I invite you all to another episode of the “Usher YOU and YOURS into the New Month” series.
For those who joined in last month, my sincere prayers is that God Almighty, the maker of all things and all men will visit you and yours even in these remaining days of this month.
With all thanks to God for bringing us to the last days of the 9th month of this year 2016 which also marks the end of the 3rd quarter of this year, I strongly welcome you to the last quarter of this year. Like my mentor once preached and I quote “Your Mouth Determines your Miracle.” I admonish you all that while you ask God for those heart desires of yours, while you declare and decree his promise over you and yours; don’t allow your own mouth reverse what you have confessed. It’s one thing to pray and believe and it’s another thing to patiently wait for the manifestation.
Let’s consider the bible reading for the new month: 1 Samuel 30:1-20. Our theme verse is verse 8;
“So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. ”” (Verse 8 NKJV)
“Then David prayed to the Lord. “Should I chase the people who took our families? Will I catch them?” The Lord answered, “Chase them. You will catch them, and you will save your families.”” (Verse 8 ERV)
Reading through the verses, when the enemy took from King David, he didn’t just jump up, assemble his army and start pursuing. He understood what it meant to do battles with God, so he didn’t just pursue the Amalekites blindly. He did with an understanding and that was as a result of God’s affirmation that yes He would overtake them. I want everyone of you joining in, men and women, young and old to do this with an understanding.
Do not wait till you have lost everything before you run to God. Run to God so you don’t lose anything.
I won’t be listing out any prayer request. Pray as you are led. Tell your friends about this, share it to as many as you can and God will send answers to every of our prayers in Jesus Name. Amen.
God bless you.
“Living Life God’s way is Living the Beautiful Life”
Disclaimer: This article is written based on a 100% personal journey. This is not a manual for anyone to use against another. This article has been written with the purpose of blessing as many, encouraging as many to know that God is the maker of great homes with the power being in our hands. Let the Bible be your manual and when you read those books, be edified, charged up and inspired to run. Marriage is God’s idea and He instituted it. However, you and i have our parts to play.
Welcome back to “The Christian Wife’s Diary”. Catch up on Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t read it.
Many young women enter marriage as “Professors of Marriology” because they have read every book on relationship and marriage that there is out there. Having zero to no experience, they are often overcome by the immediate discoveries that unfolds after becoming the new wife.
Well you may say, “how do i have the experience when i ain’t married?”
That is exactly it, you don’t. The closest you come to is learning from people’s experience. The good to inspire and encourage you. The bad, you learn from it, watch and be warned.
As much as I was in a denomination where there was a committee that should guide you through to your marriage and sometimes after. I would say that i am glad about some decisions i made as regards my marriage. Sometimes i wonder if i did it all by my common sense but not at all. I believe God desired to give me the happy home i prayed for and wanted me to learn so many things that no one can teach me except marriage.
I am an advocate of “learning from people’s experience”. Wherever i find myself i always tune into the supernatural order of things and ask God what it is that i need to learn from where i am. That being said, a lot of people think grasping all the knowledge they can get would out-rightly work things out for them. Hey friend, you are wrong on this one. Marriage is no fairy kingdom where you wind and point the magic wand and the mattress becomes water bed or that angry man becomes a smiling flower. It is somewhere you must be willing to learn to grow.
I’ll encourage you not to ever run your home the way the other does. Many a times, what Mrs X boast about may be true and work for her or may not be true but she wants to feel among. You who is naive now takes it hook, line and sinker and then start to experience problems. Your husband is a book you should read and understand. Lest i forget to mention; I didn’t read any marriage book prior to marriage. The best i came close to was reading so many romantic fiction novels by Francine Rivers and Karen Kingsbury – oh my, i love their books and have read it all over and will read it all over again. The faith and attitude of the characters lightens up my inside to believe and trust God better than i did before. I believe not reading “spelt out” relationship and marriage books and guide before marriage somehow helped me to be teachable. You may wonder that how come someone like me who loves to read didn’t. My dear, i don’t know but i am so glad i didn’t. We had our fights and arguments because when you said “No”, i would want a reason. Now i can boast of this that God has indeed taught me prompt obedience in this regard and i learnt it in my married home.
