RAPTURE: The Second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Ever wondered what it would be like when Our Lord Jesus Christ comes to the earth to take His people home? I don’t wonder. I know. All eyes shall see Him descending from the clouds and His children will be transformed and go up to meet Jesus in the clouds… It’s not by might, nor by power. You can’t force yourself to disappear and be transformed. It will only happened to those who have given their lives to Christ by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and living the kind of life He lived when He was on earth, forsaking all wickedness of the human nature and living solely for Christ. Renewing your mind day by day with the Word of Life and seeking first the kingdom of God according to Matthew 6:33-34,

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”(NIV)

When you do these continuously with prayers, your life will change alongside peace of mind from the Throne of Grace. Stop pursuing the things of this world, your heavenly Father knows you need them and he will supply them to you according to His riches in glory, only you have to ask and you shall receive, that your joy will be complete. Continue...

Our parents are not perfect

 

I often thought my parents were perfect during my growing up years. When I was a teenager, they seem to get less smart and backward in the way they think and do things. This made me question their thinking, judgment and lifestyle. I often fought with their decisions on me as they didn’t suit me and how I wanted to live. They wanted to pattern my life to be straightforward, and I wanted a little more fun in it.

Recently, I have come to discover that they are not perfect. They only tried, in the way they thought was right, to bring up a child. It is usually hard to admit the truth, but at this point of my life, looking back, they were often right. Although the tension may still be hanging in the air, as we may not talk freely like they would want me to, sometimes I wish they had explained what they were trying to do for me.

But am sure you will ask, “If they ventured to explain to you at that tender age, do you think you would have understood them?”

You can never tell. The minds of children are sharper than you can think of. Our heavenly Father teaches them beyond our expectation.

Did you experience something different with your parents? Share with us…

Your physical appearance... Does it matter in marriage?

Have you noticed that most people’s appearance changes after marriage? Usually, the guy is the first to change - an extra padding of fat everywhere, he looks more beefed up and then for some, the ‘beer’ belly (eeeewww!!!). Thankfully, not all of them get that far, though some think it’s a sign of good living. Indeed!?

As for the ladies, it’s usually just a nice healthy ‘love’ glow which progresses to a pregnancy glow (hopefully) and then pregnancy weight gain and then boom! They explode. For some, it takes more than one episode of childbirth to do that but it eventually happens. Then the lady does everything she can to get her pre-baby, hot-body back. Some try and give up quickly - too much work. Some never even bother do. A minority get it back quickly (lucky them). And then, there are some people who have no issues with weight gain at all. They look nice and trim all the days of their lives. We are happy for them (notice the envious tone).

Where am I going with this? Your spouse is, more likely than not, going to change in appearance, especially with regard to weight. How does this affect how you see them? Do you see your wife’s stretch marks and think – eeeeww! So not like the hot chicks on TV. Or do you think - aaaaww, she got this from carrying and delivering our children. What about your husband’s growing tummy? Do you think it’s a sign to everyone that you’re taking good care of him, rather than the fact that midsection fat is a sign of poor health for everyone and for men particularly?

How about tackling my own issues and making sure my physical appearance generally and weight specifically is pleasing to my spouse. Ladies, we all know the ‘competition’ out there, but hey, guys have got to keep up too. After all, I’ve got to look at you every day for the rest of my life. Surely, I should be pleased with what I see. The pressure always seems much more on the women, but in this day and age, it’s beginning to tell on the guys too.

My point? Be happy with who you are, with how you look and with how you feel. If you’re not, it’s likely your spouse isn’t either. If you need motivation, think about your spouse. It takes two. If I like the fact that he’s nice and trim, especially since he watches what he eats and plays both football and tennis regularly, how about I get rid of my love-handles by going to the gym three times a week rather than splurge on chocolates every night?.... then again, maybe not.

Please share your thoughts below

By Hazel

A very sad experience

I woke up one Friday morning with the hopes of going home after the day's work to return on Sunday. Reason being that I haven't gone home for a very long time. I went to the market to buy wine, shoes and bags for the people at home. I went to work in the morning and I couldn't wait for work closing time. 

At exactly 5 o'clock,  my boss came into the general office asking me to shutdown and go. I was happy because he just save me from taking a night journey. I left the office by 5:05pm. On getting to the park it was almost 5:30pm. I was the second to the last person that boarded the last available bus. It took about thirty minutes to get out of the hold-up right in front of the motor park. We began our journey at about 6:15pm. 

