Ember months
I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be alive to see my birth month. I am so happy. The devil meant sadness for me but God turned it around. I give all the glory to my Father in heaven.
Happy new month friends. I have read a lot of posts about the new month.
Many people attribute bad occurrences to ember months. But to me, ember months are as good as every other month of the year. Infact, it is in one of these ember months that the Savior of the world was born. A glorious month. So you can see that this month will be a very peaceful month for you.
At the beginning of this year, we had some goals we set to achieve. But as we passed through January, we felt that we still had February till December to still carry out plans for our goals. February came and we relaxed till August. That is when we come back from our Dreamland to reality that the year is almost gone and we haven't achieved anything. This is when we begin to rush to achieve the things we ought to have achieved in twelve months in four months.
For example, a person who is feeding himself through working as a motorcycle rider has set a goal at the beginning of this year that by December, he must acquire his own personal motorcycle because the one that he is working with is an hired one. He begins to work and save for his own motorcycle. When he gets to March, he began to slow his pace and spending his savings. He begins to spend lavishly till it's the ninth month, September. That is when this motorcycle rider will realize that the year is almost ended with no savings for his goal. He begins to work very hard to get a lot of money in few hours. Overspeeding sets in thereby, leading to accident. This is the reason why we record a lot of accidents in ember months.
Don't rush. Be patient. If you have not yet met your target, just run at your own pace and don't run into trouble.
This is just my little advice for this month.
Attempt to take chances
The sure way to success is to continue to make positive advances towards achieving your goals.
Take chances
Every opportunity is an open door in the pathway of progress. No chance should be allowed to be missed. Diligent people are those who take chances to make progress in their work. If you cannot stretch yourself out to what seems to be above you in your academics and other areas of your life, you will remain where you are. The common practice is to plan, strategize and take risks on small ideas. If you bargain for excellence, you must be prepared to do more than what ordinary people do in pursuing their goals.
Learn to spend more time attempting the seemingly impossible task which others have abandoned. Most students spend their time on small matters that will not stretch them. They love to think small, plan small and carry easy tasks. They take small risks too. You cannot operate as second-rate students and expect to break success record made by brilliant scholars. The best way to break through the shell of mediocrity is to take risks and attend to what others say is impossible.
You can make remarkable advances by taking chances. You can stand upright among exceptional students if you are prepared to do more than the common student.
*Students who do more earn more.*
Ask God to give you boldness to take risks for your success endeavors.
My notes
Happy Sunday. The weather is a bit brighter today. Last week was a rainy week here right from Sunday morning. The weather was cold too.
How was your service in church today? Did you enjoy it? I hope you jot down the lessons that you learnt. Let me take you through my notes.
Forgive and forget all offenses
You need to forgive all those who have offended you. Just like Joseph did in the book of Genesis. His brothers sold him to the Ismaelites and lied to their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. He forgave his brothers even before they apologized. He left vengeance to God. Leave vengeance to God. He says in His word 'vengeance is mine, I will repay' . When God fights for you, you will pity your enemies. God said He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Leave your battles for God to fight for you.
Be industrious and dutiful
Joseph was given the responsibility of monitoring the selling of food by pharaoh during the time of famine in the land of Egypt. Joseph didn't give the job to someone else. He needs was present at the selling point and that was why he was able to see his brothers and reconcile with his family. He was faithful and honest in the assignment given to him.
Take care of your parents
Joseph took good care of his family. He fed them with norishments. After Joseph sent for his whole family, he made sure that they dwelt in the best land in Egypt where they could graze their cattle. They could not mingle with the Egyptians because the Egyptians hated shepherds. You should take care of your parents while they are still alive and not when they are dead.
Be separated from the world
Evil communication corrupts good manners. You must remain unsported in this world. Don't be ashamed to be known as a Christian. Christians don't speak bad languages. Christians don't speak slangs. God will set apart him that is godly onto Himself. Don't be involved in sinful practices. Don't copy immoral lifestyles. Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Sin separates from God and prayers will be an abomination to Him.
