The 10 Commandments to Keeping your Woman Happy

As I've been trawling through magazines, blogs and the like, the issue of relationships seemed to crop up quite a bit and I think it suffices to say that people are looking forward to new relationships in this new year or bettering the ones they're in. Many are even hoping to meet "Denzel" look alikes in 2011 and settling down in a cute house with a picket fence and living happily ever after until maybe a big bad wolf comes along....
Well to get the guys on a flying start this year, I came up with Gospel Girl's very own list of "must do's" to keep the females : happy bunnies.
So guys read and learn and ladies make sure your man reads and learns.
And please women can I get a big Amen at the end!

1.  As the heavens shower the earth abundantly with rain, shower your woman abundantly with gifts.

2.  Thou shall compliment your woman when she changes her hairstyle even if it’s the fourth time that week.

3.  Always go shopping with her, smile and look like you’re enjoying yourself as she prances from shop to shop comparing prices and searching for bargains. Never ever sigh when three hours later she returns to the first shop you visited and buys the first item she saw.

4.  When you do wrong, always say sorry. When you’re not sure whose fault it is, say sorry too and when it’s her fault you know you have to say sorry as well don’t you?

5.  Order or buy beautiful flowers for her regularly just to let her know how special she is. Flowers were not just created for decorating special events like weddings and parties. Duh, you didn't know that one did you?

6.  Text and call her frequently during the day so that she knows that you’re thinking of her. Even if you’ve run out of free minutes find a way of making it happen.  “Facebook” her or “tweet” like a bird on Twitter if you have to.

7.  Your woman loves to talk, so let her talk, when she is not talking encourage her to talk more. Let her talk to her heart’s content until she has nothing else to say about anything.

8.  Get rid of all action movies and always watch romantic movies with her like Titanic, My Best Friend’s   Wedding, The Sound of Music and 27 Dresses.

9.  Don’t forget birthdays and anniversaries.

10. Repeat points 1-8 several times a month and you will have the key to her happiness.

© 2011 Gospel Girl

Till death do us part...or maybe not...

So you and your "hubby/wifey to be" are getting closer to the wedding day, the wedding gown is ready, flowers have been chosen and the cake's been ordered and suddenly your partner says, "Errr honey I've been thinking, I want a pre-nup?" What would your reaction be....

 A few of my friends were discussing the issue of pre-nups, which are now legal in the UK after Paper heiress Katrin Radmacher won a £100million divorce battle in October 2010. The Supreme Court ruling against her ex husband effectively gave pre-nuptial agreements official status in English law. The 41-year-old heiress only had to pay ex hubby Nicolas Granatino £1million from her vast fortune. (personally £1 million is still a lot and that would have still been plenty for me...)

The Supreme Court’s ruling brought England into line with most of Europe and the US where pre-nups are legally binding. Previously in the United Kingdom, pre-nuptial agreements had no legal standing. "The divorce courts had the last word in the division of all matrimonial property and would ignore any pre-nuptial agreement if they thought that it was in any way unreasonable to either of the parties involved, particularly regarding to the maintenance and housing of children. For example, regardless of whose name a couple’s property was in, a court could order it to be transferred to the other. This applied to all property that was owned separately or jointly." (Weddingguideuk)

A pre-nuptial agreement (pre-marital agreement) is a written contract between a couple before they are married that sets out how their assets are to be distributed (or remain theirs) should their marriage fail. Hhhmmm.

This brings me to a very important question, should Christians have pre-nups?
Personally I think that pre nups indicate a lack of faith in your relationship and I don't understand why any Christian would even want one. It is almost as if you're saying, this marriage is probably not gonna work and if so I don't want the other person to use me and run away with some of my money. This seems to also denote a lack of trust in the other person and creates a shaky foundation for your marriage from the onset. But that's my own view. What do people think about this issue? Is there anything in the bible that can help people decide on the best course of action...?

If you were stinking rich and getting married, would you have one?

Gobble till you Wobble...

Even though we don't officially celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK and even though I do give thanks every living day of my life, I'm gonna use this day to just give props to my heavenly Father and a few other peeps.

Thanks to the Lord above for
my mum who is a beautiful and special Queen even though she doesn't live in Buckingham palace;
my loving family and friends, I love 'em all dearly, especially my best friend who has made life such a joy...u know yourself, mwaah.

Thank u Lord for answering my biggest prayer request which I had on my heart for the last three years...you could have granted my request ages ago, but you chose to make me wait and I thank you for that wait because I grew and became strong through all the tears, the questions I lobbied at you and the tantrums I made you put up with...lol. At the end of it all so many wonderful things were birthed in my life, one of which was this blog...

