Happy steady life!!

Such a beautiful message ...worth reading😍😍!!!

I was jogging this morning and I noticed a person about half a km ahead.

I could guess he was running a little slower than me and that made me feel good, I said to myself I will try catch up with him.

So I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was gaining on him a little bit.

After just a few minutes I was only about 100 feet behind him, so I really picked up the pace and pushed myself. I was determined to catch up with him.

Finally, I did it! I caught up and passed him. Inwardly I felt very good. "I beat him".

Of course, he didn't even know we were racing.

After I passed him, I realized I had been so focused on competing against him that .....

I had missed my turn to my house,

I had missed the focus on my inner peace,

I missed to see the beauty of greenery around,

I missed to do my inner soul searching meditation,
and
in the needless hurry stumbled and slipped twice or thrice and might have hit the sidewalk and broken a limb.

It then dawned on me, isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with
co-workers, neighbours,
friends,  family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important and in the bargain
we miss on our happiness within our own surroundings?

We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our given destination.

The problem with unhealthy competition is that it's a never ending cycle.

There will always be somebody ahead of you,
someone with a better job,
nicer car,
more money in the bank,
more education,
a prettier wife,
a more handsome husband,
better behaved children,
better circumstances and
better conditions etc.

But one important realisation is that
You can be the best that you can be, when you are not competing with anyone.

Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention to
what others are,
where others are going,
wearing and driving, what others are talking. 

Take whatever you have,
the height, the weight and personality. 
Accept it and realize, that you are blessed. Stay focused and live a healthy life.

*There is no competition in Destiny. Each has his own.*

Comparison AND Competition  is the thief of JOY.
It kills the Joy of Living your Own Life.

*Run your own Race that leads to Peaceful, Happy Steady Life.*

Santa Claus’s Prayer

My dear precious Jesus, I did not mean to take your place,
I only bring toys and things and you bring love and grace.

People give me lists of wishes and hope that they came true;
But you hear prayers of the heart and promise your will to do.

Children try to be good and not to cry when I am coming to town;
But you love them unconditionally and that love will abound.

I leave only a bag of toys and temporary joy for a season;
But you leave a heart of love, full of purpose and reasons.

I have a lot of believers and what one might call fame;
But I never healed the blind or tried to help the lame.

I have rosy cheeks and a voice full of laughter;
But no nail—scarred hands or a promise of the hereafter.

You may find several of me in town or at a mall;
But there is only one omnipotent you, to answer a sinner’s call.

👩‍⚕️👩‍🏫👩‍🎤👱‍♀️WOMEN ARE PRICELESS! 👧👩‍🎓👩‍🎨🤰

She wakes up by 4am but 
You sleep back, she will move straight to the kitchen. She would join morning devotion by 5:30am, start preparing kids by 6:00am, serve everybody food by 7am, take the kids to school and move to her office by 7:30am, go for school runs by 2pm.

She would come back to the house by 5-6pm, start washing of clothes and cooking dinner by 6pm. Serve dinner by 7:30pm, start home work for kids by 8-9pm, Shower and meet you the husband in the room by 9:30pm, discuss with you and catch fun so that you will be in the mood for sex.

And you the husband with your big head will sleep like a king, She will get up to check on the children if they are sleeping well, off the light, Start praying for you and the family by 12am -1am.. 

Sleep a little and wake up again by 4am to start all over again...

And yet we don't respect the ladies in our lives..  change your ways.
Good women are to be celebrated.

Sometimes I feel nature is unfair to you.
But you are a miracle.

It's you who bleeds blood every month with severe pains and crams. Even in those pains, you still have to put things together for a normal day. The cooking, washing, etc.

It's you who carry another human inside you for 9months. The inconvenience, the discomfort, the sacrifice, and carefulness. You sacrifice what makes you happy just to keep another life healthy. 

When it's time to deliver, your life is on the line. It's a 50/50 chance for you. You may live and you may die. But being the life-giver you are, you will choose the life of a new stranger over yours. Even the process is not favorable to you. Either the pains of childbirth or surgery. 

After it all, you still carry yourself up and continue life activities with bandage and pains. But what is miraculous about this all is the smile you put on your face while facing all this.

May God bless every woman out there.
Good women are to be celebrated.

Via: The Pink Revolution.