The spirit of God dwells in a joyful heart
Be joyful always. Put a smile on your face. Smile heals. When you smile, others will smile at you. Two weeks ago, I got to school and after my first lecture, one of my coursematee approached me and asked what the problem was. He asked why I wasn't smiling that day. I gave him a fake smile before he left. This shows that people notice our doings. And it is only in a joyful heart that the spirit of God dwells. Don't always complain. Be grateful. Count your blessings and not your loses.
Prayer is the lasting solution to all life problems
Prayer, as defined by the dictionary, is the act of communicating with one's God. Prayer is essentially important. Talk to God through prayer everyday and see how your life will move from glory to glory. Start your day with prayer and end it with prayers not with cooking and eating or pressing phone. I can't imagine how my day will look like without saying a word of prayer to God.
Thanks for reading
Look forward
You cannot change the past but you can determine the future by wise actions which will make for great achievements tomorrow.
People could be preoccupied with thoughts of the past, the present and the future. We are sometimes tempted to predict our future from the experiences of the past with the present. The truth of the matter, however, is that the experiences of today or yesterday do not determine our future but our endurance in its exploits. That is just the simple truth. Your past will not always determine your future.
History has the records of great achievers like Thomas Edison, who once experienced failures but later became successful. The fact that someone fails today does not mean he is a failure in life or in the future.
In fact, it is better to experience failure in doing something than to excel in doing nothing.
The simple truth that we need to grasp is that if today seems unfavorable, we should look forward to a favourable future without overloading the future with today's problems. Ability to move forward and press on regardless of problems and difficulties distinguishes winners from losers. The winner begins his success at the very point the loser gives up. The loser fails to continue because they cannot jump the hurdle, the winner uses as a stepping stone to his success.
The loser saw the hurdle as a serious obstacle on the pathway of success. The winner however looks beyond the hurdle into a positive future and is excited to move forward whatever may be the impediment.
So then on the highway of success, the winner continues while the loser is pessimistic and the winner weathers the storms on the way while the loser is weary of the storms. Focusing on a promising future also helps the winner to move forward. The loser however does not see the future but concentrates on seeing foes and failures which are enough discouragements to hinder his marching forward.
Come to the winning side today by looking away from mistakes misfortunes and failures of yesterday. Look forward and match forward to a better future. You cannot change the past but you can determine the future by wise actions which will make for great achievements tomorrow. Any failure today? There is favour tomorrow.
REMEMBER,
*The fact that someone fails today does not mean that he is a failure in life or in the future.*
Thanks for reading
Giving
God's nature and love for giving cannot be understated. His giving is as high as heaven and as deep as the earth so that we might have salvation as written in John 3 verse 16. So that God will be able to partake in the sorrows of man. He gave his only begotten son so that we might be saved. He gave his only begotten son and through Him, has given us every other things that we need.
He is our perfect example of a giver. He has given us the holy ghost. You will notice that he gives us the necessities of life not only things we can live without. He gives us Grace and glory. He gives us the desires of our heart.
Jesus is also a great great giver without his gift there will be no hope of heaven, godliness in our lives and peace in the world. He gave himself for our sins. He didn't just give us money and peace but His own blood for our redemption.
Everything He gives is uncountable
He gives us ETERNAL LIFE. Without Him, we can't have a relationship with the lord Almighty.
We have peace in this world. We can't live peacefully without Christ. We will be living in confusion.
He gives us the living water that will bring constant satisfaction. Nothing in this world can give permanent satisfaction. All the things people run after in this world cannot give them lasting joy. The joy we receive from the world will only give temporary salvation.
If you know God as your father, there is a place up there for you. He has gone to prepare you a place of rest in heaven.
*What therefore should be our response to this love?*
The salvation he has given us, even if he does not give us any other thing apart from saving us from hell, that should make us surrender our totality to Him. Look at Calvary and see the love of God. We need to love Him because He first loved us. At Getsemane, we see the burden of our sin on him. His sweat turned to blood.
