The Nigeria of my dreams...

My people, I hail oh! I hope we had a splendid weekend? It's another Monday and the hustle continues for most of us... but God dey sha. :))

Today, I am going to be discussing on a topic that is very dear to all Nigerians irrespective of our beliefs, cultures or tribes. We all know the current situation of the country and how it's been getting worse with each passing day. The newspapers carry headlines that will make even the heartless weep, the government is still playing the blame game, our youths (who by the way ought to be the future of our country) are going haywire, adults are clueless on how to raise their kids, the economy is in disarray, the country as a whole is in total confusion... I could go on and on but I guess we already have a clear picture of what I'm on about. It is indeed very sad and if care is not taken, I'm afraid the worst is yet to come

 I remember as a child how safe and peaceful Nigeria was, how happy I was when I was reminded by my teachers that I was "the future" of my country, how even as a little kid, I looked forward to that day when I could contribute my own quota to the society but now... Our youths are looking for the fastest way out of the country, they will denounce their citizenship at the "drop of a hat", those who are left behind indulge in crimes such as Kidnapping, Robbery, Murder... It has become a country where there is no more value for Human life. We now have terrorism, bombings, assassination... It's amazing how these evils became a part of our society so suddenly. However, there is one thing that hasn't changed since I was a kid; our love for prayers. Nigerians can pray!!!! I mean, if prayer was all that was needed to be done to make our country a better place; that would have happened a long time ago. Unfortunately, it will take much more than prayers to deliver us from our current predicament

 We can all decide to play the blame game but ultimately the truth is, to have the Nigeria of our dreams; we ALL have to work for it. The government alone isn't capable of solving the current problems in the country. After all, the kidnapping and murder of our citizens are carried out by our own citizens. These people aren't ghosts, they are fathers, uncles, neighbors, sisters, friends.... they are Nigerians! The government has its role to play but we also have ours... It is in everyone's interest to restore Nigeria's past glory, if not for us; at least for our children, grand children, nieces, nephews... etc. Sitting around and complaining of how bad the situation is, hasn't solved the problems and I can assure it won't

Let's start from the basics, from the beginning, from our identity, from our pledge;

Pledge
I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honor and glory
So help me God

If we could all just act out what our pledge says, wouldn't more than half of our problems be solved? The other day, I was watching a TV program which showed that most of our citizens do not know how to recite the pledge and this cuts across board (adults and children). I wasn't surprised because if we could recite it and understand what it means and act on it, we won't have some of the problems around today. Some may say that knowing how to recite a pledge doesn't guarantee putting it into practice, I agree. However, how about reciting the pledge every morning after our prayers or before we start work/school? Remember I mentioned that we are a praying country, so let's recite the pledge as often as we pray. Once we've done that often enough, some of the words may get stuck in our memory such that they'll put us in check when we are about to do something evil.

Imagine the Pledge recited at EVERY government meeting, function, gathering... With time, it'll be a reminder to our leaders on how this country should be run. I know this may sound as a "long shot" to some people but what do we have to lose if we try? Let us not be deceived, the problem of Nigeria is every Nigerians' problem. We have no other country to call home, you can acquire other passports/citizenships but that doesn't change the fact that you are a Nigerian. When" push comes to shove", home remains the best place ever. It is wise for us to remember that and start working on repairing what is left of our country.

I bet most of us aren't aware that Nigeria has a motto; I bet some of our leaders don't even know what it is.... How can we act on something that we don't know?

Nigeria's Motto
Peace and Unity, Strength and Progress

So if I were to write an essay of the Nigeria of my dreams, it will be something like this;
 A country that has Peace and Unity, filled with faithful and loyal people ready to serve the country with all their strength... However, the change starts with me...

I have started the change by writing this post, I will continue by reciting my pledge and acting on it, I will sustain it by treating my fellow Nigerian with respect and dignity. At the end of the day we are all Nigerians; Muslim, Christian, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa,... and no one is better than the other!

Stay Strong!

MY GOD OF SEVERAL SECOND CHANCES!

