Casting Vision + Thriving in Body, Soul & Spirit

This post is for three groups:

1. The ones searching for vision. I want to show you a simple + practical way to find vision/purpose for your life.

2. The ones who have a vision and want to put it into action. The steps here will help you put the big-picture vision into small, actionable steps..

3. The ones running with zeal after a vision and want balance in the other areas of life. I want to share how I’m finding balance in all the things.

I think the best way I can start is by sharing how I cast vision + plan all the life things. The Lord gave me a blueprint for Vision Sheets, a set of worksheets designed to help find/define the vision and purpose He has for my life.

Some things to remember:

  1. Can I commission you to have a conversation with God? Spend a little time waiting on Him before diving into the Vision Sheets. Let your soul get quiet, your eyes to see yourself + your world through Jesus’ eyes. We work from a place of restedness + security, otherwise we burn out. Because chasing man-sized dreams may work for awhile, but will ultimately leave us feeling unsatisfied.
  2. We don’t compare where we are to one another, or others’ calling against our own. These Vision Sheets were created to help you find purpose – whether you are a full-time mom or a full-time entrepreneur – wherever God plants you. Because God ordains fruit from wherever He’s placed us.
  3. Also, there’s grace. We will fail and make mistakes. But we learn, and God’s love + grace covers us.
  4. The vision and goals written on the Vision sheets aren’t set in stone. There is room for God to move, you to grow, priorities to change. You can redo them as often as you need to. There is freedom in God’s order.

1. Start with the big picture, then break it down into small steps. The big picture gives purpose + direction, and helps refine the decisions I make today for tomorrow.

  • Vision Sheet #1: Define Yourself. There are 4 categories, each one helping to narrow down the passions, gifts, and people that God has called me to. I use this sheet to take small steps towards defining my vision for the new year, but it’s also good to re-evaluate every few months because certain seasons call for different perspectives/priorities.

  • Vision Sheet #2: Write The Vision. This sheet further refines the items in sheet #1 into a one-sentence summary of what really fires me up. That is my vision for the season, and it guides my daily decisions pertaining to what I say “Yes” or “No” to, so that I do more of what feeds my soul + spirit.

  • Vision Sheet #3: Your Core Goals. This is a monthly worksheet. It breaks down the big-picture vision into smaller, practical steps for the month. I first identify the top 3 things I feel I should be focusing on that month, then plan my monthly goals around those priorities. The “Pillars” section of this sheet is super important. It’s where I write my weekly/monthly non-negotiables.
    *More details on this section further down.
  • Vision Sheet #4: This Week’s Steps. Once I have a broad overview of the goals I want to achieve for the month, I break them down into actionable steps each week (you could do it by laying out all 4/5 weeks at once, or going one week at a time). First, I put down all the Pillars into my week – these are the non-negotiable items that should be blocked out before I add any other items to the agenda – a day for rest, a date day with Alex, a day for groceries + cleaning, and times for exercise + QT in the mornings. This has greatly helped me as I learn to grow in balance + well-roundedness. Next, the weekly plan. I like to make sure that at least 80% of my time is spent on tasks that revolve around my top 3 priorities from worksheet #3. My first priority currently is writing, so I make sure to schedule in plenty of time everyday to write – I blog, write books + devotionals, etc.

2. My Pillars. The non-negotiable things that keep me balanced + well-rounded. These are my Pillars in order of importance:

