For the ‘PRICED ABOVE RUBIES’ Ladies… and the men who love ‘em

Hello darlings, how far now?

 

Where are those birthday pictures? I am sure that is what you are asking me right about now, and rolling your eyes at me so fast they can actually blow away the screen of your laptop or phone… I am sorry boo, the pictures would come… and the many reactions that followed that birthday gratitude list… hehehe… And the birthday parry… Just take a chill pill Sweetie aii… But una don see plenty picture from birthday already now… hehehe. Meanwhile how is everyone doing? Hope we are fulfilling purpose with whatever it is that we lay our hands on to do…. Shining that little light of ours brighter and brighter… God will help us all, amen… I am increasingly aware of just how much God has deposited in each and every one of us, all for his KINGDOM sake… No time like now darling… SHINE YOUR LIGHT A LITTLE MORE… I am sure some guys are reading… please make sure you introduce this to a girl you know ok… It would help.

Ok I really should get to it already yeah? Ok… I would… So I recently dug up this book of mine from my library to re-read… PRICED ABOVE RUBIES is a classic which teaches us how to grow into that woman who is PRICED ABOVE RUBIES… An amazing read, if you can find it, please get it aii…

Pastor Bimbo is my number one Christian mentor and role model… (Joyce Meyer comes a really close second)… I miss her EVERYDAY… Nobody has even come close, relationship wise, for me… She simply was IT ALL for me. I once wrote a tribute to her at 50… find it here

So I found some timeless truth in the book, and being the sweetheart I am, I decided to share it here for you all… You are welcome… I will just summarize and ‘storyfy’ a chapter and as time goes on, I will try and blog about some more chapters. The book basically is just telling us how to be that woman who is PRICED ABOVE RUBIES… The final chapter struck me the most… It is on a CONTENTED SOUL… I would take nuggets from it and then put a lot more Eziaha flavor… But it is totally inspired by Pastor Bim…

 Eziaha Flavor hehehe

Meanwhile, you know how I love to add pictures yeah? I will just put up pictures of myself and some random female darlings who are priced above rubies (at least to the best of my knowledge lol…)… Is that aii? Ok let’s roll…

It is amazing how today’s world has metamorphosed into one where we are all trying to belong…. Keeping up with the Joneses, however we can. It is this desperation that has brought about very many vices today. Yahoo yahoo, Aristo, Ritual killings, kidnappings, cheating, embezzlements, etc. There is this very SICK billboard that was once on the streets of Lagos… THE PATIENT DOG EATS NO BONE… Need I spend anytime countering that? Many women have led their husbands and partners into heinous crimes by their excessive and irrational demands. And some men too just have it in them, so not all the blame goes to the lady. We all know that the average man tries so hard to impress a lady. Anything just to prove that he is a man; an ACCOMPLISHED one for that matter. Sometimes the woman may not even make direct demands, she may just constantly keep referring to this and that that Mr. A just bought for wifey or Mr. Suave just got for his fiancée. That one sef dey… It can push the man into vices too…

 (triumphant ladies)

The campus environment is worse. Gosh!!! In these days of color blocking, blackberry phones, iPads, louboutins and Brazilian hair, you cannot even begin to imagine the pressure a lot of girls are under. Just to belong. I think we all need to learn that THINGS DO NOT DEFINE US… God has put a far more expensive PRICELESS price on us… The value of a thing would always depend on the price paid to purchase it… In our case, THE BLOOD… the priceless BLOOD. Haba, why would a red soled shoe define me? (ok the credit for this one goes to Pastor Kingsley). But really, have we ever thought of the fact that those things that we use to define ourselves and our worth were made by people like YOU AND I…? Then they put a label and name on it and you wanna DIE to get it? Haba…

Moreover, some things come easier to purchase for some people… they don’t sweat it. No point trying to keep up with them because they would always up the ante… LIVE CONTENT… And do not put yourself under unnecessary pressure biko… God is a God of process. He needs to prepare us for the BIG BLESSINGS. Some blessings we cannot handle just yet so he is doing us a favor by keeping it away from us for now… He is a good God, darling. Trust Him that He would do at just the RIGHT TIME… Not a minute late, this GOD… He needs to teach us values, build character such that when the blessings come, they would not be the undoing of us. Have you not seen some people with some stuff and you pity them rather than admire… Yes darling, some blessings can be premature. Getting it at the right time is the freaking BEST…

Meanwhile COVETOUSNESS is an act of UNBELIEF. You become blindsided to even the good that God is doing and you focus on someone else’s blessings. A buzzword in my church, TRIUMPHANT ASSEMBLY is this… ‘THE TESTIMONY OF ONE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER’ QED…

(Chi and I) (dumebi love)

A covetous person is also ungrateful because thanksgiving requires a heart of gratitude and when you are not content, you definitely CANNOT thank. That thought just scares me because I do know the power of thanksgiving. It literarily turns God on…  Be thankful for little blessings. No matter how insignificant it may be… If you thank God for his finger, you will see his hand…  You recall the story about the ten lepers in the bible… When one came back thanking, God actually asked after the rest nine… meaning He was EXPECTING THEM TOO… God is expecting us to be grateful… EXPECTING… Cos He wants to do more, but our thanksgiving is key. And if you are busy coveting, how can you be thankful?

