Today i'm thankful for just one thing..and it's big...Mr and Mrs Writefreak are three years! I'm thankful for the love, peace and joy in our home...i don't take it for granted. We don't exchange angry words, we never argue or fight, we're able to resolve our issues without any third party involvement, and the things i call issues are not even issues! Today i thank you father for finding my soulmate and giving him to me...for laughter and friendship, for affection and care, for a husband that puts my needs above his and even says he can die for me if need be :-). I'm thankful for increase...we're not where we were last year, physically and spiritually...I thank you for my husband Lord, he's the best you could ever have given me..and for the things we desire as a family, i thank you because you have done them!
For those with turbulence in their hopes, father i pray for your calmness, for those who are planning to get married, father i pray you direct their steps and give them wisdom...
My thankful Wednesdays have been far between, there's so much to say, so much to thank God for, so little time to come on here and share them. It's the last Wednesday of the month of November and when i think about the goodness of the Lord, it makes me want to shout...actually it makes me shout!
I'm going to be like that one leper, ten were healed, only one came back to give thanks...he had a reward for coming back to give thanks but i'm not even interested in the reward right now, i'm more interested in giving Jehovah the praise. He deserves all my praise...ah! Job said though he slays me, yet i will praise Him. Understanding tells me He does not slay me, i am not even slayed, He has put me above and over, why should i not shout and praise Him?
David worshipped God with all His might, he didn't consider that he was a king, he got all emotional in the presence of his maker, did a dance, clapped, worshipped because he knew the goodness of the Lord. From a sherperd boy, he got to the throne, he chose not to forget and i choose not to forget! I remember your goodness to me Jehovah, only you are God and i worship you!
Michal was used to being in the palace, she was afterall the son of Saul, she didn't see why a whole king of Israel should embarass himself so, oh well, she did get a reward for disdaining a man who was worshipping God with all his might. The bible call David a man after God's heart. David worshipped God so much, he wrote so many psalms to him.
I will worship God, His praise will continually be on my lips because i have and continue to see his goodness in the land of the living. I don't forget, i look at my blessings and i am counting them one by one. I am thankful for every single thing in my life and that i own. It is by His mercy that i am not consumed. It is by His grace that i wake up in the morning and i am able to call him father. Ah father, my heart wells up with love for you! My soul magnifies your name because you are the God who shut the mouth of the lions for Daniel, you kept Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace and they were not burnt. How could the Israelites have crossed the red sea without you?
I have seen you hand, i have seen you move and i cannot deny your existence, i cannot deny the fact that when i call on you in absolute trust , you answer me. Jehovah, i lift my hands and shout YOU ARE GOD! And declare that only a fool will say in his heart that there is no God. My maker, i am in awe of you and i cannot stand still for your goodness.
If i had a thousand, even a million tongues, i could not praise you enough. *Oluwa bi gbogbo irun ori mi je kiki ahon, won o to lati yin yi. *Kabiyesi, oba awon oba, Oluwa awon Oluwa*, the root of the tribe of Jesse. Oba to n je emi ni!* I am that I am, I shout that you alone are worthy! No one, NO ONE can compare to you. I declare there is no other God.I call you JEHOVAH!!!
Jehovah Elshaddai: Lord you are more than enough! You are bigger than who people say. With you, i am not in need of anything. I call you my own Jehovah Elshaddai!
Jehovah Tsidkenu: Oh Lord you are my righteousness...because of Jesus Christ, i have a right standing with you. I can come into your presence and declare that i am righteous. Jehovah, you are my righteousness!
Jehovah Mekadesh/Mekadishkem, you are the God who sanctifies, you are my own sanctifier!
Jehovah Shalom, God you are my peace. Because of you anxiety is far from me, fear is far, depression is far. Oh Lord my peace, i worship you!
Jehovah Shammah; You are ever present oh God. You are everywhere with me. When i am lying there feeling helpless, you are there Jehovah! When i did that thing i was not proud of, Jehovah you were even there. Ah Lord God! I am in awe of you. You said you will never leave me nor forsake me and truly you are ALWAYS there.
Jehovah Nissi: Lord you are my banner! Your banner over me is love father and you shield me from every evil. You cover me with your love...oh Lord i am in awe of your love for me.
Jehovah Rapha: Lord you are my healer. When i let that sickness stay on my body, not acknowledging that you healed me already, you are my healer, when i choose to acknowledge it, Lord you're still my healer. Because of you, my family is not in and out of hospital. Lord you are worthy!
Jehovah Jireh: Oh Lord you are my provider. If it means creating what i want from the scratch, you will do it father...you know exactly what i need and you supply it. I am not in lack, i am not in want...and when i need something, all i have to acknowledge is that you are my provider!
Jehovah Rohi: Lord you are my sherperd. It is because of you i am not walking about aimlessly without a purpose. You have given my life a meaning, a direction. You lead and guide me and because you are my sherperd, i am not lost. Jehovah i adore you. I call you by your names Lord. And i declare that in heaven and on earth and beneath the earth, there is no other God! You are my God, my rock and my shield .
You might think He hasnt done anything for you, but just look around you, think very well...what is Jehovah to you?
*If all the hair on my head were like tongues, they would not be enough to praise you
It's a rant...if you don't want to read a rant, don't read...
Why is my househelp stupid? I mean seriously, why? You send her to do something, she comes back with something else? Is she dumb or what? You see, thats why i don't think i could ever have a live in help cos i just might maim someone! She only comes once a week and she gives me this much stress already...what's going on with the girl sef?
Two weeks ago, i sent her to the market cos i only needed to buy a few things. Let's call her J. J, please buy goat meat and turkey and i took the pains to write it all down and when through it with her. J, is that ok? Yes ma, she says and leaves. She comes back and i'm too lazy to check what she bought, was working on something so i said well, put it all in the freezer. J goes home. Fastoforward to evening, i want to cook the turkey and i can't find it, and i'm wondering what's going on...i see a tin of turkey oil in my store and i'm wondering how the heck did this get here? I thought someone gave the Mr as a gift...i kept looking in the freezer and thought i'd call to ask her exactly where she kept it. I decided to use the goat meat instead. The bag was black that it was in, i wanted to make pepper goat meat, my husband loves it...i opened the bag and i was just in shock..J bought beef, dear God, has she got cotton in her ears? So i can't hold on any longer, i call her and she said no man, na goat meat i buy, i say J are you alright? And where's my turkey? J says it's in the store, ok...i won't kill someone in Jesus name! J fall my hand, i just dropped the call while she was saying sorry ma (gosh, i will so slap that girl if she says another sorry ma...what is wrong with her?) and i made do with the beef!
So why am i ranting today? I sent J to the market again cos i had an appointment and seriously i just didn't want the stress ( i should have known better!)...i write a list; beef (not goat meat this time since she likes beef although we don't really eat red meat), turkey ( dear old turkey) and some dried fish. J, do you understand? Yes Ma, we go over it several times, she even asks me where she's not sure of what i wrote. I go for my appointment, i come back, she's not back. I have a headache and want to sleep but she's not back so i wait up..J comes back and i decide to check everything she bought...oh yes J bought everything and bought turkey alright, only this time the turkey was chicken. For crying out loud, pls help me ask this child, how does chicken look like turkey??? And i asked her, she insisted it was turkey! Miss, is something wrong with you? Is it today i started cooking turkey? I check again and the drumsticks convince me it's chicken. J says i'm sorry ma and i lose it. I yell at her and asks her how she managed it, she says they showed her and she chose what she wanted and thought was turkey, pls what happened to asking? I even told her where to go since i've been to the market with her sooo many times! I've sent her back with it to the market...i don't care how she sorts it out but she has to learn that she can't continue working with me and remain stupid...cos that's just plain stupid! So much for me not wanting to stress is why i didn't go to the market.
