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Monday, 8 September 2014

30Days of Praise - Day 8 Praising in Advance

The talk was so intriguing that people sat enraptured by the wisdom that spewed from the mouth of this great man. He spoke mere words but there was nothing 'mere' about those words. They were so soft, yet so powerful. One could almost feel the piercing of the words on one's heart.The words that proceeded out of His mouth seemed to come alive in the hearts of the people gathered.

And oh what a gathering! Men, women, children, families all gathered from far and near to hear what this Gentleman had to say! Time passed and none was the wiser, all that mattered was to sit and listen to the amazing words that this man spoke! His words were also followed by great acts! Wow! He could be referred to as the 'Wonder Wonder' - Double wonder, because one 'wonder' was not enough to describe His Wonderfulness!

Men followed, women joined quickly with their babies in tow. They thought in their hearts "Perhaps this Wonder-Wonder would solve my problems today too!"

Now, it was obvious that these people were hungry! The crowd was great, and for some, the distance to their homes was greater. The Compassionate One could not allow them go away hungry, so He turned to His companions and asked for the closest place to get some food to feed the crowd of people.

They must have thought in their minds "Huh? Food?! For this amount of people?! Which money? Which store?!", knowing not that Wonder-Wonder had a plan!

However, one who had seen Him turn a fruitless night catching (or not catching) fish to a mighty success of abundant catch in a matter of minutes, offered what was available.. "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and and two small fish..." he said.

Others might have been privately smh-ing, rme-ing and every other acronym-ing possible.. "How on earth?!"

However, Wonder-Wonder took it, gave thanks and afterwards shared to His close companions, who shared to all. Yes, Every.Single.One.of.the.Crowd.Gathered! They ALL ate and more than that, to the fullest, and even more than that, had 12 baskets-full remaining!

(You can read the full account yourself in John 6:1-15)
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In this month of 30Days of Praise, I know it may be easier or more convenient to praise God when things are good or even alright. When prayers are answered here and there or requests have been given the green light by our Awesome God. Thanking God for victories won and desires met comes almost naturally!

But what happens when what you have isn't what you asked for? Or the situation you're in is less than ideal? Or the issue seems nigh impossible? Or people have explained to you in very clear and factual terms why it cannot happen?

Like our Wonder-Wonder, take what you have, give thanks for it and watch it multiply!

When you thank God for what you have, it will multiply to more than meet your need, you will be satisfied and have surplus too!

Things not looking so great? What better time than to focus on and thank God for what you do have! There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for.

Let's do it today:

Lord, even though I am not where I want to be at this time in my life, I look at me now and I see Your GREAT hand - Thank YOU Jesus.

Lord, for those waiting on You for that dream job, and one way or the other can still afford to survive - Thank YOU Jehovah Jireh

Lord, for those waiting on You for the money to meet that need, but one way on the other can lift their hands to work, the mouth to ask and their ears to receive phone calls of joy - Thank YOU Centre of our Joy.

Lord, for those who have been disappointed one way or the other but still have life to hope for another day - Thank YOU our Hope of Glory.

Lord for those who want to get married (like yesterday), however still have men/women alive walking on the street - Thank YOU our Bridegroom!

Lord for those who desire children, and can still caress their spouses - Thank YOU God of Abraham (Sarah), Isaac (Rebekah) and Jacob (Rachel)!

Lord for those who have an unrealised dream and can still have a mind to imagine and means to work - Thank YOU God of Joseph!

We could go on and on Lord and truly see that in EVERY situation you remain God and you are worthy of thanksgiving and praise!

Thank You because we know that in giving thanks, You are gracious and kind enough to do even more! THANK YOU!

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Praise Him in Advance - Marvin Sapp (I Love This Song!)


Have you gone through a difficult time when you still praised God through it? What happened? Please share your praise-story with us, to the glory of the Most High God! xx



30Days of Praise - Day 7: How Great Thou Art! (Moboloaji Amusu)

I love hymns! There's just something about singing hymns to God that stirs me deep inside. I believe hymns are inspired by the Holy Spirit and the words are deep, very deep, like the Psalms of David.

