You are Loved, If Only You Knew

To those who find love

To those who crave for it

wondering what they did wrong

Trying to put things together

If only they know

Love they seek

Love is everywhere

Only the expression seems to be absent

If only they knew where

If only they knew

Love conquers all

Love heals

Ok. I love you

Do you love me

I care about you

Do you care about me

Come what may

If only you knew

I care for you

I share your pains

When it strains

Even in the rain

If only you knew

If only you knew you were loved

if only you knew that love is real

Then you'll love even yourself better

If only you knew

Love rules the world

Love makes the world go round

Love is always around you

Dont wait to be loved

cos you are really loved

If only you knew.

Literature and Music

This is a feature post and this is the first time I'm doing this kind of post.

Its about two ladies I admire

I might also do a feature post on guys I admire sometimes soon. Both are black and Nigerian, They are good at what they do. I have only had the opportunity to meet one of them not personally though. But would love to meet them (no crush lol )

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

An excellent writer. she has 3 popular books to her credit. The purple hibiscus, Half of a yellow sun and the thing around your neck. My closest contact with her was at one of her book reading event a few years back when i was still in the university.

The pic I took at the book reading.

At the age of 19, chimamanda left Nigeria and moved to the United States to study. After studying at Drexel University in Philadelphia she continued studying communications and political science. She received a university degree from Eastern, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2001. In 2003, she completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 2008, she received a Master of Arts in African studies at Yale University. Chimamanda is a 2008 MacArthur Fellow. She was a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan University, in 2008, and participated in Wesleyan's Distinguished Writers Series.

Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was published in 2003 and won the Best First Book award in the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.

Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, named after the flag of the short-lived Biafran nation, is set before and during the Biafran War. It was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction.

Her third book is a collection of short stories titled The Thing Around Your Neck and was published in April 2009

Asha

Born Bukola Elemide, Asha was born in Paris, France to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Asha grew up in Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria. I love this lady, she is just great on the guitar (one of my fav) and she has nice lyrics too.

I like Tracy Chapman and I think they have a couple of things in common.

She has had the chance to test out her talent on the French musical scene, playing with artists such as the Nubians, Manu Dibango, Doctor L and Tony Allen. In Nigeria, her first single, Eyé Adaba, then Jailer were great tracks.

Her popularity became big, that when she came back to Nigeria she opened for Akon, John Legend, Beyoncé and Snoop Dogg amongst others.

Her first Album, Asha, is a great one. I love all the tracks but my favs being Bibanke and Ilu.

I'm just in love with the works of these two ladies and I know they will go far. And I will also love to meet them personally. But do they have anything in common? *thinking*

The Memories of My Father

365 x 2 days ago I received a call telling me my father was no more.

It took me a while to understand what this meant.

Especially the fact that I ceased to have a person I can call Daddy

I can still remember what it feels like as a kid,

The feeling of a freshly shaved beard as you cuddle me

You wanted the very best for us and gave your best

You never spared the rod when it was necessary

A trained accountant, but you were also my English language teacher

Ensuring my essays were well written

I remember all the discipline you inputed

I now know it was part of the process and it was the best

Even when I did not get all I wanted

I now realise I've been given all I need, the care, the love.

Those who don't have it crave for it.

You were fearless and dauntless

Very principled

You always craved for a better life

You gave your best

I know if you have more you would not hold back

Humorous, firm, strict, principled, disciplined, accountable are some of the words that describe you.

The truth is if I had another opportunity to chose again

My choice would not be different

A lecturer of mine would always say

To whom much is given, much is expected

You have given much,

I pray I will be able to give my children much more that I have received.

Thank God, We have an heavenly father.

He has always been there.

Words fail me to express my thoughts and feelings

But one thing is sure

We will always miss you. Dad.

YES or NO!

There are times in our lives when decisions are made by us or for us. Decisions we may be limited to either a yes or a no.

A few days ago I accompanied someone to the Lagos US embassy on Walter Carrington Crescent, VI, The road is well known cos its majorly occupied by embassies of US, UK, Germany, Italy, India, Finland, Bulgaria.

The US embassy is a place where as a visa applicant, the response you get is an approval or a denial in the form of a yes or a no.

