Lessons I've Learned From Sunday School

Lesson #1        Let Your Light Shine

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

I learnt this song in Sunday school and it taught me not to hide the gifts that God has given to me.  Now, in my adult years, it comes back as a reminder to use the gifts that God has given me, acknowledging the fact that He has strategically placed us where we are for a purpose and therefore I need to bloom where I’m planted.  As a Sunday school teacher, I try to encourage my class to do the same--it was the first song that I taught them. 

 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

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Today I found that I needed this reminder.  Recently my light appears to be a little dim.  Troubles all around and as strong as I think I am, I’m not.  It takes the reminder that it is the light within me—Jesus Christ, who shines through me and provides the light through the tunnel experiences of my life.  I know that whenever, the cares of the world comes like a flood, I need to stand on His word and cast all my cares on Him (Matthew 11:28-30); knowing that His grace is sufficient for me (2^nd Corinthians 12:9).  I acknowledge that He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).  I have accepted that the garment of praise is there for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3) and I should praise Him with all that’s within me so others can see Him through me but today I am seeking your prayers because I am feeling the impact of the darkness on this lonely road I’m travelling on.  I need His love to shine brightly through me so I can continue to be a light in the thick of the darkness.  I need to feel His arms wrapped around me so my faith stays strong.  I need Him to shine through me like a beacon in my marriage, my parenting, my fellowship and my ministry.  I need to see my place of fellowship illuminated. I want to hurt no more but I know as long as I am in this world I will continue to feel the consequences of sin.  Please continue to remember me and my family in your prayers.  I don’t want to be entangled in sin again.  11/10/2010

Free Indeed
By Janice S Ramkissoon
8th September 2010

You came down,
You left Your throne—
Your royal status from above;
To free me with Your love.

Without Your love—
Your unconditional love,
I’d be lost and alone;
Waiting to be found.

But because you thought of me,
I now have victory.
Your love has set me free.
Yes, I am free indeed.

You thought of me,
While hanging from that tree.
Yes, you thought of me…
When from hell You took the keys.

Now I’m walking in authority,
‘cause I’ve got the victory.
From sin I’ve been set free,
You’ve given me back my liberty.

You are my Redeemer.
You are my Healer.
You are my Provider.
You are my Comforter.
You are my Saviour.

So when I speak, I speak…
As an Oracle for Thee.
You paid the price for me,
Now my life belongs to Thee.

My life is empty without You.
I can do nothing without You.
All the praise belongs to You.
I live to worship You.

© J. S. Ramkissoon 2010

My Internet Dad
By Janice Ramkissoon
18th October 2007


Beside you, I may not get the chance to walk
Or sing a song I wrote, just for you.
I may not get to share a face to face talk,
But you are a blessing and so email will do.

When the days ahead get dreary,
My wish would be to help you through.
And when your body gets weary,
I’ll think of physical help you’ll need too.

I often think of your presence in my life:
You emerged, the raging storm to calm.
Oh! How it has brought a ray of sunlight—
The fear no longer rings an alarm.

You spoke with words of wisdom,
Sharing from the love of your heart;
Lighting a path towards the Kingdom—
Now I’m resting in my Saviour’s Arms.

Though the ocean separates us,
God has blessed me with a gift;
It will keep us connected - no fuss!
And I will use it, others to uplift.

I am very happy I have met you—
Happy that God placed you in my life.
I needed guidance and God sent you—
Glad you had the blessings of your wife.

I thank God for sending you my way.
Each day I’ll be careful not to forget
The blessings He has sent my way.
May He continue to guide and protect.

Continue to grow stronger in Christ;
Singing praises to His holy name.
Keep God on your mind, all of your life;
Your faith will not be in vain.

© 2007 Janice S Ramkissoon.
(Dedicated to Thomas Kittrell)

The poem below one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.'  Be blessed!

Being Perfected

 

By Janice S Ramkissoon

24^th October 2008

I needed to be perfect

I needed to be free

From all of the heartaches

That had a hold of me

I was on a journey

The end I couldn’t see

But each chapter I closed

I saw the hand of God on me

The story didn’t end

At the trials that came

For God gave me strength

And I’m here because, I overcame

Today, I’m still on that journey

I know there’ll be more heartaches

But I don’t need to worry

For my Lord knows the way

And if I follow His lead

Keep praising Him all the way

The end will be victory

So I needn’t wait to celebrate

© 2009 Janice S Ramkissoon

The poem below one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.'  Be blessed!


TRIALS IGNITE THE PRAISE

Janice S Ramkissoon

 

 
The cloud’s no longer there!
I'm making good decisions!
How did I get here?
Doing things with precision?

