Movie to Watch: Front of the Class

As a movie lover who's got interest in very inspiring stories, this is one movie I recommend for you to watch.

Front of the Class is a great movie. Inspired by a true life story, It tells of a man, Brad Cohen, who, despite his disability, went on to achieve his dreams and never allowed his disability get in the way.

Its a very touching story and though its an old movie, I would recommend you still watch it and I hope that if and when you do watch this movie, it touches you and speaks to you, especially to those who have held themselves back due to shame of one disability or the other.

Dumb Relationship Questions: "Ever had an Abortion?"

A girl getting to know a guy she liked asked him if he’s ever had a girl abort a pregnancy for him. He was really surprised the girl would ask such a question when clearly he didn’t have any kids outside wedlock. He asked her why she wanted to know and she answered that she wasn’t gonna abort a pregnancy if it happened while they were dating…(WOW! LOL!...Dude, RUN!)…

A guy met this girl online and they proceeded to get to know each other. He sure did know how to ask a lot of questions, most of them irrelevant and totally pointless. One of the questions he asked her was if she had ever had an abortion. She didn’t answer and was wondering why he was asking and he got offended and concluded she wasn’t being open with him. When she asked why he was asking, he said he just needed to know…(for what pls???)

We never get a fill of irrelevant questions, do we? I mean, it seems irrelevant questions are kinda here to stay, especially the ones a guy asks a girl or a girl asks a guy when they’re getting to know each other for the purpose of a possible relationship which hopefully would lead to something long-term or marriage.

Ok so, sometime in the past in a previous relationship, he got his Ex pregnant and because he wasn’t ready to be a father, he asked her to abort it or during her previous relationship, she got pregnant for her Ex and he left her to deal with it and she had to abort it... It was all in the past and was an experience which he/she would of course not want to repeat.

As a guy, when you ask her this question, what do you hope to gain or achieve from the answer?...That you’re so much of a “Daddy Material” that you want to turn back the hands of time and wish you were the guy in question? Or you just wanna know so you can have something to point fingers at her for? Or you just plain wanna know and have it at the back of your mind? Em, Bro, to what end please?!

As a girl, when you ask him this question, will the answer put a pregnancy proof over you and keep the same thing from happening again?

LOL!

Guys! Ladies! Whether or not Abortion took place in the other person’s past has got nothing to do with where you guys are headed. Instead of asking this dumb question which has the past written all over it, won’t it be better to talk about the future and if you want a family and kids or not?

Abortion isn’t a pretty thing. Nobody spells out their life wishing to go through with an abortion, but sometimes shit happens and that shit has to be dealt with so that the next person you choose to be with will not have to also deal with your “baggage”.

Everybody has got one not-so-good experience or the other that happened to them in the past. That’s why it’s the past. A question like this will just open up a part of the other person’s past they probably wanted locked away somewhere in their memory and wanting to know the answer does nothing at all for where you guys are headed. Nothing at all!

What is wrong with this photo?

Sigh... When you look at this picture, what is it you see?

The Futility of Fame and Fortune

Society’s fascination with Hollywood and celebrities has gone a little crazy. Millions idolise those who have achieved fame and fortune, yet stardom does not provide the satisfaction it advertises. 

Marilyn Monroe could have told us that. So could Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. 

Consider the adoration accorded to Mohammed Ali in his prime. He was known as ‘the prize fighter who couldn’t be beaten’. His picture appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated more than any other athlete in history. Wherever he went the cameras followed. But wealth and fame cannot buy good health, and he fell victim to the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. Sportswriter Gary Smith spent some time with the ailing fighter at his home and asked to see his trophy room. Ali escorted him to a dark, damp barn beside his house. There, leaning against a wall was a board displaying mementoes - photos of the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, pictures of Ali dancing and punching, and hoisting championship belts he had won over his head. But the pictures were smeared with white streaks caused by pigeons that had made their home in the rafters. Ali picked up the board and turned it around, face to the wall. Then as he started to leave, Smith heard him mumble, ‘I had the whole world, and it wasn’t nuthin’. Look at me now’. 

The psalmist wrote, ‘All our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you’ (vv. 6-7 NLT). 

The only one who can give us that eternal and everlasting piece of mind is Jesus Christ and it doesnt come with life threatening price. It just only requires us to put our faith and hope in the One true God and Saviour who loves us more than anything in the world.  