Talking about the blog, I wanna say a big shout out and thank you to all of you my wonderful blog readers, for taking time to come and read the rants and musings in my corner and I hope something has at some point blessed you, touched your heart or made you laugh, at the every least.

Special thank you to Mbini who was the first person to break the ice and comment on this blog, thanks for that first ever comment you made and all your wonderful comments that keep coming. Also a big thank you to the following blogger babes: Rainjoy, Blessing, Maid of Heart, Miss Drammani and Mbini for being the Top 5 peeps that have commented on my blog on a regular basis. U guys rock mhen!

I'm also grateful to the following people for taking time to read my blog and commenting as well:  

Sulthana, Jaycee, TriBe, Waiki, Irene U, Patience, Simingaphi, Tamika,  Olufemi, Cathy, Busi K, Michelle C,  Treasured1, Favoured Girl, Amy S, Douglas D, Laura,  Shawn, Tisha, Sithenjisiwe, blackgold, Chido, Able Abe, doll,  Braids, Patrina, ChizzyD, oluSimeon, Seshe J and all the various Anonymous peeps. Keep showing the love guys. xoxo

Even if you have never commented...I suppose your "silence is golden"...lol, but seriously thank you for stopping by as well... Also last but not the least, thanks to Opeyemi for the tips you gave me and Mugove for your support with the whole blogging experience.

 Till the next blog post, happy thanksgiving y'all, especially my frenz Americana across the pond...

xoxo


P.S Due to other commitments I may not be able to blog regularly for a while but do come and indulge in all the previous great posts until I make a proper comeback.

The Truth About Halloween...

 A friend shared this with me and I thought it would be appropriate to share it on the blog because so many times people do things without realising the consequences of what they are doing. So if you're into Halloween and all that jazz have a read and see what this person has to say....


Halloween:  "Trick or Treat" or Satan's Trick

On 31 October people from all over the world will once again celebrate
Halloween with symbols and/or costumes of witches, monsters, pumpkin
ghosts, evil ghosts, vampires etc..

Shops are decorated with some of these themes obviously to make a
sale; Nursery schools are all working hard at painting masks for this
day.

Youngsters are dressing up and wearing masks while partying away,
having a great time, without realising what they are really involving
themselves in on this day.

What is Halloween and where does it come from?

We find the origin of this feast emanating from the Celtic religion of
Ireland, Northern Europe and England, where the Celtic priests or
Druids sacrificed to their god "Shamhain". He was the "Angel of Death"
and head of the evil spirits.

We pray that the following shocking information about Halloween will
open your eyes as to the truth about this satanic feast.

The Druids worshiped Satan. On the night of 31 October all would dress
in costumes for this: the biggest feast for Satan.

It was believed that the spirits of the dead rose to visit their
families or relatives, hence the wearing of costumes from the
underworld.

The participants in the feast danced and moved from house to house to
claim a sacrifice for "Shamhain". They asked at every door "Trick or
Treat" (As is the practice to this day).

Animals and humans as sacrifice were seen as "Treat". A hollowed out
pumpkin was left to protect the occupants of that house from the evil
spirits.

In cases where a claim was not met, it was then time for the Druids
"Trick".

A Hexagram was drawn by the druid on the door of that house for the
curses to come upon the inhabitants of that house.

Teachers, parents, youngsters and children in this day and age do not
realize what the implications are of them participating and going door
to door asking for "Trick or Treat" on the evening of Halloween.

They receive sweets nuts and fruit as a reward and in doing so they do
not realize that they are taking part in an age old Druid ritual. I
shiver to think of the spiritual implications on the children opening
themselves to these evil spirits by participating in this satanic
feast.

Well known Author John MacArthur ask the question "How is it possible
that Christian kids dress up as demons, witches and ghosts, don't they
see anything wrong with that? Christian parents cannot possibly see
this as only fun and fantasy as it stems from age old rituals of the
Occult."

Occultists and Satanists regard this day, even in our day and age, as
their most sacred day.

Texe Mars, a Christian writer says: "On this unholy night witches come
together to drink, dance, speak out curses, call up familiar spirits
and to sacrifice. They sacrifice animals and humans in the most
gruesome ways."

The Wiccan witches' organization says: "Yes, most followers of pagan
religions celebrate the day of shamhain as the day on which their
deceased friends come to visit and spirits and goddesses appear."



The danger of Halloween

Firstly: it is occultic, many children's first encounter of "Horror"
movies and occultic powers are at Halloween parties. They dress as
beasts out of the under world and portray themselves as witches,
spirits and demons.

Secondly: Halloween emphasize violence. A Teacher asked grade 4
students what they wanted to portray this Halloween. 80% of them
replied they wanted to be Dracula and kill someone.

