Category: Faith

Lent Duties

Source: Quotesgram.com

Lent is an important season in the life of any practising catholic. It’s time we mainly fast, pray and give alms. This period of the year is important to me as it arms me with the spiritual strength I need to survive the entire year.

There are  forty days in lent.  The Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Most catholics would try to go to church for the distribution of the ashes. Normally, I partake in the ash as the priest do distribute ashes Wednesday and Sunday. This time, I hoped for the same but it didn’t happen as I worked on Wednesday and there was no sign of the ash on Sunday.

Different articles have it that pastors in other churches distribute ashes in public places which is not a good norm. Ashes should be distributed only in the church as its significance be held in high esteem.

The lent period enables one to reflect on Christ’s sorrowful mystery and ask for God’s grace. More so, we are encouraged to forfeit something that we normally like during the Lenten season. It could be the smallest of things like: watching TV, eating chocolates among other things we can think of.

This period requires that  we eat less food as it boosts our spiritual life by not trying to satisfy all our needs. I have read severally that fasting and abstinence make the heart grow fonder. Isaiah 58 will give you a typical idea of the kind of fast that pleases God.

Of importance are the works of mercy. They enable us to live as Christ would want us to. There are spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Spiritual works involves: conversion of sinners, instructing the ignorant, counselling of the doubtful, comforting of the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, and praying for the dead. Similarly, corporal works of mercy are: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, harboring the stranger, visiting the sick, ministering the prisoners and burying the dead.

I have been behind this year in my Lenten attitude, so I have decided to buckle up now. I have observed the praying bit but not just on top on my other Lenten duties. I know it’s not too late. However, I do not think I am the only culprit. What about you?

More effort to you, if you are on the top of your Lenten duties but for those lagging behind like me, we can do it. Let do it.

I hope by reading this post we are made more aware of numerous ways we can keep ourselves accountable during this lenten season. Come Easter. May the lent season fill you with God’s love and graces.

P.S.

I understand that I might have readers who are not Christians and would therefore found this post irrelevant. Thanks for your time.

Be Prepared For The New Year

Hello Friends, I want to share with you some quotes that will help us keep our hopes high as we enter the year. Thanks to God for sparing our lives.

There are biblical verses that lifts my spirit high regardless of any situation I find myself. I have chosen very few:

Psalm 121 – “I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where is my help to come from?

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This verse reminds me of the supernatural being, the Almighty that foresees our future; including any struggle we might meet along the way.

“My help come from Yahweh who made heaven and earth. May he save your foot from stumbling; may he your guardian; not fall asleep!”

I cannot explain to you how overwhelming this line makes me feel. Those words are powerful. When you solely rely on God, what more can you ask for? It makes me aware of the fact that we are bound to stumble as we walk in the paths of life but He our God will protect us from all harm. God watches over us even we are exhausted from the days activities and fall into deep sleep. He is always with us, not leaving our side.

My bible went further to say: “You see– He neither sleeps nor slumbers, the guardian of Israel.  “… By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night. Yahweh guards you from all harm, He guards your life.”

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We are reassured again that He does not sleep while watching over us and will shield us from all kinds of danger. There is nothing God cannot handle.

I use the New Jerusalem Bible – that’s the reason for the word ‘Yahweh’ if you have wondered where it came from. [I intentionally discussed the chapter without the verses numbers; most times I love discussing my bible that way so long as I have mentioned the chapter].

2 Corinthians 12:9 – “…But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

It is obvious that God strengthens us in hard times. I can relate this to my personal experiences, I would wonder how am ever going to cope but He simply does it, His own very way. He fights our battles. He is right there with us, even at our weakest times.

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The Unchangeable God continues to reassure us of His steadfastness. I love those lines ever since I got to know of them. When I think about the future or uncertainties, I remain hopeful because I know God’s words do not change.

In addition, I love some non biblical quotes too:

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”

I can’t agree more. We have to be happy with our current situation to enable us flourish in the future. Find a way and be pleased with your present as it goes a long way to create a better future. Happiness is something that comes from the inside, so you have to create it.

The picture above says it all. They say health is wealth, so look after yourself. The information you need is out there. Avoid the things you can and cut down where necessary. You need not to be told about the consequences of ignoring warning signs. Whatever you do, look after yourself. You come first.

There are lots of quotes to help us keep track as it is important that we stay focus. I hope this post prepares you for the new year. Be hopeful for what the year will bring as you have prepared yourself – by reading this write-up😄

I had fun creating this post I hope you enjoyed reading it? Can you share with me your favorite inspirational quotes?

