The Next Miracle could be yours.....

A new week has come upon us, ladies and gentlemen *smiles*. Another week to make it right. Stay strong, Pray, Eat well, exercise well and you're good to go. Don't forget to show a little kindness to someone. 

For those expecting a job, contract, signed business proposal, and even that life partner, keep calm okay? Your miracle is here. Trust and believe these words cos this thing called Miracle happens.

Here I Am....by Jonathan Houston

I am so excited to share this with you. I have been blessed after reading this super motivating book. I should share my copy with someone this week. Enjoy!

    LET'S MEET YOU...

My name is Jonathan Houston.  I am the author of my first book Here I AM, by which I was commissioned to write at 9 years old after an instance when my Christian mother had again terrorized me in our home. The Father in Heaven had personally asked me to write a book journaling my abusive past, specifically those of my Christian mother— all the world will know why so many abuses and painful secrets go hidden, so all parents will know to review those whom watch their child by surveying their heart and not their charm or credentials, so all the world will know that secrets can destroy a person, a family, a lineage, a city, a state and local government, and even the greatest nation in the world. I was born in Los Angeles, CA when my parents together left the southern states to chase a dream to be successful actors (In the 1800s men would chase gold.  At the end of the 20th century men and women chased the dream of being a star.  Only few come up with plenty; the rest come up empty.).

    HOW WAS GROWING UP LIKE???

Within the first 3 years of my life my parents moved to divorce.  I was now raised thousands of miles away from the heart of my lineage, and I lived in a single-parent home with my mother. My father has always been very much in my life.  Many of my abuses have stemmed from daycares, camps and persons my parents trusted with me whom were outside our family circle of friends.  There was no abuse that could compare to the abuse laid bare by my Christian mother.

While both of my parents carried the same aspirations to be a star and have a successful acting career, the heavy laden of financial burdens rested on my mother’s shoulders.  Ultimately her tension was often released via brash abuses which began being inflicted upon me prior to reaching the age of 4.  Many have become humorously accustomed to the saying “beat me like a runaway slave”; moreover, this was my life within the confines of my home.  Since my mother’s profession served as an actress, and her image was a heightened concern, my mother knew how to change my mood to a joyous one when we were visiting company or when company was visiting us (This was usually following an abusive happening with my mother). 

   HOW DID YOU GO THROUGH THE ABUSES???

One of the many reasons no one knew of the abuses being hurled on me from my Christian mother, is because I did have an honest smile when my mother was indeed kind to me.  The second reason is because abuse was introduced in my life so early I thought it was a natural part of life.  I didn’t even admit I was abused until I was about 19 years old while learning the hints of a child being abused in my Child Psychology course while studying in my Undergraduate courses.  The third reason is because I was a meek child.  You would have to draw such information out of me; you would also have to know that I was abused to ask the right questions to get it out of me.  Hence, no one knew I was being abused.

My mother has always been a very kind and giving woman.  She is charming and loving to many people.  She reads the word of God and she is especially encouraging and insightful unto many, always using the word of God to bring peace and speak peace to many.  She is even hailed today as being head of the Foster Care/Adoption Committee in her church for nearly 25 years.  My mother has much clout and esteem in her surroundings.  This truth of her was a deception to every man and woman outside our home.  It was even a deception unto me as a child.  For so many years I sought to appeal to that “revered’ side.  Still, the abuse carried on until I was 13 years old.  When it stopped, her verbal abuse intensified, and in two of my teenage years I became a masochist: one who cuts his own flesh.  Moreover, my mother was not the core of my masochism.  She was merely the kerosene thrown on the fire.

   

   YOU'VE NEVER MENTIONED DAD'S CONTRIBUTION...

My masochism arose because since the time of my father’s marriage when I was 10 years old, he has always portrayed in his actions having to choose whom he should love more, his wife or me.  He never learned that he didn’t have to choose; all he had to do was love each of us separately with the love God gave him.  As a result, my relationship with my father has always often been stricken, on the rocks, or even threatened to be no more on one occasion, because my relationship with his wife carried much tension.   