Dracula was a real person and ruled from 1431 to 1476. He gruesomely
murdered 100 000 people. He was a demon possessed mad man. Is it good
for children to want to dress up like him?

Thirdly: Participating in Halloween can bring about heavy bindings on
the lives of people.

This is Satan's territory; we should not be involved with witches and
spirits etc...

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 says: "When you come into the land which the LORD
your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations
of those nations. 10  "There shall not be found among you anyone who
makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who
practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or
a sorcerer, 11  "or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a
spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12  "For all who do these
things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these
abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13
"You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14  "For these
nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and
diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for
you.

Many people ignorantly think that if they do not believe in such
things like witches etc.., that there will be no effect or harm coming
their way.

Think again.

The spiritual realm (world) is very real and very dangerous.



Some Halloween symbols

Masks: The wearing of a mask not only covers ones true identity but
the wearer becomes one with the creature they represent.

Pumpkin ghosts: It represented a skull that kept away dangerous evil
spirits. It was furthermore a sign that the inhabitants of that house
recognised and acknowledged the authority of the druids and their
practices.

Costumes: It is believed that on the night of 31 October Satan
releases all the evil spirits to attack humans.

The best way not to be attacked was to appear like one of them.

It seems to me that that these spirits had to be very unintelligent to
be coned like that, or....

Was it that the humans was so blinded and fell right into Satan's trap?

Only the Lord can open your spiritual eyes of understanding to see the
danger of this satanic feast.

Acts 26:18 says: "to open their eyes, in order to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in Me.' "

Step 1:   Repent and turn from your wicked ways and the occult, so
that you can turn back to God's ways.

Step 2:   God's forgiveness is available for you as stated in Acts
26:18 after repentance and turning away from the wickedness.

Step 3:   The same verse goes on to say that forgiveness through faith
in Jesus Christ has already been obtained for you by the blood
atonement at Calvary.

Step 4:   Accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Redeemer, for it is
only through Him that the strongest cords of binding can be broken in
your life and set you free.

He wants to come into your life, if you are willing to open up for Him.

Rev 3:20  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and
he with Me.

Step 5:   Acts 26:18 says that God gives you an inheritance among
those who are sanctified by faith in Him. This means that He will give
you a new life, and from now on that you will devote your life to Him.

Start studying scripture and begin a solid prayer life.

Lastly, search out a body of believers where you could grow further in
Christ.



Further study:

1 Thess 2:21-22, Ef 5:11, Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 6:14-15, 1 Pet 5:8, Ezek
18:32, Lam 2:18-19.

Money cometh, money runneth

How can I get more money?
Oh how I wonder,

Where does all my money go?
Oh how I wonder.

One minute my bank account is overflowing and threatening to burst,

The next minute, it's sending out SOS signals for aid.



The Jones next door are making me sweat,

Trying to keep up with them is no easy task,

They've got a new ride, with alloys shining and the horse power of a thousand horses,

"Isn't it wicked? Isn't it sick?" The boys on the street shout as it goes past.


End of season SALE, red stickers are like magnets,

As the search for a bargain, gets the better of me.

I try to hold on to my Benjamins, but like a slippery eel they make their getaway.

Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.






Then Apple will come along with their new iPot ... yes that's right, iPot.

The sleek pot that lets you cook, take pictures and listen to music all in one handy appliance.

I ask myself...do I really need it?

But then again every one's got one, so before long I join the crowd.

No wonder then, the holes in my pocket increase.



Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.

 

Then there's the gambling gurus that want to put their hand in my pocket,

"Place your bets," the man shouts,

Machines glistening with coins, poker tables and  betting on who will win Big Brother,





Even the State Lottery keeps calling me,

Surely one day my luck will come and my number will be called.

I wonder.



Someone once said, the best way to have money,

Is to give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others and save a chunk.


Money is NOT the root of all evil BUT the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

Gifted for Glory

Over the years as I've read biographies, memoirs and watched the lives of people around me, I've been amazed at how God has given us all different gifts to use for His glory and to have a positive impact on the world. Some people have a curious mind which has led them to explore things and invent all sorts of gadgets and medicines. Some people are creative and have penned many a book or sang songs which have brought comfort and hope to many. One of my favourite biographies is that of a man who God gave an incredible gift which has helped to save many lives. And that man is non other than, Ben Carson.


Ben Carson is the boy that went from being the biggest class dummy at school to being a world famous neuro surgeon. His mother not knowing how to help him, despaired over his academic failures in school. She wanted him to be successful and she knew that a good education would open doors to opportunities but she didn't know how she could motivate him until she studied how rich people behaved. She worked as a house maid for wealthy families and began studying how her employers and their children spent their free time; what they read and their kind of leisure activities. The most notable thing was they hardly watched television. Instead they read alot. That's not to say people should necessarily throw their TVs out the window, but consider for a minute, how many hours a week do you spend on things that do not really add to you in terms of knowledge or mental stimulation? (unless you're a nature fan and watching the Geographical Channel...which I know most of us don't.)