*Have you sweated blood before? Were your clothes removed and shared among security officials? Did anybody put a crown of thorns on your head? Were you crucified ?were y*
All that He did for you. If this is the only thing He did for you why are you complaining? What can you compare with the agony of the cross? Your giving should be in measure of His love for you. if there's any complaints in your mouth today, it is because you are not looking at Calvary.
We have those who surrendered their lives and children to God in appreciation. Abraham gave Isaac. Can you give your children to God? Release your children to serve God. What are we on earth for? We are to love Him because He first loved us. Hannah gave Samuel to God and Samuel stayed in consistent fellowship to God.
CLOSING THOUGHT
Give your heart, life time, skill and resources to God. Don't rob God Malachi 3:8.
This shows you appreciate Calvary.
Thanks for your time😍
Killing my fiance was not intentional
I didn't know that it will kill him. killing John, my fiance was not intentional. I worked as a receptionist. I met John during the course of my work. I was doing my work when he walked up to my table and asked for my name. I was a bit surprised but I didn't show it. I answered him by telling him my name and he told me that he loved the way I have been dutifully doing my work any time he comes here. I was only doing my work without knowing that someone was watching. I was dazed to see him in church the next service. I've never noticed him due to the large congregation. Since then, I have been watching him. I usually notice when he comes to church and leaves because he sits in the front seat.
He became my regular client at work. And in one of his visits, he requested for my contact. He would call every two days and my love for him grew. After 2 months of knowing each other, he asked if I would marry him. I was surprised because I didn't see it coming. I thought our friendship was basically platonic. I never knew he would take it to another level.
John asked to visit my parents but I told him not to bother. But when he insisted, I agreed reluctantly. I gave him my address and he visited on a weekend. I didn't tell my parents that anyone would be visiting but my mum usually prepare food in case of unexpected visitors. When he arrived, I only told my parents that he was one of my clients at work. My mum took it the other way round. She treated John like he was my husband while John winked at me smiling.
I was not happy with the turn of events when my mother asked if John had proposed to me after he left. I nodded and my mum told me to say yes to him.
It isn't that I am not of marriageable age or I don't have feelings for him. I do but there are some things I don't like about him. He smokes and drinks. I discussed it with him but he said he can't do without smoking in a day. I was checking my mum's phone one day when I saw a credit alert from John. He transferred the sum of 500,000 naira to my mum and since then she has been disturbing me that she wants to carry her grandchildren. John too has been calling and visiting.
A month after he told me to marry him, my pastor told me to see him after service. He said John has just secured a job for me in a big firm and I was to pick up my letter in john's house. I knew it was a death trap but when my pastor said there was nothing that would happen, I agreed to go that evening. When I got to his house, he was wearing a white t-shirt over a black trousers. He served me a cup of non-alcoholic wine. I didn't drink it as I only wanted to collect my letter and go. As I received the letter, I thanked him and stood up to leave.
He said he thought I had agreed to his proposal and that was why I came to his house. He said he loves me and he tried to kiss me but I slapped him. He got annoyed and he went to the door, locked it and threw the key towards the dining room. I began to shake where I was standing. I begged him that I was sorry but all my pleas fell on deaf ears. He held my hands and threw me on the cushion chair. I covered my face with a pillow as I dreaded what was about to happen. He removed the pillow and when I opened my eyes, he was only in his short.
I could not scream as the house was fenced. As he was about removing my clothes, I got hold of the bottle of wine on the stool and landed it on his head. He shouted and fell to the ground. I ran out immediately after searching for the key. On my way out, I met two of his friends who were coming to visit him. They were the ones who reported to the police and I'm arrested. I have no one to defend me now. Noone believes that it was an attempt to defend myself from rape that led to his death.
_____________________ I'm sorry I've not been very active in writing here. We have not had electricity for the past three days and my two batteries were low. I'll try to make up for all I've missed. Thanks for your understanding 🤠.
