Sunday, 9 March 2014

Universal Language of Love

It is estimated that more than $18 billion was spent on Valentine’s Day cards, roses, candy and gifts in 2013. This year the highly commercialized Valentine’s season is in full swing. Seductive roses and heart-shaped boxes line shopping aisles while jewelry commercials and promises of romance and love blanket television sets.
Love is the universal language understood by all. All humanity longs to find true acceptance for who they are as a person even when their bent is not mainstream, popular, politically correct or as varied as the candies made by Russell Stover. The one language that is never foreign or misunderstood is love, and it often is best spoken without any words.
Love is communicated and shown with actions of respect, acceptance, kindness and tolerance. Yet, this true example of love is lacking in our world today. Tolerance is both the most “in fashion” word of the day and the most hated. It is loved and despised by us all – even if we don’t choose to admit it. We stand for it when it benefits us and shoot at it when it is not.
We want to put a silencer on any barrel that is firing a different bullet than our preferred caliber. Yet isolating others with differing perspectives than our own only shrinks our ability for education and growth.
Few of us would admit to being intolerant and there is no other moniker we would more hate to be given. However, the guilt is obvious and on display in every facet of our culture. Politics, sports, television and religion have a window shop of such concrete-minded poster boys.
By definition the meaning of intolerance is defined as the inability to accept others views, convictions or opinions because they oppose your own. However, many who are the most outspoken about tolerance of others are the ones speaking with a forked tongue. They want others opinion’s heard as long as they are rowing in the same boat. When there is a different stance the fault line is often exposed and verbal volcanoes erupt.
Just recently we saw how the Olympic games become a battlefield of intolerance as the Russian government seeks to muzzle the LGTB community from having a voice. Gag policies never cultivate understanding or peace in any relationships whether personal or corporate. Silencing others or trying to get a louder bullhorn is never a bridge to peace. Sadly, protests may be looming at the singular worldwide sporting event designed as a congregation of world unity. And while like everyone, the LGTB community deserves a platform, so do those on the other side of the coin.
Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty is a classic case. He became embroiled in a firestorm after comments in a recent media interview. Regardless of his opinions he should have the right to state them and drive a stake in the ground without being marginalized as an intolerant redneck.
Cannot understanding and compassion be learned from both camps without putting a stereotypical label on either as a sinner, saint or psycho? If the last 10 years of traveling the world have taught me anything it’s the need to release my pious attitude and embrace those with whom I don’t share much real estate. I have often learned the most from those I understand the least.
I have a family member who I love dearly who has a different sexual orientation from me. Our relationship has enabled me to grow in understanding and taught me how to relate to her community of friends. This person’s influence has taught me more about compassion and patience than probably any other relationship I’ve ever had.
This week I spent time with a person whose beliefs about God were the antithesis of my own. One hour later we shook hands and planned our next meeting. We are scheduled for lunch tomorrow. In our meeting, there was no jockeying for position of higher ground but an approach to understand beliefs neither of us had ever possessed. By conversation’s end, we were both forced to examine what we believed and why we believed it.
One of the strongest evidences of character and personal impact is the relationship one has with his fellow man. Maybe the recognition that I am not always right is the best process of growth and can equip me to listen to others whose opinions or convictions I may not like. Agreement and surrender are not mandatory but compassion, respect and openness must be.

Saturday, 8 March 2014

It's Payback Time

 I went on my usual trip to Abuja Nigeria, and stayed at my usual hotel. Everything seemed fine that night until I heard a light rap on my door the following morning. I looked at the time – it was 5:13am! I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the door, which by that time was being opened! I shouted immediately, “who is that?” and pushed the door back. There were 2 guys and they immediately shut the door and stammered “Sorry ma. We thought the room was empty. It was a mistake”. Mistake??????!!!!!! Who makes such mistake at 5am in the morning?! Boy, was I glad for once that I’m a light sleeper. But quickly Psalms 127 verse 1 comes to mind, light sleeper or not!

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain"

As soon as it was bright enough and I was ready to leave for my meeting, I went downstairs to the reception to lay my case and ’make some noise’. The front desk staff could only apologise and they reiterated the “room check” story. I wasn’t satisfied in the least, coupled with the fact that I was already grumpy and cranky since I found it difficult to get back to sleep after the misdeed. But as I was running late for my meeting, I had to leave.

Later that morning, I remembered I had the Manager’s number (remember it’s my usual hotel?) and pronto, I called her. She was appalled and ashamed at the same time. She couldn’t believe such ‘mistake’ happened at her hotel. She was so apologetic and assured me she would deal with the situation. I insisted I was moving out that evening when I returned cos no way I would be able to sleep in that room without imagining someone breaking in!

