Narration Of Events At A Support System Meeting (Ruth & Boaz Conference)

The month of November is turning out to be a fantastic month thus far and our highly anticipated Ruth and Boaz Conference was not an exception.

With the theme, Enlarge Your Territory, it held on Saturday, 7th of November at the Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos and what a day it was! God exceeded our human expectations as usual and it was an awesome meeting. 

From the praise and worship, the testimonies, the drama presentation, the choir special and then THE WORD from Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, it was indeed an overwhelming success!

We had some single mothers testifying of getting married to good men and one of them who had 2 children before as a single mother, even came with her 4 month old baby in her new marriage.

Another lady was a mature single who eventually got married at the age of 41  and had a baby this year at 49! Isn't God just AMAZING?

Some others testified of  how God and the Ruth & Boaz Fellowship have been helping them in terms of financial, emotional and spiritual support with one of them, a single mum of 3, testifying of how it has been raising her children with the oldest getting to study abroad.

The icing on the cake was an elderly widow who came to the conference on crutches but ended up jumping, dancing and walking without them!

It was indeed a case of God exceeding our expectations as we had over 700 people grace the event and God came down and tabernacled with us ....WOW!

The word also came powerfully from Pastor Taiwo Odukoya who reminded us that there is no stagnation with God and we should NEVER allow the devil push us to the point where we say we have nothing. 

He explained how the devil tries to make one accept labels and tags of failure because of a particular situation but rather we should know that whatever the situation, God allows ALL things work together for our good.

God will continue to make His boast in us and continually fill us to overflowing in the mighty name of Jesus and still in that attitude of gratitude we say "Thank You Lord, who are we that You are so mindful of us....THANK YOU LORD!!!

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Prayer Rally For Mature Singles, Single Parents, Divorcees & Widow(ers)

Mature singles, single parents, divorcees and those widowed have unfortunately been put in a category that carries a lot of stigma when in reality what they need is support and encouragement.

Many have been through broken relationships, lost a spouse or feel as if life has cheated them in one way or the other and they just feel like crumbling under the pressure of the circumstances.

To help address this and help such people break out of the limits that life may have thrown around them, Ms Modupe Kazeem hosts an annual event called The Prayer Rally. This event is a support system to help such people realize you don't have to live your life according to what happened to you and encourage you not to allow rejection stop you from trying again. 

Speaking at the event will be Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of Trinity House Church who was has also been in this situation at a point in his life. 

Nothing beats talking from a place or position of experience and that's what Pastor Ituah is bringing to this year's edition of The Prayer Rally.

If you belong to any of this category of people or you know anyone who does; matured singles, divorcees, single parents & widows(ers), you are invited for this wonderful event.

Event:   The Prayer Rally 

Date:      21st NOV 2015 

Venue:   Oriental hotel. 

Time:     1pm.

Theme: "My Mouth Will Fill With Laughter" Psalm 126: 1-3

Ministering : Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and other men and women of God.

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Gradually Finding Encouragement & Motivation To Try Again?

I won't lie, the past couple of days have got me feeling kind of lonely and missing having a man around in terms of companionship. In fact it suddenly seemed like everywhere I turned I was seeing couples all loved up and happy together....*sigh*

These feelings sometimes do come up and while that is not bad in itself, one needs to be careful so you don't go and fall for someone that will now cause you more harm than good just because you are feeling so vulnerable. However, I remain a work in progress and I have now turned it into a prayer point funny as that might seem.

                              

I know you might be wondering why this is such a big deal but for me it is because I have always been very vocal about the fact that I don't even want to be in any relationship for a long time not to talk of remarriage. The thought of it literally gives me hiccups (Lol). Different people have even tried their matchmaking skills but I ALWAYS run the other way.

For me, I just believe being in a relationship can have so much drama sometimes and I don't think I am up for it yet even if I sometimes wish there was someone to call my own. Asides this, you see "hot" couples breaking up and then you wonder if it is really worth it after all but then you also see couples who are genuinely happy together and making a great effort to make their relationship work and then you wonder again.

            

Well, I have never been an expert on relationships but I know I do need to work on myself in some areas because I have become set in my independent ways and weird as it may seem, even psychologically, I always expect negative stuff in relationships which has led me in time past to settle for less than I deserve(I promised to always be truthful on this blog)

Like I shared with some people recently, I never actually prayed when it came to my first marriage. Rather I tried to use logic and emotions and see how that ended up but I have since come to realize that there is a place for prayer in EVERYTHING that has to do with us as human beings and that includes relationships too.

