Proudly Nigerian!

Hello Friend,

How are you doing today? I had to go check out a daycare yday with my husband. The daycare decision is a tasking one because you just know that no one else can take care of your kids like you can. Well that's a decision that has to come after much prayer. It is well.

There are so many Nigerian websites out there that we need to check out. Many people are not aware of the millions of nija sites out there. Here are a couple of the ones i browse through frequently (note the word couple lol).

Banwo & Ighodalo (The best law firm in the world)

Celtel

MTN

Denham

Wimbiz

Fate Foundation

Livewell Initiative

Taviatech

Cakes by Tosan

John 3v3 Hats (Now those are what I call hats)

Johnniejust

Zapphaire

Modamo Photography

Faces

Eventful LTD

L8r

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil 1 :6

Motherhood beginnings!

Hello Friend,

How are you doing today? yday was pretty busy. I found out on Tuesday night that my team mates in my HR class had not started our presentation and we were to present yday. Needless to say that I had to stay up thru the night doing the slides on ppt. It turned out great. We all came together and worked hard, it helped that it was just the last phase. We had been doing different phases from the beginning of the semester.

On Tuesday night we had our weekly prayer group meeting in church and it was wonderful. I had just discovered 'bout the presentation before I had to go to church. I was really tempted to stay at home cos of the assignment but when I start getting thots like that I just start packing the baby's diaper bag and stuff, before u know it, u'd have forgotten all about the thots and find urself in the car on ur way to church lol. One of the prayer requests we took is 'for God to begin to do allow great things to be the order of the day in our lives'. Isn't that something. I mean we serve a great God, so why should we not have great things in our lives? Well I received it and the first great thing was my presentation yday. Greater things are on the way. Amen.


My day today was kool. So about my topic of today. You know the funny thing about being a full time student mom of two? lol. When doing assignments you have to calculate kiddies time in advance as well. So let's say you have two hrs a day to read and get your assignments done, you have to double that and make it four hrs or you will not get any work done (at least for me). Cos one person is needing attention at one time or another. Then to churn out excellent work you'll definitely need more time.

When it was just myself and my toddler it was much easier, even though I was carrying my big stomach to class until labor and delivery and was even back in school the wk after delivery. Baby came along and wow! It's like I pray each time I'm doing an assignment that they don't begin to scream at the same time. lol. My mum recommends having ur 1st and 2nd close together. 3rd and the rest can be spaced a bit. I'm also of that school of thought. My immediate brother and I were pretty close in age, and my kids are even closer. I know we had so much fun as kids, even though we fought a lot oh! but we had FUN and I want that for my kids too.

The funniest thing has to be the car seat thingy. Having to carry those car seats till their 12 mths can be quite burdensome but u get used to it. So u carry the car seat, then diaper bag and also your hand bag (which some say one shouldn't bother carrying but that is part of the beginnings of 'letting urself go'). Then decrease in shower time. Can u believe that? When I was single I used to spend hours in the shower even if I was late for work, meetings etc but now I usually have to dash in and dash out lol. It's just at the beginning stages though i.e. while u have lil' toddlers and babies. What about getting ready for church on Sunday. I'm in prayer group so I have to be there at 7.30 am, now that is a task considering that I don't sleep till like 4.30 am and have to get up at 5.30am to begin to get ready for everyone. lol. Needless to say that sometimes we get there late.

There are so many others that I cannot even begin to think or write about. But what am I driving at? During the process of these motherhood beginnings and infact throughout motherhood and all its challenges, my mother always says 'sham sham sham!' basically meaning 'sharp sharp sharp' or better still 'smart smart smart'. She'll say you have got to be smart and sharp no sitting around sulking or waiting or whining for too long, u've got to 'get up and go'. You know in all the areas of your life. Keeping your home-wise, motherhood-wise, wife- wise, career-wise, physical & health-wise etc I guess that's why she looks as young as she does at her age. Do all the multi-tasking with a smile on your face. The challenges may come but welcome them cause u'll have a laugh afterwards remembering it all.lol. Honestly.

Let me give you an example. Just a few weeks ago. I had a lot of appointments with the kids at their clinics for test this, check up that, shots here, shots there. I didn't quite know how to go about taking both of them cos the baby was so small and my toddler is hyper. So the first week , we tried using the stroller to go for our appointments. Hmmm... needless to say that my toddler was screaming to get out and baby too would be crying from toddler's noise. Then the stroller itself was just too big. I mean the assembling time alone from the time I get it out of the trunk to getting toddler all strapped in and then getting baby in and then loading the bags ahhhhhhhh! People would say stuff like 'Awww' so cute, they are so close in age, you must be busy, so many diapers to change right etc. The stroller was too big to fit in most of the rooms so we had to get the big rooms and so on. Looking back now, it is so funny. I laugh my head off each time I remember myself struggling to handle both of them (lol).