Its not to say that you shouldn't have any fun but if you're serious about becoming a great success at something, you'll have to pay a price. Managing your time will have to be a priority. It may mean cutting down on the time you spend watching TV, trawling through people's profiles on Facebook, playing video games, reading celebrity orientated magazines talking about nothing substantial...like what Katie did next...duh who cares? Most of these people have very immoral lifestyles and there is nothing of significance that we can learn or even admire from them. One thing to bear in mind is those people have made their money, we should stop wasting our time gawking after them and handle our business...Selah.


When Ben Carson was 14, his temper made him almost hurt one of his friends fatally with a knife and led him to pray a prayer that brought him closer to God. He became a serious and committed child of God.

After he graduated from High School he got a place at Yale university to study medicine. When he was at Yale, despite all his efforts and determination, he started slipping in his classes until he was getting the lowest marks in his class. Ben was in despair but never gave up, but he sought God's face and prayed the night before one of his exams saying, "Lord I thought you wanted me to be a doctor and I can't be one since I'm failing." God showed him in a dream what was going to come out in the exam and lo and behold he managed to pass his exams.


Ben met his wife Candy in his third year at Yale and later they got married and have 3 children together.
Over the years Ben has been involved in a series of challenging neuro surgical operations including the separation of many Siamese twins who were attached to each other by their heads. Some of these included Patrick and Benjamin Binder from Germany and also Joseph and Luka Banda of Zambia.

The man was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by George Bush. Now if that's not an achievement, I don't know what is. 
Ben Carson has been awarded many other awards and numerous honorary degrees. He has also been invited by many institutions, organisations and schools to give talks and one of the things he always talks about is his "THINK BIG" concept :


Talent. God gives everyone a gift. Everyone is good at something, it could be sport, singing etc
Honesty. Integrity is key for one to be successful in life
Insight.   You learn from the mistakes and successes of others.
Nice. Be nice to people, if you see someone down give them a hand. Offer a seat to someone,
Knowledge.  Develop you talents. What you know can help you get ahead.

Books.  One of the greatest sources of information
In depth learning. Learn for the sake of getting knowledge, don't cram
God. Living by His word and principles can help us to be more effective and useful to people around us.

Let us all endeavour to THINK BIG and be the best that we can be and use our gifts for God's glory.

Don't dream your life away....make it happen!

I don't know anyone that had a dream and didn't have to fight or slave away to make it happen. Whatever your goal in life, its not just going to drop on your lap whilst you're sitting there sipping tea. It will require a lot of passion and hard work on your part. 


Now you may want to be a singer, an actor/actress, a writer, a stand up comedian, a business owner, a missionary, an inventor or maybe you just want to start up your own church. Whatever it may be, wishful thinking ain't gonna get you there honey! Trust me. Just because you want it real bad doesn't mean it's just going to happen. If you do nothing about it...guess what's gonna happen? NOTHING! You have to make up your mind that you're really going to go for it and keep pursuing it until it happens.

I'm going to use the example of an aspiring singer to talk you through a process that can help you make progress with your dream whatever it may be.


Now you may be thinking I don't want to do any of that, well this is applicable to every area of life. Even if your greatest aspiration is to be a housewife and mum. For you to be able to run a home successfully and raise your children well, you will need to work hard. You may need to read books or watch programmes on parenting skills, marriage, cooking and so on. You will also need to develop your time management skills to be able to manage all the chores and things that have to be done in the home without tiring yourself out.

Now if you're a Christian, a good place to always start is to seek God's guidance and once you have clear direction...go for it like never before!

Firstly you need to make a plan...so think clearly about what you want to do...then write it down.
Once you have a clear destination, then map out an action plan about how you can get there.

So lets take the example of the person who wants to be a singer. Maybe they feel they have songs in their heart which could encourage other people. So that person's goal could be to release a CD album with inspirational songs.

1.Now a good place to start would be to find out whats going on in the world of music. Research is essential before you launch into any project. Is there a place in the market for the type of stuff you want to sing? Is there anyone else doing something similar? If your research supports what you want to do go for it. If your idea doesn't seem feasible try fine tuning or tweaking it here and there.

2.Next start getting training to develop your voice, join classes to enhance your voice. No matter how good you already are, there's always someone out there who knows a little more than you do and you can always learn a thing or two.

3.Practise, Practise, Practise! The more you do so, the better you become. All accomplished athletes and sports people practise everyday...even Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods practised to keep themselves on top of their game. If they had to, what more us mere people,huh?

