Still Standing

I just want to take a moment to encourage myself and any one out there who might be going through a particular challenge. Irrespective of where it is, I want you to know that no situation remains the same forever. You need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, things happen in life. Sometimes bad things. But how we overcome is so significant to how we move on to that situation to a position of rest.

I am speaking from experience. An experience that I am still going through now as I write in pain. Ponder carefully on these few words. 

Still Praise 

Still Thank

Still Trust

You will Still Stand!

In God we live, move and have our being. We are strengthened through Christ Jesus. As long as we re Still Praising the name of the Lord, Still Thanking God for being so awesome, Still Trusting in God with all our heart even if we do not understand. At the end, we will Still Stand. Stand up tall and strong in the midst of any adversity we find ourselves because we stuck to a few basic principles. Now, I do not know about you, but I serve a living God. 

Can I get an Amen!

Song Of The Week - Break Every Chain

Oh, I went to church on Friday, and this song really ministered to me.

There is Power in the Name of Jesus, to break every chain.

Please listen and enjoy!

Be Inspired!
xoxo

Daily Confessions

Your tongue is the most powerful weapon you have.

Did you know your tongue has the ability to shape the outcome of your life. So if you want a life full of greatness, you can command blessings to come into your life by speaking words to that effect. Such spoken words could be in the form of a few simple daily confessions. The confessions you will read below were sent to me by Sister Esther (an amazing woman). It is great because it is exactly what I need. I think it is also a good idea to practice these confessions and keep speaking them into your life on a daily basis. The more you verbally confess these words, the greater your life will turn around. Don't forget the power of the spoken word. It is all in our tongue!

Now say with me:-

I am like a tree planted by the rivers of water, my leaves are evergreen and shall never wither.......

I am flourishing like the cedars of Lebanon. I don't know when dryness comes.......

I function under the unction of the Holy Spirit and I know all things..........

I am like the city set on a hill, I cannot be hidden................

I am the light of the world..........

I am the salt of the earth, I preserve the earth...........

I do not walk in darkness because my path is that of a shining light that shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day...........

I am walking in divine health because I have got the life of God in me, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.............

Every fibre of my being, every bone of my body, every cell of my blood is inundated with the life of God.............

I am a champion for life........

Prosperity is mine..........

Favour is  mine...........

My victory is sure...........

I am making progress, I am moving forward and upward only..............

There will be no stagnation in my life...................

I am a success for life because of the Holy Spirit..................

I deal excellently in all my affairs, none of my feet shall ever slide..............

I have an excellent spirit.................

The wisdom of God is at work in me mightily, I know what to do, what tp say, who to meet, where to go, all at the right time. I never miss my way...................

The knowledge of God is increasing in my life...................

I increase in grace which produces in my life, beauty, honour, acceptability, loveliness, goodwill, benefits, endurance, promotion, elegance, charm, glory, favour.................

I increase in divine favour, I increase in speed and accuracy.............

No weapon formed against me shall ever prosper.................

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.................

The lines are falling unto me in pleasant places, ye I have a goodly heritage.................

Ministering angels are at my disposal, working for me...................

I am a world overcomer......................

I am more than a conqueror.....................

I am super qualified by grace.....................

I will never die................

Myself and my household is under the anointing of the Holy Spirit................

All things are orchestrated for my benefit....................

I cannot be disadvantaged in any way.....................

All things are working together for my good because I love the Lord....................

My finances are booming all the time, I lay up gold as dust....................

I increase in fortune.....................

Great is my peace and prosperity......................

I am a great personality, I have access to all nations, no limitations, no boundaries...................

The glory of God is risen upon me, I am the effulgence of God's presence.........................

God tabernacles are in me, I carry His atmosphere of miracles everywhere I go.....................

I am strengthened, energised, embued with power, ability and might.................

I am a great minister of the gospel with our Lord Jesus Christ................

I am an ardent soul winner.................

The word of God shall prosper in my life and fulfill in me what it talks about...................

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me....................

I am who God says I am...............

I can do all the things He said I can do...................

I am a blessing to my world and all I lay my hands upon to do shall prosper and be blessed..........

Kings are coming to the brightness of my rising.................

My future is bright and glorious, I cannot fail, neither can I be defeated.............

I win always, in every situation..............

