Diary of Ige

Prayer, I believe is a conversation between us and God, either we are giving thanks, making requests or even asking questions. Yet it is not uncommon to feel like a prayer could be such a complicated and maybe even a delicate conversation to have, after all, it's God we are talking to here. There is no way that wouldn't be somehow daunting! I remember learning to pray as a child during family devotions and how nervous I'd get, mumbling through my words, hardly able to get anything coherent out. My auntie, bless her, would jump in the middle of one of my many long pauses to rescue me and carry on with the prayer but once we were done, my uncle would almost chide her for not giving me a chance to learn and develop my confidence. I didn't blame her; I found those long pauses very uncomfortable too! So, I usually understand when people tell me they do not know how to pray and would prefer others to pray for them or they'll just avoid it altogether and some even ask if ...

I have listened to different life stories; heard stories of roaring victories after defeat; stories of stupendous gain after loss; stories of unimaginable strength after weakness. In the recount of these stories, there were varying degrees of pain and sadness, some were so overwhelming, especially if it had to do with dealing with the death of a loved one. There are some stories however that just had nothing but pain in it from start to finish, just as if pain was writing the story itself. I'm attending the funeral of a dear friend today and theirs' was also a heart-breaking story, one filled with lots of painful experiences. We are the author of our lives, just as Jesus is the author of our faith. We are not the maker but definitely the author. Now, I know reading this, you may wonder how that can be, when sometimes we are not in control of things that happen to us whether good or bad. Yes, there are things that happen to us that are outside our control but how they shape our ...

Hi there! Summer holidays gone! Kudos to all Mums, Dads and Carers that survived these past tortuous six weeks! Yay, we made it! 🎺🥁💃 How hard was it trying to find ways to entertain kids for that long?! Maybe I was just lazy or I wasn't looking in the right places but then it's the same every year and I think it gets even trickier as they get older. As crazy as it sounds, work became a good excuse and a safe place for me to hide at times. Any parent feel me on this? Please let me know so I know I've not gone fully bonkers! 😭 Been singing my tune of 🎵 I'm still standing, though on wobbly legs now! 🎵 and so looking forward to sending kids off on their first day back with my tambourine! Really, I'm just so thankful they rested well, found things they loved to do and of course enjoyed lots and lots of snuggles and a crazy amount of treats while we binged on our comfort TV shows such as Master Chef on BBC iPlayer. Ok, so I was washing up my Vax Dual Power Pet...

Worry, that's what I usually do when I'm ill. Then again, it's not so much what we worry about, but it's what we do when we are ill and also what we do not do. What we do is minimise the illness or try to wish it away. What we do not do is think of putting ourselves first, we do not prioritise our emotional and physical health, rather we put it on the back burner just to keep going and wanting to give our best. We sometimes forget a happy mum will raise a happy child. These were the thoughts that flooded my mind as I logged off work, lunchtime on Thursday to get ready for the taxi I had booked to take me to the hospital. I do not have the data but I'm certain most single parents (especially those as stubborn as I am) waste time in getting themselves to a doctor to be seen when they are feeling poorly. With six million things to do in sixty minutes, we do not have the luxury of taking time to get that nagging headache checked out or why we have lost our appetite an...

"The ultimate holiness is love". I heard someone say this and it hit me right in my spirit and I just had to drop it here to inspire someone. Love covers a multitude of sin and it is sin that make us unholy. I believe love is the antidote to sin so we must love one another to be able to present ourselves Holy to God. The God we serve is Holy, there is none as holy as He. In love, He made us in His image. In love, He forgives us. In love, He shows us His mercies. Because of His love for us, He sent His only Son, Jesus to die as an atonement for our sins. Jesus Christ loved us so much that He sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us and continue to lead us in His truth when He ascended to heaven. He did that just so we may come to know the truth of how loved we all are.  We must never let go of that truth. We are so loved, and we must refuse to believe anything less or else. We are holy because we live in love, the same love that brought Christ to us. A lot may be going on...