Now we know how to handle that better lol. I embrace each step cos it's all a learning process. No two days are the same I try to enjoy God's grace and favor for each day. We know there is no testimony without a test, and no victory without a battle. And like I learnt in class, no successful project without conflict.

James !:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.I am truly thankful to God for everything. His making me a mother has been the best gift ever (amongst others of course).James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

I am truly thankful to God for everything. Him making me a mum has truly been the best gift ever (amongst others of course). I appreciate every minute of it. And I mean that so bad.

James 1:17"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows".

Zech 4:10'For who hath despised the day of small things?...'

L8r

Table Etiquette!

Hello Friend!

How are you doing today? Had to study for my test yday (Twas good). My first healthy eating day went by really slowly as you can imagine. Stocked up on Cranberry juice but the rate at which I'm drinking it ...lol I may need a diet from the juice itself. Anyhow, apart from studying for the test, my day otherwise was dry which I really appreciated. I wanted to write about entertaining yday but didn't have enough time so I'm going to write about it today.

I love entertaining guests. Haven't done much of it though, and that might be the case for you too. But there's really not much excuse for not entertaining. I grew up learning how to set the table properly and all that, cos my grandma actually got some kind of hospitality training after/during her degree while my grandad was studying in Glasgow or something of the sort. Not quite clear on that gist. Anyway, she taught my mum and then my mum, me. At the time it was a pain cos I just didn't understand why I had to place each cutlery in one position or the other. Didn't particularly like 'setting the table'. I should have listened more to my grandma and mum then now I have to read about it to learn. I'm now trying to run a business doing exactly what I didn't like before. The irony of life. lol.

Anyway I got really good information from Martha Stewart's website. You'll need to know how to do this sometime, why not now? Having a formal lunch or dinner... Single or married... I think it'll be a nice way to mingle as singles as opposed to the usual things, and for married folks we know it's great for couples to mingle. Will also be nice to ask your boss and his/her spouse over to dinner, or have a formal bridal shower (luncheon) etc. Click on the images to view Martha's articles.

Funny how when you learn about things like this other issues come up like where do I get the china and other stuff like that. You can always improvise, I always do. It doesn't have to cost the most to look great I tell you (even Dollar store carries china okay!). And you don't have to worry about doing the dishes too (Just do it! lol).

For proper table manners from different countries. Click here.

You can actually tell a lot by a person's table manners (single girls take note!) lol. I didn't believe it but I guess there's some truth to it. I'm all about empowering Christian women. You can imagine going for a business luncheon, and knowing how to work the table as opposed to speaking loudly and seeking attention that is not necessary to cover up your lack of confidence at table etiquette or generally trying to follow what ur neighbour (person sitting next to u) is doing . So learning how to do a formal lunch or dinner is so useful. I mean you don't need to know it all, I don't think anyone should, unless you're an expert in the field or something. My general logic for today is 'learning the basics'.

Gotta go.

L8r

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion" Proverbs 28:1

Kool Napkin Fold

I found this kool napkin fold. I have to learn it.

Monday!!!

Hello Friend,

How are you doing? Our lovey dubby day went well. Missed ya on Friday. I was a bit under the weather. The weekend went by so fast, as usual. Had to run around even though I was down. Also have another statistics quiz later today (wish u could see my face right now). Yesterday was Anointing Sunday, so we all received our anointing for our month of family inheritance (July). I am so excited about that prophecy. We prayed about so many things e.g praying for God to destroy every enemy of our destiny with his consuming fire. Needless to say that the illness disappeared. I learnt; that you have to come to a point where u say enough is enough to receive manifestation (Your desperation determines ur expectation, and ur expectation determines your manifestation). Until u want a change in ur life no body can want it better than u. God is great! U know! No 2 days are the same and so I believe that my requests from God yesterday are approved. Amen. Obadiah 1:17"But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions". Put your name where Jacob goes and receive it for yourself and your family.

I'm also starting my healthy eating diet today. Hooray!!! The hooray is still part of my psyching effort. lol. Gotta go study.

L8r

Lovey Dubby Day!!!

Hello Friend!

How are you doing? My presentation went well. The head of the project on our team had to be in LA on a biz trip, so I was hoping that the instructor would not ask any question once I was done. Needless to say, that he did. But that ended up being my fave part of the whole presentation.

Slept early yday cos I had to be up early to get the kids ready for their check-ups at the clinic. The lil'baby had to get 3 shots, so we're getting all cozied up with quilts and all, so that he feels all the love. All school work, Biz work and house work has to be on the back burner today. Not much Internet for mummy today lol. Still have to do the laundry though, well.., and get them breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between, and hmmm ... change their diapers through out the day and emmm... do all the appointment & insurance updates ...bath for them before bed and change them into their pj's ... etc. Is there ever a day when you get total rest as a mummy. NO! But you get the general idea of our lovey dubby day thingy. It'll be fun. Will be back tomorrow morning.

L8r

Fun day!

Hello Friend!

