Ps 119:89 – Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Everything God says about you is final, accomplished, and established. Align yourself to His word irrespective of your current situation.
Don’t be discouraged when others don’t celebrate or understand the dream God gave to you.
Remember it is not for them, it is for you, so run with the vision today. Selah
”My walk with God is not a popularity contest. My goal is to please GOD not man.” – Buky Ojelabi
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10)
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for the times I chose to please people over You. Give me the courage and boldness to live a life pleasing to You alone. Deliver me from the approval of man and let my focus be on You alone. Thank You, Lord, for setting me apart as a chosen vessel fit for the Master’s use.
My walk with Christ is not a side hustle.
Can I be honest with you? Can you handle this?
I am truly thankful for many things; I won’t bombard you with the list, as they are too many!
I am truly happy and grateful to God for some of the things that I’d thought earlier on, were a curse or from the enemy. Now I know that all things work together for my good. (Rom 8:28)
So here we go.
I am grateful for less traffic in my life, less noise and less “Martha Martha activities”. They made room and space in my life so I can hear God clearly.
Thank you Lord for connecting me to those whose hearts you’ve touched, and ordained our paths would cross.
I am thankful that I am no longer seeking human validation but God’s. I am completely lost in Christ and bad to the bone for Him
I am thankful that I am now one of those weird Christians I fought long and hard not to be like. A full-time Christian, not moon-lighting on the side. My walk with Christ is not a side-hustle.
I am thankful that I didn’t understand the implications of my prayers when I asked God to “use me Lord”.
Chocolates melt, flowers die, but the prayers of a godly man are heard when he calls unto God.
You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. Psalm 4:3.
Bring me no more chocolates, no more flowers. Watching my husband lift up holy hands in worship. Seeing my husband on his knees in prayer to God is better than flowers, chocolates, or date nights. When men take their rightful place as watchmen, there is nothing else like it. Daily I am falling more in love with Jesus and my African king, Adey.
It is indeed a blessing from the Lord, no woman can make a man to love or pray for his family. May we (women) never take a good man for granted. I am thankful to God for prayerful fathers, husbands, and brothers in Christ.
Man is never so tall as when he kneels before God—never so great as when he humbles himself before God.And the man who kneels to God can stand up to anything.Louis H. Evans1
I met my future husband on Thanksgiving Day. That was a God set-up and it was His set time.
After 3 children, 2 miscarriages, and many years of trying to figure God out. After many doubts, tears, joy, and gratitude, after many rejoicing and God proving Himself that He is indeed a covenant-keeping God.
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. Psalm 102:13
I know that there is a SET TIME for God to bless you. We will never figure out when that time is but you must choose to believe that the SET TIME is now. The bible says that He will appear like a thief in the night, we the bride of Christ must be ready. Are you ready?
The blind man by the pool had a set time, Hannah had a set time, Sarai had a set time, and Ruth had a set time. You also have a set time.
I know there is a SET TIME, just because I can’t figure it out now doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. Our part is to believe that He is able to do that which no man can do. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. We must put our trust in Him and believe that He is a good God (Mark 10:18) and there is no wickedness in Him.
We must choose to believe that regardless of what we see in the physical realm, that He is the invincible God that does visible things and nothing is impossible for Him.
Whatever you are believing God for; maybe for the fruit of the womb, spouse, family restoration, healing, financial breakthrough, what-so-ever it may be. Trust God!
The Lord will arise and have mercy on you. He will favor you to the
annoyance of those who hate you. He will bless you for His name’s sake.
I refuse to believe that a loving God would choose to do what He is capable of doing today in 10 years’ time. We have a responsibility to ensure our hearts are right towards Him to ensure there are no obstacles to God’s loving-kindness to us. Our obligation is to keep Him first in spite of what our eyes see, our minds think, and what others say! His truth will forever trump facts.
But are you ready for your SET TIME? What are the things you are doing in preparation for your SET TIME? What words are you confessing over your situation pending the time? What company are you keeping while waiting? Evil company will corrupt! Or are you just after the gift and not the giver? God will not be mocked.
In trying to understand and figure out God, I have learned some things on the way. Time and Seasons; when you are desperately believing God for a miracle, you want it like yesterday. The last thing you want to learn about is time and seasons. Even I‘ve had to learn that there is a time and season that God chooses to bless us. While we don’t know exactly when we must remain focused on Him and be expectant.
