The Past, What Is There?

No matter what mistakes you might have made in the past, there is a future ahead of you. If you keep looking back and gazing into the past you might soon discover that the future has run out on you. Yesterday can be as far or as near as you make it. The fact that yesterday is gone and you cannot relive it means you have to look forward to the future and live in the present. Live in the now, the present, and not in the past. Your past is your yesterday, today is a new beginning and tomorrow is a future to look forward to. Don’t allow the bad events of yesterday to steal from the goodness of today.

Today is a new day, a new beginning, another opportunity to correct yesterday’s errors. I encourage you to try and live your life in the present and not in the past. The past might be full of bad memories, heartaches, sadness and tears but today is another opportunity to put the past behind and move on with your life. Don’t store your past in the future, don’t waste anymore of your life on a street of broken dreams and what could have been, you have to move on now and embrace the present. The present is the here and now, the past is the past, you can't change it but you can make the future better.

Can a farmer water last year’s crops? Certainly not! He has to sow new seeds for a new harvest. Last year’s crops is done and over with. In the same way that a farmer sows new seeds for a better harvest, start a new beginning and sow new things into your life. Make new friends, do something new. Don’t live in the past, it is dull and lonely, come and live in the present. Bury the past like a bucket of ashes and look forward to the future. If you do not bury the past then you are wasting time and opportunity. True peace comes from letting go of the past and embracing the present.

I encourage you today to let go, forgive, bury the hatchet, dry your tears, ask God to heal you and take off the old garment of the past, take off the garment of heaviness and embrace a new day. I know it may not be easy but keep trying. May the peace of God surround you no matter what you may be going through. God bless you as you make an effort to forget the past and live in the present.
(Written by Ladé © 2008 All rights reserved.)

Be Kind, Reap Kind

It’s always good to be kind to people, you never know, you might have entertained an Angel on your way who will in turn be a helper in your time of need. Do not hesitate to be kind to people because at some point you will in turn need someone’s kindness along the way. Being charitable is being kind. I encourage you to be kind today and someday you will reap the blessings. God bless you.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

LESSONS WE MUST LEARN

There are lessons we must learn in the walk of life. If we do not take our time and allow the season of learning to take it’s full toll, we end up experiencing a bit of what could have been greater and more rewarding for us. We must try and maintain an attitude of learning all the time and never get to a place where we think there is nothing else to learn and we know it all. Nobody knows it all; we must continue the learning process as long as we live. Every experience we encounter is a learning curve depending on how you see it. The lessons we learn in life are there to stretch, to challenge and to teach us new things. Life teaches how to correct our wrongs, to learn what we could have done better, to think and see things from a different perspective and to know that every experience is worth going through as long as we have something to learn from it. Life is an educational institution and experience is our teacher. We must learn something every day if we must grow in knowledge and in wisdom. Some people will never learn anything because they usually believe they understand the lesson before it is fully taught by the teacher and this is a great mistake and folly. The key is that you must be wiser today than you were yesterday otherwise you have not learnt anything. Many do not always like being taught but we must always be ready to learn, otherwise we are on the highway that leads to many mistakes. I encourage you to keep learning; for the purpose of learning is growth and we must continue to grow as we continue to live.

"Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily." ~Thomas Szasz
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Things Money Cannot Buy

Money cannot buy you the finer things in life, for instance, your health.
Money can’t buy you happiness or joy, in fact, it causes you more pain.
Money cannot buy you peace, it can destroy an entire family.
Money cannot buy you life; only God is the giver of life.
Money cannot give you security, it only creates more fear.
Money cannot set you free, it enslaves you for fear of losing it all.
Money rules and dictates, it gives false hopes and creates more enemies.
Money does not bring true friends your way, it brings followers.
Money soon becomes an idol, if not careful, you begin to worship it.
Money can change you from being nice and humble to being proud and arrogant.
Don’t lose the finer things that money cannot buy, always remember to check.
Check once in a while that you have not lost the things that money cannot buy.
Do not make money your god, as there is no such thing as exactly enough in money.
It always makes you want it more.
Be careful what you do with it, make sure you spread it around.
If you hoard it, you will lose it, if you give it, you will gain more.
Invest your money and change the lives of others.
Help it give hope, feed the hungry, help the poor.
Money is a spirit, if you disrespect it, it will disrespect you.
If you are humble with it, you will obtain grace and favour.
If you are proud and look down on others, you are setting yourself up for a great fall.
Remember, the higher you climb, the more risk you have of falling a great fall.
Nobody is guaranteed they cannot lose it, so remember those you met on your way up.
Don’t forget them, as they might be your helpers on your way down.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Get Back Up Again

I would like to encourage you today by saying, “get back up again”. You can get back up again no matter how hard you fall. Get back up again and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, it is part of life’s building process. You must get back up again. Before you fell to the position you are in now, you must have been up at some point doing the right thing but because of an error or mistake you find yourself where you are now. I encourage you not to remain where you are but to get back up again. Though you fall, you can get back up again. You can do it, so get back up again! The only real mistake you and I can make is if we have not learnt anything from our errors, and that’s a big mistake. Mistakes enable us to work harder and see where we’ve gone wrong so we can correct our error. Life is all about making mistakes and realising what we could have done better, it helps us to work harder, it is a stepping stone to greater heights, so you should never be ashamed to own up to the fact that you have been in the wrong. Our mistakes help us to realise that at least we are wiser today than we were yesterday, so you can get back up again. Don’t blame your mistakes on others, own up to them, make amends and get back up again. You are not a mistake, you’ve only made an error and hopefully you are wiser today than you were yesterday, so please get back up again.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Is Your Heart Beautiful?

If I told you, you are beautiful, what would you say? Would you just say, “Get out of here, who are you trying to kid, do you know me?”

