Single and searching?...

That his lips smile at you doesn't mean you make his heart smile
Because he gives you things doesn't mean he wants to give you his heart.

That she calls you "Dear" doesn't mean you're dear to her.
Because she says you're good looking doesn't mean you're the one she's been looking for.

Attention doesn't always mean affection.
That someone gives you their time, doesn't mean they want you in their life. Sometimes you're just an option because they're bored...and not their first choice. Sometimes...many times, its lust not love.

Don't dive head first, into relationships. Don't get carried away by the excitement of meeting someone new.  Let intuition guide and guard you.

Intuition...the sixth sense...that voice of truth. Listen to it...never ignore it.
It will help you: 1. Discern between when they truly care about you and when they're just being nice. 2. Discover the motive(s) behind their kind behavior. Is it because they want you in their life or because you are simply someone who can be useful to them.

Intuition never fails. I believe it is the offspring of wisdom...with which you can never go wrong.

Keep your intuition receptors activated as you make decisions about relationships. You'll spare yourself whole lot of heartache and way too many headaches!

Even the little things...

Many of us tend to believe God for BIG miracles. Miracles like getting a job you never expected, being healed from sickness, a sudden major financial breakthrough, and for some people…finding the man or woman of your dreams after years of heartbreak or loneliness. In other words, we have imbibed this notion that if it’s not something big, then it’s not a miracle or something worth testifying about.

While it is good to believe God for big miracles…we should learn to trust Him to do “little” miracles for us as well. Though I hold the opinion that when God is involved in something, it is never little.

Let me share a sweet little testimony with you. Ooops! Did I just say “little testimony?” I meant to say… “testimony.”

Sometime towards the end of last year, I resolved that I was going to start exercising regularly at least thrice a week once the New Year kicks in. This didn’t seem feasible in reality…with the rigor of my weekly routine. On weekdays, I’m up at 5am every morning, off to work at 6am (sometimes earlier), leave the office at about 5pm and usually don’t get home till between 7pm-7:30pm. On very light traffic days I could get home at 6:30pm…but this happens very occasionally. Once home, I attend to family matters, watch a bit of TV to relieve the stress of Lagos traffic…but usually by 10pm…sleep comes knocking at my door due to the fact that I’m already extremely exhausted. I knew getting fit wasn’t up for bargain in any way…I needed it. I thought of maybe going to the gym twice a week after I close work, but that would mean my getting home even later…which wouldn’t be favorable since I have to be up at 5am every day.

Then about two weeks ago, a memo got passed round the office by Management that a compulsory exercise/fitness program would commence the following week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5pm-6pm for all staff. It didn’t even dawn on me that this was an answered prayer until a conversation I had with my sister days later about it. She said to me “God has answered your prayers. You’ve been talking about joining a gym and now, you don’t have to do that but you get to workout as you desired. God loves you.”

That was when it hit me. God had given me the desire of my heart far as this was concerned. Not only do I get to exercise twice a week, I don’t have to spend money enrolling in a gym. I got more than what I desired. Sure, I’d get home later than normal on those days, but the workout times were just perfect since I’m usually not physically tired at 5pm. I thought about this after our session on Tuesday and I was wowed at just how concerned God is about our lives. He does even the littlest things for us. I simply marveled at the depth of His love towards us. It is an all-encompassing love.

But I started to wonder why people think some prayers or desires are too small to present before God. I mean If He clothes the lilies of the field, the birds of the air and even sends down rain which grass, plants and trees need to grow…why won’t He take care of the ones He made in His own image? If we delight ourselves in Him, He shall give us the desires of our heart. (See Psalm 37:4).

Like a father/mother to a child, so is God to us. He cares about us so deeply. He cares about every facet of our lives…and He wants us to trust Him with everything that concerns us.

This may seem like a silly testimony to some…but to others, I hope it will cause us to begin to invite God into every aspect of our lives and expect little miracles in addition to the big ones. There is absolutely nothing God cannot do…you’ve just got to activate that faith button and keep it turned on, always!

OH...its Thursday and I'm off for my workout class!!

 

Finding strength in moments of weakness.

