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Monday 29 February 2016

PERSISTENCE – THE VEHICLE TO SUCCESS



‘Don’t give up’, ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win’, ‘Have a can do mentality’, ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’ and many more slogans are phrases that stress the importance of PERSISTENCE.
Persistence is simply continuing in a course of action despite the difficulties and challenges one may encounter. It is devising a new means to achieve your goal when the previously devised means fails.
Overtime persistence has been proven to be a major characteristic trait of champions and winners. 
To be able to persevere you must understand that failing is almost inevitable on your way to achieving your goals which is why Sir Winston Churchill defined success as moving from failure to failure with enthusiasm. Failing doesn’t make you a failure, it just means that you have to devise a new means to achieve your goal.
You know the man who stopped digging when he was just a few feet within reach of Gold? He may have been talented and may have had a great plan for how he would use the Gold for the betterment of humanity but he wasn’t persistent and as such he ended up with oh well…nothing.

So if you have found the one thing your heart beats for or the dream that keeps you awake at night, excites and scares you at this same time, write it down. You write because merely thinking about it is not enough to spur you to action. Then set a deadline, anticipate and prepare for obstacles, surround yourself with people who will encourage you – firelighters – take steps towards achieving that goal, be disciplined and stay focused.

The steps you take towards actualizing your goal may include reading about it, finding someone to mentor you, taking practical classes or lessons where skills are required.

I remember the story of Joseph, remember him? The dreamer yes that’s him.
He had a dream that his Father and brothers would bow to him and though he didn’t know how, he held on to his dream. He was sold into slavery, wrongly accused by his Master’s wife, was sent to prison but through it all, he held on to his dream.

Working with his Master Potiphar afforded him the opportunity to learn managerial skills, he did well in this and his Master put him in charge of all he had – he had become not just a manager but a leader. Little wonder then that when Pharaoh put him in charge of ALL of Egypt at the age of 30, he did not fail – he prepared in his persistence.
Joseph was a man of great faith in that he trusted in what he could not see even when he became a slave, he was tenacious, stayed true to his beliefs and core values, was disciplined and focused.

The power of persistence beats talent and as Calvin Coolidge put it "Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

You may say I have held on for so long and it seems like my dream is just a dream but know that sometimes God takes us around the block just to get us to the next room, trust his plan and yield yourself to discipline and training as there is nothing worse than getting an opportunity you are not prepared for.
All men and women who succeeded were persistent. Nelson Mandela, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln were persistent.

Let life teach you and learn all you can.

Persist in your career, family, relationships, business, love, faith and dreams until you succeed.

Friday 26 February 2016

F.L.Y: First Love Yourself



For all the times that you made me feel small
I fell in love now I fear nothin' at all
I never felt so low when I was vulnerable
Was I a fool to let you break down my walls?’

These are lyrics from Justin Bieber’s song ‘Love Yourself’ and while I wouldn’t call myself a Justin Bieber fan these words struck a chord in my heart.

I once had a friend confide in me about a man she dated. He seemed too good to be true at least in her opinion at the time. She thought he was dependable and couldn’t imagine life without him. How would she cope without this man that had come to be her pillar of support and to whom she ran when she had any challenge?

She never made any decision without consulting him as she couldn’t trust herself to do right. He basically came into her life to change her.

He thought she didn’t dress well enough, thought she didn’t know enough of Mathematics and thought she shouldn’t keep people of certain ilk as friends.
To be fair to him he got her to read a lot but at the time she wasn’t reading to be better for herself but to be good enough for him.

When they met new people, he would never introduce her to them without mentioning where she worked – like she had no identity and value without her job.
She became so dependent on him because he had succeeded in eroding her sense of self-worth. She tolerated his excesses and even when he acted in ways that would make any sane woman walk away she found herself going back to him.

We thought it was love at the time even though we couldn’t fathom how love could make someone so weak.

Until she opened up to me. She had broken the relationship and told me that she realized that she had been verbally and emotionally abused.

She cried while we spoke and I found myself crying too because I too have experienced emotional abuse albeit subtly.

She dreaded the journey it would take for her to heal and regain her sense of self and confidence.