I pray that in my lifetime, I would be able to pen a (or many) hymns of praise to the glory of my King!

One of my favourite hymns is 'How Great Thou Art'. That hymn expresses the awesome wonder of our Great God through the wonders of His great creation.  The first verse goes thus.....

Oh Lord My God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all
The works thy hands hath made
I see the stars
I hear the roaring thunder
Your Power througout
The Universe displayed

Hmmm.. When you and I take a moment out of the hustle and bustle of life to deeply consider the world, the galaxy and the universe, or to open our eyes and really SEE our surroundings, we don't need any more convincing that God's not dead, He's alive and He is such a MIGHTY GOD!

... Lord, I take a moment to consider the clouds, the majestic nature of it. We settle for blue but no known colour could truly describe it! How great thou art!

We consider the sun, the moon and the stars, and we just stand amazed at how 'things' hang suspended in the sky with no visible hold, and give light that nothing else could compare. How great thou art!

We consider the lightning and thunder.. We see streaks of light and hear loud, rumbling noise.. It astounds us Lord.. Indeed how great thou art!

We consider the great mountains and hills, the elements that were there before us and will remain long after us.. The magnificence of them and we can't but say - How great thou art!

We could go on and on Great God.. And your daughter Mobolaji Amusu captures it beautifully:

..... So I was sitting in the car at the mechanic's workshop and I look at the sky and guess what I see? You'll see it in the picture below. My God is wonderful. Everything He created is beautiful. Beautiful beyond comprehension. The sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the earth, you, me....everything is beautiful!


Isn't God just absolutely great? Look at that!


Indeed Lord, How great thou art!

When you have a glimpse of the glory of the King through the work of nature, you can't help but stand in awe and say Lord, How Great thou Art!

Saturday, 6 September 2014

30Days of Praise - Day 6 (Moronfolu Falana)

Isn't God simply amazing?! He is the Creator of all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful!

It is a real privilege to be able to sing His praise, our ever faithful and loving God.

Today, beautiful Miss Moronfolu Falana expresses her praise to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!!



My Own Praise to The King


God has been so faithful to me and He has seen me through many trials and pitfalls in life. 
In my down times, as hard as it could be, I try to dwell on my past victories. I think about the battles He has fought and won for me and I allow myself rely on His love, trusting in the shadow of His wings. 

I say to myself, over and over again like someone learning a recitation, If He could bring me this far, He won't let me down. Whenever I think of His love, I sing it in Newsboys' "Your Love never fails". His love amazes me and often times, I just imagine myself wrapped up in His love. The lyrics of this song is like food to my soul. It gives me hope, courage, the strength to forge ahead and it reminds me that His love has not and will never fail me!

Newsboys - Your Love Never Fails

Friday, 5 September 2014

30Days of Praise (Day 5) - Dear Daddy

My Dearest Daddy!

My best-est friend in the whole world! How are you today?

Shall I tell you a joke? lol.. I like making You happy.. But I don't know any heavenly jokes (actually, do You laugh at our earthly jokes? Like when Akpororo, or MCAbbey tell a joke? Or when Chigurl starts singing her songs? lol).. Anyways, I know what makes you smile! Praise lifts you up! Spiritually, physically and emotionally :-)

You know my great and awesome King, we are really made in Your image and likeness! I have seen what praise does to human beings! These our praise-singers at parties usually get all the money when they start singing the praises of people!! Even those who didn't plan on spending look for the nearest ATM (or borrow from a friend) to 'spray' the musician when the praise-singing starts getting to their head! (Sometimes, they know that what is being said of them is not all true but they spray on anyway lol)..

That's the great thing about You my Super-God, Every praise we could ever give to You is much less than who You are and what You are worth. You are deserving of much more and I doubt if we would ever know the true extent of Your greatness and power.

