For Thirty or Sixty Days...3Ps

This time last year, I had recently moved into a new neighbourhood. I was fascinated that i could walk, jog or run on the sidewalks, i did it consistently for some months, then i stopped, mainly due to circumstances almost beyond my control.

A year down the line, 2 or 3 extra kgs, I thought to myself that it's time for a change, time to do something drastic, or well something different. My husband asked me on Sunday if i really want to lose weight as i claim because he doesn't see me doing much about it, i just keep saying. He told me he's not complaining (he really isn't) but i'm always talking about it. Talk is cheap! So i shrugged and kept thinking about it. Hubby has that effect on me! :-)

Most people tell me i'm ok at this size and bla bla, i kinda agree, at the same time, i have an ideal weight in my mind's eye and it's not 68.5kg, it's a maximum of 65kg. Like hubby told me, my problem isn't food, it's not even junk food, i don't eat much and i hardly snack, people who know me very well can testify to it. Most days my eating habit borders on starvation, i don't know why, don't ask me.

And even if I'm not looking to lose weight, I know I need to exercise regularly to keep fit, be healthy and all that. I've preached that message so many times, my once in a while gym going won't do it. At a point, I said to myself that having an Ipod will help me walk or exercise better (excuses...).Hubby gave me an Ipod on Valentine's day, i use it a lot, not just to walk or run. The last time i did some major power walking, it was both of us, and that was two weeks ago.

So we went to bed at a good time yesterday (i usually don't, i'm a night owl) and when hubby started getting ready for work this morning, i woke up(as the custom is). I said to myself, it's a good time, it's before 7:00a.m, why don't i go walking. I said it to him, he didn't respond, sharp man!

So as hubby got out of the door, I didn't waste time, I got into my sports gear, picked up my Ipod and voila, i was on the sidewalk. I didnt jog or run, i only walked but it felt good. I asked myself, 'why not do his everyday?' Then I thought I could actually do it consistently for thirty or sixty days.

All I need is some motivation and some form of accountability. So my blogville family, I am choosing to be accountable to you first for the next thirty days.

My commitment is to power walk everyday of the week except Sunday mornings (we go to church very early) and when something unforeseen comes up,for the next thirty days and then I will decide to continue or not.

I might need to make some changes especially to my bedtime because that has been one of my issues. When I go to bed at 3am, what time do I wake up to go walk or run? So it looks like bedtime might need to be adjusted.

I will blog about my experience everyday, the things I see, who i meet and so on. That is going to be some big commitment, considering how haphazard my blogging has been! Help me Jehovah!

And considering I am a spirit that has a soul who lives in a body, I have decided this 'exercise' is not just going to be about power walking. It will have two other p's. So the three Ps;

Prayer
Praise
Power walking.

I will praise God, listen to worship on my Ipod and pray (about anything and everything)as i power walk. To include you my friends, I think if you have anything you really need someone to pray with you about, you can email me (through my profile), leave a comment, and I will pray about it as I walk the next day.

I won't mind if anybody wants to join me in doing the 3Ps, first for the next 30 days starting today (well tomorrow). It will make it fun and we can all be accountable to each other. You can let me know in the comment box if you want to be involved. Let's build our bodies and our spirits in the process!

Ps: It's Nolimit's birthday! She's such a great lady! One thing I know about her is that she's really dependable. She was in my house Friday night/Saturday morning and it was great. Father I thank you for this your daughter, how far you have brought her and I pray you continue to give her wisdom to live her life for you. Amen!

Jhazmyn has also been in my corner of the world. She's in Abuja with her hubby and we hung out together all day yesterday. It was great hanging out with you girl. She went with me everywhere; bank, grocery shopping, etc etc. Then we came home to cook while her hubby kept calling to find out when she was coming back (it was getting late). It was fun...

So who wants to join me in doing the 3Ps? If you don't want to join, if you have a prayer need still, let me know. I believe we will have testimonies!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

Another Wednesday...

Another lovely Wednesday, another opportunity to worship, another opportunity to be alive, another opportunity to fulfill purpose...each day brings such wonderful opportunities.

