Love is a choice

Love, or should I say 'loving someone' is a choice. Out of all the many suitors you had, you CHOSE to be with the person you are with now. The common saying that 'love is blind' does not ring true at all in my books. Love is something you actively, consciously DO. You choose to love somebody, and you have to keep making that choice daily in order sustain the relationship. I believe in relationships, and I believe in marriage. When a couple first get together, there are simple things that attract and keep them together. Each person puts their best foot forward in order to impress the other, and in the hope of making sure the other person chooses them over all the other possible partners they could possibly have. Once that choice has been made and they agree to BE in a relationship, they relax. They let down their guard and begin to reveal their inner self. The more they get to know each other, the more they realize how similar they are in certain areas, and how different they are in others. What may have seemed 'cute' in the initial stage quickly becomes drab and overdone as the relationship progresses even further. By the time they are married, the jokes that were politely laughed at, hobbies that interest was feigned in, all become a thing of the past. It's like once you 'get your man/woman' you can stop working so hard at pleasing them and making them choose you. I put it to you that this is actually just the very beginning. 'Getting that person' is just the foundation, 'keeping them' constitutes the building blocks of the marriage/relationship. We choose to do things that make the other person happy, which in turn makes us happy. We choose to make that person happy, we choose to trust them and we choose to believe they have our best interests at heart. Love is a choice, the day we stop making the choice to 'be in love' the relationship begins to die and eventually withers into betrayal, infidelity and eventually separation. I for one, I'm choosing to be happy, I'm choosing to love regardless...

One of those days

Today is one of those days... You know that the world is a bog place, and you inhabit the smallest, almost insignificant space in it, and it makes you wonder what your purpose is..? You wonder how relevant you are, and what (if any) difference you make. Where it all begins, where it all ends and what you've got to do with it. You can be so many different people and you ended up being the unique person that you are right here and now, and you wonder how come? As I sit here and ponder, I so want to write something profound and earth shatteringly relevant and moving, but nothing comes to mind. So, today is just one of those days dedicated to BEing, rather that DOing. I am basking in the sense of being...

The case of the missing president

For the past two months, I've been following this debate from the sidelines: Where is President Yar' Adua? Not knowing much about Nigerian politics also meant I was not too involved with the whole process. This morning however, I had the chance to view an interview at the UN headquarters in New York, during a press conference convened by the current Foreign Minister, Mr Ojo Maduekwe and it was an eye opener! A journalist for Sahara Reporter asked the Foreign Minister a question, and instead of answering the question, he went on a tirade. He called the man foolish, he called him miserable, told him to come to Nigeria and see what he will do to him, and eventually said 'I'm not answering your question, it does not deserve an answer' A non Nigerian journalist rephrased the question, and Mr Minister proceeded to answer in a manner not foreign to public officials: he waffled and babbled and used so many 'big words' and etraordinarily long sentences, he lost me after 30seconds. I still can't make head or tail of his answer. This incident reminded me of something that happened not too long ago. After it became all to embarassing for all, that the President had been gone for over a month with not even a hint of a message for the Nigerian people, a phone call was made to the BBC claiming he was alive and recuperating. Now, why could that call not have been placed to the Nigerian media, and why was it a phone call as opposed to a video call, or a press conference? How can anyone be sure it was in fact the President on the other end of that line.

In the absence of the president, the Foreign Minister is gallivanting around the world 'representing' the people, and cannot in clear words say WHERE he got his mandate from? Under what authority he is spending public money accruing airmiles, and responding to questioning at a press conference he called by spewing bile at Nigerian reporters? What exactly is going on? Where IS the president anyway? It just makes me sad that the president had nothing to say to his own people, or homegrown media, but felt the need to speak to the BBC. It also makes me sad that the Foreign minister insulted a Nigerian journalist when he asked him a legitimate question, but when the same question was rephrased and put in a condescending manner by a foreign journalist who went as far as asking him if he could 'read the president's ming' being that he had been absent for 6o days, or how else could he have gotten his mandate, he was more than happy to answer. To think we recently celebrated 49 years of independence. I beg to differ that we are truly independent, as many of our people, and most especially those in public service are still in mental slavery and will dance to any and every tune played by the western world. It is the same reason why we prefer Uncle Ben's rice to Ofada, the reason why we prefer Big Treat to Mama Put. We don't trust our own people or products, our markets are flooded with cheap plastic toys made in China, our streets are filled with Okadas imported from India and our TVs are tuned to BBC World or CNN. We have no idea what is happening down the road from us, but we know how many votes Obama got in the election. Funny, isn't it?

In the midst of all the current commotion, where is the President? Does he not owe the nation at the very least an apology for being MIA for 2 months? What is going on with him and why is the nation not being told the truth? i wonder...

The pastor's ass

Here's a great joke I came across today:

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.

The local paper read:

> PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline read:

> BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:

> NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read:

> NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read:

> NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.


The moral of the story is . . . being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery; even shorten your life. So, be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer...

Have a worry free day!

Looking forward...

