Destined to Remain Single…

Posted on by
12

via Google Images

Hello guys! Happy belated Easter to you all! :)

I promised you all a post on a different kind of ministry and here it is! With that said, I wanted to get back in the groove of talking about singleness and expectation. Hopefully I can turn this into a series, lol. Being single ain’t that bad; it just takes a while to build a tolerance to loneliness. Right?

Take Miss Mary for example. She’s been active in the church for the past three years. Bible studies, campus ministry trips, Sunday services, Friday vigils…you name it she’s done it all. Now she ain’t that young and her folks have been asking her, playfully, “When are we meeting your Oppa? (Oppa means honey or brother in Korean). To make matters worse, even strangers who hear of her situation feel obligated to offer words of advice and encouragement, the bulk of the talk implying that she isn’t as close to God as she ought to be. She needs to know God on a more personal level, and she should start by trusting God completely…not thinking about men!

Now I’m sure many of my readers are familiar with this kind of scenario; the expectation and the torment that accompanies it. Most times I hear about ladies who have been bullied by their friends that the next thing they do is jump into the next available relationship. But this time, I had to really think about Miss Mary’s situation objectively. No one is taking her out on dates and she is serving the Lord dutifully. The exact prototype that the book of Proverbs 31 talks about! What could be wrong? What is she omitting from her devotion that’s holding up her man?

You are destined for singleness

If God decided to write up a report concerning your life that you would be a spinster for life, will you choose to believe it? Like it or not, we all have our mandates planned out for us by God, and when we declare our faith in Him we automatically surrender to His will and plans for us.

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? (Romans 9:21)

Do y’all want the faith talk or the female talk of hope? We’ve all been conned into believing that we’re meant to end up in a man’s house since the day we sprouted boobs on our chests, each and every one of us.

How wrong! While I’m not writing this to disappoint you, I want us to be real in terms of our purpose on earth. The singles ministry is a really powerful one, and any man who desires to take you out of your betrothal to God has to be worthy of such sacrifice. No man is worthy of you losing sleep over your loneliness because your phone has been silent for two Friday nights. Accept your mandate in good faith and in this case, contending with God’s choice for you is as useless as a sweater on a cat. Can you accept your fate as a spinster for life?

Here it is: If God wanted you married, He will orchestrate the encounter. Boaz was wealthy and available. Ruth did not “have plans” when she chanced upon his field. Ruth’s “eyes of faith” led her to the exact spot where she would meet her Mr. Right, Boaz, whose name means “pillar of strength.” (Kendall and Jones, Lady In Waiting)

Continue reading →

A Different Kind of Ministry

Posted on by
14

via Google Images

Wow thank you guys for your replies on my last post about plastic surgery. Ladies, it pleases me to know that we ain’t just pretty faces; we’ve got brains too! So its been almost three weeks, guys, but I have some news for you.

1) I’ve been really busy with some friends and we have finally started a campus ministry in my college. Several months ago, I had a vision of introducing Christ to young people who might be unfamiliar or unwilling to go to a church setting to hear about Jesus Christ. After communicating this vision with two other friends, and with support from our church leaders, I’m happy to say that we had our fist meeting on Tuesday at Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA.

2) I haven’t had a green smoothie in almost two weeks. Instead, I got myself a Pop Pilates Total Body Workout DVD by Cassie Ho, a YouTube fitness guru and certified instructor. I do intend to commit to this program and will share my results with you all (Don’t expect to see pictures of me, lol).

3) I finally changed my phone! I now own a phone with a camera, full keyboard, and full browsing capabilities. To put it simply, I bought a smart phone. I did bleed a lil bit…these phones are NOT cheap, but I needed something more functional.

By now you should be wondering why the post is titled A Different kind of Ministry. I honestly have no idea but I think it has to do with my next post which I promise to put up in the next few days (Its 50% done, lol). At this juncture, I would like to pose a question to all my ladies out there.

Question: If God said to you right now that there’s no marriage in His plans for you, what would you do? Are you willing to live a life of reckless abandonment to God?

What does the Bible say about Plastic Surgery?