When I returned to the hotel that evening, I asked to see her immediately. She apologised again and again, telling me they had fished out the culprits and given them queries. So I asked “What, then, is my compensation?” You know what? She gave me a room upgrade to an executive room and 50% off my bill! Boy, was I ecstatic!!!!! Of course I slept like a baby that night…*ROTFL*

However, I learnt a few things from this incident…

- Psalm 127:1 - God surely protects us, regardless of what the devil plans/
- Matthew 13:25 When men slept, the enemy came to sow tares. Even in your ‘rest’ period, do not rest or be too deep asleep. The enemy could capitalise on that and try a break-in.
- When some things happen to disturb your routine in life, feel free to complain about it but not to everyone! You need to go to the appropriate channel who can do something about it! Get it? Go to God with your complaints!
- Always insist on not just getting things resolved, but getting compensation!!! I could have left with the many apologies that day but I didn’t. I got something better. Why? Cos I dared to insist!

Have you lost your job? Don’t just ask God for another job, ask Him for a better one than you lost!

Health issues? Don’t just ask for healing, ask for wholeness!

Whatever it is, God is merciful to restore and compensate. You get the picture now? It’s biblical!

Proverbs 6:30-31
30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

Joel 2:25
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm -
my great army that I sent among you
By sis Deby

A Just and Loving God

TEXT: PSALM 18:20-28
Key verse: “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright” (Psalm 18:25).
Every man, at his best, is an outcrop of God’s benevolence and mercy. Were it not for the undeserved and unmerited acts of God’s mercy, humanity would have remained in the bowels of sin and death!
The injunction in this Psalm presents a timeless pattern for the contemporary man caught in the web of life’s adversities. David was to write this song after God had given him victory over his enemies, particularly Saul. David was a man much endeared to God. It was his delight to obey God in all things. The few times he fell foul of God’s laws, he repented deeply and spontaneously. It was like him to place God’s laws sorely before his face, so that he might not sin against his Creator. He had ample chances to deal ruthlessly and decisively against his foes, especially Saul. In a way, he would have been justified. He had done nothing to Saul to warrant his being hunted by the backslidden king. But David avoided every available opportunity to destroy Saul. Had he done so, he would have breached God’s commandment that says, ‘touch not my anointed’, for Saul, in spite of his backslidden state, was indeed God’s anointed. Furthermore, David would have resorted to self-management and repudiated God’s promise of rescuing the weak.
The credentials of David before God were his mercy, uprightness, righteousness and cleanness of hands. 

“Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness ...” It is what a man sows that he will reap. David was merciful to his archenemy. God likewise showed mercy to him.
The measure of what we mete out to others, foe or friend, is the measure God will recompense us with. If we are unmerciful, unrighteous and froward, we will not be privileged to enjoy God’s intervention in our hour of need. The scripture enjoins us to love our enemies and bless them that curse us. We are to repay evil with good, pray for those who persecute and despitefully use us. Uprightness, righteousness and mercy will bring us into favour with God, for He loveth righteousness and judgment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Only a heart made perfect can love perfectly!

Friday, 7 March 2014

FRIDAY FASHION: CLASSY ASO EBI STYLES!!!

When it comes to wearing gorgeous traditional attires, some people know the nitty gritty of how well to go about it, how to combine the colors, gorgeous accessories that will complement the amazing attire and how to especially tie the ‘Gele’. Enjoy and have fun…. See photos below----




















Under His Wings

TEXT: PSALM 17:1-15
Key verse: “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalm 17:8).
No one is insulated from the attacks of the devil. He goes about seeking whom he may devour. It is he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High however that will abide under the shadows of the Almighty. He is kept from the assaults of the evil one. God takes-up the battle of His saints; “those that have made a covenant with (Him) by sacrifice” (Psalm 50:5). 
This, David had done and thus was able to come boldly before the Throne of Grace. His propositions before the Almighty were laid on seven premises that reveal his spiritual condition before God. One, his petition was premised on a just cause. He was clearly informed that God only attends to a right cause. Two, David presented his sincerity; not vain, pretentious and empty words before God: “Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.” Three, his pleading came from a pure heart, a heart tried and found untarnished by God. Four, David, like Job, had made a covenant with his lips never to transgress: not to lie, slander, or speak ill of any. Five, he had made God’s word his guide “...by the word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyers.” Six, he was unpresumptuous; he never took God for granted. 

Those who approach God on the above premises are God’s covenant people. Storms of adversity may rock their boats on life’s sea; they weather through them all because they are in the covenant of blood with the Lord (Exodus 12:13). Look unto Him and live. Lay down your arms at His feet today. He will hide you under the shadow of His wings.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: As swift as the eagle may be, the chicks under the hen’s wings are out of its reach.
David knew that without God, he could slip. He therefore prayed God to hold him in “thy paths that my footsteps slip not.” Finally, he impressed us as a man who has implicit confidence in God: “I have called upon thee ...” On the basis of former faithfulness of God, David then affirms, “For thou wilt hear me.”


