Wednesday, December 31, 2008

My People...............

Today is the last day of 2008…………I know we have had so many ups and downs ….but God brought us through it all

I need you to know that my story of 2008 would not be complete without you, I appreciate you, and the time you spent reading my posts (funny, dry, interesting or just boring….)
I am posting this to say thank you to you all.

I am grateful…………
· To God who has kept us, blessed us with eyes to see this day and read this post
· To my friends, I know a lot of you read, some of you comment, some call me and encourage me. Thank you!
· To blogs Ville people, I get encouraging comments from you, and I have enjoyed reading a lot of your posts, learned a lot, and I have gotten lots of inspiration , I know some of you read and do not leave comments ( hope to hear from you soon)

And I pray the New Year would really bring for us new stories, new victories, new songs, new relationships, new status, new bank balances and new walk with God!
Bonne annee!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

My Christmas 'WORD'

I was thinking of my life (evaluating......just thinking...... generally about the passing year like a lot of people have been doing)……I guess I was overwhelmed.....a lot things are not working, some things have just been the same.......I needed change, a new song

And I got in to a mood of praying and spent some ‘little time’ with my father…. and this word was dropped to my spirit "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given" ( I was almost saying …God , out of all the directions I am looking for…………, a Christmas carol?)

Well…obediently, I reached for my bible and I looked up these verses in Isaiah 9…… and my!

It blew my mind……….

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (NIV)

The effect these verses had on me confirmed again the matchless power of the word!
It is timeless! because I (like a lot of people) have read these scripture verses many times in my life and it never ministered to me like this!

I've know these verses since I was a child…...OK, to be truthful I’ve known the carol since I was a child…’for unto us a child is born’….sure you remember that slow but nice carol, but the words had not made so much meaning to me like it did now…..

I know year in year out, millions of sermons have been preached at Christmas and other times on this Isaiah 9, but believe me, the description of the person of our savoiur Jesus Christ in the verses above just became really personal to me 4 days ago! ……

as I go into the Christmas season and beyond…the words in my spirit are……………

JESUS in my:-

My Wonderful Counselor! (Counsel is priceless, no greater blessing than knowing I have the counsel of the all-knowing, the wisest, and the omniscient one, who sees all and knows all)


My Mighty God! (what an ally I have in all my life endeavours! the “all mighty God, is ‘my own’ God, ….and I am reminded that in ALL things, He that is with/ in me is greater than He that is in the world)

My everlasting father! ( I know how it would feel right now, to be Obama’s daughter…….but the King of all Kings, the most influential personality in the world, the one that owns the cattle on a thousand hills…has lavished so much love on me to call me His daughter! ….I am the daughter of a King! You need to see me do the ‘royal dance)

My prince of peace! (And now…..I’m like God you are too much! He actually planned for my peace,( peace on every side, peace not like the world gives, peace the surpasses ALL understanding and I love the way ‘the Message version’ puts it, the ‘prince of wholeness’ and if there is anything my life needs now…its wholeness in spirit, body and soul! Jesus is the ‘prince of wholeness’


And I saw again in verse 7..…..’There will be NO END of the increase of his government and peace’.…

'The Message’ version says …….'no limits to the wholeness He brings’
'The amplified' version puts like this: 'His government and its peace will never end!

I am thankful to God today for this total package of a ‘whole life; salvation, counsel, peace and wholeness, things that all the money in this world WOULD NOT buy!……..
I pray this season make so much meaning to you too;

As many of us that need to be made whole in one or the other, may you receive wholeness

As many whose life is in turmoil, the prince of peace would grant peace to your inner man, peace is one thing I know a lot of people lack…….I pray God grants your heart that tranquility….peace that cannot be understood.....that surpasses all understanding no matter what's happening

And for those who feel ‘alone’ and isolated, may your heart receive the love of your father

And for the confused, the amazing and best counselor would meet you at your point of need!

…… and I wish you a very interesting and fun filled Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!


PS: You need to need see the translation for ‘The message’ version of the bible for Isaiah 9 :6-7

For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!