The blind man made sure he was by the roadside. Hannah cried before God and was in church when the prophet agreed with her in prayer. Abram left his family behind and also parted ways with Lot. Ruth prepared to have her time with the king. I left my comfort zone behind in London in pursuit of my blessings.
What are you doing differently to get to your destination? God will forever do his own part, are you doing yours? If you are not moved by your situation, then don’t expect God to be moved.
Your time and your season are in God’s hands and He has not forgotten you.
Aha. Children say the most heartfelt and complimentary words.
Today, while getting my daughter ready for school, I stopped to tell her how amazingly beautiful she is. My daughter is gifted and gorgeous, I am one proud mama. God, I am thankful for this beautiful gift to us and I love your handiwork.
She returned the compliments only the way a child could
She said ”mom you are prettyful’’.
My world stopped. I took it all in. Even moms need to hear that from the most innocent amongst us.
As moms we need to regularly tell our children how awesome they are. Laying this foundation now will help them in the future.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous–how well I know it ~ Ps 139:14 (NLT)
Our Three Prayer Warriors
We are busy equipping our children with Kingdom keys that would help them throughout their lives.
Our role as parents is to be loving, nurturer, guide, provider, and protector. I want our children prepared for life’s challenges, and prayer is an important key.
Attending church weekly is very great, but we should not leave the discipling of our children to Sunday school teachers. It’s the responsibility of every parent who loves their children.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
I desire to leave a legacy of prayer for our children. Children have child-like faith. (Matthew 18:3-4). They believe God hears and answers prayers.
Since Faith was an infant, we’ve prayed a simple prayer with her, and at the end, we shout out loud 3 sets of Praises! That is the fun part; they learned the act of lifting holy hands to God.
The prayer goes like this;
God bless Daddy, God bless Mommy, God bless Faith, God bless David, God bless Joshua, God bless our Family, God bless the Church, God bless the President, God bless America, God bless the Pastor, God bless our Friends, God bless Israel, God bless Texas, God bless Everybody.
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord – Hallelujah!
Your primary calling is to be a follower of Christ. Your Calling is a gift from God which can be applied in various areas of employment.
Your calling is something you are born with and you can’t be fired from it. You can lose your job but never your calling. Your calling is not tied to a job or title and you can still live out your calling even when you are unemployed.
The secondary calling include such life roles as parent, spouse, family member, worker, student, church member, citizen, friend, and neighbor.
The focus of this post is on vocational calling: work or career. Our vocational calling is using our God-given gift in employment whether it be paid employment, at home or voluntary services.
A vocation (Latin vocātiō – a call, summons[1]), is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which he or she is suited, trained, or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.
Authors Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro put it in Whistle While You Work: “Calling isn’t our job, it’s what we bring to our job.”
Living a life without the understanding of your calling is like driving to a destination without an address and a GPS. It’s a waste of your time, money and resources.
Having a clarity of your calling will help in making better decisions such as who should I marry, How many children should I have, where do I live, Who to be mentored by, Who should I let into my inner cycle.
Knowing your calling give you a better sense of self and the battles you chose to fight and overcome.
Looking back on my life now. I have made numerous bad choices because I didn’t take the time to understand what my Life Calling was. I was going thru life day-dreaming and blaming my bad decisions on others.
Don’t spend another day without answering some critical questions that may create the shift you really need today.
15 Questions To Help You Discover Your Calling.
1.What do I want to be when I grow up? (You may be an adult but have not answered this question)
2.What do I enjoy doing and do not mind doing for free?
3.What activities make you lose track of time?
4.What are your natural strengths?
5.What do people compliment you on?
6.What are you passionate about?
7.When do you feel most alive?
8.What bothers you and get your attention to the extent that you wish you can help solve?
9.What keeps you up at night?
10.What problem or causes are you drawn to?
12.Who are your mentors and why?
13.What do people typically ask you for help for?
14.What are your lifelong dreams?
15.What do your friends think you should do?
Don’t get discouraged if you are not able to answer all the questions at once. Take your time and reflect on your thoughts.
I experienced some frustration too, it’s all part of the process. Hang in there. The answers are closer than your think!
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:18)
People, job vocation come and go, and properties and cars can be repossessed. God is the only thing that will remain constant in your life. Make Him a top priority today; not tomorrow. You are not guaranteed tomorrow, so start now. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:14, ESV.
Relationships come and go; our hearts get broken. Only God can heal a broken heart (Psalm 147:3) and turn your sorrow into joy.
