MMIX...

Wow! 2008 has been a most eventful year. It has been fulfilling and soon coming to an end, unfolding the Promises and Blessings 2009 has in store...bless the lord, he has been good!

2009 is here and God has given us all the opprtunity to begin on a clean slate - Make new aspirations, Have bigger dreams, Expand goals to accommodate fresh insight and revelation, Appreciate our loved ones, Increase our giving, Create more time to connect with our Creator, Spend more time with our families and friends, be the preferred employee/partner/business/brand...the list goes on and on - Basically, we have the opportunity to be the best we can be.

Assuming, we all have rated our achievements viz-a-viz aspirations set at the beginning of the year(yes! we should be doing or should have concluded our evaluations...however, do not loose your trust in God if he promised you a house, car, a job. e.t.c as part of the package in 2008...it is not too late to intensify your fasting, waiting and prayers...lol!). On a scale of 1 to 10, How did i fare? How can i make an impact? How can i do things differently? How can i make my street, state, town, country... a beter place to be? What do i need to do to fit into the will and plan of my maker...? All these and more are questions we need to ask ourselves, answers to these can serve as a Compass to lead us on which direction to go in 2009, an Anemometer to gauge the speed at which our weekly, monthly and yearly targets were ticked 'done' and also, to give us that satisfactory feeling of a job well done or otherwise.

Essentially, we need to find out more efficient and effective means of superceding(...not reaching) our goals and targets for year 2009. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, offered these ten insights to anyone starting out. They are worth considering as we enter into the new year - full of promises and untapped blessings for us - irrespective of the global economic meltdown and crisis we can still supercede set goals/targets. Remember we have to make happen what we expect to happen, Dream Big, Be Positive, Have the Can Do mentality, Give until you have nothing left and Connect to the Supernatural.

• Life isn't fair - get used to it;
• The world doesn't care about your self-esteem; It expects you to accomplish something before feeling good about yourself;
• You won't make $60K a year right out of school, or be a vice president with a cell phone. You have to earn it;
• Do you think your teacher is tough? Wait till you have a boss - he's not tenured;
• Flipping burgers isn't beneath you; your grandparents called it opportunity;
• Your parents weren't always boring; it came from feeding you, cleaning your clothes and paying your bills. So before you rush out to save the rain forest from the 'parasites' of your parents' generation, try delousing your own closet;
• Some schools may have abolished winners and losers, but life hasn't. They may have eradicated 'failing grades' and given you as long as you want to get the right answer. This bears no resemblance to reality;
• Life isn't divided into semesters. You don't get summers off. Employers aren't interested in helping you 'find yourself;' you do that on your own time;
• Unlike television, real people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work;
• Be nice to nerds; chances are, you'll end up working for one someday!

Have a beautiful year ahead!

Making The Most Of Morning

Daily Habits - Spiritual/Physical to Inculcate: Pray through the day before getting out of bed, and ask for help. Rise to the sound of cool, soul/ spirit lifting music rather than the sudden, buzz of an alarm. Read a psalm/proverb a day; write down a phrase to post on your mirror/dashboard/desk and meditate on it all day. Read a devotional/inspirational material. Record your prayers in a journal/dairy/scrap book. Make out time for at least a 15-minute exercise session. Take lots of water to soften the bowel/replenish the skin. ..... Enjoy the day!

Work - Life Balance

Wondering if the title of this post relates to the story captioned in this post.

Anyways, i read a friend's post and it got me thinking about work - life balance, how imbalance can lead to stress and heart related diseases.

Haven't had time to do an original post for a month or more, still don't have enough time... It's the end of another month; Meanwhile, it seems like another week just ended...how amazing!

Here's a good piece, it's an illustration of what stress is, thought to share it with you; sure it would be beneficial as it was for me.

Read on...

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute,
that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold

it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the
heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. "



"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and
rest before h olding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on
with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't

carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're
carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can."

