Memoirs Magazine Christmas and New year edition

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JudahEl Music UK Based

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Holiday Special: Ice cream Bombe Recipe

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he holidays are always laced with great Joy , tremendous activities and planning to make everything perfect. On the first Christmas it is interesting to see the angel delivering a message highlighting this as part of his message “glad tidings of Great Joy” . This only throws more light to the essentiality on Joy and as such our theme adopted in this edition is “Joy to the world” . Every article centres on promoting great joy from inspirational to lifestyle, we hope you find great joy and tools to help enhance your joy level in these pages .

We Kick off establishing God wants us to be joyful and how powerful this joy is as it can dispel fears and strengthen . Thus, the “Joy theft series” a collection of articles tackles common ways we lose our joy or have our joy levels depleted and how to prevent this. First is “ Unianimous” , next “Worry to wonders”(a debut) by Audrey. These both highlight the dangers associated with worrying and inform us there is a seed for wonders innate in your worries, head on to get the inside scoop on this . The piece “Fear factor” , clarifies the ambiguities in defining fear and how to guard our joy against it . To crown our inspirational section we visit the „Book Stand‟ where Osehi has prepared two books to help us maintain optimum Joy level .

Still on Joy , we introduced what we like to call “Comedy House Special” Featuring hilarious comedians McAbbey and Shegazy . With a fusion of humour and wisdom, we gleaned from the wealth of wisdom of veteran comedian McAbbey. Hilarious and multigifted Shegazy, insightfully unravelled the dynamics of comedy as a tool of social change and more . You do not want to miss either article as both are simply phenomenal. When we are Joyful we tend to sing and so to crown our Memoirs Meets segment we had Judah El music grant us a glimpse into her world of music, entrepreneurship and authorship on her journey of purpose. To catch details find this as our cover story feature . More singing, as usual ,remember to hit up the links of music on our pause pages , as we have a beautiful line up of songs to help you relieve the Joy of Christmas again and again .

Lifestyle , there is no place like home at the holidays , thus, Memoirs Home decided to help make our Christmas dinner setting and cards display a bit more exciting in an article titled “Cards and Dining: décor ideas for Christmas” . Now, for a splash of life for the New Year , why not consider something new ? Our article “Teeming with life” explores the steps to bringing home aquatic life .

Stepping out in style this season Fashion and

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style Alley explores two dress themes centred on White in the article “ All white” . To the main course we present two Delicious Recipes. One , Join Sharon for a tribute to our African roots, with a quick and easy to make recipe of Moin Moin (beans pudding cake) . Two, is what happens when ice cream and cake unite to become one; a“ Holiday special : Ice cream bombe recipe” yeah , you finally know what to do with your Christmas cake and ice cream leftovers . Or simply roll up your cake and ice cream loving sleeves for an interesting kitchen adventure with practically zero cooking time . Did you sigh and say thank you “I‟m glad I don‟t have to cook” yeah ,you are most welcome . After all that fun filled activity, a joy giver could simply be a bath treat away , which is why for our final piece in this segment DIY SPA unravels 5 bath treats for a well deserved relaxing bath.

Finally , health is wealth , it is no news lowered joy level ; worrying , depression to mention a few all have health implications . Join Samuel as he takes us on a stress relieving journey in the article “Stress” .

Editor‟s Note Great news , we have something for the whole family, a gift which the little ones would absolutely love and learn from . In the first edition of the Memoirs Magazine a children‟s ebook was released alongside as a gift . Glory to God! this book has come alive and has been illustrated and characters have been given life . It is simply a link away “All I want for Christmas” by yours truly . Please do well to subscribe to our You tube channel for more juicy goodness as the new year un folds . details enclosed within .

Special thank you to the Almighty God for letting us see another glorious holiday season and inspiring this whole experience of Joy . To our readers new and old thank you for coming on board and thank you for staying on board through it all . To my phenomenal team , OluwaSeyi Folayan and Eneze Adava pulling the behind the scenes strings editing

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and more . To Osehi Asehon , Samuel Maccarthy Samuel, Audrey Balogun and the eminent Mrs Paul Ojinigbo , I appreciate you and you are loved . To all our guests; Mc Abbey sir thank you for pouring out your heart in this interview, to set us on a journey of purpose and to keep us on track . To Shegazy sir, thank you for letting us into the hilarious world of yours and letting us see the beautiful tool of transformation comedy is . Judah El Music an epitome of beautiful in and out, thank you for sharing so deeply the heartbeat of the Father to have intimacy with us as you gave us access to your world . To everyone do enjoy a great read and Happy New Year in advance . Cheers

Love,

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his series outlines things which if not put in check, can steal people‟s Joy or cause a decline in joy level.

First on the line are worry, anxiety and cares, which are tackled in the piece „Worriaholic Unanimous‟ and „Worry To Wonders‟. Next is Fear, addressed in the noteworthy piece „Fear Factor'. With that highlighted we delve into these. Enjoy a great read

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orriaholic, worrying like alcoholism can quickly become an addiction - a bad habit difficult to kick. „Alcoholics anonymous‟ is a social group, which aids alcoholics become sober and is popularly referred to as AA for short. Individuals in this group are taken through processes to attain this and often are advised to have a sudo name.

This is to protect their identity and maintain confidentiality during group discussion sessions.

Similarly, this article focuses on highlighting processes to help rid us of worry as God‟s design for us is. Unanimous, implies undisputed or a state of being in agreement or united. Thus, we hope we all can in unity realise that the worry addiction is real, without any dispute and in unity yield our worries to God to enjoy the peace He promises.

Firstly, let‟s begin with an essential introspective question to. Are you a worrier? you feel you owe it to those you love and care about to at least spend ample time worrying about them ; their up keep , dreams ,aspirations to mention a few . Oh yeah, the kids, “bless them, their grades, hope they make good grades”. I know they are only in elementary school, but you know what they say “you never recover from a good start”. If they start off well,

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they would grow up to be high fliers and vis a vis huge successes at the least. You breathe a sigh of relieve, until within a breath, there comes another legitimate worry knocking on the door of your heart and the worry cycle begins again. A game changer moment happens and you hear it is harmful to your health, amidst other dangers it poses to your spiritual well-being. Then, you become more conscious of it and you earn the gold medal of worry as you begin to worry each time you realise you are off worrying once more. This is how you settled your worrier title and became a worriaholic addicted to worrying.

At this point, before accepting the tag of worriaholic, it is noteworthy to highlight, everyone has a cause to worry and be tempted to carry on in that cycle. Yes, worry thoughts knock on the door of all our hearts. It is so normal God highlighted it in scriptures “Do not be anxious or worried about anything.” He pre-empted the worry onset by telling us these emotions would come.

„Alcoholics anonymous‟ is a social group, which aids alcoholics become sober and is popularly referred to as AA for short

However, He does not leave it at that, but informs us on what to do with them. The issue is to have a care is normal, but worrying which is keeping it, is what poses a threat. So what then do we do about this since we have established it as being normal? 1Peter 5:7 says casting all our care on Him (Jesus) because He cares. This speaks volumes but let us take it in sections, first one being “casting”. This is in present continuous tense, meaning it is not a one off event, but one we have to keep at every time worry comes knocking . Cast and keep at casting, is what we do. Note however, this can be a tedious task for a worriaholic; as a matter of fact, not worrying might make you feel irresponsible at the start of the journey to quitting worrying.

Not to worry, as you would soon see the reason God in His wisdom says not to worry.

Next, “on Him” means on God, why? Different situations require, different approaches to proffer solution. For instance: when a car develops a problem, you notice light flickering on your dashboard similar to the car battery sign, it makes you concerned, you think “What might that be”?

Your concern turns to worrying; the questions come knocking “how long can I keep driving with this flickering”? If you are absolutely clueless what to do, your thoughts go straight to the solution: your automobile mechanic or auto repair garage. You give him or them a call, they sound rather relaxed since by now the panic scale of your mind is now reading 90 on

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a scale of 1-10 (you broke the scale hahaha). “Alright ma‟am, simply come around so we can have a look at it”, he said rather calmly. You feel a bit relaxed and hope he knows what he is doing, until you panic again “hope I didn‟t miss out any details” oh my! You finally arrive the garage, roll out the explanation you rehearsed many times on the way there and then he looks at the sign. He then signals to you

the light keeps flickering , because we are not doing anything to help the situation , but only worrying ABOUT (like going around a roundabout , basically going around in circles) it, until we stop and retrace our steps to the expert.

Well, It is so small , I don‟t want to bother God with “how I can‟t seem to … “ it is not a big deal really?

If it is worth worrying about, it is what casting on God.

As a matter of fact, not worrying might make you feel irresponsible at the start of the journey to quitting worrying.

Off to the most important bit, “He cares”, not everyone we know cares enough to have you cast your cares on them “I have problems of my own, please” Some might say .

Those who do, immediately skip at the sound or sight of a concern being relayed. On the other hand, some encourage you, “oh do come by whenever you need to talk”, but in the true sense of things they do not actually CARE.

to open up the burnet which you do, he touches a few things and the flickering light goes off. You go on and on about how grateful and relieved you are. Then, he shows you what the problem was and you think on my, just that? I could have fixed it , if only I knew , but you didn‟t .

In the same vein, worry kicks in because you have no idea what to do or the right approach to the situation. The reality is whether we realise or come to terms with it, the worry light flickering is a trigger , something is out of balance which requires that extra attention from God . The more we try to figure it out the more

The worst category, would be those who care to hear the details, so they can go on tale baring ; spreading the deepest concerns of your heart with others (as many as would give the listening time) . I am pleased to tell you the privacy policy on this one is beyond premium “Jesus actually cares” Your concerns are safe and secure with Him . Plus, like the automobile mechanic, even better, He is an expert in fixing that situation you have so troubled your mind with.

However, the key is to keep casting on Him because He cares .

“

I am pleased to tell you the privacy policy on this one is beyond premium “Jesus actually cares” Your concerns are safe and secure with Him”

The daunting task of casting remains one of the challenges of quitting worriaholism , you cast one worry and another pops up almost immediately .

What then do you do? Quit and worry away?

Absolutely not, that is the reason the word is „castING‟. Knowing He cares makes you get away from the lie that you are being a bother to Him. So when worry comes and your head gets noisy, simply sit calmly , identify each concern and cast it on Him . It is as simple as saying “Lord this is really bothering me , I roll it over to You In Jesus name” Now, sometimes we are anxious and we cannot even identify the source of the anxiety , simply ask the Holy Spirit to help you to do so and roll it over to Him. Keep rolling over the cares , anxieties whether big or small Phil 4: 6 “says be anxious for nothing. ”Nothing means nothing , for instance you go have a conversation, someone says something unsettling to you , cast it immediately on God , release forgiveness to them if need be ,but don‟t keep replaying the conversation in your mind. You have a concern about a loved one, how they are handling their personal life or acting fill in the blanks, before planning a sit in to talk to them , roll it over to God , how is that? With this approach, you might find you do not need the sit in because God would go ahead and handle it for you, or open your eyes to the best way to handle the situation.

This also prevents the temptation to gossip or discuss people out of concern.

Don‟t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout the day, offering your faith filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. TELL HIM EVERY DETAIL of your life .” 7. Then Gods wonderful peace that transcends human understanding will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.” Phil 4:7 TPT. These verses summarise the whole worry detox process and plainly highlights the process.

Thus, Leading us to the two themes we would touch on to conclude: Gratitude and peace.

Gratitude or giving thanks is the move we make while rolling our cares and a huge worry counter, when the temptation to worry about something you have already rolled to God resurfaces again. We simply thank God when you rolled it to Him He took it and took care of it. When you pray believe you have received (Mark 11:24) the time to believe you have is that moment when you pray, so if you have

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received, the next move should be gratitude. The outcome of this then is what the above verse describes as a „wonderful peace‟ .It is wonderful because the situation may still appear the same but the whole emotions of worry , anxieties would be erased . We see that , that is what ushers in the solution to that issue . Thanksgiving is super powerful , Jesus gave thanks over what was not enough and it multiplied ; 5 loaves 2 fish , 7 loaves and he feed thousands of people . Over Lazarus , he gave thanks to God and called him forth and he came back to life . Gratitude is super powerful .

Simple steps to quitting worrying.

This is not a one size fits all tip, but if you feel this would help you, then maximize this .

Whenever you feel tempted to worry about something, grab a note pad and pen or open up your notemaking /memo app.  Next, write /type out your worry, pray and roll it over to God,  Then, throw it in a jar or archive the note. 

As we round up, „ Unanimous‟ refers to a group of people who understand they have been worrying a whole lot and are standing to face the habit of worrying head on with the help of the Holyspirit.

Committing to roll all cares and burdens over to God whenever they come up, knowing Jesus cares enough to listen and take care of the worry . It is comforting to know worries come to us all , but its knowing they do not belong to us at all and what we do with them ; give it over to God , which counts . You can breathe easy to know there is no subscription plan to join any platform similar to the AA, but the commitment is simply between you and God. Not to worry, He is there to help you and our prayers are with you.

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epeatedly rubbing the face, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm oneself, tossing and turning in bed, pacing around the room, loss of appetite, clasping one‟s hands together. Sound familiar? These are just some of the signs we show when we are worried about something. From the successful business man who just gained a spot at Forbes‟ top twenty, to the man who takes your orders at „Chicken Republic‟ everyone has had their moment of worry, but as Christians we shouldnot be found worrying.

Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God.” I want to start by saying God will never ask us to do something that cannot be done. If he has said do not be anxious then it means he has provided an alternative for worry. I mean if we are not meant to worry then what should we do? The other part of Philippians 4:6 has answered that. It says that we should present our worries and fears before God, thanking him, not for the situation but because the situation has given us an opportunity to exercise faith in him and then we are to show thanksgiving, because we know he will come through for us 12 in that | P asituation. ge

Many Christians are out there worrying, fussing and fretting over issues. Losing sleep, pacing around and having headaches over weapons of satan designed to keep us from experiencing the abundant life God has for us ,because they don‟t know that He can turn that situation around. Seeking God is key to overcoming worry. We are called to seek God everyday of our lives, drawing near to him so he can draw near to us and how do we draw near to him? By reading the Word. When you begin to go through the scriptures, you begin to learn new things, understand who our creator is and the inheritance he has for you in Christ. Understanding why He calls you more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37) and knowing that he has already overcome the world (John 16:33) so we‟re not to fret.

Taking King David as an example, David had trials from when the anointing came upon him.

That exam, need, disease, situation that you‟re worried about is there because of the anointing upon you, but like David, when you look past the worry and the need and focus on the Father, going into the scriptures and meditating on the wonders of old, like the parting of the red sea, the raising of Jairus‟ daughter and Lazarus, the feeding of the five thousand, you will begin to magnify God above your situation and watch him come through. I am not saying that you won‟t be tempted to worry when the situation comes, what I am saying is that you should shift your focus from the situation to the Father.

Abram had every reason to worry. He and Sarah had passed childbearing age. He knew that his body was as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old and that Sarah‟s womb was also dead (Romans 4:19) yet he looked passed all of that and focused on the God who gives life to the dead and calls those things that do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17). What is your situation right now? Is it as dead as Abram‟s or even worse?

Get to the scripture, seek God and get the rhema you need from him. There is a rhema for every situation that gives birth to the faith

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you need to get your miracles. The rhema is the saying Word of God. You need to get that rhema by seeking God, calling upon him, “God what are you saying in this situation?

My eyes are on you and my ears are open to receive a Word from you” and then you listen in His presence. The Word will bring about the faith you need to see wonders. So if you feel like you don‟t have enough faith to get out of that situation, go to the Word, you need not worry because, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17), I will paraphrase; Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Rhema (Saying Word of God).

