How to tell when you're gossiping

Most people like to convince themselves that they don't gossip, they will say they only "discuss " or "gist". It's obvious that many don't even understand the difference between a normal relevant conversation and an idle talk aka "gossip". Let me illustrate with this conversation between two ladies.

Dialogue
Jane :   Have you heard that Ada is getting married soon?
Ann:  Woaw! I'm happy for her. So who's the lucky guy?
Jane:  They say he's from South Africa & he's a very wealthy lawyer.
Ann:  hmmm...it's ok. After all her dissapointment  God has finally blessed her. I'll attend the wedding.

Now check this out.
Jane :   Have you heard that Ada is getting married soon?
Ann:  woaw! I'm happy for her. So who's the lucky guy?
Jane:  They say he's from south Africa & he's a very wealthy lawyer. I heard he's been married before, with 2 kids already from 2 different women. In fact, I learnt his first wife left him when he got another woman pregnant.
Ann:  Really? tell me more! So after her dissapointments this is the kind of husband she ended up with. You know her last boyfriend was an alcoholic & a junkie and he almost killed her. She always came to me for advice whenever they had a big fight. Any way sha, God has blessed her. I'll attend the wedding, let me see this guy with my two eyes.

So,  you'll agree with me that it's very easy to tell when you're gossiping.  The difference is the extra irrelevant details added and it's usually something unpleasant especially about someone's private affairs.
Gossip hurts and damages. If you can't stay away from people who gossip, you can at least try not to contribute to irrelevant gist, that's how I do it.

Total Forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be a very difficult thing to do. Over half of the people that preach forgiveness don't really know what it truly means, some because they have never been deeply hurt and others because their forgiveness has not been truly tested. Many times, we fail God's test of our so called forgiveness without even knowing it.

Years  ago I had a friend Ngozi who betrayed me, hurting me so badly. Forgiving someone unrepentant can be very difficult but I eventually let go. I didn't know that God would test my heart.

One morning I was at Ngozi's office to see another friend. That day, Ngozi  had made the mistake of leaving her office without asking anyone to cover her duties while she's out. Same day, a very important client came. After waiting unattended for long the man got very angry that he had missed an important meeting just to be there and it wasn't the first time he was having this experience . He decided to withdraw his contract and swore never to transact with Ngozi's company again .

If he leaves, it would be a very big loss to the company because he was a major client. He was about to call the managing director to inform Him of his dissapointment. I thought about it, a worker had previously been sacked for such truancy and negligence of duty and if this man makes this phone call, Ngozi would be in big trouble.

I wanted to do something but then,  the memories of all the wrong she did me began to flash through my mind. She definitely didn't deserve my help. But then I heard this tiny voice inside me  "this is what total forgiveness is really about, if she were your sister or best friend, what would you do for her?"

So, since I was very familiar with the environment, I pretended like I was a new staff (I didn't say that though) and I apologized to the man for the delay telling him that Ngozi had something urgent that needed her attention  and she would be back in no time. I also called my other friend who was a staff to take over attending to the man. Soon, the man sat down again and relaxed.

About an hour later Ngozi walks in. Of course she doesn't know all that transpired in her absence but within me I was glad to know that I had totally forgiven her. That's what Jesus did, even when we are unrepentant.
I'm one of those young ladies that have been deeply hurt and emotionally abused severally in life, by loved ones, by friends, even in past relationships but I chose to let go.
When we forgive and release our enemies to God, He restores  peace to our heart. Mind  you, He will definitely take revenge for you in his own time!.

"Little by little" says the snail

One afternoon I strolled out of my office depressed and preoccupied with thoughts of a failed personal project I had been on for about a year plus, all the resources wasted! My time, sleepless nights, money all gone. Hot tears clouded my eyes, the tears of a young lady struggling so hard on her own, pushing it and trying to make a difference in life. I just wanted to go home fall on my bed and shed all the tears in me. I'm such a cry baby you know.

Then I bumped into a friend who had just succeeded in a similar project and had moved unto the next level. He tried to cheer me up with encouraging words. He said, " there's no level in life that is too little nor a point in a journey that is too far behind. What matters is that you're moving and someday you'll get to your desired destination. Someone else is somewhere praying to get to even half of where you are right now in your life"
Those words seemed so magical at that moment, because it gave my spirit some glister of hope.
 Little by little, the snail moves, but she eventually arrives somewhere. Many are in the grave afterall , thank you a Jesus for the gift of life.