An old friend (are we even friends) and i chat briefly, i ask about her husband and she says oh he's fine and so is my daughter...please, who asked her? I didn't even know she has a daughter, you didn't even tell me! Why should i ask about a daughter i don't know..then i say oh my bad, you have a daughter now, and she goes oh, so you didn't know, thought i told everyone, it's my bad..what nonsense! Maybe i'm overreacting but excuse me, should you not tell me you have a daughter before i can ask about her? And i didn't ask so you might as well have said i have a daughter now..
Ok, deep breath! Wf...calm down, ok...i feel better already, now that i let it all out..
Hope you all had nice weekends and please don't ever employ a J, it can be dangerous to your health!
I've found myself asking this same question so many times. Has God forgotten me? Does God even remember me? Does He care about what i want? Will He come through for me? Then i top it up with the big question, well if God really cares for me, if He really listens to my prayers, then when? I bet i'm not alone in asking these questions. A lot of us have asked them so many times. Sometimes we even think, if only He could just show me the end, then i would be able to believe and hold on.
Wait right there, I want to see the end before believing? Isn't that what i just said? Who or what tells me the end? The truth is that the answer to my question has already been provided in the word of God. The bible says 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen'. The bible is saturated with examples of people who believed against all odds or physical evidences. Perfect example, give me father Abraham anyday, he was Abram.
He couldn't see where God was taking Him just yet and then someday, the Lord Jehovah needed to work on His imagination, He took him out, He told him to look at the stars in the heaven, his descendants were going to be as many as the stars he couldn't count. I can imagine Abram then telling God come on, you're the biggest joker! God needed to work on his mind to get him to the point he needed to get to. Then, Abraham saw it, he caught a picture of himself the way God saw him, his name changed. He became the father of many nations. I bet he got really mocked by people around him, he's childless and he calls himself a father of many nations. He didn't consider the mockery, his wife's name even got changed, she became Sarah from Sarai, the queen of princesses. Wow! they saw, and gradually, they became!Faith calls the things that are not like they are ( faith does not call the things that are as they are not, note!).That means i really don't have to see the physical picture or see the desired end before i believe, that is just contrary to what the bible says. It is contrary to what God's word says.
I only need to go to the word, find what it says concerning my situation, and i stay with it, paint a picture of what it says in my mind, keep thinking about it, not letting it leave me, then one day, it will happen, what i desire will manifest in the physical, halleluyah!God's word has the answers to any situation of life, nothing escapes Him and He is very interested in every area of our lives. How long do i need to hold on for? How long do i need to believe for? Oh, for as long as it takes!
Unfortunately, being in and out of faith only tends to prolong our waiting days. It's like trying to jumpstart a car and putting it in reverse, everytime it attemps to move, you're back to the beginning ( i wonder if this analogy makes sense). When you step out of faith, you undo all the good you've done and you have to start again! I think i'd rather just stay in faith then so i can cut short my waiting time...It's not the easiest thing to do, but faith sure works..sometimes we get discouraged and then start asking why do we need to go through our situations?
Why do i need to have extra faith for what others seem to get so easy? Well, welcome to the real world. The person probably has something they want so desperately that they don't have to and even if they don't, comparison only makes you and i fools according to the word of God. We're running different races, so don't compare! Is God the reason you don't have what you want? No, God never tempts us with evil. Sin came into the world and all other tribulations with it which is why we must recreate our world with the word of God. When
God wanted to create, what did He do? He spoke! The bible says '....we believe and so we speak'. Speak to me for five minutes and i can tell what you believe already! You can't tell me you have faith and confess negative things. No! That is not faith...faith speaks! You can't not speak if you have faith. The devil will paint pictures in your mind, you must be ready to reply him, speak! What do you speak? The word of God!Has God forgotten you and i? No..the bible says He has us etched in the palm of His hands. He has the number of hairs on our heads numbered to the last one, come on, He cares! He has loved us with an everlasting love.
God is not a wicked God, He has given us all that pertains to life and godliness. He only asks us to have faith, it is the heavenly currency in exchange for all He has already done. I bet sometimes when we pray, God shakes His head and says if only you knew it was yours already, if only you stopped praying in unbelief and give me some faith. I have done it, it's yours for the taking.You might say Writefreak is going all preachy, well, these are the things God is teaching me and i'm on a journey of faith with Him. Very soon, I will share a testimony with you all...and then, i will tell you more about holding on because very soon, very soon, there shall be a performance of the things God has spoken. Halleluyah! God is not a wicked God, He does not want us to suffer and He is not the reason some things are not working out, although He will eventually use it for His glory if we bring faith to the table. So there, we have the answer to my first paragraph, unbelief is what gives birth to those questions.Have a believing rest of the week people.
Oh it's Wednesday and for these things i am thankful...
I thank God for a very very dear person to my heart put to bed safely and i have the honour of being godmother. Lord my heart is filled with joy for this little one that you have blessed my friend's family with and i am just honoured and awed that i'm a part of it, thank you Lord.
I'm thankful for a wonderful group of women God brought me in touch with to stir up my faith. My steps are indeed being ordered by the Lord.
I'm grateful for my marriage, my husband is a solid rock and i will never take it for granted. It amazes me everytime people ask us if we're still newly weds, it's your doing father and i am indeed grateful.
I'm grateful to God because He is never late and He always appears right on the scene.
I'm thankful for my health and wellbeing and of those close to me. It is indeed a blessing...
'Do not be weary in well doing for you shall reap if you faint not' Sola was a very diligent teacher, she got to work before everyone else, wrote her lesson notes, gave her students the most attention and did her job with all the passion in her. She was indeed a model teacher. She did this for years with little or no increase in her salary, she persevered, then in her 7th year, she got tired. Why did she have to work so hard for no recognition and very little pay.
She got slack in writing her lesson notes. The principal of her school noticed something was wrong and asked her about it, she made light of it. Soon, she started getting to school late, she missed classes. The principal told her sadly she had to be queried. She shrugged as the principal talked to her.She got the query.
Unknown to Sola, the principal had recommended her to the committee choosing the most diligent teachers in the city and were going to promote them two levels above where their present ones. There was cash reward, a travels company was going to give her a fully paid vacation and she would get a lot of things she could only dream of all these years.
The day approached fast that the nominated teachers would be observed and the principal tried her best to warn Sola.The day the inspection team came, Sola got to the school around 10 a.m, she had woken up so late. principal had made excuses for her to them and a number of other teachers turned their noses up at her.
The head of the committee spoke to Sola about why they were there, she started to panic in her heart and wondered if she could find the good teacher in her again, the one who only knew how to do her job well.She was asked for her lesson notes, she looked ashamed as they asked. She had not written her lesson notes in two weeks. The inspector sighed. That was a major criteria to qualify for the reward.
Other teachers had been interviewed, only fifty percent of them said she was as diligent, some even said the principal was partial to her because they were related. Most of them hated her for her diligence, some wanted to be like her.The inspectors checked the 'Time book' and found her name for three weeks, she had arrived late to work every single day. They decided to flip back and saw that for so many months back, she had a punctual trend. The lead inspector looked into her eyes and said 'you would have qualified'.He shook his head and left.
The principal took Sola aside and spoke to her. Sola cried and asked why she had not been given a heads up. The older woman patted her on the back and said 'my dear, integrity is who you are when no one is looking'. Sola nodded, lesson learnt but it had cost her so much, a reward she would have gotten for all those years of service. This was definitely a very hard way to learn her lesson.(For some of you who might want a happy ending for Sol..lol, some months down the line, she got recommended for a promotion, just a level ahead but it was better than nothing..lol). Temi's wife was very cantankerous. He showed her all the love and affection he could, he pleaded with her, they went for counselling and in all her 'madness', Temi remained faithful and gentle. He was praying that God would turn his wife's heart and make her see her wrong ways, but it was taking too long. He needed an answer NOW. The answer wasn't coming, he decided to go out more. He met new people, he drank a bit more.
