RECIPE: ROSE BUD BREAD ROLLS ARE SIMPLY STUNNING

Orange Rolls

¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

3 eggs

½ cut butter

¾ cup milk

½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

4 ½ - 5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water, set aside for 5 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl mix together eggs, sugar, and salt.  Set aside.  

In a small saucepan, melt butter then add milk.  Slowly pour into egg mixture mixing all the time.  Add yeast mixture and 2 cups flour.  Mix until dough is smooth.  Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time.  Only use needed amount of flour to form a smooth yet sticky dough.  DO NOT ADD MORE THAN 5 CUPS OF FLOUR. Cover dough with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  Place in refrigerator overnight. 

Orange filling:

1/2 cup butter – melted

1 cup sugar

Juice from 1/2 orange

Zest from 1 orange

To make the orange filling:  Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and stir to blend. 

Butter or grease 2 muffin pans then set aside. Roll into a rectangle.  Spread the melted butter and orange mixture on the dough leaving ½-inch border around the sides.  Roll dough from the long end.  Cut roll into 24 slices and place in prepare muffin pans.  Allow to rise until double in size.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediate remove from oven and flip rolls out onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Allow all the orange glaze to drizzle over the rolls.

Would You Do This For Fashion? Hmmmm

I’m sure most women are familiar with the feeling of seeing the shoe of their dreams in a shop. Just when they squeeze their feet in to fit, they discover the shoe is just too tight…in fact two sizes small. When they ask the shop attendant for the same shoe in their actual size, they get this reply:

“It’s the only size left.”

They’ll then wish their feet were small enough to fit in. Well, plastic surgeons have capitalized on the longings of these women and invented a foot plastic surgery which they’ve called the ‘Cinderella.’ Foot altering surgeries has been going on for years now, but The New York Times reported last week that they’ve suddenly become more popular than ever.

They procedures range from strategic Botox injections on the balls of your feet, to the Perfect 10 (toe shortening) to the Model T (toe lengthening) to the Cinderella, where your entire foot is altered to fit your favourite shoe size.

Beverly Hills doctor, Dr. Ali Sadrieh, says these elective, cosmetic foot surgeries are so popular that he coined cute little names for them all, so patients can conveniently order them like they’re choosing lip gloss shades at a cosmetic shop.

Another doctor; the founder of NYC Footcare, Dr. Oliver Zong, who is a self-proclaimed “originator of the foot face-lift and toe tuck,” routinely corrects such conditions as High Heel Foot (a term he coined to describe a deformed foot that’s conformed to the shape of a stiletto), and Hitchhiker’s Toe, (an abnormally large big toe that sticks out like the thumb of a hitch hiker). He recently introduced the phrase “Toebesity,” which he plans to describe on his site, where flashing text promises: “Designer feet for designer shoes.”

Do you think these feet-altering procedures are crazy? Would you undergo any?

Source: Elle magazine

RESIST THE FLESH

Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1

The Holy Spirit guides believers to make wise and righteous decisions. But when Christians fail to listen, they can make choices that appeal to the flesh instead.

After the serpent spoke to Eve, she no doubt took a long look at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17; 3:3).

Whatever she might have thought about the tree before, she now saw it with new eyes—flesh-focused eyes.

Genesis 3 tells us that the forbidden tree appealed to Eve in three ways:

1. It was good for food

2. It was a delight to the eyes, and

3. It was desirable to make one wise.

In other words, the tree could fulfill three legitimate human appetites: the desire for tasty meals, beauty, and wisdom.

There is nothing wrong with these God-given yearnings. The Lord created a variety of food and an earth packed with breathtaking sights so that people could enjoy them.

He also offers the Holy Spirit as a source of His true wisdom and knowledge. In fact, it is the Spirit who teaches believers to keep fleshly appetites under control and in balance.

Meanwhile, Satan works very hard at corrupting healthy desires. He abhors seeing people's appetites satisfied.

What he wants is to watch a person lusting after a good thing until he or she is controlled by the impulse to have it.