There are so many things in life that I'm unsure of, but I'm sure of one thing; there is a God! I am also sure that this God is way superior than human beings His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts ours How can you explain the fact that we hurt Him severally but for every time we apologize and return to Him, He forgives us wholeheartedly Personally, I can't count the number of times I have wronged Him but He keeps taking me back He keeps me, leads me in the path of righteousness, protects me from the snare of the fowler, provides for me, blesses me, prospers me, loves me unconditionally... Yet I sometimes stray, I act like a child that is homeless or fatherless But when I return to my senses, I run home like the prodigal son and like the loving Father He is, He hugs me, tells me how much He missed me, gives me a clean slate and says, 'My darling daughter, let's start afresh like nothing ever happened' No human is capable of doing such What manner of love is this? I do not take His love for me for granted For when everyone thought I was worth nothing, He saw something in me When everyone wanted something from me, all He did was 'give' me He is the God of all gods, the Lily of the valley, my Redeemer, my ever present help, my Father.... He is my God of several second chances and I love Him with every bit of me! Stay Strong!

New beginnings...

Wow! Two years... It's been two long years and I must confess I've missed blogging. As expected, a whole lot has happened in those years. I have become older, wiser, stronger and... I'll share a few of my experiences as we go on. Today's blog is all about NEW BEGINNINGS! I look at where I am today and remember where I was 2years ago, and all I can say is; I'm not where I want to be but I'm pretty damn close. At least closer than I was years back. I remember when all that mattered to me was to get good enough grades to get into the University. Afterwards, all I wanted was to graduate in flying colors but now I have new goals, new challenges, new aspirations, new beginnings. I have learnt that there is a huge difference between what I "want" and what I "need". That maturity is the ability to let go of the former and be content with the latter. Believe me, it's easier said than done. Life has also taught me how scaling one hurdle doesn't guarantee one's immunity from others. That everyday I wake up, I should be open to learning new things because no day is the same as the last one. I have been constantly reminded that when our lives stop being an inspiration to others, when we don't affect/influence other people's lives positively, when we live like we own our lives, when we go about life with reckless abandon, when all that matters to us is 'us' and no one else,... Then we no longer live but exist. Life is not a 'dress rehearsal', you have only chance to make it what you want it to be. The mistakes we make are the wealth of knowledge we need to make it through life. A man who has gone through life without difficulties, is a man who is yet to know what life is really all about. At the start of this new phase in my life, I have carefully chosen the tools I need and they are; - The Bible ( the only manual there is for a successful life) - My past mistakes (experience and wisdom) - Prayer (how on earth does anyone want to succeed without discussing with the Creator of the Universe?) I believe that when I have the above in place, every other thing will follow and fall into place. New beginnings can happen anytime. If you are not satisfied with the 'status quo' in your life, you can decide to change the situation. New beginnings can happen as often as you want but be careful that in so doing, you are not being unstable. Have a goal for your life, chart out the vision, get the tools that will help you get there and follow it through. No one should live his/her life without purpose, that's a recipe for disaster. My New beginnings start now... How about yours? Stay Strong!

Perfectly Imperfect...

Hello Dear Friends,

How are you doing? How are we preparing for Xmas and the New year? Please remember to make HIM the reason for the season. He has been so faithful to me and even though I still have a list of prayers yet to be answered, I know it's not too late for Him to answer them this year. If some of them remain unanswered, it means that He has better plans for me. Hard as it may be but I'll trust Him. Just the other day, I was telling a dear friend of mine that I have no other option than to trust God. He is all I have, all I depend on, all I believe, all I've ever known... So if He says "Linda my daughter, you have to wait", as much as I may be in a hurry; I have no choice than to wait.

Anyway, today I'll like us to discuss on how Imperfect we are. Lately a lot has been happenning to me but I came across a lovely song "Imperfect me" by "M.I" and ever since I listened to the song, I've had it on 'repeat'. Lovely song that just talks about how Imperfect we are as humans and how it's His love that has kept us this far. Each time I listened to that song, I couldn't help but marvel at Gods' love and how EVERYTHING would have been futile without HIM.

