₦airaland Forum

eph12:
Nah am looking at from the employer angle. I assume you will apply for jobs after this course?

Yes and no. Not just any job*. i have the end in mind..... Why don't i take these millions and set-up something with it? spending some much, how much do i expect to earn? and so on.

Forget jobs, float your mind away from an average Nigerian graduate' mentality; I would be paying for a life experience. i like to think of it as knowledge bestowed from heaven . We don't live to work, we work to live. Its only one life, i plan to live it without limitations.

eph12:
That's okay. Just that personally I just need a fraction of that for ICAN, ACCA, and whatever professional cert that nigerian employers will value more. The remaining part can be used to set up yourself when you decide to go into private practice or open your own company. Unless you plan to stay there after your education I don't see the need.

Yes, you are correct to an extent. Today i had this same conversation with a Learning & Development professional, I don't want to obtain a qualification just for the sake of having one and be lost in the crowd but i am a rational thinker too. I presented your option and this option to him and he was all for this.

I cant go in depth to his explanation, if you think it is too expensive and it is not worth it, also know that you are correct based on your current level of knowledge (unfortunately Nigeria's situation has adversely affected all of us ).

its all about value and application

eph12:
Why exactly do you need to study abroad?

The University's Department of Accounting & Finance is highly rated, the programme i intend to undertake has been accepted into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program.

I have gone through the course content, apart from the clear fact it provides a rigorous education; to me this knowledge will double as a life skill.

I am most definitely not concerned about location. It is all about the depth of what is being offered.

.

Chukzyfcb:
lucky you, first bank money market last months rate was at 9%; up until now I have been at a cross road with the online customer support sevie. their feedback is very poor, for bout 2wks now i have been trying to get funds out of it to cash in on tbills rate but them just dey weak my soul. ease of recovering funds with them is very poooooor,

I follow my money bumper to bumper. If StanbicIBTC asset management want to even think of slacking i change them like TM Shirt, no time.

StanbicIBTC MM services has been quite satisfactory, ARM's account opening form na just to reach hand i don fill am but they have been giving me all the right reasons not to.

Maybe you should try escalating your disatisfaction with Firstbank MM services to a mid-level staff.

easyflow:
Guy is mutual funds better than tbills?

Presently interest rates on Tbills are better than what is available on mutual funds. As at friday, StanbicIBTC Money market rate was 11.5% (its raising though).

I lost my bid for 364 days on Wednesday (i'm a first timer ), I transferred my funds back to money market.

For me, ease of access takes a slight preeminence over interest rate. Not sure of how easy it is to recover funds in TBills without waiting out the tenure but with StanbicIBTC MM i have my cash within 24hrs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx4KoRbh0cE

I HAVE A DREAM
Author - Martin Luther King

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

KEEPING YOURSELF POSITIVE
Author - Brian Tracy

The most important thing you do for your success is to take control of the suggestive elements in your environment. Be sure that what you are seeing and listening to is consistent with the goals you want to achieve.

Listen Your Way to Success
Listen to educational audio programs in your car. The average person drives 12,000 to 25,000 miles per year which works out to between 500 and 1,000 hours per year that the average person spends in his or her car. You can become an expert in your field by simply listening to educational audio programs as you drive from place to place.

Take Courses in Your Field
Attend seminars given by experts in your field. Take additional courses and learn everything you possibly can. Learn from the experts. Ask them questions, write them letters, read their books, read their articles and listen to people with proven track records in the area in which you want to be successful.

Get Around the Right People
Associate only with positive, success-oriented people. Get around winners. As we say, fly with the eagles. You can't fly with the eagles if you keep scratching with the turkeys. Get away from the go-nowhere types and above all, get away from negative people.
Get away from negative coworkers.

If you've got a negative boss, seriously consider changing jobs. Associating on a regular basis with negative people is enough in itself to condemn you to a life of underachievement, frustration and failure. Associate only with positive people. Get around winners.

