LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY...

Let Your Light Shine

2011-11-28T11:30:00.000Z

There is a special light in each one of us. When we came into this world, we entered with that special light into a world full of chaos and darkness. The choice as to whether we will let our light shine in this dark world is left to us to decide. Nobody can force the light out of you and I, we have to freely give it. That decision lies within us. Light gives of itself freely, it is available everywhere. The light of day is freely given, it fills all available space, it does not seek anything in return neither does it ask whether you are friend or foe. Light is never diminished.

Some have wondered out of the light into darkness, they have gone astray and their light has been snuffed out. Each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light because when the light is on there is no darkness to be found, for light drives away darkness, and where light is darkness comprehends it not. Unfortunately, our world has become so darkened through greed, wars, hatred and a desperate hunger for power, which has created a lot of darkness in a world that could be so full of light. We all have a role to play in letting our light shine through the darkness that has engulfed our world.

Our path is illuminated by the light, for it is light that shows us the way. Even if our soul was down, it will shine in perfect light, so let your light shine. God created light, He created us to be the light of the world. The only way we can move forward and live in a better and brighter world is by letting our light shine and making a decision of choosing not to walk in darkness or get involved in the works of darkness. I encourage you to walk as children of light in your workplace, at home, at school, amongst friends and family and in the community because we are transmitters of light. Let us live and function as children of light in a dark and depressing world. Perhaps in doing this, we can help in our own little way to make the world a better and brighter place by shining some light in somebody’s dark world.

I encourage you today, in the words of Norman B. Rice, "Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light."

May your light never be diminished and may you brighten somebody’s world at their darkest hour. Wishing you God’s blessings in all that you do and thanks for reading J.

Your Life Is Worth It!

2011-08-15T18:33:00.000+01:00

I can hear the voice of hopelessness and despair screaming out loud desperately aiming its arsenal of lies and worthlessness at so many. You might be thinking, “Is my life really worth it? My life is worth nothing!” Let me encourage you today, you may not be worth much in the sight of man, but you are worth much more than many sparrows in the sight of your Maker. Your Creator certainly thinks you are worth it! Why? Because He created you and made you in his own image and what He made was good and is still good in His eyes.

Bill Gates, the creator of Microsoft Inc. would not have spent so much time on Microsoft Technology and invest his time and effort on it if he didn’t think it was worth it. So much time and effort was spent on what he believed was worth it. Nobody believed in his ideas initially, but guess who’s laughing the last laugh now? Those who believed in him or those who doubted his ability? I wonder what would have happened if he doubted and did not believe in himself? God created Bill Gates for a reason and a purpose and we are all reaping the fruit of it now. He believed in himself, doubted his doubters and did not take no for an answer! He is well worth it, isn’t he? This is the reason why I am saying that in the eyes of your Maker you are worth it, your life is worth it. You were created for a reason and a purpose. Don’t believe a lie; believe in yourself instead of looking for approval from others. God would not have spent so much time in creating and bringing you into this world if He did not believe you are worth it. You are not an error; your life is certainly worth it.

The world is a battle field; we must stand and fight in the midst of the battle. I am encouraging you today, fighters never quit, and it is time to stand up and fight back. Be a fighter and not a quitter, don’t give up, you are worth it! Your life is worth it. You may not feel like it, but you are still worth it! Let hope be the anchor of your soul. You are not a waste of time, you are not a failure, and you are not a mistake. You are not worthless; you must hang in there and fight back. In order to be strong, we must keep hope alive and persevere in the midst of the chaos that has overtaken our world today.

Many are going through a lot of tribulation and trials, uncertainty rules our world, violence and anarchy has become the order of the day and the youth are following the example they see of our leader’s deceitful and greedy ways. The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it. We must make up our minds to fight back and not give up. If we give up, then hope will die and our expectation cut off. Like a soldier at war, it’s not over until it’s over, so refuse to give up in spite of the challenges being thrown your way.

I encourage you today, as I encourage myself also that all will be well, but it is only the brave and courageous that will stand till the end. Stand therefore and do not cast your hope away, it has great recompense of reward. Your life is certainly worth it.

In the words of an unknown author, “Everyday may not be good, but there’s something good in everyday.” I encourage you to see the good in everyday and make the best of it. We may not be able to direct the wind, but we can surely adjust the sails. Your life is worth it when you make the best of each day and adjust your sails to see good in everything. Our attitude towards life is what makes a big difference in spite of what we might be going through. It’s not what life takes away from you that counts, it’s what you do with what you have left that matters. Make your life worth it by adjusting your sails and making the best of what you have left. Your life is certainly worth it, I encourage you today, don’t give up on it!

♥♥♥ Our Hearty Congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton ♥♥♥

2011-04-29T10:04:00.000+01:00

We are very proud as British Citizens to witness the wedding today of Prince William and Kate Middleton. They are a lovely couple and we wish them every blessing and future happiness.

Faithful One - Andy Park

2011-02-28T12:51:00.002Z

If you are going through a lot at the moment and you can't seem to find a way out. Maybe you are going through a dark tunnel and things are getting darker and not clearer. My encouragement to you is to listen to the words of this song and let it soothe your soul. I encourage you to cry out again and again. There is someone waiting to hear from you. Will you give Him a chance? He is able to deliver. You are worth much more than many sparrows and He loves you so much, it's hard to believe this sometimes. May this song be a blessing to you and all those who listen to it.

Your Birthing and Beginning

2010-11-26T08:59:00.002Z

The loss of something in your life could be the birthing and beginning of a new thing. What you think is your end could actually be the beginning of something new and wonderful in your life. What we must learn is how to let things go and change our mindset so that a new beginning can take place. Don’t misinterpret the events around you and think this is the end of you.

The old has to go in order for the new to come. We must die to one life before we can enter another. Change is not a bad thing, we must change the way we think about certain things. In the words of Confucious, “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” So change is a necessary thing, it enables us to stretch and grow and reach new heights. Change is what is needed in order to birth and begin something new. Life comes from death, when something dies, a new life begins and when life is at the end of its journey, a new beginning starts.

The loss of a friend could be the beginning of new friendships. The loss of a job could be the beginning of a business enterprise and an opportunity to discover something new, a gift or talent that you never thought was there before. The loss of something could be the push that is needed to bring about the change in our character so that we can make the bad work out for good. Change is not a bad thing, it could be the birthing and beginning of a new thing.

My encouragement to you is to look through the lens of positivity and not to focus on the negative. This could be the birthing and beginning of a new you. If you don’t let go of the old, you may never discover the new. Is there anything you need to let go of? Maybe you need to let go of that friend who has caused you pain for years or that person who has abused you for years. Maybe you need to see the positive side and see the job loss as an opportunity for change and the birthing and beginning of a new thing, a new business or a new idea perhaps. You must let go of the pain to see the joy. Don’t worry, with a positive outlook and a determination to persevere you will come through and shine.

I would encourage you not to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, drop it and let it go. Maybe that loss is not so bad afterall; it might be a tool of change, the change that will birth a new beginning for you. I encourage you to stay strong, run the race and be determined to win and maybe what you thought was the end might be the entry into your next season of promotion. May God bless you with a new season of change that will bring abundance into your life, may He cover and protect you and may you be victorious and prosper in all that you do.

(Written by Freda Ladé-Ajumobi 2010 © All rights reserved.)

Be A Storm Rider!

2010-10-14T08:53:00.003+01:00

Eagles are magnificent birds; they are one of the most powerful birds on earth. The eagle builds its nest in tall trees or on high cliffs. They have extremely keen eyesight which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. The ancient book of Job said it was his telescopic vision: from "the point of the cliff" the eagle "spies out the prey" and his "eyes detect it from afar" (39:28-29). Collier’s Encyclopaedia says an eagle’s "eyes are highly developed" and his "vision is binocular”. This stately bird soars above the earth, observing what is going on below and can see its prey from afar. The eagle is a powerful flier, a storm rider, always on the alert and knows how to turn adversity into advantage.

One of the most fascinating things about the Eagle is that it has the ability to adjust her body in order to ride the storm. The eagle is prepared for long flights without getting weary. So, the question that comes to mind is this, like the eagle, how do you turn adversity into advantage? Are you willing to adjust yourself in order to ride the storm? If you cannot ride the storm, you will not be able to go higher and soar like the eagle. The eagle doesn’t run away or escape the storm; it actually embraces it and uses the storm to lift itself higher. It rides on the winds that bring the storm. Are you prepared to soar high in spite of the storms of life? If you are, then you have to embrace the storm and learn to ride through it to get higher. You have to learn to be a storm rider.

When adversity comes and the storms of life are raging, the decision we need to make is to decide whether we are just going to sit there and let the storm blow our dreams and aspirations away or whether we are going to be determined enough to embrace the storm and ride through it in order to soar higher and overcome adversity. There are 100’s of disadvantaged people who have become successful in life despite adversity and misfortune. Some lost all their millions along the way, but through sheer determination, tenacity, endurance and a stubborn will to fight and keep going, they endured the hard times, survived and rose again. They rode the storm and it lifted them to a higher place of victory and success in life.

My encouragement to you today is to keep hope alive, keep your eyes on the vision, your aspirations and your goals. Learn to ride the storm and know that it is there to lift you to a higher place. Don’t give up and let hope slip away and die. Even though it is stormy out there and you are going through a lot, you must keep hope alive, keep standing, keep fighting, your victory is just right round the corner. Hang in there even though you are feeling the blast of the storm of adversity. Hang in there! The storm will be over soon, hang in there, your victory is just round the corner. Hang in there! I am shouting and screaming so you can hear me through the storm, please hang in there! Don’t give up now. Hang in there!

The storm will subside and things will become calm again. Everything in life comes in seasons. Maybe this time you are going through a tough season in your life and the journey seems like an endless unending journey. My advice to you is to keep going and don’t relent, don’t give up and don’t give in. I encourage you to ride on the winds of the storm and hang in there, it is going to lift you to a higher place of victory. Keep going, keep trying, keep fighting, keep hope alive and don’t give up now.

The end of pain, sorrow, heartache, worthlessness, hopelessness and depression is in sight. It might take time, but it is not impossible, the key thing is not to give up now. Sooner or later you will arrive at your expected end. Please don’t give up now.

I am encouraging you and pleading with you not to give up because a lot of people give up at the edge of their miracle and spiral into a deep, dark hole. Your miracle is right round the corner and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Please don’t give up now, maybe you are one of those already at the edge of your miracle and you are about to give up. I would rather encourage you to think about all the sacrifice you’ve made to get here, think about the amount of time you’ve invested and all the hard work you’ve done, think about your loved ones. All that will just go to waste! Think twice before you give up. Embrace the storm, ride on the winds that bring the storm and like the eagle, I encourage you today, be a storm rider!
(Written by Freda Ladé Ajumobi, 2010 © All rights reserved.)

Give A Stranger One of Your Smiles :-)

2010-02-15T10:15:00.004Z

I find that when someone smiles at me, it makes me feel better. Even if I were frowning before then, the frown would suddenly melt away and I would begin to smile back. A smile is a powerful weapon; it can be infectious. Mother Teresa once said that peace begins with a smile. Most smiles are started by another smile and a smile always comes back to the person who gives it. Your expression is important, a smile brings warmth, it increases your face value, and it can brighten the darkest day and throw sunshine in someone’s way. No matter how grouchy a person is, give them a smile. If people are too tired to smile, give them one of yours. It is a gift of love, it goes a long way, it costs nothing and it enriches those who receive it.