I am very Imperfect... Perfectly Imperfect to say the least... I'm not proud of it but that's the fact. I could step on toes, hurt people, disrespect people... etc because I'm only human but I try to be different from others by acknowledging my Imperfections and striving to be a better person. We have a lot of people who make it their sole responsibility to correct others without first taking a look at themselves. Don't get me wrong, it's okay to correct people when necessary but whilst you are it, will it harm you to do it in love? Does it make you a better person when you result to calling them names? Are you happy when it's all done, the person feels violated and not challenged? I thought the very essence of communication is to pass a message across and ensure that the reciever understands the message??

Moving on, Again I say; I am Imperfect and there's nothing I can do about it. The only perfect being is God, I can only strive for perfection. Please correct me where you deem necessary but be sure to do it in love. Better still, ensure that I understand the message you are trying to pass across. To all my friends that stood by me all these years, I AM GRATEFUL. You endured all my antics, some of you never complained even when it hurt you badly, some of you corrected me in love and some of you just loved me all the same. You waved off my Imperfections as me just being "Linda" and loved me for who I am... Words cannot express my feelings, you are the exact friends that the Bible said "...stick closer than a brother". Even though you have tolerated me, I will continually strive to be a better person and when it may not seem like so, please correct me in love. I'm just a Perfectly Imperfect Being striving for Perfection...

QUOTES BY LULU

- You"ll remain UN- comfortable until you remove a few 'things'
- WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE... (Take out time to really 'digest' the meaning of that phrase)
- I'm made in HIS own image and likeness, so why on earth will I want to be someone else?


                                                                                                       - Lulu

Compliments of the Season!!!! Make this season count for someone else...

Stay Strong!

The gift of Salvation

Hello Dear Friends,

I trust our week has been okay so far? Mine has been good but a bit hectic, it is becoming more difficult for me to juggle work and my Blog but God dey... I promised to share my quotes with you every Friday and I'm sorry that didn't happen because of work and a few trips I had to make in the past few weeks but I'll share some more with you today. However, before I go on; I'll like us to go down memory lane...

It's Christmas time again and everyone is looking forward to it for various reasons. For some,it is a time to rest after working hard all through year, to others it's a time to meet family and play catch up over a  dish of rice and chicken... but really, is dat what/all Christmas stands for? Sometimes, I find myself caught up in that web, but this year I hope to approach this season differently. Imagine this, someone that I never knew, who didn't mean a thing to me and sincerely I couldn't be bothered about, thought about me and sent His only son to save me. My Savior, One I'll learn to love and respect. One that will later give His life so that I may live. Such love!!! So as we approach the season of His birth, I can't help but marvel at such love and I'm so grateful that even before I 'knew' Him, He sent His only begotten son for my sake.

This season, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be a part of Gods' kingdom and can only imagine what horror it would have been if the Savior wasn't born... So as I rest, catch up with my family this season, I will not forget that it is all possible because He sent His son. He thought of me first, that even when I didn't know Him, He loved me with an everlasting love. The birth of His son will forever mark the beginning of redemption and salvation of mankind. That singular incident is what is keeping the world together today.

Please, remember to thank Him today even as you worry about how to get money for rice and chicken, how you need to get gifts for your loved ones, how you need to change that car because it's too old to take you to the village, how you need to be at the latest xmas party in town... because you see, if He didn't send us this "gift of salvation", we'll have a lot more to worry about.

Daddy, I am thankful for the things I have and most especially for the things I am yet to recieve. We lost many people this year but you deemed it fit for me to be around to celebrate again the birth of your son. It doesn't mean I'm a better person but that there's still a lot of work I have to do for you. Words cannot express my feelings towards you, My Lord be thou exalted. I thank you for my family and friends, grant us the grace to continue to serve you and walk in your ways. Help us realize that to whom much is given, much is expected. Help us make everyday that we spend on earth count and most of all help us understand the true "reason for this season".

