GRATITUDE POST.....

I was nominated for the gratitude challenge post by the lovely Amaka of Seyonhundeyin.blogspot.com some days ago but i have been incredible busy and too lazy to write the post. When i decided to write it yesterday i got distracted that is why i am writing it today. Thank you Amaka for the nomination. You guys should check out her blog.....she spits some serious truths and has a series called 'Grammar 101'

The rules are that you should accept the challenge in 72 hours upon nomination (which i didn't do....I am so sorry) and you have to write 5 things you are grateful for on any social media platform (including blogs). Then you are to nominate 5 other people to take up the challenge.

I like gratitude challenges because it makes you to stop and take a good look at your life and allows you to remember how blessed you are. When you count your blessings, all your problems seem to fade away at that moment.

So here are five things (among a lot of things) i am grateful for:

ICYMI......KATIE PIPER IS MARRIED

Katie Piper and Her Daughter..

I don't know how many of you remember Katie Piper. I had written about how God sometimes has a bigger plan for you using her story as a point of reference (check here to read about it). She was disfigured when her brat of an ex-boyfriend poured acid on her and she has fought her way into being a role model for people by not giving up.

And on Friday 6th of November, 2015 she got married to the guy who saw her for who she is and not her physical appearance. Oh by the way, he also happens to be her child's father.

EMBARKING ON A DIFFERENT JOURNEY….

God has been faithful....

Romans 8:28…..And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose….

Hey guys, I wrote this while still waiting for the concrete confirmation of God’s word and I decided not to edit it.

So what journey am I embarking on? You know how for months I have been talking in parables about the confirmation of God’s plan for me even when things seemed bleak, right? If you don’t understand please check here, and here.

BLOGGING AIN'T EASY.....AT ALL!!!

Feel like this today....

Honestly it is not easy at all. I wonder how people do it. Right now I am watching fashion bloggers at work (yes o, the doctors are on strike so no work) and I look at how successful the girls are and I ask myself so many questions. When would I be like them o? When would I be featured like them. When? When?!

BLESSINGS AND FAVOUR ALL AROUND….

This image is just perfect....#neverluckyalwaysblessed

Hey guys, I know you want to punch me right? How dare I disappear just like that uhn? I am so sorry. It is not my fault. I have some really solid excuses. I promise that I didn’t disappear because of laziness (this time…lol).

So yesterday I took an exam that would cause me to earn a little bit more money….yes. guys yesterday was promotion exam time. Imagine it has been more than 3 years since I completed my NYSC and got a job. God has been merciful. The exams were okay, Thank God. I fretted about it so much but God granted me favour. The only issue I had was that the people decided that since we were to be promoted we deserve to be ridiculously delayed. They kept us waiting till about 4:30pm (we arrived by 9am) before they decided to grace us with their presence…..#rubbishandnonsense

THE DIVA’S REVIEW OF ‘I’M IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL’ (MOVIE REVIEW)

So yesterday I finally got to watch the movie ‘I’m in love with a church girl’ featuring Ja rule and Adrianna Bailon. I got the film on one of my ‘spur of the moment’ purchases (God help me with my spending o). I had seen some clips on television when I was at home in Lagos, it was then I understood why Ja rule had been absent from the entertainment scene. He had become a Christian and had been laying low. Which reminds me, does anybody know of any Christian entertainment website where I can follow news on Christian singers/actors or actresses, movie and album release and stuff like that? If you do, please leave the address in the comment section….Thank you.

RELIGION OR A RELATIONSHIP?

Heads up guys, this post would get you thinking spiritually so if it is not your cup of tea you might not want to read it but I dare you to read the whole post. Why? Because I can guarantee that you would pick up a few things that might change the way you think in life.

So I stumbled, like literally stumble on a film on youtube while watching different ways to style box braids and I am glad that I did. It was like God wanted me to watch it cos I had never heard of the film before. The name of the movie is ‘Another perfect stranger’ and yes, it is a Christian movie.