4. Start producing samples of your work, doing demos and so on. Make sure they are of good quality and copyright them, invest money into it because you want to impress those that will see the cover or listen to them.

5. Sing as much as you can, be it in a choir or as a soloist, offer to sing at weddings and parties. For those doing more circular stuff, you can sing at live gigs in hotels, restaurants. Find out what opportunities are available to showcase yourself and go for it, no matter how small the opportunity may seem. You never know who may be in the crowd listening.
Also there are shows like X-Factor, Pop Idol and so on where if you're good enough, you can get exposure and even if you don't win, someone out there might still like you enough to give you a shot and possible sign you up.

6. Network. Go to festivals, music live shows, and other places where you can meet other musicians who are singing something similar to what you want to do. Go to places where you will meet other people in your chosen genre that you're interested in. Put yourself out there and give your demo to people in high places or those who know people in high places. (but please don't be pushy) In some cases you may meet producers and the like and who knows you could be the next soul sensation...

7. Learn all about your Mentor. Most of us have someone in our chosen field who has done well and we admire. For instance, you may want to be a film writer and producer like Tyler Perry. Find out all you can about how they got started and what they did to get to where they are. Most people now have biographies and if they don't the internet is a good source of information (although please make sure your sources are credible)
Of course God may have a different path for you that is not similar to theirs, but its always encouraging and inspiring to see how other people went from zero to hero by the grace of God.

8. Prayer is essential! Throughout the whole process don't forget to pray for God's anointing to be upon everything you do. If you're gonna sing songs, I'm sure you'll want your songs to deliver people from bondage and sin or to encourage those who are weak and so on. Without the anointing your songs will be just mere words - with no power...and what a shame that would be.
Also pray for favour, that God will lead you to the right people who will help you with your dream. And once you get to the top, please don't forget the One that got you there, for without God we can do nothing.

9. And finally Persist! Its not going to happen overnight. You will probably have to get immune to the word "NO". You're gonna have to develop a hard skin coz if you're too sensitive and take things personally you ain't gonna get anywhere. If someone says no, move onto the next. Don't ever give up. Disappointments will be many along the road, but hang in there.... You know Colonel Saunders, the founder of KFC had his recipe for chicken declined just over a 1 000 times by prospective business partners. But he kept trying. Now tell me, would you keep trying a thousand times like he did?

We all know about Martin Luther King Jr or at least we pretend to..lol Anyway this man was passionate about his dream to see an end to segregation in America. He led many a peaceful demonstrations and movements to further his cause. He also wrote books and gave money to help the civil rights movement. King was arrested more than twenty times and assaulted at least four times. His dream cost him his life eventually but I'm sure he's smiling as he looks upon his nation being governed by an African American.
Friend, if they could persevere till the end, so can you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O02kxh5NMSI&feature=related

So ... there's a new man in town!

There's mixed feelings about the election results and more so about the new Coalition government. Some are thrilled because they wanted the Tories or the Lib Dems in power and in their eyes half a Tory or Lib Dem is better than nothing in their eyes...
Some are looking on with somewhat an apprehensive mindset...they're not sure what to expect from this new government and new Prime Minister, David Cameron.

They have not forgotten the days gone by of the era of the Tories rule. One has only to think of  the Iron Lady and I guess that thought brings shivers down one's spine. I guess only time will tell whether the new dispensation will do us, the public, any favours or will they work to only serve their own interests and rule us with an iron rod yet again.

To my bros and gals in Christ I would say whatever the case, we don't need to worry too much about who's in power because no matter what the economy or political situation is like, we know that we are citizens of a higher and better kingdom. God's got our back and He will see us through any crisis.

God says we should honour those in authority because he has allowed them to get into that position; so let's pray for them
and put this nation into the hands of God. And if you were not happy about the way things turned out but you didn't vote maybe now is the time to rethink your strategy or if you weren't registered, go online and register your name so that come next election, you will be amongst the many at the polls. Don't complain about things if you aren't prepared to do your part to effect change...that's some advice for free right there.

It seemed funny seeing David entering No 10 so soon after Gordon Brown had left...one of my friends remarked..."He's moving in already...I bet the bed is still warm..."
I, for one have always had a soft spot for Gordon Brown. Yeah I like the man and I was sad to see him go. His farewell speech was so touching last night and I wish him well in Scotland. So long papa Brown, we will miss you. (well some of us at least)

The Very Chocolatey Easter

 Easter is just round the corner and I thought it would be appropriate for me to re-post this from one of my other old posts on another website......

I love chocolate. So do a lot of other people, although they probably wont admit it in public. Personally I prefer the delectable taste of white chocolate (I have this belief that it has more calcium than its darker counterparts. LOL) Imagine that sweet, divine taste of gooey white, milk and dark chocolate tantalising your taste buds. Every bite so heavenly as the soft, creamy taste satisfies your senses.... Oops... let me not get carried away, back to the issue at hand.