  • Sabbath rest. A day each week to rest and spend time doing things with God. I do things that let my mind rest, my soul breathe, and my spirit soar. Sometimes I watch a movie, go shopping, or stay home in my PJs. It doesn’t matter what I do as long as I’m doing it with Him.
  • Date day. We have a designated day of the week that we block out – we don’t make other appointments on this day. Alex and I spend the day together doing anything and everything we want together. We keep it flexible, fun, and restful. A day to get to know each other all over again. A day for fun, romance, and whimsy.
  • Quiet time. A block of time before I start work each day. The best (fruitful + productive) days I have always begin with prayer. I always end up achieving more when I pray than I do on days that I jump straight into a 12-hour work day. Starting that moment of calm with kanna edibles from cheefbotanicals can help settle the mind and set a peaceful tone for the day ahead.
  • House cleaning. I’m a bit of a hygiene nazi. I’m more rested now, but I still like my home clean + pleasant to live in + conducive to creativity. I do a thorough house deep-clean twice a month, on alternate weeks. Every other night, I do a quick wipe around the kitchen + vacuum around the house which takes about 15 minutes tops – this helps keep cleanliness levels without being too time consuming.
  • Exercise. Alex and I try to do about 90 minutes of weight training + cardio every other morning. Our review of the top rated Brooks running shoes explains which models excel for cushioning, support and responsiveness. Some days we’re too tired to get out of bed. There’s a lot of grace in this, and we just make it up if we miss a day or two. It’s been really good for me, not just physically but also emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually.
  • Groceries + Meals. Grocery shopping has become a really fun experience for Alex and I. It is somewhat of an adventure for us to go to the supermarket once a week and buy all the meal ingredients for that week. I’ve started cooking all our meals at home because we want to eat healthy + save all the money we spend eating out on more important things. It’s fun to do things like experiment with 3 different ways to use 1/3 of a Green Pepper this week, so we fully utilize everything we buy and keep the menu interesting at the same time. It’s gotten pretty easy to cook meals through the day. In the mornings, I put whatever Alex/I feel like eating on to cook, then we work out and the meal’s ready by the time we’re done – I usually cook a double portion so we eat half in the morning/afternoon, and the other half is used to create an entirely new dish in the evening. It’s quick, fun, and so cost-effective, and using a tdee calculator makes it even easier to plan meals that match our energy needs.
  • Personal grooming. One day a month I do all the necessary personal grooming things – hair cut, spa/facial, etc. Not the most important things, but still needful. Because my body is the temple of God and I want to pursue beauty apart from vanity. Small routines completed regularly frequently produce more lasting benefits than chasing dramatic changes, encouraging a healthier relationship with appearance that values confidence, comfort, and self-respect. That balanced perspective also explains why some individuals include services offered through Thrive Medical Spa within their broader wellness routine, choosing treatments that complement healthy living instead of replacing it. Maintaining realistic expectations, caring for the body with intention, and making thoughtful decisions over time create a foundation where personal well-being and outward confidence can develop together without losing sight of the values that inspired those habits in the first place.

And that’s it. Boy that was a ton of information; if you have questions, ask them in the comments! If you’re interested, these things help me in my waiting on God + vision planning: journal, notebook, Bible.

ALSO! I get a lot of emails and texts that I really wish I had time to dig into and answer fully, so I am SO excited to let you know that I am opening up mentoring slots for individuals/groups who maybe want some guidance as they work through finding + defining their life vision + purpose.

This is what you will get in an individual mentoring session:

  • 90 minutes of face-to-face (or Skype, if you live outside of Singapore) mentoring time with Samantha. This includes prayer, hearing from God, and working through the Vision Sheets together.
  • One month of email/phone mentoring as you work out the Vision Sheets in your life.
  • One set of A4 Vision Sheets.
  • One to-do notepad for all the lists.
  • One mug from the Godly Womanhood Shop.
  • A digital download of all the worksheets so you can re-use them whenever you want.

A 90 minute individual session is SGD$100.
Please fill out the below form if you’re interested! Or you can go straight here to book your session.
If you’re a group of friends / small business team interested in team coaching, we can discuss group rates.
If you feel you need more than one session, we can discuss package rates. 

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The Kingdom Way – Godly Principles for Responding to Homosexuality + Controversy + Sin In Our Generation

I didn’t want to write this.

Up till now, I have kept my beliefs (fervent as they are) private. Over the past few years, social media has become a marketplace of loud opinions + churlish bickering, and I’ve preferred to stay well away from the mess.

It disturbs my heart to see the righteous indignation + hostile aggression on both sides (who, ironically, profess similarly to advocate love), and the thought of adding my voice to that cacophony is, honestly, abhorrent to my soul.

But here’s the game-changer: The Lord has increased the burden in my heart. He has been telling me how He wants His ambassadors to respond in these last days, and it is a message I must put down in writing.

I am a firm believer that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” but I think that good men need wisdom to do the things so that we bring light + peace, not more chaos, into the darkness.