On the road, we met a couple of hold-up, accident spots and all the hazards involving a close night journey. By 7:35pm, I alighted from the bus, and trekked for about 20 minutes into the estate where my parents are residing. While i was trekking down the road, I was scared. I couldn't make call because of fear of informing any thief around that somebody was around. The estate was very quiet except for the few houses that had their generator on. 

Suddenly, I had a feeling that my parents may not be around, but I pushed it away because I always believed that even if they traveled, my two sisters will always be around. I entered our street and on getting closer, I discovered their was no light in the house. When I got to the gate, the padlock was in place, firmly secured. JESUS CHRIST!!! What is happening? Where do I go by 8:00pm? I called my parents, their phones were switched off. I called my two sisters but they were not picking.  Continue...

What happy couples in love talk about...

Heck, what's more chaotic than being in love? One of the perks of being in a relationship is being able to discuss subjects you avoided during the early stages of dating.  Among the scores of substantive topics people discuss, we've come up with 10 that we believe couples should relish during heart-to-hearts: How To Ace The "What Are We?" Talk. Believe me, if you can't do this with your partner, you are heading for the rocks...

1. Embarrassing moments. If you can't share that awkward moment you are so much ashamed of with your partner, who can you tell them to? Don't be afraid to broach the subject, if you haven't already. We wouldn't be surprised if his are more horrifying than yours.

2. Political viewpoints. How do you feel about the freshly-approved healthcare bill? You don't have to agree with each other, although it would certainly help. A good relationship allows both parties to discuss their own philosophies without taking the opposition personally. 

3. Fears and insecurities. By fears, we don't mean your phobia of earthworms. We're talking about things that make you wake up with gray hairs. What worries you? What do you want to improve in yourself? What are your past skeletons? In being vulnerable, you risk judgement, but more importantly, you chance being understood. Continue...

A Letter written to Women, from Men

Dear Women,

First of all, we're sorry. We're sorry that although we look like men, we often act like boys. We're not even sure what it means to be men anymore. As we grow up, we learn that to be happy is to be self-indulgent and self-centered. We try to make enough money so that we can have the right TV with the right video games in the right home. We want to date you and maybe even marry you but we are scared to focus on someone else instead of ourselves. Isn't it sad that we see committing to you as a potential threat to our happiness instead of a wonderful opportunity?

Here's what we don't understand: True happiness comes from being true men. We think and act like boys who don't want their toys taken away. We look up to "role models" in the media who teach us to get as much gratification out of life as possible. We may claim to be spiritual, or even firm atheists, but pleasure is the god that we worship, whether we realize it or not. Unfortunately, women tend to be just another part of our hedonistic lifestyle. Please know this: True men won't treat you like an irritating obstacle or a sexual convenience. Continue...

Basic skills for marriage

I was conducting a research online and came across this and I decided to share it here with you. Basic skills you need to cultivate before you get married. A lot of guys will think this post is meant for women but i tell you the truth, having been in a relationship myself, I can boldly tell you that conception is wrong. Women are not in a relationship with themselves and so are not the only ones who need the skills. It also applies to the men because it takes two to be in a relationship, it also takes two to work out their marriage. What you need to make your marriage work and avoid break-up:

1. Emotional self-regulation. Young children often get mad, cry, or even hit their siblings. Adults, on the other hand, mostly live their lives in the calm zone. The good news is that adults who get overly emotional, (especially with anger), can learn how to overcome their anger tendencies. If you find that you raise your voice and get mad more than once every several months, or get so mad that you say and do hurtful things, you've got some important learning to do.

2. Communication. Talking tactfully, especially when the issue is something that distresses you, and listening in a way that sustains cooperation, are essential to any marriage. Talking in a way that's complaining, critical, or otherwise hurtful will get you in serious marriage trouble. Dismissing what your partner says, negating what you hear with "but", or ignoring instead of digesting what you hear, is sure to cause extreme marital woes. Continue...

Signs that you may have cancer

These are a few signs I gathered from research. It may help you detect early signs of cancer.

1 White Patches Inside Your Mouth

Smokers and tobacco users should be especially wary of this one: sores inside the mouth or on the tongue that don't go away can be a sign of leukoplakia, which leads to mouth cancer. Bring these to your doctor's attention if you catch them.

2 Changes on Your Skin

If you notice any changes on a wart or mole on your body, or any other changes on your skin, this could be a sign of melanoma, also known as skin cancer. See a doctor or dermatologist right away, melanoma can be treated easily if it's detected early.

