Joy like a river

What is Joy?

It’s a feeling of intense contentment and satisfaction that comes from within.
It is a greater degree of happiness. So many people tend to confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is more of a fleeting emotion . It’s possible for one to conceal one’s happiness but it’s almost impossible for one to conceal one’s joy.

Joy is an emotion that bubbles from within and finds its expression outwardly. Most people who appreciate joy the most are the ones that went through a form of trial or challenge before their joy manifested. The best analogy I can use to illustrate this point  is childbirth. When a woman is in labour, she tends to feel quite a lot of pain and discomfort but when the baby comes, it’s like all the pains have disappeared. The mother’s joy knows no bounds.

I remember vividly a woman’s testimony in church about God’s faithfulness. Before She started the testimony, She asked to be allowed to sing a special number and from the way/manner in which She sang, I knew that a giant testimony was coming forth. She said that She had being married for over 15 years and yet there was no fruit. She came for a church program where the pastor was calling out people for prayers in terms of their age-group.  She took a step of faith, walked towards the altar and was ministered to. To God be the glory, The Lord enabled her to conceive with not one but three bundles of joy. This could only have been the Lord’s doing. The lady in question was glowing with joy not happiness. One could see that she must have gone through times of doubt, frustration and shame but God availed for her.

Why is it that people who seem to have all that money can buy are usually the ones that are so down-cast and unhappy. This is because if you don’t have Jesus in your life, your life is empty. It is only Jesus that can give one true joy. Some people tend to look for joy elsewhere by seeking other worldly pleasures like taking drugs or drowning their sorrows with alcohol. These things give one a high for a brief time but when reality bites, the emptiness re-surfaces. During surgeries, anaesthetics are administered to patients to relieve them from pain. Usually when the anaesthetic is given, it causes the area to feel numb making the procedure as pain-free as possible. After a while, the anaesthetic begins to wear off and before long, the patient begins to have feeling in the area the injection was given.

 I liken the effects of anaesthetics with seeking pleasure outside of God; It only provides a temporal relief. It is only God that can cause one to experience joy even when one’s situation is nothing to be joyous about. May the good Lord give us joy unspeakable and full of glory. I know some people I’ve lost their joy because of the loss of a loved one, a set-back or a disappointment, I prophesy that God will send a restoration. Amen

Lest I forget, I want you all to shout a big hallelujah on behalf of me and my family. A beautiful bundle of joy was added to the family. She is indeed a blessing and I thank God for His faithfulness.

Shalom,

Shanday

20 Random things about me

 