Every mountain before me is made plain............

All crooked paths are made straight...............

I am the head and not the tail................

Any careless word that I have spoken or has been spoken concerning me is nullified in Jesus Name................

Grace and peace is multiplied unto me...................

Springs of Joy wells up within me all the time..............

The word of God is effective in my life...................

I am super favoured, I live in superabundance because I am connected to God's unending supply system...............

The love of God is shed abroad in my heart and this love radiates to all around me................

Nothing can stop me, nothing can hinder me...............

The hand of God rest upon me and my household.................

I function from the position of rest.................

I live a worry free and struggle free life all the time.................

Oh Glory to God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thank you for qualifying me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Darkness has no place in me, for I am native-born to the light........................

I manifest this light to my world ever so brightly today and always walk in the light, as He is in the light.....................

I walk in glory, strength, victory, and righteousness today.........................

My life is the manifestation of the wisdom and grace of God!.......................

I am what God says I am........................

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Praise the Lord!

Feel free to add any more confessions you have.



Be inspired to inspire
xoxo

Praying!

Prayer

1. "Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form of religious practice, may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song".

I remember the first time I tried praying. To be precise, I prayed from the age of 5/6, but as a Muslim. We said our prayers 5 times a day. Praying then as a little girl felt good because when you pray, you feel a little more connected to a superior being. A being you cannot see but believe in. At the time (before my sister spoilt all the fun!), I believed in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy. And I also believed in Allah.

I remember going to Nigeria, September 1993 and staying with a relative temporarily in Benin I think. I was about 7 and a family friend of ours, Auntie Uche, asked if I knew how to pray. I said, well yes, I do my ablution, bring out my mat, hold on to my beads and face Mecca and then pray. I tried to pray 5 times everyday.

She looked and said, well that's fantastic, but do you know about Jesus Christ and being a Christian? Well, no. Not really. But I remember before we converted to Islam, we used to go to Sunday school at a church not far from our house in Mill Hill. She explained that I can become a Christian again and pray as many times as I want, any time of the day. She said first, I would need to know who our God is and develop a relationship with Him. I was 7, so my spiritual knowledge was very limited. It wasn't really at the forefront of my mind. But as I started living with a Christian family permanently, I couldn't exclude myself from their routine. I had to fit in. I participated in every daily devotion and every church gathering, be it a meeting, a Bible study class, night vigil or Sunday School. My Uncle, who I was staying with is a minister so we had to attend every church activity/service.

Today, I want to concentrate on our personal prayer life with Christ. There was one Sunday I was in church and my pastor said, the only way you can learn how to pray, is by actually praying. Don't look at praying as a chore or a routine. See it more as a communication with God. Everyday, we communicate with human beings. Sometimes we are constantly chatting to someone in our presence or someone on the phone or someone online. But isn't it amazing to understand that God is with us 24 hours of the day 7 days of the week 365 days of the year. We do not need to pick up the phone to talk to Him. We can pick and choose when and where we want to communicate with Him. And its free! Its not judgmental. We can be on the train and talk to him. We can go on our knees in the comfort of our bedroom and have a conversation with Him. We don't need and appointment and we don't need to arrange a meeting. We can come as we are, with our whole heart, even if it is full of sin. God wants us to communicate with Him more. To have an effective communication with God, we need to communicate with Him in His own language. His "language", is the Word. Once you become familiar with the Word, you feel more comfortable talking to God about the Word. You understand who God is more and you learn so much. The Bible (where you find His word), isn't a fiction or non-fiction or a storybook or novel. It is the Book of Life. It is funny how you can read the same book over and over again, year in year out, for 100 years and get a different revelation each time. There is nothing you are going through today, that you cannot find in this said Book of Life. So lets try and reacquaint ourselves with the Word of God, and also learn how to pray more.

As a starting point, let's look at the way Jesus taught us to pray.

Matthew 6:9-13King James Version (KJV)

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

To help today, I have looked up what the Bible says about prayer/praying. Its quite a few, but please read through. You will be inspired.

1 Chronicles 16: 11

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually

Psalm 4: 1

(To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

Psalm 145: 18

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Proverbs 15: 29

The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous

Matthew 7: 11

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Luke 6: 12

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 18: 1

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Romans 8: 26

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Philippians 4: 6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Colossians 4: 2

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

1 Thessalonians 5: 17

Pray without ceasing.