Then he met this sweet lady. She was everything he could wish for in a woman, they took things slowly at first. Temi's wife was staying home more, she was more quiet when he got home and she wasn't complaining but he was always too tired to notice. A change was coming over the woman he had been praying for for several months but Temi was unaware. He decided to take his relationship with the 'sweet lady' further, he made love to her. He was a godly man and his heart was heavy as he left her that night. His conscience was heavy, cheating was below him as a child of God. Then an anger came over him towards his wife. She led him into this, didn't she?
When he got home, he found a note from his wife in the living room, she praised him for being the most tolerant man on earth, she begged for his forgiveness and said ''you're the best man in the whole world, another man would have gone ahead to have an affair in all the time you stood faithfully by me, praying for me to have a change of heart''. Sola put down the paper as deep sorrow welled over him. He should just have waited a little bit longer, he told himself, just a little bit longer'.
The bible verse above is self explanatory. In recent times, I have had to welcome a number of guests to my house, family and friends, staying and passing by. I had had enough, then some friends told me they were travelling over for the weekend. I was too tired and every attempt to make them back off wasn't working. I decided to fib a little, i wasn't going to be around. But my conscience pricked me and i told them they could come. I complained to a friend who said 'pls try your best to entertain, you never know when an angel is passing by your house, Sarah entertained an angel'. Well said. A few days later, i was chatting with Rita and she said the same thing to me. I told God, point noted, thank you very much.
Am i saying it's comfortable? No way! Will I have guests right now, no please although my sister is coming in this week for a few days to do something important. My choice will be not to entertain anyone for a while. I want my space...I have decided not to entertain any guests (at least live in ones for a while) and if I do allow them to come, I must not complain. If iI don't say no, then it's totally ok by me and who knows, one of them might just be an angel :-) What is that thing you have done for so long and it seems no reward is coming? You're about to throw in the towel...maybe hold on just a bit, your angel might be around the corner...that's what the good book says!
For a demand that is constantly placed on you, you probably have a special gift in that area, pay attention to it. It might be the key to your blessing. Selah
We have two apologies or are they excuses for gatemen. They don't know their jobs and when you decide to spell their duties out to them, they always have a reason to do contrary to what you tell them.
One is perpetually drunk, i am not exaggerating; morning, afternoon, night but he never agrees that he's drunk. If he's not sleeping, he'l lying down in the gatehouse with a woman (yes, hubby has had to wake him up to come open the gate beside a woman before!) . The other is a regular at the village close to us. I suppose he sees like minded people there but then he is employed to watch our gate, not to fraternise with villagers. Their sins are too many, i don't want to bore you with all the details. One thing is sure though, they are sorry excuses for gatemen or security.
A few days ago, our living room lock decided to act up and they key wouldn't turn. It was a Sunday and it was Sallah so we couldn't get anyone to come fix it. It wasn't so much of an issue, we live in a very secure area. I can confess that there are times i'm home alone that i've forgotten to lock the door. There's a main bullet proof door that serves as the entrance to the four apartments in our building, we all neglect to lock it atimes. I told hubby to make sure it was locked that night and we went to bed.
As our custom is (we're both night owls), we went to bed very late and then at about 2 a.m, there was a knock on our bedroom window. Yes, the gateman was knocking the window of our bedroom to answer your question! We happen to live downstairs. HUbby went to ask him what was up, it was the perpetually drunk one, let's call him N, he said his colleague S was ill and lying on the floor sick. Hubby wanted to know exactly what was wrong with him, the guy couldn't tell so he went to the fridge and brought out mist mag and panadol. The guy should choose his poison. He was on his way back from the kitchen when N started shouting 'oga', 'oga' (pronounced the northern way...lol)..there are people with him and i can't go there'. That was a bit scary, then he started shouting round the house, calling for hubby to come out. We heard him arguing with someone so hubby decided to stay put.
In the confusion,hubby told me to get in the guest bathroom and i locked myself in. I had started shaking and trying to remind myself of scriptures i know about protection and safety...lol...I looked up and the window of the bathroom was slightly open, some wiring was passed through there, i couldn't stay on my own, no way!I went out and hubby had locked the bedroom door, i started knocking, he asked to make sure i was alone..lol..scary cat! Thankfully a friend who is out of the country left his car with us and we could set the panic button without going out....(we have to get in our own car to set the alarm) so hubby let the alarm go off continously while he called our neighbours on the phone, they were also awake.
I have some numbers for the police on my phone, a friend who had a theft episode in her house last year gave the numbers to me. She had told me she called the police and they came, i thought it wasn't possible and only took the numbers with a pinch of salt. Hubby took the numbers and called the police, they asked for directions to our place. I also had the police commissioner's number, i called him but my voice was shaking, hubby took the phone and spoke to him so coherently. Honestly, i don't know how he does it but he was so in control! I'm proud of my man.I lay on the bed while he continued setting off the alarms, checking the window and calling the police.
Not too long after the calls, we heard a siren, they called to make sure they were on the right street, and when they heard the car alarm, they stopped in front of our house. It was like watching a movie! From our bedroom window, i saw armed policemen come in and search the premises for any intruders. Oh by the way, they fired two shots outside the gate before they came in.They searched the whole place and then called hubby it was ok to come out. Hubby and the neighbour upstairs went out to meet them. They came in three cars and there were ten of them, wow!The commissioner called back to find out if we had seen his men, we told him yes. The lady upstairs and i chatted about the incident on the phone while our husbands were out talking to the policemen.
Whoever the intruders were had left probably when the car alarm started going off. The mazing thing is a female police officer had to pour water on the second gateman to wake up after they forced the gate open. They advised us to get better security, he was obviously drunk!It didn't end there, a few minutes later, another batch of policemen came to make sure everything was fine. Honestly, i was wowed, i didn't think things like that happen in this beloved country of ours. I guess you nevere know until you try.
One thing is sure, our gatemen are going to be fired and replaced and we're going to get some kinda civil defence or mobile police patrol (yeah, i live with influential people who can get them without hassles..hahaha)...So i think the Nigerian police is really my friend afterall. If there was any grudge i had against them, i forgave that night.
When everything calmed down, hubby then started feeling tired, he had been a real man through it all and i had been a 'shaky shaky' real woman, although i tried to appear calm on the surface. The idiotic gateman had apparently opened all our living room windows from outside while he was shouting 'oga, oga' and nobody came out. That was such a foolish act on his part and honestly i think he would have attempted to come in if we hadn't locked the bullet proof door.Thank God for safety, thank God because His promises to watch over us day and night (He neither sleeps nor slumbers) were kept and thank God for the Nigerian police!
We all have people who are dear to our hearts, people we care about and who care about us in return but sometimes we never really know if these people care or they probably never know that we do..
We all go about our ways and we act normal and then when something happens to someone you love, you start thinking about them and taking stock and wondering about your relationship with them over the years. You even assess or wonder if there's something you could have done differently.
I'm against the culture that celebrates someone only after they are long gone and they don't need your praise. By long gone, it could be dead or far away from you. True the saying goes absence makes the mind grow fonder but sometimes i wonder if it really does, does it not just widen the gap? I'm not sure.
I'm not sure why a lot of people have parties when their older people die with the kind of amounts that those people might never have heard about in all their lifetime. When they're alive or around us, it doesn't mean much but once they leave, we start to eulogise and say how much of good people they were. Tell me, of what use is it to them then?