How dare me forget to mention that my first pre-wedding present from my dad was the best gift anyone gave me. He wrote several things which i have shared on my Facebook wall before. Don’t worry, i would be sharing them as we continue in this series. Those were indeed words of wisdom that i will forever cherish. Back to the books, one beautiful thing is that i don’t know most of the contents of those books, so i wouldn’t say anything about it. Please know that i am not saying you shouldn’t read those books. I am simply saying, BE A STUDENT or AN EMPLOYEE ready to LEARN ON THE JOB! I want to believe that most of the relationship books were written for us to learn and be inspired from not to be brainwashed. The difference between this is that someone who learns is open to correction, someone who is inspired goes the extra length to better herself but someone who is brainwashed believes only what she says and knows is the right one.
If you must know, now I have a library filled with edifying books that God has used to bless my marriage even more as i continue to “learn on the job“. Like i mentioned in my other post, I decided all by myself to bring in and give unreservedly my 100%. So giving my 100% meant giving my knowledge and common sense too. That doesn’t mean anyone is riding you or anything. It simply means you are ready to do your own part and learn with an open heart to corrections.
I don’t expect so many of you to buy my opinion, not even in this age of “modern day feminism”. (That’s a topic for another day) I am a christian and the Bible is my manual so as i continue in this series, I will share to encourage young brides and wives like me out there that we can have that home we dreamed and so prayed about.
“If you find honey, eat just the right amount; otherwise, you’ll get full and vomit it up.”~ Proverbs 25:16 (CEB)
“But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.” ~ James 1:5 (CEB)
“In marriage, be an open book to God and to your spouse. Let new good things be written in you and the old bad erased.” ~ Phebe Olaniran
“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”~ Charles Spurgeon
“Knowledge is but folly unless it is guided by grace.”~ George Herbert
Until you read from me on this series, “Keep loving, keep praying and remember you get what you pray for and if you don’t pray for something, you get anything”
Today’s article is greatly inspired by an ongoing campaign in a ladies’ group I am a member of. I’ll encourage you read till the end and be blessed. My articles can be shared because as God helps me to bless you, you owe it to humanity to be a blessing in turn. Let the chain of blessing keep on.
I remember growing up in a Christian home under very sound Christian parents. Aside from the fact that my parent were leaders in the church, they were model leaders at home. As every child, I expected to keep basking in the Lord as my parents did after I was led to Christ. Off course I did and well now I know what I didn’t know then. When a child succeeds and does well, its natural to think you are more intelligent than others. But many of it is attached to answers to someone’s prayers.
As life continued I happened to advance forward and somewhere along the line i lost my christian experience but didn’t care so far I was morally okay. I remember “near sin” moments i had down the years. How i didn’t commit such sin even when people who I expected to be who they supposed to be happened to be otherwise, I cant explain. But looking back, I can only relate it to one thing still – An answer to someone’s prayer for me.
God bless the people I came in contact with and later the strike that happened for four months, who knew that was when God wanted me to really find him. I have seen the difference since those months. From then till now, I cannot say they were all express and bump-free. There were moments of great high and lows, disappointment in myself and people around. There were moments of depression and bitterness. But in all, there were moments of God’s faithfulness and indeed again – an answer to someone’s prayer.
I have traveled down the road of life and have had to turn back and then turn back to continue the journey. But what I am ever grateful for is that my maker never left me by myself out in the cold and most especially, he used situations, people, places, circumstances and even troubles to keep me on track. In my present position and status, I have seen God come through for me even in situations that to man is so bad. I have seen him send favors my way and i am in total awe of his wondrous acts and plentiful blessings.
I know that to a large extent, my audience would be women as much as I haven’t restricted it so. God has designed us women to always want to pursue after what is good and what we feel is needful either for ourselves (singles) or for others and even more for our families (married). I invite every visitor on my blog to understand that there is a God up in heaven who created us and he did that with a plan and purpose in mind. Seek him, Find him, Accept him and believe Him. Also, Confess all of your weaknesses, strength, plans and everything to him. Are there things you want to get off your chest but can’t because of what people would say? Tell him, I promise you, he wont judge you, he’ll listen and help you.
Lets travel down this road together with Him as our guide and watch him come through for us every step of the way. He is no respecter of denominations, persons or even faith. He isn’t bothered about the color of your skin or the kind of life you have lived. He is who he says he is. He is JESUS – The WAY, The TRUTH and He is LIFE.
To see answers to your prayers, come be an answer to someone’s prayer – JESUS. His utmost desire is to draw all men to himself.