It is documented that it takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown. Imagine that! Imagine going through a whole day without smiling, that means you’ve used up a lot of energy frowning. If you are tense it’s because you’re not smiling. Everyday you spend without a smile is a lost day. Invest some smiles into your day. I encourage you today; do not let another day go by without you smiling. A smiling face radiates beauty; I’ve never seen a smiling face that looks ugly. Every smile is beautiful. Even as I write now, I find that I am smiling.

My encouragement to you today is to smile in spite of whatever your problems might be, though life may be difficult, smile regardless. If you don’t have a smile, I’ll give you one of mine, so receive it now and start smiling, and please don’t just keep the smile to yourself, give it away and it will surely come back to you. A smile may take but a moment or a second but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. So, go on and give someone a big smile! Give a stranger one of your smiles. It is a gift of love.

“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” ~ Mother Teresa

Let Each New Year Find You A Better Man

2010-01-24T21:48:00.002Z

Happy New Year! I’m back to writing again after such a long break!
Once again, I want to encourage you to look up this year. Don’t you look down and observe any lying vanities. What is a lying vanity? The root meaning of a lying vanity is something that comes against you to change your mind.
If you’ve made up your mind to change bad habits then do not allow anything to influence you to change your mind. Be determined to change and stick to your vision of change.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let each New Year find you a better man.”

I encourage you this year, be determined and make up your mind to kick old habits, bad habits, old attitudes etc. Start with a fresh page. Kick out the old so the new can come in. Change anything that is not going to profit your growth in life. Don’t start the New Year on old habits. Be determined to change and usher in a new beginning.
Something new is something not before seen or known. To begin something new you must be rid of something old.

May your tomorrows be greater than your yesterdays. May all that you lay your hands upon prosper and may this year be a fruitful and very productive year for you.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” ~Author unknown

Have a very Happy New Year and God bless you!

(Written by Ladé, 2009 © All rights reserved.)

Disappointment - A disguise for blessing

2009-11-12T15:08:00.004Z

Disappointment is delayed appointment. Disappointment will strengthen but will never destroy. When disappointment travels towards you, you must be determined to meet it with courage. Never give in to disappointment, hopelessness or despair. When you overcome disappointment, you acquire the strength to change your disappointment and turn it into an appointment. Nobody can avoid pain. Pain is inevitable and pain comes through disappointment but you can do something about your situation and be determined to walk through the darkness of disappointment into the light of your appointment, your destination. An African proverb says, “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors”. You cannot run away from trouble, trouble will always come. You cannot avoid pain, it is inevitable. The difficulties of life are intended to make us better. A path with no obstacles leads nowhere.

The world is a hard place, it is full of disappointments, woes and troubles but we can turn this around and create an opportunity to turn this into a blessing. You can change the face of disappointment, embrace it, meet it as a friend and turn it into an appointment. “Every disappointment is a blessing”, this is a quote we are all familiar with. At the time of disappointment we may not see the blessing but after the season of disappointment comes the season of appointment. Be ready to embrace your current disappointment in order to see the season of your appointment. See every disappointment as a disguise for blessing and soon enough you will begin to see your blessing emerge through the pain of disappointment. Learn to convert your difficulties into opportunities. Disappointment is a message that leads us to our destination of appointment. So let your joy scream across the pain of disappointment. Today, I encourage you take heart! Turn on the light of your appointment and the darkness of disappointment will fade away from you!

Wishing you courage in times of disappointment.
(Written by Ladé, 2009 © All rights reserved.)

What is true peace?

2009-10-11T00:44:00.003+01:00

One thing the world lacks is peace. Every man deserves to have peace. Every home needs peace and understanding in order to maintain progress. The world loves power but it lacks the power to love. Without understanding, peace cannot be achieved. We bleed in war because we are not prepared to work hard towards achieving peace. The love of power has superseded the power of love. Our world is hungry for peace, it is thirsty for peace, and it is searching for true and lasting peace. World leaders are constantly talking about peace but the void remains to be filled. They have tried and failed.

What is the answer to achieving true and lasting peace in our world, in our home and the environment? What is the answer to having the peace you might have been searching for in a long time? You might be asking, “How can I achieve having peace in my life? Where is the peace I thought I would find in my home and family? How can I experience true and lasting peace in a depraved and wicked world?”

The answer to having true and lasting peace begins with you and me. We must be able to determine in ourselves and make a decision as to whether we would embrace peace or destroy it. Are we going to cling to the past or look to the future and are we going to open our arms or clench our fists. If we want peace on earth, in the family, in the environment and in the home, it must begin with us. I encourage you today to maintain peace in all that you do. Seek peace and pursue it. We lack peace when we forget that we belong to each other. Peace can only be achieved through the power of love; you cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

I wish you peace in all that you do.

Giving Is Not Only Material

2009-09-18T16:50:00.003+01:00

When I think of giving, I choose not only to give of what I have but also of who I am. I give of myself, my time, my love and my possessions.

You only give a little when you give of your possessions; it is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Giving is not only material -money, clothes, food, etc. The highest form of giving is achieved by giving a portion of yourself. The gift is not as important as the love of the giver.

I encourage you today, whatever you do, give of yourself, of your time and your possessions. While some are eating, others are crying, “Lord, give us our daily bread.” You might be the answer to someone else’s prayers, a beacon of light in another man’s tunnel of darkness. Give as you would receive, cheerfully without hesitation. Encourage others not only by words but also by action, through your giving. Give with love in your heart, hug with a smile on your face, share from what you have been blessed with and you will see the reward come back to you in more ways than you can imagine.

If you give of your hand and you do not give from your heart, then you have given without loving. The size of the gift does not matter, but the size of the heart that gives it matters most. In the words of an unknown author, “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” So, give cheerfully without hesitation. Give with love in your heart. May God reward your giving and fill you with joy unspeakable!

You Are More Than What You Think

2009-06-10T16:50:00.003+01:00

You are more than what you think you are
You are not ugly, neither are you a mistake
You only need to believe in yourself
And not measure yourself with other’s opinions
Believe in yourself
You are more than what you think you are

You determine who you are by what you think
Your thoughts shape your life and future
What you think and believe shape your life and future
You live your entire life within the confines of your head
No one can shape your future or think for you
Your thoughts are your own
Don’t allow other people’s words to bring you down
You are beautiful in many ways
You are more than what you think you are

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
What do you see, who do you see?
Whose report will you believe?
Theirs against yours?
Believe in yourself
And you will not believe the bad report
The negative words of man
The voices of hate and ugliness
You will see beauty instead of ugly
You are more than what you think you are

The world we have created
Is a product of our thinking
The seed of greatness lies in you
You must will to think what is right
And you will do what is right
Positive generates positive
Negative generates negative
Believe in yourself, be positive
Leave the negative behind, be positive

A whole new world emerges
When you start to believe in you
Do not allow someone else’s opinion
To become your own opinion
Accept no one’s definition of your life
Learn to be what you are

You are a unique being
A beautiful work of art
You are more than what you think you are
So, why don’t you believe in yourself?
And others will believe in you

The first step toward becoming better than you are
Is to be what you are
Then you will see
You are more than what you really think you are
A unique and beautiful work of art
This is what you are!

(Written by Ladé, 2009 © All rights reserved.)

Fear Not!

2009-05-14T08:21:00.003+01:00

If you suffer from fear then you will be afraid to suffer. Life is all about taking risks. Fear is the opposite of faith. If you are not in faith then you are in fear. Faith is the light that disperses of the darkness of fear. If you are always afraid then you cannot be a leader because you are not a risk taker. You must have the faith that you will succeed even though you are not guaranteed a perfect outcome. It is through fear that we learn courage. It takes the brave to move forward in life. You have to be courageous and be ready to scale all the walls that may come up against you. You have to be ready like an army to be able to run through the troops of problems that may rise up against your progress in life. The battle of life is not for the fainthearted. I encourage you to step out of fear and walk into the arena of faith, boldness and courage in order to overcome your obstacles in life. Life is not a bed of roses, it could be full of thorns but in the midst of the thorns emerges a rose. In the midst of the thorns of life, you will emerge like a rose. The end product is usually always more beautiful than the seed. Is there a risk you might need to take in order to make some progress in your life? Then be bold and fearless, there is an end result that may be so good ahead of you that if you do not take that bold step you would not discover the success that is waiting ahead of you. To conquer your fear is the beginning of wisdom. Try and conquer your fears today, take a bold step forward, look up and don’t look down, if you hold on to faith, you will not fail. Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.
(Written by Ladé © 2009 All rights reserved.)

Living, Existing or Fulfilling Purpose?

2009-03-13T12:06:00.006Z

When you lose direction, you’ve lost your purpose in life. You are here for a reason otherwise you would not have been created. Every work of creation has its purpose. What is your purpose in life and why have you been created? Why are you here? I’m sure some of us have asked ourselves this question many times. You need to know the answer so you can fulfill your destiny otherwise all you will do is go around walking aimlessly in life achieving nothing. What are you striving for and what is the significance of your existence? True and lasting joy comes from finding your purpose in life. You lose your usefulness when you lose your direction. If you have purpose, you can change your environment, you can change many lives, you can influence society for good in a small or big way. For instance, a person might set up a charity organisation so they can help the poor or people less privileged than themselves, this is their purpose. Another person’s purpose might be to be a successful politician, businessman, inventor, community leader or even simply helping others by caring for them and being useful in sacrificial ways. If you have no goal and you don’t know what you are aiming for, then you will be tossed by every wind and you won’t have any direction in life. Where there is purpose, worry will give way. If there is no destination there is no journey. If you are a sailor and you don’t know what harbour you are going for then no wind is the right wind. All you’ll do is drift about on the ocean going nowhere.

My belief is that your purpose is the special talent you have which is a gift to serve others. In serving others you are fulfilling purpose. What is your special talent, what is your special gift? This gift or talent is yours, not for you alone but is to be used to serve others because in serving and making others happy, therein lies your purpose.

My encouragement to you today is in the words of Erma Bombeck,

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

~Erma Bombeck
(Written by Ladé, 2009 © All rights reserved.)

Action is Eloquence

2009-02-13T11:29:00.002Z

What are your plans for this year? Have you got any? If you have, hopefully you would have written it down? What are you doing to make sure these plans are realised? If you’ve written down your plans then you must take the next step, action. An idea not coupled with action will never get bigger than the paper it’s written on. If you leave your idea, goal or vision written down on paper and you don’t do anything about it, you won’t achieve anything and you won’t realise your dreams.

It’s one thing to have a vision or goal; it’s another to make sure you take the action necessary in order to achieve that goal. The vision must be followed by the venture. If you don’t know how to drive a car, you’ll never be able to drive unless you take driving lessons and pass your test. The first step is having the goal to drive, the other is to book the lessons and take the next step from there. There is no point in wanting to get a degree and not taking the necessary action in order to fulfil that dream. Having vision without corresponding action will get the visionary nowhere fast. If you don’t fill in the application form for that job or apply to that University, how will you know if your plans will materialise? Planning and taking action is important. Having a vision is important for progress in life. What are your plans for your life? Are you going to sit down and watch others achieve their goals in life whilst you sit down and think all the time? My encouragement to you today is to take the necessary step, take action now and do what you have to do in order to achieve your goals. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Talk doesn’t cook rice.” Take action now and leave the talking to others. When deeds speak, words are nothing, says an African proverb. “Action speaks louder than words,” is a wise saying we all know very well. The first step you take will bind you to the second. If you know how to dream then you must know that taking action is the next step to help you realise your dream. It is not enough to stare up the stairs; you must step up and walk up the stairs.

In the words of William Shakespeare, “Action is eloquence.”

God bless you as you take the necessary action to realise your dreams.
(Written by Ladé, 2009 © All rights reserved.)