These are the reasons why I began to hate and desire to move away from Christianity.  Moreover, the only reason I am a Christian is because Jesus, the person, had been visiting me all along.  He taught me how to love: to love beyond the knowledge of good and evil, since what you know about someone corrupts how you love someone.  He taught me how to forgive.  He taught me how to honor my mother, and understand what He calls honor, even if my mother was my primary abuser.  He taught me how to depend on His fatherhood.  He even taught me that He had his own relationship with the Father which was separate from God’s children and the Holy Spirit (This was something I sought to implement with my own children.).

   HOW HAS IT BEEN HAVING YOUR OWN FAMILY???

Today I am a married man with four children. I have been married for over 7 years. My first son came literally 9 months after we got married: a “Honeymoon baby”.  My greatest relaxation is watching them grow, play, roll around and play practical jokes on me.  I get the greatest peace knowing that they have not been touched, mishandled, or neglected.  My son is almost 6 ½ years old.  At his age I had already been abused, molested, and tortured a number of times.  He will never know what it’s like for his own parent to abuse him.  He will never lack having a father whom loves him unconditionally, since I have personally asked the Lord to judge me every year from his mercy seat in every area of my life.

 WHAT HAS BEEN PEOPLES' REACTIONS AFTER WRITING "HERE I AM"?

Since I have written Here I AM many of my family/friends cannot understand how I was abused.  Much of my family/friends cannot compute how all of a sudden I am stating that I have had face-to-face appearances, and other visitations from the Lord, since I was almost 4 years old.  Much of the confusion comes from me just now deciding to talk about it.  The answer is quite simple.  

I have had the lifelong struggle to make one decision.  I have had to choose: (1) to not break my mother’s heart and destroy her reputation by telling the truth or (2) to testify of my true relationship of Jesus and how it came about.  Since God is God and Jesus, who is the Son of God, has always been faithful to me, even before I was born, I chose to follow Jesus.  I wrote this book in obedience to the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).  

  WHAT WILL BE YOUR ADVICE TO THE YOUNG ONES???

To the children whom are being abused, neglected, tortured and/or molested, I say to you.  Jesus is near.  He has not left you comfortless.  Even if you cannot see Him, He is there with you.  You must know that a moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory, even if that moment of pain is 15 years long.  God truly desires to make you great—His ways are not your ways; He did not send the evil that was done to you.  He will avenge you, and He will do it with love.  He will teach you how to love those whom hurt you, betray you, disappoint you, and even seek to do evil toward you, even if they are your own family.  The biggest joy you can have is that you love and have the boldness to share your testimony regardless of what people say to you.  That, my friend, is freedom.  

My life will teach my children to be willing to stand for truth (whom is a person and not information: Jesus) even if it means your very life.  This is the example my Lord displayed on the cross.  I’d rather lose the world, friends, family, and all, to gain Jesus, then to gain favor from men and lose even a fraction of intimacy with Jesus.

 

Twitter: The Harbinger—  @Holy_Harbinger

Facebook: JG Houston

Ministry Website:  Hereiaminternational.com

Latest Video:  Is Face to Face with Jesus Real?

Anticipated Video: Interview on Here I AM / Release Date: End of October 2015

Our Story!

We all have been through one drama in our lives, for some of us, it's been stages of drama. Today we think we have had all of it but then a different drama plays out. For some, it has been the relationship drama, family drama, marriage drama, academics, un-employment, should-have-been best friend drama, disappointment, and so on. To some, they wonder why they have to go through these horrible phases, almost like a cycle. They start a new routine today, it looks interesting, everything seems just okay, happiness sips in and BOOM, back to the very beginning, it goes down, pain comes in, nothing seems to be working again, the used to be good time turns out sour and now, we are back to square one.

