LETTING MYSELF GO....

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away

It’s a slow fade when black and white turn to grey

And thoughts invade

Choices are made

A price will be paid when you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day

It’s a slow fade

-          “slow fade” by Casting Crowns (chorus)

Today, the 6^th day of September, 2015   (please mark the date down people…lol) I will do something I never thought I’d be able to do… *drum rolls please*…wait for it….I WILL TALK ABOUT MY WEIGHT………………well use it as the reference point for what I want to discuss today. Now, anyone who knows me well knows that this is a very sensitive talk for me…like top 3 sensitive. But I consider this growth for me.

So anyway, I finally took the plunge and got me a personal trainer. And before you say; ‘too much money’, that is true (lol) but it is not why. You see working out is my least favourite thing to do… in fact it doesn’t make the least (list)…so I needed like someone to push me. Well, we’ll do a little flash back right now…

I was never the skinny girl o… yes, I was not ‘fat’ either but I was never thin. But from my primary school, exercise was like ‘hell no!’ for me; except you forced me. So when it came to inter-house sports/competition, I was always marching. Funny enough I just enjoyed marching… I always marched right till my ss2; when I proudly commanded Red house to victory! Haha! I was that good. After all those years of marching. Anyway, during P.E, I can count how many times I ran or did gymnastics. When we had to pick a sport sometime in jss2, I picked badminton and I sucked at it! No hand eye coordination at all. And the one I hate the most; Jogging! Jeez, i dreaded waking up in the mornings to be forced to jog to the gate and back in Jss2 and then ss3 every Saturday. In short, I concluded that sports, working out or whatever was not my thing. This would have been very ok, because I am not a foodie; someone who just likes food. But it is not because I like junk and I am a book worm so I am either reading and eating cookies or something. You understand now? I don’t know who to blame for this…my mum made me read ehn…my childhood was spent either in church; singing, practicing a dance routine etc or in school; where I never did rough play or at home where I had a routine; siester, read, help out in the house, 1 hour of t.v, read, devotion and sleep (in that order). So you see, I didn’t roll tires or play with sand or run naked in the rain. But she did try to get me to eat food and I wouldn’t…

Ok so because I was going to school and all that, my unhealthy eating never really showed; especially that I went to a boarding school. Then, after ss3, I didn’t get into the university immediately… you know the system now…  and I wanted to study  law and law alone . Anyway, I could not get in for 2 years and I think those were the worst 2 years for me personally. I was angry. I had worked hard and had my whole life planned out; the age I will graduate, go to law school, work, marry etc. Then, it was just not happening. You know that feeling, now. I became depressed and I ‘let myself go’. Now I worked in like 3 different places during intervals in those 2 years but most times, I was home. Then I started consuming junk like air…I was just eating and chewing; biscuits, sweets, coke, yogurt, anything sweet. Like it would solve the issue or make me forget. And my dearest mother would say,” Dew the day your body will show this things, you will not like it. Slow down”. I’d roll my eyes because I felt she did not understand. Please note that if I ever told you about the other factors involved, that wasn’t a lie. This is just the part I never admitted to..lol. Then one day my clothes started getting really tight and I looked in the mirror and I was like 2 times what I used to be. I was abit freaked out but I thought, it couldnt get worse and I was angry so I had a reason to binge. I could have just stopped myself at that point but I didn’t. I made an excuse and felt I was justified. Until it was late. Ha! Then people would see me and shout, what have you done to yourself and some wouldn’t even recognize me. At that point I knew it was just too bad. Then school came and I felt there was an escape, nobody knew me here so they would take what they got. But then, you know the typical Uni setting. Girls being all shapy and stuff. God! Then, I hated pictures. If they were not selfies, count me out!! I had stopped my emotional eating by now and even drastically reduced my junk intake but I still couldn’t bring myself to work out. My excuse was that I had no time. Keeping up my status in class, my leadership responsibilities and church was a hell of work and if I had any free time it would be to sleep! I’d tell myself I will start next Saturday and then Saturday and on and on and I just didn’t.

Well, long story short, I hated my body, which I had contributed to getting and I had trouble admitting that, and was not doing anything to fix it. I avoided the topic. Got mad at whoever dare mention it etc. till one day I got tired of not facing the truth and decided to deal with the problem. Hence the trainer… now I was all pumped up but when we started, I knew the meaning of pain. Then when the pain got intense, I’d say: no pain, no gain….

