Tenderly Me

2013 Christmas day was an eventful one for me for a couple of reasons...  Firstly, we didn't have the traditional turkey meal - much to the disappointment of my eight year old daughter.  We had a traditional Nigerian meal which she enjoyed so much and I hope I have been forgiven for breaking the tradition! The second reason and the real story here is about the little chaos over Christmas gifts with my neighbours. Here is the story... I had received a gift with a greeting card two days before Christmas and it had the names of the senders and the address of number 4.  The names made no sense to me because although, I am very friendly with my neighbours, I have no idea what their names are.  Anyway, the confusion really is because I wasn't sure if the card and gift came from the actual number 4 address of the street or the flat 4 in a block of flat on the same street. The Brain storm This leaves me trying to figure out who the culprit is???  Hmmm, the street number 4

A few weeks ago, while trying to give myself a hair cut (don't like going to the Barber's - it's just not girly to say you are going there).  Anyway, I forgot to place the guide comb on the clipper and you can guess what happened next... The moment I felt the cold metal on my scalp, I knew I had made a really really stupid mistake. I looked at the little pile of my hair in the bath tub and felt like crying. I wished there was a way I could undo or fix it with some magic glue or something.  Anyway, to cut the long story short, I went to buy a wig and wore it for almost 4 weeks until my hair grew back. I hated the wig, it just wasn't me despite the 'you look nice Abi' comments I received from friends. I learnt a few lessons from that experience; one, when you make wrong moves, you have to be patient and endure the inconveniences or maybe pain that comes with them. They won't last - as the saying in the Bible goes "... and it came to pass...". S

The Christian religion is no rocket science, not complicated...  If it was, ordinary people will not have access to God or the Bible - only the elites will understand and be saved.  It is simply a message of love - The God of the Universe came down to earth in human form to show us how to live, to love and be saved.  Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 1 : 20-25 - The Message 20 So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? 21 Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb - preaching, of all things! - to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. 22 While Jews clamour for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, 23 we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle - and Greeks pass it off as absu

The ungagging of God is the title of a seminar I attended at this year's Spring Harvest in Somerset.  It does sound very unusual but made some sense by the time I came out of the seminar venue.  We Christians sometimes don't know this but we tend to keep God safely locked up when we are out of church or not at home or when not with other Christians.  We often lock Him up safely in our hearts and miss opportunities to share Him with our non-Christian friends.  Or sometimes we just come on too strongly and argumentative when talking about our faith. God's presence is all around us and we need to be conscious of this and let Him guide us to speak from our hearts and not just because we want to speak.  Thank God for modern technologies! television, internet, the social networks etc. we just don't have face-to-face communication anymore, we can now communicate in so many ways! Paul quoted from the old testament in Romans 10:14-15 (The Message). 14 But how can p

The Bible tells us that God raised Jesus to life (Matthew 28:5-7).  A  fundamental law of nature was reversed here because we all know that dead men don't come back to life? And if God created the universe, that means He created the laws that governs the universe.  Afterall the Bible also says that with God all things are possible - Matthew 19:26. But... how do we know this is true and not some sentimental myth started off by some religious sect. For me my belief is based on the following'  1. My life experiences... God's amazing and wonderful works in my life.  They give me this solid foundation on which my faith stands and can not be shaken. 2. Changed lives... those who saw the risen Christ - their lives were never the same again... 3. And countless people who through the generations have had personal encounters with Jesus and told their stories. God does not ask us to have blind faith in Him; He helps us overcome our doubts and reveals Himself t

I need to constantly remind myself not to let things get to me... can't help it sometimes... the 'human part' of me keeps showing up first as soon as a problem comes up.  The 'spirit Abi' on the other hand stays calm and shows up when I finally let it.  It must have been busy communicating with the Holy Spirit I guess. Thank God for the Holy Spirit - this Bible saying certainly rings true "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" Roman 8:26 . I had a little problem with Tumi's carers last week - a little problem with the contract we signed.  I had three options:- take one of the two contracts they offered which meant I will have to pay more or the third option which is to terminate our contract and look elsewhere for childcare.  To say I was upset is an understatement,  my whole week was messed up - my calls to some childcarers

Lately, I've been having this feeling that I have reached a turning point in my life.  Turning point in my faith, my career, personal life... From my past experience, it is the time to pray pray pray and wait wait wait on the LORD.  Knowing myself, I have this habit of finishing off God's work for Him - just like Abraham and Sarah did...  when they helped the LORD with giving birth to a heir - Ishmael! Dear LORD, please please please put a 'hold' on me so I don't shoot off without YOU.  Give me the patience of King David...  who waited 15 years to become the king of Israel after he had been anointed by Samuel. As the Lord Jesus taught us to pray; ...Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven... So let it be done in my life, and in our lives - Amen

God's face shines When the rainbow smiles across the sky And a calmness descends upon the earth after the storm And the Spirit of God hovers over the face of the earth And the wind whispers as it passes by The voice of God saying; I own the universe. It's all mine. I AM in control. I AM GOD. The Spirit of God ministers to my spirit And I feel at peace God is on His throne.

Lately, I have had trouble trying to stop myself from wondering why terrible things keep happening in our world.  Earthquakes, sunami, floods, terrible crimes, bombings, killings, etc. God is surely on the throne and the Bible says the earth is His footstool! Then, Michelle Tume's song 'Outrageous Grace' came to my mind...  Though, there are a lot of bad things happening in the world, there are a lot more beautiful things happening as well... There’s a lot of pain but a lot more healing There’s a lot of trouble but a lot more peace There’s a lot of hate but a lot more loving There’s a lot of sin but a lot more grace Oh outrageous grace oh outrageous grace Love unfurled by heaven’s hand Oh outrageous grace oh outrageous grace Through my Jesus I can stand There’s a lot of fear but a lot more freedom There’s a lot of darkness but a lot more light There’s a lot of cloud but a lot more vision There’s a lot of perishing but a lot more life There’s an

What do you do when you can not be sure if the decision you made on the spur of the moment is God-inspired or you-inspired? When you are in a desperate situation? And pressures seem to be mounting up and up and up...  And suddenly help comes from the least expected person... Someone who would give their right arm to see you sinking in the sea of misery years ago... is now the same person now giving both arms to carry you through.  Is this God at work in His mysterious way or...  Or some mad luck... or what? The aftermath...  Lord, did I do the right thing here? accepting this offer of help? or am I digging a bigger hole of trouble...  a big payback situation?  But... I was in a desperate situation Lord... And I was crying out to You Lord, remember?  I was asking You - how do I get myself out of this one?  This is too complicated for me.  It's bad timing - not that there will ever be a right time for something like this.  Well, I have taken this decision and I am not sure if i

We humans are the most unique and complex of all living beings.   The Bible says we are wonderfully made! How true!   I praise you because I am fearfully and   wonderfully   made ; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.   Psalm 139:14 - by David. As we are wonderfully made in a positive way...  I suppose some of us have our wonderfully weird, strange and funny ways as well... The diverse differences in our race, colour, cultures, languages, tastes, behaviours, to name a few is overwhelming even for us fellow humans... So how do we cope with this complexity? How does God cope with us?  His love for us I guess... that is the simple answer! We are so uniquely different in so many ways and it is important to remember this when our reactions to certain situations are so different from that of others - even our own children...  or when we try to change people.  This is why I find it hard to understand why some people think there is no God.  It is not possible for the