Corrected to be a better Mom by my Daughter!!

                                                

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior's hands. How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. Psalm 127:3-5

Yes, you will not be put to shame when you are confronted by your accusers who will want to mock you because of the negative behaviour of your children.

When I was a child I didn’t enjoy good parenting because my father was never there when we needed him while my mother was busy doing her business to ensure that we have all our basic needs met but we wanted more than that! Our Emotional and Spiritual needs were not visible or important to them; they cared less about those aspects.

Casting my mind back, my father travels a lot because of the nature of his job and anytime he comes back he hardly even stays at home to find out what his children’s needs are! You can imagine where I was coming from!  Correcting us was done by our mother, I will always be grateful for her determination and courage without a supportive husband. She did her best but it would have been easier for her if she fully had the support of my father (sorry to say this but I never like remembering my childhood days at all in regard to my upbringing because it makes me feel emotional and angry with my father but I have forgiven him a long time ago and we are good friends today. He cherishes is grandchildren a lot and gives them the attention he never gave to us!) No regrets at all because those experiences helped me to be a better parent and not wanting to follow the path of my parents!

Some days ago after work I came back home and my house was in a big mess! Gush I was very angry with my children because my house was upside down (ladies you know how it is when you come back from work tired abi?).

Can I Trust You Again??

                                   

Trust in any relationship is hard. When I was young it was a word said with the same tone as respect. People earned your trust, and they earned your respect. I have heard people say, “she has to trust me and respect me”. Yet they are playing games, and sometimes even cheating. That is a contradiction in terms.

What is trust? It is literally defined as having faith in someone, or relying on someone.

Wikipedia says it is:

The degree to which one party trusts another is a measure of belief in the honesty, fairness, or benevolence of another party.

If you don't trust someone, they won't be able to hurt you. Think of putting your trust in someone like giving someone some delicate possession of yours to hold. They now have the ability to drop it and hurt "you". If you never give it to them, they can't hurt you. This is no way to live though. Having relationship with people just means you have to risk getting hurt.

How can I trust a man or woman who keeps hurting me at every opportunity? Because the more I trust the person the more power I give them to hurt me. By trusting someone you make yourself vulnerable.

Too Desperate to make Money.

More Nigerians than ever are desperate for money and many of them will do just about anything to get it. The crumbling economy has pushed millions of ordinary Nigerians to the brink of utter desperation.

These days it seems like people will do just about anything for money. All over the country, there are areas where just about anything that is not secured down is being stolen. A lot of people have resorted to making money however they can - selling drugs, selling their bodies, invading homes, taking bribes and even stealing from their own family members. You will have a hard time believing some of the experiences of the people who are very close to me shared and I thought it wise to let people know and take extra actions about their safety.

Just recently, a colleague of mine after the day’s work boarded a taxi home. She said before entering the taxi, she noticed that the taxi man was quite young and wearing sun glasses in the evening and he was blasting his music radio very high but because she was late she quickly entered! On their way, she saw a folded Ghana Must Go bag in front of the car meanwhile she was sitting at the passenger’s sit of the car. When she noticed that the man was on high speed, she told him to slow down and he complied. Suddenly the taxi man told her to give him the diary he kept at the back of the car because he wants to bring out money from the diary to buy something along the way. At first she pretended as if she didn’t hear what he was saying and the man repeated himself again but this time was pleading with her to help him pick the diary!!

I Cherish My Woman Power!!

                                                     

Women do have power, lots of it. But I’m not just talking about power within the family, or power in the workplace, or even power in high political office. I’m talking about a more basic kind of power: power over men.

If a woman recognizes her power over men, and chooses to exercise it, she can own a man. I don’t care who the man is or what he’s accomplished; if she wants him and he’s at all attracted to her, she can own him. It’s often said that sex---or, more precisely, a woman’s ability to grant it or withhold it---is the source of a woman’s power over men. Whatever the source of a woman’s power may be, she needs to use it wisely.

Just because a woman can own a man doesn’t mean she has to. They may both be happier if her power is exercised so effortlessly that he can maintain the illusion that maybe it’s his power that she’s attracted to. Is that itself a kind of manipulation? Maybe, but I don’t think many men would complain, even if they could recognize it. If his illusions are left intact, a man is always happy.