The Devil is pleased when people make themselves slaves to a desire that—in the proper context—the Lord intended to be enjoyed freely.

A believer walking in the Holy Spirit rejects gluttony, preferring desires that are within God's boundaries instead. That's how we get His very best.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for victory over Satan, the world, and my flesh.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 2:1-7

GIVE YOUR BEST TO RELATIONSHIPS

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her.

The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed.

The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

Reflection:

If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.

This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship etc. Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.

Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good.

In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.

The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships.

Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games.

A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness.

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

Do you build walls instead of bridges?

Accepting Your Flaws and Mistakes

‘Nobody’s perfect’ is a phrase we hear a lot. It may even be a phrase we say a lot, but while it’s commonly repeated, this often does very little to make us feel any better when we just failed an exam or interview.

The solution is then to simply focus on our strengths rather than our weaknesses which will boost our confidence and help to make us more accomplished individuals all around.

You need then to come to terms with your flaws and mistakes and to move past them if you are going to avoid being defined by them.

Few things to consider:

View Mistakes as Lessons:

Whenever you make a mistake, this will have some negative consequences in the short term – maybe you failed exams, or perhaps you are left with no job, or your relationship on the rocks.

Unfortunately, to quote Shakespeare, “what’s done is done and cannot be undone”.

However, the trick is to learn from your mistakes and thus avoid making them again.

So instead of punishing yourself, just see this as something that will help you to grow more and think about how you can make sure you do better next time – whether it’s through training or simply avoiding making the same mistakes.

Know Your Flaws:

Knowing your flaws is not a weakness, but rather strength. All of us have flaws, but it’s only by recognizing them that we can account for them, better predict outcomes and work to improve them.

Denying flaws will only lead us to make the same mistakes time and again, and to appear oblivious to casual observers.

Turn Your Flaws Into Strengths:

So you have a big glaring fault that you wouldn't have chosen – big deal, so does everyone else! In order to move past this though and to work your flaws in your favour, you need to be able to look at them as strengths, or at least as part of the tapestry that makes you who you are.

Find Good Role Models:

Whatever your flaws and weaknesses are, there are people out there who have overcome them and succeeded anyway.

See Flaws as Challenges:

Life would be pretty boring if it came easily.Whatever problem you have that you feel is stopping you from becoming what you want to become should be seen as obstacles and must be dealt with accordingly.

If you are smart, if you are persistent, and if you have the right attitude, then you can triumph over adversity and your victory will be all the more impressive. And you may even provide a good example for someone else in a similar situation.

Know That Tastes Vary:

What you perceive as flaws is really only in the eye of the beholder and it’s perfectly possible that someone else might see them as what makes you attractive.

If you have a physical feature you’re not proud of, then you might still be someone else’s ideal of physical perfection.

Play to Your Strengths and Focus on What Matters:

So you’re terrible at meeting new people – does it really matter? So you don’t like your hair – again does it matter?

Know your strengths and weaknesses and then play to the strengths by emphasizing your best qualities and choosing careers etc where they are an important asset.

Find out what you think your role is in life, your purpose, and what brings you fulfillment.

Do What You Can to Change Things:

If you have made a serious mistake then there’s a chance of course that you can amend things. Before you go about coming to terms with what has been done, first go about trying to repair the damage and make things right.

So you failed your exam, is there any way you can take it again, or debate the results?

Maybe a mistake cannot be undone, but that doesn't mean necessarily that it may not yet be rectified.

Reflection:

You can make it to the top. You can overcome those challenges. God is with you. He is working on your flaws. There is nothing too hard for Him. Do your part and leave the rest to Him.

Ladies! Ladies!!

When I got born again, my brother was particularly worried about one thing, being brain - washed.

He believed that women were so easily led because of their emotions and he was worried for me. Once someone can convince us with a few words, we are captured. With more and more sweet talking men of God, its becoming more and more rife, that women admire and seek to please their ' perfect' Pastors.