Was it not You that made the earth out of emptiness.. The universe and all that is in it in SIX days?!?!
Was it not You that extraordinarily healed a leper called Naaman by asking him to dip himself in an ordinary river?
Was it not You that caused an earthquake to open the doors of the prison that held your sons Paul and Silas?
Was it not You that caused water to come out of a rock and manna (food) to fall down from heaven?
Was it not You that shut the mouth of the lions in Babylon so that your son Daniel was their welcomed over-night guest?
Was it not You that was the 4th man in the fire with the 3 Hebrew boys?

Great and Mighty God, What on earth can You not do?

Are You not the one that the angels adore?
Are You not the one that tells satan "Do not touch" and he dares not go near?!
Are you not the one that commands the angels and give them charge over us so that we do not dash our foot against a stone?
Are you not the one whom the 24 Elders cast their golden crowns before, in adoration singing "You are worthy our Lord, to receive glory, and honour and power...."

Awesome God, what in heaven can You not do?

Your praise is never enough Daddy.. Your praise is beautiful indeed..

As we lift You up in our praise throughout this month and beyond, may we make You smile Lord..

From my heart (and Tasha Cobbs' lips :-)), here's a song for you:



Always and always your little girl,
One xx

Thursday, 4 September 2014

30 Days of Praise (Day 4) Conversations with One - Praise God for Him/Her!

Welcome to another edition of Conversations with One!!

Basically, Conversations with One is a chat-series on the blog. 
Each week, the 1 + TheOne panel (made up of beloved and very wise friends with a variety of personalities) and I bring you snippets of our 'round-table' discussions from a male/female perspective.. We talk about any and every thing!!

Ladies! Have you ever wanted to get into the mind of a guy? (I know I do! lol), and for guys, I bet once in a while you wish you could just read her mind! Well hopefully week after week, we get to bridge that gap!

You can have a look at last week's conversation where we discussed the importance/necessity of having a post break-up talk. You can it and other previous episodes HERE.

September on the blog is a bit different as it's Praise Month, with this month being '30Days of Praise'.

Sooo, this week on Conversations with one, our topic is given by Ms MIA and we ask:

What are 3 qualities/character traits/shared experience you're grateful to God for about your Spouse/Significant Other?

Please be as expressive as possible. The great thing about praising God about someone is that it helps you think deeply as to how faithful God is, and also to re-appreciate having that special someone in your life.

I look forward to your responses!! Please join in the conversation! xx

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Ms Hope: I am grateful I have a man whom God has given the capacity to financially provide for the family, we have our basic needs met and some luxury here and there to the glory of God.

I am grateful for a husband who can make me breakfast in bed, lunch as I sit and watch TV and plantain and scrambled eggs‎ at night while I put the kids to bed.

I am grateful for a father who is not fazed to change diapers, 'back' his babies the African way and who spends quality time with his kids.

Thank You Jesus for our men who spend quality time with their kids!
Ms PYT: I love the fact that my hubby doesn't believe in the traditional African beliefs of what the domestic duties of a husband should be. He does the dishes, cleans the house, does d laundry etc. I never thought it was a big deal until I met husbands who've never done the dishes or even changed baby's diaper since they got married.
He is very generous and has a big heart. I love it when he cares about the people around him and even total strangers. He's my ATM and I love the fact that my ATM has never refused to cough money out, lol. He's very extravagant when spending on me and his kids. I thought it was normal until I met wives who didn't know how much their husbands earned or wives who couldn't play with hubby's bank card. Lol
He's so playful and has the heart of a baby which makes the atmosphere at home so relaxed even if there's fire on the mountain. Many men are always too serious and kids tend to run from them to mummy but he's very different which I'm grateful for.

Thank God for generous spouses!
One: Awwww! I'm loving this!! Thank God for wonderful spouses.. May God continue to bless them in Jesus name..