1 Timothy 2: 8

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Hebrews 4: 14

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

James 5: 16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1 Timothy 2: 1 - 3

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks, be made for all men; For Kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1 John 1: 9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

One last thing I was going to say about praying is, when you pray, sometimes, listen to your spirit. God usually responds. Try listening for a response. Sometimes its less obvious than you will imagine. Another thing I was taught is this, when you pray, be happy. Expect answers to your prayer and let your countenance reflect the outcome of your prayer. Other times, you may not see the answer to your prayer immediately, but it doesn't mean that your prayer has not been answered.

What's your favourite Bible verse on prayer?

Pray! Jesus Loves You!

Be Inspired

xoxo

Heartbeat

The saddest song she ever wrote

Thankful

Thankful

ˈθaŋkfʊl,-f(ə)l/

1. • expressing gratitude and relief.

     "an earnest and thankful prayer"

     synonyms:

     grateful, filled with gratitude, indebted, obliged, under an obligation,obligated, beholden

Sometimes all you need to hear is one message, one word that will minister to you in a way that you would have never imagined.

So without making a song and dance about this, the past few weeks, I have been feeling extremely sorry for myself. Crying until my eyes are sore and hot. Not because it is the worst thing that could ever happen in the world, but it is an extremely hurtful experience that I am going through and so are many others. But my mind and my thoughts are my own. I have authority over it and I can do with it whatever I wish to. I am choosing to be mindful of my thoughts so they do not completely overwhelm me whereby I lose touch of the reality of this life.

Rather than think about my particular challenge and what I am losing, I am re-channelling my mind to remind myself what in this life, I am thankful for.

I thought a list will help, so here goes:-

1. Firstly, I am thankful for the God that I serve. My father, my saviour, my Jesus. I am so unworthy, but He loves me still. He loves me anyway. He makes me feel like I am His favourite. Even in my darkest hours, He tells me He is right there by my side. To comfort me, to lead me, to direct me, to empower me, to strengthen me. There is nothing I cannot handle. I trust in Him so much. The giver of my life. His word gives me life. It gives me hope. His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. He has told me that I am the light of this world. There is no challenge I will not overcome and return victorious. And His name alone shall be praised, exalted, glorified and magnified. Oh, I am so thankful for my heavenly father. In Him, I move, I live and I have my being.

2. I am thankful for my life. My life is worth living because Jesus Loves Me. I know who I am in Christ Jesus. As long as I have life, I have hope. I can do anything!

3. I am thankful for my children. My Lord has blessed me with three beautiful angels. My legacies. My mini-me's. I thank God for their lives individually as they are fearfully and wonderfully made in Christ's image. I see life through their eyes every day and its the most amazing feeling ever. They are the best things to have EVER happened to me. I love them more than words could ever express. And every day, I bless God for blessing me with such beautiful gifts.

4. I am thankful for my darling husband. My man, my King, my hero, my partner, my other half, my prayer partner, my lover, my best friend. He is my support system, my doctor and chef when I am sick, my spider killer, my baby daddy, my bodyguard... I could go on. He is all this wrapped up in one. Oh, I bless God for His life. He makes it his mission to keep me laughing EVERY DAY. For the 10 years that we have been together, I thank God. If I could go into a room full of husbands,  I will choose him over and over again. No body is perfect, but he is perfect for me, and I love him just the way he is. My husband loves, cares, appreciates, values and supports me. I am so happy to be sharing my life with him.

5. I am thankful for a sister like mine. I have the best sister in the world. She is my biggest fan, my backbone. I thank God for giving me someone to aspire to. She is my inspiration. She is my thought process. The tomatoes in my jollof rice. She is the ying to my yang! She has my back 247 365. I thank God for her life and who she is to me.

6. I am thankful for my nephew. Not only is he the most gorgeous little boy to ever walk the surface  of the earth, he is adorable and he loves me back! 

