What's Love Got To Do With It? Plenty!

Love, love, love. What does it mean anyway? Well, I'm not going into that discussion today. But I have a question. Yeah, the question up there. What has love got to do with who you marry? Should you marry for love? Should you marry someone you do not love? He loves you and you do not love him, should you go ahead and marry him? Hehehe......the questions are plenty abi?

I hear a lot of things.For instance,  'God did not say you should marry who you love but that you should love who you marry'. And I'm like, enhe? Really? For someone like me who is a romantic at heart, that's not something I want to hear. Can I not have both? Marry who I love and continue to love him in marriage? I see a lot of couples, Christians even, who started to loved each other and then got married. It happened with my friend. I watched it happen with them. Who says it can't happen with me?

This made me laugh

Some others will say, 'it's better to marry someone who loves you more than you love them'. And again I ask, really?


I always say, 'if it's not mutual, it's not love'. You profess undying love for me and and I do not feel the same, I nor accept that love o. While I have stopped looking for the 'sweeping off feet' kind( because that kind has got me landing on my butt in the past), I would like for there to be a connection of the the hearts. Or at least, I should like you enough to want to love you. Does that make sense?

My friend and I were talking sometime ago and the issue of one-sided love came up. We both said how much we did not like it. But we wanted to hear a mutual friend's sister's opinion and here's what she said ' So long as he's the one doing the loving I'm fine with it'. Her reason? Men tend to take you for granted when they know you love them. Do I blame her? No. It's been known to happen like she said. However, for me o, If I do not feel it in my heart, I am not doing! How will I survive the marriage na?

One last question for you guys, am I off my rockers to talk like this?

What's That....'Thing'?

Nigerians are unique. They have their own way of interpreting certain English words, I've noticed. Especially, the word 'thing'. Several times, I've had people correct me when I used that word. It would seem that the word now means 'genitals'.

So, the other day I gave some documents and my phone to someone to hold for me. I then said to the person 'all my things are in your care o'. The person went, 'no o, your things are with you o....except you want to give them to me'. It took a lot of control for me not to snap at him. Really? So I can not use 'thing' freely again without fearing that someone would give a lewd connotation to it?

In my office, it's the same thing. Just say 'thing' and you'd be sure to have someone stop you mid-sentence.

So, for the benefit of those who do not know what thing means, here goes:

Thing 1
Definition: Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, as a separate entity, whether animate or inanimate; any separable or distinguishable object of thought.

Thing 2
Definition: An inanimate object, in distinction from a living being; any lifeless material.

Thing 3
Definition: A transaction or occurrence; an event; a deed.


 Thing 4
Definition: A portion or part; something.

Thing 5
Definition: A diminutive or slighted object; any object viewed as merely existing; often used in pity or contempt.

Thing 6
Definition: Whatever may be possessed or owned; a property; distinguished from person.

Thing 7
Definition: In Scandinavian countries, a legislative or judicial assembly.

thing 8
Definition: a separate and self-contained entity

thing 9
Definition: an action; "how could you do such a thing?"

thing 10
Definition: an artifact; "how does this thing work?"

thing 11
Definition: an entity that is not named specifically; "I couldn''t tell what the thing was"

thing 12
Definition: any attribute or quality considered as having its own existence; "the thing I like about her is

thing 13
Definition: a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well"

thing 14
Definition: a special abstraction; "a thing of the spirit"; "things of the heart"

thing 15
Definition: a special objective; "the thing is to stay in bounds"

thing 16
Definition: a statement regarded as an object; "to say the same thing in other terms"; "how can you say such a thing?"

thing 17
Definition: an event; "a funny thing happened on the way to the..."

thing 18
Definition: a persistent illogical feeling of desire or aversion; "he has a thing about seafood"; "she has a thing about him"

thing 19
Definition: a special situation; "this thing has got to end"; "it is a remarkable thing"

These definitions are from the Accurate and Reliable Dictionary(ARD), an online dictionary.

I did not see human genitalia in any of the definitions o. Have all those people seen now?

How Do You Do? Fine?

English is so hard! I am a fan of English language however,I love my mother tongue. Some things are just better expressed in your native tongue,wouldn't you agree? And then,when we try to interpret in English, there comes the 'wahala'. We search for the right words to no avail,so we settle for the ones we can find. A lot of times, those words do not convey the meanings we intend. Other times,in attempting to interpret,we murder the English language. But can you blame us, it's not our mother tongue.

Methinks,a lot of people are better off communicating in their native tongue. Why? The kind of English they speak hurts the ears. I know,I know,it's not our mother tongue. But it is our lingua franca. We are multilingual in Nigeria and English, good English is necessary to communicate properly. So, it is important to know small English. However, it seems a lot of people know too little. Why? Beats me.

I do not understand how someone could pass through primary and secondary schools, a higher institution, and still speak such terrible English. How?

Leaves me with one conclusion. English is hard. I mean, even I find it hard at times. Yesterday, I made a grammatical blunder. Thank God I was alone. Yeah, I think aloud,sometimes. Who doesn't? I'd like to meet you :). Well, I said 'For all you know,you don't know if......' That is tautology,right?

It is confusing too. For instance, when someone says to you 'How do you do?' You should say 'How do you do too?' Why? Shouldn't you be answering the question and saying ,'Fine'?

 So people, is it just me or is English hard?

Double Indeed!

Shiloh has ended and it was awesome! Words can't start to describe the experience. You guys will soon start to hear of my testimoniesssssss. We serve such a great God! I hope you were part of it too?

I really thank God for His hand upon His servant,Bishop David Oyedepo. I thank God for the privilege to partake of Shiloh and the Double portion of the Spirit and Grace at work in Winners Chapel.

I bless God for being faithful, merciful,kind,loving. Above all, I bless Him for being God! He's awesome. Guys, if you are not connected to Him,get connected. He's the only One who can turn your life around for good and Jesus is that Connection. Get connected through Jesus.

Talk to y'all soon,God bless you.

I Too Know!

I have cold sores. Cold sores are originally caused by the Herpes simplex virus. They are blisters that break out at the corner of your mouth or nose. Once you have an attack, be sure that they'd keep coming back. Subsequently, they could be brought on by fever,stress etc. I don't know exactly what brought it on this time but I did wake up on saturday with a high body temperature.

This once when I had it, I went to the Pharmacy to get an ointment for it. I'd read that anti-viral ointment helps. Apparently, they did not have it. They kept pointing me to their anti-fungal creams. So, I started to explain that what I needed was an anti-viral cream because I had cold sores which were caused by the Herpes Simplex virus....Their eyes went wide when I called 'herpes'. At the time, I did not know why, then they said anti-fungal was all they had. So I left.

It was not until I went back to our Medical book at home that I found out why. The Herpes simplex virus is also responsible for Genital Herpes. So, they probably thought I had it! As embarrassed as I felt(hello? My reputation....the husband and wife that ran the pharmacy were practically neighbours), I also shook my head at the fact that they knew so little about cold sores?