1. I love cranberry juice; There’s just something unique about its taste!
2. I can’t stand it when people travel and get back with some phony accent. It’s so irritating – you don’t have to speak “fone”, just speak good English. You’ll see some people that haven’t even crossed the shores of naija forming.
3. I love talking to myself,  some might  think it’s strange or weird but it’s actually fun.
4. I think retail therapy is very therapeutic. After a stressful day, some shopping is bound to do you a lot of good.
5. I’ve got big feet. I wear a size 43 and trust me I wish my feet were smaller. Finding my shoe size is an ordeal. Why do all the cute shoes have to be for small feet? It’s not fair lol. Thank God for Yankee though.
6. I don’t understand what has happened to our reading culture now especially for kids. It’s pretty much non-existent lol. Kids these days hardly read books. They are content watching Africa magic or spending hours playing video games.
7.  We live in a world of Instant, to go, fast everything. You name it -from food to technology. It’s amazing that we’ve gotten so used to these little luxuries of life that we forget how life was before them. I remember vividly the day our microwave at home stopped working and I was so pissed because I wasn’t really in the mood to  heat my food on the  gas cooker lol. I guess that’s what happens when you  have  a choice.
8. My favourite inventions would have to be the telephone, electricity and the plane. Honestly I think the phone was invented for me lol. I just love to chat, some people might call me a chatterbox but I’d say I’m just an outspoken person. I do know for certain that I think before I talk.
9. I absolutely love my family so much. We’ve got a pretty tight bond and I love the fact that we all have very different personalities.
10. I can’t stand pessimists. They have a way of dampening one’s spirit. I’m an optimist. I believe the glass is half full and I always look at the brighter side of things. It’s sunny side up!
11. I’m a social butterfly,  i’ve got loads of friends,  mostly guys surprisingly- I’m hot, what do you expect lol. Seriously though chicks have too much drama. I do sometimes miss having a chick’s opinion when it comes to certain discussions.
12. Makeup to me is just amazing. It’s like having a face lift without going under the knife Lol. What I don’t understand are chicks that overdo it. Makeup is supposed to accentuate your natural beauty and not cover up who you are. Some people can’t be caught dead without makeup -It’s so funny.
13. I don’t believe in love at first sight. Love is something that grows, it’s not automatic. I do believe in soul mates, I believe there’s someone right for everybody.
14. I think there’s something enchanting about a lady that’s all covered up and still looks sexy than one whose goods are on display. For me, less is more.
15. I definitely love being a female. We females get to play dress up. I just love clothes. I consider myself quite a good dresser. Fashion fades but style is classic. It’s either you’re stylish or not. One could have all d money in the world and still look like a frump and plus wearing designer from head to toe is a fashion faux pas .Mixing and matching is more fun. What I really love is accessories, earrings, chains, sandals, bags – the whole enchilada, I think accessories make an outfit.
16. I love God so much. Without Him I am nothing. I guard my relationship with God very jealously.  God is my daddy. He’s got my back 24/7. God is just too awesome. If you don’t know Him yet, you’ve not even started enjoying life. As far as I’m concerned the Bible is the bestest book in the world It’s more than just a book, it’s God’s Word. If you want a good read, go get a Bible and you’ll get amazing insight into what life is all about and how to make the right choices.
17. I love taking pictures,  pictures have a way of bringing back good memories.
18. I love little children, they are just so precious. There’s this innocence about them that is so alluring.
19. I used to wear braces.  Initially, I thought I would look weird with my braces, but when I got them, I really rocked my new look.  Mine were colourful, and being the fashionista that I am, I made my braces a fashion statement.
20. I’ve got the bestest partner in the world!

Idol Worshipper?

Hey people,

I was reading my devotional (Open Heavens) and something struck me and I decided to share it. Daddy G. O was talking about spiritual famine.  I’m sure most of you are familiar with the word ‘famine’. It just means a shortage or lack of food. Spiritual famine has to do with shortage of God’s word. I bet you’re wondering if God’s word ever gets scarce. Well, God can decide to stop speaking to you as often as before because of sin. If you used to hear from God often, but realize that these days you barely hear from Him, you could be in spiritual famine. God hates disobedience.

I want you to note that partial obedience and disobedience are the same time.

Spiritual famines are caused by two main things. The first is oppression of the poor by the rich, while the other is idolatry. I want to focus on the latter cause which is idolatry. idolatry is simply serving another god besides Jehovah. One of the ten commandments is that ”thou shalt have no other gods before me”.  I’m sure many of you will boldly say that God is your only God, but has He been given top priority in the affairs of your life? While reading my devotional that day, I realized that anything that you are giving more attention to than God has become an idol. Wow, that was an eye-opener. It could be Facebook, chatting on the phone, your finances, t.v, and even your loved ones. I must admit that this word came just in time. I am on my blackberry most of the time, and sometimes I reach for my bb first before I reach for my Bible.  God have mercy!

The bible says ”Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added unto you. An example of someone who was a victim of spiritual famine was King Saul. King Saul had a track record of being disobedient to God. He was greatly afraid about the Philistines attacking the Israelites, and when He inquired of the Lord, God was silent. May God not be silent to us when we need Him the most. Instead of pleading for God’s mercy, He decided to seek advice from the kingdom of darkness. (1 Sam 28 v4-6) This was a wrong move, He should just have retraced his steps back to the Lord with all sincerity and repented of his sins.

The consequence of disobeying God is found in the scripture below

”And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8 v 12  )

May this not be our portion in Jesus name. Amen

Love,

Shanday

A new dawn

Happy 2011!

I know my greeting is coming a bit late but you know what they say, better late than never.

