The Sting Of Death!

We surely make plans, but I have come to understand that we should write our plans in pencil, and give God the eraser. However in real time, its so difficult to constantly do this. Because for me, when I make plans I try to pay every attention to detail to ensure, everything works according to the blue print. It just has to be seamless and all flaws dealt with. Definitely we all dont want to be involved in plans that end up being recipes for disaster.

Every now and again however, we are reminded that regardless of how well we make our plans, there are powers greater than us, and things wont always be EQUAL.

I looked forward to the weekend with anticipation, as plans were made from the beginning of the year, to make this weekend a truly memorable one. That expectation, hope and excitement was however short lived when I suddenly wake up on the 29th of July 2013, I look at my alarm, which has been set for 4am only to find out its just 1:05am, and as I toss in bed, my body really tired and yet restless and unable to sleep, I feel the chill in my bones and realise, that something is not just right! 

The only thing left to do at this time however is to pray and shortly afterwards, my phone begins to ring endlessly and clearly I know that at this time of the day, its only a miracle if its good news at the other end. I quickly round up my prayers and as I pick up the phone, all I  hear is screams, wails and cries. How could this be, why now, how come, it cant be true....... The words of denial fill my mouth but as much as I hate to admit, its true. Death has finally struck......the stings piercing deep into my heart and so deep that I become breathless.

At that point in time, all that is left is memories; the times shared, the tears shed, the arguments had, the resentment I felt at some point, everything just comes alive, and the next question asked is, what is life? Is the strife, competition, bitterness, hate, unforgiveness, fights etc really worth the waste of time?

The clock is really ticking, tomorrow isnt guaranteed, when we go down, all that is left is memories.

In the busyness of life however, after a certain time of mourning we tend to forget that life is passing. We dont own our lives, the bible says one day, we will stand to give account of the life given to us, how we treated others, the words we spoke, the thoughts we nursed, the helping hand we held out or rather held back. And its quite metaphoric because its still these same things that others have of us, in form of memories when we are no more.

Make peace with your yesterday, work at making today remarkable so that you dont carry along the baggage of regrets, what ifs, had I known etc into your tomorrow. And most of all be at peace with your "CREATOR" because at life's end, that is all that matters! YES!

PERSIST IN PRAYER

‘This, then, is how you should pray...’

Matthew 6:9

If prayer came naturally, God wouldn’t have to remind us so often to do it. A consistent prayer life requires crucifying our selfish nature. But when prayer doesn’t seem rewarding, we’re apt to abandon it. So how can you pray and get results? 1) Before you ask, adore! Any prayer that begins with asking can become self-centered and shallow. ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name’ (Psalms 100:4 NIV). When God’s love, goodness and faithfulness are your starting point, you’re lifted out of yourself, your spirit is prepared for ‘connecting’ with God, the content of your prayer becomes more scriptural, and you get results. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus directs our attention first to God’s name, then His kingdom and then His will. After that, we ask for ‘our daily bread.’ Thanksgiving doesn’t condition God to bless you—it conditions you to receive His blessing. 2) When you pray, persist! God’s not an automated teller. You are supposed to stay engaged with Him until He decides to answer you. This involves an attitude of faith, persistence and patience. Jesus gave us a parable about a woman who kept pleading with a hardhearted judge to grant her petition. When she finally wore him down, he gave her what she asked. Jesus had only one purpose for the parable: ‘To show them that they should always pray and not give up’ (Luke 18:1 NIV). The point is not that persistence forces God’s cooperation, it’s that God wants you to pray and not quit. When you persist God will answer, ‘and quickly!’ (v. 8 NIV).(http://www.ucb.co.uk/)

