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Praise gives us lots of Grace.
Some boundless strength to run the Race.
So, let’s keep up the Pace,
Voices we lift, as we increase the Base.
♥
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6
Category: Hope
Moon Talk…
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It was a dark night in her life!![1448596808743[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14485968087431.jpg)
The twinkles of the sky beckoned from afar;
And the big glowing orb looked down at her.
In his sage, timeless understanding, he winked;
Old man moon she called, so softly.
How do I reach for the stars?
Old man moon laughed a jolly good laugh. In timeless ways of an old sage, he said:
Little girl!
Dare to dream!
Asleep and Awake!
Close your eyes and stretch!
And reach for the skies! She listened and she paused to listen again!
Then she closed her eyes;
She Dared to Dream;
Asleep and Awake!
She stretched!
When she opened her eyes;
She had caught some golden orbs of the brilliant Sun!
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
LET GO OF THAT POISON!…
Have you ever had a mill stone tied around your neck? No? You are not sure? Well, unforgiveness is a mill stone!
Bearing grudges does not only feel like the weight of an albatross sitting on your neck, it is giving free rental space in the hardware of ones brain to issues better tossed out.
Forgiveness frees your heart and mind in ways that are beyond measure.
I forgive, not even for the sake of the person who has offended me, but to set myself free.
You forgive for your own sake, because not forgiving is called slow poison.![1448465122541[1]](https://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14484651225411.jpg)
This poison taints your heart, taints your mind, taints your life and it is a hindrance to the fullness of your joy because it will always remain a dark shadow and an acid leaching away at the insides of the unburdened.
It is a given that somethings may happen to us that makes us feel as if we can never get past it to the level of forgiveness, but indeed we can, when we seek the grace, even if we don’t forget the incident because it is difficult to delete certain memories that have become ingrained in our memory banks.
However, our minds are very resilient and will fight for us if we give it the chance to. Sometimes, if I am mad at someone and they are within reach, I simply unburden my grudge and move on. It is not worth nights of lost sleep. Not one bit.
I speak deeply from painful life experiences that I thought would make me cynical, embittered and an unforgiving soul.
…But love set me free! I had to actively seek peace, forgive and let go for me to be free indeed. It was so bad at a point that I secretly wished every imaginable ill on Earth on the offender and when I say that it took the serenity and the divine grace of God to expunge my bitterness, I don’t mince my words.
When I accepted those words ”daughter you are loosed” over my life, my joy burst through that no dam could contain it. Now all I feel is pity! Maybe, one day, I shall speak of these things.
It took learning to realize that even though forgiveness does not excuse a behaviour, it prevents that behaviour from destroying one’s heart.
Forgiving was unlocking the door to set a captive free and that captive was me.
Not forgiving meant empowering the enemy some more and remaining a victim.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The Daily Post prompt I Can’t Stay Mad At You.
Do you hold grudges or do you believe in forgive and forget?
Across The Seas…
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. 
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
When One Finger Picks Oil….
Blanket Race or Religious castigating remarks always feed off the wilful, ugly actions of the misguided among us in society. 
These actions earn names and virulent comments from those who perfect the act of positing themselves as armchair judges, pointing fingers, pontificating and lumping people under labels.
In fairness to others, we should learn to stop herding and lumping people into categories to suit our lack of open-mindedness and to satisfy our cravings for ”I told you so’s” as is the case of an African proverb that says “when one finger picks palm oil, it spreads to the rest.”
It is a given and natural phenomenon that the influence of one’s upbringing and society will not only rub off on them, but will dictate and shape their views, behavioral tendencies and if this is the case, then it stands to reason that the individual is not necessarily to blame for how they turn out, but the society at large and their upbringing.
Who are society? We! We form society and not aliens from Mars.
What have we done as a society to improve these situations that we find ugly, which keeps perpetuating itself until they are fast replacing the normal with the abnormal?
Since we are too busy being politically correct, we are all to blame.
If we truly love and want to change our World as much as we claim, is this not then the time to stop playing Possum and to stop hiding our heads in the sand?
Is it not yet time for Muslim leaders to stand as one voice and castigate the bad eggs who perpetrate evil in the name of Islam?
Is it not yet time for the people to question the status-quo and raise eyebrows at those who do these so-called brainwashing?
Is it not yet time for Christians to open their hearts and express that love that we profess?
Is it not yet time for every Religious leader worth his salt to speak up and condemn these inhumane practices and other behavioural tendencies that hurts the society at large?
Or, have they lost their essence as the salt of the Earth?
Is it not time for the arm-chair pontificators to get off their butts and do something more useful other than to be judgmental?
Let us steadfastly attempt in seeking positive ways to do better things for the benefit of our society and not by the spate of ugly words spouting off peoples mouth all over the place.