Most men will agree with me that their pursuit of work is directly related to their pursuit of women or providing for “The Woman” in their life. It is said that men are turned on through their eyes while women are turned on through their ears.

Consider three examples from the Scripture. Take the power of Delilah with Samson. Samson could take on an army of warriors, but he surrendered to the charms of one woman. A writer describes Samson as a "He-man, with a she-weakness."

Take King David, who faced and felled a nine-foot Goliath, yet fell under the spell of Bathsheba. David was so obsessed; he was drawn away from his God into immorality, lies, and ultimately murder. And consider Solomon, who ruled over the golden years of Israel, but was captivated by the power of women.

 

Something About My NAME.

                                                   
                                           

Just think for a few minutes now, I would like you to think about your name. Is it a good name? If you could have named yourself, would you have chosen the same name? There is a meaning behind every name, what is the meaning behind yours? My English name is Justina which means “Justice” while my native name is Nwakaego which means “A child is greater than money”. No wonder I display some traits of always wanting justice to prevail in every issue that I face. I can’t stand it when someone wants to simply take advantage of the other!! If you want to be my friend then don’t maltreat a child or a woman! These two categories of people are my heart beat. Sorry guys hope you are not calling me a feminist!! Whatever, no apologies! I’m always proud to stand for Justice and Fairness.

Some years ago, I travelled to my village for a traditional marriage and one day while we were chatting and relaxing a woman cried out of her compound and her husband chased her out and pushed her down and was beating her mercilessly. People immediately came to the rescue of the woman and I told the man if he beat her again I was going to call the police for him and he rained insults on me! From the information I gathered, the man was a drunk and keeps late night. I told myself I was going to teach him one or two lessons! I called my friends who were in the army and they took him to their barrack for two days. Ha…..ha (forget me when I’m mischievous) when he came back, he was a different man! He was made to sign an undertaking that he will never beat his wife again and that he was going to be responsible!

Today we are family friends and his wife told me that if she was to make a choice again in respect to marriage, she will choose her husband and I was touched by that statement. I love my name, it’s working for me!

Do not forget that whatever you name your infant boy or girl will have a profound effect on the development of their mind, personality, career path, self-confidence, and much more. My first daughter’s name is “Favour” and I noticed that anywhere she goes, people notice her and she comes home with gifts!

Happy Father's Day!

                            

This Sunday, June 16, as the world honours fathers and celebrates fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society, I would like to use this forum to honor and recognize all the fathers in Nigeria who work and toil hard to put food on the table irrespective of the harsh economic conditions we find ourselves today. Sometimes our fathers are overlooked for mothers who appear to be more nurturing and involved in our everyday lives.

Father's Day in the real sense is when the children and other family members extend their love and appreciation to the father for all that he had done to make the family a happy and united body. It could be done through organizing a small party or get-together to honour the father; or it could be a picnic to the beach, cinema or other places of excitement. It could be in form of a gift that the father would appreciate.

The celebration does not limit its participation to the children alone; the mothers too are encouraged to send love wishes and show compassion for their husbands for being there to build the home with them.

Above all, a true father must have the fear of GOD in him!! When a father has the fear of God, he will never hurt the home that God has entrusted in his hands. To all the God fearing fathers all over the world I celebrate you guys!

Archbishop Margaret Idahosa Testifies on how she has coped with widowhood and ministry, After 15 Years.

                                                            
                                            

 

I had pressure to remarry after my husband’s death – Archbishop Idahosa Archbishop Margaret Benson- Idahosa’s world came crashing when she lost her better half, Archbishop Benson Idahosa to the cold hands of death in 1998. Before his death, the vibrant Pentecostal pastor was not only her husband but also her brother, friend and confidant as well.

After his demise, she clearly blurted out: “I am finished” due to the shock of his exit. She couldn’t believe that her better half had gone on a journey of no return. In that confused state, she didn’t know where to begin, neither was she clear about what the future held for her. The fact that he was never sick or complained of any pains on the day he died further heightened her shock.