This Easter there's an even wider range of Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, Easter chicks and other interesting characters which the commercially driven manufacturers have created to entice and dazzle our gullible minds. These all probably taste as great as they look in their pretty packaging, but its not the taste or the look thats nagging me.
Its the fact that Easter has now merely become a time for indulging on chocolate, a string of meaningless parties and celebration and a well needed break from work for many. Dont get me wrong I'm not against having good fun and time from work is always a plus in my book, but I think we need to really reflect on what Easter is really all about.

Some of the modern traditions of Easter such as the Easter Bunny and its accomplices all stem from pagan traditions and so we should not get too caught up in the hype and forget what the hype is all about.
Easter is and should be a time of celebration as we commemorate the dying and rising from the dead, of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I know you might not believe in Jesus and this might all be as strange to you, as Calculus and Greek are to me, but hear me out.

God loves us all so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. But it doesnt end there. Easter Sunday is a celebration of His glorious and triumphant resurrection, signifying His victory over sin and death. This victory has now been given to all those who have surrendered their lives to Him and we should
celebrate this day knowing that for all those who believe in him and live for Him, death is not the end for us, but like Him, we shall also resurrect and be with Him forever.

So as we indulge and enjoy ourselves, lets spread the true Word of Hope to a hurting and lost world. Lets share the message of His love with those around us. Lets demonstrate to them the Love of God in our own lives.
If you havent done so already, I encourage you to let Jesus come into your heart and let this Easter
mark the beginning of a new life in Him.

And so folks if any of you do get any Easter eggs or other
sweet delights, enjoy them (in moderation of course) and have a safe and wonderful Easter.
Finally my bros and girlies in Christ- Lets pray for that resurrection power to be at work in every area of our lives. We have the victory. LeTS wALk iN iT!!!

Looking groovy: Fashionable but Questionable!

I'll bet you all love to look good. (Men and women alike...though I know the ladies will identify more on this one) Yeah you know we all like to wear the stunning trendy outfits, have great accessories to go with them and oh yes the shoes and bag....need I say more..?
Well over the last few weeks God has been dealing with me about writing this post and I struggled beacuse I didn't realy want to and I kept thinking it might not go down too well with peeps but He continued to deal with me about it and well yes...in obedience ... here we are...

Over Christmas, one of my gifts was a lovely pair of olive green and tan coloured ear rings (similar to the ones in the picture but different colour) I was thrilled to get these earrings because I thought they were lovely and would go with my greenish outfits. I really couldn't wait to wear them. However as I was putting them away I noticed the name of the ear rings on the tag.... Dreamcatcher. My heart almost skipped a beat. I had heard this name mentioned before, a few years ago whilst listening to a preacher give a talk on dodgy symbols and the Occult.

Apparently the dreamcatcher is supposed to be something that was started by the Native Indians to control dreams. It is supposed to help you have good dreams and keep the bad ones out. Really? And my question is how does it do that? Has it got special powers or something? I don't know but all I can say is on all the websites I've tried to find out more about it, they all seem to be associated with psychics, eastern religions, and other dodgy sounding stuff. There are many websites that talk about the Dreamcatcher legend but I just got one and you can find out more on the website below.

http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamcatcher.html

Although my earrings were slightly different from the original dreamcatcher with the feathers they are all made in the same weaving manner and they have the same name. Who knows if that has any significance, maybe it didn't but I had no peace after that and I wasn't willing to take any chances so I got rid of the earrings. (just in case the same spirit operates within them.) Now I know some of you might think come on... they are just earrings but hey I think it goes deeper than that and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to invite trouble into my life.

I have become selective about what I buy...and I 'm always amazed at people buying clothes for their children with statements like "here comes trouble" or "Rebel." It may seem innocent but by letting them wear that you're speaking and confessing those statements over your child and surely you don't want them to be a rebel now do you? I was talking to a woman in my church about this and she was telling me that she never buys clothes for herself or her children with symbols or writing that she can't read or doesn't understand. She said for all you know you could be wearing something thats cursing you. I totally agree with her, I for one don't like t-shirts, caps, trainers or jackets with funny symbols or pictures of snakes, dragons and so on. Now you may say its just a brand logo but oh let me tell you the owners of some of these brands are working with the enemy and you don't want any part in it. Because the minute you have those things in your house you have given them a port of entry into your life. Therefore all I can say is prayerfully make your day to day purchases asking the Holy Spirit to guide you and if you feel doubtful about anything don't. It may sound silly and too spiritual but pray over whatever you have or buy, that if there is anything dodgy may the Spirit of God deal with it.