Today, I will share these African proverbs with you, which should help us realize that our little works can have ripple effects since we are not in isolation and that:
”It takes a village to raise a child.’‘
”If your child is dancing clumsily, tell him, my child you are dancing clumsily. Don’t not tell him “darling, do as you please.”
”A child is what you put inside him.”
”One should shout when a child comes home with a stolen egg, otherwise the day he comes with a stolen ox, it will be too late.”
We are society. Let us stand for the truth.
Thank you Chape for providing the opportunity to enjoy ruminating over these proverbs. I would encourage you to visit his blog. You will find lots of useful fitness tips and neighbourliness.
My invitation extends to these 3 awesome bloggers:
Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer
Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Image credit: Pinterest
Under His Shadow, We Pray Today…
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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.
Staying Alive, staying alive….
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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?
When Tomorrow Comes..
As a matter of fact, these thoughts are not one’s that I have dwelt on in an in-depth fashion at all.
Maybe, because retirement is still far from my mind, but with the way that time gallops by, it is worth sparing a thought.
If the truth be told, I have not focused on this particularly, because I live with hope that I shall live long into very old age to declare of the good works of the Lord in the land of the living.
Part of my aspirations, is for old age to find me in a position of an accomplished writer. 
In a good stead where I will remain a motivating mentor and inspirational support for young adults and the older ones alike.
However, that said, I guess I will need to live somewhere while carrying out these good works and I have always gravitated towards things European/Frenchy because of my bilingualism.
I do admire the shininess of new cities such as Dubai where I currently inhabit a space, but I absolutely adore vintage European architecture.
I hope to find myself in a position where I can live as close to nature as possible in a nice cottage, chateau, house….
Where I can grow my own tomatoes, peppers and vegetable….
Where quaint cafés and bookstores will dot the landscape and I can natter with Louise or Jean-Pierre or Marie or Thérèse, or Edmond or Yves, or Cécilia, or Jason, or Tasha, or Meg, or Elise, Géneviève and all the friendly humans that life can find….while enjoying a freshly baked croissant, cappuccino, fresh breeze and without fear of snipers.
Maybe Nice – France? Maybe Montreal – Quebec? Maybe Geneva – Switzerland? Maybe Toronto – Canada? Maybe Houston – Texas? Maybe Paris – France?
Who knows? I can only hope, work hard, pray and have faith.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
NaBloPoMo prompt – Thursday, November 19
Where would you want to retire if money wasn’t an issue?
I came, I live, I laugh, I love….What about You?
No one likes to dwell on thoughts of death, but the grim reaper is a visitor that likes to call uninvited. He doesn’t ring any door bells when he arrives otherwise he will not meet anyone at home.
So like a thief in the dead of the night, he slinks in!
Since death is an inevitable fact of life that can happen at any time, should it matter to us that our sojourn here on mother earth is remarkable?
Should it not matter to us that we live our lives in such a way that when we kick our individual buckets we would have left a mark that warms the heart of those who remember us and not a shudder of dread with a muttered “good riddance to bad rubbish?”
For all that it is worth, the part of leaving heartwarming thoughts behind appeals to me far better than being a grimace on someone’s face.
If I am well off enough to leave a few heirlooms to loved ones here and there, that would be very nice and dandy, but I think the most important things that I would like to be remembered for are encapsulated in these simple words:
”I came, I lived, I laughed and I loved.”
I came, because I am presently here and was purposefully brought into existence.
I am no mistake (no child is a mistake no matter the circumstance of birth).
I lived.
By being myself
By doing what I love…writing, reading, learning, dancing, talking, drawing, eating and so on…
Living a purpose driven life.
By spending time with my loved ones.
Helping others and sharing with others as much as I can.
By being thankful.
By keeping healthy and exercising.
By mentoring and life coaching both for others and for my own benefit.
By keeping stress at a minimal level.
By dumping the negative thinking.
By forgiving and moving on.
By appreciating nature.
I laughed.
Growing a sense of humour even self-deprecatory humour is healthy.
Laughter is a healer. It is music and fireworks to the soul. Life is so much better with laughter and I want a life enriched with laughter.
I loved.
I would love as much as my heart can expand and the heart can expand so, so much when we give it the chance to do so.
I want to live so that when I die, even the undertaker would be sorry that I am gone.
Not a particularly cheery topic right? However, when you dwell on it, it actually helps to streamline ones purpose and priorities.
So do tell, what part would you like to be remembered for? Heartwarming or Grimacing?
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
NaBloPoMo prompt – Wednesday, November 18
What do you hope people remember about you after you’re gone?
In Everything…
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.
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 cooking pot and twisted tales 