QUOTES BY LULU - 2

- You are not a wasteful God, so if you've given me so many talents; it must be because you are confident I'll utilize them wisely
- Taking up responsibilities has a way of making you responsible
- People say, "Temptations come to make you strong"; I say they come to make me exhibit my strength
- Strength is not your ability to not feel pain but your ability to go through pain and come out strong
- All the setbacks I experience today, is necessary for a wonderful testimony
- If He cares to number the hair on my head, He surely must be concerned about the more important things in my life
- Whenever in doubt, just trust Him. You can NEVER go wrong with that


                                                                                                       - Lulu

I wish you all a very "Happy Christmas and spectacular new year"!!!!!! Once again, remember to make Him the "reason for the season".


Stay Strong!

Quotes by Lulu...

My Darlings, Hw una dey?? I'm doing great...At some point today I took a closer at the Calendar and realized that we are already in the last weekend of November, 2010!!! Isn't this God amazing?? I remember vividly January 1st 2010, and despite all that has happened this year; I can only be thankful to Him for bringing me this far. He has been exceptionally wonderful and though there are a bunch of my prayer requests that haven't been answered, I thank Him all the same because 35days is more than enough time for My God to get them all answered!!

Whilst going down memory lane recently, I stumbled upon some quotes I wrote and I will be sharing some of them with you every Friday till the end of the year, the series will be titled "Quotes by Lulu" :) Please note that I'm not a professional, so be gentle if you have to criticize me :) Basically, the quotes are a reflection of what I felt at the time they were written. I hope that we will learn a thing or two from them...

- You have no idea of the greatness within me, if you did; you'll handle me with care
-  Life is a school, you decide on the number of degrees you wish to attain
-  For all the times I ran away, He loved me even more. Does that make me want to keep running away? NO!! ...because every time I was away, I missed HIM even more
-  I've come to realize that the word "friend" has been abused; an "accomplice" is sometimes more sincere than some friends
-  You can have a "blueprint" of how your life should be but make sure to first seek the approval of "The Architect"
- "If it worked for her, it should work for me"... So UNTRUE!!!! Why?...because I'm a different specimen, I have my own unique composition!


                                                                                - Lulu


There are more from where that came from :) As mentioned earlier, I will continue the series next Friday. I know that the quotes may be "crude" but i sincerely hope that we can learn something from them. Have a wonderful and fun weekend!!! Please don't forget to also thank "The Architect" of our lives for bringing you this far... It is by His grace that we live. Love U loads!!!!


Stay Strong!

Finishing Strong!

Hello Darlings! I'm so sorry about my long absence, hopefully that will change from now on. A whole lot has happened since the last time I blogged and it will take a much longer time to "fill you in" but rest assured that you'll get the 'gist' soon :)

I stumbled upon a 'write up' I did in 2009 (20/8/09 precisely) and I decided to share it with you. Enjoy...


No one to speak to so I write,
Hoping it will ease the burden that I bear,
The burden of uncertainty and fear for the future,
In anticipation for the best, I wait patiently,
But gradually this 'wait" is beginning to wear me out,
Some call it Impatience, I call it an endless wait,
Just when I think i've scaled the hurdle,
Something creeps up, reminding me that I've only just begun,
So I ponder, ... if it always seems like the beginning, how am I expected to run this race called "life" and "finish strong"??
Surely, I'm not here to remain at the "beginning",
Whilst I juggle those thoughts in my head, I'm reminded that the race is not to the swift...
It's not all about "starting well" but more importantly, about "finishing strong",
...So i relax, knowing that for as long as there's "life", I'll have the opportunity to fulfil my purpose,
...perhaps all these hurdles are to equip me for the race,
...perhaps, once I get past the beginning successfully; "finishing strong" will be a 'piece of cake',
I am also reminded that His ways are not our ways,
...that His thoughts for us are of good and not of evil,
...that He knows the end of a thing before it begins,
...that He knew us before we were born,
So I look back and say... No matter how much time I spend in the beginning phase, with HIM the end will be great!


Stay Strong!