Beauty is the love that you share from the heart, your beauty is the smile that you give, it’s not in your face, it is the light that you share. Whatever is good is beautiful. Are you a good person? Then you are a beautiful person. There is beauty in everything, but not everyone can see beauty in everything. Today, I encourage you to remain beautiful. The beauty within will definitely reflect on to others so don’t believe the negative. The Bible says that when God created man, He saw what He had created and it was beautiful in His eyes. Your creator is not looking at the outward, He looks at the heart. True beauty can only come from the heart. Is your heart beautiful? Then you are beautiful!
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Adversity - the wisest course

You and I cannot avoid adversity or difficulty; it is inevitable. We live in a troubled world. If you want to be great you will go through adversity, difficulties or hardship. Adversity will tear a lot away from you and leave those things that cannot be torn, so that your true self can come through. We go through pain, not by choice but by chance and circumstance but our pain must be used as fuel for our journey in life. If you are going through hell, I encourage you to keep going and ask God for a broader shoulder to bear the burdens that life throws on you. The pain you’ve gone through becomes your history and turns out beautiful at the end. Adversity is meant to shake your soul and let the glory out. If you can’t change your situation, change the way you think about it. If you are in a bad situation don’t worry, it will change. Good situations change and bad situations are also subject to change. No situation or circumstance is permanent; everything is seasonal and subject to change. We’ve all come into a hard world, not by choice and there is nothing we can do to make it go away, but we have a choice in how we deal with every situation. A path without obstacles leads nowhere. If you are going somewhere there will surely be obstacles on your path and you had better learn how to overcome those obstacles so you can reach your destination faster. Wisdom comes with experience and the adversities of life teach us lessons we would not have learnt had life been such an easy ride. You are who you are today as a result of the adversities you’ve had to face in life. The difficulties of life are not meant to make us bitter but are intended to make us better, so I would encourage you to convert your difficulty into an opportunity. Adversity is there to make you grow and growth comes with pain. Life reveals its beauty through adversity. I pray that your adversity will turn out into something beautiful at the end. There is never a rose without thorns. Be encouraged and keep going.

"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles." ~Maltbie D. Babcock

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What Do Your Words Say About You?

What do your words say about you? The words that we speak are very powerful and effective. It can do and undo a lot of things. You can tell more of a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. What do your words say about you? What did you say yesterday that’s worth remembering?

When you talk, I would encourage you not to talk too fast, think before you talk. One of humanity’s greatest weakness is the inability to stay quiet. If you speak when you are angry, it could be one of your greatest regrets in life. The greatest way to avoid putting your foot in it is to keep your mouth shut. Keep your words soft and minimal. A word cannot be recalled once it escapes from your mouth, so think twice before you speak. Do not allow your tongue to speak before your brain has thought things through. It’s better to be quiet than to be hasty and foolish.

Whenever you get an opportunity to talk, let wisdom come out of your mouth. God bless you.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Power of Time

Time is powerful; it depends on what you do with it. “Time goes so fast”, we say, but the reality is that time stays, we go! We spend eight hours at work, eight hours to sleep and we have eight hours left. What we do with the rest of the eight hours that is left is so crucial. Whether rich or poor, we all have the same number of hours and minutes everyday. Time does not discriminate. Rich people cant buy more hours, it is what you do with your time that matters. Time is not temporary, it is eternal. We are the temporary beings who live within the framework of time. I would encourage you today, make sure you make good use of your time and don’t waste it. Our lives are framed by time. If God permits and we live to a 100 years old, that means we have 4 quarters in our lives. Each quarter is equal to 25 years. How we spend the first and second quarter of our lives will determine the course of the rest of our lives. Each hour of our life is golden; don’t let your golden hour slip by without doing something valuable with it. Time is the coin of your life, don’t let others spend it for you, determine what you want to do with it, value it, cherish it, invest it and it will yield profits for you. Only you can determine how your coin will be spent, and remember it is the only coin you have, you cant save your time to spend it another day. If you want to be creative, start doing it now, if you want to be an artist, start practicing now, if you want to be a lawyer, start studying now, whatever you want to achieve or become in life depends on what you do with your time now. If you want to be a skilled musician, you will need many hours of practice. If those hours slip by and you don’t do anything, then you may not become anything. Be constructive with your time. As the hours slip by, so does our age. Time is eternal and ageless, we cannot slow it down, that is why you must start doing what you have to do now and not leave it till tomorrow. If you don’t watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you. Procrastination is the thief of time; don’t wait to do tomorrow what you could have done today. If you yield to time, you will find time on your side. Opportunity walks with time but repentance walks behind it, so make the best of every opportunity. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is yet to come, now is the time to invest so we do not regret tomorrow what we could have done with the time we had yesterday, for yesterday is no more. The grace is of time is that no matter what time you’ve wasted yesterday, you still have an entire tomorrow. I encourage you today to make the best of what time is left, don’t throw your time away. God bless you as you motivate yourself to do better with your time.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

I Just Realised

I just realised that there’s more to life than the eyes can see;
I know that, but certain events open your eyes more
I just realised that I do not know the GOD I thought I knew
I just realised that I am nothing and who am I to come before the presence of GOD?
I just realised that the word vanity is true and can be as real as you want it to be; vanity upon vanity, all is vanity
I just realised that sometimes we cannot and will not get what we ask for, because GOD is Omniscience
I just realised that GOD is no respecter of persons, spirits, animals, place or thing
I just realised that in the twinkle of an eye everything can vanish
I just realised that in working on the straight and narrow, you have to fight hard to cling unto the hem of JESUS’ garment, because it is so easy to fall
I just realised that I can destroy what took GOD years in my life to build just by making one wrong choice
I just realised in it all, why bother or get stressed?
I just realised it is very, very difficult to practice what you preach
I just realised that the fear of the unknown is chasing me, yet I know I’m free
I just realised that for no apparent reason, my mind is looking for a reason to cry or get worried

Why is this life such a misery?
What is it about life that makes life the way it is?
From one level of trial to another; mostly the mind is where the battle is

I just realised why worry? For the joy of our Lord GOD will continually be permanent, but happiness will come and go.
Choice one…..I choose JOY!

(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Keeping A Record?

