The Girl in Purple Heels Part 2

If you missed Part 1 of this story, you can click here and read it before reading this part.

The Girl in Purple Heels Part 2  

I didn't usually approach girls this way. Most of the time when I saw a girl I liked, I normally watched her from a distance for a few weeks. Then I would pray and ask God for direction. If I felt peace then I would approach the girl. But something was different about this girl and I didn't think I could wait several weeks before talking to her.

"Excuse me, hi..." I said flashing what I presumed to be my most charming smile.

"Hi," she replied eyeing me with interest.

"I'm Solomon," I said extending my hand.

"I'm Lylah."

"Nice name. So I haven't seen you around, are you new in church?"

"I've been coming for about three weeks now."

"Oh ok, so I guess you don't know a lot of people around. They're some nice girls in church, I can introduce you to some of them so that you have other sisters to talk to about makeup and handbags and all the other important things you girls talk about."

Lylah smiled. Good, now if only I can get her number. Don’t ask for her number or you'll seem desperate, my brain told me but I ignored it.

"Listen it’s been nice meeting you but I have to go, I'm helping my aunt to host a Christening Ceremony and I'm already late as it is. Thanks for the chat."

"You're welcome, but why don't you give me your number and maybe I can call you sometime and let you know what events are going on in church."

"Thanks but isn't that what the church announcements are for?"

"Well yeahhh but..."

"Sorry like I said I have to rush off. Maybe I'll see you next week."

And with that she was gone....

I stared after her until she was nothing more than a speck in the distance.

I didn't know what to make of our conversation. She had seemed interested yet aloof. Probably trying to play a bit hard to get. Well the hunter in me always liked a good challenge. This was going to be an interesting quest.

As I walked back towards the church, I saw Isaac and a few other guys walking out of the door. Isaac left the group and ambled towards me.

"There you are, I was wondering where you had disappeared to. Who was that chic I saw you chasing after?"

"Oh that’s Lylah, she's new."

"She looks nice."

"Yeah I think she is."

"Man you look like you're whooped; you're grinning like a Cheshire cat."

"Don't be silly. I barely know her."

"Yes but you want to, I can see it in your eyes."

"Whatever man."

"I thought you would go after Molly."

"Molly? She's just a good friend."

"Yes, but everyone knows she's got a thing for you and I think she's a great girl. She loves God, she's pretty, intelligent and gets along with everyone. Besides you guys have been good friends for ages, what more could you want bro?"

"She's alright, but she's like a little sister to me."

"Man, if Molly was into me, I wouldn't waste any time with anyone else."

"Then maybe you should go after her."

"I would but it seems like she's only got eyes for you."

As I drove home that afternoon I thought about what Isaac had said. Molly was a cool chic but I just didn't see her that way. I was sure that Lylah was the one. 

I just had a feeling.

Over the next few weeks, things started happening fast. Firstly Lylah and I bumped into each other the following Sunday and we started chatting again. She told me she was from St Vincent and she worked as a Marketing Executive for a small company in South East London. Being a Marketing Manager for British Gas myself I thought it was great that we were in the same field. She finally gave me her number and I started calling her. As we talked and got to know each other, we found out that we both liked the same music, Tonex and Deitrick Haddon to be precise. To top it off we both loved chicken and we were both Nando’s fans. It was as if it was confirmation that we were meant to be. So you can imagine how delighted I was when I asked her out to lunch and she immediately said yes. I almost did cartwheels in my work place. I almost didn't care what my colleagues thought, I was on the way to getting the heart of my dream girl.

I took her out to a posh Italian restaurant in Canary Wharf. When I got there I hoped I would impress her with my Ralph Lauren shirt, Calvin Klein slacks and my neatly trimmed hair.

"You look great," she said as she gave me a big hug.

"Thanks, and you look stunning," I responded admiring her skinny jeans and green halter neck top.

We sat down and ordered. We both ordered a Pasta and Salmon dish and J20.Orange.

“It’s amazing how we both like so many of the same things.”

“I know. Funny isn’t it?”

“Well just as long as you don’t start wearing the same perfume as me, that’s fine,” she said laughing.

“No way, ladies fragrances are not my thing.”

The afternoon went pretty quick and we had a great time talking about Tennis and movies. She then told me that she had gotten saved about a year ago at a church in Leeds whilst she was visiting relatives. However she hadn’t gone to church for a while after that until she started coming to Majesty. I was glad that she was now taking her Salvation seriously.

By the time I dropped her off at her flat in Lewisham I was beaming. Our date had gone better than I could have expected. That evening when I got home I prayed and thanked God for the lovely time I'd had with Lylah. I also asked Him to lead me and reveal more of Lylah's character to me. I felt quite optimistic about things.

After that Lylah and I began spending a lot of time together. 

One afternoon after church, I bumped into Molly outside church as I was leaving.

 "Hi Solomon, haven't seen you for a while," Molly said. Strangely Isaac and a few of the other guys in church had also said the same thing. Gosh people can be so needy, how do they expect me to have a life and still spend huge amounts of time with them. I smiled apologetically at Molly.

"I know I've been so busy."

"Yes I figured you must be busy, but you always had time to chat every now and then. We haven't seen you at the prayer meetings for a while. How are things? I feel like we haven't talked in ages."

"Sorry Molly, it’s just that with work, family stuff going on and err..."

"Lylah?"

"You know about her?"

"Yeah, everyone in church knows that you two are together."

