Category: Gratitude

Dubai · Family · Gratitude · Inspiration - Motivation · Love

….And We Get To Rest.

jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

Oh Yes! In the presence of the Lord,Each day
I will bring my gift,
In thanksgiving and joy,
There is joy in my heart,
It is flowing like a river,
And I will praise the Lord,
In Thanksgiving and Joy.

For today’s gratitude challenge, I am thankful that I don’t have to jump out of bed early for a couple of days and rush around like a headless chicken, to ensure that the children are ready for school.

It’s National Day celebration over here, so we get today and tomorrow off school which spills right into the weekend. Yes!!!

I am thankful for the season that we are in. I feel the joy in the air. Even in this city that is Muslim dominated, there is so much liberalism at this point.

Christmas decorations are popping up at the malls and Christmas tunes float in the air from several shops. It’s amazing and I am thankful that we are in a city that is tolerant of other peoples’ religion.

I am quite sure that you have something to be thankful for today.

Blessed Love.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

“If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness, it will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good.

 

 

Devotions · Family · Gratitude · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love

Across The Seas…

jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

I am thankful for those celebrating Thanksgiving. I am still waiting for the invite from you, to come over to baste and eat the Turkey, since I am too far away to join the fun, I will simply drool over the photos.

For journey mercies, I thank you Lord. These are no longer days where men set off nonchalantly, undertaking far distance journeys without a thought given to the safety of the journey. Gratitude quote

As I continue to be grateful for the simple things of life, today, I am most grateful for the safe return of my husband from trips across Continents.

Yesterday, close to 10p.m when he was boarding his flight after the usual security checks, he called to tell me that they would soon take off.

We had a little chat and in-between, he started talking about his life insurance scheme (I knew that he was saying that to me, just in case of eventuality, but I did not want to fill my heart and mind with any negative thoughts), I simply said to him, we will talk more about that when you get home and in my heart I silently uttered another word of prayer for mercy and grace to be their guide.

I refuse to let the spirit of present fear dictate the pace of my life because that will simply suck the joy juice out of it.

I choose instead for my mind to remain in the state of praise, thanksgiving and grace, since it is a gift that I can give myself and expend without fear of it finishing irrespective of whatever the situation of things might be.

Have a grateful heart today. I want to thank Colline and Maria Jansson for the gratitude challenge platforms that you both present.

Regards,

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Devotions · Gratitude · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Love · Social Issues

Under His Shadow, We Pray Today…

jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

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Dear Lord,

May our aching hearts find healing in your presence.

May we rise against the hurt and the destruction,

Which pervades our society today,

So that we can reach for the silver linings hiding in dark clouds.

Grant our minds a sublime state of being,

Where negative spirits of hatred, of distrust,

of aggression and its virulent forces cannot find root.

Let your peace that brings tranquility reign in our lives,

As you cast your shadow of protection over us.

May those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High God

Abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Amen.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Please just take a moment and listen to the Jim Reeves below. Thank you.

 

Blogging · Gratitude · Hope · Life · Personal story · Writing

Staying Alive, staying alive….

jacquelineobyikocha59 Comments

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The year fast draws to a close and it has really been an eventful one with a few dashes of rainbow and a lot of World mishaps.

Let us be prayerful that the next few weeks will be calm, joyful and refreshing.

On a personal note, by the end of the year, I will be thankful for having survived a turbulent World.

In today’s World where even the mundane part of life seems fraught with danger, we should be grateful for each day that we spend successfully as we lay ourselves down to sleep.

By the end of the year, I would have been running my blog nonstop for 7 months and should have concluded the draft of one of my books.

It was my hope to finish two of them, but with blogging in the mix and other duties that beckon for my attention daily, without ceasing, I had to focus on one and take it easy so that I don’t break down whilst trying to hurtle at a full-on break-neck speed.

I am currently at 50,000 words + and may be closing in with 70 to 80k words or so. I am not sure.

Being alive these days is a major achievement and it is only when we are successfully alive at the end of the year that we can count how many eggs our chickens have laid.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

NaBloPoMo prompt – Friday, November 20

What do you hope happens by the end of this year?

Devotions · Gratitude · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Love · Weave that Dream

In Everything…

jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

Gratitude 4

It is often too easy to express gratitude and thanksgiving when everything seems to be in the right place in our lives and around us, and such a hard task to have a grateful heart when everything seems to be falling apart.

No doubt, it is not an easy task to remain on the upbeat and positive, but we should not tarry too long in the doldrums.