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. Galatians 5:1 MSG I have never been actively involved in politics, especially Nigerian politics which I have always found disturbing, disappointing and downright disgusting, all at the same time. I follow the news, make sure I'm well informed and actively engage in discussions with others, even those that have opposing views to mine. I read up on people in government or those aspiring to be a part of it. I've seen some up close in the offices they occupied in the past and ultimately formed my own opinion on these matters. I believe it is important for us to lend our voices by actively engaging in choosing leaders we believe have values that match ours. It is a responsibility we must all carry as their voices will be our representation on a larger scale. Not everyone is born to be a leader. No, scrap that - everyone is, in my opinion. Everyone of us will...

"Sometimes the sound of silence is the most deafening sound of all." - K.L Toth I still think the mind is the greatest battlefield, a place where countless victories and defeats are continuously recorded. A place where the deadliest battles, though fought in silence can yet be the most deafening. Have you ever found yourself sitting in a lonely place, thinking over a problem and it is as if you can literally hear your thoughts crashing onto each other? So stressed, you are hardly able to tell one thought from the other, it all becomes so chaotic and loud? Do you sometime have people talking around you or even to you, yet you can't seem to hear them? You yell at people around you, for them to keep quiet because you think their voices are raised when in fact it's not.  It is your mind playing tricks on you . Mine does that sometimes. I recently decided to re-watch one of my best movies of all time - The Matrix with Keanu Reeves , and was so fascinated with the sce...

Ok, so this post is contrary to what comes to mind when you read the title. It has absolutely nothing to do with food or home cooking. I honestly wish I was here to talk about that but unfortunately, it has to do with something less palatable and frankly, nauseating. "You said what?!!!" Just to clarify my position before I dig into this: I am neither Team Amber nor am I Team Johnny. I am Team Survivors and yes I have enough understanding of domestic abuse to enable me talk about it as I have done in a previous post. I will add the link to it below: https://www.diaryofige.com/2022/04/in-spirit-and-in-truth.html So my ten-year-old child came home from school asking about the court case with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp .  It was  what friends at school were talking about, I was told.  My heart skipped a beat, several beats in fact. "You said what?!!!" I asked with a horrified look! I have been following the court case from the beginning, out of interest and for ot...

God's Pocket Watch Isn't Broken. "God's time is the best" is a popular phrase that I'm sure a lot of us must have heard at one time or the other. If it has been said to us, it must have been during a time of waiting, to help us remain steadfast in trusting God to bring things to pass. Sometimes, it seems God's time is a very long time, and we have to wait, seemingly for forever for that time to come. Did God's pocket watch break and He's lost track of time or maybe He's forgot some of us are waiting on Him for some very pressing needs???! No He hasn't. He is the God that never sleeps, neither does He slumber. His ears are ever attentive to our prayers. No, He never loses track of time. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; Psalms 34:15 NIV Waiting time is an opportunity to learn some lessons, if we are willing. It is a time that God gives us to allow us to diligently seek Him and to prepare t...

Dear Men In a bid to defend a husband that cheated, yes CHEATED on his wife after 18 years of marriage, a fellow man was all up in knots, pretzelizing himself while trying to convince you, his fellow men, that monogamy isn't biblical but an adopted 'western concept'. It was also mentioned that monogamy was intended for religious leaders and not for the regular man.  I can say for a fact that the two opinions above are false and I will tell you why. Even with or without a sound knowledge of the bible, it's mind blowing for anyone to speak so authoritatively about it's content, without making references to support their claim especially when this is being broadcasted to an audience. There are many ways to research and check information before relaying it on to others, especially if people believe it's coming from a trusted source such as a daytime TV show. First, let's look at the definition of adultery. According to merriam-webster.com , adultery is a volunt...

What is the true meaning of worship? I asked myself this question while listening to some lovely worship songs including one by the late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu. I was almost in tears listening to her and her twin sister sing in such deep and powerful worship. I have wondered all through this past week about people within churches or other religious spaces, who hide their fears and pain behind worship? Was the depth of this late singer's worship a reflection of the pain she was in or did it just take her away from the fear of the reality she was living? I don't know but I can't help but wonder sadly. "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." John 4:24 NIV Worship is so much more than the songs we sing or listen to. It is a place we go to in our spirit where there is no hiding from God. This is because we appear right before Him, in all the truth of our creation - perfection, just as Adam and Eve were before they ...

 ' A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the cit...