Blogmas – How To Survive Boxing Day Sales

Source: Telegraph UK

Still on the Blogmas spirit. I so much look forward to boxing day sales. Normally, I have lists of things I like to buy or simply names of people, whereby I will look at the names I will find something for them. Nonetheless, at times, I go beyond my list especially  when I see something I consider very useful.

During Christmas, my 25th is basically go to church and have a good family meal. Then comes 26th – the sales, sales and sales day. In the last few years, I would queue up at Next as early as 6.30 am. Even at that early hours of the day I am like number 200 or something above that in the queue.

When I eventually get in, I would browse the entire shop for items that catch my eyes. It’s really fun to see those nice and expensive clothes, purses, gifts and kitchen wares reduced to lower prices. Looking at my lists, you can tell the things I normally go for. I do take my time and fill my shopping bag before the deselection process begins, when am done. Normally, by that time I am exhausted and cannot wait to leave the shop with my latest purchases.

However, lately I mainly buy online and will be doing same this year. I go to the shops later in the day or sometime in the week to see or pick a few good things remaining. Luckily, I live close to a shopping arena, where there is Primark, Next, Sports world and the rest of them.

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Source: Synaptrading

My method of surviving the sales involves the following:

  • Gathering items I like first.
  • Choosing only the ones I need – at this phase, after gathering and I drop so many items.
  • Checking my budget.
  • Scaling down further to make sure I do not spend more than necessary and giving priority to items on list – Guys, I lose a few items at this stage too.  [I use this method online too].

Don’t worry, if I mention lists a lot, I jot down almost any thing.

Finally, by the time am done, I leave the shop with the items I really need. There are a few exceptions to certain things that I see and find very useful even when not included in my list. I will like to know what works for you.

Source: Tyannatells.wordpress.com

I have had so much fun putting up Blogmas posts this period, I even posted more than once in a week like I had thought at first. So, this is my last blogmas post – am not going to say unfortunately,

I wish you Happy Spending – Don’t  over do it.

Merry Christmas 🎄 to you and your household . I’m sending great tidings of love, peace and happiness your way 😊

No Time is Late For God

Do you have that specific pressing need or problem that you thought you would have solved before the year runs out but do not see it materializing?

The year is almost coming to an end and you seem so clueless. There are Christmas decorations everywhere and it all appears to be hopeless. Do not give up! Have faith.

God is still God. There are still have lots of days in December. Needless to say, God can rewrite anyone’s story within seconds, as it pleases Him.

It can be very difficult and emotionally draining to simply wait for a miracle but His timing is always perfect, comes with exceeding joy and worth all the wait.

Don’t give up. Have faith and keep up with your good works.

P.S.

Sending you warm wishes of love 💗 and peace ✌️ as Christmas 🎄 approaches.

The Master Planner.


 2017 has hit the ground running. I wish us all the very best and all the good things we wish ourselves. Let’s take each single day, week or month as it comes. If  the previous weeks have been good, let it prevail if not, better days are ahead. 

I ran into a friend who told me about her recent encounter with God. She began by saying that she had applied for a programme in the university over a year ago and was looking forward to it last August. Then she got pregnant and was very determined to carry on as planned.
According to her, she simply taught babies only sleep and eat in their initial months of life. A colleague at work had tried to discourage her and advised  her to defer the course because of the pregnancy and how difficult it would be when baby arrives but she felt like no way. To her, the year was already sorted and she could see herself doing them all.
Two weeks to the commencement of the course, she got an email from the Uni to say they are not able to carry on with her chosen programme and offered her another programme which she rejected outright. She could not believe her situation. She felt so shattered and disappointed. She was so desperate and wouldn’t let go. She went to God in prayers.  
Luckily, she was able to find another Uni that was running the programme for september but this time it was online. She felt consoled at last. Courses began, pregnancy going well and then baby arrived. She couldn’t believe herself; babies don’t just sleep and eat like she had imagined; they cry a lot, you barely sleep and becomes physically, emotionally drained.
She struggled so hard with her online courses and still on it. She told me she would have simply deferred the course if she were to attend to the classes. Now, she clearly understood what her colleague was talking about.

“I can’t believe I thought I was going would be able to leave baby and go for lectures. Like how?” She asked me. All I think about now is baby and baby. My baby comes first…

God knows it all my Dear, was my response. He is the master planner. I believe Him any time.
Finally, I know as humans there are times we tend to question God but in all things trust Him. Let His will be done.
Lessons learned:
Do challenge yourself. You can do it. Believe God.
She is studying like she wanted and baby arrived but God made it all prefect for her.