Are you keeping a record of wrongs done to you?
Are you keeping a record of errors made against you?
Are you constantly looking at the mistake of others?
Are you constantly scrutinizing other people?
Do you easily get angry and impatient with others
And never forget when wrong is done?
Do you have a register you tick every so often?
What are you going to do about all these?
Revenge and retaliate?
Are you so angry that you lose all manner of reasoning?
You are so angry you refuse to reason with others?
This is a form of blindness

Patience is virtue my dear friend
Don’t ever think you are perfect
Your flaws are probably more than those you see in others
Try working on your own errors
Change does not come by shouting and marking errors
Change comes from within by loving and caring

Strife does not bring change
Condemnation does not bring change
Change only comes when you begin to change yourself
Look within and you will see
So much change is needed
If not, you will not see the error in others
Why not leave them alone
And take time to change yourself first?
Remember, charity begins at home
Change yourself first
Then you can influence and change others

I encourage you today, to think
What do you need to change?
If you must grow, you must change.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What Is There To Be Happy About?

Sometimes I wonder, what is there to be happy about? So many things are going wrong, bills are higher, wages are low, people are depressed, and nothing is improving. All our material security is being eroded. People are in massive debts; they have no solution to the problem. The rich are getting richer while the poor get poorer. Big companies are making more profit while small businesses are folding up. The world is becoming more selfish and people become lovers of self. We are more “me” focused and people are more self-centred than ever before. Everybody is now taking care of number “1”. I wonder, is there anything to really be happy about? Then I realised that in order to be happy, I have to make others happy. In order to be rich, I have to enrich others. In order to have friends, I must make myself friendly. In order to find help, I must help someone else. If you are not happy, you had better stop worrying about it and look for what treasures you can find around you. It is proven that poverty and wealth does not bring happiness. We are so fond of counting our troubles that we forget to count our joys. The happiness you are looking for will not come as a result of getting something you don’t have or attaining more riches but it is only when we recognise and appreciate what we have that we find true happiness. If you want to be happy practice compassion, be kind to others, give a helping hand. Whenever you can, say kind words and encourage others, prefer others to yourself and sacrifice for others. If you want to be cheerful, cheer others up. Happiness is not far away, it is like a butterfly, when you pursue it, it flies away beyond your grasp but if you sit quietly, it will alight on you. There is a seed in your hand; it is called happiness, share it and you will be surprised to see that it blossoms into a beautiful flower. In order to find true happiness, we must give it. A great obstacle to happiness is expecting others to give what we ourselves cannot share. Happiness is a gift, share it and it will bring you great joy. The secret to being happy is in the giving.
"For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness." ~Author Unknown
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What About This Life?

What a life, you wake up in the morning, go to work or for lectures, go to the gym or pre lecture activities, come back home, and sleep and oh my!
The same old routine day in day out. What a life!
What about this life?

The body craves for achievement, and after satisfying that want or need, another craving arises.
The body doesn’t seem to get enough of this poor old dirty and filthy world. What a life!
What about this life?

The spirit man craves for supernatural food, and after satisfying that want or need, another craving arises.
The spirit man doesn’t seem to get enough of the sweet savoury aroma of the presence of God.

What a life;
The higher you climb in achieving, either for the body or the spirit man, the higher the level of challenges.
The battle never ends and then you wonder, what about this life?

I have personally sought to encourage myself in the Lord, at least the Bible, in the Book of Ecclesiastes chapter 1, it teaches about the fact that there is TIME for everything.

It only boils down to one thing; there is more to life than the eyes can see.
There is more to life than our thoughts can comprehend. Remember, whatever you do, make sure God approves of it and make sure you do not sell your soul to the devices of the enemy.
Life is a battlefield, but Jesus already won the battle, for in HIS name and by HIS blood, we are victorious.
LIVE YOUR LIFE, DON’T SPEND IT!
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Power Of The Mind

Today, I would like to encourage you to fill your mind with good and positive things. The mind is a powerful minefield, out of it comes the issues of life. What you think matters and what you allow to dwell on your mind matters. If you think and meditate on something long enough, you soon act on what you’ve been thinking. Nobody can think for you, you are the only who can think for yourself. People can make suggestions, negative or positive, the choice is yours to decide what you allow to dwell and remain on your mind. You can pollute your mind by accepting the negatives that people throw at you and you can cleanse your mind by being positive and choosing not to accept the rubbish that is being thrown your way. The world we have created is a product of our thinking. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If you think negative all the time, you must try and change your line of thought, as all you will produce is a negative. Read encouraging, inspirational and motivational books. Feed your mind with good things. Go on courses that will inspire, motivate and energise your mind. Renewal of the mind is the key to positive thinking, you have to renew your mind and feed your mind with good things. Your thoughts become words, if they are negative, you will speak negative, if they are positive, you will speak positive. It’s better to train your mind so that it always sees the positive things in life, then you will act and speak positively. Negative produces negative, positive produces positive, what you sow is what you will reap. Why don’t you sow good things so that you reap good? It is easier to dwell on the negative than the positive. Renewing your mind to think positive takes more effort but produces good results. You could be a prisoner of your own mind, thinking you are ugly when you are beautiful, thinking you are fat and ugly when you are not, thinking you are no good when you have abilities that other people envy. Renewing your mind is important if you are going to make it in life, so keep a positive outlook, think positive and act positive. Weed your mind of the negative and fill your mind with the positive. May God enable you to overcome the negative. God bless you as you think on these things.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The Gift Of A New Day

Today is a new day, another day in your life, another day in my life, another opportunity to look at things differently, another opportunity to see the good and the bad in our lives, another opportunity to be nice to someone, another opportunity to make up with someone. Today is another day, another day to consider what we could have done better, another day to see if we can make a difference, another opportunity to make the best of the time we’ve got left, another opportunity to share our gift, another opportunity to pray for a friend in need, another opportunity to lend a helping hand. Today is another day, another opportunity to take what belongs to you and make good use of your talent, another opportunity to discard yesterday’s doubts and try something new, another opportunity to do what you procrastinated about yesterday. Take today and don’t waste it. Each new day is there for you to use, to create and birth something new. Don’t waste today; it will not be there tomorrow, so do something with today. If you don’t make use of the opportunity you have today, someone else will take the opportunity you’ve missed and make good use of it. Make an opportunity of your difficulties today. Don’t sit down regretting the chances you’ve lost, take hold of opportunity and don’t let it fly away. Be wise with your time and make the best of today. Today is another opportunity to make a new happy ending. Opportunity is like a bird, it never perches. Today is one moment in your life, seize the opportunity and don’t let it slip, take hold of it and make good use of your day. May this week be productive and successful for you. Have a blessed day.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Is Your Soul Cast Down?