How are you doing today? My day was pretty kool. Busy as usual but kool. Just finished my presentation for class later today and I'm happy I have enough time to update this blog before going to bed. I also had to just clean lots of baby poop that shot out of the diaper suddenly. I'm like 'what!!!'. Amazing what a baby's tiny body can do. LOL. Let's have a bit of fun today jare! I found this ice cream test thingy online and two jokes. Hope it brings a smile to your face.

Ice Cream Personality Test
A study conducted for Edy's (Dreyer's) Grand Ice Cream in California discovered these patterns in personality types and their favourite ice cream flavours:

If you get a thrilla from VANILLA–You are a colourful, impulsive risk-taker who sets high goals and has high expectations of yourself. You enjoy close family relationships.

If you do DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK–You are lively, creative, dramatic, charming, enthusiastic, the life of the party. Chocolate fans enjoy being the centre of attention and can become bored with the usual routine.

If you buddy-up to BUTTER PECAN–You are orderly, perfectionistic, careful, detail-oriented, conscientious, ethical, fiscally conservative. You are competitive, aggressive in sports–the "take charge" kind of personality.

If you bask in BANANA CREAM PIE–You are very easygoing, well-adjusted, generous, honest and empathetic.

If you scream for STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM–You are shy, yet emotionally robust, skeptical, detail-oriented, opinionated, introverted and self-critical.

If you choose CHOCOLATE CHIP–You are generous, competitive and accomplished; charming in social situations, ambitious and competent.

There you have it! Take a friend for ice cream and astonish them with your insight.

Jokes from laugh lines

The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, then he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

A Man Came Home
A man came home from work one day to find his house in a shambles.
The beds hadn't been made, the kitchen sink was filled with dirty dishes, the children's clothes and toys and books were scattered throughout the house. Besides that, dinner wasn't ready.
"What in the world happened?" the man asked his wife when he saw the mess.
"Nothing," she said. "Absolutely nothing. You are always wondering what I do all day long. Well, take a look. Today, I didn't do it."

Putting all this up was fun. I like the two jokes lol.

L8r.

"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation".Psalm 35:9

On a Mission!

Hello Friend!

How are you doing today? Hmmm... Well today I'm on a mission. Not an impossible one but a possible one. I'm on a mission to feel better than I have in my life (physically i.e. health wise of course). They say if you shoot for the stars, at least you'll reach the sky. LOL. Anyway, so they (mostly from reading 'bout it and my mum) said I should wait for my baby to be well established with breast feeding before embarking on any sort of diet, and that 'that' usually takes about 6-8 wks. So we're established now, and I'm planning to start next week. It usually takes me about a week to psyche myself into the dieting mode. I'm going to take it really slow though cos of the baby.

That's part of the issues we women have to face oh! The thing is you're torn between giving the baby all he/she needs to eat (by eating a lot so you can keep up with the breastfeeding), and dieting to keep yourself fit. I think the best will be to take it nice and slow cos after a baby if you're not careful you just look at yourself in the mirror one day and wish you could dig yourself out of the body you see. So watching your weight is necessary. Ideally with the reading I've done from Medical websites and advice I have sought, one should lose the weight over a six (6) mth period.

I just remember the days (before I got married) when I'd be like 'when I have kids I'll loose my weight within 4-6 wks after the baby' LOL It sounds so funny now, not that it is not possible, but after the baby you realise what you didn't before having the baby, and that is the love you have for the baby, and the dedication to take care of the baby's interests as well. You become more enveloped in being a good mother than being a hot one. I'm not that experienced oh but with a lot of aunties and mummies gathering in my house as a child, I heard that a lot.

I saw a friend in church on Sunday who was looking so swollen, I had to giggle with her about it! She teased me when I was pregnant a lot!!! And said she would not put on an ounce of weight when she gets pregnant cos she was very skinny. I didn't think she would either but ... Anyways we laughed about it and dropped it.

I used the gym after my first child and it worked really well, but this time with two kids I'm going to do it at home. I bought a dance exercise video because I loveeeeeeeeeeeee dancing. Food-wise I have to think about that. I'll come up with something before the end of the week by God's grace. I always have different tactics. Before my wedding it was two galas, and one chivita thruout the day and it was really kool. My colleagues at work could not believe that was all I did. But this time I can't do that. There are some people who eat like truckers and are as skinny as can be but for those of us who do not belong to that league/category we have to get our acts together on time, every time.

There are so many websites and people who have; nutritional gist, exercises and so on. I'll post some later but what about asking the Holy Spirit for the way to go. My mum always said she would ask the Holy Spirit to guide her when she's going to buy something (shopping) and we'd be like yeah yeah like the Holy Spirit is interested in your shopping or whatever. But thinking about it, the Holy Spirit is supposed to be my best friend, I can talk to him about anything 'which route to take to work', 'what to read for my exam/test', and so on, why not include 'how to diet', or 'what to eat' ? He is the one who can best answer my most intimate questions. Don't just go to the Holy Spirit when you have a problem.

