|
|
Sister’s
Weekend 2002 has come and gone, but has left many hearts enlightened. From a
lovely Friday session to a sister’s meeting on Saturday and a relationship
seminar taken by the Omowos that same day, and finally culminating in a Sunday
celebration service with Evang. Teju
Oni, an ECU alumnus, it was a great time!
And of course, a special part of the
program was saved just
for you…. A newsletter written by the Sisters’ Fellowship for the event was
launched [mostly by brothers, naturally] and here are some of the articles in
the literary masterpiece. Read and be blessed…..
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
suppose you need a special welcome to a special edition of Fragrance, and this is to specially welcome
you all to this special edition of FRAGRANCE, a publication of the Sisters’
Fellowship, Evangelical Christian Union.
While
I worked on this edition, I had the privilege of running through the juicy
articles contained here over and over again. Believe me, I wouldn’t mind a
weekly FRAGRANCE magazine [except the work it involves, anyway!] I was, am and
will continue being blessed.
In
this edition, Mummy has something to say to us on the making of a woman, so
expect to be built up. One article say that the incense that God expects from
us is one that is burnt – think about it, what needs to be burnt in your life?
If you want to know why you should not be treated anyhow, read ‘Name Your
Price’. The specials? Talk about a private audience with the President, 10
books a woman must read, a wonderful testimony, inspiring poems, rib-cracking
jokes, words from the ‘bros’, …….
Maybe
I should allow you to go on now, so get set to chew amd digest this lovely
piece. Enjoy yourself…and thanks for
giving to the substance of FRAGRANCE. See you next edition. Brothers, well, see
you later. I love you all.
Editor.
KEEPING FIT
Have you ever
wondered why many get fat after childbearing? There is a hormonal interplay
which causes them to eat. They eat for two – their babies and themselves.
However, this
increase can be wisely managed if control is exercised. Here are a few things
to note:
Practical tips
Size
trimming makes one feel good – just wait until the compliments start coming!
However, the challenge is to maintain your size. Consider the advantages
therein: you can carry yourself, feel better, increase in confidence, look
smart and healthy, among others. Isn’t that worth working towards?
Tosin Owojaiye
THE MAKING OF
A WOMAN
Who is a woman?
There
have been various definitions of this word. Some say it means the opposite sex,
as in a female; the weaker vessel; the man with a womb. Some even say that a
female becomes a woman at puberty or childbirth!
Gen. 2:23, the
first place where the word was used, say, “She shall be called woman because
she was taken out of man.” Adam also said, ‘She’s my own bone and flesh.” But
really, what was taken out of Adam was a rib, so was he referring to the rib as
the woman? In verses 21-22, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took out
one of his ribs, closed up the place from which he removed it and made the rib
into a woman. So, Adam was referring to the finished work.
There
is a whole process of making between the rib stage and the woman stage. The rib
stands for your imperfections, weaknesses, rough edges, hurts etc. the process
of making is not always a pleasant one. It could be painful and costly, but it
brings out the best in you.
According to the
dictionary, making means to create, construct, produce, amount to or become.
The making period therefore is the time when God turns you from rib to a woman.
A
woman is not just a female; that is genetics. She is someone that is carefully,
thoroughly and purposefully made in God’s image. The period of making is when
God brings out the hidden beauty in the rib and perfects it. [Gen. 1:27]
The
renewing of your mind by God’s word does the making. 2 Tim. 3:16 says that the
Word of God gives inspiration for perfection. The Word of God changes us; our
mentality, attitudes, and dispositions become like that of God. So study,
listen to and do the Word. God also makes us through some experiences that we
go through to build character in us and smoothen our jagged edges; for example,
He could bring infuriating people your way to reduce your temper.
2
Peter 1: 2-11 [TLB} shows us that we have a lot to do in addition to our faith
so that we may become useful to God. The rib could not have been useful to Adam
until it became a woman, and until we allow God to make us, we are not useful
to Him. Like clay in the potter’s hand, be flexible. Don’t assume that you are
perfect, and at the same time, don’t look down on yourself. God can break those
habits that pull you back.
This
period of singleness is the best time for us to allow God to make us. Learn to
obey, trust and yield yourself to Him, and He will make you into a woman to fit
His purpose. The making process never stops.
Titi Alalade
Reality – is
existence, form, and manner of being.
Face it, live up
to its challenges.
Stop living in
self-created fantasy
That takes you
nowhere but –
Heartaches,
disappointments,
A mind filled
with unrealistic ideas.
