Saturday, 31 December 2016

9 DECISIONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD EMBRACE IN 2017

For a woman and a woman in every man:
9 DECISIONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD EMBRACE IN 2017

1. YOUR JOY DOES NOT COME FROM MAN: Yes, your joy comes from God...... Not from any man; be it your husband, boyfriend, sibling or earthly father....... Until you connect with God who is the joy giver, man will dictate your mood and you will find yourself wallowing in the pits of sadness often....... Determine that nothing a man does to you will set the tone for how you feel....... Ask the giver of joy- Jn 16:24 and restorer of joy.

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE: You are fearfully and wonderfully made Ps 139:14.....You do not need a man to validate who you are or your beauty....... Stop doing everything to gain approval from man....... The irony is actually that - those who try too hard,  get nothing......Try hard to please God..... That's all that should matter.... No matter what you do,  those who won't like you won't.... However,  you don't need to do anything for those who will love you to love you..... Don't beg for compliments or feel bad if you receive none......If you get a compliment; fine. If you don't;  compliment yourself ...... Remind yourself how beautiful awesome and wonderful you are.........don't forget how much God loves you...... Don't give anyone the right to damage your self worth...... Celebrate the work of God in you.

3. LOVE YOURSELF: You determine how people love you by how you love yourself........How much you love your self is expressed in how much you value and treat yourself...... So go on, love yourself...... Treat yourself with dignity and respect. This is not pride....... It's what you place a value on that you take care of........Don't lower your value for anyone. Remember, dont cast your pearls before swine, they will trample on it- Mt 7:6

4. FIND AND FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE: Contrary to widespread belief, you were not created as a woman only to find a husband, have many children and that's it........ Sadly,  a lot of women have wasted too much time finding a husband(getting disappointed and frustrated in the process) while abandoning their life purpose........Some on the other hand have gotten married and spent the whole of their productive life being just a wife and mother, having as many children as possible without finding or fulfilling the purpose God created them for.  Please don't let this be you... It's time to refocus.....  You are a gift to the world.......There is something God has placed in you that will benefit the world. You were created for a purpose - Eph 2:10. And God will ask you what you did with it....Remember the parable of the talents?Mat 25:14-30.... Don't be deceived,  entrance into heaven is not going to be determined by your marital status or how many children you birthed just because you are a woman..... It's time to find that purpose and begin to run with it......it doesn't matter the number of years that have been wasted......It's never too late to start so Begin now...

5. PAMPER YOURSELF: You deserve it! I wonder why women feel too guilty to breathe... Arrange a spa visit...time out with friends with a common purpose, relax....take a long warm bath....buy yourself something new.....just do something for yourself for once...

6. MENTOR SOMEONE: Whether you realise it or not, you have a sphere of influence....someone somewhere is watching you.....wants to be like you....wants to learn from you.....so you think you are not good enough?.....yes you are........While we won't all have a crowd following us, you can start with one person......encourage someone.....help someone.......you have it in you.....

7. NURTURE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS: Release the bad ones....let them go....... There are some relationships that will not suit your progress and the level God is taking you too so let them go. Some will be envious,  jealous or even betray you..... Let them go now!.... Not everyone will celebrate your progress and letting them go will help you grow. You must understand that there are relationships that stifle....these people are not going no where....they see no reason for growth and want you to stay with them.....some  don't necessarily hate or dislike you....they just don't understand your journey and it's okay to let them go.....it's your journey not theirs......

8. IDENTIFY YOUR PRAYER WAR ROOM(SPACE): You need prayers to survive in life.......to achieve all you need to be...remember , "we wrestle not against flesh and blood...." Eph 6:12......don't think you can't pray....everyone can pray.....you may not be able to set aside a room but you can set a time and place...... prayer is a conversation with God!......don't be discouraged by those who boast of fasting for very many days and months when you can barely go without food.......start somewhere......you can get a notebook and list out all your favourite praise and worship songs.........tell God your fears, hopes and aspiration.......schedule a place or time in your home to commune with your maker....with time, you will enjoy spending time with God that you will not realise how long you spent praying.....God knows, God listens ........believe me prayer is the key......connect with God through prayer.

9. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: Last but not the least, you have got to believe in yourself to do all of the above....people may mock you and sometimes you may even feel discouraged but you have got to go on......if you don't believe in yourself, no one will believe in you......belief in yourself will give you the fuel to go on when it looks like it's not working.......NEvER quit......if you need to be encouraged , remember God's thoughts towards you are of good, not of evil to give you a hope and a future- Jer29:11....

Wish you Merry Christmas and the best of you in 2017 as " the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Rom. 8:19

SEIZE THE DAY!

SEIZE THE DAY!

