Elev8 Magazine - Issue 36 - July 2018

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N O T

F O R

S A L E

Let’s Do Life

Together

Locker Rooms and Touchlines The Roar Of A Lion Recipes For A Stronger You - 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Health One Up On The Voter’s Card, Why You Should Join A Political Party

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Content & Contributors

Relevant Speed: TEAM Publisher Godman Akinlabi

The Roar of a Lion

Page 8

Communications Chinny Ugoji Publications Mathew Mancha Editor Kayode Olayemi Graphics Debo Adediran Contributors Abiola Falusi Adeleke Adeite Bukola Seun-Arije Chibuzo Okereke Ikwo Ikhide Jadesola Campbell Kayode Olayemi Twyla Idigbe Circulation Charles Okorobo Advert Enquiries Tishegunfunmi Ade’Adegbesan contact deyoking@gmail.com +234 80 202 2788

Doing Life Together Page 10

Editor’s Note – Locker-Rooms And Touchlines – Page 4 Oops Where Did My Ginger Go – Page 6 My Accelerate Testimony – Page 7 Tips For Building Enduring Relationships When Your Common Interest Is Jesus – Page 9 How I expanded my circle through the Connect Group – Page 11 Humans of Elevation – Page 13 Health - Recipes For A Stronger You - 5 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Health – Page 14 The Long Game: A Quick Guide To Building A Resilient career One Up On The Voter’s Card, Why You Should Join A – page 15 Political Party – Page 16 Elev8 Select – Page 17 Fiction – Mom & Me (II) – Page 18

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Editor’s Note

- KAYODE OLAYEMI

LOCKER ROOMS AND TOUCHLINES

W

ho would have thought that Manchester City ‘City’ would be run away winners of the EPL (English Premier League) this year? The magic wasn’t even that they won, it was the manner in which they did. Breaking almost every record known to man.

Week after week, they blew past nearly every opposition. Sometimes it took late goals for them to earn the victory but mostly they got the job done in the first 45 minutes.

However, the Manchester derby at Old Trafford (a duel best described as a game of two halves) was one fixture in which they fell short of their high standards and finished second place. The build up to the game was quite intense, as a City had history to play for. A victory would have handed them the title on the home ground of their fiercest rival. While a defeat only meant their inevitable coronation would be delayed by a few days.

From the first kick of the ball, City were in total control of the game, dominating the play in every area. With two first half goals, five minutes apart, City were in firm control of the game.

On the other hand, United seemed to be doing everything wrong – misplaced passes and so on.

After the interval, a completely different Manchester United ‘United’ stepped out of the dressing room.

They moved the ball with purpose and in no time, they found the back of the net twice within two quick minutes before finishing it up with a third goal in the 83rd

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minute.

At the end of the game, the pundits asked the coach what he said to the team during the interval that changed the game.

“You don’t want to be the clowns standing there, watching them get their title,” those were the coach’s words that inspired United’s glorious comeback in that game.

Looking back on the game, the reaction of the United players in the second half

“No matter whom you are, where you’ve come from, or what you have achieved, a good mentor is an invaluable asset in business…”

– Richard Branson and the coach’s halftime team talk, I started to reflect on the importance of having a coach or a person or even things or places that are able to inspire on to legendary and remarkable things.

Typically, a coach would be someone who has ‘been there,

done that’ in an area of endeavour.

As such, they can access your performance and advise on which areas need to be improved. With a good coach, you should get help with learning opportunities, advice on coping with difficult situations Secondly, a coach would tend to be someone who has achieved some measure of prior success. As such, they are people you can look up to. They give you examples of success as well as character that you can aspire to.

Also, when you’re only accountable to yourself, it’s easy to come up with excuses not to do the things you know to do. But with a coach you’d have someone who can hold you to account and ensure that you follow through on you plans. Also, with success comes the ego and pride, and you’d need someone to whom you are accountable to keep you level headed.

Furthermore, why try to re-invent the wheel? If you want

to do something remarkable, it’ll be so much easier to just learn from someone that knows what they’re doing and have gone the way before.

Lastly, whether it’s before or after a major battle, everyone needs a cheerleader to urge them on as well as to celebrate the victory thereafter.

Still need some convincing? Think about this, that United side has some top class players, so it wasn’t for lack of talent that City rang rings around them in first half of that match.

But they still needed a coach to bring out their A-game.

So if the best in the world need a coach, why wouldn’t you?

J o i n

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t o g e t h e r !