Maybe you woke up this morning with so much on your mind and you are wondering how your problems are going to be sorted out. I am encouraging you today to not lose heart. Problems come and problems will go. Just as night turns into day and day into night, I am encouraging you that your night will soon turn into day. You must continue to persevere and not give up. Don’t give up yet. Obstacles will come in your way but everytime you conquer one obstacle, you become much stronger to take on the next one. No one can help you as much as you can help yourself. If your soul is cast down, I will encourage you today to arise and shine. Arise and shine. You must hold your ground. It takes a little acorn to grow into an oak tree. If the acorn did not hold in the ground, it would not have turned into an oak. You must hold your ground; you can’t go through life quitting everything. You have to persevere and stick in there. If you should fall, pick yourself up again and don’t quit. Life is full of challenges, the race is not for the swift but for those who keep on running, so keep running and don’t give up now. If you are going to achieve anything, you’ve got to stick with something. Your victory comes not in the falling but in rising up everytime you fall, so I encourage you today to rise up. Rise up to the challenge, rise up and face the world, rise up, it’s not over yet. Each time you conquer and overcome a circumstance or situation you become more than a conqueror, so rise up and conquer. My encouragement to you today is not to give up at the edge of your miracle. If you fall seven times, arise on the eighth and keep going. You can make it if you persevere. For you to have come this far is an act of courage, so be courageous and keep going. Resist fear and keep going, keep going anyway, don’t rest on your laurels. May God strengthen you in this hour and everytime you need help, may His angels lift you and strengthen you. All hope is not lost if you don’t give up. I will encourage you to kneel down and ask God for help, He is waiting to hear your voice and He loves you.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Believe in Yourself

If you doubt yourself, then you are standing on shaky ground
Your doubt is a traitor, it will make you lose the good you might have won
What lies within you is greater than what is behind you
What lies within you is greater than what lies before you
Believe in yourself and you will be astounded as to what you can achieve
Believe in yourself and give yourself to yourself
Be your own best friend

It is you who is your own enemy
It is you who beats yourself up
It is you who fights against yourself
Learn about your strengths and not your limitations
Love yourself, and then you can love your neighbour
If you don’t believe in yourself, who will believe in you?

Believe in yourself, set a standard for others to follow
You will only reach as high as you can grow
You can only see as deep as you can look
You can only be as big as your dream
Believe in yourself and dream big
You are only as big as your dream

Do not be afraid of the storms
Only learn to sail in the storm
Believe in yourself
Don’t give your dream away
Don’t let anyone steal your dream
It’s your dream, not theirs
Hold on to your dream
You can do it if you believe it
However strong you are,
Without belief in yourself,
Then you are weak
The key is in your hand
To unlock your potential
Believe in yourself and you will do it!
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” ~ African Proverb

Are You A Bully?

As we live our day-to-day lives I am prompted to ask this question. When I see strife and division I am prompted to ask this question. When I see other people hurting, I am prompted to ask this question. When someone loses his or her confidence, there is a reason why. When someone has low self-esteem, there is a reason why. When I see someone crying and in pain, I know they are not making it up or faking it. I know their pain is real. Are you a bully? Do you enjoy inflicting pain? Please forgive me for asking. The world is hurting and dying because of the pain we inflict on each other. We hurt each other daily, though we may not want to admit it, as it’s always easier to point at the next person and blame them. Do we show compassion when we see the suffering of others? Does it make you feel better when you pass rude comments to others? Do you feel good when you shout at others and you hurt if they do the same to you? Are you a bully or are you not? Do you easily feel insulted when others try to correct and point you in the way of peace? Do you easily misunderstand and misconstrue what people say to you? Are you too proud to say sorry knowing very well what you have done is not good? It makes me wonder if you are a bully. Do you easily point the finger and blame others for your own errors and do you make others laugh or cry? Ask yourself that question once again. Do you make others laugh or cry or are you constantly at war with others? Do you compliment your loved ones or do you pull them down?

Today is the beginning of a new week. Let us take time to think. How can we change ourselves so that we can change others? Believe it or not, if you inflict pain on others then you are full of pain. If you are constantly hurting others then you are full of hurt and you need to sort yourself out before you lose friends and family and what would you have left? Yourself! Loneliness is not a good thing so I encourage you today to please try and change before it’s too late. May God make His strength perfect in our moments of weakness.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Are You Feeling Low?

When you feel low in yourself it’s always good to talk to somebody who is reliable and can be held in confidence. Feeling low is not a bad thing, as it is a feeling that we all have at some point or the other. The key thing is not to allow your feeling to overcome you to a point where you descend into depression, as depression is more difficult to deal with. It is important to find a source of encouragement where you can get some advice, prayer or support of some kind. Remember, you are not alone; there are thousands of people going through the same road. Help must be sought in time of need, if not this leads into isolation and danger. If you are feeling low right now remember there are plenty of people worse off than yourself. Look up and try and see the brighter side of life. Nobody promised us a bed of roses but if we choose to look on the bright side, things could be better. Whatever you are going through try and keep hope alive. Try and look up. Try and do something to make the situation better. You are the important one here, you are valuable, you are worth more than many sparrows, and your life is worth much more than money can buy. There is no one like you, you are unique, you are special, just believe in yourself and keep hope alive. There is light at the end of the tunnel, so don’t give up just yet. Somebody out there needs you so don’t cut your life short.