Visualize Your Goals
The last thing before you sleep and the first thing in the morning, think about and visualize your goals as realities. See your goal as though it already existed. Your subconscious mind is only activated by affirmations and pictures that are received in the present tense. See your goal vividly just before you go to sleep. See yourself performing at your best. See the situations that you're facing working out exactly the way you want them to.

Feed Yourself Mental Pictures
See yourself living the kind of life that you want to live. See yourself with the kind of relationships, the kind of health, the kind of car, the kind of home you really want. Visualize just before you fall asleep at night. The first thing you do when you get up in the morning is to feed yourself mental pictures. Those are the two times of the day when your subconscious mind is most receptive to new programming, when you fall asleep and when you wake up.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do, all day long, to keep your mind and emotions focused on your goals and financial success:

First, listen to audio programs in your car and when you travel around. Continue feeding your mind with a stream of high-quality, educational, motivational material that moves you toward your goal.

Second, resolve to associate with positive, optimistic people most of the time. Get around winners and get away from negative people who criticize, condemn and complain. This can change your life as much as any other factor.

JUST A DREAM?

For the last few months I had noticed the brakes on my car getting weaker and weaker. They still worked but it took longer for my car to stop and I had to push the brake pedal further to the floor. I knew that I needed a new set of brake pads put on, but it was the middle of a rough Winter and I had so many other things to do. I kept putting it off then and babied my brakes as much as I could. The other night, though, I had a dream. I was driving my car on a bright, sunny day when suddenly a stalled car appeared in the road in front of me. I stomped on my brakes but they didn’t work and I smashed into the back of the other car. The dream wreck awoke me with a start and I decided to get my brake pads changed the next day. When the mechanic took off the old ones I noticed that the pads were worn paper thin.

The day after that I was driving home from the grocery store with my daughter beside me and my two sons in the back seat. As I neared a tight, mountain curve I saw a Semi-truck coming from the other direction. It took the curve too fast and slid two feet over the center line. I hit my brakes and simultaneously steered my car towards the side of the road. We gasped as the huge truck missed us by only a foot. It was only later when I was home safe in my bed that I realized that if I had still had my old, worn-out brake pads on I wouldn’t have been able to slow down fast enough to have missed that truck. My children and I would have either been injured or killed. I closed my eyes and gave thanks for that dream. I guess God still had some more for us to do in this world.

Now many would say that it was just a dream and it was all only a coincidence. I, however, stopped believing in coincidences a long time ago. I know how much God loves us and I know that He interacts in our lives here more than we can even imagine. The threads of our lives weave in and out with the lives of everyone else in this world, but only God sees the full tapestry. He knows that every moment we live and every choice we make are important. He sends us messages, dreams, thoughts, angels, and countless coincidences then to keep us on the right path, the path of love, the path of kindness, the path of goodness, the path that leads us back Home again.

Don’t ignore those messages from above. Listen to your angels. Pay attention to your dreams. Follow those urges to do good, give kindness, share love, and spread joy. Notice those countless “coincidence” that fill your days. They can lead you. They can guide you. They can even save your life.

BEING RICH
Author - Jaye Lewis
A True Story

We prowled through the second hand bookstore, the day after Christmas, just my husband, Louie, our daughters, Jenny and Helen, and me. This was a precious time for us, because we would be splitting up as a family, again, in just a couple of days. It had been a tough eight months since my husband had retired from the Navy. As plotters and planners, we had manipulated the "military system," while on active duty, as much as we could, trying to prevent a long, dreaded absence from one another. Now, here we were, retired, and we were eight months into our longest separation.

When my husband retired, we discovered that the only job available for him was in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Our dream was to live out the rest of our lives in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, six and a half hours away. My health had gotten so bad, that it was impossible for me to stay with Louie in the city. We had settled for a separation, praying that a job would become available in the beautiful region that we love.
So, there we were, delaying the inevitable, passing time in a second hand bookstore, before the girls and I headed back to southwest Virginia. We were as broke as we'd ever been, supporting two households; yet we were grateful to be together, and we seized every opportunity for extra hugs, shared daydreams and laughter.