God is ever good and worthy to be praised so i'm thanking Him again this week for the following things.

I'm thankful for life and the opportunity being alive presents. God constantly gives my loved ones and I the opportunity to be alive. It's easy to take being alive for granted but when I think about where some people are, I just lift my hands and say thank you father. I can aspire because I am alive, a living dog is better than a dead lion!

I'm thankful for my marriage. Lord I thank you because even when I want to take my eyes off my blessing and take the man you have given me for granted. I only need to look around at the relationships existing around me and I have to say thank you Lord for my husband is a good man indeed!

I'm thankful for the ability to dream. Sometimes i want to stop dreaming, i want to quit but you never let me. You constantly give me things to aspire to, to pursue. And for a man that won't let me rest on my oars, thank you Lord.

I'm thankful for the weather. I know we have all complained about the dust, yes it is very dusty Lord but it's not so hot anymore so I thank you Lord.

I'm thankful for wonderful friends who surround me. Thank you for that call that came through to me even when i thought nobody cared.

I'm thankful for provision. People say times are hard but I haven't had cause to say that. When men are saying there is a casting down, you help me Lord to see a lifting up.

I'm thankful for journey mercies for hubby. He travels a lot but you keep him safe and keep bringing him back to me. Thank you Lord.

So many things I could list, may I never take your blessings for granted father and may the reader of this be able to pick out at least one thing to say thank you father for.

What are you thankful for today?

Writefreak on Bookaholic Blog

Writefreak is on Bookaholic

Hey my people, hope you had great weekends and that your plans for the week are working out.

It's been only two days this week, and i feel like I've done so much already!

Quick one, there's an interview of mine on bookaholic blog and you might want to read. It's basically for my contribution to the In my dreams series...Hope you guys have been following!

You can find it here.

Please read and drop a comment.

Against All Odds, I Glorify!

Today I don't feel like praising. I don't even want to worship but I will because I do not only praise You father for what I can get or for what You can do. I praise you Lord because you are God, because you are faithful and you are just. And although questions rage in my heart, I will not yield to the temptation, i will NEVER question you. You number the hair on my head, Lord You care in an amazing manner and for this I surrender to You in worship.

I am tempted to go into a dark place and maybe stay there. I am tempted to cover my head with my blanket and stay there but although it is so tempting, I will not yield. I choose to praise You for that which You said You can do because that is exactly what You will do. Almighty God, indeed, Your might is more than any I have ever seen.

When I want to doubt, You constantly show me in Your word that You are capable of doing all things and showing Your might strong on behalf of those whose hearts are blameless towards You. Sarah was 80 years old Lord when you decided to make her a sign and a wonder. Who else can do that but you Lord? You are awesome! Inspite of her unbelief, she even laughed when you spoke but my Lord, you blessed her!

Abraham was 90 years old, you fulfilled your promise to Him. Father I might not understand but like Isaac, with a knife to my neck, I will trust that You have provided my ram. The one that will take my place for the sacrifice. I thank You o Lord because you're never late! You're always on time although in my head, I wonder what is taking You so long! (you must shake your head when you look at me Lord).

When Job was in the most uncomfortable situation, He chose to praise You. He said though He slay me, I will praise Him. I have not been uncomfortable like Job father, I choose to praise You and even if i were, Your praise would NEVER leave my lips. He was advised to curse you and die but he held on and praised you. Like Job this afternoon, I praise You.

Habbakuk knew how to worship and even when everything seemed so bleak, the fig trees would not blossom, the vine would not yield their increase, He chose to praise. I choose to praise Lord. You are faithful.

I remember the Israelites in Egypt father, how you brought them out with a strong hand and fed them with manna. You even gave them water out of a rock. Dear father, You are AWESOME!

I remember Hannah, how you turned her story around. Thank you Lord! You turned around the story of Jabez. Thank you father. You were in that fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. My God, you are a DELIVERER! Paul was bitten by a snake and nothing happened to him. Look how you gave them wine at the wedding Lord and saved them from disgrace. Oh Lord, You alone cover my shame and i praise you!

