olaoluwatomi

Listening to this little girl sing brought tears to my eyes. She has an amazing voice, a great gift and she uses it to bless all those she meets. Rhema Marvanne..............

I have become a night owl! Yesterday I dropped off to bed at 4 in the morning and was up barely 4 hours later. Its ironic that now when I do not need to stay up late and read sleep does not come calling:) Im listening to some music, its been ages since I have tuned into pandora! Each time I listen I am addicted for a few days and I somehow forget that music exists. I really wish I was a music freak and could listen to music for hours but I have realized that for me music is not the dope I need to survive. Its more of an enema (gross I know)! But music comes in handy when Im trying to clear my mind or move objects that seem to have become embedded and refuse to move. Then somehow I find such joy in listening to some tracks and thats it until the next episode of constipation. I love to sing hymns,contemporary music isnt my kind of stuff. Ill listen but I am never a fan. I guess the last musician whose songs I followed at one point in my life was Micheal Jackson before he became Wacko Jac...

121-125 Recovery from a bad cold. Its so amazing how one takes clear nostrils for granted until you cannot sleep because a bad cold gives you the impression that you are drowning! An army of encouragers. When you are down in the dumps and there is no one to cheer you up, one encourager is a delight but when you have tons of people who not only call you but give cheer you up, you are more than blessed. Books, books and more books. Books make it on my list again cos reading is the gateway to a better life:) Feeling down- pick up a book, looking for answers- a book again shows the way, feeling great- buy a book:) Im happy I can read and read and read. The opportunity to learn a new language! The ability to give thanks not dutifully but whole heartedly. I would love to give thanks more spontaneously and truly cherish the blessings that come my way and not take them for granted, God helping me.

December 28, 1986 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acts 20:24 I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. This morning I want to tell you why I feel hopeful and optimistic in the midst of an American culture that seems to be collapsing under the weight of its unprincipled and God-ignoring ways of thought and life. A World of Suffering and Chaos Christmas morning, the lead editorial in the Minneapolis Tribune went like this: It's drab in Minnesota this Christmas—as is fitting, perhaps. Peace and goodwill? Washington is paralyzed by scandal. The Libyans use napalm on Chad. The Iranians and Iraqis continue their bloodbath. Eugene Hasenfus is out of Nicaragua but the contras aren't. Soviet troops remain in Afghanistan. SALT II is a memory, and the promise of the Iceland summit grow...

Several months ago at a bible study, the leader asked what came to mind when Psalm 121 was read. This particular verse sprung to mind 'He who watches over Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers' and I opened my mouth to say it reminded me of the night watchmen we had when I was a child who fell asleep one night and armed robbers came into the compound and took away some electronics including the TV my grandfather had been watching. We awoke the next morning to find him sitting in the same spot where the robbers had left him. After innocently narrating that experience I was surprised when I got all asked all sorts of questions by the others in the group, they included: Why did you need a night watch man? Where were the policemen? Is that a regular experience? It took me a while to realize that the concept of armed robbery, fences, maiguards is as foreign in some places as trying to spend the naira note outside the borders of Nigeria. Once in University, I woke up to the sound of gun...

Its 1.33 am Im supposed to be asleep but my two nostrils were blocked and anytime I put my head down I felt like I was drowning and so I got up but I could not get back to bed and so here I am pounding away on the keyboard of my laptop extending the period of insomnia:) So what do I do when I cant sleep? 1. I update my blog. I often get up in the middle of a battle to sleep, walk to my computer and then turn it on. I log into blogger and write. When Im through with that I then turn off my laptop content that I have exhausted myself sufficiently and then lie down again and drift off to bed. It often works. 2. I stubbornly refuse to get out of bed and lie down until sleep comes. 3. I pick up a book and start to read and only fall asleep when I have just a few hours left to ensure my bodies circadian ryhthm is not badly upset. 4. I play with the shadows imagining all sorts of things and dream while I am wide awake of events and people. It sure beats having nightmares. 5. I try to pray. Se...

116-120 Im definitely going to exceed 5 items but today I want to thank God for the world of books and i'll list all the books I can remember at this point that I am grateful for. 1. 'Classic Christianity' by Bob George- I just started reading it a couple of days ago and I have certainly started thinking differently. Thanks to my sister for making me read it. 2.'Celebration of Disciplines' by Robert Foster- My small group is studying it over the summer and I have been deeply touched by it. 3. 'Don't let the goats eat the loquat leaves' by Thomas Hale. Its one book that almost made me a missionary:) I havent ruled that out:) but its a great book about living as a Missionary in a country with customs vastly different from what one is used too. This is one book I have read more than any other book I have bought. Would have read it many more times but I gave it out and I dont think I will ever get it back. 4. The good earth by Pearl S. Buck- Its one great st...