A woman who
stands and faces reality
Is the wisest of
all.
Adeboje
Oluwabukola
MET MY LOVE…
You died in my
place -
Mocked, betrayed,
bruised, wounded
That I might be
healed and saved.
I deserve none of
this passionate love,
But You paid all
when a wretched sinner I was.
People wanted to
tag me ‘a slave of Your love’,
But You objected
and called me ‘daughter’.
My Father, my
lover, my Saviour,
Your love
intoxicates me.
And I’ll love you
for all eternity.
Yemisi Ajayi
A WOMAN’S
TRAVAIL
He looked so
tender and delicate like a rose.
He was given
adequate care; he lacked nothing.
5 years after
birth, he is still crawling;
He refuses to
outgrow the feeding bottle at 8,
Demands for
breast milk at age 10.
He knows too
little compared to his peers.
Still carried on
his mother’s back at 11!
The mother is so
worried and unhappy.
She wonders… What
caused this…?
I gave him all he
needed to grow –
Balanced meals,
school, ……… oh dear!
If a mother can
be this worried how much more
Is God over his
children that refuse to grow.
He bought you
with his precious blood.
He gave you all
that pertains unto life,
And godliness -
all you need to grow.
All He is saying
is stop crawling, try to stand.
Walk. I am right
beside you.
Must you keep
crawling?
Anonymous
A cry from within
Like a slave in a
stronghold
Limited by his
bounds
“When will I be
free?”
Tears rolling
down his cheeks
Knowing where he
belongs
But as a bird in
a cage
‘Freedom!’ is his
cry.
Like a ray in the
dark
Expression where
he belongs
His face lit up
with relief
Freedom at last!
Awofiranye
Temitope
I was first pricked in my heart
about Christ when my mother confessed Christ on her deathbed. She was very ill
and we hoped and hoped, but she died anyway. She however seemed to die peaceful
and content. I didn’t quite understand.
I come from a Muslim family. My
parents professed their religion quite boldly but not fanatically. We bore
Muslim names and were taught the praying rituals. We also went regularly for
Jumat services at the Mosque.
After my mum died, I decided to get
more serious about the way I lived my life. I wanted security and happiness.
Islam was too shallow to make a change, so at first I thought the solution was
Church. My neighbors were Christians and I saw the peace and happiness in which
they lived. So I started going with them to church.
In church, I met Jesus the friend of
the sinners, and sometime in 1996, Christ met me and changed me. He gave me
such joy, peace and happiness that I cannot trade for the world. I thank God
for freeing me from the bondage and deception of the devil. It’s the greatest
miracle of my life.
“And when they
were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and
fell down, and worshipped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11.
Frankincense is a kind of resin from
trees, giving a sweet smell when burnt. This is to say that frankincense only
gives out a sweet smell when burnt. The inference I draw from here is that if
we are to offer a “FRANKINCENSE”, a benevolent worship, an acceptance sacrifice
unto God, then we need to be prepared to go through the burning process. We
need to be burnt. What do I mean?
Just as gold ore, iron ore, etc are
purified by heating in the furnace, thus extracting the pure from the impure,
we need to be burnt of our pride, our egos, unforgiveness, lusts and every
other thing that hinders an easy and wholesome flow of spiritual current
between us and God. It is rather unfortunate to note that God is incensed with
some of the incense we offer to Him.
You can imagine someone that has
unforgiveness in his heart entering God’s gates with thanksgiving into His
courts with praise and worship. He just finds out that he does not key into the
worship. The gates are not opened to him neither do the courts welcome him.
In
Romans 12:1, Apostle Paul besought us to present our bodies a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable unto God. In the second verse, he advised us not to be
conformed to this world but we should be transformed by the RENEWING OF OUR
MINDS. Thus, being conformed to this world hinders the flow of true worship.
Then follows the solution: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Through
the study and practice of God’s Word, prayer, reading Christian literatures and
the rest, we renew our minds.
In
conclusion, God desires that you have a sincere heart before Him. When you find
out that there is a break in communication then you need to come to God with a
sincere and repentant heart and He is ALWAYS ready to burn the unburnt things
in your life so that you may offer a
FRANKINCENSE before Him always. God bless you.
News
Committee
The six most
important words: "I admit I made a mistake."
The five most
important words: "You did a good job."
The four most
important words: "What is your opinion."
The three most
important words: "If you please."