Content

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Accelerate

– TWYLA IDIGBE

OOPS! WHERE DID MY ‘GINGER’ GO? You have just attended the 2018 Accelerate Conference and your current mood would be something like - “whooop! This conference has been a super charged ride and my engines are still revving- vroom vroom-, I am on fiiiiire, there’s no stopping me now, my eyes are on the prize and I’m getting it, turbo charged, whoooop!” And if you did not attend, do get the tapes because believe me, this feeling is amazing, you need to have it.

As the hours after the conference roll into days, and real life kicks in, you might begin to feel less charged. Don’t feel guilty; it happens to the best of us but here is how to keep this momentum going till December.

Believe you have received.

Chances are you went into the accelerate conference with a prayer request or two and you left the conference expectant. It is not enough to be merely expectant; the key to actually receiving is believing that you have indeed received all that you have asked for. The Scripture tell us this in Mark 11:24: “For this reason I say to you, all things that you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

Now with this conviction in your heart, Move, talk, act and feel exactly the same way you would when you receive all you asked for; this is the proof of belief.

Draft a plan. Don’t procrastinate.

In the course of the conference, you received a vision/word from God for that project, the next phase for your career etc. now it is time to act on it. The first step is to draft a step by step plan on how you would achieve the goal remembering what the scriptures says - faith without works is dead. The heavens will not force earthly energies to realign matter in your favour if you do not first cause a shift in your spirit and your attitude.

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Relive the accelerate experience and continually feed your inner man A flame once lit needs to be fed for it to continue burning. Listen to the accelerate messages over and over again. Get them on your phone and listen while in transit, during a slow day at work, while you do your chores at home.

Get an accountability partner.

You have heard the word to run with, you have received the blueprint and drawn up your plans accordingly, next step is to share with someone who will hold you accountable to your goals and the pursuit of your newly revealed vision.

I understand the reservation of many people in sharing their visions and plans with others for fear that intentions when made public are less likely to succeed

because social reality will widen the behaviour gap or just the fear of intentional sabotage by others. Choosing just one trusted person to share with will help keep you on top speed.

Reward yourself.

While you await the manifestation of the big miracle, celebrate the small ones you encounter on the way. For instance, your want is to build a stronger relationship with God and for the first time in a long while you were able to tame your riotous mind and pray for an hour; or read your bible for 1 hour.

This is a victory for which you should reward yourself with a treat, watch a little TV, read a chapter or two of ‘that’ novel, allow yourself some extra minutes on social media etc. These reward actions causes the release of certain feel-good hormones in the brain like dopamine and oxytocin which will help to reinforce your new behaviour.

Thank God in advance.

Dance like David danced because even though you are not where you want to be, you know that …this God is good and he is definitely taking you to that place of your dreams.

So be grateful for the little blessings and the big one too most especially the biggest one we always seem to take for granted; LIFE! A daily gratitude journal is an awesome way to keep you going, like rocket fuel for your engines, so start journaling.

Let us make the 2018 Accelerate conference count by allowing the word we have received have full effect in our lives by keeping our hearts primed, so that the seeds and words that have been planted in our hearts can grow, flourish and produce good fruits.

Accelerate

-Lynda Omerekpe

For the 2016 Accelerate Conference, I prayed and prepared for the conference and also invited friends. Unfortunately, I had an accident right in front of church while coming for the conference and this kept me in the hospital throughout the conference.

I felt really sad that I could not physically participate but because I had prepared, fasted and prayed towards the programme; I still felt connected to what was happening even though I wasn’t there physically.

Before the 2017 Accelerate conference; as usual, I prepared, fasted and prayed towards the programme. I had written down some goals for the year but as at June, it was looking like I had not ticked off 70% of my goals.

Amazingly, after the conference, the lines began to

fall in pleasant places; God made divine connections happen; the speed of the Holy Spirit came, wisdom and grace was in abundance. I accomplished more than I ever imagined. I published my first book in 2017; even when I thought to push my book launch to 2018, God showed that his timing is different from man’s timing and that Him that gives the vision indeed makes provision. When I started writing the book, I just wanted it to be a small e-book but God had more plans for me. Launching in 2017 opened so many doors in 2018 and God has been soooo faithful in opening more doors of opportunities that I could never have imagined.

Before the conference, I only had a 9-5 job which I was asking God to help me change the role or change the company. After the conference, before the year ended, God gave me a testimony; I was moved to a different department - this is a role I was very passionate about and this made me love my job more. I no longer wake up grudgingly to go to work, it has become a place to look forward to. Secondly, I needed directions in business because I had many plans but needed wisdom from God on how to go about the business. After the conference, the direction came; my business kicked off and I started operations fully; God brought the right clients and partners. I can say things really accelerated in my life and that of my family. elev8issue#36july2018

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Clergy

– Godman Akinlabi

Relevant Speed:

The Roar of a Lion Relevant speed means running in the right direction; running towards the right thing. David for instance, ran towards the right thing when he ran towards goliath.