So my dears, worrying never solves the situation. Like a rocking chair going back and forth, it keeps you busy but on a spot. It‟s tempting to sink into anxiety but of what point is it? throwing your mind into a rush of negative thoughts on the million things that could go wrong, your brain being really good at finding things to be nervous about or having your heart beat twice the normal rate against your ribcage because of something or

We are called to seek God every day of our lives, drawing near to him so he can draw near to us someone, constantly hurting yourself in the process. Sometimes it‟s just you overthinking and over calculating, blowing it out of proportion, magnifying the little tide above the Almighty. Take a stance today, confess to yourself never to be a worry warrior, be cheerful, seek God, thank Him, focus on getting a Rhema from the Word about that situation, let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and comfort you, dwell in His presence and then the peace of God will rule your heart (Philippians 4:7), giving you the assurance that Christ has already stepped into that situation and watch it flip to wonders.

Fear Factor O

ne thing which keeps a number of people from taking steps or accomplishing great feats is fearThe fear factor. It has crippled and continues to prevent many from actualising their purpose and enjoying their lives. Interestingly, these fears are majorly learned behaviour yet, have such a firm grip on people and lead to sometimes devastating outcomes. According to a CNN report titled “what is the science of fear?” it is highlighted that as babies, people have only two fears: The fear of falling and that of sound. Thus, all other fears experienced are learned with influence traceable to environmental, social and other experiential factors to mention a few. Therefore, these self-limiting fears, though having severe effects, are not innate so to speak, but acquired.

If this is true then a good place to kick off this conversation if to define FEAR, What is fear? There are various definitions, for instance; Psychologists have several terms to describe the various kinds of fears and corresponding definitions. An interesting definition we would like to adopt would be that which describes fear using the acronym; False Evidence Appearing Real A great number of us might be familiar with this definition, before we proceed any further Just a pause. It is essential to note defining fears would not be the sole focus of this article. Rather, we hope to help identify what we like to describe as “The fear factor” and how to overcome it in order to enjoy absolute glee and the peace God wants for us at all times.

The word of God is laced with promises from God on our fears most commonly beginning with the words “Fear not..” as such we begin exploring the definition of and antidotes to the fear factor with a closer look at one of these .

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Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.‟ Isaiah 41:10 Fear not for I am with you, .. for I am your God Checking milestones for a growing child, it is observed that there is a stage when children become aware of certain things and come to the point when they can actually feel fear. It appears this milestone hit me pretty early because, I recall as a child being afraid of the dark so much ; I would open all the doors leading to whatever room I was headed to, when sent on errands just because, I wanted to run back unhindered on returning to deliver what I was sent to get , Hilarious. I also was scared to sleep with the lights turned off. Interestingly, a niece of mine showed similar traits, as she would literally leave the room with me, because she did not want to be alone in the room all by herself.

Her favourite song at the time was „No longer slaves‟ by Bethel Music, as such I told her to sing that song anytime she felt afraid . Then, once while playing the song she asked “Aunty, are you afraid?, is that why you are playing this song? " . Following that question, I knew there was more explaining to do . My Niece and I‟s experience might just be what most might consider childish fears, because we deal with more terrifying things in adult life.

Nonetheless, God tells us regardless of our fears, we should not be afraid because, He is with us and most importantly “For He is our God”. Thus, like my niece whose fears were allayed by having one being in the same room with her, Gods presence in our situation and lives as a whole should bring comfort to our hearts and dispel our fears .

Next, I will strengthen you Sometimes we are afraid we do not have the capacity to do certain things or we are not strong enough ... His words to us are I will strengthen you.

I will uphold you When we are afraid some times that we are down, we feel too low, not qualified and not enough. To that fear He says I will uphold you.

Fear Factor case study: The first man to be afraid

signals something is about to be out of order or already out of order.

He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid.

I was afraid because I was naked”

In a general sense the natural instincts help prevent danger, in that way that is a good thing, because a real danger is imminent. For example: An elderly woman had never seen an actual gun in her life and then terror threats had been suspected. This led to police men being deployed to streets patrolling with guns, the sight of a gun terrified her, because it was a new experience for her. Same would be a driver moving on road A on the left lane and to suddenly see a big truck coming in the opposite direction at top speed (Same road A and same left lane), that would cause adrenaline pumping at full throttle and racing heart rate for the driver .

Thus, making them swerve to avoid a head on collision. This natural trigger reveals actual danger looming.

On the contrary there is the fear factor.

Gen3:10NLT

Fear versus factor

The

Fear

Adam doubles as the first man and the first man to speak of fear. Preceding this was the perfect picture of the Garden of Eden; God has created man and put him there, in time He gave him a suitable partner, who later on was tempted by the serpent to eat a fruit God had instructed against. She

Is all fear bad or?

Truth is we have a natural in built system which flags off when danger is around the corner, this is a protective instinct to prevent us from harm. proceeded and offered Adam, their eyes were “opened” and then somewhere along the line, Adam spoke up “He was afraid when He heard God”. Ever since, man has experienced this feeling called fear, but really Is all fear bad or?

Truth is we have a natural in built system which flags off when danger is around the corner, this is a protective instinct to prevent us from harm. More often than not feelings of trepidation or apprehension are signs and

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Fear Factor Faith is a powerful weapon which quenches ALL the fiery darts of the enemy. It comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. Fear on the other hand similarly comes by hearing; the difference is who the individual is listening to.

Faith is the God factor that works wonders and miracles.

The fear factor on the other hand, can be devastating to overlook , not to make us feel afraid but , to make us understand the need to never give room to it in anyway, As there isn't any good contained in it. It is with that, there are as many fear nots in the bible

to encourage us through every scary moment of the day .

The thought of „fear not‟ can trigger fear once you realise you are now feeling fear . The word is „fear not‟ , it means there would be the temptation to actually be afraid . So then how do we counter it Antidote 1 :Faith over fear To every fear factor introduced we ought to introduce the Faith factor. Fear and faith cannot coexist effectively, one might feel afraid, but as focus is turned to God; what He is saying at the moment, we find the fear is gradually dispelled.

We see God step in on the scene in Gen 3 to address the situation Adam was in , in the same vein He would step in on the scene for us , whenever we are tempted to be afraid .

Another point is to form a culture of surrendering our fears to God. If He is with us , then we must draw comfort from that as well as maximise the opportunity to hand over these fears to Him. After all He is with us and Remember faith quenches ALL the fiery darts (Eph 6:16).

So when fear comes knocking, remember God is with us, Then surrender all your fears to Him . It is no use being afraid of what might happen on your career or in your health, when you have a God who owns the universe, created you and your body.

Identify the fear factor and surrender it to God, Once you surrender it begin to feed along the lines of faith in that area of fear. The enemy tells you a lie about your mind, Surrender it to God ... Submit to God, resist and he will flee (James 4:7), Reject it in Jesus name.

“

God laughs, if God laughs then we His children ought to do same and be joyful because a joyful countenance is priceless.

Why? Faith introduced into a situation births miracles, fear introduced can do damage.

Nonetheless, they both give us an opportunity to choose; with faith it is the opportunity to believe God – what He is saying about a situation, person.. Fill in the gaps. Fear is a suggestion from the enemy who most times is seeking permission to steal, kill or destroy.

In response, finding scriptures in line with what God has said over that area and meditating on it frequently dispels this. As we let faith rise in that area for us we watch God dispel our fears. A closer look at the play out for Adam, he gave God his fears , although he didn‟t sound quite articulate. Gen 2 says they were naked and not ashamed , Gen 3:10 He goes on to highlight he hid because he was naked , it did not quite add up to the rational mind ,but he said it to God as it was . Which led to God outlining to him where he had missed it, isn‟t it interesting? God knew all the while everything, but solution came when Adam responded to His call and surrendered his situation to Him. Even if you feel we deliberately walked into a situation that triggered the fear factor, God is still willing to take our fears and concerns.

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Antidote 2 Activate Joy and keep joy level up..

This is easier said than done; nonetheless it is essential and has to be done, to avoid risks associated with giving into fear.

“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2.

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us”. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.”

Ps 2:4 In the scripture above God laughs, if God laughs then we His children ought to do same and be joyful because a joyful countenance is priceless.

Next, It is funny that humans would try to plot against God Yet, His initial disposition was to laugh.

Imagine "the anointed" referred to here, who was being plotted for, there wasn't any record of them laughing ,although it might have been for them a terrifying experience. Thus, from this we learn from God‟s disposition to this and we see His response to this situation as a recommendation, because beyond being joyful it stirs up an anointing which dispels fears.

Being joyful The bible goes further to highlight we are to rejoice in the Lord. So our rejoicing is not that we are living oblivious of what is going on, but in our

confidence in the power and wiliness of God to workout whatever is confronting us.

Basically maintaining our joy in challenging situations is an expression of faith in God .

Knowing He calms the storm , supernatural provides food for over 5000 by multiplying 5 loaves and 2 fish . At His word the dead Lazarus came forth , same at the word money was found In the mouth of a fish , His presence In the boat brought restoration of a whole night spent toiling and more .

Thus, with such an amazing resume, we realise and are rest assured that no circumstance is too hard for Him to proffer a solution and as such there is no reason to be fearful or in despair and that is why we are able to have a joyful disposition.

The Joy of the Lord is your strength, There is actual divine strength which spans from being Joyful in God ... not just being joyful, but the joy that spans from a confidence in God . Thus, making it a great weapon and antidote against the fear factor.

In all we see majority of the fears we experience are traceable to learned behaviour.

While natural innate fear triggers a response to avert imminent danger ahead , the fear factor is a tool the enemy tries to introduce to explore his plans of stealing, killing and destruction. As such antidotes such as choosing faith over fear , meditating on God‟s word and activating the weapon of Joy to ensure our joy level stays are essential.

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Meet JudahEl Music -UK Based Singer,

Song Writer, Entrepreneur & Author ‘In Pursuit of You’

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COVER STORY Page 18

A

Memoirs Magazine exclusive on UK Based

singing sensation

JudahEl Music

the

crooner. She also is an Author of published at age 21 . An entrepreneur and an ardent lover of the Presence of God, which she exudes through music, writing and encourages people to harness this as the core of living on purpose. Memoirs Meet had the privilege of an interview with her, so join us as we unravel the heart of what inspires this beautiful lover of God.

I

n recent times Christianity has witnessed many young people questioning their faith in God. In a society where young people struggle to openly affirm what they belief and some doubt the existence of God, JudalEl Music is fanning the flames of intimacy with God in young people and the society at large. Through her music, book, social media platforms via Instagram ; live sessions, hosting interviews with gospel influencers and posts, she highlights issues I believe I tell amazing bordering on kingdom and encourages all to find solace in God‟s presence “The secret place”. This is a summary which in no way jokes ..but really, I just love exhausts this multitalented, gifted and anointed young woman. Thus, she lets us in on the woman behind all these giftings. As beyond all to laugh and have amazing these, she describes herself with immense simplicity and zest.

“

“I go by the musical name JudahEl Music. I currently reside in London; I serve as the Creative Arts Director at Qadosh Kingdom Movement, under the amazing leadership of Apostle Elijah Israel Chanak. I love God, I love His people and I love the house I am privileged to serve in.”

times of fellowship with God’s people and people in general.

Being extremely energetic she could easily be said to be an extrovert , on the contrary she elaborates on the inconsistencies in coming to such a conclusion “A lot of people think I am an extreme extrovert, but I am secretly not a full-fledged extrovert. I love my space, I love to retreat, but I really do love loving on people, so if I am around people I certainly will be full energy (which is why most people think I am an extreme extrovert). Only those close to me witness my „introvertedness‟. I believe I tell amazing jokes, some people may argue with me on that statement, but really, I just love to laugh and have amazing times of fellowship with God‟s people and people in general.”

Passionate about being inspired and being an inspiration, she outlines a fond statement of hers which in many ways gives insight into her passion and drive to spur people, particularly young people to live on purpose “I always say this, and this is a life motto I go by: “inspire to inspire”. My desire is to empower others around me, both the young and old (but secretly young „at heart‟…of course), to be everything God has called them to be and never put a cap on it.

You never know who you inspire to walk in their full, unrestrained, God-given potential, by walking in yours unapologetically. Your life is to inspire; your life is to pour into others selflessly so they too can inspire those around them. In-turn, creating a waved ripple effect that transpires across boundaries of gender, race, social class and generations.”

Growing up years Growing up is what she describes as an adventurous educational experience. She discovered artistic tendencies early which led to pursuing the arts academically as she unravels “ I sometimes think about my childhood and laugh! Growing up was adventurous to a large degree. I recall going to at least six primary schools (I may have missed a few out).

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“

This is a life motto I go by:

“inspire to inspire”.

your

life is to pour into others selflessly so they too can inspire those around them.

In-turn, creating a waved ripple effect that transpires across boundaries of gender, race, social class and generations.”

Why?…I have no clue, you would have to ask my parents. Looking back it does make me laugh, but I am grateful to have met amazing people along the way. Growing up, one thing I noticed was that I was very artistic. I loved to draw, work with paint and abstract pieces. I pursued Art academically up to A-levels alongside my love for Economics, Finance and Business Studies.

Also an Entrepreneur, she outlines how balancing the Arts and business spans from her growing up years “ So yes, many people ask how I balance the two; arts and business, as they seem to sit on opposite spectrums. Often people think it should be one or the other, but I ask back the question, „why not…who specified it has to be one or the other?‟ One beautiful thing about God, is that He cannot be boxed, and I‟ve seen this in the way He deals and wires His children. Society has a way of enforcing unspoken norms, but God sits outside of these. God has never told me to stick to one. Funny enough, He keeps unravelling areas of me I never knew existed and pushes me to embrace and function excellently in each area. That‟s my encouragement to others too; embrace every element of you and every area God has equipped you to function in; do it all to His glory. Be excellent in every area He has instructed and graced you to function in. It is actually beautiful to see. Don‟t box God! Furthermore, on the subject of balance, in addition to being an Entrepreneur JudahEl Music wears numerous hats: Author, poet and singer/songwriter.

Hence, a closer focus on the inspiration behind such versatility and balancing all these in the broader sense of things. “It‟s very important to be led by God. I never saw myself or planned to be an author, songwriter, singer or the business owner I am today. To

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“

Only the

be honest, I Creator had a dream knows the of becoming full potential an of the Accountant! created However, as I grew in intimacy with God, He began to unravel things in me He had deposited before time; a lot of things that took me by surprise.

Never in a million years did I ever imagine myself as an author. However, in a particular season, God told me I was going to write a book, I was so startled that I thought maybe when I am 50 or so God would get me to write a life story or something along those lines, but I remember thinking, God “I am not a writer.”

However, little did I know, just a few years down the line I would be instructed to write and release a debate book at the age of 21. It shocked some people, best believe it shocked me too! However, it is very interesting that in the season I was instructed to write, God had resourced me in every area concerning the publication of the book. This literally blew my mind. In similar narratives, I haven‟t thought of myself as many of the things I function in today, but that‟s the beauty of knowing God and growing in intimacy with your Creator; He unravels what has been created and intricately wrapped up on the inside of you and uses it for His glory. It is a beautiful thing to be unravelled in your identity by the Creator Himself. Only the Creator knows the full potential of the created, and who is the clay to say to the Potter, „why have you created me this way.‟

“

Never in a million years did I ever imagine myself as an author.

-„It is a beautiful thing to be unravelled in your identity by the Creator Himself. Only the Creator knows the full potential of the created, and who is the clay to say to the Potter, „why have you created me this way‟.