 

 

Oh Yes!  Your voice I hear:

Giving me clear directions.

Gone are all my fears,

You give me protection.

 

Why should I be afraid?

Why should the shadows reappear?

How can I have you always there—

Yet choose to live in fear?

 

How wrong it would be

Refusing to hear from thee—

Then crying: "Lord, hear my plea!

I really need to hear from Thee”

 

So today I choose to praise You;

Lifting up Your Holy name—

I will not let my trials

Keep me from giving you the praise.

 

©2007 Janice S Ramkissoon

The poem below one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.'  Be blessed!

It should’ve Been You

A father walked me down the aisle

But he wasn’t you.

A father supported me on my graduation day

But he wasn’t you.

A father proposed a toast on my wedding day

But he wasn’t you.

A father comforted me through my time of sorrow

But he wasn’t you.

A father gave me marital counselling

But he wasn’t you.

~

I have a father who prays with, and for me

But it should’ve been you.

I have a father who I can turn to for guidance

But it should’ve been you.

I have a father who calls to see how I’m doing

But it should’ve been you.

I have a father who embraces me as a daughter

But it should’ve been you.

 

Today I resent no more, 

For my heavenly Father’s love is true.

He has erased resentment.

He’s given me a heart that’s renewed.

© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009

 

Dear Dad,

My renewed heart, filled with God’s unconditional love, enabled me to search for you.  Now I’m thankful that I’ve found you. And I just want you to know that I love you.  I have such peace inside that ignites the joy I so longed for.  His love is contagious I know you’ll catch it too. May you find that peace within, that true love brings.  You still have a place in my heart and I will always love you. Though I’ve never seen your face, from my heart you will never depart. 

 

I love you dad. 

Happy Father’s Day!

© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009

 

The poem below is one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.'  Be blessed!



 

Father, Where Were You?

I had a father who was my care-giver

But that role was meant for you.

I need a father for so many things

That should be coming from you.

~

Your shoulder was never offered for comfort,

You abandoned me, so I cried.

Your arms were never there to embrace,

You didn’t see the pain or felt the hurt inside.

~

I loved you but you didn’t love me back.

My eyes are red from the many tears I cried.

I prayed for you and hoped you were praying too.

I felt unloved.  It left a void deep down inside.

~

My mind confused, not knowing what to do,

But these feelings haunt me:

‘Unwanted’ ‘Unloved’ ‘The outsider’ An ‘Outcast’ too.

 ‘Will you love or despise me?’

~

Through all the midnight tears I cried.

 Father, where were you?

When I needed you to understand,

Father, where were you?

 

© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009.

Today I’m celebrating because I have learned to put my trust in God—totally submitting my all to Him and allowing Him to take full control of my life.  I have overcome many obstacles because He leads the way and so I know that all the struggles I now face and will face in my life, I have already overcome.  I pray that you will find encouragement for your journey through the pieces I’ll share with you tonight.  My prayer is that these poems will minister to those who are hurting, in various ways, to recognise the need to get to the core of what causes their pain.  Once the root of the problem is recognised, embrace James 5:16 and know that God is faithful and just to forgive not just the victim but also the perpetrator.  Allow for the purification to take place so that you can love again from a true and pure heart, the place from where God accepts your offering of praise.

☺☺☺

 

Anger is a terrible thing! And that’s where my testimony stems from tonight.  I found myself struggling with resentment, from parental neglect.  Becoming aware of Ephesians 5:27, 31 & 32, I had to find a way to channel my anger.

 

Adultery is what started this chain of anger in my ancestral timeline and I have watched many relatives live less than fulfilled life, failing to let go of the hurt and being forgiving.  Having recognised this I was able to see that parental neglect was just a by-product of this whole mess and not the main issue.  It was a symptom but strong enough to cause me to sin.  I craved the love of my mum and dad, and so I lived all my life with that void, stuck in a rut.  I was suffering because of my parents wrong-doing and I couldn’t see pass the hurt from losing my childhood.  Soon, anger turns to resentment and I was sinking deeper into sin.

***

Over the past two years, I have listened to sermons, exhortations, and testimonies which started to work on that area of my life.  I wanted to live and so I took note of the words of encouragements, scriptures and testimonies.  I was convicted by the following scriptures:

 

James 5:16       “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

 

1^st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

 

I started to share during the testimony sessions.  I took notes of personal advice given during my time of sharing with the congregation.  I read books, articles, listened to music and watched programs that helped me through the grieving process.  It was a painful journey arriving to the place of acceptance.  But when I got there I was able to embrace Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

I was also able to recognise that God had His hand on me all through my struggle. 