In case you are wondering how one would subject oneself to that, note that it wasn’t that way at first. The snide remarks and derogatory words started as him giving his ‘honest’ opinion and graduated into him trying to help her think and act better before it blew into full abuse – emotional.
Too many people stay in such relationships where their self-esteem and sense of self-worth has been eroded.

If you find yourself constantly trying to gain the approval of your partner, losing friends and family members because your partner thinks they are not good enough or not being able to make major decisions about your life without their opinion, then maybe you are being abused emotionally.
If you find yourself leaving the people and activities that were part of your life before you started the relationship and have loved ones telling you that you have metamorphosed into a different person, if you feel so vulnerable when you are with your partner, then maybe you are being abused emotionally.

And if you have ever wondered what love looks like, read what the book of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 says about love.
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]’.
And verse 13 of that chapter says ‘And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love’.
You see then that love is valued even above Faith which is the key to pleasing God.
Take time to study and understand yourself then love yourself before attempting to love someone else because then you would never let another mortal fool you into thinking you are not enough. You are enough and even if you were the only one on earth, Christ would still have died.
Let that sink in and remember to F.L.Y -First Love Yourself!

Wednesday 24 February 2016

MOVING FORWARD - BECAUSE THE PAST IS PAST.



I am sure you have met that one person.

The man that talks ceaselessly about his glory days as a War Veteran and how people like him are not getting what they deserve from the country; the woman who recalls how she was once her school’s Head Girl and was roommates with the newly appointed Minister; the young man who was the best sports man in his school days, won cups for his school and tells you he was Classmates with the Captain of the national football team; the uncle who once had the biggest farm in your town but now has only stories of woe to tell.

These are people who have been there, done all that, can write the books but have nothing to show for all their past conquests. You may find yourself trying to avoid having conversations with them because each time you do, there’s always a point where they find a way to rehash the story you have heard so many times that you can retell it verbatim.

I have met a lot of these people.

They are oftentimes warm, high spirited, pleasant and cheerful but their only problem is that they are stuck in their past. They have refused to let go of the past and would rather glory in their beautiful past than face their not-so-beautiful reality. They chose to live the life they see in the rearview mirror instead of focusing on the road ahead.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in reliving past victories especially in life’s trying times but they should only serve as catalysts for our faith to overcome the present challenge. It serves as a reminder that if you could do it then, then you can do it now.

The danger is in holding so much on to the past that you chose to not move forward.

Change is life’s only constant, it is going to happen in your life whether you like it or not and sometimes it will be unexpected. It is therefore wise to anticipate change and find the best ways to deal with it.

I learned valuable lessons about change from the book ‘Who Moved My Cheese’ by Spencer Johnson.
The book tells a story of four characters – Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw that live in a maze and daily go out in search of cheese. Cheese represents the things we want in life like financial success, a relationship, a job, freedom, health, recognition, spiritual peace and to which we allude our happiness, comfort and security.
The maze symbolizes the places where we spend time looking for these things.
They had the Cheese to keep them satisfied but after a while, the Cheese was no longer available. When the situation changed how these characters reacted to the situation that is described in this book is the same way we often deal with change.
Sniff had the ability to sense change, while Scurry is quick and mentally acute. On the other hand, Hem and Haw are hesitant with change hoping that someday things would go back to how they used to be and in the process, blaming everyone but themselves. Haw eventually realized that he needed to move with change while Hem stayed hemmed in, refusing to move with the change.
Haw who moved on in search of new Cheese learnt some life changing lessons and left notes in his trail, hoping that someday Hem would leave his comfort zone and read the lessons he left for him.

