What I'm Listening to...

Yup. They are called Anthem Lights and I'm listening to their EP that goes by the same name. They were formerly known as Yellow Cavalier and originated form Tennessee. They sing Christian Rock and Pop. the reason behind the name change according to them is: "These songs [and] this record is our anthem to the world saying, "Listen, we know there's a lot of darkness in this life, but in the end, light is gonna win." And we wanna be the light to people and just show them who the light of the world is." Source

That's enough introduction.

On the Anthem Lights EP, I particularly love two songs: "Where the Light is" and "Can't get over You". I think I'm actually obsessed with "Where the light is" because the song did met me at a point when I needed it the most and I haven't been able to get over "Can't get over You".

Where the light is talks simply about darkness not standing a chance where Light exists; telling us that though it may seem like darkness has the upper hand for a long time, the Light will always win. I might not know what darkness means to you, but I know that light means just one thing to everybody. It's kinda like an encouragement/reminder that no matter how dark, gloomy or hopeless any situation might be; there's still the tiniest bit of light shining. One part of the song I like so much goes:

Even when you're close to midnight

Even when the walls are closing in

There'll always be a star that's shining

And the night will never win

Where the light is

Can't get over you is a worship/commitment song acknowledging the love, grace and forgiving nature of God and asking God to draw us closer because we can't get over Him or His love. My "part" of the song is:

Here in the arms of my Father

Only grace can be found

So I lay my fears down

Nothing is the same anymore

You've changed me from the inside out

Now my heart is beating and it's singing won't You...

They have other great songs on the EP but these two are my best...

So that's what I'm listening to at the moment and I thought to share. They've got web presence here  and also on twitter @anthemlights and youtube. You can check them out and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Okay, bye. Have an awesome weekend.

Finding Contentment

For lack of a better word to capture my thoughts, I decided to use "contentment", but this post is meant to be about dealing with jealousy. Recently, I was comparing notes with a friend over something we had both planned to do; actually, I was supposed to go for mine before him, but some issues came up here and there and I had to hold back. Turns out my friend is going to leave me behind since he didn't have the issues I had.

Somehow, unconsciously, I felt this tiny little pang of jealousy and it brought to full focus the fact that this isn't something new that I'm dealing with; it has actually happened a couple of times especially when I compare notes or compare progress with someone I feel we should be at par.

I think I'm going off point. I'll stop now.

Many people face different types of jealousy; it's usually different with everybody, but jealousy is a universal feeling.

Anyway, how are we supposed to deal with jealousy? How are we supposed to live with healthy competition? What does God think is right when it comes to dealing with situations where you feel less then yourself because someone you are rubbing shoulders with has taken a step ahead of you?

I think the first good step towards getting out of jealousy is admitting it. When that is settled, it becomes easy to work around it. Anyway, so I carefully searched and this is what I found:

1. Develop the habit of not comparing yourself with other people. You are special; God made you unique and you are the best of yourself there can ever be; the moment you accept yourself, it will be easy to live your life. Yes, there might things you like in a person that you might want to emulate, but you shouldn't want those things out of a desire to outshine the person, but of a desire to make yourself be the best God wants you to be.

2. Change your focus from being on yourself alone. Help someone be better; that way, you will find yourself becoming a better person. Also, focus on the high side (or should I say positive side of your life). Look for those things that make you special and work on them, use them to work on yourself and others.


#SideNote: God's help is always available. Ask God for help and you will get it. Also, make a personal decision to change your way of thinking. Every behaviour you have starts with your thoughts and your mind. Spend your thoughts and your gifts wisely.

Okay, so that's it. I don't know it all; I just know a bit and that's what I have said. How do you deal with jealousy? Or what have you read on dealing with jealousy? Please leave a comment and tell.

Finding Balance

Few months ago, I tweeted that "I am the new definition of tiredness and lack of balance". I knew what I was saying, but I didn't fully understand what it implied.

I first attributed meaning to the word "balance" when I saw the movie "Eat Pray Love". What I know hitherto about balance is:

1. FOOD: you have to eat; sometimes because you just have to stay alive, other times because you got the best food ever and sometimes, out of courtesy.