I leave you with an Inspirational Phrase by Groucho Marx and I hope it blesses you:

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."~ Groucho Marx

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

We Are An Army

One thing we must remember is that we are an army in this world and we are here to fight a battle. We are to fight a battle in which only God can be our helper, our guide and our aid. He is the only one who has the perfect strategy for the battle. Our battle began from conception until the present day. Tell me who in this world has not faced one adversity or the other? Our being birthed safely into this world is a battle and victory in itself but our battle only just begun. Imagine a fatherless child or a child whose mother died during labour or just after being born. These are the people we need to remember to pray for, the orphans, widows, the sick, people going through mental attacks, the hurting and those who find themselves in a position they are not able to do anything about. This is proof in itself that there must be something precious in us that some devil is after. That is why I created this site to encourage people. I don’t know what you might be going through right now but I would like to encourage you to forgive those who have hurt you. I know it is not easy but this is the first step towards spiritual freedom. You and I are a treasure in this world and we have the potential for greatness in us, you have the potential for greatness, believe it or not. You and I have the capability of changing the world and helping to make it a better place. We have the ability to create in our minds and bring that creativity into manifestation. We have the ability to create good things and empower others to do the same. We have the ability to transform other people’s lives and bring a change. We have the ability to make the world a better and safer place. There is power invested in us by the Almighty but there is an element of evil in the world that is trying to stop us from achieving our full potential. There are destiny killers in our way, obstacles, trials, tribulations, pain, heartache etc. All these stem from evil. My encouragement today is not to look at what has been done to you, look and see what you can do for others to bring about a change in this world. With a positive mind and outlook, the world can be better even if it is only by a fraction. Your efforts are worth it. God bless you as you think on these things.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!!
Hope you're having a good time, wait a minute.
Is this another holiday or another celebration?
A time to rest or a time to reflect?
What is your reason for celebrating Easter?
Is it about Easter eggs or about Jesus?

You see, many have forgotten the reason for this season.
I’ll tell you a little story……
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever believes in HIM shall not perish (eternal damnation) but have everlasting life (eternal life)….

Jesus Christ went on the cross; He died and took our pains and shame away. He redeemed us and bought us back into the family of God’s people with HIS blood. On the 3rd day, Easter Sunday (some argue Easter Monday – none the less on the 3rd day however), HE rose again defeating the enemy and setting us free from sin and death.

Not to get too complicated…….
Walking with Jesus means walking in peace,
Walking with Jesus means walking with joy
Walking with Jesus means walking in love

Let us reflect on what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary .
What do we need to get rid of and what do we need to gain?
Think about it…..Meditate on it and I pray God to open the eyes of your heart to see and understand the reason for this season Easter.

Have a lovely Easter and remember, God loves you and so does Jesus and hey….I love you too….

(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi Daniel © All rights reserved.)

Gentle Folks Needed!

Are you a very quiet, laid back kind of person? Do people try to take advantage of the fact that you are gentle and quiet? Do they speak to you like you are stupid or you don’t know what you are doing? Are you hurt by how people sometimes react to you just because you are a quiet unassuming person? I’m sure you sometimes would like to be outspoken like some others but you are not that kind of person. You are the type that usually takes things in your stride and you don’t like any kind of confrontation. Maybe you look at yourself and question even your own abilities. Your quietness and gentility must not be mistaken for stupidity. Be gentle but firm. Be bold and take courage in the fact that the world also needs quiet, nice and gentle people like you. Can you imagine if everyone was loud, noisy and aggressive? What sort of world would we live in? Some noisy world I would say. So, what am I trying to say? You are also an asset to the world and the world needs people like you to bring about a balance otherwise it would be chaos all the way! Be proud of who you are, keep being gentle, keep being who you are and don’t desire to be someone else. God bless you for being quiet, God bless you for being gentle and God bless you for being who He has made you to be. My encouragement for you today is to continue being who you are. Be you!

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

WHO ARE YOU HANGING OUT WITH?

Who are your friends and how do you choose your friends? Who are you hanging out with? Are you hanging out with the ‘Birds’, the Thorns or Roses? If you are hanging out with ‘Birds’, this means you are hanging out with people who peck every good thing out of your life. They peck out your confidence, they peck out your self-worth and peck out your good morals. They keep pecking at your life and leave you with nothing. If you are hanging out amongst ‘Thorns’, it means you are hanging out with people who choke you out of your money and leave you dry, they suffocate you to the extent that you can’t think for yourself anymore, they control you and dictate your lifestyle. They confuse and choke the life out of you. If you hang out amongst ‘Roses’, this means you are hanging out with beautiful people, who may not be there for ever but they leave you with something good to make your life better. They are beautiful petals. They leave a sweet aroma in your life, they make you feel good about yourself and radiate their beauty into your life. They help you appreciate yourself and see you as beautiful. They impart their beauty and aroma into your life.

Before you hang out with friends always remember to have this in mind and ask yourself, “Am I hanging out amongst Birds, Thorns or Roses?” The choice is yours. I pray and encourage you to make the right choice today. Take time to smell the ‘Roses’ and appreciate them, they are a gift from God. Don’t leave it till tomorrow, as tomorrow might just be too late! The wind might have blown the ‘Rose’ away. It takes years to build a life; it takes only one day to destroy it. Your life is worth much more than many sparrows. May God protect you from evil friends. Amen.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Do You Want To Be Successful?

Have you noticed that the river never stops moving? The earth has been rotating on an axis since the beginning of time. Cars keep moving on the road, people keep walking, trees keep growing and the birds keep singing. The clock never stops ticking and time keeps going. Nothing ever stops moving. Movement is a sign of life and continuity. Where there is movement, there is life, there is progress. In order to progress we must keep moving. In order to keep moving we need to keep focused. Have you come to a standstill? You need to keep moving. Does is it seem like it’s the end? Don’t stand still, you need to keep moving. Keep moving, keep hoping, keep praying. Keep doing something. Don’t stop hoping, don’t stop moving, and don’t stop planning. If it seems like all you attempt to do keeps failing, I encourage you to keep moving. Keep planning, keep hoping, don’t stop moving. Have you tried? Congratulations, that’s a success in itself! You know why, because you made your first attempt, you tried! At least you did something whilst some others have done nothing and are still waiting to do something. Can you see, success is achieved through trying and trying over and over again. You did not fail because you tried. You only fail for not having started at all. So, keep hope moving, keep your expectation high, hope must not die. Stop thinking failure because you met disappointment on your way to success. Don’t stop at Disappointment Avenue, keep moving on the Road to Success and you will get there. You’ll succeed at last only if you keep trying. Do you want to be successful? Then be prepared for disappointments because that is the key ingredient for success! Remember, if you don’t keep moving, you will keep stagnant. So, keep moving and with God's help you'll succeed at last. Wishing you every success in life.
(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

The World Needs You!

