I found a secret that saves

I saw the book in a corner as I was set to leave home after a long wedding weekend. It wasn't the green cover or petit-ness of the book that made me pick up or the fact that it was the same Author that wrote 'Prayer of Jabez' another book that rocked my world... I don't believe in coindicences and it is obvious that God did want me to read it at this particular point in time. 

And I am sooooo grateful for that. 

I started the book immediately in the car on my way back to my base and Initially I was just facinated at the retell of 

John 15 when Jesus was talking about the vine and us as the branches. Oh! the name of the book is 'Secrets of the vine' by Bruce Wilkinson its the second part to 'Prayer of Jabez' 

It's a book I recommend for anyone and it basically has every season of your christian walk. Everyone wondering why? Everyone in a dark place, you'd definitely find yourself in one of the categories of branches that was mentioned. 

The one that mostly stood out for me was 'Abiding' the state of Abiding in God. The frustration of having a stale walk with God and the dissatisfaction that also comes with it. The writer had a similar experience and the truth dawned on him

''God didn't want me to do more for him. He wanted me to be more with him" 

and this was my defining moment, we do so much for God that we forget to be more with him. I am forgetting to be more with him and this was a great reminder to turn things around and not lose sight of what is important. 

In that moment, there was hope and I know that this is the way out of this rut, going back to being with him as against running around for him. 

I also encourage you to look through and if you're going through something similar just remember that God loves you and more than ever HE wants to fellowship with you. He is bidding you 'come' 

Abide in Jesus...

If you find the book, please do get it or just look for it!!! It's worth every bit of it. 

Abide in Jesus...

John 15 1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

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Review: A Lady, her lover and her Lord

Hello People,

How are you doing this week? Its been a while I did a Book review on here. One of the things I enjoy doing is reading and although I have stopped reading all the romance novels and 'Just because' books, I spend most of the time reading purpose-driven books or Fiction writers like Ted Dekker, Francine rivers, Frank Peretti etc. that even though its fiction there's a connection to Truth and all that embodies it.

This my life is too short to waste it taking in Junk.

So, onto the Book. I bought the book in September and I only finished it last weekend and its because I read bits and pieces of 2-3 books at the same time. I know I am not alone on this one.

A Lady, Her Lover and Her Lord - T. D. Jakes

The purpose of the Book is to emphasise the need for Balance in the life of a Lady, words of wisdom from the Bible and the writer on how to achieve it in our modern world.

My Thoughts; 

If you're like me and you love simple-straight-to-the-point writings, you will find yourself getting lost in all T D Jakes grammer that's through out the book and you probably won't get past the 3rd chapter. I really won't blame anyone that doesn't get past the first Book... The Lady!

HOWEVER, If you do push through (like I did ;)) There are ALOT of nuggets that we Ladies tend to forget amidst all the cares of life.

Let me remind you of some (Excerpts);

¨We learn to reach out, but only after we had a chance to reach inward and upward. It is the upward reach of the Spirit and the inward reach of the soul that enables the outward reach of the body¨

¨We train people how to treat us by how we treat ourselves¨

¨You must first establish your own identity¨

¨You will never become a minister as long as you lie in the hospital bed yourself. Get up and help someone else survive what you endured¨

¨Fulfilment is not always a matter of Income¨

¨Become a compass, a guide and avoid becoming everyone's final destination.  Serve them, love them, and then direct them to someone who never fails them. Understand you are not Christ, Just a star. The godly woman is a star.¨

Her Lover;

This is the 2nd part - and the most interesting for me because it gave an insight into the way a Man's mind works not in all the boring phycology terms and what not but in practical terms which makes it knda relatable. T. D. Jakes must have broken alot of 'bro-codes' I am very sure.

Here are some of my underlined 'Aha-moments'

¨The manufacturer would never decide that the product was no good just because it failed to function correctly. The engineer would study the design and alter the materials until he had achieved the desired results. Yet so easily scrap marriage that we have invested years in because of the slightest misalignment. We must remember that anything worth having is worth fighting for¨

¨Men are far different from women, and we need to know to understand those difference¨

¨Trust needs to be handles like a fragile treasure. Its value is great, but it is easily broken. Preserve the trust; a relationship cannot last without it¨

¨When he opens up to you, sometimes your silence will create the greatest impact. A loving nod, a touch, a few words and a kiss are the most effective response. If you want to establish trust, Just listen to him¨

¨A woman who knows what to say can make a man drop his newspaper in the chair and spend the evening in her arms¨ This one made me chuckle

¨Make him feel safe enough to love you¨

....And Most importantly....