Causes and cure for backsliding
When you have just given your life to Christ, your desire is that Christ should just come immediately and take you home. Isn't it? The feeling is so comforting and pleasing that you never think of going back. The joy is overflowing that you will want it to continue and there is hatred for sin and pleasures of the world. The children of God will look like angels of God before you.
You enjoy the fellowship and love the brethren that backsliding is never in your vocabulary. If you are in the place of work you desire to quickly leave and not miss fellowship.
All these do not continue. You begin to hear an enticing voice to depart from God. If you do not yeild to that, there is no backsliding. You need to watch and pray so that you don't lose spiritual blessings. If you have fallen, the love of God is still calling out to you.
***The warnings of backsliding***
Overconfident people like Peter have fallen and so the warnings should not be overlooked. It is not the desire of God that anyone should backslide and that is why the word of God is warning us. We have our own parts to play. God's desire is that we need to the warnings.
When warnings come, it is unfortunate that some people push the message to other people. They say they are strong and the message is for the weak. That was what Peter did when Jesus warned him but he was overconfident.
*Can a man of God ever backslide? Can a man with great spiritual gifts backslide?*
*Peter said he was above warning and* there is no reason to cry to God for help.
Some people tl look at their position among other children of God and feel they can't backslide. Others who are weak even look at men of God and say that it is impossible for those men to backslide. Eventually, when these men of God fall, their hopes are shattered.
It is easy for a weak believer to be strong and make heaven. It is also easy for a strong believer to fall and go to hell.
Some look at others who are not taking Christian living seriously as they do and say if others are living their lives anyhow and nothing happens, they can also live their lives that way.
DON'T let anyone tell you that if you make friends with the world it is good. REMEMBER, the word of God says friendship with the world is enmity with God. That is the tactics of the devil. He will make you feel that the word of God is hard. The devil will bring different pictures that will make you to doubt the existence of God. That it is beginning of backsliding.
Cure for backsliding
There ought to be repentance.
There ought to be separation.
You will come to a life of daily devotion with God.
All the vows that youmade to God when you first came to the lord if you are backsliding and you want to be healed, you must fulfill all those vows. Vows like ' *God, lwhatever people do to me I will not forsake you. I will not deny you for all the persecution I might face and I will never ridicule all those who are guiding me in the right way'*
There will be continuity in the doctrine of the Bible.
Return to fellowship.
Offer your service to God.
Be prompt in obedience to God's word.
Be vigilant so that those things like women, Love of money, materialism, men,etc that made you to fall will not come back into your life.
Submit to rebuke and chastisement.
God loves you. If there's any prodigal son or daughter, God is looking for you.
How I spent my day
I woke up around 6am this morning and there was electricity . I observed my quiet time with God and went into the kitchen to prepare something for the family to eat. The electricity was very low and not quite long after, my father came out for our family devotion. We always start our day with God,our maker.
My immediate younger sister's graduation is today after spending six years in senior secondary school. It wasn't an easy journey but we bless God for His goodness and mercies. Some of her mates could not finish secondary school because of one reason or the other. We can rejoice today only by the grace of God. My other sister had to follow her to the school for the graduation. They were to wear their uniform for the ceremony.
I didn't go to school today because I didn't have any lecture. After breakfast, my dad called me to follow him to our 🐖 pigs' house in other to feed them. As we were approaching the place, they heard our footsteps and began to make noice since they knew we were bringing their food with us. My aunt followed us to help with some things.
We gave the pigs and piglets their food before they kept quiet with PKC in their big mouth. We discovered that one of the piglets was having boils on his body. He was scratching the body too. My dad then decided to give him injection.
My dad brought the piglet out. The drug was put into the syringe through the needle. My dad tried to inject the piglet while I was holding it but it was not entering. We later discovered that the tip of the syringe was bent a little and it had caused a wound on the piglet's body. I told him sorry because I could feel the pain too emotionally.