Posted on by
30

via Google images

This might be a little controversial but the topic should allow for conversation nonetheless. Few months ago, I wrote a post on Christianity and Esthetics [Read it here].

Recently, a Nigerian TV presenter gave a shocking revelation of how she was chased in a dream by the Indian hair she fixed, and how the Holy Spirit led her to cut it off, anoint her head, and Burn it. [Read it here]. My intial reaction? I went through my drawer of weaves and re-read boxes that still have their labels intact! Lol! :D So maybe fixing Indian weaves ain’t as extreme as undergoing Plastic Surgery? It’s just a makeover, right?

But why do we want to enhance our physical appearances? I could think of several reasons; bullying, self-hate, etc. We all want to look attractive to our spouses and feel good about ourselves, and get compliments from others at the same time. Unfortunately, our genetic makeup is almost >50% to blame or thank for our youthfulness while our lifestyle choices make up for whatever percentage is left. So, as you might have guessed, after a while medals of old age in the name of lines and age spots begin to take their rightful spots…on your faces.

“Ain’ t nobody got time for wrinkles” – Barbie

Now, as a young woman, I do not personally subscribe to drastic cosmetic procedures for mere vanity. I’m not totally opposed to the idea of nips and tucks; it’s your life and your body. But I do believe that there are health risks associated with undergoing cosmetic surgeries and that we need to be aware of what we’re doing with our bodies. Also, be aware that there are physical, psychological, and spiritual- yes, spiritual implications to altering our features.

However, at this point I will like to add that currently, there is no where in the bible that I see plastic surgery mentioned as a pathway to hell. In other words, I haven’t found any indication in the Holy Book that plastic surgery in and of itself is wrong. If it is not biblical then feel free to debate me on this, with scriptures as well.

So let’s open this up for discussion…maybe a few questions too.

1) Plastic Surgery? Totally! It’s just a makeover.
2) Plastic Surgery? Yes, but ______________
3) Plastic Surgery? That’s an absolute no! *insert frown*

Let’s talk! :)

 

Green Smoothies: The New Weight Loss Motivator

Posted on by
11

via Google Images

Call it a slow post day/week if you will but I’m still determined to share this with you :) . While I’ve been away taking notes on how to be better committed to this blog, I came across a somewhat controversial yet potent shake/smoothie that does wonders to your waistline, skin, and your health in general.

Now how in the world did I miss the debut of this green smoothie fad?! It’s been around for almost a year and half but I didn’t know about it until 2 weeks ago when I stumbled upon large quantities of leafy greens at a friend’s place. Speaking of which, we ladies are hesitant about sharing the “secrets” of our beauty with other ladies. After much prodding and butt-kissing, I finally found out these greens weren’t getting chopped for vegetable stew, no, they would be blended with assorted fruits and meats! No meats, just kidding.

While I’m not going to call this a rave review of this miracle-in-a-blender, I will say it DOES work. I seem to have dropped 4lbs in just 2weeks of starting this program- with no exercise regimen at all. Mind you, results will vary and depend on your overall diet and exercise program. Not only did I feel energized every morning – which was needed because of my 9-5 job – my skin has been thanking me a lot!

Here’s the controversial part. According to this website, the green smoothie can devastate your health. Here’s what the author had to say about it:

The vegetables used in green smoothies are almost without exception high oxalate foods.  Over time, a high oxalate diet can contribute to some very serious health problems particularly if you are one of the 20% of people (1 in 5) that have a genetic tendency to produce oxalates or if you suffer from candida or other fungal challenge.   In those cases, a high oxalate diet can deal a devastating blow to health.

There you have it. While it does help you to develop healthy eating habit, over-consumption of leafy greens has its setbacks. I hate to say this because it makes me sound like one of those diet promoters, but please consult your physician to know if any diet or exercise program is right for you. I guess this means I’m spending more time researching my wonder smoothie before I get myself a serving tomorrow!

Here’s to anyone wondering what’s in my smoothie. In random proportions: kale or spinach, bananas, carrots, apples, cucumbers, yogurt, and peanut butter (optional). No garlic please. Lol :D

So, good luck! What are you doing to get fit for summer? Pls do share!

