15 Years Later…

November 11, 2015November 11, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha103 Comments

When we met for the first time, the universe did not shift on its axis!

It was not love at first sight for me, but probably for you.

My love at first sight was cradled in my young arms and we were cooing at each other; my dear friends first daughter and cute as a button too.

In you stepped that very first time and that image of me cuddling up a baby struck your eyes and stuck in your heart.

You chose there and then that I would be yours to have and to hold.

I gave you my cold shoulder, but you warmed me with your heat.

I had no plans for such distraction, my career laurels beckoned silently.

But, fate had its plans, and I am glad it did.

You systematically wooed and broke down all my walls,

Every fence erected, you climbed over and crawled into my heart.

You brought laughter to my lips,

A twinkle in my eyes,

And more joy into my life,

The butterflies came,

And you gave me such bliss.

Now and again, you make as mad as a hatter,

But your love cocoons me all over.

Its 15 years to the letter today,

The very day I said, I do, I do,

It always feels like a birthday,

With lots of unwrapping to do.

My dear darling husband, you decorate my life,

With my heart filled with love,

I do, I do, I do, again and again.

To infinity and beyond.

For today’s gratitude challenge, I am grateful to God for walking with me through this fifteen years of married life.

His abundance of grace, peace, love, mercy, joy has endured in our lives. Indeed, I am blessed.

Won’t you join Colline’s gratitude challenge? There is always something to be thankful for.

Kind regards,

Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Musings

Where is Your Corn Roasting?…

November 10, 2015November 10, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

A friend and sister blogger invited me for the three quote challenge and I would like to share some African proverbs with you. Thank you OBA for this auspicious opportunity. I like it.

Back then in my place, our grandparents and parents told us tales or rebuked us with words laced with lots of proverbs, adages and idioms that we had no idea what they meant.

Sometimes, they will ask you to go and figure out a sensible answer for a proverb as part of your punishment, then you would perambulate from one adult to another trying to repeat the proverb and get its meaning.

These adults had a way of knowing that you had misbehaved so your journey got a little trickier and arduous but it was a lesson well taught in a lot of instances.

So I leave you with today’s proverb:

”A man doesn’t go far from where his corn is roasting.”

Now picture me going up and down asking another adult to tell me where the corn is roasting 🙂

I would like to invite 3 gentlemen bloggers in the house to give us their quotes.

Patrick Hawthorne

Thomas M Watt

Barclay Dave

Blogging · Inspiration - Motivation · Tips for the day · Writing

You Can’t Stop Now!…

November 10, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha8 Comments

Starting a new project is akin to venturing on an unknown expedition which is fraught with excitement, uncertainties, trepidation, breakthroughs and a basketful of other emotions of unknown origins.

Most times, we are hesitant to approach a project that looms in our minds, overthinking the process of that new beginning with all the should I, would I, could I and what if’s under the sun.

Once that overthinking, over-preparing process begins, our zeal starts to wane and that little nay-saying imp hanging around the corridors of progress waiting to say nay at the slightest opportunity, will validate our excuses with all the best laid out reasons and will nip at our heels with glee.

A simple approach which I have found that works before I jump into the fray with two feet, is to ask just two questions with a chart to tick my answers:

– What is the purpose of this project and what do I stand to gain with its success?

weighed against:

– What do I stand to lose if it doesn’t pan out the way I thought it would?

Once these two bits have been sorted out in my head, I dive in wholeheartedly and give it my best shot. Some days along the way might be arduous but I limp along and keep telling myself “hang in there, this too shall pass”.

By the time I know it, time is flying past, I am enjoying the process and recording success to the point that when the end looms in sight I start feeling withdrawal pangs, wondering why I didn’t do this before.

Over the years, with little things that I done here and there, I found that the greatest fault is not failing to succeed in that which one sets off to achieve, rather, it is the failure to attempt in the first place that is the biggest problem.

“To my fellow NaBloPoMoer’s and The NaNoWrimoer’s, just hang in there, this too shall pass!“

In response to NaBloPoMo, Tuesday, November 10

What is the hardest part of a big project: getting the energy to begin, finding the time to work on it, or feeling down that it’s over?