Usually at the beginning of a new year, people have mixed feelings. For some, they are very excited because another year is here, others are on the sober side particularly because they weren’t able to achieve the goals they set in the previous year. Most  people feel that they need to set a new year resolution at the beginning of the year;  these resolutions could be turning a new leaf, stopping a bad habit, doing more for God or even learning a new skill. What is rather interesting is that many people do not follow through with these resolutions.

Why is this?  Well, most of us don’t set realistic goals. Our goals are so vague and hazy, as a result, we don’t have a clear picture of where we are going . Someone once said, the faintest pen is better than the sharpest memory, in otherwords our goals have to be written down and preferably pasted on the wall for us to see on a daily basis.  This strategy prevents us from forgetting what our goals are. Some of us bite more than we can chew, we set too many goals and find it hard to fulfill them.

Setting goals are futile efforts without the help of God. God is the one that makes sure everything falls into place. As such, we should endeavour to consult Him and ensure that our goals are in line with His will for us. Life is a race, there are many hurdles along the way, but it’s only when we look upon Jesus; the author and finisher of our faith that we will come out victorious.  2010 might have been full of potholes, speed bumps and diversions along the way, but all thanks be to God, it is now history. What we should focus on now is 2011. I know for some it’s so difficult to let go of the disappointment of 2010, but i urge you to press forward, let go and let God. If we dwell on the past, we will lose sight of the beauty of the present.

It’s a new day, it’s a new dawn, it’s a new year and I’m feeling goooooooooooooooooooood!

All is well,

Shanday

Word and Opposite

When I was back in secondary school, I learnt about magnetism in physics class. Around a typical bar magnet, there are lines of magnetic flux. When two magnets are brought together, their flux lines interact; flux lines flowing in the same direction repel, while flux lines flowing in opposite directions attract.

This fact can be applied to the area of relationships. There’s a popular belief that opposites attract; as a result, your ideal match is usually someone whose personality is very different from yours. Do opposites really attract in all situations? I don’t think so. I believe that when two people have interests, personalities and goals that are so dissimilar, it could be very difficult to come to an agreement. When it comes to relationships, there needs to be something that both parties have in common. It could be similar tastes in music, lifestyle, faith or belief in God.

What i do believe is that your partner must complement you. Imagine a house where the wife is a chatterbox, and the husband too talks a lot, things would be very chaotic when disagreements arise because both parties would want to be heard at the same time. A better match would be someone who has a reserved or reticent nature being in a relationship with someone who is more outspoken. This is because the outspoken partner will build up the reticent one. I’d just say that opposites attract but it’s ‘likes’ that help to sustain the relationship. It’s those similarities that are common between a couple that make the relationship more pleasurable.

What is God’s opinion in all this? God’s rule is the reverse. He says in His word that what fellowship does light have with darkness. That tells me that when it comes to the spiritual angle, likes should only attract likes. When likes begin to fall for unlikes, wahala dey lolz. Personally, when it comes to your spiritual growth, you shouldn’t compromise on your beliefs. You might say that there is no biggie in dating an unbeliever, but sooner or later you’ll realise that your own faith is slowly diminishing and before you say jack, the zeal you had for God would have evaporated.

What is your view on this topic people? Waiting to hear your feedback

God bless,

Shanday

Customer Service gone bad

What exactly is wrong with customer service in Nigeria?

During the festive season, I went to a gift shop to get some christmas cards. The sales attendant made no effort whatsoever to help me out even when i openly voiced out that i was looking for cards. She was just busy minding her own business with an ‘i don’t care expression’ on her face. I didn’t waste time in the shop at all because I was just plain irritated by the woman’s attitude.  What was funny is that the business didn’t even look like it was making much profit, How will they make profits when the attendants are shooing off customers instead of attracting them.

What i find so irritating is when you go out to eat at a fast-food joint, and the attendant is taking his time when a queue is already building up. Honestly, patience is really a virtue; there are times when I just want to give these nonchalant attendants a good tongue lashing lolz. I admit that working at eateries can be quite demanding but I still feel that people should learn to handle the stress. To a certain extent, i don’t blame the staff, i blame their employers. When one doesn’t train one’s staff well, things like this are bound to happen.