My dad changed the needle and injected the drug into the piglet's buttocks. After the injection, the needle was left in the piglet's body for a minute or thereabout so as to prevent the drug from coming out. All these while, my aunt and I were saying 'sorry' to the piglet. We could feel the pain too. After the needle was removed, we added a powdery substance to the boil and GV to prevent housefly from perching.
We injected the other piglet too. After which we went back into the house to have a bath. The weather was cold due to the rain that fell the previous night. I decided to boil water for my bath. It was not up to two minutes when the electricity went off. I was not happy because I didn't want to bath with cold water. I did something to the water and I ended up having a bath with warm water. It was not as warm as I wanted but it was manageable.
After I dressed up, my aunt had already unthreaded her hair and she was waiting for me to plait it for her. Since she is on holiday from her place of work, I didn't bother to ask her the kind of style she wanted. I took the hair partter (permit my English) and began to part the hair. I finished plaiting the hair at 2pm. It was already time for lunch but my dad said he wanted to check up on the pigs. When he came back inside, he said some 🐐 goats had eaten a little part of our farm and we needed to block the way.
I took the hammer, nails and cutlass while my dad took the net. He asked me to dig two small pits for us to plant a stick. I played the music 'excess love' with my phone while digging. After we blocked the way perfectly, I wanted to go inside to study but my dad told me to bring his big hoe as he wanted to make some ridges. I gave it to him and I was about to go inside when he called me back to help him to pack the sticks on the cleared land( bad side of schooling from home).
We worked till few minutes after 4pm. We planted 🍅 tomatoes, maize and other vegetables. My aunt told me to go inside and grind pepper and grate okra for dinner. I prepared veggies too. As I finished grinding and grating, my dad and aunt were already inside and we ate lunch. I went to my room and logged in here. It was not up to fifteen minutes when we had electricity again. I didn't bother to go to the living room to pick my charger as I knew I would be tied down with cooking. My phone was just 70% so I continued interacting here till I slept off.
My sisters returned later and we ate dinner. She brought gifts and snacks too. After dinner, I continued my reading here but I slept off again. I was woken up for our night devotion and I am still in the living room after everyone has retired to bed. I dozed off a little but not long. When I woke up, it was past twelve and I missed doing my task on heldylife. I have done the task for today now. It's 4am as I write now and I would be preparing breakfast soon.
I hope I have not bored you with my day activities. I never thought of writing this at first so I don't have pictures of our farm. I just took the picture of the pigs this morning. I just decided to start with this. Enjoy your day 😌😀 @Prisca20
Prisca20 is here 🙋
Happy Monday to my Read.Cash friends. Today is the second Monday in the month of August 8/8.
It is my pleasure to be here😀. It's nice meeting you as friends. My nickname is Prisca. I'm in my semi final year in a private higher institution. I'm a fashion designer, caterer, graphics designer and a computer literate. I love reading and listening to music. I don't like staying out at night.
This community is filled with so many generous people. Despite the market state, some writers here still tip comments and posts generously. God bless you all. I hope to take after you as I gain stable ground here.
I would also like to appreciate @Olasquare . The first tip I received was from him. He is my first mentor here🤩. Thanks to other writers that have been of help. Pardon me for not mentioning your names.
Reading through the articles of some writers here, I discovered that some writers have spent more than a year here. That shows that read.cash has been in existence a long time ago.
I discovered that this place is just about writing and getting paid for it. I believe I should be able to pen down my thoughts in writing. I know I also need to read other articles and subscribe to them so as to get notifications when they write.
*Why I joined Read.Cash*
I have tried so many paying sites. I wasted a lot of my most precious time and money on these sites but we were only deceived. I could not cash out the money I worked for successfully. I didn't get a dime on all my efforts. I eventually decided to register this account and see if it will work. I am sure it would work though.
I joined this site in order to support what my parent gives me for my upkeep and as an upcoming journalist, writing is important to my profession.
I will try as much as possible to write good contents for my readers to read. A big thank you to you all.
If there are other things I need to do as a beginner please don't hesitate to write them in the comment section. Thanks.
All images are designed by me.
@Prisca20