A senior friend of mine, beautiful, classy, intelligent shared a story with me just last week, quite disturbing and touching. I met her some years back during service year, I realised she wasn't so friendly with guys, she was always on the edge, always irritated, always arguing with them. She could take some kind of insults from ladies but not from a man. I summoned courage and asked why she was always quick to anger and she told me a bit of her story, and it boiled down to disappointment. Apparently she was in a long relationship, both families knew about it, there were promises of marriage and future, only for her to realise he had a family outside the country. Years after service, she stayed single, no job and after three or four years, God blessed her with a good job and she had to relocate. Life started to take a different shape, she had a reason to be happy again. Just few months after relocation, she found this hunk (permit me to use the word) who made her life and stay in her new environment even better. Interestingly, she got the whole zoo in her stomach and not butterflies this time, she was so excited about it. This is the same lady who never changes her Dp for anyone, her Dp on bbm was all about her, her family, her best friends and a few of us (chosen friends) #winks, but it was new, she always had his picture on her dp,hmmmm, my friend was in love. She called me some months back to tell me how interesting her life has been, how she prays I find my mr.right soon and that moment came, you know that moment, we (ladies) always wait for, the "will you marry me" moment, oh yes, it came through, and we were so happy, pictures rolled and hey, it was a new beginning. 

"Less" New School.....By Chival

Recently,I was walking aimlessly round the house and I just heard Shina Peters "Oshee" play on the radio. I was so excited not just because it was my mums favorite track from that record but because it reminded me of what good music should sound like with all its adorned originality. That shot me back to the past with a blast,the vintage picture of the living room,the record player and a long shelve of neatly arranged records of then superstars who are this day called legends in music. The tunes played in my head,perfectly organized genres from Oliver De Coque to King Sunny Ade,to Onyeka Onwenu,Christy Essien Igbokwe,Orits Wiliki,Majek Fashek,Fela Kuti,Victor Uwaifo,Victor Olaiya,Ik Dairo,Sunny Okosu,Ebenezer Obe,KWAM 1,and its a long list of ever green songs,songs naturally arranged to fit moments in the day to day running of both personal life and societal events,songs even after countless remix of the original version,the message is still felt and like a printed copy of an original page,its still 1 of 1..songs like Osadebes "Osondi Owendi",even Jayz went that far in 2010,compiling the Nigerian gangster album which is a mash up album with samples of various fela kuti songs of all time.
 

Checking in.....

Hey people,how are you all doing? It's Thursday already oooo countdown to the most amazing "Friday". So I have been writing my Msc exams, should be through by Saturday, can't wait. Met lots of people,interesting ones at that, from managers to safety officers, to the amazing-Timi Tuns #hehe, Yinka the ever busy guy and a host of them,it's been really amazing.
Ehen I thought to share this, for about a week, I've been having this cough and my mum the "house doctor" says i need to chew bitter leaf "onugbu" as we call it in Ibo land. Well initially I bluntly refused, because I just couldn't chew something as bitter as that and secondly did not believe it would stop the cough. For every time I sneezed or coughed,we go through the same story of "you're stubborn, go and pluck the leaf and chew". Reluctantly, I decided to adhere to her instruction and so I did, spent every second I chewed it, screaming and squeezing my face, morning-afternoon, that was the dosage, lol. Two days after I started, I realized I wasn't coughing again, bitter leaf wasn't so bitter again, I would send my younger sister to go pluck it for me, salt-wash and chew.

LET MY PEOPLE THINK BY ISAAC MENDEZ...

I am Isaac Mendez. I am a Marine Engineer. I love to express myself. Join me in this journey.
This is a piece I love the most.

“LET MY PEOPLE THINK”
Summon me and summon men
Summon wind, and summon birds
Summon life, and summon death
Let us not let plain vanity own our earth

Unchained, untamed and misbehaved.
Were we created to be the wild ones?
East to west, north to south,
Why do we fall like withered leaves?
Should we let vanity swing our own heads?

Black thread on a white fur
We are odd from creation
White sand on a bean stock
We are lost in foundation
Let old vanity not misguide our own thoughts

A boy lives to be above a man,
A man lives to be above men
A girl loves to love
Woman! Don’t forget our earth
Vanity still… will never do us well.

Resurrect us, while we are dead.

"The journey of a naturalista" by El-Poiz©

Its that time of the week again..yipee
Now where were we?...yes! I'm to take you through my Natural Hair Journey...and since I like giving names to things I'll name this 'The Diary of a Naturalista'.


