Sunday Service, We celebrate Mama's legacy

Yesterday! We went to church to give thanks to the Lord, for the death of my mother and praise him for her life well spent and had a wonderful time with God and  Mama’s friends. I always love been in the presence of God because in his presence there is fullness of joy. Makes me feel so happy to be back in Nigeria where it all began. Although it rain all night but the sun is finally out again and I am so thankful.

 And to my mother, to whom I owe so much, I simply say, thank you. Rest well, Mama. By God’s grace, we will see you again. I pray for everyone here today. Touch each heart and give strength and peace. Thank you for Mama’s legacy. May it continue across the generations in the lives of those who knew her best. We rejoice that for Mama, the best has already begun. Help us to keep believing until that day when the Lord calls us home too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Thank you that all your promises are Yes! and Amen in Christ Jesus!!!

10 most unexpected consequences of being online

1. Finding out that I was known by what I know and defined by what I shared online.
2. Participation in online conversation changes people fundamentally.
3. The fact that just on a click of button what I have said and say to, information I click on, where am from and even where am go has been tremendous.
4. Your friends has turn to a celebrity on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter just that you aren't watching.
5. Seeing Mr. Google as Internet big brother who shows up to organize all the information in a way that is quicker and faster.
6. More married women than ever before are jumping in the sack with someone other than their husbands on Facebook chat.
7. It is good you want to share all your information, your birthday and latest pictures with strangers, but know what you are risking.
8. It’s dangerous to give everything online. Through online we know everything, everything related to what we need, what we are looking for, blogging about, interested in, reading and click on.
9. Remember the good old days when we could stay up all night chatting with real people who live in our locality, now we stay up to fooling around with people that couldn't be there for us when we need them.
10. Being online helped people discover new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. 

The boy who married elephant in the room

They all grouped. Everyone present ready to air his/her view. Then they squeeze by, “How are you?” and “How is family,” and other thousands of different minor chats. They talk about life. Talk about work. They talk about everything else, expect the elephant in the room (the Outcast).

The eldest, stood up knowing full well the controversy it would ignite, if he raised the issue. He looks like he is not afraid to talk about the “elephant in the room”. However, given the ugly reaction from the other member of his family last time the issue was raise, not to mention the years and years of dispute, he “let the cat out of the bag”. “He must not marry her, an outcast “OSU” he said.
Osu are the people, according to tradition, in the south east Nigeria (Igboland) dedicated to the gods; regards by the others (the freeborn) as slaves, strangers and outcasts. They are subject to various forms of abuse; live separately from others. They cannot marry a freeborn. It means defiles the family. So freeborn families are always up in arms against any of their members who wants to marry an Osu.  

He want to married her notwithstanding what stand between them. Now the issue has been raised, his whole family once again is in crisis. He covered his face and let the tears flow uncontrollable. He raised his head and watch, listening as they raise their voice against each other. As he watch the scenario and can’t bear it anymore as they stood and battle for this future, he told them what he wants and that he will marry her with their blessing or not. There was a silent in the room. He took her by the hand and walk away.

Photo sources:travelingvamps.com; krisallenaddicts.blogspot.com

Every day is a good day

When my mother died, my brother (Dennis and his wife) and I stayed two weeks with Chinenye (Dennis’s daughter) and never left the house. Chinenye’s birth, her smile, hope, family life, and friends helped us to understand that every day is a good day. Her life is a journey of faith with God that begins the moment we trust Christ.

Every day we are confronted with feelings of grief

                                                                                Photo source: wendymccaig.com

On April 17, I wake up earlier than the other members of our household, usually around 5am to prepare for one duty I have mastered since in moved to South Africa (school via work). After praying and writing the activities for the day on a Sticky Notes on my Laptop, take a shower, setting the turn to school, but before then I prepare coffee. I put in the milk to allow the coffee to soften, and put one spoon of sugar. Aunil and I like coffee with toast bread. When the time to head off to school, I shift the coffee and the breed to microwave, and head off.

My brother usually woke up earlier.  When I opened the garage door, around 6am, he didn’t so I press the remote key again and the garage door closed. At the bus stops, there is usually queue on every Monday morning but on this Monday morning there is no queue, notwithstanding is the first day of the week and most people go to work.  There, one by one, we stood together at the Parklands main Road waiting for bus. This has been my routine since I moved to South Africa, on 3^rd December 2008. I never complain or get upset (using public transport) because, Lama Govinda writes that, “All suffering arises from attitude. The world is neither good nor bad. It is solely our relationship to it which makes it either one or the other." And I believe that.

In school I called home to speak to my mother but was told she couldn’t come on phone because of her condition. Health condition at young age is not a problem, but at this age is something to worry about. Later that day, we had the news that she is death. I felt that my life is coming to end. I felt cold, and cried the whole night. I don’t getting much sleep that night nor eat that night. I felt like the world was over. My mother and I never had a perfect relationship, but who does? I’m the last born and the most adored. We were more than family, as well as son and mother and definitely had our share of troubles.  But, we always worked past them and never doubted that we loved each other.

Friends and the new born queen (Chinenye -the sound of one hand clapping) changed all that grief. Chinenye is very pretty also blond.  Friends always to say she is gift of God and she is our mother that come back to us. Today we are happy. Leaving with her warm smiles and playfully character. We take each day a good day notwithstanding our lost.  One moment, I miss her(mother), feel that pain and lost; the next, joy and peace. This all occurs in the mind; we create the world we live in. We sometimes cannot change the circumstances we live in, but we can always change our attitude. If we can learn to let go, it will change by itself (Nonin Chowaney).

Dennis and his daughter(Chinenye)

Our greatest strengths are our greatest weaknesses

I was told to succeed in life I need knowledge and in order to acquire knowledge I need education which will gain me exposure and better career to succeed in life. Those without education are unable to survive properly. Education tells us how to think, work and make decisions. Through education we have access to basic things in life: food, clothe and shelter. I remember clearly how scared I was after this mother and child conversation. Since then education became my greatest strengths in the race to succeed, how to go about it(the challenges, finances, and class competition) became the greatest weakness.

                                                             Photo source:alearningaday.com