Today, I would like to address something that is common to a lot of my sisters......idolisation of pastors.

Arrghhhhhh, OMOBOLA, why?

It's simple, because it's part of the bible.

A common occurrence is that a lot of my sisters see their male pastors as next to GOD. Some of us even obey and fear them more than we fear GOD. Their verdict is final in our homes.
If you have been caught in this error, you need to stop now.

God made a man the head of his home. Whether the head is bald or has a funny nose , he is still the head and need to be treated as such.
Pastors visit to the house sets your husband jealous.
Pastor gets to eat the choicest meat when he comes visiting. He gets served with your special expensive plates.
You told hubby that you are managing his allocation, and because of this, he cannot have his usual drink, but pastor gets a bottle of wine whist your hubby has to ' manage'.

At his appearance, you are kneeling and standing, pouring with sweat because he is a man of GOD. Meanwhile, your husbands sentences do not reach the airspace in your house before you bounce it back....STOP NOW.
To Pastor, you answer SIR, to your husband you say that stupid man....or you even say the devil is using him....Why won't he be available to the devil.

2 Timothy 3:6-9 MSG
These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself “truth.” They get exploited every time and never really learn.

Yes, your husband is struggling to hold the family altar in the morning. He does not even know how to read Psalms 23 after being born again for several years, he is still your head. If you want to see improvement in his life, you won't get it by making him feel inadequate.

The bible is clear on this.....
Wives, submit yourself to your own husband.
YOUR OWN HUSBAND. .....not your own pastor.

Ephesians 5:22-23 KJV
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

If you refuse to allow your husband occupy the position of honour in his own home, it's not a wonder that you are not reigning as queen. He has no throne. Until he gets to that position, with your prayerful, support, you can't occupy that enviable position that you so desire.

If you bypass ypur husband and throw the decisions about the day to day choices in your home into the hands of the pastor, you are living in sin. You are disregarding the authority in your home.
Harsh as this may sound, if you need to make amends, plus go ahead and do so now.

Tongue talking and firebrand, if your pastor is married, he belongs to his wife, not you.
Don't help pastors wife polish her possessions whilst you treat yours like a piece of rubbish.
Your garden is overgrown because you are tending another woman's garden.

Small or big.
Fluent or stuttering,
Smart or rough....
Word loaded or newly saved.....your husband is the head of your home...RESPECT, HONOUR AND CHERISH HIM.....STOP watering another woman's garden whilst yours die of drought!

Sister Bola.

How to Pray Your Way Through a Trial and Stress

Job 5:7 gives an interesting picture of that fact: "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly

upward" (NIV). Jesus made the same truth abundantly clear: "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33).

Ironically, moments of crisis bring a remarkably clear understanding of the realities of life. In a crisis our eyes are opened in a fresh way:

We understand just how needy we are.

We understand that life is too big for us to carry and that we need God's help.

We feel the weightiness of each moment, and we seek the Lord more urgently than when everything is going well.

The pain and pressure of a crisis will, inevitably, bring us to a crossroads. From the Latin word crux, a crossroads is a place of decision. Indecision is, in itself, a decision. We must respond decisively to a crisis, and, all too often, life-changing decisions must be made on the run.

David wrote, "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path" (Psalm 142:3, NASB). We will find that God has anticipated the crossroads that we face, and He has already charted our courses ahead of us.

When you and I come to that crux, where do we start? How do we pray in such times? We must remember that, although we do not know how long our difficulties will last, God does. We may feel lost and confused, but God is not.

Sometimes we imagine that God only listens to us when we pray "on target," or somehow connect the dots and follow the right formula. Not so—God listens to our hearts. When we grope our way through the fog and the pain of circumstances, the Father's heart is open to us. God will be patient as we call out to Him and seek His wisdom.

When we come to the crux of life, no matter how deeply the crisis wounds, no matter how darkness, pain or fear obscures our view, we never have to wonder if God is aware, and fully able to guide our steps. He has never lost His way, and He will not let us lose ours.