"Oh I didn't realise. Yes well, I'm also spending a lot of time with her so I hardly have much time for anything else. Anyway I have to go meet her right now but maybe we can catch up sometime," I said just to end the matter.

"Sure," she replied and I could tell she knew that that wasn't going to happen.

As I walked towards the car park, I was glad to get away. Strangely, my conversation with Molly had felt awkward even though Molly and I had always been close. We used to talk about almost anything and everything. I brushed it all aside, after all the bible says "forget the former things..." so I told myself not to dwell on the past.

I got into my car and drove to Lewisham were Lylah lived. The Blackwall Tunnel was a nightmare and I ended up getting there forty five minutes later than we had arranged. I tried to ring Lylah to tell her that I was running late but my phone battery had gone flat. Uggh.

When she opened the door I could tell she wasn't too happy because she opened it and immediately walked away without giving me a hug.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic and I couldn't call coz my battery was dead."

"Sure," she said with a slight nod looking like she didn't believe me.

"Listen I'll make it up to you. Saturday I'll take you to watch that new Taye Diggs movie that’s just come out."

"Cool," she said fumbling about in a drawer.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Why?"

"You seem a bit distant and you're only giving me one word answers."

"I'm stressed that’s all," she said taking out pens, scissors and other miscellaneous things out of the drawer.

"What about?"

"I don't really want to talk about it at the moment," Lylah said pulling out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes from the drawer. Then to my surprise she lit it and started puffing clouds of smoke in my direction.

"You smoke?"

"Yes, why do you have a problem with that?"

"I didn't expect you to that’s all," I replied trying to hide the fact that I disliked people who smoked. I figured I could deal with the problem later.

After that we were both quiet for a few minutes, each probably wondering what the other was thinking; then I said, "Lylah what’s wrong? You have to talk to me, maybe I can help."

At that point she started sniffing and I saw tears welling in her eyes. Within seconds she was crying uncontrollably.

"Please talk to me."

"I'm sorry but I can't talk about it. Solomon I'm sorry but I need to be alone right now."

"But I don't want to leave you like this."

"Please just go..."

I didn't understand what was happening. The past two months had been amazing; things had been going so well and then without warning things seemed to be taking an unexpected turn.

I reluctantly got up and walked towards the door. I hoped she would call and stop me but she didn't. I walked out of her flat feeling crushed and confused...

As I drove home, I couldn't get Lylah out of my mind. I kept seeing her dark beautiful face and jet black hair shaped into a "bob" which made her look something like Rihanna. I decided I would call her tomorrow.

But when I did she didn't pick up the phone. It wasn't until I'd left three messages that she eventually called me back.

"Sorry I was out of it that’s why I couldn't call you earlier," she said in a hoarse voice like someone who had been crying.

"Lylah you have to tell me what’s going on, we can’t have a relationship if there's no trust or communication."

She sighed and said nothing for a minute or so.

"Are you still there?" I asked impatiently.

"Yes I'm here. I didn't want to talk about it but my grandmother passed away, that’s why I’ve been so upset. Sorry I didn't say anything earlier."

For a moment I didn't say anything I was stunned.

So that was it....she had been upset about her gran....

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened, was she unwell?"

"Not really, she just died unexpectedly, that was the most shocking part. I actually called my family in St Vincent spoke last week and I spoke to her and she was fine."

"I'm really sorry. Do you want me to come over?"

"No, its fine. I just need to be alone for now."

"Ok but call me if you need anything. If there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask ok?"

"Sure I appreciate that."

"...Lylah remember that God will see you through this ok? I'll be praying for you."

"Thanks, I'll give you a call ok, maybe tomorrow or something."

After our conversation I felt relieved that Lylah had told me what was going on because I have to admit I had begun to get suspicions which I didn't like. I still wasn't comfortable with the idea of her smoking but maybe it was a one off. Maybe her Gran's death had been too much and had forced her to give in. I guess I could let it go this time around. I remembered her warm smile and suddenly I felt good again, surely everything was going to work out fine. I prayed and then went to sleep dreaming about my bright future with Lylah.

Lylah didn't call for two days and when I tried to call her I couldn't get through to her. She eventually called on Friday and said she'd been grieving and she wanted to be alone.

"I understand that may want to be alone but I'm your boyfriend. You should let me come over and cheer you up or just be there for you. I don't think it’s good for you to go through this on your own."

But Lylah declined my offer and said we could hang out on Sunday afternoon after church.

When I saw her on Sunday she seemed bright and cheerful and it seemed her grieving plan had worked.

"I liked the sermon today except the part about giving ten percent of your money...what do they call that again?"

"Tithing."

"Yeah that, what’s that all about?"

"Well it’s biblical," I replied and went on to show her scriptures in the book of Malachi that talked about tithing.

"I'm not buying that," she said after reading the scripture, "Do you know how much I earn, I take home about two grand and you expect me to give two hundred away every month just like that? No, not me, mama didn't raise no fool. Don't tell me you do it?"

"As a matter of fact I do tithe because the word of God says I should do so and because I'm grateful for everything God has given me. Everything I have including my job, God gave to me and if He wanted he could take it all away today. To be honest ten percent is little in comparison to what He's given me. And the best part is whatever you give to Him, He gives you back more in return."

"Yeah well if it works for you do it but I'll never be duped like that. That’s about two and a half grand a year. Imagine how many Jimmy Choos I could buy with that kind of money?"

As Lylah was talking I began to get an uneasy feeling. I had never realised that she felt so strongly about this. Maybe I just needed to explain it better and pray for her to get a revelation about it. Yes that’s what I would do. Our cars were parked on opposite sides of the car park so we went our separate ways and agreed to meet in Stratford.

