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 Christianity Etc › Carpe Diem by bigangel4u(op): 3:10pm On Jul 17, 2013 |
In his poem ‘To Daffodils’, Robert Herrick expresses sadness over the brevity of life, both floral and human. He compares the human life with the daffodil’s short-lived bloom: it’s cut off too soon! ‘We have short time to stay, as you, We have as short a spring; As quick a growth to meet decay, As you, or anything.’ This literary work by the poet falls under the genre known as ‘carpe diem’. Poems of this nature remind us of the fleeting passage of time and the need to seize the day. They drum into our consciousness that men start dying the very moment they’re born. Yes, as time flies by, so do our weary days hasten to their inevitable end. Each newborn day for which we’re grateful draws demise closer to our gates. ‘Man that is born of a woman is of few days, full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower, and withers; he flees like a shadow, and continues not.’ ―Job 14:1-2, RSV We don’t get to live here indefinitely. Disease and other unfortunate events snuff our lives out, while those who escape tragic death eventually get old and pass on. This is sad but true. Sooner or later it will be ninety minutes of play, and the referee will blow his final whistle, after which the game will be over for us. The central theme of Herrick’s message is that life’s very brief. Life’s too short we can’t always be around to pursue our ambitions, dreams, goals, and wishes. Life’s too short we leave behind our loved ones, who are very dear to us. We come to this world and return to dust like a flash. Indeed, life’s transient we don’t always have chance to do everything we’d love to. Fortunately, however, life’s never too short to seek God out, to allow Him carve upon the tablets of our hearts His liberating truth. This is when we truly seize the day. May you and I have such a divine encounter before our race here is finished. Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf ―Author unknown http://solemntalk./2013/07/09/carpe-diem/ |
| Christianity Etc › Rest For Your Soul by bigangel4u(op): 3:01pm On Jul 17, 2013 |
Have you lost a loved one in death? Have you been incapacitated by sickness, housebound or bedridden? Are your nights filled with misery, devoid of happiness? Are you locked in the abyss of poverty? Is divorce threatening to pull down the wall of your marriage? Are you a victim of racial discrimination or rape? Is there a void in your life? Perhaps life seems cruel and unfair to you. You wonder why you’re going through a dark chapter. You’ve got many puzzling questions but few or no satisfactory answers. I don’t have answers to your questions, but I do know someone who does. His name’s Jesus. Jesus has an answer to every question, solution to every problem. In His right hand is the key which unlocks all doors. Jesus wants to give rest to your soul. ‘Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ ―Matthew 11:28, RSV Jesus is the best friend you could ever share your burden with. He alone can heal your wounds. He alone can give to your troubled soul the kind of rest found nowhere else. Will you come to Him now? http://solemntalk./2013/07/15/rest-for-your-soul/ |
| Christianity Etc › He Conquered Death! by bigangel4u(op): 2:51pm On Jul 17, 2013 |
Alchemy is a form of pseudoscience popular during the medieval age. Its primary goals were to transmute base metals into gold and to create the elixir of life. The elixir of life is a magic potion capable of conferring immortality on its drinker. In ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’, Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) describes the elixir’s potency thus: ‘One sip of this heavenly brew will give everlasting life, free from mortal suffering and desire.’ In their bids to conquer death, many people have had their lives cut short. For instance, one Chinese emperor in the Ming Dynasty died shortly after consuming what he and his alchemists presumed was the elixir of longevity. It’s ironic how something that’s supposed to extend life indefinitely terminates it abruptly. Today, mankind’s desire to outsmart death hasn’t waned a tad. A biogenrotologist is seeking to somehow eliminate death by reversing the ageing process through a programme he calls Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS). Some folks even arrange for their body to be preserved cryogenically after death, hoping they could be brought back to life in the future. Indisputably, banishing death from human society is a lost cause. Neither alchemists