Blogging · Devotions · Inspiration - Motivation · Life

Again and Again and it Sticks…

November 9, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

Some of us are positively wired morning humans, while some are later hours wired humans who want to kill the poor morning ones for too much positivity and energizer bunny bounciness at a time that they would consider as ungodly hours.

Please, I do crave your indulgence. I am one of those early morning sunny child and I married the moody moon man. What a chaotic sizzling hot combination. I digress.

Over the years, I found out that truly, whether morning or evening human, we are all creatures of habit and comfort. When I go away from my abode, I may stray a day or two away from my usual habits, but I will find that within the next few days, I am eager to get back to the known, comfortable cycle.

Most times, once we have set off on a certain tangent, its repetitive sessions almost becomes inculcated in our lives and gradually it sticks to us as a form of habit. That could be an explanation as to why some people who ooze negative vibes from start to finish find it difficult to break such a vicious cycle.

For instance, I wake up early (even my idea of a lie-in on a Saturday morning is pretentious, compared to some people that I know) and jump start my day with certain activities.

I practically wake up with ”Thank you Lord” on my lips each morning before dashing to the loo, getting some business taken care of and going through my to-do list in my head.

I have found that making those positive affirmations, spending that 5 minutes early in the morning to go through my Bible or devotional (sometimes, on the go) helps keep my mind steady and with that positive strength of my mind, I run my day more productively.

On the other hand, on days I wake up from the wrong side of my bed, with a cotton wool head and grumpiness, the day simply goes South, except I climb back into bed and try to crawl out from the right side, second time around; which by the way is luxury that I cannot afford.

That day practically runs me (which is not my ideal picture) and I end up faffing away most of my time gathering more wool and not achieving as much as I would have ordinarily.

So, in essence, I make great efforts to do the positives again and again until it is almost on auto.

I haven’t perfected the art yet, but the journey to achieve excellence is actually the greater part of the success.

So tell me, which side of the day are you? Morning or later hours?

In response to NaBloPoMo – Monday, November 9

What is the first thing you do every single day (I mean, after you hit the snooze button)? When did that step in your routine begin?

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

Awesome Commendations…

November 8, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha51 Comments

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.

The Beautiful Commendations

Creative Writing · Haiku · Inspiration - Motivation · Life

Just For You!…

November 6, 2015November 6, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

Amazing that’s what you are.

♥Beautiful, Charming, Divine, Exquisite creation from High♥

Search within, for you to know.

………

Brilliant that’s who you are.

♥Fine, Graceful, Handsome, Illuminating masterpiece from God♥

Unwrap yourself, you will see.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Family · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Personal story

Lifes Lessons… a personal story

November 5, 2015November 5, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha34 Comments

Every state of our being as a human is formed by lessons learnt.

The impact of life’s lessons taught a young mind especially through their parents and primary educators are very profound and these teachings can be compared to the art of weaving a basket, where, if the weaver does a careless job, everything unravels and must be started again.

However, if the weaver pays attention and does a careful job, their end product is a fine basket.

In the case of children, sometimes the shoddy, careless job of upbringing can leave negative indelible marks that takes ages to obliterate, if ever at all.

It is only now as a full grown mother of my own children, that I begin to understand and appreciate the numerous lessons that my parents painstakingly tried to drum home into me and I cannot thank them enough for caring about how I turned out as a human being.

Over the years and so many times in a day, an idiom or parable that my late dad said would simply repeat itself in my head.

Sometimes in such an eerie manner that I would feel as if he was right there with me.

To buttress a point he would say things like:

“When you know how to pound, you pound in the mortar, when you fail to learn how to pound, you end up pounding on the floor.”

“When a word is tossed at a sensible person, he takes it and pockets it for later use, but when a word is tossed at a profligate, he tosses it away and remains ever foolish.”

”You had better start looking for your black sheep before nighttime, otherwise, in the darkness of the night, you will not be able to recognize it.”

“A bad market day is recognized early in the morning.”

”You cannot carry a good head of palm fruit to pound in a leaking mortar.”

“You cannot plant corn and expect to harvest okra.”

On my mother’s part, she would elaborate her lessons with a dramatic flair sometimes:

“Whatsoever you do, to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” (in a sing-song voice).