3 Sores That Never Heal

If you have a persistent sore or sores that don't seem to heal, you should get them checked out by a doctor right away. Sores inside the mouth can be signs of an oral cancer, and sores on the skin can be a sign of skin cancer. Continue...

Still single... Probably Unapproachable...

You got your fab new dress on; 6-inch heels that are just to-die-for and let’s not forget your flawless make up. You’re hanging out with your girls at your favorite bar and having a blast.

You can no doubt notice the guys have got their eyes on you, it’s only a matter of time before one would come over and say hi right? You walk across the bar on your own a few times, just in case the guys are intimidated by the crowd of girls around you. Still nothing. You start to wonder if you were wrong about the dress, maybe the shoes are not the right color, or the mascara is starting to smear. Your self-confidence gradually starts to wane until eventually, you just can’t wait to leave the bar.

While you might look Fab and you feel like you are working it, sometimes to get the right attention, you need the right attitude. Being approachable now isn’t a question of looks but of the vibe you are giving off. A few things that can actually give off the wrong vibe- includes body language, posture and facial expressions. Continue...

Making your relationship to be romantic

A romantic relationship is what everyone thinks about but it is usually achieved by only a few. The problem may stem from not knowing what to do, sheer ignorance or full time neglect of a partner. Below are ten subtle ways that you can do with and for your partner to bring a little more romance into your relationship.

1. Make your partner feel special by bringing him or her a cup of coffee or morning breakfast in the morning while he or she still in bed. The kindness is always returned as the partner will feel cherished and loved by you. Continue...

5 Gifts Men give that will Likely Take the Romance Out of their Relationship

Having being in a relationship, I can tell you about five gifts most likely to take the romance out of your relationship. The following gifts are examples of some of the worst types of romantic gifts that a man can buy for his lady. In each of these cases, it would have been better if he’d saved up his pennies and bought her something really worthwhile, such as a beautiful piece of jewellery or that timeless symbol of everlasting love, a diamond. Learn from these terrible examples, so as not to fall into the same trap yourself: 

An Apron,Iron, or Anything Suggestive of Housework: Such gifts bring to mind the image of a ball and chain, with the wife chained to the housework while the chauvinistic man puts his feet up. Whether or not that’s what you’re looking for in a relationship, it’s not a wise idea to communicate it so clearly through giving such a gift. Gifts should be luxurious and not suggestive of work. They certainly shouldn’t be a hint that what you’re really looking for is a housewife. Continue...

A must read for every woman

This is a must read for women I came across and I just want to share it… Ways to show love to your husband by late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya…

1. Discover his favorite pet name and call him by that.

2. Allow him exercise his authority as the head of the family.

3. Do not challenge him when he is hurt.

4. Be silent when he is angry. You can go back to him in his sober moment with apology and explain why you behaved that way that annoyed him.

5. Be quick to say “I am sorry dear”. Whenever you offend him pettingly, insist on his forgiveness, appreciate and kiss him when he does. Continue...

50 tips on how to save money

Saving money is also a hard work and most of the people actually cannot do it properly. So they create some big problems in their life. Here is a list of 50 Tips on how you can save money:

1.Don't buy drinking water. Always keep safe drinking water in Bottle with you.

2. Don't buy unnecessary things.


3. Don't buy books. Borrow them from public libraries. Or if you want a book badly first search on old books market or Amazon's free book collection.

My architectural fantasies: Burj Al Arab

"A building becomes iconic when its form is simple and unique. If you can draw a building with a few sweeps of the pen and everyone recognises not only the structure but also associates it with a place on earth, you have gone a long way towards creating something iconic” "

Thomas Wright

There are few buildings that did become the symbol of a city and even of a country. The Pyramids of Giza, the Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Parliament (Big Ben) in London, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Colosseum in Rome, the Opera House in Sydney and more recently the Beijing stadium, belong to this select group of buildings whose very image evokes the country where they are standing.

In 1994 a group of young British architects led by Thomas Willis Wright received the commission of their lives: to design a building that would become the symbol of a city, Dubai, and a country, the United Arab Emirates. The client was none other than the actual ruler of Dubai, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. At that time few people were aware of the existence of the emirate, but it was the Burj Al Arab, the Tower of the Arabs, the one put Dubai on the map.

culled from architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.com

Marriage advice: This is for men...

The best marriage advices I have seen in recent times are usually from people with failed marriages or divorcees. They usually have things they wished they did differently and so offer us the younger ones a better advice with their sincerity and honesty as compared to people with good marriages…

 
MARRIAGE ADVICE I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD: By Gerald Rogers

Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had.

1) Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love. Continue...