nor contemporary scientists have been able to deliver us mortal souls from the clutches of death. This is evidenced by the simple fact that hundreds of people are dying daily all over the world. Death seems an invincible foe. There was, however, a man who conquered this seemingly invincible enemy more than 2, 000 years ago. Through His sacrificial death, Jesus Christ achieved that which is alchemically and scientifically impossible. At Calvary, the Saviour conquered the grave, thus delivering humans from the crippling fear of death. ‘Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage’ (Hebrews 2:14-15, RSV). Death still remains a dreadful reality today. But the Bible tells of a time in the future when this enemy will be ‘swallowed up in victory’ (1 Corinthians 15:54). When this happens, humans will rise above death, clad with immortality, free from pain, sickness, poverty and such other woes. We shall become as ‘undieable’ as the Master Himself is. This is a promise one can stake their whole life on. The promise of eternal life isn’t one of those too-good-to-be-true notions. Remember, Jesus was once a human subject to pain and death. Once He was tortured, killed and entombed. But He rose from the dead on the third day, and is now set at the right hand of the Father, free from death. ‘For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him’―Romans 6:9, RSV http://solemntalk./2013/07/17/he-conquered-death/ |
| Literature › Lessons From Cynthia's Murder by bigangel4u(op): 12:12pm On Oct 08, 2012 |
The family and friends of Cynthia Osokogu wouldn’t forget the 22nd of July this year in a hurry. Perhaps that day would remain indelibly etched on their hearts. It was on that dreary Sunday two cousins snuffed life out of Cynthia. Cynthia was the daughter of one retired Major General Frank Nwafor Osokogu. According to news reports, Cynthia had left Nassarawa state for Lagos state the day before she was murdered. She went on that trip in order to stock up her Nassarawa-based boutique. At the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Cynthia was welcomed by friends she’d met on Facebook. Then they lodged her at one hotel around FESTAC. Poor trusting Cynthia! She hurried into danger like a lamb to the slaughter. It turned out that Cynthia’s hosts were hardened criminals who specialised in robbing innocent and unsuspecting women. They drugged her Ribena drink with Rohypnol, a powerful sedative. This they did in order to easily dispossess Cynthia of valuables such as money, international passport, shoes, and mobile phones. However, the drug seemed not to be very effective on the girl. The bastards therefore went angry and violent. They chained their victim, sealed her mouth with Sellotape, and beat her to death. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s family had declared her missing. Distraught friends and concerned neighbours circulated news of her disappearance on Facebook, h oping that someone would know her whereabouts. No one had an inkling that Cynthia had been gruesomely killed. Her corpse was eventually found in the mortuary at Isolo General Hospital. When informed of the crime, detectives from Area E Command of the Nigerian Police commenced investigation immediately. Footage from the CCTV of the hotel where Cynthia had lodged helped the police identify the culprits. The suspects were eventually arrested. They have confessed to having committed the crime. They currently face trial in a Lagos court. Cynthia, 24, was the only female child of her parents. She was a postgraduate student of Nassarawa State University. Until the time of her sad demise, Cynthia owned and managed a boutique in Nassarawa state. Reportedly, the Delta-state-born girl had promised her mom that she’d bring home her fiancé before the end of August. Sadly however, Cynthia didn’t live to see August. Cynthia’s murder is a sad reminder for Internet users the need to use social networking sites (SNSs) with great caution. Granted, SNSs are a great place to socialise and catch fun. The services enable users to share interests, ideas, activities, and events; to upload and share photos; to upload or stream live videos; to create forum topics; to chat and play games; to meet up with new friends; and to find old ones. It’s always fun to be on SNSs such as Facebook, Twitter, G+, MySpace, LinkedIn, Netlog, Ning, Meetup. Trust me, there’s never a dull moment on SNSs. However, SNSs aren’t always a safe place to be. The Internet is awash with criminal minds who seek whom to take advantage of. For instance, one online article cites one news programme which