The movie tackles the fact that most people are not in a relationship with God but are just religious. I hope I am able to explain this well. What they meant and what I understood is that we are so focused on what ‘people’ expect you to do in your religion that we forget that it is not about people it is about a personal relationship. I would be focusing on Christianity because that is all I know but I know for my Muslim readers and friends, some of my points would make sense.

In the movie, the lead actress’s parents tried to make her accept Jesus into her life but the girl felt they were being too religious and they had a big fight. Then on the plane, a guy heard her when she was complaining to a friend and also tried to make her see that her parents were right. I have no problem with that, he meant well but was going about it in a wrong way. Personally I felt it was a bit forceful.

Later on in the flight, she starts to talk to another guy by her side and they discuss about religion and how people have left the focus of what it is to the way it should be. He said something about the way American Christians are and I am like, if you guys are complaining about American Christians then what would they say about the way Nigerians have turned religion into. They continue to talk throughout the film and the man lets her know that having a personal relationship with God is the ultimate and that when you have a personal relationship with God, he would direct you and teach you on how to walk with him.

At the end of the film, the lady realizes that it was Jesus that had been talking to her all that time. And then she understood what her parents were talking about.

So now here are my personal thoughts. I agree with what the 'Jesus' in the movie said. A lot of people especially Nigerians are practicing religion. They think that if a person doesn’t act in a certain way or do things in a certain way then the person is not a Christian (or a muslim as the case may be).

Take me for example, I am an Anglican (born and decided to stay an Anglican). In school most people were attending Pentecostal fellowships and I choose to continue going to an Anglican church and you would not imagine the amount of flack I got because of that. I used to get angry till one day, it was revealed to me that I had no reason getting angry. 

If i was able to connect with God and he with me in my Anglican church then I had no reason to get angry. Besides I was not the owner of the church, he was, so I needed to leave it to him to defend his church and concentrate on what mattered. Funnily after that day, when people thought they were being spiritual about telling me that my church was not a church I had such peace within me and couldn’t get angry. And you know what, people stopped talking after a while (I don’t know why they did).

I still get the side eye from people when they ask what church I attend and I say Anglican but when I say Anglican, I say it with pride. I ain’t ashamed of my church. I get that we are not like the newer generation churches but the aim of a church is not to focus on rituals or the supposedly way you feel a church should be. The focus is CHRIST and on how to be a better Christian. Funny, most people don’t know that when I was younger, we used to attend Pentecostal churches. I have been to celestial church of Christ, winner’s chapel, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Christian Church and some other churches and even Catholic Church. So I know what goes on in other churches.

I have no problem going for programs in other churches but it is not the same way with other people. I think they feel that Anglican Church is for old people. I don’t know about that but I know I love my church. I love the hymns, I love the routine, I love the organizational structure. I love the fact that people don’t have full authority and that they are accountable to a higher/more senior person. I love the fact that things can be mixed up, today we can be the old Anglican way and tomorrow we can be a different way. Today we could be all about hymns, tomorrow we could sing praise and worship songs all day. 

A friend came to see me at church one day and eventually stayed for the service. He was so shocked that the way he thought Anglican was, was not what he saw at all. I think he left there a changed person (I hope). I appreciate all the other churches and wish people would appreciate my church too. To think about it, most of the general overseers of the Pentecostal churches have no problem with orthodox churches, it is the followers that have the attitude. I wonder why? I could be wrong though.

The point I am trying to make here is that people need to stop assuming things because of the church a person goes to. We all can’t act or worship God in the same way. The most important thing in our lives should be our walk with God. I have stopped comparing my Christian race (and life race) with other people because I am not other people. I am ME and God wants me to be ME with him. 

I might not be able to sing or act or be a lay reader or a priest or the head of a group or pray for hours or pray the way that people expect a Christian should pray or preach or do so many things that people assume that if you are a good Christian should do. I might be able to sweep the church floor or clean the pews or help decorate the church hall or help a kid in church or calm a kid who is crying in church or feed the kids in church so that they are calmer and can allow their parents to hear the word or scrub the toilets in churches so that people can use the toilet when they need to use it or adopt kids even when I am single or sponsor the education of a child I don’t know or do things that make no sense to others. The thing is if it coming from your heart and it glorifies him, i feel God would take you doing what you can do than what you feel people think you should do. So If feel in my heart of hearts, that i am doing what glorifies God, why would I look at what others are doing and do those things so that I can appear normal.