It was an experience. I got there as early as past 7am cos the appointment was scheduled for 7.30am.
At this time the place was already full . I was only allowed to wait under a tree while I also enjoyed the view of the Lagos lagoon watching speed boats passing bye and also caught a view of Femi Otedola's £12 million yacht.

I waited for 4hrs before she was called in and she spent another 3hrs plus in the embassy all for a yes or no.

While I was waiting, as people came out of the embassy, you could easily say from the look on their faces and the way they walked the response they got. They could laugh, smile or just have a blank face. But for some people you just can't tell They hid their emotions and expressions.

Decisions can make or break us.
It is more natural to say yes. Its least confrontational its just agrees to wishes of other or going along with them and cos its not easy to say no so we comply.
Saying yes can also mean accountability on the respondents part it means you give your support and you are saying its ok.

Every choice you make has an end result- Zig Ziglar

Life is full of choices

Even living life is a choice

What to eat and how we eat it,

What to wear and how to wear it

Where to go and when to go

Who we love and how we love them

You choosing to read this blog is a decision.

Choosing life over death

Choosing to do right over wrong

Choosing good over evil.

Marriages are made on decisions

Business deals are sealed on decision

We live in a world where you have to make decision or It will be made for you.

Make you choices carefully especially when under pressure

Never be in a haste

Seek God's choice and counsel

A bad or wrong choice can be devastating

Choose right!

With or Without!

Some have food but cannot eat

Some can eat but have no food

We have food and we can eat

Glory be to thee oh Lord

Amen

This is a song we sang back in primary school at lunch time. Just a form of prayer said before having our lunch.

As a kid I understood the song. knowing that there are people who had food and those who did not have even in my class.

This is a reality of life. Some have food but cannot eat. Its not that they don't to but they just can't.

This could be by virtue of their disposition, mood, health condition, worries,

The fact is that the food is there but it can't be eaten. how painful. I have seen people who are on hospital beds and would love to eat but its just not possible they are being fed with fluids and pipes.

On the other hand, those who have the ability to eat, appetite and are hungry for food just don't have any food to eat. Thats an Irony of life.

And there are people who have food to eat and can eat it.

They do so without taking thought of the fact that there people living with the above conditions.

Above all whether there is food or not. Thank God for the gift of life, 'cos only the living can eat.

On a lighter note, the song has been rewritten by me

Some have Blog but they cannot post

Some can post but have no Blog

We have Blog and we can post

Glory be to thee oh Lord

Amen

Special thanks to GoodNaijaGirl for listing my Blog.

Happy Valentine

How I wish all those who have never felt the warmth of someone's embrace feel loved today

Show Love to someone that needs it today and everyday.

God Loves us. 

God is Love

God loves you

Love someone too

Love, Share, Care, Give

Happy Valentine's Day

From me to you

NBB

A Life That Counts.

It has been some 12 days since my last post though its not that I have been away from Blogville but I have just not been able to get my fingers to type this post. lol.

I have not being able to post something on this blog since my birthday though I have being reflecting on one scripture of the bible that people usually make reference to for birthdays it says:

So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

People only number their days on their birthdays forgetting the fact that
everyday our life actually counts.
Numbering your days would make you apply
your heart to wisdom.
Numbering does not mean counting or the arithmetic sum
of the days you have lived since birth it only a way of accounting for the life
that you live.
Now the question is how do I apply my heart to wisdom?

Applying wisdom gives you the understanding that as humans no matter how long we live, life is short so any opportunity we have to make our life count should be maximised.

I would rather have it said 'he lived usefully' than 'he died rich.' - Benjamin Franklin

Instead of seeing the world in terms of how much money he could make, Franklin saw the world in terms of how many people he could help. To Benjamin Franklin, being useful was his own reward.

Living a life that counts entails giving, loving, helping, serving, encouraging, adding value to others and impact the lives of other people positively.

My life would not just count in term of wealth or degrees.

So, is your life counting? Make you it count!

On a lighter mood.

Lest I forget thanks for all the love, phonecalls, sms, wallpost on Facebook and the gifts I did not get. lol

I hope you are doing great. ciao

NBB