dream, the Temple of Solomon began with just one idea inside one man's head. 

Do not take your ideas for granted. They are the beginning of your dreams!




The meeting ended with one of our favourite activities - one to one. These are special moments where we talk one to one with those who need advice and help. Are you going through something that you are finding hard to cope with? Let us be help you. Book your one to one with one of our advisors by emailing rahab@uckg.org.



Sunday 14 June 2015

Book Review: Nothing to Lose 3 (Nada a Perder 3)


Nothing to Lose 3 book launch in Lisbon Portugal.

In this age of the Internet and audiobooks, reading a book is slowly becoming outdated. But, we would like to recommend a book that you will find impossible to put down. Why is it this trilogy has managed to draw large crowds at book launches around the world?

A faith that transforms

Nothing to Lose 3 is the third book of a trilogy that tells the unique story of Bishop Edir Macedo, founder of the UCKG. How did the church grow from a gazebo to the Temple of Solomon or from a small gathering in a public square in Brazil to a church now present in more than 100 countries? How were the barriers and limitations of language, culture and different backgrounds surpassed? All these questions are answered in the book and will leave you inspired!

Reviews

"Nothing to Lose’ made me think – a lot. I cried. I laughed. I felt angry. Many times I would stop and just ask myself, “What would I do if I were in his shoes?” Bishop Macedo is no superhero (as a matter of fact, he makes a point of exposing his weaknesses, insecurities and uncertainties in his biography), but his life is surely an inspiration to all of us. A must-read." 

Sandra Gouvêa




“I thought the book would be about the history of the HelpCentre, which I already know. But when I began reading, I was blown away! The detail in which he speaks about all he faced teaches us precious lessons that become more of a self-help book than just non-fiction. It gives you experiences to treasure for life!”

Miguel Lacerda



" I am not an avid reader, but I surprised myself with this book. In only 5 hours, I devoured the book. I was captivated! Have you ever watched an action movie and become so focused on it that you didn’t want to miss the last chapter? That’s how my experience was with Nothing to Lose 3. I started reading it and I didn’t want to stop learning from Bishop Macedo’s life experiences. The book doesn’t contain theory or speculations. It contains experience." 

Ludymilla Viana


When I finished reading the trilogy, I was inspired by how it all started with one idea and one man. This has made me never take for granted the ideas I have for future projects. Bishop Macedo's experiences gave me valuable lessons to follow through with those ideas and materialise them. It's a definite must read for people with a vision for a bright future!

Moti Bernardino

Claudia Brito, Moti Bernardino, Rita Oliveira and Carole Basseck at the Nothing to Lose 3 book launch in London, UK.






















Get your own copy!

For only £12.50, you can get a copy of the book at Christian Books Plus, at the Rainbow Theatre, 232 Seven Sisters Road, London, N4 3NX. For more information, call o20 7686-6000. 




Tuesday 9 June 2015

How clean is your house?


What garbage is lurking around inside of you?
Just like we need to clean our house regularly, we also need to clean our interior. Start throwing away whatever is not useful. Things like resentment, grudges, hatred, criticism, being judgemental, etc., belong in the garbage!

Sweep away everything that's wrong and wipe off the resentment that is hovering inside of you like old dust. Shed grudges by forgiving those who once caused you anger and pain. Your interior should also be clean and bright.

A worthy process

Reflect on your behaviour and think of ways it can benefit other people and more importantly - yourself! This is not a one day duty. It's a process and we're here to help you with that. Follow these helpful steps to a bright and clean interior:



Life provides you cleaning resources,
so make use of them!
1. Do not be lazy or delay to start your  cleaning process. The longer you take to start, the messier it will get and cleaning up will be more daunting. Focus on how clean your house will be and not on what happened to make it dirty. 

2. Make use of good cleaning products. Like the ones you have for your house, life also offers you good cleaning products, so you may be able to clean your interior. Use them! Our women's meetings are a great resource to help you clean your interior. There you will find advice, a listening ear, a helping hand and someone who understands you. They will provide you help with planning your future with wisdom and determination.

Once your spring cleaning is over, you'll realise that you don't miss any of the things you threw away. Cleaning is good for us in every sense!


Let this process begin today!

A clean interior is reason to smile and laugh at days to come.

Sunday 7 June 2015

10 reasons why you should exercise regularly


Graziela Lima, Flavia Borges and Paula Piccin...

“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented,” says Dr Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant. So, besides the obvious reason of maintaining a healthy body weight, why is it important to exercise? 


Exercise helps your body fight against diseases.
Benefits of exercise

1. It improves your memory.

2. It helps you combat health conditions and diseases.

3. It improves your posture.

4. It improves your mood.

5. It helps you sleep better.



Having great exercise buddies can also add some fun!
6. It boosts your energy levels. 

7. It keeps your bones strong.

8. It improves your breathing.

9. It helps build muscle mass.

10. It lowers anxiety.


So, what are you waiting for ladies?  Time to hit the gym!