This Is War

WAR. The dictionary offers many synonyms for this word. Most of them go along the lines of “fighting”, “combat”, “attack” and everything else that remotely alludes to bloodshed, gore, pain and suffering.

Swords slashing, the sound of metal upon metal, stabbing, wounded, crying, dying. Some people call that war.

People hating people they don’t even know, super powers, bombs, terror, destruction, pillaging, devastation. Some people call that war.

What do you call war? What is your personal definition of this very short but extremely loaded word? Is it fact or fiction to you?

These are questions more important than a if-you-had-one-wish-in-the-entire-world-what-would-it-be question in a Miss Universe pageant. And the answer is much more labyrinthine than the all too cliché “World peace”.

War, whether we like it or not, is an impending circumstance. No amount of ignoring this fact will make it go away. The Bible clearly tells us that before the second coming of our Jesus, there will come a time of great battle between light and darkness. In other words, War. And God has called His children to be ready for battle, to fight alongside Him.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free.

Feed the hungry, provide for the poor, clothe the naked.

Die to self, take every thought captive, resist temptation, love the unlovable.

These are the battles we must fight.

God says that He is a safe tower; the righteous will run into it and be glad. In this Tower, we are buffered and protected on all sides. But God calls us to do more than that! He wants us to pull into the fray, barrel over enemy lines, and rescue those who are kept in captivity.

Now see this:

We as God’s children are hidden in the mighty fortress, The Tower, even as battles wage on outside. We are safe here, and well fed. We are happy.

Then, the King sweeps into the room, his countenance is ethereal light. His voice cracks across the room like thunder, it doesn’t make us fearful. No, instead it strengthens us, renews our courage.

Then the King says, “My children, I am glad that there are so many of you here today. Your faith has brought you to Me, and I have brought you here. I love you very much. Now, I am going out into the battlefield to rescue more of my children who have gotten lost along the way.

I do not demand any of you to come with me, for it will be a dangerous task and many of you will lose your lives because of this. But I will provide you with what you need; I give you the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Word. This full armor I give to you freely, because of my great Love for you. All you have to do is take it up and put it on.

I will protect you and surround you with My songs of deliverance. My unfailing love surrounds you, so trust in Me.

Now all those who are with me, let’s go. It is time.”

War. It is a scary notion, to be sure. But God has provided each of us with everything we need so that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

War. It is the cry of all believers as we storm the gates of hell and set the captives free in the name of Jesus.

War. It is the time that God’s grace, glory, power, and love has never shone brighter.

War. It is our declaration of Truth in a world full of lies.

War. It is the heart cry of God to fight for His lost children.

Let’s declare it to the enemy: We are ready, we will fight, and we will win.

If this war will make me weak, I’ll lean on the One who’s strong. Bring it on.

Let’s say it together now:

This Is War.

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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. 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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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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