THE HELP

  Its the week-end for most of us, and for some others its just another day to get busy with work, chores, errands, partys, drop-in sections, hairdressers, barber shop, laundry, groceries, My Oh My! The list is endless. It just goes on and on. Some time in the week however, I read an article on burning out. Yes with the busyness of life sometimes, we end up burning ourselves out to the very end, and if you are as critical as I am, you keep on asking yourself if its all necessary? But you dont normally have enough time to dwell on that as a distraction from your yet to be accomplished tasks also props up in your mind, at just about same time. How timely! Lol.
Well in all the hustle and bustle, please take time to REST and STORE, which brings about your RESTORATION. And its only when we are fully restored, can we forge ahead, with greater strength, zeal and determination to achieve that oustanding success. And what better way to do this than chilling with a novel! Yes you heard me right.
It relaxes the brain and mind in ways you can never imagine.
I have been reading the HELP by Kathryn Stockett, whose movie won the Oscars in 2012. I actually watched the movie, two years ago but reading the book is so amazing. I have always felt, the fun and excitement of watching movies far outweighed the pleasure of just reading. But when I started reading bestselling novels years ago, I remember watching John Grishams the Firm, and because I had already read the novel, I got so upset with the movie as I felt it had been over edited and many parts were missed and I just walked out on it.
So amidst the busyness today, take out time to relax and get rejuvenated and if you needed ideas on what to do, get this book, go to the park and enjoy your read with your crisps, drink and sanwiches.

Have a great weekend guys!  

Joke Of The Day!

And I am working on this project in which I am experiencing some bumps along the way, and as I go sourcing for some resources, I enter a room that has just men in it. And usual me, I dont know how to enter a place quietly without announcing myself unintentionally. Also I have got large eyes so no amount/size of peoples eyes can intimidate me cos I have already got them so try intimidating me with something else(hahaha). However I happen to know one of the young men in the room and I assume, they are also working on one project or another. Without even introducing myself, I just let out a loud 'HI GUYS' and you you cant believe what your girl gets up to. Hmmmm, I begin interrogating each of them on what they are working on. By the time I get to the third person and he tells me what he is working on, I let out a loud OMG! Its similar to what I am doing, and as I see resources I need with him, I excitedly say, we should be partners you know? whats your name? whats your number? whats your e-mail?  And before you know it, all the guys in the room are seriously laughing saying what kind of a girl is this, she has stopped at nothing to get what she wants.Partners Indeed! At that point, I caught myself but it was already out there. However I got the resources I needed and minutes later I was beaming with smiles.

Lesson of the story; If you want something go for it, and what I normally say is" If no one is stopping you, dont stop yourself" Yes!! Remember, Your success does not depend on anyone but yourself, Every step is an obstacle and every obstacle can be conquered!!

GIANT STRIDES.....Chinedu Echeruo!

We do not suddenly leap to success, we set our hands to work and when it is combined with passion and resilience, we are on the high way to success.And only then do we break out from the ordinary, because we begin to do the ordinary, in extra ordinary ways.

Another young man has inspired me, and its Chinedu Echeruo, founder of hopstop.com Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops. 

This has however been acquired by apple for quite some money, just a few days ago.

What inspired me so much about him, was how he checked his ego at the door and ensured that the company went from its comfort zone to exploring all its potential under the leadership of a more experienced CEO. He realised he had to give up all ties, passion, ego to  ensure that the company is where it is today. Having good ideas is one thing and selling your passion to others while trusting them to maximise their potential and bring about profitability using their own leadership styles is another.

I said in some post some time ago that the benefit of  having a frame work, cannot be over emphasised.  

However in Chinedus words 

“There is no reason why every entrepreneur should have to reinvent the wheel every single time in all the countries in Africa. My idea is to essentially to have one place where a budding entrepreneur can access a template for starting a business, and then customize it to suit their own situation. Essentially a business-in-a-box".

And to that I say, If you dont have a dream, how can you make a dream come true? Hes favourite quote is Fortuna farvis fortius means; Fortune favors the brave.

Regardless of what you find yourself doing, if you become uncomfortable with the status quo, if you can identify a need, if you are resilient enough to endure the teething stage of that venture and most especially, check your ego at the door, with Gods grace on your side, the sky will not just be your limit but starting point. Thumbs up to Chinedu and to all other hardworking young men and women out there.

Forbes Thought Of The Day

“ Without risk, faith is an impossibility. ”

— Søren Kierkegaard

TODAYS WOMAN!

A friend sent me this and I smiled at the truth in the sentences, I would rather however re-write it as Todays Woman.
Trust me the role of the woman is really pivotal to society building, and if you are not fulfilling your purpose, I plead that you have a rethink. Its never too late, to make a change. Dont let situations around you, sing you different lyrics. Get Up! And Change Your WORLD.

Todays Woman Should:

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

A set of screwdrivers,

A cordless drill, and

A black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

One friend who

Always makes her

Laugh...

