He needs you & I

With all due respect to my fellow ladies, I would that I echo the words of the speaker in today's service. These words, that I by all means agree with made me remember what my mentor and dad, John Wesley Nguuh keeps saying; that, 'when the society got to empower women, no one told the men how to handle empowered women.' Yet again, we women forgot that in our being empowered, it dint mean the place of the man was lost! His place must and should be secured if we are to av a stable society.
Now, what then can we do so as to minister to the male man? Man was created to be the head of the family; Ephesians 5:23 hence forms its foundation; the teacher- Genesis 18:17-19 God expected Abraham to teach his household what He commanded him to. They are the priests, they determine the spiritual stability and growth of not only their children but eventually the generations to come. He is a protector and an instructor. HE IS THE LEADER!

With this knowledge in mind, there are things, issues and troubles that these men face; men here being your dad, husband, brother, cousin, friend... Troubles that end up affecting their being the best they can be. Issues that if we looked at them closely and sought to help, then and only then shall we have ministered to them and subsequently healed our society.

1. Loneliness
the male man is a lonely being. Always engrossed in their work trying to meet demands from all over. They are the bosses running companies, running homes, running ministries and the society looks to the man. He may end up finishing even a month or even two or a year before he ever engages in a meaningful talk with the wife or a child or his friends. He is only sought when there's a crisis but when things are well, he is ignored. This made me ask myself just when do I call my dad and how often? Busyness among men sometimes brings loneliness. Remember dear men, if you are to collapse, family wont find another to replace you but your company will. Please; SLOW DOWN.

2. Criticism
dear ladies...these guys have had enough. Criticism has become the order of the day. Even when one is trying so hard, we still just expect more. We ought to appreciate that there is something they are doing because apparently- and we all know this; when someone has done something wrong, he knows!! The more you criticise, it doesnt just help.

3. Unspoken challenges
this especially affects the African man that has grown up knowing that he has to be tough. That he is a MAN to the extend that when they are going through issues, they just cant speak. They av gotta MAN UP. Well, sin and secrecy thrives in silence. Secrecy aint godly at all.'confess your sins to one another that ye may be healed.' Christianity and life of character is not what people see, it is the inner you, the inner design, the inner man! Come out secrecy so we may, as a society benefit from a whole you!

4.Pressure
I wish there was a way ad type that title and it would be stressed. Pressure...from inlaws, family, if you are lucky-you are exempted from nagging spouses, bills...you name them. They all shout 'you are the man! You must bear the weight!' sometimes, men have no idea what to do!

With all these, men: you cannot do without prayer. Revive the family altar. Prayer is like fuel in an automobile, no matter how well serviced the vehicle is, pimped up, with awesome wheels-bila fuel it will stall. God is calling us, calling you to Himself. With the help of God and support from the female-man...be the lead!

May God bless you and make you a blessing.

Lilly’s Wedding Quilt… Lovely Read.

I must admit that Kelly Long is an awesome author. I enjoyed read this novel.

‘Talk of growing in love, something that would seldom occur in a couple getting married. Here is a man, Jacob that loves another woman, Sarah who ends up getting married and a lady, Lilly Lapp who has overtime admired Jacob though she knows where Jacob’s heart belongs… with Sarah King’s. With all these circumstances, the two get married in the most awkward of ways considering they truly are not fond of each other.

It starts out so cold, so weird and you almost want to pity these two for getting themselves to something they cant handle, yet…they keep trusting God and as spring comes, there is warmth, there is joy and a love has blossomed. I read this book and apart from interacting with the Amish culture, I have come to know that all things work for good, I get to admire how God can build something beautiful from that which we may have no trust in it.’

If you are a fun of romance reads and Christian novels, I recommend this to you. You gonna love it. Lilly's Wedding Quilt is written by Kelly Long and published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville: 2011. This book was provided free for review by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and booksneeze.com

IN CONSTANT PRAYER

What does it mean when the Bible says pray without ceasing? That is a question that caught my eye when I began reading IN CONSTANT PRAYER by Robert Benson an author that has challenged my thinking on the importance of prayer to a growing Christian.
Explaining the office, he says, in simplest terms, the daily office is a regular pattern and order for formal worship and prayer that is offered to God at specific times throughout the course of the day. Each set of prayers known as an office, is made up of psalms, scriptures and prayers. It is the sort of prayer that is most often associated with monastic communities and the most liturgical and sacramental parts of our church.
As I kept on reading, I realized that for people that have not been exposed to ancient way of worship; I being one of them, may find this kind of prayer to be completely new and more than a little bewildering! Truly speaking, this is one book I have read and many times wondered if I was agreeing with the writer. For me, prayer has always been communicating to my Father, my King and Creator who says that He can be known so personally. This then would make me be adamant to fixing hours at specific time to talk to Him! I should and ought to do that every and any time I want.
Yet, we actually can find ourselves not praying in the name of I cannot fix a time for Him!! This knowledge has made me realize that maybe we need to fix time like the ancients did. They must have had a good reason. I mean, this practice was sustained for ages and most of the men that did exploits, were part of this. Even Jesus!!
We probably would want to ask and this is a question I have asked myself; how then do I begin? What do I tell God throughout the day for the many number of times the officer has to be said? Doesn’t it make prayer sound so ‘fake’? This is a question that would come from an evangelical that has often spent time so emotionally into prayer, so that prayer without some tears and groaning would almost seem artificial! I have come to realize from this book that it is I who needs prayer more than God because I am connecting to the divine! I am connecting to He with whom my live revolves and fins meaning. I need and maybe we all need to understand that so that we may take prayer with the seriousness it deserves.
Plan! That it should be part of our TO-DO-LIST for every day. You and I know that with our kind of schedules, the things we never put down; never get done and maybe, we have not been praying because we have not prioritized! That is dangerous.
We have scriptures and the psalms and songs… these are then the materials that would be important in scheduling our prayers and with time, get to write down prayers of thanksgiving, of peace, of journeys and even love to our Maker!!
The Word has power and I will quote a page in the book to end this review! This caught my attention:
The office is just a collection of words. But words are powerful things. Who knows what a single one of them might do to us overtime?
In the beginning was the Word—and here is everything else now, including me and you and all that there is, seen and unseen, all of it alive with life of that single word. From which has flowed grace upon grace.
Words are powerful things.
The daily office offers me rich, powerful, profound words that can change and shape me. Words that have been given as a gift through the ages to me and to you. Words that can grow in me and give voice to the groaning of my heart when I cannot. Words that can teach me to be attentive to and to perceive the meaning of the work of God. Words that will lead me into deeper and deeper communion with God.
But not if I do not say them.
Realize he ends with: not if I do not say them.