Sunday is an event in abuja!

I slept like a log last night...

I was really tired....i had not sleep the other night and my body had been craving sleep real bad...

So as soon as i laid on osaro's bed,i dozed on dreamland!...

I woke only at the sound of my phobe's alarm....i was still very much sleepy...infact more sleepy!

I just put of the alarm...osaro was sleeping beside me...she had worked since I arrived at her studio..standing!..doing make up for clients...

I knew she was tired and she needed enough sleep...i was still pretty tired myself...so I just snooze off again....

I had to wake her eventually....she had promised to take me to her church for like 6am so I could make the first service as she had two clients job later in the day!

Osaro attends dunamis international gospel centre, Paul Eneche's church!...

I had heard bugsy and Xerxes talk about this man of God..i had even heard some of his messages from bugsy's laptop.so i was really looking forward to attending their church service.

it was obvious we couldn't make first service again by the time we were both fully awake...

*there are 6 services! We will attend one of it!* she told me

*6 services!* ....wow! That's great! Ok cool!

And He(paul Eneche) ministers in all the services!* She added

So I just relaxed!...

Osaro fixed us breakfast of bread,tea and egg!

I am not used to having breakfast early in the morning on my normal routine....and especially on Sundays!...but I couldn't refuse a friend's courtesy welcome act!....

Dad called me and also gave the phone to my mum.....i greeted them both!

I was looking forward to attending this dunamis church. Osaro was one of the exco in the youth church..her functionality in church brought a deep smile to my face.i was glad my friend has a relationship with God and also functionality belongs to God's family....

She had spoken about her church and pastor Paul eneche last night!

*bola (that's what she calls me),after attending church in abeokuta and listening to your pastor (revWARD),i can't just attend any church of anyhow pastor!*

I smiled! And she went on about how when she attended dunamis for the first time and heard the man of God...she had been impressed to hear such sound words and has since then become a member!

I couldn't been more happier for my friend!..

So when we arrived at Area 1 where the church was situated,i took my time to observe all my eyes could see...it was quite a large crowded church...People were everywhere!....

I was told they have 6 overflow halls asides the main auditorium.I sat at the 4th overflow...the main auditorium was full!

I was watching the service from a large crusade screen(the bill board kind!)

From where I sat,i could see the entrance bible school, the youth church, the children's playground and the church'eatry(king's banquet)

The large screen!

The entrance of the bible school!

Osaro went to the youth church so I had enough time to observe from where I sat...

They had been having a conference since Tuesday tagged *Hii-Favour*. This particular sunday was the grand finale of the conference...so I listened as the man of God ministered on the topic titled *Your praise & Your favour*

The entrance of the youth church!

They had great organisation and crowd control.the ushers were uniformly dressed in a checker-like material...their service was sharp and smart as I watched as they ended the 2 service and commence the 4th service,which I attended!

The church eatry!

I met two of the youth church members who were osaro's friend..(Ehis & Helen)

One of the osaro had today sent her driver to come pick us up.......

We were off to the client's place at Apo's legislative quarters!....hmmm!
Hausas are very hospitable.they served us a very nice meal when we arrived there!......

Osaro,working on the beautiful hausa lady....the first client of the day...very beautiful! 

The driver for the second client was already waiting by the time she got half way through with the first client....

I just spemt the time watching tv....and writing...making myself useful to osaro as she worked! 

Touch down ABUJA!!!

The plane touched down at nnamdi azikwe international airport at exactly 8:45am....it was only about 55 minutes journey! From lagos....a very escatatic 55minutes!..

The night was beautiful but sleepless!...all thanx to excitement and *u-know-yourself*!!!

Beautiful indeed!!!

We were up preparing at 5am this morning ....well i didn't get a wink of sleep sha....but the other person did...after many laughs and giggle...

My bag was finally packed!...and we zoomed off the house 5minutes to 6am...we didn't want to get stuck in any unforseen saturday morning traffic! 

....*u sabi lagos now....o sha mo bo se nlo l'eko!!!

So my egbon drove me off to MMA in lagos....guess who was in the car with me!....

*XER!*......

The Xer to the Xes!!!

Xer was alil sick yesterday ...so by the power invested in me...i cancelled all journey to Abeokuta.