(Now you ladies are making marriage very appealing! Thank You Jesus!! :-) :-)

Ms MIA: I'm grateful to God for my new Man! He's a man in every sense of the word.

I thank God for 3 main reasons and more that I tell God about everyday.

1. I thank God that my man is expressive to me! I always wanted someone who is not ashamed/afraid to say- "I love you", "I'm sorry", "forgive me" and "thank you", and likes to talk with and to me (including nonesense). And it's from his heart.
2. I am thankful to God that this man knows how to pray and is not selfish at all with his prayers. He can pray for me and the people he cares about more than he prays for himself (now including my friends).
3. I thank God that this man has sense! To be real, common sense is not common! He can engage and challenge me, he can dream bigger than I do (if you know me, you know that I'm 'Josephine' the dreamer), he can think fast and do the right things yet he allows me to speak and not try to be 'the man'. The guy already knows he's a man.....shikena!

Lastly I wanna thank God for bringing me my friend. That's the icing on the cake, this man is my friend!

Thank God for praying men!
One: Awww... *sniff sniff*.. I'm totally loving this! Thank You awesome God for these amazing testimonies of your faithfulness!
PS I knew ladies would come out in full force on this one.. Where are the men?!! lol (I think this infers that ladies are more PDA-ish than men... Right or wrong?) lol

Ms TrueTalk: I am thankful for my wonderful husband in many ways; 3 of which are :
1) He's a giver, he would withold nothing, within his power from me and our children; he would also readily give to family, friends and even strangers. May God continue to bless him abundantly.

2) He's got impeccable taste in a lot of things that matter. I thank God for this, cos if it was left to me; Chai, it will just be 'german-german' (whatever that means, lol)

3) He is a very calm person, no matter how much he is provoked by me or anyone; he would hardly cause quarrel. It would take aaaalooot to see him lose his head/ calm. Great example to me of  'as long as it's within your power to maintain peace, do so'

Thank You God for a spouse who has good taste and buys thoughtful and kind gifts!
One: Hahaha @ GermanGerman! (Please warris that? Somebody, help!)
Aww.. Thank God for generous men! That is so important mehn! Wow... thank You Lord over and over again for being able to count our blessings concerning our spouses and SOs

NubianPrincess: Yup! I think the ladies are definitely more PDA-ish than the men.... :)

Happy new month ladies and gentlemen!!!

I want to thank God for my darling, dearest Significant Other!!! Honestly, I really don't know where to start or which aspects I should focus on... He is that amazing! *wink wink*

I am so blessed that God sent me a man who communicates from the heart. He is so emotionally open and honest that it's amazing! He knows how to speak to me so I hear what he's saying. He is expressive with the way he feels about me. He is intuitive - he senses when I'm down or upset and has such a loving way of drawing me out... He encourages me to vent and let of steam... He wants to talk about everything and nothing.... *deep breath.... Saying heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving*

I want to praise God in a very, very special way for sending me this wonderful man who is so exceedingly caaaaalllmmmmmmm.... My boo of life doesn't give in to fits of rage or even raise his voice. He knows how to express his displeasure or unhappiness in a way that makes me melt... Yes, seriously! Hehehehe... I can be a bit of a hothead but having a man who is mature and calm enough to talk things through with me and work through a disagreement while holding my hand is such an immense blessing...

In an ultra special way, I want to praise God for making my man soooooo finnnneeee!!!! I was going to say something all spiritual and ish but this is such an important quality, I couldn't leave it out! Loool! He is tall and muscular, with eyes that twinkle and a smile that just makes me want to faint!!! #FanningSelfVigorously #StillSwooning #GazingLovinglyAtPicture #MoreSwooning #DrinkingColdWater #EvenMoreSwooning #Faint

God has been sooooo wonderful to me in this area... From Day 1 till now, it has been supercalifragilistichespiralidocious!!!!!!! *chuckles*

Nubian, something like this? hehe.. Thank God for our good-looking spouses/SOs! :-D
Ms PYT: I hope there's someone to pour water on you after fainting o! 'GermanGerman' is a slang but I can't really explain it o! Example: Where you able to fix the cupboard? I just germangerman everything together jare.