When I first gave my life to Christ I always looked for spiritual backing for all I did. For exercise the bible says in 1 Tim 4: 8"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" KJV Basically saying "...Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever" Message translation. So it is useful. Not as useful as spiritual exercise (i.e disciplined life in God). The bible also warns against gluttony (Deuteronomy 21:20, Proverbs 23:2, 2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Corinthians 10:5). The virtuous woman also strengthened her arms -Proverbs 31:17"She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms", so we need to keep healthy.

But like with all things spiritual we have to balance it. Proverbs 31:30"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised". Fearing God always, always tops the list.

L8r

Romans 14:5 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind".

Trust and Obey!

Hello Friend!

How was your weekend? Mine was really great. I finally broke through with my statistics, Praise God! I prayed about it a lot and God answered my prayers. Just had to keep confessing that God has not given me the spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7. I sat down with my books all through Saturday until God granted me understanding. Covered Chapters 1-7 and continued after church. Yeah yeah! Okay let me not bore you with that. But seriously God is good. All the time! The value analysis thing is going great.

Church was great. I don't know what was wrong when I first got to church. I just kept feeling and thinking about how wicked the world is today, how only God knows those who truly love him. How a lot of us Christians just live our lives without evangelising and how those who are evangelised to, do not seem to even listen or realise how powerful God is. I was just all over the place with emotion. How we wake up so early to get to work but get up late to go to church. It amazes me how people don't feel bad about getting to church late. If I get to church late I'm a wreck. I feel so bad and it affects me so much. Maybe I'm weird but I just feel like God deserves so much more than what we give him. We can never give Him or show Him all the love He deserves but I mean we can seriously try. What happened to zeal? You know serving God with so much fervor. Empty roads on Sunday mornings. Barely any cars on the road as opposed to during the week. You won't even believe the amount of cars on the road during the week. Empty seats in church. People going to church only on days when they feel like it or when they have a new outfit they'd like to wear. One that amazes me is when some say they are trying to reserve gas/fuel for Monday by not going to church. May God have mercy on all of us.

Then suddenly with the mood I had, we began to sing 'Trust and Obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey' led by our Asst. Pastor. [Could not believe the site had it in Yoruba too. Couldn't read it but maybe you can. Click here.] It uplifted my Spirit, I don't know why. Maybe the last line explains it all "Never fear, only trust and obey". I was filling myself with fear. Wondering what I could do to make things better. Feeling like I should go shake people off their beds to come to church, but I can't do that. All I can do is trust and obey. If I do my portion i.e. What God and His word would have me do (e.g Be an example of a believer word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity 1Tim 4:12 NKJV) then I can be rest assured that there just might be a ripple effect. It may be one drop. But the effect goes a long way. Friend imagine, If you do that and I do that and 30 other people do that, there will be so many ripples. The song reassured me that I am on the right path, and I should not let anyone or anything discourage me.

Don't let anyone discourage you or burn your fire for God out. Remain passionate for Him. Trust and obey Him for there's NO OTHER WAY to be happy in Jesus.

May God help us all in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.

L8r

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" 1 Tim 4:12 KJV

Advancement Strategy!

Hi Friend!

Needless to say that the HR class I had on Wednesday has encouraged me to revamp my self advancement strategy. I started developing strategies a while ago and I have noticed that being strategy-less will not cut it at all. But of course the issue with strategy is commitment to it, and you have to constantly revamp your strategy due to a constant inflow of new information, at least that's what I think. The last personal story I received and posted from some1 also got me thinking. I think a lot right!!! Don't mind me! Anyway so I decided to share my thots and strategies.

Further to the lists that I made yesterday in class, we brainstormed on each persons 'list of areas they would like to develop' and came up with steps to take. Mine was to come up with weekly and daily plans and to keep a time log (considering that I'm an 'organizer' wannabe) . I told them that I may not be able to do it oh! But they said I should try. The book says before we can control our time we must first understand how it is truly being spent hmmm... and I guess that makes sense.

Then I would then perform a value analysis to eliminate the stuff that is wasting my time and not adding any value to my development, advancement and life generally. It's just the same way when the bible says we should "...lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us..." Heb 12:1 anything that does not encourage our Christian lives and faith we need to lay aside. What that does is ensure you're more sound as a Christian. Sometimes we don't realise it but I'm sure after keeping a time log for a week I'd hopefully be able to prune certain things to advance every area of my life. Time management is Self management. May God help us all in Jesus name. Amen.

Take this assessment quiz. It's kool (Didn't give me too much info at the end but it made sense).

L8r

7 ways to praise!!!

