The photographs above show how residents of Makoko, a slum neighborhood located in Lagos, western Nigeria, go through tough conditions to survive life.

At present, Makoko population is considered to be 85,840; however, the area was not officially counted as part of the 2007 census and the population today is considered to be much higher.

This community was established in the 18th century primarily as a fishing village, much of Makoko rests in structures constructed on stilts above Lagos Lagoon of Nigeria.

Today the area is essentially self-governing with a very limited government presence in the community and local security being provided by area boys.

In July 2012, Nigerian government officials destroyed dozens of residences after giving residents 72 hours notice of eviction. One resident was killed in the action. Lagos may continue the destruction of this historic community in order to redevelop what is now seen as prime waterfront.

The story that began the “Naomicreateslife” vision

What do you do when you are called by a pregnant woman that you should come and have sex with her and give her money in exchange for that act? This was what I was faced with back in 2012 as I was on evangelism in one of the suburbs part of Ijora, Lagos State of Nigeria.

My immediate response was to jump into action - to do something, do anything! But what? Ministering of Christ Jesus unto that same woman (whom was a Harlot)…………………………………..

I later got some other brethren involved along into this great project.

“There are complex issues that contribute to a girl being vulnerable to prostituting - factors such as poverty, abuse, trickery and deception, unemployment and addiction often leading to desperation in the family." While a child's tragic journey into prostitution is sometimes due to a family's financial struggle, many families are lured or tricked into thinking their children are being offered a legitimate job or an opportunity for education. "But once trapped in this world of unspeakable evil, they are held captive against their will, and threatened with violence, are soon imprisoned in a world of unimaginable pain and degradation ... I say repeatedly but It's NOT OK!"

“A woman with an education may be able to spend more time sitting in a chair instead of lying on her back. A sound advantage, I should think.” ― Anne Bishop,

My Vision

·         Creating a Home

·         Reintegration

·         Family assistant Programmes

HOW DO I HELP

"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." – Late Nelson Mandela

 #Education

Our goal is that every lady would be educated, through reading and writing and being able to communicate effectively through English competently.  For many of older girls, we will consider it important, for them to enter into vocational training, to continue their education in being able to read and write.

#Vocational Training

#Therapeutic Services

Each girl within this Rescue Home will have a regular contact with a counselor and social worker. These will form an essential relationship in their healing and restoration journey. All girls in this home will receive a minimum of weekly counseling when they first arrive, and this may be reduced to three-weekly during their time in our care. Counseling services continue even once a girl is safely reintegrated back to her family.
Our counselors will provide specific trauma therapy for every girl, along with being a person who the girl can share about their day, their relationships, their family, and their fears.

#Medical

All girls in this Home will receive regular medical care, including vaccinations, dental, optical, and any other necessary care.

"I was raped at the age of 9" - Oprah Winfrey

"I didn't even complete my university education" - Bill Gates

"I was sexually, mentally, emotionally and verbally abused by my father as far back as I can remember until I left home at the age of eighteen" - Joyce Meyer

"I struggled academically throughout elementary school" - Dr. Ben Carson

"I used to serve tea at a shop to support my football training" - Lionel Messi

"I used to sleep on the floor in friends' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food, money, and getting weekly free meals at a local temple" - Steve Jobs

"My teachers used to call me a failure" - PM Tony Blair

"I was in prison for 27 years" - Retired President Nelson Mandela

Though we pass through many difficulties in life, we should not give up because life is not about what you couldn't do so far, it's about what you can still do. Decide to be UNSTOPPABLE. That's who you are!

Jeremiah 29:11 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 The Message (MSG)
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

SEED OF DISCORD

 

How could Rebecca wife of Isaac and the sister of Laban sown seed of discord between two brothers who happened to be her own children?

Woman, Woman, Woman, you need to check yourself because this same attitude that was seen in Rebecca's life had  become common phenomenon amongst women nowadays. (Having soft spot for one child above others.)

How could it have been Rebecca (their Mother) that plotted the whole act and later sold such idea to Jacob her loved son?