Photo credit: animatedimages.org

Time changes yesterday.

Take a look at the scene in this 1956 photo, I see about four men bringing out a big structure from a container sorounded  by a crowd of men on suit. By the way they were eagerly waiting and watching you can tell that whatever was inside the box must be something very vital or amazing .
 Well, it's actually a 5 mega byte hard drive that had just been shipped  out by IBM. That's right! Only 5mb and its about the size of a small car.That was way back when the computer had just been invented, and that hard drive which can't hold more than a single track in an album was the scientific wonder at that era.

Today, over 6 decades later, I can store hundreds of movies in my 1 terabyte hard drive which is about the size of my palm or in my 64G memory card which is as tiny as as a nail on my finger. Well, such is life, time changes yesterday and change is constant in life.

Today as I look at this photo , it looks ridiculous and funny. But you know that's how life really is. Sometimes we find ourselves engulfed by trend or entangled in a prevalent condition that seems so overwhelming as at then, such that we might be forced to take one or two decisions. The truth is that it will all pass away.

Someday you will just look back at that same thing or situation that either amazed or terrified you (maybe laughing too) and be like "I can't believe I did this or that just because of this common/ordinary thing...."
Time changes so many things, including your opinions and perception of the world around you and life in general.

Photo courtesy of History in pictures

Separated from death - the story of a passenger.

On one of my trips to western Nigeria, a passenger shared this unique story of how God singled him out from death. Mr John is an elderly man who has spent most of his life as a Christian evangelist.This is his story;

Mr John wanted to travel to Lagos, Nigeria.  When he arrived the park, the que was terribly long and it seemed the transport  company had sold out much more tickets than the number of seats actually available.  There was just 2 luxurious buses  currently available, with the passengers all lined up according to their ticket numbers patiently waiting to get into their seats.
One of the transport officials came to a point just in front of Mr John and devided the  que asking Mr John and those behind him to move into the second bus. Inside the second  bus, there was chaos as many passengers did not sit according to their sit numbers. In the midst of the confusion and quarrels,  Mr John lost his sit and was peturbed on realising that he was the only one without a sit.

Fortunately, a third bus came along soon and Mr John was asked to move again into the third bus which he did without complaining. But suddenly someone came out to inform Him that there was a mix up and there was actually a vacant sit behind in the second bus. Now fed up and not minding that he was still the only passenger sitting in the third bus, Mr John declined and decided to patiently wait for the bus to get filled. Just then a fat woman arrived, a woman whose destiny had already been sealed!. She seemed to be in a hurry and quickly demanded to have the vacant sit in the second bus.
About an hour plus later Mr John's bus moved. Mid way into the journey, they were forced to stop at an express road where a large crowed had just gathered in front. It was an accident, a luxurious bus had just run into a fuel tanker and there was a huge fire.  It was the second bus that Mr John was sopposed to be in and there were no survivors!

As John narrated the story I could feel the pain in his voice and tears in his heart. He emphasised on how much God cares for and protects his servants. He also admonished us to be however ready at all times because no one knows tomorrow .
Well, that's a scary story to hear while you are on a journey but thank God for journey mercies .

by Chioma Morah

If wishes were horses.

I thought I had a mountain of a dream
A dream that seemed almost impossible
Day and night I prayed and wondered
Do dreams still come true?

I thought I had a mountain of a dream
One that kept my mind constantly preoccupied
Night after night sleep eluded me
As my heart cried, God, will I ever get there?

Then I saw this touching picture
It's of a little boy with a very big dream
he was courageous enough to nurse it
A desire that seems almost impossible.

No one deserves to be incomplete
I know that miracles do happen
but I also pray that someone helps him.
A prosthetic leg at least would do!

by Chioma Morah
photo credit: unknown.

Why old couples look alike.

Ever wondered why many  old couples have striking resemblance? It's a popular observation and scientists have proposed some explanations for this. These are some of the explanations given.

Decades of shared emotions.
Research reveals that the happier the marriage, the more the couple resembles each other. A study was conducted at the University of Michigan by psychologist Dr Zajonc & Co-researchers. Test subjects were randomly given photos of people with the background blacked out. They were told to match the men with the women they most resembled. Twenty-four pictures were of couples when they first married. The other Twenty-four  were of the same couples 25 years or more later. The couples were white, lived in Michigan or Wisconsin, and were between 50 and 60 in the second photos.

