Wednesday, August 19, 2009

I'm a Witness!

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.



Monday, August 10, 2009

Before you append your signature...

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

Have a good week everyone!

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Guilty as Charged!

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.