My girl is getting her groove back

Yeah baby, can't tell you how much good it felt to read about what Whitney Houston is up to these days. I am soooooooo happy for Whitney. She's born to shine and I pray her light never goes dim. shine on sista!

85

things about me

(part one)

I borrowed this idea from Vixen

1. I was the only person at my sec. skool with my first name for a couple of years or so
2. I wrote my first song @ 9yrs old
3. My immediate senior sister is 9yrs my senior
4. She's my closest friend and confidant
5. She led me to Christ
6. I learnt how to bake from her....and some other very important things too
7. I like Italian cuisine
8. My maiden name could be Italian, Spanish, Hausa, or French
9. I have never been to Italy
10. I like shoes, Italian shoes
11. My mom loves shoes.... and bags to match
12. I love hanging out with my mom
13. I am a mom myself
14. I am blessed with three sons
15. Two of which are twins, identical
16. my voice is identical with my sister's...pple mixes us up on the phone a lot!
17. I use my voice to glorify God...I lead Praise & Worship at my church
18. God is my father....He calls me by name
19. My full name was usually first on class rosters growing up
20. I loved sitting on the first row in class
21. I like sitting by the aisle at church
22. I like sitting by the window on planes
23. I had to take 3 plane flights to get married
24. I am married to my best friend...who so happens to be a Pastor
25. I am also married to a lawyer...who likes to debate a lot
26. I love to debate too
27. In 1997, I won a second place prize for a county debate
28. I represented my Rhetoric class group in a debate that we won my senior yr in coll
29. I studied Rhetoric, Mass Media, and Audio Production for my Bachelor's degree
30. I was at home in my audio production classes...otherwise known as studio
31. I hope to record in a studio one day
32. I have written copyrighted songs for this purpose
33. I still write, and always will by God's grace
34. Writing releases my emotions
35. My father and mother have written me some profound letters
36. Letter writing is a tradition in my family
37. God uses letters to communicate with me
38. The letter God wrote to me is always relevant..it has brought me comfort, direction..strength, courage, faith, hope, reproof, encouragement, solution, joy....and I haven't even read the whole thing!
39. I don't think I ever finished Little Women either
40. I read Little Women several times to fall asleep during mandated siestas in secondary school
41. I have watched all the movie versions of Little Women

42. Watching Nigerian movies are one of my favorite past times

43. I like the idea of a good movie and junk food on a friday nite

44. I go to practise on fridays

45. my twins were born on a friday

46. my first son was born on a sunday, it was the first day of Fall that year

47. I love Fall, the breeze, the colors, and thanksgiving!

48. thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, used to be christmas

49. I have golden memories of christmases growing

50. I miss those times..the neighbors, the friends, the food, the new outfits and shoes, the carols, father christmas, the parties, the cousins,the harmattan, the siblings arriving..

51. My siblings are all much older than me

52. so they were mostly away while I was growing up

53. No wonder I talked to myself a lot

54. and read a lot

55. and still enjoy time alone

56. I like the Holiday movie, Home Alone

57. I like christmas movies period.

58. They called class sessions class periods in my secondary school

59. I went to an all girls catholic boarding school

60. My oldest sister went to the same school

61. This sister of mine is one of the most generous people I know

62. I don't buy gold jewelry, my sister gives me all the nice ones I have

63. I like beads, I've always liked beads...so interesting they are now in vogue

64. My favorite set of beads right now are brown

65. Brown is one of my fav colors

65. my most fav color is showcased as you read

66. moss green, dark browns, cream, dark deep reds are all shades in my bedroom

67. to me, nothing beats reading a good book curled up on a bench by a window in a cozy room on a rainy day

68. Having grown up in a tropical rainforest, i lke storms with thunders and all...but only when I'm in the comfort of my house.

69. I have an evergreen tree behind my house

70. My house has brown shutters

71. I have an array of wall colors in different brown coordinates in the house: rust, gold, green etc

72. I was in orange house in boarding school

73. I won the competition as the most beautiful girl in the same house in my forth form

74. I cried when I saw La Vita e Bella aka Life is Beautiful

75. I watched the director of the movie, Roberto Benigni receive his Oscar award, it was hilariously belle!

76. I never use to miss any award show on TV, you name it I had it down

77. Times have changed and I barely have time for TV these days

78. My new fav TV channel is HGTV

79. I would like living without a TV for some time

80. We did not own a TV for a considerable portion of my growing up years

81. It is one of the best things that can be done for a young mind

82. We had a family library instead, and I consumed everything

83. There's a pleasure I get from being around books

84. My current favorite writer is Francine Rivers

85. My name is Opeyemi and I am grateful to God for His daily mercies

Who Knows This Song?