I watched a lady today. She stood across the street begging for quarters, cents or a dollar. She was dressed in what I would call rags, her hair tied with some funny cloth and huge beads around her neck, she stumbled around with a cup in her hand then stopped to look at her reflection in the glass. Who did she see when she took time off her quest for a dollar to look at the image in the glass? What exactly was her impression of herself? Did she look at her face and see the picture of the young girl she was many years ago with lofty dreams and aspirations? Or did she see herself like I saw her, a woman down on her luck, prowling the streets in search of her next meal, a junkie trying to raise money for her next fix? Someone to be pitied, helped or both? Then it struck me that I needed to ask myself the same question. Who exactly am I? Do I view myself through the eyes of others or do I know who I am when no one else seems to care or be bothered? Is the person I am defined by my perceive...

While waiting for the call that will change me from a job seeker to a candidate and finally an employee I have spent the last few weeks with a great career coach from my school going over my resume, cover letters and just this week practicing for the interview. As a kid, I remember while on holidays with my grandparents being grilled for interviews by my grandma and grandad who acted as the screening committee. Myself, my twin and cousin would be grilled on the words of the second stanza of the Nigerian National anthem which perhaps contributed to my knowing all the words till date, reasons why we want to attend this school and not some obscure school, favorite books, hobbies etc, its amazing that more than twenty years later interviews are still very much made up the same stuff. While practicing interview techniques with my schools career coach she asked several questions which brought a million memories back, I also watched the first episode of Boston Med which also made me take that...

I read a few things on a forum post and am disconcerted that such views still exist ( I know I am naive). The summary of the discussion on the site was that a certain ethnic group are a special set of persons and any intermingling of races was tantamount to desecrating Gods standards for creation. I was astounded! How can people still believe such rubbish in this day and time, take me back a few years and I would say that maybe then it was acceptable but now when the internet has made the whole world smaller than a village, you must be kidding me! I carefully read all the comments and responses to the allegation and was amazed that no one stood up to say something different. Even those who tried to argue the point conceded to the others saying they probably had more book learning. They probably need to read Death the leveler the poem by James Shirley. More book learning should actually make you wiser not dumber. That is why I love death. Death takes us all back to the same page. Death ...

The way to become famous is to buy yourself a pet that can predict winners of the next major sporting event. Paul the Octopus has brough fame to the wide world of octopuses:), I found it amusing at first that an octopus was predicting winners and became even more incredulous at all the attention given to it by the media. Cmon Paul the Octopus is really not an amazing feat, I dare you to say it is? An Octopus with eight legs and a brain no bigger than that of a squid? A cephalopod! I admit it has been known to solve puzzles but when an octopus becomes a soothsayer that becomes a matter for debate. Just watching the YouTube video above I wondered what would have happened if the container with the netherland flag was placed nearer it would it have skipped over to the other side to taste the dainty morsel placed in it. How foolproof was the bait, perhaps the box containing all the correct predictions so far had been coated with a substance only Paul could detect?:) I will not throw in more...

111-115 Its amazing that I have 23 thankful posts, I cant wait to hit 1,000! Anyway here are the things I am thankful for Reunions Pepper Soup:) Great Self Esteem. Showers of blessing A beating heart, lungs that breathe in air, a stomach that acts as a receptacle and many more things..................................................................

As a child the saying 'empty pots make the most noise' rang out whenever someone talked too much or 'ran his mouth' as we were wont to describe it. It still rings true today. Have you ever found yourself in a position where your lips moved before your brain processed whatever witty phrase you wanted to say?. If you are human you would agree with me that it has happened to you on at least one occassion and if you are as truthful as me:), you will admit that you still berate yourself for not applying super glue to your lips on those many occasions when it mattered. With time I have learnt that keeping my mouth shut is actually an asset. I remember times on ward rounds as a medical student when I was on the verge of answering a question thrown out by the consultant as we stood before a patient but having the restraint and the wisdom to pause a few seconds before dishcarging the wrong answer also known in medical student terms as 'purulent' material:) Many a pause s...

Ever wished that you won the million dollar lottery or you slept and woke up to the news that you were now heir to millions left by an uncle you never knew:) Im sure everyone at one point or the other has dreamt such dreams and though you consciously berate people who constantly dream about their next big breakthrough there is a corner of your soul that wishes that something extraordinarily Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious will happen to you! I have no notions of such extreme bounty especially as I realize that riches have wings and bring with it their fair share of heartache trouble and tears. I also am somewhat of a level headed growing older day by day human being. Realizing that the tooth fairy was my parents putting money under my pillow in place of my milk tooth perhaps contributed to my 'waking up to reality'. The reality of life I saw daily as I grew up and especially as I started working in hospitals made me realize that those wishes had a million in one chance of co...

106-110 Mummys presence (isnt it nice to be pampered by your mama:) Boundless Summer Challenge Good books to read Job applications rejected- and more especially for those not rejected:) One of them has to be good news! Seeing things in a different way. its amazing how closed one can be when you base your knowledgeon facts handed down to you! I know this is not monday but its never to late to be thankful!