The Past, What Is There?

2008-11-08T18:54:00.001Z

No matter what mistakes you might have made in the past, there is a future ahead of you. If you keep looking back and gazing into the past you might soon discover that the future has run out on you. Yesterday can be as far or as near as you make it. The fact that yesterday is gone and you cannot relive it means you have to look forward to the future and live in the present. Live in the now, the present, and not in the past. Your past is your yesterday, today is a new beginning and tomorrow is a future to look forward to. Don’t allow the bad events of yesterday to steal from the goodness of today.

Today is a new day, a new beginning, another opportunity to correct yesterday’s errors. I encourage you to try and live your life in the present and not in the past. The past might be full of bad memories, heartaches, sadness and tears but today is another opportunity to put the past behind and move on with your life. Don’t store your past in the future, don’t waste anymore of your life on a street of broken dreams and what could have been, you have to move on now and embrace the present. The present is the here and now, the past is the past, you can't change it but you can make the future better.

Can a farmer water last year’s crops? Certainly not! He has to sow new seeds for a new harvest. Last year’s crops is done and over with. In the same way that a farmer sows new seeds for a better harvest, start a new beginning and sow new things into your life. Make new friends, do something new. Don’t live in the past, it is dull and lonely, come and live in the present. Bury the past like a bucket of ashes and look forward to the future. If you do not bury the past then you are wasting time and opportunity. True peace comes from letting go of the past and embracing the present.

I encourage you today to let go, forgive, bury the hatchet, dry your tears, ask God to heal you and take off the old garment of the past, take off the garment of heaviness and embrace a new day. I know it may not be easy but keep trying. May the peace of God surround you no matter what you may be going through. God bless you as you make an effort to forget the past and live in the present.
(Written by Ladé © 2008 All rights reserved.)

Be Kind, Reap Kind

2008-10-10T16:12:00.003+01:00

It’s always good to be kind to people, you never know, you might have entertained an Angel on your way who will in turn be a helper in your time of need. Do not hesitate to be kind to people because at some point you will in turn need someone’s kindness along the way. Being charitable is being kind. I encourage you to be kind today and someday you will reap the blessings. God bless you.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

LESSONS WE MUST LEARN

2008-09-08T10:20:00.003+01:00

There are lessons we must learn in the walk of life. If we do not take our time and allow the season of learning to take it’s full toll, we end up experiencing a bit of what could have been greater and more rewarding for us. We must try and maintain an attitude of learning all the time and never get to a place where we think there is nothing else to learn and we know it all. Nobody knows it all; we must continue the learning process as long as we live. Every experience we encounter is a learning curve depending on how you see it. The lessons we learn in life are there to stretch, to challenge and to teach us new things. Life teaches how to correct our wrongs, to learn what we could have done better, to think and see things from a different perspective and to know that every experience is worth going through as long as we have something to learn from it. Life is an educational institution and experience is our teacher. We must learn something every day if we must grow in knowledge and in wisdom. Some people will never learn anything because they usually believe they understand the lesson before it is fully taught by the teacher and this is a great mistake and folly. The key is that you must be wiser today than you were yesterday otherwise you have not learnt anything. Many do not always like being taught but we must always be ready to learn, otherwise we are on the highway that leads to many mistakes. I encourage you to keep learning; for the purpose of learning is growth and we must continue to grow as we continue to live.

"Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily." ~Thomas Szasz
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Things Money Cannot Buy

2008-08-21T11:49:00.003+01:00

Money cannot buy you the finer things in life, for instance, your health.
Money can’t buy you happiness or joy, in fact, it causes you more pain.
Money cannot buy you peace, it can destroy an entire family.
Money cannot buy you life; only God is the giver of life.
Money cannot give you security, it only creates more fear.
Money cannot set you free, it enslaves you for fear of losing it all.
Money rules and dictates, it gives false hopes and creates more enemies.
Money does not bring true friends your way, it brings followers.
Money soon becomes an idol, if not careful, you begin to worship it.
Money can change you from being nice and humble to being proud and arrogant.
Don’t lose the finer things that money cannot buy, always remember to check.
Check once in a while that you have not lost the things that money cannot buy.
Do not make money your god, as there is no such thing as exactly enough in money.
It always makes you want it more.
Be careful what you do with it, make sure you spread it around.
If you hoard it, you will lose it, if you give it, you will gain more.
Invest your money and change the lives of others.
Help it give hope, feed the hungry, help the poor.
Money is a spirit, if you disrespect it, it will disrespect you.
If you are humble with it, you will obtain grace and favour.
If you are proud and look down on others, you are setting yourself up for a great fall.
Remember, the higher you climb, the more risk you have of falling a great fall.
Nobody is guaranteed they cannot lose it, so remember those you met on your way up.
Don’t forget them, as they might be your helpers on your way down.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Get Back Up Again

2008-08-15T13:38:00.002+01:00

I would like to encourage you today by saying, “get back up again”. You can get back up again no matter how hard you fall. Get back up again and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, it is part of life’s building process. You must get back up again. Before you fell to the position you are in now, you must have been up at some point doing the right thing but because of an error or mistake you find yourself where you are now. I encourage you not to remain where you are but to get back up again. Though you fall, you can get back up again. You can do it, so get back up again! The only real mistake you and I can make is if we have not learnt anything from our errors, and that’s a big mistake. Mistakes enable us to work harder and see where we’ve gone wrong so we can correct our error. Life is all about making mistakes and realising what we could have done better, it helps us to work harder, it is a stepping stone to greater heights, so you should never be ashamed to own up to the fact that you have been in the wrong. Our mistakes help us to realise that at least we are wiser today than we were yesterday, so you can get back up again. Don’t blame your mistakes on others, own up to them, make amends and get back up again. You are not a mistake, you’ve only made an error and hopefully you are wiser today than you were yesterday, so please get back up again.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Is Your Heart Beautiful?

2008-08-11T09:45:00.003+01:00

If I told you, you are beautiful, what would you say? Would you just say, “Get out of here, who are you trying to kid, do you know me?”

Beauty is the love that you share from the heart, your beauty is the smile that you give, it’s not in your face, it is the light that you share. Whatever is good is beautiful. Are you a good person? Then you are a beautiful person. There is beauty in everything, but not everyone can see beauty in everything. Today, I encourage you to remain beautiful. The beauty within will definitely reflect on to others so don’t believe the negative. The Bible says that when God created man, He saw what He had created and it was beautiful in His eyes. Your creator is not looking at the outward, He looks at the heart. True beauty can only come from the heart. Is your heart beautiful? Then you are beautiful!
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Adversity - the wisest course

2008-06-12T13:46:00.003+01:00

You and I cannot avoid adversity or difficulty; it is inevitable. We live in a troubled world. If you want to be great you will go through adversity, difficulties or hardship. Adversity will tear a lot away from you and leave those things that cannot be torn, so that your true self can come through. We go through pain, not by choice but by chance and circumstance but our pain must be used as fuel for our journey in life. If you are going through hell, I encourage you to keep going and ask God for a broader shoulder to bear the burdens that life throws on you. The pain you’ve gone through becomes your history and turns out beautiful at the end. Adversity is meant to shake your soul and let the glory out. If you can’t change your situation, change the way you think about it. If you are in a bad situation don’t worry, it will change. Good situations change and bad situations are also subject to change. No situation or circumstance is permanent; everything is seasonal and subject to change. We’ve all come into a hard world, not by choice and there is nothing we can do to make it go away, but we have a choice in how we deal with every situation. A path without obstacles leads nowhere. If you are going somewhere there will surely be obstacles on your path and you had better learn how to overcome those obstacles so you can reach your destination faster. Wisdom comes with experience and the adversities of life teach us lessons we would not have learnt had life been such an easy ride. You are who you are today as a result of the adversities you’ve had to face in life. The difficulties of life are not meant to make us bitter but are intended to make us better, so I would encourage you to convert your difficulty into an opportunity. Adversity is there to make you grow and growth comes with pain. Life reveals its beauty through adversity. I pray that your adversity will turn out into something beautiful at the end. There is never a rose without thorns. Be encouraged and keep going.

"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles." ~Maltbie D. Babcock

What Do Your Words Say About You?

2008-06-06T12:20:00.003+01:00

What do your words say about you? The words that we speak are very powerful and effective. It can do and undo a lot of things. You can tell more of a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. What do your words say about you? What did you say yesterday that’s worth remembering?

When you talk, I would encourage you not to talk too fast, think before you talk. One of humanity’s greatest weakness is the inability to stay quiet. If you speak when you are angry, it could be one of your greatest regrets in life. The greatest way to avoid putting your foot in it is to keep your mouth shut. Keep your words soft and minimal. A word cannot be recalled once it escapes from your mouth, so think twice before you speak. Do not allow your tongue to speak before your brain has thought things through. It’s better to be quiet than to be hasty and foolish.

Whenever you get an opportunity to talk, let wisdom come out of your mouth. God bless you.

The Power of Time

2008-05-16T11:39:00.003+01:00

Time is powerful; it depends on what you do with it. “Time goes so fast”, we say, but the reality is that time stays, we go! We spend eight hours at work, eight hours to sleep and we have eight hours left. What we do with the rest of the eight hours that is left is so crucial. Whether rich or poor, we all have the same number of hours and minutes everyday. Time does not discriminate. Rich people cant buy more hours, it is what you do with your time that matters. Time is not temporary, it is eternal. We are the temporary beings who live within the framework of time. I would encourage you today, make sure you make good use of your time and don’t waste it. Our lives are framed by time. If God permits and we live to a 100 years old, that means we have 4 quarters in our lives. Each quarter is equal to 25 years. How we spend the first and second quarter of our lives will determine the course of the rest of our lives. Each hour of our life is golden; don’t let your golden hour slip by without doing something valuable with it. Time is the coin of your life, don’t let others spend it for you, determine what you want to do with it, value it, cherish it, invest it and it will yield profits for you. Only you can determine how your coin will be spent, and remember it is the only coin you have, you cant save your time to spend it another day. If you want to be creative, start doing it now, if you want to be an artist, start practicing now, if you want to be a lawyer, start studying now, whatever you want to achieve or become in life depends on what you do with your time now. If you want to be a skilled musician, you will need many hours of practice. If those hours slip by and you don’t do anything, then you may not become anything. Be constructive with your time. As the hours slip by, so does our age. Time is eternal and ageless, we cannot slow it down, that is why you must start doing what you have to do now and not leave it till tomorrow. If you don’t watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you. Procrastination is the thief of time; don’t wait to do tomorrow what you could have done today. If you yield to time, you will find time on your side. Opportunity walks with time but repentance walks behind it, so make the best of every opportunity. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is yet to come, now is the time to invest so we do not regret tomorrow what we could have done with the time we had yesterday, for yesterday is no more. The grace is of time is that no matter what time you’ve wasted yesterday, you still have an entire tomorrow. I encourage you today to make the best of what time is left, don’t throw your time away. God bless you as you motivate yourself to do better with your time.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

I Just Realised

2008-05-14T11:10:00.004+01:00

I just realised that there’s more to life than the eyes can see;
I know that, but certain events open your eyes more
I just realised that I do not know the GOD I thought I knew
I just realised that I am nothing and who am I to come before the presence of GOD?
I just realised that the word vanity is true and can be as real as you want it to be; vanity upon vanity, all is vanity
I just realised that sometimes we cannot and will not get what we ask for, because GOD is Omniscience
I just realised that GOD is no respecter of persons, spirits, animals, place or thing
I just realised that in the twinkle of an eye everything can vanish
I just realised that in working on the straight and narrow, you have to fight hard to cling unto the hem of JESUS’ garment, because it is so easy to fall
I just realised that I can destroy what took GOD years in my life to build just by making one wrong choice
I just realised in it all, why bother or get stressed?
I just realised it is very, very difficult to practice what you preach
I just realised that the fear of the unknown is chasing me, yet I know I’m free
I just realised that for no apparent reason, my mind is looking for a reason to cry or get worried

Why is this life such a misery?
What is it about life that makes life the way it is?
From one level of trial to another; mostly the mind is where the battle is

I just realised why worry? For the joy of our Lord GOD will continually be permanent, but happiness will come and go.
Choice one…..I choose JOY!

