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?
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
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
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.’
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.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
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 Think about it!
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.’
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).
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