That’s where am at right now.

Enjoyed the jist/confession? Good! 2 days ago, as I sat in my room thinking of how I didn’t want to smell junk ever again, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to a comparison… You see, I didn’t have to be here but I am because I let myself go. And I kept making excuses… this is what most of us do, everyday. We take up one bad habit, start compromising…telling ourselves it is alright when it is not and we know it. We get mad at anyone who tries to echo the truth to us; saying they don’t get it. Sometimes we start because we cannot deal with a situation, sometimes it’s because people say we are too uptight! Note; it is good to be balanced; not too uptight but not loose either, but never ever compromise on a principle. What is right is right and what is not, just isn’t. If you have a challenge find a solution, don’t indulge in a ‘get-away’ act. Because every seed sown must be reaped! There is no avoiding it. It’s like this; the more you do whatever that thing is, the deeper you sink, the deeper you fall into that dark hole and one day, you wouldn’t even recognize your reflection, inside out. The example of my weight gain is a physical thing and is detrimental to my physical health but there are more serious issues that affect our spiritual health; our relationship with the father. Your life; eternity is very much precious and priceless. It was purchased with the blood of the Son of God(John 3:16), can you beat that? No!  

The song above, slow fade says it all: it starts small and slowly; one little compromise here and there and then the lines become blurry.  We don’t become fat over night or crumble in a day. It is a process….

So Good news is;

It is not too late to STOP and start doing right by God and yourself.

It starts with the decision…Say no to whatever is trying to make a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Not so good news;

It is not going to be easy, infact it is going to hurt! Cutting away from that thing that is not right for you; could be food, a person, a movie, song, habit etc

AWESOME NEWS;

You have got a ‘personal trainer’ who does not charge for his services! All he requires is that you accept the sacrifice on the cross of calvary (if you haven’t), remind yourself (if you have forgotten) and surrender to his help.  He’d take you through the process. He would be there every step of the way, reminding you of his grace( 2 corinthians 12:9) and his love.

Today, Pray for the forgiveness of God and ask for his help to do the right thing…

Also it is important to keep a great support system; people who would pray with and encourage you, around you so be weary of your company…

Now I must say that the worst lie we tell ourselves is; “ I have gone too far to turn back” or “ God doesn’t want anything to do with someone like me”… All that is not true…. It is not too late as long as you are alive… So DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TODAY!

Now that I have poured that out, I will apologize for the loooooong gaps in writing. It is unavoidable at the moment. But I still love and pray for you all!

So, well, till I write again…live in awesomeness! :*

3 IN ONE........

Hello everyone,

  I have had so many projects on ground that i barely have time to write. But make no mistake, you all are on top of my priority list and i consider you super important too. So i am giving a triple dose today! Cool, yes?

  Okay, i will talk about 3 things that are kind of related but are 3 distinct things one must consciously pay attention to. First off, we'll start with this;

WALK YOUR OWN PATH.

  Nkiru was friends with Nadia, in fact they had been friends ever since... well, forever. They went to the same schools, the same church, grew up in the same neighborhood e.t.c. In Sunday school, they both joined the kiddie's choir of their church. They both enjoyed Music. Over the years they realized this. But, they loved to express their love for music in totally different ways. You see, Nadia was a singer and she loved it! She would sing in the shower, in the kitchen, in the car....sometimes even in class you would catch her humming. In church she got almost all the solos and after service, there would be an array of people waiting to tell her how blessed they were by her song. Nkiru was pretty sure she enjoyed singing too. Music calmed her soul and she couldn't do without it. But here was the thing, she didn't usually feel fulfilled after singing. yes, it was music but the glow on Nadia, she didn't see on herself.

 One day, the choir was to do a song that involved some form of choreography. The Choir director had seen it in a movie. They got the dance group to come help them with this. As they danced, Nkiru felt this pull... she was almost dancing with them behind her mic. The music made her want to move. But the problem was, the choir had to be perfectly still! Her Choir Director kept cautioning her to be still but she just couldn't.. After 3 rehearsals of the same thing happening, she was asked to just join the dancers. She reluctantly agreed but before anyone knew it, Nkiru was dancing like she wasn't on earth anymore. It was like the music was coming out from her body. On their way home, Nadia said to her, "NK, you should have seen yourself dancing! One would not believe you were in the choir". Nkiru laughed but she knew what Nadia was saying, she felt something while dancing. Joy... Fulfillment. it was like hearing the music for the first time. And that was when it struck her... she should be dancing! Yes she loved to sing and she could sing but she was no Nadia. She had being walking in her friend's shoes...her path. Now that she thought of it, anytime Nadia was singing, she would sing along but she would always be the only one of the 2 of them dancing. She loved it. She had found her way of expression...