itself quoted one authority as saying that there were ‘as many as 50, 000 sexual predators online at any given moment’ as at January 2006. Because plenty people use SNSs, unscrupulous minds use these sites as a n avenue to locate their targets. And sadly like Cynthia, many people have fallen under the sway of criminals on the Internet. Not so long ago, the story of Funmi (not real name) made newspaper headlines. NDLEA officials had arrested Funmi at a post office. The parcel she’d come to collect contained an illegal drug. When interrogated, Funmi confessed that it was her Facebook friend who sent the parcel to her from the UK. The ‘friend’ wanted Funmi to deliver the parcel to someone she didn’t know. You can stay out of trouble by avoiding the costly mistake Cynthia and Funmi made. Never arrange a rendezvous with someone you met on the Web. No matter how hard the stranger presses you to meet with them in person and one-to-one, always muster the courage to say no. In addition, never give out personal information such as home address, office address, school address, your location at a specific time, mobile number, e-mail address, BB pin to total strangers. Remember to always turn on your privacy controls, so that unauthorised persons won’t have access to your profile. The shocking stats below underline the importance of not sharing personal information on SNSs. ‘In 82% of online sex crimes against minors, the offenders used the victim’s social networking site to gain information about the victim’s likes and dislikes’ ‘65% of online sex offendors used the victim’s social networking site to gain home and school information about the victim’ ‘26% of online sex offendors used the victim’s social networking site to gain information about the victim’s whereabouts at a specific time’ ―Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010 Learn a valuable lesson from Cynthia’s death. The ‘friend’ you spend plenty of time chatting with may be a sexual predator hoping to molest you some day. Always remember never to sacrifice your personal safety on the altar of pleasure. Be wise. Don’t let your story become a lesson for others. ‘Shine’ your eyes. Finally, I’m using this medium to condole with the family and friends of Cynthia Osokogu. I pray the God of all comfort will comfort them, offer them hope in their depths of despair, and give them the fortitude to bear the loss. May her gentle soul find eternal repose in Paradise. Credit Stats retrieved from http://internetsafety101.org/Predatorstatistics.htm http://www.societytodaywithgabriel..com/2012/09/lessons-from-cynthias-murder.html
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| Jokes Etc › Funny, Ain't It? by bigangel4u(op): 2:29pm On Sep 02, 2012 |
Mr Peter had slept with Sophie his secretary. While the two were getting dressed, the man remarked that Sophie’s breasts were juicy. The woman quipped: ‘You’re dead right sir! Your PA even believes that my boobs are jucier than Mrs Peter’s.’ Remember: You reap what you sow. |
| Webmasters › Re: Nairaland More Beneficial Than Facebook? by bigangel4u(op): 5:10pm On Aug 31, 2012 |
pdone: @Poster I respect your view but if you ask me to analyze your post, I will say that 99.98 of what you said is incorrect. First you say 20% of Nigerians are on Nairaland? I guess you didn't calculate that 20% before putting it up. 20% of Nigeria population is more than 30million my friend. How many users that Nairaland has? As I was writing, it says "940025" users. According to http://www.indexmundi.com/nigeria/demographics_profile.html, Nigeria current population is 170,123,740. Now check the percent of 940027, it is 0.56% of Nigeria population. But wait a minute..., it seems that we are forgetting that majority of Nairaland users have multiple accounts due to spambot or any other reasons. Suppose that the average Nairaland users have two accounts, that bring the population to 0.28% of Nigeria population.I didn't say 20% of the Nigerian population are on Nairaland. I said 20% of TOTAL INTERNET USERS IN NIGERIA. Even so, this isn't a claim but just a guess. |
| Webmasters › Re: Nairaland More Beneficial Than Facebook? by bigangel4u(op): 4:59pm On Aug 31, 2012 |
@ werepeLeri and Una be fool. I mean which has proved more helpful? Facebook or Nairaland? |
| Webmasters › Re: Nairaland More Beneficial Than Facebook? by bigangel4u(op): 4:42pm On Aug 31, 2012 |
werepeLeri: I keep wondering why this obsession of comparing NairaLand and Facebook. Do they serve the same purpose? How many people outside Nigeria know about NairaLand? Facebook is a global phenomenon, is NairaLand such?I've got no proof. I said PERHAPS there are only 20%. This a conjecture, not a claim. |