Anyways, that's what you get for doing 'over sabi' :). Coincidentally, I read a few days ago that Shea butter helps clear it. I applied Shea butter immediately I noticed the blisters forming. So far, it has not spread.

 So, I guess it works.

Later......  

My Sister and I

I’m the first of my mother's children and she had six. Only four of us are alive now though. I lost two of my sisters. One of them would have been Twenty years old on Wednesday. So now I have one sister. She’s twelve years old. She came to the family at the very right time and brought with her all the joy, beauty and laughter. She was the baby of the house. Considering I was already in my teens when she was born, I was like her second mother. She was my ‘hand bag’ at a time. I did not have a choice. I could not go anywhere without her, when I was home on holidays. My mom could go about her business freely; I was there to baby sit.

She was an adorable baby. All my siblings were beautiful babies. I keep saying that they’ve set the standard for my babies. They just have to be cute o J. My sister was one of those babies everyone ‘ooed and aaahed over. Everyone wanted to hold her. Whenever I went out with her, I had strangers talking to me because of her. 

She was a singing baby. She still sings too. But she started singing before she could talk. One of her favourites, I remember was ‘ paw-paw is a kind of fruit, sweet like sugar, yellow like fanta, everybody likes paw-paw’. We sang that to her so often that she started to sing along, even before she could talk. And then when she got a little older, she would sing along to any song that played. Whether she knew it or not. She would mumble the words if she had to. When you asked her if she knew the song, she would laugh.

She was a vain little girl. Yes o. She would spend hours in front of the mirror combing her hair or just touching it over and over. She would sing to her reflection in the mirror as she applied powder on her face and Vaseline on her lips. One time when she was about three,  I went into my room to see her standing beside my opened anti-perspirant, with a naughty smile on her face. I asked what she was doing with it and she touched her lips, still smiling. She had thought it was lip gloss, having seen me use mine, she wanted to emulate. Only, this was no lip gloss but Sure roll-on. I had to point out to her what it was used for.

Ahhh, she was also a dancer. Invite her to your kid's birthday party and be ready to give her the prizes. She could do it all. These days however, she gets shy. She has a younger brother now. They are like cat and rat. They could be the best of buddies at times too. Although she has grown shy, she talks like a parrot when she’s with him. My little brother? Story for another day.

I remember those days when they would come to me and say ‘I want to poo’. When I would almost scream is exasperation, ‘two of you should do and grow up o’, or something like that. To think that those days will be back soon. At least, I’ve had plenty of practice. Ha! How time flies. While I am glad they are no longer babies, I look back on the days when they were, with a certain amount of nostalgia.

Bless Me Father!

"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 The above Bible passage is popularly known as the Prayer of Jabez. How many of us have ever prayed it? I know I have. It's a beautiful prayer. The most beautiful thing about the prayer being the underlined part above. Let's take another look at the prayer.  The prayer can be broken into four parts: - '......Oh that thou would bless me indeed......' Jabez must have taken a look at his life and seen that he needed God's blessing to lift him out of his unpleasant life. - '.....enlarge my coast.....' He was asking God to increase him on every side. He was asking for a break-out and a breakthrough. He was asking God to increase his scope of influence. - '.....that thy hand might be with me....' This part I believe speaks of God's presence, guidance and leading. - '.......that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!....' Now here's the part I'm most interested in, in this post. Note the exclamation mark. He was practically crying out to God to keep him from evil.  Evil brings nothing but pain. Any kind of evil, the one we brought on ourselves, maybe by our sin or wrong choices. The one self-proclaimed enemies of your life bring your way. In a world filled with evil, it's not a strange prayer to pray. Praying this part of the prayer might also be a way of asking God to keep us from sin. Because sin does nothing but bring hurt and pain. The prayer of Jabez, like the Lord's Prayer is a great prayer guide. I encourage us to adopt it, and see it work for us. I know God will grant us our requests like He did Jabez, in Jesus Name. Amen.  Enjoy the Prayer of Jabez song.   Later.......

See Who Followed Me!

I received a twitter update yesterday. It turned out that someone had just followed me. Well, I do not get a lot of followers, so I was pleased someone had dimmed me fit to be followed. So, I take a look. When I saw the name, I said to myself " this name sounds like someone popular ". I sha was not sure. So, I go to the profile, and guess who? Mark Waldrop! I know, right?

Mark Waldrop

Okay, I know some of you are wondering, "who on earth is Mark Waldrop?" Well, he is currently the guitarist for the band, The Digital Age. He used to be with David Crowther Band though. But after, David Crowther left the band to pursue a solo career, the rest of the band formed The Digital Age. I only just found  out o. So you see, this is something major for me. I loved David Crowther Band, I hope I love Digital Age more. Meanwhile, let me relish being followed by someone popular. Did I mention that he was verified? :)

The Digital Age is currently working on it's first Album( is my grammar correct?), which would be released in 2013.


I'd share with you guys a song I love a lot from David Crowther Band. Enjoy.

Picture credit - Google

Love You!

Loving yourself is very important. Looking past your short-comings, the hurtful words from people, and loving yourself inspite of them is important. You know,people can say such hurtful things,ignorantly or deliberately. Even your own parents can help wound your self esteem. Calling a child names will not make the child better, parents need to understand that.

Even as individuals,let's be careful the kind of words we use on people. That said, I want to encourage everyone to love himself/herself. It does not matter the names they call you. Those names will only stick if you believe them. Do not accept them. Believe that you are better than the names they call you. Love yourself inspite of. You know why? God made you, He loves you, He let His Son die for you. If you were the only one on earth, Jesus'd still die for you. That's all that matters.

How you feel about yourself will always affect your decisions. The people you date, the jobs you take, the people you allow around you....And the truth is, if you do not love yourself,you cannot truly love another. Reason being that you can only love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.

Decide to love yourself today. Nobody will love you for you. Love yourself first or you would not even feel worthy of another person's love and so not open yourself to it. Love yourself and let it show in the way that you dress, talk, laugh ......

God bless you

Introducing........

Morning everyone. I hope you had a great weekend. This week, I'm going to be treating you guys to facts about one of my favourite contemporary Christian rock artists/bands. Today it's going to be Tenth Avenue North. They are an American contemporary Christian  band, and they are awesome. Visit their website for more info., and their songs and videos www.tenthavenuenorth.com. My computer was refusing to upload videos.Catch you later.

   I've managed to upload this video. Enjoy.

"They'll Call Us Revolutionaries"

Hi guys. So it's friday and I decided to share one of my favourite songs with you. It's Revolutionaries by Bethany Dillon. I'll let the lyrics speak for the song. Enjoy.

Many have traveled this road before

I see their tracks in the dirt

But maybe I don't agree

With where they are leading

And who am I, just a youth

But why has that become the excuse

A monotone voice

In my head saying

Dreaming all the time

It's so foolish

Your flood of empty words

Will drown you in ruin

So we listen

Should we listen.

They shake their heads

As they drive away in the bandwagon

Didn't feel like hitching a ride

Oh, but I'll be fine

Some nights it's hard to be alone

I want some kind of kinship

But the finish line

It drives me on

When they say.