“So Christ can save those who come to God through him. Christ can do this forever, because he always lives and is ready to help people when they come before God.” ~ Hebrews 7:25 (ERV)
“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.” ~ Matthew 11:28-30 (ERV)
“What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” ~ Matthew 6:33 (ERV)
God bless you all and remain in his love. Mrs O loves you big.
“Living Life God’s way is Living the Beautiful Life”
I had a one week of vegetable cleanse. Okay, what I’m just saying is my lunch for one week was Vegatbles and Protein. breakfast was Momma’s Breakfast Power Smoothie and dinner was golden morn and peanuts. I always felt like taking something so I said to myself; “why not make a snack?” And then my mind got to work. Listing what I had readily at home and can be used to create this new eat.
Okay, I had for this cake:
2 cups All purpose flour (replace with oats flour or even oats)
1½ cups Quaker Oats
1 tbsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp strawberry flavoring essence (because it’s about to expire but any of your choice)
Honey
6 Eggs
1 Apple
2 Pear
5 Bananas (ugly ones)
250g Butter (Replace with 1 cup coconut oil or oil of choice)
1 cup milk (optional)
Blender
Baking pan
Oven
Pre heat your oven.
Grease your baking pan.
In a bowl, sieve flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. In another bowl have your Quaker Oats.
Peel skin off Apple and Pear. Slice not so thinly the Pear and set aside.
Break eggs, cut apple, take skin off banana and throw all in a blender.
In a mixing bowl, put butter (melted and cooled) or coconut oil and honey Mix together. (I didn’t use my mixer as it was at night and I wasn’t up for clanging of parts. So I used my whisk) Make sure they are mixed properly. Add your blended mixture and stir all together again. (Sorry I wasn’t taking note of time, use your instincts) Now pour in your dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula. When properly folded in pour in the oats and fold in too. Pour in the milk and Blend it in.
Pour into the greased pan and smoothen top with the spatula.
Sprinkle some more oats on top and spread your pear slices on top and put the pan into the oven.
When baked, enjoy as a dessert or a snack. (Portion controlled)
The quantity determines the baking time.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend In Gods love.
“Loved ones, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 (TLV)
I am sure everyone has had this kind of episodes in his or her growing up phases of life.
For me, while growing up, my dad was more or less a “lie-detector” machine. He could tell when anyone of us was lying. He made us understand that most times that we got punished was because we lied. He said if we had said the truth we probably wouldn’t have been punished. Hehehehe “probably” it is. But you should trust every child’s fear when he/she has done something wrong and knows his/her parents are disciplinarians. Lying was sort of the only option and the funniest thing about it, someone did it. So who is lying? Our dad made us understand that when one says something that isn’t true, he has to say another untrue thing to cover it up. “Oh yes, we know.” Well, I am so glad you know.
This article is not to come remind you and I of either our lying past or point out lies that were once told. Its just to encourage you and I to keep going for the truth because it only attracts the right people, the right things and the right atmosphere. Once of the very many clear examples that always come to mind is when i was an intern several years back. I was asked by the person who was interviewing me if i could use a particular design software. When i said “I couldn’t”, oh the stare i got from one of the interviewers. Well i didn’t come under when i was asked the second time for what i think was to be sure they heard me right. Apparently everyone who was going to be there at the time had the technical know how of that tool except me.
At the end of the day, what i heard was, “Are you starting immediately?”
I responded, “No. I will be coming mid year to start.”
“So why did you come so early?” I was asked again.
I replied, “I wanted to secure a place before i return back to school, so i’ll prepare myself.”
“Okay then, congratulations. You can begin when you said you will. One more thing, try and learn the basic of the design software.” I was told.
“I will. Thank you very much.” I replied with a huge smile on my face.
When i stepped out to meet my dad who was waiting for me, he knew from my smile that i was accepted. Next thing he asked me if they asked about my knowledge of the design tool. I said to him that i told them the truth and they advised me to learn. He smiled back and said, “The Truth will always get you what’s right. If you don’t get it for saying the truth, then its not the best for you.” This statement right here is it. It is IT.
A beautiful life comes easy when we do the right things the right way. Telling Lies is not right. It doesn’t have to be verbal. These days there are so many ways of diluting the truth or even dodging it entirely. Like i said, i am not here to start laying out forms of untrue behaviours. We know them, so lets search within us and please owe it to ourselves to tell ourselves the TRUTH always. The most tragic thing that can happen to any man is NOT TELLING HIMSELF THE TRUTH.