Margaret Benson-Idahosa, who became the first female Chancellor in Africa in 2002, after establishing the Benson Idahosa University, told Daily Sun that her plan was to recline and withdraw into her shell after her husband’s burial. Unknown to her, God had other plans for her in the ministry where her late husband was the presiding Bishop. She spoke on how she coped with widowhood, the pressures of re-marriage among other issues. Excerpts:

How my husband died:

 

His death was a great shock and I am still recovering from his absence after 12 years. Before he died, he preached a message on death, titled: “The benefit of death” with so much rigour as if he had a premonition about what would happen. My late husband also made it clear to all that he had finished the work God gave him in that message, but no one knew it would be soon. He died in March and left emptiness in me that no one could fill.

The day the late Archbishop went to rest, he preached at the Bible School before he went to lunch with a team from Oral Robert University. He gave instruction to all the members of the team to thank God for what he has done and they were all glued to him. After a while, they noticed a gentle breeze blowing as they all set their gaze on him and he was saying; “Thank you, Jesus.” They thought he was praying and all closed their eyes and started saying; “Thank you, Jesus,” along with him but suddenly, they did not hear anything again. One of the team members opened his eyes and found him on the floor. Before they could do anything, he had passed on. His death came as a shock to everyone because he was never sick.

After his death:

When he was alive, the best I could do was to encourage him and pray for him. I was a great supporter of his vision. So when he died, I just wanted to remain in my cocoon. I told myself after the burial that I would just recline. By then, my children were all abroad and I planned to be staying with them one after the other and then, come over to Benin to see how the ministry is being run. But God who knows the heart of man directed my path to where I am today. I was 55 when my better half was taken away from me and at that point, I was not interested in the ministry because I felt my husband’s shoes were too big for me to fit in. The acceptance I got from members of the church forced me on my knees to seek God’s guidance concerning the ministry. The Lord ordered my steps to continue from where my husband stopped and He has continued to back me in the ministry.

DRIVEVANGELIST: Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Driver Is Super Rich!

National Enquirer Magazine Last week has on its front cover this very interesting story. Miracles are definitely happening everyday!

”Many people would almost immediately disregard you, the moment you tell them that you work as a driver, especially in Nigeria. But it’s a whole different ball game, with the driver of silver tongued, stylish man of God, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, pastor of Believers Love World (BLW). a.k.a Christ Embassy.

His name is Sunshine Samuel Imumholen, apparently hails from the same town with his boss, he is in his late 30’s, and doesn’t have a degree yet, but National Enquirer scooped that he is under immense pressure from his boss to acquire a degree by all means.

So he has enrolled in one of the universities in Lagos state. He lives in a lavish apartment in Magodo G.R.A, where he has fleet of exotic cars. We learnt that he spent well over 20 million naira for his wedding, on the 22nd of March 2013, in Lagos and Aba. He bought a red Rav 4 Jeep for his wife as a wedding, gift, after he had already showered her with car gifts, whilst they were dating.

According to reliable church sources, the first car Pastor Oyakhilome`s driver bought for his wife to be was a white Honda Civic, and then a Silver Ticco Mini Jeep, flew her to London for shopping, and to Dubai for vacation.

We gathered that he actually met his wife at the staff car park and fell in love with the way she took her time to park her car, he walked up to her, told her his intentions, and that was it, like they, say, the rest became history.

The wife, Stellamaris has been overwhelmed since after marriage, as she keeps posting it on facebook, and tweeter,” o what more can I ask for, the Lord has done it all” they were in the United States of America, for their honeymoon, and the moment they came back, he surprised her with a white 2009 model of Infinity Jeep. Hnmmm, now I can almost visualize many single ladies fasting and praying for a driver as a life partner. Well, then don’t miss the opportunity, find your way to the church on Sunday, you just might be lucky and win the heart of a driver”.

Culled from National Enquirer Magazine

At Last a Joyful Mother!