These are some of the profound lessons:
Change Happens – They Keep Moving the Cheese: Change is inevitable but we can choose to grow or remain as we are. We need to accept this fact as that is the easiest way to move forward.
Anticipate Change, Get Ready for the Cheese to Move: No matter how good things are, never become too comfortable. Always have a Plan B and like the slogan of the Boy’s Scout says ‘be prepared’ so you do not regret later.
Adapt To Change Quickly: When change happens, just go with it. Nothing good will happen if you deny it, overanalyze it or complain about it.
Change – Move with the Cheese: Do not let fear of the unknown hold you back. Take risks and even if you seem not to be making progress, you will learn valuable lessons.
Enjoy Change – Savour the Adventure and Enjoy the Taste of New Cheese: Just accept the thrills of the victories and challenges you will encounter on your search for new cheese.
Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy It Again because they Keep Moving the Cheese:
Again, as you enjoy the new cheese, be wary of your surroundings because change will happen again. You’ll encounter success and failure along the way, but the learnings and experience will be all worth it.
You may be at a point in life’s journey where you feel like you have fallen from grace. It may seem like those with whom you started out have gone so far ahead of you but know that it’s never too late to embrace change.
It’s never about where you have been but where you are now – maximize this moment.
No matter your age you can dream a new dream, pursue it with passion and rewrite your life’s story.

Monday 15 February 2016

IT'S MONDAY, BE AWESOME!


I have read and heard people whine about Monday and how they miss the weekend. Honestly as much as I love my weekends, I think there is no need to dread the arrival of anyday. 
Most people have bought into the popular opinion that Mondays are to be dreaded which is wrong. Mondays are in fact days that present the awesome opportunity to begin the week on a great note, work towards goal actualization and set the pace for the rest of the week. 
Mondays give an opportunity to return to passion - work that is. If you have bought into the myth of Monday being an awful day, recalibrate your mind. You can make everyday what you want it to be, just decide - it's all about your mind.
Decide every Monday to 'Arise and shine for your light has come' - Isaiah 60:1.
If it were up to you, what would you choose? Dreadful Mondays and a drag through the week or Super Awesome Mondays and an opportunity to make your week productive? 
You are in charge, choose wisely and let your light shine.
Have a productive new week...Xoxo!

Thursday 11 February 2016

Free At Last: Letting Go of Perfection.


"Seriously"?
"Is that what you have been enduring? To be honest if I was asked to name one perfect person I would mention you".
Those were my brother's words in response to an experience I shared with him. I felt ashamed but I responded...'My dear it's what I have had to endure, alas I'm not perfect'.
You see from a young age I had an idea of how I thought I ought to be, how I wanted to be perceived and that led to me having a script almost all the time for how I was to act, talk, respond, walk, dress, appear, laugh and even cry. I couldn't bring myself to admit to having certain shortcomings even when they were overly conspicuous. I couldn't afford to be caught looking a certain way. I couldn't afford to be perceived as having certain emotions that others felt...talk about the girl that smiles and laughs loudest when deep inside her heart hurts, head aches and she feels like she will explode? The girl that corrects you for laughing because that's not the way to laugh? That's me. I couldn't bring myself to say certain things. I couldn't afford to mess up. Let's just say I couldn't afford to be HUMAN!
Don't get me wrong, most people who know me well wouldn't tell you I'm perfect but they may swear that I can't do certain things and wouldn't fall for certain tricks...because in their opinion, I know better than that. But like most people I do not know better. Like most people also, I grew up listening to and reading lies about how I ought to act, look, dress and behave. I had valued myself against my job, relationship status and the brand names on the things I had. I lost sight of myself. Until it all fell apart - which explains my conversation with my brother.
Like Cinderella I had to face my midnight after my fairytale but I learned that fairy godmothers end in fairytales.
I reached a point of acceptance where I realized that the pursuit of perfection is an effort in futility.
That was where God found me.
And like the woman with the alabaster box, I fell at his feet broken and empty.
He scooped me up reminding me that it's okay to feel certain emotions, to not be a size 0 or a size 4, to not have it all together, to not be perfect. And that it's okay to not be okay.
You too may have lived your life mostly trying to live up to the expectations of others and gain their acceptance. Know that the only one whose acceptance you need, accepts you as you are.
You may feel like you have no idea where your life is going but remember you have a guide. Just let him lead you.
You may feel like you have gone too far in creating an illusion of a perfect life and are bothered by what others may think but you need to let go and take steps in recovery.
You may trip and fall, you may feel like you take one step forward and two steps backwards - we all do, but remember that the aim is not to be perfect.
God's hands will hold you no matter for he has said in Matthew 28:20 'lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world'
And when you feel like you are not enough recall Psalms 139:14 'I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well'.