Truth opens door.
Truth brings favour.
Truth sows a seed of trust and love.
Truth paves way for people you know.
Truth saves, heals and comforts.
Truth waters friendship and causes it to thrive and blossom
Truth speaks words you don’t even know exist.
Stand for the Truth, Defend your Truth and Live by your Truth. In the end whatever you tell us may be your own truth but if its the true truth, it will withstand all storms and be marked: “Tried, Tested and TRUSTED”
“These are the things you should do: Speak the truth to each other;” ~ Zachariah 8:16a (CEB)
Let me let you know this: You would lose friends when you start telling the truth, speaking truth and standing for the truth. But you know what, the right ones would stay and they will come when you start living the TRUTH.
“My words are true, and I will not say anything that is wrong.” ~ Proverbs 8:7 (ERV)
“When you tell the truth, justice is done, but lies lead to injustice.” ~ Proverbs 12:17 (GNT)
Have a beautiful weekend, living the beautiful Life.
As we journey along, my utmost desire is that this trip will be a memorable one. However, to enjoy the full benefits of the ride, there are just few things you need to do.
Praise God every morning for the miracle of waking up
Read atleast a verse of the Scripture.
Drink a cup of Water every morning. (add honey or a slice of lemon if you wish)
Eat a healthy breakfast. (You can have power smoothies)
Read a book completely. (15mins every day)
Pray during the day at least 7 times. (it doesn’t have to be long. As you work or walk, cook or clean, anytime)
Do exercise for atleast 3mins. (or just your routine workout or join our September workout plan)
Eat a fruit/vegetable a day.
Appreciate someone everyday. (A compliment would make someone’s day)
Pray for one person per day. (You would have prayed for 30 people through out this ride)
Drink more water. (Atleast 8cups in a day)
Call 1 person a week and check up on that person.
Say thank you for every Favour done.
Memorize two verses every week.
Learn a new recipe. (You can check our kitchen category as we would be kicking off this month)
Praise and Pray before going to bed every night.
Be the best version of you.
Start taking steps to that goal of yours.
We promise you that as you seek God first through this month, your expectations would not be cut short but all your heart desires would be fulfilled. Matthew 6:33
In this month, Live healthy, Eat healthy and most of all Live Christ-like for that is indeed the BEAUTIFUL LIFE! –Philippians 4:8
Here, i would be concluding this “breastfeeding series”. I hope the first and second parts have greatly blessed you. If this is your first time, you can catch on the first part and the second part to fully understand this concluding part.
Getting home that beautiful evening, hours after settling down and settling my family, i got to work on the new discovery i just made. Knowing how married we were to our smoothies, i had to understand how each ingredients worked and how it would help my milk supply. That a particular fruit is edible does not make it automatically an ingredient in the lactating smoothie for me. For me, I was conscious of the fact that my little one can react to some foods i eat so i did my assignment well. Mind you, always remember that your little one get everything you eat from the milk. So the need to sacrifice the joy derived from eating somethings. Don’t worry, baby would soon be six months or a year old or may even wean him or herself soon. Then you can resume all your likes. After all, we all want healthy babies who we don’t have to always run to the hospital or ER with for one thing or the other.
For the sake of this article, I would be sharing below ingredients i used and use alongside their health benefits. You are welcome to try them or rather go make your own research and find out what works for you.
Photo Credit: diaryfoods.com via Google
So the starting mark was at Bambie’s 5-months anniversary. All i did was have my lactating smoothie for breakfast, go about my snack and lunch and my pap or kunu for dinner. What i discovered was that in addition to the four bags of milk i usually had every day, I was now able to get between five to six bags a day. (1 at dawn, 2 at work, 1 after work, 1 or sometimes 2 before bed or in the middle of the night when I’m engorged. Personally, as much as i felt full stomach-wise, few hours after gulping down my smoothie, i begin to feel build-ups.
This was easier for me as all i had to do was wash my ingredients, put in the smoothie maker (a blender would do it too) and into my smoothie cup and off i go. Most times when I’m still busy preparing our lunch and settling Bambie’s feeding needs, my boyfriend goes on to make it for me. He even created great recipes for me. For those of you who are trying to lose the post baby weight, this is a very healthy one and great for your weight loss. Now that Bambie is enjoying her solids and still downing large quantities of breast milk, I am still on my lactating smoothies but with a twist and with substitutes, my boyfriend and i now do it as “breakfast smoothies”.