The two most
important words: "Thank you."
The one most
important word: "WE"
The least
important word: "I"
Death was walking
toward a city one morning and a man asked, "What are you going to
do?"
"I'm going
to take 100 people," Death replied.
"That's
horrible!" the man said.
"That's the
way it is," Death said. "That's what I do."
The man hurried
to warn everyone he could about Death's plan.
As evening fell,
he met Death again. "You told me you were going to take 100 people,"
the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?"
"I kept my
word," Death responded. "I only took 100 people. Worry took the others."
The young Mother set her foot on the
path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And her guide said:
"Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of
it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young Mother was happy, and she
would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played
with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them
in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,
"Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the night
came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear
and cold, and the Mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and
the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no
harm can come."
And the morning came, and there was a
hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the Mother was weary.
But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are
there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said,
"Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the Mother, when
she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day
than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness.
Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."
And the next day came strange clouds
which darkened the earth -- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children
groped and stumbled, and the Mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the
light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting
glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother
said," This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children
God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and
the months and the years, and the Mother grew old... and she was little and
bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when
the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at
last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden
gates flung wide.
And the Mother said: "I have
reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the
beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."
And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when
you have gone through the gates."
And they stood
and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they
said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is
more than a memory. She is a living presence."
Your Mother is
always with you. She's the place you came from, your first home; And she's the
map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first
heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you...
Not time, not
space... in Jesus, not even death!
Author Unknown
BOY : Since we
met, I can't eat or drink...
GIRL: Why not?
BOY : I'm broke.
BOY : I can't
leave you.
GIRL: Do you love
me so much?
BOY : It's not
that. You're standing on my foot.
BOY : May I hold
your hand?
GIRL: No thanks,
it isn't heavy.
GIRL: Did you
miss me while I was away?
BOY : Were you
away?
BOY : Do you
believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again??
GIRL: Say you
love me! Say you love me!
BOY : You love
me...
GIRL: If we
become engaged will you give me a ring?
BOY : Sure,
what's your phone number?
GIRL: I think the
poorest people are the happiest.
BOY : Then marry
me and we'll be the happiest couple.
GIRL: Darling, I
want to dance like this forever.
BOY : Don't you
ever want to improve?
BOY : I love you
and I could die for you!
GIRL: How soon?
A
young lady visited the government matchmaker and requested - "I'm looking
for a spouse. Can you please help me to find a suitable one?" The marriage
officer said, "Your requirements, please."
"Well,
let me see. He should be good looking, polite, humorous, sporty, knowledgeable,
good at singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home
during my leisure hour, if I don't go out, tell me interesting stories when I
need companionship and be silent when I want to rest."
The
officer listened carefully and replied,
"I understand. You need a television."
There
were 11 people hanging onto a rope attached to a helicopter, ten men and one
woman. They all decided that one person should let go because if someone
didn't, the rope would break and everyone would die.
No one could
decide who should go, so finally the woman, fighting back her tears, gave a
very touching speech stating that she would give up her life to save the others
because women were used to giving up things for their husbands, families and
children, ….
When she finished
speaking, all the men started clapping........
CHURCH
SECURITY- SPECIAL BULLETIN
terrorists sent out
to replace those captured yesterday.
Intelligence
believes the brothers names are; Bin
Gossip, Bin
Critical, Bin Absent and Bin Sour. The fear is, they are
already in place
in many area churches and many are just waiting for
orders to invade.
Since our first report we have been
notified by a number of CHURCH
BOARD'S that they
have identified four additional suspected
terrorists
working in different churches. Three of the four have been
apprehended. Bin
Sleepin, Bin Loafin and Bin Drinkin have been taken
into custody. The
Associate Pastor advised us that it is very
difficult to find
anyone fitting the description of the fourth cell
member: Bin
Workin, in most churches. However, he is confident that
anyone who looks
like he's Bin Workin will be very easy to spot.
Stay tuned for more updates from CHURCH
SECURITY...
For
your Maker is your husband, The Lord of Hosts is His name. Isaiah 54: 5.
Every Christian
lady is first and foremost married to her Lord. Therefore, the purpose and
plans of her life are determined by Him. When making decisions in life ( from
the trivial to the crucial), your husband should consent to everything you do.
Thus, in all you do, God (who is your Lord) should have a final say, since He
is your husband.