Based on man‟s confined expectation and status-quo, you may feel obliged to function in one lane, but why limit your phone, for example, to a communication device solely, when it can be used as a camera, voice recorder, music player, navigation system and so much more. You are not only depriving yourself of the full potential of the thing, but those who were meant to benefit likewise.

Your world needs you, don‟t belittle, hide or compromise what you can offer.

This holds true for JudahEl music as she indeed applies herself to wearing many hats.

Thus a closer look into the music aspect which expresses her versatility and how that was birthed.

My music journey started when I fell in love with Jesus, literally. When I got saved, I had a very deep awe for the intimate and real person of Jesus and who God was. Everything became so real! An awestruck awe for God caused me to be in deep places of worship before His feet.

I recall being spontaneously called, for the first time, to lead worship during a youth service at the Church I attended. I had nooo clue what the procedures of leading people were (i.e. exalt, cheer or encourage the people to lift their hands, clap, speak a little etc.)…all I knew was I was standing before a big God and I was in awe of Him EVERYTIME. I picked the microphone and I forgot there were people in-front of me that I was meant to lead and all I could do was worship. In the middle of it all, I remember opening my eyes and seeing the whole Church lost in worship and people in postures I had never seen before. I had no clue what was going on, but I knew the Holy Spirit had taken over; it was as though the people could see what I could see. I recall closing my eyes again because it was a sight I had never seen, I was in a bit of shock, but didn‟t want to be distracted by that. That was the start of me leading others to a place in worship with God. Following that, in my young teenage age, I became part of the adult Church choir and at university served in the worship team. All these were a form of training ground, but I knew it was God using me in this capacity of music to lead His people to a place He had given me the privilege to be with Him in the secret place.

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Passionate about God she naturally leaned to genres of music presenting a gospel message. She insightfully elaborates. I love love love Gospel. It‟s funny, because often when people ask me „what genre of music do I listen to or do‟, and I respond „Gospel‟, there is usually a subconscious notation of what the sound is like (which has been verified through several conversations I‟ve had).

However, what I love about Gospel is literally the understanding that what you are doing is translating the message of the „Gospel‟ in music form. The word Gospel itself speaks of a message; a good news message.

Thus, the term Gospel musically, doesn‟t confine it to a choirbased sound, it doesn‟t mean slow or mellow music.

It can be in the form of JAZZ, Rap, Afrobeats, Pop, Blues, Ballads, Classical, all the way down to instrumentals. 1 Samuel 16:16-23 every time David played before Saul (it never mentioned he sang), a distressing spirit left him.

What he played musically had a message of authority.

This shows us the power of the Gospel being translated

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through music, notes, tones, sounds, ballad, poetry…you name it. The message of the Gospel is consistent, but its expression is endless!

Recent times we have seen renowned Christians sing songs with clean lyrics and seemly secular songs.

Nonetheless, she outlines the core of her decision to commit to giving an expression of the message of the gospel through music .

I‟ve personally experienced

you wallow in your emotions and self-pity or deplete you morally, that‟s not love and certainly not life-giving.

Lyrics can be clean, but question is: „what substance does it add to you as a listener?‟ If it‟s just to give you good vibes, but after the good vibes you‟re still depressed, heart-broken, offended, bitter etc., that raises a question of intention and purpose.

Purpose driven , JudahEl Music has authored a book which inspires people to passionately What he played musically had a pursue intimacy which she is message of authority. This shows endeared to us the power of the Gospel championing. being translated through music, The Book titled notes, tones, sounds, ballad, “In Pursuit of poetry…you name it. The You” it is an message of the Gospel is amazing book consistent, but its expression is about intimacy endless! with the Father.

It is our Joy edition and we the power of Gospel music know true joy is found in to remind me of God‟s truth the place of being and liberate me from intimate with the Father. various circumstances and We requested on insight difficult situations. A lot of on what the story and significant songs have been inspiration behind the birth from hard places, book is. The inspiration is where the only thing I could definitely from journeying as utter were melodies. Gospel a non-believer who knew is life giving, because it about God, but didn‟t know carries a message that God…to a child who doesn‟t speaks life to the soul of a just know about God, but man. If I‟m to be invested in knows Him personally. anything in life, I desire that Being able to see both it‟s something that liberates worlds, there was and edifies a soul. If the something I realised. music I release only makes

-

The book takes the reader on a journey to comprehend the levels of God‟s chase after them; which is mindblowing. A lot of things we miss, because we don‟t take time out to ask and understand the „why‟ .

For many years of my life, I was religious in the sense of being legalistic. I went to Church because that‟s what we did, I prayed because I was told to pray. I did a lot of things because I was brought up that way, but failed to understand the „why‟ of what I did. Being saved and actually journeying in relationship with God, I realised something profound.

I realised often as mankind, we chase after God with our works: „we read the word, we go to Church, we try to be on our best behaviour to pursue God‟. We believe if we do all these things we will somehow attain God‟s approval.

However, we failed to realise before we started chasing after God, He was already chasing after us in love. When you realise the significance and depth to the chase of God after you (which the book expounds on), your response actually is the basis of your relationship with God. You move from a place of doing things because you feel you „have to‟, to a place where you‟re eager because you „get to‟.

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It‟s easy to find believers who live a double-standard life, when they fail to understand the „why‟ of what they do. It‟s easy to do the things of God, to simply tick the box, as opposed to drawing near in intimacy and relationship because you understand who God is and you have a sincere love for Him. My journey to salvation and actual relationship with God began from the realisation of how much God had been chasing after me, even before I ever did anything to chase after Him. God has been pursuing mankind from the very beginning in very intimate ways, however we will only really see the extent and detail of His chase if we stop running for one moment and just understand! When you see, reflect, grasp and understand, this causes you to be in so much awe of God that a response is provoked. Relationships are always a 2-way thing and sometimes as believers we view it from a one-sided lens, which is often why our „relationship‟/interaction with God becomes more legalistic, as opposed to intimate. Intimacy brings you in as a son to inherit and live in the fullness of who God is and the comprehension that all that is in His Kingdom is yours; peace, love, righteousness and JOY! Legalism makes

you „work‟ for your joy, work for your peace, work for your righteousness.

Intimacy introduces you and brings you into the One who is love, your peace, righteousness and joy!

At the heart of the greatest of ministers, musicians and more is often time a unique message they strongly desire to communicate by their craft.

For JudahEl music she expands on the core message of not just her music, but of everything she is involved in as an author and entrepreneur also. The heart of the Father. If there is one thing God has revealed Himself to me as, it‟s been Father.

Being introduced to the Person and nature of God as Father changed my lens to how I see and approach God. I grew up in a Christian family, but for the majority of my childhood and into my early teenage years I played “Church”. I knew about God, but I didn‟t know God. Going to Church gatherings was a thing I did, I certainly enjoyed it as there was a level of family and safety, but I never knew God intimately or personally. All things changed when God introduced Himself as a Father who desired a relationship with me; not just a distant God you do things for.

This lens

changed my entire being and transformed my life literally. The people who knew me before I got saved and me now, can attest to the drastic change; as though it‟s two completely different people. That‟s the power of God‟s love and living an intimate life with Christ, the Father and the HolySpirit - it‟s amazing and literally life transforming. My desire is to introduce people to God as Father. God as One who isn‟t distant, marking your every wrong, but a Father who is deeply passionate about you and every area of your life. A Father who wants to hear every detail about your day; what has made you happy, what has broken your heart…I mean EVERY single part of you. He wants you to know He is your number one safe place, He is your number one Cheerleader, your Greatest fan, your WayMaker, your Greatest Encourager, who is so for you and not against you…so much so that He has set the whole of Heaven‟s watch over you (Hebrews 12:1 “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”).

For individuals who desire to tow a similar

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path of music , authorship and entrepreneurship.

She offered this as counsel Stay connected to the Source. John 15:1-2, 4 Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Don‟t look at replicating what others are doing. When you remain plugged into God as your ultimate Source, He will be the one to shine the light He has placed on the inside of you. You are not a shadow of anyone else, but God. It is His light that reflects on you that causes men to see Him, when they see you (Matthew 5:14-16). Always remember this: you can only lead people where you‟ve been. If you have never

been to certain places with God in your secret place, there is no way you can lead people to that place.

The level and depth to which you can lead people to, is dependent on the level and depth you have been in with God in your secret place. Do not desire and seek God just because you want to lead people. Desire and seek God because of your love for Him; everything else will flow and fall into alignment and you will see God unravel things in you, which you never knew/imagined were deposited in you. He will take you to places you never dreamt of. This is the beauty of walking in intimacy with your Father, because He knows what is best for you. His desire is to release the best of you and for His glory to be revealed.

Be unapologetically you – the you God created! This enables you to move where God wants you to move and

create a unique impact and sound, which isnâ€&#x;t simply a replica of what someone else may be doing. Likewise, it eliminates the fear of man and enables you to be so FOCUSED on God, ensuring His leading is what stirs you at each time.

When you are governed by the fear of God, as supposed to the fear of man, there are levels of creativity and excellence in you that will be produced at the right time, in the right way, for the right people.

Collaboration - as a creative (no matter what sphere), be open to collaborate with other people around you.

This gives room for greater

levels of synergy and creativity across the Body of Christ. Be consistent. Be consistent in working on your craft, consistent in your engagement and delivery. Alongside this, always strive for excellence.

God is an EXCELLENT God and deserves nothing less than our excellence. The world is attracted to excellence, thus when you serve God in excellence, you attract the world to see God through the lens of excellence.

Build relationships, always be teachable, remain humble, honor the people around you; they will be the same people to either hold doors

open for you or shut them.

Remain submitted to God. 2020 and beyond she highlights expectation from JudahEl music should be A lot more creative pieces and a lot more surprises (says so with a smile)! I strongly believe in this season God desires to use the creatives in such a beautiful and powerful way in society to advance His Kingdom and to shape things on this earth. The best posture right now for any Creative is to lean in and not be confined to your own plans and agenda. My desire is really just to see what God breathes on us as creatives to do.

CLICK TO PLAY

Secret Place

By JudahElmusic

W

ith that we wrapped up a rather expository interview with artiste JudahEl music. Anticipation is high for many

more phenomenal yet, anointed songs, hits, collaborations and tours from this versatile and multitalented lady.

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Lifestyle

Cards& Dining décor ideas for Christmas.

T 1

he holiday season is always a joy; a major highlight to this are gifts often accompanied by the greeting cards. However, with the world going digital, most paper based items are being transformed into electronic format; a classic example are greeting cards which are now replaced with e-greeting cards. This makes us not really always excited to receive greeting cards or take pride in them as it used to be traditionally, unless of cause you absolutely love cards, hand written notes and those sort of items. In this article we share ways you can bring back the excitement of receiving greeting cards at Christmas , how to creatively display and incorporate these into your holiday season décor

String ‟em Displaying cards on window frames or railings are great, but even better is creating an actual card holder using a simple string and card holder pegs. These are ready available in stores; coming in really beautiful and creative designs and themes. If you are up for a DIY

Dopheuor photo clip string lights LED – it is said these lights are more energy saving than traditional Christmas lights. Source: amazon.com

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challenge simply get a string and some mini pegs, spray them with spray paint (or with any available paint) or simply use them as they are.

Santa in sleigh with reindeers Christmas card holder . Source:Ebay.co.uk

Find a convenient site for your beautiful display. Better still grab a picture frame(an old one can serve), fix strings horizontally or diagonally to form a zigzag pattern and glue to edges of the frame using hot glue or HU glue (any available safe glue) or simply paper tape . leave ample space between string layers for cards to hang conveniently to avoid clustering them. When the holiday season is over, you can replace greeting cards with photos of family.

Source: Shutter fly

2

Make Merry framed Christmas card display by Shutter fly (click image for tutorial video)

Wall card display Another classic way to display cards is by maximizing wall space; this can be achieved by using ready-made wall card holders or wearing your DIY hat and creating one with ribbons or simply creatively placing them on the wall into a pattern. First option readymade wall card holders; these are available where decorative items are sold.

Next, Ribbon wall design: simply grab wide ribbons measure varying lengths, to attach use any glue or adhesive which is binding yet easy to remove, or better still a double sided paper tape or one sided one. Cut enough paper tape (form a circle if using one sided paper tape), or get ample portions of glue/adhesive and then place behind in a way to enable the ribbon stick to the wall. Do this as many times as possible so the ribbon does not fall off the wall once you place cards on it and then place ribbon on the wall. You could have as many ribbons as possible pending on available space; simply ensure it is thoroughly

Ribbon Christmas card holder Source: offray.com

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Source: kristenduke photography.com Click picture for full tutorial

Christmas card holder Source :Ebay

spaced out when sticking it to the wall. Now, attach cards to the reverse side of the ribbon, this can be done using a stapler before putting up on the wall. Also, if opting for a stapler, staple inside the cards in such a way that the cover flap conceals the staple area. The fewer the cards per ribbon the better, the longer ribbons could have same number as shorter one, the difference being space between cards. At this point you can be as creative as you would like with the arrangements. In locating a convenient site for your beautiful display consider creative spaces such as the doorway secured to the door, wall surfaces by the dining area, by the stair way and other spaces comfortable avoiding clustered sites.

Another alternative to display greeting cards creatively is to make up a pattern of for instance a Christmas tree and then you could cut out the shape of a star and paste over the top.

Source: one good thing by Jille. C lick picture for full video tutorial

by Hayes Garden world .

3D Christmas tree by How cast .

Source: Howcast. Click picture for full video tutorial.

Christmas time and the holidays also mean fine dining; preparing meals we would not usually have or bringing twists to recipes in ways we would not usually do. How we present and plate these dishes make family holiday dining special. Here is a tip to making Christmas tree décor out of napkins. Simply follow these simple steps and click on picture of the 3D christmas tree design above for full how to video tutorial . with that we signoff hope you switch up your holiday décor with these Cards and Dining décor ideas,possibly we spark that aventureous creative bone that leads you to expore some more . Wishing you a wonder holiday season .

1. First, grab a napkin in your favourite (Christmas) colour or pattern.

5. To achieve the tree shape, with caution turn the napkin to the reverse side facing down.

2. Next, fold napkin halfway into a square shape

3. Now begin folding into tiers ; first tier should be folded in the reverse direction towards the top half way.

6. A great idea would be to iron first as it make it easier to handle and gives you a nicer finish.

7. From your left lift the edge folding it over to the right to form a triangle , , making the top edge to form a straight line across the napkin

4. Do this for the other 3 flaps to make a 5 tiered tree.

8. Do the same with the right side to form the tree shape facing down.

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9. To achieve the tree shape, with caution turn the napkin to the reverse side facing down.

10. Beginning with the top layer fold upwards , subsequently tuck in under each layer into the previous layer .

Continue until the finally layer which is the corner layer.

Source : Alibaba

L

ike Beautiful dĂŠcor, nothing beats having a form of nature in your home; from flowers as house plants to gardens, to

animals like dogs, to fish in an aquarium. There is just something fulfilling and joy giving about feeding them and waking up to having life teeming in your home, which at the same time doubles as beautification all at once. An aquarium teeming with aquatic life especially fish is a beautiful captivating sight and a wonder which has been enjoyed by people over the years. However, we tend to overlook or be unaware of all that is entailed in maintaining happy and healthy fish before getting started. Thus, in this edition we journey into the aquatic life of a fish, getting started, helpful tips to help you get going and where to seek help as you bring home the beauty of aquatic life.

We would be exploring certain essentials one should know and understand before starting to cater for fish in the confines of your home , work place or wherever might be in consideration . Note you do not necessarily have to carry these out yourself, but it is really great for one to be aware of these things. With that highlighted lets crack on.