Greetings to everyone. I hope you are all having a fabulous week so far. Usually when I feel burnt out or unmotivated, I retreat to the Lord for fuel. I just shut the door for a couple of hours or so and pour out to Him......telling Him everything in a pure, unpretentious way. He knows everything already, and yet He listens to my babblings and whinings. I'm not quick on picking up the phone and calling a best friend somewhere, I usually ring up buddy Jesus and empty out myself....I've found this the most rewarding way of therapy in my little experience.

I am not sure how badly you've felt unmotivated lately or how lonely you feel. I want you to know that you are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. I want to assure you that there is a friend that will never leave or forsake you. I am confident that he is not particular about your height, size, accent, eloquence, qualification, color, or intelligence....He's only asking you to come as you are with all the burdens, weights, anxieties, worries, and troubles. You don't need to be a hero, He just wants you to be his own. He wants to take care of you.

Have you talked to the Lord today? have you read His word? what is He saying to you or perphaps you were in too much of a hurry to hear Him. We are created to commune with the Lord. Life has too many hurdles, let Him carry you through them. Life is a song, and at times we hit the wrong notes, God's love is the music that guides us through the song. Who better to help you through the song than the writer of the song and its music? Sing this song with me

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Perhaps you don't know the Lord or you've simply let the relationship you once shared with him slip...say this prayer with me

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a tired and lonely sinner

I confess you as the Son of the Most High God

I realize my need of your love and redemption

Please come into my life and make me whole

Thank you Lord Jesus for saving my soul

God bless you, and keep you through this day and the next, and the next. I care for you and I am praying for you. If you confess the above prayer please leave a comment and a way to get in touch with you...or simply send a private message to oadeyem@ncsu.edu

Lesson Learned: Nobody does me like Jesus!

LA LA LA LA La La la la la

School here I am again. I reapplied to become a continuing student and my application went through yesterday! yay!! This time, I am going back to school for FUN self development..I am going to register to take a Beginning Piano class and I am so excited! Years back I registered with a private Piano teacher, but it didn't work out so well because I wasn't mobile then and I transferred to another University soon after. I have also taken Guitar classes, and I haven't fully gone through with that either. I ran into one of my senior year communication classmates a couple of years back who was telling me that she still had the lyrics of the songs I'd played in class.....hmmm...a story for another day.

But hey! the journey continues! I have been blessed to use that aspect (singing, songwriting, arranging, etc) of my life for God and I am sure that in His time He will bring all things to fruition. In the meantime, I am looking forward to refreshing my piano skills and continuing on to master them by God's grace. The class meeting time is very conducive and I am gee!!

I am a hopeless school pupil for life...I just love the school environment...thanks to my retired loving parents who were dedicated teachers.

Lesson Learned: here, here, and here.

Get back to reading

Note to self, some of the books I need to read or finishing reading over the next few years are noted here. As noted by the article cited, the listed 50 books have affected christians over the years. I have read some of the books, some of them I never finished, while I merely browsed some of them. I read The Hiding Place, Christy, The Act of Marriage, and The Present Darkness. I need to finish The Purpose Driven Life, Operation World, and Knowing God. I am currently reading the 21 laws of leadership by John C. Maxwell and getting ready to read Understanding Your Man by Tim LaHaye. Tim Lahaye is the co-author of The Act of Marriage, he is also the popular co-authors of the Left Behind Series (none of which I've read).

I am suprised that the classic In His Steps by Charles Sheldon did not make the cut. I enjoyed the practicality and simplicity of that book. It left a mark with me.

The Next Level

Happy new month to the road! A new month brings new expectations, dreams, goals, and deadlines. We celebrated our 6th year anniversary at church this past weekend and it was a call to attain the next level spiritually, financially, maritally, professionally, physically, and in all other areas of life. I sensed the urgent call of the Most High for us to step up so that He can thoroughly do and accomplish His purpose in us and through us.

My desires to move up are particularly:

• Spritually: To be more aware in my calling. To spend more time with the Father, fellowshipping with Him in adoration, worship, and praise. To spend quality time devouring the Word and living it. To love others and show more love. To be more tolerant and less judgemental


• Financially: To open an auto-debit savings account, not the regular ones we have that are easily delved into. To be more responsible with money. To give more. To ask God before spending.


• Maritally: To honor and respect DH more. To say more "thank yous" To listen more. To pray together more. To plan more time together


• Professionally: to not wait for the dream job before I start to "do with all my heart whatever my hands find to do" to be the best


• Physically: to exercise everyday and fuel my body with healthy foods.

Lesson Learned: Jesus came the night He was due despite the scarcity of Inns and delivery rooms...He was born in a manger, hence room or no room...my potentials must come forth. I must attain the next level