For a lot of us, it's an assumption that our loved ones know we care about them. We justify our actions, if i didn't care for her, would i have done this or that? How do i know if you don't tell me? The best way i can know is if you tell me.
There are so many people in our everyday lives that we take for granted and just never show appreciation to. How about that househelp that makes sure your house is tidy although she gets on your nerves. The issue is right now, all you see is the things she hasn't done, you forget so many the good. How about your gardener, the one who makes sure your house is not overgrown with weed, yes you pay him but a word of appreciation or a pat on the back once in a while never hurt anybody. How about your co worker who makes sure your project is off the ground because you need help. Oh well, you could have done it alone, but he still helped didn't he? What about your husband/wife? Oh gosh, he's just so annoying, do they not have any good sides? If they died today, would you or not sing their praise? If they suddenly walked out on you, will there be a gap or not?
It doesn't have to be an eulogy. It does not have to be poetic. Even a thank you at the right time will go a long way in saying how much we appreciate the other person.
How about telling people that we appreciate them right when they are there or very present in our lives and not when we lose them.
I'm going to practise my own preaching and say thank you blogville, i appreciate you, you're the reason Writefreak is here! And for those bloggers who have moved from bloggers to friends...oh, you guys are the best! You make it worthwhile being here! Love you all :-)
It's another Wednesday, another day to be thankful to God. As always I have soooo MANY reasons to be thankful.
I decided since i haven't posted in a while, this is not only going to be a thankful post....
I'm grateful for the gift of life. It's the 2nd of September, the year is flying by so fast and through the months my family, friends and i have been preserved, long life is a convenant and I thank God that He is fulfilling His part of it.
I'm thankful for a revelation of God's word and my rights in Christ Jesus. Often times, we Christians allow things in our lives, things that shouldn't be there. I'm learning to check what God's word says about a situation afresh and declaring it over that situation. Thank you Lord
I'm thankful for a loving husband and a good marriage.. I'm thankful for good and godly friends... I'm thankful for open doors...i didn't even need to knock on some... I'm thankful for letting God use me as a vessel... I'm thankful for my aburo Temite, the time she spent her and her safe journey back. My sister also travelled several hours by road and she got safely to her destination. So much to thank God for,what are you thankful for?
So i have a question for you guys...
Is it ok for a woman well over 30 to still live with her parents and have to live there because her father will not hear of her moving out on her own at her age? Is it even ok at all for a 36 year old woman to still live with her parents?
I find this hard to relate to because i left home when i was 22 and i lived on my own from then till i got married. No, my parents don't live in the West, they live here in Nigeria. I was moving to a different city though, they raised some dust initially but we came to an agreement and they let me be.
We had this argument in my house some weeks back, some friends were present and they thought it was ok for a woman to live with her parents no matter how old she is if she is unmarried. So even if she is 40 and marriage is not on the horizon, she should live with her parents?
They said our culture does not allow for a woman to live on her own and it's almost a taboo. I remember my Grandma said it was irresponsible for a single lady to live on her own but hey i proved them all wrong. I don't think it's a good thing to think a woman should be dependent on her parents while a man is allowed to spread his wings and fly.
I understand that there are different roles men and women play in the society and the family but i also think when it gets to a certain age, it becomes control when your parents can still tell you what to do and how to live your life. Heck at 36, your father still dictates how you live your life.
I'm of the opinion that living alone matures you, it helps you gain some level of independence and maturity you might not otherwise have gained. I think when it gets to a certain age, if a parent cannot trust their kids to make the right decisions, then they have failed in their roles as stewards over them.
Lemme not talk too much, would love to hear what you guys think about this.
Hope you guys have had a fabulous week so far. Happy midweek!
Good morning daddy, How're you today? How's the saviour of my soul, your only son Jesus? How're the angels especially the one called Michael? I'm sure heaven is as peaceful as ever and prettier than i ever imagines it to be.
It's been a minute since I gave thanks through this medium. I've been so busy but not too busy for you Lord, you know how grateful I am to you in my heart (or am i?). I probably have whined at you in the past few weeks for some odd reasons, dear Lord, forgive me...
I'm grateful to you for who YOU are...you have many names Lord, and you continue to show me the meaning of those names. You're rapha - my healer, Jireh- you provide for me, Shalom- you give me peace. So many names Lord, some I don't even know the meaning...but one thing is sure, you always step up for me even when I haven't seriously asked for help. You're my hope...
Everytime I have the opportunity to think, I can't help noticing I have one of the very best husbands in the world, a supportive man. You gave me my very own personal and customised cheerleader...thank you for a working marriage and a man that believes the best of and with me ALL THE TIME. It's something I couldn't buy Lord.
My family is well, no one is ill, oh they complain as all humans do but seriously, they have no major issues...and for that i am thankful.
Thank you Lord for always using us as a blessing to somebody. Sometimes i feel like there are too many people asking to be 'helped' or 'blessed' but then it's a priviledge and i'm just so grateful we're not on the other side. Isn't it even more blessed to give than to receive?
I prayed for a certain someone dear to my heart, when all looked bleak and it looked like there would be no breakthrough, you assured me there would be a good end. I am starting to see it, infact, a miracle has happened already. Thank you Lord, i will keep trusting. You're the God who works miracles.
I'm grateful for the doors of opportunity...i'm a writer, you told me to stay in my place and look what you'remaking of me. You're opening doors that even if i knocked by myself might have remained shut. I always see your hands Lord.
I thank you Lord for my friend aloted, for that day years ago that we met and for the friendship we share...words cannot express how grateful i am for this friend like a sister that you have given me!
So many things to thank you for Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to think and find reasons to be thankful. There are more Lord but let me mention these few so the person reading this can add their own reasons. Thank you Lord.
Gosh ,been wanting to blog for some days but it's been so busy. I'm on a two week project but it almost feels like i've been on it for ages. I have a number of things I really would love to talk about but ....
You have to stand for what you believe. Don't let yourself be cheated. Oh and I also learnt a lesson, no matter how well you know a person, a verbal agreement is never good enough in business. I embarked on the project because I had agreed the duration and I gave them my bill which was slashed a bit but it was ok. I kept asking for my contract but I didn't get it till the third or fourth day into the project.
To say i was shocked would be an understatement. In the morning, I got a call and I was told the pay had been slashed, I was like what! Why would you do that after I embarked on the project. Guy says it's beyond him, budget was slashed and i should decide what i want to do. I was so upset, I just had to tell him to end the call. Then I got the contract and they had merged two jobs into one and extended the length of my contract by two weeks, oh and by the way, one third of my pay was slashed.
My advice, always read a contract before you sign it. Never ever sign something you haven't read. It can get you in trouble. I got the contract and read every line, thank God I did. I used to be so careless about things like that. I was so mad after reading. Like, seriously, what are they thinking? Do they think I'm an idiot or some naive person.
I tried to calm down and called the guy aside, he was trying to fob me off and tell me how things change in production and how budget has been cut. I was like so, i should be your scapegoat? Well, I gave him back the contract and demanded that our agreement be put down in black and white or I was walking. I already knew I had lost some of the money.
I sent hubby a text and he came online, he advised to do things calmly and not shut the door and talked me through it. Gosh, that guy sure knows how to diffuse my fire and make me calm down. I should be blowing him kisses, my ever wise man who is always there for me...i digreee...
Anyway, the guy says ok, i'll talk to the boss and see what comes out of it. I said ok, i would appreciate that. I took hubby's advise and tried to be as calm as possible about things. Typical WF might have brought down the roof..lol..well not in the real sense...but erm 'cough, cough'.
Men, it's not good to be upset o, I instantly developed a headache while all that was going on. I managed to act normally till the end of the day. The following day, I got my contract back and oh yeah I got what i wanted with an explanation that the pay had to be cut because the budget was cut short. I had gotten most of what I asked for. It was a compromise but it was good enough. I was glad I demanded and got what I wanted.