*you are so not going to abeokuta like this...*

And I called ayaba! ....and ayaba ordered xer to go back home! 

...infact it was at Abule-egba that i welded this magical power which was unknown-to-me-at-the-time ...

An interesting discovery, dont you think? 

I always knew I was had some fairy godmother  power somewhere that works only on people who just want to indulge me!...lol

For Xer,it was the beginning of a roller coaster evening.....one,full of events he didn't see coming....but seriously Xer was very weak when I picked him at ishaga busstop....i would be unfair to my conscience to let him go to abeokuta in that state!!!...

When we got home...our family doctor and mum were just walking out of the house....

And that was how Xer got an injection o!

And one capsule after one meal....and another capsule!!!

Xer was being treated for malaria...courtesy my beloved ayaba.....

Well that was yesterday!!!!

So xer managed to appear this morning......how he did still remains a mystery to me......
my egbon and xer were my chauffeur to the airport...

I was gonna miss my family......i was gonna miss Xer for three weeks!!...Maybe alil more!!!

Well osaro was waiting for me with a driver at abuja!...she had called yesterday to let me know where she would meet with me

So when I boarded air peace..it was bye-bye to Lagos......

I was in the Air!....i was in flight....it is a season of flight!.....it really was ANTI-gravity!

I had lived out the slogan of my beloved church n family (oracles christain centre)...*anti-gravity!*....atleast physically!!!...

I got talking to the passenger who sat beside me on board.....He was a fresh graduate of convenant university but will not be serving until batch B! ....

....So that is the beginning of meeting new people!.....

I had defied gravity to be in abuja.....

Osaro came to pick me up at arrival!

And she came with a cab!....*winks*

She was giving me the VIP welcome treatment...plus the cab driver was really nice!!!! (well that could be either fine girl charm or osaro had paid him well or to believe the best,the guy was just simply a nice guy)

 Touchdown abuja!

Anyway...Abuja is BEAUTIFUL!!!.....

Now the sleepless night was telling on me...you can't cheat nature...i was feeling sleepy......

I had called my mum and dad that i had landed in abuja as soon as we touched down....

That's osaro doing her client's make up!

So here I am with my fashionista friend after a good meal and a lot of catch up gist....we were off to HERO PLAZA,ademola Adetokunbo,wuse 2,where her make up studio was...she has a waiting client!........

.............................................

 trying to blog right in front of osaro's studio

See you guyz later.....

Am touring the F.C.T!!!

its the beginning of CHANGE!

Iya lanre is a very patriotic nigerian.the type that wakes up to pray for her beloved nation...and always wishes the best for the nation's leaders....

iya Lanre is my mum...we call her AYABA!....

When ayaba entered my room very early this morning....she assumed I was awake...(which of course I was) ....she began to talk about the bliss that this new government will bring the nation....

She said change has come!

I managed to mumble some words affirming what she was saying...i had been up trying to charge the new battery i got for my phone and I had been frustrated when the battery initially appeared not charging....i was waiting to observe some changes in the battery level when ayaba walked in and sat on my bed!.....

She pointed to the fact that it had rained on the day of presidential election...and this morning of the buhari's inauguration,it had also rained too....for her it symbolised the bliss that this new government would bring...she was happy......

I nodded!...my mind was still on the new battery!...*that battery had better charge o!....

Ayaba returned to her room...and I could hear her praying for the nation..praying for buhari!.....

Yeah!....so it's democracy day!...change has come!!!

When I finally stepped out of my room,dad was sitted in the living room,eyes fixed on the TV, watching the live broadcast of the inauguration at Eagle's square abuja.....

I took some moments to watch too!....lots of military and paramilitary parade and some ethnic/cultural dance going on......

Cooking came early for me as everyone was home....*i had to make the family some porridge *

Mum was in very high-spirit,sharing milo and Hollandia milk for everyone for tea!!!!.....

My new battery was charging! And that my friend is a cool thing!....democracy day and inauguration day can go on!...lol.....

By tomorrow too,i will be at abuja to see the new president!....*winks*

I guess I will be running things with the new president!!!!....

Anyways...am happy for the nation too and very much hopeful that this is a new beginning for our beloved nation...the commencement of a long journey of change! Our prayers will be going before and along with this new administration!

Congratulations to all Nigerians who have longed for Change!...its finally here!

