Dare to Dream

I want to wish you a happy new year. This New Year is a time to unfold new horizons and realize new dreams. It’s a time to rediscover the strength and faith within you, to rejoice in simple pleasures and also gear up for new challenges.

I want to encourage you to Dare to Dream this new year or hold on to your dreams. It really takes courage to dream. This is because any time you dare to dream, there could be a lot of risks and challenges involved. Sometimes we start thinking like What if it never comes true? What if no one supports me? What if people laugh and make fun of me? What if I fail?

Even after dreaming it takes extra effort to hold on to your dreams. Especially when no one believes in your dream or gives you any form of support or encouragement. I want to encourage you not to give up on that dream because you will never fulfill a dream that you let go of.

Also be careful who you share your dreams with. Share your dreams with people that would encourage you and would want to add value to your dream. Not with people that won’t believe or would discourage you from your dream.

What is the dream that God has put in your heart? What is that thing that captures your heart and spirit? What is that thing that consumes your thinking and fuels your passion. What’s that vision from God that’s captured your heart and won’t just go away. Are you still holding on to it or have let it go? Incase you have let it go, then this is the time to reclaim your dream.

Sometimes it might seem there is nothing extra-ordinary about your dream. A dream doesn’t have to be spectacular like changing the world or becoming a CEO or even becoming President or a governor. But do you know that God may give you a dream in pieces? As you trust, believe in HIM and take small steps in Faith, he enlarges your dream when you have developed the capacity to actualize them.

Take out time to read God’s Word and encourage yourself in the Lord as David did. Stand on the promises of God and continually express Faith and Hope in your words and actions concerning your dreams. If God has put the dream in your heart then ensure you spend time with HIM because HE would sure provide a way to actualize or accomplish the dream.

There would be challenges along the way. Don’t forget the story of Joseph in the Bible. But also have it at the back of your mind that all things are working together for your good. So don’t be discouraged and don’t let go of the dream. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think.

I am believing God for you that 2009 would sure by your best year ever. It’s time to Dream Big. Take time to write down your Dreams as God lays it in your heart. God is about to make that which seems impossible now and make it our hope for today and the reality of your tomorrow.
Happy New Year once again. Take care and stay blessed.
Regards,
Tosin

Merry Christmas

May this Christmas end the present year
on a cheerful note and make way
for a fresh and bright new year.
Here’s wishing you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks so much for being a part of this blog.

God bless you

Wish you a Merry Christmas and may this festival bring abundant joy and happiness in your life!

Ten thoughts to live by

1. Thou shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities

2. Thou shalt not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass

3. Thou shalt not cross bridges before you get to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.

4. Thou shalt face each problem as it comes. You can handle only one at a time anyway.

5. Thou shalt not take problems to bed with you for they make very poor bedfellows.

6. Thou shalt not borrow other people’s problems. They can take better care of them than you can

7. Thou shalt not try to relive yesterday for good or ill it is gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life today.

8. Thou shalt count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to a big one.

9. Thou shalt be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is very hard to learn something new when you are talking.

10. Thou shalt not become bogged down by frustration, for 90 percent of it is rooted in self-pity, and it will only interfere with positive action.

Give Thanks

Let us face it, if you are reading this message there are literally millions of people who would trade places with you. No matter what you are going through this people envy you and would be grateful to enjoy what you are enjoying.

1st Thessalonians 518 says, “In all things give thank, that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

If ever we have doubts about God’s will in any situation, we can always give thanks. Since thanksgiving is the will of God in any situation. But why should we thank God especially when everything seems to be going wrong?

We should give thanks because things have not always been this bad. Secondly, things could have been worse. Thirdly, it is inevitable that things will change for the better by the grace of God.

Be grateful for what you have and stop wishing for what you don’t have. So how can you overcome ingratitude? You can only do that by changing your mindset and beliefs. You have to start appreciating God and thanking him for where you are right now. But as long as believe you are getting less than you deserve, you will never become a thankful person. Be Grateful.

Thanksgiving has a multiplying power. Can you remember how Jesus fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and two fishes? Jesus did something quite amazing. He did not cast out any devil or bind any evil spirit. All he did was to take the little available looked up to heaven and gave thanks.