Jacob did not initially had that idea because the scripture showed that he (Jacob) was afraid (Gen.27: 6-11 NIV “Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: ⁹ Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. ¹⁰ Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. ¹² What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”)

Through this act of hers, Rebecca created enmity between the two sons, which later took Jacob into hiding away from his senior brother Esau for over 20yrs and thereby caused his mother not see him till her death. Hmm, what a life?

Are you doing the same thing right now Woman/Man?

If, I wish to let you know that such act normally results into negativity and which does not last long.

Take Heed and REPENT NOW……….

15 Ways to Live Life Fully - by Evelyn

Do you realize the full potential of life, and of all of its miracles, great and small?

Or do you simply take for granted the wonder that is everywhere, all around you?

The above quote, spoken first by Albert Einstein, speaks to the essence of what it means to live life fully. To miss out on all the wonder will be a pity. It happens when you become caught in the emotional content of your daily dramas, frustrations and pain. You are not able to step aside and appreciate what you already have or what the world has to offer to you.

Everyday, there are miracles occurring all around.

The earth hangs in the balance of space,
the heart beats within the human,
a child is born in the womb of its mother,
the birds fly in a beautiful dance,
a rosebud blossoms,
a radiant rainbow lights up the sky after a thunderstorm,
and more.

Are these the miracles that you are able to see everyday? I experienced a shift ever since I made the decision to view life as a gift. In a way, it is a matter of perspective. You make a choice. By making the decision to view life as a miracle. In so doing, you find that you are able to experience joy even in the simplest things. You are able to breathe into each moment and enjoy the fullness in the here and now.

Are you Living your Life to the Fullest?

On a scale of one to ten, how fully are you living your life?

An honest appraisal can open your eyes to changes that you need to make. If you gave yourself a low score, it is probably time to start making some of those changes.

Keep in mind that the only thing standing in your way is you. In order to live life to the fullest you need not be able to climb Mount Everest or sky dive off some South African cliff. Instead, you must learn to make the most out of what you are given, to look for and embrace the small miracles in your every day life.

Here are 15 ideas to get you started.

How to Live Life Fully

1. Start with the Mirror Test. I find that I am saying this over and over again but it warrants repetition: if you are engaged in negative self-talk when you look in the mirror, you cannot claim to be living life fully. Negative self-talk patterns such as self-criticism, self-deprecation and self-judgment hold you back from being the person that you fully can be.

So start by eliminating negative self-talk. It does you no good. Instead, realize that you are a miracle and that you are deserving of living a life that is full, rich and complete.

2. Appreciate everything. The roof over your head, the car that you drive, the person that shares your life. We become accustomed to so many things, and so we take things for granted. Sometimes life shows us what would happen when these things are taken away from us. However, we do not need such events to happen before making the decision to appreciate everything.

3. Be in touch with beauty. Beauty is all around you. When was the last time you make a point to notice it? The next time something strikes you as beautiful, try to stop and take a picture. Consider creating a “wall of beauty” somewhere in your home. Over the next month, try to cover the whole wall with the beautiful things you’ve experienced in life.

4. Start a miracle journal. Make a note of the incredible, wonderful and miraculous things that happen to you everyday. Write each thing that happens in your notebook. Take the time to re-read your journal monthly. Remind yourself each and every day that your life is full of miracles.

5. Create an environment that reflects positive energy. This can mean anything from fresh flowers on the table to inspiring artwork on the wall. It will only take you a moment to stop and look at these. Surround yourself with things that will help to remind you to live your life to the fullest.

6. Be spontaneous. Some of the greatest moments in life are unplanned. Spontaneity shows a willingness to allow destiny to guide your path. Great things can happen when you are willing to allow and accept life’s little surprises, openly and eagerly. So seize the moment!

7. Be in charge of your own happiness. Don’t let other people’s fears affect you. Avoid toxic relationships that do not serve you. Accepting responsibility for your own feelings gives you power over them. From the moment it is all up to you, you become empowered to take charge of the way that you experience life.

