Plan with Me: Webster's Pages, Colour Crush Planner

This quote currently heads my dry erase board. Decorating my board with inspirational quotes and scripture has worked with keeping me in a positive mood when I sit down to study.

January is on its way out and February is quickly approaching and with a new month up ahead, that means it's time once again to set up my planner.

Last month I did my best to decorate my pages as to minimize the clutter and to leave enough space so that my layouts would be functional. For those of you who may not know, I recently purchased a personal sized Webster's Pages (WP) Colour Crush Planner (CC) and I've been using it to keep track of my class and study schedule as well as my blog posts and numerous lists.

As Trinidad and Tobago is limited in the assortment of washi tape, I've been purchasing most of my planner supplies from a few shops on Etsy and other craft sites like Blisty and the Webster's Pages official site as well. For the month of February I have decided to keep it simple for the most part, especially as it is a short month and because I do not have a whole lot of "love" themed washi or decorations at the moment.

This was last week's spread. I found a piece of cardstock lying around and decided to glue the quote "Believe you can and you're halfway there" by T. Roosevelt onto it, to serve as my inspiration for the week. To the bottom of the weekly page I added my owl washi and just used some thin yellow washi to separate the days.

The tassel I made using some yarn and I followed a tutorial I found on YouTube and I just added the charm that came with the planner onto the tassel for safe keeping.

I am in the process of making some journaling cards that I hope to gift to a great friend of mine once they are done. I will be laminating them and adding holes and possibly tassels to them. I've found journal cards to be the easiest way to spruce up a weekly spread without jeopardizing the space on the page. They are totally customizable and easy to create. To make these I followed Belinda Selene's journal card tutorial that can be found here.

More journaling cards that I made by using blank index cards and gel pens. No calligraphy skills needed at all to create something like this-simply patience and creativity and a little bit of imagination or a Pinterest account.

When planning a scheme for a monthly or weekly layout, I try to work around a colour scheme either based on the washi tape I have on hand or the journal cards that are inspiring me at the moment.

The ones pictured above are those that I have been grouping based on themes or colours that are complimentary to each other. By having an idea of what I want to use in my planner I will be able to plan without having to spend a lot of time doing so.

The inside pockets of my planner now house the washi tape I will be using for the month, a Project Life Card with the name that I gave to the kitten I rescued recently and a few more Project Life cards and a paper clip I made. 

I also decided to rearrange my planner and I've moved the vellum with the word "hello!" on it to the middle of my planner. It now separates the month of February from march. I also added another journal card I made and paper clip as well as one of the pages that came with the planner for inspiration.

Here's a look at what I've done so far for the month of February.

Decorating the title page is a simple way to add colour and inspiration to my planner and to utilize the colours I chose for the month.

I found this quote on Pinterest and I decided to make it my own by writing it out on an index card and using a cut out heart that I got with one of my planner purchases. To add a little more colour to it, I bordered it with washi tape. I'm very pleased with how it came out and for the fact that I was able to use supplies that I had on hand.

Right now this month on two pages is very empty. To add some colour to it I bordered the bottom of both pages with gold and white polka dot washi tape and drew in some arrows and wrote the word "love" in the blank spaces on the side.

The heart paper clip I made after watching YouTube videos. They're not perfect-far from it-but they're getting the job done for now.

For the week of Valentine's Day, I decided to use designs other than hearts and chocolate and other cliche decor, and so I went for a pair of love birds to decorate the header box with.

I decided to chance up the quote "Throw kindness around like confetti" for this spread as I had a lot of scraps from the holes I punched for the journal cards I made. By recycling them, I was able to create my own colour coordinated confetti.

Right now my sticky notes are serving as place holders for upcoming lectures and days off from class for the month.

I don't tend to write things in ink, on my weekly spread until the week of as things frequently change at the last minute.

Well there you have it. How are you planning for the upcoming month? How do you keep track of your daily "to dos"? Do you use a paper planner or do you prefer the ease of utilizing your smartphone and the ability to sync across your devices?

Feel free to share your planning methods and any of your planner spreads with me.










I am not affiliated with Webster's Pages, Blitsy or any of the sites I mentioned in this post. All items shown in this photo were either purchased by me or gifted to me.

Ways to Avoid Cramming

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Here I am sitting, trying my best to understand the presenting complaints along with the signs and symptoms of the patient presented in the problem for my Problem Based Learning class on Tuesday afternoon.