God's Word For Today: Saved Through Faith

‘You have been saved through faith.’

Ephesians 2:8 

The Bible says, ‘By grace you have been saved through faith’. Faith in Christ alone gives us the assurance of heaven. 

Poet Henry van Dyke put it like this: ‘I am standing upon the seashore. A ship … spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch until … she hangs like a speck of white cloud where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, “She’s gone!” “Gone where?” Gone from my sight. That’s all. She’s just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left … Her diminished size is in me, not her. And just at the moment when someone says, “There, she’s gone!” there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the joyful shout, “Here she comes!” And that is dying.’ You say, ‘But I wasn’t raised in church. Where do I go to find faith?’. 

D.L. Moody said: ‘I prayed for faith and thought it would come down and strike me like lightning, but faith didn’t seem to come. Then one day I read the tenth chapter of Romans, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I closed my Bible and prayed for faith. Then I opened my Bible and began to study - and faith has been growing ever since.’ 

You say, ‘But I don’t know how to pray’. Simply say, ‘Lord Jesus, I place my trust in You today and accept You as my personal Saviour’. 

Did you pray that prayer? Yes? Then you are ‘saved through faith’ :) 

It doesnt matter how huge and ugly your sins were. When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, all is forgiven, old things are passed away and all things become new. 

Lev 25, Mark 1:23-45 

God's Word For Today: Dealing with a Loved One’s Suicide

‘A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’

Matthew 12:20 

When a loved one dies from sickness, accident, violence, or advanced age, our grief, according to counsellors, is labelled ‘uncomplicated’ or ‘simple’. However, when they die by suicide our recovery process becomes ‘complicated’, fraught with often unanswerable questions. We experience guilt, even anger. ‘Was I not there for them? Should I have done more? Could I have helped prevent it? How could they do this to us? They were being purely selfish. They thought about nobody but themselves!’ These feelings will take time and God’s grace to resolve. 

Friends and families of suicides often ask the following questions, the biblical answers to which can help in dealing with our grief. Is suicide murder? Scripture nowhere equates suicide with murder. Biblically, murder is an act committed against another. How does God feel about people who commit suicide? While God can’t be said to support suicide, nobody understands better than He the despair that drives someone to escape from their unbearable suffering. At our lowest moment, our Father cannot deny His compassion for us. ‘A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’ 

Are suicides saved or lost?: 

1) There is only one ‘unpardonable sin’ (see Matthew 12:31-32), and it’s not suicide! 

2) ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons … nor anything else … will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39 NIV 1984 Edition). 

Not even suicide can quench God’s love or cancel the salvation that love bought for us!

Lev 21-22, Matt 28 

President Buhari and his waka waka

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has been flying to different countries lately. With Nigeria's ongoing economic meltdown and the fluctuating Dollar to Naira rate, I'm wondering how these numerous trips will help in restoring Nigeria to her once reasonably stable economy.

Alot is happening in the country and it seems the President of Nigeria isn't addressing these issues but is instead getting his international passport stamped in various countries. Brings to mind the question of what kind of change he was talking about when he said "vote for change". Was it for an actual change in the Nigerian economy or his own personal change?.

With issues like Boko Haram, the Dollar to Naira rate, unstable power supply, rise in criminal activities, etc I really wonder how and in what positive way these trips are supposed to affect Nigeria.

Each of these trips must cost alot. Money that belongs to the government is being spent on each of these trips. So far, no that I've been paying attention and counting, President Buhari must have already done more than 20 trips which will definitely be telling on Nigeria's finances.

The people of Nigeria need closure. What are the purpose of these trips? What good is it going to bring Nigeria? So far, I doubt President Buhari has taken time out to visit the 36 states in Nigeria. How may Presidents do this? Nations like China and the USA who are more advanced than Nigeria have not seen acts like this by their Presidents.

Looks like President Buhari may have no plans to run for another term as President hence making hay while sun shines by visiting every country he can step foot in while he can. He should know the people of Nigeria are no fools. They see what's going on and may choose to respond in a not so tasteful way.

President Buhari needs to take care of his house (Nigeria) first before visiting, shaking hands and smiling with the heads of other houses (other countries).

God's Word For Today: Seek Reconciliation (2)

‘First … be reconciled … then … offer your gift.’