(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Keeping A Record?

2008-05-06T10:16:00.005+01:00

Are you keeping a record of wrongs done to you?
Are you keeping a record of errors made against you?
Are you constantly looking at the mistake of others?
Are you constantly scrutinizing other people?
Do you easily get angry and impatient with others
And never forget when wrong is done?
Do you have a register you tick every so often?
What are you going to do about all these?
Revenge and retaliate?
Are you so angry that you lose all manner of reasoning?
You are so angry you refuse to reason with others?
This is a form of blindness

Patience is virtue my dear friend
Don’t ever think you are perfect
Your flaws are probably more than those you see in others
Try working on your own errors
Change does not come by shouting and marking errors
Change comes from within by loving and caring

Strife does not bring change
Condemnation does not bring change
Change only comes when you begin to change yourself
Look within and you will see
So much change is needed
If not, you will not see the error in others
Why not leave them alone
And take time to change yourself first?
Remember, charity begins at home
Change yourself first
Then you can influence and change others

I encourage you today, to think
What do you need to change?
If you must grow, you must change.

What Is There To Be Happy About?

2008-04-30T15:49:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I wonder, what is there to be happy about? So many things are going wrong, bills are higher, wages are low, people are depressed, and nothing is improving. All our material security is being eroded. People are in massive debts; they have no solution to the problem. The rich are getting richer while the poor get poorer. Big companies are making more profit while small businesses are folding up. The world is becoming more selfish and people become lovers of self. We are more “me” focused and people are more self-centred than ever before. Everybody is now taking care of number “1”. I wonder, is there anything to really be happy about? Then I realised that in order to be happy, I have to make others happy. In order to be rich, I have to enrich others. In order to have friends, I must make myself friendly. In order to find help, I must help someone else. If you are not happy, you had better stop worrying about it and look for what treasures you can find around you. It is proven that poverty and wealth does not bring happiness. We are so fond of counting our troubles that we forget to count our joys. The happiness you are looking for will not come as a result of getting something you don’t have or attaining more riches but it is only when we recognise and appreciate what we have that we find true happiness. If you want to be happy practice compassion, be kind to others, give a helping hand. Whenever you can, say kind words and encourage others, prefer others to yourself and sacrifice for others. If you want to be cheerful, cheer others up. Happiness is not far away, it is like a butterfly, when you pursue it, it flies away beyond your grasp but if you sit quietly, it will alight on you. There is a seed in your hand; it is called happiness, share it and you will be surprised to see that it blossoms into a beautiful flower. In order to find true happiness, we must give it. A great obstacle to happiness is expecting others to give what we ourselves cannot share. Happiness is a gift, share it and it will bring you great joy. The secret to being happy is in the giving.
"For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness." ~Author Unknown
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What About This Life?

2008-04-28T10:24:00.002+01:00

What a life, you wake up in the morning, go to work or for lectures, go to the gym or pre lecture activities, come back home, and sleep and oh my!
The same old routine day in day out. What a life!
What about this life?

The body craves for achievement, and after satisfying that want or need, another craving arises.
The body doesn’t seem to get enough of this poor old dirty and filthy world. What a life!
What about this life?

The spirit man craves for supernatural food, and after satisfying that want or need, another craving arises.
The spirit man doesn’t seem to get enough of the sweet savoury aroma of the presence of God.

What a life;
The higher you climb in achieving, either for the body or the spirit man, the higher the level of challenges.
The battle never ends and then you wonder, what about this life?

I have personally sought to encourage myself in the Lord, at least the Bible, in the Book of Ecclesiastes chapter 1, it teaches about the fact that there is TIME for everything.

It only boils down to one thing; there is more to life than the eyes can see.
There is more to life than our thoughts can comprehend. Remember, whatever you do, make sure God approves of it and make sure you do not sell your soul to the devices of the enemy.
Life is a battlefield, but Jesus already won the battle, for in HIS name and by HIS blood, we are victorious.
LIVE YOUR LIFE, DON’T SPEND IT!
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Power Of The Mind

2008-04-23T10:32:00.004+01:00

Today, I would like to encourage you to fill your mind with good and positive things. The mind is a powerful minefield, out of it comes the issues of life. What you think matters and what you allow to dwell on your mind matters. If you think and meditate on something long enough, you soon act on what you’ve been thinking. Nobody can think for you, you are the only who can think for yourself. People can make suggestions, negative or positive, the choice is yours to decide what you allow to dwell and remain on your mind. You can pollute your mind by accepting the negatives that people throw at you and you can cleanse your mind by being positive and choosing not to accept the rubbish that is being thrown your way. The world we have created is a product of our thinking. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If you think negative all the time, you must try and change your line of thought, as all you will produce is a negative. Read encouraging, inspirational and motivational books. Feed your mind with good things. Go on courses that will inspire, motivate and energise your mind. Renewal of the mind is the key to positive thinking, you have to renew your mind and feed your mind with good things. Your thoughts become words, if they are negative, you will speak negative, if they are positive, you will speak positive. It’s better to train your mind so that it always sees the positive things in life, then you will act and speak positively. Negative produces negative, positive produces positive, what you sow is what you will reap. Why don’t you sow good things so that you reap good? It is easier to dwell on the negative than the positive. Renewing your mind to think positive takes more effort but produces good results. You could be a prisoner of your own mind, thinking you are ugly when you are beautiful, thinking you are fat and ugly when you are not, thinking you are no good when you have abilities that other people envy. Renewing your mind is important if you are going to make it in life, so keep a positive outlook, think positive and act positive. Weed your mind of the negative and fill your mind with the positive. May God enable you to overcome the negative. God bless you as you think on these things.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Gift Of A New Day

2008-04-21T11:42:00.003+01:00

Today is a new day, another day in your life, another day in my life, another opportunity to look at things differently, another opportunity to see the good and the bad in our lives, another opportunity to be nice to someone, another opportunity to make up with someone. Today is another day, another day to consider what we could have done better, another day to see if we can make a difference, another opportunity to make the best of the time we’ve got left, another opportunity to share our gift, another opportunity to pray for a friend in need, another opportunity to lend a helping hand. Today is another day, another opportunity to take what belongs to you and make good use of your talent, another opportunity to discard yesterday’s doubts and try something new, another opportunity to do what you procrastinated about yesterday. Take today and don’t waste it. Each new day is there for you to use, to create and birth something new. Don’t waste today; it will not be there tomorrow, so do something with today. If you don’t make use of the opportunity you have today, someone else will take the opportunity you’ve missed and make good use of it. Make an opportunity of your difficulties today. Don’t sit down regretting the chances you’ve lost, take hold of opportunity and don’t let it fly away. Be wise with your time and make the best of today. Today is another opportunity to make a new happy ending. Opportunity is like a bird, it never perches. Today is one moment in your life, seize the opportunity and don’t let it slip, take hold of it and make good use of your day. May this week be productive and successful for you. Have a blessed day.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Is Your Soul Cast Down?

2008-04-18T11:11:00.003+01:00

Maybe you woke up this morning with so much on your mind and you are wondering how your problems are going to be sorted out. I am encouraging you today to not lose heart. Problems come and problems will go. Just as night turns into day and day into night, I am encouraging you that your night will soon turn into day. You must continue to persevere and not give up. Don’t give up yet. Obstacles will come in your way but everytime you conquer one obstacle, you become much stronger to take on the next one. No one can help you as much as you can help yourself. If your soul is cast down, I will encourage you today to arise and shine. Arise and shine. You must hold your ground. It takes a little acorn to grow into an oak tree. If the acorn did not hold in the ground, it would not have turned into an oak. You must hold your ground; you can’t go through life quitting everything. You have to persevere and stick in there. If you should fall, pick yourself up again and don’t quit. Life is full of challenges, the race is not for the swift but for those who keep on running, so keep running and don’t give up now. If you are going to achieve anything, you’ve got to stick with something. Your victory comes not in the falling but in rising up everytime you fall, so I encourage you today to rise up. Rise up to the challenge, rise up and face the world, rise up, it’s not over yet. Each time you conquer and overcome a circumstance or situation you become more than a conqueror, so rise up and conquer. My encouragement to you today is not to give up at the edge of your miracle. If you fall seven times, arise on the eighth and keep going. You can make it if you persevere. For you to have come this far is an act of courage, so be courageous and keep going. Resist fear and keep going, keep going anyway, don’t rest on your laurels. May God strengthen you in this hour and everytime you need help, may His angels lift you and strengthen you. All hope is not lost if you don’t give up. I will encourage you to kneel down and ask God for help, He is waiting to hear your voice and He loves you.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Believe in Yourself

2008-04-17T12:11:00.003+01:00

If you doubt yourself, then you are standing on shaky ground
Your doubt is a traitor, it will make you lose the good you might have won
What lies within you is greater than what is behind you
What lies within you is greater than what lies before you
Believe in yourself and you will be astounded as to what you can achieve
Believe in yourself and give yourself to yourself
Be your own best friend

It is you who is your own enemy
It is you who beats yourself up
It is you who fights against yourself
Learn about your strengths and not your limitations
Love yourself, and then you can love your neighbour
If you don’t believe in yourself, who will believe in you?

Believe in yourself, set a standard for others to follow
You will only reach as high as you can grow
You can only see as deep as you can look
You can only be as big as your dream
Believe in yourself and dream big
You are only as big as your dream

Do not be afraid of the storms
Only learn to sail in the storm
Believe in yourself
Don’t give your dream away
Don’t let anyone steal your dream
It’s your dream, not theirs
Hold on to your dream
You can do it if you believe it
However strong you are,
Without belief in yourself,
Then you are weak
The key is in your hand
To unlock your potential
Believe in yourself and you will do it!
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” ~ African Proverb

Are You A Bully?

2008-04-14T13:57:00.003+01:00

As we live our day-to-day lives I am prompted to ask this question. When I see strife and division I am prompted to ask this question. When I see other people hurting, I am prompted to ask this question. When someone loses his or her confidence, there is a reason why. When someone has low self-esteem, there is a reason why. When I see someone crying and in pain, I know they are not making it up or faking it. I know their pain is real. Are you a bully? Do you enjoy inflicting pain? Please forgive me for asking. The world is hurting and dying because of the pain we inflict on each other. We hurt each other daily, though we may not want to admit it, as it’s always easier to point at the next person and blame them. Do we show compassion when we see the suffering of others? Does it make you feel better when you pass rude comments to others? Do you feel good when you shout at others and you hurt if they do the same to you? Are you a bully or are you not? Do you easily feel insulted when others try to correct and point you in the way of peace? Do you easily misunderstand and misconstrue what people say to you? Are you too proud to say sorry knowing very well what you have done is not good? It makes me wonder if you are a bully. Do you easily point the finger and blame others for your own errors and do you make others laugh or cry? Ask yourself that question once again. Do you make others laugh or cry or are you constantly at war with others? Do you compliment your loved ones or do you pull them down?