The judges discovered that the young couples showed little or no resemblance to each other while there was marked resemblance between the couples who had been married a quarter-century.While the resemblances were not dramatic - some seemed to involve subtle shifts in facial wrinkles and other facial contours, for instance - they were marked enough that the judges were able to match husbands and wives far more often when the couples were older than when they were younger.

Dr Zajonc proposed an explanation for this; common life experiences over years and years can alter facial musculature and wrinkle patterns, leading to an increased resemblance. Couples unconsciously mimic the facial expressions of their spouses in a silent empathy and that, over the years, sharing the same expressions shapes the face similarly.

Similar  environment
Similar environment, similar diet, similar disposition, postures, gesticulations etc

Initial resemblance
Some others are of the opinion that some couples initially look alike when they got married.

If all the above is logical, then what happens in the typical  african polygamy scenerio?  Will a man look like his 4 or 5 wives at same time? Or will they all find a way of collectively looking like each other?... just thinking aloud!

photo credit : www. Stopcoloncancernow.com

When People Change

"You have really changed"! Some of us receive this accusation quite often. Initially, I would usually try to defend myself, while at other times I would get hurt and raise my voice. This was just until I got to learn the other meaning of those words, the real implication behind the sentence, I'll tell you.

Every human has his own way of life, we all have our perculiar personal battles and issues. ln life, you sometimes have to take decisions which in your own judgement is the right thing to do in order to achieve certain goals. This means therefore that you cannot have it as a goal to please every one around you all the time.
Having said this, I have come to realise that there are some people in one's life who are there to pull you down the ladder. When they say "you've changed o! What they actually mean is,  "you have stopped living your life the way we want it, you've stopped placing us first before you, you've stopped filling us in on little details in your life,  you've  now taken charge of your life and we don't like it,  you have changed!"

Well, there's no way you can progress  in life if you must please everyone around you. Even the only perfect man Jesus had a million haters. It's important to be nice to people around you, but the main goal is to please and glorify God not man.

by Chioma Morah
Image courtesy of animatedimages.org

Dirty diamonds don't shine.

Mathew Henry once said, "there's great worth often hidden in despicable packages".
There's an attitude in the society that is not appealing to many neither is it to God, it's an attitude of pride, arrogance and a feeling of superiority (proverbs 16:5).
 All humans were created equal with same substance and design, no man is made of gold while his neighbor is made of copper or wood. We are all same, flesh from dust! The only thing that creates the differences is the opportunities and privilege that one man has over the other and these mould our various destinies.

That not withstanding, no one knows tomorrow, that boy feeding from your trash today might just be the man in whose hands your life or destiny may lie tomorrow.
Never look down on anyone, because some people due to certain conditions are just like precious stones wrapped up in dirt or clay. Because u know what? dirty diamonds don't shine.

So, what's your excuse?

I saw these photos on face book, I can't remember who posted them or the original source but I saved them because they sent a message straight to my heart. The photos were captioned "what's your excuse". 

Now, I don't know who the guy in the photos is, nor his name but I can see what he's doing. Maybe he's an engineer,  construction worker or something but I'm moved by the fact that he did not allow his disability become a limitation in his life. Didn't the bible say we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4: 13). What's my excuse if I don't become what I ought to be in my life?

Why some remember their dream and others don’t – Study

Everybody sleeps, but does everybody dream? This, among other related issues, is perhaps one of the most interesting and unsolved mysteries surrounding human existence, and possibly one of the many questions that have not enjoyed relative unanimity in response from people.

When asleep, eyes are closed, the postural muscles are relaxed, the nervous system becomes inactive and consciousness is practically suspended, but in the midst of all these is the phenomenon called dream, which can be described as a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep.

Dreams can be interesting sometimes, coupled with its psychological and spiritual colorations. It is not even uncommon for people to find themselves in some fairyland or paradise while dreaming but wake up to find themselves where they were before sleeping.

Even though scientists argue that everybody dreams, some people maintain that they do not dream while some others say they can’t remember theirs. Be that as it may, a study by some French scientists has revealed the reason why some people remember their dreams and others don’t.

The study was carried out mainly to unravel this puzzle and to identify which part of the brain differs between those who remember their dream and those who do not.

In the course of the study, the researchers, led by Perrine Ruby, of Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, used Positron Emission Tomography to measure the brain activity of about 41 volunteers during their sleep and while they were awake.