How does this apply to me? : So I decided to eat. I'm slim, very much so. Someone even once called me Anorexic, but I didn't care then and I don't care much now; but my lightweight isn't as a result of not eating, if you've seen my mum, you'll have a slight idea. Anyway, it worked. I ate just because. I ate healthy and I developed the habit of romancing my food in my mouth (I can give you tutorials if you'd like). It was good. I enjoyed food. I learnt new dishes and tried them out. I had an amazing time making great meals. That's where this story ends.

2. PRAY: I understood this as having an intimate relationship with the God you're serving; being able to go on your knees and pray whenever you needed to talk; knowing God and knowing Him with complete accuracy; and the list goes on. I always remembered this: “Prayer is a relationship; half the job is mine. If I want transformation, but can't even be bothered to articulate what, exactly, I'm aiming for, how will it ever occur? Half the benefit of prayer is in the asking itself, in the offering of a clearly posed and well-considered intention. If you don't have this, all your pleas and desires are boneless, floppy, and inert; they swirl at your feet in a cold fog and never lift.”

How does this apply to me? So I decided to pray. I am a Christian and I believe in the Trinity and the Holy Spirit and I'm proud of that. I found peace with God and I stayed with that peace. It was amazing to say the least. You wouldn't know what's missing until you come to the full realization of the power of God and full acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit. I'm still on that track; I'm not there yet, but I know I'll get there. This story continues from here.

3 LOVE: Ha! The widely used, yet least understood word on earth. I learnt to understand love as a commitment; a decision. I came to understood love as being hardcore. Love is patience, kindness, not holding grudges, empathizing, not jealous, bearing all things, forgiveness, etc. Most importantly, I understood and settled with the fact that God loves everyone. It doesn’t matter if most people don’t love Him back; He still loves us all unconditionally anyway. I found an example in Him.

How does this apply to me? So I decided to love. I learnt to smile from my inside.  It was hard, I was happy, I was burnt, and I cried, I laughed, I was hurt. I got love in return, my love was thrown back to my face, but I loved anyway. I loved God, I loved family, I loved friends, I tried to love enemies; made an attempt to love everybody. I was brokenhearted at some point, but I always remembered the phrase from Eat, Pray, Love: “This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something.” This is hardly where this story ends.

How did this work out for me? I found balance (or so I thought). My life was finally in the right direction. I’d wake up in the morning and know exactly what to do with myself and how to go about it. I felt equilibrium. I left the house same time every day, got back same time, knew exactly how many minutes to spend doing what. It helped me shed excess baggage, I left many things behind and I felt satisfied.

Something upset my balance though. I had to break my routine for some unforeseen reason and I lost my balance. At home, at work, with everything and anything that mattered, I couldn’t keep up with my life and I was miserable. Very miserable. It killed me not to be able to organize my life and I knew there was no way I could avert that disaster.

I came to realize one truth and that is probably the point of this epistle. Balance doesn’t come from being able to accurately arrange my life. I am not a static object; the fact that I’m human automatically makes me dynamic; so I don’t expect that things will always remain as they are. Therefore, my true balance only comes when in the midst of my craziness; I can still eat, pray and love. It doesn’t matter how many times I’m hurt when I love or who loves me back or whether or not I eat enough or less than enough, or whether or not I’m able to articulate my words when speaking to God; as long as I’m happy, satisfied and fulfilled, then I’ve found my balance.

I hope you can agree with me.

Eat healthy as much as you can

Pray without Ceasing

Love always

Stay Happy

Find Balance.

Trotcha!!!

What I'm Reading...

Hello dear friends, how has your week been? Mine has been awesome and I smell Friday Yay!!! It’s been a very short, yet traffic filled week.  I’ve been extremely busy, that just might be why it’s short or feels so.

It’s about 9 days to 11:11:11 (I’ve waited for this date since I was in JSS 1). If you don’t know what that date means to me, then you are sitting on a very long thing :x. It’s also 52 days to Christmas. I don’t  know why I am so excited about xmas, I’m never like this, but I think too much of AC is getting into my brain because I’ve been doing lots of weird stuffs lately and remembering funny pastimes.