Today is the beginning of a new week. Let us take time to think. How can we change ourselves so that we can change others? Believe it or not, if you inflict pain on others then you are full of pain. If you are constantly hurting others then you are full of hurt and you need to sort yourself out before you lose friends and family and what would you have left? Yourself! Loneliness is not a good thing so I encourage you today to please try and change before it’s too late. May God make His strength perfect in our moments of weakness.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Are You Feeling Low?

2008-04-09T10:18:00.003+01:00

When you feel low in yourself it’s always good to talk to somebody who is reliable and can be held in confidence. Feeling low is not a bad thing, as it is a feeling that we all have at some point or the other. The key thing is not to allow your feeling to overcome you to a point where you descend into depression, as depression is more difficult to deal with. It is important to find a source of encouragement where you can get some advice, prayer or support of some kind. Remember, you are not alone; there are thousands of people going through the same road. Help must be sought in time of need, if not this leads into isolation and danger. If you are feeling low right now remember there are plenty of people worse off than yourself. Look up and try and see the brighter side of life. Nobody promised us a bed of roses but if we choose to look on the bright side, things could be better. Whatever you are going through try and keep hope alive. Try and look up. Try and do something to make the situation better. You are the important one here, you are valuable, you are worth more than many sparrows, and your life is worth much more than money can buy. There is no one like you, you are unique, you are special, just believe in yourself and keep hope alive. There is light at the end of the tunnel, so don’t give up just yet. Somebody out there needs you so don’t cut your life short.

I leave you with an Inspirational Phrase by Groucho Marx and I hope it blesses you:

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: 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

We Are An Army

2008-04-03T10:42:00.003+01:00

One thing we must remember is that we are an army in this world and we are here to fight a battle. We are to fight a battle in which only God can be our helper, our guide and our aid. He is the only one who has the perfect strategy for the battle. Our battle began from conception until the present day. Tell me who in this world has not faced one adversity or the other? Our being birthed safely into this world is a battle and victory in itself but our battle only just begun. Imagine a fatherless child or a child whose mother died during labour or just after being born. These are the people we need to remember to pray for, the orphans, widows, the sick, people going through mental attacks, the hurting and those who find themselves in a position they are not able to do anything about. This is proof in itself that there must be something precious in us that some devil is after. That is why I created this site to encourage people. I don’t know what you might be going through right now but I would like to encourage you to forgive those who have hurt you. I know it is not easy but this is the first step towards spiritual freedom. You and I are a treasure in this world and we have the potential for greatness in us, you have the potential for greatness, believe it or not. You and I have the capability of changing the world and helping to make it a better place. We have the ability to create in our minds and bring that creativity into manifestation. We have the ability to create good things and empower others to do the same. We have the ability to transform other people’s lives and bring a change. We have the ability to make the world a better and safer place. There is power invested in us by the Almighty but there is an element of evil in the world that is trying to stop us from achieving our full potential. There are destiny killers in our way, obstacles, trials, tribulations, pain, heartache etc. All these stem from evil. My encouragement today is not to look at what has been done to you, look and see what you can do for others to bring about a change in this world. With a positive mind and outlook, the world can be better even if it is only by a fraction. Your efforts are worth it. God bless you as you think on these things.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2008-03-23T09:58:00.000Z

HAPPY EASTER!!!
Hope you're having a good time, wait a minute.
Is this another holiday or another celebration?
A time to rest or a time to reflect?
What is your reason for celebrating Easter?
Is it about Easter eggs or about Jesus?

You see, many have forgotten the reason for this season.
I’ll tell you a little story……
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever believes in HIM shall not perish (eternal damnation) but have everlasting life (eternal life)….

Jesus Christ went on the cross; He died and took our pains and shame away. He redeemed us and bought us back into the family of God’s people with HIS blood. On the 3rd day, Easter Sunday (some argue Easter Monday – none the less on the 3rd day however), HE rose again defeating the enemy and setting us free from sin and death.

Not to get too complicated…….
Walking with Jesus means walking in peace,
Walking with Jesus means walking with joy
Walking with Jesus means walking in love

Let us reflect on what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary .
What do we need to get rid of and what do we need to gain?
Think about it…..Meditate on it and I pray God to open the eyes of your heart to see and understand the reason for this season Easter.

Have a lovely Easter and remember, God loves you and so does Jesus and hey….I love you too….

Gentle Folks Needed!

2008-03-20T15:02:00.000Z

Are you a very quiet, laid back kind of person? Do people try to take advantage of the fact that you are gentle and quiet? Do they speak to you like you are stupid or you don’t know what you are doing? Are you hurt by how people sometimes react to you just because you are a quiet unassuming person? I’m sure you sometimes would like to be outspoken like some others but you are not that kind of person. You are the type that usually takes things in your stride and you don’t like any kind of confrontation. Maybe you look at yourself and question even your own abilities. Your quietness and gentility must not be mistaken for stupidity. Be gentle but firm. Be bold and take courage in the fact that the world also needs quiet, nice and gentle people like you. Can you imagine if everyone was loud, noisy and aggressive? What sort of world would we live in? Some noisy world I would say. So, what am I trying to say? You are also an asset to the world and the world needs people like you to bring about a balance otherwise it would be chaos all the way! Be proud of who you are, keep being gentle, keep being who you are and don’t desire to be someone else. God bless you for being quiet, God bless you for being gentle and God bless you for being who He has made you to be. My encouragement for you today is to continue being who you are. Be you!

WHO ARE YOU HANGING OUT WITH?

2008-03-18T15:00:00.000Z

Who are your friends and how do you choose your friends? Who are you hanging out with? Are you hanging out with the ‘Birds’, the Thorns or Roses? If you are hanging out with ‘Birds’, this means you are hanging out with people who peck every good thing out of your life. They peck out your confidence, they peck out your self-worth and peck out your good morals. They keep pecking at your life and leave you with nothing. If you are hanging out amongst ‘Thorns’, it means you are hanging out with people who choke you out of your money and leave you dry, they suffocate you to the extent that you can’t think for yourself anymore, they control you and dictate your lifestyle. They confuse and choke the life out of you. If you hang out amongst ‘Roses’, this means you are hanging out with beautiful people, who may not be there for ever but they leave you with something good to make your life better. They are beautiful petals. They leave a sweet aroma in your life, they make you feel good about yourself and radiate their beauty into your life. They help you appreciate yourself and see you as beautiful. They impart their beauty and aroma into your life.

Before you hang out with friends always remember to have this in mind and ask yourself, “Am I hanging out amongst Birds, Thorns or Roses?” The choice is yours. I pray and encourage you to make the right choice today. Take time to smell the ‘Roses’ and appreciate them, they are a gift from God. Don’t leave it till tomorrow, as tomorrow might just be too late! The wind might have blown the ‘Rose’ away. It takes years to build a life; it takes only one day to destroy it. Your life is worth much more than many sparrows. May God protect you from evil friends. Amen.

Do You Want To Be Successful?

2008-03-11T15:01:00.004Z

Have you noticed that the river never stops moving? The earth has been rotating on an axis since the beginning of time. Cars keep moving on the road, people keep walking, trees keep growing and the birds keep singing. The clock never stops ticking and time keeps going. Nothing ever stops moving. Movement is a sign of life and continuity. Where there is movement, there is life, there is progress. In order to progress we must keep moving. In order to keep moving we need to keep focused. Have you come to a standstill? You need to keep moving. Does is it seem like it’s the end? Don’t stand still, you need to keep moving. Keep moving, keep hoping, keep praying. Keep doing something. Don’t stop hoping, don’t stop moving, and don’t stop planning. If it seems like all you attempt to do keeps failing, I encourage you to keep moving. Keep planning, keep hoping, don’t stop moving. Have you tried? Congratulations, that’s a success in itself! You know why, because you made your first attempt, you tried! At least you did something whilst some others have done nothing and are still waiting to do something. Can you see, success is achieved through trying and trying over and over again. You did not fail because you tried. You only fail for not having started at all. So, keep hope moving, keep your expectation high, hope must not die. Stop thinking failure because you met disappointment on your way to success. Don’t stop at Disappointment Avenue, keep moving on the Road to Success and you will get there. You’ll succeed at last only if you keep trying. Do you want to be successful? Then be prepared for disappointments because that is the key ingredient for success! Remember, if you don’t keep moving, you will keep stagnant. So, keep moving and with God's help you'll succeed at last. Wishing you every success in life.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The World Needs You!

2008-03-11T14:37:00.003Z

Are you passionate, full of energy and drive? Are you a go-getter, always making sure things are done and constantly keeping busy? Do you have what I call ‘zest for life? Are you never worn down by disappointments? Do you see disappointments as an opportunity to be turned into an appointment? Are you a David who is never afraid of the Goliaths of this world, constantly knocking them down? Do you turn your fear into confidence by learning to take a risk? Are you a mountain climber who is never afraid of heights? Do you take one day at a time and see each day as an opportunity to do better than yesterday? Are you a fighter? If you said ‘yes’ to anyone of these questions then that’s great because the world needs you right now. Not everyone is born with all these qualities but we can rub off on others and make their lives better with whatever great attributes God has bestowed upon us. Can you help others fulfil their potential by imparting some of your drive, energy and confidence in others? Then the world needs you right now. Are you able to help others turn their weaknesses into strength? Then the world needs you. Who you are is who you are. God has made you who you are for a reason. I see you as one of the world’s great assets and I hope you also see yourself the same way. Who you are is not a negative but a positive to energise someone else’s weakness. Using your strengths to help lift others in times of weakness and helping turn their weakness into strength is a great attribute and a blessing that money cannot buy. We are all apprentices in this world but it takes a great person make a great person. It takes someone giving another person an opportunity to fulfil their potential in life. Are you helping others fulfil their potential? Some don’t know what they have until someone else points it out to them. Are you one of those? Then be proud of yourself because the world needs you right now, so be who you are!

Are You Being Yourself?

2008-03-05T11:49:00.001Z

It’s always good to be yourself and not desire to be somebody else. When you copy other people, you are not being yourself. When you copy other people’s way of living, you are not being yourself. When you want to be like the Jones’, you are not being yourself. You are unique and original but you cannot see this because you are not looking at yourself, you are busy looking at other people, wanting to be like them. Take the courage to look at yourself. If you take the time to concentrate for a moment and appreciate the beauty of being you, you will realise that you are not what you think you are right now. Thinking you are not good enough is not being yourself, looking at others and being jealous of them, is not being yourself. Being self-critical and not appreciating how you look is not being yourself. Are you being yourself? Other people’s opinion of you does not determine who you are or what you will become. Your opinion of yourself determines who you are and what you will become. Believe in yourself, appreciate yourself, don’t criticise and knock yourself. Be confident in yourself. Don’t abuse yourself. You are being yourself when you learn to appreciate that God has made you the way you are for a reason. You are being yourself when you can look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful and not ugly. You are being yourself when you are content with who you are and not what others think you are. Be yourself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What are you beholding today, yourself or other people? I encourage you today, please be yourself.

A Mother's Day Tribute

2008-03-02T16:55:00.004Z

Without a mother there is no son

Without a mother no daughter
Without a mother there is no child
Without mother there is no pillar
No matter how great you are
You were born of a mother
Mother is there to be celebrated
There to be appreciated
She is there to be cherished
To be loved and thanked

Today is mother’s day
We say thank you to every mother
Thank you for all your love
Thank you for all your labour
Thank you for always being there
Thank you for all the care
Thank you for all you are
You are worth more than rubies!

TO ALL MOTHERS OUT THERE
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

What Is The True Meaning of Life?