Dreaming all the time

It's so foolish

Your flood of empty words

Will drown you in ruin

So we listen

Should we listen

Come with me

They'll call us revolutionaries

Come with me 

They'll call us revolutionaries

Revolutionaries

Revolutionaries

Dreaming all the time

It's not foolish

Your flood of life giving words

They will refresh, they will refresh

Dreaming all the time

It's not foolish

Your flood of life giving words

They will refresh 

Should we listen

Revolutionaries

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire!

It would seem that everybody around me tells lies. So naturally, they expect me to tow the same line. Over the years, I have practiced speaking the truth all the time, no matter the circumstance. At first, it wasn't easy but presently, it has become nearly impossible for me to speak an untruth. I take the honest policy very seriously. I know how this sounds and no, I am not perfect. But, it's just like I have a covenant with myself and God not to tell lies. Because no matter what tight corner I find myself, I never tell a lie to get out. I'm not even good at the so-called diplomacy. However, once upon a time, I used to be. But I've come to a point in my life where I can't fool around on April Fools day, because I see it as lying. I can't tell a white lie.

Sadly, I seem to be the only person who has a problem with lying. Everybody around tells lies and expects me to do same. Sometimes, they actually cook up the lie for you. Even the Born-again Christians are not left out. It's surprising how people just feel that they have to lie. Why? A wise man said,"for every good reason you have to tell a lie, there's a better reason to tell the truth". Right from my childhood I learnt that it was better to tell the truth. As a young adult, the beauty of honesty was impressed upon my mind. As the woman that I am today, I know for certain, the importance of honesty.

Recently, I was reading the book of Genesis;chapters 20 and 26 specifically. The chapters have the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gerar, the land of the Philistines. At different times, both father and son had to lie that their wives were their sisters. Why? They feared death. Abraham said,"...surely the fear of the Lord is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake". They were both in a situation where they felt they needed to lie to save their lives. As I read the chapters, I prayed that I would never be in that kind of situation. That day, I repented of every dishonesty, every time I had not kept my word to somebody. I told God I was not going to lie, no matter the situation. Funnily, a few days later, I am in a situation where it seems I have to lie to save my head. At least, that's what I was told. But I know that is not true. I've chosen to tell the truth because I know my God will not fail me.
I encourage anyone reading this post to strive for honesty because I can not emphasize enough, the importance of honesty.
God bless y'all.

Tribute to the Ex

Errr....., not really.

Hello Everyone. How was your weekend? I hope it was great? I slept for most of mine. Cold. The cough syrup helped J. While thinking of the title to give this post, ‘Tribute to the Ex’ came to mind. So, I had to confirm that tribute is not only used with regards to a dead person. I don’t like wahala in my life o.

Well, this post is about the things that I’m grateful to my EX for. Let me first tell you that our break-up was not amicable at all. Considering the betrayal and all I went through in the hands of this EX, I should be cursing the day I met him, and maybe I have in the past. However, all that is behind me now. How else will you learn that there are wolves in sheep clothing if you do not encounter them? I know, I know, it’s better to learn from someone else’s mistake than yours. Well, some of us are not that lucky. I have made peace with my errors.

So, I found out I actually owe him gratitude for some things. First, would be my love for rock. I love rock! I don’t know what I would do without my favorite rock songs, from my favorite rock artists. I sleep, wake breathe and eat contemporary Christian rock! Although my EX would have to share some of this gratitude with my Bestie, he fueled my love for rock by introducing me to the artists and providing me with the tapes and cds to satiate my incessant craving for it.

Next would be my love for my wonderful premier league club, Chelsea. He was a die-hard Chelsea fan. He never missed any match, not if he could help it. He would race off, literally to watch a Chelsea match. I saw him dash through the streets of my campus to meet up with a match’s start up time. He even has a dog that he named Chelsea. So, his love and passion for Chelsea rubbed off on me like it did with rock.

Lastly, another thing I owe him gratitude for is my aversion to being overweight. He did not like it when someone was fat. In fact, he detested it. It offended me sometimes, the way he would make snidely remarks concerning someone who was overweight. And, he did not let me rest too, because you see, I was slightly overweight at the time. He never failed to mention how I was adding weight, bla bla bla. So, that one rubbed off too. After we broke up, I gradually lost weight. One time, I was so skinny, it worried my parents and friends.

But really, it wasn’t so much about being skinny to meet a stereotype as it was being comfortable in my own skin and being happy with myself. Having been on both sides, I have discovered that I like myself better, slim. Note that I did not say ‘love’ but ‘like’. I love myself, anyway. So, it probably took all his snide remarks to make me see that I preferred being slim, or am I just off my rockers?

Well, that would be all on that for now. If I remember something else I’m grateful to my EX for, I‘d let you know J. Catchya……….

Ring or No Ring?

Recently, some celebrities have taken to proposing in front of the camera. Well, the proposals seemed romantic. But really, is the way he proposes important? I hear that between some couples, there was no proposal. The parties just knew they were headed for the altar.
Some men propose with a ring, others do not. This brings another question to mind. Does it matter that he does not propose with a ring? Also, why do women wear engagement rings with their wedding bands when there was no engagement and sometimes no proposal? I just can not understand it? Why buy an engagement ring to wear for the first time on your wedding day?

Back to proposals, do you have like a dream proposal? The way you want to be proposed to. If you do, what is it? Is it like the picture above depicts? I used to want that, cos almost all the movies I saw had that scene. Then, it was the same in the romance novels too. However, as romantic as I am, I think I can do without the kneeling down. If the guy and I are already in a relationship and we already know where it's headed, I see no need for a dramatic proposal. Of course, you might see it as a sign of commitment. But lets face it, do you know how many broken engagements there are out there?

He could give you a ring and still change his mind. Hello? Or you could decide you are no longer compatible. Either way, it's a broken engagement. So, how can an intending couple ensure that they stay true to their commitment to each other? What is the assurance that an engaged couple would get married? *blank stare*

If you ask me, I'd say, let him keep the engagement ring, I prefer a wedding band. Because only when I wear it would there truly be an unbreakable commitment. Yeah, I said it. Unbreakable. Because, marriage for me is forever!