  Alot of people are like Nkiru. They have their Nadia, could be a friend or even parents.Someone who they feel they have to be like because, well, they are siblings or friends or heirs... Alot of people are walking other people's path.We think, "Because it's working out for her, it would work for me". Well, you are not her darling! Simple! Discover what makes you feel alive! You don't have to be a replica of Jason Derulo or Wizkid. You'll live all your life try to measure up to  being somebody's carbon copy. And truth is, you will never be good at it. Imagine a Huge waste of your life.This life is like a really long movie, and everyone has a role. Nobody was created to be anybody's understudy. Even if you have similar roles, there is the 'you' factor that made you get a distinct part. Stop walking in anybody's shadow. Yes, some of us, have to work behind the scene but that does not stop you from shining behind the curtain. Don't be concerned with out-shining somebody else only be concerned with being a better you. But please, don't be afraid to shine bright. There is no such thing as shining too bright! If you happen to be out-shining anyone, they should just upgrade!  BE EXCELLENT!

  Now you must realize that because we all have to walk our paths, our lives and timings will be inevitably different. Most people measure their success using their friends and so on as a rule. Truth is, you will never go really far doing this. How about, using your own life to measure your success. How do i mean? Well, ask yourself questions like, last year, was i better intellectually, emotionally, psychically, spiritually, financially and socially? Did i grow? Did i go back? What did i stop doing? What should i start doing? Set yourself daily goals...and see if you achieved them. Then move on to weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Take stock of your life instead of being the accountant and auditor of other people's lives. You'll see yourself thriving!!!!

Now one down, on to the next:

REASON LESS!

 Wait! what? Reason less? Dew? Haha! Yes! I know what i said and i'll say it again... Please, REASON LESS! You see, being reasonable is absolutely good and necessary. But when this becomes a hindrance to you, be reason less.

   Let's use me as an example. Anyone who knows me, knows that i like to plan and calculate stuff. I like to know what comes after what and when and how what is happening. I cannot plunge into anything without perfect detailing and possible and predictable outcomes. I used to pride myself in this...note i said used to because at some point, i had to learn that the extreme of what i am leads to abit of a disadvantage. So I learnt to draw the line. You see, this is part of my strengths as a person but it could be my doom because i can be over-reasonable, never taking risks. No adventures. I used to like my routine. It was hard to adapt to change. Aha! Now you get it....it wasn't really living. I once heard a Minister say, " sometimes we analyze ourselves into paralysis!". And that is so true! We calculate and break it down ya-di-ya and never do anything. We dream in a box... where it is absolutely comfy and convenient for us! Dear Friend, this is okay, if you are comfortable with having an ordinary okay life. But if you intend to be super, then you have got to run out, infact fly out of your comfort zone!! Think out of the box! Dream Big. It don't cost you nothing! Like they say, if your dream don't scare you, you are not dreaming yet. It has got to be bigger than you! Don't be myopic. Think Global! Think outside yourself. I learnt that staying in my comfort zone made me comfortable but not productive! I had to fly out!

  Look, take risks! Yes, you may fail, GET UP! Make appropriate changes and try again! That thing you have being thinking about will yield nothing if you leave it in your mind...Take a step!!!! Do Something...In short, Please Reason Less!

Well, that was short but it's not quantity, it's quality that counts! Now the last dose;

TO KEEP OR THROW OUT?

  Recently, i realized i needed new cloths and shoes. But get this, my closet was full. So you ask, how can i need clothes and shoes when my closet is full? Well, i wasn't wearing most of the stuff anymore. But they were there because well, i had not really taken time to sort through my closet to realize i needed new stuff and most, for sentimental attachments. So one night, yes i do alot of things at night, i got to sorting them out. I would pick a shirt and think, is it wearable for someone else(could i donate it) or did i have to throw it out or could i keep it? I did this with everything in my closet. Pretty soon, my mum entered my room and she went," where are your shoes?!" with this really surprised look on her face. Told you i needed stuff...i had to clean out the clutter to see how bad my needs were.