And one

Who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

A good piece of furniture

Not previously owned by

Anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

Eight matching plates,

Wine glasses with stems,

And a recipe for a meal that will

Make her guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

A feeling of control over Her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to fall in love Without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to quit a job

and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

When to try harder

and when to walk away

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

That she can't change

The length of her calves,

The width of her hips, or

The nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

That her childhood

May not have been Perfect

But; It's over.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she would and Wouldn't

Do for love or money...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to live alone...

Even if She doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Whom she can trust, Whom she can't,

And why she shouldn't Take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Where to go...

Be it to her best friend's kitchen table...

Or a charming inn in the woods...

When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she can and what she can't accomplish

In a day...

A month...

And a year...

------------------

F A I T H VS F A T E

A man I have loved all my life lay helpless on a hospital bed for the very first time since I have known him, and when reality sets in, then the real you springs forth.Truly in trials are our strengths/weakness revealed. And when all the facts are before you, the truth seems very distant. And at this point in time, the only thing you hope for, is that the diagnosis is wrong, the reports are wrong,you tell yourself, there must be errors somewhere and even though you know the truth is not far fetched, all your heart screams for is a second opinion, all you desire is a ray of hope, somehow, somewhere just anything but the fact. And at this point, I cry the prayer of Jehoshaphat, "O Lord God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the Kingdoms of the nations.Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you"(2chronicles 20;5), Lord I say, regardless of the fact, the truth is that you are able to do all things and you are the God who reverses even the unpleasant situation. Intervene and show yourself strong, because what you do not permit will not stand. At this point all I hear is, its not over and if you are not defeated in your mind, you are not defeated in reality. Regardless of that situation you might be going through, I encourage you, that it is not over because when God is in it, there is no limit. Jer37:27 says i am the Lord God, is anything too hard for me to do? To that I say, absolutely nothing. Trust God today, cos He is able to turn it all around for your good.And when you can face the facts of life, with the truth of His word, it is called F A I T H. Rather than accept whatever comes your way and call it your fate, challenge it rather with your faith and God will surely show up for you. Trust me, He always sorts it out. YES!

The One Thing Successful People Never Do

 Success comes in all shapes and colours. You can be successful in your job and career but you can equally be successful in your marriage, at sports or a hobby. Whatever success you are after there is one thing all radically successful people have in common: Their ferocious drive and hunger for success makes them never give up.

Successful people (or the people talking or writing about them) often paint a picture of the perfect ascent to success. In fact, some of the most successful people in business, entertainment and sport have failed. Many have failed numerous times but they have never given up. Successful people are able to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and carry on trying.

I have collected some examples that should be an inspiration to anyone who aspires to be successful. They show that if you want to succeed you should expect failure along the way. I actually believe that failure can spur you on and make you try even harder. You could argue that every experience of failure increases the hunger for success. The truly successful won't be beaten, they take responsibility for failure, learn from it and start all over from a stronger position.

Let's look at some examples,

Henry Ford - the pioneer of modern business entrepreneurs and the founder of the Ford Motor Company failed a number of times on his route to success. His first venture to build a motor car got dissolved a year and a half after it was started because the stockholders lost confidence in Henry Ford. Ford was able to gather enough capital to start again but a year later pressure from the financiers forced him out of the company again. Despite the fact that the entire motor industry had lost faith in him he managed to find another investor to start the Ford Motor Company - and the rest is history.

Walt Disney - one of the greatest business leaders who created the global Disney empire of film studios, theme parks and consumer products didn't start off successful. Before the great success came a number of failures. Believe it or not, Walt was fired from an early job at the Kansas City Star Newspaper because he was not creative enough! In 1922 he started his first company called Laugh-O-Gram. The Kansas based business would produce cartoons and short advertising films. In 1923, the business went bankrupt. Walt didn't give up, he packed up, went to Hollywood and started The Walt Disney Company.

Richard Branson - He is undoubtedly a successful entrepreneur with many successful ventures to his name including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Music and Virgin Active. However, when he was 16 he dropped out of school to start a student magazine that didn't do as well as he hoped. He then set up a mail-order record business which did so well that he opened his own record shop called Virgin. Along the way to success came many other failed ventures including Virgin Cola, Virgin Vodka, Virgin Clothes, Virgin Vie, Virgin cards, etc.