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
—Dale Carnegie

The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the “buts” you use today.
—Les Brown

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
—Albert Einstein

What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have.
—William A. Ward

Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“The Builders”)

You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow.
—Harriet Martineau

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
—Groucho Marx

Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
—Will Rogers

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today!
—William Allen White

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Light tomorrow with today!
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning

James 4:14 ESV – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 – I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

Psalm 31:14-15 – But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

9 DECISIONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD EMBRACE IN 2017

For a woman and a woman in every man:
9 DECISIONS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD EMBRACE IN 2017

1. YOUR JOY DOES NOT COME FROM MAN: Yes, your joy comes from God...... Not from any man; be it your husband, boyfriend, sibling or earthly father....... Until you connect with God who is the joy giver, man will dictate your mood and you will find yourself wallowing in the pits of sadness often....... Determine that nothing a man does to you will set the tone for how you feel....... Ask the giver of joy- Jn 16:24 and restorer of joy.

2. KNOW WHO YOU ARE: You are fearfully and wonderfully made Ps 139:14.....You do not need a man to validate who you are or your beauty....... Stop doing everything to gain approval from man....... The irony is actually that - those who try too hard,  get nothing......Try hard to please God..... That's all that should matter.... No matter what you do,  those who won't like you won't.... However,  you don't need to do anything for those who will love you to love you..... Don't beg for compliments or feel bad if you receive none......If you get a compliment; fine. If you don't;  compliment yourself ...... Remind yourself how beautiful awesome and wonderful you are.........don't forget how much God loves you...... Don't give anyone the right to damage your self worth...... Celebrate the work of God in you.

3. LOVE YOURSELF: You determine how people love you by how you love yourself........How much you love your self is expressed in how much you value and treat yourself...... So go on, love yourself...... Treat yourself with dignity and respect. This is not pride....... It's what you place a value on that you take care of........Don't lower your value for anyone. Remember, dont cast your pearls before swine, they will trample on it- Mt 7:6

4. FIND AND FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE: Contrary to widespread belief, you were not created as a woman only to find a husband, have many children and that's it........ Sadly,  a lot of women have wasted too much time finding a husband(getting disappointed and frustrated in the process) while abandoning their life purpose........Some on the other hand have gotten married and spent the whole of their productive life being just a wife and mother, having as many children as possible without finding or fulfilling the purpose God created them for.  Please don't let this be you... It's time to refocus.....  You are a gift to the world.......There is something God has placed in you that will benefit the world. You were created for a purpose - Eph 2:10. And God will ask you what you did with it....Remember the parable of the talents?Mat 25:14-30.... Don't be deceived,  entrance into heaven is not going to be determined by your marital status or how many children you birthed just because you are a woman..... It's time to find that purpose and begin to run with it......it doesn't matter the number of years that have been wasted......It's never too late to start so Begin now...

5. PAMPER YOURSELF: You deserve it! I wonder why women feel too guilty to breathe... Arrange a spa visit...time out with friends with a common purpose, relax....take a long warm bath....buy yourself something new.....just do something for yourself for once...

6. MENTOR SOMEONE: Whether you realise it or not, you have a sphere of influence....someone somewhere is watching you.....wants to be like you....wants to learn from you.....so you think you are not good enough?.....yes you are........While we won't all have a crowd following us, you can start with one person......encourage someone.....help someone.......you have it in you.....

7. NURTURE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS: Release the bad ones....let them go....... There are some relationships that will not suit your progress and the level God is taking you too so let them go. Some will be envious,  jealous or even betray you..... Let them go now!.... Not everyone will celebrate your progress and letting them go will help you grow. You must understand that there are relationships that stifle....these people are not going no where....they see no reason for growth and want you to stay with them.....some  don't necessarily hate or dislike you....they just don't understand your journey and it's okay to let them go.....it's your journey not theirs......

8. IDENTIFY YOUR PRAYER WAR ROOM(SPACE): You need prayers to survive in life.......to achieve all you need to be...remember , "we wrestle not against flesh and blood...." Eph 6:12......don't think you can't pray....everyone can pray.....you may not be able to set aside a room but you can set a time and place...... prayer is a conversation with God!......don't be discouraged by those who boast of fasting for very many days and months when you can barely go without food.......start somewhere......you can get a notebook and list out all your favourite praise and worship songs.........tell God your fears, hopes and aspiration.......schedule a place or time in your home to commune with your maker....with time, you will enjoy spending time with God that you will not realise how long you spent praying.....God knows, God listens ........believe me prayer is the key......connect with God through prayer.

9. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: Last but not the least, you have got to believe in yourself to do all of the above....people may mock you and sometimes you may even feel discouraged but you have got to go on......if you don't believe in yourself, no one will believe in you......belief in yourself will give you the fuel to go on when it looks like it's not working.......NEvER quit......if you need to be encouraged , remember God's thoughts towards you are of good, not of evil to give you a hope and a future- Jer29:11....

Wish you Merry Christmas and the best of you in 2017 as " the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Rom. 8:19

CHANGING FOR THE BETTER

CHANGING FOR THE BETTER

God wants only the best for us.

Psalm 84:11b: No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Matthew 7:9–11: Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Luke 12:32: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

 

God can and will help us change for the better, if we let Him.

2 Timothy 1:12b: I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13: For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

 

But the natural man resists change.

Mark 7:9: And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”

Luke 5:39: And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’

 

Yieldedness to the Lord’s will is the key to beneficial change.

1 Samuel 3:18b: So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

Psalm 40:8: I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.

Isaiah 64:8: Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Jeremiah 42:6: Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.