                                                              
                                                                         

 

The waiting season is not easy without the grace of God. Most people can’t bear the mockery and shame that comes with their problems and they start going from one prayer house to the other to find a solution. But I will like to narrow this article on couples that are waiting for the fruit of the womb!! You will agree with me that some problems you face in life may not be known by the people around you or even your closest friends but some problems are open to the people around and you can’t hide it. You may want to hide it by changing location so that you meet new people that don’t know about your history but as years go by, people begin to comments about you. That problem that you can’t hide even if you pretend about it is expectation of children!

The story of Hannah from the Bible (1 Samuel 1:1-28) clearly illustrates how Peninnah mocked and jested her because she had no children. Yes we know that Peninnah had many children but their names were never mentioned! Suffice me to say that the covenant child of Hannah who is Samuel was an impactful Prophet in his generation. When God wiped the tears of Hannah, HE put her mockers to shame, God blessed her again when she returned Samuel back to God to serve HIM with three boys and two daughters (1Samuel 2: 21).

Most times we murmur and complain that God is too slow! But you know what? God is always on time! The difference is just that His timing with ours is entirely different. So wait on him because His grace is sufficient to carry you through.

I love to share two stories of couples I know very well that waited on the Lord and God did prove HIMSELF faithful in their lives.

Pastor & Mrs. Uchendu were married for more than twenty years. The wife was told that she couldn’t give birth because her two fallopian tubes were bad and there was no way she could give birth while the husband’s sperm count was too low. The wife said and I quote “Even the barren called me BARREN”!! The husband said and I quote “while we were waiting on the Lord, I was never unfaithful to my wife”!! I salute the Grace of God upon his life. Some men will either send the woman packing or impregnate a woman outside to prove to the world that their not the ones to blame! (guys please don't crucify me, but the truth must be told) Lol!

Stop Hating Female Children.

Why do people lay too much emphasis on a male child and prefer to have more of males rather than females. My answer is that they do not have regard for girls. Why not embrace any child at all when million couples are looking for a single child but haven’t one? One word: Shortsightedness

Well I was prompted to write on this topic because it seems that many people do not understand some things about nature and how God operates. They do not understand why God decided to put whatever gender He wanted in a family. They don’t have any idea why God chose to make a family “all girls” or “all boys” or “boys and girls.” Remember no one is wiser than God. Many a time people in my country (and maybe in other countries) attach too much importance to giving birth to a male child than a female child.

For instance; a married couple gave birth to the first issue and it was a female. Then they give birth to another and it was a female again. Expecting to have a male next, they try another and another and another but unfortunately for them, they still remain females. But now they have 6 children and maybe they can now manage to cope with means to survive with them. The family is now 8 in number (father, mother and 6 daughters) and the father receives not too sufficient income to cope and maintain the family, thus problem starts.

And the funny thing may be that people around them (friends and neighbours) have a mixed family of boys and girls.

Oritsejafor CAN President for the 2nd Term

                                    

The first Pentecostal cleric to be elected National President of the Christian Association, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor was Thursday night re-elected to pilot the affairs of the umbrella body of Christians in the country for a second term.

Declaring results of the CAN presidential elections at National Christian Centre, Abuja, the returning officer of a 5-member electoral committee, the executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mr. Kennedy Opara said incumbent president, Pastor Oritsejafor scored 80 votes while his only opponent, Rev. Oyekunle polled four ballots.

The 82 accredited delegates, aside from the two contestants, drawn from blocks out of the five that make up CAN had overwhelmingly opted for the Open Ballot system as they freely raised their hands in the full view of everybody to show the openness of the exercise.

Weight Gain Palava (Part 2)

I don’t know if I’m actually different but one thing you can’t take away from me is an adventurous healthy life style. I do not like to be addressed as a fat woman or a slim woman. If I'm called by these words, I feel too fat or too slim!!  If you read my article on “My Journey to weight loss and gain (part 1) you will understand a bit of where I’m coming from and bear in mind that I was actually childish and always wanted to look good! Some will say, copy cat! yes that is a child's mind set to copy what they see in their environment. Even adults behave like children at times.

While relaxing in my couch and sipping a glass of chilled water, I just remembered one of my childish attitudes again! Sorry to bother you again with my stories but just can’t keep it inside. I just want to deviate a bit.......