He'll take over the running of the world.
His names will be:
Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.His ruling authority will grow,
and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it goingWith fair dealing and right living


( I am still looking at other translations of these verses........)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

IN Between..............



It’s Christmas time! ……..guess you’d say yea we know that!
Everyone is agog about the Christmas season…….
One cannot pretend to be immune to all the magic around......
Not with the dramatic lightnings, Christmas trees & all the décor I see at night

I've been hearing comments like Christmas is in the air! I hear xmas carols, all the lined up programmes etc……..
People are asking me, what're you doing for xmas? What're you giving for Xmas?
As I write, I know many people I want to give xmas cards to, families I would love to bless with something, and some special people in my life I want to appreciate……….
but I am just not excited......, maybe not yet
While I have a lot to be thankful for,….right now I just feel indifferent, is something wrong with me?
I am particularly not excited, and I don’t want to pretend I am.
So?........ I'm working...............
I have deadlines at work all through till the New Year.

But this has triggered something that's been on my mind for sometime.
Do we always have to do what everybody else is doing?
Give cards, send hampers to people u really don’t care about? or distribute gifts to people who already have enough? must I have the new look, new weight, and be in the mood people believe goes with the season?

I’ve got my own ideas of what festive periods should be…Loads of fun!
For me its either you go all the way to have a fantastic holiday or you are not having one!
I hate with a passion a life of ‘in-between’! I always love to go all the way…………

When I say I like to go all the way, I don’t in any way imply or insinuate sex or anything illegitimate........
(I believe in divine restraints, I mean I want to have it all and enjoy all I can within the limits God permits)

I don’t like the ‘half bread is better than none’ lifestyle.
I prefer the ‘what’s worth doing at all is what doing well’
If I can have the stone, why not the whole rock?
If I can hum the line, why not sing the whole song?
If I can taste it, why not savour the pleasure of chewing?

Why just touch, if I can feel and possibly embrace?
Why just take a sip, if it’s possible to have a drink?
Why test the waters with just my feet when I can swim in it?
Why lead me on, on a journey, when you are not willing to go all the way with me?
I just don’t like to stay in between! I love to go all the way!
I always want to be there, whole! with my all! Its either I’m there or here, or no where at all!

If I say I want to work, I like to do a proper job!
If I say I want to pray, I like to do so with all my heart and concentrate!
If I say I want to spend time with you, I like it to be quality time.
If I say I want to play, I really want to without any inhibition, and have a lots of fun!
If I say I’m your friend, I want be your friend with all I am and all I’ve got, I want to let down my guards, be myself and be real with you!

I'm tired of people, who laugh with you, but you’re still not sure of thier real motives
I'm tired of friends that you really cannot see through their eyes,
I’m tired of giving, just because it’s convenient or to impress
I'm tired of paying compliments when you don’t really mean them,...'just to say something'
I’m tired of managing; pretending, hesitating, wondering…it’s not working for me!

I don’t want to just eat, or fill up my stomach; I want to enjoy the food!
I dont't want to say I love you or I like you just to make you feel good! or to get something from you, I want to say it like I mean it!
I dont want to just call you to fufil all righteousness, deceiving u, I want to enjoy talking to u.
I don’t want to buy that outfit, just to buy something, I should like it, it should trip me!
I don’t want to just give you a gift, when I don’t feel it’s fantastic and good for you.
I don’t want to manage people, and pretend they are important to me, when it’s a lie.
I don't want to dress that way, be that way just because of what people would say
I don’t want to go visit those people, just because 'we have to go' and pretend when I really dont enjoy thier company.
I don't want to do it, just because 'that's how its done' or 'we do it every year, every month'
I don’t want to go on a fast just because its end of the year, or its beginning of a new year! everyone is doing it, and it has always been like that……when I’m not convinced I have a pact with God that the fast is a part of.
Tradition! oh my God! It tires and piques me!