Next time I'm doing a project, I'm definitely going to be signing the contract beforehand. I advise you do the same, people are always looking for someone to take advantage of, not me though.
Ok I gotta roll, I'm in the middle of coming up with a story with a group of people, writing it down and blogging at the same time while chatting to my friend on Gtalk. WF sure is the epitome of multitasking. lol
I left home a long time ago, in the real sense of it. Once i graduated from Uni, i stayed a few months at home and that was it, I moved away to make my own life. I chose not to stay with any relatives in the new city i moved to. God was good to me, I met some nice people but my decision brought some consequences (which are not the purpose of this post).
I think I'm quite independent, I don't know...anyway so I went home only once in a while. At a point, I made sure I went like every quarter. I tried to be there for my family but I'm not sure I was present enough. I don't know once again..lol
I got married and the visits became less frequent, did i say it wasn't so frequent before? My husband always asked me when I would visit my folks and didn't even mind if i left him home alone. It's just me, I hate travelling by road or more like siting in one place for a long time.
Last year, I wasn't home at all though I saw both my parents on a number of occasions and they were at my house. I kept saying I'd go until we had to move and the journey of 3 hours by road became 7 hours. It was longer. From the beginning of the year, I'd been saying I would go home but I kept pushing it. I've been avoiding a confrontation with my parents over a certain issue and I know going to their camp would bring me face to face with it. My husband would say when your parents are alive is the only time you love and be there for them. Bein an orphan, he knows how important it is to be there for one's parents.
Last week, my mum mentioned that my dad had malaria, so i called him. He sounded chirpy on the phone and I didn't think it was a big deal. I promptly forgot about it and didnt call them for a few days. Then, my mum called and asked why I didn't even bother to call my dad back to find out how he was doing. I apologised and said I forgot cos he sounded very well on the phone. She said it got worse, then she gave him the phone and he mentioned something about fainting. I was like no, what happened, he said not to worry, he was fine.
I couldn't sleep well that night. I deliberated on making the long journey and hubby encouraged me to do it. I packed a change of cloth in my handbag and made the trip. I called my mum, it was meant to be a surprise for my dad but my sister ruined it by telling him.
I met him recuperating. He was prescribed Piriton but the nurse wrote for him a wrong dosage which is definitely too much at his age. He was home alone and thought my mum got back from work so he went to open the gate and slumped. Dear Lord, i am eternally grateful for saving him. The floor is concrete. He could have hit his head. He passed out for a few minutes and by himself, he woke up and made it to back into the house. He then fell at the dining again; another thing that could have been disastrous because the floor is just tiles.
Mum met him half awake and felt his pulse. He said it doesn't take long to die. My mum said she rejected it and told him to get his act together because she didn't make such a covenant with God when she was leaving the house. He was going nowhere. She gave hm Lucozade and made him a meal and kept talking to him till she was sure he was fully recovered.
How do I thank God enough? I pray for my family all the time and I know this is a dividend of prayer. Please cover your family in prayers all the time, it's very important. Above all, I've decided, I can't be so far from my folks anymore, I would visit at least once in a quarter...I call them all the time, no problem with that. Hubby and I are also thinking of sending them both for full body exams and suggesting they get a maid. Mum is chief DIY but she's getting older. The woman needs to know she's no spring chicken anymore.
I can't believe how guilty I felt and I just thank God nothing happened to him. We still had the conversation I was avoiding but it didn't kill me. I'm so glad I made the trip although I spent about 14 hours or a bit less on the road in less than 48 hours. Like i told them, it's not how long I stay that counts, it's the thought and the fact that I was there and they saw me. I thank God.
Bode was your driver, he drove you everywhere, sometimes took your friend to places and sometimes, he drove your kids and family members around. He worked with you for about two years and he never once changed his slippers. Yeah, he changed it once, someday you were going for an occasion and you thought it would be a disgrace to have someone like that seen in association with you.
Tola lives in your neighbourhood, she is of school age but she doesn't go to school. 'Why do some people just waste their lives'? You say and then move on to your daily activities. Everytime you see her, you keep wondering, can't she go to school already or find something to do with her life? You shrug.
Your housemaid has been living with you for some months and still wears the same clothes she brought from the village a few months back. Oh and everytime you remember to tell her she is stinking and her clothes are too dirty. You scream at her for having improper behaviour. She continues working with you, and her life never gets any improvement, she has no education and you can't even let her learn a trade...hmmm.
Remember how your parents strugled and paid your way through school, when you graduated, they heaved a sigh of relief. You live in the city now, you have a good job, a comfortable life, well you're not the best among your peers yet but you can afford your three meals and some excesses. Your parents hardly hear from you and when you give them anything, it's because the guilt has almost eaten you up. I shudder.
Your gateman keeps opening your gate, and you don't even know what's going on with him. He looks perpetually sad but you never notice, you're too much in a hurry to go out and come in anyway. Why bother with someone who can't find something better to do with his life?
It's an endless list of things we notice but refuse to notice or more like our lives are too busy to notice. We go on about our lives, it's all about me, myself and I. So long as I'm fine and my immediate family is doing well, glory to God, we can sleep at night.
Do you know what the bible calls true religion? You who goes to church every Sunday but refuses to be a blessing to anyone around you. Trust me, there's someone around you who needs you, who needs something you have. Please, go read James chapter 1, true religion is in caring for the widows, helping the helpless.
I remember Jesus saying how He would cast out people because when he was hungry, thirsty or needed help, they refused to help Him. They'd ask when was this, and He would say, when you didn't do it to any of your brothers, well you didn't do it to me. And He would openly welcome those who have helped out a neighbour, given them a drink, fed the hungry, visited the prisoners, he would welcome them because they did it for Him.
When you can help your brother or sister out, why not do it, instead of praying hypocritical prayers that God should help them solve their problems when the answers lie with you. What good is throwing away your leftovers when your neighbour (not necessarily someone living in your house) is hungry and can't even afford a meal? How rich is your life when no one wakes up in the morning and is able to thank God for you? It doesn't have to be huge but your life needs to be a blessing or it's wasting.
Do you remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man? I bet I don't need to recount it. The bible encourages us to do good to those around us especially those who are in the household of faith.
Don't shut your bowels of mercy. When you see that hungry guy, be nice, that thirsty guy, be nice, you never know when God is testing you and sending an angel your way. And even if it's not an angel, don't you have a thrill when you do something great for someone and they're too blessed they don't know what to say? Selah
PS: This post was inspired by the message my pastor preached on Sunday. I'm still working at it myself!
I will bless the Lord at all times and His praises will continually be on my lips. No matter what my situation or circumstance is, i will bless the Lord. He alone is worthy of praise, honour and adoration. The Lord who shut the mouth of the lions and preserved Daniel in the lion's den is worthy of my praise.
Lord I could go on and on about the wonderful things I read in the word that you have done, infact I could recount a lot of impossible things I have heard you did...I would write a whole page and there would still be more, He is worthy of praise.
I'm grateful for life. Only the living can praise the Lord, only the living have plans and goals. Only the living have a purpose and can think of fulfilling. I thank you Lord that I have life, my family members and friends have life. I praise you.
I'm thankful for my marriage and for a wonderful man who is able to share his heart with me. I thank you father because you keep showing me what love is all about and how to love. I thank you Lord because I have a great marriage and I do not take it for granted.
I'm thankful for doors of opportunity that you're opening. You're the one who opens doors and no man can shut them. I am indeed grateful Lord for the contacts you're giving me. You have set before me an open door and no man can shut it, halleluyah!
I thank you Lord for direction. Your word says I will hear a voice saying this is the way, walk in it, you keep nudging me in the right direction and giving me instructions. For this Lord I am grateful. I thank you that I am not without help.