I was drawn into the natural hair world by my sister. Really I went for it because I love trying out new ideas. I went through natural hair regimens, pictures of naturalistas and oh well..that was it, I was hooked. So I joined the group 'Natural Hair Babes' on facebook as recommended by my sister.
Immediately I loosened the braids I had on, I washed my hair with my dudu osun shampoo which is a mixture of honey,olive oil and one tablet of dudu osun / black soap dissolved in water.


Afterwards, I needed a haircare regimen; so I planned this, shamwash once a month, cowash(washing with a sulphate-free conditioner) daily, weekly Deep Conditioning(DC) but protein DC once a month, moisture DC on regular DC days, Hot Oil treatment twice a month. Basically, the process was; Sham/Cowash - DC - Hot Oil treatment.

N.B;Protein DC;1 greek yoghurt, egg yolk,olive oil, coconut oil.
Moisture DC; mayonnaise,aloe vera gel(preferably hand squeezed over store-bought),honey,olive oil.
For both DC's mix their respective ingredients,apply on hair, let it sit for an hour then rinse out.
Hot Oil Treatment; heat up your oil; if you have more than 3 available oil,then 1 tablespoon of each will but if less than,2 tablespoons. (Heat to a temperature that still permits handling)Apply on hair, cover for an hour or overnight and rinse out.

Shamwash can be done weekly and Co wash daily, it entirely depends on you. Although regular shamwash has a tendency of stripping the hair of its moisture, other treatments like DC replenishes it. Your moisture and protein DC rates depends on your hair condition; for a soft easily-breaking hair, the protein DC can be done 2 or 3 times a month until you hair gets better then you continue with once a month. On the other hand, for an overly 'hard' hair(dry hair), moisture DC is highly recommended every week except on Protein-DC day.

Next week, we go further in my diary to see what we have there...stay connected.

Dialect's Give away.....(Awoof)

Okay guys, there's a competition going on and it's from the Morgan Entertainment. It's easy, if you've got an instagram handle,just read up how to participate. Best of luck people...

How to participate:
*Make a 15 seconds video of your self dancing or Singing to the song #KILIBE BY DIALECT.
*Hash tag/mention #KILIBE_DIALECT_AFRICA, @Dialectfelix and @Emekamorgan On instagram.
*3 persons with the highest numbers of "Likes" will get an instant N100,000 (N300,000).
Note: Participants must follow @Dialectfelix and @Emekamorgan on instagram to eligible.

For enquiries contact Info@morganentusa.com
Starts on the 16th Oct. To end on 31st Oct.

This is very Official!

I love what I do......Nick Mez!

I first saw a virtual Dj software while I was in UNN Enugu Campus, I had no interest whatsoever as my friend and say 'Prime Mentor' by the name Dj Olamide now known as 'Discophile' was the Dj of the house. In the room we all played around with the software you know, we would mix four songs of the same bpm ( beat per minute) and then scream yaay!! We did it.. We were all dancers and part of a theatre group ( Joyful Family Theatre Group) so almost everyone had their niche,graphic design was mine. It all started when I left the country for studies outside.Djing here started like a joke playing music during dormitory birthday parties just because I knew how to use the software a little bit and there was no one else with prior knowledge, there was no passion whatsoever. Then gradually I discovered that the me that used to love to be on the dance floor derived more joy in making the people on the dance floor move to the rythm. As a Nigerian studying marine Engineering in the Philippines I one day saw it as an opportunity to learn the craft of DJing while I was here in the Philippines where I could learn different genres of music! But professionally I would love to focus my energy on EDM ( Electronic Dance Music) because it sort of goes with the energy I have as a person! I have made several Dj mixtapes most consisting of Nigerian songs namely 

Your ways mix by Nickmez 

Jam It dancehall mix by Nickmez 

Airjack mix by Nickmez

but recently I posted a Hip Hop mixtape all these mixes can be found on my soundcloud and Hulkshare accounts! 

I am also fondly called 'weyrey' which literary means crazy but in the Dj world I go crazy when I spin on the wheels!

I see a future different than the way it is in my home country Nigeria music wise! 

I see a country that is still evolving musically despite our international recognition 

I also want to go into music production in the nearest future.