7. I thank God for my mother. I have a mother like no other! Being a mum now myself, I understand the struggles and challenges she faced raising us on her own. I am more appreciative of her decisions as a single parent. Ultimately, there is one thing that never changed - love. The love a mother has towards her child can never be measured. She is the one person that has consistently had our best interests at heart. As a woman, she is my inspiration also. I admire her tenacity, her determination, her hardwork. Her idea that there is NOTHING she cannot do. My mum will never accept no for an answer. She doesn't make excuses and doesn't expect any. Like my sister of course, my mummy is strong, beautiful, intelligent, funny and kind. I do have beautiful amazing female real-life role models to look up to.

8. I am thankful for my daddy. Omg, he can be so annoying sometimes but he's my daddy. There is one thing about my daddy that I can testify to even during my sleep. He is reliable. He is always there when you need him.

9. I am also thankful for my baby sisters,although they are not babies anymore. They are the naughtiest but I am looking forward to what the future has in store for them as they come into their own as women.

10. I am thankful for my parents-in-laws. They ALWAYS make me feel very loved and welcome. I pray God will keep them, sustain them and continue to strengthen them...forever. They are truly amazing.

11. I am thankful for my granddad. He is still alive and kicking and I pray that God will continue to keep him so he can see the children of my children. He is so nice and has been a constant and consistent male figure in my life. His support has been immeasurable and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

12. I am thankful for my man and woman of God. My mentors and life coaches. They direct me in such a way that is only led by God. I bless God for their lives and introducing me to their wonderful-ness. Their wisdom and their insight, their encouraging words that just lift you up during your trying moments. They breakdown the barriers of authority and show you love. I say this because they make themselves so accessible to you. They reiterate with their actions that you never need an appointment to see them. They are only one telephone call away and available anytime despite their hectic schedules. Yes, I say hectic because not only are they doing the work of God which is a full time job on its own, they also work full time and raise their children. Yet, they still take time out of their busy schedules to catch up with you and pray with you personally. As my spiritual mama and papa, I feel so blessed and inspired by them. I truly thank God for bringing them into my life. 

13. I am thankful for a particular sister from church. She exhibits the characteristics of Christ Jesus. She goes out of her way to be there for you in any and every way she can. There is nothing that is too difficult for her and she will do it all with the biggest smile on her face. I am thankful for her, her husband and for my friends and other relatives. Although not many, the few I do have, rubies cannot buy them. I choose quality over quantity. They are my reality-checkers. My life-balancers! I could name names, but they all know who they are to me, and I value them so much.

14. I thankful for the roof over my head. Yes! It may not be perfect but it is getting there and there is NO place like home!

15. I thankful for my many little and big achievements. My children will be proud.

16. I am thankful for the job I had. It was hard to find one, but I did, eventually and worked full time with three children. I am thankful because now, I am in the process of carving out a successful career for myself so I can enjoy the family work/life balance without missing out on precious time raising my children.

17. I am thankful for the dreams, hopes and aspirations that I still have and I am still hungry for. The holy scripture says the expectations of the righteous shall never be cut off!

Thank you all for reading.

Be Thankful and Keep Inspiring! xoxo

How Many Is Too Many

How Many Is Too Many?

I am talking about kids here! How many kids is too many. Where does one draw the line? 1? 2? 3? 10? 20?Growing up, I never wanted children. Young kids never really took to me. I was a kid myself anyway so the thought of having a kid aka a little brat, was so disgusting. Fast forward 10 years later, there I was, a young lady, having a kid.

My post here today will solely be on.....how many kids would one consider too many? Most will say it is dependent on each family's circumstances. For example their socio-economic status, their age, their marital status and what seems ever more obvious/stands as a hindrance to most parents wanting more is their financial status. 

Healing

Recently, I have been going through a challenge.

Some would think its trivial and clearly not the worst case scenario and certainly not one of man's greatest challenges, but to me, so far, it has been my biggest test of faith.

I find myself uncontrollably fighting the good fight of faith. It is all that keeps me going. I am learning to trust God. My faith will never waiver. I am standing strong because I know that God is standing right by me. He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world. As God leads me, I will keep trusting, even when I don't understand. I will keep believing even when my back is against the wall and I am close to giving up. I will keep pushing forward because I know that all things are working together for my good. I will keep the faith because the word says if I have faith the size of a mustard seed, I can move mountains.

A Worry-Free Life

How to live a worry-free life.

Below, you will find some basic notes I jotted down during a Sunday Service. Its all over the place, but you will follow.