I haven’t blogged about anything since the year began. I must confess that lately I’d been at a relatively low state emotionally and psychologically which was beginning to take a toll on my spiritual life. I’d not been observing my quiet time with God as has been the norm. One of the goals I had given myself for 2015 was to spend at least an hour on Bible-study and another hour or more in private/prayer and worship daily. The first few weeks of January went as planned far as that was concerned. I was also enthusiastic about my other 2015 goals.

Somewhere in the middle of January, things begin to change….not for the better. I suddenly found myself losing the drive and motivation to do anything pertaining to my penned-down goals. The financial expectations I had just weren’t materializing. It was as if everything around me suddenly stood still. Health challenges set in…migraine headaches, on and off malaria and regular bouts of insomnia. Add to this the daily Lagos grind beginning with 5am alarms, long traffic-laden drives to and from work, and my energy level took a dip. On Saturdays (the days I set aside to work on other things) I’d be in bed most of the day trying to rest and recover from the week’s hustle. I started experiencing a spiritual disconnect due to not sticking to my daily prayer/Bible study routine. I got to a point and I was simply just tired.

I am typically a very strong-willed and optimistic person but at this point, I found myself actually giving into the fear of not achieving anything meaningful this year. I seemed to have become the perfect candidate for Satan – the accuser of brethren, to torment with negative thoughts, hoping that I would actually accept that nothing good will come my way. I started to feel inadequate, unqualified and simply not good enough for God to use in anyway. I would often hear these words in my head “look at your past, your mistakes, your mess…” I talked with my family a few times about what I was experiencing. They did an excellent job of gingering me not to quit after such conversations, but the negative thoughts would playback in my head and the vicious cycle began all over again.

All this culminated a few nights ago. While lying down in bed meditating, I realized that I had two options: to give up or to get up and get going. Deep in the inner recesses of my heart, I knew I couldn’t afford to give up. I just didn’t know how to pick myself up out of this state of lowliness. I didn’t know how to pray about it ether…I honestly didn’t! Opening up and sharing my problems with people has never been my forte. Mainly because I am aware that everyone is fighting a battle of their own and the last thing I ever want is be someone’s burden.

While chatting with a friend on Whatsapp the next day, I didn’t realize when I typed “I’ve been feeling depressed lately…just keep me in your prayers.” My friend ofcourse pressed to know what was wrong but I wouldn’t budge. I honestly didn’t know how to start talking about it. The advice he gave me was that I talk to someone about everything I was feeling. “Huh?”…I wondered to myself… “But I’m talking to you (or at least I’m trying to)”…I said to myself. We had a back and forth conversation then my friend said something to me that really struck a chord in my heart. “Just know that someone would do anything to be who you are, regardless.” Then he finally said… “I think it’s the right time to thank God for what He has done for you, members of your family…and praise Him in advance. Worship Him in totality, no distractions, (without the iPods and headphones). Worship brings down God. Your worship will bring Him close. You are a worshipper and this is who you need to be at this point. Don’t ask, just worship.” All I could say was “thanks for everything” and our conversation was over. I went to bed that night feeling quite ashamed of myself for my show of ingratitude towards God. Indeed God has been relentlessly loving, faithful, gracious and sufficient to my family and me. He has done so much for each and every one of us in the last year.

I may have been down healthwise, but I still have life. I thought about the late Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina who is currently comatose, breathing with the help of a ventilator. A few days before her incident, she was excited at new prospects for the year. Now, her family members are left praying for a miracle for her life.

I have decided to simply be grateful for life, to be able to breathe in and out, unaided….that is a gift that should never be taken lightly.

My friend gave me a hot serving of the truth…and those words have echoed in my heart since then. I have no reason to give up when truly someone somewhere is wishing they could have my life. That obviously means I am more blessed than I realize.

I learned a valuable lesson in all this...a lesson I believe will help you too. There are three ways I believe one can find strength and peace in moments of weakness: 1. Count your blessings. Take time to reflect on your life and you’d be amazed at how faithful God has been to you. 2. Maintain an attitude of thanksgiving inspite of your circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Realize that no matter how bad things are, someone is going through something much worse. Be grateful always. 3. Our faith must be tried and tested before it can be trusted. James 1:2-4 says: “…count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. "

If you can endure till the end, you will come out better.