Won't He Do It?

I'm writing this because today I officially graduate with my Doctoral degree Hooorayyyy!!!  It has been a very long and arduous journey nonetheless, rewarding. Coming to the US completely changed my view on life, taught me humility, tenacity and strengthened my faith and relationship with God (God always, I mean alwaysss showed up and showed out for me). When i had no strength left or confidence in myself, He showed Himself strong on my behalf, He spoke for me when i couldn't, stood up for me when i couldn't stand or speak for myself, even when adversity came against me, He silenced the mouth of my detractors and gave me victory. I can't even say it all, this God we serve is Awesome, Glorious and Faithful is He.

I started on this journey 5 years ago. Woke up one morning totally determined to leave my job amidst uncertainties. I had always talked about getting an advanced degree but that was where it ended-talk. That morning however, I was fully decided, registered for the GRE and took the test. My joy knew no bounds when I gained an admission, I was elated but afraid. Afraid to leave my family, afraid to leave the familiar, afraid to go back to school after such a long time, even afraid to leave my job.  I had never left Naija prior that, had been denied visas twice  (thank you ohhh ndi UK). All I knew about obodo oyibo was what i watched on TV and what my active imagination fed me. Boy, was I shocked when i got here. Quite unlike what i had seen on TV & imagined, I learnt (1) Ndi ocha were ordinary, simple people (2) Not everyone lived in a big house with well manicured lawn (like we see in sitcoms) (3) Ndi oji did not consider you one of them just because you have same skin color (4) There is practically a name for everything (5) Oyinbo food doesn't taste as good as it looks (i've since changed my opinion on this though, now that I live in the pacific northwest, food up here tastes so good!) and last but not the least (6) I had an accent! (forget the fact my friends used to applaud my 'fone' speaking skills back in naija) lol

Living in a foreign country came with its challenges. I never knew how strong I was until I got here. So maaaaany curve balls. Financial, emotional and even mental struggles, goshhh!!. Worked all sorts of odd jobs, was it a paid job?, Yes?, I did it!....  I tutored, braided hair, took care of kids, even did bus conductor kind work sef lol, all to survive.  I needed to pay my school fees and stay registered. Scheduled breaks were my best times cause i could work 40 hours/wk or more, one time I had two on-campus jobs, worked one during the day and another one through the night. As they always say, things gets better with time and true to that, I got a fellowship my third year of school which paid me well enough to ease my financial burden. I loved and enjoyed working on my research. Research in itself was tough- endless hours in the lab carrying out experiments, repeating those experiments, writing papers, attending conferences, etc... Didn't have the best of relationship with my advisor (maybe partly my fault) and this made things a bit more stressful even though as I look back now, i'd say my experience with him toughened me. I am eternally grateful for all the support I got from family and friends. When you have people who believe in you, who will stick out their neck for you and support you, there is nothing you can't achieve. God blessed me with people who supported me financially, encouraged me and prayed for/with me. My experience in the US these past 5 years has been nothing short of eventful. Just like so many international students, we all have a story...

As we get into this period of Christmas, may we find the joy, healing, satisfaction and blessings that we desire. May we remember to count our blessings and name them one by one, amidst challenges and difficult times, if we hold on and refuse to give up, He will help us win. Look at God?, Won't He do It?

Compliments of the season!

-Beulah

2015...

This was a great year. God showed up and showed out in my life in so many ways. I can't even shout, I don't even know where to start from. No monetary value can be placed on the blessings I received this year. God gave me more than I requested for, He gave me Himself! I was transformed spiritually, I changed on the inside, I became a better & newer me, I found God for myself, I fell in love with Jesus like never before. He restored hope in me, gave me joy and increased my peace. I learnt to trust Him in my struggles, in my insecurities and in my fears, He never failed, always came through for me.

I started the year with specific prayer points & I must say God heard my prayers because He helped me. In January, I desperately needed to quit the job I had because the hours were not conducive & it was a very stressful job. God heard me & helped me. He gave me a job I had previously been turned down for. He used a random person to helped me. I needed another job when my time with that one elapsed, he provided for me again and He did it again & again!!! I can't even say why/how I got those jobs because I wasn't the most qualified, but God's grace, His mercy and love made it all happen. Indeed, God took care of me this year, He is my Shepherd and I am completely grateful to Him. In the same vein, my sister and her husband finished their programs & got awesome jobs beyond their imagination, It could only have been God.

I want to thank God He kept me and every member of my family in good health & condition, he brought reconciliation and love amongst us. We travelled to so many places, he granted us journey mercies, he blessed us with means of transportation, new opportunities and new friendships, He did so much more than we could ever dream or imagine and for that, we say THANKYOU, Chukwudalu. I know 2016 is going to be a bigger & better year and I thank God immensely for it.

Happy 2016!!!

Beulah!

Yay!, Its Spring... #BringBackOurGirls

I guess its too late to wish you a happy New year but "happy newyear" anyways!.... Its a new year on my blog...LOL!. It was a very brutal winter and i'm sooooo glad we are in spring nearing summer. I love it when its warm. Seriouslyyyy, i'd rather be hot than cold. It sounds weird but honestly its true. So for the past few days, we've been having more of summer-like weather than spring weather (i'm not even complaining!) the toast-ier it is, the better. And i've got some pictures to show for it...heheheee!!... I love the sun!

One nice toasty afternoon

Just at the start of Spring.... 

Nice sunset

So, Nigeria has been in the news daily and it totally saddens my heart to hear tales of kidnap, bombings, killings, lootings, e.t.c. by boko haram. It is so sad, so so depressing. My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones, my heart goes out to those who have been injured during the bomb blasts and most especially, my heart goes out to the families of the kidnapped school girls. I hope and pray they are returned safely and unharmed to their families, I pray that peace reigns in Nigeria and I pray that every one last member of the boko haram sect and their allies/sponsors be exposed and brought to books in Jesus name.