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First things first, the premier decision to make is where your fish would live; A fish bowl or a fish tank. The options are endless depending on your budget and the ideas you have for your home. For instance; a gold fish in a bowl is a famous consideration most beginners make. Also, modern day presents several innovations and architectural twists to preserving aquatic life; from exquisite fish bowls to wall or floor fitted fish tank. Therefore, of the various options available it is important to research into what exactly it is you want , how you intend executing it in your home and settling it before bring home your aquatic life .

What size would it be is the next point to consider.

This is largely dependent on the type of fish you intend keeping; the specie, would it be a freshwater or salt water fish. Also, the number and the diversity of species you are considering nurturing in it for instance; if you intend having 3-4 fishes, would all of them be gold fishes or would you love a variety of fish? As a rule of thumb, for size the larger the better to avoid overcrowding especially for beginners. Often times when people are starting out the tendency to want to start small with a little fish bowl and just one gold fish is high. On the contrary, beginners are advised to pick larger fish tanks, for starters a tank of minimum of 20 gallons , if that exceeds the stipulated budget you had in mind , simply opt for the largest possible size you can begin with . Why? The tank size enhances maintaining the right environment your fish would require to stay healthy. Certain conditions ensure this happens and a larger tank size fosters these.

Another important tip to outline is “a tank should have greater width than height to provide ample room for fish to swim conveniently and to prevent overcrowding, which can result in low oxygen levels, excess waste and sadly fatality. Typically, tanks sizes range from desktop size to larger aquariums for diverse species of fish. You do not have to make this decision on your own, visiting

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Wall mounted fish bowl Source : Amazon.com

“First things first, the premier decision to make is where your fish would live; A fish bowl or a fish tank.” your local pets store, experts in this line would be able to advise on the appropriate size for you bearing in mind the space you have available and the type of fish you are looking to begin nurturing.

Now your fish tank is home where do you site you new pets home ? At this point Lighting is key , the tank should be located away from windows to avoid direct sunlight as this can result in algae blooms ,algae blooms ? yeah, not to worry simply know those are bad for your fish so avoid doing that .

Another no go area should be siting it close to heaters or air vents for those in temperate regions . As this promotes rapid temperature change making the environment unhealthy for fish . Next is a bit of health and safety , position your fish‟s home away from parts of the house of high traffic to avoid accidentally bumping into it . Also, ensure it is properly installed, stands stable and firm as tilting could result in strain on that part, making it prone to leakage and cracks. Fish tanks typically come with pumps and some other equipment to help it function appropriately. Thus, this should be factored in when picking out a location.

Choosing to have fish means you love fish (even if you might not know so much about them yet ) but, it is still noteworthy to learn about whatever fish you want in your tank. This is because various fish have diverse needs which differ one specie to another. Some fish species are not a good idea to put together in one tank some might even attack other species and so it makes it really important to know. You do not have to bother about being an automatic professional at this , simply know to ask when you see beautiful fish to be sure it is a good idea to merge them .

Also, diversity can be a great thing when you make a perfect complimentary match for example some fish like to stay are the bottom of the tank and feed on algae which is a good thing . So a good match would be those that like to stay at the top and those the bottom .

Most importantly , you need to know about whatever specie you want to bring home so you can create the best environment for them and diet . This can also help in deciding the diversity you would like as its best to pick fish with similar natural habitat adaptations and from same region of origin .

For instance : tropical fish , with tropical fish , you get the picture ?

The goal is make the tank as conducive as possible for your fish, condition of the water in the tank is really important .

Once you get the tank you

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would need to condition the water before putting your fish in despite how excited you might be to do this. Why? Tap water contains properties which need to be balanced in an aquarium to achieve this you would need a DE- chlorinating agent and some supplements for aquariums . Your local pet store would be able to conveniently help with what you need , thus, consider this your check list to tick off .

Another step to check is getting a pH test kit, do well to request for one , this helps you check the acidity or alkalinity of the water in the tank because you really need to always have the right balance to keep your fish healthy. Temperature is also key , know the right temperature for your fish which is the reason earlier we stated siting your fish tank away from windows and heaters . These change water temperature rather speedily.

Fish are home everyone is happy and you monitor the condition of the water regularly . In addition to this you would need to occasionally clean out your fish tank; replacing 25% of the water monthly. This is to maintain the best water condition for your fish ,a more thorough cleaning using a gravel vacuum can be done , key is to clean out waste and possible algae build up .

Typically algae build up presents as cloudy appearance on the glass of the fish tank .

The danger of these is it decreases oxygen levels in the fish tank and as such you want to clean that out as much as possible . Again this could be carried out with help from your local pet store. They would

“As a rule of thumb, for size the larger the better to avoid overcrowding especially for beginners.” either be using the vacuum or a brush .

Be sure to enquire from your local store what to feed your fish with and set alarms or notification reminders so you remember to feed your fish . As new members of your home past the excitement period , it is a possibility that you might forget to feed your fish. Or if you are getting this for your children, close supervision on feeding is also needed so the fish do not starve or be overfed.

The fish in your tank are life as we described and so it would be great to observe them from time to time so you notice any new onsets early, should there be a need to seek help from your pet store . Fun stuff Social media helps people of common interest connect and so there are social media “Aquarium groups “ to catch up with other fish lovers and learn a few things from them as well.

We that we sign off and hope you consider bringing fish home and if you already have ,have found a few helpful tips as you continue on this journey .

Source : CTshirts.com

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W

Quartet : Lisa knowles-smith &the Brown Singers . Source: Stella awards. hite for many years has been associated with symbolising several concepts such as peace or a sign of surrender , purity, innocence, cleanliness and dressing up in white also connotes a certain status and elegance . Talking about white and fashion , two themes come to mind the white tie dress code and All white party theme .

Festivity means getting together , events regardless of the scale large scale : huge family reunions , carols , parties or small scale close kit family dinners and few friends meeting up for fun.

Having a dress code brings extra fun fair and glamour to the event . Hence, we would explore two themes around the colour white ... you might just want to make one of them your event theme during the holiday celebrations such as New Year‟s eve celebration or even In the New year. Whatever the case jump on this fashion train as we journey into the white tie dress code and all white party theme.

Dress Code : White Tie T

his refers to the most formal Dress code typically characterised by men showing up in a white hand

tied bow tie , black single breasted tailcoat , black trouser , white waistcoat and black well-polished shoes with black laces and black socks . The white tie could also be referred to as : „full evening dress‟, „evening dress „, tails(informally) and full dress. The white tie Dress code is very traditional , an evening theme as the name „Evening dress‟ connotes and often is adopted for special Royal events , those pertaining to royal affairs , some presidential events , Highland balls and certain evening weddings. The level of elegance and class associated with this not so common dress code makes it an excellent choice when you are looking for a way to make your event stand out , remarkable , memorable as people's varied interpretation of the theme would make it unique and glamorous all in one .. Plus Who says you aren't royal ? With “ white tie” it is a whole new chain of elegance as Classic meets traditional, traditional meets vintage and it all translates to a lot of panache and fun . In comparison to the black tie dress code the white tie is so formal making the blacktie dresscode appear casual .

Here is a breakdown of what it looks like

Men White Tie This dresscode has a bias for men as a matter of fact the name is rooted in the outfit men typically show up in at such events , The white bow tie .

The white bow tie is to have the same fabric as the waistcoat preferably bat winged or butter fly styled.

The tricky part to this is the bow tie worn is traditionally to be hand tie , you might want to learn to do so or pass on that tradition.

Tailcoat Jacket This is a classic usually black coloured, single breasted , with a front view similar to a waist coat and behind a long tail .

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It is best to be a perfect fit with sleeves and collar being ¾ revealed , at the front it should stop right below the waist line and the tail slightly below the knee. Peaked lapels should be made of satin or silk.

Full Dress Trouser The trouser and Jacket fabric should also match perfectly with at least two satin stripes covering the seams , pleated in front and with no cuffs at the bottom.

The Waist Coat The tailcoat is to be worn over a pique (a white waistcoat of fine checkered woven fabric or white marcella) usually double or single breasted.

The Dress Shirt A dress shirt with a wing tip collar is typical of white tie events, not requiring any pleats in front. It could be decorated with black studs commensurate to the height of the individual and rise of the waistcoat , usually ranging between two and three studs .

Foot Wear Highly glossy black shoes are the perfect white shoes .

Pumps , plain toed oxfords made having thin soles made of leather are a common choice often opted for . Patent leather makes top on the list , but highly glossy calf leather could be used as well. Black socks and shoe laces are best paired with the black dress shoes for that white tie effect .

Accessories

Jewellery

It gets really interesting at this point as this part hold a lot of similarities with the black tie dress code . Traditionally in time past , white tie events were graced are black Studs and cuffs , pocket watches , white leather gloves and white waistcoats worn over button on white suspenders .

This could be striking, fine gems and jewellery are a great way to go with.

Women White Tie The detailing for women are not complex with the white tie dress code .

Basically „Full length evening dresses‟ are to be worn by ladies , this rules out midi and knee length dresses and trousers of all styles.

Bags These are to be small sized and so a small sized elegant clutch purse is the way to go.

Gloves Traditionally women typically wore gloves to these events but not anymore . When this was the case , they were typically paired with sleeveless dresses , cap and short sleeves . These gloves worn were only taken off whilst eating , at the dinner table and placed similar to napkins only these were to be underneath them . It was to be done remove each finger from the gloves gracefully and then place as earlier mentioned.

Cece Winans in a beautiful full length dress ,Perfect for a white tie event . Source: hamptonarts.net

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All White Party Theme t gets more exciting with another classic I alternative „The All white party theme‟. White decorations and most importantly all guests are to come dressed in white . Unlike the white tie this could very well take a causal twist to it . Guest could come in Formal, semiformal or causal so long as they are dressed in white. This could made a great theme for birthday parties , wedding parties ,award ceremony parties , reunion events , family holiday parties as well even if it‟s just the family and little or no guests. The „allwhite dress code‟ has become a choice for singing groups ; duets, trio and even quartets it could be because of the rather elegant and graceful outlook .These gospel sensations stepped out beautifully in white inspired outfits suggestions for how you can also step out in stylishly in white .

Lisa Knowles Smith and the Browns dressed elegantly in white .

Source:Lisa Knowles smith and the browns page

Tips for Wearing White Travis Greene Respond on his collabo single Respond and Cece Winans with Never Lost, go the white way .

Cece pairs her white shirt with a pair of Bue jeans . If the whole white theme gives you some chills try making it a white and denim theme .

Whichever way you choose; classic traditional White Tie or „All white party theme‟, White remains a beautiful colour to incorporate in 36your |Pa wardrobe and event planning. Happy Holidays & remember to step out in style

Avoid wearing brightly coloured Undergarment particularly your outfit is made of a partially transparent fabric . Checking to know if your outfit is partially transparent is extremely important, this could be done by putting your hand in to see if you can see your hand and also place it facing towards light check to see if you can see through it .

Use your perfume before putting your white outfit to avoid staining it , if this doesn‟t apply to the fragrance you own then simply follow your normal routine.

White outfits are elegant and classy, but can easily become discoloured tending towards yellow , thus you might want to either go shopping for a new outfit or simply pick out the best of yours because everyone would be wearing white at this event and you want to look your best .

ge

Quartet The Walls step out in style in white outfits paired with beige accessories. Whether young , middle aged , senior citizen Styling in white transcends all age groups. Making this an excellent choice for whole family events

Also, you would have to be on your guard about your outfit to avoid any embarrassing stains, the not so fun part about wearing white, but again it is so beautiful .

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Holiday Special: Ice cream Bombe recipe 40 | P a g e

Delicious Recipes

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Sweet Holiday Ice cream Bombe

Source : The Kitchen show Food Network

C

ake and Ice cream are a perfect combo any time any day for dessert, but an Ice cream bombe made out of brownies or your favourite cake is a simple phenomenally delicious way to eat both . All you need is cake and ice cream with almost zero cooking time. Here is how to make these lovelies from this simple recipe culled up from Food Networkâ€&#x;s The Kitchen show

Ingredients Brownies / Any available cake

1 Quart 1½ 3 tbsp 2 tbsp 64g 32 g

Chocolate Ice Cream, Softened Cups Heavy Cream Granulated Sugar Cocoa Powder Cup Hot Fudge,(Warmed Slightly) Cup Chopped Walnuts

Equipment needed 2 bowls freezer safe; 1 9inches by 4 & 1 5 inches by 2inches Electric Mixer /Whisk

43 | P a g e Amazing Ice cream Pudding Bombe Source : sweetestmenu.com

Instructions 

Cut cake into a round shape using a 4inch ring cutter, next slice some more cake into 3inches by 4 inches rectangle shapes . As much as 10 rectangles is what you would be needing. Cut 5 diagonally into half to form triangular shapes and leave 5 others aside .



Line a bowl (Bowl should be freezer safe ) with plastic wrap preferred size about 9 inches across and 2 and a half quart . Next, place the round brownie at the bottom of the bowl, then begin filling the sides with the other brownie pieces. First, place a rectangular shaped piece, then a triangular piece and keeping alternating until you have covered the edges of the bowl . To ensure the bowl is properly lined with the brownies / cake press in. If this extends above the edges, simply break the extra portions and ensure also there are no cracks. If any left overs, simply crumble these and keep to use later.



To create a layer, place 5 inches of plastic wrap over it holding fast the loose ends.

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Next ,scoop ice cream into the bowl filling up to form a 2inch layer, then place the 5 inched bowl pushing slightly inside the ice cream creating a well and covering the top with a plastic wrap to be frozen.

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Put in freezer leaving to freeze for around 2hours as this would allow the ice cream become firm



To create some more delicious layers, mix a combination of heavy cream, granulated sugar and cocoa. Then, using an electric mixer or a whisk, whisk the cream till you have a stiff peak formed.

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Then take out the bombe from the freezer , removing the 5 inches bowl to prepare for other layers .

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Now , pour in the hot fudge into the well in the bombe and fill up with the whipped cream . (You can throw in any delicious bits of dried fruits or nuts).

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Mix the leftover brownie crumbles and the chopped walnuts then sprinkle this mix at the top of the bombe .

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Seal up using a plastic wrap and press the brownie crumble mix into the bombe.

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Freeze for 2 hours to enable the whipped cream freeze .

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Once time elapses, take out the bombe from the freezer , fill a bowl with hot water and then place the bombe‟s bowl side into it for a minute .

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Afterwards , unwrap the bombe by removing plastic wrap , get a plate or stand where you would want to place your bombe and then invert it into it .

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Now slowly remove the bombe from the bowl and the plastic wrap. Sprinkle cocoa powder for garnishing , if you love to go all out you could even splatter on some sugar frosting .

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Finally slice , serve and enjoy your Ice cream bombe

This Ice cream bombe recipe is a creative way to have ice cream and cake , you can explore with your favourite ice cream flavours , toppings , cake or biscuits . Enjoy the holidays !

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Memoirs Magazine exclusive on comedian, MC, Actor, Voiceover artiste and more

Shegazy

Memoirs Meet had the privilege of an interview with him, so join us as we delve into the

world of Shegazy.

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Memoirs Meet Special

W

ho is Shegazy?

My name is Segun Akinola, and “Shegazy” is my brand name. I am a graduate of Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo state.

I‟m an actor, comedian, content creator, tv/event host and voiceover artiste. I was Born and raised in City of Lagos. Infact, I‟ve spent most of my life in Lagos except when I went to the university and when I served Nigeria (NYSC) for one year in kebbi state. Though, I have also travelled outside these two states for work and personal reasons at different times.

How did you come about your name sir? When I started my craft in the university in 2005 and felt I needed a brand name asides my real name, I came up with a name “Notrespazz” which I used for several years until 2019 when I had to go through a total rebranding and changed it to “Shegazy”. This change was necessitated because, pronunciation, spelling and searching online was a challenge for the old name.