So, my friend, why not take a while to just simply RELAX. Put down
anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again
until after you've rested a while.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:-



* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the
statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the
middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their
maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be va gue.

* If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was
probably worth it

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a
warning to others.

* Never buy a car you can't push.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because ! then
you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the
world to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons...

Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird
names, and all are different col ors, but they all have to live in the
same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Cheers!

THE TOUR

The Tour, that's my little secret, which is manifesting August, for more details about keying into the process of getting what you want in 6 months, check out http://deoluakinyemi.com/2008/06/02/success-experiment-40-days/ and you will understand. I am so excited...

FOCUS

Focus, according to the wordweb is defined as " the concentration of attention or energy on something"; in addition, i would say focus is putting energy, resources, will, thoughts, attention towards a clearly defined goal/objective or desire.

When you were younger did you ever sit with a magnifying glass trying to focus a beam of sunlight to try to set fire to some paper, or polythene bag?! if not try it... more like, look through the rearview mirror or side mirror of a car when an oncoming vehicle's head lamp is flashing, what's the effect of the reflection on the mirror onto the eyes?...that's the power of focus.

Its amazing what focused light can do. In fact, when light is focused as a laser beam, it can cut through steel. In the same way, nothing is as potent as a focused life. The men and women who make the greatest difference in life are often the most focused. Paul's obsession was to make Christ known. If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Be willing to turn away from good activity to do only that which matters most. Doing lots of stuff doesn't mean you're doing the right stuff.

Poet William Matthews wrote, 'One well-cultivated talent, deepened and enlarged, is worth a hundred shallow faculties [abilities]'. The first law of success in this day, when so many things are clamouring for attention, is concentration, putting all you have got into a clearly defined plan/goal.

In other words , figure out what God wants from us and focus. Does focus come easily or naturally? No, it's a discipline that must be practiced every day.

Practice FOCUS, yes! practice FOCUS...as the old saying goes "Jack of all trades, maser of none".

Enjoy Life!

ANONYMOUS' 21 RULES TO ENJOY LIFE

ONE . Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN . In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "God bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson .
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY- ONE .. Spend some time alone.

Cheers!

Carrot,Egg and Coffee

Here's a beautiful story, thought it would be nice to share with you.

Basically, there are 2 points i would like you to bear in mind as you read.
*Life gives back what you view/see it as, dream BIG, explore WILD, go GET what you WANT
*Be positive, PRO-active, have the CAN mentality.

Read on...

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see.""Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell
had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water."Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean?
The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches..

Cheers!

HAPPY BUFFDAY TO ME!

Hey,

I was 1 year older April 16, i must say it was a 'fab' day for me, i am impressed. Many thanks to you all who thought it nice to felictate with me. More Blessings! Much Love! Expect Greater things just like i have been experiencing.

Catch ya Later!

The Love Of A Mother

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, 'I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would Love to spend some time with you.' The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my Mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. 'What's wrong, are you well,' she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. 'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,' I responded 'just the two of us.' She thought about it for a moment, and then said, 'I would like that very much.'
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.
'I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,' she said, as she got into the car. 'They can't wait to hear about our meeting.' We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half-way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mother sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. 'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,' she said. 'Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,' I responded.
During the dinner , we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.' I agreed. 'How was your dinner date?' asked my wife when I got home. 'Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined,' I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place Mother and I had dined. An attached note said: 'I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. 'I love you, son' At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: 'I love YOU' and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.
Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some 'other' time.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, 'normal' is history.

Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... somebody doesn't have two or more children.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never watched her 'baby' get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten... or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'

Somebody said a Mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... somebody isn't a mother.

Pass this along to all the GREAT 'mothers' in your life and to everyone who ever had a mother. This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your lives while you have them... no matter who that person is!
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes...your destiny. 'Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle'.

Favour... (Jackpot)

Hello!

My dears, i am drenched in God's showers of blessings, i just got blessed without putting any effort, favour encountered me in my "small corner"(to man's understanding). I give God all the glory.