I saw this update on a friend's wall on facebook and wanted to share it on here. I find it quite interesting & true....written by Chioma O.

Never allow anyone play God in your life. You are the CEO of your life. Run your life with the One who runs things-Papa God Himself. Any attempt to arm-twist you against your will should be resisted. Sometimes, the moment you refuse to give in to them manipulators and stand your ground, they fly off the handle, put up a fight, hiding their insecurities behind judging/condemning you, a sure proof that they never had your interest at heart-it’s all about them.

Even when they claim to be “loving/protecting” you by subtly imposing their decisions on you, be smart, see beyond the veil and don’t fall for it. Tell Mr/Mrs manipulator that you are not game. Love does not force its will on others. Even our Lord Jesus Christ never coaxed anyone into accepting Him and His message. People followed Him on their own volition based on the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

You are the custodian of your life. Your life is a gift of trust from God and you are solely accountable to Him.Therefore, take FULL charge and be in charge. Never seek the approval of men. If God approves you, it doesn’t matter who disapproves you. You and God are a majority.

Man is a free moral agent, having the absolute right to think and make decisions that align with God’s perfect plan and purpose for his life. Therefore, follow your God instinct and do not be apologetic for it nor concede your rights to someone who has no right to speak over your life. Like someone rightly said, insecure people manipulate, secure people activate. On a different note, please do not forget to spare a thought and a prayer for our missing girls.



#BringBackOurGirls



Wish you a blessed & fun week! :)

A few thoughts

Been one year since i last updated, sheer laziness, nothing else...

I look back this time last year and i'm amazed, God has brought me a loooooooooooooooong way!!!!.... financially, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, name it!, i'm serious, it almost feels surreal. I had lots of battles, but God brought me through it all victoriously. I am filled with thanks, thanks, thanks.

So I wrote an exam a few weeks back and afterwards, came home and cried myself to sleep. Didn't feel i did well, i stuttered, i didn't have answers to all the questions and i felt i had flunked, but guess what?... I passed. In flying colors too. God is amazing, He always shows up for me like that. In my lowest moments and times of weaknesses, He always come through for me. Always.

Have you ever being through an experience that makes you withdraw instantly if you encountered any situation remotely similar to what you experienced? Very wise!. There's no need going through same hurtful experience twice. I recently came across someone who exhibited tendencies of a not-so-good relationship i had in the past, i fled, didn't think twice, couldn't risk that show again

I loooove TV!, when i say TV i mean Shows, comedies;  light hearted stuff that make me laugh. I don't do CSI and the likes, don't need to be reminded of how freaky d world is already **rolls eyes**. And my favorite of the shows is "The Middle"... I love the cast and how crazy & funny the Hecks family is. Patricia Heaton is such a natural actress, i love her humor, never takes herself too seriously. Another great one is "The Goldbergs" eventhough i feel its bit of an imitation of the middle but it still holds its own sha, Love 2 broke girls, Mom, Mindy's project, e.t.c. . I could go on & on about my shows but i'd stop. Just saw "The Best man holiday", it is a must watch!... I don't know if i loved it more because Taye Diggs was in it, or not, but i loved it, was a great movie. Can't wait to see "Black Nativity".... I love holiday movies.

So we've had very crazy winter weather these past few days, had about 6 inches snow this weekend and the thing is still pouring. Oh well, hope it continues tomorrow so we can have another snow day off :) Thinking of travelling down south, anywhere away from this frigid cold... its just December and i'm feeling this way already, three more months of this, oh well!

Nelson Mandela passed away this past week at 95. He will truly be missed, he lived a very fulfilling life, a  great man who set huge examples for us all, he chose to love even in the face of hatred. He was indeed a true leader. Twitter & FB was abuzz with a lot of his quotes and i wondered why they were never this circulated when he was alive. My favorite one is this:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” 

This rings so trueeeee...... Love is a choice. You choose to love and not hate. In this season of Christmas, let's go out of our way to show love and let someone know how much God loves them...

Beulah!

Chukwu Daalu (2)

The year is wounding up fast and I want to take out time to count my blessings and name them one by one.... God has been faithful. I thank God for:

1) Life 
2) Good Friends- I truly believe certain people come into our lives for a purpose and God has blessed me immensely with good friends. 
3) My Family- I thank God for every member of my family, God kept us all safe & in good health, thank God for journey mercies, two of my nephews got admitted into the university, my sister got married & also got her visa to come join her hubby
4) Good health- Never got sick, not even once. 
5) My finances - God is a miracle worker. He always showed up in this area of my life. He has thought me how to trust in him completely like a sheep would trust d shepherd. Indeed, he has been my shepherd
6) My academics- When i took the bold step to go back to school after many years of being out of d uni, i didnt know what i was getting into. thought it would be a walk in d park, but No. However, I thank God for this wisdom & grace, he has caused me to excel & triumph exceedingly in my studies.

In everything and from the bottom of my heart Lord, i say Thank You! Through the blessings, the disappointments,  the good times and the hard times, you have been faithful. Thank you for bringing me to a closer and a more loving & trusting relationship with you.


In other news, I think i might have gained atleast 10 pounds this past week. Went to golden corral twice in a row! First my friend & i went cos we wanted to eat d cheapest steak & food ever!....tehehehe! Then, my flatie (my former room mate) came into town over the weekend, and guess where we decided to go again? Yes, Golden Corral! We had so much fun eating, gisting and catching up on old times that i felt i would burst. Stuffed myself with so much food. Really have to go on a marathon to burn off all d calories....lol! 

Has this ever happened to you? You forgot to hang up your phone after a call and the person on the other line could still hear your conversations? It happened to me!!! so this guy calls me and i was really busy and told him i'd call him back however, i did not hang up & then i said something along the lines of "why does this guy like disturbing me sef & hissed"...LOL!!!! & i think he heard!!!!! So now i've been tryng to call him back, he's not picking my call!!!!! I feel sooo bad. It's one of those side comments u make & don't mean, guess he took it badly. I feel so sorry... :(


I wish you all a beautiful new week, a wonderful new month and a victorious end to the year 2012 Amen!!!!!