My PBL group, brainstormed this problem and gathered answers to the objectives we agreed upon a week ago and between then and now, the information has dissolved from my memory which is why I'm here, currently reading up on the differences in strokes and trying my best apply the information in a way that would foster and encourage my hippocampus to remember it all for now...until I can spend more time on it.

It's funny how there never seems to be enough time in a day when my plate is full, however during a holiday, I have no problem "resting". Now I'm reaping what I sowed-which seems to be nothing.
Today made me think about ways to utilize my time wisely and to ensure that every minute of the day is spent in a way that would encourage overall learning and understanding of new and not so new information. Below I've listed some ways that may help you avoid cramming information that may be familiar to many of you.

Ways to Avoid Cramming 

1. Pre-Read

During undergrad this was my go to method and even during my first semester and a half of medical school. 

If you're given a syllabus or schedule of your classes and the assigned readings this would make perfect sense and would allow the lecture session to serve as a first review of the material you already read before the class. 

2. Post-Read 

As the class session is over and depending on your timetable i.e. whether there is a break between lectures, you can use that time to read over your notes from the lecture and add anything of value to the notes you made before the class during your pre-read session. 

When you go home or have  more time in the evening, if you are one to record lectures, you can playback the audio, transcribe if necessary and review the information in a more comprehensive manner adding your textbook to the mix. By doing this you would have reviewed the three times. 

3. Plan Ahead

As mentioned in number 1; by receiving your syllabus you can spend time either creating a study schedule and a class schedule that would allow you to divide your study time realistically. 

I've recently rejoined the planner community and purchased my first Webster's Pages Color Crush Planner to assist in my planning of classes and study time for exams and to schedule my daily reading sessions. 

By making my planner colorful and filling it with motivational journal cards, it allows me to stick to what I have scheduled for a particular day. Some people plan their study time by the hours in the day, dedicating a specific amount of time for a particular area; I haven't had any success with the block method of timing so besides using it for my class schedule, I make a list of the things I would like to accomplish in a certain day and use the Pomodoro method during the sessions to make the most of my study sessions. 

4.  Make a List of Questions During Your Reading

Most times as I read, I find myself asking questions either of my friends or myself. Most times the questions can be answered based on the previous information I have learnt over the last two years of medical school and this serves as a means of reminding myself of the basic (normal) mechanics of the human body. 

Any questions that I cannot answer, I then add to another list normally annotated in my textbook near the material that I do not understand and which led to the initial question, so that I can then either email one of my professors or ask them after class if the information was presented in a lecture. 

This allows for further understanding of a concept or in my case a pathological condition that makes me appreciate the normal functioning of the body. 

5. Get Adequate Rest

Most times when I find myself cramming, it is because I have failed to do one or ALL of the aforementioned and to make matters worse I am usually tired and unable to function efficiently and effectively when I do finally sit down to "study". 

I have friends who actually plan their sleep on their study schedules which seems to work for them. I don't necessarily write my sleep times down in my planner however I do routinely take a "nap" between the hours of 4-6 p.m. and then wake up and do some form of physical activity when I wake up and then study from 8 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. all to get up at 6:00 a.m. 

Napping in the afternoons has helped me for the most part and I have noticed the difference in how much material I can cover by doing this as compared to years 1 and 2. 

I hope these 5 tips will be beneficial to you. If you have any suggestions on ways to avoid cramming please leave a comment below. 

5 Advantages of having an Undergraduate Degree before starting Medical School

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” --Nelson Mandela

The start of a new year brought with it another semester. For some this is their last, for others just another rung on the academic ladder.  I recently was asked to be featured on a blog for medical students and the questions made me reflect on my journey to medical school and allowed me to ask myself if there is anything about my journey I would change?

After some reflection and as I observe my younger classmates, I can say that I truly appreciate the fact that I followed the tradition of college after high school as a booster for my medical career.


There are some advantages and disadvantages of receiving a first degree before pursuing a Medical Degree and I have outlined a few of the advantages below.

This post will serve as a preamble to a few feature posts so stay tuned for those.

Advantages 

1. An undergraduate degree grants you exposure to different cultures

I pursued my Biology degree in Texas. As the song states "the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas" this was something I had to get accustomed to along with everything else Texas offered as I came from The Bahamas, an archipelago of islands off in the Atlantic Ocean.