NubianPrincess: Hahaha.... PYT, after lying on the ground for some time, I got up, dusted my clothes and carried on with life.... Loool!

One: Ms PYT, thanks for that definition.. I just knew you would be the one to know that answer! Our slang-dictionary.. Knows every one in the book! Hahaha
@Nubian.. I am fanning myself on your behalf! Infact this your thanksgiving is immense!! To God be ALL the glory.. Thank You Jesus *dancing*

Ms PumpkinUnited: I remember telling my now SO when he was toasting me how that he cannot handle me and that I'm too hotheaded for him bla bla bla, and that he was too gentle for my liking cause all I had known while growing up was aggression and 'by force by force' so this guy just seemed too unreal to be real.. But now I laugh because that same gentility is what has tamed me.. my baby is a gentleman to the core.
Things I love about him.. hmmm, how could I possibly fit all into just 3 points! lol (thinking whether or not to awaken tingilingi).. .. Anyway, here goes:

1. The way he cultivates me is just out of this world,  he is a sacrificial giver who loves unconditionally. He places my happiness and comfort above his own.
2. His sense of maturity, his homekeeping skills, (he cooks cleans and washes, to which I am exceedingly grateful to God for lol)
3. He's got good taste generally, infact my dress sense changed after I met him. He's a hopeless romantic, a fine boy, GQ aint got nothing on him!
Bonus *wink*: His heart for God amazes me (I always prayed and asked God to give me a man after His heart, and le boo is an answered prayer), he prays with me and for me, he cares about my spiritual life.
The list is endless.. Summary of it is that I love and enjoy the way he LOVES me, he treats me right.. #countingMyUncountableBlessings. Thank You Lord

It's alright for men to do dishes too :-) Thank God for them!
One: Awww... God bless your SO! Please don't awaken tingilingi oh (hahaha, gosh! Where do we get all these words?)

Mr Motivation: Well, all I can say about my Mi Amore is that she is an answer to a prayer I remember vividly praying in Jan 2012, which was “A lady who complemented my walk with God”. So with this prayer being answered and God being magnanimous as usual, she came with the following extras:

1. Top Cheerleader: Nothing can be compared to how my 1 and only cheerleader cheers me on and believes in me even when I sometimes doubt my capabilities.

2. Team Player: I am honestly not a fan of the traditional African stereotypical relationships where the lady is a “Yes Sir” kinda lady and not making quality contributions towards decisions. My baby has always got my back and nothing motivates me more than that.

3. A Tender Heart: For me this is the icing on the cake because despite the moments when she gives me a hard time….lol. She listens to my candid advice and knows the right words to say to make me forget what she did that annoyed me earlier. In other words, as I would hate to admit this, She has my “Mumu Button”.

And for this and many more Lord Jesus, I want to say that I am grateful and I look forward to a beautiful future ahead with my Mi Amore.
Thank God for the ones who've got our back always!
One: AMEN @ Mumu button.. This got me laughing out loud..

Thanks a lot MrMotivation.. God bless your MiAmore richly!

Thank You Jesus for such great testimonies.. You do write the best love stories :-)

So what's your praise-point with regards to your spouse or significant other? Please share in the comment box, counting your blessings and praising God for it!

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Join us tomorrow and the rest of the month as we celebrate Jesus and praise God in diverse ways! #30DaysofPraise

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

30Days of Praise -Day 3.. Scream My Praise (Isioma Ikediashi)

It's Day 3 of our 30Days of Praise! Thanks to everyone who has sent in their own expressions! I look forward to posting all! It's really exciting giving praise to the One who deserves it, and in diverse ways too!!

