For anyone who is true to themselves, we know that a sincere self-appraisal is one of the most difficult things to do and since its the season of open letters from OBJ to GEJ to Iyabo to Tolu Ogunlesi , I decided that this season must not pass me by without writing to myself
Dear Ifeoma,
How have u being? Like every typical human, I know your reply will will be fine (why do i even bother?). If your reply is,'i am fine'. Then you lie, because I really don't think so. I will be giving you a piece of my mind as I am not very happy about the happenings in your life at the moment..
I just wanted to let you know that i have being observing the way you have been living your life, and i am not quite happy with. So i will just say it as it is:

In school, we decided to join the church in the annual 21 days prayer and fasting and it has been going well. However what i have noticed is that this semester when we meet buy 6pm to share the Word and The Communion, not many people come, compared to last year, there was an overflow in the chapel..It then occurred to me that last year, at this time exams were around the corner and everybody's spirituality level had gone up by some bars..
This made me realize that most times when you are in environments like mine, we miss the picture.We become spiritual because we want something from God, because we want to do well in our tests,exams, term papers, projects.. It is so easy to get carried away and think that knowing God is about going to church on Sunday (its important!!), all ii am saying is it doesn't just stop there.We forget that with God its meant to be a love affair. Maybe that why after the holidays many people come back and the cycle starts again, we start rededicating or choose to live in guilt.
One of my friends on Facebook, Joy Bewaji put up on her wall that John Legend's All of Me drew her closer to God and I felt whatever gets you there, just know Him..
I am learning to love God outside the four walls of this school, maybe its because in a matter of months it will be over and it will be heartbreaking if after everything there will be nothing to hold on to.
There are too many doctrines like,should you wear trousers as a babe, are you meant to take the communion, should you tie your hair in church, should you pay tithe, should you sit on your pastors lap, should your pastor slap you,should you chew grass..
One thing i have learnt in the past months is to know God for me. Someone might call Him the Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords, But for me He is the one who is ever faithful, He is my constant even though I could be a variable.. That is who God is to me.
ACTION POINT: Know God outside what your pastor preaches on the altar on Sundays. Your pastor knows God for himself that is why he has something to share with you on Sundays..
So who is God to you? Let me know..
Have a great week ahead..
                                                                   Luv,        
                                                                   Ifeoma N.

Hello!!!! I know i wont be winning favorite blogger of the year but i promise (*goes down on knees*) that 2014 will be so much better.. Before i forget Merry Christmas in arrears.. How was your Christmas? Mine had a lot of activities and it didn't include turning up, i was babysitting.. I spent the holidays with my cousin and it was overwhelming.. Having kids is not quite glamorous, i don't know how celebs make it look easy..
JUST SO YOU KNOW!!!
So on Christmas day, I cooked fried rice for the family and it was nice :).The reduced bride-price must increase. If i continue at this rate my bride price will soon escalate to pounds and no Nigerian man will be able to pay it, na only expatriate :|
Back to the matter...

Can we all agree that Pastor Paul Adefarasin is one beautiful man (inside and outside??). The idea behind THE EXPERIENCE is such a wonderful one. The thought of bringing worshipers around Lagos just to worship God is applaudible and the best part is that it is FREE!!!
This was my first experience and i must say that i was wowed. I was having second thoughts, because I was thinking of worse case scenarios: what if they steal my phone ( God replied, Ifeoma you use a china phone, trust me nobody will steal it) and He was right.
The Experience was beautiful, the performance by different artistes were electrifying from Freke, Midnight Crew (my favorite), Tye Tribett (the guy has so much energy), Donnie McClurkin, Cece, Frank Edwards, Don Moen, Mike Aremu.
I couldn't help shouting #TURNUPFORJESUS at every performance.
Even the MC's voice was bursting my brain, I actually thought it was BBA'S IK but after my investigation on twira, I found out it was the Asst Pastor HOTR.
I was also impressed at the level of security: everyone that could inflict pains on erring persons were present; from soldiers, to police officers, to personal bodyguards. They were everywhere, they even caught one guy, if you see see wetin dem take the boy eye see, no be today we go talk am.
Well this post is for people who will be attending The Experience 9. These are the rules of survival:

I heard the news that Nelson Mandela had passed on via twitter. During the day I was just discussing with my mum and how I felt they should take him off life support so he would finally go and rest.