Acknowledgement
of God and His plans for your life is necessary so as to live according to the
desire of your Lord. You need to know where you are going so as to know whom to
follow when the time comes. This leads us to the issue of making marital
decisions. God is your first husband. Let him dictate to you. Remember that whoever you get married to is
capable of moulding or mangling your relationship with God. (Number 30:6-8).
While you “wait”, seek your Lord and
know his plans for you. This will help you to make right choices in life. And
if “he” is around already, it’s not too late. Start seeking God’s face about
your destiny now. You don’t need someone who will get in the way of your
destiny, do you? Always remember, “ I am your first husband”, says the Lord.
Bunmi Agbede
Pharm III
FROM A GUY TO
YOU
The
above passage is rife with irony. Judges is a book that is filled with heroic
tails of conquest and persistent degradation after victory. Many of the
‘he-man’ heroes made history, then promptly settled down to ‘beget sons and
daughters!’
In
the days of the great judges, people yet went through byways, i.e wrong paths,
for many reasons. The right highways were not trod, telling us clearly that in
these oft-victorious timers, the moral fibre of the nation was defective.
“UNTIL I AROSE”
is a phrase that all women would do well to mark. In a male-dominated,
patriarchal society where women were identified via their fathers, husbands or
sons, the moral strength of the nation was defective until a woman arose!
As
you can guess, she was called Deborah, wife of Lappidoth.
WHAT
IS YOUR OPINION OF YOURSELF? WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS? In the midst of defining who
you are in the church and nation, remember that no matter how many ‘effects’
the men [or ‘the man’] can pull in a home or group, until you arise, sister, a
major part of the place will not be effective.
Rise
up. Lift up your head! You have a place – maybe not on the pulpit or with
organized leadership, but you have the greatest asset of all: the power of
influence. Rise up, or we will suffer the consequences. We believe in you!
bayoOLOTUTM
Imagine that you
asked your son to auction a very precious ring, and you asked you son to
auction it. “Give it to the person who values it most”, you warn. Later, he
comes back with a dirty coin.
“Is this what you
got for the ring?” you ask, disappointed.
“I even had to
beg to be paid this”, he replied. “After all, it’s just a dirty, old, useless
ring and….”
What would you do to that boy?
Do you
know that we sometimes behave like that boy? You could sometimes treat a most
precious thing to God [e.g you] anyhow because you don’t know your worth and
how bad God feels about it!
I
cannot right now accurately describe your worth, but have you ever heard people
say: “ I love her or him so much I could die for her or him?” They are actually trying to express how deep
their feelings are for that person, but they may not be able to do it anyway.
Someone however, loved you so much he did it. “Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends”. “ For I so greatly
loved and dearly priced ‘ you’, that I even gave up “myself”, so
that if you trust in, cling to and rely on me, you shall not be lost, but shall
have life” . John 3: 16 Amplified (emphasis mine)
If
God thought your worth was his life, why do you think so lowly of yourself? I
mean he carried out a valuation check on you and concluded that your worth was
divine life! You were worth the death of the royal prince of the heaven. And He had to rise again to live for
you! Its like his life is centered
around you. When he died, he died for you. Now he lives for you. My dear, no
one can ever love you that much, ever!
I
want to let you know that when the worth of a thing is not known, abuse is
inevitable. VALUE YOURSELF PEOPLE WILL PAY WHAT IS ON THE PRICE TAG THEY FIND
ON YOU. It is wrong to let others treat you anyhow, its not fair on you or God.
As long as you do that, you never develop the self worth and confidence that
you need to live a fulfilled life as a woman. A few points of note are as
follows:
1. Recognize what makes you a better person:
What makes up your value is not money, diction or beauty. Your spiritual,
emotional and psychological state are more important than these. Solomon said,
“WISDOM is the principal thing…” Prov 4:7.
Later, he sais that the summary of your life is that you fear and obey
God. [Eccl 12:13]
You
improve by of loving the Lord and being
a woman of wisdom. Improving yourself in other things should be done on the
basis of wanting to be the best for God (the primary love of your life) and
yourself, not because you want to be accepted by anybody. Do appear neat, take
care of yourself, communicate well, and be in good physical shape but all these
should be seen as challenges in self-improvement.
2. Associate with the right people :Do you
have friends that always put you down? I advise that you stay away from them, since you don’t have to
be accepted of them to be accepted of God. Brace up and live up to your
worth. Go where you are celebrated ,
not where you are tolerated.