Are you passionate, full of energy and drive? Are you a go-getter, always making sure things are done and constantly keeping busy? Do you have what I call ‘zest for life? Are you never worn down by disappointments? Do you see disappointments as an opportunity to be turned into an appointment? Are you a David who is never afraid of the Goliaths of this world, constantly knocking them down? Do you turn your fear into confidence by learning to take a risk? Are you a mountain climber who is never afraid of heights? Do you take one day at a time and see each day as an opportunity to do better than yesterday? Are you a fighter? If you said ‘yes’ to anyone of these questions then that’s great because the world needs you right now. Not everyone is born with all these qualities but we can rub off on others and make their lives better with whatever great attributes God has bestowed upon us. Can you help others fulfil their potential by imparting some of your drive, energy and confidence in others? Then the world needs you right now. Are you able to help others turn their weaknesses into strength? Then the world needs you. Who you are is who you are. God has made you who you are for a reason. I see you as one of the world’s great assets and I hope you also see yourself the same way. Who you are is not a negative but a positive to energise someone else’s weakness. Using your strengths to help lift others in times of weakness and helping turn their weakness into strength is a great attribute and a blessing that money cannot buy. We are all apprentices in this world but it takes a great person make a great person. It takes someone giving another person an opportunity to fulfil their potential in life. Are you helping others fulfil their potential? Some don’t know what they have until someone else points it out to them. Are you one of those? Then be proud of yourself because the world needs you right now, so be who you are!

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Are You Being Yourself?

It’s always good to be yourself and not desire to be somebody else. When you copy other people, you are not being yourself. When you copy other people’s way of living, you are not being yourself. When you want to be like the Jones’, you are not being yourself. You are unique and original but you cannot see this because you are not looking at yourself, you are busy looking at other people, wanting to be like them. Take the courage to look at yourself. If you take the time to concentrate for a moment and appreciate the beauty of being you, you will realise that you are not what you think you are right now. Thinking you are not good enough is not being yourself, looking at others and being jealous of them, is not being yourself. Being self-critical and not appreciating how you look is not being yourself. Are you being yourself? Other people’s opinion of you does not determine who you are or what you will become. Your opinion of yourself determines who you are and what you will become. Believe in yourself, appreciate yourself, don’t criticise and knock yourself. Be confident in yourself. Don’t abuse yourself. You are being yourself when you learn to appreciate that God has made you the way you are for a reason. You are being yourself when you can look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful and not ugly. You are being yourself when you are content with who you are and not what others think you are. Be yourself. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What are you beholding today, yourself or other people? I encourage you today, please be yourself.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

A Mother's Day Tribute

Without a mother there is no son

Without a mother no daughter
Without a mother there is no child
Without mother there is no pillar
No matter how great you are
You were born of a mother
Mother is there to be celebrated
There to be appreciated
She is there to be cherished
To be loved and thanked

Today is mother’s day
We say thank you to every mother
Thank you for all your love
Thank you for all your labour
Thank you for always being there
Thank you for all the care
Thank you for all you are
You are worth more than rubies!

TO ALL MOTHERS OUT THERE
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What Is The True Meaning of Life?

Is anyone there? I hear you cry. Can you hear me somebody? You shout, help! help! You hear your voice echo back like you were in a deep well. With hands stretched upwards, you look up to the sky hoping for an answer. No reply, you hear nothing but the loud echo of your own voice. Hope disappeared a long time ago, you are now in the deep tunnel of despair and disappointment. What seemed to have brought you joy and happiness has now become the source of your sorrow. You are now crying out, held captive by the very thing you desired, the thing you thought would bring you all the happiness you had ever hoped for. How did you get here? Life is funny isn't it? Growing up without much, you had always wished and hoped that one day in the future you would make it. You thought "Gosh, if I had so much money, I would be so, so happy and all my problems would be solved." One wonders where the happiness disappeared to? You remember that old saying "The love of money is the root of all evil"? The money came and gave you a false sense of hope, freedom and security. Your new found wealth became your best friend and your god. You thought "Now, this is the life, all my problems are over, I can travel the world, I can afford all I want, I can have anything I desire." The money accomplished all that for you yet you are not satisfied? Your soul is still crying out? You remember all the pop star drug addicts, who came from the same sort of background as yourself and are now rich and famous. Their story has now changed from joy to sadness. They are yoked by Mammon, the god of this world. They are bound by the very wealth they desired. The wealth and riches has become meaningless, it is now a yoke round their necks. You soon realise after all, this is not what you had been looking for, all you needed was peace and contentment, which no amount of money could buy. What is the true meaning of life? you wonder. Life is not what money can buy, life is not about getting drunk and being at the best parties in town. Life is not about how much material goods you can afford. Life is about being content with what you have, life is about appreciating the little things in life, watching the butterfly landing on the beautiful flowers in the garden, life is about appreciating what you have knowing that some other person lacks the luxury of the same. Life is not about how much you can mount up but how much you have to offer. Life is about giving. Life is about sharing. Life is about remembering those less privileged than yourself. Life is about helping those in need. Life is about knowing that you are not your own, life is about giving your life to the Author of life. Life is not about riches or fame, life is about God because God is the Author of life.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

You Must Fight

Whatever your troubles, don’t give up

Whatever your pain, don’t give up
Don’t give up, don’t give in
Life may not be kind
Things may not be perfect
Life is a battle
A fighting ring
A tough journey
A war zone

Whatever your troubles, don’t give up
Whatever your pain, don’t give in
Fight! You must
Don’t give in, don’t give up
Don’t let go, don’t quit
When at war
You must fight
Life is not easy

Fight! You must fight back
There is a way
Where there is a will
Where is your will?
You must fight back
Don’t give in, be willing
To not give up
Fight! You must fight back

Be bold, be strong
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be dismayed
You are still here
Though tough
You are still here
Though hard
You are still here
This life, a battle,
Not for one
But for all

Hang in there
Don’t quit
Hang in there
Don’t hang up
Hang in there
Don’t give up

Be encouraged, you are not alone, God is there. No matter what you may be going through I will be praying for you. May God strengthen you today and always. Remember, the winner takes it all. Are you willing to take it all? Then you must fight back and not give up!