  Life is pretty much the same way. We could just have alot of clutter; What is clutter? Well, simply put, Clutter is whatever or whoever is not adding value to you/your life but is there occupying space or just draining you out. I was having a conversation with a couple of my team members 2 days ago and we were talking about how there are stages and phases in life and how when moving from one phase to another, alot of things and people have to go. We talked about how some people were just stuck in a phase because they would not let go of some things or people or even mindsets.  You cannot keep pulling baggage along with you...it will slow you down and get you tired quickly. 

  Truth is you cannot have it all. Somethings have just got to go. I cannot tell you what those things are but you decide... For me, i believe that one of the very important contributors to your success or downfall are the relationships you keep and by Relationships i mean platonic ones, work and school relationships and even romantic relationships. You need to surround yourself with people who add value to you no matter at what rate. If all a relationship does is drain you of valuable time, your money, your knowledge and emotions and adds absolutely nothing to you, please love from a distance. Sometimes you upgrade...learn something new or develop yourself or form a better mindset, if the people around you won't do the same, chances are they are going to pull you right back to where you just left and the sad part is, you wouldn't even know. Because you need to come out of the clutter to get some perspective. You need to let go of the people or things that add no value to you. I strive to surround myself with people who challenge, inspire and motivate me. I am not saying do not have people who look up to you for some form of guidance and whatnot, but if this must happen, you must NOT compromise your self development time. No great mentor spends all their time mentoring... they redraw to have time to develop themselves. The world is moving, technology is moving...everyday there is something else for you to learn and know.

  Clutter could be too much time taking and uploading pictures! Or being on social media.I am all for keeping memories and having a blooming social life but if you are not Desmond Elliot or Some big name yet, please get a life off Instagram and Facebook and twitter.Wait, even these people develop themselves. You think if they sat around just been popular all day, they would last? You need to prioritize! Movies will not go anyway but time will not wait! Like my mum used to tell us as kids, " The people you are watching on tv have found their purpose and are making their money". I made up my mind to not just be the watcher or the person trying to get an autograph... i was going to be on the TV and the one signing autographs. But i had to learn that some clutter had to go if that was going to happen.

  Basically, take time to sort threw your life and throw out what is unnecessary to create room for what can make you more valuable!

  Well, i could write forever because i have so much to share but i wouldn't want anyone taking an overdose now...lol. For now, if there is some adjustment you feel you need to make, then by all means do!

  Keep being awesome and productive!

  I love you guys!!!

 "SUCCESS IS NOT A DESTINATION, IT IS A STATE OF MIND".

1,2,3...OUCH!!!

It has been so looooonnnngggg... I know. #sigh. I have been learning lessons of my own. Some I thought I already knew, others just plain hard but necessary.  A couple of posts ago, I talked about being still. I said there was a time to just wait...to be still.  Well today, i'll talk about timing too...
Ever watched those movies where someone got punched in the face or fell and broke his nose? I bet you have seen one or two. Or you yourself might have broken your nose at some point. Well if you have, you'll know it hurt pretty bad. And the usual way to fix it would be to reset the nose. So a doctor or someone who could do so, would tell the victim he was going to rest his nose and would give him time to prepare for the pain..hence counting.."1,2,3"..and then there would be a crack and an "ouch!!!" from the victim. What ever does a broken nose have to do with timing? Stick with me and you'll see...
Yesterday, I was reading a book and the writer said, God has a timing for everything that would happen to us or in our lives. And if we tried to get ahead or lag behind, at some point we would hit the rocks and would have to be dragged back to where we ought to be. Now you see where I am going with this, don't you? Personally, I think the biggest problem of this time is trying to outrun God. We wanna be fast! We want everything 'now now'.
This morning in the shower I thought of how I had wanted a couple of stuff in my own time, not God's. And how I has getting myself hurt a lot. And how it had hurt when I had to let God reset me. But in the long run, it was all good.
Point is, God made us and he knew what our life was going to be like, beginning to the end. It makes sense to trust him enough to let him do his thing with us, in his own time ( which is the perfect time). But if you sorta run off and try to readjust the clock, it's not too late to let him reset your watch. Make no mistake, it will hurt bad, but after, you'll see it was worth it...
#Reset#Timing#TrustGod

SO FAR YET SO CLOSE...