Lyrics:
Way back in the Bible, the Hebrew language says
That we were taught that we could praise the Lord in seven ways
Seven great expressions, seven different flows
Seven ways to worship God and this is how it goes

Number one is towdah (towdah), it's the sacrifice
Praising God inspite the fact that your world is in a vice
It's praise that pushes through the wall of all adversity
An offering that flows to heaven in our time of need

Somebody say mind (mind)
Praise the Lord (e)
Say body (body)
Praise the Lord (e)
Say body (body)
Praise the Lord (e)
Spirit (spirit)
Praise the Lord (e)

Number two's yadah (yadah), that means to lift your hands (lift your hands)
In response to what the Lord has done through the land
An outward sign of what's inside for all the world to see
A demonstration of our love so come praise the Lord with me

Can you wave one hand and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)
Can you wave both hands and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)
Now can you clap those hands and say praise the Lord (praise the Lord)

Number three is barouch (barouch), that simply means to bow
In the awesome presence of the Lord and all His power
To just be overwhelmed 'cause you hardly can believe
That you've been given favor by His Holy Majesty

Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord

This fourth one is shabach (shabach), it is what we call the shout
It's praise that's given way before the answer comes about
A public testimony that drowns out all the noise
Of whiners and complainers as the saints all lift their voice

If you believe that God's alive today, shout yeah (yeah)
If you believe that He's worthy of our praise, shout yeah (yeah)
If you believe the answer's on the way, shout yeah (yeah)

Number five is zamar (zamar), this one you'll like fore sure
It's playing any instrument that glorifies the Lord
Instruments that blast, instruments that strum
Instruments that keep the beat, so I'll praise Him on my drum

Six we call halell (halell), that means to rave and boast
And praise the Lord in such a way that gets you on your toes
(Wait a minute, wait a minute) What (Hey now, what did you say)
It's beyond just clappin' hands
But best of all, this is the one that makes you wanna dance

Finally tehillah (tehillah), seven is the best
It's the one that is the combination of the rest
It's singing and it's shouting, it's dancing and it's more
It's wild, it's fun so everyone rejoice before the Lord

Praise the Lord (e)
Praise the Lord (e)
Praise the Lord (e)
Seven ways we can say
Everyone praise the Lord

Gospel Gbedu!

Check out three (3) SOL Songs. Click the pic.

Ask yourself today! How would you praise God? Scream, dance, throw hands up and praise God like you have never done before. Let Him see that you love Him.

Some of my fave lines (Sorry it's in pidgin English for those that don't understand)

"Everybody know say Jesus Tap",

"U na de ask me say how I go take praise, I fit just commot my shoes, and walk for eight (8) days" LOL,

"U fit just dey shout, anyway it suit you"

"Praise God or die trying"

Fulfillment!

Hello friend!

How r u doin today? Great I'm sure. Just got back from my human resources class and it was lots of fun (Unlike statistics lol). Rushed out of the house, bought gas, stopped at MacDonald's for a chocolate shake, listening to Gospel gbedu (SOL). Got a good parking spot too. Did I mention that I stayed up till 5a.m doing my assignment? Anyways we actually did some self assessment tests which let you know more about your daily habits in a working environment but it usually ends up also assessing your habits generally. You then list of areas you want to develop, steps you will take to ensure the development, what you will do to keep yourself from straying and people you will ask to help you. Twas nice. Even though you don't have the book with all the lists and graphs and all, you can try it.

Check out these quotes from the book "You never seem to have enough time, yet you have all the time there is. The problem is not shortage of time, but how you choose to use that time", "Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can't, you're right", "Yes, you can! Do it now!"

It got me thinking 'bout a number of things. How do we find fulfillment? what does fulfillment mean? There are so many definitions of fulfilment but I like the definition of 'measuring up to'. The first fulfillment I think comes from finding my place in God. What He desires for me. The talents He has bestowed upon me and my calling and how I am measuring up to them. So I might still have a lot to achieve (in life generally) but if at each step of the way I'm measuring up, then I'll feel a sense of satisfaction (only for a moment of course! because I know that my path is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov 4:18 So I cannot be completely satisfied where I am for too long). So self management is important in ensuring that I measure up, so I can feel fulfilled.

I'd like to share another story with you today cos it has a lot to do with the topic of today.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

"Thanks a lot for the publications in your blogger. It really got me thinking, am I just existing or living? I got to ask myself, What are my hobbies? Am I enjoying my career in human resources? What’s my purpose in life? I got really confused I won’t lie! Right there in me, I concluded that I am not enjoying life as I ought to. What can be the cause I ask myself? I have a fantastic husband I am blessed with an adorable daughter my job is cool, I am really confused Holy spirit, and what can it be? Yes I have started again (Worry) before I take time to enjoy an accomplishment, I have started to worry about the next and the next and the next, till there is a jam in my system, the fear of the unknown, weariness of soul. As I read the article on worry, I ask my self, why worry? Enjoy yourself to the fullest, live a day at a time. Plan for tomorrow, but don’t worry about tomorrow. One day at a time is all I pray for, Lord teach me this day to live each day one day at a time" - Bisi

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" Prov 27:17 Personal stories are shared so we can 'rub minds' as Christians, you know as friends! In order to enjoy life, I think I need to find fulfillment in God and in myself, just like I said earlier. If I do those two things I'll be a better person to those around me, family and all. I always say no matter how good a career woman I am, or a boss, or a colleague, or a friend, or a daughter, or a wife or a mum (I purposely left those till last) I will still have to stand alone on judgment day. Rev20:13, Rev 22:12,Matt 16:27. so I have to ensure that along side all my duties as a person I ensure that I find fulfillment in God and in myself. In essence you enjoy yourself when u're feeling fulfilled.