Do You Think People Around You Know Truly Who You Are?

I enjoyed this lovely sermon from my priest; one of his interesting lenten season preachings. I would like to call this, my favorite.

He talked about the marvelous works of Jesus and how he did masked himself most of times as his power would be too much for anyone he comes in contact with to contend.

Photo Credit: www.taskforce-gaea.com

Applying the same masking formulae to humans, the reverse is the case. He told us that some individuals are living in pretense just to fit into the society.

He went further and said that such false way of living can momentarily be beneficial to us but most of the time it has an adverse effect on us.

He went on to tell us all to imagine what our lives would be like, if we truly show inner selves to people around us.
Take for instance:
     -A situation where we do not have to cover up to look accepted amongst our peers or colleagues.
     -A situation where we say something in honesty and people take our word for it.
     -A situation where we express ourselves freely without being afraid of being called names.
The list goes on…

It actually occurred to me that we live in a world where we most times find ourselves doing what is expected of us by the society irrespective of what we actually want or how we feel about them..

Do you think people around you know truly who you are?

P.S. It’s my first post for the year.
Have a beautiful 2016. 

My Easter Story

The holy week is one of those days in the church I look forward to. This is due to the variety of hymns being sang and all the Latin aspects that comes with the occasion.

Let me give you a brief account of my holy week. So, I was opportune to attend the holy wednesday mass which kicked of with the stations of the cross. Mmm… I really enjoyed that bit because that was actually the only time time I was able to partake in it with my brethren this Lenten period. Personally, I love it when am able to go to the church for the stations of the cross with the congregation than when am alone at home.

Then came the Maundy thursday. For me, this event started with singing rehearsals,the mass and the procession. It was lovely as the hymns were so transforming and sublime. They included Love is His word, Pange lingua gloriosi, Panis angelicus(one of my favourite songs) to mention but a few.

Oh! Did I mention that we had the Bishop in our midst too? He visited us and was the main celebrant. His sermon was brilliant as he talked us through the reenactment of Jesus last days prior to his arrest. He encouraged us to watch and pray with Christ. The washing of the feet was carried out as well. More so, those points in the mass where a priest says a part and the other says another part stood out for me. I had a swell time. It felt like experiencing catholicism in its full splendour.

The holy thursday ended with the carrying of the blessed sacrament in procession to the garden of repose. The parish priest encouraged us to stay for a little while and say some private prayers.

I have an intriguing story for you now; while I stayed behind and prayed,I watched a lady who had gone close to the blessed sacrament and prostrated. That got me as I have not seen that act of adoration being displayed in a very long time. It happened to be that I had seen this very lady on holy wednesday tidying the church premises. So, on my way home, I saw her on the other side of the road and I waved her and said hello(I kind of wondered why I was saying hello in the first place). 

She crossed over to me and asked for my name,that she had seen me the other day…We became friends. She told me her version of the celebration, how she cried when the blessed sacrament was to be taken to the gardens of the repose and asked God to forgive her sins.She told me that most times instead of thanking God she complains about what haves and haves not.  She added that in the garden of repose, it felt like she saw Jesus.”I felt someone holding me” she said to me. I suppose she really had a divine encounter. From our little  chat, my new friend does lots of charity work and believes in miracles. Bless her.

Do you know what? I was actually pleased with myself that I said that ‘hello’ at that time.

Have a beautiful Easter celebration. Many thanks for reading.

Have A Word With The Man At The Counter.

An elderly man in his mid-eighties arrived happily to his younger friends house. His friend who has been expecting him was quite surprised when he saw how excited he looked on his arrival. He hugged him and went off to make him a cup of tea because the weather was chilly.

‘I have been worried about you and how fast you were going to make it?’ He told him, fully cognizant of the fact that his friend can be somewhat forgetful, at times. Besides, he had a meeting to attend in the next few hours so, it was nice he made it on time too.

The elderly man smiled. ‘You are not going to believe what happened. ‘I entered the train without a travel ticket and was lucky there were no checks, I passed unnoticed.’

‘Oh! You did?’ His friend almost screamed covering his mouth…they both laughed. Now, he knows why his friend is kind of overexcited since he outsmarted some folks out there. They haven’t seen each other in a very long time and only talk on the phone though they chatted like the phone talks never existed. Later on, it was time for him to leave for the meeting in order to make it on time. However, he wanted to make sure his friend at least, pays for his ticket this time.

On getting to the station, the queue was so long and the ticket fees were saying different things ranging form £20- £500. Obviously, he didn’t have that much time to wait for him but to leave as soon as he can.

