Decades: Chunks of Time

Please take time to ready this story. It will affect your life positively.  One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.  Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.  It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.  That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.  On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.  No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them

Yes I had a boil on the second toe on my left leg. It was horrible as it ached me to no end. At one point, I thanked God I was at work because if I was at home, I could have found a knife to cut off the toe and end my misery. It was that bad. Prior to that, I had malaria and a chesty cough which managed to make me go from my cheerful self down down into melancholy. And I gained weight in the recuperation period. Yes, I GAIN weight when I am ill, and not vice versa. Its why I fight to stay healthy all the time. So now I have a big tummy, and fragile left foot, but you know what? I am happy. I made it into 2009. I have a left foot to complain about. I have weight to shed, which means I had access to food in the first place. I now have a job, and my brain is buzzing with ideas on how I want my year to be like. I am grateful to be among the living. Its not a feat I accomplished myself. I have God to thank for that. But I have something to worry about... I wonder what He has in store for me

Hi, I just wanted to thank you all for being a part of my 2008, for listening to me, when I made sense and when i did not, for being there for me, for reaching out to me even when I seemed too distant, for calming me in the midst of the storm, for helping me to direct my gaze upwards, towards the Son, when I felt that the darkness around me was about to envelope me, for praying for me, for loving me just the way I am, for being you all the time around me, and not some pretentious person, for caring, for understanding, for moving me forward, for loving me, for being my friend. I want to also thank you in advance for ensuring that you attain the goals you set for yourselves for 2009, for becoming the giants I know you are, for drawing closer to God, for making me proud of who you are, and what you have achieved in 2009. I shall play my part and continue to pray for you, try not to matchmake you with each other (am trying my best already!), and try to create more quality time for you, Tha

I saw something terrible today that I cannot even cry... I was in a Bus going to Ketu along Gbagada Expressway, and the driver was overtaken by a fine Honda CRV, silver in color. I was not able to see the person driving, but that didn't stop me from lamenting in my mind that I was still not "allowed" to drive my own Toyota which was being warmed up every morning by my mum's driver. I had barely woken up from my self - pity (*rubbish as it wont make any sense to you, but you can read about it ) only to notice that we were only 5 passengers in the bus. I started pleading the blood of Jesus, and trying hard to blot out all the 'One Chance' stories I had heard from my mind. We had reached the foot of the bridge, almost at Iyana Oworo bus stop, when I heard several shouts. The gala and bottled water boys were running helter skelter. I looked back and saw a tanker rushing down the bridge. It was out of countrol. All the cars in the middle lane swerved towards the r

My brother came home a few days ago from Delta state. He was leaner and darker, and cast more funny jokes. For a day my mum and I just could not stop staring at him, but as usual he put my mind to work. "How can I make twenty thousand naira in three weeks with what I have?" he asked, then added, "Think about it properly. It must be something, I can do, someone that is not so internet savvy." I held my breath - and I have been thinking about it since then. I have sooo many ideas running around in my head! So many in fact that I have decided to treat each individually,on one of my other blogs , and on my site . Each one will have the following paragraphs: a. Name and Description: will contain the name, and the description of the IMG. b. Necessities: will contain what is necessary to run the business e.g bank account, internet access. c. Upfront Costs: will contain the extra costs needed to set up. d. Plan: will contain how to plan time to oexecute the project, and if

"Open the door!" he heard someone shout in Hausa. When the shouts would not stop he rose up in alarm, then quickly did a head count as the other people at home came to the living room to ask what was going on. No one was missing. Who dared to make such a ruckus in the staff quarters of the University of Jos? Who had the audacity? He glanced at his two Corper friends, then strolled to the door, sure that the three of them could defend the home and protect his three sisters and mother. Fifteen minutes later, all three young men were lying on the carpet, their heads severed from their necks. The cuts were neat - yes, they were dead. The mother sat on the floor in shock. Her daughters were crying silently. Her only son was dead. The murderers didn't touch her or her daughters. They came to slaughter only the males, they'd said. The last 25 years rolled by in front of her eyes - his conception, his birth, his growth, his progress from kindergarten , to nursery school, to p

Omo! If you happen to be Nigerian and you need a breath of freshly baked Naija yarns, visit The Agbero Blog: Flyin' Monkey Enjoy!!!!!

