Try it out.

You never know what you are missing until you have tried something different. There are a lot of awesome things in life that we are yet to experience, these are things that we might have not been able to afford, or we are just not opportune to enjoy. We are always conformed to a particular routine; we eat the same food constantly, go to the same recreational areas, and mingle with the same set of people and so on. When you have this set way of life, you don’t know what else is out there for you. You might think what you currently have is good, but it could only get better if you tried something different. Let something about you change, if you are known to always have short hair styles, dare yourself, go for a different look, try something long, you just might love what you see. All you do is fry, fry, fry, why don’t you try baking, grilling or just some different method of cooking; it would amaze you that you could get such a great different taste. Do you always have to take that same route everyday to work or school? Well if you don’t have to, you should try taking a different route, there just might be less stop lights, and traffic jams that way. Don’t get rid of your dear friends, but you know what? it doesn’t hurt to meet other people, spread your wings, adapt to diversity, meet people that have a different cultural background, you never know, you just might learn one or two thing that you were never aware of. I know you love that place of worship you attend, you might have built a family there and have a good relationship with the members, those are great things, but it never hurts to take out a day to visit a different place of worship. (Romans 12:1-2) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. You see, even our God doesn’t mind us changing, he is the only one who cannot change, we are given the liberty to try things out and make the best of the resources we have been blessed with. This shouldn’t give anyone the go ahead to defile their bodies, or do things that they would regret all in the name of I want to make a change. This is just a form of encouragement to do things just a little different than what we always do, for the purpose of learning new things, and having second choices. Dare yourselves people, try something new, try something different, get out of your shell and spread your wings, mount on eagles wings and soar.......The sky is your limit!

Don’t you ever speak!

If you haven’t taken out time to examine yourself, test yourself; make sure that everything about you is close to perfect, if not perfect, then DONT YOU EVER SPEAK!!! . A lot of people have done a very good job, criticizing others, destroying their reputation, judging and just putting everything about others in jeopardy. It is said times without number that no one is perfect, and we all reason differently, so why would anyone take it upon themselves to pass judgment on someone else? Imagine what life would be like if God condemns us for every offence we commit. It is really disturbing when the people that focus on criticizing others are not any innocent; they are most often as guilty as the person they are pointing fingers at. Many at times, we find out that people just pass judgment on others based on their assumptions, they just look at a person and feel like they can tell everything about them, the truth is it takes a while to be able to actually speak about someone, you can’t tell how a person is until you actually take time out to get to know them. we think we can tell how a person is by the way they are dressed, who they are around and so on, but really, it isn’t enough to criticize them, how a person looks doesn’t tell all about them, what is on the outside doesn’t completely speak for what is on the inside. One thing I feel would be understandable is if someone you know has done something inappropriate, you have the right to speak to or caution them about their actions, but this depends solely on how deep your relationship is with the person. It might be rude to speak to someone on their actions when you have no close relationship whatsoever with them. It is also one thing to correct a person, it is also another to condemn a person. Condemnation should be avoided because no one is above mistake, and it is unfair for someone to be completely written off because of a mistake they have made. Give people a chance to be aware of their mistakes, let them know it is wrong that they did what they did, but they should learn from their mistake and ensure it doesn’t happen again. After all our mistakes only help us grow to be better people, we learn best from our experiences. There is no reason for anyone to be completely condemned or negatively talked about because of something they have done, or because of how they have chosen to live their lives. Everyone has a right to whatever pleases them; there is an issue only when their action is causing problems for another person. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:5). please if you know you are not perfect, and you have some form of known or unknown dirt with a skeleton in your cupboard DON’T YOU EVER SPEAK, don’t make it a priority to make others feel they are worth nothing or their mistake cannot be corrected, instead try to work on your own short comings and encourage others to do the same. Remember when you point a finger, all the others left point right back at you.

Do you!