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

True Love Never Fails

Doing something good for someone we know or do not know will not cost us.
Saying something nice to someone we know or do not know will not kill us.
Being nice to your neighbour will not cost you.
There is a need for love in the world. Love is what we crave. We all need love.

What is love?
There is a love called Eros. Eros is probably what most people mean when they announce with a smile, "I'm in love." As long as a couple is enjoying a romantic situation, eros can thrive. But, as soon as hurtful words or actions appear, eros simply evaporates.

The other type of love is called Philia. This is the love of friendship, best friends, and the fellowship of being with those people you enjoy. Although Philia is great, it too is not reliable since it is dependent on ours and other people's perceptions and expectations. Unfortunately, we probably all know of a friendship which waned or was severed because of distance, harsh words, how someone interpreted another's actions, etc. Philia then really cannot be true love.

What is true love?
True love is called Agape. This is the love we all need. It is based upon the committment of a decision. A decision to be selfless in loving. This means you have made up your mind to love regardless of situation, perception or circumstance. It entails the decision to proactively seek someone's well-being. This is called Agape Love - a committment to love regardless of who you are and what I can get from you. Agape says, "I love you despite what you did to me." A real friend seeks the wellbeing of others instead of his own.

Today's valentine might be your enemy of tomorrow, there is no guarantee. A life of love is a sacrificial life. What is your choice, Eros, Philia or Agape? The decision is yours. My encouragement to you today is to live a life of true love (Agape). True love never fails.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

A Place Called 'THERE'

Imagine, you are on a journey, you don't know where you are headed. You keep driving, you don't know when you'll get there. You keep thinking, "it won't be long now, I'll soon get there." Where is there? The journey seems to be taking so long! Where are we really going? What is the destination? Who has the map of the journey in their hands? You seem to be lost. Are you lost? Are you looking for your destination but can't find it? You keep driving but don't know where you are going. You are confused, tired and hungry. You keep driving and wonder when you'll get there. You soon decide to stop over before you run out of petrol. You get to a place where there a lot of people and you decide to stop over. You heave a sigh, at last, somebody here might be able to help you on your way. With a smile on your face, you soon find yourself in conversation with some of the people there. Whilst chatting you find out that they also do not know where they are going but they are surely headed in the same kind of direction you're going, NOWHERE. You find out you are all going NOWHERE! The smile suddenly dissapears off your lovely face. There is a place called NOWHERE. You end up NOWHERE if you have not planned your journey properly. If you have no vision, you will end up NOWHERE. If you have no goals and no plans for your life, you will end up in a place called NOWHERE. You ended up NOWHERE because you had no plan in the first place! If you don't picture where you are going, you will end up going NOWHERE. You need to go back and start all over again, it's not too late, don't give up now. Go back, sit down, take your time and plan your life. Write your vision down. You have not failed, you just failed to plan. There is still hope whilst you are alive. It's not too late now. Rise up and don't give up. It's not over till it's over. Sit down and visualise where you would like to see yourself in a few years time. If you don't have a vision you will not get there. There is a place called THERE. You can only get THERE if you have a vision and a plan but if you don't take time to plan and write your vision down, you will end up getting NOWHERE! If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Before you do anything, take time to plan, you will get to the place called THERE.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

Help Is At Hand

It seems like the sharks are out to milk us of every penny we've got! Inflation in the United Kingdom has reached an all time high! People are now constantly looking for bargains! This is what the world has turned out to be. Everybody is after our money. Remember before you got your credit card, you were credit worthy, now you are no longer credit worthy! If you park for a minute whilst loading your car, you get a minimum fine of £40. Council Tax has gone up, Road Tax goes up every 6 months, postage stamps go up in price every year, petrol prices have shot up beyond the £1.00 mark, you are fined if you happen to not know London very well and you make the error of not knowing where you are going, so you find yourself lost in transit at some point and you mistakenly drive into the Congestion Zone in Central London, which accrues a minimum fine of £50. Even a simple mistake will cost you! Nobody cares anymore. Think about it, how much would you have left after all these fines, bills etc?. The whole nation is crying out for help. Some are now depressed and in hospital because of this, others are constantly looking for a way out of the whole mess! You wonder how you got into the mess in the first place! Tell me, where do you turn, who do you run to for help? Some have nearly committed suicide, as they could find no help in their time of need.

Stop! Stop for a moment. Calm down, take a slow breath and calm down. All hope is not lost. Help is at hand. There is One Greater than us all who is willing to help and that is God. Commit the whole situation into His hands today and He will come and help you. He is not too far away. If you don't know what to do or what to say just say under your breath, "God please come and help me, I need your help, take over my situation and help me, deliver me from depression and help me. I need you now." It works all the time. I would also advise you seek help from counsellors who can help you with your debt/situation. Whoever you are, I shall be praying for you. Put your hope in God.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

What's Your Contribution?

A colleague of mine watched a programme on TV last night titled "Eat or Heat", and she narrated to me what it was all about. This brought home to me the concerns I've always had for the elderly and their care, as they are at a vulnerable point in their lives and they need a lot of love and care. A lot of the elderly people they showed on the programme had to make the unenviable choice of either heating their homes or having some food to eat, hence the title "Eat or Heat". They could not afford to heat their homes and at the same time have some food to eat, as there is not enough money to do both. They showed an elderly lady who did not eat for three days because she had to pay for her heating and by doing this she could not afford to buy some food to eat. If she pays for heating she cannot afford to pay for eating. She said she'd rather go without food and have some heat in her home. There was another lady who suddenly had a stroke and fell down the stairs and could not do anything so she laid there for three days until the police came round! Imagine, she laid there for three days! My heart was broken to the point of tears. The thought that came to my mind is "what is our world coming to?" The family is so defragmented that nobody cares anymore. In the old days when either of our grandparents got old and they could no longer care for themselves, one of the family had to take them in. Can you imagine you getting old and not having anyone to care for you? I know, I know, you are probably thinking "but we all have to get on with our lives and we can't really help the situation". The thing is we can help to make the situation better. Think about it, what have you done today to help someone who is in need or more vulnerable than you are? If you have elderly neighbours, have you ever thought about paying them a visit and just saying a little "hello" or even helping out if you have a little time on your hands? We all have our pride and I would'nt want to trouble anyone if I was an elderly person myself but I'm sure they would appreciate some kind of love. Remember, they are not going to be there forever, so why don't you do what you can whilst you can and God will bless you. We are all going to get there one day and I would loathe to think that we would be in a needy position only to find that there is no one to help. We might be young today but we are surely going to get old one day! Reach out and touch someone today and make this world a better place. Put a smile on somebody's face today and somebody will put a smile on yours one day. God bless you as you make an effort to contribute to the lives of others.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