Beautiful Brides and Bridezillas

Hey guys, hope you missed me cos I missed you guys like crazy!  Wanted to post since but I just did not have time. I just had one of the most stressful and amazing weeks of my life! Phew! My friend's wedding finally happened. She's officially a Mrs. I am almost as thrilled as she is. I just love weddings. They are usually beautiful but my friend's own was awesome. Seriously! I saw a side to my friend that I knew existed but just had not seen. She really came out. She unleashed. She surprised almost everyone, but not me. I always knew she had it in her.
About a month or so before the wedding, I said to her "you better go and learn all the dance steps o" . I told her if she didn't, I would steal her show cos I was already learning my moves. And my girl did not disappoint me. She danced! As in! I could not keep up with her at all. See my friend doing azonto now.
Then time for photographs, come and see posing. She was even suggesting poses to the photographer, " we have not done 'looking into our eyes', let's do 'looking into our eyes'." That's what she said as she and her hubby proceeded to take a photograph looking into each other's eyes.
Then there was the Bridezilla thing. Of all the weddings I've been part of, she is the first Bridezilla I've seen. She was snapping at almost everybody and everything. Phew! As the bride's maid, I hear wheen! At a time, I was even scared of going close to her as we all got ready at her family house. Everybody around knew my name. Strangers were calling my name because of her. As I post this sef, small fear still dey my body :). I decided to give her some space. Let her go for honeymoon and come back first. By that time, maybe the bridezilla that took over my friend's body would have let it go. I definitely hope that person snapping at me and ordering me around is not here to stay.
Did I mention that she was also the most excited bride I have ever seen? And the most beautiful too. I'm not being biased o. She was breathtaking. Don't worry, if I'm able to psych her, you would see a few pictures here.
On the whole, the weekend of her traditional and church wedding was very exciting. Plus I got to see old classmates and schoolmates. And one of my Exes too, hmm and I did not even feel bad or angry at him. Wow! It was such a nice feeling, to finally let go of the hurt. Sweet release, it was. Thank God.
Alright, one wedding gone, few more to go. Who knows? I may be next :D

PS: After what I saw as Chief bride's maid at this wedding, Hope, you have plenty bribing to do o. Lol. Just kidding. You know I'd do anything for my girls :*

The Reason I'm Scarlet

 People have been asking why my name is Scarlet. So, here goes.

For those who want to know where SCARLET XIANNE came from,they are actually adopted names.Scarlet's the english version of the hebrew name Tola,which actually means scarlet worm.In those days there used to be a worm from which scarlet dye was gotten.The worm produced the scarlet dye when it gave birth.Whenever it wanted to give birth it would attach itself so strongly to a tree that it couldn't detach later.So it dies immediately after giving birth.The new born then uses it body as a home until it is strong enough to stand on it's own.Do you guys understand? The scarlet worm practically gives up its life so that the baby worms can be born! Such sacrifice! Doesn't it remind you of what Jesus did?

Actually in the book of Psalm Jesus referred to himself as this particular worm.Check Psalms 22:6.

 I'd always loved the colour scarlet and when i came across this truth it just blew my mind,hence my adoption of the name.

As for Xianne,it's a variation of the name Zion,which i also love! There!You have the story.

Thanks to those who have viewed this blog but please leave a comment next time cos i'd love to hear from you.

One Thousand! Yay!

Yay! I'm so excited. Good morning y'all first. Well, the reason I'm excited is because between yesterday and today, the flow of traffic on this blog has been more than usual. This probably has a lot to do with the link I shared on Bella Naija. Well, I am grateful to God and everyone who stopped by, and is still stopping by. I woke up this morning to see that my blog had hit it's first 1000 views, because of you guys! Now, I just have to figure out how to keep you guys coming :). Any advice, please? I'd also love for my blog visitors to drop comments.

Thanks again, y'all. God bless.

Simbi is back!

Hello people. How has your day been? Mine's been fine. So, I came across this post on Bella Naija where Yvonne “Vixen” Ekwere of Silverbird’s E-Weekly threaded her hair for a photo shoot and got quite a number of compliments. Everyone thought it was nice and wished that ladies would bring it back. Well, I have! 
My friends think I'm crazy for doing it but, I recently started to thread my hair and I love it. I no longer care for weaves. This may because I'm transitioning. This past weekend, I had to wear weaves for a friend's wedding and seriously, I can't wait to lose it. 
So, I've decided to treat you guys to pictures of me with my threaded hair. Enjoy :).

At the birthday party of the lady on the left

At work

I just made the hair here

I Won't Stop Sharing

How are you all doing? I'm trying so hard not to worry or be stressed right now. Two of my friends are getting married in the coming weeks. The dates are here and I'm barely ready. So many financial commitments and others. Hmm, it's not my wedding and it's this stressful. I can only imagine what my friends are going through.

So, here I am, praying I am able to travel back home this weekend, else I'll miss one wedding. It's just crazy.  
I can't just up and travel. Have to put my PPA( Place of Primary Assignment) and NYSC into consideration.
Praying everything works together for my good. While I can afford to miss the one holding this weekend, though I do not want to,I must be a part of the one holding next weekend. Yes o, being Chief Brides Maid and all. It's well. I know God'll come through for me like he always does :).

So, about my last post. A friend thinks it's not safe to put that much personal stuff out there. Not quite sure what he meant. Well, my reply was that I can only hope that people do not hold what I've been through against me. I am not afraid to talk about what I've been through. I've never been one to keep mum about my past. My life is a testimony that is not complete without all I've been through. Why would anyone want to judge me because of my struggles. Who has not had one?

Some people like to hide behind a fake smile and act like oh, their life's perfect. If your life is perfect, well...kudos. Mine isn't and I'm neither afraid nor ashamed to say it. You want to judge me for that? Knock yourself out.

This is a personal blog. It's my way of sharing with the world my pains, struggles, successes and victories. By God's grace, I shall do just that, and who knows, it might just impact and bless someone. This is my prayer.

God bless y'all.Thanks again for taking time out of your busy lives and listen to my rants :).

PS: I decided to share this video with you again.

Fireflight's, For those who wait.

REFLECTIONS

 So I've been away for a while. I was not facing any kind of 'writer's block'. It's just been a time of soul-searching for me. I had to take a deep look into my heart and at what's going on down there, why it's the way it is. Why I feel the way I do about people, especially the opposite sex;I love men but I do not trust them. That may be one of reasons I've not been in a relationship for the past three years.
I had to search my heart to see why I almost do not believe in love. Like I've said before, Jesus is the reason I believe in love. So, as much as I like men, it's tough to trust them. It's only someone you give the power to hurt you that can hurt you. Love and trust gives that power. Every man I've both loved and trusted has either betrayed or let me down in some way. So, I have my walls up. They've been there for years. It'll take such work for any man to break the walls down. I've trusted God alone.
As I write, my heart sits heavily in my chest. Unpleasant memories flash across my mind's eyes.

 Well, after my soul-searching, I realised I was still hurting from the betrayal and rejection from my past. I asked God to help me let go and I forgave, finally I hope, everyone who has ever hurt me. I pray that God helps me open my heart to Love. It's not going to be automatic. But in no time, I pray my faith that all things work together for my good, will be made sight :).

On a lighter note, I've broken up with my Crush :D. Silently. No words, no fight. I no trip again.
Have a great day y'all. Thanks for listening to me:).