Matthew 6:10b: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

 

During the changing process, we must do two things: not worry about the past and keep our eyes on the goal ahead.

Philippians 3:13–14: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:18: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Hebrews 12:1–2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

THE SEASONS OF LIFE

THE SEASONS OF LIFE

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…

Thank You, God, for the seasons of my life, each having its own special beauty.

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”—Psalm 118:24

 

A time to be born, and a time to die…

Thank You for the gift of life, and thank You that one day I will pass from this life to the next, carried onwards through Your love.

“My times are in Your hand.”—Psalm 31:15

 

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted…

Thank You for both success and failure; experience is a hard but faithful teacher.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”—Psalm 37:23–24

 

A time to kill, and a time to heal…

Thank You for the sicknesses and other troubles that You have allowed in my life, so that I could rely more on You. Thank You for bringing me through them all.

“To you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”—Malachi 4:2

 

A time to break down, and a time to build up…

There have been disappointments and losses; thank You for how they have made room for better things.

“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”—Romans 8:28

 

A time to weep, and a time to laugh…

Thank You for seasons of sorrow and of joy, for the sunshine that is even more appreciated after a storm.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”—Psalm 30:5

 

A time to mourn, and a time to dance…

Thank You that despite the sadness I feel at the loss of loved ones, I have the enduring comfort of knowing they are happy in heaven and we will be together again.

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.”—Psalm 30:11

 

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones…

Thank You for changes, which remind me that You are the one constant in my life.

“[Nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 8:38–39

 

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…

Thank You for the company of friends and loved ones, and thank You also for times of loneliness when I experience the comfort that You alone can give.

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”—Deuteronomy 33:27

 

A time to gain, and a time to lose…

Thank You for the times of need as well as the times of prosperity, each in their own way teaching me to appreciate my blessings.

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”—Job 1:21

 

A time to keep, and a time to throw away…

Help me to let go of pride, selfishness, and other sins of the heart. Whatever the future holds, help me to hold onto what are most precious—You and Your love and truth.

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”—Philippians 1:6

 

A time to tear, and a time to sew…

Even when I go astray, You never withdraw Your love. Your mercy and forgiveness make me want to do better.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9

 

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak…

Thank You for always being there to listen to my problems, offer solutions, and put me on a positive path. Help me to be more like that with others.

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.”—James 1:19

 

A time to love, and a time to hate…

Help me to forgive those who wrong me—to “love the sinner but hate the sin”—as You do with me.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”—Ephesians 4:32

 

A time of war, and a time of peace.

War will be with us as long as evil exists in this world, but thank You that one day You will put a stop to all that. In the meantime, help me to be a peacemaker.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”—Matthew 5:9 KJV

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

LET ME BE A LITTLE KINDER

LET ME BE A LITTLE KINDER

A popular song that made a big impression on me as a teenager seemed to be a prayer. I say “seemed” because the song didn’t mention God or prayer. It also didn’t sound like any religious music I’d ever heard. The lyrics were deceptively simple—big truths about character and success in life expressed humbly and winsomely. I wanted to be like that, I remember thinking. It was the best sermon I’d ever heard.

Let Me Be a Little Kinder
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;
Let me praise a little more.

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.

Let me be when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
—Glen Campbell

If that was what religion was all about, I also remember thinking, it wasn’t so bad. It would be a few more years before I read from the Bible for the first time, but when I did I was pleasantly surprised to learn that was what true Christianity was all about—loving God and others. I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to muster that love from within myself. It is a gift from God, freely available to anyone who asks for it. All it takes is a simple, sincere prayer. Like that song.

Genesis 21:23 NIV – Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 11:17 ESV – A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

#HappyWeekend
#LastDayin2016
#LastSaturdayin2016

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

LET ME BE A LITTLE KINDER

LET ME BE A LITTLE KINDER

A popular song that made a big impression on me as a teenager seemed to be a prayer. I say “seemed” because the song didn’t mention God or prayer. It also didn’t sound like any religious music I’d ever heard. The lyrics were deceptively simple—big truths about character and success in life expressed humbly and winsomely. I wanted to be like that, I remember thinking. It was the best sermon I’d ever heard.

Let Me Be a Little Kinder
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;
Let me praise a little more.

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.

Let me be when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
—Glen Campbell

If that was what religion was all about, I also remember thinking, it wasn’t so bad. It would be a few more years before I read from the Bible for the first time, but when I did I was pleasantly surprised to learn that was what true Christianity was all about—loving God and others. I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to muster that love from within myself. It is a gift from God, freely available to anyone who asks for it. All it takes is a simple, sincere prayer. Like that song.

Genesis 21:23 NIV – Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have shown to you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 11:17 ESV – A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

#HappyWeekend
#LastDayin2016
#LastSaturdayin2016

Onyedikachi Kingsley Ogbonna (Surv.)

History and Life... Wike: Stop Watering Your 2023 Ambition With the Blood of Igbo Youths 😭😭

Wike: Stop Watering Your 2023 Ambition With the Blood of Igbo Youths 😭😭 By Chidiebere Nwobodo  I am not a fan of Nnamdi Kanu n...