Today, my dear friend and a worshipper who I really admire and respect, expresses her praise through 2 songs! One which she wrote herself and another popular Nigerian song! Here's Isioma's praise!!

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I wanna scream a little louder than before ....oh oh oh oh oh!
I wanna love you more than before.....Bighugs#
My heart is bursting for joy at the amazing-ness of God!
My praise is rising from a deep end because this God has lifted my dreams beyond imagination. He has surpassed my deepest desires and wishes, He has caused my cup to run overrrrrrr!

I'm so excited to sing these songs that come from a deep place of worship.
One of the most amazing things God did for me was to open my mouth once I gave my life to Him. I couldn't stop! And I said to Him that as long as I have a voice, I will scream, I will shout, I will worship!

And in this year, God promised me that He will take my dreams and make it real and big! So I sing 'Na only You I know' because what no man/woman could do, He did for me!
Then He gave me a song - 'Give You My All' one day during worship with a friend and the words just came out like God telling me that if I gave him All, He would give me More! Boy has He come through for me!!???? Mega Big God I Serve!!!!!!

My message to someone- Ps 37:4-5, then Praise Him some more xxxx

Na Only You I Know


Give You My All 



PS Thanks to Faith Ajani on the keys and Martin Olowe behind the camera :-)

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I hope you'll join in too! I look forward to seeing some Drumming, Saxophones, poetry, spoken word and some crazy dance in praise to our Awesome God who reigns over all!

Please feel free to be a part of this by sending yours to oneplustheone@gmail.com!

In everything, don't stop praising!!

Tuesday, 2 September 2014

30 Days of Praise - Day 2 (Jehovah Nissi)

It's Day 2 of our 30Days of Praise!!

In September, we will be lifting up the praise of our great God through a variety of expressions! I hope you will join in too!

Recently I got to understand the meaning of Jehovah Nissi which translates to mean The Lord our Banner. The first time God was referred to as Jehvah Nissi was in Exodus 17:15 after that great victory of Israel against the Amalekites..

This is what happened - One of Israel's strongest arch enemies, the Amalekites waged a war against them. Moses told Joshua to choose some men to fight while he stood on top of a hill with a good view, pointing the 'rod of God' towards them. Now the amazing thing that happened here was that whenever Moses lifted his hands, Israel dominated the battle-field but when he put it down (out of fatigue), Israel lost!

Thankfully, the two men who were with him realised this and were wise enough to support his hands so that he never got weary until the battle was won!

Now, the Israeli soldiers did NOT win that battle because of their numbers or expertise, no, no.. That battle was won by our great God and He alone...

I mean how else would you explain that?! That was ALL God - Jehovah Nissi - The Lord our Banner of Victory!!! The One who is the Mighty Man in Battle, The Lord of Hosts - Hosts in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth! The One at the mention of whose name, {JESUS} EVERY knee must bow and every tongue must confess that HE alone is Lord! The One to whom ALL power belong! The One that wins a battle without having to fight, the One that no one contends with and stands, the One who holds the key of David in His hands - He shuts and no one can open, He opens and no one can shut!

The Master of the Universe, The Commander-in-Chief of heaven, earth and hell. He alone is the embodiment of all authority and gives it to whomever He pleases!

I remember many battles I have fought and I remember the One who made victory a reality. Jehovah Nissi, I am so grateful to You for fighting our battles - so many of them but you did not allow them overwhelm us or defeat us - thank You.

I remember the battles that were not very obvious but were there alright, however, You gave me victory! Thank You Jesus.

I praise You my awesome Jehovah Nissi, My everlasting Banner of Victory!


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Do you have an experience where God gave you victory? Please share and let's praise God together!

PS I read this lovely post on my dear Tib's blog. She talks about the importance and blessing of giving thanks and shares her own personal experience too! I'm sure you'll be blessed and encouraged to just thank and praise our God who is worthy of it and more!. Please read HERE xx

Monday, 1 September 2014

September - 30 Days of PRAISE!