Watching the film reminded me that this life is a personal race and nobody can run it for you except you and no one can show you how to run it except God. So for people out there doing things because it is what others are doing when you know that is not exactly what God wants you to do, I dare you to do what God wants you to do for a while and see if you don’t have a greater peace and feel more in tune with God. Hey, what do you have to lose? You don’t feel it, you go back to your old ways and no harm is done.

The most important I need you all to know is exactly what was said in the movie, you can only find fulfillment with God and not in human beings or things. Having a personal relationship with God and not following a religion is the ultimate. Because at the end of this life, I don’t think God would ask anyone if they were a Christian (or a Muslim) but I feel he would ask ‘Did you know me personally?’

That is all folks, I wanted to talk about how reflecting on all these made me also thinking about my life and where I am today but I think I should stop here today. I have yapped too much. I hope I was able to help someone reflect on their lives and their standing with God. I know that I might get a few comments that I might not like but it would be worth it if even one person’s life is changed for the better.

Luv ya guys,

Petite Diva.

CHALLENGES: SPIRITUAL, HAIR, FINANCIAL, EMOTIONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING

Yep! I think it is time for me to step out of my comfort zone and set some challenges for myself. While surfing the net on how to grow my hair, I saw that some people would set challenges like a '6 month roller set' challenge in which people would agree to roller set their hair every week for six months and they post the 'before and after' pictures and probably win a prize.

That got me thinking, why not set challenges for myself in some aspects of my life? And see how far I can stretch myself. I figured if I can do all my challenges say 90% completely, it might become a part of me and I would definitely be better for it.

So here are my challenges:

Spiritual: 

None of ya business! That is between God and I but I intend doing something extra every day for the next 6 months. I really hope and pray that I am granted the grace to follow through with my challenge. I really want to follow through 100% because I know that once my spiritual life is on a greater level everything else would fall into place.

Hair: 

So I have cut my hair and have been on a quest to grow healthy hair. One way to grow healthy hair is to do protective styling. I was going to do lots of weaves but when I loosened my last weave I saw that my hair was thinning in a place that usually had hair. I remembered that braids usually helped me retain length but the issue with single braids is the weak hair at my hairline that it cuts.

The hair at my hairline is so weak/thin and right now so scanty. However I figured I could do Ghana weaving/cornrows in front and single braids at the back but Ghana weaving also cuts my hair at the hairline. In Lagos, my hair stylist used to leave some of my hair at the hairline and start the cornrows about 1cm from my hairline and that used to help with the hair at my hairline to stay put. So I figured I would get whoever is doing my hair to do that and I might not experience so much breakage and shedding.

With all that said I am on a 6 months braiding challenge. Every time I loosen the braid I intend to put a protein treatment to prevent breakage, deep condition, pre poo, moisturize and seal for a week before I do another braid. I would try to take pictures to document my progress.

Financial:

For the next six months I intend to stop all buying of any expensive or unnecessary stuff. I intend to save at least 70% of my salary (that is after I have bought my laptop and my paid TV.....star times...yay!). I really need massive grace to follow through with this one because I am not just that disciplined. However I need to try and do it because I have got too much dreams to achieve and I need to stop thinking about myself for a while.

Professional:

I would soon start my fellowship program and I realized that I have not been reading a lot lately. So I have decided to dedicate at least 1 hour everyday to read my books. 1 hour might seem small but once I get used to it, I hope I would be able to increase the time.

Emotional:

I really need to work on myself so that I am a better person. I know it is only God that can give me the grace to be a better human being. To help me achieve this goal, I intend buying and reading books that would help me grow as an individual. I really need to find myself. I would like to read at least for 1 hour everyday for the next month.

Physical: 

I plan on eating at least 3 times a day with snacking time included and also to take my multivitamins everyday so that I can gain a bit of weight and have a healthy body.