Hey fam! It feels so good to write after not having the chance to for a while. Semesters are coming to a close so girls are getting more occupied by the minute...
So before I write today, I want to shout out to my girl, Lush...was on her blog some minutes ago and it is some good stuff. So check it out..colourherlush.wordpress.com.
Now to the business...
Do you have those days when you just feel disconnected? When you pray and you feel your prayers are just hitting the roof and bouncing back? Are there days when you just doubt everything? Or days when the hardness of life knocks you off your feet and you feel you cannot get up because you are too tired? Let's not forget the days when you just feel nothing...
Everybody feels this. Those down days... we all got 'em.
Years ago in secondary school, I had one of these days...more like a period. And I had tried to study my bible and pray and worship but just wasn't 'feeling' it. That got me feeling worse... God felt far, too far. I started to think of what I did wrong that day that caused me to feel such distance or feel so inadequate.
And trust me, there is always gonna be a fault with you as long as you are searching for it. But after that didn't solve it. So I went out of my hostel for a walk and ran into a friend who was older and in a higher class than me. We got talking and he probed to know why I was looking so glum. I told him. And he said, "Dew, it is the times you feel God is very far that he is the closest to you". I didn't understand. He tried to explain but I still didn't get it. Not until recently...
 You see, you can never know how bright a light shines until it's really dark. So it's like this; for you to appreciate the light it needs to be dark... the darker it is, the brighter the light. We would never really need anything or anyone if we were adequte in ourselves.. we would never need to depend on anyone in any way if we could satisfy our every need ourselves. There wouldn't be a need for God if we could be okay just by ourselves... Get the picture???
So the more the need and hunger for God, the more of God we get. Now I understand why Paul in 2 corinthians(paraphrasing now) said he was comfortable with weakness. Because the weaker I am, the stronger he becomes. The less of myself, the more of him. The lesser time we spend focusing on our works, the more we can rely on what he has already accomplished for us.
So next time you feel too weak to get up, remember it's a good thing because now you can ask for his grace and strength which is readily available to you. It will pick you up and keep you standing. I told a friend some days ago that if we don't pass through some thorny bushes on our way to greatness, the testimony will not be extraordinary when we are telling it. If Moses had just gone to Pharoh and said let my people go and Pharoh just said, 'ok..you all can leave'. I don't know if the story will be worth telling. We would not have seen God's greatness. In fact, we would have found some logical explanation for why he let them go so easy...
Next time, your life does not make sense on it's own..smile because you know it's bout to shock everyone around you!

Forgiven and Forgiving...
It's Good Friday again! A time to reflect and remember the sacrifice of Christ (that is if you never do it at another time). So many excuses not to right? "The world is constantly on the move and we got to move with it. Besides we are much too busy to just sit and think upon anything except the bills and how to meet deadlines...." No Jesus, no you! Bottom line you shouldn't wait for Easter or Christmas to think about Jesus.
Anyway, the Easter story is all about forgiveness, love and grace. John 3:16, the verse we were all taught as kids and we can say off the top of our heads...says,For God so LOVED the world that he sent his only begotten son,  that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE. This is what Easter is about...God loves us so much that he made sure we were made free from all guilt and  gave us life. Way before this, there were laws that said, 'hey! You sinned you have to be punished. Blood must be shed for your freedom.' And get this, it was only temporary freedom. So constantly the priests would make sacrifices for the people's freedom. But Jesus paid the ultimate price, he shed his own blood! And it bought us permanent freedom...God forgave us long before we sinned and made it that as long as we accepted Christ's sacrifice we wouldn't be guilty anymore... so you see, love, forgiveness and grace. We didn't even have to ask he just did it. He died and rose again  for me and you so we can have a kind of life that can't be taken from us.
Can you live like this? I am not saying die for anyone because that slot was taken thousands of years ago.  I mean can you love unconditionally? Whether it is deserved or not? Can you forgive? Whether you get an Apology or not? Whether you keep getting hurt? Can you forgive and let it go totally? In recent times I have been tested in this aspect...and well, I didn't handle it so well. Look, it is human to want to get back or hate or give em a taste of their own evil....but it is Christ to forgive. We get hurt all the time by the least people we expect it from...This is life. But think of how messed up most of our lives get sometimes...think of some of the really crazy stuff you have done and yet big or small sin you got forgiven  before your great great great great great( you get the idea) father was even conceived as an idea in any human' s mind. So I don't think if you were given a 1000 years  to live you would get hurt as much as God does. Truely forgiving is hard but is right and possible. I used to think I could forgive anything till recently...when I figured that my human will could only take me thus far and only the God in me could do that. So yes when you have Christ you can and should forgive anything. You can love the right way from your inside unconditionally...
#KSOM#GoodFriday#Easter