Hello everyone!

It's a brand new month and it's excting to see the 9th month of the year 2014!!!!!

Thank God for the gift of life! I was thinking some days back about how much more difficult it is to survive in our world today (bombings, threats of bombings, diseases {Ebola}, sicknesses, threats of diseases, natural disasters, missing planes, kidnappers, accidents etc).. There are so many threats to life and living that it's a miracle to still be alive each day.. Thank You Jesus for life!! I really do appreciate this wonderful gift!

Last year on the blog in September, we had a Month of Praise.. It was 30days of doing nothing but celebrating the awesomeness of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit each day.. I had a wonderful time doing it! It was pleasurable researching and talking about the many names of God and the many diversities of the nature of God! It is inexhaustible and absolutely amazing!

So this month, I would like to invite you to join me as we do it again and hopefully even better!!

We would shout His praise from the roof-top and exalt Him!

I would like to ask that you send in a song or anything - it could be a picture, a poem, a letter, a dance- anything at all that expresses praise to Him in your own way.. Like David, let's play before the Lord our Maker!

Each day, I will publish a Praise-post and we can praise-along!!

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30Days of Praise - #Day1

One of my favourite songs is 'With You' by James Fortune & FIYA feat Kim Burrell, from his 'Identity' album. The words of the song are so amazing.... Let me share the chorus with you:

With You, I find my strength
With You, I can hold on
With You, I know I'm covered
No greater power than You
No god is greater than You

As in, I am in love with this song. It helps me to express the fact that with God I can survive anything! That He is the strength that never fails and that with Him, life is worth living despite the ups and down, and that I will finish with a smile.

That when I have You Lord, I have ALL that I need in this life and beyond. You complete me, You are altogether perfect for me. And the best thing about it is that no other person could do what You do or can do. No greater power than You, no god is greater than You.

I went through a very tough time in 2012 - singing this song and practically declaring the words of this song helped me a great deal. I kept on repeating it like a chant, that Lord "With You, I find my strength, with You I can hold on...."

I love music (A LOT) and my friends know this. So when I was in the throes of hurt and at that 'Lord, why me' place lol, my darling friend would say to me "Ayo, listen to your songs now.. Listen to the words that you sing and let it speak to you..." (God bless her :-) .. At first I was like "Noooo, I just want to wallow in self-pity" (said in my mind lol) but I listened, and how it blessed me!

This is to the God who was with me through it all, who is with me today, with me tomorrow and with me forever... I praise YOU from the bottom of my heart.



Please share too! What praise song lifts up your spirit when you're down? Have you been through a difficult time? What helped? Would you like to publicly praise God for it? Please send me an email at oneplustheone@gmail.com xx

Sunday, 31 August 2014

I-WOW Presents Women of the Future Summit (4th Oct, 2014)

I-WOW: Women of the Future
"What should women do to meet their Career, Business & Personal goals?"
“Do you know that I have to work twice as hard as a man in my office to even get noticed?”
 

These are some of the indignant comments a dear friend made to me when we were talking about the so-called ‘glass-ceiling effect’ and other challenges of the corporate world.

The ‘glass ceiling effect’ has become an accepted concept in the corporate world, one which Wikipedia defines as ‘. . . a political term used to describe "the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” ‘

In common parlance, it simply refers to the seeming odds stacked against women in a seemingly male-dominated world. While the odds are something most women say they use as fuel to keep pushing for their goal, it is downright frustrating to be paid less than a man even when you do more work just because you are a woman.

The glass ceiling appears to be a worldwide phenomenon. The London Evening Newspaper recently ran an exclusive titled “Pay Gap widens as women earn 13 per cent less than men in London”

Here are a few quick statistics:
• Unequal pay and bonuses. 84% of women have been in situations where they are paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same work.
• 4 in 10 women say they have faced gender discrimination personally but more often in the workplace
• Sexual harassment in the workplace is a huge problem and yet often difficult to prove
• A dearth of women in top leadership positions, more women want to break that ‘glass ceiling’
• Concerns about property ownership in the event of divorce
• Domestic abuse against women
• And a whole lot more

You know how they say that information is king, because having access to the right kind of information can empower you right?