Awww!!!...my bugsy baked his first cake after I taught him how-to some time before I finally left abeokuta...i miss bugsy alot!!!

*Mama bugsy,am handing over July 19th!*

He calls me mama bugsy!...

Bugsy's real name is damilola Oladunni..he is the president of his fellowship(christlife campus fellowship).

Bugsy has been concerned about making impact in the life of his fellowship members......

So when he mentioned that he would be handing over on July 19th,it was a call for encouragement.

I had come to know this young wonderful man...i have even brought him to my house...he has a beautiful soul!

i became friends with bugsy at a point in my life where I was confused and indecisive about certain things...he had been a friend who distracted me from worry and cares...I often laughed my ribs off...

And like epaphroditus in scriptures,he often ministered to my needs...(esp food and generator!

D

I had to encourage him once again like I often do when I was in abeokuta....

*....Bugsy!..touching the lives of people is not in the length of time you stay with them....Jesus can't boast of a 40years in ministry!...he didn't even live on earth that long!...but his 3 and half years of public ministry in the lives of his disciples can never be rivalled. The time you have left is ample time enough to touch lives....besides you and I know a God who can do a quick work and also cut it short in righteousness!....*

To think I myself have only known bugsy for less than 4months....its amazing how meeting some people for only a short moment feels like you have known them all your life!

*i have missed you!*.....said bugsy...

I have missed you more...said mama bugsy!

Ok....ok......so I am supposed to see Xerxes today before he left for abeokuta......
Looking forward to that....

count down to saturday!

So I couldn't  get a wink of sleep last night until almost 4am this morning....

Dad had handed my flight ticket to abuja ticket to me last night when he got home..

..i guess that threw me in an excitement mode.......

People respond to excitement in different ways....for me it was my sleep it rubbed me off.

i just couldn't see find sleep..my body was work-hour-alert and alive....energy and adrenaline of a child about tto open her birthday present!

I took solace in watching some work out you tube videos....especially those of inner thigh work out until almost 4am when I eventually drifted off to sleep.....

Today was my last day at the gym so I went early to do some of the routine of the inner thigh work out i had watched during the course of the night!

I also had a last day exchange of contacts with the gym instructor and belle(the lady who does so much squats).....

I thought about the event of yesterday

Chingching-chingchang!

Are you sure osaro is coming to pick you or should I call uncle banjo to pick you up?.....

I was making that cool face expression!...

I was feeling like the queen that i am....

It really is a day of HOPE!

Dad had called to say he had booked my flight to abuja for 7:30am....he had also called back to confirm if my plans with osaro was solid or should he call one of my uncle who stays in abuja to come pick me up.....(hence I would have to stay with uncle banjo!)....

NO!....i am staying with osaro...she will come get me at the airport!......

How that for a privilege of the only daughter!!!

My dad was glad I was at last going to be serving! After the tumultuous happenings back at school

This is really cool!...this NYSC orientation camp sure is stepping out with a right foot....

Early on Saturday means I would have the rest of the Saturday touring wit osaro as my tour guide.....*dancing shoki*.....YES!..*dancing shoki*.....

A bus ride will take the whole day and then you will be worn out by the time you arrive...

NO WAY!

But you will get to see a lot of places.....

NO WAY!

I will get to see everywhere through the plane window!...shikena!!!!

...................................................

So I finally went to computer village today to get an extra battery for my phone....i also gave it a new screen guard!.....and an ear phone was a handy buy!....

I took a detour visit to see Xerxes....it was a very long journey.....every filling station from ogba route to berger was causing traffic!....very tiring for a journey which shouldn't take so long!!!

I arrived at xerxes looking like a worn out banana.....but you know.....xerxes won't let you stay that way for 5minutes!...

I had the refreshing welcome of a queen and a bountiful feeding of a camel......

..............and a laugh out loud chit chat.....

Only to get home this evening to discover i had forgotten my phone at xerxes..

i guess we are seeing tomorrow niyen!......

And somehow my memory card reader was also missing and the 2gig memory card i wanted to give my mum!....hmmm!

it is a morning of HOPE!!!

It's a beautiful  morning of Hope!


the beep of my phone was what finally woke me this morning......it was the beep of an incoming text message....and it was twice!!!!

........*WHO COULD THAT BE?*..........