How much are you going to pay, he asked him. ‘Don’t worry, am not looking at any of that- referring to the the fares. I will speak with the Man at the counter, when it gets to my turn, ‘ the old man replied. His friend patted him on the back and left though he was worried about him.

Later in the night, he got a phone call from his friend telling him how wonderful his trip turned out to be. He said that after having a word with the man at the counter, he was able to arrange a £20 ticket for him; which was a first class and he was served a bottle of champagne. In addition, when he got to his destination, one of the staff followed him and called a taxi for him as well. What more can he ask for! He was all smiles as he narrated it all it his friend.

They both laughed and he was pleased to know his friend was happy and safe at last.

I guess it is always good to speak with the Man at the counter irrespective of the expected outcome or what the World tells us. 

Anyone can be favoured, with God there is no favourite.

He Is Always With You.

Faith in God.
There is always a reason for everything that happens. Many times we worry ourselves and wonder why things are not as smooth as we want them to be.

Maybe, we simply like troubling ourselves because certain things we encounter are beyond our human understanding.

Most times, we feel we are abandoned by the Creator forgetting that He is ever faithful to His people. He never abandons his own.

We are all important to Him be it in our joys, sorrows and in bitterness. At any given time, He is fighting our battles for us, if only we can put all our hope and trust in Him. He will not let us down.

Even in our most difficult moments, he is making way for us. He needs us to know that we are safe in His hands remembering that He alone is the one who neither sleeps nor slumbers. He who was nailed to the cross knows our pain because he actually lived and knows what pain feels like better than us.

His words shall come to pass. 

True Love

Seeing is believing. 

She was very pleased with him and want to be his for the rest of her life. He loves her as well and didn’t in any way hide his feelings for her. Well, who wouldn’t? After nearly 10years of friendship and relationship.

A lot have been done to ensure that they spend the rest of their lives together. They have been very close and well known to each others relatives. With luck on their sides, both families consented to their union and can’t wait for them to cement their relationship. 
As usual, they went for blood test as required by their Rev. It happened to be that the lady’s HIV result was positive but it was not revealed to her out rightly.The counsellor called the Rev. who is also a good friend of the man and revealed to him the outcome of the tests. 
They all got worried and questioned what could be the fate of these two long time lovers. To add sugar to the injury, the lady was 2months pregnant for him. 
The young man was summoned to the hospital with a panel waiting for him. The counselling protocol was observed before and after the news was broken to him. To their disbelief, he said they do not know what they were saying and that come what may he is going to marry his bride to be as scheduled. 
The lady was sent to different places to redo the rest and confirmatory test as well before she was actually made to understand that she is a carrier while the husband isn’t. She couldn’t believe her situation and cried like her world has fallen apart. 
‘Have you told my husband to be?’ She asked. The counselor nodded. She screamed. Raising her hands to her head. ‘How can it be? Darkness have caught up with me in the broad daytime!’
‘What did he say? My heartthrob has abandoned me!’ 
‘He said he is still by your side and that he is going to go ahead with the marriage.’
In confusion, the lady said, ‘…and you think he means all of that… My God where are you?… I have not slept with any other man … I have been doing like I ought to… Where exactly have I gone wrong? Tell me… ‘
Elsewhere, people have been talking to the young man to enable him understand his situation and the implications of what he is about to do. After so much talks from Tom, Dick and Harry, he made them understand that if marrying her woman in the next few days means having HIV, he is willing to get that and that they are going to die happily. 
Most people were actually shocked to hear him say that. He went further to say that he has known her for a long time, have seen various versions of women and none could be equated to her girl. She is simply the only one meant for her and nothing will change that.  
The lady continue to ask herself if she was in dream and how long she going to last in it. He took her to the Rev. and to his relatives as well. To her greatest surprise, he has actually brought her so that can help him reassure her that he knows what he is saying and doing and means every bit of it. He could not come up with any other way of convincing her since she hardly chats other than crying the hell out of her life all the time. 
To the dismay of some relatives and friends, he married the woman of his dreams. Happily wedded in church. 
My thoughts
Some guys for-some-reasons-best-known-to-them would have simply danced to the tune of the songs people sang to their ears lately and abandon their HIV- infected and pregnant Girlfriend not knowing that there could be a possibility that they are equally infected but he could be in his window period.
Not that it is a very wonderful thing getting married to One who has the infection but based on the aforementioned circumstances it is not a bad idea. 
In my opinion, that guy is a hero because many people out there simply take pride in finding faults where there is none let alone when such a huge issue arises. 
Whatever you do, make sure it is for a good Cause, do it for love and for God. 
What will be will be. 

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