Gods love...

Gods love...... so amazing!



 

On replay...

On replay...

Life Is What You Make It...

Because UCB is my favourite devotional.... due to the practicality and reality of their write ups.

Please read and be blessed! Link is at the bottom in case you want to subscribe.

Have a fab Friday.

The story’s told of a wise old man. Every day he and his granddaughter would sit outside his petrol station in rocking chairs, waiting to greet tourists as they passed through their small town. One day a tall man with the appearance of a tourist started looking around like he was checking out the area for a place to live. ‘So what kind of town is this anyway?’ he asked. The old man replied, ‘Well, what kind of town are you from?’ The man replied, ‘One where the people are critical of each other. It’s a real negative place to live.’ The old man said, ‘You know, that’s just how this town is too.’ 

Later, a family passing through also stopped for petrol. The father stepped out and asked the old man, ‘Is this town a good place to live?’ ‘Well, what about the town you’re from?’ he replied. The man said, ‘Where I’m from everyone’s close, and always willing to lend a helping hand. I really hate to leave it.’ The old man smiled and said, ‘You know what, that’s a lot like this town.’ After the family drove off, the old man’s granddaughter looked up and asked, ‘Grandpa, how come you told the first man this was a terrible place to live, and when the second family asked, you told them it was a wonderful place to live?’ The old man looked into her big blue eyes and said, ‘Sweetheart, no matter where you go, you take your attitude with you – and that’s what makes it terrible or wonderful.’ Yes, life is what you make it! Which is why the Bible says, ‘For the happy heart, life is a continual feast.’

https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today/15124

Encouragement..... Do It!

Today a friend from Canada sent me a link on Mission statement published by www.tekedia.com. She never knew I was already hooked to the blog to the extent that I actually introduce people around me to it.  Once I saw the link, before I even clicked on it, I responded "I love Ndubisi's writing" to which she responded me too! I have gotten so much inspiration from his blog www.tekedia.com. It's like my go to blog site at the end of the day. As I plan to become a successful entrepreneur, I get so much knowledge and insight from his page. I follow him on Linked In and few moments ago as I read his post, I said to myself
 "why don't you send him a mail, if he has been such a huge source of inspiration"?

Encouragement is one thing that is lacking in our world today. We are so quick to critic, but when someone is doing something really great, we sit on the sidelines and sometimes even act indifferently like its a walk in the park. I never cease to encourage people that inspire me, I must say I am so generous with that. It might be because, I don't want them to stop doing what they do because I know, its easier to get discouraged than encouraged.






When was the last time you encouraged someone? Be it someone you know or even a total stranger?

See the message I sent to Ndubuisi. It's genuinely how I feel about his write ups. You could check out his blog and maybe you might just get hooked like I am😊, depending on what your interest is...


Hi Ndubuisi,
I must say I love reading your write ups and I am so proud of you. Today a friend sent me a link of your write up on Mission statement without knowing I already follow you and my response to her was "I love reading Ndubuisi's write up" to which she equally concurred. Thank you so much for inspiring us through your writing, humility and achievements and for being a good example to young folks (especially us millennials) for encouraging us to do better and "be more", for proving to us that hard work pays and most especially for teaching us that a good head is a fantastic asset but the right attitude will get us farther than our intellect ever will.
 God bless you!

On replay...

Rhema

The presence of the storm is not an indication of the absence of God!

God is in the storm, don't let the storm make you vacillate

Mt 8: 23-24

5 phrases Christians need to stop saying!

I really like to read Frank Powell's write ups.  I read his blog and follow him on twitter and his write ups are always so inspiring and leaves me thinking deeply about the practicality of Gods word and it challenges a lot of stereotypes I have about several issues. I posted his write ups HERE  and HERE 2 years ago and 4 years ago respectively and they both top amongst the most read articles on this blog.

I hope this blesses you the way I was richly blessed..

Every culture has jargon, common words and phrases that mean something to those in the group. I’m not against these phrases.

Some commonly used phrases, however, are more than a tired collection of words. They’re harmful. They inaccurately reflect something about God’s character.

Here are 5 phrases Christians need to stop saying.