That Awkward Moment When…

Posted on by
5

via Google Images

…you haven’t written a blog post in months and you’re wondering how you can make another grand re-entrance onto the blogging scene! You ponder for hours on what topic to write on, listen to inspirational music to find a relatable emotion to feed off of, and practice just being…just to find the right thing to say. But that ain’t working so I’ll just go back to being myself.

In all honesty, I expect you all to start pointing fingers and casting huge stones because I haven’t practiced what I have preached for months. Being consistent with this blog is a challenge, one that I have come to respect and admire as time passes. Everyone can be a blogger, but bloggers whose lives are a beacon for others and influences them to walk in the light of Jesus Christ are hard to find. I decided to set myself apart from the rest and take upon myself Christ’s instructions to spread the word but I wasn’t prepared for the tempestuous sea that I would eventually sail on.

During my sabbatical hiatus, one thing became clearer to me. Writing is therapeutic to me. In fact, I may have found a second language; one that possesses the power to search my soul for emotional fragments and weave them into wonderful sentences that not only expresses my feelings, but conveys understanding to the listener.

So why have I stayed away from this blog for too long?

1) I may have lived a double life. My life as a blogger was -still is- meant to tell you how perfect and universal the love of Christ is. To ladies, my blogging platform was – still is – a litmus paper to test acidity levels in relationships and a GPS to guide them back to godly relationships. I never discussed my tumultuous relationships with others (notice I said others, not men. Lol). It was like an Evangelist telling new converts how sweet the presence of God was without being truthful about how tough it is to walk with Christ in this world.

2) I might have struggled with who I was and who I wanted to be. The blogger in me wasn’t satisfied with being just a blogger. She wanted something more. She’s had XXyrs of education with more than one degree to show for it and she wanted to shatter glass ceilings. So in search of fancy initials to add to my name plate, I disappeared for a while. The cruise was long and hard, but not without some benefits. Though as bitter as a kola nut, I’ve had to swallow my pride. Humility comes in all shapes and sizes and I’m glad I could recognize it when God opened the eyes of my heart.

I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:24). There is no gain without pain, and with this new realization, I intend to journal my trials as well as my successes. Not as a preacher, but as a girl who has tried it all and resigned to His will and purpose. 

So, shall we start over? I hope you say yes! :D

To Forgive or To Correct?

Posted on by
6

And out the window goes my once a week post. *phew*

via Google Images

We’ve all heard of this saying: to err is human but to forgive is divine. Sometimes in life, we are burdened by a sense of guilt that comes from having a sense of righteousness which demands that every wrong must be corrected, even if it means hurting the other person’s feelings. Note: I’m not an advocate for sweeping things under the carpet (because they leave you with a bigger mess afterwards), I’m merely saying that the fight for justice can take a dramatic turn which makes correction efforts seem questionable.

I have noticed several things which prompted me to write on this topic. First, studying – not reading – the word of God helps us to know God’s thoughts on several matters. By delving into the word of God, we see things in a different way, handle things differently, and our minds are renewed. On the other hand, we live in a physical and human world where you are held accountable to your actions and behavior. Then when people commit certain sins, we are quick to point out that righteousness is missing because, well, we’ve read and memorized what God wants in a believer!

We see them everywhere.The master correctors, I mean. They’re in the offices and in churches. From the way you twitch your eye brows, smile a toothless smile (what the hell? lol), enter the elevator with your left foot first instead of the right one, sink into a dining chair from your left side instead of the right, down to every musical note you sing. They’re two steps ahead of you in telling you that’s not the way its done.

Continue reading →

My Soul-mate: Shiny, Well-dressed, and Nicely Packaged

Posted on by
20

via Google images

So let’s crack the shell and head straight for the seed. I remember my younger years in Nigeria, when we would have 4hr prayer sessions to secure our marriages and husbands. Never mind the fact that we knew nothing about these men, but we were determined to “send” tons of prayers to groom them for the day they set their eyes on us.

“Your husband will find you in Jesus name,” yelled the pastor.
You will not marry foolishly!
Your husbands will be blessed…his barn filled with…

Amen! we all chorused, our throats patched and lips dry from screaming and setting our future. It didn’t matter. This was a do or die affair. The louder our Amens the better.