Love... 

Beulah!

Ponderings....

Growing up i thought i had life figured out. I thought if i was good enough, worked hard enough, then i would succeed. Then my life will go in a certain way but no, it didn't.  Exciting turns i never even imagined here and there. I guess it goes to say man proposes but it is God who disposes. 

The only one who's got the whole of life figured out completely is God, hence our dependence on him. He knows the turns and d twist. No life's formula fits  it all. What works for A might not work for B. I mean don't get me wrong, there's the underlying principle of what u sow is what u reap but sometimes u sow apple and reap corn. Now it doesnt mean corn is bad but it just wasn't what u were expecting. You work hard cos you want to succeed but sometimes hardwork is not all it takes to get u to d top, it is the grace of God. David was not the strongest or most perfect king but He had the grace of God working for him and he did succeed in all he did. 

Being able to trust God with your life is what truly matters, being able to look away from your self and so called strengths/abilities is what counts. The bible says trust in the Lord and rely not on your own abilities. When you rely on your own strength alone, God hands off & let's you do the work & that is struggle! I think what counts at the end of d day is our ability to look away from what we think are our strengths & righteousness and rather look unto God.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Beulah

A Few Randoms...

Wow, dear blog, its been a whyl.  :) I don't even have an excuse, i've just been too lazy. This year is winding up so fast, yea, really fast. There's been a lot going on..... studies progressing well, had an amazing summer,  visited great places and built some lasting relationships. The weather's changed right now and its not funny!, i'm still not used to the cold, my nose dripping every day is not fun at all  :(

Obama won the elections, Yay!! I actively supported him and i'm so glad he won!!.... 

I miss my family so much, wish i could see them, thank God for skype & yahoo messenger. 

Cursed is the man who puts his trust in the arm of flesh, the word of God is so true, complete and ageless. I have experienced this first hand and i know for sure. Thank God for His mercies, just when i thought i had reached the end of the road, couldn't make it through the difficulties, He showed up, always showed up, never failed me once. I feel really humbled by His amazing provisions for me, who am i that He is mindful of me? 

Got a surprise call from a friend who i haven't heard from in ages, it felt really good catching up on old times. God has blessed me with such amazing friends, will dedicate a whole post to them.

So it turns out what Americans call Chili is what we Nigerians call bean porridge (you know that watery kind you make with palmoil?, Yesss!). I visited my friend the other day and she made them, was so excited to try them and it turned out it was beans! i was like 'oh oh, that's beans!'....lol. She laughed and said, 'No, it's not beans, it's Chili ' Very funny, oyinbo people have name for practically everything. Ok, Chili is specifically made with kidney beans (has to be kidney beans i heard) and then pork or chicken tenders and lots of spices (garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, onions, tomato paste e.t.c.) Plenty spice but not peppery, you would think it would be peppery as the name suggests but no, a burst of flavor but not peppery at all. Was very tasty though, my friend's an amazing cook! 

My friend says Africans have a particular smell, i dont even know what she means by that...lol. She says whenever she steps into a house an African lives in, she knows immediately.... says it's got something to do with our food or the spices/condiments we use.... Very funny!

It's really encouraging to see people pursue their dreams. I have a friend who left a well paying job to pursue his life long passion of being a pilot,  #boldmove. And another one recently joined the Navy. I guess at the end of the day, it comes down to what makes you happy.

I read about Ruke Amata's wife's extra-marital affair story on Linda Ikeji's blog and i'm surprised whoever wrote the story didn't disclose the identity of the south south governor involved. Why? is it because he's a political figure? Crap! His identity ought to be disclosed. I wonder why we are so quick to cover up for same people who oppress us....smh! Meanwhyl, CIA Chief, Petraeus just resigned cos of extra-marital affair?, can that ever happen in Nigeria? oti ooo! Our leaders get away with every and anything

Ok, i just wanted to mark register here today, i no get plenty gist, will probably blog more often. Today is Veteran's day and school is closed tomorrow, Yay!!! Why am i even rejoicing sef?, still have to go regardless. I have 2 assignments due on Tuesday and an experiment to complete :((

I hope you have an amazing week, God bless u!!


Beulah!

Twitter: @Iambeulah

Back again + Randoms...

I haven't been here in decades, Ok, in months but it feels like years..lol. Thanks to all those who checked on me, don't mind me, its sheer laziness that has kept me away. A lot has happened this year, i have moved to another continent, gone back to school (adult education), made new friends, had new experiences and the saddest, lost my dad (really,really sad). I cherish the memories we had together and the fact that he gave his heart to Christ before he passed, gives me so much consolation.


Onto a few randoms, I attended a friend friend's husband's birthday party recently & i must say i was really impressed. At his age, the guy had done so well for himself. It felt bad to know that there are lots of equally intelligent aspiring young men his age everywhere without half the opportunity this young man had. Opportunity well utilized pays off really well. Ok, so in trying out new foods, i had this burritos from Chiptotle, before now i had heard a lot about Chiptotle and how great their burritos were my God!!... i almost choked.... TFC's burritos tasted better, not kidding!! (atleast in my mouth ohhh), oyinbo people's food can be over-hyped sha. I never knew a time would come when i would need to learn programming but right now i have to!, anyone ever used Matlab?


Going back to an issue that has been over discussed & over analyzed on the web- the FG's ban on same sex marriage, i am in total support of it. The jail term attached to it is a bit extreme though (Truth is, Naija peeps are not very good with keeping laws except there's a fine/punishment attached with it) so let me give them the reason of doubt that the jail term was put in there to totally discourage people from going into it. Nigerians especially in diaspora have disparaged and talked & said all sorts about this, i don't seem to understand, these days it seems speaking against gay people translates to ignorance, i don't understand, face it, its not natural to be gay!!, God created Adam & Eve not Adam & Mike!!... (joking) but seriously, homosexuality is not of God , yea science has come up with some plausible explanation as to why some people are naturally inclined to people of same sex, yes but that doesn't make it right. It's like saying people who like stealing (kleptomaniacs) should be condoned because it's a natural inclination they have?... No!. I'm happy about the bill & kudos to the FG but they need to Up their game on all the other pressing issues in Nigeria.