So many times I try to start writing, and one thing or the other comes up and I find myself unable to complete one sentence, talkless of one paragraph. Looking back over the past 2 years, I cannot believe just how far I have come, how good God has been to me, and just how faithful He has been with ALL His promises. I don't know about you, as for me (and my house) we will praise and give thanks to the Lord who makes all things, and makes them beautiful in His own time. Time and again, I have been told to share my testimonies. I didn't take it seriously, because I always felt 'who am I in the greater scheme of things, why should my story be told as opposed to someone else's'? There was also an element of self consciousness, as I felt this would expose my life to the public. As if total strangers would not only be aware of my private dealings, but be able to share in my personal space. Having thought it through in 2009, I've decided that 2010 will be the year of speaking out. The year of proclaiming the goodness of my Lord in this land of the living. I am still unsure where to start, but I know that I will definitely share, I will testify and I will glorify the One who keeps doing things for me that no human being could ever be capable of doing. Do join me for this ride, and share your testimonies along the way as well, in order to encourage someone out there, or just to enrich the experience on this forum. I am excited about 2010, it is the year of completion. All the various good works that God has started in our lives, will be brought to a fruitful end this year, by His grace.

Prayer works!

It seems this month is bound to be filled with testimonies... God has just been too awesome for me to keep His goodness to myself!

We found out just after Christmas that there will be changes in my husband's workplace due to a budget cut. We've stood on God's Word, and believed Him for favour regardless. We just took the matter to Him, and asked Him to intervene and do what only He can do. Again in the new year, there were meetings scheduled to discuss how the organization will move forward, and it was obvious some members of staff will be relieved of their duties. So far, although no decisions have been made. Not conclusively, anyway. He has continued to receive calls to show up at work and do his part, and for this we are grateful. We have a roof over our heads, we have food on our table, and we have each other to fall on for support. We have also been blessed with unbelievably good friends who have made us realize the true value of friendship and loyalty. He is an awesome God! He has just been too good to us.

What has He done for you lately? What have YOU done for Him lately???

Prayer CHANGES things..!

I woke up this morning feeling the urge to pray. I wasn't sure what about, but I definitely knew WHY. See, this past year has been very tumultuous for me. So many highs that were really high, and lows that were very low. Through it all, God has been faithful. He has been consistent. Unlike me. Just yesterday, a friend asked on her blog, what our new year's resolutions are. I used to say NONE, because I know I will break them. Though I did not write a response on that forum, I knew in my heart of hearts, what my new year's resolution is. It is very simple, yet hard to do: to get closer to the heart of God. Easy, right? No, not always. You wake up one morning and start your day without praying, you keep meaning to finish a particular chore or task before going to your quiet place, in your quiet time, to meditate on His Word and say your prayers. During the course of the day, that time just never emerges and before you know it, you are so exhausted you've fallen asleep on the couch, fully clothed. You wake up the next day to repeat the same routine, and before you know it, a whole week went by without you even opening your Bible once! Imagine that? A man of God once said anything you do repeatedly for at least two weeks IS a habit. Imagine having my kind of days for a whole month? Is that a bad habit or what? After two months, I had to admit to myself that I had forgotten how to pray and seriously work on changing my ways. then life happened. One low season led to a lower season and I just couldn't remember where I had left God in my situation. In my despair, I gave up, I thought I was 'letting go, and letting God' but truth is, I gave up and started observing my situation(s), waiting to see what and how God would do it next. He just never gave up on me, He consistently proved Himself faithful. I consistently proved myself unworthy.

So, this morning when I woke up, I had been deliberating in my spirit that this year will be different. I will not only pray and study the Word for myself, we will do so as a family from now on. Consciously, consistently and committedly. Instead of just praying for one another, we will be praying with each other. I got up, picked up my Bible and prayer book and returned to my bed. I read out loud to my sleeping child who woke up at intervals to acknowledge my presence with the brightest smiles a little, angelic face could muster. I felt embraced in His presence, and I knew the Holy Spirit came down into that room and joined our meditation session. After reading the Word, I spoke the Word into the life of my child, myself, my husband, and our family unit. I felt the need to thank God for His grace and protection and did that for most of the prayer session, finishing off with the song 'You Are The Living Word'. Then, I started my day...

Just as I was feeding my child, the phone rang and it was my husband on the other end. He told me he was in a cornfield. Naturally, I thought he was joking. Curiousity got the better of me though, and I asked him what happened. He repeated that he had driven the car off the road, into a cornfield in a neighbouring town. I half thought he was pulling my legs, and asked for further information. I have to say that it has been snowing all day yesterday and today, and the snow is especially heavy in that town. He was on his way back home and driving along a road lined with trees on his side, but with a vast cornfield on the opposite side of the road. The snow conditions meant poor visibility and slippery roads, and as careful as he was driving, the car skidded, spun around a couple of times before finally coming to a halt ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, in the cornfield!!! All I could say at that point was: PRAYER WORKS! We both thanked God for His many blessings, and the fact that we did not start the new year with a bereavement or any other cause for grief and hung up. Needless to say, I am still reeling from the amazing shock of it all. I am stunned beyond belief. I know that I know, that my redeemer lives and is fighting my corner. If it had not been for the Lord on OUR side, where would we be? The same God that sent His spirit to watch over my child and myself while we were alone at home, sent His spirit to save my husband from harm. What more proof can a person ask for of His amazing grace and constancy and consistency? Now it's my turn to be constant in His presence and consistent with His Word. Wishing you all a fabulous 2010 with amazing testimonies...