It was a number I don't have on my contact..so I just went ahead to read the text.....still sleepy!

IT'S WAS IRELE.....my irele!

I had to read the text over and over to get the full import of wat she was saying...

She had just finished her 3weeks orientation camp and had received her final posting but,she was concerned about the place of primary assignment that she was posted to!

So I took a deep breathe...as I got off the bed and stepped out to get recharge card..quietly i prayed under my breathe to have the right words...I HAD TO SPEAK WITH HER!....

Her text was that of someone who was disappointed and upset..she had just completed her three weeks orientation camp yesterday and had been posted to a place of primary assignment she didn't want....apparently she had another plan! And that plan was hanging on a thin balance right now!...she was only having that momentary feeling of despair! ....(trust me I can so relate to that,being a usual customer of that route!)

She had been working with a ministry back at home in abeokuta which was in line with her passion.i think she had been hoping to work at the headquarters of that same ministry in the state where she is posted to but apparently she was posted somewhere else....

SHE WAS IN A FIX!...

(Her known place of passion was about to be taken away for some horizon she doesn't know)

She didn't want to leave her passion which was ingrained the ministry she had been working with back at home.

When I got through to her,i began by encouraging her not to forget the lord ruled in the affairs of man and that God does have a plan....(what a thing to say by someone who herself had been upset about being posted to borno state!)...

I continued by saying-

* you don't know what God thinks is profitable to your soul in sending you to this new place!...i quoted to her that *all things worked together for good for those who love God*..and...*that she should be careful for nothing...*

i sighted to her my own personal example of dreaming of minna yet was in fact posted to BORNO state (which she was very much aware of),that state has probably been on news the most in recent times for only bad news,boko haram, chiboks girls,bombings,killings and slaughterings....etc.....

*Think about someone who should be upset!!!*

I said all this while affirming her feeling but telling her to stay in faith God surely has a bigger plan that is presently unknown to her and myself....

I don't know if any of what I said was any help but she sounded relieved!...

I am not a super christain who will beat another believer over the head with her perfect faith...(i was far from that....i am not the gruelling preacher friend who will sight only moment of perfect faith to a friend who was wavering)....i could totally identify with this one....i guess that makes us a priest!

*folks really sometimes just need someone to totally affirm how they feel yet encouraging them not to stay there....

folks sometimes just need someone to encourage them in the times of disappointment and despair...

They just need someone to tell them yes I understand you are scared but it's gonna be alright, God has a plan in that moment when they hit the plains of my-plans-isnt-gonna-work-out!

Commencing a journey of an unknown path can be very scary especially when you have had your own plans...and they seem to be dashed out without you being able to do something about it...it can be upsetting too because of the disappointment you feel in those failed plans....it can also arouse questioning against God and despair!

As I hung up the call to irele, i began to wonder what question I might have to answer for myself in the nearest future....what I was up to facing.....

It was sure I wasn't going to serve in borno state but the-where is presently unknown to me.....

I have had to deal with the shock of being posted to borno.....i had dreamt minna!...i had been quietly upset.....why did he show me the dream of minna?.....why?....i had prepared my heart for minna,i had read about the state countless times,I had even researched about where their orientation camp is(paiko!).

i had even fallen in love with minna, (and when you are in love with a person or a thing, you are bold to talk freely about it, and that was what I did!), i had told the people close to me it was minna(and they believed me until we all beheld borno!)....i had been upset....

All my plans had seemly vaporised into thin air!.

I was left blank ....*planless!*

My life was once again in the hands of my parents who were already thinking of redeploying me.

NO!

MY LIFE IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD!....

I was in a place where I could do nothing...i am helpless...i don't have a plan like before!

...What about my business...HadassaH cakes&cocktails!....what about abeokuta!...what about expression...what about the agapathes!....???? What about this...what about that...???

Those were tempting questions of anxiety that i have had to pass up on in the past 1month.....

I choose to believe I wouldn't take thought for my life...yimu!...which was my top temptation in recent times! ...(thinking about my life!)

Xerxes and bugsy were very helpful in this times...especially Xerxes!.....constantly playing the role I just played for irele.
(i bless God for great people)

I choose to believe God has me where he wants....i AM perfectly in His will!....He has me where He wants me...and that for me is the beginning of a peace that held me steady and content!

