learning from love

The best thing to ever happen to me has been falling in love. This post is not meant to be a tribute to my amazing husband even though I am in love with him :). This is really about all the people I have fallen in love with.
The first time I thought was definitely in love, I was in the third grade. There was a boy in my class called Matthew and I was sure I was going to married him. I daydreamed about how we would live happily ever after and go on picnics with our children in the park. Puppy love is so beautiful and so pure. Needless to say, Matthew and I do not go on picnics with our beautiful children. We are not even friends on face book! I think he is now married to someone else and maybe they go on picnics with their own children.
The second time I was definitely in love, was with a classmate in my first year of University in Jos. I thought he was really handsome in a nerdy sort of way but then I transferred to another school and learned that absence does not make the heart grow fonder. At least we are friends on face book and I believe he is now engaged to a lovely lady.
The third time I was definitely in love, I married the guy :)
The fourth time I fell in love, I carried her for nine months first in my womb and it was a very similar situation, the fifth time I fell in love.

The reason, why falling in love is so great is because it taught me how to love my Maker. Even the Bible says it is impossible to love God without loving your fellow being. That kind of love, that makes you think of the person all the time, that love that is so strong you feel it is too much for your heart to contain. The love that turns you upside down, empties you and yet fills you up. The love that makes you want to sacrifice your all. That love.

As a parent loves a child, as a lover loves the beloved so has He loved me.

My girls

I never had a biological sister growing up and I always wanted one. I love my brothers but they are not good for "girl talk". Well I have two daughters who are barely two years apart and I can't help praying that they grow up to be very good friends.

Why Nigeria Needs to Reintroduce the "kobo"

Inflation is never a good thing is it? Well at least it is not good in a country with an unstable economy like Nigeria's. As a result of inflation, we have lost the 'kobo' coins that we grew up with.
I was teaching the other day and asked the kids, "How many "kobos" make one "naira"? naively thinking that I was trying to refresh their memories. I was quite shocked that none of them knew. In their defense, most of them are from disadvantaged educational backgrounds but it was still very sad that they had no clue.
If President Goodluck Jonathan ever arrives on my blog page (wishful thinking maybe?), I hope he takes this post as a challenge to strengthen our Nigerian economy for the sake of Nigerian children who have never used a "kobo" coin :)

Yikes!!

Can someone please tell me what happened to 2010!!! Boy, that one flew by. And we made it! YAY!!!!!

ughhhh!!!

So today is one of those, "why did i sign up for teaching days?". I am very grateful to God for the opportunity to teach and impart knowledge to young minds that are bound to impact our world either positively or negatively because neutrality is not an option. My sincere hope is that they will be positive forces but somedays I am afraid that some of my students may not be. The high school principal mentioned to us that we are nurturing young oaks, but somedays the young oaks really get on my nerves and all the "id" tells me to do is hack them down. Today I read in the paper about a 50 year old science teacher on trial for hitting a student with a dumbell after losing his patience and the scary thing was that I could really understand the teacher's frustration. Don't get me wrong; he had no right to hit the student with anything for that matter but he felt so disrespected and obviously chose the wrong way to deal with it.
I am a first year science teacher and I am still struggling to find the right way to deal with my frustrations because bottling them up is bound to end in a "dumbell" scenario when the top finally blows off. God forbid.
So what is good fertilizer for these young oaks?! My forest is in jeopardy.

A prayer by Mother Theresa

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
And pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones
And allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

This life!

I keep thinking about the way GOD works in our lives for our own good and to His glory. A little over a year ago, I was beginning to think that my life had no meaning and that there was no point in trying because it would never get anywhere.
My God is not a God of failure but a God of fulfillment and purpose. Sometimes the pain of getting somewhere is worth every tear that is shed.
Here I am a high school teacher. Never did I think I would end up teaching high school in Jos Nigeria but I believe that at this time, this is my mission field. This is where I am meant to be to bless and to be blessed. It is just the beginning. The Lord is my strength and my salvation, He is the stronghold of my life. I will never be afraid of evils that come my way.