It also means leveraging the right situation, people or things.

“I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all”. - Ecclesiastes 9:11 AMP

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elevant speed brings you into divine establishment. David’s destiny was redefined by that one encounter, a relevant speed In all this, you must understand that not every ground is your ground and that the wilderness is not your place of allocation (a place of passing through). If you live a disconnected life, play the comparison game or copy other people’s lives, you may seem to be advancing in life but in reality, you are really moving with irrelevant speed.

Let us bear in mind that God has specific plans for every one of us but we need to be careful about how those plans are activated.

And this is the reason, if we don’t allow his plans to be activated at the right time, a journey of 40 days can take 40 years. As a case study, we examine the life of Samson, a great Israelite leader in the book of Judges, chapters 13-16.

The first five verses of Judges Chapter 13, tells us of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the birth of Samson - an angel of God visited and informed his parents, who had not yet been blessed with children, of his arrival, the conditions under which he should be raised and his purpose - he was to deliver Israel from Philistine rule and oppression.

The life of Samson portrays something to us, which is that, some things have been written and said concerning you before now. While there might not have been a big prophetic occurrence when you were born, you need to remember that some things have been said ahead of time about you and they’re not ordinary things or plans. As

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such, we need to come into a place in our life were we crave the working out (orchestration) of God’s divine plan over our life.

Sometimes, some things happen and you misinterpret them and the moment you misinterpret them you might have missed a time and chance. God is the one who orchestrates time and chance.

I have seen

something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

- Ecclesiastes 9:11 In the 25th verse of Judges Chapter 13, the Spirit of God began move on Samson in a Danite camp and we begin to see the manifestation of that work soon afterwards: 1. He wanted a Philistine wife, to the displeasure of his parents but they did not know it was a move of God “But his father and mother said to him, Is there not a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen or among all our people... His father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord,

and that He sought an occasion for assailing the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.” - Judges 14:34 AMP There are certain moves of God that may not seem logical or culturally acceptable. It’s not for you to resist it but to tune into the Holy Spirit, ask for understanding, and align yourself with God’s will.

2. In the course of aligning with God’s will, Samson experienced sudden and terrifying opposition.

Often we think that following God’s will means everything will go along smoothly, without difficulty but things do not always happen that way. The young lion in this passage represents unexpected, unplanned for difficulties we experience in the course of fulfilling our God-given assignments.

What is your response to sudden challenges while aligned to God’s will? Do you face this challenges or do you run? In life, we each are running

Accelerate

Relevant Speed: The Roar of a Lion away from or orchestration kicked towards something. in and introduced Sometimes what David to the palace, you are running then led him to the from is what you battlefield for his should run toward, destiny defining and what you are moment where running toward is God’s power was in what you should full display. run away from. Not In Samson’s necessarily because encounter, the you know what to lion called his real, do but because it problem-solving is a giant-slaying self out, just like opportunity, one the goliath problem in which God’s called the real David mighty power is out; their individual demonstrated. challenges activated Samson, before this the anointing that sudden challenge, took care of and had never killed eliminated the a lion before and problem. Similarly, certainly was not the roaring of that expecting it yet lion (difficulty) he stood ground, should not make the Spirit of God you back down in enabling him to defeat but to be effectively deal with tuned in to God for the challenge - the the activation of His lion. Stand your difficulty-quenching ground against that blessings. challenge and allow the Spirit of God to rise within and on you to eliminate the difficulty.

When you are in alignment with God’s will, the Holy Spirit will activate destiny-fulfilling circumstances and the needed solutions. After David was anointed king of Israel, he still went back to keeping sheep - some other people would have pushed and orchestrated their assumption Godman Akinlabi is of the throne or the Lead Pastor of that promise.

For David, divine The Elevation Church

TIPS FOR BUILDING ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS WHEN YOUR COMMON INTEREST IS JESUS ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER

To him who is about to faint and despair, kindness is due from his friend, lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty. - Job 6:14 (AMPC) We all need encouragement, confirmation and support in our walk as Christians. Being able to support friends when they are down or lost or in a struggle helps to deepen the relationship.

SHOW-UP FOR EACH OTHER

than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. – John 15:13 (AMPC) Enduring relationships are deepened when friends are able to share what God has given them, be it material or spiritual gifts. When we value our friend’s needs above our own, we’ll be on our way to loving like Jesus.