1. I don’t have peace about it. 

Seven years ago, I found myself faced with a life-altering decision: stay at my current job as an engineer or leave engineering for full-time ministry.

I prayed about it for weeks. I begged God for a clear sign. I mean, we’re not talking about choosing a candy bar at a checkout line. We’re talking about a complete uprooting of everything. I knew nothing about working at a church. And my 25-year retirement plan? Gone. Like dropping-your- wedding-ring-in-the-ocean-gone. Being a pastor isn’t about money and certainly not about benefits. Can a brother get some insurance coverage?

Faced with the most difficult decision of my life, surely God would give me a sign. Maybe an angel would come to me in a dream like Joseph? Maybe God would speak audibly to me like he did Abraham and Moses?

Nothing happened, friends.

And here’s the thing: at no point did I feel peace about this. I felt terror. Like suddenly realizing you forgot to slide on pantaloons before tripping to the local market.

This terror is not much different from basically every door God opens in the Bible.

Tell me, really? Where in the Bible did someone feel peace about an open door from God? Did Abraham feel peace about leaving his family, his culture? When God opened a door for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, did peace like a river attendeth his way? What about Jesus? Did our Savior feel peace about going to the cross? No, no and no.

I wonder how many Christians have refused to enter the life they were called to because they didn’t feel peace about stepping through a door in front of them?

Often times, when we don’t have peace about something, what we really don’t have is certainty. What we really don’t have is comfort and familiarity.

The path to a bigger, more meaningful life is almost always through doors of uncertainty, the path to which paved with terror. God doesn’t give us all the answers because he wants us to trust him with every step up to and beyond the door.

2. This will pass. Things will get better.

When we suffer, our first thought is, “When will this be over?” Maybe we’re just responding as humans here – raise your hand if you like to suffer? But maybe it’s the way we’re conditioned living in a mostly safe, comfortable country.

I’m not against freedom. But such statements as “things will get better” you will find not in Scripture. Suffering was a door’s knock away for most folks in the Bible, you see. Sometimes it was the rival empire (Philistines) or the governing empire (Romans). Regardless, God’s people knew that things didn’t always get better.

Some of you reading this know the same.

A couple months ago, I spent several weeks at the Mayo Clinic. Every day, scooting from one “ologist” to another, I walked past hundreds of people who would not get better. I remember one girl vividly. After a long morning, I sat my hind end on a seat in the cafeteria. My eye catches this girl across the way, visibly tired but otherwise fine. Until she sat down. As soon as bottom hit the chair, she lost it. I mean lost it. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was just told. Was she given a terminal diagnosis? Was she teetering on the edge of hope and despair?

I don’t know. But in that moment I realized suffering must be more than a season to endure. Because sometimes the season doesn’t end, not on this side of eternity.

Eugene Peterson says, “One of our commonest ploys in comforting the suffering is to talk about the future even though we know nothing about it.”

Do you see the danger of such a statement? We make ourselves and others believe God will make things better. He will take away the dark cloud of depression. He will remove the pain of losing your spouse. He will heal your cancer.

And God might. But he might not.

The message we need to hear is this: God doesn’t promise us a better tomorrow or a future without storms; instead he offers to be with us in the present, to walk with us through the storm.

Suffering isn’t a mark of divine absence. Comfort is primarily tied to the present because that’s where we experience his presence.

3. I’m blessed.

God loves to bless his people. He starts early. Like in chapter one of the Bible. Hardly out of the starting gate, in Genesis 1:28, we read, “Then God blessed them (Adam and Eve)…” If your God is more concerned with smiting than blessing, you missed something somewhere.

So what’s the problem with saying “I’m blessed”?

At times, we see it through a cultural lens.

“Tom, how are you?” Aw, man. Life is good. I’m blessed.

“Sally, where is your daughter going to college next year?” She got a scholarship to attend Stanford. “Scholarship? Wow, what a blessing.”

“Just closed on my first house. Livin’ the blessed life.”

Too often, we equate God’s blessing with our circumstances or possessions. Both are flawed interpretations of the blessed life.

Let’s take circumstances. Last year, I went through the most difficult year of my life. I felt a lot of things – lost, confused, depressed. What I didn’t feel was blessed. Life was mostly sucky.