There is something about each and every human being that makes us differ from each other; there are no two human beings that have the exact same character. People might look alike, act alike, sound alike or even think alike, but when you dig dipper, you will definitely discover one or two things that makes them differ. The fact that we are all created in our own unique way sometimes brings about conflict. This is something that only could be dealt with individually; we all differ in terms of background, beliefs, morals, religion, culture and so on. When two people that differ in all the above mentioned ways come together, there is a high chance of them bumping heads, not because there are bad people individually, but there are just things that they believe in, and everyone just thinks their own way is the right way. The truth is when you are brought up a certain way; you tend to continue living your life likewise. It would take a lot of conviction to alter your belief. Our differences make us find faults in others and this is often mutual, but we just can’t change who we are. If we change to please person A, then person B may not be satisfied. Are we now going to switch up to put to meet person B standards? The answer is NO! There is no way you can satisfy everyone you know, if you try to, you would end up being bipolar. When you start developing these multiple personalities, you may begin to suffer psychologically. Is anyone really worth your mental disability? I don’t think so. I think everyone should just be themselves at all times, work on characters that you personally feel the need to improve on, after all, we all have flaws, and we are all imperfect beings, so our mistakes can sometimes be excused. There really isn’t any need to try to be who you are not, our character is something that we can hide only for a little time, who we really are will eventually come out at a time that we are least conscious. It is best to be yourself, you should let everyone meet, love and appreciate the real you.

Freedom

One thing that a lot of people struggle to get is freedom; most young people are guilty of this. We often get to a point in our lives that we begin to feel like we can take our own decisions and be in control of ourselves and everything around us. At a certain time, whether or not we really are, we seem convinced that we are very mature, and we tend to disregard what other people us tell us, most especially our parents. We feel like they just don’t understand us, it often upsets us when they are conformed to their own point of view and don’t really see things our own way. The truth is they know much more than we do. Most times what they tell us is the truth, they often talk to us based on their experiences and they just don’t want us to make the same mistake they have made. Its seems like they go over board sometimes, but it's all out of love. Freedom isn’t something that we need to argue or fight for; it comes to us at the right time, usually when we are really ready for it. At this time, it is obvious that we are mature, and we are able to take care of things ourselves, we are responsible, dependable and can be independent. Freedom comes with a lot more responsibility than people think. A lot of decisions that would have drastic effects on one’s life are taken, this is when we begin to decide our academic field of study, we look for jobs, move out of our parent’s home and live by ourselves, consider marriage and have kids, and a lot of responsibilities come with these things. Before making a big issue about wanting to be free, we really need to be sure that we are ready to deal with everything that comes with it. We need to be ready for various challenges and learn to deal with them in an appropriate manner. If you are not 100% confident about your capability to be take care of yourself and you level of responsibility, then there really isn’t a need to hurry out because you would most likely hurry back, and unchangeable damages might have been done. Not saying freedom is not a good thing to have, it actually is very good, and it helps you cultivate the habit of responsibility and discipline. Since you are the one in charge, you are compelled to take wiser decisions, your spending habit is disciplined and you just mature mentally. There is a time for everything and when this time comes, things just usually take a turn and fall into place without you having to struggle or worry about anything. For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). Why worry about freedom when God has set us free? The whole issue of wanting freedom for privacy, or for whatever reason would take care of itself at the appointed time, when you feel ready, you can attempt it, but when it’s causing enmity between you and your family and you do it out of stubbornness, then it really isn’t the right time. Wait on God because when he makes you free, you are free indeed.

Live and Enjoy living

Today was a great day, it was a day set aside for fun, and I had loads of it. I was able to do things I hadn’t done in years, I did things I have always wished to do but have never had the opportunity of doing, and lastly, I did things I never thought I would do and it was all enjoyable every step of the way. This is to let you know that you should never put a limit to yourself, we all have one life to live, why don’t we just live it, and live it to the fullest! People invest a lot of time working, and worrying about general life issues. They forget about themselves and they get worn out gradually. This is a character common among higher level students, people of working class, and most parents. They get really carried away by school work, their jobs or taking care of children, they neglect themselves and begin to age rapidly. This should be immediately corrected; basic things of life shouldn’t stop one from having fun, relaxing and just enjoying life generally. Sometimes, it is a difficult task to just let go of your worries, bills that have to be paid, children’s needs, assignments due all their general stuff that goes on in people’s lives, but we really need to start making changes. A tip to start with is to prioritize; we should have a time set aside to take care of things that we consider priority. When things are done at the time it should be done, there wouldn’t be any need for worry and there would be free time that you could use to do things that you enjoy. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof (Matthew 6:34). Even our God wants us to take each day as it comes, rather than worrying about life, make the best of it. Dare yourself, do things that you haven’t done before, socialize and learn from others. Don’t just be conformed to a routine, do something outside the box, so when your are overwhelmed or you feel down, you can think back to the fun things you have done in the past, and it would put a beautiful smile on your face. Life is beautiful; there are great things to be discovered, awesome people to mingle with, hobbies to be developed and lots more. Why don’t you just sit and review your life schedule, see how you can set things around and ensure sure you have the time to give yourself a treat or do something memorable. Once again we have just this one life to live, live everyday like its going to be your last, make the best of it and live it to the fullest.