SPEAKS THE TRUTH TO EACH OTHER

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor Rejoice with those who rejoice unwholesome or worthless talk [sharing others’ joy], and weep [ever] come out of your mouth, with those who weep [sharing but only such [speech] as is good others’ grief]. - Romans 12:15 and beneficial to the spiritual (AMPC) progress of others, as is fitting to Relationships are strengthened when we able to drop everything the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give and just show-up in-person grace (God’s favor) to those who when we need each other. hear it. – Ephesians 4:29 (AMPC) Sometimes it’s not just enough We all need friends who love to text or email, pick up the us enough to tell us the truth phone and call. about ourselves and not engage in spreading rumors or PRAY TOGETHER gossiping. We all need friends Love one another with brotherly who are able to tell us not only affection [as members of one what we want to hear, but also family]…be constant in prayer. what we should hear as well.

Romans 12:10-12 (AMPC) In the New Testament, we are HAVE FUN TOGETHER taught to pray and to pray for I know that there is nothing one another. When friends come better for them than to be glad together and lift their voices and to get and do good as long to God in prayer, they create as they live; And also that every a stronger connection as they man should eat and drink and agree in prayer and are more enjoy the good of all his labor— vulnerable in their relationship it is the gift of God. - Ecclesiastes with God and with one another.

3:12-13 (AMPC) Doing life together is as much SHARE WITH EACH about having fun together OTHER as it is praying together and No one has greater love [no one studying the bible. has shown stronger affection] elev8issue#36july2018

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Cover Story

Life

DOING

TOGETHER

So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it. - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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f you have been around the church for a while, you’ll probably be familiar with the connect group system. If not, you might know it by a different name – home fellowship, cell groups, connect groups etc. Typically, they are organised around various models depending on the church’s specific vision. However, regardless of what they are called, they exist to provide a community for believers to live out the reality of the Christian life.

The purpose of a small group is to bring people together such that they can interact with each other, make new friends and build their relationships with God through the study and practice of God’s word.

As such, they provide a platform for you to study your bible, talk about

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the sermon, pray together, and grow your faith with other believers.

Biblical Background Backtracking to the book of the beginning, Genesis 2:18 states: “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Often this passage is used in the context of marriage, but it goes beyond that. It speaks to man’s innate need to connect with others.

Interestingly, this was before the fall, so the need for community is not as a consequence of the fall. We can then infer that, since man was still in perfect communion with God at the time, the need for community is one of God’s truest desires for man.

When we fast-forward to the ministry of Jesus Christ, we see

constant references to ‘the 12’ disciples. Even though He had the big crusades with thousands of people in attendance, at the times of in-depth fellowship and spiritual revival, He retreated to his crew.

Inadvertently creating the first small group.

Further down the road, in Acts 2:46-47, we see a beautiful picture of how the early church fellowshipped. The believers met in ‘temple courts’ and ‘house to house’.

They did life together through radical generosity, communion, celebration and supporting each other. They forgave, served, bore burdens, encouraged, exhorted, prayed, equipped, spoke truth in love, confessed sins, and treated each other as precious members of one body.

Accelerate Unfortunately many in the contemporary church view the small group as an appendage of the church or one more church program. Hence, they have little interest in engaging with small groups. But it shouldn’t be so. In actual fact, it ought to be central in our walk with God. In Galatian 6:2, we are admonished to ‘share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.’

2. You have an extended family: Your closest family or relative is likely to be living several kilometres away or even in a different city or country, so who do you call in the middle of the night when there’s an emergency? But being part of a small group provides you with people that share the same loyalty, support and bond you would expect to receive from family.

As such, what other way to ‘share each other’s burden’ than through the small group?

3. You have your questions answered: We all on a journey and learning by the day, so where do you go to have your questions answered? Not sure any preacher will be interrupting his well-prepared sermon to answer questions from congregants. As such, a small group provides a safe place and the opportunity for you to get your questions answered.

Reasons small groups make a difference There are wide-reaching benefits for participating in a connect group.

You will be able to establish deeper relationships with other believers who will accept you for who you are while at the same time encourage you to reach your full potential in God. Other reasons why small groups make a difference include: 1. You are noticed: Today, the average church would have several hundred to thousands of worshipers through the doors on a typical Sunday morning. Given that size, it would be quite difficult to extend pastoral care to all worshipers. But with a small group you can become part of close knit community with other believers – who will notice immediately if you haven’t been around for a while. In a small group, people know your name, know where you live, and are willing and able to support you when it’s needed most.

4. You have access to counsel and support: Beyond building up your faith, small groups provide support with life issues. You can look to members for advice and prayers regarding your career, relationships and other life decisions as well as for support at difficult times 5. You will learn better: How many times during a sermon has your mind wandered away? But in a small group where everyone is engaged and expected to participate, the chances that you will pick up something new is much higher.