In a nut shell, i hit a jackpot!

Ciao!

Have a lovely weekend, just like i will...Catch ya later!

Read your Bible!!!

I have been struggling to keep up the act of studying my bible everyday, with the desire in my mind, fortunately i stumbled upon these passages, which i merged into one.

This post goes out to all those who desire to spend quality time with God but have difficulty to, its a mind-opener.

Enjoy!

'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.' JOHN 8:31
You cannot be a disciple of Jesus without a regular intake of God's Word. Jesus said, 'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.' This word 'continue' means to live each day by its principles. The story's told of a man who came to pick his wife up after church: 'Is the sermon over?' he asked. A turned-on member replied, 'No, it has just begun. Now the rest is up to us!' The common denominator of every great man and woman of God in history is that they disciplined themselves to spend regular time with the Lord in His Word. What made George Muller so successful? During his lifetime he read through the Bible over 200 times; more than half of those readings on his knees, praying over the Word while studying it. When you know God that well, you'll pray specifically and get specific answers. Most of us who say we believe the Bible from cover to cover have never read it from cover to cover! We are more faithful to the advice columnists and the sports pages of the newspaper than we are to God's Word. People who are not professing Christians wouldn't dream of leaving their homes in the morning until they've read their horoscope. Imagine what would happen if you committed yourself with equal vigour to reading your Bible before you leave for work, school, or wherever? It would change your life, and impact those around you! So, read your Bible!

''Continue in...the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise.' 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-15
Why don't we read God's Word more? Three reasons: 1) We don't know how! We hear the pastor preach a great sermon and think, 'Why didn't I see that?' Because the pastor spends hours praying over it and studying the Scriptures; we don't! 2) We're not motivated! That's because we haven't experienced the joy that comes from personally discovering great truths from God's Word. We've become satisfied with getting what we need from somebody else rather than finding it out for ourselves. Understand this: If you ever get serious about studying the Bible on your own, you'll never fully be satisfied with a second-hand knowledge of the Scriptures. Dr. Paul Lyttle once compared personal Bible study to eating peanuts: 'Once you start doing it, you're hooked! When you discover how good Bible study 'tastes' you'll find yourself going back for more and more. Yes, personal Bible study can be habit-forming!' 3) We are lazy! Bible study is hard work. There are no shortcuts to it. It takes time, effort, concentration and persistence. Most of its great truths don't lie on the surface; we have to dig for them. Dr Howard Hendricks describes the three stages of Bible study: a) The 'castor oil' stage - we study the Bible because we know it's good for us, but it's not too enjoyable b) The 'cereal' stage - our Bible study is dry and uninteresting, but we know it's nourishing c) The 'peaches and cream' stage - we are really feasting on the Word of God. Bottom line? 'Continue in...the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise.

Managing pain.

I bumped into this passage, while doing my personal study. It would be of tremendous benefit for those who find it difficult to manage pain, hurt, and the like, it goes thus, enjoy...

When you lose what you love you go through five stages: 1) Denial - 'No, it can't be happening.' 2) Anger - 'God, why are You permitting this?' 3) Bargaining - 'Please make it go away.' 4) Depression - Silence and withdrawal. 5) Acceptance - 'Not my will but Thine be done.' Whether it's the loss of a child, a marriage, a job, your health, etc when you turn to God He'll give you the grace to embrace it, grieve it, express it, release it, and go on to become stronger. Sometimes we seek quick relief by releasing it before we've gone through these stages. That's because we fear the process. We've been taught that any show of emotion is a show of weakness, so we hide it. But we only stuff it into our emotional garbage can, then spend all our time and energy sitting on the lid, trying to keep the contents from spilling out. 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free' (John 8:32 NKJV). It's knowing and embracing the truth, including its painful aspects, that sets you free. You must be willing to forgive. But until you come to grips with the enormity of your loss, including any injustice of what was done to you, you are not ready to forgive. When you rush to forgive, you forgive only in part and you're released only in part. Are you running from pain today? Are you trading it in prematurely for some other feeling? That's not God's way. Jesus said, 'You will weep and mourn...but [eventually] your grief will turn to joy...and no one will take [it] away' (John 16:20-22 NIV).