My mum said South Africans just wanted him alive as he stood for a lot of things. In other words, he was their hero. He gave them his youth; maybe that’s why they all kept praying that he would stay alive.

Madiba was one of a kind.  He fought for freedom, justice, democracy, he came out of jail He lived a life of relevance, one of compassion for his fellow man. Mandela stood for equality for the black man. He can be compared to the Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Theresa of his time.

After all is said and done I can only pray that all he fought for while alive doesn’t die with him.

Nelson Mandela deserves to be celebrated because as Africans we all know that there might be no leader like him in a very long time. We know that no leader will give up their youth just to right a wrong. 

I know this piece doesn’t do Madiba justice, but I am still choosing to celebrate him.

In the words of Wole Soyinka, "The soul of Africa has departed, and there is nothing miraculous left in the world."

When you are gone, what will people say about you and i don't mean the nice things people say at funerals just to let time pass. Whatever people say on that they will they mean it? Will it actually be the truth? Live a life of purpose, strive to leave a legacy behind, reach out and help others..

RIP Nelson Mandela, sleep well in the bosom of our Lord.

                                                                              Xoxo,

                                                                              Ifeoma N.

 

Is that a rat i see using my blog space to play? *pursues rat with broom* *phew*
How una dey? long time no see!!!! Let me start explaining what happened.
My fellow brethren, this semester has not being easy but God has been faithful from: my laptop messing up 3 months after purchasing it to my sister's laptop messing up after she gave me hers to replace mine.
I have seen it all, someone even went as far as changing my login details for my internet access (so much for raising a new generation of leaders)
At the beginning of this week, my friend comes to my room and says, Ifeoma, my sis brought this system for me but you can have it till she comes to collect it. Just when i had given up on getting a laptop to read for the semester. You see how God works in miraculous ways, when you are not expecting or when you are not calculating.

At the beginning of the semester..

after the tests, exams and bad laptops!!

This semester has being my most stressful, I  have lost all the weight i gained during SIWES, my colleagues at work even dedicated Iyanya's ur waist to me (is that one, even a compliment?)!!!!!! Now I look like a bag of bones with a Chinese bum.
I have even grown darker my friend suggested I use handy handy to bleach my skin, LMAO!!!! Who says that?
The semester ends in 10 days time and I am grateful to God. I keep saying that after everything i have seen in the past 4 months I can go through anything in this life.
I am grateful for all the relationships I forged this semester, the ones that had issues and will heal over time.
I am grateful for financial blessings (at least, whenever I am broke I have money to call home and say, Iya, ko si owo, compared to my 100 level days.
I am grateful because this semester, I have had a wonderful time in God's presence.
I could go on and on but we all get the message.
                                                          ********
Seeing that the year is about to end and one of my new year resolutions was to live a life dedicated to reading, I decided to start reading books by African authors.
When I learnt that Festus Iyayi died in an accident (RIP, sir). I remembered his book Violence and I decided to get a copy of it and read it again. Anyone who hasn't read it and is interested should let me know, I will mail you the pdf version.
Please give me suggestions what book should I read next?
I also started my water cleanse (it means I will only take water and fruits; no drinks) I did it for a week and fell like a pack of cards when I saw a bottle of CWAY Apple drink (that drink is life).I can feel it, few years from now, I will be the face of CWAY :). If you know anybody there let me know, ka anyi kpa ego (lets talk money) hehe :D

So how have you guys being? What new in your life? Let me know!!!!
                                                                                                 xoxo,
                                                                                                 Ifeoma N.