What follows here are guidelines, not a list of Do’s and Don’ts. God always addresses the heart first because when the heart is postured right, the right acts will follow.

The Kingdom of God is this – a Kingdom.

A Kingdom is defined as a people submitted to one ruler and governed by a set of regulations/culture specific to that realm.

Now we know that we (believers) are that people, and we’re submitted to our ruler Jesus Christ. But I think we need to have more conversations about the culture of the realm we are living in.

Principle #1: See With Vision

Jesus came for one purpose: To restore mankind to the fullness of what God created them for.

We need to have sight that cuts through the way things appear to see as God sees. To see things and people as they truly are. Because unless that happens, we cannot see past the sin and into the deep souls; to understand their past and call out their future.

We need to simultaneously have hearts that feel the present pain + eyes that see the future hope. People living in sin often know that they are but haven’t the strength to get out, or they’ve given up because everyone else has given up on them. Usually, they have hidden pain in their hearts that keep them trapped in a vicious cycle.

The world is hurting and doesn’t need us to point out that it is. What it needs from us is Vision. For the children of God to arise and say, “I see where you are now, but I also see who you were meant to be. I’m going to keep calling out your destiny until beauty rises up from the ashes.”

Because you see, faith empowers but fear paralyses. We cannot demand change. We can only inspire it.

Principle #2: Speak With Wisdom

If we could hear the sound of heaven responding to earth today, what would it say? We live in a world that is hungry for God’s answers, though it isn’t aware of its need yet, and I believe that the world needs the children of God to arise and answer its bewildered cries (Romans 8:19).

But we need wisdom.

We don’t rush into the fray, all guns blazing. We’re citizens of a Kingdom, not vagabond hirelings – there are rules of combat, and we must wait for our commander’s orders.

There are times that the Lord gives us a burden for a particular issue, but it could take years before He finally says, “Speak”. Most times, He wants us to first partner with Jesus in intercession. When we intercede with Jesus the great Intercessor, our hearts slowly get aligned with His. As our hearts become postured right, when the time comes to speak, we will do so with the right spirit. Believe me, the years of public silence + secret intercession will not be wasted.

Because on our own, our words hold no power to change lives. But when we speak His words, a great impartation of His love, empowerment, and healing will flow into the hearts and minds of those to whom we speak.

Principle #3: Serve With Compassion

We’re called to serve. Not lord over others with righteous spirituality.

Some good questions to ask ourselves before we post a rant or theologically-sound argument (by the way, God says that if it is not done in love, it counts as nothing in heaven) on Facebook or Twitter:

  • Do these words serve + build, or do they tear down?
  • Is this said out of faith or fear?
  • Will these words convict or condemn? Conviction empowers, condemnation cripples.
  • Am I a being a light or stumbling block?
  • Do my words represent the character of Jesus?
  • Is this said out of love or pride?
  • Is this coming from my flesh or the Spirit?

We will never change anyone’s mind by how much we know or how right we are. We only push them away and create walls that way.

Jesus came to serve. His kindness led many to repentance. Maybe if we began to live like Jesus – serving the sinners by binding up their broken hearts, healing their wounds, setting them free from bondage – we’d see many more entering the Kingdom than we do now.

Principle #4: Stand Without Compromise

I kept this for last because we need to have the right heart to do this last one well.

We must stand firm on the Truth no matter how unpopular or offensive it is to the world. It wasn’t a socially relevant man who saved the world; it was a holy, pure, blameless man. The gospel is offensive because it believes in us + calls us to that higher standard more than we believe in ourselves.

The Bible is the foundation, and all truth that contradicts it is not truth.

A time is coming when the Bride will have to acknowledge Jesus publicly. That is where wedding vows are said, aren’t they, publicly? The day is coming when the Church will be made to stand in public and speak about God. This will happen in 2 ways –

  • Sharing publicly about God through media. This is a social media generation, and so much negativity is going around the world wide web. But we are living in a time where the power of God is going to work in and through us to show the world the glory and the greatness of God.  Then we need to make a choice – acknowledge God publicly, or not?  To do so would welcome mockery, cynicism, rejection from our friends… to not do so is to reject the Bridegroom standing before us at the altar.
  • Persecution, where our allegiance will be tested. Will we choose to publicly acknowledge Jesus, even when it gets dangerous to do so?