Anyway, this post is for last carriers. By the time you finish reading this post, if you belong to this category, please contact me so we can organize the last carriers’ award ceremony for you. J

So yesterday, I came across this book called “The Small Print” by a fellow Nigerian, Abimbola Dare. I’m not even going to start to tell you about the book because I won’t do justice to it, but you have to read it by yourself. It is an amazing story. It tells of practical situations around us and how the Word of God, the love of God, Patience, Determination and Prayers amongst other things can help us through the toughest times in life. On another hand, it personally taught me how God can use my testimony/situations to help another person amongst other personal lessons. I even almost missed my bus stop yesterday sef because of the book.  In short, you should read it and read it ASAP. It is strictly Christian fiction o; please note that before you say I didn’t tell. You should visit her blog here to read an excerpt. I’m sure you will want to read the whole thing. Even the cover of the book is so nice and should make you want to read...

 I think the most expensive you will get the e-book is $3 and/or £2.16. I mean, that’s less than ₦500, don’t you make your hair for more than that or isn’t BIS more expensive than that? Even my transport fare everyday sef is more than that, so what is so difficult? In case you are wondering, yes, I bought the book and no, I’m not sharing. Get your own copy.  #thatisall

This is where I rest my case before I start sounding like a pest or like there’s more to this. Thank you for stopping by and thank you for reading and thank you for checking the book out :D  :*

So, dear last carriers please stop carrying last, I beg you. Thanks again.

Okay, before I leave; I can accept it from friends on Facebook simply because most people there do it out of obligation, but if you follow on twitter or you follow my blog, please I totally despise(for lack of a better word) HBD, LLNP or LL&P or LLnP , GBY and IJN. I beg you; please don’t bring it to my side. It will be very appreciated if you don’t say anything instead. I don’t know why people think that’s good enough. I don’t know if it’s just me or a lot of people feel the same way, but honestly, it makes me feel like the greeting or prayer wasn’t thoughtful and you just said it out of compulsion. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well now. You have a minimum of 140 characters to express yourself depending on the platform; Happy Birthday is just 14 characters with the space, so why not just type it fully? Anyway, that’s my own point of view, like I always say, I stand to be corrected.

Yes, so if you finally read the book, please let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did and the other lessons you learnt. Let the author know too. Gracias.

Here’s where I say see you later. God loves you, and I do too. Enjoy your weekend!

LoveWord

Seeing the title above must have left you bewildered. Not only is this grammatically incorrect, it is also a combination of two entirely different things. In these two words though, lies the puzzle I hope to unravel.
Someone has said "Love is life and life is love". If you do not agree, then consider the following:

The laws of every nation are written with living in love as a motivation. Laws are given to make man love his neughbours and country.

Love is the most discussed issue in the whole world after God

Love is the most expressed, desired, and requested action of man. The demand for love seems to be part of every living thing subject to how it is understood

All God teaches is centered on having His love and giving it to others.

Word in this context is not the word that comes out of our mouth, but the WORD-Jesus. The world is in chaos because people do not know that love is not generated, it is given. The love you exhibit should not be from you, but the one that has been poured into you. It is the poured love that can heal the world and the Spirit of God in you is what pours the love into you.

No true love exists if it is not a product of the WORD.

LoveWord therefore means the love from the WORD which is the only love that can be perfected.

My heart is all that matters

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)

This verse has been on my mind for some days now and the depth of these words struck me just yesterday. It just makes it so clear that the things we have in our hearts are the basis of who we really are. Nothing comes out of your mouth without first been processed in your heart(or mind).

 I goggled and saw "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."(NLT). 

In other words, guard your heart and the contents that go into it, because it determines the path of your life. Your actions, your words, your plans, your affections and will is basically governed by your heart.

Many times, it's easy to neglect your heart and run around your daily activities with your head, but in the long run, it shows that the heart has been neglected when you start having strange behaviors and start saying things that are not edifying.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Luke 6:45(KJV)

It's easy to talk about these things, but when it's time to actually do them, it gets really difficult and that's where the unending grace of God comes in. 

His grace is always there to help us through any difficult situation we are passing through.

Official Welcome Note

Welcome officially to "In my head and my heart" or better still, welcome to my head and my heart because that's really where you are if you are reading this.
Why in the world would I want to blog and put God as a major topic in my blog is the question right now.


The answer is not far fetched. I've found God and as much as I want to build a personal relationship with Him, I want the whole world to know that I have found this God and by doing so, I hope to not only give you a glimpse into my walk with God, but I hope to share this same love that I've found with as many as fall on my space and ultimately bring at least one person to this perfect love of Christ.




So, here's hoping that you will be blessed as you surf this blog and that you'll find God in the pages of this blog.


Cheers!!!