2008-02-28T10:21:00.005Z

Is anyone there? I hear you cry. Can you hear me somebody? You shout, help! help! You hear your voice echo back like you were in a deep well. With hands stretched upwards, you look up to the sky hoping for an answer. No reply, you hear nothing but the loud echo of your own voice. Hope disappeared a long time ago, you are now in the deep tunnel of despair and disappointment. What seemed to have brought you joy and happiness has now become the source of your sorrow. You are now crying out, held captive by the very thing you desired, the thing you thought would bring you all the happiness you had ever hoped for. How did you get here? Life is funny isn't it? Growing up without much, you had always wished and hoped that one day in the future you would make it. You thought "Gosh, if I had so much money, I would be so, so happy and all my problems would be solved." One wonders where the happiness disappeared to? You remember that old saying "The love of money is the root of all evil"? The money came and gave you a false sense of hope, freedom and security. Your new found wealth became your best friend and your god. You thought "Now, this is the life, all my problems are over, I can travel the world, I can afford all I want, I can have anything I desire." The money accomplished all that for you yet you are not satisfied? Your soul is still crying out? You remember all the pop star drug addicts, who came from the same sort of background as yourself and are now rich and famous. Their story has now changed from joy to sadness. They are yoked by Mammon, the god of this world. They are bound by the very wealth they desired. The wealth and riches has become meaningless, it is now a yoke round their necks. You soon realise after all, this is not what you had been looking for, all you needed was peace and contentment, which no amount of money could buy. What is the true meaning of life? you wonder. Life is not what money can buy, life is not about getting drunk and being at the best parties in town. Life is not about how much material goods you can afford. Life is about being content with what you have, life is about appreciating the little things in life, watching the butterfly landing on the beautiful flowers in the garden, life is about appreciating what you have knowing that some other person lacks the luxury of the same. Life is not about how much you can mount up but how much you have to offer. Life is about giving. Life is about sharing. Life is about remembering those less privileged than yourself. Life is about helping those in need. Life is about knowing that you are not your own, life is about giving your life to the Author of life. Life is not about riches or fame, life is about God because God is the Author of life.

You Must Fight

2008-02-26T11:03:00.005Z

Whatever your troubles, don’t give up

Whatever your pain, don’t give up
Don’t give up, don’t give in
Life may not be kind
Things may not be perfect
Life is a battle
A fighting ring
A tough journey
A war zone

Whatever your troubles, don’t give up
Whatever your pain, don’t give in
Fight! You must
Don’t give in, don’t give up
Don’t let go, don’t quit
When at war
You must fight
Life is not easy

Fight! You must fight back
There is a way
Where there is a will
Where is your will?
You must fight back
Don’t give in, be willing
To not give up
Fight! You must fight back

Be bold, be strong
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be dismayed
You are still here
Though tough
You are still here
Though hard
You are still here
This life, a battle,
Not for one
But for all

Hang in there
Don’t quit
Hang in there
Don’t hang up
Hang in there
Don’t give up

Be encouraged, you are not alone, God is there. No matter what you may be going through I will be praying for you. May God strengthen you today and always. Remember, the winner takes it all. Are you willing to take it all? Then you must fight back and not give up!

True Love Never Fails

2008-02-14T12:16:00.007Z

Doing something good for someone we know or do not know will not cost us.
Saying something nice to someone we know or do not know will not kill us.
Being nice to your neighbour will not cost you.
There is a need for love in the world. Love is what we crave. We all need love.

What is love?
There is a love called Eros. Eros is probably what most people mean when they announce with a smile, "I'm in love." As long as a couple is enjoying a romantic situation, eros can thrive. But, as soon as hurtful words or actions appear, eros simply evaporates.

The other type of love is called Philia. This is the love of friendship, best friends, and the fellowship of being with those people you enjoy. Although Philia is great, it too is not reliable since it is dependent on ours and other people's perceptions and expectations. Unfortunately, we probably all know of a friendship which waned or was severed because of distance, harsh words, how someone interpreted another's actions, etc. Philia then really cannot be true love.

What is true love?
True love is called Agape. This is the love we all need. It is based upon the committment of a decision. A decision to be selfless in loving. This means you have made up your mind to love regardless of situation, perception or circumstance. It entails the decision to proactively seek someone's well-being. This is called Agape Love - a committment to love regardless of who you are and what I can get from you. Agape says, "I love you despite what you did to me." A real friend seeks the wellbeing of others instead of his own.

Today's valentine might be your enemy of tomorrow, there is no guarantee. A life of love is a sacrificial life. What is your choice, Eros, Philia or Agape? The decision is yours. My encouragement to you today is to live a life of true love (Agape). True love never fails.

A Place Called 'THERE'

2008-02-12T11:20:00.000Z

Imagine, you are on a journey, you don't know where you are headed. You keep driving, you don't know when you'll get there. You keep thinking, "it won't be long now, I'll soon get there." Where is there? The journey seems to be taking so long! Where are we really going? What is the destination? Who has the map of the journey in their hands? You seem to be lost. Are you lost? Are you looking for your destination but can't find it? You keep driving but don't know where you are going. You are confused, tired and hungry. You keep driving and wonder when you'll get there. You soon decide to stop over before you run out of petrol. You get to a place where there a lot of people and you decide to stop over. You heave a sigh, at last, somebody here might be able to help you on your way. With a smile on your face, you soon find yourself in conversation with some of the people there. Whilst chatting you find out that they also do not know where they are going but they are surely headed in the same kind of direction you're going, NOWHERE. You find out you are all going NOWHERE! The smile suddenly dissapears off your lovely face. There is a place called NOWHERE. You end up NOWHERE if you have not planned your journey properly. If you have no vision, you will end up NOWHERE. If you have no goals and no plans for your life, you will end up in a place called NOWHERE. You ended up NOWHERE because you had no plan in the first place! If you don't picture where you are going, you will end up going NOWHERE. You need to go back and start all over again, it's not too late, don't give up now. Go back, sit down, take your time and plan your life. Write your vision down. You have not failed, you just failed to plan. There is still hope whilst you are alive. It's not too late now. Rise up and don't give up. It's not over till it's over. Sit down and visualise where you would like to see yourself in a few years time. If you don't have a vision you will not get there. There is a place called THERE. You can only get THERE if you have a vision and a plan but if you don't take time to plan and write your vision down, you will end up getting NOWHERE! If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Before you do anything, take time to plan, you will get to the place called THERE.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Help Is At Hand

2008-02-07T14:44:00.000Z

It seems like the sharks are out to milk us of every penny we've got! Inflation in the United Kingdom has reached an all time high! People are now constantly looking for bargains! This is what the world has turned out to be. Everybody is after our money. Remember before you got your credit card, you were credit worthy, now you are no longer credit worthy! If you park for a minute whilst loading your car, you get a minimum fine of £40. Council Tax has gone up, Road Tax goes up every 6 months, postage stamps go up in price every year, petrol prices have shot up beyond the £1.00 mark, you are fined if you happen to not know London very well and you make the error of not knowing where you are going, so you find yourself lost in transit at some point and you mistakenly drive into the Congestion Zone in Central London, which accrues a minimum fine of £50. Even a simple mistake will cost you! Nobody cares anymore. Think about it, how much would you have left after all these fines, bills etc?. The whole nation is crying out for help. Some are now depressed and in hospital because of this, others are constantly looking for a way out of the whole mess! You wonder how you got into the mess in the first place! Tell me, where do you turn, who do you run to for help? Some have nearly committed suicide, as they could find no help in their time of need.

Stop! Stop for a moment. Calm down, take a slow breath and calm down. All hope is not lost. Help is at hand. There is One Greater than us all who is willing to help and that is God. Commit the whole situation into His hands today and He will come and help you. He is not too far away. If you don't know what to do or what to say just say under your breath, "God please come and help me, I need your help, take over my situation and help me, deliver me from depression and help me. I need you now." It works all the time. I would also advise you seek help from counsellors who can help you with your debt/situation. Whoever you are, I shall be praying for you. Put your hope in God.

What's Your Contribution?

2008-02-05T10:20:00.000Z

A colleague of mine watched a programme on TV last night titled "Eat or Heat", and she narrated to me what it was all about. This brought home to me the concerns I've always had for the elderly and their care, as they are at a vulnerable point in their lives and they need a lot of love and care. A lot of the elderly people they showed on the programme had to make the unenviable choice of either heating their homes or having some food to eat, hence the title "Eat or Heat". They could not afford to heat their homes and at the same time have some food to eat, as there is not enough money to do both. They showed an elderly lady who did not eat for three days because she had to pay for her heating and by doing this she could not afford to buy some food to eat. If she pays for heating she cannot afford to pay for eating. She said she'd rather go without food and have some heat in her home. There was another lady who suddenly had a stroke and fell down the stairs and could not do anything so she laid there for three days until the police came round! Imagine, she laid there for three days! My heart was broken to the point of tears. The thought that came to my mind is "what is our world coming to?" The family is so defragmented that nobody cares anymore. In the old days when either of our grandparents got old and they could no longer care for themselves, one of the family had to take them in. Can you imagine you getting old and not having anyone to care for you? I know, I know, you are probably thinking "but we all have to get on with our lives and we can't really help the situation". The thing is we can help to make the situation better. Think about it, what have you done today to help someone who is in need or more vulnerable than you are? If you have elderly neighbours, have you ever thought about paying them a visit and just saying a little "hello" or even helping out if you have a little time on your hands? We all have our pride and I would'nt want to trouble anyone if I was an elderly person myself but I'm sure they would appreciate some kind of love. Remember, they are not going to be there forever, so why don't you do what you can whilst you can and God will bless you. We are all going to get there one day and I would loathe to think that we would be in a needy position only to find that there is no one to help. We might be young today but we are surely going to get old one day! Reach out and touch someone today and make this world a better place. Put a smile on somebody's face today and somebody will put a smile on yours one day. God bless you as you make an effort to contribute to the lives of others.

FEAR, WHAT A FOE

2008-01-31T10:10:00.000Z

The fear of the unknown is the greatest killer and destruction of the mind, body and soul,
The courage and boldness to take risk is the greatest success of achieving success,
The ability to limit oneself is the greatest downfall of mankind,
The agility to do, at the right time is the greatest fear of the enemy;
It is power in its own right,
It is authority, proclamation and an art of dominion that leads to a physical manifestation of one’s success,
You can think it,
You can dream it,
You can plan it,
You can organise it,
But if you do not act, what purpose is all the thinking, dreaming, planning and organising?
YOU CAN DO IT!
Oh this fear, what a foe…..
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel © All rights reserved)

YOUR FAMILY

2008-01-30T11:39:00.000Z

You know, I was just thinking about how easy it is for us to make friends with other people apart from our own family. It is easier for us because we don't live permanently with our friends as we do with our families and hence we don't really take each other for granted. It is easy to take your dad, mum, sister, brother, husband or wife for granted and not appreciate them because we see them everyday of our lives, we see all the good, the bad and the ugly side of each other, so instead of encouraging each other, loving each other and trying to find ways to make our lives better, we tend to drift apart, argue and quarrel more. Eventually we are torn apart by hatred. When communication within the family breaks down, it leads to utter destruction. Instead of criticising your family and comparing them to other loving families ,why not see the good in your own? What the other family has can also be built in your own if you are prepared to sacrifice and take the time to be patient and to love. Rome was not built in a day, remember? What can you make better in your family starting from today. Maybe you could buy somebody in your family a nice gift or give them a good word of encouragement. Tell them how beautiful they are and let them know how much you appreciate them. Don't worry if they reject your words, many people find it hard to accept good things initially but as time goes by, they will take it in. The most important thing is that you are building up your family in love. Nobody is too young or too old to love. Begin something new. As you sow the seed of love in your own, may you find abundant love and may God bind your family together with a cord that cannot be broken.