May God help us all in Jesus name. Amen.
L8r

A Sexless Marriage!

Hello Friend!

How are you doing today? I really appreciate your personal stories and today I'd like to share the first one. I have a huge workload, especially in school and have been battling statistics all week long (that's why the first one is just being posted). It's amazing how much work there is. Oga!!! (meaning na wa! meaning it's tall. lol. Don't mind me! For those of you that don't understand I just mean wooooo! or wow!

I had another statistics quiz yday and for the first time in my life I was clueless but I prayed to God. It kind of depressed me a bit cos I was thinking 'bout my perfect GPA and the fact that it may be ruined but I still have hope for an A. God has given me a sound mind 2 Tim 1:7.

Back to our story of the day. I do hope that you'll read it and be encouraged to share yours too so we can all learn from each other. Stories that are sent may be edited by me but basically just grammar. I definitely will not add to your stories. You know! Generally staying as true to your stories as possible. I picked this one to come first because I have never heard any woman talk about this before. Read on:

"How do I begin to explain my story to you. I thank you so much for your site and the fact that it is a medium for me to talk to someone and express myself without fear of being ridiculed. I am currently in a sexless marriage or so I think because my husband has not touched me for a whole year. We have been going through a lot of stress but that does not explain why a man should not touch his wife. Immediately we got married, he stopped being as affectionate as he was before we got married (normal) but I didn't mind. I found out that I always had to be the one to instigate sex. So we were doing pretty good, the first, second and third year.

And then I got pregnant and it was still okay but then suddenly it became worse. I didn't worry about it because I felt it was normal after a baby to experience that. A lot of people say it's like that but what shocked me was when one evening I tried to instigate it and he said he wasn't in the mood. I was shocked. I thought it was women who said that. He apologised the next day and said he felt bad for doing that. So I thought that was the end but it continued. After a while I asked him what was happening and he said it was because he had a lot on his mind and because he was working really hard. I began to think that he was having an affair. I mean there must be someone else. But why would someone as intelligent as him make me suspicious of him as that would be the first natural thing for any one to think. Besides he is a born again christian. I then used style to ask my doctor and she said its normal when you have a child sleeping in your bed and generally leading busy lives, to have a decrease in romance. After the fourth attempt and he gave an excuse, I promised myself that I will not talk to him about it or try instigating it again. Needless to say that we have grown apart. We are very prominent in church and when people see us they have no clue. We are exciting outside and people think we're a match made in heaven. I always say you really never know what is happening in any marriage. I don't trust him anymore. After having a child I feel like my body is not like it used to be and to have this situation only deflates my self pride the more. I have tried all I need to. But you know what, now I am not even interested anymore. I don't want him touching me, if he has been else where. I don't. As a christian I am praying about it because it is only God that can heal this marriage now.

I am too embarrassed to tell anyone. I know that so many women experience this for different reasons but no one speaks of it except in the world. We're too holy. This is the perfect forum. An unbeliever would address it the wrong way but what am I as a christian supposed to do? Please give me some information on what to do because I have tried it all. If the only thing I have achieved is to let someone out there know that she is not alone. Then I am happy. Please reply - Anonymous"

When i read the story I thought about sooooo many things. Fights, arguments, distrust, busy lives, children, pregnancy and birth, unfaithfulness, disappointment, stress, worry and so many other things cause this phenomenon. I especially hope single girls read this. I remember my Bible Knowledge teacher used to say keep yourself for marriage because you will find issues when you get married and all of us were like whatever!!! To think that after children come one has to think of keeping the spark is funny. Well not to digress but I am no expert at the topic anonymous. In fact I am as clueless as you are. However I really appreciate the honesty and it got me reading about it.

Friend! It's nice for people to know that this is one of the real issues that christian women face. The bible says in 1 Cor 7: 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

So it is not God's will for there to be a sexless marriage. Women are trying oh! You mean you have to think about this again? Well yeah! I found this quiz online. Click here to take it (Married people only please!) to know if you're in a sexless marriage or not. If you are, what I will say in response is, I think praying should be number 1 on the list and then seeing a Pastor or counsellor in church (although I can only imagine that this might be tough but one just has to get advice as situations vary). We had a close topic in church one Sunday when one of our ministers (a woman) said a woman needs to make herself attractive to her husband and not do the opposite. She gave an instance like 'when you finish frying fish in the evening, take a bath and don't just go to bed like that'. I almost collapsed cos i was new in that particular church (my church) then, and newly married and could not believe what i just heard. I will never forget that.

