PROUDLY NIGERIAN!

People say so much is wrong with this country,
I agree.
Th events in the past few days have not made things better.
Fighting at a session of the House of Representatives..
Normal sight..we are used to it.
The Super Eagles disappointed us.
A lot of swear words have been released on them since this happened.
But..this does not change a fact.
You and I are still Nigerians.
If you are like me, and you believe your wealth is in this nation...
If you believe that you and generations after you will eat the good of this land...
If you know that you know that you know that even when there is lack in the land, you will experience a bountiful harvest...
Then...you had better start praying for Nigeria.
Speak the positive concerning this country. Trust me God did not "throw" you here by mistake. If you are a Nigerian, then you were meant to be one.
Remember..with words we either tear down or build up. Which are you doing?
Are you proudly Nigerian?

Tola

WHAT AM I DOING?

The year is almost half way gone.
What have I done for you Lord?
Whose life have I made worthwhile?
Have I been blessed and not been a blessing?
Have I been a bucket instead of a fountain?
Have I been nourishing my spirit?
Am I kingdom minded?
Am I living like I will never leave here?
Am I making impact?
Do I understand the power of relationships?
Have I been eating my seed?
Are my tithes on my feet as shoes?
Are my offerings hanging in my wardrobe as clothes?
Am I a person others will follow?
Can I still recognize Your voice?
What kind of future am I painting?
Is my life Your message?
Am I still yours?
…What am I doing?

UNEQUAL TODAY

Different thoughts have been going through my mind. 
It is easy to feel intimidated by what looks larger than you.
Larger people, larger homes, larger personalities. Just large! And you wonder..?
I seem to have forgotten...So this is a reminder
I am not like everyone.  I know what drives me to get out of bed each morning. I know what my bed looks like.You know yours too. What works for you ( which is permissible) might be difficult for me to swallow. This does not make me inferior, substandard  or second class.
I might not live in your mansion. But I have a home.
I might not eat what and where you do. But I eat all the same.
You might stand tall...today...taller than I am. But I am standing also.
Just remember, we are unequal today.

LOOK AFTER WHAT IS YOURS

Like most women, I have issues with my hair. Decided to have a particular "look" which necessitated going to the open market to have it done.
Got there early enough and got down to the business of the day. It was a Saturday and there were a lot of children in the market who wanted to have new hair dos for the coming week.
A child came into the stall I was having my hair done.A lot of hair makers were there including one who specialized in children hair dos.This lovely looking little girl had all her stuff with her including lunch from one of the eatries around. A drink was included. Mamma had to quickly rush off somewhere, so the hair maker was to make her hair and ensure that she eats lunch.This girl by my guess should be 3years old.
In between cries of the child and the making of the hair, the hair maker repeatedly drank from the child's juice can and returned it to her. Her reason? The mother should know that she was to cater for two! i just did not get it!
Now, I looked at this woman. A typical market woman look. No offense.I looked at the child. Typical well pampered "issue". I suddenly felt pity for the mother and that which she does not know.

My advice: When you have to leave your kids to make their hair, have a hair cut and other related matters, make sure there is someone who has your interest at heart sitting next to them. The best person most times is...you Look after what is yours.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE?

“Do you know where your children are?”

This is a line from a movie I saw recently. This question brought back some memories of growing up. Things were not so complicated back then. Family members really had time for each other. The economy was better and our parents especially the mothers did not have to be away from home for too long. That was then.

Fast forward to about twenty five years later. Change has to occur. We all have to cope with these changes and adjust our lives accordingly. A better job with more money might translate to longer working hours. Away from home. Away from the children. Those hours in between the mornings when you leave home and the evenings when everyone reconvenes, do you know what your children have done? Do you know where they have been? Do you know what experiences they must have had?

We cannot be everywhere, every time with them. We can only pray that God watches over them in and out of our presence. It is important that we look out for little things. Very important things. Know your children’s schedule. Be familiar with their friends. Watch the movies that they watch. Approve or disapprove of clothes that they wear. Ask them how their day was. How many of us have children in the university and we do not know where they lay their heads at night? Which hostel is your daughter in? What does your ten year old son watch on television? What kind of books are your teenagers reading? What kind of extra moral classes do your kids attend? Who screens what they have access to on the internet? What are they doing with their mobile phones?

How many of us can authoritatively say we know where our children are 70% of the time? Remember you are accountable. When a child turns out right, everyone praises the parents. They also bear the brunt of unruly behaviour of their children. You might not have enough time to spend with them daily, but when you do, observe, listen and learn. Certain things might be going wrong under your nose. Correct them while you still can.

Remember children are gifts from the Lord. He will ask you what you have done with yours. Enjoy your family life.

Whose Shoes are you wearing?

Imagine having to walk all day, everywhere bare footed! What a funny sight we would all make. Not to metion the bruises our soles will all suffer in the process. Thank God for shoes. They help to compliment our dress sense and for some of us, they hide what we see as our "imperfections".


When I see different kinds of shoes, certain things come to my mind. Roles in life. Our shoes represent certain roles we play in life. We all want to make sure that shoes we wear fit our feet. No use buying a size 40 when I know I am actually a size 39. Somehow, we do not apply this same wisdom to other facets of our life.


So I ask. Whose shoes are you wearing? Are you wearing the "member of the congregation" shoe instead of the worker shoe?Are you sitting at a desk frustrated and unfufilled when you know and God has spoken that you are supposed to be elsewhere?Are you trying to fit into circles that you know you have no business being in? The truth is most of us are acting out scripts meant for someone else. We are living out the lives of the next person. We are wishing we are Mr. A and he is also wishing he is Mr. B.


I ask again, whose shoes are you wearing?

Dead Leaves.

Few days ago,I was outside sweeping leaves that fell off the tree in the next compound. They somehow find their way into ours. Dead leaves. These leaves have to fall off for the new ones to have...space to grow.

Currently, I am creating space in my life...for different things and different people and different experiences. But there is limited space..for most good things in life. Therefore, certain things have oulived their usefulness...they have turned brown. Thus...I am letting them fall off so that those new leaves can grow properly...but the cycle continues...

Instead, I think I would concentrate on the branches, the root..that will always be there season after season. Leaves come and go. Know what is important. Let the dead leaves go. Another will come.