I want to have children and really enjoy being their mother!
I want to give and give from the depths of my heart!
I want to serve, and serve whole heartedly!
I want to love God, and love with all of my soul, my heart, my mind and my all.
I want to fashion my life, build my home, and choose my style the way I believe its best for me

God knows I get tired of just being there, and I'm tired of getting tired of just being there!
Mediocrity irks me! false intentions, pretence and all wears me out!

I'm really not impressed with the person I have become; I've learnt to pretend, to send half-hearted prayers up to God, to laugh with people through my teeth, to 'just work' and to just do so many things that I am not convinced of or I dont feel like doing.

I miss that innocent lass that believed all, loved all, and accepted all!
that laughed with all her heart, received all, trusted all! and expected only the best all the time!

Call me indisciplined, with out restraint, un realistic, deviant or crazy…….
I love to feel like the wind, I like to be free!
I want to express myself; swirl, jump, laugh, cry, shout and dance when I want to & feel like!
I want be all I can, do all I can, live all I can, chop all the life I can chop, and die –EMPTY!
Now, I know I’m saying a lot of things at the same time; I just needed to rant a bit…let out some of the many things inside me.
But after all my ranting…………………………………………………………
I guess life is give and take (people love that cliché a lot)
Sometimes we have to learn to endure, accept somethings we cannot change, pretend a little (I know its called diplomacy),

And all I wanted to say from the beginning of this post is that; from my heart, I really wish for you and my self a very, very, very, very blissfully memorable Christmas!!!!
Joyeux noel!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

AM I THANKFUL??


It’s exactly a year today……….............

That I returned from a short trip to find that I was ‘suddenly’ homeless; where I called my home some days ago was no more!

That my family now reside in a strange place called a guest house; that we no longer have ‘our’ own place, we have nothing to our name except the clothes on our backs!

That our house had been gutted by fire, a lot of fire fighting outfits in Lagos were there and all of them put together were unable to do anything to put the fire out.

I wept, I could hear everybody telling me to stop crying
I could see my siblings, tired and sore from many hours of weeping.
I looked at everybody....... and I knew there and then I was embarking on a journey.....to the world of uncertainty.
Oh my God! Am I dreaming?..... God! would I wake up and find out all this is not true?

I went to see the place………..
Our house…. now a heap of ruins, fire burnt like chops of firewood, desolate and empty!
It had become...all rubbles, the remains of a house that once was.

God knows how I liked to complain about that house, how old everything was, how I longed for a new place, my own space, my own territory, how I desired that we would stop living in ‘that’ house…….but not like this!

My pictures! My documents! My letters! My hard drive! My books! My love keeps! My CDs! My gifts, my favourite shirt, my sentimentals, my souvenirs, my write—ups, my awards, our clothes, our furniture, our ornaments, our certificates, her money, our investments, her business, his money, our this, my that……..all gone! Just like that?
All ‘my’ memories of my past; all gone up in flames!
I felt my history deleted, all the evidences that I existed erased!

And twas Christmas day…in church, I was supposed to be celebrating my saviours birth,
but my eyes…..my eyes could not stop the tears, I could not stop crying……

How did we suddenly become homeless? How did a home, a drama theater, a haven all of a sudden become a deserted land? How did the herd become scattered without a shepherd?
I had become a vagabond, a fox with no permanent place to lay my head
(forgive me to borrow for my self our Lord Jesus Christ’s description of himself)

I miss that home, I miss the laughter, I miss the gossips, I miss all the fights, the arguments, I miss my freedom, I miss ‘my comfort zone’ I miss my favorite little ‘travelling bag’ that contained all my ‘life important stuffs’, I miss the sanity, I miss the chaos, I miss the feeling of security that house gave me.

Its been a year …… (and I sigh),
I have learnt humility; to depend on people, to receive from others.
I have learnt endurance, I have learnt time heals.......
I have learnt not to be attached to anything.
I have learnt more of the content of the character of most of my friends.
I have learnt more about my own strengths, my weaknesses and my character.
I have known providence, I have learnt to abound and to abase.
I have seen love, care, deceit, lip service and in-sensitivity.
I have also found grace, and mercy, and I can’t keep it all to myself.
I have learnt that I should be THANKFUL!!!

