Notes of a Girl Whose Dad Owns The World
We can talk about how lit 2018 is going to be from now till tomorrow, but talk is cheap. Unless we take deliberate steps, 2018 will not be significantly better than 2017. In fact, “Happy New Year” begins now.
If you’re really serious about developing yourself, there is one commitment you must make and keep.
Self-described maid whisperer Ore Sonola holds a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Ilorin, and spent 4 years as a relationship manager with United Bank for Africa before switching to her current career in 2015.
CN: What’s your job description as a maid whisperer?
I work to prevent maid tragedies from happening by creating enlightening resources that will help women all through the process of hiring a maid. My resources are also designed to improve employer-maid relationships and guaranteed to Train maids till they are Transformed and they Thrive. I currently run MAIDforME, a hub where women can find solutions to the everyday issues they encounter with their maids. Read the rest of the interview…
#COTW
At first I thought it was weird. Like, come on! You can’t be serious? That’s creepy! Then I started looking around and observing people who were really successful at what they were doing; the ones who were headed for the top. I realised that they all had one thing in common. They were obsessed with their hustle. Read more…
Sunday 25th September 2016, writer and blogger Tunde Leye launched his novel, Guardians of the Seal, and social media has been abuzz since.
I interviewed him for Connect Nigeria’s “5 Minutes With…” and I think every aspiring writer can learn a thing or two. Continue reading…
Stupendous: Causing amazement; astounding; marvelous
The grace that drew salvation’s plan. The grace that not only reached out to us when we were lost, but sustains us even now that we are found. The grace that gives us free access to our Creator, grace that makes it possible for us to call Him Daddy. The grace that promises that all things are working together for our good, no matter how “bad” they may seem now. The grace that will lead us to our eternal home. Stupendous grace!
This blogger knows the grace of God, and everything she posts flows from the knowledge of that grace. Not head knowledge, but a real, experiential knowledge.
She’ll be the first to admit that it was not always so; she says so in her Letter to God:
I know I’ve not always enjoyed this level of relationship with you. For a long time, I was content with bearing your name as my surname and then meeting you for a quick dinner every now and then. I was content with referring all my bills and needs to you and you made sure that my needs were met as good fathers are wont to do. I was comfortable with a simple, ‘Hi Dad’, ‘Good night dad’ relationship and when challenges came my way, I was bold to bring them to you and you, dear Father, always came through for me. I always had a new story to tell my friends about how ‘cool’ my dad was. Then one day, I listened to one of my brothers speak about you so intimately and a feeling of deep loss overwhelmed me. He had something I didn’t have. I knew your acts, yes, like the Israelites, but I didn’t know your ways like Moses did (Psalm 103:7). And then, I realised that I wanted more.
By her words, the lessons and testimonies she shares, the encouragement she gives, the life she lives, Eloho inspires me. She inspires me because we share so much in common. She calls herself the average girl next door, and I know that’s what she is, because that’s what I am. We are recipients of grace that transforms us into more.
We were not worthy, we were not qualified, and yet we are loved with a love so deep, so high, so wide, that we can never fully grasp the intensity of it.
What a joy to know the grace of God…we rejoice in the grace of God!
There’s so much that can go wrong when a blog has guest posts often. The possibility of this is even higher when the blog owner doesn’t write as many posts as he features.
What I’ve come to realise in life is that many cooks do not necessarily spoil the broth; it’s too many cooks that spoil the broth. How can you tell how many is too many? Well, it’s an art, and Uncle Efe has it down to a T. It’s not easy to say whether it’s as a result of the timing, the quality of the writers or the assortment of themes, but there are never too many cooks on 19th Street.
This blog invites you to “explore memories of life’s experiences” and everything you’re looking for, from relationship gist and true life stories, to poetry and fiction, you’ll find here. I particularly love how the blogger invited various people to write about their 2013 in December last year. Rich, inspiring pieces, every last one. And Uncle Efe was such a graceful and gracious host, putting his little notes at the bottom of each one, thanking the contributors for sharing and wishing them well in 2014.
My favourite posts however, are the ones for and against the motion that Uncle Efe is Naija Husband. No matter how many times I read the “for” I still find myself laughing- howling, in fact. Efe is obviously not Naija Husband but apparently this is obvious only to some of us. Perception is such a powerful thing.
This blog is truly special, and it’s all the different flavours that make it so. The more the merrier, all the way. Enjoy the broth!
Dr. N has been a medical practitioner for over 8 years and she started this blog to share “what you wish your doctor told you.”
Of course this was enough reason for me to be drawn to this blog- who doesn’t want to hear the truth about something as important as health? Her passion, burden and purpose in life is to educate, inform and empower Nigerians and the rest of the world to make informed health decisions. Add to that the fact that she is unapologetically Christian (it’s uncool to be that these days, by the way) very candid, a devoted wife and mother, and writes the kind of relatable fiction that I enjoy…there’s no denying the fact that I’m hooked.
