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.)

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU MADE IT!

Entering into the New Year means you've entered onto the next level. At every level there are challenges. Games on the Playstation have different levels. The higher you go, the tougher the challenge but the aim is to score as many points as possible at every level. What level are you at right now and what level are you aiming to get to? What are your goals in life? What are your dreams and aspirations and what do you desire to achieve in 2008? Remember, at every level there is a challenge but the challenge must not stop you from achieving your goals. Challenges are there at every level to move you on to the next level. If you are not able to knock down the challenges at one level you will not be able to move on to the next level. What are the challenges you are facing right now? Be determined to move on to the next level, be determined to face your challenges and knock them down at every level, be determined to remain on the victorious level. Your determination is the key factor to you being successful. You must persevere in the midst of adversity. 2008 will manifest its own challenges as with every other year but you must be determined to persevere in order to cross over to the other side into 2009. Keep on, keep strong, keep determined and stay calm. By the way, CONGRATULATIONS, you made it into 2008! Wishing you a very Happy New Year and a successful 2008! (Written by Ladé, 2008 © All rights reserved.)

A WORD IN SEASON

Do you know that a simple word can either build or tear down a person's life? It doesn't cost anything to say something nice to somebody. Some people say "I am not my brother's keeper, so why should I bother?" I think you should be bothered because one day soon you might need a good word to keep your spirit up and there might just be nobody there, after all they say we reap only what we sow. What seed are you sowing in others? Think on this today and make a decision to sow a good seed because one day you might just need a word in season. Sow a good seed in other people's lives and one day you will reap a bountiful harvest in your own.

WHY OH WHY?

Why oh why do we blame others for our wrongdoings? By doing that we are denying ourselves the opportunity to accept our responsibility and face up to our errors. We sometimes find ourselves blaming our spouse, friend, mother, father, society or some other person or situation apart from ourselves. You must accept that whatever the case might be, you are responsible for your own actions. The job you are currently moaning about was accepted by you and you were quite excited when you got it, so why not make the best of it instead of moaning about it. If you are blaming your wife, spouse, family member or society for whatever situation you find yourself in right now, you were the one who proposed to her in the first place or found her attractive enough to date her, so why blame someone else. Take responsibility for your own actions. The food that made you fat, you were the one who ate it all by yourself! The drink that made you become alcohol dependent was bought by you and drank by you alone! No one can force a horse to drink water. Can you see that you need to stop blaming others in order that you can free yourself from this bondage of blame in order to move forward? Take time to take stock of your life and make the decision to move forward from where you are by accepting your own responsibility and taking action towards making life better for yourself. My prayer for you is that you will come to a place in your life where you are able to forgive others and let go of whatever it is that is stopping you from moving on in your life. I pray that whatever is causing the anger you might be feeling right now will be uprooted as a result of your determination and that healing will take root in your heart. I pray that you would have the strength to find a place in your heart to forgive ALL those who have wronged you so that you also can be healed and set free in your own self. God bless you as you take this new step with determination to move forward in your life.

YOUR TIME WILL COME

Life is all about seasons. As a tree bears fruit in it's season, so does your life have it's own seasons. There is a dry season, where nothing seems to be happening at all and you begin to wonder why. There is a season for weeping and a season for laughter. A season of mourning and a season of rejoicing. For everything in life there is a season. If nothing is happening for you right now, maybe now is not the season for you but I assure you that your own season will come. Just as a tree bears fruit in it's season, so will you bear fruit in your own season if you are patient enough and do not give up. The tree does not give up and never complains because it knows it's seasons. When you understand the season you are in then you will be patient and not give up. Maybe you are going through a dry season right now, be patient and wait for the rainy season. If you are patient, soon enough you will begin to bear fruit. Remember, there is a season for every activity under heaven, so hang in there and be patient, your time of refreshing will soon come.

FEELING ANGRY?

Anger consumes the soul, it can disable you and deprive you of all the good things you are entitled to enjoy in life. I sometimes feel so angry, I start palpitating and having headaches and I know this is not healthy for me. If I do not take a positive action, the anger will sooner or later destroy me and I do not desire that. This is not an easy task for anyone but if you really do want to enjoy what is left of your life, you have to make an effort to be delivered or set free from your pains. You may have spent all your life trying to please people, desiring to be accepted by the ones you love, but to no avail. You may have tried to defend yourself and to prevent yourself from being rejected, but the more you tried, the more you felt rejected. My advise to you is to quit trying because you will NEVER get any approval from men. Your hope must be placed in the realm of the supernatural where God is able to make things happen for you. If you continue fighting this battle yourself I can assure you of failure. This battle cannot be fought in your own strength, you need help and need it fast. You cannot do it on your own. It is impossible! Have you seen a country go to war on it's own without asking it's friends or allies for help? No! That nation or country, if it does not get the help that is needed to win the battle will come home defeated and depleted. My encouragement to you today is not to allow, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness to eat you up. You cannot do it on your own. Wisdom says you must ask for help now before it's too late!