Now this brings me to a successful climax of this series. Thank you and God bless you for taking out time to visit my blog and reading from this young Momma.
Feel free to peruse and enjoy other articles. I am thinking of starting something. Do well to subscribe or follow this blog so you’ll never miss out on interesting reads. Watch-out for that “SOMETHING”. Until you read from me again, remain in God’s Love and ensure that this beautiful month is a “SEPTEMBER to REMEMBER”.
Have a “Thankful Throwback Thursday” to God’s faithfulness and watch him come through for you.
God bless you and Mrs O loves you big!
“Lactating Smoothie Ingredients”
I am just sharing a rough list of all I used. If some of them are not available, use the one listed that are available. I’ll have the substitute in brackets.
Unsweetened Almond milk
Homemade Coconut Milk (you can make this one at home – cut in small bits, add water and blend. Then sieve. Because of its great health benefits, i switched to this and prepared it in the comfort of my kitchen.)
Old Fashioned oats
Spinach (you can replace with Ugu – washed)
Apple (Pink lady and Green)
Banana (used as a creamer)
Avocado (used as a creamer)
Plum (since i couldn’take oranges)
Strawberry
Kiwi (Rich in folate – Baby needs some folic acid even after birth)
1 tablespoon peanut butter or ⅓ cup of roasted peanuts
Blend all, serve and enjoy alone or with a slice of homemade “Sugar-free Oats banana bread” – watch out for the recipe.
Feel free to mix up as you like. Watch what affects your little one, you will always find out from their poop or their physical discomfort. Always prayerfully follow your “mother instincts”.
Feel free to drop your questions in the comment box below and i will definitely get back to you. If you like this article, like, comment and share with friends. If you have any constructive criticism to make, do as well too.
Kindly note that frozen breast milk should be thawed either at room temperature or under running water and consumed within 24 hours Do NOT microwave or use the defrost function either. To bring it up to human temperature put in a bowl of warm water (NOT more than 55 degree Celsius)
Do NOT re-freeze thawed milk.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is written based on personal experience, do well to always check with your doctor and communicate all your concerns to him/her. I am not a Doctor and has no medical background
Let’s see how far we can go here. I will do my best to post a recipe here every Saturday.
Okay now, welcome to my kitchen. Kindly put on your apron, grab a knife + chopping board or your food processor, a pot or a wok and some food ingredients + Spices. Remember to keep your sponge and dish washing liquid near by as you will be doing the dishes immediately after. No dirty dishes in the sink after cooking!!!
For this dish, I had everything ready so that once I began cooking, it was just take and throw in. I have prepared this particular dish before with chicken and with fish. But for this recipe I had this done with eggs.
Ingredients:
Potatoes
Mixed Vegetables (carrot, green peas, sweet corn and green beans)
Eggs
Onions
Tomatoes
Red Chili peppers
Habaneros
Purple Cabbage
Ground cinnamon
Ground ginger
Parsley flakes
Salt
Canola oil
Garlic (optional)
Wash, peel and dice potatoes. Rinse mixed vegetables (I used the frozen ones so I rinsed to remove ice). Cut onions into strings. Blend Tomatoes, garlic, Red chili pepper and habanero and set aside to be used. Boil eggs in a pot and let’s cool and remove shell. Shred purple cabbage to preferred texture (I like mine tiny)
Put 2 tablespoon of canola oil (any oil of your choice) in pot, throw in onions and put pot on fire. (Not a fan of getting pot hot before putting oil and then leaving to get hot again before throwing in the onions) As it begins to simmer, throw in blended tomatoes and peppers and stir to distribute evenly. Put in the potatoes to cook along and absorb all the sauce. Cover your pot and let cook.
Watch sauce from time to time to add in cinnamon and ginger and also to make sure it doesn’t burn. If potatoes are still not tender to your taste, add a little water and let cook. – We do not want any water left in the sauce when the potatoes are cook. When water is dried up, add mix vegetables. We do not want that to cook for long so stir it in and add salt to taste then remove from heat. I don’t eat raw cabbage so I throw in my purple cabbage and parsley flakes and let the heat of the food steam it.
Serve and Enjoy meal.
* You can have it with rice or just alone. We had previous ones with little rice. But for this, we enjoyed it just as served with some hot “spice and orange” tea.
“Loved ones, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 (TLV)