Friends and family will disappoint and betray you. As for God, He will never leave you or forsake (Deuteronomy 31:6). He will always be there for you regardless.
The most important relationship after God is that of a parent, yet the bible says that even a parent can abandon their child (Psalm 27:10). There are many parents who are absent in their parental roles and our society is full of orphans.
The picture of an orphan most people think of is that of a poor and abandoned child on television, that are in desperate need of food, water, and shelter. Yet many are all dressed up to the ninth and are battling that same spirit, the only difference is their outward appearance.
Put your trust in God today, He will never fail you because He is not a man. The arm of flesh will fail you. When we depend on things and seek after people, we’ll always be disappointed. Look to Christ alone, He is our safe place. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. (Psalm 118:8)
I love the month of October for so many reasons. This month we celebrated our seventh year wedding anniversary. We feel blessed that we can still enjoy the simple things of life such as laughter, holding hands, hugs, and kisses, then more hugs.
Serving God together as a family is our heart’s desire. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. {Josh 24:14}
Enjoying the ups and downs of being a parent. Watching our children grow and celebrating different milestones. Kissing many boo-boos along the way.
Loving any moment we can grab without the children butting into our conversations, lol.
Seven years of peace, happiness, and togetherness. Learning and growing together as one. Making beautiful memories one day at a time.
Choosing to love, honor, and forgive. Reading, dreaming, and sharing ideas together. Cleaving to one another in total dependence on God.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for blessing us more than we deserved. As we continue to put our faith and trust in You, have your way in our marriage, we surrender our will to you. Thank you, Father, for Your protection and provision for our family. We give you all the honor, praise, and glory.
What is there not to love about October?
Religion has been at the root of so many problems; your relationship is not exempt from it either.
So you think love will conquer all, I don’t need to discuss religion? After all, we are both of the same religion? Hmm, which is what exactly?
Couples need to ensure they share the same religious beliefs, similar values, and life goals. Your marriage has a higher chance of success if you are of the same faith.
Just because you are of the same “religion OR faith” does not exempt you from having the discussion.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Cor 2:14 (NKJV)
Christianity is a broad term that includes many denominations. Even people who don’t personally know Jesus Christ often call themselves Christians.
Your faith will affect all areas of your life. Once you get married, you become one, and his decisions will affect you.
A house divided against itself will not stand, Mark 3:25.
God has given us a choice: to choose life or death. Deut 30:19
The choice is yours to make; as you make your bed, you will lie on it. Ignorance is not an excuse, and you will pay for the consequences of the choices you make today, later.
There are many reasons to be equally yoked; I will give you a few reasons.
No.1 – God is first always. When you marry an ungodly person, you have chosen to live by their ungodly ways and lifestyle.
When you put God first in your marriage, He helps you navigate the stormy roads ahead. There will be stormy and challenging times ahead; every marriage will get tested.
Women especially need to choose wisely. Your husband is your covering; he is the gatekeeper of your family, and when he is missing in action, he leaves room for an attack on the family.
No.2 – Raising children. Are you prepared to raise your children in the way of the world? There is a 50% likelihood of your children following in the steps of the spouse who isn’t serving God. They may soon decide to stay home instead of attending church with you. What then?
No.3 – Unity and Agreement. There are so many major decisions couples have to make, and not being of the same faith makes those decisions more difficult because you have different viewpoints.
Questions to discuss
Which church would you attend together? It’s customary to attend the groom’s church, but that’s not written in stone and should be discussed, especially in the case of relocation.
Tithes – this is 10% of the income and should be discussed, especially if you are going to have a joint account.
Offerings and supporting good causes.
What about raising children? Or having children?
When you were growing up, did your family belong to a church denomination, synagogue, temple, or mosque?
How important is it to you for your partner to share your religious beliefs?
How active do you plan to be in the church after we get married?
Would you want to be married in a certain denominational or religious tradition?
This checklist serves as a guide and may seem mundane. However, think how stressful, time-wasting, and financially draining it would be dealing with lawyers, divorce papers, and the separation of assets. By addressing these issues now, you can prevent future complications while focusing on fostering a strong partnership.
I cannot emphasize the importance of pre-marital counseling. If your church offers pre-marital counseling, take advantage of it. Common issues can easily be addressed and resolved ahead of time
10 Benefits of being equally yoked
Congratulations and best wishes as you begin your new life together!
Question ~ What role does faith play in choosing your spouse?
(This is Part 4 of 5 series of Before “I Do”)
Faith’s First Day At Kindergarten
All over America children are starting their first day of Kindergarten.