The participants were then shared into two groups, with the first one comprising those (21) who used to recall their dreams at least 5.2 times in a week and the other group comprising those who rarely recall theirs, like twice in a month.

After observing the spontaneous activity in their brains both during sleep and while awake, Lyon and his team found that when the brains of people in the two groups were examined, there was some variation in the spontaneous activity in two regions of their brains, namely, medial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction.

While the medial prefrontal cortex is responsible for making associations between context, locations, events, and adaptive responses like emotions, the latter is the information-processing hub in the brain, responsible for imitation, and forming pictures of oneself and other people in the brain. The two, according to the researchers, help in creating dreams and remembering them, more so that medial prefrontal cortex plays a huge role in memory and decision-making function of the brain.

After the observation using PET, the researchers found that in the brains of those who usually remember their dreams, there is a higher level of activities in these two areas of the brain and the section of the brain that responds to external stimuli compared to the level of activity in the brains of those who rarely remember theirs.

They added that those who react more strongly when their names are called by other people and those who tend to wake up by any slight interference in their sleep are more likely to remember their dreams. Funny as the latter sounds, the researchers stated that that brief moment of being awake, whether by interruption or naturally, helps such people to encode (commit) the dream they already had to memory.

The researchers, whose findings were published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology and reviewed by Daily Mail added, “High dream recallers have twice as many times of wakefulness during sleep as low dream recallers and the brains of the high dream recallers are more reactive to auditory stimuli during sleep and wakefulness than those of the low dream recallers.

“This may explain why high dream recallers are more reactive to environmental stimuli, awaken more during sleep, and therefore better encode dreams in memory than low dream recallers. Indeed the sleeping brain is not capable of memorising new information; it needs to be awake to be able to do that.”

The researchers explained further that people are more likely to remember the dreams where they had memorable encounters than others where there was nothing much of interest.

On enquiry, findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that people (almost everybody) want to remember their dreams, possibly everytime they close their eyes to sleep, which has been appeared impossible. Thus, the question, what can people do to remember their dreams?

A report on Medicaldaily pointed out certain things that could be done by people who want to remember their dreams. One of such is for people to train their brains to remember and recreate things, which it called the window treatment.

The report advised people to watch scenes unfold outside a window, observe everything to detail, including colours, objects, people, animals and movements.

The report added, “The goal is to detail in your head everything you are seeing. Don’t generalise. Once you’ve done this, write everything down in a notebook. By experiencing the events and recounting them, you’re training your brain to remember details in real life, and eventually your dreams, too.”

Another recommendation by the report is that people should wake up naturally instead of being interrupted suddenly, such as splashing water over a person sleeping or shouting the person’s name vigorously which could wake the person suddenly.

“Waking up naturally is a much smoother transition between dream sleeping and wakefulness, and chances are that dreams could be more easily remembered this way. Even taking an extended nap can improve a person’s chances of remembering,” it added.

The other recommendation is that people could keep a piece of paper and pen beside them before sleeping, such that the moment they wake up, even if it’s in the middle of the sleep, they should quickly record every information they remember from the dream.

It added, “Rather than waiting for the morning to write in the paper, keep it close to you at night, and as soon as you wake up from a dream, write whatever you can remember again, all the details, like you would with the window treatment. If you don’t want to write everything down, take notes of the key points. Soon enough, dreams should start to become more vivid, and remembering them should be easier as well.”

A similar report on asdreams.org pointed out that reminding oneself of the need to remember a dream and keeping a paper and pen or a tape recorder by the bed side to take notes could help improve one’s dream memory. It added, “As you wake up, try to move as little as possible and try not to think right away about your upcoming day.

“Write down all of your dreams and images, as they can fade quickly if not recorded. Any distractions will cause the memory of your dream to fade. If you can’t remember a full dream, record the last thing that was on your mind before awakening, even if you have only a vague memory of it.”

Commenting on the spiritual implication of not remembering one’s dream, Pastor Nons Amano, explained that it is not good for a Christian not to remember his or her dream.

He said, “The implication is that such a person is missing the information that God is releasing to him or her because it’s the time Heaven is broadcasting. It’s a moment that vital information about destiny and things to happen are being released. So, if you don’t remember your dreams, devil is keeping those ideas and information so that you won’t be aware of it. Then, you must learn to speak in tongues to activate the spirit, which is like the antenna, to be able to pick signal in the spiritual realm.”