What is your salvation story sir? I gave my life to Christ when I was in the university and joined the Living Faith Church (Winners‟ chapel). I was privileged to serve in the interpreters unit and child care unit then before I left university.

How did your journey into comedy start?

My journey into the microphone lifestyle started from the university (major events on campus, departmental dinners and church events within campus). It was not easy juggling all that with my academics. At some point, my dad threatened I had to let go and face academics squarely because it was reflecting badly on my academics.

Somehow, I pulled through.

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How would you describe your style of comedy?

I relate from the perspective of reality. I believe people relate more with realistic humor. Things they can easily find in the immediate environment and topics cannot be exhausted in this sphere. Family, government, relationships, career etc Besides comedy, you wear many other hatsfrom TV/Radio host, to actor and as is common with the comedy craft- master of ceremony, to

Humour is a tool for societal change. We can pull people out of depression and make them see a reason to live just by putting smiles on their faces. mention a few . Why so many hats sir and what inspired such versatility?

Entertaining is versatile. Sticking to just one when you know you have potentials to do more seems like you are shortchanging yourself. As you continue in the journey, you keep discovering the hidden ones.

Started up from mere stand-up , later added the MC part, from there I discovered TV and radio, Years later, acting got my attention and So it‟s all-encompassing. Though, it could be a distraction doing all of that together, it is good if one knows how to manage it well.

What is the core message you want to communicate in all you do? Humour is a tool for societal change. We can pull people out of depression and make them see a reason to live just by putting smiles on their faces. It‟s one of the languages you can use to drive home a message in this age.

Have you ever been embarrassed on stage before?

For instance, people were not responding as you expected? If yes, how did that make you feel?

Asides the several stage frights and embarrassment in the formative years of my career, sometimes you use the right joke for the wrong audience, all you get is an audience that is staring at you and It can be frustrating. In my own case, I keep life-savers. When you get to such junctions of unpleasant response, you throw in your lifesavers. I think every comedian does that.

What do you think about doing comedy internationally?

A global dream drives the way you work on your craft. If you just want to be a local champion, then you can choose to do it anyhow. Global is the dream for me.

What has been the major challenge for you in the industry? People keep flooding the industry every day. Maintaining your own uniqueness despite the crowd remains a major challenge you must face every day. You don‟t want to be seen as similar to another hundred comedians out there.

You have come quite a long way in this industry, how do you maintain humility? Has there been any point you sensed pride? How did you deal with the pride? When you raise the bar so high for yourself, what people see as big achievements are nothing to you.

Most importantly, anything I have or become is just a privilege. I do not feel anyway special from the next person. I live with that consciousness.

Is there any other sphere you have not delved into, which you think you would have been doing and still have excelled at? The most recent I added is voiceovers which is an extension of radio for me. I think I have enough on my desk for now.

Being actively involved in like five aspects of entertainments is massive work. I might even suspend some at some point so I can focus on a few.

Who are you, asides the Shegazy we already know Sir? A lover of peace and equality. A goal-getter who doesn‟t believe anything is impossible Can you tell us three unique things about you?

I pay attention to details I do not trade my integrity for anything I do not know how to give up on my dreams no matter how long it takes to get my result What advice would you give to upcoming comedians on finding their niche, being true to it and juggling many giftings?

Like a mentor once told me, if you stay original, you will stand out despite the crowd in your industry. Secondly, master one part of your many giftings well before thinking of adding another.

The year 2020 has been one of unprecedented events and this has transformed the way Entertainment and the church have carried on regular activities. As such we wanted to know Shegazy‟s take on the impact of the Pandemic on entertainment and ministry.

Those we want to entertain are indoors. The only alternative is the online platforms and streams. In this part of the world where internet speed is slow compared to what is applicable in developed countries, depending solely on online platforms is not easy. No physical events like weddings and birthdays. It‟s really a big challenge to the pursuits of entertainers. The positive part is that it has forced everyone to re-strategize on how to push their brands even in the face of such challenges like the pandemic and also helped many discover other parts of their giftings that can be explored from the comfort of their homes.

“The big question should be, “is it edifying?”, “what are the choice of words?”, “what is the goal for bringing a comedian in the first place?”, “are there elements of blasphemy?”. Just those critical questions that could bring disrepute to the body of Christ.

Once they can be answered, comedy in church should not be criticized but encouraged… even God laughs .”

Comedy in church.

This has been a controversial topic for years and I will definitely sound biased with my submission. The big question should be, “is it edifying?”, “what are the choice of words?”, “what is the goal for bringing a comedian in the first place?”, “are there elements of blasphemy?”. Just those critical questions that could bring disrepute to the body of Christ. Once they can be answered, comedy in church should not be criticized but encouraged… even God laughs .

The importance of comedy as a ministry and in the lives of Christians.

It is unfortunate the church is always the last to catch things that should be used as tools of reforms and evangelism. All good and perfect gifts are from God, But when the church is busy attacking these giftings, devil will hijack it for his own agenda. The earlier the church realizes giftings are to populate God‟s kingdom and support them, the better. Gifted people would not stay idle. They find platforms. If the church does not give those platforms, then they use other ones they find outside there. These are tools of engagement and evangelism for our generation.

What do we expect from Shegazy in the future?

I just want to use my giftings as a tool for societal change, liberation of minds and put my country on the world map for the good reasons.

W

ith that we wrapped up a rather insightful

expressions of the absolutely hilarious.

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interview with Shegazy. We look for to many more phenomenal

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Memoirs Magazine exclusive on comedian, MC, Actor , content creator, life coach and more

Mc Abbey

Memoirs Meet had the privilege of an interview with him, so join us as we unravel the heart

of what49inspires | P a g this e purposed driven multitalented comedian gifted of God.

W

ho is MC ABBEY? That is a jamb question , Mc abbey is a comedian, Master of Ceremony, an Actor, a Presenter , an entertainer and a presenter practically. That is the background or the platform of McAbbey and I am also a content provider.

How did you come about your name sir?

How did I come about the name Mc Abbey? I got the name from .. Whilst I was having an interview on a TV program, „Good morning Delta‟ in Warri many years ago after performance in a church where they saw me and they invited me over for an interview . In fact that performance was my first performance officially as a comedian . I was invited over to the TV station for an interview and they asked me on the spot “so what is your stage name and at that time I had never thought of it, so what came to my head immediately was first of all; what do I want to be doing ? You know I knew that I wanted to really be coordinating events as an MC ,one and also inducing comedy to it. So when they asked me that question I said well “I want to be an MC and my name is Abiodun , my real name is Abiodun , so I just took the Abbey from the Abiodun, I said my name is MC Abbey” . It was there on the spot , it was so spontaneous and they were like wow nice nice .You are not answering all those funny funny names that comedians answer, I said no my name is MC Abbey . Yeah so, practically.

The content creator in Mc Abbey was already budding by that rather spontaneous response to coining a name , He affirmed “ Exactly, on the spot I am telling you, that spontaneous.

“Mc Abbey is a Christian and has graced the stages of several events on the gospel scene . He shared with us how the salvation experience happened for him -his salvation story ?

Practically my salvation story actually goes down to childhood, my salvation story I will be very brief with it .

My salvation story started when I was 8 years old , that was when I gave my life to Christ ,I was 8 years old and I used to go to a Sunday school class in the estate I was living in , Shell Estate EdJeba . My father was working in shell , so I used to go to Sunday school , yeah my father worked in shell , I didn‟t do comedy because I was hungry oh. I was not in those class of people that discovered their talent out of hunger. There is nothing bad in that though, but not me , yeah . We used to go to Sunday school class on Sunday evening. Then on one of those evenings , they taught us a simple message on colour book , Salvation on colour book that had different pages with different colours , and they sang a song: “My heart was dark in sin , until the saviour came in , They will show the black page , His precious blood I know they will show the red page, has washed me white as snow , they will show the white page and in God‟s word I‟m told , I walk the streets of gold ,they will show the gold page , to grow in Christ each day I read my bible and pray , they will show the green page .

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Now as simple as that was , that was what got me saved .

As the teacher explained it and said “you see , if you want your heart to be as white as snow ,let Jesus come in and you will grow in Christ, you will become a better person and she started talking about the love of God , how God so loved us and I just fell in love with God . I said God I want you in my life , I just knelt down , I started crying , I started praying Jesus I want you in my heart , come and live in my heart , you know , I want to be your child , I want to grow in you , I want my heart to be as white as snow . My teacher saw me doing that so she came, she held my hand and prayed with me. She saw tears in my eyes , she knew it was genuine , I felt the presence of God I didn‟t know what I was feeling, but I knew there was something strange , you know and when I was done , she prayed with me. I felt so relieved and she told me you have to grow in Christ, you need to read your bible and pray .

My salvation story started when I was 8 years old , that was when I gave my life to Christ…

So that became my lifestyle , I had a Gideon bible then that Gideon bible blue Gideon bible , I finished Matthew to revelation several times I can‟t count ,I was reading it like pure water. From there it started , I started going out for evangelism , I had my team , I had young guys that were preaching ,we were all going out they will follow me to evangelism , we preach to people; as young as I was I would knock at peoples door gba gba gba “ I came to share the word of God with you, it was that radical , as young as I was you know and God confirmed His presence with signs and wonders , all kinds of things you know, but hey that‟s my story . He snatched me early, He didn‟t allow me to experience the world .

What a really amazing, mind blowing testimony.

Now he went on to share how his comedy journey started .Ok it was , for me like I said I didn‟t start it because I was hungry or that I was in a tight corner , for me I never wanted to do it , it was not something I pursued , I think I stumbled into it, right . First of all my friend Gordons then , the comedian, he had a music group called the CM boys and then he just started comedy too .

We hung out a lot so he used to tell me , “you see guy you are funny o ah , do this thing now, I used to laugh at him and you know them Alibaba , we would be laughing and I ll say look I don‟t want to be fooling myself

One faithful day, he was invited actually to „Church of God mission‟ , to do both MC and comedy , but he had to go with his group the music group to Portharcourt, they invited them. So he said I should go and represent him at the church . I purposely went there late, thinking they would have closed before I get there (Laughs) not knowing the church was doing Afri-Kan man time . They started late also , so I got there around to 7 they were like “ehen we are waiting for you” , I was like “ You have not closed?” so that was how they gave me paper , everything and the program flow. I started just to do the stuff I like doing, just being myself I would say , yeah I was you know cracking jokes , interacting with the people , being spontaneous with materials , I was just kicking it and all that . I noticed people were just laughing you know , some were in tears , somewhere rolling on their chairs and that moment the joy I felt , seeing people so happy , so relieved , it just overwhelmed me, I felt so fulfilled . I thought wow! you mean I can create this effect in people‟s lives , my dear that is exactly what brought me to comedy what I saw , I said if this is what I can be doing to people , I want to be doing it , I want it , I want to see people happy , I want to see people excited , it brought me so much joy . It was there the media house saw me and invited me for that interview, that brought my name and the rest is history.

That was how I started.

What a work of grace, one thing after the other it was just laced up. He goes on to affirm this saying “I am telling you, I thought I was going to go into ministry, that was my thought, I thought after I am done with school I will just go into fulltime ministry that was my thought. I have been a church boy all my life ; from primary school I had a fellowship I started ,secondary school the same thing , university the same thing , it was just … why I was with Gorgons was because Gordons started a fellowship or a church called „Great House‟ and I had to go and support him to assist him .

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That was why we were close, that was where he saw all the expressions, “aha guy I never knew you were this funny oh” .When I was in school , when I had my campus fellowship in school , I used to invite him to come minister , his music group , I used to invite them to come to my school to come and minister . I thought I was going to go into ministry and you know let me just love God and do the work of God , but God had another plan you know . I am not running from that , I am not taking that off because I know that the hand of God , the call of God is upon my life , but He knows how to work it out in His own time , in the right ways .

Comedy like most arts is versatile with various styles of performing this craft and so we asked Mc Abbey what he would describe as his style of comedy .

My style of comedy practically is .. they call me „the king of one liners „ what my colleagues call me and some of my elders , even Alibaba , he has crowned me that before too and so My style of comedy is basically one liners comedy . I do a lot of comparison too still on one-liners ; a one-liner is where you start the build-up and you end with a punch , start with the build up and you end with the punch -a punchline . I am a oneliner , I am not a story teller , I don‟t know who to tell stories , but I can just build on my one-liners on different , different topics . Also, I like talking about issues relating to relationship life generally , children family , comparison ; here and there I compare things , I compare nations , I compare situations ; man, woman ,everything centred around people . That is practically what I do .

Besides comedy Mc Abbey wears so many hats life coach , content creator and then comedy which is what he is known for, we probed to know why so many hats and what inspired this versatility “I would say I have always believed in

expression of your gifts ; all that God has given you . Every human being is born with gifts , not one not two , there are various gifts in us alright and I have always believed that if you first of all discover them and harness them you can express all of them. I want to be emptied from all my abilities, in all the gifts that God has given me.

That is exactly what brought me to comedy what I saw , I said if this is what I can be doing to people , I want to be doing it .. I want to see people happy..to see people excited , it brought me so much joy.

Alright so comedy is one of them, preaching and teaching the word of God is one of them, In fact that one is even supreme. Singing is one of them , I had a music group when I was in school before I even started comedy, the group was called “the Brothers”, we used to do a capella songs and all that.

Then coaching which I still do is also , one of them , Acting because if you are a good comedian, you could also be a good actor because it is all about performance , interpretation of roles and expressions. These are different gifts that are in me , alright and at anything when I feel a sense of passion , that does not die , a sense of fire that burns within me that cannot quench, then I understand that , God wants me to focus on this. Sometimes I might feel several passions, because that is my own signal , that is the way God signals me that I should do something when I feel a drive within me that I cannot stop .

“ I have always believed in expression of your gifts”

I have always believed in empowering people , helping people discover themselves , discover purpose …

In fact that is like the core of my life When I feel a fire that burns within me that I can‟t quench , it might be for different things , I take it to be that God is signalling me to focus on this things and do them .

So that was how the comedy came and that was how the acting came out , that‟s how the life coaching came out , because I have always believed in empowering people , helping people discover themselves , discover purpose … In fact that is like the core of my life ; helping people discover purpose , discover who they are , why they are , what they have, you know help people align with God‟s purpose in their life and all that. It is all mixed up to be the package that I am right now . There are so much more chapters that have not been opened in these sectors ,that are in me that people would by God‟s grace experience .. as I live on .

Mc Abbey is doing so many things, so what is the core message he would like to communicate in all he does?

Highlighted earlier was the subject of purpose and he proceeded to elaborate on his core message further. My core message would be finding what God has blessed and doing it, not creating one for yourself, I always believe that purpose is not created , it is discovered . You don‟t create a purpose for yourself and say , let me just chose this path , No . You are wired by purpose, there is something that God has wired you for alright , find it and that is what God has blessed. So my core in everything i do is find what God has blessed and do that .Do that you will shine , you would glow

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because you are in your sphere.

You are in your atmosphere, just like a fish that is in the water , that is his environment , so in everything I always do, I always crave to bring or activate a right environment for divine productivity.

Rather insightful and impactful, On a lighter note , we understand the craft of comedy in many ways can poses challenges, as the comedian is saddled with the tedious task of making an audience laugh , who may sometimes not all find it funny as a whole or simply a select few. This could sometimes lead to embarrassing circumstances. To explore a bit of the comic side, we sort for a funny story of an embarrassing experience while performing and how that was handled.

“Yes!.. I have , I think the greatest of comedians have all had their fair share of that . I have been I remember vividly , I have like two major experiences that are always knocking on my head . Where I came up stage at the wrong time .