Again, why are Christians always so quick to criticize, cast slur & speak against fellow Christians???..... United we stand divided we fall (we can't even fall because God's word can't fail). I'm not saying it's ok to condone and endorse wrong things other are Christians doing, but blowing it all out rather than praying for the person is not the way to go. We have become this critical group of people, who don't see anything good in fellow believers, even non-Christians are not half as judgmental! It seems people are more quick to identify problems than suggest ways or even try to fix it, i guess it's the same reason we don't waste time in lashing out at our government without trying to help out or even praying for them. Ok, enough of the ranting....


It's a beautiful season & my favorite time of the year. 2011 went very fast howbeit it was a great year. I thank God sooo much for his faithfulness and how far He has brought me & my family this year (my sister miraculously got a new job, my brother came back home safely, my younger brother got admitted into the university, e.t.c.). In this season, remember to count your blessings and name them one by one & you'd be surprised how much God has done for you (this is no cliche, try it & you will see).

I wish everyone a merry Christmas in advance & a prosperous New year and i hope to be more loyal to my blog next year God willing. Take care now and remember to show Love to someone this season!!!

Discovery

I am at a place of awareness in my life right now…… awareness of who I am, awareness of who God is, awareness of my relationship with others. I have received the boldness to face life and all that comes with it. I really no longer cower in the face of opposition, I see myself a more confident and a more at-peace-with-myself kind of person. I no longer crave for the acceptance of others, I’ve come to realize that I am special, unique and different in my own way. I’m no longer under any form of pressure to please (yea, I have been a people pleaser all my life!). I hope this feeling never goes away…. I’m loving it...

That been said, how come what seems so right can end up being so wrong???..... little wonder the bible says “there’s a road that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death”. It seemed oh so perfect, oh so right, oh so good, but see what it’s led to! **SMH!!** A lesson learned is forever cherished. Can’t make the same mistake twice

My first post for the year, Happy very belated New Year blogfam!.. Hope the year has been good so far?

Chukwu dalu

Once again, i sneak up here to make my usual end-of-year thankful post...where have i been all this whyl?...smh!. So I recently discovered i prefer reading to writing (seriously!!...lol) I can spend all day reading books/magazines,twitter/Fb statuses, blog posts and not have the strength to leave comments much more update my own blog...aaarghhhh!.... Dunno what this means- actually thought reading and writing go hand in hand abi?.....

2010!!!.....A unique phenomenal year. A lot happened... i shudder when i think of the things i went through, don't know how i managed. I came out (eventhough still reminiscent of the experiences) stronger, braver and more courageous. I thank God for being my strength and support during those times, i thank him for rasing friends/family who helped me get through it all.....Baba you are worthy! I thank God for the visions he' s put in my heart and how he's gradually helping me realize it, i thank God for my family members (My sister esp. and her family, for providing shelter over their heads), I thank God for moving me to a better place, I thank God for divine health, strength, guidance & protection for me, family members & loved ones. I thank God for making me a partner with him in reaching many all around the world, i thank God for putting in my heart a deep hunger for him, these days, i can't seem to get enough of him :D.......To all of these & much more, i say Chukwu dalu, Nagode Jesu, Ose Olorun, Thank you Lord!!!

It's incredibly hot right now & NEPA knows just how to be at their best at times like this(if you know what i mean)...lol. My friend's FB status made me laff, she wrote: "Dear PHCN, in the Spirit of the season, it won't be too much to ask you to release the power a few hours a day instead of holding on to it permanently" i thought it was very funny...and laffed so hard, heheheeee!!!, Seriously, NEPA is hoarding power so much now? don't know what they're saving it for!

Special Prayer: I pray for the salvation of family members who have gone astray or have run away from home, that God by His Spirt will touch their hearts & bring them to the knowledge of his son Jesus Christ most especially at this period of christmas, that they will come to know the true meaning of the season, Amen

Merry Xmas in advance....!!!

The Basket Sandals

I love the beautiful pattern it left in the dusty brown sand. They were tiny fragments of square & circles intertwined. All around the school compound, you could see them splayed across sometimes intersecting one another. It stood out from the rest, it was unique. Those were the sole patterns of the basket sandal.

I loved the basket sandals. Back in the days, they were the raining rubber sandals in school. Everybody had them, I mean, everybody. Ify had them and you’d often see me trail behind her as we trudged home together from school under the hot sun. I loved watching the pattern it left in the sand. Ify will wear hers with a set of sparkling white socks which always made it look grander. My own sandal was a brown ugly one which was bigger than my feet. I wanted the basket sandal too, all the girls had it, I loved the beautiful pattern it made on the earth. My Mum said I didn’t need it because I had a very good one which will last me for some years. I was desperate, I wanted the basket sandal just like all the other girls, I wanted to wear it with my socks and look just as smart as Ify. I will go the extra length to get it! So I began to wear my ugly school sandal everywhere I went, to church, to play, to visit, even at home I would wear it, the faster it wears, the quicker I got another one. One afternoon as I was coming from school, “plap!”it snapped. It cut from the sole, I was glad! I knew I had to work extra hard in convincing my mother that what I needed wasn’t a repair but a new one, alas I did and she conceded. Guess what I bought? – The beautiful basket sandal!!!..I still think of this & smile- the frivolities of growing up. Can’t believe I lost sleep over I think so little.

I’ve been following a lot of amazing blogs on the Ville lately eventhough the Ville has been generally kinda quiet, I’ve been having fun. I miss Original Mgbeks soooo terribly, sisto, update more often now!!!, Olufunke, Enkay, where are you galz???. Thank God for ExSchoolnerd, for delivering her from evil. There’s no need apologizing for my usual disappearance, it sounds all very cliché now. Hooray to the Naija Bloggers award, can see a couple of my favorite blogs there. Will surely vote for ‘em.