As I walked to my car I saw Molly walking towards me with a guy I didn't know very well. They seemed rather friendly.

"Molly," I said calling out to her, "how are you?"

"I'm fine and you?" she replied as they got closer to me.

The guy she had been talking to gave her a hug and said "I'll see you later," then he walked off. I quickly walked towards her.

"So who's that?"

"That’s Dave,” she replied with a small blush.

"He seems nice," I said, hoping she would shed more light on the situation.

"Yeah he is."

I tried to act casual and engage in some boring small talk but my curiosity wouldn't let me walk away without knowing what was going on.

"So are you guys seeing each other?"

"Well he's told me he likes me and wants to get to know me and I think I'm gonna give it a go."

"Wow that’s good. I'm happy to hear that," I said although I was feeling a twinge which I couldn't quite identify. 

"Thanks, I hope it will work out. How’s Lylah?"

"Fine. Things are going well." I wondered why I was exaggerating. I used to confide in Molly before but somehow I felt embarrassed to tell her the truth about my relationship.

She said she had to go and attend an Usher's meeting and rushed off. As she walked towards the church door I couldn't but help wondering why it felt like I had lost something which I had never had.

Lylah and I went to Pizza Hut for lunch and then she said she needed to go and prepare for work the next day. I walked her to her Rav 4 and watched her as she drove off before I walked to my own car and drove home.

I was fast asleep when the phone startled me.

I picked up my mobile and saw that it was Lylah ringing. I frowned and checked the time.

12:05am.

"Hello, is everything ok?" I asked.

"Yeah but I need you to come over."

"Why, what's up?"

"I miss you and I want to see you."

"But I saw you this afternoon and besides it’s after midnight. I don't think it’s a good idea for me to come over at this hour."

"Why not?"

"Lylah c'mon you're an attractive girl, I'm a human being...I'm tired and my brain isn't thinking straight. I don't want to put myself in a position where I might compromise my values. To be honest I would really love to come and see you but if I come, I'm afraid that I may not be able to resist the temptation."

"Well who said anything about resisting? You don't have to resist....I'm up for anything if you are..."

Warning bells began to ring in my mind. My brain was telling me: This is the part where you run... but every fibre of my being wanted to grab the car keys and rush over to her place. I could just picture her sexy body at that very moment...and my pulse started racing, what was I to do? I just wanted to go and see her.   

To Be Cont....

The Sex Issue...

Some church folk are doing it. Yes, some single Christians have sex on a Saturday night and then show up in church on Sunday. When I first became a Christian, I used to naively think that single Christian folk wouldn't venture down that road but after a couple of single church gals I knew got pregnant I had to face facts, premarital sex was happening in the church.Yeah as unholy as that sounds...it is sadly true. Now I'm not judging anyone, I 'm just stating a point about something which I know God does not promote in the lives of single people.
I believe that sex before marriage is not biblical and is therefore not right in God's eyes. The problem with sex is that unlike other sins, a person actually sins against their own body and this has serious spiritual and in some cases physical or health consequences.

The greatest thing is God is a God of second chances and no matter how far you've gone, He is always willing to meet you where you are and bring you back to His righteous presence. He will forgive you and give you a brand new start in Him and enable you to live a holy life until you meet the right person who you will spend your married life with.(and enjoy sex with in an unhibited, guilt free environment)

Anyway last summer, this issue of sex in the church was really bothering me and one night God just impressed it upon my heart to write a story that would deal with this issue of sex in the church. I don't know if that story was meant to help any specific person but God led me to write it and post it on my blog, so I did. I never wanted to get into the topic of sex in my writing because I was afraid people might think I was judging them or trying to act holier than thou...but despite my not being comfortable with the whole thing, I strongly felt led to write the story. I had no idea who the characters would be or where the story would go but I decided to obey God and started typing. It took me about three hours to write it without any planning or editing. And this is the story I wrote, some of you may have read it before (u can delve into it again for old times sake) Anyway the thing is some people have been asking me to write a continuation of the story or make it into a longer work. I'm not sure yet if I will. But your feedback on the story would be appreciated. Is there anything that could be improved? Anything that you really like about it or dont like? 

The Girl in Purple Heels

I caught a whiff of her tantalising perfume as she walked past and suddenly all my thoughts of a quick prayer before service vanished faster than a bargain at the Next Sale. As I looked up from my seat in the sixth row of Majesty Pentecostal Church, I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed with what I saw. I didn't know her name. But this I knew instantly: I had to have her.
She was pretty, elegantly dressed and certainly curvy in all the right places and she walked with all the grace of a queen as she strutted past me in her purple and white dress. Great, I thought, beauty and curves, that’s two ticks for her. My eyes eagerly followed her as she walked down the aisle in her purple heels towards the front of the church looking for a seat. I quickly removed my car keys and bible from the seat next to me and I hoped she would turn my way, notice the seat and take ownership of it. She didn't. She opted for a seat two rows ahead of me, where she found herself sandwiched by two elderly women. Never mind, I consoled myself, there's always time to mingle after church....

I could barely concentrate throughout the service. Every time I closed my eyes I could just see her beautiful brown eyes beckoning to me.

Stop it, I told myself. This is church for crying out loud. A place of prayer and decency.

Guilt and fear began to entwine their nasty tendrils all around me.

What’s going on...? Here I was a bona fide Christian Brother, tongue talking and all that jazz and I couldn't even focus on a sermon because of a girl I didn’t even know.