Since you are responsible for how you feel, you know that you have the power to feel good or to feel bad, as you choose. Today you can choose to feel good, regardless of what is going on externally.

8. Breathe into the moment. Yesterday is gone; dwelling on the past can only rob you of what this moment has to offer. On the other hand, tomorrow may never come, hence worrying and obsessing over what it might bring is useless. Whenever you find your mind getting caught up with the past or the future, bring your awareness to your breath.

Being here in the moment, however, gives you the opportunity to experience life fully and completely, in whatever way you choose, right now. Begin by bringing awareness to your breath, through meditation.




9. Say yes to adventures. Life is to be savored, with its buffet of options. I don’t know about you but I seldom feel bored. I am always on an adventure, whether with a new creative project, sport, undertaking, class or energy healing modality. If anything, I feel rejuvenated when there is something new to learn.

10. Create a bucket list. So you do have a dream to climb Mount Everest or go cliff diving? Well, everyone has a list of different things they want to do before they die. If you want to live life without regrets, create a bucket list with the items that you absolutely would love to do. Pick one or two seemingly impossible item and make a vision board for it.

11. Go for Mind-Body-Spirit Wellness. You cannot exactly be living life to the fullest if you are neglecting one important aspect of your life. It is all about having a certain balance. You undertake self-care in all three aspects of mind-body-spirit. Find ways to restore the balance into your life.

12. Work towards Work-Family Balance. Not just for the self, there is an external healthy work-family life balance that you need to strike and maintain. Don’t neglect the needs of your family for work. The Chinese has this saying: a family in harmony will prosper in everything. I have found it to be true because it can be hard to work effectively whenever there is some major conflict going on at home.

13. Go for your Dream. What is your one-consuming heart desire? Is it to find a soul mate, a passion that you can turn into a business or a healthy loving family? Look inside and connect with it. Create a heart-centered vision, make a vision board and go for it!

14. Live with Purpose. A sense of purpose gives your life greater meaning. You know what you are here to do. You become activated every morning by your sense of purpose. Purpose is about your contribution to the world. You are aware that you can make a difference to the lives of people around you.

15. Live from the heart. I cannot imagine a life being full without experiencing true love. Love is the one thing we all are able to give, regardless of age, race, gender, economic status or any other thing.

 

 

 

 

 

                    Where are the David of Our Time?

Multiple times in the Bible David is recognized as a man who followed God and was sensitive to the leadership of God in his life. We first learn about who David would become when God rejected Saul’s reign and said that He would give the kingdom to a neighbor of Saul’s who was a better man (I Samuel 15). At the time God said this to Saul through Samuel, David was only a boy of 8 to 12 years old. God knew that though David was young, he would grow up to be a man in tune with God’s heart and plan for Israel.

David wrote many of the Psalms that we cherish. This was not because David never had problems. David wrote many of those precious poems in the midst of trouble. Yet, David knew that his strength came from God. We enjoy his writings today because he was a man who knew how to lean on the Lord during times of adversity. What he wrote in Psalms about trusting the Lord is applicable to us today.

HAPPY PEOPLE

There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Contrary to popular belief, happiness doesn’t come from fame, fortune, other people, or material possessions. Rather, it comes from within. The richest person in the world could be miserable while a person living in the slums of a third world country could be happy and content. I have spent plenty of time amongst both groups to have seen it first hand. Happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They maintain a positive outlook on life and remain at peace with themselves.

The question is: how do they do that?

It’s quite simple. Happy people have good habits that enhance their lives. They do things differently. Ask any happy person, and they will tell you that they …

1. Don’t hold grudges.

Happy people understand that it’s better to forgive and forget than to let their negative feelings crowd out their positive feelings. Holding a grudge has a lot of detrimental effects on your wellbeing, including increased depression, anxiety, and stress. Why let anyone who has wronged you have power over you? If you let go of all your grudges, you’ll gain a clear conscience and enough energy to enjoy the good things in life.

2. Treat everyone with kindness.

Did you know that it has been scientifically proven that being kind makes you happier? Every time you perform a selfless act, your brain produces serotonin, a hormone that eases tension and lifts your spirits. Not only that, but treating people with love, dignity, and respect also allows you to build stronger relationships.