Oprah Winfrey - who ranks No 1 in the Forbes celebrity list and is recognised as the queen of entertainment based on an amazing career as iconic talk show host, media proprietor, actress and producer. In her earlier career she had numerous set-backs, which included getting fired from her job as a reporter because she was 'unfit for television', getting fired as co-anchor for the 6 O'clock weekday news on WJZ-TV and being demoted to morning TV.

J.K. Rowling - who wrote the Harry Potter books selling over 400 million copies and making it one of the most successful and lucrative book and film series ever. However, like so many writers she received endless rejections from publishers. Many rejected her manuscript outright for reasons like 'it was far too long for a children's book' or because 'children books never make any money'. J.K. Rowling's story is even more inspiring because when she started she was a divorced single mum on welfare.

Bill Gates -co-founder and chairman of Microsoft dropped out of Harvard and set up a business called Traf-O-Data. The partnership between him, Paul Allen and Paul Gilbert was based on a good idea (to read data from roadway traffic counters and create automated reports on traffic flows) but a flawed business model that left the company with few customers. The company ran up losses between 1974 and 1980 before it was closed. However, Bill Gates and Paul Allen took what they learned and avoided those mistakes when they created the Microsoft empire.

History is littered with many more similar examples:

Milton Hershey failed in his first two attempts to set up a confectionary business.

H.J. Heinz set up a company that produced horseradish, which went bankrupt shortly after.

Steve Jobs got fired from Apple, the company he founded. Only to return a few years later to turn it into one of the most successful companies ever.

So, the one thing successful people never do is: Give up! I hope that this is inspiration and motivation for everyone who aspires to be successful in whatever way they chose. Do you agree or disagree with me? Are there other things you would add to the list of things successful people never do? Please share your thoughts...(Bernard Marr, http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130715085900-64875646-the-one-thing-successful-people-never-do)

My Home Made Banana Smoothie

Everything can be turned around for your good/use and why do I say that? Few days ago, I received a fruit basket. Its so funny however because a night before I had my last portion of fruits and reminded myself to replenish it the next day and before I know what is going on, I receive this massive basket of fruits. However grateful I was, there were lots of bananas and bananas are not my thing at all. I just find them to full in my mouth lol. So what do I do, I begin to split the fruits with my colleagues and you know what fruit I start with! Yes the bananas of course, but today not even one person wanted a banana regardless of how good they looked. So I am stuck with all these bananas. As I make my way home, I dont just feel good chucking all those bananas in the bin, knowing that it costs someone money and there are starving people all over the world, and at that moment a thought came to me, I so love my milk as well as youghurts, so I will make a delicious smoothie yummy! I have never made one before, I normally just pick it up from the shops, but I told myself, definitely this is not rocket science and I started out to try out my banana smoothie after scanning through the recipe.
The steps are really so easy and the taste,so refreshing

INGREDIENTS 
Bananas
Crushed Ice
Milk
Yoghurts
Strawberries, vanilla flavour, almonds(optional)

STEPS
Wash and slice your bananas

Add your slice bananas to your blending, gently adding your yoghurt and milk. For me I am really conscious of my food so I use semi skimmed milk and low fat yoghurt. But any will do.

                                                  semi- skimmed milk

                                         Rather than add vanilla flavour, I just added flavoured yoghurt. Easy!

                                                      Glass of crushed ice

                                      A combination of it all in the blender, looks this way.

And you have got your lovely smoothie! Enjoy!
And if you are gonna leave some in the refrigerator, always shake before consumption

The Perfect Planner

Most of us believe in chance, luck or coincidence. However I belong to a different school of thought. I am of the opinion that everything happens for different reasons, and the timing, place, people and situations are all orchestrated by God. To buttress this fact, I will share a part of the scripture I read in my devotion this morning.

Judges 7:7-15.   7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. 

The Israelites were constantly oppressed by the Midianites and the Lord raised a man to deliver Israel in the person of Gideon. However he was a bit lily livered about the whole idea and at some point God had to speak to him through the same people he dreaded. The Lord gave a Midianite a dream, and as it was being interpreted by his fellow Midianite, Gideon had come down to the camp of the Midianites and heard the entire conversation and this braced him up to face the Midianites and subsequently subdue them. Coincidence some may call this, but I call it Gods perfect planning . Not just in this case but  in several instances like the samaritan woman meeting Jesus at the well, the man at the pool of bethsaida, Rebekah meeting Eleazar and getting married to Isaac and so many more. 