I'm thankful that I found the car key I was looking for today. I searched everywhere two days ago after i misplaced it but you quietly assured me that I didn't need to stress, I would find it, you made your word good and today, it was right there in the corner pocket of my bag, peeping at me.
Thank you Lord for safe journeys for both my sisters who did a lot of travelling this weekend. I also thank you for keeping my husband in his going out and coming in, he travels a lot but you preserve him, halleluyah!
Thank you Lord for the many answered prayers, even the littlest ones, I don't take for granted. You're a faithful God. I thank you for everyone who will read this post, may they be able to count their blessings. Halleluyah! You're a good God.
Earlier this year, I found it easy to update twice a week, i would do a thankful Wednesday post and another post on Sunday or some other day of the week. It came naturally and I was sure I could keep it up. It was with the same optimisim that I started the year that I was blogging. I had so much energy.
I suddenly found myself not updating in a week or in two weeks. It's becoming consistent and now that I'm thinking about it, it's probably something permeating other areas of my life. I don't have as much energy as i did and I need to get it back. It only took my laptop falling ill to fall into a total blog drought. I'm not motivated to update my blog, I'm not motivated to read other blogs.
A few people (bloggers) have asked me what is going on and the truth is, I don't know. I just don't feel up to doing my blog rounds. Please bear with me, maybe I will get my groove back and come to all your blogs and leave comments. I've even read some posts recently and i just didn't feel like leaving comments so i quietly shut the door and walked away. Maybe it's not even a lack of energy, maybe I sometimes get very busy and blogging seems to be taking too much time.
I'm not quitting blogging, I blog because I love to write. I'm just going through a phase that will hopefully pass. Writefreak wants her blogging mojo back but it seems it's not coming back. I think it's something that has to do with more than blogging. Ok, I think I'm rambling as I usually do.
Yesterday I let things get to me, I broke down and stayed in the dumps, the whole day passed and I didn't even have a meal but by the end of the day I was out of it, I'm grateful for that.
Something great happened to me last week. I have a friend, we were best friends in JS 1 to 3 and then we both changed schools and managed to keep in touch for a little while. In those days, there were only handwritten letters, I think we got tired of sending letters back and forth. I ran into her sometime in the late 90s but we didn't talk much and that was the last time I saw her. Last week I started thinking about her, I looked on fb, I didn't see her. It occured to me she might be married and she won't even bear the same surname anymore. I asked someone who thought she could find her, she said she would try to find her. Then four days later, I ran into her in a restaurant, just like that! She lives in this city with her husband and her twins. It was a happy reunion. We've been hooking up since then. It's like picking up from where we stopped and it's amazing that we just found each other like that.
We found a church that we're at home in here in Abuja and it's cool. We didn't want to sample too many churches and God led us to the right one.
My neighbour's children are on hols and they're driving me nuts. I love them but they can be annoying because they're quite rude and don't listen to instructions which drives me up the wall. Yesterday, the oldest one knocked for several hours and I just plain refused to open the door cos I needed to get some work done. Can someone please tell schools to reopen? The summer break has got to be over already.
I'll try swing by your blogs...I have a lot of work on my plate...and it's not going to get lighter. It's good I guess.
When someone says Writefreak, i answer, even if it's not on blogville because it's something associated with me. It's a name I have chosen to give myself and everytime I hear it, it reminds me of something I am committed to. When I hear Writefreak, my head goes...you write and you can't but write, infact you're a writing freak. If someone calls we Writefreak atimes and I haven't put pen to paper in a while, I kinda start to feel guilty. That's me, case in point.
When I hear Joy, I tend to expect that the person bearing the name exudes joy, or at least brings you some form of happiness...don't blame me, blame the person who named them Joy. lol....There are often times you see someone acting contrary to their name and we tend to think, how can her name even be this? I'm not automatically saying your name determines who you are or are not but a name is an identity.
For a few years, I've heard people name their kids and the thought in my head is 'what were they thinking'? When a child is named, it's like a prophecy, it's more than just something to call the child. Why do we avoid cursing ourselves or using negative words on ourselves especially as Christians? Because we know the power of life and death is in the tongue and the bible lets us know that those who love it will eat the fruit thereof. I don't want to be calling my child any name that makes no sense.
In the days of the bible, whenever God wanted to change a man's life, He changed His name. He changed Abram to Abraham, he became a father of many nations. Sarai his wife became Sarah, God changed her name and changed her story. He changed Jacob's name to Israel because Jacob met with God. Jabez's name was not recorded as literally changed but I remember the bible saying his name meant sorrow. What kind of a mother names her child sorrow? His life was hopeless, going nowhere cos the sorrow followed him about until he called out to God and then he became more honourable than his brothers (1 chroniceles 4:8 -11). What's in a name you ask?
Saul became Paul when his days of persecuting Christians became over. His name changed and his life and lifestly change. He became the most popular Apostle....there are a lot of examples in the bible, these are only a few.
I'm not totally for changing surnames because I believe some people have carried it to an extreme and I believe when you become a child of God, your history changes and your past becomes hidden under the blood of the lamb. I understand that for some people though, there is a need to change their names. They need something symbolic to know they have escaped their past and hey it happened a lot in the bible. It's a matter of personal conviction i guess...
What I don't understand is people who have a choice giving their children names that will affect their self esteem. Aside the spiritual implications of the name, there's also the psychological implications. We all know how people get taunted by their names in school. Classmates can be mean, who wants their child to be the object of some mean children's bullying?
I got thinking last week in church when there was baby dedication and the pastor asked parents for the names of their children, why they gave them the names and in some cases, the meaning of the names. It got to some guy's turn, they had twins, most of us were busy wowing and awwwing,then it came time to say their names and he said 'their names are gotten from the word salvation'. Pastor asked again what the names were. He said the first one was Salvo..hubby and I were like what on earth! Then hubby said 'ok, ok, it's the Italian word for salvation'. We were cracking up..see..we were already having fun at the child's expense unknowingly. Then the second one, he said the name is 'Salv' or will it be spelled as 'Salve' now. The whole church gasped and some laughed. I was like what in God's name was this man thinking? Was he not thinking about this children? Well I have a single advise for the little ones, once they get to school age, they should quickly start using their middle names as their first names, that's hoping those make some sense. I might be hoping for too much.
I've heard all sorts of names, someone called his kid Senator, is that even a name? I said well he could have called him Accountant since it's by position now..Aloted told me how twins in her church were named Barrack and Oba,a. Dear Lord, do some parents even think? A friend told me how a couple had not decided the name for their child on the day of the naming ceremony. They kept the pastor waiting over 30 minutes. Dear Lord, they had at least 9 months to do that.
I think a name should be well thought out and even prayed about. You don't want people speaking negatives into your kids lives everytime they are called. You don't want them taunted all the time either. My kids won't be having names that mean nothing or names that will make them the object of being taunted..
Yes it's me, your daughter, the one who said she would be here on wednesdays to give thanks...you know Lord even when i don't write publicly here, my heart is grateful to you (or maybe not atimes). I don't even need to say it when you see right through me. You know my deepest thoughts.
First of all Lord, I'm grateful that you've brought the first half of the year to an end and I am alive to start the second half. Then I'm reminded that the year is going so fast and I'm not even sure of the achievements I've had this year. Ok, I shall not whine about that Lord, I'm grateful to be here, nothing missing, nothing broken.
Then I'm thankful that I got to be a year older exactly 2 weeks ago today. I didn't have any plans for it, but the wonderful man you gave me made sure it was a good day. You know Lord how I always love to wear new things on my birthdays, well he made sure I had two even. And for that new laptop that I needed so badly... Lord thank you for my birthday...and for the wonderful man...the hubby.