I AM in the perfect will of God!

It's a place of REST!

It's a place of total TRUST!

It's the place of BELIEVING!

It's the place of knowing that He rules in my affairs!

It's the place that is He is enthroned upon the troughs and crest that my life goes!

It's a place of affirming that I don't know all but I know HE that knows all is with me...

It's the place where he reign supreme as my king!

I must say there is a peace in trusting....

A joy in knowing that the Lord has a plan...

A blessedness in knowing He is using all this to train me in faith......

A thanksgiving in knowing that all things work together for Good for all who love God and are called according to His purpose.....

IT'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT...IRELE.....GOD HAS A PLAN

...AND IF YOU ARE READING TOO...I SAY IT TO YOU TOO....GOD HAS A PLAN!...

ok....maybe i am ready for camp

So??????

The reality of this nysc orientation camp is just beginning to dawn seriously on me...even though a major part of my luggage has been stuffed ready already....

somehow I had just adjusted to the passing frenzy of each day.

..going to gym...enjoying the bliss of my room....doing some squats and lunges....constant rendezvous with Xerxes.....attending and missing weddings...shuffle of shoppings...one or two cat fight with mum and my brother....serving dad's food....random incoming and outgoing calls to xerxes..And text messages.....reading..blah blah blah

I had just two days of gym time left......

I had collected the phone number of the macho lady at the gym...we have some how become acquaintances...it was only natural for me to collect her number...i sure will try to call her when am away...Maybe once or twice.....hopefully the call is reciprocated. And if not....its alright!!!!...

Still i needed to get some stuffs...one was paramount!..

A BATTERY!...

A spare battery for my blackberry.....i have been writing alot these days on Evernote...and I need enough battery power to keep blogging while at camp too!

Will probably get one at computer village tomorrow!

I sort of like my new hairstyle...my mum's hair dresser is really good!!...i had gone to book an appointment with the hair stylist yesterday....and she had done a Base weave on my head for the hair extensions to be weaved on.

So when I walked into her shop this morning after workout at the gym...she just went ahead to put the extension on me....and she did it pretty good...i guess am hair-ready for camp.

I had done a lot of walking around today...my back aches plus the extension weave was giving a first day tightness pain on my head.....

So by saturday....i will be leaving for abuja.....it will actually be my first time visit to abuja...i will be staying with Osaro till the Tuesday morning when camp opens...then I would leave for keffi,nasarawa ...i heard it's just an hour or so journey away from abuja....

I am hoping to go a little around abuja sight seeing with osaro...she is an old friend and sister have known  for over 10years now..
a slim silhouette diva  who has this strangely nice voice and can sing to one of those 18th century operas.....she is also a fun fashionista,(most of my ankara styles are photo inspired by her) and she does make-up for a living(oglamakeovers)...and boy...this babe is very good...hoping to get my own makeover in abuja before I go to camp....OSARO,shey u hear,i better not be doing all this talk for nothing!!!.......

It's gonna be fun with her i know!!!...i have even dreamt about it!...lol...but am serious!!!

I don't know what to think about the orientation camp though....i am hoping to just go and enjoy myself and stay open to meeting new people....and new experience....i will surely be blogging....by God's grace!!!.....so I must therefore arm myself with spare batteries!!!.....(computer village! Here i come! )

its a long long road of change!

hello sister seraph....
..............we MISS you so much!*

You never know what nostalgic feeling it brings when someone you least expected calls you to tell you they miss you so much...

I don't know but I felt really ELATED when Niyi makanjuola called me....
i can't recall ever giving him my number back at O2C...and I don't think I was ever really close to him even though we have had to share pleasantries often....and yeah...we worked together at a particular Oxygen concert last year and there was that time this year when we sang together while the technical guys were doing sound check!.....but his call had a breathe of pure genuineness that put a wide smile on my face...hmmm!....cute!

We truly are social beings who love to be loved and missed by the people whom we have shared a portion of our lives with and whom we also proclaim to love....it hurts when you are away and no one misses you or even calls to genuinely say....*hey!...we sorta miss u!

Well that's not the case for me....i have had wonderful people call me especially those little people whose lives i was privileged to have touched somehow....and others who just missed my personality and uniqueness....the text messages and calls  were only  a proof that I have/had been given alil apartment in their large heart!!

for this and much more I am content and grateful...and I consider myself really blessed...