How You Can Pray

Are you or someone you know going through a crisis right now? Take time to lift up any fears to the Lord, and ask Him to bring wisdom and clarity. Then thank Him for His promise to never leave us nor forsake us.

Prayer for new week

Jesus Christ had to touch the blind man from Bethsaida a second time before the man could see clearly (Mark 8:25). As you start this new week, I pray that God will give you a second touch in any area of your life where you need clarity of vision for direction in Jesus name. Stay blessed.J

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

Recipe: BAKED POTATO RECIPES THAT ARE SIMPLY YUMMY

If you love baked potatoes then it is the time to take a new spin on your old recipe. For that take a look at these yummy recipes below:
source:stylishboard.com

Willful Disobedience

TEXT: Ezekiel 22:1-12

Key Verse: “In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 22:12).

A watchful, dutiful mother looked out of the window on the snow covered driveway. She saw her seven year old son Danny sled into the street. She called him into the house and reprimanded him, saying, “I’ve told you never to sled into the street! You will have to stay in the house for the rest of the day!” Throughout the day, Danny heard the laughter of happy neighbourhood children as they romped and sledded on the snow. When the day was almost gone, Danny pleaded, “Can’t I go out now mum?” Mother relented. She bundled him up warmly. As Danny dashed toward the door, mother warned, “Remember what I told you about going into the street, stay in the yard”. These were the last words Danny ever heard his mother speak. Five minutes later Danny was dead. He was crushed by a car when he sledded into the street. Obedience could have saved Danny’s life.

The children of Israel were like this defiant child who eventually strayed into his destruction. Sundry acts of rebellion which include immoral lifestyle, idol worship, shedding of innocent blood, greed and extortion from the less privileged, and catalogue of many other crimes as were mentioned in the text are dangerous to a believer’s spiritual health! The day of forsaking God can be very devastating. Departure from God will lead men into defilement, as the case is in the passage of today.

Israel became a laughing stock because of sin. Unfortunately for them, they ran from security into insecurity. They had no understanding to discern the danger that is imminent. The world is in darkness today because of departure from God’s standard of holiness.

God is gracious however to those who come into His redemption plan through the death and vicarious sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. The solution to the problem of the world is in returning to God sincerely through repentance. The word of God says “If thou will return, return unto me: if thou shalt put away thine abomination out of my sight, then shalt thou not be removed” (Jeremiah 4:1).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Repentance is the key to restoration.

Stubbornness Kills

TEXT: Deuteronomy 21:18-23

Key Verse: “And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear” (Deuteronomy 21:20,21).

Among the most detestable vices before God are stubbornness and rebellion. In fact, God equates rebellion and stubbornness to witchcraft and idolatry, respectively. Not surprisingly, both are punishable by death in the Old Testament, and in the new dispensation, they lead to eternal separation from God. But these misconducts are so common today, that many people no longer see them as God does.

Whatever our attitude is to stubbornness and rebellion in this age of permissiveness and liberty, God is unrepentant in His disdain for such misconducts. They are so serious that He commanded the Israelites that if a man had a rebellious, disobedient or stubborn son, the onus was on his parents to report him to the authorities. They were to lay out in detail, the offences of their son. They would also inform the elders if their son was a glutton and a drunkard. In other words, that he was disorderly, and therefore, a threat to the rest of the society. His offences confirmed, the elders of the city were to pass the sentence of death on the offending person. The entire people of the city would stone him to death, and in so doing, put away that evil from their community, “and all Israel shall hear, and fear.”

Don’t let anyone deceive you: rebellion and stubbornness are deadly sins. They make you look down on everyone else, including your parents; disregard good counsel; think of yourself more highly than you should; and arrogate to yourself powers that belong to God. When you lead such a disorderly lifestyle, you pose a threat to the orderly functioning of the society. You are therefore, not qualified to continue to inhabit the community of decent, law-abiding, and peaceful persons.