I see a future where Dj's are respected and not looked down upon like its some craft not worthy of appraisal! I remember my parents trying to talk me out of it over the phone with such reasons as people don't have respects for Dj's and stuff! I can remember she compared me to a record player in our village! 'Lol' 

Unlike most Dj's that teach themselves I took it upon myself to go to an academy and also tutor myself at home.I made my first public appearance Oct 1st 2015 at the Remington Hotel Manila at the House Manila Club where I played alongside two other Dj's for the Afrohip hop party to mark the Nigerian Independence!

You can listen and download my mixtapes on 

Soundcloud at www.soundcloud.com/iamnickmez

Hulkshare at www.hulkshare.com/IamNickMez

Facebook Page -----Nick Mez

Twitter -------@weyrrey

Instagram-----@weyrrey

Preparing for the new week....

Happy Sunday darlingsssss, hope the weekend was restful? And another week is here again,#wheeew. It's gonna be just fine okay? So just before the new week starts, i'll like us to clear our minds of any hate we have on anyone.

We have all been hurt by a close friend, a member of our family, a colleague, a used to be relationship partner,etc, and in turn, we have also hurt these categories of people, knowingly or unknowingly. Most of us must have gone through emotional torture, pain, scars, you name it, and now it's so difficult to forgive, for every second you play the movie in your head, you turn red, you start to curse out, you start to regret, you only wish you can pay back, you wish they can feel the same way they made you feel but the WORD says: "your adversary is the devil, and he knows that if you don't forgive, your prayers won't be effective". Free yourself of the hurt. It's tempting to hold on to unforgiveness but please LET GO of the hate, the heartache. God forgives our every sin, who are we not to. FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING GOD'S MIRACLE POWER.

Seyi Hunter hits it tomorrow......

Nollywood actress, Seyi Hunter, has joined the ranks of entertainment people who are moving into the pageantry business as she is set to launch the maiden edition of Miss Bikini Pageant International tomorrow, the 10th of October.

According to the actree she said that, "The beauty of this pageant is that we are showcasing the African culture. We want to change the perception of people about bikinis. Bikinis can be worn tastefully without promoting obscenity. We want to explore how bikinis can be worn to suit our culture. Models will be wearing them the African way. We hope to change the bikini culture to suit our ‘Africaness’.”

The actress who has starred in movies like Broken Fixtures, Pain, Many Days-One day, My Club, MM Girls, Insanity,Rukayat, Alenibare, amongst others, emphasized that the pageant is all about doing the foreign bikini culture the African way using African prints. “It’s about injecting the African culture into an European or global culture. 

My Art Work by Miss Ezinne

I love all forms of creativity, but I show preference to Art; It is one of the amazing talents God blessed me with and through it, I'm able to express my imaginations just the way they are.

Their Opinion; Your Take!

Good Morning people, it's Friday already *moon walks*. Been a busy week for me, my exams (which has been good so far), I can confess there's nothing as fulfilling as getting to the exam hall well prepared, you should try it, I have also been rehearsing my lines, body movement and facial expression for an event i'm to co host this weekend and also learning the job of a movie production coordinator #smiles.
In all of my busy schedule, I still find time to drink coca cola, ain't nobody stealing that from me,lol.

The Man We Are: Your Real License To Polygamy....

Article by Chinedu Nwadike. Enjoy!
As a kid, I asked myself “why do I need to choose this from that when I can have them all. I felt like I would grow up and become ‘every man’. A little of a doctor, engineer, teacher and every other profession I loved. The truth is that I wanted to be good at all of them and it actually affected my concentration on a particular thing. I am not a jack of all trades and master of none anyway.
Men used to be like me, living for fame, killing, conquering and winning women like prizes. It doesn’t matter the number you had in your home, they just swell and swell as long as you have the resources to cater for them.

Exam Preparation!

Hi lovelies, so I have been preparing for my 1st semester exam, studying for my M.Sc in Information Technology. Hmmm,well it's not been easy reading and making sure it sticks in there. Interestingly, some of the courses were taught during my undergraduate days. Writing my first exam today, little tension though but I am sure to overcome this once I get to the hall.
Big ups to the undergraduates who have more than fours semesters to go. Success to anyone writing exams today. May God crown our efforts and to those who remembered their books a night before today's exam,hmm.....Success too,but Heaven helps those who help themselves,LOL
My next post is an article by Chinedu Nwadike,CEO O'Town Gist Entertainment. He talks about "The Man We are" (Your Real License to Polygamy)

The joy of a New Mum by Chinenyenwa...