Everything was really bigger in Texas for example; the trucks, the roads and the land mass. During my first semester, I met students from more than 10 countries in the world, something I would not have had the opportunity of doing if I had attended the UWI after high school. I may have been exposed to students from Caribbean countries however, but not on a large scale as I did in Texas. 

2. By pursuing an undergraduate degree you are taught certain skills

As a Biology major, it was required as a fulfillment of my course requirements to take computer courses, physical education courses, a certain number of mathematics courses, Psychology courses and English courses. By doing this, I was exposed to other disciplines and learnt the importance of balance. That being a holistic balance (spiritual, emotional, academic, psychological and physical).

The computer courses taught me the basic skills such as creating an excel spreadsheet, creating a webpage using nothing but HTML, the ins and outs of Word and PowerPoint amongst other things. The physical education courses taught me lessons in endurance, the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle and it introduced me to long distance running. I never thought in my life I would be running side by side with people from Kenya and Angola and getting the inside scoop on breathing techniques for endurance races; to this day I use what I learnt.

Overall I got the opportunity to learn and improve my time management skills, my public speaking skills, an introduction to conflict and ways by which one can manage conflicts as well and I became comfortable with asking questions and active learning. 

3. Dorm life. 

The dynamics of living on campus and in campus housing is nothing like living at home. I am beyond grateful for the friendships I made during my stay at Lamson Hall and for the opportunity to be involved through my position as Resident and Dean's Assistant. Living in a dorm allowed me to develop leadership skills, organizational skills and allowed me to use my creativity in order to make the dorm a warm welcoming place for the residents by organizing various activities such as Christmas in June, decorative name tags, brunches and also teaching me how to listen attentively.

Living in a dorm can be a nightmare, especially if you are an only child and use to having your own space. I had a really great roommate and so for me it wasn't a total nightmare. After the first few weeks and once I got settled with my timetable and the layout of the land, it was home.

During my vacation or breaks I looked forward to going back to school and seeing all of my friends and fellow Resident Assistants. It truly is what you make it. 

4. Opportunities are available if you want to study abroad

Unfortunately I never went abroad to study, but the opportunity was available at my school in the event one would ever want a change of scenery for the academic year. Now that I'm in medical school, this luxury isn't available. Although you have the opportunity of completing an elective abroad, it's not quite the same thing.

This is something I personally feel young adults can benefit from. By being immersed in a culture for a year for the same cost of your regular tuition, one's character, worldviews and opinions can be broadened. This is vital especially in medicine. As globalization increases, we are now rubbing shoulders with persons of all walks of life and it pays to be able to understand a bit of their culture in order to examine, converse and treat them if ever they are your patient. 

5. An undergraduate degree gives you insight into your character

While college is a lot of hard work, no matter what Hollywood portrays it as, while there, you are guaranteed to learn a lot about yourself. It's not like high school where if you left your homework at home your mom can drop it off for you and everything will be alright.

College, is the place where your endurance, determination, values and drive will all be tested and possibly even at the same time. By facing these things in college, you learn the best ways to cope, overcome and move forward.

We all know medical school is no walk in the park, by knowing who you are as a person and what things you will and will not stand for, it will be easier to handle moments when you are overwhelmed by the coursework, or when a patient's story hit you to your core.

A Look Back: Tobago Part 1

An island where common foul rule the streets and sidewalks, goats and sheep graze while pedestrians and motorists carry on their daily activities and roosters and the "baa-ing" of sheep resonate with the melodious tunes that is Tobagonian dialect and accent. 

Known for their "Sunday School" where the men of old days would tell their wives they were going to "Sunday School" which happened to be their place of escape with their favorite bottle of rum in hand to listen to the sweet tunes of the steel pan while watching the goat race. Tobago is an island unlike any other. 

From the moment you step foot on their shores your stress is left somewhere in the Atlantic. Swimming in the chilling waters of an 18ft drop Argyle waterfall is an experience worth having, same to be said of the exfoliation one can receive in Nylon (Nyland) Pool-where rumor has it when you emerge and after rubbing the sand on your skin, you leave 20 years wiser and 10 years younger. Your skin definitely is left as smooth as a baby's bottom but we'll see about the "wiser" bit. 
Tobago-truly an experience worth having and I was fortunate enough to escape in my first semester of medical school following my first real "Spotter" examination. 