Her Lord;

¨Without God all thing are hollow and worthless¨

¨Just run as fast as you can - walk if you must, in fact crawl if necessary - to the Word of God¨

¨You must be a cunning woman. A cunning woman is a woman who is intelligent and discerning enough to know what it is she needs and who possesses the ability to accomplish the goal she has determined. The goal is to have an intimate relationship with God¨

¨If you are not married, take a long, intense look at the one whom you are planning to marry, especially if you see yourself as a woman who will inevitable rise to a position of success and accomplishment. Make sure you are with a man who not only understands your desire to achieve but who is proud of it as well¨ On point!!! 

¨A virtuous woman can manage to have it all. God has shown her how to manage her life, He has shown her hot to choose a man who is not intimidated and who can enter into her life feeling wanted rather than just needed. Do you want to be a woman of virtue? It's hard work, but believe me, it is worth it¨ 

¨I know you might not feel like you have the solutions, but have faith in God and in yourself and answers will come. You and God are the tag team that wins the fights and takes home the trophy¨

***

Note to self

I did enjoy reading the book and when I was done my aim for buying it which I wrote (Picture above) was fulfilled. Learnt to put things in proper perspective although all this learning is for the future when the circle is complete but no knowledge is lost right? I am in training. ;)

I think that Its a book the a Lady should read and when you do pick it up don't lost interest because of all Td Jakes' grammar in the beginning the book picks up and you would enjoy the flow.

My next book?

When Heaven weeps - Ted Dekker! I have read it before but I want to read with fresh eyes :)

You are next!!!

So, Have you read The Lady, Her lover and Her Lord? What did you think? What book are you reading/reading next? 

P.S: Blogger 'bloggers' have you noticed the new option to add pictures from your phone directly??? This is an awesome update I noticed, now I don't have to email myself the picture before I can upload on the blog once its synced I can access it! Whhhoooop!! who else has seen it?

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Book Review: True Confessions

Hello Everyone,

I got salt's of the salt chronicles new book "True Confessions" and this is what i think about it after reading it.

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”

― Leo Tolstoy

With that i say this is Greatness simplified. I picked up the book with the intention to just glance through and read well later, now I am not the one to pick up a book and finish it within 24 hours, but with each flip of the pages i was drawn in till i got to the end. The uniqueness of the book is how the writer(Salt) wrote about serious issues with such simplicity. With every fable, which isn't more than 2 pages, is a wealth of wisdom, deep truth and lesson.

Truths that resonate deeply and stay with you, while not missing the hint of humor in it.

The Simplicity makes it diverse for every age group to read, understand and "get" the message that lies within.

Personal favorite is the conversations with God because you get a few of your questions answered(I know i did) and you see yourself in the pages.

You can’t miss the realness of the writer, this way i was able to connect with the writer and also understand that because she writes to the world doesn't mean that she has it all together but she just knows a God that has it all together and that helped ease a burden off my shoulder and assured me that it was okay to have questions, it was okay to not be perfect, it was okay to struggle with your faith at some point. Thats why we need the confessions daily.

Before i read this book, i was walking in the dark about my choices, decisions and directions about my life and reading and speaking some of the confessions that are in the pages (Which i believe is from the throne of grace)  put it all into perspective.

One of the most profound for me is "Although i don't feel better, I KNOW i am better"

Within the pages of this book are truths and confessions that every God Lover should know and confess on a daily basis thats why although i have finished reading through the book, i have not ‘finished’ with it, as i will keep on keeping with the TRUE CONFESSIONS!!


The book signing is happening on Friday, 13th of September at Laterna Ventures, 13 Oko Awo Close, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Be There :)

Have you come to an end of yourself? Have you come to a point where nothing else seems to be working out and you've tried all you could? Click to meet GRACE

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Book Review: For Laff's sake by @ilola

The book is a comedy and i read through and although i wasn't exactly rolling on the floor laughing, It did make me laugh, not the straight face kind of one we use over the internet, in between all the humor found in the book, love that Atilola brought in key issues that are affecting us as humans and as a society. 

This is an excerpt from the book..... and trust me this is just a chip, its worth it.

Enjoy.

Exactly How?

Jamiu was a very curious lad. It is a wonder that he is still alive as Curiosity has yet to kill him, like it did the cat. Because of this, he knows many things a child of his age has no business knowing. In fact, the shape of his ears has been quite altered, because adults keep pulling it anytime he’s caught pulling one of his eavesdropping stunts. But it seems the more his ears are pulled, the longer they get, and the longer they get, the more they prickle for more juicy information. His family and friends had tried hard, but could find no solution for his eavesdropping habit.

