An ordinary girl, With a story.

Superstitions

Hi there, my name is Galilee. I am originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but I currently live in South Africa.

Having spent my early childhood in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I was reminded of some of the superstitions I had grown up believing in. We all have that one buddy that practically bases everything in their lives on superstition; me, not so much. But every now and again, I reflect on the reality I once created based on those superstitions, and I’d like to share some of them with you now. Let’s get right to it.

Laughing Birds
As young girls, we were encouraged to always keep the curtains completely closed, especially when getting dressed. The rationale for this was that if a bird ‘laughed’ (Chirped) at a little girl’s topless chest, their boobs would not grow. I’m not sure if this was to establish the foundation of modesty in little girls; I’m still trying to figure it out, but every now and then I wonder if that superstition is true, so in case you happen to have a 10-year-old chest… I leave the rest to your conscious!
As young girls, we were encouraged to always keep the curtains completely closed, especially when getting dressed. The rationale for this was that if a bird ‘laughed’ (Chirped) at a little girl’s topless chest, their boobs would not grow. I’m not sure if this was to establish the foundation of modesty in little girls; I’m still trying to figure it out, but every now and then I wonder if that superstition is true, so in case you happen to have a 10-year-old chest… I leave the rest to your conscious!

Tooth and charcoal

Another superstition I grew up believing was the tooth fairy tale, with a twist. See back home it was said that when a child’s teeth fall out, they should toss them together with a piece of charcoal on top of the roof in order for the tooth to grow back. Talk about imparting responsibility in the little ones. Forget the laws of nature or stages of development; this belief encouraged us to take care of our fallen teeth because losing them meant growing up with missing teeth, which is a telling story on its own.

Never swallow a seed

This belief made every child eat fruits like Oranges, Naartjie, and Apples with caution. It was said that if you swallowed the seed of a fruit, a tree would sprout inside you. You can image the problem one faced when they accidentally swallowed a seed. Given my numerous experiences with seeds, I believe this superstition is one for the books. It’s incredible how gullible we are as children.

Consider some of your childhood superstitions and how they shaped you. I believe in giving significance to every experience, and regardless of how real or phoney those superstitions were, I’d like to believe they’ve added to my childhood memory, and every now and then I look back and chuckle at the thought of them.

Comment below with some superstitions you grew up with or still believe in. I would love to hear them!☺️

Till next time, bye💜

A letter to L.Tae

The walls between us have gotten thicker, I’ve seen many talk faith yet ruled by fear.
You were quiet and focused, did your own thing. Once, we argued on the principle of risk, come to think of it; you’ve always been a risk taker. The late-night practices, and the early morning gym session. You, my friend were a mover and shaker.

I know life is full of changes but being on the receiving end, is still a telling story. I’m grateful to have witnessed the snippet scenery of your growth because the complementary remarks from afar come as no surprise.

“When you don’t like your circumstances, change it. And when it’s time to move on, don’t delay the process.” This, I’ve learnt from you. Sometimes change breeds
sacrifice, getting to the other side also means interrupting the tectonic plates of familiarity. It means grappling with our known gravity. You, L.Tae, did just that!

Yours Sincerely,
LilG

Proof of Life

I reckon not to be confused with my circumstances. If the children of Israel stayed in the wilderness without being consumed by it, then Romans 12:2 is a manual worth reading.

Don’t be fooled, it’s possible to look like your problems, but I’m puzzled at the thought of putting up hope that barrages the girm of despair.

Henceforth I pray that even though the circumstances thrown my way are inevitable, may my character not conform to its nature, may I not be transformed by its stature. Instead, let there be pruning in my heart that can only be accomplished by the circumstances brought about by life.

Be kind out there🌸

#Stand

What Kind of Love?

Hit Friends, Happy Easter ✝️

Love descended so that we could ascend with Him in glory.
A Journey foretold, Love, came in human form.
Destined to die, still Love was determined to bridge the gap between God and Mankind.

Love laboured hard; caught history off guard.
Drank from the cup of pain and suffering,
Beaten with no remorse, the ultimate sacrifice.
Salvation, His Blueprint. Behold the Lamb of God; bruised for our iniquities, every whip a gavel in God’s hand. Nailed for every Nation. Captured for our freedom

The earthquaked as chains broke,
His blood erased our past mistakes.
O’ Glory!
What kind of Love is this? The kind that scoops
Low to reach the fallen, the kind that gave up
His life so that we might live; making us great three days later.
When He rose again, we became born again. Jesus Christ, an atonement for unpunished sins. Crucified, for our cleansing.
When He died on that cross He extended
an invitation for all to dine with Him in Paradise…

What kind of Love stretches from everlasting to everlasting? The kind that had You in mind when He said, “IT IS FINISHED!“

Behold, the risen one, crowned in glory, raised in majesty. O’ death, where is your sting?
Behold our risen King!
Jesus Christ, Our Victory!

