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Interview with Ngina Otiende
Today I’m excited to have my friend Ngina Otiende on The Christ Habits Podcast.
Ngina blogs about the early years of marriage at IntentionalToday.com.
I would encourage you to drop over to her blog as she has lots of great advice for both single people and married people!
In today’s podcast we’ll be talking about:
- Working on your goals and dreams, even when it’s difficult.
- Learning how to adjust to a different life than you’re used to living.
- Learning to trust God in the midst of uncertainty.
- Ngina also shares her story of moving to the States from Kenya three years ago. If you’d like to know more about her journey, click here.
As I listened again to the podcast while preparing to put it on the blog, I was struck by how perfect Ngina’s advice on going through a transition was for me personally, as we just started the empty nest life a few weeks ago.
Thankfully, Ngina also sent over five tips for those of us who are going through a transition, in addition to what she says on the podcast. Here are Ngina’s tips:
5 Tips for Those Going Through a Transition from Ngina Otienda
1) Don’t focus on the past. It will drain you and take your focus from the moment
2) Take it one day at a time. You don’t have to figure out the rest of your life now. The only way not to worry about the future is to know what God says about it. Look for and memorize verses of Scriptures that deal with fear, anxiety or any other thing you might be struggling with. Positive thoughts won’t carry you through, God’s Word will.
3) Apply yourself to what God is telling you to do now. Sometimes it will not look big or significant, nothing remotely looking like your big dream or aspiration. But just be obedient. When we are faithful with little, He opens up the next step. Don’t expect to move to the next level, if you are not being faithful with His current instructions.
4) You might have to cut out negative voices, even for a season – people or situations that conflict with God’s current instruction to you. Obviously be wise, be open and honest but realize that God does not mandate that everyone will understand the new thing He’s doing in your life. Don’t carry everyone’s concerns and burdens and discouragement.
5) Most important, intentionally invest in your relationship with God. Spend time in prayer, His word. You can’t slack off on your relationship during transition (or any other time!). You have to be close to God because He’s all you got, your source of strength and your future.
Honored to know such two wise women of God.
I was blessed to hear this interview- thank you both!
God is doing amazing things, and He longs to do more in us. We must trust Him, even when we don’t understand. He wants to do new things in us, we can’t hold back in fear nor can we try and rationalize things into making sense.
God is bigger than we can imagine!
Thanks, TC, I also loved hearing what Ngina had to say on these things – so encouraging!
Barb and Ngina, I loved this podcast. Had a chance to listen yesterday. I wasn’t familiar with Ngina’s story in that much detail, but man – that’s a really interesting one. There’s some great insights that have come as part of that. She really had to learn how to trust God for the next step even though she couldn’t see the path before her.
I liked what she said about not focusing on the past. To me, that wouldn’t have really come up as something I would have naturally thought of – but it makes so much sense.
Yes, I really liked what she said about that too. It was great to hear her story and also encouraging. Thanks for listening to the podcast, Loren.