Yáll have a nice weekend!!!

Chimamanda Inspired...

Happy New Year everyone …I hope the year started out well for you like it did for me. It’s been a good year so far, can see the hand of God already. It’s going to be the year of the greater Light!, Amen.

I just saw Chimamanda Adichie’s talk on the danger of a single story & I was totally blown. Sheeez!, that girl is good. I love her diction, her composure, the passion with which she spoke & she’s sooo down to earth (or so it seems). She narrated how she grew up reading British & American story books and how those books influenced character choices in her early writing. I would say that was my case as well. I grew up reading Enid Blyton books (Mallory Towers, Famous Five, Secret Seven, St Claires, e.t.c.), Sweet Valley High, Keepsakes, Babysitter’s club, e.t.c. Those books formed my thinking, my mindset, my paradigm. For Chimamanda, it was just her writing style but for me, it was my life. I wanted to eat strawberry, I wanted to eat cupcake & scones, I wanted to own a dog, I wanted to be popular in school, I wanted to have a best friend, I wanted to live the kind of life I read in the books. I remember my first story book, it was about a nineth grader named Thomas Thrackery, he was the finest boy in Wellington High school, all the girls had a crush on him, Yes, I had never left the shores of Naija but I knew enough to write a story about an imaginary High School in Los Angeles…LOL

TV did not help matters either because I watched a lot of it, I fantasized about being a “Huxtable”- (The Cosby show), had a huge crush on David (The wonder Years), wished to be Laura (Family Matters) and wished that uncle Phil was my uncle (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), I wanted to live like them….I just couldn’t understand why my parents made me do house chores. On TV and in the books I read, children didn’t have to do house work, they got hugs & kisses and had bedtime stories read to them, children were not flogged, they only got grounded when they misbehaved. I fantasized about my sweet sixteen birthday, how my parents will throw a big party for me, Aha!, only in my dreams, in Nigeria such things never happen (or maybe was just my family). I spent my sixteenth birthday at home doing normal house chores. I wanted to have a room all to myself because all the characters in the books I read had nice pretty rooms all to themselves but ofcourse I didn’t get any of that because I had sisters who needed shelter as well.

TV, books, (The western media) affected my childhood a lot, I spent most of my childhood with my head pretty much in some faraway dreamland than on planet earth. I have long come to terms with reality though but I wouldn’t deny that those books helped me get past most of the tough times in my life, those times my elder sisters were mean to me (not that they are wicked …they just loved bullying me), those times when my parents punished me (for a good cause ofcourse becos I was naughty), those times when I was just sad (happened once in a while), I’d lose myself in the world of those imaginations and nothing else will matter anymore.

What led to all of this rambling sef??...Chimamanda’s danger of a Single Story!, great speech.

On my mind....

I have purposely been away for a while. I was starting to get distracted with all the wunnerful happenings on blogville. I realized I spent more time blog-trotting than doing my work/ even studying (ok, I’m preparing for an exam). To make things even easy for me, my company restricted use of internet during work hours & as I nor get internet connection for house it completely left me having no option to come on air. In all sha, I’ve missed blogville. Thanks to all my wonderful blog-sistas who checked on me (y’all kno urselves)…thanks, thanks, thanks for caring…Luv ya all!

Was it 31st Dec. last year when I sat in church thanking God and soaking in every word of prophesy the man of God spoke concerning the year 2009 & by jove another 31st Dec. already approaching?!, How time flies especially when you are getting old …..LOL, sometimes it’s scary. It was a very challenging year & by all means, a year I grew the most. I remember my pastor in one of his messages say – “Welcome Challenges, don’t run from troubles, welcome troubles because they will make you stronger”. Truly, this year, I saw it. As I look back now, I wonder how I was able to make it through those tough, difficult, hard times….it could only have been God. I feel refined, processed & improved, just like that solid mass of raw gold that’s chunked into a hot blazing furnace & the end result a high quality refined gold, that’s the way I feel. This year I grew, & grew & grew…..my values changed, my dreams got bigger & my faith in God soared.

I want to specially thank God for everything, specifically want to thank him for:

1) Life – mine, my family members & luved ones
2) Protection & guidance – When the road seemed tortuous & un-ending, he was there with me, guiding me every step of the way
3) Divine Health – Healed my dad & has kept us all in good health
4) Provisions – provided all my needs
5) Promoted me on my Job this year
6) Provided us with a new accommodation
7) My sister finally graduated & is billed for nysc feb. next year
8) Journey mercies in all our waka waka dis year
9) Wonderful friends
10) Everything, every single thing!

On a final note just have to say this- Stay away from people who belittle you. Stay away, Stay away, Stay away!!!!!.....Don’t think because they are popular, rich, pretty, influential you have to stick with them just because you want to be identified with them. Because you want to be identified with them is not enough for you to stick with the torture they put you through. They find every reason to shine at your expense, to discredit you, to run you down in front of others & worst still they feel you have to be in their good books to get it going. Fa-fa-fa- Fouuuuuuuuul!...Keep away from such! (now doing the cross sign with the finger) ‘cos if you continue with them, you’d soon lose the true essence of who you are. You’d lose confidence in your abilities & soon enough, you’d lose sight of your purpose in Life. Make friends with people who will nuture & spur you unto greater works. Not someone who thinks you are in a lifetime competition with them…oh bother!, pls move on....

Randoms.....

I really need to repent from this my “one- post –a- month” behavior!...I have been AWOL as usual, I’m so sorry....no excuses. Qmoney, please oh!, if they start charging for absenteeism, na wahala ee go be oh!, which e-currency person go take pay sef?

I am totally rocking my new ipod TOUCH!, beaurriful piece of something, oyinbo, una too much!, the thing is totally taking too much of my time- downloading songs, movies, e.t.c…..i carry it everywhere, have it plugged to my ears as I type now…lalalalalala…lol.