Wednesday 10 February 2016

ODE TO GOD!


I wrote this piece exactly one year ago today and this love I wrote about has not waned, if anything it has only gotten stronger. 
It's my Ode to God, the one who raises the poor from the dust and sets them among Princes. With Him your background and past are irrelevant and His love is an everlasting love.

Ode to God....
I praise God with a joyfulness that subdues every doubt and fear. 
I trust him with a confidence that no force on earth can sever. 
I believe his word with the blessed assurance that it will not fail. 
I hold on unwaveringly assured in the knowledge that he loves me with a permanence that endures the ages.
I worship him with the reverence of all that words can say. 
I love him with a fervor that is irreversible by time...Olowo ori mi!

Monday 8 February 2016

Would You Put Your Coat Around Me?


I am currently reading Stephen Covey’s book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ and in one of the chapters he narrated a story about a camping trip that he went on with his sons.
The aim was to bond while having fun.
They played games, wrestled, ate and just had fun.
After a long day, he set out with his sons on the trip back home. At this time, his younger son had fallen asleep and he had to carry him back to the car while the older son trudged along.
It was a cold evening so he put his coat over the sleeping boy’s body and they all got in the car and headed home.
When they arrived he decided to relive the day’s experience with his older son who was still awake as he was sure he had totally enjoyed the activities they had engaged in. He asked several questions to find out what part of the day’s activities the young boy enjoyed most but he wasn’t as responsive as anticipated, he probed further only to find out that the boy who had turned his back to him was crying.

When he asked what the matter was, the little boy who was visibly embarrassed asked a simple question ‘Dad, if I were cold would you put your coat around me’?
Apparently of all the day’s events the one that stuck and resonated most with the little boy’s mind was the simple gesture of his father putting his coat over the younger brother to keep him warm.
If his father had not paid enough attention he probably may have gone on to think going out, playing games and having fun with his sons was all he needed to do to bond with them. While that was good the one gesture that touched his son’s heart was one that showed that their father cared enough to keep his son warm even when it meant exposing himself to the cold.
Truth is oftentimes we get busy trying to ensure that bills are paid and that our loved ones get the life we think they deserve that we forget to stop and just listen to them. This is not to say that we shouldn’t work hard to care for our loved ones, by all means give them comfort and security but the truly important things are worth more than money can pay for.

So the next time you feel like all your efforts to touch your child, spouse, sibling, relative or friend’s heart isn’t yielding fruits and that they are not appreciative of all the sacrifices you make to ensure their comfort remember that if you would be patient and take time to listen you may find out that they may have just one question on their minds…’when life gets cold, even if it means exposing yourself to the cold, would you put your coat around me’?


Thursday 4 February 2016

MARKING YOUR TERRITORY IN RELATIONSHIPS...YAY OR NAY?