3. Never sell yourself cheap to anyone or
anything, no matter how important it [or he] is. Desperation in relationships
is a reflection of low self esteem. Work yourself into a complete package, such
that people will count themselves lucky to make your acquaintance, and the
‘lucky man’ will actually cherish the ‘asset’ he got. M. M. Hammond said “we
attract people who feed off what we think of ourselves.” If you think little of
yourself, people will treat you that way so. If you are aware of your self
worth on the other hand, you earn respect.
I
would like you to note however that having self-worth is not being proud. The
Lord hates a haughty spirit, and it is a prerequisite for a fall. In summary,
think of yourself the way God thinks of you, improve yourself from day to day;
maintain a quiet, meek and teachable spirit, and people will VALUE you as a
gift from God.
Tope Adekola
Here are seven
keys that will increase anyone’ s chances of ‘living happily ever after’:
Dr.
James Dobson, in ‘FOCUS ON THE FAMILY’ magazine.
The above phrase tells us in a nutshell the vision of the MEN’S SUMMIT, which is centred on the emergence of a generation of dependable, sincere and disciplined mighty men who will stand as the pillars of this great citadel for generations to come. This vision will surely outlive this generation.
There is a high demand for real men who possess the full attributes accorded to manhood in the eyes of our Maker; a people whose manhood is not defined by marriage, biceps or chauvinism, amongst many ideologies of men. But what does God really expect of a man? Age is no barrier! Jesus in Luke2:46-47 was only 12 years old when He astonished scholars with His understanding of the scriptures; David was a youth when he killed Goliath when the heart of the army had failed them (1Sam17); and Joseph? The list is endless.
God has called us to bring up a new generation of believers, a new lineage of men who will then convey this new spirit to younger men in an unending chain spanning many generations. There is a generational spirit that is usually passed on from one generation to another. For example, 1 Sam 17 tells of David the youth slaying Giant (not Mr) Goliath against all natural odds, and later as king, in an example of transference, he raised ‘mighty men’ whose individual superhuman acts in battle are documented in 2 Sam. 23:8-39 – but it all began from David the youth.
We are in a strategic position today as the present generation and are burdened with the option to let it be as it always was, or take a bold step to bring the needed change and be partakers in the making of exploit makers. This is a call to the reawakening of GOD’S GENERALS. Choose to make a change! Ashandobe Emmanuel
Men’s Summit Coordinator
You know what? Sometimes I think Pastor Lekan is different from Lekan Olasehinde. Most of us know this brisk, serious, official, prayerful……. President of ECU, but informally, he is relaxed, witty and easy to talk to. FRAGRANCE was with him a few days ago and here are a few excerpts:
FRAGRANCE: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Pastor: Well, you know my name already. I hail from Ado Ekiti, I’m the last child and only son of five children. I attended F.G.C. Idoani, and am presently in Medicine IV.
FRAGRANCE: Who are your close friends?
Pastor: I have a number of them.
FRAGRANCE: Is it that you are not particularly close to anyone?
Pastor: I am; but my close friends are quite a number, most of which are people I served God together with in ECU. Some are my classmates; some have graduated.
FRAGRANCE: In case you have any, what do you do in your spare time?
Pastor: I listen to tapes, pray, gist about football, politics and Scriptures; and then I think. I think deeply.
FRAGRANCE: What is your greatest challenge as President?
Pastor: The great responsibility of leading one of God’s treasure houses in this end times, a place where God Himself recruits men.
FRAGRANCE: Is there something you wish you could change about yourself?
Pastor: [smiles] Yes. I wish I had a brother.
FRAGRANCE: You seem to have so much drive. What motivates you?
Pastor: God’s word and inspiring music.
FRAGRANCE: What is your expectation of ECU sisters?
Pastor: I expect them to be a company of women who are sound in the things of the spirit and skillful enough to keep a home.
FRAGRANCE: All right. Personally now, what do you admire in a lady?
Pastor: [laughs] Isn’t that implicative?
FRAGRANCE: At all, Sir.
Pastor: I admire godly fear, meekness, neatness and intelligence.
FRAGRANCE: Please give us a brief charge
Pastor: The strength of womanhood cannot be overstressed. It has saved nations [e.g Deborah] and marred destinies. 2 Kings 8:18 says that Jehoram did evil….because the daughter of Ahab was his wife. A great need of this hour is women who will shape the world for good.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Tope Adekola
Associate
Editors Tosin Owojaiye
Funke Oladosu
Graphics:
Shekinah Business Ventures