Wrong time in the sense that, my craft and my kind of delivery is tied to a time frame when a show is starting .If I am not plugged in that time and you bring me at another time , I might struggle to hit it because at that time you are bringing me , the kind of comedy that would relate to that time is not the kind of comedy I do.

Alright, I just want to crack jokes, so I always love it fresh ,when the atmosphere is hot and spicy just bring me in and let me just drop it and get out, but when there is a lot of vicissitudes , nose diving and going up and the crowd is worn out . If you bring me at that time when they are all fagged out , they are stressed , psychologically they are all looking for “when will they close “ I won‟t be able to give my best and that was what happened at that event .

I came out , I noticed that , the crowd was already on the other

edge. It is not that I don‟t know how to do , I don‟t do vulgar jokes and i know at that time , that is what the people would want to have , they want to hear dirty jokes and I don‟t do that. So I just did my normal clean healthy jokes flowing. I dropped the first jab, dropped the second jab , some people picked it they caught it and some said good . I dropped the second one , some people picked it . I just dropped the third one , some human beings that the devil sent , behind stage, backstage they started shouting , I mean behind the hall , they started shouting MCAbbey e don do , con dey go , con dey go e don do, you don try dey go o , we no won hear again” I said Jesus Christ , I was embarrassed , I was even begging them , I said please now , let me talk now , they said, no no no no e don do e don do . I said o my world and for me once I know there is a defence , once I am not accepted , I struggle , I can‟t breakthrough . If I am not accepted it is better I let go than to force myself into them. I just told them no problems, since you don‟t want me to say anything, it is better I take my leave and I left the stage.

I felt so embarrassed and down psychologically, it took me years to pick up from that fall. Yeah, because I am a kind of person , I always love to look at people‟s response and when I don‟t get it , especially when it is a platform that I have been longing to have and I have it - a big platform- then that mess up happens, o my world . I was fighting that demon, so consciously I was going for shows to fight the demon, to face that my fear and deal with it. I had to face it several times, until I overcame, it was a terrible experience, but we keep growing,.

The very very first one was in Uniben many years ago, a friend of mine did his show and it started late “Uniben!” ewu God, they started late it was not my fault .

The show that was slated for 6pm, the show lingered till I think 11pm

that‟s when it now started and people were already sitted since 6pm. Trust students, hey! and it was outside inside their sports complex. At this time nobody could go up to start, my friend was begging everybody please who is going to help me go and bell the cat . I said he is my friend so let me be the sacrificial lamb. As I climbed up the stage and said greatest Nigerian students!, it is pure water that landed on my face pow! I said again greatest to the greatest ..pow, pow, pow, pow, pow!(more water) I said , hey !

Jesus! I am in soup today , I knelt down , I was pleading “please now UNIBEN”. Then they said Mc Abbey carry go , Mc Abbey carry go , as I turned back as I was going , they sang again Mc Abbey come back McAbbey comeback , I was like they were using remote control for me . I now stood they now sang Mc Abbey crack joke , Mc Abbey crack joke , I say ok , I was obedient , obedient servant but I tried , I now dropped one or two jokes then they now clapped “Thank you, McAbbey e don do , welldone , go go go “ .

Through the platform of comedy , McAbbey has graced the international front and has done quite a couple of things outside of Nigeria . We asked if he ever envisioned this when he started .

I now came downstage my friend hugged me he said “Thank you, thank you for saving me “. I said I embarrassed myself , I didn‟t save you, but that was the ice breaker for that day you know and all them Timaya were there, „I go die „,you know , some top names were all there, but nobody could go up …, Jesus! I don suffer, you know, but those were just moments, it happens, just move on, shake it off , learn from it and fight it . Like I said you sometimes have to face your demons and fight it. Fight that devil, you know, fight that fear, you know and overcome it. The only way you fight your fear is by confronting it, so I confronted the devil, I gave the devil uppercut.

Indeed a vivid picture of relevance. Mc Abbey carried on to outline That‟s why right now, I even find it difficult to crack jokes in pidgin English I have to beef it up and it is now very difficult . Ah God , this is me that started cracking joke in pidgin English back to back pow pow pow pow pow , but now it is very difficult to mix it , I have to mix it; mix the English joke with a little bit of English , a little pidgin here just to connect with them , but omo I have tried my best , it is not working . Alibaba told me that thing many years ago , you must learn to evolve when I came into Lagos ,” you don stay for Warri” , he said “look you must evolve o , you must evolve” . if you want to appeal to the kind of people that you want that are your target , you have to evolve “, I had to do that intentionally , Alibaba worked on me on that .

Tejubabyface also did that on me too (as well) , these were my mentors and are still my mentors .

So it helped me, I had to go to

As I climbed up the stage and said greatest Nigerian students!, it is pure water that landed on my face pow!

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When I started , my mind set was I have to go international and that was why I left Warri . I started in Warri , I had the mind set of , if I have to touch the world from Nigeria , it has to be from Lagos because it is Lagos that makes more noise . Thus , despite the fact that I never liked Lagos at that time , I had to make up my mind.

I said “well when God is ready I will move to Lagos” and when the time was right , I packed my bags and moved to Lagos . From there I started brooding and breeding myself for that kind of audience , so I make bold to say I can perform for any audience with any kind of international figure present and I will still deliver . Be you oyibo (caucasian) o ,be you Black American , British , whoever you are , wherever you are, I can still relate , you know , so that is it .

school of Poise to learn the art of communication , public speaking , delivering , pronunciation of words, how to own your stage , how to command your audience , I learnt all that and it was a plus for me .

Simply a mind blowing phenomenal and worthwhile investment indeed. With a wealth of experience on the comedy scene, what has been the major challenge for you in the industry?

My major challenge in the industry is the fact that we don‟t yet have a proper structure in house one.

Number two, number one gives birth to the others, because you don‟t have that sort of structure, we don‟t effectively project to agencies, event planners and our potential clients what and how we should be perceived and connected to. So, invariably anybody can just do anything and go scot free with it and nobody has any rule or regulation forward that can checkmate it.

People, see comedians that are , you know we call them “ live bands” because a live band will always sing everybody‟s song, they don‟t have their own song ; they crack everybody‟s joke and you know they may not send . The recipients don‟t even know and even if they know some of them don‟t care , so long as the guy delivering it is delivering it well , you understand but, at the detriment of someone else‟s sweat. If care is not taken it could breed rancour among us , but some of us have learnt over time , thank God for our mentors , that you just let them go. Ali will just tell us because , Alibaba will call you and give you jokes . Some of the jokes that most of our senior colleagues were using to shine in those days were Alibaba‟s jokes , you understand , yeah. Till date Alibaba can just call you and say Mc Abbey, “I just thought of this joke and I think it will fit you “ he will give it to you ,but you go up there and you crack it people will laugh hahaha and you will now be wondering ,but you are not giving credit to the person that gave you such materials .

It becomes a challenge ,Ali will just tell you , “if they keep using your jokes , if you don warn them , first time , second time , they no gree, leave them , there is more from where that came , but how I wish we had a structure . Those structures would have dealt with all those loop holes and put order.

Comedians are the most rowdy people that you can ever deal with (laughs) I am telling you .To get them to do things , oh my world , you just have to tell yourself “ don‟t kill yourself” because (laughs) it is so difficult to put them together .

Alibaba has tried several times you know, when you try to start a structure and all , we had several meetings but , one way or the other some persons discouraged it; making side talks . You know all kinds of people that don‟t even understand the sweat that this man has done to pave the way for us , the sacrifice that he has given , he felt insulted and he just backed off . We are still begging them Ali , Tee A , Okey Bakassi these are our elders, we are still begging them to please bring this thing back to life , Basoge , we are still begging them ,please , because we still need that structure . You look at Nollywood (the Nigerian movie industry) , they have an organisation , you look at the Music sector they have ,but comedy we don‟t have , so that is a major challenge .

There is so much Nigeria can make from comedy, we are so talented.

Classic example: musicians are doing shows, they want us to be there , comedians are doing shows , musicians want to perform on our stage , even the actors- Nollywood -people they want to show face on our stage because they know that our platform gives them a whole lot of leverage. Also, we have good crop of comedians that can be great exports to the world . If you are doing comedy they want to feel and connect with you , look at „I go die‟ I mean he has done so well for himself too, you know and „I go save „they have done so well .

Basket mouth , done so well for himself and these are the people that really paved the way . By the

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way he is one my mentors from way back then ,because when I started ,when I came into Lagos he was one of the few people that took my hands and gave me platforms . He is my friend , my mentor my friend, despite the fact that I am older than him , I respect him , He started the craft before me so I gas to .

With the spot light so bright many move from back side to lime light and along the lines lose their initial down to earth demeanour. With coming a long way in this industry Mc Abbey elaborates on how he manages a healthy balance in the spot light .

The industry is very interesting ,Like I always tell people , I don‟t have boil in my armpit so me I don‟t have I gbe raga (Pride in Yoruba language ) . I think the issue of pride is a matter of perspective .First of all if you understand the fact that the gift you have is not what you bought , it is not what you earned , it was given to you ,it is a gift first and then it aligns to be brought under Gods covering. For me if it is not God that is blessing it , I won‟t be where I am and I am so grateful to God. Interestingly, God will not come down to earth to do the things He has done , He would place people in your life.

Relationships matter, there is a God factor , a people factor and there is a relationship factor - the networking factor - that has aided you to be who you are today . For me one of the things that comes to my head , I might not have the money , but I can build on my network, I can build on my relationship and then I can succeed based on my relationship.

Thus, If I have to succeed on my relationship , my attitude matters , I have to have a good attitude to connect with people . If I want to relate , I cannot be relevant if I am not relative and for me to be relative that means my attitude has to be right . I would not see someone and like say he is a fan and the person greets me good afternoon and I am now doing.. or

feeling pompous , why? Unto what? that I am what? It‟s just a privilege, because you don‟t even know that person, that person you are looking down upon might just be somebody that will just change your Story for good. Look at 2 face till tomorrow he will still be greeting everybody “ah!well-done sir” because he is a humble person, everybody loves him and he is so humble . Humility for me is key and then it is a major drive and so I think for me it is perspective, that is what has been keeping me . My perspective first of all that it is God , it is from God and my network that God uses to bring me to where I am today . So having that perspective , I have no choice, but to have a good attitude, to relate with people and then throw away all those shades of pomposity and ambiguity oh! Let me not speak grammar now (laughs).

Moving further on projecting into the future, wearing so many hats, we posed the question on other places Mc Abbey would be looking to delve into which are perceived as areas of possible success and there is currently a burning passion. He responded outlining Yes there are , first of all I will still go into music ,that is settled ; I have some songs I have already written , like 8 of them , yeah but sorry they are all Jesus songs excuse me (Laughs) but they are powerful ones . I have shared it some with some gospel artistes, some renowned gospel artistes and they were like wow and I mean everybody is like please stay your lane now , stay your lane now , I said you don‟t know my lane (Laughs) You don‟t know my lane, don‟t define me by what you see now because I still have that drive to do that . I am writing a book called „Destiny ways‟ which is like a ministry to me; to talk about life, purpose , the journey and all that .

I cannot be relevant if I am not relative and for me to be relative that means my attitude has to be right .

Explaining and exposing , explaining in an expository way; the salvation of man, the importance of God in a man‟s life ,where you are , where you are going to , where you are coming from .. That is in progress.

Then also Ministry is something I have started ,but in an unconventional way . Right now I know that God has not called me to starting a church as in church , but Ministry; You know church is ministry, but not all ministry ends up in church, you understand , but church is part of ministry . Thus, the kind of ministry He has given me is an unconventional one practically; I have to preach and teach the word , raise worshippers , bring God to the hearts of people , reveal God to the minds of the people and let them love God .

Show people the love of God before they encounter the God of love.

So that is my drive , I want people to see God as He is and get more stirred up in their spirit when they begin to discover more of God .Do you know why the angels shout Holy Holy Holy in heaven, it is not because it is given to them as a slogan or just a recitation . No, it is because of the revelation of God that they see. Eternity cannot fully reveal all that there is about God , so every moment they see God , God shows them a side of Him that they have not seen in eternity and when they see that part, it stirs up within them an overwhelming power of worship , cry of worship that makes them shout Holy Holy Holy. As a result, when they say you will be in heaven saying Holy Holy Holy Holy , it is because of revelation , it is revelation that gets that cry, it is not a slogan or it‟s not a cliché and it‟s my hunger to teach people Gods word to bring balance . I have three pages on my instagram that expresses different part of me I have @mcabbey @mcabbeydaprof which shows me in many ways as actor, the comedian.

I have @ilaffwithmcabbeytv which is where I tend to express all my

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contents, all the skits , shows and events . When it comes to me as a minister and ministry I have @rhema_network_online in fact if you go to that place, in fact people they get shocked , they are like oh God is this for real? I say yes yah.

These are forms that I just had to create to express all my heart.

It made me to understand that the call of God on my life is a global thing, I don‟t need to have a church building, but I just want to share Gods word , I just want to worship , reach out to people and show them the love of God. By God‟s grace it is going to evolve to that point whereby I will do concerts; worship and laughter fused all together , people come they are blessed and they are healed .Then start impacting lives , empowering people , giving scholarships , reaching out to less privileged , showing them the love of God, because nobody wants to know the God of love until they‟ve experienced the love of God. So I want to show them , this is the love of God and then they ask me “who is the owner of this love?” then I say it is God and what I just showed you is His love. So I want to express all that and that is my passion, that is my hunger , I hunger to express God , to teach the word . To give insight to scriptures, I love to teach the word , if you come to my library , I can spend a whole day just sharing the word of God ; rightly dividing the word of truth . I even enjoy it more than doing comedy I am telling you. It excites me and anytime I have an opportunity to do that I jump at it . I intend taking it to another level by God‟s grace . I have told my pastor that he shouldn‟t be scared I don‟t have any plans to go to another church, I‟m a member of House on the Rock , Pastor Paul is my father.

Now bringing it to the home front, Mc Abbey has a beautiful family and he went on to tell us more on this.

I am married to the most beautiful angel God sent to my life

Olajumoke my wife for 13years now and I have three kids . My first is a girl Oluwapamilerinayo, second one is a boy Onaopemipo, my third is a girl Oluwasemilore so three of them and I am done with having more by God‟s grace.

With his wife and two girls , the ladies seem to have the house outnumbering the men , to this he rather receptively responded There are no problems , I am used to that camp, I‟m the only son of my mum. I have four sisters so I have told my son I am your brother ok? I am your father, I am your brother so let‟s relate , I can feel what you feel sometimes. In addition he further outlined , Family is key to me , I‟m a family man , I love the idea of family and I project that so much in what I do . When I teach on relationships ; like I do a lot of things on relationship , love , sex and more, when I do that , it all boils down to building homes , it all boils down to having marriages work , having a wonderful family life and family work life balance . When I do coaching on these things it is all from the basis of my family .

Nobody wants to know the God of love until they‟ve experienced the love of God. So I want to show them , this is the love of God and then they ask me “who is the owner of this love?” then I say it is God. Furthermore , we asked to know three unique things about McAbbey he highlighted I am a deep thinker , I am very jovial and I am the foundation of all, a God chaser . I love worship , I love my time with God , take me

out of it you have killed me and you have finished me. You know that‟s when the devil fights, because he knows if he takes you out of that presence , he can cripple you , he can slow you down, you want to always try to ensure you have that time. I enjoy it , every time I am just in His presence I say “Lord I‟m not here to ask you for anything, I just want to love you , I just want to be where you are, can we just be, let‟s just be” . I love it , so these three things that is my life.

