I was walking along the footbridge today, on my way to school, reflecting on the amazing changes that God has worked out in me, through me and around me. I can definitely trace this great growth with the daily practice of having my quiet time with Him. I started disciplining myself around August last year, and I still remember the struggles in the mornings, waking up at 7am and desperately trying to stay awake to pray and read the Bible. I could barely manage 5 minutes back then, and I even had to stand up in front of the air-con, freezing my butt off in order to stay awake. And now? One hour just zooms by too fast, and I am astounded at the intimacy and closeness that I have with Jesus and how He honours our little offerings of ourselves to Him.

So I was walking and thinking about how I was a heavy smoker for 8 years and how incredibly hard it was for me to quit. I realised that this whole year I've managed to go without smoking, (except for the one cigarette that I gave in to earlier this year) and I couldn't stop smiling because Jesus has freed me from so many bad things. All the things that I used to hate about myself and despair over because I never could change, He has conquered and turned into beauty. I still remember all those nights I didn't sleep, crying over my absolute helplessness to change my circumstances.

And just as I thought those thoughts, some lady who was handing out these cards passed one to me, and as I glanced down on it, I saw 3 words printed on the card (there were only 3 big words printed on one side and that was the side handed to me). It said, "NEVER GIVE UP."

Oh AMEN!!!