Ebola - Again

Thankfully, Nigeria is now an Ebola-Free Nation and it is such a relief knowing that because I have a lot of family and friends who live and work there.

Lets not forget about those countries who are still dealing with the outbreak and the many lives that have been lost as a result of this deadly virus. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Keyshia Cole - Remember (Part 2)

This song is so powerful and personal. As usual, I only encountered it a couple of days ago and I have had it on replay ever since.

She does have that Mary J. Blige thing going on where you feel every lyric...

Watch and Enjoy!

Lesson to Men: Keep your promises

Be Inspired

xoxo

The Other Option

There is so much debate about being a working mum. Most of the debate is developed in my head and usually, that is where it ends.

I am all up for working to set a good example for the kids to follow. Working and achieving lifetime career goals is just ultimate in terms of your kids wanting to aspire to be like you. Working is great because it helps set your children up for life. I still strongly believe that when parents work and take care of their children, they are able to provide a better life for their children.

This post is not to reiterate my last post on working mums, but to take a little look at the other side. The other option. Why do some women chose NOT TO work.

My Favourite Place

Now this might sound strange to a lot of people, maybe familiar to some...

To be specific, my favourite Place in the House is...................wait for it.......................

The TOILET and/or The Bathroom! 

I have lived in quite a few properties. In my short life (lol), I have movedaround quite a lot. So when I say the toilet is my favourite place, I do not mean it is my favourite place right now. It is my favourite place full stop. There are obviously some toilets I DO NOT enter. Especially public toilets, so I am not generalising all toilets. Just the ones in the place I call HOME.

Good News! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Expecting Baby No.2

Yayyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning to the news that Prince William and Princess Catherine are expecting their second baby.

My Sister, My Best Friend

I love my sister so much! She is simply amazing.

More Grace

This month, we will experience More Grace in the mighty name of Jesus.

James 4: 6 says But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

The Ngee Show

I had a lovely weekend with my little munchkins. My nephew also came over for a play date with the girls.

Now what got me gripped all weekend wasn't a Nollywood movie on TV, or a fun activity, or even the news (let's not even go there). It was something I stumbled upon online. Its a Webisode series by Ngozi Nkwoji on The Ngee Show. She wittingly goes straight to the point. Its light entertainment and very relatable if you are African. She is not a comedian, but she is sarcastically hilarious and sometimes informative.

As usual, its the little things that makes me laugh so I hope you enjoy it too.

I Love You Karen! Rest In Perfect Peace

It has been a minute since my last post. 29 days to be precise.

There is only one reason. Work/Life balance. I have been busy working and then I had my summer annual leave which was packed with fun activities I will write a short post on soon.

Understanding the Meaning of L-O-V-E

Everything You Will Need to Know About Love is found in   1 Corinthians Chapter 13 1 Corinthians 13 King James Version (KJV) 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

The ABC's of LIFE

 

Please watch and Be Inspired!

 

Commonwealth Games 2014

Something else I watched over the weekend was the Athletics from the Commonwealth Games 2014 which concluded on Saturday, 2nd August 2014. I did stumble upon a few other races/competitions but I must confess, none was as exciting as watching Usain Bolt. Yes, I watched Usain Bolt win the Gold medal (again).

Even if we know he will win every race, as he has been doing for the past 9 years or so, we can't help but keep rooting for him. He brings the showmanship to the games. He makes the competition fun and exciting for all the viewers . He loves the cheers. He dances, does the running man, we cheer more. He knows his capabilities and is confident that he can surpass even his own expectations. I think people love him more because he is so down to earth and humble. If you notice, after putting on a performance for everyone worldwide, 20 seconds before his race, he focuses. He knows he needs to concentrate on the race ahead of him, so all that showing off wouldn't be in vain. He gives it his all. He delivers every time he runs. For the 9.69 seconds he actually runs, I am sure the millions of viewers watching him around the world does not batter an eyelid. You wouldn't want to miss a millisecond. For the final race on Saturday evening, Bolt and his team mates won the 4 x 100 relay in 37.58 seconds which is a Commonwealth Games Record. Well done to them. We should all be inspired by that achievement.

See a list of the Top 10 Medal Table.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the event and won an award for their country.

Ps. England came 1st and Nigeria came 8th in the Games. Super proud of both teams!