Guys this isn't meant to scare anyone but the war we fight is real and remember it isn't against flesh and blood...there's a lot more I could say about clothes and fashion but we'll save it for another post and oh on that note... happy shopping!

I also came across this website that sells dreamcatcher brand stuff from fashion, art to music. Hhmmm I think I'll stick to Amazon.

http://store.dreamcatch.com/

http://www.dreamcatch.com/

Happy Thanksgiving! - Dinner with the VIPs (A Short Story)

To celebrate Thankgiving which most people associate with food, here's a short story about something we all love.... dinner....
Dinner with the VIPs

Tony smiled. He had waited for twenty eight years for this moment. Rumours floating around the office purported that he had been nominated for the position of VP (Vice President) of the Board. Now his lifetime goal was almost within reach. Almost. But he had to make it certain.
Tony knew that his academic record was outstanding, what with an MBA from Harvard and a PHD from Yale. He had been responsible for 75 % sales and 87 % growth in the company in the last two years. Try and beat that. But would it be enough? There were two other bright sparks to contend with. Tony knew he had to do something. Yes, something that would seal the deal. Then it hit him! He would invite the four board members and their wives for dinner at his home. They did say that the way to a man’s heart is through his pot belly (oops sorry I mean stomach.)

Tony emailed the board members who seemed surprised but equally delighted by his invitation. After that he got onto the phone and called his wife Macy.
“Honey, there’s talk in the office that I’ve been nominated for VP!”
“Oh my gosh, that’s great. When will you find out for certain?”
“The board will take a vote next week and decide between me and two others.”
“You’ve worked very hard babe and I think you’ll get it. I’ll phone the prayer group and ask them to pray for you as well.”
“Thanks babe, but I’ve also come up with an idea which could help to guarantee my place.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I’ve invited the board members and their wives to our place for dinner this weekend.”
Tony had already decided that Macy would not do the cooking, there was too much at stake here and he couldn’t take any chances with his wife’s homely but not elegant cooking. He would hire a chef for this particular occasion.
“Honey, I think we should leave it all in God’s hands. Besides you don’t want to look like you are sucking up to them, do you?”
But there was no stopping Tony, who had his eye on the prize and was sure that this was the perfect way to attain it.

Saturday night came round and the four board members arrived promptly for the evening dinner. They all complimented Tony on his home which looked like a page out of Contemporary Homes Magazine, with its elegant high ceilings, immaculate mahogany wooden floors, white furniture complete with an original Paolo Fazioli grand piano. Tony was dressed in a lovely grey Armani suit whilst his wife wore a stunning red number by Gucci (all bought especially for the dinner of course). Tony was an impeccable host making sure everyone’s glass never went below half, playing his classical music at just the right volume and helping Macy serve the appetisers; shrimp with basil garlic stuffing and fig and goat cheese bruschetta. Dinner soon followed, Tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belons oyster. Everyone seemed impressed by the posh and ludicrously expensive cuisine and the evening seemed to be going extremely well. Well until the unimaginable happened of course.

Suzie, the President’s wife suddenly asked for the toilet. She had an uneasy look as she scurried off to the toilet. When she came back she seemed flushed and somewhat queasy. No sooner had she sat down, another board member asked for the toilet. Over the next ten minutes, different members of the dinner party all took a trip to the toilet. Tony scratched his head and fidgeted in his seat as he watched them all. His shirt now had big wet patches under the armpits from the layers of sweat defying his deodorant.
As it turned out everyone seemed to have the runs. On further investigation, it turned out the chef had decided to put a special ingredient... a special powdered herb, which unfortunately he had mixed up with another white powdery substance - a laxative. Apologies were passed around and there were some embarrassed faces and a few dirty looks thrown towards the dejected host.
I’m sure you are wondering whether Tony ever did get the job, well that’s another story.

 © 2009 Gospel Girl


I might not be an American but to me Thanksgiving is a time to thank and appreciate God for all He has done for me, my family and friends. I encourage everyone to take time to give thanks to God this Thanksgiving.
I have included this story to celebrate Thanksgiving ... I think it fits the occassion, seeing as most people relate Thanksgiving to food....lol. Happy Thanksgving ya'll!


Brief History of Thanksgiving
After the Pilgrims left England in September 1620, they arrived in Massachusetts in late November. More than half died before spring due to sickness and harsh winter conditions. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. Although Thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607, this was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.

Picture source: Google Images
History Source: Christiananswers.net

Society's wrongz and rightz

I'm appalled by the fact that people seem to have a waning sense of consideration for the next person in our society. Take a walk on the street and you'll see what I mean, you find people spitting all over the place; their spit missing your leg by a fraction of a millimetre.Ughhh. I wont even mention the litter bugs. No one seems to care much about the next person (or the environment for that matter). It seems most are shifting somewhat in the direction of "each man for himself". Now before you yawn, this has nothing to do with politics, saving the environment,socialist or communist theories or any other deep stuff...just musing over some observations I've made...