Luke 12: 8-11 says, “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

These circumstances sound bleak, but Jesus tells us not to worry. At the right time, Holy Spirit will tell us what to say (Read more about Holy Spirit’s role in preparing the Bride here). He is our guide, teacher, comforter, and helper – He will never leave us nor forsake us.

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God Our CEO – Godly Principles for Business + Life + Everything In Between

I’m venturing into a territory I never ever thought I would. If you had told me a few years ago that I would one day be running business(es), I would’ve laughed + scoffed at the idea. I am probably the last candidate anyone would choose for the task – clueless about all things related to business and money.

Then five months ago, the Lord told me to start the Godly Womanhood shop.

It seemed like a crazy step of faith. I was terrified of failure and felt overwhelmingly under-qualified. But the Lord assured + encouraged me through all the steps. “Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows. I’ll look after you, was His promise.

So I said yes. He desires obedience more than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). I stumbled my way in and spent all our wedding savings starting up the business… and got back all of it in the first month.

Five months later, we launched our second, amazing new Mourning Into Dancing collection on a scale larger than I could’ve imagined.

With this second collection, God told me to go even further – we doubled what we spent on new products than we did with the first collection, plus gave away most of what we earned in the first month. Yet somehow, the money has been pouring back in at FOUR TIMES the rate.

Mind. Blown.

Are numbers the singular/ruling factor to determine success? Not by a long yard. But it is one of the ways God shows me that He’s in it with me.

I’ve been constantly amazed at how God has been showing Himself to be the CEO of the business. How He established a business out of a novice like me, I’ll never fully understand. But I know He did it.

Today, I’d like to share some principles that have guided me well on the journey. I’ve been getting questions about how to run a God-centered, God-glorifying Social business, and this is it! These principles are important for your business + life + everything in between, and I hope it encourages you some.

Principle #1: Dedicating Your First Fruits

The concept of First Fruits has been around since the beginning of humanity. There is something undeniably special about first fruits – studies show that first borns around the world have higher IQs, perform better in school, and are more accomplished; all 12 men to have walked on the moon were either eldest or only children. And who can deny that special place in our hearts that hold memories of our first kiss, first love, first pay check…? When we offer the First Fruit (the best of what we have) to God, it tells Him that we trust Him to always provide for us.

To lay the foundation for the principle of first fruits, let’s examine the first occurrence of a first fruits offering in the Bible:

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” — Genesis 4: 3-5

What was the difference between Cain and Abel’s sacrifice? The difference was that Cain gave a gratitude offering, the bare minimum (or the modern day church’s version of 10% tithe) – he did not act by faith . Abel gave a first fruit offering (today’s equivalent of his first pay check). This would have been a very costly, maybe even heartbreaking sacrifice on his part.

The first fruits principle has to do with being willing to give to God what we love the most, and being surrendered and yielded to Him.

Giving a first fruits offering requires faith,“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.” (Hebrews 11:4)

The first fruits offering is based on faith: faith in the fact that God is the provider for all our needs, and the rewarder of all who would seek Him.

God has never failed to pour back into my life a double portion every time I’ve dedicated to Him the First Fruits of my life. We gave back everything the Godly Womanhood shop earned in our first month and He just kept pouring back

But this principle doesn’t just work in business or with money. It applies to every area of our lives – hobbies, treasures, time (which leads us to the next point), etc.

Keep looking for ways to give the best of what you have to God, knowing that it all comes from Him any way. I promise that He will give you everything you need and so much more.

 

Principal #2: Prayer, Your Most Valuable Resource

Martin Luther said, “I have so much to do today that I’m going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done.”  and I have found that to be a powerful principle to live by. We must learn to see prayer as the most powerful and efficient use of our time.

The best (fruitful + productive) days I have had always began with prayer. I might spend half of my day in worship + the Word + waiting on Him, and end up achieving more than I do on days that I jump straight into a 12-hour work day.