God bless Nigeria, God help NEPA!. Those guys are so wicked, there’s absolutely no light these days…..morning, afternoon, night, no light! All you hear everywhere are crazy generator sounds. From the “I pass my neighbor” generators to heavy duty generators, all of them work overtime. Generator business is a cash cow business now so if you are looking for a viable business to start, think generator…lol!. It’s a true saying that those who live near a rich man’s house suffer the most. There’s this rich man that lives directly opposite our house….. he has this big old generator that makes so much noise, infact the kind of noise it makes can bring a dead man back to life & it churns out smoke like no man’s business & the annoying thing is it’s always on 24-7. We’ve gone to beg the man to atleast buy a new generator or service that one so it doesn’t add to people’s problems, for where?....the man has completely refused. Good thing is we’ve learnt to live with it. We’ve become so used to it that when visitors complain, we are surprised…

This issue has been bothering me. …Is it easy for men to move on with their lives so quickly??, Ok, I have this friend who recently met this guy through a friend, they were casually introduced and since then, the guy has not let her rest, he’s been calling, said he likes her and would like to know her better….guess what we found out?... the guy lost his wife in February just a few months after their wedding and that’s like 3 months ago, and I’m like what???... he’s already looking for another woman?, I mean it’s not bad for him to carry on with his life, but I think it’s rather too soon for him to begin chasing another woman, there should be some mourning period for the blessed memory of his wife abeg!, Men!!!

My Company recently restricted us from Facebook-ing ……”F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G!!!”. Imagine seeing requests from long lost friends and you can’t accept!. It’s so annoying. I guess I’m left with going the Starcomms way, (i.e. getting my own personal internet connectivity). But seriously?, what is it about Facebook that addicts?, I really don’t know…. what I do there if not post/check out pictures is update my status. Facebook isn’t the only social site that offers such service, yet I wonder why the hype is with face book, maybe it’s in the name, who knows?....A name is so very important, it forms people’s initial perception of you. If I said my name was Linda you’d probably perceive me differently from if I said my name was Cynthia. Names are like labels (a lot of people don’t believe this but it’s true), I’ve seen some exceptions sha, but if you say your name is Blessing chances are you’d live a blessed life. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and he became the father of many nations. My friend recently changed his name from one obscure native name to a bible name, I thought it cool but he got enough yabbings from people, and guess what?, that name is working for him already! Well, Little wonder my name’s Beulah, ‘cos I am God’s special….lol

On Everything Else...

Yippeeeee!!!!....feels so good to be back on my page….I’ve been too lazy to blog, even been too lazy to drop comments on my favorite blogs. I‘ve been doing a lot of blog-trotting, believe me, there are lots of fabulous blogs in blogville. Kudos to y’all bloggers. Yes!, Original Mgbeks, you shattered my heart by deleting those lovely blogs on your blog roll (including mine ofcourse **fluttering eyes**) There were blogs I never bothered adding to my blogroll, I get to them through my favorite blogs (yeah selfish , I know…)

I have a lot on my mind , a lot of thoughts in my head and happenings around me, I hope I don’t stop halfway before I’m through, this thing called laziness ehn? is so alluring (Olufunke, this is why I’ve been MIA). Nywayz, let me get down to it. Remember like the children of Israel when they had tarried on the plains for so long and Moses told them it was time to move up?? That’s the way I feel now.. I feel some voice telling me it’s time to move up. And I feel so obliged to obey that voice, Up I am moving!

Like I narrated in my previous post, I’ve been back in my former unit for over a month now & really, things have changed. It’s never same returning to a place you used to be. For instance, if you left home for a while, traveled for business or to school , most times when you get back, things are usually not the same. It’s either Joy has matured some and is no longer the gullible 7 year old who would jump at your commands or she has shifted her attention on someone else other than you. Things are never the same. In the two years I was away from my unit on some project, a lot of things have changed. some people I left behind in the unit moved on to greener pastures, some got married, some had children,, some got new jobs, in two years. Anyway, I wasn’t exactly wasting myself those two years ‘cos I grew, got experience, got promoted, got promoted again., I was doing well for me but being thrown back to the same old unit leaves me wondering.… I guess I need to de-clutter my head of the way things used to be & just re-adjust to reality. Is the saying not true that goes – “Change is the only constant thing in life.

I am a classic example of “Miss Goody-Two-Shoes”. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t as nice as I am. I like making people feel good about themselves even at my own expense, I feel very bad when I know someone is sad or unhappy because of my action/attitude towards them & it’s made me an extremely polite & and courteous person. I look back at my life and see a couple of steps I’ve taken not for my sake, but to make someone else feel happy or pleased with themselves. Vee called me up Saturday morning to invite me for her hubby’s surprise party, I went for an all-night-church service the night before and was deep in sleep when I heard my phone ring. I ignored it, turned to the other side and switched the sleep to gear 5. The phone rang again. With tired frustration I picked it without looking at the screen. “Hello” I muttered yawning..”Hi it’s me Vee, it’s my husband’s birthday today, and im organizing a surprise party for him, I’d like you to come..bla bla blab la..” she kept on & on & begged me to show up. I nicely told her I was coming from an all-night long service & was still trying to catchup on sleep..”No…you must come oh!, u know you are my friend!”, Nyways, it ended with me agreeing to come but might be a bit late because I had another program planned for the day. Long &short of it, I ended up not making it, my program ended late & there was no way I could make it across town. I tried calling Vee on Sunday to apologise for not coming, she did not pick my call, called & called her two lines, sent text no response & I began to wonder, was she angry at me??: (1) I agreed to go not because it was convenient for me because her invitation notice was short but I was going to sacrifice my “long-awaited” Saturday for her just to make her happy (2) She wouldn’t do same for me if I was in her shoes. I feel so angry that she would even dare be angry at me!...I wish I had told her straight up there was no way I was going to make it. . It is always like that. It’s not as it it’s cool to abandon your friends and not be there for them when they need you., but it shouldn’t be at your own expense because the funny thing is the same person/people you try to please by making sacrifices for, throw it back at you in your face!, it’s as if the nicer you are, the more people take you for granted. Human beings are not worth it really, you’d never be able to please everyone.