With a wealth of experience Mc Abbey had these to say to as advice for young ones on finding their niche, being true to it and juggling many giftings.

I would say to them first of all they should discover themselves and discover their giftings, one. There is a difference between your passion and your interest ; what you have passion for you pursue , what you have interest for, you take as your hobby. I don‟t play football as a career , but I like playing football , it is my interest , but when it comes to Okocha , Okocha plays football because it is not just an interest to him it is a passion and so it becomes a career for him .

First of all, I would like them to start with that first , then number two ,I would also employ them to develop skills in the line of their giftings . There is a difference between you having a gift and you having a skill. Skill is the workability of your gift, how do you work it out? how do you work it to connect ? Develop your skills, you could develop it by training, reading, keep exposing your mind , watch people doing it , practice until you discover your onions and own it.

Three, if they have all kinds of giftings within them, then how do you know the one to do or the one to pursue? The one that burns the most in you, that‟s the one you should burn after because there must be a particular drive that the Lord is stirring up with you at a

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particular season. The bible says “to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose “ Ecclesiastes 3 :1 . So once they get into that environment they know their season , the passion within them will stir up within them the ability to know what God is blessing at a particular time. It is left for them to, pursuit it and pursuit it to a logical conclusion, because the bible says to everything there is a season right? and a time to every purpose ; at every season ,God stirs up His purpose because there is a time for every purpose . Every purpose has a season, God stirs up a season with His purpose within you for that season, once you have it, pursue it I think that‟s practically it .

The year 2020 has been one of unprecedented events and this has transformed the way Entertainment and the church have carried on regular activities. As such we wanted to know Mc Abbey‟s take on the impact of the Pandemic on entertainment and ministry.

The impact of the pandemic on entertainments and ministry, it is immense, it is obvious, It has impacted us so much that our way of doing things before has been affected. Entertainers we connect with people, we are service providers, but since there is social distancing, we cannot provide our service the way we do, the way we used to do and because of that it has affected the economy. Also, it has affected our clients, nobody wants to call you to come and do events where you have to connect with people anymore. Even the social media events that we do, zoom and all that .. It is not as effective as when you are with people, so our income has dropped drastically, drastically, drasticallllly.

It is just God that is just feeding people in different ways , He knows how to bring , water out of the rock and send manna. That‟s how it is, it has been tough for both the entertainment industry and ministry. Even with churches locked down, people cannot gather anymore because it is the same

effect and so people have to improvise. For church, it was a little bit lighter when they could still do the ministration via the social media platform, but it is not as effective as when you gather together. The bible says that you should not forsake the gathering of believers , that gathering , there is something about that gathering .David put it this way , he said “ How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the dew from Hermon” (Ps 133). There is something about corporate anointing, there is something about that gathering , it motivates ,it encourages , but you see the pandemic has put a blow on that. So much so that we don‟t have that, we only have it via the space of social media and it cannot be as friendly as being physically gathered. However, God knows how to work His things practically, because even in the night God knows how to bring out a message, God knows how to put checks and balances in our hearts, redirect us and give us hope. I know this would lift, the veil would go off and we would one day comeback to that life that we missed.

Recent times there has been a lot of discussion on comedy in the church, whether or not this had a place , as a Christian comedian we wanted to know his take and Mc Abbey insightfully pointed out the following The importance of comedy as a ministry and in the lives of Christians, comedy is a gift from God and every good and perfect gift comes from God, the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning.

If you look at the gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Cor 12, Paul mentioned the GIFTS of healing, it was even pluralised. It says “and to some He gave the GIFTS of healing” it means It is not one particular gift that releases healing. If you look at comedy, comedy is like a medication to the mind and the body.

Every purpose has a season, God stirs up a season with His purpose within you for that season, once you have it, pursue it.

The bible says laughter doeth like medicine, so what Panadol is to headache laughter can also be.

Scientifically or medically it has been proven that the hormones that are been stirred up or produced, when you laugh , the dopamine and all that -feel good hormones -as it is been produced in the body , it brings a lot of healing ; relieves from stress, it heals strokes , all kinds of ailments.

God knows how to give good gifts to men and you know it is a ministry on its own, it is God‟s gift , it is not of the devil alright. So it is very important, laughter is one of the gifts of healing that Paul talked about. Whatever can be done that brings healing to the people is a gift from God . I remember there was a time when I was performing, after my performance, somebody came to meet me that she came there with migraine headache and she laughed it off. I have had testimonies; some that came with stomach pain, some that came with all kinds of illnesses.

In fact ,there was even one that shocked me in Abuja . The lady was already planning to travel to I think India , she had kidney problems , now I didn‟t know that she was partially paralysed because of her diagnosis and she was already planning to travel .I was cracking jokes everybody was laughing, but I noticed this lady she was just there, to her left to her right people are laughing but she is just sitting ,so I walked up to her . I didn‟t know that she had been laughing from inside , I walked up to her , I pulled her hand, that hand that was paralysed, I did not know , as I pulled it she was resisting, but I insisted and I brought her out. I said in the name of Jesus oya dance now , laugh now , everybody is laughing and you are just squeezing your face like mount Zion that can never be moved , what‟s that and people were laughing .This girl started laughing and crying , when I saw laughter and tears , I just ran away I said Jesus I don‟t know what is happening here.

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Only for me to get back to that same church I think after a month , this lady ran out to meet me she knelt down that she has been looking for me. I said what have I done , hope I have not committed a crime . She then gave me the story that when I pulled her, she felt something like electricity , that entered into her body , that hand that was paralysed and received her healing immediately . She was not too sure , she was still shocked that “ah what has happened to me?”, she went to the hospital the next day they checked the kidney that had problem and the doctor said your kidney is perfectly whole , what happened? She was crying and telling me I said hey ! I said I don‟t know o, it is not me o , that‟s what I told her , I don‟t know anything o, it is God o go and give God praise because me who am I , I am just a comedian , mine was just to make you laugh.

unwholesome jesting come from you.

I have seen the manifestation of God , God has brought it that I have seen marriages that have been restored , so nobody will tell me that this is not a gift from God .

So that is the importance of comedy in the body of Christ It is part of the ministries. Now should it be structured? Yes, it should be structured, like every other gift and every other ministry should be structured. The body of Christ should not drive it away; rather we should structure it and make it work better. As God has this beautiful gift the devil has counterfeit and the truth of the matter is every gift that you have the devil cannot give gifts , the devil can only manipulate you to give your gift to him and the devil is manipulating a lot of people .

He also went on to further highlight the significance of running a background check on acclaimed gospel/Christian comedians before giving them platforms in various local assemblies . He also relays instances of such occurrences when some comedians mismanage platforms given within the church , cracking jokes with vulgar statement and it goes on to rub off on the general perception of gospel comedian . Owing to the fact that a proper background check was not carried out on the comedian prior to being invited to grace a platform .

In fact some musicians , you know that gift is good , it is Godly but because they are already manipulated as they are using their gift to serve a different purpose.

However, as a comedian and as a Christian I will use my gift to serve the Godly purpose. This is why I will not give vulgar jokes, I will not give profiled jokes , even the bible says it , it says let not

On the contrary, When I see some minsters of God that will come and say the bible says joking is bad, when it actually says we should not give unwholesome jesting my response is to reference this. I will now ask them please, if the bible says you should not do unwholesome jesting then, does it not tell you that there is a wholesome jesting? If it tells you that you should not give vulgar or dirty jokes, does it not tell you that the opposite or the flip side is that there are clean jokes? The Bible didn‟t say that you should not joke , it says you should not give dirty jokes , you should not share words that are not productive . However, you can do that as a comedian on a clean platform with clean jokes that are very divine and very productive .

The bible says laughter doeth like medicine, so what Panadol is to headache laughter can also be.

On the other hand the art of comedy can also be misunderstood by reputable and well-meaning leadership on the gospel scene. He further elaborates a personal experience of being challenged based on a joke cracked which was misunderstood .

I have been challenged before , if you google my name you will see Mike Bamiloye “McAbbey slams Mike Bamiloye” “McAbbey told Mike Bamiloye to keep quiet “ those bloggers they carried it that year .

They took me out of context I didn‟t even bother. I cracked a joke at “The experience” and prior to that I gave them a background to enhance their understanding.

This was the background “The bible says the letter killeth, but the Spirit gives life, that if you look at a scripture literally, if you are not led by the Spirit to interpret the scripture. I now gave them a clear example of a scripture, in Gen 43:34 I said the king James version, I emphasised king James version where the bible says that “he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs...” I said literally if you look at it , it is very funny they brought „mess‟ , they brought it to them, but the bible says that Benjamin‟s mess was five times greater . I then said turn to your neighbour and say your mess will make a way for you . Now as funny as it was , I had the likes of Bishop Mike Okonkwo , Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, Dr Abel Damina, daystar Pastor - Pastor Sam Adeyemi they were all laughing .

Now I was excited , in fact when I went to meet them because after I finish performing I always go and greet them . They were.. in fact one of them just grabbed my neck over and gave me a knock, that he has never seen that scripture in that light in his life , “my brother so you are doing research?” I said

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yes sir , “I have never seen” he said.

Even Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo said it, He has never seen that scripture self like that; he has never noticed it in that light and they enjoyed it .

However, he further highlighted, a misunderstanding of the communication of the joke lead to the circumstance which bloggers escalated. Also , there was a further backlash because the comment had been posted on social media . Nonetheless he painstakingly went on to explain the context of the joke and the actual point which he intended to make .

“I said but I‟m a Christian so my props, materials i use for church jokes are things that are relative among the Christian community.

For example: I will tell you to stop using “praise the Lord , hallelujah” to call attention of people , You want to call the attention of people you say everybody praise the Lord, in other words you are telling them to keep quiet o, just I am using the normal cliché because I‟m a Christian. I say to you , you can‟t expect me to go outside my field , so are you now telling me to crack jokes that are out of christianese or Christian language or the Christiandom , I said I told them I won‟t , this is my field .

I was born in church, grew up in church, lived my life in church , excuse me what else should I say?

Church things and what have I said that is wrong , did I desecrate holy things ? Because that‟s what some of these comedians do to fault themselves where they speak evil about holy things . Now I will not crack a joke that abuses the power and the potency of the Holy Spirit.

I would not even use speaking in tongues in a negative way, I have a joke on tongues that is very very delicious, but I will not derogate the sacred things of God and mess it up. No, I won‟t because I have an understanding and I will not

come to a pulpit and insult a pastor in the name of joke .

Passionate about upholding kingdom principles McAbbey beyond upholding kingdom values also seeks to ensure other younger comedians in his sphere of influence do the same. He pointed out he has on an occasion had to publicly reprimand a comedian , who took to making condescending jokes about the very Pastoral leadership which gave him a platform of expression. This lead him to comment “they are the people spoiling our work, they said you should come and crack a joke you are insulting pastors shoe what is your problem?

I was so angry and I drew the line and the pastor told me “thank you”. So I told those men of God I said look, the problem is not that we are the problem, ..Instead of trying to drive us from the church, why don‟t you build structure around us and give us a guide , empower us and give us structure we can stand on.

Another challenge highlighted is that of the perception of understanding of comedy as a gift from God as such he outlined “practically, comedy is not evil, it is a gift from God and should not be taken away from the church“. He relayed an instance of this play out in the backlash earlier mentioned and it took individuals who are well acquitted with him to displace wrong notions about him he explained “so those of my members that know me and knew me in school then as their Pastor , they were the ones that were fighting for me saying No o! Please don‟t look at this boy like this o”.

Now I will not crack a joke that abuses the power and the potency of the Holy Spirit.

Simply because of the challenging notion of comedy being evil. Interestingly , this has been a reception as well to previous artistic expressions which were not clearly understood . Pointing out a similar situation with drama Drama , I told Mike Bamiloye that time I said “30 years ago as at that time , drama, your kind of drama was not accepted by the church because they felt you were been blasphemous . That how can you come up stage , you are performing and saying I am Holy Spirit with Yoruba accent and wearing white hand glove and with white bed sheet . This was because people never understood that you were performing and it was a drama, they said how can you come up stage and you are acting demons , people never understood you, they criticised you and many churches disconnected from you .

It was late Arch Bishop Idahosa that picked you up, did a national tour with you, then other churches started accepting you.

A classic example of a leader in the body of Christ creating a structure which enhances the platform of the expression of God‟s word through drama.

Thus, outlining the need for such as regards comedy, rather than having a repeatitive cycle of this reoccurring.

Additionally, he went on to encourage circles of dialogue among Christians outside the circles of public domain as a family. As opposed to resorting to social media for conflict resolution because such incidences do not foster unity or credibility of the Christian circle . Rather we should in love be able to approach one and other to clarify areas of misunderstanding he outlined

W

Like you have my contact on social media , you can easily DM me and say can I talk to you please? and I will listen to you In addition, a notion of church not being the right place for expressing the gift of comedy is another misconception Mc Abbey highlighted instances where people say this gift should be limited to events held outside the church building. He reiterated saying how certain people say they should not do comedy in the church; they should go and do it in hotels. I said so is God not in hotel, some churches hold their services in hotels I said so what are you saying. If God lives in you , the building doesn‟t make it a house of God, you are the house of God and you have gathered together in the building, that is not the church , you are the church . How can you tell me that the altar is holy so I cannot do it in the church , I can do it in weddings , so if I go to wedding and I crack jokes in weddings is God not there , what I cannot do in church why will I go and do it somewhere else ? It is just like you telling me I cannot commit fornication in church, but I can go out and commit fornication.

So if I cannot do it in church, why should I be given the permission to go and do it elsewhere?

He went on to point out such notions have resulted in gifted young people groomed in the church take to the secular because rather than have their gifting harnessed they were confronted with challenges.

He also mentioned the case of renowned musicians who served as music directors, choristers, instrumentalists who have since moved out of the gospel scene owing to this.

He passionately said

look at them they all pushed them out they are out there now nobody is reaching out to them , because the church didn‟t give them room , they just demonised them and called them all kinds of names and you pushed them out . Pointing out they some have lost their values, they have lost hope again.

How many instrumentalists that were in church that the church frustrated because they were telling them God bless you, don‟t worry and this is their livelihood you didn‟t empower and encourage them .They left , most of them are playing for all kinds of things , if you go to all kinds of clubs , they are playing for them and you are accusing them no . So you see you now understand the kind of ministry that God has called me to do.

Finally, 2020 and beyond what do we expect from Mc Abbey , A whole lot of things from MC Abbey I don‟t have to let the cat out of the bag . So much to do on the comedy platform ; when it comes to different expressions not just stand up comedy, sitcoms , different late night talk shows and comedic talk shows. Things that have to relate with family values , strengthening relationships and all that , things that have to do with satirical expressions talking about different things that are going on in society ,but in a satirical way a lot of things I want to set so going forward there are a whole lot .

Then concerts I want to do on the other side of ministry, I want to do music and laughter concert in schools; universities and see how it goes.

ith that we wrapped up a rather insightful interview with Mc Abbey. We look for to many more phenomenal

expressions of the many gifting Mc Abbey is graced with .

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Source: Homedesigning.com

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DIY Spa

T

here is nothing as refreshing as a warm bath after a long day or a long week and basically relaxing. This does not only refresh your body, it also helps our minds relax and give us a whole system reset and overhaul.

Thus, On DIY Spa we unravel our top 5 picks to spice up a relaxing and stress relieving bath; taking you from regular bath to a luxury DIY spa treat in the confines of your home.

In no particular order here are our top 5.

1.

Winter garden Bath bomb This Christmas bath bomb with drifting scents of calming ylang ylang and hand dipped petals transforms your bathroom into a peaceful haven.