Matthew 5:24 

Are you at odds with someone? Is it constantly on your heart, robbing you of peace and even affecting your job performance? 

Here’s what Jesus said you’re supposed to do: ‘If you are offering your gift at the altar and … remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there … First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift’ (vv. 23-24 NIV 1984 Edition). You say, ‘I’m waiting for him to come to me’. What if he doesn’t? 

Today Jesus is telling you, ‘Go and be reconciled’. That’s humbling. And it’s risky, because you may not get the response you hope for. Why didn’t Jesus say, ‘Wait a while and the situation might change’? Because when you allow things to bottle up, you blow up! You end up bringing out all the ammunition - everything that’s bothered you about the person for the last decade! On the other hand, maybe you’ve decided to ‘sleep on it’ for now. 

The Bible says, ‘Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil’ (Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT). The Enemy wants to hurt both of you by driving a wedge between you - are you going to let him do that? What if you win the argument but the other person walks away wounded and upset? What’s more important, the point you’re trying to make or the relationship? For God’s sake, and for your own sake, forgive, overlook the offence, and get on with your life. 

What’s at stake here is your gift! If you want God to use and bless you - don’t wait, seek reconciliation.

Lev 19-20, Matt 27:51-66 

Nigeria's First DNA Forensics Lab Established in Lagos State

So, I just read that a DNA Forensics Lab has been established in Nigeria and Lagos State is proudly the home to this development. While this is a very good initiative and will help in the solving of criminal activities in Lagos, surrounding states in Nigeria and possibly neighbouring countries, as always Nigeria has rushed to take a step without first considering and tackling alot of loopholes.

Some of us are very familiar with crime series and movies where a crime is solved by extracting evidence from the scene of a crime, evidence is tested and DNA matching is carried out thereby leading to the arrest of the suspected criminal.

It's not magic. Other countries where this technique is used in crime solving didn't just wake up one morning and decide to establish a DNA Forensics Lab. Forensics is huge, deep and wide. There's fingerprint matching, voiceprint, etc.  In countries where this works, you will notice that they have a database containing detailed information of all the people living in that state or country. How can you catch a criminal when you can't identify him/her?. Can Lagos State account for detailed information of its population?. Yes, a government official can say Lagos has so so so and so number of people living in the state but can the government boldly say it has these people's details stored in a government database whether federal or state?.

What about the Scientists who will operate in these Labs?. Is this going to be an initiative that will have foreigners crawling all over it or are they just going to end up putting "their people" in the Lab to run it?. If they have local Lab Scientists, will they ensure they are properly trained for the positions that will be available in the Lab when it begins operations?. How about maintenance and consistency?...

It's kinda easy for the government to put innovations and developments like this out there, but we know one of the problems in Nigeria is consistency. Its easy to start, but continuing it is the major challenge. Making sure that in 5 to 10 years this development will still be functioning and will even have upgraded is the challenge.

To catch a criminal is not beans. This is a really good and promising development and this, if properly managed, will ensure a decrease in criminal activities in Lagos State and Nigeria at large. To make this work, they will need to provide a functioning toll free number to call in the case of an emergency, they will need to have a proper and functioning response team, they will need to have a proper forensics team, they will need to work hand in hand with the Nigeria Police, they will need to have a detailed database containing pictures, fingerprints and voiceprints of all the people living in Lagos State first and then work with other states in Nigeria to have access to their detailed databases, they will need to provide equipments that can detect not just fingerprints and voiceprints but also different substances or materials that aided in a crime. In addition, they should also be ready for when solving a crime requires that testimony from one or more of the Lab's Scientists be provided should a case for the crime be opened in a court of law....there's so much involved and I hope they know what this development entails.

Congratulations to the brains behind this development, but I really hope they fix and fill up any and every possible loophole before they begin operations. Nigerian criminals can be very smart, but when this Lab starts operations, they better be ready to work hard to be 2, 3 or even 5 steps ahead of these criminals. Though, I think Nigeria should have surpassed this stage by now but it's not a mistake it's happening now especially with rise in criminal activities in different areas of the state. Criminals who think they can commit a crime especially Rape, Murder and Theft will now have to watch their backs and think twice before carrying out their acts.

What Will You Do If This Happened To You?

You're a Parent and you just went grocery shopping and then your toddler who's old enough to walk grabs the butter you just bought while you're not paying attention and does this, what will you do? 