So there you go guys, my challenges for the next 6 months. I leave everything in the hands of God and I would continue to ask for the grace and determination to carry through all my challenges. I really hope that all that I desire he helps me with so that I can do things t hat would give him the glory. Do you any challenges that you might want to embark on? Why not start with me and we can grow and encourage each other.

That is all for now folks. I hope you all have a beautiful week ahead.

Luv ya,

Petite Diva.

I HATE ABORTION WITH A PASSION!!!

The term ‘abortion’ in relation to pregnancy by ‘Microsoft Encarta’ means an operation or other intervention to end a pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus from the womb.

I have no clue why I just wrote the meaning of abortion like you all don’t know what abortion means but I was trying to be a proper writer. And it sucks! Switching over to petite diva mode….. So why am I writing about abortion and my belief, well I recently remembered that one of my ex who has para medical knowledge (he is a medical personnel) used to freely give abortion tips to his friends who had gotten their girlfriends or playmates pregnant.

While we were together, I actually told him it was not right and once he said he won’t give them advice again (which I seriously doubt he did). When you have been doing it from your undergraduate days, how would he suddenly stop because one chic that you don’t value said so. Besides he would lose some of his so called 'friends'.

I hate abortion, with a passion. Anybody that has done it or helps people do it loses most of the respect I have for that person. It amazes me how people who cannot create a human being would kill an innocent soul. A person who aborts or help people abort is A MURDERER, A KILLER!!! There is no difference between that person and armed robbers/hired assassins who kill. They are even worse! They kill innocent children who have done nothing wrong.

The statement the ‘killer’ ex used to say was that at the stage his friends were trying to kill their children the child is still a zygote. For the love of God, everybody on earth was a zygote before all the organs were fully formed. So I am stating that a zygote is a child! You all can argue all you like, I ain’t listening.

When I was entering university, a video was played for us ‘freshmen’ on abortion. That was the first time I saw some gory scenes about the various ways abortion was conducted. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to throw up. I just don’t understand why people would do that to their bodies and their kids.

My recent scare with hyperprolactinaemia has reaffirmed my belief that children are precious and wonderful. My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t be able to bear kids. I already have a lot of statements being said about me and having kids. I have been told by some doctors that when I am pregnant that I should book for caesarean section as my pelvis might not be wide enough to push a baby out and some other crap that I don’t believe. Meanwhile some lucky females and males (yes, males because I have seen men who are the cause of the inability of their wives to conceive due to their low sperm count) would kill their kids.

I am a pharmacist and I know what medications that can be used to conduct an abortion but you can’t get me to tell you or dispense/sell it to without a doctor properly prescribing it. I have committed enough sins as it is, I am not about to go into ‘THOU SHALL NOT MURDER’ own. Thank you! But I would pass.

I really believe in karma and listen up people to what I am going to say. For everyone involved in it, STOP IT!! God is merciful but one day he would deal with you because of the innocent souls you have killed. I believe that the sooner you repent the better. Even King David that God loved still was still punished when he stole Bathsheba from Uriah the hittite. I believe that he would forgive you but still deal with you small.

It is even worse for the medical personnel who have sworn an oath to help people with their knowledge and commit this terrible crime. I am so angry right now! Anybody that does not stop it soon would soon experience God’s wrath! You would receive a bigger punishment than those you commit the crime for because you should know better! For crying out loud that is why condoms and contraceptives were made! If you are old enough to do the deed, then you are old enough to bear the consequences!

Do I think there are exceptional cases when it can be conducted? Right now I am torn between the answer of yes and no. In a situation when giving birth to a child would be harmful to the mother’s health, a child with serious deformities, a child who is SS, a child who was as a result of rape are all exceptional cases that I can’t comment on.

I guess I am entitled to my own opinion and I might have rubbed on people the wrong way but I don’t care. Thank God that he is a merciful father. I am quite sure that he would forgive a lot of people so maybe it is that grace that people are taking for granted. May God help us all as I can’t claim to be a saint.

I have to go folks. Hope you loved the entry even though it was a little bit unpleasant.

Luv ya,
Petite Diva.