Tremendous Job

Thank God for your job




'Those who work hard will prosper.' Proverbs 13:4 NLT


Author and motivational speaker Charlie 'Tremendous' Jones tells the story of a man who dreamed he'd inherited a million dollars. In the dream he tried to take a shower, but the shower wouldn't work. He tried to shave, but his shaver wouldn't shave. He tried to make breakfast, but the coffee wouldn't perk and the toaster wouldn't toast. He went to get a newspaper, but the newspaper box was empty. He went to catch the bus to work, but the bus didn't come. Finally, after waiting an hour, he asked somebody, 'What's going on here?' They replied, 'Haven't you heard? Everybody has inherited a million dollars and nobody's working anymore.' Suddenly the man woke up, discovered that it was all a dream, and said, 'Thank God!' So he went and had a tremendous shower, a tremendous shave, a tremendous cup of coffee and a tremendous piece of toast while he was reading a tremendous newspaper. Finally he caught a tremendous bus to a tremendous job!
Thank God for the job he has given you, and put your very best into it. Your position and salary would most likely have been a dream-come-true for some of your ancestors. You may not be called to 'the ministry' per se, but if your job affords you the privilege of being a solution to somebody's problem and offers you the dignity of making a difference in life, be grateful. Imagine what your life would be like without it!
'Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper' (Proverbs 13:4 NLT).

Voice of Jesus📣📢📢

*This is purely my imagination based on Luke 5:1-11. Read on and you imagine too!*

🐟:  Shush....What a crowd inside the net! Hey, don’t push me! I am getting all crushed up… (screaming) aah…

Other fish🐡🐬🦈🐠: No, we don't want to crush you but we too want to jump in!

🐟: It is tight packed in here and there’s hardly any breathing space for us! And you too want to get into this crammed net?!

🐡🐬🦈🐠 to 🐟 : Psst.. Don’t raise your voice, just give a little space and more school of fishes want to come in too! 

🐟  (Choking…) ugh.. You can’t possibly get inside the net… yuh-uh! 

🐡🐬🦈🐠  :Jesus has called us!  We don’t have any option than to submit to His call 

🐟  :Do you know what happens when Jesus calls? 

🐡🐬🦈🐠: Yes, we sure know!!

🐟 : Tell me what?! What is the purpose of Jesus calling you?

🐡🐬🦈🐠 : Ahhh… yes of course! We know Jesus calls us to die!!

🐟: Oooh so you know the purpose of His calling and yet you want to get in here??

🐠: Let me explain what happened. Yesterday night Peter threw his net into the deep water. We all escaped. Some of us went into the narrow hole down in the sea and some of us deposited sand upon us at the bottom of the sea and we hid ourselves! We knew that Peter, James and John were patiently waiting all night to catch us. But every one of us swam away on seeing Peter’s net!

🐟 : Oh I see… How did you know that the net belongs to Peter? 

🐡🐬🦈 : Of course, we have ears to hear the voice of Peter.

🐟 :  Oh.. then what happened? 

🐠 : Jesus had intended to call Peter for His ministry. Through our involvement Peter got much more fishes - actually double the capacity of his net. Still nothing happened to the net and it didn’t tear. If we had gone into Peter’s net a day earlier, some Israelites would have eaten us. In any case, one day we all shall die. If we die for Christ, we will be assisting Jesus in His master plan for the rescue of mankind.  He will be glorified and through our death the mankind would enter heaven. After hearing His voice we all have decided to get into the net even if there is no place inside. The life I have lived so far is enough for me! 

🐟 :  I see … You are too small and too young. You have not enjoyed worldly blessings like living a long life, going around the sea to admire nature, interact with other fishes to learn more of the sea world?!

🐠 : Once I hear the voice of Jesus there cannot continue to enjoy this sea world. 

 Then all the fish are screaming... One more boat had come to help Peter to drag all the fish to the shore! Peter and his friends give up their profession to follow Jesus!

🐡🐬🦈🐠🐟  : Praise the Lord. We have assisted Jesus in His master plan.

                                            *All the fish died happily ever after!*

First - things -first

👌👌👌

I got married at 25, finished my PhD at 27 and became a Professor at 40.

So fast you see! Yes, everything around me worked fast. It is now that I realise that it was a misplaced priority.

My ambition blindfolded me and I got it all wrong, that is why I am sharing my experience through this medium to warn and encourage our young mothers not to be careless as I was back then.

I worked very hard as a lecturer and as an administrator, always so busy that it became my language to my children...."I'm busy"

My mum was around to nurse the children for me for some time. The moment they clocked ten, I sent them to boarding schools, though my husband was not in support of this. I always found my way.

I had no warm relationship with my children, 2 boys and a girl.

I never knew it was a bad idea not to have time for my husband, children and the household, until 5 years ago, when guilt, loneliness and restlessness filled my heart.

I sent for my children to rejoice with me on my 60th birthday.

The two boys, living in Canada said they are "busy" and that their sister will come down from South Africa.