Treasures

Good morning friends. I decided to share from my devotion today, so here goes.
A pastor was entertained on one occasion in the home of a wealthy oil man in Texas. After the dinner, the man took him up to the roof of his house and pointed at huge fields of oil derricks, and said,"Pastor, that's all mine. I came to this country 25 years ago penniless, and now I own everything as far as you can see in that direction." Then he turned to the opposite direction and pointed to fields of grain and said again, "it's all mine. I own everything as far as you can see in that direction." Then he turned to the east and pointed to huge herds of cattle and said again, " it's all mine, everything as far as you can see in that direction is mine." One final time, he turned towards the west and pointed to a great virgin forest and said again, " it's all mine. 25 years ago, I was penniless, but I worked hard and saved, and today I own everything as far as you can see this direction, that direction, that direction, and this direction." He paused for the expected praise, but to his astonishment it didn't come. The pastor laid a hand lovingly on his shoulder, pointed upward and said, " my friend, how much do you have in that direction?" The man dropped his head in shame and said, "I never thought of that."
That story says it all. It is much more important to lay up treasures in heaven, my dears. Matthew 6:19-21 says

6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
6:20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 The truth is, no matter what you think you have achieved and acquired, you can lose it all in the twinkle of an eye. When you leave this earth, you do not go with material possessions or academic achievements. What matters is where you spend eternity.
You think you are living the dream. You've got it all. The dream job, the dream spouse, beautiful children, flashy cars, mansions, beauty. You think life couldn't be better. Really?
Nobody leaves his house thinking he's going to meet his death. Yet people meet their untimely death daily. Everyone thinks it can't happen to them. But we're not more human than the people it happens to. The fact that we are alive today is enough reason to sing praises to God and give serious thought to where we would spend eternity.

Wise men say you should live your life in a way that you'll be remembered positively, after you're gone. As much sense as that makes, I say that, it does not matter to the person who's dead that he's being remembered on earth.
What matters to him is the place in eternity his life on earth has earned him. Once he's dead, he's done with earth. Whether you eulogise him, visit his grave every year, sing about him or not. It does not concern him. It only matters to you and his family, not him.

What I'm saying is, let's not lay up earthly treasures at the expense of laying up heavenly treasures. Let your life speak good of you in heaven, not just on earth. That is far more important!
I'll leave you guys with this beautiful and thought-provoking video of Casting Crown's American Dream. Remain blessed!

It's much more important to be welcomed
by Jesus when you leave earth

TRUE CONFESSION!

Hi Guys! It's been a great week for me and I thank God. I hope y'all have been great? I have been thinking about something lately. Something, I think I like to do. That I hope is no sin.

 Flirting. You see, I like to mess around with a few male friends. You know, jokes that are most times laced with truths. But still jokes. Actually, it just recently occurred to me that what I do might be flirting. So, I've looked up 'flirtation'. The Oxford Dictionary says it's ' behaviour that demonstrates a playful sexual attraction to someone'. The definition hits close to home, except for the'sexual' part. That's not always the case for me :). However, It gives me such pleasure to play around with a select few. Yeah, a select few. You see, I have a thing for fine guys. You know, guys that are easy on the eyes. They do not have to look like Boris Kodjoe to appeal to me. They might just be sweet-faced like my crush of the moment :). I know, I know, how carnal of me. Forgive me for being human, please.

Boris Kodjoe

 Of course, It usually ends at just the casual flirtation. I am very careful, so that no one gets the wrong idea. I just like to openly admire God's beautiful creation and play around, just a lil bit.
You guys think I should stop? Please tell.......

Unashamedly Christian!

Good morning All! Hope y'all had a great weekend? I would be encouraging us this morning to step out of our comfort zones as Christians. As Christians, we need to leave our comfort zones to make impact. We need to reach out to those who have not been saved. Many a times, I have to remind myself to do this. I could get so comfortable in my own little world that I forget that to whom much is given, much is expected. I can not just sit and watch as a countless number of people walk about, lost. The sad thing is that a lot of them do not know that they are lost. They think they are living the life. It breaks my heart when I see or hear these people. And they are all around us. Your colleagues at work, your loved ones; friends and relatives, the Anonymous people on social networks and blogs. They speak intelligently, with such worldly wisdom. Sadly, the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. They make a mockery of the Christian faith and Pastors. If only they knew that is not the way.

On my facebook timeline, I have this passage as my favourite quote,For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; 'to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.(Romans 1:16). I'll stand by my Faith any day. This is the only way and it's the path I have chosen. I am unashamedly born-again. I am not ashamed to say it! A friend on Facebook was offended because I said I was born-again. As much as I would not throw my faith in anyone's face, I will not apologise for being who I am. If you asked me to describe myself that's probably the first thing I'd say, that I am a Christian.

So, I would advise Christians to speak out and stand out and stand in the gap because, like Brit Nicole sang 'that's how the lost get found'. As always, I'm talking to myself too. 

Enjoy and glean some lessons, and encouragement from these beautiful videos I'm sharing with you. God bless y'all.

Later guys:)

What's Age Got to do With it?

Sometime ago a friend of a friend paid me a visit. First, when he called to say he wanted to see me I was surprised. But I agreed to see him. We met at a Restaurant. After we exchanged pleasantries, he got down to the reason he came. He wanted me to overlook his friend's short-comings and give serious thought to his proposal. His friend, my friend had proposed a while before the visit and I was still thinking and praying about it. I thought he was a good friend to be doing that for his friend. Note that his friend was unaware of this visit, and he asked me not to tell him. Well I haven't, I hope :). I'm not sure he reads my blog so....Besides I'm not using any names :)
As commendable as his act was, he said something during the visit that got me riled up. As he spoke to me, he said ' personally I would not marry any girl that is above 25'. Not sure why he said that. What was he implying? Marry my friend while you are still within the range? I mean, what's that? What has age got to do with it? What's with the discrimination against women because of their age? What is the difference between a woman of 25 and a woman of 28 for instance? Or even 30? Why would someone say he would marry one and not the other? I wish I'd asked him, but that would have derailed us from the reason he came.

This week I've been asked my age twice. I am comfortable with telling my age. If my age intimidates you then I probably do not need you around me. Funnily, I'm sure he's not alone in his way of thinking. And it's that mentality that makes women feel the need to falsify their age. Because there are men out there that say they won't marry a woman above 25, some women have multiple 25th birthdays. Reminds me of that Alex O's song where he sang about women celebrating 22 today and 21 the next birthday or something like that. Can't remember it so well. At least I try na. How many of you have even heard of Alex O? :D
Well, I'm just saying, enough with the age discrimination already. Enough with the pressure on women to marry before a certain age! Women now rush in and then out of marriages because they do not want to cross the age benchmark set by short-sighted people. The ones above would go to any length to get a proposal. Divorce rate is getting high in Nigeria. And this is one of the reasons.
The romantic that I am, I wanted to be married by 21. But I'm way past 21 and not married. As much as I want to be married, I would not marry just any man that proposes because of my age or because everyone is getting married. It is very good to marry, so long as it is for the right reasons.

I will bring my rantings to close by saying, Ladies, don't let anyone intimidate you into marrying the wrong person because of your age or any reason. It'll be you in the marriage, not them. Keep your head high, be wise, improve yourself . A great guy would not be as superficial as to reject you because you are older than 25!

I WANT TO SEE AN END TO JUNGLE JUSTICE!