He also advised that when people eat heavy food before sleeping, or they leave their phones on such that it could ring to wake them suddenly, or they start talking the moment they wake up, they might not be able to remember their dreams.

Also, a cleric, who identified himself simply as Adebayo, said there was nothing wrong for one not to remember his/her dream but that “it is wrong to share your dream with a stranger that is not your trusted person.”

In his response, a psychologist, Prof. Toba Elegbeleye, explained that people could lose track of some of their dreams but that “when dreams are very (thoroughly) impactful, you tend to remember.”

This article was extracted from PUNCH.
Photo credit : Getty images & www.cliparthut.com

Against all Odds

This is a truly touching  love story, and a wedding that took place two days ago in Lusaka.
Suzyo Muzuri (28) a Young Lusaka Man deferred all odds and got married to his long time lover, Diniwe Bowa (27) in his hospital bed at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka

Suzyo was involved in a road accident two weeks ago just before his wedding and lost one leg. They still managed to get married despite the challenges.
The wedding was attended by a group of people that included family members and friends who witnessed the two exchange their marriage vows in the hospital ward. 


In her FB page, Diniwe rebukes all those condemning and criticising her decision to go along with the marriage plans and she is determined to keep the promise she made to her fiancé months ago. She reaffirms her trust in God and her belief that He will make all things possible for them.

I'll say this is true love. That lady has a true heart of Gold, she's one in a million! And the man, he's really courageous too. He has found himself a really good thing and God will open the heavens to bless that Union. Wish them a happy married life.

(Pictures Courtesy of Q FM)

Celebrating our treasures.

Today we celebrate them children, little angels both big & small. They are all precious gifts from God. I gladly look forward to someday when I will have them. Dear Lord  please make it soon!...Lol.  I'm trying to picture their faces, beautiful little treasures growing in wisdom , in stature & in favor  with God and man just like Jesus did (Luke 2: 52).

My heart goes out to all the helpless and unfortunate children out there. Those with no special one to really love or care for them and guide them trough this rough world. God be with them.

It's children's day in Nigeria today.

Photo courtesy of CP cartoons ( 2015)

An ancient disease of unknown cause; the “Give Me” Syndrome.

They are always asking for something

It’s not that they don’t have

They always want more

Though you gave them enough

They may not say thank you

As if it wasn’t  worth it

When they say thank you

It’s not from their heart

They go around saying you did not give

Even when you did your best

They accuse you of being selfish

Even when you’ve given all to them

They think you have not noticed

That they will never give to you

After all you’ve given to them

They have a big problem, but they don’t know it

It is the “Give me” syndrome

Despite what they have or how much you do for them

Some people will always beg because it’s in them.

by Chioma Morah

Meet the “China doll” bride

Meet Mrs Rebecca Dinsdale, the  3ft 7in bride who has broken every single bone in her body and yet defied medics by walking down the aisle, first time she ever walked.

The 31- year old bride was born with a congenital disorder, brittle bone disease.  She is reported to have all the bones in her body already broken at birth. When she was born, her parents were told she had little chance of surviving childhood but she did. She has been on wheel chair all her life as her bones were so fragile (thus the nickname "china doll") that even a sneeze can break one. Growing up wasn't so easy because she was bullied, pointed at and laughed at in the streets.

Who would have known that such true love would come her way. Rebecca worried that she might never get married until she met her prince charming Norman on the net in 2005. Norman proposed in 2011 and they got married in July 2014.  She surprised him on the wedding day by walking down the aisle to meet him.

Here’s what the happy groom had to say about his wife. “I’m so happy to call Becky my wife. I don’t see her disability as an issue or something that affects our relationship. She’s perfect for me”

Awww! That's so sweet!...who says true love doesn’t exist. If God says it’s your time, then that’s it!

She - devil

She is charming as always

Seems as though the golden rays of the sun is always focused on her

She is so beautiful, her skin so light and glossy

Her hips nicely curved and inviting

Her eyes large and hypnotic, her legs so straight

And those lips that men who have tasted never forget in a hurry!

Wherever she goes, she is an object of attraction

Heads turn and eyes roll.

Men want to taste, to touch at all cost and she lets them.