I was around 15yrs old. And the specifications for my soul-mate had been set. And he will be shiny, well-dressed, and nicely packaged.

So when Jide (not real name, lol) asked me out during my senior year of high school I stuck out my chin proudly and said, “I’m waiting for God’s choice for me.” I doled out the same response to a dozen others who approached me and this I did with vigor. The type of men my pastors talked about could only be met after college graduation. No exceptions! When I got to church and met with the youth leaders – ladies about 5 years older than I was – I shared stories of how many chaff my God has helped me separate from my wheat. We would all laugh and praise God for these elimination processes.

But was I wrong?

Were the pastors glamorizing the meeting of the Xs and Ys? Are you yet to experience the clinking of bells that lovers hear when they meet each other; feel the imaginary red string that ties your finger to his wherever he might be; or the unmistakable thumping of heart [likely to be taken for heart attack symptoms] when his musky scent wafts out from that conference room? Ha! :D

We’ve been taught over the years that by simply being a good girl and praying specific prayer points, “the one” will sail towards us and ask for our hands in marriage. Even Jesus did not come down from heaven wearing a crown and riding a horse. Or did He? Continue reading →

What’s left after a broken year?

Posted on by
7

A re-fill, of course! Before I move on with my post I think I should inform y’all of a very talented freshie in the blogging scene. You all know her story, as I have featured her in my Experience God’s love series. She is no other than Sahfiya Richardson, our flaming hot preggo mama in the Lord. She promises to blog regularly at Dear past, signed future.  If you don’t know her, read about her story here: Experience God’s Love: “I saw myself in hell” -S. Richardson

This New Year, I stayed away from any glass-popping, balloon-stringing, laughter-cracking celebration. Should my sour mood ruin the celebration for others, I locked myself in my apartment, watching Korean dramas, and alternating between listening to worship songs and Facebooking every 5 hours. (I promise to rave about my love for Korean things in my subsequent posts, lol) :)

Be careful what you ask/wish for!

Consciously or unconsciously, I’ve come to realize that many times we seem to be searching for fulfillment, validation, confirmation, recognition…etc. We long to satisfy a need, to have our desires to be catered to. One of the mistakes we make is that we think we want/need some thing(s) based off of the feeling that our self-worth might improve if we have such thing(s). We think our knowledge base will expand if we subject ourselves to certain treatments or sufferings we prefer to call the “School of life.” Now I’m not sure if that made sense, but one thing I hope that you all understand is the power of your burning desires. No, not that kind!

Are you aware that your thoughts will direct your behavior, whether you find them favorable or not? Constantly thinking about certain things will steer you in the direction to act upon the feeling it evokes or get these things that you crave. Most times, the results of these burning desires leave you completely burnt beyond recognition, which leaves you with a ton of soul searching to rediscover who you are. Continue reading →

Life as a photoshoot

Posted on by
8

Via Google Images

It’s a few days after Christmas and I sure ain’t one of those bloggers who write religiously to whet readers’ appetite. So, even though this is late, I’m sure you guys would find it sincere as though it came on the 25th. With that said: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance, y’all!  :)

That didn’t sound too bad, did it? I mentioned something like posting every Friday or Saturday and this is the first post I’m doing since I said that. Right on time…kudos to me for that. But I also mentioned several things, and among those things I highlighted my experiences during the time I was away and how they have challenged me to become a greedier person for God’s presence!

Let’s just say that I had a momentary relapse…meaning that I strayed from God’s presence for a while. It doesn’t matter if I just told a few lies or shot 28 kids. Sin is sin, and in God’s eyes, all sinners are the same. As humans, we tend to weigh all iniquities and treat our fellow humans according to their level of “righteousness.” (RIP to those young souls).

But several realizations hit me like a pack of bubble gum in the last 7-8 weeks. Of particular note is that sometimes we need several shots at life before we get the perfect shot. We need several do overs before we make our minds on the desired changes. We are assigned special projects, and we need continuous process improvements to make sure that we’re always close to the mark, if not always on point.