I'm tempted to skip the pleasantries,considering I'm not in the best of moods right now, but you're all important to me, so I'll ask- how have y'all been? Well, no matter what's going on around you, you better thank God that your life has not been forcefully taken from you. That's what happened to 4 young adults a few days ago. I do not know exactly what happened. I've been reading different versions of the story online. One version says the boys were robbers who were caught. Another says it's a set-up. And yet another says they were cultists but what led to their being caught was a misunderstanding. Whatever the true story is, what bothers me is the fact that some 'human beings' took laws into their hands and proceeded to mete out jungle justice to the these four. I use the term 'human beings' loosely because I do not know why any person would bludgeon and beat another to death. As for those who stood and watched and even made videos, I have no words for them. I even hear one of them was burnt. How dare anyone take life that he can not give? May God have mercy on our land!
I am totally against jungle justice. No matter the offence committed. Even if it's just stripping them naked and parading them on the streets. It does no good.
I pray that justice is served in this matter. The authorities should not rest until the murderers of those four boys are punished. And I pray that God would console the bereaved. No human being can console them. Also, may this incident not repeat itself.
 Laws should be put in place prohibiting jungle justice of any kind, and prescribing appropriate punishment. We are humans, not animals. How dare you treat a human being, like you in a way I wouldn't allow a fowl be treated?
May God have mercy on us and cleanse our land, amen.

DON JAZZY AGAIN!

That used to be the line before everyone of Dbanj's songs. While I can't claim to be his fan, I'd like to lift a line from his song,Fall in love. You'll know which line at the end of my post.
So I'd known this guy for about two months when he decides to throw that phrase at me. You know now, the one phrase that's been overflogged? The one that everyone throws around even when they do not know what it means? That 3-word phrase? Did you just say,'I love you'? You got it! And I think,'are you serious? You barely know me and you love? He throws them at me and tells me he wants to marry me and expects me to jump. Like 'I love you' are the magic words to tell someone so they'd say yes to your sloppy, ill-advised proposal? You love me...So? Do you know how many men have told me that they loved me? Some even said the words just as they broke up with me. They go 'if it makes you feel any better, I still love you' lol. Sweetheart, if you want to get my attention, telling me you love me aint gonna do it.
Don't get it twisted, love is a beautiful thing-there, you got the line. I'm just saying, 'I love you' are not magic wors words to make me fall into your arms when I barely know you. These days, I love you , coming from a guy who's trying to ask me outdoes not mean anything to me. Keep it to yourself, I do not want to hear it. Even if I actually like you and proceed to date you, Sweetie, actions are louder than words. Especially these words that have been dragged all over the ground. After all I've seen sef and all the divorce amongst christian couples, it's a miracle I still believe in love. I have Jesus to thank for that.
So Dear Suitors, I'm really sorry but you got your work cut out for you. Na your fellow men cause am.

Can Guys and Ladies Be Just Friends?

REBLOGGED FROM AFRICAN SWEETHEART
Can Guys & Girls Be .. Just Friends?
 Sooooo many people ask me this questions. Can guys & girls be friends? I'll give you the straight up answer and then I'll back myself up.



No.

You heard it right. ME personally.. I don't believe that guys & girls can really be friends.

Understand that I'm coming from a wife's perspective. But when I was a single woman, I didn't really have a

bunch of guys as my friends. They were more-so acquaintances. They were guys from my church and we

would all go out in a large group with girls & guys and we would hang out then. There wasn't a ton of 1:1

friendships going on. Now, as a wife- I'm cool with my friend's husbands and when we're all amongst each

other--we will converse, but I'm not calling or emailing them on the side.

Let's be clear:
The Bible does not forbid close friendships between men and women. As Christians, however, there are some principles that we would be wise to heed. Married people especially need to be wary of friendships with members of the opposite sex because temptations are more likely to arise when there are marital problems. If a man's best friend is a woman who is not his wife, he is likely to share these problems with her, which can lead to an unhealthy emotional attachment.



Most married men (or women) who have affairs purposely go out to find a romantic interest outside of their marriage. So many people say, "I didn't mean for it to happen; it just happened." These things "just happen" when we put ourselves in situations that are difficult to control. When a man has a wife who is not necessarily very attentive to his needs, he could easily feel that he has fallen in love with another woman who does give him this attention he craves. And LADIES, don't even think "this won't happen to you"--As a wife, you're GOING to get tested and that "guy friend that is always there for you"--is going to fill a void in your heart if your husband who you see all the time is driving you nuts. In a vulnerable state--you WILL cross boundaries. So there is NO option for me. It's Jesus & my husband. WHY create extra wars in your mind & think that you have a back up plan when your mad at your spouse? (This goes for those of you in relationships too)
Even a marriage that is built on a foundation of faith in Christ and has relatively few problems is not immune to extra-marital temptations. This is why the Bible does not tell us to stick around and try to fight temptation, but to flee from it like we do from all "youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). Trying to fight temptation seems to become especially difficult when it comes to matters of the heart or the lusts of the flesh. First Corinthians 6:18 tells us that we need to run away from sexual sin, because it is much easier to run away from temptation than to stay and fight it.


Married men and women should carefully avoid putting themselves in compromising situations when it comes to the opposite sex. If they are seen together in public, it will give the wrong impression. If they are alone on the phone or in person, they will subject themselves to the temptation of an emotional or physical affair. The Bible tells us that everything we do should be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), so the wise thing would be to stick to visiting as couples or "double dating" with other married couples, as opposed to risking the complications associated with close friendships with the opposite sex

So if you're single and thinking--this doesn't apply to me. I'm not married. This is how it applies to
you.



Guys & Girls
1. Their mindset is different- They communicate differently. A guy may be just being nice to a woman for YEARS and she may secretly like him and hope that one day he does ask her out. So if you're being nice.. she may catch feelings. Either way, she's emotionally connected to you.

2. It is natural for a man to be attracted to a woman and vice versa. Although you're friends.. you'll find things about each other that are attractive to one another. There's not enough boundaries to put in place to stop that next level from happening. So, YOU may not like him but how do you know if you're on the same page? He may secretly like you & won't tell you because he knows that your friendship could be ruined. If you go around and ask most men if they would "get with their female friends"--they would say YES, if she let me.
Check out this funny youtube clip that I found----> called "Why Women & Men Can't Be Friends"

3. A friend is supposed to keep you accountable and a friend is caused to keep you sharp a man needs to be sharpened by a man and a woman needs to be sharpened by a woman because they are of like mind. There's NO way that a man can tell me or help me understand why my hormones rage 1x a month and how I can deal with it. Just sayin'. :)

4. What happens when you do get into a relationship? There may be conflict between your "best male or female friend" and your now girlfriend or boyfriend. For example, if you're dating a guy and his female best friend hates you--it puts everyone in an awkward situation. But men, if the woman you're dating is someone you want to marry one day--your "best friend" is going to have to understand that she is going to have to be friends with your girlfriend in order for her to continue her friendship with your YOU. If the person refuses to be friends with your girl--then they have disqualified themselves from your life.