I'm grateful Lord because even in my darkest hours and when I have disappointments, you are always there. When I decide I don't want to talk to you, you stay with me, you keep nudging me till I surrender. I'm grateful that you never leave me alone. Because without you, I would be a wreck, I would be shattered. In you I find my completeness.
I'm thankful Lord for the resilient spirit you have given me. When others would have given up and thrown in the towel, most times, I'm able to stand and persevere. It's not easy Lord but I'm able to do it and I'm thankful for that inner strength you have given me. I don't crumble easily and it's by you.
It's amazing how you can make me laugh in the midst of the storm. You constantly give me a reason to smile, and even when it's not a full laughter Lord, when I think I am unhappy, you show me a reason to smile and gradually, it turns into a laugh. You always show me a silver lining...I'm grateful Lord.
I have questioned you Lord of times Lord about why I need to go through some things, why life is easier for some people and I seem to have so many trials but you told me I need to go through the trials, I need to be refined because there is a greater purpose. I might not see it now but I trust You. And I remembere You even said there is something You see in me that makes me qualify for the trials. I will still question Lord because I'm human but I am thankful that You count me worthy for your greater calling and purpose.
Thank you Lord for my friends,they are wonderful people. They are not many but you chose them for me Lord and they are just beautiful people with great hearts. I know I can count on them. And for my neighbour who is a friend, I'm grateful.
My heart is full Lord, there's so much I want to say to you. You are my rock, my friend, my all in all and without you I know I would crumble like a cookie and fall like a house without a foundation.
For everything dear Lord, this daughter of yours is grateful and stands to say if not for you on her side, she would be nowhere. I will be back Lord....I just wanted to register my thanksgiving.
Oh and God I can't sign my letter today because I lost my signatre with the old laptop...will have to get a new signature soon again. And thank you Lord for the person reading this, help them see reasons to be thankful.
I was going to blog about something else, infact I started writing the post but this is something that I'm thinking about right now..so welcome to my mind. I pride myself in being able to multitask, infact sometimes I say that's one of my strengths but recently, I'm beginning to think it might actually be a weakness. I'm that lady who is talking work on the phone, chatting with a few friends while writing a script and at the same time doing chores. And no, i don't have 10 hands. I have only two like everyone else.
Really I think I multitask well, only sometimes, it backfires. I might be cooking and then decide that I need to do some chores or quickly send a work mail and there goes my presence of mind...I refuse to say I'm absent minded. I gat the Holy ghost and He reminds me of all things...Can i hear an Amen?
But really in my world everything burns, every single thing! Hubby even jokes about me and reminds me not to worship him with my burnt offerings...Don't get me wrong, i don't burn food all the time but i have the tendency to forget i've put things on the fire when i start to do other things.
I was talking to a blogger today, and mentioned to her i had not eaten anything as at 3pm..actually i was going to but kept putting it off...yeah i also procrastinate. She chased me to go eat, she was supposed to call me about some stuff we're working on together and she threatened not to call anymore. So i told her i was making noodles and she said 'burnt noodles is not sweet' and i said yeah i know, i'm only boiling an egg now. Well, she stepped out and my neighbour came in and we got talking about our our DSTV was acting up and bla...then i heard something pop in the kitchen...She asked if i had someone in the house...Yeah you got it right, that was when i remembered I was boiling an egg...and yes, my egg popped cos the water had dried up. I came back and told the blogger my egg got burnt and she was like wow...who burns boiled egg...Yes, who burns boiled egg but Writefreak...
So i burnt a boiled egg today and i'm ashamed to say the noodles also got slightly burnt! I just hate staying with food in the kitchen, i feel it's a waste of time when i have other stuff to do. But I'm beginning to think i might have to rethink it...maybe i should start carrying my computer to the kitchen? en? what do you think my blog family?
On another note, why do Nigerians always feel a need to swindle people especially when they know they're JJCs or foreigners? It's annoying me so much right now! Today my neighbour (who is Bulgarian) and I had issues with our DSTV and we called a technician to come and look at it. He did mine first then went upstairs and after he was done with hers, he came to tell me he was charging us 2k each. 2k is not a lot of money, but for what he did, which was to just touch the dish and do a little manipulation,t hat is just swindling! Unfortunately, she had paid him...i told her next time she should call me and let us agree...i eventually gave the guy an extra 1k and slashed 1k out of what he originally asked for...nonsense. lol
A few bloggers and I are writing a series...it's originally Favoured Girl's idea and there are about six of us...y'all should check it out here and give your ladies some support.
Hope your week has been good so far! laters! I'm cooking..need to go check it out! lol
Oh and by the way, it's my birthmonth and I'm starting to accept gifts o, y'all should start donating your gifts. June babies rock!
Honestly when I saw all the questions like Temite said, I was like gosh I have gone and put myself in hot water. I then thought, come on, you can do this, so here is my attempt at answering all of your questions. Hope you enjoy a glimpse into Writefreak’s world.
My friend aloted inspired me to start blogging in 2006. I used to work in customer care in telecoms and i think i did my first post i think while i was on a night shift. lol. Yeah so Aoted got me blogging and some boredom..lol..
OPTIMISTIC_alyzzz said I really want to know what type of person u are outside blogsville, are u quiet loud, do u smile often do u make friends fast, are u happy?
I won't call myself quiet, neither will Isay I'm loud. I can be sanguine but I also have a chilled out side to me. Yes I do smile often and I make friends fast. You don't wanna know how many friends I've made on blogville! lol. I would like to say though that the people i call friends are really few. Oh I am very happy! Well I would want to use the word joyful because joy is of the heart and I think happiness is fickle. Happiness comes from a particular thing, joy is a state of mind. I would therefore say I'm joyful, this translates to me being happy...lol..did I confuse you yet?
What do you see as the best parts of your character, and what do you see as your flaws?
Girl, what's your own now? Mscheew..Ok here we go sa
Best parts: i'm friendly, i forgive easily, Some people have described me with the word kind, i am open, infact sometimes i say i'm like a book, you can read me easily, is this even a good part? For instance, the mr can tell i'm upset once i start singing some songs..lol. I'm motherly, i tend to want to take people under my wings and look after them and i think i'm homely. Someone also recently described me as having a good heart. I have tenacity, i know how to stay with something and make it work...Errr..i'm still thinking, when i come up with more, i'll let you know.
Flaws: I tend to please people even at my own detriment (i'm working on that with pple like you on my case(sticking my tonge out at you)),I am quite sensitive and little stuff can get me upset. I can be lazy when i want to be. I could sit down all day doing everything else aside my work,oh yes and i procrastinate, i tend to move from one project to the other without completing the first, i'm working on this. You should see me when i'm doing chores, i'm doing dishes, then i remember something and leave it and go do something else in the bathroom. I might be too trusting, i just believe everyone is speaking the truth, sometimes my husband is amazed at my naivety. Oh and my sense of timing seems sometimes lost, I always push things till the last minute. I've been known to get to interviews at the nick of time...lol..with a lot of stunts inbetween. And lastly, I can be impatient. I really hate waiting....
Then she had a brain wave and said : One more question: If you weren't a writer, what do you think your career would be?
Hmm what would my career be? I honestly don't know. I'm one of those kids who was never really sure what they wanted to be growing up and hoped to find themselves as they went along. I'm glad i did. Oh yes, I think I know, I would probably teach nursery...yes i love kids like that! Someday I am going to have my own preschool and maybe full school alongside being a writer.
1. What have been the greatest challenges that you faced since becoming a Born Again Christian?
2. When and why did you decide to give your life to God? Have you had any serious slip-ups since then?
3. List 3 things that you consider to be your best character traits, and 3 of your worst?
My greatest challenge i think was being at loggerheads with my dad after i got born again. He's a Catholic and i stopped going to the Catholic church. In retrospect, I'm wiser now and I might not do some of the things I did back them but a lot of times I got sent out of the houseseveral times after getting back home from church. I would do things differently now though.