| Webmasters › Nairaland More Beneficial Than Facebook? by bigangel4u(op): 8:32am On Aug 31, 2012*. Modified: 4:39pm On Aug 31, 2012 |
Perhaps only 20% of total Internet users in Nigeria are on Nairaland. Maybe the remaining 80% don’t even know that Nairaland exists. I have friends―some of them net surfers―who heard about Seun’s Web site from me for the first time. Even so, none of them seems to have visited the site not to talk of signing up. By contrast however, Facebook is known to every Nigerian who has access to the Internet. It’s unthinkable to believe that there’s any Nigerian who doesn’t have or hadn’t had a Facebook account, unless such a person is unable to use the Internet. I personally believe that even some of us took a keen interest in browsing because of Facebook. Day by day, more and more Nigerians are joining the social network. Evidently, Facebook is more popular than Nairaland. Granted, Facebook is more popular than Nairaland. But is the former more beneficial than the latter? Every day, Nigerians fritter away plenty of time and millions of naira using their Facebook accounts. They waste their resources doing things of little or no value―starting useless forum topics, uploading photos, viewing others’ photos, reading and commenting on dirty jokes and stories, etc. It’s however a different story on Nairaland. Members hardly waste their precious time on frivolities. Instead, they spend quality time discussing or debating on topics of various interests―politics, romance, family, health, career, and so on. On Nairaland, there’s always something for everyone; there’s always someone who has answers to your questions. The question now is which has proved more beneficial to its users? Is it Facebook or Nairaland? If I have any problem, need help, advice or information, I’d rather seek any of these on Nairaland. My Facebook friends would rather view others’ photos than proffer solution to my problem. For this reason, I believe that Facebook, sorry, Nairaland is more beneficial than Facebook. What do you think. Let’s hear your own views. 1 Like |
| Nairaland General › Re: When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 4:19pm On Aug 26, 2012 |
@ Calloti. But I think it's during our troubled hours we know who really care for us. |
| Literature › When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 8:00pm On Aug 25, 2012 |
The Bradleys received the grim news with shock. At first they found it hard to believe that their 32-year old son had been tragically killed in a ghastly car accident. It seemed more surreal than real. Little wonder, when a caller who had introduced himself as Sergeant Fisher first told Mrs. Bradley about the incident, she assumed he’d got the wrong person or was at worst only playing some malicious hoax. But the woman was alarmed when the policeman kept on phoning back. His voice was freighted with seriousness. Then she quickly grabbed her car keys and raced her way to the prestigious Murphy Elliottes University Teaching Hospital. At the hospital mortuary, Mrs. Bradley met a scene of stark horror. She found Jill’s lifeless body lying on a stretcher, completely covered in blood. The sight was so sickening that she fainted. It took medics several hours to resuscitate her. Now back at home, and with her grief still unabated, Mrs. Bradley held Jill’s picture. She recalled vividly their last phone conversation the previous night. The deceased had called to announce that he’d be returning home the next day after fifteen months of peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. She was elated and planned to throw him a party. He was so full of life anyone could have thought he’d live a hundred years. She remembered having prayed to God to grant him a safe journey. Then the next thing she heard about him was sad news. She couldn’t understand why God would allow death to snuff life out of their son. At this point, Mrs. Bradley couldn’t suppress her anger at God. In a fit of rage she shrilled: ‘God why us?’ ‘How come you couldn’t save our son despite our commitments to your cause?’ ‘Is this how you reward your children?’ ‘God this is unfair.’ ‘Why?’ her cries reverberated across the sleepy street. When death snatches someone so dear to us, we’re overcome with grief. It’s like our world has crumbled completely. This is natural. To not mourn the sad demise of someone we love would suggest that the person didn’t mean anything to us. On one occasion Jesus wept because of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). However, some grief-stricken Christians do something weird in the course of their mourning. They question God why He didn’t avert the painful death of a loved one. Like the Mrs. Bradley in our illustration, they query God why He failed to prevent a tragic event in their lives despite their good work. This is wrong; those who display such a bad attitude are ignorant of two eternal truths. Let me explain. A Reality of Life Tragedy is intrinsic to life, and everyone will have a measure of it. Whether one is a Christian or not is pointless in this regard. Job 5:6-7 states:‘Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.’ When we become God’s children, He doesn’t promise us an earthly life devoid of pain and sorrow; it would be sheer ignorance to believe otherwise. For believers, as for any other people, life’s not a bed of roses but a mixture of good and evil, ups and downs, certainties and uncertainties. We’ve not been promised a smooth voyage but a safe landing; God doesn’t say we’ll not pass through a fiery furnace or sail through deep and turbulent waters―He only promises to be with us during those dark chapters of our lives. ‘When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up―the flames will not consume you.’ ―Isaiah 43:2, The Living Bible. Think of it. If Christians are exempt from the travails of this life then our lives would have been bereft of troubles like they have it in a never-never land. The Bible wouldn’t have contained a promise of paradise earth in the future. If Christians are free from tragedy, Rev. S. B. J. Oshoffa wouldn’t have died after a car crash; Pastor Bimbo Odukoya wouldn’t have been killed in a plane crash; Mrs Abiodun Kumuyi would be alive to this very moment; one minister of God wouldn’t have passed away in the prime of life; his wife wouldn’t have died of breast cancer few years after. Believers who know this truth don’t angrily lash out at God when pummelled by the Grim Reaper. Instead, they look up to Him for hope and comfort. Like Job, they react to sad news by declaring the words of chapter 1 verse 21 of the book that bears that man’s name Tragedy Not Always Evil Unbeknown to many Christians, tragedy isn’t always hundred per cent evil. The problem is they only focus on the evil side of it. I believe there’s at least a trace of good in evil. Sometimes God in His infinite mercy allows calamitous events in our lives for a purpose. He may not reveal that purpose to us, but whatever the reason it’s for our benefit. His plan is to ultimately bring us to an ‘expected end’ (Jeremiah 29:11). For example, God may allow a pastor to lose his daughter to a disease as a divine retribution, to test him as He did to Job, to enable him learn to trust Him the more, to strengthen him in his Christian walk, or even to prevent the departed soul from backsliding. A friend of mine lost his brother after a protracted illness. When he called to inform me, he was traumatised. I texted him to comfort him. I told him that sometimes God uses death to help us. I asked what if his brother were to be alive but in great pain? What if they had to pray to God to call him home? What I told him wasn’t an attempt to give him a false sense of comfort but the truth. We don’t want to see our loved ones suffer indescribable pain or become insane before they pass on, yet when God suddenly takes them away in order to avoid such situations, we’re mad at Him. How ironic! May God give you strength to remain sinless during your troubled hours. Further Reading: Job 2:10; 14:1; Isaiah 48:10; John 16:33 "There is a saying in Tibetan, ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.’ No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful an experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster." ―Dalai Lama XIV http://www.societytodaywithgabriel..com/2012/07/when-loved-one-dies.html |
| Family › When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 9:37pm On Aug 23, 2012 |
| Nairaland General › Re: When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 9:29pm On Aug 23, 2012 |
That's a great idea. I think prayer's very important. |
| Nairaland General › Re: When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 9:09pm On Aug 23, 2012 |
Caracta: Not in a direct way. That was why i said there are no rules to it. I have a particular friend (a sanguine) that loves teasing me whenever i'm in tears. Words like 'common girl, ur face looks scary' etc.make me want to smash his head into pieces but i smile instead. Listen, what worked for me might not work for your friend. All the best.Thanks! |