Am I the only one who feels the year is running at light speed?...i need to catch up fast, 2009 must never pass me by! It’s gonna be a good week, I can see the signs already. Today’s Monday & I’ve got to de-clutter my desk, I wish I could continue, but I need to face work now before I am caught!

Randoms...

Ok, I needed to change my wardrobe and went shopping last weekend. These days, you don’t have to have money to go shopping. With a cheque book and a pen in your hand, you could scribble out cheques for future payments and leave the shop with both hands full. So I went to this nice shop in Ikeja (actually, a friend’s friend’s shop) tried out suits/shirts , what????????.....i couldn’t fit myself into size 10 clothes anymore.....what in the world is happening to me?. I used to be an 8 size, whatever happened??....right now, I’m a confirmed size 12!, can u imagine?...I hope a few years from now I wouldn’t be reminiscing being a 12....i have to watch what I eat!

I’m so glad one phase of my life/career is ended. I’ve been on this project in my office for what..2 years? and finally it is over Halleluyah!...Actually I expected it to end on a certain note but it ended differently but thank God it’s over. Now, I’ve been re-deployed to my former unit….(after making so much mouth I will not return there, enough yabbing for me) but yeah, things happen….and I know it’s working together for my good. Sincerely, I need a career break. Why do we have to work anyway?, same ‘ole crazy cycle everyday….Work-Home-sleep-Work…..everyday!!!!!... I don’t have a choice I guess, so I’d have to settle for a few weeks break.

I always had this ill feeling that Rita was weird and didn’t really like me but after speaking with her yesterday, I felt so inspired, she’s really a good person deep down….yeah. PP birthday is coming up very soon and we are planning a big surprise for him. He deserves it so very well.

Thank God it’s Friday!!!....iT’s gonna be a terrific weekend…

Twice bitten...

“Are you sure of this??” Yemisi quizzed. She had seen it done differently on Maggi kitchen.

“Yes now, that’s how it’s done” Mary intoned “When you wash it and it’s dried then you put it in the pot, it comes out nice and delicious”.

Yemisi having no reason to doubt her friend did exactly as she was told, she put in all the sliced bitter leaf (onugbu) into the pot, stirred and inhaled the aroma stifling from the pot….hmnnn..it smelled delicious!..Dozie would love it!, she was making him his favorite Igbo dish, he will bite his fingers today.

She and Dozie have been married for three fantastic years and he's been a very sweet husband. He doted on her & spoilt her silly. Because of her several miscarriages, her doctor advised that she stayed clear from strenuous physical exertions and because of it Dozie employed cooks and maids to cater for and take care of the house while she merely supervised. She’s experienced marital bliss in every sense of the word much unlike what her parents had. She was barely seven when they separated, her mother went with her brother while she stayed on with her father. Till date, she never knew the reason for the separation, few times she tried asking, she got rebuked and seriously scolded by her father.

Recently, however she noticed that Dozie had been complaining a lot about food. It’s either the food is too salty, or there’s no pepper or it’s too watery….she wondered when he started taking particular attention to food. Dozie was not a food-food person, he could whatever was been served him. She remembered when they just got married, she would serve him anything ranging from gbegiri, to ewedu to efo and he would eat with relish without realizing the difference between it and his local igbo soup. All of a sudden, he wakes up one morning and begins to insist that she must start doing his meals again. “Honey, I am tired of all these food I’m served”, I want you to start doing my meal again”.

“See me see wahala oh!”, she complained to Mary during their early morning exercise at the gym “ Dozie doesn’t eat anymore oh!, , he says I must cook his meals otherwise he wouldn’t eat, must I when I have maids and cooks??...his complaints are becoming tiring. “It’s your duty as a wife to cook for your husband so you must, you can win his heart more through his stomach,” Mary was always the voice of reasoning. So she went ahead and sacked all the cooks and made up her mind to start cooking for her man.

Dozie had called from the office earlier that day to say that he was coming home with a friend. She wanted to surprise him hence the cooking thing she was doing. She gave the soup a final stir closed it and turned out the burner.

Minutes later, Dozie’s car pulled into the compound. She hurriedly set the table and went on freshen up. She greets Dozie with a light kiss on the check

“Welcome honey”, hope your day was good.
“Sure,”...here, he quickly introduces the middle-aged man with him, “meet Mr. Wilcox, he’s the new head of finance ”

They exchange pleasantries and she soon gets them seated around the table. The soup melt so good. “My wife is such a great cook”, he bragged to Mr Wilcox who seemed all too eager to start with the meal. She sets the food before them. At first, she thought she imagined her husband’s expression when he contorted his face after he swallowed the first ball of eba, then Mr. Wilcox exclaimed “tufiakwa!” and spat out the portion he had put in his mouth….

What was wrong??...this was the meal she spent time preparing…”Honey what’s the matter?” she anxiously walked towards them…

Dozie’s eyes were full of embarrassment, “Yemi, what is this??..pls take this poison away!,”

“Poison??, Poison?, how could Dozie call her food poison, the food she spent so much time and effort making for him.

Dozie apologized profusely to Mr Wilcox and led him out through the door and they went away. Hot tears stung at her eye. What has she done wrong?..why would Dozie treat her so callously like this…

She was dabbing away the tears clouding her vision when she decided to taste the soup, she had not tasted it even while cooking. As scooped it into her mouth, she almost gagged.

“Arggghhhh,”!!, she spat it out, what is this??.....the soup was bitter!!!!...whatever happened?, she followed Mary’s advise ….. then all of a sudden, it dawned on her. She had been misled again. Mary had done it to her again. When will she ever learn her lesson?.....