Dedicating the first fruits of our day to prayer tells God that we trust Him as the higher power – that we can only do all things through Christ who strengthens us. As we do this, our souls are being conditioned to look to God for wisdom + vision… and that’s when we begin to run with success.

Principal #3: Give Yourself Permission to Fail

When I first started the shop, I had the privilege to be mentored by a couple of God-fearing, God-hearing business people who gave me a most valuable gift: the permission to fail. They told me of how God gives room for His children to learn, explore and make mistakes as they do His work. They gave me the courage to keep trying and not let failures/setbacks intimidate me into passivity. They lifted off the guilt and condemnation that had been sitting heavily on my heart and prophesied God’s heart and His delight in me.

They gave me the gift of courage. Where His Spirit is, there is freedom – freedom to make mistakes, freedom to dream big wild dreams, freedom to fail, and freedom to pick ourselves up and keep going. Don’t let (the fear of) disappointment steal your courage; God is on your side and He will come through for you. He’s got you, you can do this.

Principal #4: Choose Partnerships Carefully

The book of Proverbs is the business man/woman’s handbook. It is full of wisdom and practical advice for dealing with all kinds of people + problems.

One message that is repeated a lot through the book is this: Choose who you associate with. Very, very, carefully.

He who walks with the wise will be wise (Proverbs 13:20), but he who walks with bad company will be corrupted by them (Proverbs 22:24-25, 1 Corinthians 15:33).

This could apply to marriage, friendships, and business partnerships. Entering into any one of these is, essentially, making a covenant with the other person. And covenants are very powerful things. Blessings and curses flow through covenant.

As the Godly Womanhood shop began to grow, partnership offers started coming in from all over the world. All of them were, as far as I could tell, wonderful people running wonderful businesses. The dilemma was deciding who to work with and who not to. I’ve made many mistakes along the way (and still make mistakes now) and learned the hard way that the only partnerships that bear fruit are the ones that have God’s stamp of approval on them.

It doesn’t always make sense when I look at it with human logic. For example, God has told me to turn down some offers that would have greatly increased followership + sales. On the other hand, He has also told me to accept some partnerships where I would give my service and get nothing in return. Many times, all options were good but God only wanted me to make one specific alliance simply because that’s where He had ordained my fruit would come from. Often, God tells us to leave our seat with the Kings and go sit with the broken. In all the ways, there’s always fruit when we obey. It may not look like the fruit we were expecting, but it is far more valuable.

Principal #5: The 80-20 Rule

The 80-20 principle simply means that 80% of our outcomes come from 20% of our inputs. That means that 80% of our time is usually spent wastefully. Think of all that we could accomplish if we flipped that ratio!

Identify the top 3 priorities in each area of your life (work, ministry, personal), and then work towards focusing 80% of your time on them.

 

Principal #6: Choose Inspiration Not Competition

Learn whatever you can from others. Be inspired by them. But ultimately, raise your own voice.

You’ve been given a unique voice + message from heaven, and you are the fullest blessing to the world when you are most fully you.

 

Principal #7: Run With A Vision

It all comes down to this: Vision.

Without vision, our lives don’t move forward. We can keep running, but it’ll keep us running in circles that go nowhere. Without vision, we leap at any shiny golden opportunity, not knowing that it wasn’t ours to take and that it led us one step further from our destination.’

“Write the vision.. So he may RUN who reads it. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2: 2-3

A great revival is coming to this earth, the likes of which no generation before us has ever seen. What we choose to do now will determine where we’ll end up when that wave comes. I don’t know about you, but I want to be riding those waves.

Let this be our prayer as we travel this journey: Lord give me vision; Your vision and Your wisdom. Let me in on Your plans, so my life may be poured out for Your glory to lasting fruitfulness.

Be done with all the extra things; come back, take up and run with the dreams that God’s placed within you.

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Idream of Eden. We were made for the Garden and the full pleasure of paradise. We got separated at Eden and we spend our whole lives searching for a way back into that secret paradise. All of life's pursuit + pain + questioning can be traced back to man's search for home. Our deepest instincts tell us that we are not home outside of this reality, and our souls will never stop searching until we return. Only there will we find rest and our true being. There, we begin to dream again the dreams that have laid asleep in our hearts all along.

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