Thankfulness is like an attitude and an important key to success. It is an attitude we all need to learn to acquire - particularly when we feel we are in difficult circumstances.

Take care and stay blessed

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God of all blessings,
source of all life,
giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life:
for the breath
that sustains life,
for the food of this earth
that nurtures life,
for the love of family and friends
without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation:
for the beauty
that the eye can see,
for the joy
that the ear may hear,
for the unknown
that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder,
for the expanse of space
that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities:
for families
who nurture our becoming,
for friends
who love us by choice,
for companions at work,
who share our burdens and daily tasks,
for strangers
who welcome us into their midst,
for people from other lands
who call us to grow in understanding,
for children
who lighten our moments with delight,
for the unborn,
who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day:
for life
and one more day to love,
for opportunity
and one more day to work for justice and peace,
for neighbors
and one more person to love
and by whom be loved,
for your grace
and one more experience of your presence,
for your promise:
to be with us,
to be our God,
and to give salvation.

For these, and all blessings,
we give you thanks, eternal, loving God,
through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

- Vienna Cobb Anderson

Strength and Courage

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

Inspiration on the “7 Principles of an Eagle”

1.Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and not with sparrows or mix with other smaller birds. Birds of a feather flock together. No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Never in a flock. Even when Moses (Old Testament Bible) went to commune with God on the mountain‚ he left the crowd at the foothills. Stay away from sparrows and ravens. Eagles fly with eagles.

2.Eagles have strong vision‚ which focuses up to 5 kilometres from the air. When an eagle sites prey - even a rodent from this distance‚ he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it. No matter the obstacle‚ the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it. Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.

3.Eagles do not eat dead things. He feeds on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals but not eagles. Steer clear of outdated and old information. Do your research well always.

4.The Eagle is the only bird that loves the storm. When clouds gather‚ the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the wings of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher. Once it finds the wing of the storm‚ the eagle stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings. In the meantime all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. We can use the storms of our lives (obstacles‚ trouble‚ etc) to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

5.The Eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate‚ she flies down to earth with the male pursing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her.

.Once she has reached a height high enough for her‚ she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls‚ the faster he chases until he reaches it and has to catch it before it falls to the ground‚ then bring it back to the female eagle. The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a much higher altitude pursued by the male until she perceives it high enough‚ and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours‚ with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of picking the twig which shows commitment‚ then and only then‚ will she allow him to mate with her! Whether in private life or in business‚ one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.

6.Eagles prepare for training. When about to lay eggs‚ the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach; the male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff‚ then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth picks thorns and lays them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns‚ and then flies back to pick rugs to put on the grass. When this first layering is complete the male eagle runs back to earth and picks more thorns‚ lays them on the nest; runs back to get grass and rugs and lays them on top of the thorns‚ then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders. Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly‚ the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest and because they are scared‚ they jump into the nest again.

Next‚ she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest‚ leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets jump into the nest again‚ they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. Next‚ mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air.

As they shriek in fear‚ father eagle flies out and picks them up on his back before they fall‚ and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly and not fall at such a fast rate.

The father and mother eagle supports them with their wings.

The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes;

The preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners’ leads to success;

The being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result into our not experiencing life‚ not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow‚ get out of the nest and love on. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns;

The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly bad actions they have good intentions for us.

7.When the Eagle grows old‚ his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die‚ he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there‚ he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers‚ then he can come out. We occasionally need to shed off old habits & items that burden us without adding to our lives …Author: Dr. Myles Monroe

Men in Heaven

Men in Heaven - Who is the Head of the Household?

At the end of the age when all the believers were standing in line waiting to get into heaven,
God appeared and said, "I want all the men to form two lines.
One line will be for the men who were the true heads of their households.
The other will be for the men who were dominated by their wives."

God continued, "I want all the women to report to St. Peter."

The women left and the men formed two lines.
The line of men who were dominated by their wives was seemingly unending.
The line of men who were the true head of their household had one man in it.

God said to the first line, "You men ought to be ashamed or yourselves.
I appointed you to be the heads of your households and you were disobedient and have not fulfilled your purpose.
Of all of you, there is only one man who obeyed me. Learn from him."

Then God turned to the lone man and asked, "How did you come to be in this line?"

The man replied, "My wife told me to stand here."

Have a great week.