Yesterday I read an article on BellaNaija titled ‘How To Mark Your Territory Like a Pro’. It was centered on the ways a lady can mark her territory in a relationship. 
According to the writer some external forces – in the form of other girls – will come to put a couple asunder and she noted that one effective way of dealing with these external forces might be territory marking.
In case you are wondering, territory marking means claiming your territory and in this case, letting other girls know that your man is 'taken'
I will list some of the ways she suggested to help mark one’s territory:
Accidentally leaving strands of hair on your side of the bed where the other lady is most likely to sleep so she can see the strands and know another lady had been there, leaving pieces of hair on a brush or comb and letting it lie in a drawer or on the passenger’s seat of his car.
Taking selfies with his phone when he’s not looking and then taking a few other cute pictures of something else, so that he doesn’t quickly notice your pictures and delete them when he opens his camera (that’s if he has ulterior motives) and that any girl that tries to pree his phone pictures will have you staring them in the face.
She also suggested that if you cook for him, you can label the food stored in the fridge with words like ‘baby this Banga soup has only two pieces of meat in it but it is enough for 4 servings’, and lastly leaving scented candles and girlie magazines in his house.
She wrapped up her article by saying that all these do not guarantee that a man wouldn’t cheat and that if one needs to compete with other girls by marking ‘their territory’ then the relationship may not be worth it.
At this point I muttered halleluyah to myself. Then I proceeded to the comments section and noticed how majority of the commenters lauded her for the ‘great tips’. I smiled to myself, ‘team relationship FBI agents’ have been birthed.
I mean seriously? I should devote time that can be spent in planning my day and how to actualize my goals to picking strands of hair, deciding the best spot to leave them and in the process messing up his house and car all in the name of marking my territory? 
Why not hire custom officials and build a toll gate or better still a city wall? Ehen na, no be territory we dey mark? Women be settling for less since Nineteen creedee!
And then I’m to take selfies with his phone and add other pictures so he doesn’t delete my pictures? What a great way to express your ‘INSECURITY’, biko Sisteh if you have to do that then you know the truth. Dude doesn’t value you.
Haba na, why not print a banner of your face and make it his bedroom wall paper? When a man values you, you just know. In fact even if you have no makeup on he will still want selfies with you…you know the selfies where your face looks funny because you are busy explaining why you need to just apply powder on? Yes that kind. He sees not just your face but your soul.
How about cooking for him and labeling the food with baby tags…Sweetheart listen or in this case read, if you want to cook for your man do it because you want to and not because it will help you scare away another girl. Some girls will microwave the food and ‘chop’ it with relish and clean mouth. In fact they may leave another note thanking you for the food.
Men are not incompetent of claiming a woman they want. Have you ever taken relationship advice from a man? Here’s what they always say, ‘Be yourself and if a man wants you he will prove it ’.
The only territory worth marking is your heart and the book of Proverbs puts it simply ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it – Proverbs 4:23’. So if you ever find yourself pulling James Bond or Jackie Chan moves in the name of keeping a man, you can communicate your insecurities and concerns to him but if nothing changes then hunnay maybe you are with the wrong man, he should be the one marking his territory and not the other way round.
These words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 7:6 sums it up 'Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you'. 
Do not cast your pearls before swines...Nuff said!

Wednesday 3 February 2016

THE DEBATE ABOUT MARY'S AGE


‘Why do Christians always take things the Bible say hook, line and sinker’? ‘And please don’t give me the talk about the Bible being written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit because in the end they are still men as such human influence will affect whatever revelation they receive’. That was a colleague of mine expressing her opinion about Christians believing all that is written in the Bible. This isn’t wrong as it is ‘HER OPINION’, I mean we are all entitled to our opinions aren’t we?
Now here’s what happened, I was walking past her office when she stopped me to ask my opinion on some article another colleague presented about Mary the Mother of Christ being 15years old when she was conceived of the Holy Ghost and as such was an under aged girl when she was picked by God.
‘So your God picks under aged girls abi’? She scoffed. Haba, who come tell the person Mary age na? Na only him waka come o, because me I no see where dem write Mary age for Bible…I can’t fit shout abeg.
Did you read that Mary asked why she an under aged girl was chosen? Because the Bible clearly states that Mary’s response to the Angel Gabriel was ‘be it unto me according to thy word’ – Luke 1:38.
 I simply told her I had never read about it, besides Mary was clearly of marriageable age as she was to be married to Joseph the Carpenter – Matthew 1:18. Remember him?
That was what prompted her to express her opinion on Christians believing everything in the Bible and asked if I thought it was everything that happened in Jesus’ days that was written in the Bible.
I responded that I knew that there were other works of literature written as regards what happened before, during and after Christ’s days on earth but I wasn’t up to debating whether God picked an under aged girl to be the mother of Christ…simple.
‘No o she insisted, you have to say something o all you religious people’. I looked at her askance,’ me religious’? I simply sighed and gave my response.
‘I am not religious, Christianity for me is entering into a new life in Christ, following in his footsteps, obeying God’s commands and simply nurturing my relationship with Him. I do not think I am better than you are, I only have assurance of salvation. It’s a matter of Faith’.
I am all for questioning status quo and asking questions but with my Faith, it is what it is…FAITH. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, it is believing without a doubt even when you can’t see.
When my Mother says she loves me, I believe her without a doubt and what more? She has shown over the years that she loves me by the sacrifices she has made and by just being there. As it is with love so it is with faith for me. I believe without a doubt that God made me, sent his son to die for me because he so loved me and has given me the gift of his Holy Spirit FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO!
So my Faith in God is about FAITH and though I haven’t seen God, I have seen his mighty works. I have experienced miracles and have seen same in the lives of those I know, I know the peace that comes from simply obeying his commands and surrendering all to him. This isn’t borne out of a desire to trust something unknown and bigger for the things in my life that I have no control over…God is not unknown, he speaks to me daily and I have the full assurance of him being present…always.
Now back to Mary’s age I decided to ask my question, ‘who told the researcher Mary’s age’? My colleague responded that he was a historian and he had proofs from works of literature written about Jesus’ time on earth.
I asked again ‘So what makes you think he is right and the Bible is wrong? ‘What makes you think you can believe what the man wrote but Christians can’t believe what the Bible wrote’?
At this point I remembered that I had plans to get to the Salon to get my hair done and simply walked away.