On a more serious note. I know Christians who say they are in a loveless marriage though, these are people who are prayer warriors etc so it's a very real issue and I tell you that of course if they knew from the beginning they would not enter into the marriage. I tried to process this topic and think of a wow advice to give but it's down to the basics which is what we don't like to hear. Prayer and The word with the help of some cool tactics like counseling and of course making yourself attractive amongst others. You can only make yourself attractive by making yourself happy and increasing your self confidence. We need someone to talk to the man. Make your wife happy. May God help us all in Jesus name.

L8r

Father's Day Preps!

Hello Friend!

Great week ahead!

Father's day is June 17, 2007. What are we planning for father's day? Was reminded again in church yday. What do I get my dad and my husband (from the kids). They're not old enough to make cute cardboard cards and all, so I have to make up for that. I'm thinking men are not supposed to be as expectant as women but according to my grandad men like to know they are loved and appreciated as well sooo... Shd I get him a Home Depot card (I like the Dad you rule card), buy something from Macy's online, do the hallmark unique gifts thing or consider my pocket and shop at Walgreen's. I'm confused especially considering the pocket thing lol. Will figure it out before the day runs out cos if I'm buying online I'll have only 4 days for shipping (and dt goes for daddy too). Let's appreciate the men in our lives. The gifts are not the most important, it's the actions and the words just like it is with our heavenly Father. He looks beyond the physical to the intent of our hearts. May God help us all in Jesus name. Amen.

Church was great yday. We talked about how necessary it is for us to have the power of God evident in our lives. It's true! We have forgotten about praying to God for His power to come upon our lives (spiritual and physical), marriages, children, career, finances, and so on. And just like I heard in church today, if you feel forgotten today in any way whatsoever, May God remember you. May His power come upon you and your situation, or area that needs His visitation. Amen. Isaiah 49: 14But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. His word says "He cannot and will not forget you.

I do have a statistic quiz in a few hours so I gotta go.

L8r

Forgetful Jones!

Hello Friend!

I and my siblings always called each other forgetful Jones whenever the other person forgot something. I had to Google it right now to find out where on earth we could have gotten it from. I thot it was probably a movie we watched only to find out that it SESAME STREET! I now suddenly remembered, the cowboy! forgetful Jones the cowboy! mennnnnnnnn, we had so much fun as kids. Anyway back to the the topic of today.

I forgot to go to the clinic today for a checkup for one of the kids, so I had to reschedule. I'm like how could I have forgotten. My spirit man told me this morning I was supposed to be somewhere and I figured that it could be at the clinic, so I called. Lo and behold! My spirit man was right. When my mum used to forget stuff, she'd say it came with the territory of motherhood and we'd laugh ha ha ha and forget about it. lol.

So for highly organized wannabes like me. I decided to put together a list of starter things that could prevent us from being like forgetful Jones the cowboy. We can always work our way up from there. I've tried them and they all work except one has to be consistent. Consistency is highly pertinent!!!

• A to-do-List on your fridge (You can use really kool magnet stickers or just buy a to do list that has one already)


• A notice board in your kitchen (You just pin stuff on there)


• A food time table (we had this growing up and it was extremely efficient, you can have 'either or' for each meal time) It's a challenge cos you have to make the timetable as exciting as possible. It's kool cos it helps with knowing when to grocery shop and exactly what to buy and it also prevents wastage of food.


• An organizer (book, phone, computer, laptop, palm top) We have these things let's make use of them


• Always write stuff down ( Sometimes we feel like geniuses and never want to write things down. I do that a lot! Pls stop save yourself the stress and write it down instead). Ideas come to us at various times of the day. You can keep a pen and pad in strategic places around your house, and by your bed side so that your great ideas don't get lost.

For more on being organized in our career environment and generally, please read the article "Revealed: the secrets to becoming organized". It is very informative and I pray it'll advance your planning and organizing skills.

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:2

L8r.

Business Savvy!!!

Hello Friend!

I subscribe to free newsletters from the Sterling Style academy via email. It lets me know programs they have and sometimes there are useful tips on how to present the right image if you're to come across as a professional at what you do. Decided to share it with you. It's also a great opportunity for those seeking a career in image consulting and so on. You might be out there looking for the next best thing, something interesting you haven't thought of and this might be for you. Click on the above image to learn more.

That aside, I also discovered that Bishop T. D Jakes has just started a blog. Isn't that kool? As a woman of God and a business minded person I love it when women are empowered as business people. We ought to be business savvy.I will never forget a preacher that came for Agape celebrations (Ife) to preach about 'Go ye into all the world' - Mark 16:15. He stated that we as Christians ought to preach the gospel not just by word of mouth alone but by our lifestyle i.e. in every area of our lives including our business world, amongst other areas. In order words showing how Jesus Christ has taught us how to live. Showing how excellent God is. Others will see your good deeds and praise God. I think you should take a look at this page on T. D Jakes' website talking about 'Doing business with excellence and ethics' Click on the image to read the article titled 'The meal can seal the deal'. You can also check out the authors website and classes she offers here

Remember this is our month of Divine Visitation and so let's ask God to visit us in our careers as well. Be sure to draw the line between being business savvy and vanity. May God help us all in Jesus mighty name.