5. What about those secret affections for you? He's just friends.. she's my "homegirl."--and deep down.. she's thinking.. I want to be with you so the friendship is hurting her. So you become his back-up friend. You hang out with him a TON while he's single but as soon as he gets into a relationship--he stops spending time with you and starts spending time with his new girl. Then, you feel stupid because you really care.
So yes, maybe when you're 8, you can be friends with your neighbor of the opposite sex. However, we ALL know how those hormones get kicking in after that age & they become prospects.

Some of you may disagree but MOST of you have an end goal to be married one day. If you really want to be married one day--spare yourself all of that drama. If you ask ANY husband or wife--they will tell you that they aren't comfortable with their husband or wife having a best friend of the opposite sex. I don't are how you flip it.. there's still that nagging uncomfortable feeling. It's not jealousy, it's a holy righteous jealousy that is rightfully so. A marriage is powerful covenant & it's to be protected.




Go out in groups with guys  and girls & be kind to them. My husband & I went out in groups while we dated. You can best see a person's true colors in groups because they aren't putting on a private show to impress you. OUT of those groups--yes--1:1 dating can happen FROM a friendship. But you must court with a purpose.If you need advice from a male perspective, get on the phone with a husband/wife couple that are Christians and that are committed to helping you. Men, find another guy that can pour into you & help you out. If you don't have any.. ever thought about asking God? He's your PROVIDER. He has your back!

Also, my husband is my best friend. NOW. We courted with the intention to MARRY. We knew that we were going to head down that road so we were "friends" with a purpose. Any guy friend I used to be friends with .. is now friends with my husband. It just is.. what it is.

God loves you like crazy!!!

Love,
Heather

And I have to Let Him Go

Hi everyone. How are you doing? Hope you had a great Independence day celebration? I'm going to finish my story today. Hope you've been following?

As you guys know, I was so shocked at what I heard my date ask that I did not hear the reply to the question.The Waiter had already left our table by the time I could pull myself together. So I tell myself, 'what if I did not hear right?' Well, I decide to ask him what he had wanted to know from the Waiter, while 'kabashing' in my mind. 'What did you ask the Waiter?' O Lord, do not let my hopes be dashed to the ground, I prayed. I'd rather I did not hear correctly than find out the guy was not the 'one', after all. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember the last time I cleaned my ears. That had to be it! And he says, ' O, I was just wondering if they sold beer here. Turns out they don't. Oh no! It is finished! But maybe not. Let me ask why first. 'But why do you care if they sell beer or not?'
He gave me a funny look. ' I would have loved to have a bottle. My food goes down better with a bottle of beer '. And down went the last bit of hope I was holding on to.
It just couldn't work. I had ignored all those other little signs, the nudging I was getting from my spirit when we spoke. I was not going to ignore this one. Mba! I do not care for the argument that Christians could take alcohol, beer or other. A man who takes beer? Just doesn't cut it for me. A man who takes beer? He could not be a Christian. You have to understand ofcourse that I do not mean christianity as in religion but as a way of life. That you ticked the Christianity box on that form does not make you a Christian. That you go to church twice every week does not make you a Christian.
So, that's probably the last I'd see of Sochima. He wouldn't be the first of his kind that I'd be giving up. But I have do it. Not just for my Faith but for my future...and eternity.
Stay blessed Y'all.

The Things I do for My Faith( Part 2 )

I'd already seen what our children would look like. They would have my complexion but be gifted with his facial features. The boys would have his height. This guy is tall, very tall. Our children would be so cute. I'd always wanted cute babies. It's the reason I did not say yes to Emmanuel's proposal. Emmanuel was a great guy. But....
You think I'm vain? Well, think what you like. But I was scared for my little girls. So I said no. All my dreams...'Hmmph',I sigh wistfully.
At my sigh, he throws me a questioning look. 'Are you alright?'
'I'm fine', I say, plastering a forced smile on my face. He smiles back and my world lights up. The colours around me get brighter. Just a smile o.
 Now a line from a particular song is playing over and over in my mind , 'should I go, should I stay, should I go, should I stay, should I go, should I stay......'. Oh, I don't know!

The Things I do for My Faith

We were yet to make our orders. We had gotten carried away with excitement at seeing ourselves for the first time after talking on phone for 7 months.'This guy so cute',I thought to myself as I stared dreamily into his face. I could  definitely see me self getting married to this one. He wasn't like the others. He was smart, funny, intelligent, and oh,so handsome. His eyes, mami!( whatever that means ), they were beautiful. The pictures did them no justice. I could fall asleep staring into those eyes. Before I forget, he's also christian.And the chemistry was strong. It could be bottled up and sold to every person who  needed it. It could ignite this restaurant. He feels it too. I can tell from the way he's looking at me.

'Why don't we make our orders now?' He asked as he beckoned on a waiter, jolting me from my dreamy state.

'What would you have?', the waiter asked me first

'I would like some ofada rice and a bottle of water please', I said..

The waiter turned to my date who said he'd have the same thing as me. but just as the waiter turned to go,he says,'do you have beer?'

'What?' Did he just ask if they sold beer? He drinks beer? Oh no!Drinking of beer or any other kind of alcoholic drink was a deal-breaker for me. I've been singing it to everyone who cared to listen that I would not marry anyone who drinks beer. Even if it's once a year. 'Bet why?' I asked God in all the igbo accent I could muster. But wait o. Didn't he tell me he was a serious christian? Why should I find out this kind of thing after building my forever around him? Eh? Someone, tell me.

..To be continued....

The Testimony

Good morning people. I hope you had a nice night rest? Well, this post will be the last sequel to my previous posts on my testimony. Please read on : )

As you know if you've been following, my name is now on the Law school eligible candidates list. It means I can apply to Law school and be admitted if I meet their requirements. I applied and was admitted.Yay! Posting came out( kinda like NYSC) and guess where I was going. Kano! I wasn't sure how to feel. I'd heard how extreme Kano's weather conditions could be (there was no boko haram scare at the time). There was however, one consolation. I had relatives there. So, off I went, to Kano.
Law school was great. Kano was okay, but it's not a place I'd like to live. Extreme cold, extreme heat, language barrier, and now boko haram of course. Attended lectures, read my books, ate very well and added quite some weight : ). Court and Chamber Attachment-came back to PH. Went back to school-Portfolio Assessment. Made it through that one. 10 months passed by and the mighty bar finals came knocking. Pheww! You will see people reading like - you know those Jackobians in your school? Multiply how they read by 10 you got it.   Yeah, I'm exaggerating, but you sha get what I'm trying to say : ).  Well, I prepared for the exams, it came, I wrote.
The results were published and yay! again, I made it. You want to know my grade? Forget, not important : ). So, Call to bar was next. It had been fixed for January 17, 2012 even though we wrote our exams in August, 2011. We complained, they did not pay attention. The Body of Benchers had decided! Well, we waited for the day eagerly. The day when the rights to practice as Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria would be conferred on us. The day they will say to us, 'you can now wear your wig'.
While I waited for Call to bar, I also waited for NYSC. In October, the NYSC posting list came out and my name was not there. Ha! For some reason, the faculty had omitted my name and those of 3 other people in my Private and Property Law Department. After going to Law school and coming back o. They did not send our names, again, to Senate for approval and subsequent forwarding to the office in charge of NYSC in the school. Consequently, they did not have our data and so did not send our names to NYSC office, Abuja.
 That day at the faculty, Anwuri( a colleague who was affected) couldn't stop her tears.
' First Law school, now service', she said. As for me, I did not cry in the faculty. I cried when I got home.
My parents were angry. Again? My dad wanted to visit the Dean( Anwuri came with her Dad once) I told him not to. I didn't think it would change anything. He even mentioned litigation : ). We would not be going for service in November, the deed was done. It would have to be March, the next year. So again, I waited.