She not only allows them, she satisfies them too

Because she too has her own desires and dreams

To her, It’s all about “give and take’’

She wants the world and all its pleasures, the pearls, diamond, luxury and power

Her beauty and manipulations has sailed her to the top

She has broken hearts, marriages and dreams,
Destroyed, taken lives and even killed

It doesn't matter to her, what people say

Pretty woman with your deceptive smiles!

Why have you chosen the path of Jezebel?

Who gave you that beauty, that voice, that brain, that life?

Where you not created for God’s glory?

I hope she does reconsider her path someday,

For all flesh is like grass and will fade away someday.

By Chioma Morah

10 Common Lies that Ladies tell (to themselves and to men)

    Honesty and integrity are virtues that make the godly lady psychologically and emotionally irresistible. A woman who knows exactly what she wants, how and when she wants it, is like a beacon of light to a good man. Honesty doesn't necessarily mean giving away every single detail about you. It simply entails being sincere, not giving a false impression about you while also being able to maturely reserve whatever details you might consider private.

1.    Age;  you don’t have to tell, if you don’t want to. I understand from my own personal experiences that some men would rather view you through your age than through your brain and heart but reducing or increasing the figures is lying against your creator.

2.      I’m not really single;  If there’s no one in your life, accept it and face reality, admit it when you have to. It doesn't mean you’re rejected, God has a plan for every one. Don’t let some imaginary guy or some unserious man ruin your chances with a prospective suitor.

3.      We are just friends, I don’t really love him;  Define whatever you're doing with a man let it be clear to both of you whether he does the same or not. If he’s just a friend, let the boundary lines be clear. Don’t give husband privileges to boyfriend.  Don’t let him fool around with your emotions.

4.      I've never done it before;  Like I said, you mustn't reveal everything. However, when you have to, be honest and firm. Most girls have a past, we make mistakes and we take caution. Be bold enough to admit  "Yes I've done this before but this is my decision now.... "

5.      I’m fine with it;  You don’t like the way he calls you every 5 minutes, or the way he spends money or the way he talks to you, let him know the things you hate. Be polite.

6.      I am not angry;  Oh no, girl you have the right to be angry but don’t let it rule your lips or your brain. It simply means you are human and have your own opinions!

7.      I wouldn't change a thing about you; well, let him know how you prefer he acts in certain situations or handles stuff generally.

8.      I’ll Change for you;  Yes, you can drop those habits and quit being self centered too. Love is all about sacrifices, but please, be yourself. Give him the opportunity to either accept or reject the real you. Ok,  let’s see, I love cooking, cleaning, scrubbing, arranging, but I hate laundry and ironing (though i do them). Doesn't make Chioma a bad or lazy woman, it just means we’ll be using the laundry machine and dry cleaners more often than my hands, period!

9.      Money isn't Important to me; A woman should marry for love, but lets face reality. Every woman has the minimum level of comfort she can subject herself to, even me! Please don’t look down on him because he’s not up to your standard, but it's only you who knows what you can make do with

10.  I can’t do without you;  No one is indispensable. If you realize you are incompatible, maybe character wise, genotype, etc. Be wise in your decision. Whatever you decide, be ready to live with it.

By Chioma Morah

When you are stuck between.

 A while ago  I was upset about a challenge and a friend had to narrate a similar but funny experience to me, something that happened to his friend that made me laugh.

 Emeka, popularly called ‘’pastor’’ is a final year university student and a fanatical Christian, well known for his religious radicalism.  Emeka didn't  have any association with "sinners", he didn't even want to be seen in their midst unless he was preaching to them. His most popular message was  "thou shall not fornicate, all fornicators will burn in hell!"

In his final year, Emeka’s supervisor assigned him a thesis/ project topic, a topic he dreaded so much and decided he would have nothing to do with it. He pleaded severally with the supervisor, a professor of medicine who remained adamant and refused a change of topic. The study involved assessing the human semen and his sample population was to be male undergraduate students. It was actually a part of the professor’s ongoing research.

After much sleepless nights and emotional stress, Emeka realized he was stuck between the devil and the deep sea. He needed to graduate as much as he wanted to make heaven... (I’m laughing).  He decided to commence sample collection anyway. He went to a group of ‘’Unbelievers’’ and explained his dilemma to them after which he gave them a test tube each, to help him with the sample of....you know (Lol). The young men declined and mocked him. One mockingly asked "but pastor, how am I supposed to get it? Are you asking me to fornicate or masturbate?". This went on severally as months passed until he was fed up. No one wanted to co-operate.