At The Elevation Church, our connect groups have been structured as both location and interest based. Some of the interest based connect groups include: Toastmasters, Foodies,

Basketball, Explorers, etc. The connect groups meet every week to discuss the sermon, God or the Bible, pray and share testimonies.

The meetings are also a time to have fun, eat, drink and engage in a variety of activities of members of the group love.

These and the location based connect groups are a great way to get plugged in to The Elevation Church. But beyond that, life isn’t meant to be lived alone and lifechanges happen within the context of relationships. So get connected!

Find yourself in a small group with other believers with whom you can do life.

“Attending a church service once or twice a week is very good for your spiritual development, but that shouldn’t be your only interaction with believers on a weekly basis.”

“Christianity is best experienced as part of a community.”

If you’re ready to become part of a connect group, send an email to smallgroups@ elevationng.org. You will be introduced to a connect group close to your location or one that matches an interest that is close to your heart.

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– ADELEKE ADEITE

How I expanded

F

my circle through the Connect Group

or a very long time, I spent my Sunday evenings relaxing at home but since I rededicated my life to Christ, I developed a special craving for His presence. Immediately after that service, I went to the information centre and got details of the connect group closest to my place of residence.

Since I started attending the connect group meetings, they have my best resort for Sunday evening relaxation. I have experienced remarkable revival and rejuvenation in my Christian walk; the warmth, welcome and worship have been amazing.

I think the connect group is basically set up for believers to bond and build their faith through close connection and interaction. It has provided a platform for fellowship, friendship and freedom as well as an opportunity to express views on scriptures without being judged and also exercise spiritual gifts. It’s more like a small family of faith

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where everyone is both a learner and a teacher at the same time.

The study of God’s word at the connect group is so expository, all members share their views during the discussion time and personal experiences are sometimes used to buttress the views shared.

I find that prayers are rendered on a very personal basis. Personal prayer requests are attended to and in most cases, we record quick answers to prayers as member’s share testimony in subsequent meetings.

The smallness of the connect group has made it easy for me

to form strong and rewarding friendships. Most times, some members stay back after the connect group meeting to discuss issues relating to family, career and other areas of interest.

I have been particularly blessed through the connect group my love for God has increased tremendously, I get inspired by the personal experience shared during discussions and I have made acquaintances and friends whose lives have been a challenge for me to live beyond myself.

Temitope Olagbegi is an accounting graduate from the University of Lagos, her passion for designs led her to pursue a diploma in Interior Designs from Shefield School of Interior designs and an advanced diploma from Ivy House Design School in the UK.

On completing her studies, she returned to Nigeria to continue the development of the furniture and interior decoration outfit, Sixth Sense, which she setup on graduation from the University of Lagos. From the early days when she sold wall art and throw cushions from the boot of her car, the business has grown into an establishment in multiple locations with manufacturing, consulting and retail arms.

She has successfully run the thriving interior design company since 2005. Under her leadership as the creative director, Sixth Sense has won multiple awards and has become one of the interior design brands of note in Nigeria.

She has also launched an academy that trains Interior Design enthusiasts. In 2018, she released her book, The Intentional Living Daily Planner 2018. The book has a scripture to be analysed and applied to relationships, life and work for each of the 365 days in 2018. She is a renowned conference speaker and has numerous awards under her belt.

Tope’s Instagram bio leads with the description - God’s daughter, a testament to her faith and commitment to God.

Life takes note. And the things we do behind closed doors are the things that will slip into the public glare.

She follows that up with wife, mother, entrepreneur, interior designer, motivational speaker and #bosswoman – all of which capture her essence and truest passions.

What books have you gifted the most?

Intentional Living Journal by Tope Olagbegi Do you have a quote you live your life by?

Be you Tope, Do you Tope Do you have any morning rituals?

I must read the bible and meditate daily.

What new skills are you learning right now?

I am learning to become a certified counsellor.

What values are you most committed to?

We all must strive to be the best version of ourselves.

What are some lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way?

That growth is painful. And few

people are really genuine about showing people the ropes of life.

What do you wish you knew as a 20/30 and what would you do differently?

Nothing! I strongly believe all our experiences can always be positive if we can dare to look at them differently What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve gotten?

A river will dry up, if not connected to its source.

What is the biggest mistake you think young people are making today?

The comparisons, competition and their fixation on the lives of others on social media is worrisome.

What is the most worthwhile investment you’ve made or thing you’ve done with money?

Tithing has been a great investment, followed by sending my children to good schools.

What advice would you give to a young person starting out in career, marriage and parenting?