  Host nation (Scotland)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	England (ENG)	58	59	57	174
2	Australia (AUS)	49	42	46	137
3	Canada (CAN)	32	16	34	82
4	Scotland (SCO)	19	15	19	53
5	India (IND)	15	30	19	64
6	New Zealand (NZL)	14	14	17	45
7	South Africa (RSA)	13	10	17	40
8	Nigeria (NGR)	11	11	14	36
9	Kenya (KEN)	10	10	5	25
10	Jamaica (JAM)	10	4	8	22

Keep Praising

This month of August is our month of Praise.

 

Let us praise the Lord for who He is. Let us praise Him for all He has done, all He is doing and all He is yet to do. Hallelujah.

 

Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut. There are so many distractions taking us away from appreciating the love of our Lord. We get so deep into our situations we forget to Praise God. Do you realise that when praises go up, blessings come down? Lets stop complaining. Lets stop moaning. " Lord, see what I am going through", "Lord, this isn't going well in my life", "Lord fix this situation". Sometimes, the secret to our answer is not asking the question, but its by simply Praising God.

 

 

Praise Him for who He is. He is the I am that I am. The Alpha and the Omega. The Ancient of Days, our Redeemer, our Deliverer, Healer, The Rose of Sharon. The omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God. He is our creator, our maker (Elohim). The maker of Heaven and earth. Wow! The man who created every part of you. He loves you incredibly. Praise Him for He is your Father. He is your Lord (Adonai). El-Shaddai (God Almighty).

 

He is faithful and true, He is the Excellent One, He is the Lily of the Valley, the Bread of Heaven, the Bright and Morning Star, the Refuge from the storm, the Hope of his people, the Living Word, our Prince of Peace. Isn't it amazing to know you are the child of such an amazing God? Put what you are going through to the side and Keep Praising. Keep worshipping. Keep dancing for the Lord. Keep jumping. Keep shouting. Hallelujah. Give Him  all the adoration.

 

 

There is none like Him. Who is like our God, Jesus? No one. Be proud of that. He is everything to us. He is our Joy in sorrow. He is our Hope for tomorrow. Keep Praising the Lord. Don't get tired. Keep Praising. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him in the evening. Don't stop Praising. Only if you knew all he was doing on your behalf. Only if you knew how much He loves you. Keep Praising the Lord. For the Lord is GOOD.

 

 

 

Be Inspired!

xoxo

iLove Nollywood Movies

I used to be one of those girls that HATED Nollywood Movies.

Years ago, when you watched a Nollywood movie, you would literally feel like you have wasted 6 hours of your life that you will never get back! You either saw something fetish or strange. Sometimes the soundtrack to the movie was so loud you could barely hear the actors talk. For most movies that "touched the heart", you  will spend 30 minutes or more watching a character strolling through a park and crying about how life is so hard or how heart broken they are. I remember quite vividly hearing Celine Dion singing "my heart will go on" during some of those strolls. In some movies, you can watch someone eat their pounded yam and egusi from the beginning to end. Or remember every time you watched an action movie? Those were so lame. The sound of a gun going off used to irritate me (pop, pow, pop), like its popcorn. Whenever my husband turned it on, it felt like he was punishing me to watch something I was so disinterested in. But it was his "thing", so I had to grudgingly embrace it.

10 years on, as an industry, Nollywood has matured in leaps and bounds. Now, instead of a 6hour movie (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), the movies have now been reduced to 4 hours (Part 1 (a) (b) and Part 2 (a) (b)). Now, you can watch a big budget movie that only lasts 1hr 30mins. That alone, is a big improvement. All the gimmicks, over-acting and improvisations have been removed. The script is well delivered. Sharp and largely to the point. We still watch movies that last for 4 hours, but rather than the long walks in the park, the story is more dense and in-depth. We still get the odd camera man's shadow in the movie or the microphone dropping into the final product, but I must admit, it has improved over the years. The quality of the actors acting is better. The quality of the post-production is better. Right down to their storylines. I have loved watching movies like Ije, Last Flight to Abuja, Mr and Mrs, Figurine, The Mirror Boy etc. I remember falling in love with Nollywood, every time I watched Ukwa (aka Osuofia) real name Nkem Owoh. After a long day, its refreshing to come home and watch some light entertainment comedy. He was and is simply the best. I'm always in stitches when I watch him. His facial expressions alone send me into a frenzy. We love watching him at home.