The Rise in Childbirth at various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps in Nigeria

After the attacks in some Northern parts of Nigeria, the survivors lost so much. Some their homes, properties and some their lives. Some of these people were left with nothing to fall back on and nowhere to call home. This birthed the IDPs Camps. For those of us who don't know what this is, IDPs means Internally Displaced Persons. People who as a result of the boko haram attacks had no shelter and became homeless. Camps were set up to accommodate these homeless and displaced persons and also to see to their welfare.

The idea of IDP Camps were a relief to these people as they now had shelter and food provided for them. But in recent times, with the sudden rise in childbearing at these camps, it brings to mind the question: Why are they being allowed to bring more children under these conditions and circumstances?.

I do not wish for anyone to be in the shoes of these displaced people. What happened to them was unfortunate and terrible, but instead of celebrating a new childbirth every other week or month, shouldn't they be trained to become skilled in different crafts and then be allowed to move out of these camps and start out their lives again?. I mean, these new babies won't remain babies forever. They will grow. They will need proper upbringing. They will need to be educated. Already, I can only imagine how many mouths there are to feed and how many heads there are to be sheltered and yet, they allow these people to keep reproducing???

What is the plan of the federal government for these people?. Were the IDP Camps not meant to be a temporary solution to their homelessness?. Why are they allowing more childbirths in these camps?. What happens when these camps become overpopulated?. What becomes of the future of these new born babies?. Pardon my language but another question on my mind is, is it only to fuck and born that these women in these IDP camps know how to do?. Are they aware of the economic meltdown or it's not affecting them cos they are being catered for?... All these questions and more cross my mind when I see news about a new child being born in an IDP camp.

Instead of giving birth to more mouths to feed and cater for, my zero-currency suggestions are:

- The camps should have a different side for the men and a different side for the women

- Families who still have each other should be allowed to stay together and be prohibited from having more kids. Supplying the women with Contraceptive Pills wouldn't be a bad idea.

- They should be kept busy with handiworks like sewing, hairmaking, etc for the women and shoe making, hair cutting, etc for the men. Those are just a few to start with. There's lot these people can be engaged in

- The children should have some form of educational activity.

Those are just a few of the things these people should be made to occupy their time with. I think they are too idle and use up their free time to practice every style of having sex thereby leading to having more babies.

Childbirths should cease in these camps. It's not ideal. It's not what they need at this point in their lives. They should be helped and supported to becoming possibly better than they were before tragedy struck them, not encouraged to keep procreating.

Photo of the day ft. the current Dollar to Naira Exchange Rate

Lol!

What do you think?. Does it make sense to you?. A while back, Nigeria was ranked as the 3rd most corrupt country in the world and yet, the dollar to Naira rate was not as bad as it is now. A couple of days ago, it shot up to N400 to $1, which is the highest it has gone up to in the history of the Dollar to Naira currency exchange.

I wonder why this sudden rise and fluctuating of the Dollar to Naira rate. It's definitely not in favour of alot of things, business for example. If the Nigerian government can find a way around this, the sooner the better.

Meanwhile, the Dollar to Naira exchange rate is currently N367 to $1. This is good!. It's dropping by the day and I hope this continues till it goes back to N150 to $1 or less.

We are watching...

God's Word For Today: Seek Reconciliation (1)

‘If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense.’

Matthew 18:15 

After explaining the commandment that says, ‘Honour thy father and thy mother’ (Exodus 20:12 KJV), a Sunday school teacher asked her class of six-year-olds, ‘Can you think of a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?’. Without missing a beat, a little boy answered, ‘Thou shalt not kill’ (v. 13). 

Seriously, why did Jesus make such a big deal out of being reconciled to our brothers and sisters in the faith instead of letting disputes between us fester? After all, He considered it important enough to give us a three-step plan for handling it: 

*First, go to the person privately. 

*Second, take two or three others with you so that what is said can be confirmed. 

*Third, if those two actions don’t bring reconciliation in the relationship, take it to the leaders of your church. 

However, if you read these Scriptures without reading the ones that follow, you’ll miss the whole point Jesus is making. He said: ‘I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them’ (Matthew 18:19-20 NLT). 