Ask God for direction, sounds cliché but it’s the best step in the right direction.

Marriage – It’s a journey, wear comfortable shoes.

Parenting – It’s a full time job and one must be psychologically ready.

Career – it’s not about what you read in school, it’s about what gifts have ben embodied in you.

Name: Temitope Olagbegi Expression: Lifepointe Church IG: @temitope_olagbegi Twitter: @topeolagbegi elev8issue#36july2018

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Health

RECIPES FOR A STRONGER YOU

– CHIBUZO OKEREKE

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

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n our generation, there are so many health trends and fitness fads proliferated on a regular basis that it gets hard to keep up. There always seems to be a better way to a healthier you and the effort involved in sifting through the information overload serves as somewhat of a deterrent to reaching this goal.

Now, this is not to dispute nor negate the validity of these trends; a lot of them are research-based and do produce lasting results when applied properly.

However, finding the right one for you can sometimes be challenging in this busy, fast-paced world we live in.

To this end, I’ve compiled a short list of the trends I’ve tried out over the years. I strongly believe they will improve your health and overall wellbeing as they have done mine. So, let’s get started.

1. Sleep Longer

Although it may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day, you should endeavour to go to bed early enough and get at least 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep. I know it may sound impossible for a Lagos lifestyle, but a minimum of 7 hours of sleep equates to healthy hormones, lower stress and healthy weight; all of which are key markers of good health. Also, sleep deprivation increases the risk of developing depression and obesity. Try it out for a week and see the positive effect it has on you, then work it into your schedule.

2. Choose Water

Before you reach for that bottle of 14

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soda or juice, wait for 30 seconds. It may be long enough for you to convince yourself to go for the healthier option – water!

Water is necessary to maintain a healthy body and dehydration can lead to a host of health issues. Invest in a fancy litre water bottle which will help you remember to drink the necessary amount of water daily.

3. Eat Right For starters, not

skipping breakfast will help a lot here.

Eating a proper breakfast makes you eat less at lunchtime, thus reducing the risk of weight gain. Eating fibre-rich foods like veggies, fruit and whole grains, will tremendously help your digestion too.

Also, if you have time, making a meal plan and eating without distractions (no phones or TV), will help you be more mindful and intentional about what and how much you eat. Remember, you are what you eat.

4. Move More

Get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. Mix it up and include others to keep you accountable.

It doesn’t only keep you fit and help with weight management but it also releases endorphins which improve your mood and prevent anxiety amongst others. You don’t necessarily have to hit the gym.

Just find a routine that works for you and keep at it.

5. Pause and Relax

Easier said than done right? Maybe, but cutting out stress is very important because it is linked to weight gain, lowered immunity and heart

disease. So, take some minutes to decompress when you are stressed.

Spend some time in silence to meditate, pray and be thankful for what you have.

Stress releasing practices like body stretching and belly breathing reduce your heart rate and lower you blood pressure, signalling to the rest of your body to relax. Lastly, smile, whether you feel like it or not. Only good can ensue.

As they say, the taste of the pudding is in the eating. So give these a go and see what happens. I guarantee you they will make a world of difference and help you be your strongest yet.

Career

– ABIOLA FALUSI

THE LONG GAME – A QUICK GUIDE TO BUILDING A RESILIENT CAREER

It is apparent that the path to professional success isn’t quite what it used to be.

Hitherto, successful careers leaned towards getting a job in a multi-national or the civil service and rising through the ranks.

In those days, it wasn’t unusual to see people spending their whole careers in one company. However, the past era of a ‘job-forlife’ is long gone.

Companies are increasingly finding it difficult to retain their top talents after investing so much in them. This is coupled with the alarming surge in people emigrating to first-world countries and/or people taking to entrepreneurship. Although there are still some of us who have chosen to hang on to the career ladder in Nigeria and intend to remain for the long haul, one wonders if we are positioned play this long game in an increasingly competitive job market? Thanks to the rapidly evolving technology (banking halls now have fewer cashiers while there’s an increase in the deployment of ATMs and other electronic channels), unstable political environment (which invariably causes uncertainty, unpredictability and unfavourable economic policies), there has been a massive exodus of companies, with many others opting to close shop.

You might ask, “how can I plan for my career when the nature of work is changing so quickly?” The key thing is to set clear goals and review them as often as possible, because the world we live in is fast changing and we must be ready for the future and these changes.

Here are few resilient career principles to guide long-term planning in a short-term environment: Focus on the big picture – The average person’s career lasts 35 years or so, but it’s easy to be preoccupied with the daily motions of your job. You need to step back and think about how success might look like for you several years down the line. Envision what is really important to you and how you want your career to pan out. This allows you to take steps (acquire the skills/build the relationships) that might seem irrelevant at

first but are important in the grand scheme of things.