Humility

Pride usually is the beginning of downfall. When we give pride a chance in our lives, we build a certain err around us, that makes us unapproachable. When we begin feel inferior to others, or speak of our accomplishments in a boastful manner, it simply means we are giving glory to ourselves. This ought not to be so; anything we are, or have accomplished in life is not our own doing. We have limited control over whatever we become; God is the one who makes us whatever we turn out to be. People get so carried away when they are fortunate to be at the top, they forget that there are people who are not as fortunate and could use a little help. They begin to categorize themselves in order of class or standard and expect others to look up to them and worship them. It should not be this way, whether or not we are at the top, we need to be humble. Some others even have nothing that one could brag about, but they carry on an attitude of arrogance. On other occasions when things go wrong, or there is a misunderstanding between people in a relationship, they begin to keep malice and develop hatred for one another. Keeping malice has a lot to do with pride. We should try to make peace and do it with all sincerity. Take away all self pride in your thoughts and comments so there will be genuine settlement amongst you. Attitude is something we can always work on, because really whatever attitude we show off at any point in time is by choice. Most times, people miss out on great opportunities and help that could be rendered for their betterment. People sometimes look down on others without knowing what influences they have and what they are capable of or in position to do. The people you have written off might just be the ones who God has placed your destiny their hands. They might be the ones who would help you secure a job, start your business, finance your education, they might even be your long awaited spouse. We need to learn to swallow our pride and also be honest in all your doings because you never know who you are talking to and you never know what degree of help they can render to you. Never let people think you are worth much more than you really are. Once a great opportunity has been missed, it would take only Gods grace to retrace our steps; therefore we should be very careful. Don’t ever feel like there is a certain person that you would never need their help, because you just might never know what God has in store for you through them. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (Peter 5:6) . To be at the top, you have to start from the bottom, don’t ever think you are too good for anything or too good to be associated with any person. It is ok to be a servant because in Gods own time, you will be a king. Pray daily for the spirit of humility because being prideful is a sin against God and man. Let us always remember that no matter what we have, we are all one under God, and in his sight, we are equal.

No hurries!

Hurrying is an issue that quite a number of people deal with. Once an opportunity arises, you find yourself jumping into it and taking advantage of the situation. It is not a bad thing to tap into available resources, but it is horrible to do it without carefully considering it. People find themselves rushing into a business line, just because a lot of other people are doing it successfully. They are often filled with regrets at the end of the day because they do not blossom as they thought they would, and a lot of invested money, time and effort go to waste. Everything in life should be done gradually, taken one day at a time. In the process, you can catch any errors in whatever you do and make necessary amendments before it gets out of hand. People rush into relationships, and find out it is not at all what they bargained for. If only they had taken baby steps before jumping the hurdle, they would have had the ability to discern and have an idea of what the relationship would be like before getting into it. There really isn’t any need to rush ahead of ourselves, there is a specific plan God has set for us, and if we are impatient, we just might miss it. A great example is that of Abraham and Sarah, God had a plan for them; he knew he was going to bless them with a child at his own appointed time, but they were in so much hurry. And Sara said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara (Genesis 16:2). As humans, it is very difficult task to maintain patience, we get so uneasy when things don’t go the way we want it, and at the time we want it. I have learnt to fight the way I feel and hold on to God’s word and promises, because those doubting and uneasy feelings are not of God. If things are not going accordingly, it’s not because you are a total failure, or you are doing something extremely wrong, it’s just that it isn’t the perfect timing or better still, it isn’t according to Gods purpose for your life. God’s time is perfect timing and I believe that is what everyone should be looking forward to, because at his time, you are certain that whatever you do would come out perfect. Waiting on God now shouldn’t give us the permission to be lazy or ignorant, we still should be optimistic in everything we do, but at the same time lean not alone on our understanding. If anything at all is Gods will for your life, it would come to pass at a time that it would bring you unending joy, and bring glory to the name of God.