Hey Fam!
It's been forever right? I can't say i haven't written because i have been busy, and yes, though i have been busy i have just been taking out time to work on me or should i say to let God work on me. And make no mistake, the work is far from been done but i thought i should write today as i miss it and you too.
Today i am just writing. I am not thinking twice about my words or my next sentence but i am just writing because that is the reason i started blogging in the first place and that is why my blog is named what it is. Writing is my way to exhale. It is how i communicate. It is how i express.... You know what i mean. And might i use this avenue to add that i am not sorry that i don't follow the rules when i write. I already have to follow the rules when i talk or sing or do anything else... But when i write, it's raw from inside you know. It's like an outpouring; a gush of emotions and thoughts that just flow.....
A lot has been happening. Everywhere...Elections, new technologies and bla and bla...various opinions about stuff happening. About the Political state of Nigeria i refuse to comment...that is just an aside anyway.
So lately i have been thinking about life and time and decisions...been asking questions...Time is running by and what am i doing? what are you doing? How are you spending the gift of life you get everyday? What occupies your mind? What prompts your actions? Why do you do what you do? Remove everybody's opinion from you and what would you be? Why do say what you say? What are you making out of life? Are you preoccupied with other people's business? What is your essence? What is different because you are still alive? What is not?
You know sometimes you need to question your core. Or else you would live life lifeless. What are you doing with the opportunities you have... big or small? I am sick of complaining about what is not good and what is not there. I am sick of hearing people complain and grumble too. Because while you are doing that, life does not stop. It goes on....
Everyday and everywhere there is an opportunity. It might not be what you want at the time but it might be what you need to get what you want.I visited a refugee camp on a Church's Missions Outing recently... What i saw was not what i expected. This is what i expected...
Despondent and lifeless looking people. Hopeless eyes and Smiless faces...because i mean they have practically nothing.
This is what i saw...
Hope. Joy. Love.Smiles....I was wrong. They had something... They had life. And because they had life, there was hope... there was an opportunity. The kids laughed and played like everything in this world was right! I went there to give but i received so much more than i gave. I received a new perspective.... I have so much! I have my family, I am in school. I eat 3 square meals when i please. I can even snack. I have clean water and a bed. I have my physical body intact and my mind sound. If nothing more i have a laptop to blog...
Count your blessings and you would see the list is endless. Yes! you want more...I want more! But we have so much. Most of all we all have opportunities to make something out of everyday we breathe, to touch a life, to mend someone's heart with a smile, to use our gifts to reach someone. Enough of the selfishness! The 'me-consciousness'.... The 'what's in it for me attitude'. Become someone with a purpose everyday...wake up grateful and hopeful! AS LONG AS YOU BREATHE, IT'S NOT OVER!
This was not titled because like i said i am just writing...i am sharing my heart. I know someone needs to hear this... I know i do...

THE SIGN'S DOWN......

  Melody could not afford to buy designer shoes but that did not stop her from wanting them. her family was barely managing to survive and all her momma could afford was used shoes....and she was working 3 jobs already. Infact, Melody had to find a job of her own so she could save up a liltle something for herself.  Anyway, Mel had a thing for shoes and she just could not be satisfied with the ones her mom got she and her siblings. So she would always pray for  a designer shoes of her own.
   One day, after school she heard some girls talking about how some designer was giving out new shoes. Interested in this sort of thing, she drew closer to listen. They said this had never happened before and it was almost too good to be true. They said it would be on for a while.....So Mel hurried off to the store to see for herself and yes there it was on the store window, 'Free sunshine shoes'. She could not believe it. The next day, she saw someone wearing one of the shoes and she stopped to ask how much the lady had bought them. but the lady told her they were free. Mel still could not believe. She thought to herself that there must be a catch. Nothing goes for nothing. But everyday, she would pass by the store and stare at the sign. She told herself one of these days i would walk in there and find out for myself. And she told herself that everyday. But weeks turned to months and she still didn't go in. She kept telling herself she would. Finally, one day she decided to go check it out. However when she got there, the sign on the store window was gone. So she ran in the store and asked one of the store attendants about the free shoes. The lady told her that the offer was off. "off? but there was a sign and everything", Mel cried. ' But the sign's down now miss. The offer is off". A devastated Melody walked home wishing she had not waited so long to accept the store's offer.