Yipee! I was able to get this pretty Mrs. Chinenyenwa to express the joy of motherhood. Here's her story;
I would normally want to start by telling you the amazing aspects but I don't want you to write me off as a wishful thinker. The idea of motherhood could be scary and very stressful in a way though but with the right frame of mind and motivation, it could be beautiful and passionately rewarding..

 I would share my experience and drop some handy tips that would help and bring you back on course whenever you feel blue.  In the first place,you have to plan. Being a makeup artist,I had to prepare my mind to create a good balance between work and family. I am determined to succeed as a professional and as a Mother. So I invested my time in honing my skills and mentoring younger ladies. This really helped me when I finally got pregnant. I was able to do my work with expertise and I also had well trained ladies assisting me.

Natural Hair (Nat 101)

All you naturalistas and intending ones, get in here as El Poiz © takes us through the journey of being natural and having the big chop

Natural Hair???? Nope,not me. I can't. My hair's sooo stubborn, I just can't do it'

That ladies, is our greatest fear: 'stubborn hair'. I call it 'a Moisture-deprived hair'.
The Natural Hair Journey begins with a decision. Do you want to transition or Do you want to have an instant bigchop?
Transitioning is a process where you allow your undergrowth a reasonable time to grow before making a bigchop.
A bigchop on the other hand, is the cutting off of one's relaxed ends.
The bigchop however, is inevitable; transitioning or not,you must have your bigchop to be fully natural.

With this decision made, what do you need to kick off?
1)Wide-tooth comb
2)Spritz; this is a mixture of 80% water and 20% olive oil
3)Olive oil
4)Shea butter
Other things you might need are;
5)Essential oils like lavender oil,rosemary oil to mention but a few
6)Carrier oils like. Jojoba oil,sweet almond oil,sunflower oil amongst others.
The secret to having a healthy natural hair is patience...simply patience.

In subsequent weeks, we shall lead you through a new or for some, not-so-new world; ' The Natural Hair Journey'.

Monday Blessings...

The dreadful "Monday" is here again, though I think it's all about perception. I see Mondays as beautiful, pace setting day, Gear 1 day......and it works beautifully well for me, but if you see Mondays as stressful, scary then it just would act as you have wished. I decided to start my day in church with the blessings that come with attending morning mass and YES I'm catholic #winks. So I pray that this week brings success, peace, great achievement, good deals. So tap into the Monday blessings.

Oops! And the Red team....

Just when I thought my weekend would end well, my team decided to loose to Arsenal,kai. Will still REP the red anyday. Sadly, Brendan Rodgers of Liverpool was sacked.
In other related news, I will be having a feature tomorrow by El-poiz on the journey to being natural, this should be helpful to the ladies and guys please read and educate your babes. We will also have the "new mum's corner" with a young beautiful mum who would take us through the joys of early motherhood.

Appreciating life to the fullest

How the weekend starts and ends though. Hope you had a good one? I was supposed to have a beautiful weekend knowing that my friend's brother was walking down the aisle with his pretty bride. And then it went sour, 1 minute, it was all laughter, jokes and the next was silence, confusion, panic as my friend's mum who was up and about couldn't move. There are just some stories that sound false and unimaginable till you either experience them or present when these shocking events happen. I stood watching the pretty mother who was to be excited about her son's wedding stay quiet because she just couldn't move, she became weak, it was a sad one; a wedding which she had planned and waited for and there we were, no explanation to what was happening.

 At that moment I started asking God for forgiveness, for times when I took my life for granted, times when I complained about the things I did not have. I realised that in just a second I could be history. In pain, tribulations, trials, debts, ill health... We have to be grateful for a day above ground, we have to appreciate the air we breathe, the family we have, the friends turned family, for the challenges we face and so on.
Let us appreciate the life we have. Love like you've never loved. Hope like you've never done. Smile! Give! Giggle! Dance!