Monday 1 February 2016

#BEAUTIFUL...BECAUSE SHE IS!



Click Clack, Click Clack, Click Clack!
Click Clack, Click Clack, Click Clack!
Twas the sound heard as she strutted on gracefully like an experienced model on the runway,
The heels of her Stilettos producing a rhythm as they kissed the marble floor.
Her hips swayed from side to side, oh how she carried them like they could move mountains!
And the men ogled, trailing her with their eyes.
She smiles because she knows the effect she has on them.
But she wondered if they knew that there was more to her.
It wasn’t about her hips,
Neither was it about her hair, beautiful in a way that makes you want to run your hands through and just caress it. Beautiful hair but it wasn’t that!
It wasn’t her clothes either, her body made the clothes beautiful and without her they would be mere fabric.
She waved at a familiar face and strutted on as she continued in thought.
Someone whistled at her, he was obviously enchanted by her looks.
Your makeup is perfect he blurted out and she smiles her thanks but it isn’t the makeup either. Yes they enhanced her facial features but that was all they were, enhancers and nothing more.
Truth is she is more than the sway of her hips and the length of her hair. She is neither her make up nor is she her clothes.
And she isn’t her shoes, bags, jewelry or accessories either, those are just what they are…accessories.
She wondered and pondered on the truth about who she is which she knows in her heart...and she smiles.

Yes!
She is, the glint in her eyes when she smiles and the tears that fall when words fail.
She is the arms that hold you when you need a hand to hold.
She is the blush that spreads across her face when someone pays her a compliment she knows to be true.
She is every dream and every goal she hopes to achieve in order to fulfil her purpose on earth.
She is every mountain she has climbed and the turmoil she has endured to be the woman everyone sees.
She is the child that begs to be seen once in a while, not because she hasn’t grown but because sometimes she also needs nurturing and tender care like a child.
She is the woman who looks the world in the face and says because I am here, no mountain is insurmountable. I’ll live this life and live it well.
She is the beautiful and sensual female everyone else sees but her beauty isn’t defined by the clothes, accessories or makeup she adorns.
Her beauty is in her grace, her charms, her imperfections, every mistake she has made, the scars from past hurts, broken promises and unfulfilled dreams.
She is a woman and she is God’s idea of beauty perfected!

RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE: A PRODUCT OF GRACE.