Well, I have good news for you!

I-WOW (Inspired Women Of Worth) is hosting its 2014 BUSINESS & CAREER Summit tagged "WOMEN OF THE FUTURE" on the 4th of October to equip women in business and career with practical tools required to ignite and empower them into taking the necessary steps to that next level. Steps to change your paradigm and position you to be consistently successful in the workplace, business or indeed in your own corner of the world.

I-WOW is a group of women dedicated to providing ‘inspiration for every woman’s soul – to inspire, to inform, to encourage, to empower, and to enlighten women’ through daily interactions on their Facebook platform (www.facebook.com/groups/Inspiredwomenofworth) and website (i-wow.org) as well as through periodic outreach events such as the Business and Career Summit coming up on October 4, 2014 at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

I-WOW believes the world is in need of empowered, encouraged, enlightened and ignited women – and they have made themselves available to be change and inspiration agents starting with one woman and eventually the nation and beyond. This amazing group of business owners, entrepreneurs, CEOs and professionals from all walks of life believe that women are worthy, women are strong, and women are the quickest way to reach the nation and the world at large.

It will teach you when to ask for that promotion. It will teach you how to position your business to stand out amongst the many. It is time for women to take their place at the helm of affairs in every sphere they find themselves, but right positioning is key and WOMEN OF THE FUTURE SUMMIT is the place to start begin.

Mark the date - Saturday October 4, 2014 in your calendar and register to attend The WOMEN OF THE FUTURE BUSINESS AND CAREER SUMMIT 'NOW' to re-position yourself, either via inspiredwomenofworth@gmail.com or www.i-wow.org .

Be Inspired, Get Connected and Learn from Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Business and Careers!!

A Cross-section of participants at previous I-WOW Seminar

Inspired Women of Worth!


Friday, 29 August 2014

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

My gracious God, full of mercy and compassion.. Slow to anger and so very quick to forgive. You are worthy of my praise oh Lord. No one else deserves the worship that is due to You.

I sang this song by Your son Nathaniel Bassey this morning and I say it to you again right now:

Imela, Imela
Okaka, Onyekeruwa
Imela Imela
Eze'm Oh

Indeed you have done well Papa.. You are truly greater than the greatest. You are the One who made the whole of Heaven and the whole of the earth. You are my very own KING... You are just wonderfully awesome.

Who can match your greatness? Who can match your power Lord? All power in heaven and on earth belong to You. You have the monopoly on power and no one could ever lay claim to a fraction of its ownership.

You are Sovereign, You do as You please and no one can question you.

Yet, in Your Sovereignty, You choose to love us all, to love me, all of me. Thank You for choosing to create me, for choosing to make me female, for choosing to love me, for choosing to bless me, for choosing to invest in me, for choosing to save me, for choosing to redeem me, for choosing to forgive me when I'm wrong, for choosing to die for me, for choosing to look after me, for choosing to be my Daddy.

You choose me even when I fail You or disappoint You (Do You get disappointed? You are the Beginning and the End and You know all things :-).. You knew my (very many) weaknesses yet You still chose to create me. Thank You Daddy.

Thank You for giving me the opportunity of a relationship with You.. Words cannot even begin to fully express the gratitude I have for You. This girl is forever grateful Daddy, forever grateful.

It's another beautiful weekend that You have made and so many things happening too, but I trust You. I trust You Daddy, oh how I trust You...

I would like to please ask Daddy that you comfort, encourage and strengthen anyone going through a difficult time or facing a challenge. Please Lord of Host, let Your peace and Your joy guard their hearts.

Thank You for loving me beyond and despite my short-comings.

I love you always Daddy.

It's me again, your little girl,
One xx