When we seek reconciliation and come into unity, two wonderful things happen: 

a) We can pray with confidence and get the results we need. 

b) We enjoy a sense of God’s abiding peace and presence that’s not possible as long as the issue remains unresolved. 

So if you want to walk in God’s blessing today, seek reconciliation.

Lev 17-18, Matt 27:27-50

God's Word For Today: What God Expects From You

‘From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.’

Luke 12:48 

Added blessing always brings added responsibility, so: 

1) Stop complaining. Happiness doesn’t come from getting what you want; it comes from recognising and enjoying what you have. So keep a positive attitude and be grateful every day. Rudyard Kipling said, ‘Don’t pay too much attention to fame, power, or money. Some day you’ll meet a person who cares for none of these, and then you’ll know how poor you are’. 

2) Stop assuming. When you see your neighbours buying new furniture, taking expensive holidays, and driving the latest car, does something stir inside you to do the same? Be careful; just because someone appears to be in similar circumstances to yours doesn’t mean anything. They might earn twice as much. On the other hand, they may be in debt up to their ears or three-quarters of the way to bankruptcy or a divorce court. Stop making assumptions and trying to be like somebody else. 

3) Stop withholding. Bruce Larson said, ‘Money is another pair of hands to heal, feed, and bless the desperate families of the earth. In other words, money is my other self’. But that’s only true if you’re willing to part with it. Money is like manure: If you let it pile up it stinks; if you spread it around it helps things grow. Money gives you options the less fortunate can only pray for. And one more very important thought: How you use your money will be one of the biggest issues you’ll face on Judgement Day. Indeed, it’ll be a determining factor when it comes to your eternal reward. 

Think about it!

Luke 3:20-38, Ps 20-22 

God's Word For Today: The Power of Kindness (2)

‘Love is patient, love is kind.’

1 Corinthians 13:4 

Truly great people understand the power of kindness. Once while Abraham Lincoln was dining in the White House one of his guests blew on his coffee, poured it into his saucer, and drank from it. As you might imagine, some of the refined ladies and gentlemen seated nearby were aghast, and for a moment the room was filled with an embarrassed silence. Then Lincoln took his coffee, poured it into his saucer, and for the rest of the evening drank directly from it. And you know what? Everyone else in the room followed suit! One small act of kindness saved a White House guest unbelievable embarrassment. And that simple but thoughtful gesture by one of America’s greatest presidents reminds us of the value of setting an example of kindness. 

Chances are you’ve never heard of Stephen Grellet, a French-born Quaker who died in 1855. He’d still be unknown to the world at large, except for a few immortal lines that will likely be remembered forever: ‘I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.’ Each day has one thing in common with the next. Both offer opportunities to show kindness, and when missed, those opportunities leave you with unwanted regrets. 

Poet C.R. Gibson wrote, ‘I have wept in the night for the shortness of sight, that to somebody’s need made me blind. But I never have yet had a twinge of regret, for being a little too kind.’

Lev 14, Matt 26:47-75

God's Word For Today: The Power of Kindness (1)

Be devoted to one another.’

Romans 12:10

Sometimes we think that in order to be successful we have to be tough, hard-nosed, and stoic in how we relate to others. Some folks even go so far as to interpret kindness as weakness and vulnerability. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Kindness signals tremendous inner strength that others not only appreciate, but respect. 

Aesop wrote a fable in which the wind and the sun argued over who was the stronger. ‘Do you see that old man down there?’ the wind asked. ‘I can make him take off his coat quicker than you can.’ The sun agreed to duck behind a cloud while the wind blew up a storm. But the harder the wind blew the more firmly the traveller wrapped his coat around him. Eventually the wind gave up and the sun reappeared, smiling kindly upon the old man. Before long he mopped his brow, shed his heavy coat and strolled away. The sun knew the secret: Warmth, friendliness, and a gentle touch are always more effective than force and fury. 

Jesus was hard on hypocrites and those who took advantage of others. But to everyone else, including society’s rejects, He showed great kindness. He came into an unkind, dog-eat-dog, every-man-for-himself culture where there were no mental health institutions, hospitals, orphanages, or organisations of mercy. Yet He poured the milk of human kindness into every bowl of human suffering. And at the cross He demonstrated the ultimate cost of kindness - and in so doing, changed the world for all time. 

So, ‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves’ (Romans 12:10 NIV UK 2011 Edition).

Lev 13, Matt 26:26-46