Just docked in Tobago

Tobago 2013

Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago

Lookout at Fort King George

Steel Pan Vendor at  Fort King George

Canon at Fort King George

Blogging through the Bible: Job 11-15

This week was one that tested my faith and allowed me to determine whether or not I have truly grown spiritually or not. I am glad to report that I am indeed growing and no matter how much I try to predict how God will answer my prayer, I am NEVER right. "The deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?"-there is no way that I can ever be able to do that, so from here on out, I have decided to quit trying and to just trust in knowing that His ways are better than mine, His thoughts are better than mine and accept that He knows what's best for me; even though I may believe I do. 

Let's get into this week's assigned reading: Job 11-15. Once again I will be sharing my observations (based on the SOAK method) as I read the assigned texts and I encourage you to share your thoughts and any observations or applications you may have noted down in your Bible Study Journal this week. 

Job 11

Here we find Zophar responding to Job in not such a nice way. Basically Zophar tells Job that there is no way he is as righteous as he claims to be because his current condition and the extension of his lost says otherwise. He flat out tells him, that he is being punished by God (Job 11:5), because it is God who knows all men, be they just or unjust and it is He who sees all evil and good and they do not go unnoticed or unrewarded. 

Zophar then pleads with Job (Job 11:13) to admit his wrong-confess to God-and be forgiven with the hope that if he died he would rest safely. 

Discouraging isn't it? After an ear full of that, I may have started to question my life and to try to search my memory for the moment when I may have wronged God that would warrant such punishment. However Job doesn't do that; as we will see in chapter 12. 

Never in my life had I imagined my family and I would be victims of a robbery at our home. It was during a Christmas vacation and my brother and I had returned home to visit our parents and family. Long story short, we were awakened by a masked intruder waving a kitchen knife who had made us believe (as we were in the same bedroom) that our parents were dead. At that moment my mind began to race and my brother turned to me and said "do as he requests and just pray". The intruder was telling me to turn on my stomach, not to look at him. I fought everything inside of me that wanted to attack him, rested my head on my pillow and began to pray. I prayed and told God that He had said "there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Psalm 91:11)" and for those angels that were camping around our house to step in and to work and I also prayed for peace. I had started to cry as well not knowing whether or not my parents were safe. My prayer was interrupted when I heard my mother's voice which caught the attention of the intruder as he was packing up my brother's backpack with our computers and other electronics.

Little did Jon and I know that my father had prayed and had devised a plan to get the man out of our home.

God gives us peace in our darkest moments and through prayer, I have always found hope in these times.

Job 12:

Don't you just LOVE Job's responses to these friends of his? Chapter 12 Job does not sit quietly when his friends decide to give their opinions about his situation. 

Job makes it clear to Zophar and to anyone else who may be having doubts about his character that he is far from incompetent and fully aware of God's capabilities which he lists starting in verse 10-25. 

As sinful as the world is, nature speaks highly of the power of God and of His creative design. Have you ever went to the zoo and just sat and watched the animals? or  enjoyed the fragrance of a flower or your harvest from the garden? These things all serve as reminders to make us aware of the kindness, presence and goodness of God. Isn't this just encouraging? 

When I sit and observe nature it is then that I truly feel the presence of God versus when I am going about my day with the countless distractions and things to do. 

Job 13:

Is where Job continues with his response to his friends.

This week's discussion question deals with something I mentioned in a previous post regarding the boldness of the questions and accusations made by Job's friends. Here we see Zophar questioning Job's walk with God. Sometimes we are faced with such situations where others are confused about why we still serve God when we are faced with difficult moments. What they cannot understand is the loyalty we have regardless of the situations.

It is hard to explain to someone the power of God if they have never acknowledged His hand in directing their path or granting them protection through the night, as they would consider it something that is just suppose to happen-naturally; so what works for me is allowing my life to speak volumes about God's power and to do my best to encourage persons to keep trusting in God always.

Job 14:

There is always comfort in knowing that things will get better and that despite the seasons of difficulty endured on this earth, there shall be countless seasons of joy, not just here but also in heaven as well. 

I find comfort in knowing that this earth is not the end, but how we live here is the beginning of unspeakable joy. 

Job 15:

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Place yourself in Job's situation; surrounded by friends who you considered highly and here they are trying to pick their brain to figure out where in your journey with God you went wrong. How would you address them? Have you encountered such an experience? How did you handle it? 

Thank you for joining me this week. It is always a pleasure to share my thoughts and to read your comments, so be sure to continue leaving them. As a new week approaches may the upcoming chapters allow for another opportunity where God can speak to us so that we can be more like Him and learn of His character. If you can be sure to check out womenlivingwell.org for the upcoming discussion questions. 