 One day the professor called him and said  "you are of no use to me in this research, no student has been able to do this study since three years now. You have a week to submit to me a new topic for approval".  Emeka had already lost all hope of graduating that year and he was filled with gratitude to God for delivering him from such temptation alas.

Now, I don’t know how the story helped me in my own challenge, but it did remind me that sometimes in life, we are made to face challenges that try our faith. God will never let us carry more than what we can bear€€

By Chioma Morah

Gone with the wind.

We had just rounded up a five day convention at the national head quarters of my church and my branch members boarded a bus to take us back home. We had an amazing soul satisfying experience. As the eight hour journey began, almost everyone was chatting and recounting their experiences. Some were narrating their healing experiences, others their answered prayer points, while some ladies where busy chit chatting about the handsome young guys they had just met, and the men about the beautiful sisters they too hooked up with...Lol

About fifty minutes into the journey, a sister looked  out through the front screen  & said  ‘’ Chi, I love this ride’’. I peeped out too and admired the Lexus car. It looked so classy and brand new, a very expensive model too. No one was prepared for what we were about to see a few minutes later. For a moment, everyone starred in shock as our bus driver slowed down. Right in front of us was a huge body of flame. We couldn't believe what our eyes were seeing, It was the Lexus engulfed by fire, burning beyond recognition. 

The driver was able to get out on time unhurt, a young man probably in his thirties. He stood on a corner of the road not so far with his hands folded above his head, starring in disbelief. The new car he just bought was gone just like that, gone with the wind!

A few days now, I’m back home and I’m thinking about that incidence. I’m wondering, who knows what it cost that young man to get that car, the savings, sacrifices, etc. What if he himself died in the fire. What a life! If only I could just live my life free of vanity.

No wonder the bible advices us to lay up for ourselves, treasures in heaven where they can't be destroyed  ( Mathew 6 : 19 -  21 )  €€€€€€€€

By  Chioma Morah.
Photos courtesy Cee Cee stickers

That Thing in your head

             As the evening breeze carried the stink of garbage across the street, the stench of the decaying substances saturated the air. The sun had ducked behind the tall palm trees and the scorching heat had mellowed to embracing warmth.

 On a corner of the street right on a heap of garbage lay a man, his skin bathed with dirt and stinking fluid of all colours. As  I approached the figure, the terrible stench saluted my nostrils. The man was lying still on his back with his head placed on his hands which were carefully crossed under his head. His limbs were stretched out, one equally crossed over the other and both relaxed over a heap of discarded sacs. He looked so calm and relaxed as though he was lying or floating on a waterbed . 

      He was undisturbed by the zooming and noise of the vehicles and passers by nor by the eyes that constantly stared at him. He didn't seem to care about anything or anyone, he was a mad man in his own world!  

            Insanity they say is a curse, one of the worst ailments to befall a man. In Africa, its often attributed to  voodoo, demons and evil spirits. Each time I saw an insane person, I always felt so sorry for him/her but on this particular day , an entirely different and crazy feeling stirred up within me. I had a lot of problems all mingled in my head and as I starred at the mad man I could hear my heart screaming ‘’God, please don’t tell me I’m envying a madman right now!’’. 

 The one thing that struck me about this man was his seemingly calm and relaxed disposition. He seemed to be untroubled. I thought to myself, “ this man might actually not even have any thought in his head as he lay so. He wasn't thinking about how to make money, what to put on ,what to have for dinner, or how to pay his rent and bills. He definitely wasn't  thinking about what people said or did to him. He just didn't care about anything in this world! 

      It’s pretty difficult for normal people to have that much peace and calm (if i’lld call it that). The difference is,  all the stuff we've got in our heads;  the dreams and plans. Man is always struggling. Then again, the heavy burdens in our hearts that always steal our thoughts; past failures, debts and unpaid bills, circumstances like  catering for sick relative, broken families and relationships, etc.  

      Thoughts gives birth to ideas and thinking  and worrying are natural. Sometimes however, we may not realize  when we over do them such that it begins to affect our interaction with people and our daily responses to situations and the society at large.

            Some time ago I was really upset about a certain situation in my life that I became so moody and depressed. I would drift far away in the middle of a conversation and would overreact and scold my colleagues in the office over simple issues. Thank God I called myself to order on time.  Finally, man can try to find peace in the world around him though but only the inner peace that God gives can see us thought our difficult moments.

         By Chioma Morah