The harder I tried to stop thinking about her, the more I did. My eyes wandered in her direction again but I couldn't see her because the woman sitting in front of me had strategically positioned herself and her blue over sized head tie right in front of me so all I could now see was a dark shade of blue.

My mind began to wander again. That girl radiated such immense beauty; I prayed she would also have impeccable character and a great spirit to compliment her looks. After all what good is a fine porcelain tea cup without any tea?

 What was that? Pastor Abednego was saying something which suddenly caught my attention.

"..a prayer for anyone believing God for marriage. If you are one of those people please come to the front."

Prayer for Singles. Hhhmmm, I wanted to go up front but what would people think. I didn't want the other brothers thinking I was too eager. That was a woman's thing. I glanced around wondering if anyone would step up. Then a girl in the second row got up. Desperate Housewife, I thought eyeing her with pity knowing everyone would be looking at her from head to toe trying to determine the reason why she was still not hitched. I couldn't face that kind of scrutiny, so I sat glued to my chair. Three more girls got courageous and went to the front. Still no brothers.

Probably their desire to get married was superseded by their gigantic egos which they didn't want anyone or anything to diminish.

Then to my utter surprise, the mystery girl got up. Yes, the girl in the purple heels.

So... she is looking for a hubby huh, that's a good sign, I thought.

Well I was looking for my wifey and maybe if I went to the front we could look at each other and maybe the rest would be history....

Before my brain could talk any sense to my pounding heart, my legs had done the unimaginable and carried my reluctant body to the front. As I stood there with my head bowed low...I didn't know where to look.

She was now just a few inches away from me...

This could be us in a few years time...I thought...standing here at the altar...

I didn't even hear the prayer that Pastor Abednego made, all I heard was the Amen at the end and as he said,

"Go back to your seats; you shall receive your heart's desire in Jesus' name."

I received the prophecy with a loud “Amen” that made mystery girl turn and look at me. It was a brief look and if I had blinked I might have missed it. But that look as fleeting as it had been made me feel giddy; finally we had made a connection.

As soon as church was over, I raced towards the front to try and have a word with her.

A hand on my shoulder brought me to a halt.

"Solomon how've you been man?" Isaac, one of my good friends asked as he gave me a handshake.

"I'm fine," I said my eyes still on the girl afraid I might lose sight of her, "Listen I can't talk now, we'll speak later ok?"

"Sure, where's the fire mate? The way you're racing out of here, one would think the building is on fire," Isaac said laughing.

"You've got jokes. I just have something I need to do ASAP. See you later."

I raced towards the door where the girl had just made her exit and to my utter disappointment as I searched the foyer I couldn't see her anywhere. The girl had vanished. A group of snobbish sisters I wasn't particularly fond of stood in one corner showing off their latest weaves and manicured nails.

"I love those shoes," I heard one of them say.

On the other side of the foyer the "Holier than thou Girls" stood discussing how short one particular choir member's dress was.

"I couldn't even concentrate during worship you know. Her dress kept distracting me."

"Me too."

"You can tell she's not led by the Spirit. Otherwise she wouldn't wear that kind of dress."

"I agree. She needs some serious deliverance."

A young mother nearby was trying to get her baby to stop crying. I looked left and right hoping I would catch a glimpse of the girl in the purple shoes and just when I had almost given up, I saw her come out of the ladies toilet and head for the door. I decided, it’s time for me to make my move and I dashed towards her...To Be Continued 
(Because the story is a bit long, I decided to break it into parts to make it easier to read so that the length doesn't overwhelm people. Please give any Constructive Feedback you may have... :) )

© 2010 Gospel Girl

All for Trainers, Mobile phones and Big Screen TVs

Woman jumping from a burning apartment

As most of you may have heard, there has been a lot of rioting and looting in several parts of the UK. It all started after a peaceful demonstration in London about a man who had been killed by the police. Most of the rioters are teenagers (though some shameless grown up folks who are eager for freebies are also taking part) wearing hoods and masks and they've smashed windows of shops, stolen things then set the shops on fire.
In most cases the shops that have been vandalised are mobile phone shops, electrical appliance shops and clothes shops. Cars and buses were also set on fire. Even innocent people have been caught up in what had started off as a fight between the police and youths.

It is really sad and disheartening to watch, not to mention scary as well. I don't even want to be out at night because the thugs have also been stopping cars with barricades and pulling people out of their cars so that they can burn the cars. My local shopping centre was also targeted and it's just horrible seeing the damage that's been caused and I pray that it doesn't reoccur. Our country is a bit "soft soft" with these people and a part of me wishes they could get the riot police from African countries who would clamp this riot down in a few hours. lol ...they don't mess around and when they show up you run for your life... I think that if people are going to act like animals and infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens then they should be dealt with harshly. It's not the time to "coddle" the thugs and go go "koochie koochie koo". Its not the time to be seen to be politically correct but react appropriately to deal with violence....where are the rubber pellets or water cannons? This country goes out of its way to protect other countries but are afraid to do what's necessary to protect their own citizens...people are standing outside their homes with pots and pans to stop thugs from trashing their property .... shm...anyway that's another story all together. Please pray for us. *sad face*

There have been four fatalities linked to the violence which has now spread across the country.  I think the thugs engaging in these acts realised that they can possibly get away with this sort of behaviour and started rioting and looting in other parts of the country.
I stopped to think why would these young people do things like this? Why would they destroy their own community? Why would they torch another person's car? Is it just because they want a new pair of trainers or a new 40 inch LCD TV? I don't know if there are any clear answers to all these questions.
People talked about how it could be a result of high unemployment, poverty, lack of male role models, anger at society or government, boredom, dissatisfaction with life, bad relations between ethnic minorities and the police. But I ask, even in the times I have been disatisfied with life, I have not engaged in rioting or looting...because I believe there are other ways of dealing with such emotions. So what makes other people do it?