There was only one other person in the bookstore, besides the proprietor, a lovely, well-dressed, woman, about my age. I noticed her clothes, her shoes, and her expensive handbag, and I wondered what it would be like, to be rich enough to walk into a bookstore and have the money to buy any book my heart desired. But we were having so much fun, that I quickly forgot the woman.

We joked as we continued our treasure hunt, clutching our spending money of five dollars apiece, all hoping to be the first to find the oldest, least expensive book. It was a bittersweet excursion. Frequently Louie and I would brush past one another, finding excuses to touch or to give another's hand an extra squeeze.

Jenny remembered, that there was an ATM machine, not far from the bookstore, and she decided that she needed another twenty dollars that she had squirreled away. "No fair!" I cried, laughing. "The rest of us can only spend five dollars, and here you're going to have twenty-five dollars?!" We all laughed, and we began to tease Jenny, mercilessly, but she was able to convince her Dad that she must have the $20, in order to get that irresistible book.

"Come on, Jenny," Louie laughed. "I'll drive you to the ATM."

Then we did another round of hugging and kissing, none of us wanting to be apart for even a few minutes.
Soon Louie and I would be saying "good-bye." We couldn't resist the opportunity to assure one another of our love, and our faith that our separation would soon come to an end. It must have been a curious ballet, this demonstrative family scene, but we were oblivious to what others might think.

Military families seem to fall into two categories: those who look for affectionate opportunities, and those who avoid close contact, because "good-byes" are painful. I have to admit that we're a pretty "huggy-kissy" family, so unmindful of anyone else, we continued to give kisses and hugs all around. In our military career, we had become painfully aware, that anything can happen during even the briefest separation. But now, as I look back, I realize how odd me must have looked.

Finally, in between another hug and kiss, I saw the perfect book for me! It was one hundred years old, and it was on my favorite time period, the Middle Ages. Oh, how I wanted that book! I quickly checked the inside cover for the price, and my heart fell. It was twenty-five dollars! We just didn't have it. I looked up at Louie, already knowing the answer.

He must have wanted me to have that book. I could see the pain in his eyes. Louie reached out and gave me an extra hug. I understood his "honey, we just can't afford it" message. I leaned into his sheltering arms, and I saw that the well-dressed lady was also touching the book that I wanted. Ah well, let her have it. I gave Louie and extra hug, and half serious, I murmured, as my eyes locked with hers.

"Oooohh, I wish I were rich!"

"It looks to me, as though you already are," she said with a smile.

There was a pause that stretched through eternity, and my heart filled with comprehension. I looked up at my husband, and I gazed at my daughters, wrapped as we were in the arms of love, and I knew it. I was rich. Very rich. I quickly turned to thank the woman for her gentle reminder, but she was gone!

Who was she? I'll never know. But what she did for my outlook, was nothing short of miraculous. I will never forget her. Where did she disappear to? I can't say.

Strangely enough, within days, my husband received a job offer in southwestern Virginia. In less than two weeks, he was hired and we moved to the place that is now our home. The job notice had been sent out two days before Christmas, even as we hugged and kissed and wished in that bookstore. Even as I heard the words, "It looks to me, as though you already are," events were already in motion to unite our family.

I am quite certain that it was all part of God's plan, to remind me of what being "rich" is all about... faith, love, family, and friends. And when I get to heaven, I will not be at all surprised to discover that God sent an angel to a second hand bookstore, in Norfolk, Virginia, to give me his richest message, the day after Christmas, many years ago.

A SMALL GAP

One day a small gap appeared in the cocoon, through which the butterfly had to appear. A boy, who accidentally passed by, stopped and watched how the butterfly was trying to get out of the cocoon. It took a lot of time, the butterfly was trying very hard, and the gap was as little as before. It seemed that the power would leave the butterfly soon.

The boy decided to help the butterfly. He took a penknife and cut the cocoon. The butterfly immediately got out, but its body was weak and feeble, and the wings were barely moving.

The boy continued to watch the butterfly, thinking that now its wings would spread and its would fly. However, that did not happen.