Children who are stubborn to their parents would invariably be shortening their life-span, as they draw on themselves a curse from the Lord. Other persons who rebel against constituted authorities, whether at home, the society or church, would eventually be visited by the long arm of the civil or spiritual laws. Either way, death awaits such offenders. The only option out is to forsake wicked ways, ask the Lord for pardon, and begin a new life of righteousness, submission and humility.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Rebellion puts one on danger list.

Relationsip: 8 Things You’re Doing for Women Other Than Your Wife

"Is it possible that I could be doing certain things for the women I encounter each day, but I'm not

doing them for my wife?"

The short answer is YES, but let's talk more about the reasons why this might be happening.

You don't need to read this article to know that marriage relationships are typically very strong at the beginning. The feeling of fresh love is in the air, the desire for intimacy is strong and the overall feelings from each spouse are mutual.

That's old news for most of us.

But here's where it gets interesting. Here's where the true challenge comes up in marriage. Ready?

Time. As time passes, things happen, stories unfold and the relationship takes its hits. Most couples can expect this, but few know what's actually happening or, worse, how to resolve it.

Here are 3 reasons why men start to take a back seat in their marriage and forget what is most important:

1. Routine. Routines in marriage are going to happen. It's inevitable. But the couples that are aware of it are the ones who have the best chance of survival. As time goes on and routines take more and more shape, it's important to not forget what is important to each spouse and take action in those areas often.

2. Assumptions. We all know the saying about assumptions, so I won't go there, but it does hold true. Newly married couples love to do wonderful things for their spouse, but after a few years, those things tend to fade.

Assumptions are different than routines. An assumption means you know what would be nice to do for your spouse and then assume they don't need it. Or assume that doing it last week was enough. What we need to do is assume that the love tank is always going dry and therefore always needs to be filled up!

3. A rough past. Rough circumstances in a marriage can be the worst effect of all. Routines can be adjusted, assumptions can take place because of a lack of understanding or communication, but a rough past can put a large "STOP" sign in front of any nice gestures to your spouse.

In other words, you know what your spouse needs, but you refuse to give it to them. Too many past issues have come up and too many are unresolved.

All of these scenarios can be resolved, but they can have some major negative effects in the meantime. One of the worst effects is doing things for other women that you won't do for your wife anymore, either by choice or simple neglect.

Because of the issues mentioned above, here are 8 things you might be doing for women other than your wife:

Let me also insert here that doing these things for other women is not wrong, because we should always strive to be respectful to all women. The issue is when you are treating other women better than you are treating your wife. Your wife should be getting this kind of treatment first and foremost.

1. Holding the door open. You may call it old-school or cliche, but holding the door open for your wife will mean a lot to her. Don't just step up when you see a stranger coming or a co-worker in need; make sure your wife gets even better treatment.

2. Thanking them for their help or services. It might be easy to thank the nice woman at the checkout line or even affirm a co-worker for their help, but your wife also needs to know her help is noticed and appreciated! Pay attention to what your wife does for you and speak up in thankfulness more often.

3. Valuing their choices and opinions. You may not always agree with your wife's choices or opinions, but as her husband, you need to take more effort in understanding why she might be making those decisions. Think about some recent conversations with other women. We're you more likely to agree or disagree with them? Be honest.

4. Admiring their beauty. When you are away from your wife, are you able to keep your eyes and heart in check? When you see an attractive woman, are you more likely to look away or look in places that you shouldn't? Those answers are for you, but I want you to consider why you don't look at your wife that way. Why isn't she your standard? Make her your standard of physical and emotional beauty, and you might have an easier time when you're not around her.

5. Thinking before you speak. When I'm at work and I need to approach a woman, I tend to think about my choice of words before I speak. And not only that, but I tend to choose my words more carefully during conversation. Is this the case with your wife? Strive to be a mature husband who thinks before he speaks.