Continuous Learning – Your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree got you this far, but it might not take you farther as we live in a sprouting world.

When last did you read the trends in your industry? Keep abreast with new skills and learning opportunities and take the examinations to attain new certifications. Earn the knowledge and exhibit your new learning even if your role/function is not evolving as fast as your mind is.

Acquire complementary and supplementary skills – Acquiring other skills in addition to those associated with your core discipline is an important contributor to career resilience. It’s no longer okay to just be a lawyer, you now need to be a lawyer as well as an ‘x’, where ‘x’ could be a data analyst, programmer, communication analyst, etc. This is

not to say that you should not focus on developing your area of expertise; rather, it is to equip yourself with the necessary skills to stay relevant while accelerating your career. Thus, as a lawyer or doctor, you can leverage technology to bring legal or medical solutions to the community.

Get Connected: The urge for instant gratification has to be checked when building relationships. You meet someone whose career you admire and who can serve as a mentor to you, but instead of nurturing a great relationship you immediately start asking them if you can forward your CV. This isn’t the way to go. Beyond networking, strive to connect with people and build enduring relationships. The church affords you the opportunity to meet a lot of great people. Network, but do not ruin said

relationships with immediate favours and gratification.

Innovative Thinking: Trends in the workplace indicate that innovative (new) thinking i.e. not relying too much on precedents, is the way to thrive in the world of unpredictability and uncertainty.

In conclusion, resilient people are able to organize and manage ambiguity, be proactive, and maintain an attitude of optimism alongside a mindset open to learning.

As such, developing a resilient career is about taking charge of one’s own career and being adaptable to changes.

Get more career advice from Career Pro, our career enhancement ministry at The Elevation Church!

We give free career counsel on the 3rd and 4th Sunday 0f each month.

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Society

ONE UP ON THE VOTER’S CARD – Why you should join a political party I like the ongoing campaign for people to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC). I think it’s an important part of the democratic process that every eligible voter is able to exercise their right to vote. However, I believe that there are even weightier matters that we need to draw attention to.

It has been established that when the electorate get their PVCs, they can vote.

It clearly fosters an electoral system that works and can be relied upon to deliver the true wishes of the people; to this end, we should encourage everyone to get their PVC. Alas, if only it were this simple.

Unfortunately, the main action takes place within the political parties as this is the level were pivotal decisions are made. I feel we have been stuck in second gear for so long in our democratic journey because the elite have stayed away from the main arena. If we do not field our best eleven, there’s only so much change we can effect with our PVCs. If we cast our minds back to the 2015 APC primaries for the Lagos state gubernatorial election and the presidential election, the outcomes were determined by just 3,735 and 3,430 party delegates respectively. These people were key in determining the individuals that now occupy the top leadership positions.

Putting this into perspective, the political office holders across the country probably don’t add up to more than a hundred thousand individuals!

If we were to include all the hangers-on, we could probably stretch the amount to about two hundred and fifty thousand people (approximately 0.16% of the country’s population!). This essentially means that the political class that has so far hoodwinked the country amount to a tiny drop in the enormous ocean that is the Nigerian population.

If we were to drill into the demographics of the political class, we would probably see it skewed in favour of people with little to no educational or professional accomplishment.

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This not only reflects general apathy regarding how the country is administered, but also sheer foolishness on the part of the elites – which invariably leads to the $60,000 question: why aren’t they seeing the connection between the state of the country and their politicians’ actions?

Perhaps, they are beneficiaries of this broken system? –

That’s a story for another day.

Nevertheless, as it is quite apparent that the tough decisions take place at the party level, we need to channel our resources and tilt

– KAYODE OLAYEMI

the conversation slightly to encourage our best minds to join the political parties and grab a seat in the arena. This is the only way we can put an end to this situation where we repeatedly have to choose between the rock and a hard place.

As members of a political party, people can shape their respective party’s ideas and policies through taking part in a debate at a party caucus meetings, choosing party candidates for different positions, or becoming candidates themselves. As a party member, you will also have the chance to work closely with elected officials either as a political appointee or as an aide.

Also, if you dream of being elected into public office, we are gradually getting to an era where no political ‘godfather’ will call you out of the blue and ask you to run for office. In this era we are entering into as a country, the best way to achieve your political ambitions will solely be via joining a political party and getting involved (hopefully, we can also get independent candidacy to become a viable alternative). If this happens, I think we will definitely have a fighting chance to effect the real changes we want to see across the nation. The truth is, politics frame the nation’s future and we can either continue to blame the dirty politicians for the messiness all around us, or roll up our sleeves and get involved with a political party.