IT'S A HARD LIFE!

2008-01-25T12:19:00.000Z

I made up my mind this year that I would not allow things to get to me and upset me. Whatever happens I am determined to take it in my stride and move on. I am not going to dwell on issues and let them get the better of me. It's a hard life as we all know. The world we live in is not getting better. You can't rely on anything anymore. Things have changed compared to the old days. A job is no longer for life, people are harder to trust, betrayal of trust happens so easily. No one is reliable anymore. If you trusted your mate with your life, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. It's surely a hard life! What decision have you decided to make today? You have to decide on what your reaction to a hard life is going to be. Nobody promised anybody a bed of roses. Even roses have thorns, so you can't sit on it comfortably. Don't sit down and rely on others to make you feel better in yourself. You have to make up your mind to rise above every situation. I know it's not easy. I also find it hard to keep the momentum going at times but I am adamant that I am not going to allow anything, come what may, to drown me. I am not going to give in to the storms of life and allow the tide to carry me deeper into the ocean. I am determined to fight for dear life. It is only the army who endures to the end that will see victory. My prayer for you today is that you will find the strength to rise above your circumstances come what may. I pray that the grace of God will be sufficient for you and that you will find help in time of need. God bless you as you face another day. Make up your mind to stand in the battle for today no matter what. I wish you a good day but remember, it's a hard life!

GOD IS WITH YOU

2008-01-23T13:42:00.000Z

Maybe your spirit is crying out loud right now. You don't know where to turn. You are lonely, you need someone to talk to, there is nobody there. The voice of your spirit echoes in the tunnel of loneliness. Maybe you've never felt appreciated by others and you always seem to be left out. Making friends is not easy for you though it may come easy for others around you. The cry of your spirit is loud but your voice seems to come out only in a whisper, shouting for help but seemingly not heard. Don't worry, you are not alone. I would like to reassure you that God is with you whether you feel it or not. His presence is with you. He is ready and willing to come to the rescue. The big question here is will you allow Him? His hands are stretched out reaching out to you. Are you able to trust Him to save, do you believe that He takes great delight in you? He is ready to quiet you with His love. Are you willing to let Him. Maybe you should consider giving Him a chance? He is worth a try. Go on! I can hear the voice of a Father saying to his child, "Trust in me, give me a chance. I love you and I am willing to help. I am knocking at the the door of your heart, will you please let me in. I can't come in unless you open the door." God is trying to reach out to you right now, please open the door. Thank you.

SHOOT UP AGAIN

2008-01-18T12:17:00.000Z

You know life is so funny, you could wake up on a Monday feeling good and looking bright. Just a few hours into the day, your day could have suddenly changed into a cloudy and rainy day and everything suddenly starts going wrong.
Sometimes our emotions are like the British weather (apologies to my fellow brits! :) Like the weather is unpredictable, our emotions are also sometimes unpredictable. The key thing is we must not allow anything to get us down, this I'm sure is easier said than done!

Believe me, disappointments will come. Life is full of disappointments but we must hang on to hope. You have to cross over from the valley of your disappointment onto the mountain of your hope and victory. You might sometimes feel like you've been nailed on the cross of affliction and every stormy weather seems to head your way. There is an end to every storm. Sooner or later it will calm down and things will come back to normal. Don't take disappointment like it's the end of your life, you have to pick yourself up no matter how down you may feel. Feeling a bit down is normal and part of life but we must not allow it to overtake us otherwise we'll remain buried there. Take for example the grass that grows at the back of your garden, though it is trodden over and mown down so many times, before you know it another lot of grass shoots up again.

If you are feeling down right now, like the grass you need to shoot up again, don't give up and don't give in. You are precious. Hang on to hope, let it be your anchor and it will carry you through. A struggle to win makes the victory sweeter. Be determined to shoot up again.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU MADE IT!

2008-01-10T16:30:00.000Z

Entering into the New Year means you've entered onto the next level. At every level there are challenges. Games on the Playstation have different levels. The higher you go, the tougher the challenge but the aim is to score as many points as possible at every level. What level are you at right now and what level are you aiming to get to? What are your goals in life? What are your dreams and aspirations and what do you desire to achieve in 2008? Remember, at every level there is a challenge but the challenge must not stop you from achieving your goals. Challenges are there at every level to move you on to the next level. If you are not able to knock down the challenges at one level you will not be able to move on to the next level. What are the challenges you are facing right now? Be determined to move on to the next level, be determined to face your challenges and knock them down at every level, be determined to remain on the victorious level. Your determination is the key factor to you being successful. You must persevere in the midst of adversity. 2008 will manifest its own challenges as with every other year but you must be determined to persevere in order to cross over to the other side into 2009. Keep on, keep strong, keep determined and stay calm. By the way, CONGRATULATIONS, you made it into 2008! Wishing you a very Happy New Year and a successful 2008! (Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

A WORD IN SEASON

2007-11-12T13:15:00.000Z

Do you know that a simple word can either build or tear down a person's life? It doesn't cost anything to say something nice to somebody. Some people say "I am not my brother's keeper, so why should I bother?" I think you should be bothered because one day soon you might need a good word to keep your spirit up and there might just be nobody there, after all they say we reap only what we sow. What seed are you sowing in others? Think on this today and make a decision to sow a good seed because one day you might just need a word in season. Sow a good seed in other people's lives and one day you will reap a bountiful harvest in your own.

WHY OH WHY?

2007-11-07T11:17:00.000Z

Why oh why do we blame others for our wrongdoings? By doing that we are denying ourselves the opportunity to accept our responsibility and face up to our errors. We sometimes find ourselves blaming our spouse, friend, mother, father, society or some other person or situation apart from ourselves. You must accept that whatever the case might be, you are responsible for your own actions. The job you are currently moaning about was accepted by you and you were quite excited when you got it, so why not make the best of it instead of moaning about it. If you are blaming your wife, spouse, family member or society for whatever situation you find yourself in right now, you were the one who proposed to her in the first place or found her attractive enough to date her, so why blame someone else. Take responsibility for your own actions. The food that made you fat, you were the one who ate it all by yourself! The drink that made you become alcohol dependent was bought by you and drank by you alone! No one can force a horse to drink water. Can you see that you need to stop blaming others in order that you can free yourself from this bondage of blame in order to move forward? Take time to take stock of your life and make the decision to move forward from where you are by accepting your own responsibility and taking action towards making life better for yourself. My prayer for you is that you will come to a place in your life where you are able to forgive others and let go of whatever it is that is stopping you from moving on in your life. I pray that whatever is causing the anger you might be feeling right now will be uprooted as a result of your determination and that healing will take root in your heart. I pray that you would have the strength to find a place in your heart to forgive ALL those who have wronged you so that you also can be healed and set free in your own self. God bless you as you take this new step with determination to move forward in your life.

YOUR TIME WILL COME

2007-07-28T20:54:00.000+01:00

Life is all about seasons. As a tree bears fruit in it's season, so does your life have it's own seasons. There is a dry season, where nothing seems to be happening at all and you begin to wonder why. There is a season for weeping and a season for laughter. A season of mourning and a season of rejoicing. For everything in life there is a season. If nothing is happening for you right now, maybe now is not the season for you but I assure you that your own season will come. Just as a tree bears fruit in it's season, so will you bear fruit in your own season if you are patient enough and do not give up. The tree does not give up and never complains because it knows it's seasons. When you understand the season you are in then you will be patient and not give up. Maybe you are going through a dry season right now, be patient and wait for the rainy season. If you are patient, soon enough you will begin to bear fruit. Remember, there is a season for every activity under heaven, so hang in there and be patient, your time of refreshing will soon come.

FEELING ANGRY?

2007-07-02T16:07:00.000+01:00

Anger consumes the soul, it can disable you and deprive you of all the good things you are entitled to enjoy in life. I sometimes feel so angry, I start palpitating and having headaches and I know this is not healthy for me. If I do not take a positive action, the anger will sooner or later destroy me and I do not desire that. This is not an easy task for anyone but if you really do want to enjoy what is left of your life, you have to make an effort to be delivered or set free from your pains. You may have spent all your life trying to please people, desiring to be accepted by the ones you love, but to no avail. You may have tried to defend yourself and to prevent yourself from being rejected, but the more you tried, the more you felt rejected. My advise to you is to quit trying because you will NEVER get any approval from men. Your hope must be placed in the realm of the supernatural where God is able to make things happen for you. If you continue fighting this battle yourself I can assure you of failure. This battle cannot be fought in your own strength, you need help and need it fast. You cannot do it on your own. It is impossible! Have you seen a country go to war on it's own without asking it's friends or allies for help? No! That nation or country, if it does not get the help that is needed to win the battle will come home defeated and depleted. My encouragement to you today is not to allow, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness to eat you up. You cannot do it on your own. Wisdom says you must ask for help now before it's too late!

ACT TODAY

2007-06-30T21:56:00.000+01:00

Today might be the last
Who knows
What the day might bring
Who knows?
Today might be the last
Be kind to someone
Say something nice
Forgive, let go
Today might be the last
Go see a loved one

Today is another day
Another day, a new day
Another opportunity
To let go, forgive
Today is the day
To forget yesterday
The pain of years past

Let go, forget
Today, forgive
Embrace, love, share
Another day might not be
Today might be the last
Let go, let God
Today, not later

Tomorrow, later
Might be too far
Too late!
Tomorrow, later
Might be too late
Just too late!
Act today, now
Let go, today

GRACE IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY

2007-06-26T14:49:00.000+01:00

When my dearly beloved maternal grandmother passed away in 1993, I thought my world had collapsed, as she was such a gracious and loving grandmother who cared and always prayed for the family. She was a pillar to all of us, including my father. In fact my father, whose parents died when he was aged 12 adopted my grandmother as his own and they had a fantastic relationship, he treated my grandmother as his own. A year after my maternal grandmother died, my father passed away. I was so distraught and aggrieved, as I realised that my father did not live to see me get married nor did he live to see his grandchildren. This caused me a lot of pain and it took a while before I could let him finally rest. He was also a great man of prayer and was a wonderful father to all his children. Then a few years later, as if we had not suffered enough, my precious, kind, very quiet brother-in-law passed away. He was such a nice man, we all found it hard to come to terms with his sudden death at the age of 48, leaving behind two young children. In 2003, my husband survived a fatal accident, which could have killed him.

As I look back at all these events behind me, I marvel at the grace of Almighty God whose power became perfect in my weakness. I marvel at how His grace brought me through the pain, grief and sorrow.

There is always a way out of any tunnel, it depends on how you see it. You might feel you are in a pit right now thinking you can't go on any longer. Is your world crashing around you and you think you've just about had enough? My encouragement to you is that the grace of Almighty God who was sufficient for me in my time of pain will bring you through your valley of affliction and replace your weakness with His strength. Weeping my endure for a moment but your joy will come in the morning. I pray that you will find strength in God and anchor yourself to his grace. Though times may be tough for you right now. He will carry you through and be sufficient for your emotional, mental and physical well being. Count your blessings today and name them one by one and you will be surprised what the Lord has done!

ARE YOU A WORRIER?

2007-06-23T15:17:00.000+01:00

If you are a worrier my heart truly goes out to you. In this day and age it is very difficult not to worry about one thing or the other. If it's not the bill you are worried about, it could be your health, the children, your family, the future and so much more. The world we live in today is a very difficult place to avoid worrying about one thing or the other. We are all in pursuit of happiness, which seems to elude us. My encouragement to you is to start where you are with what you can. I leave you with these nuggets of wisdom:

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. Worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.
Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps and schedule and trusting in God's guidance. Turn to God first for help.
When done well, planning can help alleviate worry.
Worry damages your health, as the object of your worry consumes your thoughts.
Worrying can reduce your ability to trust in God.
Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.
Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.
God does not ignore those who depend on him.

LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME!

WORRY CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE WAY YOU TREAT OTHERS

YOUR LIFE

2007-06-21T16:49:00.000+01:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone
you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every
sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL

2007-06-21T13:23:00.000+01:00

I am grateful for this new day. Another day, a new lease of life. So grateful that I have a roof over my head. Another day to be thankful, to be grateful that I have food to eat, I have shelter to dwell in, I have clothes and shoes to wear. I am thankful that though life is not all perfect, I have a God who is perfect and He watches over me. For this, I am eternally grateful.

CAN YOU PUSH?

2007-06-20T16:20:00.000+01:00

Today has been quite a challenging day for me. Another trial on my journey of life, another unexpected surprise in battle. Another battle I could do without. I tell you, sometimes I feel like giving up! The only option I had was to make a choice whether I would fret and allow the circumstance I was going through to overwhelm me or rise above the tide that was coming against me. Life is full of choices and I realised that this was my opportunity to practice what I preached all the time. It's alright to encourage others to have faith and stand strong but when faced with the same adversity I wondered whether I would be able to display the same attitude I encouraged others to have. No matter what, you will be tested and proven by your own words. I tend not to panic when faced with difficult situations, as it causes more anger and confusion. Like a pregnant woman in labour about to deliver her baby, I realised that this is evidence that my breakthrough was just round the corner and I had to keep pushing despite the pain, regardless of the pressure.

My encouragement to you is to push despite your pain. Keep pushing and don't stop, you're just on the verge of your breakthrough. If you give up now you will never experience the joy that could have been, so keep pushing and don't give up now.

Victory comes through pain. There is no victory without battle. If an army does not go to war there would be no sweet taste of victory.

The breakthrough of any pregnant mother is the joy of having her baby delivered. I know that my joy is just round the corner and I choose not to give up now, though I am bit tired of going through the battle, I know that if I persist, I will surely experience the joy of breakthrough.

My choice is to keep pushing and not give up now. Can you push? I encourage and persuade you to push and not give up now. Your breakthrough is just round the corner!

ARISE AND SHINE

2007-06-19T10:37:00.000+01:00

Our minds become easily polluted when we have nothing good to occupy it with. What is on your mind right now? Are you worried about how you are going to pay your bills? Is your marriage on the verge of breakdown or your relationship is not working anymore like it used to? Are you worried about your health and well being or your children's well being? Does the thought of an uncertain future set your heart pounding?

My prayer for you today is that God will strengthen you and give you hope. Even though you walk in the valley of the shadow of death, He will be your rod and your staff, He will comfort you. Be encouraged and try not to sink deeper in the darkness of your thoughts which has no answer. God is the only way out of the darkness, He is the only One who is able to stretch out His hands and pull you out of the pit. No man has the answer, the only thing any man can do for you is give you promises that are not guaranteed to be fulfilled.

Try and look up, there is always a light at the end of every tunnel and though your journey might seem like it's not going to end, believe me every story has an ending to it and yours will be no different. Your pain is nothing compared to your victory but in order to experience victory you must go through the furnace of affliction, turmoil and despair. Your persistence will pay off and your expectation will not be cut off.

I leave you with the words of Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of God is risen upon you.

HANG IN THERE!

2007-06-18T15:21:00.000+01:00

Today is one of those days I feel that although nothing seems to be happening the way I would like right now, I am rest assured with hope that there is going to be a breakthrough for me. My choice is to hang in there and not give up although this is easier said than done. Believe me I have been through the fire and know what it's like but what can you do in the midst of this hard and wicked world where life treats you like a piece of meat? I believe what we make of life is to do with our choices, so today I choose to hang in there and cling on to hope. I am hoping that all will be well and that I will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow is another opportunity for me to hang on to hope and I know that one day, just one day, my dreams and wishes will manifest. Today is another day in my journey. Wishing you well. May your today be better than your yesterday and your tomorrow be greater than your yesterday. Keep looking up and hang in there!

SO THANKFUL I DID NOT DIE

2007-06-18T14:28:00.000+01:00

I am thankful that I did not die in my sleep last night, as this was a possibility. Whoever told you your life was your own? We are all so vulnerable but we refuse to admit it. I am thankful for the fact that I could lift myself out of bed and walk into the shower. Someone somewhere could not do that this morning. I am thankful that today is another opportunity to be grateful for my life and not take it for granted, as this is what we all tend to do without realising it. Our lives are not our own. I choose to be nice to someone today. I choose to be kind to someone today. I choose to add on to someone else's life today. It could be the last day I am opportuned to do this. Be grateful for what you have and do not take your life for granted. Choose to be kind to someone today. Smile and be grateful for today you never know what tomorrow might bring.

A NORMAL DAY

2007-06-15T19:14:00.000+01:00

Today has been one of what I call a"normal" day. Woke up with no worries though I had every opportunity to worry. Got a lift to work and got out of the car with a spring in my steps. As today is a Friday, I was a bit more cheerful at work and everybody noticed this. I was looking forward to having a great weekend. I came accross one of the letters I started writing to my pastor's wife, which was never finished and therefore not delivered. I regreted this so much because she passed away on 4th June 2007.

Lesson learnt: proscastination is the thief of time! Do not put till tommorrow what you can do today, for tommorrow might just be too late!

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

2007-06-15T14:13:00.000+01:00

I am grateful that today is another day in the scheme of God's great plan for my life. I am grateful for the fact that I am still alive, this is something that money cannot buy. I am grateful that even though I do not have millions of pounds, I have millions of opportunities to make it in life. Today is another moment in my life, another opportunity to be a better person. I am grateful that today is today and that it will take care of itself. I am grateful for the air that I breathe and all the beautiful things that life has to offer. Today, I will maintain an attitude of gratitude. Try and do the same today.

WHO WILL LISTEN?

2006-12-07T23:47:00.000Z

It can be quite frustrating when all you need is to be able to talk to somebody and there is no one to listen. You know, you can have a lot of people around you yet no one is listening. Their response could throw you further into the pit of frustration and anger, especially if you are the sympathetic type who always gives a word of encouragement when needed but in your time of need you find that you are screaming down a tunnel and there is no one there to respond or help, so your cry for help then echoes back to yourself.

The human race can be quite selfish in many aspects, as people know how to use others to meet their own needs but when it comes to giving other people the help that they themselves received in their own hour of need, it becomes a burden for them to sacrifice for just one moment. Such is life, but we must continue to encourage ourselves and keep going, as I have come to the conclusion that even those very close to you can deny you at any time and you cannot fully rely on the arm of flesh, as it always fails at the most needed hour.

Why, oh why is the human race like this? Why are we so selfish that we cannot sacrifice? Why do we forget so easily where we are coming from?

When we are in Canaan, the land full of milk and honey, why do we so easily and speedily forget our Egypt, the land of slavery where we came from when we needed help so badly someone came and bailed us out!

Be determined to continue and not allow the selfishness of the human race to harden you, as the only person who will get hurt is you.

Why am I publishing this today? Because someone right now is crying out for help and there is no one to listen.

I soon realised that the art of listening is a truly a gift. Some may genuinely be willing to listen but have no time, others listen only when it benefits them. It is only a minority that sacrifice and listen regardless of whatever you have to say. Just being there for someone does not cost money, neither will it cost you your life, it is only a matter of sacrifice.

I say a big THANK YOU to the minority who are always there and willing to sacrifice. God bless you.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Think, one day you may need someone to listen and there may be no one there, just as surely as you were not there for that voice crying out for help today. What you sow is what you will reap.

WORD OF WISDOM

He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame. (Proverbs 18:13)

LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU

2006-09-08T20:06:00.000+01:00

If you look at the state of affairs in the world today there is no doubt that things are not as easy as they used to be. People are in serious debt, they cannot get themselves out of it, there is chaos everywhere you look, one disaster or another, wars here and there. There is pressure everywhere, on all of us to the point of perplexity. You wonder sometimes what is going on. You sometimes think "why me?" but I can assure you that you are not alone. What you think you are suffering or going through now somebody somewhere is going through exactly the same thing. Let me reassure you once again that you are not alone.

Maybe you are lonely, sad, in debt, depressed or almost depressed. This is not the time to give up now. You must not give up. If you've ever thought of committing suicide, please don't do it! Please, I beg of you, that is not the way out. It will only cause more pain to your family, friends, child/children. I want you to look around you, what can you see? Do you have a roof over your head? Somebody somewhere has none. Have you had a meal today? Somebody somewhere is still praying to get food from someone somehow. Are you clothed? Somebody somewhere is looking for an item of clothing to wear. Are you warm and cosy? Somebody out there is going to sleep in a cardboard box, homeless with nowhere to lay their head today, with no food and no shelter. Life is not easy. Nobody promised anyone a bed of roses. None of us had the opportunity to chose where we were born or in which family we would be born into. Neither you nor I had a choice.

My word of encouragement to you today is please dont give up, look around you and see what you can be thankful for. Remember that some of what you have as your few or prized possessions somebody else might not have and is still looking for it. You have to try and face your situation (face your goliath) and see what you can do about it. Help is at hand if only we look hard enough and not give up. Giving up is not the answer. The answer is in your perception of life. If you give up on life, life will give up on you. You must accept first of all that you are in a battle and you can never fight any battle alone. You must seek help now.

Nobody said life would be fair. The problem is that we are always expecting to live a perfect lifestyle but in order to do that we must be perfect ourselves. Tell me, who is perfect? No one, not you, not me either. Have you been looking, searching, thinking, worrying, anxious. Are you on the bottle trying to drown your sorrows? Nothing else can help you. You are searching and questioning but you cannot find any answer to all of your questions. Have you been treated unfairly by a loved one or by friends, family, acquaitances or colleagues at work? I tell you again, life is not fair and I don't expect it to. It is your attitude towards life that matters.

As I write this blog, my life is not perfect but I thank God for every new day, for the little that I have to feed me today, for the fact that I have a roof over my head. I try and look around me to see what I can be grateful for. Are all my debts paid? No! Am I living an ideal lifestyle? No! but I still have life. Whilst there is life, there is hope. If you give up on life, then all your hope is gone. Your life is much more important than money and all the material goods that we are tempted with daily. We are lured into debt everyday and like a trap set for a mouse, we all fall into it.

My final word to you today is that no matter how dark your situation is right now, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Dont give up but look up, one day your trial will come to an end. I know a story of someone who was declared bankrupt recently and he called me out of despair not knowing what to do. His wife would call me all the time crying on the phone but I encouraged them to hold on and stick in there and not give up. We cried out to God for help and He heard us and answered us. Though the pain was much whilst going through but the light came at the end. The good news is that his bankruptcy declaration was overturned and he has now been given the all clear. You must have hope against hope. Dont worry, the end will come. A new dawn will soon break for you. Always remember, you are not alone. All of us are going through one pain or the other, one trial or the other. Of course when you are going through it all it always seems like there is no way out, like you are hemmed in and locked up in the darkness of your pain and sorrow but let me reassure you once again, there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Keep reassuring yourself until you come to believe that your trial, tribulation, pain, sorrow or whatever you might be going through right now, shall also pass. Let your daily confession be "this one too shall pass". Take one day at a time and deal with each day as it comes. Have hope for tomorrow. May you find help in your time of need.

Take a few steps today and see what you can do about the situation you find yourself in.