As if to also buttress this, I stumbled across a sermon on radio where the preacher said many women complain that they are single but are not even preparing themselves to be in a relationship in terms of working on their attitude and way of life among other things. 

I have now started praying for God to work on and in me to become a better woman who will be open to being in a loving relationship with the ability to also complement my partner. Does this mean I am ready for a relationship? Nah.....not yet, but I am now willing to pray about it which is something I have never thought about doing before.

Please feel free to drop your comments and if you have any experience you want to share, you can send an email to livingsinglediary@gmail.com

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Must A Man Be The Reason A Woman Looks Good Or Is Happy?

In recent times, I have been getting many comments on pictures I put up on Facebook and the most common one has been "who is the lucky guy" while the other popular comment has been "Bimbo you don dey make money, no chop alone o!". There have also been some other comments which are kinda X-rated for me to put up here...Lol

It is really amazing the way people jump to conclusions about you in life but I guess that is what makes life go round. First off, I am looking different because I embarked on a weight-loss journey which for those that know me from way back will remember it has always been part of my life journey.

I have always had the tendency to put on weight because the women in my family are actually on the bigger side so it has been a lifelong battle and there are times I win when I look slimmer and some times when I lose the battle and I actually look life a sack of potatoes....LMAO!

However, as I grow older, it has become more of a compulsory action due to health reasons the most prominent of all being High Blood Pressure issues which is why I decided to make a change and start watching my weight again. Truth be told though, being a slimmer version of myself makes me look better and kinda younger which any woman will agree is a great feeling and of course the vain side makes me post more pictures to do shakara (Yelz na...losing weight no be beans...hahahahaha)

Anyway why I am writing about this is to address the issue of why most people think a man must always be the reason behind a woman's transformation. Does it now mean if there is no man one must look haggard or unhappy? There is great danger in making a human being the source of your happiness because when that person messes up (he or she will surely do that....they are only human!) it means you will also become down and vice versa. So why live your life like a yoyo?

Happiness can also be temporary for various reasons but Joy is what we should aim for which can only come from God even in the midst of trials and temptations, the joy of the Lord remains your strength and that is what keeps me going.

I have decided to "FAITH IT TILL I MAKE IT" which means I will always put my head up despite whatever I might be going through. To the Glory of God, I have faced and I am still facing some challenges that should make me wear a long face and actually mope around and be bitter but guess what? That will not make the situation change!

Besides, everyone also has their own trying moments even those married people that some of us envy or those wealthy people that some of us want to be like. In fact if you hear some of their issues, you will thank God for your own struggles and realise that things are not always as bad as they seem.

In the course of this my journey of being a single mum, sometimes I feel like I am messing up and not handling things right, then I meet some other single parents and then realise, they are even going through worse than I am.

Does that make me better than them? Not exactly, but it just shows that I am making a headway with the hand that fate has dealt me and that is something I want you to ponder on. I have reached the stage of my life where it is GOD or NOTHING.

How many men do you want to sleep with for financial favors? how many compromises do you want to make so that man or woman can help you? Please remember it is only God that can make anybody help you and it is better you face Him rather than turn a mere human being into God. Yes, God will not come down like many of us like to say, but He will send that person/people that will help you without making you offend Him. IT IS NOT FROM GOD IF YOU HAVE TO SIN TO GET IT!!

Another thing I want to also emphasize is for you not to turn your helper into your God because GOD WILL NEVER SHARE HIS GLORY WITH ANY MAN! I say this from personal experience where I start to make someone feel more important than they are simply because they helped me and immediately, God cuts them off or allows them disappoint me and then when I cry back to God for mercy, He sends help in other ways.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in appreciating when someone helps you but please know when to draw the line. Also note that the fact that they help you now doesn't mean they will always continue to do that. Let your expectation be in God because only He can do beyond our thoughts or imagination.

If God can raise stones to praise Him if humans don't, why can't he raise men,women or even children to help you when you are in need? This brings me to my most important advice of all, please improve your relationship with God! I am not saying things will turn around immediately, however, He will give you the Grace to cope and handle life issues and gradually you will learn to have that joy even in the midst of challenges because you are assured of the fact that God didn't bring you thus far to leave you!

Please feel free to also share your story on this platform by sending it to livingsinglediary@gmail.com. Your story can definitely inspire others, remember this blog is a support system of sorts.