Jamiu lived with his parents in a one-room apartment. On a particular day, some of his family members had come from his village in Ekiti for a family meeting. Because of Jamiu’s special gift of eavesdropping, they sent him to play with his cousins in his uncle’s house, two streets away. Unfortunately for Jamiu, he had forgotten to take his rubber ball before leaving home. Jamiu could however not imagine having to play with his cousin, without the aid of a rubber ball to kick around, so he decided to go back home, just to ‘get his ball’. Whether Jamiu intentionally or unintentionally left his ball at home is a fact that nobody would really find out till the end of time.

When he got home, the meeting had already started, and the door had been locked. Jamiu saw the ball he came to pick, right in front of the door, but the sound of the muffled voices coming from inside the room was too appetising for him to resist. So in his usual manner, he settled comfortably at the door, and pried his long ears at the hole of the door knob to do what he knew how to do best, looking around to make sure he wasn’t caught by anyone.

What he heard was best imagined.

******

“So Mama Jamiu, as I was saying, Tayo, Jamiu’s real mother is back at home with me. She has long recovered from her mental illness, after Baba Elewe Omo, the native doctor she has been with for the past eight years, concluded her treatment.” Jamiu’s grandmother started.

“That is good news mama mi[1],” said Jamiu’s father.

“That is not all,” Jamiu’s grandfather interrupted. “She has requested for her child to be brought to her.”

“No o, baba mi[2]. That is not possible. How can I send Jamiu to go and live with an ex-mad woman? I would never do that.”

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Book Review: When Heaven Weeps.

SO, Its no huge secret that i am a Ted dekker groupie, Picked up this book last week and i was engrossed through out the week till i finished it. Although the book is old but then it so alive. Once again, Ted (Yeah, we on first name basis now *Yimu*) delivered.

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This book is all sorts of amazing.

I got to a point in the book and i just closed it and i was balling my eyes out, really it was that touching.

We always hear about God's Love for us but this book is centered on Our Love for God.

Love so deep and pure that you willing to die in order to live. get that?

"In living we die and in dying we live"

getting to a point in your walk with God where death doesn't scare you because you know there is a greater reward, laughter, Joy, peace. Amazing right?

This book was also Ted's Version of the Hosea Story in the bible, one of my favourite books in the world is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, its her re-tell of the Hosea story from the bible too and reading it again from another perspective was Amazing.

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Let me share a few quotes from the Book...

“Suffering is an oxymoron. There is unfathomable peace and satisfaction in suffering for Christ. It is as though you have searched endlessly for your purpose in life and now found it in the most unexpected place: In the death of your flesh. It is certainly a moment worth of laughter and dance. And in the end it is not suffering at all. The apostle Paul recommended that we find joy in it. Was he mad?” 
― Ted Dekker, When Heaven Weeps

“So where does Stan fit in this equation?...
We are told to meditate on scripture, even the hald that details the consequences of evil, the consequent of Jericho and all. Not to pretend out God has somehow changed since the time of Christ. Obviously, Paul's idea of admirable and noble is quite different from ours. God forgives us, Bill. We have mocked His victory by whitewashing the enemy for the sake of our neighbirs approval."
No Greater Love has any man...” 
― Ted Dekker, When Heaven Weeps

“What is pure Bill? Or excellent or admirable? The death of a million people in a flood? God evidently through so. He is incapable of acts that are not admirable, and it is He who brought about the Flood. How about the slaying of children in Jericho? There are a few Bible stories that are not as terrible as they are happy. We just prefer to leave out the terrible part, but that only makes the good anemic.” 
― Ted Dekker, When Heaven Weeps

“What a terrible thing it is for children to see death, you say. We have it all wrong. If you make a child terrified of death, he won't embrace it so easily. And death must be embraced if you wish to follow Christ. Listen to His teaching. 'Unless you become like a child...and unless you take up your cross daily, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.' One is not valuable without the other. 

Janjic Jovic, The Dance of the Dead, 1959” 
― Ted Dekker, When Heaven Weeps

"A man can only live with so much, true enough. At some point he will have to die for something. if not now, then for eternity" - Ted Dekker, When heaven weeps

"Die? How would i die? Forgive. Love her without condition. Climb up to your cross, my friend. As seeds fall on the ground and die, it cannot bear fruit. somehow the church has forgotten the masters teaching" - Ted Dekker, when heaven weeps

"..... In reality the death of will is far more traumatic than the death of body" Ted Dekker, When heaven weeps.

"It was indeed God that had place this new tune in his heart. so he would dance a new dance- a dance of life, a dance of Love" - Ted Dekker, When Heaven weeps

There you have it, When next you are in a bookstore stop at the Ted Dekker stand and pick one, definitely worth your time.

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