And like the Americans……………its thanksgiving!
(I like the fact that I am posting this around the thanksgiving season)
They know how to (even if it is temporarily) forget all their problems and sorrows and be thankful!!!!
The bible says in ALL THINGS! We should give thanks!
I would not give the devil opportunity to rob me of a thankful heart!

I AM ALIVE!
I am thankful for life, I have lost dear people this year (they are no longer concerned about having a house to live in),
I am thankful for all my friends (not every one has the blessing of having good people stand by them through tough times),
I am thankful for all the progress I have made this year,
I am thankful I have a job,
I am thankful for my health,
I am thankful that you are reading this, you are alive and you’ve got eyes to read this post,
I am thankful for all the things around me that make me smile and laugh,
I am thankful for the smiles I see on the faces of my family members, we've been through a lot…but we can still smile, we can laugh, we still have joy and we can dance! We are survivors!
I am thankful for the hope of eternity, (some people are dead and in hell),
I am thankful, and I want to keep thanking……………

And can I ask? ………..are you learning to be thankful?
I know the year’s rounding up; we still have wishes and dreams yet to come to pass, but
Can I ask you to make a list of the things you are thankful for this year?

Like I read recently, we should learn to give God a sacrifice of praise, sometimes it’s a sacrifice, and it does not always have to be convenient.
I want to scream over the mountains! Tell of God’s faithfulness to me, despite me!
I have been unfaithful, I keep messing up, but He keeps dealing with me in mercy EVERYDAY!
I am tapping my feet, ready to dance, If not for anything, the holy scripture says, let everything that has breath praise! And thank!

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet; praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing; praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 124
1 “ If it had not been the Lord who was on our side……… Let ‘me’ now say!

Psalm 30
1 I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. .
11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Habakuk 3
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

I could go on, Psalm 149, Psalm 118……….on and on, I came across some interesting quotes too!

Cicero:
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld:
Gratitude is merely the secret hope of further favors

H. U. Westermayer:
The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.

Meister Eckhart:
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.



Saturday, November 22, 2008

Love story (1)



I remember, it was late summer…………, some years ago
I was sitting by myself, tired; he walked up to me, asked me something and we got talking.
Now, I faintly remember what our conversation was about, but I knew that that day, my heart had found a new interest! and I could feel the excitement building up.
I found myself looking forward to every opportunity to see him, to seat with, to talk with and to eat with him.
I know I have an adventurous part of me that loves to go on journeys; I guess I just decided to take this trip ‘cos I had no idea how far this was going neither did I know how overwhelmed I was going to be.
I just knew something was happening to me………and I liked it!


Its his voice I hear when people laugh around me,
Its his face I see on every interesting person round and about me
I went to bed with his thoughts lingering on my mind, and would often wake to hear echoes of his voice.
I spent my days planning with passion, and hoped all my plans and me were really his choice.
I cherished his quiet presence, it always made me ache and feel at peace at the same time.

When I want to call him, just looking at the phone and the anticipation of his voice at the other end of the line makes my heart skip beats
When I exclaim, it’s his name my on my lips, when I exhale, I mutter his name

I could travel nine seas and eight mountains just to catch a glimpse of him.
I could stay awake for endless hours, for my ears to feed on his enchanting voice.
I could never say enough with him! talking to him always made my heart flutter.

When my phone rings and the caller ID is his name….my world goes still. Stock still.
When we discuss and agree on an issue … for me, that issue is sealed, Dead sealed.

For me, it didn’t matter what I was doing or where I was, when I hear his voice, everything else just stops!
Our thoughts seemed to intertwine; our ideologies seemed to align, our future seemed to correlate.

We could talk for hours unending, play and taunt our friends together;
We exchanged views, visions, shared victories and enjoyed time together.

In my dreams, I saw a partnership that was effortless; everything was going to be OK.
My longing, my aching, my waiting to make our ballad a permanent reality made me go to God every time and ask…..….God, when would this be? How would it be?
I believed He always said, all was OK, that it was happening, and the wraps were unfolding just for me…
I had labeled him ‘Alaafin’!! the king of the palace of my heart!