ACT TODAY

Today might be the last
Who knows
What the day might bring
Who knows?
Today might be the last
Be kind to someone
Say something nice
Forgive, let go
Today might be the last
Go see a loved one

Today is another day
Another day, a new day
Another opportunity
To let go, forgive
Today is the day
To forget yesterday
The pain of years past

Let go, forget
Today, forgive
Embrace, love, share
Another day might not be
Today might be the last
Let go, let God
Today, not later

Tomorrow, later
Might be too far
Too late!
Tomorrow, later
Might be too late
Just too late!
Act today, now
Let go, today

© Unique Ministry 30/06/2007

GRACE IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY

When my dearly beloved maternal grandmother passed away in 1993, I thought my world had collapsed, as she was such a gracious and loving grandmother who cared and always prayed for the family. She was a pillar to all of us, including my father. In fact my father, whose parents died when he was aged 12 adopted my grandmother as his own and they had a fantastic relationship, he treated my grandmother as his own. A year after my maternal grandmother died, my father passed away. I was so distraught and aggrieved, as I realised that my father did not live to see me get married nor did he live to see his grandchildren. This caused me a lot of pain and it took a while before I could let him finally rest. He was also a great man of prayer and was a wonderful father to all his children. Then a few years later, as if we had not suffered enough, my precious, kind, very quiet brother-in-law passed away. He was such a nice man, we all found it hard to come to terms with his sudden death at the age of 48, leaving behind two young children. In 2003, my husband survived a fatal accident, which could have killed him.

As I look back at all these events behind me, I marvel at the grace of Almighty God whose power became perfect in my weakness. I marvel at how His grace brought me through the pain, grief and sorrow.

There is always a way out of any tunnel, it depends on how you see it. You might feel you are in a pit right now thinking you can't go on any longer. Is your world crashing around you and you think you've just about had enough? My encouragement to you is that the grace of Almighty God who was sufficient for me in my time of pain will bring you through your valley of affliction and replace your weakness with His strength. Weeping my endure for a moment but your joy will come in the morning. I pray that you will find strength in God and anchor yourself to his grace. Though times may be tough for you right now. He will carry you through and be sufficient for your emotional, mental and physical well being. Count your blessings today and name them one by one and you will be surprised what the Lord has done!

ARE YOU A WORRIER?

If you are a worrier my heart truly goes out to you. In this day and age it is very difficult not to worry about one thing or the other. If it's not the bill you are worried about, it could be your health, the children, your family, the future and so much more. The world we live in today is a very difficult place to avoid worrying about one thing or the other. We are all in pursuit of happiness, which seems to elude us. My encouragement to you is to start where you are with what you can. I leave you with these nuggets of wisdom:

• Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. Worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.
• Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps and schedule and trusting in God's guidance. Turn to God first for help.
• When done well, planning can help alleviate worry.
• Worry damages your health, as the object of your worry consumes your thoughts.
• Worrying can reduce your ability to trust in God.
• Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.
• Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
• Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.
• God does not ignore those who depend on him.

LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME!

WORRY CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE WAY YOU TREAT OTHERS

YOUR LIFE

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone
you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every
sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL

I am grateful for this new day. Another day, a new lease of life. So grateful that I have a roof over my head. Another day to be thankful, to be grateful that I have food to eat, I have shelter to dwell in, I have clothes and shoes to wear. I am thankful that though life is not all perfect, I have a God who is perfect and He watches over me. For this, I am eternally grateful.

CAN YOU PUSH?

Today has been quite a challenging day for me. Another trial on my journey of life, another unexpected surprise in battle. Another battle I could do without. I tell you, sometimes I feel like giving up! The only option I had was to make a choice whether I would fret and allow the circumstance I was going through to overwhelm me or rise above the tide that was coming against me. Life is full of choices and I realised that this was my opportunity to practice what I preached all the time. It's alright to encourage others to have faith and stand strong but when faced with the same adversity I wondered whether I would be able to display the same attitude I encouraged others to have. No matter what, you will be tested and proven by your own words. I tend not to panic when faced with difficult situations, as it causes more anger and confusion. Like a pregnant woman in labour about to deliver her baby, I realised that this is evidence that my breakthrough was just round the corner and I had to keep pushing despite the pain, regardless of the pressure.