Wipe your eyes, wipe your eyes, My Child. What is the use of crying. Clean your tears, clean your tears, my daughter, it brings no solution. But Father, I am all alone. My very life is not even mine to plan. It seems everytime I look up to You with a smile, and say Thank you, there is always some drama waiting to happen around the corner. Everytime I look ahead with bright hope, and plan ahead with such faith, it falls to shambles because of some unforeseen blockade, some unbelievable occurrence. Others walk the same path, and its smooth, their feet barely touching the floor as they hurry by, but mine... my own is full of potholes, of unimaginable limits and delays, some stupid reasons why I cannot move forward. I am tired Father, I am tired. I don't know why my own must be different. Who did I offend before being born? Who is it that I must appeace once and for all so that I can move on without a hitch? What did I do to deserve all this? I know how you feel my Child but it is the

Last week, I got chatting with my ex-boyfriend. Actually he was the first guy I ever dated, and we parted ways because of many issues including the fact that he said he would not marry until he was 40 something (and he's just a year older than me), and I could not wait for that. Anyway, there were other things, other principles I held dear that I refused to give in to, like wearing makeup and dressing up fancy ALL THE TIME ( I didnt see the use of that because I wanted my dressing up to be for special occasions as that way it will be appreciated). I digress. My apologies. We parted ways (I broke up with him - on the internet, and before the comments start flowing in, I have apologized for being so wicked and we are over that) and he didnt speak to me for two years. We are friends now. I have my Vicky and he told me has someone special. In our conversation, he asked me a question - he said something like this: "I hope u still are not having that same mindset you had?" When

Thank God for technology - I was on the phone with someone in another state when the results were announced that Barack Obama had won. I ran to the TV and put it to a local channel that had the foresight to show it live (another thanks to technology in Nigeria). The speech was preceded by prayers and that alone is a sign that Christianity was back in control in that country. I have to confess that I cried throughout his speech. Not just because of his words but the enormity of it all. A Kenyan is the next president-elect of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A BLACK-SKINNED MAN was going to rule the WHITE HOUSE. A Black Family was going to be the First family in the world. I cried and sobbed because his words were what we all wanted to hear, words of hope, words of encouragement, and words of affirmation. YES WE CAN. There is no limit to what we can do. Nothing is impossible [for God]. We are here to help each other. We are here to ensure that progress is made. We are here on earth to make

He who finds a wife, has found a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. The day was filled with soo many things that I love...let me start listing them: I love my cousin's wedding dress, It was a lovely sequinned dress with a sloping wrap that fitted her like a second skin. It had a lovely thin veil that was like cobwebs spun in a pattern, and she was soooo beautiful (am tired of using that word, but it is soo appropriate). I love the cool look her groom was in, the smooth suit, and the lovely smile with tears in his eyes. I love the ties the grooms men were wearing. I love the dresses we had on - so glad I was part of the train. I love the vows they exchanged - I had to fight tears several times during the service. It didnt help that I look so much like the bride and everyone was staring at me and wondering where I sprung from. and you know when I cry - my face just screws up, and I didnt want to spoil the lovely makeup I had on. I love the pictures we took afterwards at the

Friday was....was....I am trying to find the right word to describe how it was. Friday was a lovely lovely day, and the bride was beautiful beyond words. We had so much fun. It turns out I am not the only one that was a bridesmaid for the first time, so it was an experience for me. The engagement party was for 800 people, and it was covered by two television stations (Channels TV, and NTA Network). The bride and the bridesmaids had to wait to be called, in a friend's house, and eventually we entered in style. We had to dance in before the bride, and we had to carry bags around for people to bless her with monetary gifts. The hall was decorated in an african setting, complete with painted gourds and woven palm fronds and local mats on the raised platforms. It was beautiful. I could not stop smiling in happiness, cos we are many that have been praying for this day and it had finally come. She was soo lovely, so beautiful and enchanting in green and gold. The groom's family were f

Well I knew beforehand that there was going to be a party for the birthday celebration of my cousin, and I was amply prepared. I wanted to have a good time, and I did.The traffic in Lekki is seriously handicapping people o. I magine spending 2 hrs in traffic on a road that barely takes 10 minutes in a normal situation - it is a straight road for God's sake! Something must be done about that road. Someone suggested a fourth mainland bridge but I am not too optimistic about that bridge moving from fantasy to reality in my lifetime so that is out of the question. Anyway, I got home to meet a small crowd of nice people, just chilling and waiting for night to fall more darkly. I ran up the stairs and had a shower, and assumed that the party downstairs was IT.I ate late (8pm is late now you know), and spent some time gisting with other people, thinking that the party would end right there and there in the house at the appropriate 10pm.Boy, was I wrong! At abt 10.30pm, my cousin announced