I naturally have long and black hair as a very young child and people normally admire it or say my hair was bigger than my body. Most times they say my hair was eating up my flesh that was why I was thin!! My parent didn’t mind what people were saying but as I began to constantly hear the comments I didn’t want to plait and grow my hair anymore!

One day, my Dad came home with a calendar for the New Year and I saw a picture of a little girl wearing haircut and hurrah! I have seen how I want to look!! All my attention was to have my hair cut. I kept worrying my Mum until she was tired and she cut my hair herself when my Dad travelled. Though I felt better and happy with myself but my Dad was really angry with me. What’s my business about any ones feelings?? Lol.

My Journey to Weight Loss and Gain (Part 1)

                                                    

The story of my weight loss and gain all began in my junior class in high school. I saw a girl from the Northern part of Nigeria looking really beautiful and skinny. You know how it is like to admire someone and really want to be like the person! I told one of my classmates about it and she advised me to cut down my eating habit and only eat once in a day. I began my journey of being skinny and beautiful like the northern chick! LOL.

I skipped meals to a point my mum noticed I was not eating well again and she asked me why? I just told her I didn’t like eating too much again! But one paramount thing about my weight loss adventure was that I was always falling sick. When I got tired of the whole thing, I just decided to seek another opinion from another friend about my weight loss adventure! She looked at me and really laughed at me and I was embarrassed.

She told me the truth though it was bitter to me then!! She said; Justina you can never be like her even if you try. You are simply beautiful in your own way!

The words were so powerful and I regained my self-confidence back again. Even if I didn’t go skinny like the Northern chick, I just completely forgot about weight loss and began to eat normal again.

Then in my senior class in high school, the desire to become fat and look big just completely

Dana Air Crash, One Year After!

                                     

For one whole year, they have struggled in vain. Families and friends of the departed in the ill-fated Dana flight 992 that crashed into the densely populated Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos State have continued to cry out.

Those who lost loved ones and valuable property to the Dana air crash of Sunday, June 3, 2012 have spent the last twelve months agonising and today they will remember again the sad memories of how their loved ones died in the ill-fated aircraft. But such memories will be more bitter this year as the compensation due to many of them have been denied them.

Yes, the workmen hired by the Lagos State Ministry of Works to erect a cenotaph in memory of the victims of the ill-fated Dana flight 992 busied themselves at the crash site last week, but that will still not substitute for the lives lost, neither will it take away the sad memories.

Someone living close to the crash site said the people who lost their lives at home due to the impact of the crash. He said: “I am not even talking about those inside the plane, but our neighbours here who perished

Engaging the Power of Faith to Fulfill Prophecies - David Oyedepo

                                                    

                             

Prophecies are ordained for fulfillment; they are not mere statements made to excite you. Prophetic words are the expressions of God’s thoughts and God’s purpose for your life.

The Bible says: The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand (Isaiah 14:24). However, you cannot see prophecies fulfilled, until you choose and take responsibility to believe. Until you believe it, you are not empowered to become it.

The fact that you don’t believe, does not erase its validity; it just means you have refused to be a beneficiary. Every prophecy is ordained for fulfillment, but only on the platform of faith.

What, then, is Faith?

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord (Luke 1:45).

•Faith is the principal thing in your quest to see prophecies fulfilled. You can pray from now till forever, if you don’t have faith, you won’t see prophecies fulfilled.

•Faith is a spiritual force within that determines the triumphs without. It is a spiritual force within you that determines the happenings around you.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10). Faith is not on the face, faith is in the heart. Just as faith is a force within, doubt is also a force within.

Mark 11:23 says: …Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass;

Why I don't like making public comments - Pastor Adeboye

                                                

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has explained that he is careful in making public comments to avoid mistakes.

In an interview with Haaretz newspaper during a visit to Jerusalem, Adeboye said he had shied away from speaking out on national issues in order to avoid influencing people in the wrong way.

He also said he was aware of the enormous responsibility on his shoulders as the leader of a global church with millions of members.

“At times it’s frightening. In Africa you have a saying, the man who is carrying a basket of eggs must walk gently …