I think i already answered this question but i would say it was 1996 that i had a total change and since then, no i haven't had any slips! I thank God for that.
I answered the third question already:-)
a.k.a BaGucci said: What one or two or three thing(s) can you say made the difference for you in your walk of faith?
Interesting question. First, the friends i had. I thank God for godly friends. I became a Christian when i was in JS1 in 89/90 for the first time but i promptly forgot about it lol and over the next 6 years i kept giving my life and taking it back. Then in 1996, i met a set of wonderful friends my age, we were leaving secondary school and their waslk of faith challenged me. When people spent their spare time waiting for uni partying or lazing around, we spent most of ours praying and sharing the word. It made a whole lot of difference. I can never forget those friends. Over the years, I've been blessed with godly friends.
The second thing i would say is attending a bible based church.
2) Do you have a mood you have to be in before you post to your blog?
3) What areas in your life do you think we ought not to be aware of?
4) Would you ever reveal your identity as a blogger?
5) How would you defend Nigeria as a nation in spite of its reputation as a corrupt nation?
6)At what point did you realise people appreciate what and how you write?
7) Has there ever been a 'eureka' moment in your life?
8)Name a good writer in your humble opinion and why?
9)What was your background like at home, if you care to share?
10) Finally, WHAT WILL BE A GOOD TITLE FOR A NOVEL?
10) Finally, WHAT WILL BE A GOOD TITLE FOR A NOVEL?
Haha! So many questions! But i think i'm up to the task, catch me if you can.
How do i deal with sadness? Well i would say that sometimes i enjoy a pity party, i know i shouldn't but tears are sometimes therapeutic. Then like David, i encourage myself in the lord, i read the word concerning my situation, speak it to myself and then i play some good praise and worship songs...that's it!
Blogging, yes sometimes, i have to be in the mood, if i'm having a rough time personally, then i might not be able to blog around that time.
I don't have skeletons in my cupboard. But there are some things about my personal life that i wouldn't share openly, i think we all have those stuff.
As a blogger on my blog, maybe I won't reveal my identity but i'm aware i'm not totally anonymous. I'm friends with a number of bloggers, some i met while blogging and some before. And even some people who know me personally visit my blog.
Well i would say this, Nigeria might have a lot of corrupt people but other nations have them too. Also the fact that a portion of the populace is corrupt does not make everyone so, there are people like me in Nigeria lol...that;s what i would say. Don't generalise, not every Nigerian is corrupt.
I think i've known since i was a child that my writing is appreciated. My sister and i used to write silly stories as kids.
Yes i have had a number of eureka moments, one that stands out right now was the day i walked hand in hand down the aisle with my prince charming!
I think Abidemi Sanusi is a good writer, i like the way she spins words and her humour
My background? Well, my mum is a teacher and my dad is a retired civi/public servant (he's been both). I am the first of 5 kids. I think that's all i want to share.
Well, a good title for a novel? I'm not sure, still trying to come up with one for mine! lol
1. do u ever face temptations and how do you deal with it
2. what are the most important things to look out for when looking for a partner
3. How important is God in a relationship
4. Is IVF not having faith in God
5. When Paul spoke about the thorn in his flesh in 2Corinthians 12:7-9. Pls pls pls tell me you know what it means. I think i know what it means but i'm hoping i'm wrong.
I don't know the sort of temptation you mean but yes like every human being i face temptation, e.g temptation to tell a half truth. I usually remember what God's word says and i try to apply it to that situation, sometimes i speak it to myself or roll it over in my mind and that helps me get through it. Sometimes though, i fall but i rise again!
When looking for a partner, i think godliness comes first, does he believe in God? is he a believer?Next, character. Check how he relates to his family, his siblings and people around him. Can you deal with him treating you like that? Purpose. Does he have something he's doing and something he's aiming for? Does he know where he's going or at least have an idea? For me, someone's present isn't as important as their future. There are more but i think those are the most important.
I would answer the third question with Amos 3:3. 'Can two walk together if they don't agree'? If God is no 1 in your life, then he should be in your partner's life. A christian marriage is a relationship between two people under the umbrella of God.
I don't think IVF is not having faith in God. God gave doctors the wisdom they use. You're not going against His will by seeking medical help to have a child so I really don't think it's not having faith. God can use different channels to bless us.
Thorn in the flesh? Hmm Tigeress me i don't know o! lol...i think it might be a cross one has to bear, honestly i will need to find out on this.
aloted said: do you think life is clear cut black and white...or are there any grey areas? Please explain
No I don't think life is just black and white. I believe there are grey areas, even , the greys could be in different shades. Some things in life are not just clear cut. For instance i personally believe abortion is murder but i'm aware there are cases where it might have to be done. There are some cases where it's the mother's or the baby's life. I'm aware one can never say never until you're in a particular situation.
Enkay said: one question - Will you ever post on this blog excerpts of any of your written works?
Yes I will and i have done that before, i have posted two short stories on here before. If you want to read them, i can try to get the links for you.
I missed my thankful series last week. I had a lot going on. I had a deadline to meet, a friend staying over, and a lot of other stuff but I'm back. I realise I might not do this every week but I will always come back to do it because I always have reason to be thankful. I will choose to always focus on the things God is doing in my life and the blessings and the positives because it means that's all I need now. If I don't have it yet, I don't NEED it yet... Really, what don't I have that I can't do without?
So Aloted had an idea that we should list 5 things starting with our name that we're thankful for. This isn't premeditated so I am just going to do this as we go along. I'll be thanking God for 5 things that start with W, let's see if I can do this...lol
I am thankful it is Wednesday. This is the day I have set apart to reflect on my blessings and focus on thanking God. It's a day that I am reminded that I have a good life and it can only get better. Wednesdays to me signify Worship.
I am thankful for a Working marriage. I realise a lot of marriages are suffering, couples treating each other to silent treatments, arguments and disagreements all the time and a host of other things but I have a blessed marriage which i don't take for granted. Ours isn't void of disagreement because then it will be a sham but we find a way to resolve our issues without them degenerating.
I am thankful for the Weather. It's bright and sunny. I sometimes complain about the sun being too much in this city but i realise some people are longing for the sun to come out. Oh and the shining of the sun reminds me that no matter how dark a situation is, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I read a Karen Kingsbury book recently and learnt something fromt the character with Downs Syndrome ; 'when it's raining, you only have to look hard enough at the sky, the sun will be ready to shine'.
I am thankful for Water. I watched a documentary recently where people had to store rain water all year because they just didn't have water. I have the tap running in my house 24 hours of the day. It might look small but it isn't to me, water is essential to life.
I am thankful that I am a Writer. I have found my gift and the ability to express that gift. It is not a small blessing and for this I am thankful. For several years after University, I knew what I didn't want but I needed to know what I really wanted. I am glad to say I am finding myself. It might contradict the average person's definition of success but I am at peace and I know for me the definition of success if finding that thing you love, that God has destined you for and being able to do it.
And to show you I can find something else, a 6th thing...lol, I am thankful for Writefreak who is a work is progress. I am thankful for the total ME.
Ps: I realise this is my 101st post, and I want to give y'all my friends the opportunity to ask me a question or the other which i will tackle in my next post. It will give me motivation to blog the next time. I'll leave it open for a few days or maybe till the weekend and then I will answer the questions. Please note that I would appreciate a sense of decorum and polite questions. If i find a question offensive, then I reserve the right not to answer it. This is your opportunity if you've wanted to ask me anything about myself...gosh, i hope i don't regret this.