People came up with all sorts of different reasons but I think one of the main reasons why someone would riot, loot and destroy is that when you take God out of any equation then the enemy will fill that void. It's no surprise then that these young people do not respect their parents, teachers, other members of the community and now it seems even the police. When people have no conscience or fear of God, anything goes and lawlessness comes into force. So who is to blame?
Is it the parents for not teaching their children the right way to go? Is it the government for making cuts in services or for giving children and young people more rights and liberties than necessary? Is it the church for not doing more to spread the gospel? Only God knows.

One of my favourite hangouts was burnt and destroyed :(

I just ask that we all pray to God to intervene, He is Jehovah Shalom (our peace) and we ask that He may bring peace into the UK. May people who don't know God find Him during this trying time and may we emerge stronger and better as individuals and as a nation.

A shocking discovery

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Bob, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said,
'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

Judge not!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!
Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil...
It has no point!

Writer : Unknown

Mother in Law's unforgettable deed...

I have learnt of late that we never really know what kind of people we are until we are put in a stressful position or find ourselves under pressure. It is in those times that the real us surfaces....

I heard an interesting story yesterday and I wondered what we would all do if we found ourselves in this situation...this really happened in Naija land....

"Your mum in law is visiting and staying with you, your husband and your 6 month old baby girl. After a long day at work, you get home and find that your mother-in- law has given your baby 3 LONG TRIBAL MARKS on each side of the cheek without telling you!!! What would you do?" And from what I understand they cannot be removed....

...I dont know about you but I know I would definitely freak out, to what extent I'm not sure ...but I guess as Christians we need to always remember that the bible says to forgive those who have wronged us...but hey...this is one tough pill to swallow...

A Secret about Money

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 told me a secret about how to handle money,

Give some to God and spend a little,

Give some to others then save a chunk.


Part 2

Money is NOT the root of all evil BUT "...the LOVE of money is the root of all evil." (1 Tim 6:10)

To keep ourselves from lusting after money and becoming greedy, we need to cultivate a heart of giving. Not just giving to the church but to those in need and less fortunate than ourselves. Once this becomes ingrained in our hearts, God can give us lots more because we become a river of blessing flowing from abundance and into the hearts and lives of others.

Lately there has been a lot of talk and emails circulating involving Pastors all over the world and their lavish use of money. I respect many Preachers world wide and have been blessed by many of them but there is a new trend which is emerging which makes me cringe everytime the topic of money comes up. You only have to tune into some of the Christian channels and see the show and pomp in some churches and you will be amazed.


Now I know that the Bible does say that God delights in His people prospering (Psalm 35:27) but at the same time I think the whole money issue is now beginning to get a bit pear shaped in some Churches of God. People are turning their focus from God to unshamedly chasing after money. 

Is it right that any Tom, Dick and Harry who feels like it can just open a church and start calling for offerings for this and pledges for that...? Is it right that a Man of God should have several cars and a jet whilst some members of his congregation cannot afford to pay their rent?

Dear Ruth (The Queen when it comes to catching a Good guy)

Dear Ruth,

Firstly well done for making it into the top ten most famous women in Christian circles. Woop woop for you! Many Christian babes look up to you gal friend.  So many peeps admire the relationship that you and Boaz had although I have to say when I first heard about y'all I thought huh , Boaz sounds older and a lot more mature than you (almost like grandpa dude), but now I see how misguided I was, he was truly the best for you, a mature, responsible, godly and not forgetting rich guy $$£$$ kechang...you were truly blessed. :)

So how was it courting such a great guy? #nopressure #telluseverything
Did he shower you with flowers and candy? Did you guys go to watch movies, oh hang on a minute...there were no movies...so I guess you guys sat on a hill top and counted the stars hey..? Lol jus kiddin gal.
Anyway I thought that maybe you could give us some tips about how modern gals can get their own Boos just like your Boaz.

You're lucky, you didn't have to deal with all the hustle and bustle of modern life. These days good men are becoming a scarce commodity like water in the Sahara desert. #toughtimes And most of the time when you find them they are already taken or they have too much baggage than you are willing to take up and start dealing with.
The old ways of meeting guys (through family introductions) are not always ideal or effective in our day. People search every nook and corner in church hoping to find a dude and if there aren't any, some scout parties, gyms, Facebook and Twitter hoping to meet their Boaz prototype there...anything is possible of course so hey whatever works right?

Girl, I admire your guts, following your mom in law back to her home country, then following her advice about going to the threshing floor to meet Boaz. I guess the obedience paid off coz after Boaz took one look at your fine self...he was hooked and the rest was(is) history.
It must have been amazing, one minute your world seems like it's over then the next, God gives you a new beginning.
So the big question is....did you guys have a wedding?
Big weddings are popular these days and of course every bride has to get the dress right or else it's a major #fail.
So I look forward to you dishing the dirt..well there's probably none but it would be great for you to give us the gist... :)

Hope to hear from you soon,

Love from

"All the Single Ladies" singing like Beyonce...   

I Will Make Time Part 1 and 2

I will make time...