Luxury Lush Pud A sweet fizzy holiday favourite made with a soothing blackcurrant scent .

Ingredients Dry Ingredients:    

1 cup baking soda 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup coarse sea salt 4 tbs cream of tartar

Bath Bombs First on the line-up is the fizzy energy bursting bath bombs. Often coming in beautiful colour variations they can be viewed as an expensive spa treat, as off the shelves of your beauty store they might be a bit pricey.

Nonetheless, you can follow a simple recipe and make yours at home, giving you that luxury treat and still not break the bank. Plus, this is a particular favourite of children, making this would be a fun time for them as well and the fizzy awesomeness of it makes an even more exciting bath.

Now, if you are not up for making it from scratch that is fine, we simply hope you consider this on your next shopping list when stocking up your home spa treats or simply opt for a bath bomb treat at your local spa. Bath bombs originally are traced to the Lush brand , you might want to try out buying one , otherwise shop whatever brands are available at your local store .We also advise this If you have a sensitive skin to avoid having skin irritations. That being highlighted, some of these ingredients are available in your kitchen cabinet so here it goes. If working with children, please ensure they do not mistake these for something edible.

Avon summer Garden and Fruit fizz bath bombs

Wet Ingredients:     

3 tbs coconut oil 2 tbs flavour extract/essential ( Extracts can be food extracts in flavours strawberry, vanilla, banana etc) 1 tbspoon water 1/2 drops of Food colouring (colour of your choice).

Bath bomb/ Plastic moulds/ice cube trays used to produce the desired shape.

Steps 1.

Have two bowls ready, one for wet and the other for dry ingredients. Mix all dry ingredients into a bowl, place and whip wet in a separate bowl. Gently pour wet into the dry ingredients while whisking in.

2. Place in mould of choice ensure it is firmly pressed in, then open up or turn over as your mould requires. If you have challenges getting it to stay set and not crumble, simply add a small quantity of water.

3. Allow moulded bath bombs dry out for a minimum of a day. | P asetg to e have your relaxing bath simply add to tub full of water and enjoy.

4. 61 When

2.

Bath Salts Another relaxing choice is soothing and relaxing bath salts. Have you had a long day ?, you basically want to relax your muscles from stress and possibly set the tone for a restful night sleep ,bath salts are the way to go . There are several bath salts for even more purposes outside these and so look out for the perfect bath salt for your immediate need or simply shop for a variety of bath salts as they would come in handy when needed . Most leading brands offer an array of great and affordable bath salts. Classic examples are these two products by Radox; Muscle soak Bath therapy and Sleep Aromatherapy.

Radox Sleep Aromatheraphy Lavender & Ylang Ylang Scent Bath salt .

This Bath Salt with a lavender scent is a unique formula containing all the necessary elements to help soothe your body to sleep after a relaxing and restorative bath.

Consider it your own personal sleep therapy . The relaxing scent of lavender which doubles as an essential oil enhances this. It also contains calcium, sodium, magnesium and is enriched with vitamin E giving you a complete rejuvenating experience . Leaving your muscles relaxed, skin soft and moisturised. This is the total sleep promotion package, really . Simply grab a pack open it up , unleash in tub full of water , close your eyes , relax and pamper yourself. Bath salts also help detox

3.

The Muscle Soak is an original thyme scented herbal bath salt, containing herbs and minerals perfect for soothing tired and aching muscles while you soak.

Rose Petals

Third on the relaxation line up is another luxury treat guaranteed to also nourish and pamper your skin: A Rose petals bath, this you can reserve for special occasions.

It is a beauty to behold the sight of your bath tub full of rose petals. Roses are also great for the skin , ever seen “rose water on the label of any of your beauty products? Voila , consider this your DIY rose treat as roses used as bath soaks are great for mood enhancing and skin care . Apparently, rosewater soothes irritated skin, helps completion brightening and tighten the pores of the skin , not to leave out the wonderful scent of roses .

If you want to go DIY with this, say you had beautiful roses delivered to you and after enjoying the sight for a day you want to give this a shot, ensure you rinse out roses and If possible ensure these are organic and free from pesticides.

Otherwise simply opt for purchasing dried rose petals for baths off the shelves of your beauty store. Ensure to read the label to a certain these have been prepared for bath purposes. To use simply run warm water in a tub until filled to half, then toss in rose petals as these would infuse the bath . Soak in as this naturally eases your mood and relieves fatigue. Then, for a little extra pampering another beautiful ingredient you can consider is coconut milk which is also really great for skin care.

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Rose petals natural dried flower herbs kit.

4.

The body shop Spa of the world Egyptian milk and honey bath.

Bath Soaks Bath soaks which contain essential oils such as eucalyptus oil , lavender are another great bath treat to enjoy .Radox has a whole range of these from stress relieving to muscle relaxing such as: Radox „feel heavenly bath soak‟ containing coconut milk which is really great for the skin.

Also, another classic is something from the body shop “SPA of the world beauty product range “ called “Spa of the world Egyptian milk and honey bath”. A recipe which dates back to an ancient Egyptian luxury bath treat associated with royals.

Simply pour under running hot water 35-37oc.

Next, ensure it dissolves by swirling. An Expert tip for a winter / fall /spring bath time from Vanda Serrador a facial and body care expert for The Body Shop, is to place towel close to the radiator to keep it nice and warm when you step out of the bath tub.

Radox Feel heavenly bath soak ; bath gel with coconut milk scent . Palm Olive Aroma moments So sweet shower gel containing Rooibos . Rose and Almond .

5.

Bath foams

The body shop Coconut Bath Bubble

It’s time to bring in the bubbles! When muscle relaxation, detox, serenating you for a cosy night rest or simply a restful nap isn’t what you feel you need and you are simply looking for some pampering of a bit of luxury lavishing bubbles , bubbles you should have then. There are so many ways to have a nice relaxing bubble bath, but the best products are usually spelt out as bath foams, bubble baths or similar tags.

The difference you might ask, these as formulated to have high soap concentration meaning more lather with a small quantity of the product. Why? You don’t want to invest half of your bath wash or bath soak in simply having on bathtub bubble full.

Children absolutely love this, you can throw in bath buddies and a bubble blower to make this much more fun.

Finally, Whatever bath treat you opt for; fizzy with bath bombs , detox with bath salts , luxury treat with rose petals , relaxation with bath soaks or bubbles with bath foams ensure to make it special and relaxing .

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The Body Shop Bath Bubble collection available in various fragrances such as Moringa, pink grapefruit and coconut bath bubble

I

felt so elated when the Editor shared the theme for this particular edition: JOY to the world .

Joy is such a deep mystery! We cannot fully capture it's depth in this segment of the magazine, but we will do justice as much as we can. One of my favourite Preachers had this to say about Joy in one of his messages: "You would have defeated life in no small way when you master the act of sustaining joy all the way! Let life always find you in joy. Joy is a choice. Guard your joy jealousy" - Apostle Joshua Selman.

In this edition, I will sharing mini reviews on 2 books that are a great resource on JOY.

Good Morning Holy Spirit

by Benny Hinn.

I start out sharing a quote: "We are entirely useless to God without the Holy Spirit" - Anonymous. Read that again, but slowly this time.

Allow me add this: we are also useless to ourselves without the Holy Spirit! Someone might be wondering what could be the connection between joy and the Holy Spirit. I will show you how in a minute.

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Joy as we know is a supernatural force. It is not based on happenings, it is different from happiness.

Joy being one of the fruits of the spirit speaks to the fact that anyone that doesn't have the Holy Spirit cannot confidently say he/she has joy.What a lot of persons experience is happiness, excitement which is usually very temporal. Joy is deeper than this and it is founded on a working relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In this book, Benny takes us on a step-by-step guide to building intimacy with the Holy Spirit. If you have struggled in your relationship with the Holy Spirit over time, then you should consider reading this book. When you share intimacy with the Holy Spirit, supernatural joy becomes your daily reality. As the author shares about his own encounter with the Holy Spirit, he tells us how this brought so much joy into his life. In Chapter one, see what he says:"In my room, however, it was pure joy. Yes, it was Unspeakable. Yes, it was full of glory!"

How to Get Things Done without Trying Too Hard by Richard Templar.

In a fast paced world, everyone wants to be ahead of their game and get things done as quickly as possible. I have observed that one of the things that kills joy in our lives is that feeling of being stuck. When we look at our lives and we can see little or no progress it has a way of keeping us unsatisfied. We suddenly lose sight of anything to be really grateful for.

In this book, Richard shares easy to use practical guides to getting things done excellently and on time. Amazingly, you do not need to work hard to achieve a lot, you just need to work smart! We all have those people we often see as 'super humans' who seem to be juggling a lot of things at the same time and yet appear to be excelling in all they do they make succeeding in all areas of life look so effortless, easy and cheap. These people certainly know something the rest of us do not. They know how to approach a huge workload without panicking. They know how to stay cheerful while

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they work through it and wake up the next morning and do it all again without feeling resentful or frustrated.

If you agree with me that there is a level of fulfilment and joy that you feel every time you set goals, smash them and attain milestones in life.

Then, you should grab a copy of this book and find out how to train your mind to work for you and not against you as you get on the journey to becoming a higher version of yourself. You would see your life improve as you apply these simple yet profound insights shared in this masterpiece.

T

he Cleveland Clinic defines stress as the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Scared? Well, stress is a normal part of life. In fact, it can be positive or negative, depending on the circumstances and, perhaps, experience. For

example, stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger.

Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between stressors. As a result, the person becomes overworked, and stressrelated tension builds.

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There are several types of stress,

Once the danger passes, your body

including: acute stress

systems should return to normal.



episodic acute stress

Severe acute stress is a different story.



chronic stress

This kind of stress, such as when

Acute Stress

faced with a life-threatening situation,

Acute stress happens to everyone. It‟s

can

the body‟s immediate reaction to a

disorder

new and challenging situation. It‟s the

health problems.

kind of stress felt when a person

Episodic Acute Stress

narrowly escapes a car accident.

Episodic acute stress refers to having

Acute stress can also come out of

frequent episodes of acute stress. This

something that you actually enjoy. It‟s

might happen in situations of anxiety

the

and worry about things an individual

somewhat-frightening,

yet

lead

to post-traumatic (PTSD) or

suspects

or

professions, such as law enforcement

skiing

down

a

steep

happen.

mental

thrilling feeling got on a roller coaster when

may

other

stress

Certain

mountain slope.

or firefighters, might also lead to

These incidents of acute stress are,

frequent high-stress situations.

generally, innocuous. They might

As with severe acute stress, episodic

even be good for us. Stressful

acute stress can affect physical health

situations give your body and brain

and mental well-being.

practice

Chronic Stress

in

developing

the

best

response to future stressful situations.

“Acute stress happens to everyone. It‟s the body‟s immediate reaction to a new and challenging situation”

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When stress-levels are high for an extended period of time, chronic stress sets in.

Long-term stress like this can have a negative health impact. It may contribute to: •

Anxiety

•

Cardiovascular disease

•

Depression

•

High blood pressure

•

A weakened immune system

Chronic stress can also lead to frequent ailments such as headaches, an upset stomach, and sleep difficulties. Gaining insights into the different types of stress and how to recognize them may help.

• Altering Response

Immune

System

• Dampening the Reproductive System and Growth Process • Affecting parts of the Brain that Control Fear, Motivation, And Mood All this helps you deal more effectively with a high-stress situation. It is a normal process and crucial to human survival.

However, should cortisol levels stay high for too long, a negative health impact results. It can contribute to: •

Weight Gain

The brain undergoes a cascade of events to eventually release cortisol, the main stress hormone, into the blood stream. Cortisol plays an essential role in stressful situations.

Its functions include:

•

High Blood Pressure

•

Sleep Problems

•

Lack of Energy

•

Type 2 Diabetes

• Raising the Amount of Glucose In Your Bloodstream

• •

Osteoporosis Mental cloudiness (brain fog) and memory problems

• Helping the Brain Use Glucose More Effectively • Raising the Accessibility of Substances that help with Tissue Repair • Restraining Functions That Are Nonessential in a Life-Threatening Situation

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• A weakened immune system, leaving the body more vulnerable to infections •

Mood swings

Some typical causes of irrespective of the type, are:

stress,

cause, the effect on the body can be serious if left unmanaged.

• Living through a natural or manmade disaster

The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on people. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. That‟s why it‟s important to be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress overload.

•

Living with chronic illness

• Surviving a accident or illness •

life-threatening

Being the victim of a crime

• Experiencing familial stressors such as:

Cognitive symptoms: •

Memory problems

o

an abusive relationship

•

Inability to concentrate

o

an unhappy marriage

•

Poor judgment

o

prolonged divorce proceedings

•

Seeing only the negative

o

child custody issues

•

Anxious or racing thoughts

•

Constant worrying

• caregiving for a loved one with a chronic illness like dementia • living in poverty or being homeless • working profession

in

a

dangerous

• having little work-life balance, working long hours, or having a job you hate •

Military deployment

There is no end to the things that can cause a person stress because they are as varied as people are. Whatever the

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Emotional symptoms: • Depression unhappiness •

or

general

Anxiety and agitation

• Moodiness, anger

irritability,

•

Feeling overwhelmed

•

Loneliness and isolation

or

• Other mental or emotional health problems

The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on people. It starts to feel familiar, even normal.

Physical symptoms: •

Aches and pains

•

Diarrhea or constipation

•

Nausea, dizziness

•

Chest pain, rapid heart rate

•

Loss of sex drive

•

Frequent colds or flu

Behavioural symptoms: •

Eating more or less

•

Sleeping too much or too little

•

Withdrawing from others

• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities • Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax • Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing) Here is the good news! Stress can be managed. In order to manage your stress, first you have to identify the things that cause you stress — or your triggers. Figure out which of these things can be avoided. Then, find ways to cope with those negative stressors that can‟t be avoided.

Over time, managing your stress levels may help lower your risk for stress-related diseases. And it‟ll help you feel better on a daily basis, too.

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Here are some basic ways to start managing stress: Get moving.

Upping your activity level is one tactic you can employ right now to help relieve stress and start to feel better. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a distraction from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed stress. Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are particularly effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical sensations you experience as you move). Connect to others.

The simple act of talking face-to-face with another human can trigger hormones that relieve stress when you‟re feeling agitated or insecure.

Even just a brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and soothe your nervous system. So, spend time with people who improve your mood and don‟t let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life. If you don‟t have any close relationships, or your relationships are the source of your stress, make it a priority to build stronger and more satisfying connections.

Engage your senses.

Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee? Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make you feel centered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you.

Learn to relax.

You can‟t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body‟s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the polar opposite of the stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities can reduce your everyday stress levels and boost feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure.

Eat a healthy diet.

The food you eat can improve or worsen your mood and affect your ability to cope with life‟s stressors.

Eating a diet full of processed and convenience food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks can worsen symptoms of stress, while a 71 | P a g e

diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables (oranges, avocados, spinach, almonds, walnuts, pistachios), high-quality protein (skim or low-fat milk), and omega-3 fatty acids (salmon and tuna), cereals, herbal supplements (based on recommendations), can help you better cope with life‟s ups and downs.

Get your rest.

Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. At the same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether you‟re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are plenty of ways to improve your sleep so you feel less stressed and more productive and emotionally balanced.

If you can‟t manage your stress, or if it‟s accompanied by anxiety or depression, see your doctor right away. These conditions can be managed with treatment, as long as you seek help. You might also consider consulting with a therapist or other mental health professional.

An epilogue: While stress is a normal part of life, too much stress is clearly harmful to your physical and mental well-being. Fortunately, there are many ways to manage stress, and there are effective treatments for both anxiety and depression that may be connected with it.

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