January 17 drew closer, then from the blues the Call to bar date was changed. Fuel subsidy wahala. It would now be January 31. Oh no! 'Well, guess it's for the better', I thought. Christmas came and went. New year's day approaching. Another change of date. Again? It would now be February 14. Why? Security reasons. Okay. Let me mention that sometime, early January, I had a dream. In the dream, it was my birthday and I got gifts from people. I was alone in a room with my gifts when a lady walked up to me to me and said, 'instead of you to be called to bar, you will die.' I looked at her and said, 'I WILL BE CALLED TO BAR IN FEBRUARY.' When I woke up, I prayed about it. I was not scared. I knew the Enemy was scheming, but I trusted God. He made law school possible, granted me success in bar finals. What is Call to bar? But I kept wondering why I had said 'february' when call to bar had been slated for January 17. I did not know that the dream was some kind of revelation too. So when they finally moved the date to February 14, I said 'okaaay, I see'. Then, I was more confident that nothing would stop me from being called to bar.
Two days to the Call day, my mom and I travelled to Abuja where it was to hold. We were to stay with a family friends. Monday before Call day, I went for Call to bar thanksgiving at Bwari Law school campus, Abuja and also to buy my Wig and Gown. In the evening, I noticed I wasn't feeling so well. I felt ill. But I chalked it to the fact that I had a cough that started the previous day. By the next morning, I was even weaker. I did not feel strong enough to be going anywhere. But I had a Call to bar to be part of. I sluggishly got dressed. In fact, my mom was more excited than me. She acted like she was the one being called to the bar. It was either, 'help me with my dress or help me with my make up'. It was almost annoying : ). We finally left when she felt she looked good enough. Me? I couldn't have cared less about using make up, I just did not have the strength. But I looked so dull, I had to use some.
Our taxi could not get to the venue. We had to alight at a distance and walk the rest of the way. My mom was behind me as we walked, but at point I noticed she was no longer behind me. And she was no where in sight. I thought 'whatever, she'll catch up'. She didn't. I started to make frantic calls from my friends' phones cos guess what? She was with my phone! I was with her invite, without which, she would not get in. I was distraught. Network around the area was terrible. I even made a call to my dad in PH asking him to call her and tell her where to come and meet me. When she finally showed up, apologetic, she explained that she had suffered a wardrobe malfunction and stopped to fix it. Did you just say,'nawa!'.
At this time, I'd gotten weaker. Add to that the wait to enter the hall and you have yourself an almost fainting me.
I barely made it through the ceremony. To tell you the truth, my Call to bar ceremony was the worst occasion I ever attended. The most stressful. At the end of the ceremony, I was forced to take a few photographs with my mom and two friends, with just my Wig. My face could barely form into a smile. Did not take any personal. Couldn't wait to go home and lie down. Alas, no taxis. Too many people. By the time we finally got home, something just wasn't right with me. Even lying down, I felt terrible. My temperature was mad-high. I remembered my dream. What the person had said. '...........You will die'. I prayed but I was not getting better. Nobody knew what was happening. They were all in the sitting room. I got up, went to the sitting room, approached our host who is a Pastor and asked him to pray for me.  He did. He said I'd be fine, must be the stress. My mom said, 'nothing will happen to you, 'they' have already failed'. She gave me food. Ate little food and slept. Woke up the next morning feeling a lot better. Got better from then on. February 14, 2012 was definitely NOT one of my favourite days. I however give all glory to God. I'm now a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and, I am alive.
I am currently serving in Akure, Ondo State. I will be through in February. Maybe all those I finished university and law school with are ahead of me but I know the race is not for the swift. As long as I am alive and I have Christ, all is well. The enemy raged but God gave me victory. God knows why he allowed all the delay. I praise God for everything.
THE END

The 'Test' in the Testimony(Part 2)

Hi all, this is a continuation of my previous post.Please read it to understand this one better.

 Before exams came , the faculty had finally gotten the School Senate to approve the Extra units that were applied for in 2008. It was now 2010. So the faculty said it was all resolved, that those of us affected no longer needed to write any exam! After paying school fees for another session, registering a fresh course, withdrawing my project, writing test, reading for exam, being stopped from going to law school with my mates? Talk of medicine after death. I wanted to cry. But I'd cried over and over, I was tired of crying.
I said, fine. I'd still write the exam. I did not want to hear stories later. Some of my colleagues did not write but I did. Result did not matter but when it came out I passed. You would think 'problem solved', right?
 Faculty compiled names for Law School and guess what? My name was not there. Why? They had put up a one-day notice that those eligible should indicate interest by sending in their result. I did not hear so I did not send in my result. What do we do? Those like me asked. 'Just submit your result but hardly anything can be done, we've already sent the names', they said. Or something like that.
You can not imagine what my parents and I went through this period. I prayed. I praised. I kept going to my faculty. I kept in touch with someone working in the Dean's office and called him to get updates on Law school list. Eventually, I got a call from him one day that I should go online and check for my name on the list. Before this time the list consisting of 250 names was already out and my name was not there. 250 was the quota Council of Legal Education gave my school for those eligible to apply to Law school. When he called me, I thought 'they must have added more names, they must have increased the quota'. So, I went to the cyber cafe to check. I looked at the total of names, it was still 250 and my spirit fell. I called my informant to tell him that the names were still 250. He said 'have you checked the list?'. I said 'no'. He then said ,'check the list for your name'. So I checked and behold, my name was there! I started to shake with joy. Finally! After two years of waiting. I knelt right there in the cyber cafe and thanked God. I did not care what anyone thought. I printed the page with my name and went home. I could barely contain my excitement. My Dad was out of town and my mom was at her shop. I called my dad and told him. First thing he said was 'glory be to God'. I waited for my mom to come back. When she sat down, I brought the printed sheet and gave it to her. She said 'what is this?'.
 I said 'my name has come out'.
' Law school?' She wanted to know with wide eyes. As soon as I nodded, she was on her feet, dancing from one end of the room to the other and praising God. It was both beautiful and funny to see her so happy. God is so good. I do not know what happened or whose name they removed to put mine, but my name made it to the list when it seemed like an impossibility. Is there anything too hard for God? No!
That's not the end o. To be continued...........