Our Faith is one of them and today is indeed history in the making.
The last month had been about getting Faith fully ready for kindergarten and I am glad she is off to a great start.
There was no crying from either of us, just lots of pictures and hugs.
Faith has been looking forward to this day forever. All she’s talked about is starting school, going on the yellow bus and seeing her BFF Jeri. Sadly Jeri and Faith are not in the same class but they get to see each other on their breaks and bus rides.
It’s never too early to teach children about privileges and responsibilities.
We give our children way too much all in the name of love. If we are not careful we may be raising a generation of spoilt brats.
“Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.” By Koop C Everett
We have taught Faith and David about privileges in our home. They also understood that it would be withdrawn if they are disobedient.
Our children have far much more than we’ve had and we want them never to take that for granted.
So when Faith decided she was going to be disobedient lately all her privileges were withdrawn and it was an opportunity to teach her about responsibility.
I am teaching her that she has to earn her privileges back. Faith will never have to earn our love, which is unconditional, but our love is not tied to stuff.
I was catching up with my dear friend Sheena and we got talking about her recent adventures. This year alone she has launched her new book 30 Miutes of Music – A Music Minister’s Guide to Effective Praise and Worship
She just returned from a 3 weeks tour of Europe lifting up the name of our LORD.We were exchanging ideas and dreaming up new ones.
Its great catching up with friends and inspiring one another.
Success is intentional not accidental
Which led me to write this post.
How about you? What are you doing to improve yourself this year?
Check the comment section for some of the ways I am improving and growing on my journey.
My grandmother’s name is Chief Abigail Adebayo; she was a praying grandmother. No one else prayed for me as much as she did that one day I would be married and have children of my own. She died a few months before I met my husband.
While she was alive, she never rammed the bible down my throat or preached at me. All mama did was pray, love her family, serve her community, and was actively involved in her local church.
Mama was known as the peacemaker. She settled disputes in my family without taking sides. Mama’s mission was for people to know Christ, dwell in peace and love. She was a mother to everyone that needed one, to both men and women alike.
Mama extended her love to Muslims, atheist, and anyone in need of love. Her love knows no boundary or limits. Women in her community called on her to settle marital disputes.
At some point in our lives we all find ourselves thinking about what is our real purpose in life?
You may found yourself becoming unsettled, restless and questioning everything in your life right now. Perhaps you may be thinking that you are going thru midlife crisis.
Are you feeling, confused and dis-interested in your current role? Tired of living from paycheck to paycheck?
You are sensing the call if you are tired of your current job and want to do something else that call upon your gift and talents.
Discovering your purpose will give your life a sense of direction. You will discover the joy of living and a new lease on life. Your life becomes satisfied and fulfilled, and this will also affect every area of your life.
Prov 22:29 – Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men (KJB).
This is for every woman who struggles with coming to terms with self-identity; who have refused to be put in a box.
Man cannot define that which he did not create. ~ Buky Ojelabi
I am more than a woman
I am more than a wife
I am more than a daughter
I am more than a sister
I am more than a friend
I am more than you think I am
I am more than you expect me to be
I am more than my race
I am more than my title
I am more than qualification
I am more than the opportunities offered to me
I am more than my back account
I am more than the car I drive
I am more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37).
Your story is what you tell yourself over and over again, your inner self talks in your head. You use it to justify your actions and you continue to tell the same story again and again to anyone who cares to listen.
Everyone has a story they have been re-hashing forever. They have perfected that story and they are living it out for everyone to see. We create stories in our minds whether we recognize it or not
Isn’t it time you change your story and transform your life?
Anyone can change his or her life story today by changing the story you tell yourself.
So what story have I been telling myself? I have become a master storyteller. My story has been perfected with such precision and I have held on to it for many years. It’s reflected in my actions and how I’ve presented myself to the world.
For many years I told myself: I am the “black sheep” of my family.
It wasn’t a name my family gave me but a title I gave to myself.
Back in middle school, my math teacher asked us a very profound question – What do you want to be when you grow up? While, everyone in my class was eager with excitement to answer. I was drawing blank. For the first time in my life I realized that I didn’t know what I wanted to become.
In order not to look stupid I said ” I want to be an Air Hostess”. Even though I can’t swim and I had a fear of water. Yep that was what I was going to become!
Ever since then that question has hunted me. It’s affected a lot of the decision I made. Through out my working life I continued to see the importance of knowing.