”For a broom to sweep well, it must be bound with others. A lone broom stick cannot sweep a grain of sand.” (with a bound broom in her hand for demonstration).

“An okra plant can never grow taller than the planter. The planter can always bend it to harvest it’s fruits.” (the bending of a suitable item would be done with flourish).

Many lessons on contentment, generosity, integrity, hard work, love, kindness, belief, responsibility, admitting your mistakes, forgiveness, caring, humility, commitment, boldness, confidence, overcoming difficulties, living within your means, honesty, to seek God, values and so much more were taught. Now as I grow older, I understand it better.

As an adult, my surviving parent remains my best confidant and counselor. Her words are gemstones.

Mum and dad were far from perfect but they tried their very best.

The lessons learnt paved way to who I am today and who I will become tomorrow.

In response to NaBloPoMo prompt – Thursday, November 5

What is the most important lesson you learned as a child, and who taught it to you?

Creative Writing · Devotions · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Writing

DeTerMinAtioN is our Motto….let us sing!

November 3, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

As school kids, we matched in tandem to our classes from assembly singing or should I say yelling a song:

Determination is our motto, Determination, Determination!

Repetitively and in staccato voices too!

No doubt we had no idea what exactly we were singing about. We just SANG happily 🙂

Now as I sit here, in an attempt to drum reluctant and difficult words into a story that does not want to be told, the word Determination echoes in my mind and then…it becomes crystal clear beyond literal levels that:

Someone’s Determination

Is that mental animation

that pushes their bands of resistance

From mundane levels of coexistence

With consistent persistence

To livelier edges of existence

And better culmination

Of one’s life’s narration

There you have it. My very own new definition of determination.

Let me now sing in a hush tone: determination, is my motto, determination, determination 😉

Have a blessed day.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · The Daily Post

This n’ That….its a variety

November 2, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha41 Comments

The word companionable is synonymous to gregarious and that is an adjective that would describe me fittingly, though I have my moody alone moments when I want to marinate in those horrible, leave me alone juices.

My spirits are perked up most of the time and as a companion to my gregarious personality, my taste runs to eclectic style in things, even with the blogs that I follow which are over Five Hundred in number and range from vibrant pictures, cute pets, sage counsels, wise quotes, health and wellness, security consciousness and so on.

They motivate and inspire me. They enlighten me by teaching new things. They take me places with the clicks of their cameras. They make me smile, laugh and cry and I am glad that I belong to these group of they.

A day spent going through this and that on my reader or email would find me dropping little likes and comments here and there. It finds me laughing, or with my brows furrowed in mindful thought. It finds me in awe or whispering a silent prayer in my heart for someone. I have close encounters with soothing sights and thoughts and belly rumbling bites teasing my eyes.

I truly don’t have a favorite, favorite blog, because I seek out what each blog as an entity has to offer and probably because my reading taste is also myriad, it is pretty difficult to narrow down on one choice. ”Never ask a mother to choose between her children.” Always know that with each day that passes, beautiful ones are born.”

It would be utterly boring if I had to stick to the same kind of blogs and all. A sprinkle of sparkles, a dash or colour blends better to make the muted grays more tolerable.

In response to The Daily Post prompt Companionable

Head to one of your favorite blogs. Write a companion piece to their penultimate post.

Devotions · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Poetry/Poems

Have You Met Lady Grace?….

October 30, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Let me tell you about Lady Grace.
Fine one that arrives wearing filigree lace,
Everything done with Grace always changes the race,
When she comes, she must surely leave a trace,
For your outward expression will certainly change pace,
Reflecting inward harmony of soul around your space.

♦♦
Wields a lot of power, she does; our Lady Grace,
Her power consumes, you wish not to be a disgrace,
She can shape-shift just in case,
You ponder how she will fit into your space.

♦♦
Grace is not blind even if she keeps a straight face,
As she watches your scramble from low grass to trophy case.
She is clothed in dignity with warm human face,
Encouraging arms she extends to thee embrace.

♦♦
Should you ever seek to replace a false face
A bone deep desire to erase can take place
For there is always a meeting place
To invite the mighty Lady Grace
And she will touch base
In your living space.