What If....

I saw his name on my facebook live feed. He became friends with a friend of mine. My heart skipped a beat. I clicked on the hyperlink to view his profile, he was restricted. Immediately, I sent him a friend request. I was excited and anxious at the same time. What a way to re-unite back with him. Is he married?, engaged, divorced, or still searching??..i wanted to know. He accepted my facebook request several days later. He was getting married in a week’s time!, I was happy for him but I was also filled with “What ifs”.

T.E. was my first baby crush!...We were in primary three/four then. He was very intelligent , from a rich home and was very handsome too. All the teachers loved him and ofcourse all the girls, I still wonder what we knew back then ‘cos we were so tiny yet….we had eye for fine boys. I sat a few seats behind him and always wished he would talk to me. I was too shy and timid to even try. I would day dream and see us getting married and having children in the future (daydreaming was my second nature as a child....). There was this game my sister taught me, if you wanted to find out if someone liked you or not, you’d write down their name, divide it by your name and strike out similar alphabets, whatever number of alphabet was left would determine whether it was love or hate..lol, One day, I tried it, using his name and my name and was grinning ‘cos it turned out positive. My sister saw the look on my face and snatched the paper from me and screamed with glee
“Ehhhhh….everybody come and see oh!, MOI & T.E. like eachother oh..”
I almost passed out. Till date, I’m still teased about it at home. Anyway, we finished primary school and moved on to separate schools for secondary school. I never stopped thinking about what became of him ‘cos I never heard of him. Many many years down the line, I see him on Facebook (thank God for facebook). And I thought to myself, what if I had connected with him much earlier than now what would have happened?, would we have hit it off again (not like we did before sha)?, Well….I guess I am only left with my imagination, “What if”…. Somethings are just never meant to be. No matter how right they seem…..

Happy married life T.E. May God grant you Joy, peace, Happiness & plenty of goodies in your marriage….

2 Truths, 1 Lie

I've been tagged by Olufunke in the 2 truths, 1 lie meme and i obey the tag

Let me go straight to the game,

1) I am extremely petrified by Earthworms & Wall geckos. The sight of them leave me gasping for breath. Once, i refused to use the bathroom the whole day because i saw a gecko in it, yuck!

2) I once won an award in school for singing. Music is my life and i'm a great singer

3) I'm terrible with faces and names. If i've just met you, you'd have to tell me your name atleast seven times before it sticks - (embarassing)?!

I hereby tag the following people, hope you've not been tagged already sha,:

ECHOES

Stuck in my throat o

Simple gal

Ebony

Original Mgbeke

Aijay

In case you don't know the rules of the game, here they are -

1. You have to tell us 3 things about you, 2 truths and 1 lie
2. Link the person who tagged you.
3. Mention the rules in your blog.
4. Leave a comment on the blogs of those you have tagged
5. Tag 6 following bloggers, link them.

Thanks yáll for your concern over my lost phone, i have long gotten over it and totally rocking my new one.

Lagos na Wa...!!!

Happy Newyear people!!!.....

While people are making new year resolutions and seeking for how to become better people, someone is there stealing another person's phone! See me see wahala oh!, that was how one morning, i took a bus from CMS (thanks to Okada 'element' wahala, i have sworn never to put my head inside any of those things, i'd rather enter a rickety roach-infested bus than take okada and stand the risk of wearing those scary things), my phone was jejeli tucked safely inside one of the side pockets of my bag, i had earlier received a call and carefully put it in there. No one in the bus looked suspicious as they were all decently dressed men and women clad in suits of all shades and fabrics impatiently waiting to get off the bus to get to work, the conductor however, was very obnoxious and talked way too much. He kept trying to pick quarrel with everybody in the bus, i remember he was eyeing my bag but i took no account of it ‘cos i was actually rummaging through it to bring out change for him. As soon as we got to our bus stop, the stupid boy did not wait for us to pile out first before calling on to passengers for his back trip, he started calling and people started rushing in. It was a struggle to come out of the bus. I managed my way out all the time clutching my bag tightly to my chest.


"God punish you!, comot for road jo!," one passenger cursed as he struggled to get off the bus. Poor man, the vehicle had started gaining speed while he still struggled to jump out of the bus. I was going to be late if i didnt hurry up.

When i got into the office, i exchanged warm pleasantries with my colleagues and suddenly remembered i had to make a quick call. I dipped my hand into the side pocket of my bag to retrieve my phone, my phone wasn't there, maybe i put it in the main bag after i took the the call in the bus, i opened the main bag and checked, for where?, it wasn't there, i emptied everything, there was no sign of the phone. Yayparipa!!...my mouth opened and closed, i couldn't believe i had been mugged. I felt as if someone ripped my heart apart

One of my colleagues tried calling the line, it was ringing and the “ole-ajibole” kept cutting it, i was so angry that i sent him one evil text message to return the phone otherwise....for where??..the person na 'ogbologbo' he/she ignored the text. I keep on calling the phone till he/she apparently got vexed and switched it off!

My beautiful enviable phone gone!, with all the personal info., contacts, pictures and all that i had on it!, it was terrible, i felt bad, i would have sworn for the person, but i pardoned him/her knowing that my words are powerful, i wouldn’t want a curse to follow him all through the year. i have got another phone and retrieved my SIM but i have lost almost all of my phone contacts except for the numbers i backed up somewhere. Now, i am left with a lot explanation to make when people call and i say,

"Hello, who am i speaking with?".....

"So, I'm no longer important ehn?, that’s why you deleted my phone no. abi??"

And na so so explanation I dey make...


This is to all Phone stealers & Thieves all around the world,.....you can hide from everybody, but you cannot hide from God so repent while there's still time before it’s too late!!!!

BTW, I'm so excited about the year, its gonna be a great year. Things are gonna turn around for many, Lives would be changed, people will see and know the joy, peace and happiness that has long eluded them, even in the face of the world's crumbling system, it's going to be the year of SevenFold Increase!