6. Honestly listening. Staying in line with No. 5, listening skills are a must for a great marriage. Think about the last time you were with friends. Were you more likely to be rude and not engage in listening to the conversations? Or were you listening intently so that you would be part of the group. Well, make sure your wife is part of the group. Make sure you are paying attention to her words and responding to them, and not just waiting for your turn to talk.

7. Smiling. Yes, smiling. Around friends or even co-workers, I can find myself keeping a consistent smile on my face. Not to look weird, but to make the other person feel welcomed and comfortable. Do you do this around your wife? Think about keeping a smile on your face the next time you have a regular conversation with her. When she asks why you're smiling, tell her how much you love her!

8. Having fun. If I happen to be in a situation where I start running into the same woman day after day or week after week, I can start to get comfortable with her. Even if I don't know her, it becomes easy to say hi and then add some little jokes here or there. It seems harmless, but it starts to matter if you're doing it for them and not your wife. A good marriage can handle a little bit of joking and teasing (within reason). Have fun with your wife again this week.

Dig deep and make sure you are not treating other women better than your wife. Make sure your wife is getting the attention she needs from you. Take action this week.

Question: Which one of these steps do you need to take action on in your own marriage today?

source: Manturity

Self Appraisal

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone.

He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits (phone number).

The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:

Boy : "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?

Woman : (at the other end of the phone line) "I already have someone to cut my lawn."

Boy : "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now."

Woman : I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.

Boy : (with more perseverance) "Lady, I'll even sweep your curb and your sidewalk, so, on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida ."

Woman : No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner : "Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."

Boy : "No thanks,

Store Owner : But you were really pleading for one.

Boy : No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!"

This is what we call "Self Appraisal"....!!

Reflection:

Self appraisal or evaluation is important at any stage in your life. In today’s world, most organizations use self appraisal for any project and services they have in place.

It is an important part of being committed to lifelong learning – the understanding that you will never complete your learning journey and grab every opportunity to learn new skills.

More and more workplaces now encourage their staff to be committed to lifelong learning, offering learning skills through formal and informal pathways.

Some of the questions you could, for example, ask yourself practically are:

• How much effort did you put into the assignment and how long did it take you?

• Where do you think you did very well and where do you think you could do better?

• What could you do to improve?

• What are the most important things you have learned from the assignment?

Inspirational Quotes by Dr. Myles Munroe (RIP).

• “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.”

• “Solid character will reflect itself in consistent behavior, while poor character will seek to hide behind deceptive words and actions.”

• “Healthy relationships should always begin at the spiritual and intellectual levels - the levels of purpose, motivation, interests, dreams, and personality.”

• People generally fall into one of three groups: the few who make things happen, the many who watch things happen, and the overwhelming majority who has no notion of what happens. Every person is either a creator of fact or a creature of circumstance. He either puts color into his environment, or, like a chameleon, takes color from his environment.”

• When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable”

• “A wedding is an event, but marriage is a life.”

• We are a sum total of what we have learned from all who have taught us, both great and small.”

• “You must decide if you are going to rob the world or bless it with the rich, valuable, potent, untapped resources locked away within you.”

• The poorest man in the world is a man without a dream.

• The graveyard is the richest place on the surface of the earth because there you will see the books that were not published, ideas that were not harnessed, songs that were not sung, and drama pieces that were never acted.

• Circumstances and crises are God's tools to move you into your purpose and the maximizing of your potential.

• Your ability is your responsibility.

• Blessings are never given solely for the benefit of the one who receives them.

• When you have two totally opposite and separate visions within one home, what you really have is division, which leads to divorce.

• Crises are life's wake up call.

• Retirement is never a concept in the minds of world changer.

• The real you is the work you are born to do.

The Famous Preacher Dr. Myles Munroe, Wife and Daughter Killed in Airplane Crash

Dr. Myles Munroe, internationally-known author, bible teacher, governmental consultant and
leadership mentor, was one of nine passengers on a plane that crashed in Grand Bahama on Sunday afternoon, according to multiple news reports.