You can be sure I’m always busy gobbling up all the posts that have any references to married sex; lord knows we spend too much time telling young people to abstain and way too little time helping them when they eventually get married. I’ve always been exasperated by how religious people like to pretend when it comes to sex. It’s one of the 25 Random Things About Me I shared in an old post here.
Here’s a delightful snippet from one of Dr. N’s posts:
“When you meet the right man, you need to open up your heart slowly to the idea that God has authorised him to receive the jewels you have been keeping for Him. Slowly, as the wedding approaches, you see him as a priest who receives the offering. Just as the Israelites gave their precious sheep and doves to the priests to burn and even eat, but believed it was God who got the glory. So I honour God and my husband with my body. If I lie there stiff as a board, muttering “Blood of Jesus”, the guy will be turned off. Soon, we will need a marriage counsellor. Rather, I let go with reckless abandon, just as I scream and dance in church, so both he and Jehovah are excited. Let’s be real ladies, it takes 2.”
Yeees doctor! Ladies, have you heard? It’s what the doctor ordered! And she talks to the guys too. Bookmark this blog today!
This is my favourite relationship blog! Her relationship with God is sooo inspiring, and I have often been intrigued, amused and blessed by her views on romantic relationships too. On top of that, she features posts from other writers about relationships, and some of the things I’ve read here are amazing, especially the true life stories. So much to learn!
I did a review of the blog here.
Now that she’s married(she got married 2 months ago), I can’t wait to see her practice all she’s been preaching! I know it’s not easy but there’s grace enough for her.
We have so much more to look forward to:
I intend to start a series. In fact I have so many many beautiful plans for this blog. I intend to write about my relationship (which I never do) but in the form of a story. I intend to give practical tips to brides to be on planning a wedding. I intend to start a prayer series for newbies in marriage etc. I intend to publish some of my stories that are gathering dust in the folder. So many things on my mind. But for now, I just want to do a little dance.
We’re waiting, Temi, we’ll be here when you finish your dance!
The life of a single woman who follows Christ is a very interesting one. Posts on this blog make me remember faith and trust in a time of uncertainty. In the midst of the challenges, loneliness and doubt, she must find joy in her Maker. She must hide her heart in Him.
Questions, questions, questions. Is God really good? What am I supposed to be doing to speed up this process? How will I know him when I see him? Lord, could you please get my mother off my back? Gosh, another birthday and I’m not married yet…on and on. The question of the will of God is one of great concern for this blogger; nobody wants to make a mistake in marriage. She writes:
Growing up, you would always hear messages that went something like this; ‘God’s Will is difficult and your flesh will always fight it, but you would need to submit to it because God knows best and in the long run you will see it’s for your good’. I heard it so much that my mind got it twisted because the emphasis then was placed on the Will being difficult than it was for my good. They made it sound like when your mother would force you to drink ‘agbo’(a traditional fever concoction drink) because she knew it would make you well, but that didn’t change the taste of the drink( I still cringe at the thought of those memories).
I’m glad she knows where to find answers. Yes, God is good. Yes, He will bring the right partner your way at the right time. No, he won’t force you to marry a man you do not like simply because it’s “His Will” or whatever other lies the enemy uses to torment the waiting heart.
This is a new blog, with only a few posts, but it’s one I will definitely be following!
Miafarradaily is a blog about the life and times of a lawyer lady who describes herself as Nigerian/English. You know how I really love to see Nigeria through the eyes of Nigerians who have spent a lot of time away from here, especially when they write about their experiences!
One of my favourite posts on this blog is “Don’t Expose Your Laps”, a post written during her NYSC last year. I don’t know what kind of company or ministry she served with but she was so bored that she took to writing academic essays, a PhD proposal, and of course, observing peculiar Nigerian ways.
4. “Are you mobile?” means “do you have a car?” and usually precipitates a request to give someone a lift. It is just about okay to give an older woman a lift but it’s generally a bad idea to give men of any age a lift, no matter how bitchy that might seem (see 3 above) because if you do, you’ll get to work the next day and find an office brimming with gossip about how you “ride around town with men” and the car itself was probably bought for you by another man.
5. Long lunches are totally okay so long as you have someone in the office who will say “she just stepped out” to anyone who asks. “Stepping out” is code for anything from “she’s in the loo” to “she’s in an important meeting” to “she’s currently having a two course meal at Tulip Bistro, followed by a pot of froyo at Yogurberry, then a quick stop to get her brows waxed at B-Natural Spa.”
Isn’t she entertaining! The blog is mostly about true experiences, but she also puts up fiction on Thursdays.
The blogger’s real name is not Mia Farraday, by the way. Mia Farraday is the name of the female character in the first short story she wrote when she was nine years old. The Mia Farraday in the story was eaten by hungry dogs. While the blogger says she’s hoping for a slightly better outcome, I’m thinking, hers will be a WHOLE LOT better.
I’m rooting for her, and for every woman who is working hard to reach her goals, so I’ve put up a picture of my favourite lawyer lady. May we become all that we dream of becoming, and more.
anafricandiva 