In most European countries, people have a reputation of being cold and unfriendly whereas in most developing countries people who've never met generally greet each other when they use public transport.(There are of course exceptions to this). In my home country people on a bus or a commuter taxi will often say hi or ask how you are and sometimes a conversation can take place between several passengers about a mutual topic of interest. Its not beacuse they want something from the other person but its just a matter of being friendly and a sense of being one. Try saying hello to a stranger on the tube...they'll probably call you "Freako" and move to sit somewhere else.. !

I'm fortunate in that I drive almost everywhere I go and I don't have to use public transport regularly, but on those few occassions that I've had to leave my Rolls Royce (I wish) at home I've been dismayed at the actions of some commuters. I think apple should consider installing a sensor in their iPods which will detect whether a person is in a public area or not, if they are in public, then it would automatically reduce the volume of the gadget so that it doesnt annoy those around them. I'm telling you some of those kids are gonna go deaf before they're even 25. For the entrepreneurs there's an idea for you (volume reducing sensor)...free of charge...you can thank me later...
Gum on the seats in buses, trains and now even in church....yeah dont get me started ya'll...
The smelly hot food... hot wings, fish and chips on the tube ...I mean c'mon... If u are hungry dont get take away...find a table and eat, THEN jump on the train.
And what of the love birds who want to act out an X rated movie on public transport...Please go home or if you cant wait till you get home...get a room!
Gosh!

Ok let me calm down....I had an interesting tube ride the other day, a young lady whose face resembled a stormy day (by this I mean she looked like she was about to explode with anger)sat on a seat at the end of a carriage and put her bag on the seat next to her. At the next station a couple of people got on and there were no more seats. But to everone's surprise she still didnt move her bag, she just glared at everyone in silence, her dark gothic like makeup probably intimidated people. At the next station another woman got on and asked if she could have the seat. The stormy girl glared at her and moved the bag slightly to the side so that the lady could have 2/3 of the seat. The lady sat down and she looked uncomfortable but she was probably scared to ask "Stormy" to remove the bag entirley. Sad state of affairs but everone was relieved when Stormy got off at the next station. Infact one man looked in my direction, shook his head and made a little chuckling sound.

The saddest tube ride however was one evening about 9pm when I was coming from Central London. A young lady got on the tube and she was in tears. She sat down and people just looked at her. She continued to cry all the way from Bond Street to Mile End. It wasnt a loud wailing kind of crying but soft whimpering accompanied by gallons of tears. I wanted to ask her if she was ok but she was two people away from me and I guess I was worried that she might shout back and tell me to mind my own business and then I'd end up embarrassing myself. No one said a word to her but she was obviously very distraught about something.I feel terrible that I didnt have the courage to say something but then again its so sad that the society we live in that makes us feel that saying something would be intrusive. Sigh!

My most interesting tube ride, was on one of those miserable rainy days. Now I'm not sure what happened but a woman came and sat two seats away from me. A few seconds later I saw her put her hand on the seat and then bring it to her nose to sniff it. A few seconds later she mumbled somthing about the seat being wet to her friend and got up. Odd I thought. I wonder how the seat got wet. Now there are many reasons, someone could have sat there with a very wet coat/or an umbrella dripping, or maybe there was water seeping into the carriage from somewhere or worst case scenario someone had taken a pee but thats highly unlikely on the train (at least I'd hope.)

The next person to sit there was a nice young man in a suit who had probably had a long day at work. Being the considerate person that I am, I decided to warn him about the seat just as he sat down which was a little hard because the seat wasnt next to mine, so I kind of had to shout over the other passenger for him to hear me. The young man thanked me and quickly got up. Two other people sat in the same seat and I wanted to warn them but the train was now quite full and it was difficult for me to get their attention without shouting or causing some kind of scene. So I kept quiet and so did the people who were sitting next to them who were very much aware that the seat was wet. I wondered why they couldnt just open their mouth and say something. The "wet seat victims"  immediately got up once they realised that seat was wet.I wished I had a big piece of paper and I could have written in bold letters "WET SEAT" and put it on the seat to warn everyone else but I didnt have any paper so I had to watch in silence.

Anyway as I got off the train, a girl who had been the last victim of the wet seat walked right past me and to my horror and unbeknown to her, her short grey skirt now had a big dark wet patch almost the size of a melon and to anyone who didnt know the story, it looked like she had missed a trip to the John ...oopps daisy, I was embarrased on her behalf to say the least. Shame!