A Lear 36 executive jet left the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) for the Grand Bahama International Airport, the Department of Civil Aviation reports. The plane departed at 4:07 p.m. and carried nine people. The vessel crashed while making its landing approach, the Department of Civil Aviation said. 

News reports indicate his wife, Ruth, and daughter were also killed in the crash.

Myles Munroe's ministry was not immediately available for comment.Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will comfort the family, church member, friends and loved one. God's grace is Sufficient.

Sleep! sleep!!

I've been attending vigil in church for some days now. Earlier this morning around 3am, I struggled to write today's devotion, it was a big battle between the desire to write and the need to sleep. Sleep had a landslide victory, lol. Just before drifting into snooze land, I was still asking my 24hr friend what he wants us to know today and the reply came, SLEEP. I grinned and thought, 'Because I'm sleepy?'. Immediately I searched the scripture mentally and came up with the portion that pertains to sleep. I remembered Bro Eutychus the sleeper, then allowed myself to sleep. 

Opening the scripture now, I learnt some things in this very short incidence. First, the brethren were gathered in the upper chamber, which we can take as advanced or matured discipleship. Anyone who was present there wasn't one whom they were just trying to convert. Paul came to preach to them before he continued on his journey. Therefore, here we have an involved Christian. Secondly, Paul preached to them for long. His preaching was termed long. 

Do you have people you are spiritually custodian over? Are you unnecessarily laborious in preaching, exhorting, encouraging, reprimanding, even praising? This story tells us not to overdo things, as we may have an opposite effect of what we desired or intended. Thirdly, there were many lights in the upper chamber, ordinarily, with that place so lit up, Bro Eutychus ought not to have found it easy to sleep and then if at all, not such deep sleep as he was reported of. When we complain of people who are supposedly Christians, attending sound Bible believing churches and yet behaving contrary to expectations, we see now that not only is it not a first, but a possibility, and also a stage in a process being managed by the devil to achieve a sinister goal. Also, how did he manage to fall into such deep sleep and no one noticed? It is not enough to just keep banging the bible, theories and laws, are you watching the overall effect on your audience? 

Do you see the weary, tired, hungry, needy? Do you try to wake them, attend to their needs? Imagine the height this brother fell from! The third floor! There is no security in your position, advancement in the kingdom. Anyone can fall asleep, move to deep sleep, and then fall from a great height! Do you see the process? Do you see it doesn't start from the fall? Do you now know why it is only when Christians fall that people discover what they've been up to? Do you see that you are mainly responsible to keep awake in Christ? There is only so much spiritual authority can do to help you stay awake. The onus remains with you to actually keep 'waking'. Now we see that before physical death, is spiritual death. All the time he was sleeping, he was spiritually dead only that people did not know because he was still present in the physical. He took the tumble that led to his physical death. As it is with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God used Paul to bring him back to life. 

Again, we learn that as long as Rapture hasn't taken place and there is still life in a person, God can still restore that person back to 'Life'. I end my scripture discovery with this nursery rhyme for us
Are you sleeping
Are you sleeping
Sister Angelina
Sister Angelina
Morning bells are ringing
Morning bells are ringing
Ding ding dong
Ding ding dong. 
Even the rhyme does not ask 'Is she sleeping', it asks the sleeper the question. Keeping awake is your responsibility not that of your pastor.
Acts 20:7-12
Source: Oludunni

How to Talk to Your Son and Daughter About Pornography

Pornography is a powerful threat to our sons and daughters. It skews their view of sex, love, women

and relationships.

Obviously when many of us were younger, access to graphic sexual images was not as easy to come by as it is today. A magazine belonging to friend's dad or a movie on late-night cable TV was our most common exposure. Even in those seemingly more innocent days, there were things I saw at a friend's house at an early age that were confusing. Quite frankly, they were damaging.

It felt wrong, but, fearing I'd get in trouble, I never told my dad what I had seen. I wish I had. With a palpable feeling of guilt, I was left on my own to try and figure it out. My dad didn't have porn in our house, so naturally, he assumed I hadn't been exposed to it.