When I remember all these amazing testimonies, I cannot but praise. You are the God who is NEVER late.

For my life and my husband's, I thank you. You constantly care for us. You are our pillar, our rock and you sustain us. You keep us together in your love and harmony and give us joy that only you can give. Thank you dear Lord.

I thank you Lord for all my family and friends. You constantly keep them.

For those friends I was praying for, the ones who have experienced heartaches and losses that You have now blessed Lord, I give you thanks. This time Lord I am thankful because in theirarms, they will welcome bundles of joy.

I thank you for all You are and all You do. I thank you for the air I breathe though I constantly complain of how hot it is.

Lord I thank You because You constantly choose to use this earthen vessel for your glory. You give me the opportunity to encourage and bless others even though I might be grumpy sometimes. You let them see a beacon of light through me and I am grateful that although I might have an albatross on my neck, You use it for Your glory. And through me, the scripture that says you have given me the tongue of the learned that I may know how to speak a word in season to the weary is fulfilled.

Be magnified o Lord, You're indeed worthy!

Borrowing from Rita's post, I can say

You keep track of all my sorrows
You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book (Ps 56:8 NLT)

Get In The Deep End!

I learnt to swim some years back and the instructor did a great job of teaching me, actually us. My husband and i (then fiance) with my sister all learnt together. He was a task master and he would make us go to the deep end with no warning. The pool was fairly large and the first time he made me do it, it felt like a feat i could not achieve. He went with me, and i did it! It was amazing.

Coach I was like a slave driver and if you managed to drink water, he would call you 'Shakira' (something about shacking water..lol. Left to me, I would know all the styles he could teach, back strokes, breast strokes, free style etc. I stayed with breast strokes, that was the one he first taught me. I tried back strokes too and i was ok with it but i just liked breast strokes better.

A few years later, i had not gone swimming in a while, there were so many reasons not to. There was no good pool around, I would have to travel a far distance from my house in Surulere when i lived in Lagos etc. Swimming took a back seat and I only got to fool around in the water whenever I got the opportunity to.

A few years later (NOW), I live in a city where traffic is not a problem, I have the membership of a hotel gym and I can use the pool anytime i want. I'm a registered member, I don't need to pay a dime extra. I go a bit more frequently now.

EVerytime i'm at the pool, i stay in the shallow end and just keep swimming the breath back and forth. I would tell myself sometimes it's the same skill i use for the breadth that i need for the length but would still not venture out.

The last time at the pool, hubby suggested starting from the deep end so if i got stuck, i could stop just before the shallow end. I didn't think i wasn't going because i though i couldn't make it to the end. I can swim well, it's just a four letter word FEAR. I've had episodes in the past when by myself I would stop in the middle of the water and shout 'I'm drowning'. I wasn't really drowning, I just decided in my mind I couldn't move on.

So today, I decided why not take the Mr's advice and start from the deep end. I stayed there for a while hanging on the wall for support, i tried to acclimatise, i even went down and let my feet touch the ground so i could spring up. I lost control a bit at that point and then i did what my instructor taught me, i sprang up and voila, my head came up. I waited a few minutes and then

I decided to glide forward. I pushed myself forward and instructed myself to swim. One stroke after the other, with my legs kicking, i made it to the shallow end with no incident. I made sure i stayed close to the wall though(chicken me).

Then when i swam back to the deep end, i asked hubby why i never ventured out by myself, he said FEAR. He explained how i had put a limitation on myself, told myself i could not do it and no matter what anyone said, until i told myself i could, nobody could. I went back and forth and made sure i did seven laps. I did it! I could with no help
from anyone.

Thinking about it, God taught me a lesson. He has told me I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. His word is true but when i say the word can't, my brain shuts down, i see no way around it and no matter what, I just can't.

It's like that with every area of our lives. I dared myself, I pushed myself forward, although my hubby thought i could, his words could not have done it for me if i didn't dare to try.

In what area have you said to yourself I can't, although you know deep down that if only you try, you can? Like my husband said to me, I dare you to take off the limitation on your mind and swim to the deep end.

You can!