| Politics › Re: Do You Still Love Nigeria? by bigangel4u(m): 8:11pm On Aug 23, 2012 |
sambos994: Too damn bad....people deal with the same s**t as you, yet they're smiling. If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen.Oyinbo lo fo. |
| Nairaland General › Re: When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 8:01pm On Aug 23, 2012 |
Caracta: There are no specific rules. My best friend died few days ago, and i was consoled by people's presence, jokes, calls and text messages. With time, healing comes.Do you think it's proper to tell jokes to someone who's bereaved? |
| Nairaland General › When A Loved One Dies by bigangel4u(op): 8:17pm On Aug 22, 2012*. Modified: 8:39pm On Aug 22, 2012 |
When our friends lose their loved ones, what should we do to console them? |
| Politics › Re: Do You Still Love Nigeria? by bigangel4u(m): 6:48pm On Aug 22, 2012 |
For once let's be realistic with ourselves. What's there to love about a country where nothing works right? Perhaps those who claim that they love Nigeria die are hypocrites. Maybe they're being insincere. As for me, I hate it here. |
| Literature › Re: Showcase Your Blog/website Here by bigangel4u(m): 10:27am On Aug 15, 2012 |
I've just started my blog titled "Society Today with Gabriel". The blog aims to denounce moral malaise in our society. Criticisms are most welcome. Here's my address: www.societytodaywithgabriel..com Thanks! |
| Education › Re: Can He Study SLT With A D7 In Biology? by bigangel4u(m): 10:02am On Aug 15, 2012 |
According to JAMB brochure, Agricultural Science is acceptable in lieu of Biology. However, you can check the school's website for confirmation. If that doesn't help, then drop your number here. I'll contact someone in the school for you. |
| Career › Re: Describe Your Job In One Word. by bigangel4u(m): 5:00pm On Aug 08, 2012 |
Time-consuming. |
| Education › Am I Qualified? by bigangel4u(op): 1:06pm On Jun 12, 2012 |
I have an ND certificate (upper credit) in Science Technology from The Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti. I'm comtemplating crossing to Kogi State University through Direct Entry, but the problem is I have a D7 in Physics. I want to study Chemistry. Please will the University admit me without a credit pass in Physics? How about tuition fees-are they high, moderate or low? Anyone from KSU to please help me. |
| Literature › Please Critique This Work by bigangel4u(op): 8:16pm On Feb 15, 2012 |
Kindly help me critique the lyric below. I've titled it 'I Know'. Don't forget to comment on my punctuation too. Thanks. Atheists say God doesn’t exist, But I know this is all false―Nature points to the Deity. Agnostics hold that we can’t be sure if there’s God, But I know this isn’t true―God is so visible we can’t doubt His existence. Evolutionists uphold that life is the product of some mindless process, But I know this is a fallacy―all life bears the hallmarks of design. Cosmologists posit that some blind process gave birth to the universe, But I know this isn’t so―fine-tuning suggests there’s a Creator. Exponents argue that the universe is pointless, But I know this is specious―cosmos displays God’s infinite wisdom and might. Cryonicists have us believe we could escape from the clutches of Death, But I know this is an idealized notion―death is the ultimate destiny of all life. Extremists claim their belief systems approve of violence, But I know this is dubious―pacificism is a thread common to all religions. Critics say the Bible doesn’t hang together, But I know this is untenable―the Bible has always withstood rigorous scrutiny. They think the Bible is obsolete, But I know it’s not―Scripture is a cornucopia of timeless truths. I know I don’t know much, but this little I know is much true― And that’s what matters most. |
| Literature › Want To Earn Money Blogging by bigangel4u(op): 6:28pm On Jan 03, 2012 |
Please help me. I'll love to earn money through blogging but I don't know how to go about it. Anyone wants to help? |
| Literature › Re: Bloggers: by bigangel4u(m): 4:11pm On Dec 31, 2011 |
I'll like to be a blogger also. |
| Christianity Etc › Is There Really Hell? by bigangel4u(op): 12:50am On Dec 24, 2011 |
This is a question I can't help asking myself. Almost all denominations within the Christendom teach that there's a place where the souls of sinners will be tormented for all of eternity after death. For me, this doctrine seems to negate the loving nature of God. If you were God would you let sinners burn in Hell indefinitely? Even is there really Hell? |
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