“The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9, NIV)

 

The Quotes and bible references below have helped to open my eyes to the truth.  I pray that as you journey through, you’ll find comfort in these scriptures and embrace the life of fullness that God has in store for you.

 

 

“Resentment I carried over the years.

A stumbling block in my life it became,

Crippled by thoughts of yesterday’s mistakes.”

 

 

 

 

Writing the above made me realise that I hadn’t accepted the gift of life that Christ had given to me.  I wept knowing I had broken my vow to follow Christ and that repentance was the only way forward. 

One morning in November 2008, a voice said to me: “Pain will reach every one of us.” This statement has helped me to accept the position in my natural family, as a neglected child, since Romans 6:5 confirms this: “For every man shall bear his own burden.” I figured if it wasn’t parental neglect it would be something else, so the sooner I accept this the quicker I can move forward.  I started focusing on the positive things in my life and was able to look back and see how God had strategically placed me in positions where I always had parental guidance.  I repented and determined in my heart to go through the process of grieving and healing so I could be delivered.  

It’s been a painful journey but I have overcome.  Break-through has taken place as I see my misfortunes evolve into stepping stones; being able to use my experience to help others.  I now accept the new earthly family God has blessed me with and on my heart is written the words of Psalm 27:10.


It’s the tests that I’ve gone through that opened my eyes to discover who I am in Christ.  I am now learning to recognise the potential I have in Christ.

I thank God for using this fellowship to help me overcome in this area of my life.  He has spoken to me through sermons, exhortations, friendship, prophesies.  He also used individuals to help me by being a listening ear, giving a compassionate hug, handshake or just a friendly smile.

Thank you for your continued prayers, for all the words of encouragement and your kindness.  Thank you for taking me under your wings and for teaching me.  I love you & I pray that God will continue to guide you.

 

 

God bless you!

Your sister in Christ

Sister Janice Ramkissoon

(C.O.G.I.C Community House)
[shared with my fellowship on the 5th of August 2009]

Entering the Enemy’s Camp

By Janice S Ramkissoon

23^rd April 2010

 

Today I felt like crying, and did not know why.  Then I realised I have had many things to deal with recently, so I sat on the sofa, thinking…  I felt this way before when most of my friends and relatives go through the pain of separation/divorces.  Others were frustrated because they could not seem to find suitable life partners.  I had also lost a couple of friends through death.   Thinking about the times I felt like this before, I recognised that it is a pattern.  Over the last few months, I have been having one bad news after another.  I am still in shock about more recent news I had earlier this week and my Mum called with another blaster yesterday.  I feel somewhat helpless with some of these cases, knowing that being on the other side, I would want someone to help me in practical ways too.  

 

When people hurt and I am aware of it, I feel the pain too.  The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who do rejoice and weep with those who weep.  Therefore, I know this is the will of God.  However, I can feel the spirit of heaviness hovering around me and if I allow it to seep into my spirit that is dangerous because I would be entering the enemy’s camp un-armed for battle.  When this thought came to me this morning, I remembered an entry I made in my diary a year ago.  I found it and it reminded me of a few truths.  It does seem like everyone around me is currently going through some form of crisis and so no one is there to help the other up.  I decided to share it with you, hoping that it will be a reminder to you.  Be blessed! 

 

I do not keep a normal diary, I make notes in A4 lined books [sometimes I voice record them or type them straight away—it depends on where I am when I get the inspiration]. This means I generally have long entries.  Hence, the reason I’ve had to break up the entry into smaller more reader-friendly versions. 

To read these articles you can click on Janice Writes  and follow the link.  Alternatively you can go directly to, Entering The Enemy's Camp.

I Forgive You

J. S. Ramkissoon

21-02-09

 

You’ve hurt me…

In words and deeds

But I forgive you.

You’ve spread gossip about me,

Then give a smile that’s not real…

God says I must forgive you.

 

I see resentment in your eyes.

I hear pride in your voice.

I want to turn a blind eye;

Pretend it doesn’t hurt,

But the pain is real.

 

You say you love me in a song,

Then you turn and shake my hand.

Yet you watch me fall,

Without lending a helping hand.

 

I cried, Help!

But you ignored my cry.

I asked for help,

But you have other things

to which you need to attend.

Still, I forgive you.

 

I forgive you

Because I know I’m not perfect.

I forgive you

Because when I mess-up,

I want you to forgive me too.

And I want my heavenly Father

To forgive me of all the wrong I do.

 

You’ve hurt me but I forgive you.

If I’ve hurt you, I pray you’ll forgive me too.

May God bless you

As you journey through.

 

 

© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2010