My encouragement to you is to push despite your pain. Keep pushing and don't stop, you're just on the verge of your breakthrough. If you give up now you will never experience the joy that could have been, so keep pushing and don't give up now.

Victory comes through pain. There is no victory without battle. If an army does not go to war there would be no sweet taste of victory.

The breakthrough of any pregnant mother is the joy of having her baby delivered. I know that my joy is just round the corner and I choose not to give up now, though I am bit tired of going through the battle, I know that if I persist, I will surely experience the joy of breakthrough.

My choice is to keep pushing and not give up now. Can you push? I encourage and persuade you to push and not give up now. Your breakthrough is just round the corner!

ARISE AND SHINE

Our minds become easily polluted when we have nothing good to occupy it with. What is on your mind right now? Are you worried about how you are going to pay your bills? Is your marriage on the verge of breakdown or your relationship is not working anymore like it used to? Are you worried about your health and well being or your children's well being? Does the thought of an uncertain future set your heart pounding?

My prayer for you today is that God will strengthen you and give you hope. Even though you walk in the valley of the shadow of death, He will be your rod and your staff, He will comfort you. Be encouraged and try not to sink deeper in the darkness of your thoughts which has no answer. God is the only way out of the darkness, He is the only One who is able to stretch out His hands and pull you out of the pit. No man has the answer, the only thing any man can do for you is give you promises that are not guaranteed to be fulfilled.

Try and look up, there is always a light at the end of every tunnel and though your journey might seem like it's not going to end, believe me every story has an ending to it and yours will be no different. Your pain is nothing compared to your victory but in order to experience victory you must go through the furnace of affliction, turmoil and despair. Your persistence will pay off and your expectation will not be cut off.

I leave you with the words of Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of God is risen upon you.

HANG IN THERE!

Today is one of those days I feel that although nothing seems to be happening the way I would like right now, I am rest assured with hope that there is going to be a breakthrough for me. My choice is to hang in there and not give up although this is easier said than done. Believe me I have been through the fire and know what it's like but what can you do in the midst of this hard and wicked world where life treats you like a piece of meat? I believe what we make of life is to do with our choices, so today I choose to hang in there and cling on to hope. I am hoping that all will be well and that I will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow is another opportunity for me to hang on to hope and I know that one day, just one day, my dreams and wishes will manifest. Today is another day in my journey. Wishing you well. May your today be better than your yesterday and your tomorrow be greater than your yesterday. Keep looking up and hang in there!

SO THANKFUL I DID NOT DIE

I am thankful that I did not die in my sleep last night, as this was a possibility. Whoever told you your life was your own? We are all so vulnerable but we refuse to admit it. I am thankful for the fact that I could lift myself out of bed and walk into the shower. Someone somewhere could not do that this morning. I am thankful that today is another opportunity to be grateful for my life and not take it for granted, as this is what we all tend to do without realising it. Our lives are not our own. I choose to be nice to someone today. I choose to be kind to someone today. I choose to add on to someone else's life today. It could be the last day I am opportuned to do this. Be grateful for what you have and do not take your life for granted. Choose to be kind to someone today. Smile and be grateful for today you never know what tomorrow might bring.

A NORMAL DAY

Today has been one of what I call a"normal" day. Woke up with no worries though I had every opportunity to worry. Got a lift to work and got out of the car with a spring in my steps. As today is a Friday, I was a bit more cheerful at work and everybody noticed this. I was looking forward to having a great weekend. I came accross one of the letters I started writing to my pastor's wife, which was never finished and therefore not delivered. I regreted this so much because she passed away on 4th June 2007.

Lesson learnt: proscastination is the thief of time! Do not put till tommorrow what you can do today, for tommorrow might just be too late!

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

I am grateful that today is another day in the scheme of God's great plan for my life. I am grateful for the fact that I am still alive, this is something that money cannot buy. I am grateful that even though I do not have millions of pounds, I have millions of opportunities to make it in life. Today is another moment in my life, another opportunity to be a better person. I am grateful that today is today and that it will take care of itself. I am grateful for the air that I breathe and all the beautiful things that life has to offer. Today, I will maintain an attitude of gratitude. Try and do the same today.