KiKi's LAIR
Monday, 1 February 2021
Just Start NOW
Thursday, 21 January 2021
Do You Really "Pray About it?"
In the past year, we have seen and experienced very trying times. Even if it hasn't too hit close to home, we've had friends, loved ones, church members, classmates, share challenges that could make you shudder and wonder how they're even able to get up in the morning. Or it could be that you have had to endure painful experiences as well.
And when our close ones share these challenges, we are quick to respond with that cliché phrase amongst the christian folk, "I'll pray about it". It's such an easy thing to say, you know, something to make you feel or look spiritual.
It's not exactly a bad thing though except, Do you really pray about it, or does it skip your mind the next minute you're distracted and your mind wanders off to something else?
And then when it has to do with your personal problems, do you/have you really pray/prayed about it?. Pause for a moment and think about it. Many times we talk to the people around us MORE than we talk to God about a certain situation.
This is a new year and a lot of us might have some laid down resolutions for the year. I'll advise that to that list, we add that we'll always take a minute or two immediately after we say that phrase to follow through with it.
And that, just before you pour your heart out to that friend or 'bestie', ask yourself "have I talked to God about this?", "Have I actually prayed about this challenge I am experiencing?"
We just might never get around to praying over some issues of our lives or praying for friends that have confided in us if we keep looking for a perfect time. Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere, in traffic, while doing domestic chores or even while answering nature's call.
Whatever you do, please Pray about it.
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Life's Journey of Gratitude
Tuesday, 26 June 2018
THE DANGER OF SETTLING
If you do not happen to belong to this category, well, congratulations! But I'd also have you know that there is always a better way to doing stuff and living life, just so you don't settle for whatever wonderful position you might find yourself in at the moment.
So, first things first, what does it actually mean to 'Settle'?
The meaning of the word varies over a wide range of definitions but in the context of this article it means, "To become fixed or permanent; to become stationary; to establish one's self or itself; to assume a lasting form, condition, direction, or the like, in place of a temporary or changing state.", just so we're clear of the kind of 'settle' we're actually talking about.
At the beginning of the year, a lot of us probably made resolutions, plans, set goals and did a whole lot of restructuring so that we could make the most of the year. For some of us, our plans have yielded good and satisfiable results, for some of us also on the other hand, things haven't as much as turned out as we planned. Most of us are then out of frustration throwing in the towel seeing it's already mid year and settling for whatever the rest of the year has to offer. While also considering those for whom the sun has been shining ever so brightly that have decided to bask in the rays while forgetting that there's a rainy season ahead. We might have chosen to settle for less and this decision whether taken unconsciously or deliberately is exactly what sets apart the champions from the winners and the winners from the quitters.
What most of us don't know is that settling is as good as giving up because a person who thinks he or she has reached his peak starts to retrogress. Life is progressive, change is the only constant thing, we must keep moving against all odds!
Settling just because you feel you've achieved quite a lot or next to nothing is like canceling a journey just because you've run out of fuel.
We are in a constant state of facing one challenge or the other, this is what life is all about. And as we overcome those challenges we improve ourselves and our standards of living and the cycle goes on and on. Its puzzling to know that some of the time, we're almost already at the peak of our breakthrough when we decide to call it quits, pack our bags, hold our horses and settle, for less usually.
Just because everything you planned out has not happened in your timing doesn't mean they're not going to happen after all. "But Kiki it's midyear already!" I know but a lot can happen in one day you know...Joseph the biblical character had his life transformed overnight. One night he was sleeping in a prison next night he was in the palace!
Our christian life was also designed to be progressive, moving from one degree to another, growing in depth of the knowledge of God. The moment you start to think you know all you need to know about God, you enter a state of familiarity and complacency. This gradually gives room for lukewarmness as your fire begins to fizzle out.
One prayer that struck me while reading a book was, "Lord, don't take me to where you can't reach me!", before like some of my friends would say "He'll just close your heaven!"
See, in all ramifications of life, settling on past achievements and dwelling on past failures will truncate God's original purpose for our lives. Just like He said in his word in the 18th and 19th verse of the 43rd chapter of the Prophet Isaiah, "Remember he not the former things, neither consider the things of the old. Behold I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it...?"
God is always doing a new thing but we're always so caught up in either our past victories or defeats that we do not see Him breaking boundaries and moving mountains for our sakes. It's time to open our eyes to new possibilities, to what the rest of the year has to offer us.
It's not the time to SETTLE DOWN but the time to MOVE FORWARD.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
2018 ESSENTIALS
- BE POSITIVE
So then, how can you be positive?
- Positive confessions.
- Self talk
2. SMILE OFTEN
Don't try to please everyone, don't fall into the trap of trying to please everyone. It would weigh you down and stress you up. Don't live under the tyranny of their expectations. Learn to cope with criticism, every great man or woman has had to learn that.
3. EAT HEALTHY
5. ALWAYS PUT GOD FIRST
So, this is me officially welcoming you into the year. I hope and pray that 2018 turns out to be the best year ever for you and for me.
Let's roar together!
Kikioma
Friday, 29 December 2017
PREPPING FOR 2018
Firstly,
REFOCUS YOUR VISION.
- Rewrite it
- Rehearse it
- Target it
- Understand it
- Make it plain.
- Go after it.
GOAL SETTING.
I noticed something peculiar happen to me this year. For all the months I set goals for myself, I achieved to a considerable extent. But for the months I didn't, I just moved with the tides, wasn't focused and by the end of the month, I didn't achieve much.
Goal setting is a must if you're serious about getting results and closer to making your dreams a reality. Goals can be divided into three segments, long term goals(years), mid term goals(6months) and short term goals(a month, a week, daily).
Set goals in every area of your life. For instance,
Physically➡Exercising every day or three times a week.
Mentally/Psychologically➡Having a certain number of books you would read in a month,this has been made easier with the introduction of audio books), types of seminars you would want to attend, audio messages you'd listen to.
Spiritually➡How much closer you want to get to your God. Prayer times, bible study plan, engage in active service by joining a department.
Financially➡Having a budget and sticking to it, if you've not already, please open a savings account. If possible don't get ATM card for it. Create strategies for generating multiple streams of income. This is where the need to get advice from experts through seminars could come in.
All these goals have to be written down for reference purposes cause as the saying goes, "the faintest ink is better than the brightest brain"
Thirdly,
PLAN.
Plan how you intend to achieve those goals you've set. For example, a student who has 9 courses to study in a semester has to draw a plan, a timetable sort of else he might not be able to cover much. One of my principal's favorite slogan in secondary school days then was "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" So make plans, also having in mind that we can plan just about 60% of the day just so we wouldn't get so uptight if things don't go just as planned. Most times they won't and this is why there's always need for plans b,c,d and to z if need be.
Finally,
DISCIPLINE
If you've been disciplined enough to go through this mentally tasking processes aforementioned, then you're good to go. But then you need even a higher dose of discipline to follow through with what you've set out to do.
If you're desperate enough for change, you would do whatever it takes. Its only an insane man that keeps doing the same thing over and over again while expecting to get different results.