Two days to my birthday, my daughter sent this message to me, "Mum, I am very sorry not to be around over there, there is no time to squeeze out, my husband needs my attention at his newly established clinic and presently, I'm pregnant. "I'm very very busy,
I'm also lonely in a strange land. Please pray for us mum. Happy birthday". I could not recover from the meaning I got from the message.. "First-things-First". When they needed me for warmth and discussion, I was not available, now I needed them for warmth and discussion I could not get them, rather they returned my slogan back to me, "I'm busy"

To worsen the matter, my dear husband died in his sleep a month after. ...Only one of the children came ​without​ his family to the burial ceremony.

I was dumbfounded!!! Considered Opinion: it is good to work and be a hard working fellow.
But hear this important and salient truth:

Parenting is sacrificial work, give it all it takes. Avoid any work that will take away your attention too much from your home - Avoid it and be careful!

SOLIDIFY YOUR HOME FIRST, CREATE TIME FOR YOUR SPOUSE AND CHILDREN.

ESTABLISH THE FEAR OF GOD IN THEIR HEARTS THROUGH YOUR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR.

THOUGH IT IS COSTLY NOW, THE FUTURE REWARD IS WORTH IT.

THIS IS AN EYE OPENER FOR BOTH MEN & WOMEN.

LET'S BE SELFLESSLY AVAILABLE WHEN OUR CHILDREN NEED US.



Source : unknown

WHEN TO BE SILENT

*The  Bible says:-*

1.  *Be silent In the heat of anger - (Prov 14:17)*

2.  *Be silent When you don't have all the facts*  *- (Prov 18:13)*

3.  *Be silent when you*
     *haven't verified the story- (Deut 17:6)*

4.  *Be silent If your words will offend a weaker  person - (1 Cor 8:11)*

5.  *Be silent When it is time  to listen - (Prov 13:1)*

6. *Be silent When you are tempted to make light of holy things - (Eccl 5:2)*

7.  *Be silent when you* *are tempted to joke about sin - (Prov 14:9)*

8.  *Be silent If you would be ashamed of your words later - (Prov 8:8)*

9.  *Be silent If your words would convey the wrong  impression - (Prov 17:27)*

10. *Be silent If the issue is none of your business - (Prov 14:10)*

11. *Be silent when you* *are tempted to tell an*
 *outright lie - (Prov 4:24)*

12. *Be silent If your words will damage someone else's reputation - (Pro 16:27)*

13. *Be silent If your words will damage a friendship - (Prov 16:28)*

14. *Be silent When you are feeling critical - (James 3:9)*

15. *Be silent If you can't say it without screaming it - (Prov 25:28)*

16. *Be silent If your words will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends and family - (1 Pt 2:21-23)*

17. *Be silent If you may* 
       *have to eat your words later - (Prov 18:21)*

 18. *Be silent If you have*already said it more than one time - (Prov 19:13)*

19. *Be silent when you* *are tempted to flatter a*
*wicked person - (Prov 24:24)*

20. *Be silent When you are supposed to be working instead  - (Prov 14:23)*

*"WHOEVER GUARDS HIS MOUTH AND TONGUE KEEPS HIS SOUL FROM TROUBLES" - (Prov 21:23)*

*" YESTERDAY I WAS YOUR SAVIOUR. BUT NOW I AM YOUR JUDGE"*

A lady committed a crime and she was sent to court. The punishment for the crime was life imprisonment. She shed tears for help but to no avail. When the case was called in court she started weeping. Her husband, family and friends who accompanied her started weeping but there was no hope. But something happened. Before the lady could stand in the witness box a man stood up and the court room was silent. Everyone looked at Him. He was noble and gentle. He stood in the witness box and interceded on behalf of the woman. The case was difficult, yet He used all His strength, energy and resources to fight on behalf of the woman. After a long legal battle between the man and the accusers, the lady was set free. The lady fell before the man and asked *'WHO ARE YOU'* The next day the lady deliberately committed another crime and was sent to the same court. As soon as she entered the courtroom, she saw the man who interceded for her the previous day on the judgement seat. He was no longer a lawyer, but a judge. With smiles on her face the lady said *'I have come again'* The man lifted his head and said 'yesterday I was a lawyer, so I fought for you, even when you were guilty. But today I am a judge and my judgement must be fair.' With tears in the ladies eyes she asked for the second time *'WHO ARE YOU'* and the man replied *" YESTERDAY I WAS YOUR SAVIOUR. BUT NOW I AM YOUR JUDGE"* Today Christ Jesus is our lawyer and redeemer, but a day is coming when He will give a fair judgement to everyone. *JESUS IS COMING SOON, SO PREPARE TO MEET HIM*. 