Like a model in a photo shoot, getting tired of posing is out of the question. The photographer, God in this case, has expended all efforts into acquiring all the equipment necessary to make our photos shine. He has gone out of His way to employ the services of anointed men and women to take care of wardrobe and accessories, lighting when the shadows loom over our profiles, diet when we need nutrition, transportation when our set changes, and deliverance to get away when we encounter some rabid fans/foes. He even prepares us for our interviews and tests with the press of this world!

Often times I wonder why I have to go through the same test over and over, just to get the same result. Well guess what? These results are similar but the processes are different. My pose was different, the lights and diet I endured in the results are different. While the eventual photo might be as pretty as the one taken yesterday, I am armed with the knowledge of what a photo shoot entails. The next time, I also won’t spend half the time I spent on this shoot having NGs.

I’m writing this from my parents’ house and I tell you that I can feel a sense of spiritual growth. Growing up in the sense that I’ve come to accept my struggles on what be I want to become in life; my worries that God’s silence sometimes is better than my prayers; and my hope that in due time, I will be the new Hannah, and I will laugh a laughter of joy.

And you know what’s ridiculously awesome? In this photo shoot with God, no film is wasted. Call me crazy but I know that my previous trials can be replayed several times…even on demand! If I ever request a playback of those ugly photos/trials it would be in event of a testimony. And you can always trust God to make this playbacks a catalyst to make your future better.

So there you have it, swag readers. I have summarized my lessons learned in the past few weeks in just one post (jeez I’m good! lol :P ). In the next few posts I might be going into some details about what other metaphors I choose to describe my life. Until then, I’m being diligent and working on being the best model for God!

Hey! Did someone call my name?!

Posted on by
11

*Does the usual housekeeping: cobweb dusting*

via Google Images

I haven’t been on this blog for a while and I can tell that life sure has moved on. I mean, I could hardly recognize my own blog when I logged into my account. For real! I need a refreshers course on WordPress blogging. The world of social media is definitely becoming more complicated.

With that said, I’ll like to thank you all for sticking with me through the difficult times. I’ve traveled all over the world and never found loyal readers like you, lol ;) Without further ado, lemme bring you up to speed on what’s been drilling in my life.

First, don’t ask me about my love life. If I had a boyfriend or got engaged you will be the first to know. Heck, my friends will have to read my blog to know if I got engaged. That way I get them to read my other blog posts as well. Believe it or not, I’ve learned a lot about guys in the past few months than when I was in a relationship.

Second, I learned more about the Holy Spirit than when I was all stuck up in studying the word of God. Hey chill, it is imperative to study the word of God, but what I’m stressing here is the importance to learn from your experiences while you’re down. After being on both sides of good and evil (muahaha!), you get to appreciate the grace of God and hopefully understand what forgiveness really means. I know you’re salivating for juicy details…more on this later. I promise. Almost.

Third, I’m thinking of picking up the guitar again. Uhm, make that “strumming the guitar again.” I really can’t bust a tune. It’s sad because I’ve had this guitar for years. The truthful person that I am insists on saying that my inability to play the guitar is due to my busy schedule. So yea, I’m about to inject a lot of musical notes into my boring life.

No, I don’t have that tablet/ipad/galaxy whatever yet. I know, it’s sad, considering how dedicated I’ve been to blogging and staying current I need to be with social media and all. Speaking of which, I didn’t win any awards in the Nigeria Blog Awards but the nomination was such a humbling feat. Thanks a lot, guys!

Lastly, I will get to contacting winners of my Get Clear Skin giveaway really soon! I can’t wait to see how many entries y’all put in and who would emerge the winner. Right after I figure out my password to get into rafflecopter.

So, God is good. And I’m back to blogging. Don’t tell me; I know I’m the worst when it comes to consistency. Let’s try this scheduling thing to see if I stay consistent. So this is it: I’ll be posting once a week, preferably every Fridays or Saturdays. Besides that’s the meaning behind the picture: Shut up and create. If you’ve got an idea, don’t just dream it. Create it. Do it. Make the world around you a better place!

Happy Holidays, all! :)