I stumble out of bed,

More tired than I was the night before,

Work starts in less than an hour,

Out of the corner of my eye I spy my Word for Today

No time for Quiet Time

Will have to pray in the shower.




Boiler playing up, so its a cold shower marathon today.

Two minutes and I'm out, prayer will have to wait.

Weetabix and toast gulped down as I try to read my bible,

I lay it aside, can't concentrate at all.



Dashing out, I miss the bus, trot to the station heels in my hand,

My iPhone is ringing, the Blackberry is vibrating as peeps are hitting me.

Facebook is open and someone is poking me, another tagging me.

Everyone wants a piece of me

I have nothing to give.

I'm empty... I need refreshing...yesterday was just as bad

I need to make time,

Yes tomorrow.

I will make time

Tomorrow.


Three hours and two projects later, leave the office

Lunch with the girls, salads and chicken to fill our hard worked bellies,

Doesn't do much for me, should've brought my pounded yam from home.

Back in the office, memos meetings and deadlines

Where did all the time go?

I want some time to myself

Is it ever gonna happen today?

Doesn't look like it...

But tomorrow I will make time.


Soaps, Reality shows and Facebook keep me company as I have my supper

More phone calls and chats online.

As I get into bed, I want to pray

But my eyelids have a different mission

To the Land of The Nod I go,

Empty...

A void within needs refreshing...



I need to make time,

Yes tomorrow.


I will make time


Tomorrow.

I Will Make Time Part 2


The first part of this post is a piece I wrote last year but I've included it again because it speaks my heart at this point. Of late life has been quite hectic and I’ve found myself often feeling tired and at times overwhelmed with stuff to do. As a result I found myself spending less time in prayer and reading the word. Sometimes the best I could do was listen to a podcast on my iPod as I dashed from one place to the other. And as the days went by I found myself suffering from spiritual malnutrition. I also found myself getting impatient with people around me and snapping at them. Yeah like... the person walking slowly in front of me at the train station, the shop attendant taking a zillion years to give me back my change, the list is endless.  I was annoyed with them all.

Another thing that I noticed was that making decisions daily was difficult because it was hard for me to hear what God was saying because I wasn’t properly plugged in.

I long to always enjoy sweet fellowship with God all the time but sometimes its hard to have a consistently intimate and great relationship with God. The enemy once had a great relationship with God before he was cast out and he knows how great and beneficial it is to be in God’s presence, therefore he doesn’t want us to spend any time with God at all. The devil will do anything to keep us from spending time with God.
Think about the number of distractions that seem to pop up every time you set aside time to pray or read the bible. In my case the phone usually rings just as I start having a quiet time with God or I suddenly remember a dozen and one other things that also need doing around the house.
I realised that I need to jealously guard my time with God. I immediately made some quick changes to my schedule so that I could prioritise stuff that would help me grow spiritually. If you don't do so already I'd suggest that you set aside a specific time in the day whether morning, afternoon or evening to spend some QUALITY time with God and stick with it. TV, work, school, Twitter, going out with friends and BBM will always be there. Spend a little less time on those things and a little more with God and you will begin to see the change in yourself and in other areas of your life. The more time you spend with God, the more shape things will begin to take in your life for example you may begin to notice your relationships with other people improving, more wisdom and understand of things such as job/career/business related matters, more fruit in your ministry and certainly more joy and peace that comes from having a flourishing relationship with God.



Jesus says in John 15:4-5 “Remain in me and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.”
Without Him we are nothing and we cannot accomplish anything. Not staying close to the Father in terms of prayer and fellowship with Him, is almost like a person in a hospital bed pulling off their life support because they think they can live without it. Let’s not commit spiritual suicide, lets hang on to God for dear life and remind Him every day that He is the special love of our life.

Have a great week, xoxo

The Girl who Surprised Many

Ok people you have to forgive me for being MIA, busy is an understatement to describe my life, so so busy with a new contract job (thank God for that) , coursework to do, church and other stuff.....I really miss being on here so much.... but I know God will make a way for things to settle down.

Have you ever wanted to do something but didn't because you thought it was too hard or beyond your capabilities? I'm posting this video because I think this young lady has been able to do what many people would have thought a very difficult thing. But know this, if you put your mind to it, with God on your side you can accomplish great things. That said, I'm off to learn Spanish ... :)
  

                                                           


                                                                   

On the road to Marriageville

"Meet me at the altar in your white dress, we ain't getting no younger, we might as well do it... 
Girl lets just get married, I just wanna get married." lyrics from the song, Lets Get Married by Jagged Edge (2000).

Sooooo, Kate found her prince and the Royal wedding is finally over and life has more or less returned to normal for us folk. Most of the gals I know where all eager to see Kate's dress (which for some was a disappointment, we expected more bling and satin) and most eyes were on her fairytale wedding because for most women, a wedding is a special day where a lifetime dream comes true. I, for one love weddings and sometimes they make me cry, don't ask me why, but every now and again I find myself dabbing a tear or so with Kleenex especially when they do the vows. Recently a number of people I know got engaged and there's quite a few weddings coming up so yippee more fun. But let me say, if it is your desire to meet a fine boy and get hitched and it hasn't happened yet, hang in there!!

I know a lot of people that are waiting for their prince to show up and whisk them into a fairytale. All I can say is don't get tired of hoping. Keep praying, going out and mingling. Yup, don't stay at home all the time praying, you also need to go out regularly so that he can find you ... :)
Even when it seems like all hope is lost, keep trusting God. Just like Abraham was able to have a child in old age, it's never too late. A few years ago I knew a lady who was in her mid forties who was believing God for a husband and some may have thought, it's over for her but our God who she trusted in, honoured her prayer. She met a wonderful man and they got married and now have a lovely baby girl. They are still happily married.