Then, we have the attendants that overdo things. There’s this supermarket in my estate that i go to quite often. The attendants follow you up and down like you want to steal something. Sometimes it’s sort of hilarious, other times it could be a big turn-off. I guess it’s a safety precaution, probably people have been stealing from them. Regardless, i feel that there are other ways to prevent theft in shops than following someone like a leech lolz. It’s all about strategic positioning of staff and possibly the use of cameras like they have abroad.

It’s only when you go to other countries that you really begin to appreciate good customer service. It’s lovely when you go to a store and the sales attendant greets you with a smile and is ready to provide some form of assistance to you without being told to do so. Even if you just planned to window-shop, you would be motivated to buy something because of the service you received. We seriously need to imbibe this culture in Nigeria. Customer satisfaction is a really good marketing strategy that could seriously boost profits of companies, shops and restaurants.

I remember going to eat out at a restaurant in the states. I ordered a fish dish that the waitress said would be a good choice, only to taste it and find out that it wasn’t nice. The management of the restaurant didn’t charge that dish to my bill . I was pleasantly surprised. If it was in Naija, Omo, whether I enjoyed the food or not, it’s not any one’s business. I would have had to pay regardless of being satisfied.

Well, i believe that things will get better in the near future.

God bless,

Shanday

A Hairy Affair

 

Where are the hairstylists? that is the million naira question!!! In my quest for great hair, I have met with some hair-killers masquerading as stylists… No, I’m not talking about hairdressers that do great weaves or braids… I am talking about those that would tell you it’s ok to relax your hair immediately after taking out your braids. Ladies, it is NOT acceptable to take out braids, relax your hair and then add a weave, all on the same day!!

I have always had lovely natural locks, after much pressure from people to get them relaxed (ooh your hair would be sooo long (from female friends), it’s so difficult to style your hair (from hairdressers), you’ll be prettier( from male friends).. I gave in… especially after much use of the straightening comb (this straightened my hair for a day but by the next morning, was back to my God-given afro).

My foray into the world of hair relaxers was quite an experience… I read up on relaxing hair… setting the time, using the right relaxer for your hair type etc. but all that came to naught when I actually went to the salon. I never knew that hair had to “gino” aka “cook” before the relaxer is washed off, even if you are crying in your chair due to the burning sensation. A particular stylist actually left my hair and went off to take a nap! I begged the others to wash it off but was met with… ooh, your hair is very kinky; it has to “gino”. Well, it “ginoed” all right… my hair was so burnt; I had scabs on my scalp.

Or take the time, I went to a rather upscale salon for a simple wash and set. Now, I thought that was harmless enough… nothing could possibly go wrong… I was waaay wrong. The hair dresser opened a new bottle of setting lotion, but instead of mixing it with water… she did not! By the time I was done, my hair couldn’t even be styled… it was as hard as wood shavings!!  

Ok, a particular time, I decided to go get a weave. I had to colour part of my hair because the weave was reddish-brown. It turned out pretty well, everyone loved it. So I decided to colour my entire hair instead. Armed with my color, I went to the salon. I thought I was in good hands; nothing could possibly go wrong right? WRONG! She left the colour too long in my hair, I ended up looking like one of the Crush orange men, and even my scalp was orange! 

After going from one salon to the other, still, I did not meet with the level of expertise I expected. By this time, my luscious locks had become battered locks. I decided to chop it ALL off! I was met with resistance… you’ll look sooo ugly (from female friends); just continue to deep-condition or steam your hair (from hair dressers), you’ll look like a boy (from male friends).

After a trip to the United States, I finally took the plunge and cut it all off and started locking my hair. It was bliss knowing my hair was healthy. But when I got back home, I was faced with a new challenge- where are all the natural hair stylists? After asking around, I went to an upscale salon to get my hair “relocked” by a professional… The “professional” did not know how to lock hair, he just twisted! twisted! twisted! And pulled! pulled! pulled! till my head almost fell off. My hair ended up looking like wotsits… (The cheese snack).

In light of all this, I hit on the perfect solution- Wigs! I can change my look anytime I want.  Now, the only thing I worry about is going out on a very windy day… lolz.

BY

OMOGEN (writing for Shanday)