The rest of its life the butterfly had to drag its weak body and wings that weren’t spread. It was unable to fly, because the boy did not realize that an effort to enter through the narrow gap of the cocoon was necessary for the butterfly, so that the life-giving fluid would move from the body to the butterfly’s wings and that the butterfly could fly.

Life forced the butterfly to leave its shell hardly, so that it would become stronger and would be able to grow and develop.

If we were allowed to live without meeting difficulties, we would not be viable. Life gives us challenges to make us stronger.

DROWNING

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. He continued, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw the line to his son's friend."

"By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His son for me. You see, that sailor. I was the son's friend."

P.U.S.H.
Author - Unknown

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So, this the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved."

Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimetre. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.

UNWORTHY
Author - Brainhack

Unworthy! i woke up from sleep this morning and this was the first word that flashed through my mind. Unworthy! Unworthy! Yes i know, I am not going to argue with you. I remember all i have done; true, very true. I have no defense for all that i said to myself as i headed to the bathroom with a towel. I have no defense for this accusation and i am not denying it, guilty as charged.

Even still i felt a strange peace in me, it was quietness, it was stillness. "If only i could get there, O if only i could get there" i thought to myself. I also felt appreciation for everything i had, at least i was happy to be alive though i knew i wasn't any good.

Getting out of the house, after a 15 minutes walk; here i was. Unworthy has come, a little smile beamed across my face because i am as unworthy as unworthy could be but i knew unworthy was accepted here; unworthy is truly unworthy but the Good Man of the house doesn't mind. Though a mighty King, He had always shown me great kindness and mercy. Mercy i will ask for once again. I will come again, again and again; fight every iota of doubt, to believe i am part of Jesus Christ's household just as He says.

Unworthy has entered the house of God, Joy!

lol on my iphone 6s, i do "peek-a-boo". Apply a lil' pressure n hold. I can read messages without opening them

LET LOVE LEAD

A teacher asked her students to bring some
tomatoes in a plastic bag to school. Each tomato will be given the name of the person whom that child hates. Like this, the number of tomatoes will be equal to the number of persons they hate.

On a decided day, the children brought their
tomatoes well addressed. Some had two, some had three and some had five, some even had 20 tomatoes in accordance with the number of people each student hates thus if a student hates 5 people, he will bring 5 tomatoes.

The teacher told them they have to carry the
tomatoes with them everywhere they go for 2 weeks.

As the days passed the children started to
complain about the spoiled and smell of the tomatoes. Students who had many tomatoes complained it was very heavy to carry and the smell was too much.

After 1week, the teacher asked the students "How did you feel this one week?" The Children complained of smell & heavy weight of the
tomatoes especially those who carried more tomatoes.

The teacher said, "This is very similar to what you carry in heart when you don't like some people. Hatred makes heart unhealthy and you carry that hatred everywhere. If you can't bear the smell of spoiled tomatoes for a week, imagine the impact on your heart that you
carry throughout life."

The Heart is a beautiful garden that needs regular cleaning of unwanted weeds. Forgive those who have angered you. This makes room for storing good things. Get better not bitter and let love lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f1D9kHogq0

Becalina:
I can't open my mail on my phone, send a message to Becky Toyosi Ogundiran on facebook, let's talk there

Ok

brainhack:
ANGELS

Not all of the angels can fly,
And not all of them come from the sky.

Some of them aren't sent from above,
Some of the angels are those you love.

All of the angels have different faces,
All of the angels come from different places.

Some people spend their whole life searching for one, But if you look closer, you could be done.

When you look closer you will see, the angels in your life is your family.

..my family has nothing to do with blood relation

They are just people in my life who want me in theirs.

ANGELS

Not all of the angels can fly,
And not all of them come from the sky.

Some of them aren't sent from above,
Some of the angels are those you love.

All of the angels have different faces,
All of the angels come from different places.

Some people spend their whole life searching for one, But if you look closer, you could be done.