Blogging through the Bible: Job 6-10

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Are you enjoying reading through the book of Job? I know I am. It's amazing how easy it becomes to make Bible applications to life when you're reading a certain book that discusses a particular theme.

This week's readings discussed the following:

Job 6: Job appeals to his friends for sympathy.

Job 7: Job appeals to God for relief.

Job 8: Bildad responds to Job: advises him to get things right with God

Job 9: Job's affirmation of God's power and questioning of God's justice.

Job 10: Job's plea to God.


The following are my observations as I read the aforementioned chapters. I am happy to hear your thoughts and observations as well, so feel free to share in the comments section below.

Job 6

This chapter is Job's answer to his friends words. What I gathered is that Job is displeased by the words of Eliphaz and all he requests is their sympathy for his suffering  rather than their judgement (Job 6:14).  For them knowing Job's character and to find him enduring such suffering must have made them question his righteousness. Imagine that, someone who they may have seen teaching others how to live a godly life, returning a faithful tithe, following the scriptures etc to be in such a state may have gotten their minds going as to what either in his younger years or in the secret of his home, he must have done to deserve such a punishment. 

Job is bold in his response to them. He states his disappointment and compares them to a stream that is not connected to a perpetual supply of water (Job 6:15-19). When I first read this, I didn't understand the comparison so I had to study it closer to get exactly what Job was saying here. Bible Commentators explain this text as follows: 

15. Those whom I regarded as "my brethren," from whom I looked for faithfulness in my adversity, have disappointed me, as the streams failing from drought--wadies of Arabia, filled in the winter, but dry in the summer, which disappoint the caravans expecting to find water there. The fulness and noise of these temporary streams answer to the past large and loud professions of my friends; their dryness in summer, to the failure of the friendship when needed. The Arab proverb says of a treacherous friend, "I trust not in thy torrent" ( Isaiah 58:11 , Margin). 

stream of brooks--rather, "the brook in the ravines which passes away." It has no perpetual spring of water to renew it (unlike "the fountain of living waters,"  Jeremiah 2:13 ,  Isaiah 33:16 , at the end); and thus it passes away as rapidly as it arose.

16. blackish--literally, "Go as a mourner in black clothing" ( Psalms 34:14 ). A vivid and poetic image to picture the stream turbid and black with melted ice and snow, descending from the mountains into the valley. In the [second] clause, the snow dissolved is, in the poet's view, "hid" in the flood [UMBREIT].

17. wax warm--rather, "At the time when." ("But they soon wax") [UMBREIT]. "they become narrower (flow in a narrower bed), they are silent (cease to flow noisily); in the heat (of the sun) they are consumed or vanish out of their place. First the stream flows more narrowly--then it becomes silent and still; at length every trace of water disappears by evaporation under the hot sun" [UMBREIT].

18. turned aside--rather, "caravans" (Hebrew, "travellers") turn aside from their way, by circuitous routes, to obtain water. They had seen the brook in spring full of water: and now in the summer heat, on their weary journey, they turn off their road by a devious route to reach the living waters, which they remembered with such pleasure. But, when "they go," it is "into a desert" [NOYES and UMBREIT]. Not as English Version, "They go to nothing," which would be a tame repetition of the drying up of the waters in  Job 6:17 ; instead of waters, they find an "empty wilderness"; and, not having strength to regain their road, bitterly disappointed, they "perish." The terse brevity is most expressive.

19. the troops--that is, "caravans." 

Tema--north of Arabia-Deserta, near the Syrian desert; called from Tema son of Ishmael ( Genesis 25:15 , Isaiah 21:14 ,  Jeremiah 25:23 ), still so called by the Arabs.  Job 6:19  Job 6:20 give another picture of the mortification of disappointed hopes, namely, those of the caravans on the direct road, anxiously awaiting the return of their companions from the distant valley. The mention of the locality whence the caravans came gives living reality to the picture. 

Sheba--refers here not to the marauders in North Arabia-Deserta ( Job 1:15 ), but to the merchants ( Ezekiel 27:22 ) in the south, in Arabia-Felix or Yemen, "afar off" ( Jeremiah 6:20 ,  Matthew 12:42 ,  Genesis 10:28 ). Caravans are first mentioned in  Genesis 37:25 ; men needed to travel thus in companies across the desert, for defense against the roving robbers and for mutual accommodation. 