Maybe you are already married and this may not apply to you, but do you have anything else you need from God and it seems like its taking long? Whatever your need is I pray that God would meet you at your point of need. Take heart, keep believing and may God hear your cry.

Now back to the wedding fever, some marry young, others marry old and well, some marry somewhere in between. Don't put your life on hold whilst you wait for the big day to arrive. Prepare yourself, pray and keep serving and loving God.  Go out there and be found or if you're a guy, go and find her. And by God's grace you never know, sooner than you think, you may be practising your new signature and updating your Facebook status to married! :)

The Truth about Gospel Girl...

A few months ago, I said I would tell people a little about my background after I revealed that I was not Nigerian as most people believe I am. So here goes, drum roll please ....

This sister here is actually a Zimba babe to the bone. lol For those not familiar with the term "Zimba", it is actually short for Zimbabwe. Yes G.G actually hails from the land of Milk and Honey which is South of the African continent. Having said that I want to wish all my Zimba friends and family a Happy Independence day! Yes, yesterday Zimbabwe turned 31 years old. (I am a day late, wanted to do this yesterday but was so busy yesterday I didn't have time :(

(Photo is the genius work of Geelaw Media.)
For those who may not know Zim, it is located next to South Africa. It's a lovely place but I have to warn you, you won't find any of the following foods there : plantain, cassava or yam, (ok that probably shocked you) but we have our own type of foods which taste just as great. On your list of things to do in life, add a new one "Trying Zim's main meal Sadza" which is made from maize meal.  Yum yum, this really goes down well with meat and vegetables.

I pray that God will bless the nation and shower it with peace and great favour.

Have a great week, I will be back with a proper post soon.... in the meantime here's a song in which you can see a few places in my lovely nation...Proudly Zim :)

Waiting in the Rain

Waiting can be a bore.
Yup, it can be frustrating and down right annoying.
Most people (me included) don't like having to wait in any situation, for example, queuing up in a bank or at a government office because the queues tend to move very slowly, even a snail would look good in comparison.

In our lives we sometimes find ourselves in a place were our life seems to be on some kind of "pause" in some areas and we have to wait for certain things.
For some this could be waiting for healing to take place, a marriage partner, a job, a financial breakthrough,  a loved one to be saved, to get pregnant and have a baby.

These things mean a lot to us and we have been on our knees time and time again praying about it but it seems like there is "no reply" from the heavens. What do we do when we feel we have done all we can?

Firstly ask your self whether what you want is God's will for you. Would this thing bring glory to God in your life and is it in line with God's word? If the answer is yes, then don't give up. Keep praying and trusting God.

Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel was tired of waiting and being laughed at by her husband's second wife because she didn't have a child.
 Did she curse God and give up? Or continually ask why?
No, she continued to go to the temple and spend time in God's presence and pray persistently.

Maintain a good attitude. Refuse to complain and continue to give thanks.

Let our prayer be that of

Habakkuk 3:17-19

"Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.


At some point in your faith you will face a test. You will have to choose whether you are following God just for what you can get or whether you're following Him because you love Him and want to live your life for Him regardless of whether you get what you want or not.
The "waiting room" will test you and bring all the inner motives out. Some will give up and stop following God because they feel He has let them down. Some will continue to go on with "bruises" but eventually reach the place of manifestation.
Which one will you be?
 
God is more interested in our long term character development than in us getting something that will make us instantly happy.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

As much as it's great to have microwave breakthroughs, lets strive to go through with a good attitude and wait on God with hope that the Good Father who knows our desires will meet our every genuine need according to his abundance in glory.

The Big Family

Hello people, I know I have been AWOL for a while but thank God I'm able to show my face here again and thankfully I'm now in a better place than I was before. God has certainly been faithful in keeping me safe and secure in his arms. So much has been happening and hopefully with time I may be able to share some of it, if God wills.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and words of encouragement in various forms : on Twitter, email and here on the blog. I really appreciate it guys ... *huge smile* Its great having a community of people around who can support you and encourage you in difficult times. The other day I came across this piece in my devotional Word for Today and it just goes to show how being there for one another is so important.

Why We Need Each Other    
''...Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak...' ' 1 Thessalonians 5:14
A mouse looked out through a crack in a farmhouse wall and was distraught to discover a mousetrap. When he went to tell his buddies, the chicken said, 'Sorry, pal, not my problem.' The pig said, 'I'll pray for you.' The cow was busy and said, 'Come back later.' Dejected, the mouse was left alone to handle his problem. That night, a poisonous snake got caught in the mousetrap and when the farmer's wife went to investigate she got bitten. She developed a raging fever, and everyone knows you treat a fever with chicken soup. So the farmer took his axe to the barn for the main ingredient! As his wife's condition deteriorated and neighbours gathered, he had to butcher the pig to feed them. Finally she died. So many people came to the funeral that he ended up slaughtering the cow to make dinner for them all. In the end, everybody lost! The Bible says, '...Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.' It only takes one thing to be an encourager: a willingness to '...bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves' (Romans 15:1 NAS). Before deciding somebody else's problem has nothing to do with you, read this: '...If one member suffers, all the members suffer...' (1 Corinthians 12:26 NKJV). You can't sit on the sidelines while someone's hurting; tomorrow it may be you! We are told to 'Share each other's burdens...' (Galatians 6:2 NLT). When one of us is threatened we're all at risk. Our lives are woven together for a reason; each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry. ( Word for Today Copyright2011)

This story reminded me of how important it is to always be there for another. May we continue to pray for one another and strengthen one another, you never know some day when you are cast down in the pit, you will need someone to pull you up. Hezekiah Walker's song "I need you to survive" paints the picture nicely.