When you look closer you will see, the angels in your life is your family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVdfrcLoyEk

SPARROW AT STARBUCK
Author - John Thomas Oaks
A True Story

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the
Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Time Square. For a musician, it’s the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I’m told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right.

I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. During our emotional rendition of “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. “I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?” she asked.

"No", I replied. “We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?”

To my delight, she accepted my invitation.

“You choose,” I said. “What are you in the mood to sing?"

“Well … do you know any hymns?

Hymns? This woman didn’t know who she was dealing with, I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look
“Name one"

"Oh, I don’t know. There are so many good ones. You pick one.”

“Okay, I replied. “How about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’?”

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, “Yeah. Let’s do that one.”

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.

Why should I be discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed.

I sing because I’m happy;
I sing because I’m free.
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.

When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, “Oh, y’all go back to your coffee! I didn’t come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin’ to drink just like you!"

But the ovation continued. I embraced my new friend.

“You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

“It’s funny that you picked that particular hymn,” she said.

“Why is that?”

She hesitated again, “that was my daughter’s
favorite song." She grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause has subsided and it was business as usual. “She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week." I said the first thing that found its way through my silence.

"Are you going to be okay?”

she smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. “I’m gonna be okay. I’ve just got to keep trusting the Lord by singing his songs, and gonna be just fine."

She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night?

Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?

Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before.

I refused to believe it, God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it’s no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival.

It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything’s gonna be okay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA

EVERY PRAISE
A True story

The incident was real, although the age of Willie Myrick in numerous reports varied from 9 to 11 years of age.

According to an April 18, 2014, article by the New York Daily News, an unknown man used cash to lure young Myrick close enough to grab and force the boy into his vehicle on the evening of March 31.

During his close to 3 hour ordeal, Myrick repeatedly sang “Every Praise,” a Gospel song by Hezekiah Walker.

The article said, “[the] tune sent the suspect into a cursing fit and he stopped the car near East Point.” The kidnapper opened the car door, released Myrick and warned him not to tell anyone. That was one order that Myrick refused to obey and he has been telling the world about the incident since his release.

When artist Hezekiah Walker got news of this, the artist flew from New York to meet with Myrick and his church family at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in southwest Atlanta to celebrate the boy’s 10th birthday. The article said that everybody present joined in the singing of “the life-saving song together as tears rolled down Myrick’s cheeks.”

Atlanta Police released an all points bulletin (BOLO) with a sketch of the suspect with the offer $10,000 reward for his capture.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA

TWO BABIES IN A MANGER
Author - Unknown

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls, who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage.

They relate the following story in their own words: It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas.

We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel [cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia], were used for the baby’s blanket.

A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6-years-old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy’s manger, was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger.

Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately — until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, “And when Mary laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay.

I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don’t have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with Him. But I told him I couldn’t, because I didn’t have a gift to give Him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept Him warm, that would be a good gift. “So I asked Jesus, ‘If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?’ And Jesus told me, ‘If you keep Me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave Me.’

So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and He told me I could stay with Him — for always.”

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.


The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him — for always!

GOD BLESS YOU
A True story

According to an Associated Press report from May 17, 2001, student-led prayer was going to be allowed at the graduation but a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the senior valedictorian, Natasha Appenheimer. On virtually the eve of graduation, they won a court injunction that banned any prayer at the event. It was the first time in the school’s 80 year history that a prayer would not be offered

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.

Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears.

This class would not pray during the commencements; not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling.

They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine; until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then he delivered his speech—-a resounding sneeze! The rest of the students rose immediately to their feet, and in unison they said, “God bless you.”

The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a unique way to invoke God’s blessing on their future—-with or without the court’s approval.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsB_p-V8XYo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErZlgJ_go40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d__sZudJR4I

Jagoon:
Islamic fasting is a joke all they do is skip one meal of the day and eat like gluttons during the other two meals. They eat so much that food prices actually go up during their 'fasting' because of high demand for food due to their gluttony

I served in the North. I wont call their devotion to God* a joke, but I was very shocked when I realised they usually have two hefty meals each day during their fast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bawbk71Qh_g