Things are so different now. Having the Internet on so many devices inside and outside the house means the barbarians are perpetually at the gate.

We can be more vigilant and protective about what our children see. However, we can sadly assume that our sons will be exposed to it at some point. Maybe the silver lining in that assumption is that they will not be left alone in processing it. The best way to fight it is to prepare them for pornography expose the ugly reality of it and its many dangers. It may be difficult, but here are 3 points on how to talk to your son about pornography:

1. A momentary thrill leading to dissatisfaction, emptiness and addiction. An explicit image is stimulating and causes a scientifically-proven chemical release in the brain. That is why we are drawn to it like to the ring in Lord of the Rings.

However, when the viewing is over, we are left empty, unsatisfied and full of guilt. Our conscience is telling us that something wrong has taken place. Sex is not wrong. Sex outside of the right context is wrong or, at the very least, not what it was made to be.

The quickest way to deal with those feelings is to try and get another thrill, but when we return to porn, it gives a diminishing return of enjoyment. In the end, we need more to experience less, resulting in addiction and chains. In other words, it is a road to an addictive prison cell. Don't be enticed down this road; choose the path that is life-giving.

2. Living in isolated fantasy versus living in connected reality. A full life is found in relationships and shared experiences. Those things are built in reality, not fantasy. Porn is about entering a fantasy world. The more time we spend in that world, the more we become isolated.

In essence, our soul becomes intertwined with something that isn't real. There's no connection, just loneliness exacerbated by guilt. When we fill our lives with nothing, we are left with nothing. Porn doesn't provide anything; it takes everything. Strong men of character are ones that are firmly founded in reality and relationships. Live in the real world.

3. An example of diminished, one-dimensional sex. One of the biggest and most dangerous of all lies is that porn stars know how to have the best sex. Great sex is experienced when two people know one another in emotional and physical intimacy. True intimacy and knowledge of one another comes in commitment.

When women know we are committed, we create an environment where they feel safe to share their whole selves with us. It's a multidimensional connection, like a high wattage of electricity. Porn turns sex into mere physical acts. It is one-dimensional sex and will always fall short of what it could be.

In fact, it even falls short physically. We are all uniquely made. Personalities and bodies respond differently. Sex for a committed couple that continues to grow closer in love and knowledge of one another will continually get more passionate. It's like becoming an expert at playing an instrument.

A guitar is held and played much differently than a violin. The best sex is between a committed couple who has learned well how the other desires to be loved. Glorified actors who are actually deeply degraded and hurting people will never be able to come close to sex that good.

Sound off: What age do you think it is appropriate to talk to a boy about pornography?

Huddle up with your kids and ask, "Is there anything you've ever seen that was confusing that you would like me to explain?"
Source: charismamag.com

SERVE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP

For who is greater, he who sits at the tables, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet, I among you as the One who serves. - Luke 22: 27

Service is at the heart of every call of God. God does not call us to be bosses; He calls us to do His will by serving the people He places in our care.

When we serve, we allow God to use what He has given us to touch other people's life.

The problem is, many of us have a negative, stereotypical image of what a servant is. We equate service with slavery and servitude.

We think the role of the servant is degrading and something that puts us down instead of it being something that lifts us up.

We associate servants with low achievers. As a result, when the Bible calls us to service, we immediately see it as a call to take a step downwards instead of a step upwards.

The reality is that to go up, we must go down. Before a tree shoots up, it has to go down with its roots.Without deep roots, a tree cannot go high enough and still remain standing.

A high -rise building must have deep foundations in order to go up high. The depth determines the heights. That is what service is all about.

When we serve, we build the foundation for the heights that God has called us to.

Until we are ready to serve in humility, we cannot reach out to the high calling of God for our lives.

Many of us may never be able to reach the high calling of God for our lives because we are not ready to really serve with humility.

Prayer: Teach me O Lord, not to despise any service that You call me to offer

Scriptural Reading: Luke 22:24-30.