In our daily lives most times we meet people in the shops, in the parking lot, at work, on the train and one thing leads to another and when a conversation is struck, we end up getting the information/knowledge/network/encouragement we need to take us to the next level. And I don't called this luck, I call it the PERFECT PLANNER AT WORK. Life is not all about getting God involved but its about letting Him lead. 
And as you do so today, may you experience peace and fulfillment like never before.

TODAYS PRAYER
Lord I know you have got good  plans for me, and as I step out today, let everything and everyone you have planned to take me to that place of fulfillment  work according to plan. Give me the grace to recognise you at work in everything I do, to be a blessing to all around me and to not take your blessings to me for granted by attributing my success to my skill/ability/knowledge or to someone else. Because only in pleasing you do we come to that state of REST. 

Blog To Voice: 08/07/13-6pm

I mentioned I will be on air forthnightly, however tight schedules and deadlines have made this a herculean task. However dreams dont die, if you think yours has, I challenge you to think again, and if that seems to much to ask, better still dream another dream YES! Because when you stop dreaming, you stop living. Tomorrow however the 8th of July I will be  a guest for the second time on  http://londonchristianradio.com/

Time is 6pm( British Summer Time). You can listen in via, ITunes or via the link above. You can call in to drop a word or two.
Have you got a registered charity in the UK, benefiting your local community and would need a bit of funding? contact me via email on ellyeleanor123@gmail.com.
Do have a fabulous week!                                                    

A Daughters Worth

A friend sent me this story, and the reality of it just made me smile. See if you identify with it  

A couple made a deal the night of their Marriage to

NOT open the door of their room to anybody who

comes knocking in the morning for any reason!

In the morning the parents of the husband came &

knocked on the door, the husband & the wife were

looking at each other & as they agreed before, they

didn't open the door.

After a while the parents of the bride came knocking

at the door to check on them, the couple were

looking at each other, then the bride dropped a tear

& started crying she said: "I cannot keep them

knocking & not open the door, I miss them already"

husband didn't say anything & he let her open the

door for her

parents.

Years & years passed & the couple had 5 children, the

first ones were boys & the 5th was a little girl, when

she was born the father was extremely happy that Almighty 

blessed him with her, &

he threw a Huge Party for her in Grand style, people

were so amazed with his joy & his happiness that

they asked him,

why are you so happy with her more than

you were before with her older brothers?

He answered simply: "She is the one who will open

the door for me"

Baby girls are the comfort of the eyes of their father!

They hold the key to their mothers hearts!

Daughters are really unique. They care for their

parents even after they are married.

Its rightly said, "A son is a son till he gets a Wife, a

daughter is a daughter the rest of her Life!

Dedicated to all Daughters &

Daughters- in-law.

The Man; Mark Carney!

I do not usually read profiles of individuals except they really leave an imprint on me. However for Mark Carney, I just had to. An Oxford as well as Harvard university graduate. He has been described as the outstanding central banker of the year by George Osborne, and it is not all the time you hear the British with their tight upper lip commend people especially when they are non British. However to make a difference you have to break out from the realm of the ordinary to the extra ordinary while still maintaining humility. Mark Joseph Carney was the Canadian central bank governor. He was the eighth Governor of the Bank of Canada and is the Chairman of the G20's Financial Stability Board. These appointments were on October 4, 2007, and on November 4, 2011. However he happens to be the first non British to occupy the position of Governor of bank of england in its 200 years . His wife is also a smart lady, an economist too like him. At some point, I was having a laugh with a colleague, and I say "I believe they will be discussing the economy/work over dinner and she will be making contributions which will help Mark function effectively lol!



Yea its obvious I really admire strong men, but when this combines with humility, it is absolutely mind blowing. Most men can endure adversity but to truly understand a man, test him with power. Mark Carney warmed his way to the heart of most people like me as he was spotted on the train to work. He has really proved that when you know your onus, you break across barriers/protocols. Never say never! Sometimes we are so used to routine that we become uncomfortable with leaving our comfort zone. Dare to be the best at whatever you find yourself doing. Maturity like someone said is not when we do big things but when we start understanding small things. *DREAM BIG*