  Each of us is born with the longing for something more. Something more than riches and company and whatever earthly thing you can desire. Ask the world's 'richest' people and they will tell you that even after you get all the earthly wealth you could desire, you never get satisfied. That innate desire is the desire for something or someone bigger than our very beings. So most times people go on a 'search' for that something. And they end up in different places. Some wind up in places where they get temporary fulfillment and after a while, they resume their search. But some others find that person and find rest. The space for the creator, for God and his son Jesus is what causes that longing.
 So while some end up in various religions and lifestyles, others find rest in the arms of the saviour, Jesus Christ. Like the sign at the store window, an offer has being made by God to us (John 3:16; for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life). But like Mel, sometimes, it sounds too good to be true and we don't even give it a chance. We say we will, someday, soon, very very very soon but we don't. However we should beware because, one day when we are least expecting it, the offer will be gone. Jesus will come back for his own and then no matter how much begging and crying, it will be too late.
  I know we have heard it severally that Jesus is coming soon and it is beginning to sound like a broken record to us. But it should not because it is true. We see the signs all around us. So today, i stand as a voice to remind us not to get too busy with the affairs on earth to forget the second coming of our Lord.
  If you are yet to accept the offer of God, do not hesitate and if you have, live in the consciousness of it. Remember, the bible says he will come like a thief in the night.....DON'T WAIT TILL THE SIGN GOES DOWN!!!
Much love.........

Making a U-turn; Change!!!!
Happy new year family!!!!!! We are almost a month gone....

Today I am gonna write on something super important and it's called Change.  Change they say is the only constant thing but change is the hardest thing or is it?
I was having a conversation with a friend one day and she said to me, "sometimes, when you look at the big picture, it gets overwhelming but take it one piece at a time. How do u eat an elephant?" or I think the question, came before the big picture part but anyway that was what she said. We weren't talking about change but I believe it applies here too.
Everyone especially young people sometimes delve into wrong stuff, or learn bad habits. Sometimes out of curiosity, other times because of the wrong company. Or many times, even having the wrong information stored in their heart. The Bible says to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life(proverbs 4:23). But sometimes we let our guards down and pollute our hearts and begin to find ourselves misbehaving and making wongs decisions. We have all been here at some point and some people still are. And then we say to ourselves, ' I want to change! I don't don't know how'. So we keep on doing what's wrong and spreading the dark stain on our white robes. ' Afterall, I am already bad, what's the point right?' We drown ourselves in the dirt and throw ourselves a self pity party...telling ourselves we are just victims of circumstance. Maybe you even started doing wrong because you had a bad background... the world is constantly trying to help us make excuses for our misbehaviour; oh, she comes from a broken home that's why she's so unruly, cut her some slack. oh! They are so poor, that's why she is a prostitute, give her a break! Oh! His father was a drunk and was super violent that's why. He is violent!.......
I am not saying that sometimes up bringing doesn't affect a person's morals. That is possible but get up from the floor and dust yourself. Stop making excuses to remain there. You choose what experiences do to you. You can either let them harm you or make you a better person!
If you are in a bad place already, whatever the reason, change isn't that hard contrary to popular opinion....it just has to be taken step by step. Slowly but surely...
The first step, is accepting that you are in a bad place and making a decision to leave there. Infact that is the most important part. Make up your mind to make a U-turn. It's not too late. Don't wait for tomorrow. Start now! Decide now!
You cannot do it on your own, though. Rely on the ability of Christ in you. Surrender it all to him. Your mind and heart, your thoughts, everything! Because until you come to a place where you accept that you can't move anymore except God picks you up, you will eventually get stuck.
So yes, change might not be the easiest thing to do but it is not the hardest either!