 

Yes I am still talking in context of a marriage relationship… You need to develop a content spirit and not put your husband under unnecessary pressure and now block the way for God’s blessing. Do NOT push your husband/fiancé/Partner/Boyfriend to sin and steal… there really is a time for everything. Do not try to reap a harvest when it is not ripe… Don’t make him take bribes or engage in shady deals just because you wanna indulge in the latest trends or fad in town, which sadly will change faster than you can flip your hair.

At this point may I make this clear… I am definitely not implying that a man be lazy and not resourceful. Far from it. I love the finer things of life. NOT EVERYWOMAN IS MATERIALISTIC BUT ALL WOMEN LOVE GOOD THINGS… pause and read that line again… in fact for emphasis, let me add a picture of the tweet I got that from…

Work hard. Burst your behind if you have to. A man has been blessed with so much so maximize that potential. I got a recent revelation on Ephesians 5 where it says Christ is coming for a spotless Bride… God has given you that woman as a gift and I believe that a man should do his best to make his woman comfortable. The basic necessities. A few indulgences too… Bora bora islands trip too is no sin. Neither is the new iPad… But the point is, don’t put him under pressure to do that. There is a time for everything including the original LV BAGS…

Paul knew the secret of being content… Philippians4; 12 says …I have learned the secret of being CONTENT in ANY or EVERY thing… whether in plenty or much… A good woman is also prudent in spending. Get the BEST bargains you can get. Haggle… Be skilled in the art of BARGAINING… in Naija parlance. Learn to PRICE… let them call you ijebu but please get the best bargains on everything. Get the best for the cheapest… Do not be unnecessarily extravagant especially if it is just to throw six-figure figures around. That’s unfair to do to you darling. Live within your means and your husband’s pocket. And if hubby/fiancee/boyfie is the extravagant one, please by all means, help him to plan and spend his money better and more than anything, help him save… Yes baby, you are after all called to be a HELP MEET…

Sister dearest, I must end with this truth… Sometimes we do not wanna hear it but it is so true. Life is NOT all rosy. Every day comes with its own challenges. May I digress a little at this point? Listened to this Baba Adeboye Message he preached at Shiloh like 5years ago… He said that we do not just stand up from eating a meal and ask ‘WHO WON?’ or declare ourselves WINNERS… or just wake up and say ‘ I AM A WINNER’ No!!! being a Winner implies that you have fought some kind of war… A lot of times not physical but nne, life has its fair shares of battles but the good thing is that we do not do it alone. Ok end of digression… that was not really a digression anyways, I just needed to buttress my point with that story. Meanwhile don’t you just love Adeboye…? Such a blessing… BLESSING!!! OK back to my CONTENTMENT gist!!! The woman that will overcome life’s challenges is one who has been trained in the school of CONTENTMENT. Marriage would NOT ALWAYS be dinner dates at the Hiltons… Or a quick unplanned trip to DUBAI or Rio de Janeiro… Sometimes, life’s challenges may shake one to the point that even the basics may be tough… I have been there and I am sure that many of us have been too, even Couples… You guys just can no longer afford all the stuff you used to. At that point, learn to be the SWEETEST, most SUPPORTIVE woman you can be then. Learn to move with your partner at his pace. Don’t put him under pressure and cause him to sin. Be there for him, pray through it with him. You would be surprised at how God can just TURN THINGS AROUND and just how much love your husband will shower you with afterwards.

Let me leave you with this last word and pictures…

I love this guy… YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER…  He just defines what a real man is…

And I love you guys too. This is why I am taking the pains to do this so that we can make the world an even better place… Single or married, this applies…

Ehen before I release you, let me gist you about GATTS

GATTS means Gospel according to the streets… Organized by my ibadan church annually. i anchored last year’s own and it was amazing. i even wondered how I managed to flow with the street crowd as I do not speak either yoruba or pidgin but we had a good time walahi… With super duper street performances laced with performances from my church too. Incredible outreach idea. This year though GATTS would be focused on rap… Gospel according to RAP… So it would be a battle of RAPPERS… Street Gospel rappers… My church rocks sha… So if you are in the UI Agbowo environs, please come. this friday Aug 17, at 4pm right in the open field at Agbowo shopping complex. looking forward to seeing you hun… You see, my church rocks jare… Okay one more thing before I let you go. i saved the best for last…

See the above poster… WOW!!! that is all i wanna say WOW!!!! Life coaching with Albert oduwole…. Every tuesday in August, 6 to 8pm. Just returned from today;s own. Incredible stuff we learn there for FREE… And principles are paralell. What works in church would work in the workplace and school too. No training ground like the church. Would try and do a blog post on some of the lessons we have learnt if you guys ask nicely, but hey if you can make it come. Or get the CDs… Or ask me for it. trust me, you wanna be a Champion, you need a Coach and Coaches do not come better than Albert Oduwole… I will say that again, in block letters this time… COACHES DO NOT COME BETTER THAN ALBERT FEMI ODUWOLE… Triumphant Assembly head quarters, ijokodo junction, Eleyele road. Tz after Ibadan poly… Tz free, you only need to register so that we get your name in the database… Simple. Come… Today’s coaching session was something else…. i was sober after it. usually Rev preaches you happy and yes today Rev was in vintage form but beyond the ‘TELL THEM’ and ‘PREACH PASTOR’ and all that christianese people say in church, I just got sober, So much deep truth he shared with us, I just went back to think and meditate on it. In fact, as i type away, I am listening to same. Listen i will, till I literarily feel a champion BURSTING out from within me…

Live your best FAB life today darling… And stay fabulous while at it…

I tweet using @eziahaA

Hugs and Kisses

Your Fabulous black sister…

E