Elev8 Select

This is the first book published by Pope Francis during his papacy. The book is centered on a questionand-answer session between the Pope and Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli. In this conversation, Francis explains—through memories from his youth and moving anecdotes from his experiences as a pastor—why “mercy is the first attribute of God.” The key message in the book is that above all else, God is merciful.

The book resonates with the reform agenda his papacy has focused on. The book highlights the fact that mercy and compassion make the world a better place and not punishment and revenge.

In this book, Timothy Keller, attempts to defend Christianity and its core beliefs against the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning, Keller explains how the belief God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. It shows why science can’t disprove religion.

In The Reason for God, you will learn how some of the most common objections against Christianity can be countered. It offer believers some key points of the Christian faith.

In Leading, Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most successful managers in football history shares lessons on teamwork and leadership from 38 years of management. In the book, he provides timeless insights into success in the sporting world and beyond.

The book takes you through what made his teams so successful. He shares thoughts on why it important to set the right expectations for your team, the importance of discipline, keeping the team balanced and supporting players with presence and praise. He also shares his views on dealing with failure and adversity.

Scenes from project, “Clean Up Jakande” which took place on Saturday June 2nd, 2018.

Want to be part of laudable life-changing community projects? Join us at The Elevation Church or send an email to info@ elevationng.org to learn about our next project!

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– Jadesola Campbell

Tele scrolled through the WhatsApp messages between herself and Tammy, her only child and daughter, for the third time that evening.

he last message from Tammy was several weeks back on the 1st of April, 2018 and it read, “Happy Easter Mum! I trust you are enjoying the short break in good health and spirits. Take care.”

Scrolling down, she read her own lengthy response saying how she missed Tammy so much and hoping she could come visit or vice-versa. It sounded so desperate. She was hopeful for a response but knew deep down, that it was unlikely to come. Her daughter messaged her once a quarter, on her birthdays and during the holidays. They saw three times a year at best, despite the fact that they lived within thirty minutes of each other on the Island in Lagos.

The relationship quickly went downhill from there, despite Tele’s desperate efforts to salvage it. She realized then all she had done wrong and had wanted to make up for it but her many calls and messages had either gone unanswered for long periods or merely got a oneliner response or five minute phone call. In the years to follow, visits had gone badly and were visibly discouraged.

Her relationship with Tammy was her biggest regret. It had deteriorated slowly till it had become practically non-existent. She remembered the exact turning point – a lengthy handwritten letter from Tammy just before she had gone off to France for her Master’s degree in Product Design seven years ago. The letter had stated in specific detail how Tele had steadily shut Tammy out emotionally over the years to the point that she, Tammy, wasn’t interested in their relationship anymore. It had been a huge shock to Tele as Tammy had never discussed it with her or shown any signs of being neglected emotionally. She had simply thought Tammy had gone into her shell like any normal young adult before becoming a reticent young woman.

Luckily, her marriage to Alexander twelve years after she lost her previous husband, Tokunbo, had been her greatest joy despite it all. Although they were reclining on the porch and taking in the cool evening breeze, her mind was all over the place.

Alexander, who was seated across from her, stared at her intently but

T

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she was too lost in thought to notice.

He could sense that she was thinking about Tammy and it was only expected, as today was Tele’s birthday and their twelfth wedding anniversary and the usual phone call and message hadn’t come in.

As he looked at her, he thanked God for the umpteenth time for causing their paths to cross and for what was to come, especially on this beautiful night. Coincidentally, it happened to be a full moon and he strongly believed that things would come full circle today. He fortified his belief with a silent prayer under his breath.

‘Baby, let’s go inside, it’s getting a bit chilly out here,’ he murmured.

For tonight, he had hired Chef Raphael to rustle up some really great food as well as a candle-lit dinner for them on the porch. Because they followed the traditional anniversary themes and colours, which were silk and jade for this year, he had gotten her luxe jade colored silk pajamas

and a trip to Bali for the summer. The most important gift was inside the house though!

He led her into the house and there was Tammy seated in the living room!

She had come in through the back door. On seeing her mother, she stood up and rushed to her, crying and asking her for forgiveness. Tele was in shock. She started crying irrepressibly and asking for forgiveness as well. They ended up talking for hours and bonding like they hadn’t since Tammy was a teenager. They decided between themselves that family trips would become their thing every Christmas.

Alexander was so grateful to God. He had been having talks with Tammy about this for years but it was finally here. He knew that their relationship would grow stronger in coming years, especially as it turned out that Tammy was expecting. They were going to be grandparents!

Things had really come full circle.

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