I Think I’m Falling For Ya

Happy Valentine’s Day 💐 🥰

Home

Me Time

List five things you do for fun.

I like to unwind by taking short walks and running assistance in clearing my mind.
Now and then I’ll treat myself to a historical documentary; I find them informative and a great source of vocabulary enhancement, which usually results in me sitting down with a pen and paper while watching.
I enjoy catching up with friends either for ice cream or a movie date.
I love my personal space and to set the mood for that, I listen to music or a podcast [preferably the VT podcast or Thirty Minutes with the Perrys]
A little nap never hurt anybody. ( Haha)

_Justanordinarygirl_

Ancient Words

Good Morning, it’s a New dawn 🍀

Today’s reading will be from Psalms 55:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.

Key Words:
Cast
Cares
Lord
Sustain

Reminder:

Carefully examine your walk with the Lord. Pursue holiness in all your ways, and live righteously.

Have a great day💫

Ancient Words

Good Morning, it’s a new dawn🍀

Today’s reading will be from Proverbs 3: 5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Key words:
Trust
All your heart
Submit

Have a good day🤗

SURRENDER = SURVIVAL

Season’s Greetings my friends, welcome to today’s blog!🥰😇

Today’s blog was inspired by a song titled Nineveh by Brooke Ligertwood. Having listened to the song, I took it upon myself to read the book of Jonah.

For the longest time my knowledge about the book of Jonah was based on second hand information; what I mean by this is that I never saw the need to sit down to read and understand what happened in the book Jonah. The most reading I did of The book was when I read bedtime stories to my baby cousin. However, the authors behind Kids’ Bible have diligently synopsized Bible Stories in a manner that is easily digestible for little children. Thus, reading the story from the Kids’ Bible was more of a sneak peek of what Jonah’s story was about.

I finally decided to put on my big girl pants and discover the mysteries in Jonah’s’ story and what characteristics I could learn about God, Jonah, and the people of Nineveh. Herewith some of the lessons I have learnt while reading the book of Jonah.

Firstly, there seems to be an enmity between human and following instructions. I think Prophet Jonah’s symbolic behaviour portrays our downfall in following instructions and I believe it takes grace to follow God’s instructions to the core, because of our resisting nature in obeying the Lord’s precept. Although we may not say or recognize it, our carnal tendency perpetuates in thinking that we know it all when in fact we don’t . Often this mentality not only gets us in trouble but also those we come in contact with ( Aka, the sailors that let Jonah Board the Ship).

The second element I picked up whilst reading the book is being truthful when we offend God and turning to repentance; however, it may be difficult for a person who does not know God’s truth and principles. I believe Prophet Jonah was cognizant of God’s principles hence, the quick realization of his sin and the turning to repentance.

A wiseman once said, repentance is changing one’s mind and heart towards God. This then emanates a change of direction in the way a person has been living. This type of repentance is clearly displayed when we read Jonah 3:1-3, where we see Jonah’s change of attitude towards God’s instruction.

“We are not called to be the bigger person; we are called to surrender”
Galilee Mangala

The third lesson I learnt was the Art of Surrendering. I was completely amazed at the level of humility displayed by the Ninevites. Their fear of God was not clouded by the magnitude or riches found in their city. Proverbs 22:4, tells us that; humility is the fear of the Lord. I believe that was the grace bestowed upon the Ninevites. I was greatly humbled by the king’s submission to the word of God through His servant, Prophet Jonah. If a king of such caliber can disregard his throne for mercy’s sake not just for himself but for his entire city, who am I not to surrender when God speaks? The king reminded me of Jesus Christ, who did not consider His equality with God as something to be grasped but made himself nothing for you and I (Philippians 2:6-9). Such attitude I pray to acquire. One has to fully understand the beauty that comes when we don’t take to mind our status or social rank . If we are to truly repent and surrender to God then, it is by His nature to show Compassion and Mercy; why? Because He is a God of Principles.

I believe the Book of Jonah fosters great principles that can help us in living out our walk with the Lord. We need to understand that surrendering does not make us look weak rather preserves us from God’s wrath and prevents us from getting perished. So, my friends choose to surrender today, surrender everything to God, realize that you only start living once you have surrendered to the giver of life.

Till next time, bye for now.🧡