And came that day, that night …………..
I knew my life was going to change forever, I thought… I would never be the same!
I knew my dreams were crashing before me, I thought …I had wasted my life!
I knew my years with him were reading ‘fiction’ I thought… I had been stupid!
This love was never going to be, this had always been a charade, all a sham!
I had loved and lost, given and had been denied, I dared to believe and was dammed!

But have I stopped to believe in love, NO! God said to me....He himself is love!
I still believe in panting hearts that beat at the same rhythm,
I still believe in love that lights up a face like a candle even in darkness,
I still enjoy sharing an umbrella ‘together’ in the rain,
I still believe in being speechless……..just in your presence…......
I still love the exchange of meaningless nothings, sweet nonsense and just nothing!
I still believe in kisses that cause the heart to miss beats..and beats...and beats...and beats
I still believe in playing in the sand, running by the beach, cruising on that private yacht,
In crying, laughing, shouting, screaming and being silent all at the same time,
I still believe in growing old together in love, holding those creased, wrinkled and worn hands, looking into and getting lost in those eyes filled with tales of older times
I still hold on to love, to life, to romance, to giving, to sharing, to helping, to sacrificing and I would continue to …..till I go to be with my first love, the one who first loved me, He who loves me most and loves me with an everlasting love!
I loved, I love and I will continue to love!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Nigerian Uniqueness




I have some really serious issues to post, but still sorting them out on my mind (trust me as usual), so I decided to do something less serious, came across this joke some time ago, I had fun reading it again yesterday… and I could not help but mutter ‘Naija no dey carry last’
On a positive note, I want to say (please pardon me to say something good about Nigeria for a change) Nigerians just always find their own unique way around situations. No matter what, we survive, in almost every/any situation.
The story might sound like its far from being possible ……., I hope you’ll enjoy reading it
There were three men living together in London. An Afro-American, a West Indian and a Nigerian. They were all starving because they didn't have money to buy food. However upon coming close to a posh London restaurant in this classy neighbourhood, they decided to come up with a plan.
The Afro-American went in first. After being seated, he ordered a three course meal with white wine. When he had finished the meal, the waiter came by with the bill. "LISTEN MY MAN, I ALREADY PAID YOU!" - the Afro-American shouted! The waiter was very confused because he could not remember being paid. But because he did not want to cause any trouble...he let the brother leave.
Five minutes later, the West Indian walked into the same restaurant and ordered a five course meal with red wine. When he was finished eating, the waiter came by to collect the money for the food. "HEY, HEY, LOOK AT ME CROSSES. BUT AH PAID YOU ALREADY!" - the West Indian shouted. This time the manager came and had to calm down the West Indian, because he did not want anything to upset the other customers. He let the guy go.

Ten minutes later, the Nigerian walked in. And you know how we are. He sat down. Lit up a cigarette, and ordered the most expensive meal on the menu, plus two bottles of Guinness. After he had finished, the waiter came to collect the money for the meal, But before the Nigerian could say anything, the waiter spoke to him. Sir...I have been having all sorts of problems all day and I can't understand it. Two other people like you came in earlier and ate, and they say that they paid me but I don't remember getting any money from them so...." Before he could finish, the Nigerian interrupted, rather emphatically, "OGA I SORRY FOR YOU OOOO. BUT DAT NA YOUR PROBLEM. I JUST WANT YOU TO GIVE ME MY CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

When He appears!

A friend sent the write-up below to me yesterday, reading it I was thinking...'Jesus! my soon coming King' I've been praying that God would help me always remember that a time would come when nothing else would matter.....NOTHING! none of the issues that I hold very dear (or maybe they are holding me), none of the things (legitimate things though) that I am running to achieve today would matter

You know, sometimes in our bid to make a success out of our lives (which I believe is GOd's purpose for us) we run to get all sorts, we loose the ‘real’ focus and tend to forget that we are here temporarily, and that whether we like it or not we would exit this world sometime and give up all ‘these’ things.