3. See problems as challenges.

The word “problem” is never part of a happy person’s vocabulary. A problem is viewed as a drawback, a struggle, or an unstable situation while a challenge is viewed as something positive like an opportunity, a task, or a dare. Whenever you face an obstacle, try looking at it as a challenge.

4. Express gratitude for what they already have.

There’s a popular saying that goes something like this: “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.” You will have a deeper sense of contentment if you count your blessings instead of yearning for what you don’t have.

5. Dream big.

People who get into the habit of dreaming big are more likely to accomplish their goals than those who don’t. If you dare to dream big, your mind will put itself in a focused and positive state.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Happy people ask themselves, “Will this problem matter a year from now?” They understand that life’s too short to get worked up over trivial situations. Letting things roll off your back will definitely put you at ease to enjoy the more important things in life.

7. Speak well of others.

Being nice feels better than being mean. As fun as gossiping is, it usually leaves you feeling guilty and resentful. Saying nice things about other people encourages you to think positive, non-judgmental thoughts.

8. Never make excuses.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Happy people don’t make excuses or blame others for their own failures in life. Instead, they own up to their mistakes and, by doing so, they proactively try to change for the better.

9. Get absorbed into the present.

Happy people don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They savor the present. They let themselves get immersed in whatever they’re doing at the moment. Stop and smell the roses.

10. Wake up at the same time every morning.

Have you noticed that a lot of successful people tend to be early risers? Waking up at the same time every morning stabilizes your circadian rhythm, increases productivity, and puts you in a calm and centered state.

11. Avoid social comparison.

Everyone works at his own pace, so why compare yourself to others? If you think you’re better than someone else, you gain an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you think someone else is better than you, you end up feeling bad about yourself. You’ll be happier if you focus on your own progress and praise others on theirs.

12. Choose friends wisely.

Misery loves company. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with optimistic people who will encourage you to achieve your goals. The more positive energy you have around you, the better you will feel about yourself.

13. Never seek approval from others.

Happy people don’t care what others think of them. They follow their own hearts without letting naysayers discourage them. They understand that it’s impossible to please everyone. Listen to what people have to say, but never seek anyone’s approval but your own.

14. Take the time to listen.

Talk less; listen more. Listening keeps your mind open to others’ wisdoms and outlooks on the world. The more intensely you listen, the quieter your mind gets, and the more content you feel.

15. Nurture social relationships.

A lonely person is a miserable person. Happy people understand how important it is to have strong, healthy relationships. Always take the time to see and talk to your family, friends, or significant other.

16. Meditate.

Meditating silences your mind and helps you find inner peace. You don’t have to be a zen master to pull it off. Happy people know how to silence their minds anywhere and anytime they need to calm their nerves.

17. Eat well.

Junk food makes you sluggish, and it’s difficult to be happy when you’re in that kind of state. Everything you eat directly affects your body’s ability to produce hormones, which will dictate your moods, energy, and mental focus. Be sure to eat foods that will keep your mind and body in good shape.

18. Exercise.

Studies have shown that exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft does. Exercising also boosts your self-esteem and gives you a higher sense of self-accomplishment.

19. Live minimally.

Happy people rarely keep clutter around the house because they know that extra belongings weigh them down and make them feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Some studies have concluded that Europeans are a lot happier than Americans are, which is interesting because they live in smaller homes, drive simpler cars, and own fewer items.

20. Tell the truth.

Lying stresses you out, corrodes your self-esteem, and makes you unlikeable. The truth will set you free. Being honest improves your mental health and builds others’ trust in you. Always be truthful, and never apologize for it.

21. Establish personal control.

Happy people have the ability to choose their own destinies. They don’t let others tell them how they should live their lives. Being in complete control of one’s own life brings positive feelings and a great sense of self-worth.

22. Accept what cannot be changed.

Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you’ll be more at peace with yourself. Instead of obsessing over how unfair life is, just focus on what you can control and change it for the better.