The companies . . . waited for them--cannot refer to the caravans who had gone in quest of the waters; for Job 6:18 describes their utter destruction.

Imagine that. The moment Job needed a listening ear without judgement and just mere sympathy, he got a friends opinion of what he should do to rid himself of his suffering.  There are times when we find ourselves in the position of Job's friends and we offer advice-which at times may not be bad advice; however, there is a time and a place for everything. We must remember to ask God to bless us with a receptive heart, so that we can be keen and sensitive to the suffering of others and wise enough to determine when it is best to just sit in silence. 

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Like Job we too want to know the answers to "why" we are suffering. Most times it isn't for us to know the answer but to realize the lesson God is teaching us that will work in our favor to strengthen our faith.

I find it hard to look at a situation and to consider the lesson or to focus on what is being taught when I am knee deep in it, but what I have found to work is being alone with God, the Bible and pouring my heart out to Him asking for strength, clarity and appreciation of the lesson.

Job 7:

Despite Job's suffering he is fully aware that God is sparing his life and here we find Job questioning why he is being spared as he doesn't understand it (Job 7:1, 17, 20). 

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If you're like me, you find yourself questioning your existence. It may be because of a series of unfortunate events or consequences of your actions; whatever the scenario, it is hard to grasp why God sees it fit to allow us to see yet another day, another opportunity to make a new memory, another day where He grants us and our loved ones protection. 

The long and short of it is explained in Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." It's simple as that. When we are deserving of punishment, He spares us; now that is true unconditional love. 

The story of Job is introducing me to the complexity of the present spiritual battle that is underway and that God is on my side through it all sustaining me. It is not up to me to figure out why I am still alive as He has already shown that to me, it is now up to me to choose if I will follow His purpose for my life, or create my own. Each day is a new opportunity to live a [Godly] purpose driven life. 

Job 8: 

In this chapter Bildad approaches Job requesting to know how long he would speak as one who has been defeated. It must have been hard for them to sit and listen as Job spoke. He must have sounded so depressed and like Eeyore-the donkey from Winnie the Pooh, after a while they must have gotten frustrated. 

Bildad's questions give the impression that at the back of his mind, Job must have committed a terrible sin and the only way to cease suffering, would be to confess (Job 8:5). 

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All in all, chapter 8 is where Bildad bursts into accusations (probably with a whole lot of hand gestures). His judgement comes as a surprise to me, as people tend to visit you when you are sick and quietly judge rather than expressing their thoughts regarding your suffering. 

Being a Judge Judy, comes easy. The hard part is not judging someone else. When I am faced with the opportunity to judge someone I always recite Matthew 7:1, 2 that says "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." How can you gladly judge someone after reciting that? I know I can and I wouldn't dare to. 

Job 9:

I found myself sympathizing with Job in this chapter. After everything he has experienced and not knowing the outcome and simply wanting to die than to live another day in excruciating pain. At this point in the story, I felt as though Job is afraid to blatantly question God (Job 9:1-2,14), because despite it being puzzling that as he is a just man, he is experiencing unwarranted suffering. Yes, he is fully aware that God is in charge (Job 9:5-9) and one to 'destroy the perfect and the wicked'; however he is not aware of the battle being fought for his life and hence his impression that God is angry with him punishing him out of anger. 

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Like Job, we experience discouragement especially in the thick of dire situations; unlike Job, we have his story to offer us encouragement and the Bible which is filled with others who have endured suffering because of the Great Controversy that is going on that we are not able of seeing. 

We have the best story of encouragement during our times of discouragement. Christ-sinless as He was-walked on earth as a man, and endured persecuted as did the prophets before, then we should not fret when we are being persecuted or experiencing our share of suffering. One of the most encouraging texts is Matthew 5: 3-16 and for emphasis regarding the discussion question verses 11-12: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Try whispering (or loudly exclaiming) that text when you are discouraged. 

Job 10:

We find that Job's confusion is clearly evident and here he voices that. He acknowledges his understanding of pain and suffering and he believes as though he is on the verge of death. This is interesting to me because it shows that here Job's faith is being tested and although he knows the power of God, he doesn't seem to believe that he will be healed. 