I'm praying God would help me live today and the rest of my days with the consciousness that Jesus is coming, and that everything (that I am so consumed in) else will pale in the light of eternity!
and I would hear the words....'welcome faithful servant and daughter'
Enjoy the read.................


"You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. P layers and parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.

As if the skies were curtains, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None.From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. North. South. East. West.Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship. Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy, holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words, but you know you must.

Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is. Jesus.Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: I am the Alpha and the Omega.
The angels bow their heads. The elders remove their crowns. And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know:
Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets, office reports, and your family even, nothing else mattersAll that mattered, matters no more.... for Christ has come."

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

DO IT! ...dont just think it

Some months ago, some persons did me a real favour, they actually went out of their way to help me, and I know they must have sacrificed a lot.
I on my side had also spent a lot of time all these months thinking of how to show my gratitude, what to do for them, I’ve spent days day-dreaming of giving them something wonderful that would bring smiles to their faces, I have at different time thought of 'I will do this' and 'I would do that'...................but I never did! ……….I guess I didn’t feel it was time to, or I was waiting for a more appropriate time, atmosphere or occasion.

But 3 nights ago, one of them strongly expressed his displeasure and that he was disappointed that I never said thank you!
I was shocked, I was embarrassed! I felt like the ground opening up and swallowing me up!
I left the place ashamed, confused, sorry, and at the point of tears

Right now, I remember that incident with a heavy heart, I might be a lot of things, but I am not an ingrate!

In as much as I feel sorry for myself, (I still feel like and think I might cry again too)
I am trying to put the incident in perspective, I decided that day to post my thoughts,
I learnt from that incidence………they're lessons we all know: but I am reminding myself that;

- No matter how good or honorable one’s intentions are, its of no use if we do not carry them out.
- PEOPLE CANNOT READ MINDS! We need to be expressive, we should let people know exactly how we feel and what we think (and we should do that at the right time!)
- Its immaterial how grand or fantastic one’s plan is, they are still useless if not executed.
- Time, is of great essence, like the holy bible says ‘there is a time for everything’ we should not miss our times and chances for doing things………else we might loose that opportunity. I like to be like the men of Issachar of the Holy Scriptures ….”they understood the times” and "knew what Isreal should do"

As more thoughts come to my mind on the incident, I will post them. I saw the following thoughts and would like to share with you.

Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season.It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year.It is today that we fit ourselves for the greater usefulness of tomorrow.Today is the seed time, now are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes the harvest and the playtime. W.E.B. Du Bois:

Don't strew me with roses after I'm dead.When Death claims the light of my brow,No flowers of life will cheer me: insteadYou may give me my roses now! Thomas F. Healey:

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work Pearl S. Buck:

The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!' John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963)

Friday, November 7, 2008

and 'OUR' Obama won!!

............. and Barrack Obama won!
I really wanted to post something else today.....but I cant!
I thought of ignoring all the excitement, disscusions, euphoria &celebrations of Obama's win....I cant!
I wish I can pretend I am not infected with the Obamamania........I cant
so, I decided to help my self with some dose of Obama's positivity.... Yes! we can! Yes , we can! Yes can!

so....I am also commenting on the win! and......... yes! I can!
When I started to watch the drama series '24', (24 is an award-winning American action drama television series. Broadcast by Fox Network in the USA) and the way senator David Palmer (played by Dennis Heysbert), the democratic presidential candidate suprisingly won the elections, against all odds and became America's first black president, I kept telling myself that America would soon see a black man as president, even though I didnt know Obama then (though I must confess here, Obama was not my choice candidate initially) and in all the series that has been aired till date, President Palmer has been the best leader American has had...
and now I can see that the 7th season that woudl be aired, would feature the first female president (and she is white!.............I am not suggesting anything o)

A lot of people have been writing, and sayign a lot, all night parties, rallies, speeches, artists relasing new songs for Obama, I learnt kenya govetment declared a work free day to celebrate, and trust Nigerians....Naija no dey carry last! everybody is now Obama's friend and brother, saying they knew he would win and I have gotten a lot of mails and SMSs from people 'attaching' to Obama, now they know thier father's first cousin's wife brohter is a step brother to Obama, this is an exmapleof an SMS I got yesterday:

" Swearing- in party for our son at 'our' family house in Washigton
Aso oke + Ankara = $6,500
Fila (cap) only = $2500

( no credit sales)

Olufunmi Obama for the family"

while I am enjoying the whole drama......all over the world, there are 2 major things I have learnt from all of this:

- I totally agree with the saying that if you can conceive something, you really can achieve it, All things are possible ( interestingly that has been the sermon in my church for the past 3 weeks that.....with God, ALL things are possible).
my faith is rekindled, my hopes are renewed..........I'm working on my faith walk.

- When its your time, everything, would work for your good , the present econmic crises, some of Obama's competitors errors (I am not taking away the credit from Obama, he is really a great person, I respect him) and American's displeasure ( I should say depression) with the present admisinistration/the Republicans found them looking for anyone that could promise them change and give them something different to look forward to.

Although there are some skepticisms here and there; if his presidency would really make any difference, some are wondering about his foreign policy experience, etc.
I choose to look at the bright side and be hopeful and we congratulate 'our brother' president Obama.
Nice weekend!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

My Life, my career???????????????? (part 1)

Laughing at my self……..noticed my new habit of writing things in parts; well…..what can I say? its just that when I start to think of an issue, ideas swell up in my mind of how/what to write, I think of this, …and then think of that, before I know it my mind is overwhelmed with all sorts, and to be able to put them all down, I try to sort and write out bit by bit……..

Am I doing the right job? Is this what I would want to/should do for the rest of my life?
These are lyrics that have been over sung over the years I’ve also found myself, friends and others ponder, wonder and ask…..am I on the right career part? Am I in the right industry? Am I marrying the right person? Am I doing the right business? etc
While there are a lot of reasons for these uncertainties, I have tried to sum up the major concerns; which are;
· financial security ( for ‘ever’ and ‘ever’ and ‘ever’)
· for some its fulfillment ( especially with all the motivational talks and preaching on ‘life of purpose’ ‘destiny’ etc)
· and some are concerned about job security /the continuous relevance of their field or industry, business or ministry
· Social acceptance/relevance ( which in my opinion stems from the above issues)

My first comment is one that is very obvious and probably over flogged;

1) If we really have the desire for change, if we’re convinced we should leave our comfort zone (if there is need) to pursue what we think we should/would like to have (ironically a lot of intelligent people I’ve met know this fact but have rarely taken any step towards anything in recent years)………….and that brings me to point number 2

2) Have we been able to ‘know’ what we want? What to pursue……….,?

We all don’t have leave our present jobs for another job, we all also do not have to resign from paid jobs to be entrepreneurs or go into full time ministry, we all do not have to start that business or marriage proposal now nor have those children now, but I think WE ALL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER OURSELVES! (And I think our creator too) THAT WE’RE WHERE WE SHOULD BE AND DOING WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING ‘NOW’!

(I’m laughing, looks like I have written too much ‘grammar’, I should stop here)

I read this long ago (don’t remember who the author is), I edited it a bit, mine in italics

“Do you feel like there's a huge gap between your present job and your ultimate career destination? You say, "Yes, I'd like to be a teacher, but that means I'd have to go back to school and finish my degree. That would take years!" "Sure, I'd love to switch careers, but this job has security; I don't think I could take the risk." "It would be fun to try and market my own product, but I don't know how to get started." The excuses pile up like dirty dishes in a sink; it feels like it would take too long, cost too much, require too many sacrifices to get from point A to point B. Whether it's going back to school, starting your own business or entering the ministry, the temptation is to always put it off until another time. Maybe when my wife gets a job, maybe when the kids are grown, maybe when I get this promotion, maybe, maybe etc

How do you overcome the fear of starting? You reach big goals by taking small steps! While it's tempting to think that the amount of time required is too long, those days and years will pass - whether you're pursuing your goal or not! God wants you to heed His call, to show up for duty and leave the provisions - including the time, money, open doors, favorable relationships and material resources - to Him. If you do your part, He'll do His. The Psalmist writes: "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps 84:11). Just trust God and take the first small step!”