Sorry I haven't been able to read any blogs but I will be starting again soon so expect a visit from me soon...
Much love to you all!!!

Even though it's hard ... I smile

I love travelling and occasionally I travel by train and get to enjoy picturesque scenery as the train speeds along the countryside and cities. If you have ever travelled on a train on a long journey, you may have noticed that every once in a while, it goes through a tunnel.

I'm not fond of tunnels, they are dark, spooky and there's nothing to see in there and a lot of times there's no phone reception. It's always a great relief when the train shoots out of the tunnel and back into the magnificent light again.

Over the last few weeks I've felt like I've been in a dark tunnel in my own life journey. Things have been difficult and kinda weighing me down. It seemed like there was so much opposition from the enemy and I started losing the will power to even fight back. Even my so called communication "reception" in the tunnel was poor, I couldn't "connect" with God as well as I usually do. But praise God that I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, very soon I shall shoot out of the dark and into the glorious light.

The other day I was listening to Joyce Meyer's podcast and God spoke to me and reminded me of an "old time truth", through her message. She said that although our victory has already been secured, we still need to fight aggressively to be able to possess everything which is rightfully ours.
Matt 11:12 says that.".. the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and violent men shall take it by force."

I have put back on my fighting gloves and resumed the fight and I'm not going to allow the enemy to run rampage in my life. The bible says we should "...fight the good fight..." and I'm now doing so with joy as I know that soon, I will be out of the tunnel and enjoying the lovely scenery again.

Kirk Franklin's new song (with some one's homemade video) has kept me company and do take a moment to listen to it, it's a great song. I can't listen to it and not smile. And so I smile...not because my life is perfect but because I serve a God who works everything for good behind the scenes, praise God
Like Aretha Franklin sang..."say a lil prayer for me..." if you get a chance, I appreciate you stopping by, thanks and have a lovely week!

The Master's Visitors

Hello peeps, am so busy and so much going on (life is happening full on..*sigh*) and I don't even have time to do a blog post but you can munch on this blast from the past....that I'm reposting...till I'm back, have a good weekend!



The Master's Visitors

They come from all directions with their worries and their woes,

Some problems are big, some are small,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all,

But if only they'd have some love for me.




"Can you pleeeeaze help my sick daughteeer?" the Indian woman asks in a desperate voice.

I take her daughter and place her on my lap,

A little TLC and a rub of the tummy,

And the girl is skipping and dancing around.



"Can you fix my lapy topy," the Chinese man asks with a smile.

I take the laptop from him, a little screwing here and a dusting there,

Within a few minutes, I hand it back to him good as new.

"Now stay off the streets and stop selling DVDee DVDee."



"My crop has failed and I have no food,

My family and I will starve if you do not help,"

The African man looks round hoping I'll offer him Supermalt.

Bags of grain, wheat and flour I give to him from my abundant storehouse.



"Yo wassup Big Man, I need your help,

Ain't good for man to be alone, you know the deal,

I need a honey, you know someone to love," says the American man with a twang in his drawl.

I point him to the East where a beautiful maiden is picking flowers,

Go to her, Your soul mate awaits you.


"Mama Mia, Help me Master, ze debtors in Milan are after me!"

I look at the Italian Shopaholic, carrying dozens of bags,

eyeing me from behind her Gucci sunglasses,

I sigh at her mess but still settle her debts,

Another satisfied visitor leaves without a second thought.



They come from all directions with their worries and their woes,

Some problems are big, some are small,

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all,

But if only they would show an ounce of gratitude

Or treat me better than they treat Santa Claus.



Then I see a boy approaching,

"Master it's good to see you."

 "Good to see you too my child. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing. I just came to see you."

"You mean you don't need anything?"

"No, I wanted to spend time with you and tell you I love you

and appreciate everything you do."

Simplicity of Men Vs Complexity of Women !!!

 

Wife's Diary vs Hubby's Diary

HER DIARY
3 February 2011
========== 
 Tonight, he was acting weird. 
We had made plans to meet at a
cafe to have some coffee. 
I was shopping with my friends
all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that 
I was a bit late,
but he made no comment. 
Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet 
so we could talk, he agreed but
he kept quiet and absent.

I asked him what was wrong 
- he said,"Nothing.

"I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had
nothing to do with me and not to worry.

On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept
driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love u,too."

 When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.
He just sat there and watched TV.; he seemed distant and absent.Finally I
decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came to bed. I decided
that I could not take it anymore,

so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep.

I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep. I don't know what to
do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.

My life is gonna be a disaster.
____________ _________ _________ _

HIS DIARY
3 February 2011
==========
Today Manchester United lost the  match
against Chelsea.
Damn!!


Someone sent this "Diary Piece" to me and I thought it was funny and since February is the "love month" (roll on Feb 14...lol) I decided to share it with u guys..... I think it's funny and sad how the wife was quick to assume that it was her fault that her man was acting distant and must be thinking of another woman shm,...in life especially relationships, lets never assume....gather facts if you can, bcoz as the saying goes, "Assumption is the mother of all screw ups!"

You can find more about the differences between men and women on my old blog post Men are from Mars Women are from venus


Have a lovely week!