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My prayer for myself and for you is that after reading the book of Job that we would have a greater appreciation for moments of suffering and faith building and we will stand on the word of God for encouragement when we are discouraged and that rather than allowing our discouragement turn into bitterness and self-pity we will remember that God's thoughts for us and His plans for us are not plans of evil but of peace and of prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11) all he is asking of us is to accept the purpose He has shown us and to taste and see for ourselves His goodness (Psa 34:8) that others in the Bible have experienced. 

As you prepare for another weekend, I encourage you to join me again as we read Job 11-15 and I am interested in knowing your thoughts as well. Be blessed. 

Blogging through the Bible: Job 1-5

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The first full week of the New Year is officially over! You made it. If you decided to study along with me, you would have read the background of Job's suffering.

At some point or another in our lives we find ourselves asking one of the following, if not all of the following questions in some shape or fashion:

1. When I suffer, can I be certain God is punishing me?

2. What does God think when I argue with Him? 

3. Are religious 'experts' always right? 

The first two chapters of Job shows that it is indeed possible to have just people suffer in an unjust world and chapters 3-14 (if you are one who likes to read ahead) demonstrates that our human answers be it in the form of friends or religious counsel do not satisfy, and as such we must call on God.

As I look back through my notes from this week's reading, I'd like to share my observations and I would love to hear what God showed you this week as you read as well.

Job 1: 

The first verse describes Job as being "perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil." Was anyone else curious to know what this meant or am I the only one? 

After searching and following cross-texts in my Bible, I came to Genesis 6:9 which speaks of Noah being "just", and then to Proverbs 8:13 which tells us that the fear of God is to "hate evil: pride and arrogance and the evil way and the froward mouth..."

If you would recall from this chapter, Satan entered a meeting of God with the sons of God-who are leaders of un-fallen worlds; after roaming the corners of the earth he found that there was one man in the land of Uz, who was blessed beyond measure and 'perfect'. This must have made Satan furious; knowing that the earth possessed a man, who was blessed by God and doing his best to live life according to the principles and promises of God's word. He had to act! Here he was now in the presence of God. 

Let's rewind for a second, recall that Satan was kicked out of heaven along with his followers because he allowed sin (his selfish desire to be worshipped as God was, and his pride) to envelope his heart and his being.  Now  we can clearly see that Satan's agenda before and after his fall has been to prove that God cannot be worshipped by 'mere mortals' or other created beings solely based on their free will, but our worship is rooted in our desire to be blessed. His desire is to misrepresent God's character and to cause men to cherish a false conception of the Creator, which would lead man to hate and be fearful of God. (Isa. 14:12-14)

Satan in verse 11 of Job 1 makes his request to prove that the reason Job is "perfect and upright" is because of God's protection and his bountiful blessing. This chapter demonstrates (to me) the length at which Satan goes to provoke followers of God to turn away from God and it goes on further to demonstrate God's unconditional love for us and the freedom of choice we are given. Whether we choose to live a life that's perfect and upright, fearing God, or to disregard His word and work in our lives and to live according to our own merit, He allows us to make our own decisions without any form of arm twisting on His part. 

Job's perfection by no means was absolute or faultless perfection, however, it was based on the integrity, sincerity and consistency on the whole in all relations of his life which was seen by his continuance of offering prayers of sanctification on behalf of his children who chose to 'curse God in their hearts.' (Job 1:5)

It is very easy to praise and follow God in the good times, as it is to say "thank-you" to someone who has just extended kindness or love to us. The true test of our faith is how we respond when we are experiencing seasons of tribulations. 

I do my best, and I'll admit I'm not always successful, however I do try, to remain faithful during these times by reminding myself of situations I have survived thanks to God's deliverance. 

It's like this, knowing that I serve a God who is the creator of the universe and who declares in His word that He will provide for me as He does for the birds of the air (Matt 6:26) allows me to face those bad times with joy. 

Job teaches us that in the midst of our suffering, we can still have joy. 

Job 2:

Once again we see that Satan presents himself uninvited to a meeting God held with the leaders of un-fallen worlds. Do you see a pattern here? Satan is declaring ownership of the earth, and is attending these meetings as leader/ruler of the earth.  

After his last appearance, he received permission to attack Job, with the disclaimer that he is to spare his life. Satan returns now to report although he has failed, he returns to seek permission to destroy Job. God refuses to allow Satan to claim Job's life but gives him permission to carry on. 

The second chapter introduces Job's wife. Someone I'm sure he must have loved dearly and thought highly of. Here we see how Satan unbeknownst to us, uses people closest to us, to plant seeds of doubt in our minds during our suffering. Regardless of this, Job remains steadfast in his faith and he does not curse God. 