In the Bible, however, the blessing of God has nothing to do with the events of your life. Blessing is a declaration of God’s approval of you, that God is for you and loves you. God’s blessing is a reflection of your identity, not your circumstances.

And possessions. Look, I’m not against houses and cars and certainly not scholarships. But many in the world own neither a car or a house. Are we to say these folks aren’t blessed? Of course not. If you’ve ever flown or chartered across waters to visit folks with next to nothing you were probably struck by how much they enjoyed life.

In God’s kingdom, the blessed life comes to the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted. I’m referencing, here, Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1-12).

Possessions and circumstances have nothing to do with the blessed life.

The statement, “I’m blessed,” is as foundational a statement of truth as anyone can utter. You are blessed, right now, no matter your circumstances. No power of hell or scheme of man can negate this. You are loved by God. He is for you.

Receive this blessing.

4. It’s a God thing.

I get it. Sometimes stuff happens that is so beyond reason, so past your power and ability, you can only conclude God stepped in. Christians also say “It’s a God thing” as a way to deflect personal attention and give praise to God.

This statement implies, however, that some things are without God’s involvement, mostly the things within our power and reason, the ordinary and normal. Ninety-nine percent of days, in other words.

God is present and active in all situations at all times. The best and worst. The unexplainable and the hopelessly mundane. The mountain’s summit and the valley’s darkness.

When you change little Billy’s diaper, that’s a God thing. Monday morning is a God thing. So is a weekend with the in-laws.

Every moment is a God moment, if we have eyes to see.

5. Prayer works.

For many Christians – including number one – prayer has mostly been a one-sided dialogue with God. I would talk to God about the stuff I wanted him to fix, and more frequently depending on the severity of the stuff needing fixin’.

I approached prayer this way because God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do. And because I was led to believe if I prayed hard enough for long enough, he would answer my requests (fix my problems).

But sometimes he didn’t. This angered me. “God, were you not listening? I asked specifically. Did I say it wrong? Was my posture incorrect?

Good friends, prayer is not a means to get what you want. Prayer is a means to enter into a relationship with your Creator.

That’s what prayer is, relationship with God. That’s not to say God won’t give you what you want. Sometimes, he does the miraculous. But if he doesn’t heal your cancer or give you that child or that dream job, nothing has changed, not with God or with you. Prayer hasn’t stopped working. God hasn’t stopped desiring a relationship with you.

http://blog.baysideonline.com/2018/01/5-things-most-christians-say-but-shouldnt/#comment-1282

W O R D!

There won't always be a bridge to the other side.... however

When mom is no more...

Today I kept thinking of most of my friends whose moms were no more and how they must feel on a day like this most especially.....

I pray for comfort for all those whose moms are no more, the place of a mom is indeed irreplaceable....

Image: Pinterest

Mama!

Earlier in the week as I was getting dressed to go out, I was on a video call with mum & the following conversation ensued...

Mum: What is wrong with your tummy?

Me:   (Confused face) How? Why?

Mum: Why is it so big?

Me: (At this point, I knew where this conversation was headed) I just ate (I lied! 😁)

Mum: So?? Is that enough reason? Remember nothing has passed through that tummy, so fix up!

My mum still tells me off about my looks, my hair, my skin(she's actually slowed down on that one! I finally passed lol!) the way I treat people etc. She's not afraid to look me in the eye and give me the truth without mixing words but I love her all the same! All that I and my brothers are, are a direct reflection of how she has raised us and the values she has instilled in us...

It may sound like a cliche but... I love this woman so much!

W O R D!

Entrepreneur Minds....How to Invest N20m in Nigeria Right Now

I follow Ndubuisi Ekekwe on LinkedIn and I must say, I enjoy his write up and analysis of different financial real scenarios. In fact I think he is actually my best Influencer on LinkedIn followed by Jeff Weiner (guess you saw that coming lol! Love me some Jeff) I don't just enjoy reading his article but I have become quite knowledgeable on several sectors that I was practically bereft of knowledge. This was his response to a question posed. You might want to check it out for yourself via the link: https://www.tekedia.com/how-to-invest-your-n20m-in-nigeria-right-now/  

 Also read the discussions as I did not post that bit here. It broadens you horizons as you key all the pieces together. Knowledge is important.... 