I have also learnt that people don't only live in houses.

..they also live in our heart...

.and we were the ones who gave them the space they have in that unseen world of our heart....(the amazing thing is that that world is so very very real!)

.....some may have a castle-size mansion in our heart....for some it may be but a cubicle of space....for some,because of our fondness and time spent together sharing and laughing,they warmed their way to own so large a space in us....(all of this happened while we opened our heart and accepted them in)...none of it was outside our consent!....

*When you love someone,there is nothing that person needs to do to make you love them  because you already do*
....this i believe our Lord did for us and also said....
*WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED!*.......

So in my opinion,Loving someone is purely accepting that person as they came into your life without reserve!!!

.....HadassaH!!! This so-so-so person has her reservation about you!!!....,i heard someone tell me that in a conversation....a long while ago....

For a while now I have hated that words like 

• Reservation 
• Unstable 
• Emotional........blah blah blah

For far too long i have known people who claim to love you yet have reservations!!!...

      ..*THEY SEEK TO CHANGE YOU!*..

And such people I discover don't really love you....
*THEY ONLY LOVE SOMETHING ABOUT YOU!*

It's true that the people who come into our lives CHANGE us.They can alter us in ways we don’t even see until they have been gone too long for us to remember.

Those who have loved us fitfully can alter us to be better lovers

....... just as those who have hurt us can transform us into bitter souls who only remember pain.

             

I wonder is it really up to us to allow someone to change us or do circumstances ingrained into our psyche transform us whether we like it or not?

I, as many others too have gone through a lot in my life. I have been hurt and disappointed by friends,h family or lover many times over and I would be lying if I did not acknowledge that those situations have altered me and the way I commune with people.

I KNOW THEY HAVE!!!!!

I know that I am quick to put up a wall, to look into things where there might be nothing or to over think a situation until it resembles nothing near the facts.

I know that I am quick to react and cut people off if I even slightly smell an odor of untruth about them.

I know that I can be quick to judge a person who’s hurt me in the past and even quicker at not trusting them again.

Still, I am also quick to love and despite my own instincts I am quick to trust until I am given a reason not to.

I am quick to listen. I learn.

The most interesting thing for me is that I know what has changed me and actively work on the negative aspects of it. 

I often stand on the sidelines of myself and reflect on my reactions to what affects me and I try. I can’t say I catch them all even when I’m aware but I can say I try. 

I try to not allow other people’s actions to change who i am at my most basic.

I try to stay true to me and to you.

 That’s a beginning.

The dreams on sunday comes true!

*Make sure you break bread this evening*

The words of Mr tolu trailed off in my mind....i had slept of praying in tongues last night after reading a portion of the book of romans!!!

I had forgotten to break bread!..

The power supply woke me up at about half past 2am this morning.

I got up half asleep to charge my phone and I returned to bed.

I remember having a dream about O2C EXPRESSION!...I had seen ife the unit head holding a printed copy of expression note!...i had wondered what that meant

...at after 5am..when I checked my phone...it wasn't charging.

...infact, it didn't charge since! I started fussing with the charger...something was wrong!.....it finally began to charge after many fussing around with the charger....i need a new charger!!!....hurried to my borther's room to get his charger!...

Power supply was bound to go off anytime soon as today was our off!..

I did a lot of praying in tongues today as I got around to doing some laundry...and cooking very early..

By 7am,i was done...laundry and cooking!

So I took off to my room.....my came later on to check and say thank you for the already done chores......

We didn't go to church today.....no fuel in the car.....this fuel scarcity is becoming a menace...this out going government is hell-bent on bringing the nation to a grinding halt!!!....

So I finally broke bread this morning....

My day got more exciting as I scouted a write up for Expression!.....i wrote it down and typed....i also sent them via email to ife olowoyeye,expression unit head......

then I remembered the dream I had.i guess it was to keep me alert about expression's need!

Smiles.....

Spent the rest of the Sunday in my room praying...reading and meditating more on the book of romans.....

I slept off and had another dream.....this one was exciting....!!!!

Someone else in the family has God's call....

I had my share of my daily work out routine (squats and lunges)....then I finally took a shower in the evening....

Step out to see if I could charge my phone somewhere........