Wednesday, 5 March 2014

The Benefits of Orange Juice

 Oranges are one of the most delicious fruits that are equally popular in elder people, adults and children as well. This ‘God’s gift’ not only provides you a wonderful taste but also upsurges the resistance power. The marvellous nutrients, present in oranges, help your body fight against severe diseases such as cardiovascular problems, cancer and gastrointestinal disorders. One can avail the advantages of this fruit in very little time by consuming fresh orange juice. By this way, the nutrients quickly get absorbed in the bloodstream without requiring digestion process. Lets proceed with the orange juice benefits.
Top 10 Health Benefits of Orange Juice
The raw orange and its nectar aids the human body in several ways, here are the top 10 health benefits of orange juice. Fresh orange juice is a great source of beneficial nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, flavonoids and phyto nutrients. These all nutrients play a significant role in maintaining healthy body. Consumption of vitamin C is essential to protect the body cells from free radicals. A satisfactory amount of this crucial vitamin can be provided to the body by taking orange juice.




1. Maintains the Blood Pressure Levels:

Orange juice is the amazing drink for the patients of high or low blood pressure. Are you interested in finding the reason? Well, this delicious drink contains a significant amount of magnesium which has a wonderful ability to bring back the disturbed blood pressure level to normal range.

2. Promotes the Immune System:

Due to the presence of vitamin C, orange juice acts as a best defender for you against several diseases (such as flu or colds), promoting the immune system.

3. Contains Healing Properties:

One of the top health benefits of orange juice is its healing properties. Oranges contain flavonoids (like naringenin and hesperidin), which are anti-inflammatory stuffs. When you consume this yummy fruit in raw or juice form, the flavonoids work amazingly to treat the arthritis and heal the stiffness and pain.

4. Prevents Cancer:

The latest scientific research has exposed the effectiveness of the orange juice for preventing several types of cancer.  Oranges comprise a stuff known as D – limonene that is an efficient agent against skin cancer, breast cancer, mouth cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. Furthermore, the presence of vitamin C also helps in this regard.

5. Benefits for Treating & Preventing Ulcers:

Ulcers generally appear in the small intestine and stomach. The occurrence of ulcers sometimes becomes a major reason of constipation because in this case, the consumed food particles can’t break down properly. The orange juice is very advantageous in treating and preventing ulcers. It also stimulates the digestive system.

6. Prevents Kidney Stones:

The risks of formation of kidney stones can be reduced by taking one serving of orange juice on regular basis. Too much concentration of minerals and chemicals usually result as the development of kidney stones. Orange juice contains citrate, which has an excellent ability to prevent this disorder by decreasing the urine acidity. So the individuals, who are suffering through this terrible condition, should include fresh orange juice in daily diet plan.

7. Assists in Weight Loss:

Many people believe that the regular consumption of orange juice is helpful for cutting down the extra pounds, claiming that this citrus fruit is full of antioxidants, which act efficiently to lose weight.

8. Reduces Risks of Heart Attacks:

Another leading benefit of orange juice is its assistance in prevention of heart disorders. Hesperidin is a plant based substance that protects the arteries from being clogged by improving the health of nearby cells. Oranges contain hesperidin in sufficient amount, thus consumption of one glass freshly squeezed orange juice ensures lower risks of heart attacks.

9. Treats Anaemia:

Anaemia is a condition that generally occurs due to insufficient red blood cells in hemoglobin. Iron deficiency is the leading reason behind this situation. Orange juice provides a good quantity of vitamin C that promotes the absorption of iron into blood stream. That’s why most doctors suggest the anaemia patients to consume orange or its juice on regular basis.

10. Makes the Skin beautiful & Young Looking:

The antioxidant properties of orange juice make the skin fresh, beautiful and young-looking by preventing the aging effects. In addition, the antioxidants with the combination of vitamin C protect the skin cells from getting effected by free radicals. Thus, taking one serving of orange juice each day is a best way to maintain the freshness and attraction of skin for long time. Orange juice for skin is a blessing with no disguise at all!

So let keep on drink Orange or Orange juiceeeeeeeeee ASB-World.

GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN

But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then. Matthew 19:30

A missionary couple who had served for many years in Africa were returning to the United States. Leaving Africa with broken health and no pension, they felt defeated, discouraged, and afraid.

As it turned out, the president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, was travelling on the same ship. Of course, it caused a great commotion as everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the president, who was returning from a hunting expedition.

The missionary commented to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we, who have given our lives in service to the Lord all these years in Africa, come back and not receive any fanfare or attention? And this man, who has done nothing more than just go on a hunting trip, is the centre of attention. It just doesn't seem right."

When the ship arrived, a brass band played and the mayor welcomed the president. The missionary was so discouraged. "It isn't fair," he told his wife. "Why have we not received any attention or adulation for what we have done?

God is not treating us fairly." She said, "Honey, why don't you just go tell that to the Lord?" A bit later, he was smiling. His wife said,

"You look different. What happened?" He said, "Well, I told the Lord how bitter I was.

Then it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and said, 'Son, you're not home yet.'" God sees those things you do for Him, and He will reward you richly.

He has promised to meet all your needs on earth. But remember, your true reward is being stored up for you in heaven.

You shall receive a rich welcome into His God's Kingdom when Christ is revealed in glory.

Prayer: Lord, help me focus on my reward in heaven so I may serve with all diligence.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 19:23-30
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