How to Invest Your N20m in Nigeria Right Now

March 3, 2018 | by ndubuisi ekekwe | 

Question from a Tekedia subscriber:

“I have N20m which I have in Union Bank for treasury bill. The money was payoff from previous job. But unlike in the past where TB instructions could be in perpetual, now the bank does not reinvest automatically. I can’t be doing same monthly. I want to move the money and invest in something else. Any suggestions on good options in Nigeria. I look for max of 3 years with highest safe returns. Prof help.” Kinsdon.

My answer

Dear Kinsdon,

I will break this into components to provide the basis upon which I will offer an opinion, at your own risk. Here are pillars:

• Duration: You want duration of maximum of 3 years. This essentially cuts out many investment options in Nigeria
• Hedge: I will be looking at how to break the N20m. So, instead of investing in one specific area/project, it can be distributed
• Country: The country is Nigeria with our political economy, growth prospects, market trajectories, etc. I will take into consideration that the investment will be in Nigeria
• Indicators: I know that inflation is a huge factor and we have to look at value of money and not just the face value. In other words, N20m today at $1=N350 may be ‘bigger” (think of value for money due to inflation) than N22m in three years if $1 becomes N620 (we hope not of course, but this is for scenario mapping)
• Others: You are sector agnostic as you did not notice any sector you think you want to put this money

Your Investment Thesis

By reading your question, I can infer the following:

• Planner:  You like planning. That is why you have put a time frame on this investment. Possibly, you have something you want to do with the money after 3 years
• Risk Appetite: Though I do not know how long this money was in treasury bill, I can infer that you seem happy with its returns. After all, if not that the bank has offered you a poor service, you may still be there. It was working. Simply, you seem to be happy with TB-level returns

Options

The following are the options, based on my synthesis of the scenario. This is happening as I am typing. The thought-process is how long it took me to type this, which is live.

• Fixed deposit: You fix the money for three years in a good bank in Nigeria. That will do better than TB
• Treasury bills: This can be substituted with the fixed deposit for higher returns
• Stock market: You look for some good stocks especially in banking and invest. The risk is there but most are so beaten that they have no room to fall further.
• Agribusiness: You explore agro-investing through aggregation with those doing so. Read my works on Aggregation Construct by searching tekedia.com. There are companies doing so. I listed some in my new book
• Trade financing: You contribute to finance trade in some Igbo men going to China. But you need to have the right people. They mop money and use that money to bring container. This is a thriving business in Aba and Onitsha as most have shunned banks owing to the fees. And with the good returns, some people are taking risks. They offer good contracts and in some cases provide collateral as they own shops. Make it formal.
• Startup/Angel investing: This is off for you as the 3 years will be too short for any meaningful support to the startup. You need to have a window of about 6 years to invest here

Recommendation

At your own risk, here are my recommendations:

Put 50% in fixed deposit for three years. Most banks will give you more than the yield on TB. Since you are already happy with TB, I can say that FD will be good for you. The only issue here is that you cannot have access to the money until three years.

Put 25% in stock market. Notice that some of the beaten banks are coming up. Over the last two years, UBA had moved from N2.80 to about N9 (updated to N12). I am not saying that you should buy UBA but I am saying that there are values in the market. Stay with banking as that is the most liquid sector in Nigeria now

Put 25% in either trade financing or agribusiness. On the agribusiness, you may need to do some works. There are many young entrepreneurs who are helping people invest in farming. That seems lucrative from their reports. I do not know where you live. In Aba and Onitsha, some people put money to finance trade. Some men mop cash and travel to China to bring containers. The return if you pool money with them is around 20-30% in four months. It is a solid business outside the banking sector run by some Igbo men. Say someone needs to import something of N120 million, they pool money and once the items come in, they sell wholesale and balance the people that funded them.

Good luck

Nd

PLAIN TALK!

I wont be able to go into this in detail. However the talk show will do justice to topics like this and more...wait on it! In the mean time, what are your thoughts? 😊

On replay...

F A C T

I was listening to Joseph Prince earlier today and heard him say this...

Not just your spouse but that person that keeps getting under your skin! I learnt this years ago.

Learn to rest.....