FEAR, WHAT A FOE

The fear of the unknown is the greatest killer and destruction of the mind, body and soul,
The courage and boldness to take risk is the greatest success of achieving success,
The ability to limit oneself is the greatest downfall of mankind,
The agility to do, at the right time is the greatest fear of the enemy;
It is power in its own right,
It is authority, proclamation and an art of dominion that leads to a physical manifestation of one’s success,
You can think it,
You can dream it,
You can plan it,
You can organise it,
But if you do not act, what purpose is all the thinking, dreaming, planning and organising?
YOU CAN DO IT!
Oh this fear, what a foe…..
(Written by Modupé Mabel Ade-Onojobi-Daniel © All rights reserved)

YOUR FAMILY

You know, I was just thinking about how easy it is for us to make friends with other people apart from our own family. It is easier for us because we don't live permanently with our friends as we do with our families and hence we don't really take each other for granted. It is easy to take your dad, mum, sister, brother, husband or wife for granted and not appreciate them because we see them everyday of our lives, we see all the good, the bad and the ugly side of each other, so instead of encouraging each other, loving each other and trying to find ways to make our lives better, we tend to drift apart, argue and quarrel more. Eventually we are torn apart by hatred. When communication within the family breaks down, it leads to utter destruction. Instead of criticising your family and comparing them to other loving families ,why not see the good in your own? What the other family has can also be built in your own if you are prepared to sacrifice and take the time to be patient and to love. Rome was not built in a day, remember? What can you make better in your family starting from today. Maybe you could buy somebody in your family a nice gift or give them a good word of encouragement. Tell them how beautiful they are and let them know how much you appreciate them. Don't worry if they reject your words, many people find it hard to accept good things initially but as time goes by, they will take it in. The most important thing is that you are building up your family in love. Nobody is too young or too old to love. Begin something new. As you sow the seed of love in your own, may you find abundant love and may God bind your family together with a cord that cannot be broken.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

IT'S A HARD LIFE!

I made up my mind this year that I would not allow things to get to me and upset me. Whatever happens I am determined to take it in my stride and move on. I am not going to dwell on issues and let them get the better of me. It's a hard life as we all know. The world we live in is not getting better. You can't rely on anything anymore. Things have changed compared to the old days. A job is no longer for life, people are harder to trust, betrayal of trust happens so easily. No one is reliable anymore. If you trusted your mate with your life, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. It's surely a hard life! What decision have you decided to make today? You have to decide on what your reaction to a hard life is going to be. Nobody promised anybody a bed of roses. Even roses have thorns, so you can't sit on it comfortably. Don't sit down and rely on others to make you feel better in yourself. You have to make up your mind to rise above every situation. I know it's not easy. I also find it hard to keep the momentum going at times but I am adamant that I am not going to allow anything, come what may, to drown me. I am not going to give in to the storms of life and allow the tide to carry me deeper into the ocean. I am determined to fight for dear life. It is only the army who endures to the end that will see victory. My prayer for you today is that you will find the strength to rise above your circumstances come what may. I pray that the grace of God will be sufficient for you and that you will find help in time of need. God bless you as you face another day. Make up your mind to stand in the battle for today no matter what. I wish you a good day but remember, it's a hard life!

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

GOD IS WITH YOU

Maybe your spirit is crying out loud right now. You don't know where to turn. You are lonely, you need someone to talk to, there is nobody there. The voice of your spirit echoes in the tunnel of loneliness. Maybe you've never felt appreciated by others and you always seem to be left out. Making friends is not easy for you though it may come easy for others around you. The cry of your spirit is loud but your voice seems to come out only in a whisper, shouting for help but seemingly not heard. Don't worry, you are not alone. I would like to reassure you that God is with you whether you feel it or not. His presence is with you. He is ready and willing to come to the rescue. The big question here is will you allow Him? His hands are stretched out reaching out to you. Are you able to trust Him to save, do you believe that He takes great delight in you? He is ready to quiet you with His love. Are you willing to let Him. Maybe you should consider giving Him a chance? He is worth a try. Go on! I can hear the voice of a Father saying to his child, "Trust in me, give me a chance. I love you and I am willing to help. I am knocking at the the door of your heart, will you please let me in. I can't come in unless you open the door." God is trying to reach out to you right now, please open the door. Thank you.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

SHOOT UP AGAIN

You know life is so funny, you could wake up on a Monday feeling good and looking bright. Just a few hours into the day, your day could have suddenly changed into a cloudy and rainy day and everything suddenly starts going wrong.
Sometimes our emotions are like the British weather (apologies to my fellow brits! :) Like the weather is unpredictable, our emotions are also sometimes unpredictable. The key thing is we must not allow anything to get us down, this I'm sure is easier said than done!

Believe me, disappointments will come. Life is full of disappointments but we must hang on to hope. You have to cross over from the valley of your disappointment onto the mountain of your hope and victory. You might sometimes feel like you've been nailed on the cross of affliction and every stormy weather seems to head your way. There is an end to every storm. Sooner or later it will calm down and things will come back to normal. Don't take disappointment like it's the end of your life, you have to pick yourself up no matter how down you may feel. Feeling a bit down is normal and part of life but we must not allow it to overtake us otherwise we'll remain buried there. Take for example the grass that grows at the back of your garden, though it is trodden over and mown down so many times, before you know it another lot of grass shoots up again.

If you are feeling down right now, like the grass you need to shoot up again, don't give up and don't give in. You are precious. Hang on to hope, let it be your anchor and it will carry you through. A struggle to win makes the victory sweeter. Be determined to shoot up again.

(Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)