 Nollywood is still an industry that highlights the lives of Nigerians and that is why it is so relatable. People connect to the stories because maybe you know someone who is going through the same situation. Sometimes, Nollywood movies act as an eye opener, so you see what is actually going on in Nigeria. It also serves as a comfort for those of us in the diaspora who miss home. Maybe if we were living in Nigeria, we wouldn't be so excited coming home to watch a Nollywood movie. We love the fact that with every movie, regardless of the twists and turns, the trials and tribulations, good ALWAYS prevails over evil. The winners are usually the people who encountered the worst crises, yet they conquered in the end. Sometimes at work, aside from looking forward to seeing my kids, I look forward to watching the conclusion of a movie I started yesterday. Nollywood, is now a part of my DNA, all thanks to my husband, Mr O.

Another person we ADORE is Mercy Johnson. Say what you want about her, but she is a skilled actress. She makes any role believable. She is by far, my favourite actress. She is naturally gifted with her talent. Sometimes you just want to enter into the television and give her a massive hug. She has perfected her skills over the years. A few months ago, I watched her first movie the Maid, and oh my goodness, how much she has grown and developed. Even then, you could see her potential and star status. She is so underrated. I guess that is why she won the best actress award for her role in Dumebi The Dirty Girl at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. She can take any script, interpret the character to the best of her ability and delivers. Every time. I honestly look forward to watching her on screen.

Yesterday we watched "The Victims" and "Slave of Destiny" - the conclusion. Other notable actors in this movie among many were Mike Ezuruonye, Ngozi Ezeonu and Olu Jacobs. My husband and I were gripped from the beginning to the end. Mercy (as we fondly call her) never disappoints.

Lets all try to support Nollywood Movies as much as we can. Its "our thing"!

Be Inspired!

xoxo

Strawberry Picking

My weekend was so good, Monday came too quickly.

Now in the office, all I can think about is how amazing our weekend was. I loved it so much I keep replaying the events in my head. I must, I must, I must share.

Last week Monday, a colleague suggested "Strawberry Picking". So I will focus on that for this post.

 Every weekend, my husband and I try to look for activities that we can engage the kids in. Of course I still need to cook, clean and do the laundry on the weekend but.....its the Summer! Even if you want to lounge around the house in your little nothings doing nothing that is your business, but your kids still need to keep active. They will literally drag you out. This all encapsulates as part of their "childhood experiences", so we try to keep it as filled and as fun as we can. We work like dogs during the week anyway, so quality time on the weekend is essential. Its not about the time, its the bonding experience.

So on Saturday, that it exactly what we did. With Strawberry Picking, the kids get to pick their own fruits and vegetables on the farm, put it in a basket and go home. It sounds boring, but trust me, with the children, it is anything but.

We went to a Parkside Farm on Hadley Road in Enfield. The minimum charge is £3 per person which means you are having a fantastic time, yet not burning holes in your wallet. The farm reminded me a lot of my grandfather's farm back home in the village. It brought fond memories.  Being in the open space surrounded by crops. Back then, farming was seen as a chore/working and not a fun past-time. We needed to farm to live because the produce we get from the farm is either cooked or sold!

It was nice to replicate such experience with my own children - without the working aspect. They loved it. They were in their own zone. Picking (and eating) the strawberries and plums. The farm was huge. Apart from the strawberries, it had other crops including sweetcorn (which so many people sat down and ate raw/uncooked), blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, French beans, courgettes, marrows, onions, spinach, tomatoes and beetroot.

The view from the sweetcorn section was amazing. It was nice to see London from a different view. We are used to seeing high rise buildings, flats, big smoke and over-congestion. But this view was idyllic.

For a moment, I stood there and closed my eyes. It was nice.

What made the experience even more special was we went with my favourite little boy in the whole world. My handsome nephew, LY. My girls simply love him, so it was nice we got to spend some time together as a family. My sister, her husband and my friend B, and her daughter also came along. The kids loved it. The adults loved it. Result. It was a nice family day out. We will certainly do it again soon (weather permitting).

Be Inspired!
xoxo