Women's Focus Ministries: Thursday Writing by Brother Thomas and Jody Ward.....11/24/16

Good Morning,

The writing for today, "THANKING GOD FOR THE JOURNEY SO FAR…" is based on an email received from Brother Thomas Ukwute showing his thanks and gratitude for his life serving God and His people. Jody joined in with her comments about how she feels about partnering with Brother Thomas.

Brother Thomas wrote, "So, just for a few minutes, pause and thank God with me for this opportunity to work in His vineyard. You, my friends, have added value to my life and to my work and I thank you for being a good friend."

Jody wrote, "

I am thankful, and honored, to partner with such a God gifted man of high integrity as Brother Thomas, in order to bring you these devotionals. I am thankful for his messages of encouragement that always challenge us to reach higher and live better for Christ."

May we always be grateful when we find someone as a mentor and partner that God has given us.

Best wishes for Thanksgiving's best tomorrow!

God bless,

Corinne, Brother Thomas, and Jody

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Today's Writing

THANKING GOD FOR THE JOURNEY SO FAR…

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and prise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100.4-5

I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, so that in everything you were enriched in Him – in all speech (empowered by the spiritual gifts) and in all knowledge, with insight into our faith. In this way, our testimony about Christ was confirmed and established in you.

1 Corinthians 1.4-6

THANKING GOD FOR THE JOURNEY SO FAR…

A personal message from Brother Thomas Ukwute

There are times we need to pause and look back onto the journey of our life and appreciate the grace of God and the people He places around us.

I was born into a world of unknown that was filled with hatred. It reached its pinnacle in for me at the age of ten, with rejection, denial and overwhelming humiliation which was meant to deal the final blow to my future and my destiny. But this humiliation and rejection, taken with a positive attitude and my refusal to allow the ugly situation to define who I would become, opened a new world of possibilities to me.

In this dark time was where the vision of greatness and significance was opened to me, the understanding that if I could develop the strength inside me, I would survive anything life brought against me and I would become what I wanted to be.

Though the journey has been tough and challenging, the experience gained along the way at every landmark and milestone has been rewarding.

Let me share some of the greatest moments of my life. The day I gave my life to Jesus was the real birth day for me. It took away my sense of worthlessness and gave me a new beginning in a world of hope, grace and determination. The day I answered the call of God on my life gave new meaning to my life and direction to become of great significance to the world.

The day I got married was the day I became one with a partner that would help me understand the value of love and grace while my identity was further defined. On the day my first child was born was the day my true name was defined, that I was not a failure but had been created a success. This opened the door to the arrival of an additional four great boys, now men of excellence, and four wonderful grandchildren, one with Jesus in glory.

The day He brought you into my life as a friend was so divinely orchestrated that now, today, you have become a vital part of my life and success story.

The Lord reminds me not to forget the days of small beginnings and one year ago was another landmark, the beginning of the vision I had carried in my heart for over 30 years becoming a reality. It was one year ago that we performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the permanent site of the Oasis of Hope Initiative which we call “The City of Refuge.” It will serve as the center for transformation and restoration of lives, called Project Hope, and will be a sill acquisition center designed to give hope to the poor and downtrodden in society.

I cannot but pause to praise God, who in His mercy has taken me this far in this journey. My friends, I want you to join me and thank this great God who stuck around and was patient to help me, despite all my flaws and mistakes. He believed in me and helped lift me up when I fell. He gave me hope when all hope seemed to have been lost. He provided support when everything else failed.

Above all, He gave you to me as friends who have been there when I was abandoned. I am eternally grateful to God, and to you, for all He has done through you all these years. And, I am looking forward with faith and hope to see what God is going to do with the Project Hope center.

So, just for a few minutes, pause and thank God with me for this opportunity to work in His vineyard. You, my friends, have added value to my life and to my work and I thank you for being a good friend.

I am eternally grateful,

Thomas Ukwute

A footnote from Jody:

I am sure we can all see ourselves in Brother Thomas’ recounting of his life. We only need to change the details, and the people, but we all have faced an unknown future in a world bent on destroying us. But we are where we are because of Christ’s love, and continue where we are going because of God’s faithfulness and mercy.