📖 The man who translated the Bible into English 📗📚

MEET WILLIAM TYNDALE ~  the man who translated the Bible into English and was burnt alive at the ridiculous young age of 42 years old, for his efforts. (Google Foxe's book of Martyrs.)

Please; kindly read this to the end. 

Nearly 500 years ago, this week, William Tyndale, fondly called 'Father of the English Bible' was strangled and burned at the stake after being tried and convicted of heresy and treason for translating the Bible into English.

HIS OFFENSE!
He translated the Greek Bible into English. Simple:

That you have a Bible in a language you can read is largely due to his labours, and many of the very phrases you read in it retain the flavour of his understanding of the Greek and Hebrew.

A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale had a powerful desire to make the Bible available to even the common people in England, in order to correct the 'Biblical ignorance of the priests.' At one point Tyndale told a priest, "If God spares my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost." 

Today, 90% of the King James Version of the Holy Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation made by Tyndale, a man to whom you owe more than you'll ever know. 

A nice dream, but how was Tyndale to accomplish his task, when translating the Bible into English was ILLEGAL at the time?'

He went to London to ask Bishop Tunstall if he could be authorised to make an English translation of the Bible, but the Bishop would not grant his approval. 

However, Tyndale would not let the disapproval of men stop him from carrying out what seemed so obviously God's will. With encouragement and support of some British merchants, he decided to go to Europe to complete his translation, then have it printed and smuggled back into England.

In 1524 Tyndale sailed for Germany. In Hamburg, he worked on the New Testament, and in Cologne, he found a printer who would print the work. However, news of Tyndale's activity came to an opponent of the Reformation who had the press raided. 

Tyndale himself managed to escape with the pages already printed and made his way to the German city Worms where the New Testament was soon published.

Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England.

The Bishops did everything they could to eradicate the Bibles. Bishop Tunstall had copies ceremoniously burned at St. Paul's; the Archbishop of Canterbury bought up copies to destroy them. Tyndale used the money to print improved editions!

Tyndale continued hiding among the merchants in Antwerp and began translating the Old Testament while the King's agents searched all over England and Europe for him.

A copy of Tyndale's "The Obedience of a Christian Man" fell into the hands of Henry VIII, providing the king with the rationale to break the Church in England from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. 
In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) outside Brussels for over a year.

Tyndale’s work was denounced by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and Tyndale himself was accused of heresy. 

Tyndale, 42 was finally found by an Englishman who pretended to be his friend but then turned him over to the authorities. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy -- FOR BELIEVING, among other things, IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS and that THE MERCY OFFERED IN THE GOSPEL WAS ENOUGH FOR SALVATION. In August 1536, he was condemned and was executed [burned alive at the stake] publicly on October 6, 1536, in a small town in Belgium.

As he burnt to death, Tyndale reportedly said "Lord, open the king of England's eyes."

WAS HIS PRAYER ANSWERED? 

YES! The prayer was answered first in part when three years later, in 1539, Henry VIII required every parish church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to its parishioners. Today, Tyndale's prayer is fully answered, not only are the King's eyes opened, but the Bible a universal instrument. 

* In 1611, the 54 scholars who produced the King James Bible drew significantly from Tyndale, as well as from translations that descended from his. 

* In 2002, Tyndale was placed at number 26 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons; but in heaven he surely would be before the preceding 25. 

A very important and interesting piece of history worth knowing and appreciating by all believers. 
And may it *challenge* us to spend quality time in this same glorious book that this great servant literally gave his life for. 

Today it's hard to imagine the world without an English Bible, and there could now be as many as 900 of such translations in existence – but before Tyndale it had never happened. He's known as the Father of the English Bible, since the later, epochal work of the King James Version of the Bible largely consisted of Tyndale's scholarly and accessible translations.

The English language, as with scholarly understanding, continues to evolve – and so the work of Bible translation continues today.

But without the courage and genius of men like Tyndale, who challenged the status quo before them and died for doing so, it might never have been possible.

Know your worth!!

#KnowYourWorth
#Shared
A father before he died said to his son:

 “This is a watch your grandfather gave and it is more than 200 years old. 

Before I give it to you, go to the watch shop on the first street and tell him that I wanted to sell it and see how much it is worth.

He went and came back to his father, and said, "the watchmaker paid 5 dollars because it's old”. 

He said to him : “go to the coffee shop”. He went and came back, and said, “He paid $5 father”.  

“Go to the museum and show that watch”. 
— He went and came back, and said to his father, “They offered me a million dollars for this piece”.  

The father said: “I wanted to let you know that the right place values you in a right way.

Don't put yourself in the wrong place and get angry if you are not valued. The one who knows your value is the one who appreciates you.

"Don't stay in a place that doesn't suit you".

Know your worth! 😇😇😇