Nature abhors vacuum and if at the point in time when our spirits are very low and we fail to fill that gap made with edifying and uplifting emotions, habits, thoughts, reactions etc, the vacuum will be filled with defeatist spirits, with oppressive moods that will suck us down into a pit that requires so much energy to climb out of.

Sometimes, some are never able to regain their sense of self and things spiral out of control.

When things are falling apart, we must struggle to keep our sense of grace, gratitude and thanksgiving, because in deed, in everything we give thanks and our heart of thanksgiving, of gratitude will only expand our coast.

There is a time and season for everything and though darkness may come at night, surely there will be light at day.

For today’s gratitude choice, I am grateful for the light of day.

I am grateful to be among the living and know that I still have the chance today to make better that which I failed yesterday.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to dwell on the things that are important.gratitude 5

I am grateful that even in the time of war that there is still love existing.

I am grateful that I am safe and of sound mind.

I am grateful that the simple things of life are accorded to me from above.

I am grateful that I have met friends such as you in this space and thankful for all the love that I see floating around in this space.

I am thankful for a friend like Oneta Hayes who has gone out of her way to say lovely things about me; I heard through the grapevine 😉 My lady, you are a gem 🙂 Bless your golden heart.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that no situation is permanent that ”this too shall pass” whatever it is and we must make each day count in beautiful ways.

What are you grateful for? When you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will surely surprise you at how much you are blessed.

Shalom

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blog Awards · Blogging · Gratitude · Inspiration - Motivation

Awesome Commendations…

jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

Thank you

Sometimes, saying thank you may sound so trite and flippant in the face of such warmth and fellowship.

It may sound surprising, but I always feel humbled when I see the hands of fellowship extended, the encouragement received and the respect accorded within this commendable, intelligent community of humans.

Inherently, a lot of people are wonderful and if half the positive fellowship, vibes, hugs, motivation and care that are expressed within the blogging space are experienced in the real World, it would be less acrimonious as it is currently.

This week and several weeks in a row, so many of you put smiles on my face in different manners, some went out of their ways to nominate me for an award, to do a blog review for my blog and to extend their warmth.

I say thank you, ‘dalu, imela’ in my native language because it strikes a deep cord inside me.

Thank you for the generosity of your hearts. Thank you for the gift of your time. Thank you for your outstretched arms of fellowship. Thank you for supporting me in this space. It is heartwarming.

Jason, The opinionated man at Harsh Reality , I thank you for a delightful review that tickled me pink 🙂

Maria Holm, I thank you for the lovely synopsis and celebration in your post.

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer, a big thank for the invitation to the interview challenge.

Joanne Bretzer at Velissima, I appreciate your nomination for Blogger Recognition Award.

Sunesiss of Atomic Words , Joan of Marlton Trainer, Voyager of Freedom and Diana of Toast and Tea together,  thank you all for the Sunshine Blogger Award.

Thank you to Vibrant of Blabberwockying , Stephanie Cardozo, Vincent Wambua , Smiling away allergies,Obscurasomnia, and Keeping up appearances for, The Liebster Award. You guys are great 🙂

Africa Bohemian at Tribe 53 thank you for the Infinity Dreams Award.

A big thank you for One Lovely Blog Award and The Versatile Blogger Awards to Anand of Blabberwockying

For the beautiful Respect Award, I thank you Anand with all humility. A lovely new bling for my blog 🙂

Susan, I appreciate the double nominations of One Lovely Blog Award and Blogger Recognition Award.

Kay Morris and Psychochromatic Inception, thank you for the nomination for One Lovely Blog Award. You guys rock 🙂

“You all, are huge sources of inspiration, encouragement and beautiful souls.” I appreciate the affiliation.

To quickly answer a few of the questions picked from the different bloggers:

  • Do I aspire to be published. I respond with a big affirmative YES! One day soon 🙂
  • What do I enjoy most about blogging. The networking and warmth makes it worthwhile.
  • Do I believe in miracles? Very much so! Why do I believe in it? I see myself as a miracle each day.
  • A great writer is a great reader, do I agree? Yes of course! You have to nourish your mind through the words of other great artists.
  • How do I cope with the writers block. I dance. I sleep. I relax and read. I brainstorm it out.
  • If someone had to think about something that reminds them of you what would it be? That she is one lovely soul.
  • What language would I like to learn? Spanish and Arabic.
  • Cats or Dogs? Dogs any day.
  • Hardest sin to avoid? The unwitting spirit of envy that sometimes steals in when unwatched.
  • Love is? Love is a committed choice, day after day.

Knowing the amount of hours that goes into doing these posts I am truly at loss at who to nominate.

Kind regards and blessed love.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha.

The Beautiful Commendations