Forgiveness!

Hello Friend,

I had a statistics quiz that I'm still recovering from (yday). It is in God's hands. I had to look at the quiz for about 10 mins to figure out where to begin. I kept thinking about how perfect my GPA is and if this would mess it up but then I had to remember that the score I currently have is due to the favor of God and I bless Him for that. I just have to study a bit harder and not take the grace of God for granted.

Been thinking about forgiveness today. You know!!! asking God about forgiveness. I have heard so many sermons about forgiveness and even read about it in God's word. I know that I have to forgive my neighbour 70 times 7 ( Matthew 18; "21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants"). But many times the spirit is willing but the body weak. The bible also says in Eph 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath" Like my mum would say, be angry but make sure it's for the right reasons, at the right time & place to the right person. That's a tall list oh! and the Bible also says you should not let the sun go down on your anger.

The issue and area that keeps me thinking is 'do you forgive endlessly and allow the person carry on mischief?' I mean do you forgive a child and allow the child get away with things he/she should not? There has to be discipline or else the child will not learn. But you know what discipline and forgiveness are two entirely different things. The child can be forgiven immediately but then he/she has to be told that what he/she has done is not right. Disciplining a child can be backed by The word 'spare the rod and spoil the child' but what if it's someone in authority over you, a parent, a friend or a spouse what do you do? Well as cliche as it might sound, you have to turn them and the situation over to the Lord in prayer. The Holy Spirit is the best friend and guide you can ever have. He alone can guide you on what to do. if it's talking to the person who has offended you or whom you have offended. He will tell you how to, when to and what to say.

Have you been offended by someone in church, a friend, your mother, father, brother, wife, husband, fiance, fiancee, daughter, son, colleague. It's a trying process but take it one step at a time. With the help of the Holy Spirit we all can achieve forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness is the first step, reconciliation follows. May God help us all.

On-the-go Meal

My new favorite on the go meal is so easy to fix. 8-10 mins and u're done. here's the menu

Rigatoni (Barilla pasta- 97 cents per pack. I pack should feed 2-3 very hungry adults)
Patsy's Marinara sauce ($3.95 or less)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 table spoons of vegetable oil

Pour pasta into pot of boiling water. Add a tablespoon of oil to keep pasta from sticking. Boil until pasta is cooked. Ideally it should take about 8 minutes. Drain the water and add; 7 oz of patsy's marinara sauce, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the rest of the vegetable oil. Mix and cover pot. Switch cooker off. Let it rest for 5 mins and u're good to go.

Wonderful meal in 10 mins.

To make it even better pick up some ready made chicken wings from your fave food store or fry some and lunch is served. Great for kids. It they are cheesy you can grate some on the finished meal. voila!!!

Personal Stories!!!

Hello Friend,

I'd like to hear from you. If you have personal stories or testimonies you want to share to exhort/encourage someone else today please send them to faabru@gmail.com

If you'd like to remain anonymous please send your stories by filling in the comment boxes and ticking anonymous (Comments are sent directly to my email box). I'll then post them later on depending on the topic of the day.

Keeping it together!

Hello Friend!

Went to ATL for 2 days. It was more like 'a change of environment' for a while. On Thursday I got a text message from someone saying she was just kool and trying to 'keep it all together' (amongst other stuff she said) and it made me really sober with thought. You know! Like 'why would she say that?' 'what could she be going through to warrant that statement?'. I kept thinking about what I could say or do to make it better for her and then on the other hand I felt like I was dealing with other things myself and that I shouldn't preoccupy myself worrying about someone else. The thought process can be pretty intense and so I just committed her into God's hands as I would myself. That is one thing I try not to do 'worry'. Note the word 'try'. Concerning such care and anxiety, Scripture says in Matt 6:

"25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

I just couldn't leave any part out. I'm sure you must have read these verses so many times but we just have to ensure that we read these verses again and again. Today is different from yesterday and so the perspective with which you read a verse today may not be the way it'll be in a month's time. That is aside from the fact that God reveals what He will at different times.

God gave me an instruction this year not to worry about something in particular and it has been tough coming through with that. Sometimes it feels like if I don't worry then that means I'm selfish. You might also feel the same way when it comes to certain issues but I tell you! what will be selfish would be to keep worrying about an issue and doing the wrong things as opposed to commiting it entirely into God's hands and allowing Him guide you into the right steps.

For us to then keep it together, we need to focus on God. We need to seek first His kingdom and righteouness so that He can add all we need unto us. So my dear friend let's try this; whenever we feel the need to worry, let's commit it immediately into God's hands and go about doing other things and remember to also go about God's business too cos if we do, He'll go about our business too.