God Bless

Openess or Diplomacy

Hey! Thought to drop a short post before shutting down my system.

Something striking happened yesterday evening- March 24,2008 . For me, it indicated entry into another phase of my life- having had to share my past experience with someone really special, i had choices to make, either to be open and real or to be diplomatic and play safe.

Sharing these experiences was somewhat traumatising and painful, each word i spoke reawakened already expunged memories... but as i shared these experiences all i saw was the bright side and the gain of it all, it made me realise i was not ashamed to be me, it was a re-affirmation for me that i was single, whole, complete and happy, for me it was some form of test. I was torn in-between possibilities of an irrational reaction , rejection and possibilities of drawing the curtains to what we shared, considering all these i didn't give a damn(excuse me!) i simply wanted to be me, to be responsible for my actions, face the truth and see if i could live with it, see if we could embrace the truth, pain, feelings and emotions .

Bless God, this is the second day after sharing it, i am most thankful to God for the happiness and hope i feel within because all is rooted in him , he has made me and taught me all that i am today. A burden has been lifted off my shoulders.

I am free!

Thank you for sharing your time with me, but i really need to run now, its kinda late!

Busy Busy Busy

Wow! it's been a while i have had some spare time to do a post, these past months of this year have been so occupying.

It's been work, work, work and work...been doing some soul searching and i am like ... God help me! if i am starting on this note then how would it be like in 5-10 years. As much as i love to be a career woman, i am not one who subscribes to work first, husband second, kids third, friends and family no spare time to catch up on old times, though on second thoughts it's near that.

My resolution after the exercise is to slow it down, my new song is Balance, Balance, Balance, i sing this to myself everyday, my friends and family shouldn't be the sacrifice i have to slaughter on the altar of my work/career.

Next time i would be doing a post on Crossroads- its basically about choices and decisions one has to make.

Just before i leave, ponder on this quote:

"A winner knows how much he has to learn, even when he his considered an expert by others, but a loser wants to be considered an expert by others, before he has learned enough to know how little he knows".

Thank you!

Ciao! Ciao!

Mo du pe o.

Hey! Compliments to you all out there- my fans, folks, friends, colleagues, loved ones and to you.

I am dropping a post to acknowledge and appreciate my keeper, owner, sufficiency, dependency, without him i am nothing and will be nothing.

Taking a peep into recent happenings in my life, i must say "my sufficiency" is the only reason why i have come this far, left to my intellectual capacity i can't seem to comprehend, let alone take in, the past events and upcoming ones , it looks like i am speaking in parables, ainit? my dear, i wish i had the gift of posting the story of my life on this blog... but it seems that is not my style.

Please don't get me wrong, i am so excited about what HE is doing in my life, cos i know his thoughts towards me are of good not of evil, to give me hope and a predestined end.

If it were of my doing or my wits, i wouldn't have smelt where i am now- i would have been in a state of depression-if possible, but all that has been exchanged for JOY, wow!

I owe my accomplishment and progress to My dependency, in him i can sleep without giving anything a thought, isn't that wonderful and loving? No human can give such peace and love, i just feel secure in HIS love, because i know he his not a man that he should lie and he has promised to love me and take care of me despite my unfaithfulness and my nature. How i feel secure in his unfailing love for me.

Facing each day with a different kind of energy because i am aware of HIM right beside me, ever thinking about me, watching my every move, coming to my rescue at critical moments, oh! how i love HIM.

I dedicate this post To the No1 Man in my life. I gave that position to someone real special to me, but this requires that i be partial so he would be the No 2, don't bother he his used to such impartial acts, he his confident in what we share, so he doesn't feel threatened when i express how much i love my NO1, for your information too, i love him.

Ciao! see you aroud