I have had experiences where I was subtly encouraged to walk away from God and I'm sure you have too. This encouragement may not be as blatant as we saw in Job 2, but they do occur. It seems in my life for the one person who may encourage me to go give up on God, there are at least two more who are encouraging me to keep the faith and to seek Him. 

At times we may have to respond boldly as Job did and in other instances our actions will transform that persons life. We are encouraged to remain faithful and to trust in God's plan. 

Job 3:

At the end of Chapter 2 Job is joined by his friends and chapter 3 begins with Job expressing himself. Firstly I cannot fathom the pain Job must have been in at this moment, and I commend him for not responding as he did sooner. As he starts to curse the day of his birth, I am reminded of the similarity of his words to that of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 20:14). 

Reflect for a moment on your life; do you a recall a time when you cursed the day you were born? or simply wished you were not experiencing difficulty? 

Job and Jeremiah both serve as encouragement for us. You see, Job was faithful to God and Jeremiah prophesied as God instructed and yet they both found themselves on the receiving end of pain, sorrow, ridicule and suffering. Quite frankly, they are human as we are, and there is only so much we can tolerate before we break down and just wish it would all disappear. 

2 Corinthians 2:8-10 provides us with comfort in those times when we find ourselves questioning why we are experiencing certain things. It tells us "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

That alone reassures us that Christ wants us to afford him the opportunity to be our strength during our difficulties. Knowing this why should we be disheartened or discouraged? It definitely makes me look at my struggles in another light; what about you?

Job 4:

Don't you just hate hearing "everything's going to be okay" when you're going through something. When I am discouraged and completely weary, nothing annoys me more when friends try to console me and attach "everything is going to be okay" to their sentiments. Not that they are entirely wrong, just that sometimes to the believer that can go without saying. 

In chapter 4 Job is still in the presence of his friends who are saddened by the condition he is in. One of his friends Eliphaz is moved to speak, he begins by reminding Job of who he is and the good he has done. In verse 6 he asks "Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope and the uprightness of thy ways?" If we look at Proverbs 3:26 here we see that in every situation the Lord shall be our confidence, keeping our foot from being moved-Eliphaz is doing his best to remind Job to whom he is faithful and who holds his source of strength. 

At this moment, Job found it hard to cope with what he was enduring. Similarly we find ourselves at this same point during our difficult seasons of life. During David's affliction in Psalm 119: 67, 71, 75 he confesses that before his affliction he was not diligent in following God, as we sometimes are, however his experience taught him the law of God and allowed God to demonstrate His faithfulness to Him without any distractions. This is what we experience too because we are so distracted by our possessions, our positions and achievements sometimes in order to be reconnected with God, we must be stripped of these things. During these difficult seasons of life we are to boldly confess our sins to God (Rev 3: 19) and remember that trials are 'chastisements for their good to the righteous' (Prov. 3:12, Heb. 12:6). 

Job 5:

As we do our best to live in this world of sin as followers of Christ, we are reminded that we are born into sin and are prone to experience the trouble that exists here and in those moments when we experience trouble we are to call to God for help (Job 5:6-9). 

I found this chapter to be a good chapter to close the week on as it ends with encouragement and allows reflection on what was revealed in the preceding chapters. 

For most of you who regularly follow my blog, you are aware that I am a student and that alone presents its own share of challenges. Like most of you would also know, tertiary education is far from being cheap or affordable. At our University and I assume most employ this standard, in order to sit examinations and to receive your grades your fees must be paid in full before the listed examination date. 

Finding the silver lining in difficult financial moments is becoming easier for me to do as I have seen God provide every red cent that I needed hours before I was suppose to sit the end of year exam. 

When God answers my prayers and when I pray, completely trusting and believing that He will work in His timing to strengthen my faith and that of others around me, it becomes easy to stand on His promises and to pray claiming every single one because He is God, ruler, creator and owner of this world and Lord of my life who has called me to great things. At the end of the day He expects for me to continually trust Him and to apply myself in all areas of my life. 

I encourage you today to stand boldly on the promises of God. To use His word as a source of strength and to diligently study His word and hide it in your heart so that in your moments of difficulty you can find the silver lining. 

Did you enjoy the first five chapters of Job? What did you learn as you read? Were you encouraged? Did you find yourself questioning Job's actions or that of his wife? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to answer the discussion questions in the comment section below.