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Its Here Again! Another Life Changing Ruth & Boaz Conference Set For 7th Of November

It is indeed always a pleasure to come together and fellowship with the brethren and Psalm 133:1 says, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity"

This is exactly what the Ruth & Boaz Conference always sets out to achieve with our quarterly meetings and the last one for this year is set to hold on Saturday, the 7th of November.

The Ruth & Boaz Fellowship of the Fountain of Life Church is a vision of Pastor Taiwo Odukoya and is a fantastic forum where mature singles, single parents, seperated/divorced or widowed men and women come together to learn more about God with opportunities for growth in every area.

It is also an opportunity to discuss issues that will readily not be addressed in main stream services and this is done in a conducive environment to cater to people's needs spiritually, emotionally and even financially on how to go forward in life.

Asides this, testimonies are often shared of people who have benefited from the fellowship in various ways and this serves as a source of encouragement to others alongside the powerful ministration from Pastor Taiwo Odukoya.

We always keep it real and say it as it is at the Ruth & Boaz Conferences so you can be rest assured that you will learn a lot on how to live a successful life despite the various societal pressures that abound.

The theme for the upcoming Ruth & Boaz Conference is "Enlarge Your Territory" and it promises to be an exciting event with the assurance that EVERYTHING is about to change for your good.

Date:     7th November 2015

Venue:  Fountain of Life Church

               12 Industrial Rd Off Town Planning Way

               Ilupeju Lagos

Time:    2pm.

Be sure not to come alone, SPREAD THE WORD and INVITE others! It is absolutely FREE and we look forward to seeing you.

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Do You Know That You Are Actually Stronger Than You Think?

The simple truth is that challenges of being a single mum is not peculiar to you alone. Personally, I understand the pain of being vulnerable, lonely, giving yourself to the wrong people and sometimes feeling like there is a conspiracy of sorts against you either physically or spiritually.

However, I want you to know that most of what you go through is not because you are separated, divorced or a single parent. Contrary to what you may think, you are also not jinxed because many other people go through such issues and you will be amazed at how many of them are even married.

I happen to have quite a number of married friends who are just keeping up appearances in their marriages but a lot of emotional trauma is going down either due to cheating issues, financial issues, in-law issues or even spiritual issues.

On the other hand, I also have friends like me who fall into the single mum or married before category who are struggling with all sorts of issues that also range from emotional to financial and vice versa. Another group of friends I also have are those that have never been married before and who feel like the clock is ticking and life is passing them by because they have never been married or had children before.

So you see that to each his own? Today, I am not telling you any stories about myself but I just want to encourage you not to give up or feel depressed. I know there are times life can seem overwhelming but you need to reach deep within yourself and get that strength to carry on because guess what? God has put it inside all of us and He says He will never give you more than you can handle. 

I started writing this article earlier in the morning and stopped halfway because I got busy along the line. On getting back home, I decided to finish it tomorrow and opened my facebook page just to see what other people have been up to (Lol...social media does bring out the "gbeborun" in most of us jor!).

To my surprise the first thing I saw on my page was a write-up by a very good friend of mine who coincidentally happens to be my namesake and is also a single mum. We went to the same secondary school and hooked up again recently and of course we have been encouraging one another and she dedicated it to me and many other women going through one struggle or the other.

What she wrote was an affirmation that I had to complete this piece today and I hope it blesses you as much as it has blessed me. I also took the liberty of posting a YouTube version of Whitney Houston's song, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" that she wrote about so you can listen firsthand.

                     

"I took out my time to write out the lyrics of Whitney Houston's song ''I DIDN'T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH.

This is my story but I want to use it encourage as many that have lost all hope. There is strength inside of you and I believe your story can change for the best.

I also dedicate it to strong women like Bimbo Olasope of City Kids Show and many other beautiful women out there who have pulled through against all odds."

Lost touch with my soul,

I had nowhere to turn, I had nowhere to go 

I got lost out of my dream

I thought it would be the end of me

I thought I ll never make it thru

I had no life to hold on to

I thought I would break

I didn't know my own strength

I crashed down, tumbled but I didn't crumble

I got thru all the pain

Survived my darkest hour, my faith kept me alive

I picked myself back, held my head up high

I was not built to break

I found hope in my heart

I found light to life my way out of the dark

Found all that I need here inside of me

Oh,I thought I'd never lift that weight

I thought I would break

There were so many times

I wondered how I'd get thru the night

I thought I took all that I could take

My faith has kept me

I picked myself back up

I didn't know my own strength

PHOTO CREDIT
PIXABAY.COM

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