I know this story too well, I grew up hearing and reading about it. It’s the story of the prostitute who helped two men that had come to spy on her native land. Instead of turning them in, she hid them and protected them so when the time came for the destruction and takeover of her land these men whose lives she saved in turn saved her and her family.
Her name is Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho.
I have pondered alot on Rahab's story and I’d like to think that Rahab was handpicked by divine arrangement for that purpose, it was no accident that the men went to her for help. It could have been anyone else, it could have been some decent single girl as I am sure there were virgins in Jericho at that time. What about the responsible housewife who worked hard to care for her husband and children? Or maybe a widow who was solely responsible for the wellbeing of her children? It could been her. The spies could have gone to any ‘responsible’ woman for help. Not a woman of easy virtue. A woman who prized money over her dignity and gave her body to any man willing to pay.
And no this isn’t me judging, I’m just thinking out loud because Rahab clearly wasn’t fit to be a role model. Why would a nation that served a God who detests immorality & adultery spare the life of a woman who according to their laws deserved to be stoned to death? A woman who lured men with her seductive wiles and milked them dry in return for sexual favours. Why Rahab the prostitute?
She wasn’t just saved, she started a family and had a son named Salmon who in turn had Boaz the husband of Ruth. Boaz bore Obed, Obed bore Jesse and Jesse bore King David from whose lineage Jesus was born. You see then that this invariably means that Jesus Christ was a descendant of Rahab the prostitute from Jericho.
Rahab’s single act of bravery gave her life and honour. Did she deserve it? By man’s standards, she ought to have died with her fellow Jerricans – or how do you call someone from Jericho – but God decided otherwise. He didn’t see a prostitute. He saw a woman who despite her shortcomings deserved His love and a second chance at life.
That is ‘GRACE’…God’s grace and unmerited favour. It’s the only reason why a woman considered immoral & irresponsible, a woman who should have been stoned to death received life and had her name etched in the sands of time.
Rahab didn’t fight a battle but the story of the fall of Jericho’s wall would be incomplete without the mention of her name. That’s what grace does a gift from God that no one should live without. Grace raises shepherd boys and makes them Kings (David), it turns slaves to governors (Joseph), orphans to Queens (Esther), commoners to Noble men (Mordecai) and changes wicked men to ambassadors for Christ (Paul). GRACE!
As I pen this piece, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me’and in Romans 9:15-16  'For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy'.
Like Rahab we are products of grace, we who were once lost and undeserving of love can boldly declare that we are joint heirs with Christ and proclaim our independence. GRACE!

CAN YOU COUNT YOUR LOSSES AND STILL BE THANKFUL?



One of my favorite hymns is ‘Count Your Blessings’ – The chorus reads ‘Count your blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done’, you remember? Yes, if you count your blessings you sure will find a thousand reasons to be thankful and that is easy. The hard part though is giving thanks during hard times, when you count your losses.
The Apostle Paul admonishes us to ‘Give thanks in everything: for this is the will of God – 1 Thessalonians 5:18’. The Father’s will is that we give thanks in EVERY thing. Not some things, not when it’s rosy, not just in life’s summer season but also in life’s winter season when all that can go wrong has gone wrong…give thanks because that is when we fully and truly exercise our faith in God. Thanking God in the face of pain is hard.
I recall going through one of the toughest times of my life. I had lost my job and didn’t get another for almost 2 years, for someone who got a job straight after graduation and another immediately after my youth service year it was tough. I had to depend on my folks to take care of my basic needs and when I thought it couldn’t get worse, my Mum got involved in an automobile accident and suffered a fractured leg – this left her bedridden for almost a year. Then I had to break up a relationship that was almost 4 years old just a few months to the wedding, life was at its lowest for me and the pain I felt is better imagined than experienced. All I had was my family and my faith in God.  In that time I learnt trust and total dependence on God.
My experience may be nothing compared to what you have suffered but part of the reality of living is that we will all have our fair share of pain and then we ought to remember the words of King David in Psalms 27:3b ‘though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident’.
You lose nothing in giving thanks. Instead you gain renewed hope, strengthened faith, optimism, peace of mind and a merry heart which does good like medicine. Whatever it is you are going through, a divorce, the loss of a loved one or a job, a troubled relationship or marriage, sickness, financial loss, depression, give thanks.
When life makes no sense and you can’t find a shoulder to lean on or a hand to hold, when all you can count are losses, demonstrate your love for God and just praise him because in all things God works for the good of them that love him.
So dear, whether your life is filled with clutter or abundance praise him for the life you have which is worth more than money can pay for…Psalms 150:6 ‘let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord’!

FEBRUARY IS HERE...HAPPY NEW MONTH!



Good Morning Lovelies, it’s another authentic reason to be thankful as we have glided into the month of February. I pray that you find genuine reasons to shout for joy in this month.
Happy New month, go be a blessing!