What do you think? I would continue my own thoughts in part 2.........................................

Friday, October 31, 2008

Nothing

NOTHING SERIOUS

I actually have a lot on my mind, trying to decide which one to talk about now and which one to leave for later. I have not-yet-finished posts; I just have not been able to brush them up for post.

I’m just wondering, I have so much to do……and my mood for some days has been I just DON’T do!
I remember like Paul ………..the good I intend to do…….I don’t do it, even though mine is not

I have some things on my table that I know I should clear, I’ve been looking at them for God knows how long, but I just would not do it

I need some information I would be asked for next week…….I just wont go and look for it

Someone (who has been taking advantage of me, thinking I’m stupid) just left my seat now…I feel like screaming his head off, ‘giving him a piece of my mind’ but ……………..I just wont do it.
I should really read, edit and polish this before posting…..I don’t feel like doing that

I’m sure it doesn’t happen to just me (then I need help!)


Meanwhile beautiful weekend
Advice anyone?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Credit Crunch 1

I've been wondering about the new 'slang' all over the world, credit crunch (sounds like some nice biscuit to me :-)crunchie crunchie crunchie)
I find the whole thing unexplainable and very intruiging and I want to express 'my own opinion' (even though I dont know so much about economics, emerging market, financial graphs and all those things the guys in designers suits say and do on wall street, and please dont quote me like McCain o)

but then I came across this story( I enjoy stories sometimes) I found it interesting and somehow related;
Enjoy..........................

The Stock Exchange Market; Monkey Business!!!
Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.

He further announced that he would now buy at $20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50.
However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers. "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for $50 each."

The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys.

Then they never saw the man nor his assistant again, only monkeys everywhere!

Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works!

Let's all pray for the return of the man and his assistant soonest, otherwise................................!.


I will be back with credit crunch part 2....hopefully that would be soon

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Very funny ( Is it a good example of look before you leap)

A priest was being honoured at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the Parish.
A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner.He was delayed, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited. "I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person to enter my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss' wife, taken illegal drugs and he had given VD to his sister. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and gave his talk. "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honour of being the first one to go to him in confession....."Everybody burst into laughter…………………………………………………………….

Moral of the story: DON'T BE LATE for meetings.

Faith --- what is it really?

Its been some days since I posted something here, well.....I can say work pressure, but truth is that, it takes me some time to put my thoughts together in writing.

Recently, I've been having some real soul-searching, heart-checking, mind-boggling discussions with my friend at work on what it really is to have faith in God.
We have worked throuhg situations in life, when we have believed GOd for things, really 'faithed' 'fasted' it as we've been taught and the situations still do not turn out as we prayed for( on some occasions, its even tragedies that breaks our hearts). One starts to wonder , are things still left to chance for the christain?, does God just want us to have faith for 'going to heaven '? or is it that we didnt do as much as we ought to have done? or we didnt 'faith' it enough?
What guarantees do you have in life as a christain?

I have my own thoughts on this, ( I still have lots of questions though) I hope to post them soon.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

My 'own' Blog

I am a bit excited at the thought that I can publish my ownnnnnnnnnnnnn thoughts!, someone might ask 'who cares about what you think' ?but at least I am happy you are reading this, and it will be good to know your thoughts too! someday! and on my blog hopefully!

I am a fan of some people's blogs, and I have been inspired to own one, I hope to have a personalized website soon,!
I think about things around me a lot, the essence of life, the real meaning of life, why this happens? why does that not happen? what is the most import thing here on earth, heaven? what choices guarantee you what in life? what is fairness? etc the list goes on.....................

Well, while I welcome myself to my blog, I also welcome you too, I sincerely hope this blog would be very interesting, we all will ALWAYS find the time spent on this blog rewarding and there would always be somethign to look forward to everytime.

Seat belts fastened? lets hit the road....................................

Catch ya,

Olufunke