Blog Series, Other Stuff

Hi all! Hope your week is going great. I've had a mad combination of writing, research and frustrating driving lessons, in the last 10 days. Writing has been generally productive, but I still feel I should be doing more (more FG, more!) to feel a sense of achievement. Apart from that, my driving lessons have been hilarious. The instructor is a very funny middle-aged Scottish bloke. When I told him I was a writer, the first thing he said was: "you better not write about me". I didn't promise him anything though - lol.

I've just finished reading Chimamanda's collection of short stories, "The Thing Around Your Neck". My sister gave it to me as a birthday present (thanks sis!). It seemed to me that some of the stories ended rather abruptly, and I'll need a Phd to understand some other ones, but overall, I really enjoyed reading them. I'm waiting now for that next novel...

Hubby and I are off to Denmark tomorrow morning, just for a couple of days. It's one of those places in Europe that you don't hear much about, but when you scratch the surface, the cities, people and culture start to look interesting and you want to explore. I'll bring back Danish Butter Cookies and packs of Legos. I'll also be on the look out for ghost of old vikings, wearing horned hats, lol.

And finally please check out a new blog, put together by me and seven other great bloggers! It's a new blog series called In My Dreams, It Was Simpler and we will be needing your comments, suggestions and other feedback! 

Thanks and have a great week!

FG

The Blank Page

You know the one.

When you pick up your pen to write in your notebook. Or open a new Microsoft Word document and you are faced with a white, blank sheet of paper.

Some days when I pick up my pen to write, the words come tumbling out, the ideas keep flowing, I'm on a roll and my arm aches to catch up with the speed at which my brain is churning out words. But that's actually the exception. Most other days, I spend ages staring at the blank sheet of paper, willing something to happen. Sometimes I manage to scrape a few sentences together, but sometimes I give up after a few torturous hours.

Someone asked me recently, "do you schedule some time to write each day, or do you wait for the inspiration to come and then write when you feel like it?"

Good question. If I had to wait for inspiration all the time, then I would hardly ever get anything done. So most times I have to grit my teeth and force myself to write something, anything.

Or to put it another way, as I read in the "Writing a Novel and Getting Published for Dummies" book (paraphrased):

As a writer, you must realise that the blank page is not your friend. The blank page is scary, and it is your enemy. Cover your pages with words. If you force yourself to write 1000 words everyday, in a month you would have written 30,000 words. Words which you can edit and correct later. Remember, you cannot edit a blank page.

That's a lesson for Favoured Girl.

Have a great weekend all!

Thank You!

A big thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday either on my blog, on on facebook or phone calls, texts and so on. God bless you all!

I had a really great day from beginning to end. I spent most of the morning and afternoon chilling with hubby and receiving calls. He waited on me, cooked breakfast, gave me nice presents and all. Awww.

Later in the day, we got dressed and went out to meet up with friends for dinner. It was so nice to celebrate with close friends, including hubby and my lil sis. Lovely birthday I had, with good food, great drinks, fantastic company and engaging discussions :-)

I had a very special guest there too - our one and only Believer! It was sooo nice to finally meet her, she's a beautiful person inside and out. It didn't feel like we were just meeting each other, it was as if we have been friends for ages, which we kind of are, via blogger, facebook and telephone calls. We even found out that we live in the same estate in Lagos! Now that's amazing - (girl when next you are off to Lagos, I'm coming along!) She brought me some lovely birthday presents too, including a book titled "How Not to Write a Novel". lol! What can I say, she's beautiful, sweet, smart and she's got a great sense of humour. Babe, we'll definitely meet up again soon!

So I had a great start to my new year, and I look forward to accomplishing a lot more in the next twelve months. So that in another year's time I can look back and say I've had the best year ever. I want to move forward in my relationship with God, progress in my career, become a more loving person and reflect Jesus more and more. So help me God!

xxx

Adding Another Year

You know you are getting old when a fourteen year-old is shocked you know who Ciara is. Two young friends of mine were talking about music videos and one of them was trying to remember the name of the singer who released a song featuring Justin Timbalake recently. When I helpfully suggested it was Ciara, she looked at me in surprise and asked: "How did you know?" .... and I'm like, why shouldn't I know? Silly girl. lol

It's my birthday this weekend, so I do know I'm getting older. I've been in a bit of a reflective mood lately, it seems that life moves so fast nowadays and I need to hurry up to catch up with the days. On a good note, I'm feeling really positive too, because I am definitely growing more mature everyday. It might sound funny but I know I'm a much wiser person now, than I was a year ago. I've learnt many lessons in the past twelve months and I'm still learning more. Bring on the wisdom!

I'm very thankful to God for adding another year to my life. I'm not comparing myself to anyone else, I'm very happy with who I am and where I am at the moment. I have everything I need: I have God, my family, my health, my friends, enough money to meet my needs, abundant joy and peace of mind. And I also know I have a bright future ahead of me! So I have reasons to give thanks.

On that note, I'm going to celebrate this weekend with hubby, my lil sis and a few friends. Will have a drink on you all! xx

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend!

Honest Scrap Award - 10 Things Meme...

Thanks to Justdoyin and Afronuts, I have received the Honest Scrap Award, thanks a lot guys!

Here are the instructions I have to follow:

1. You must brag about the award

2. You must include the name of the blogger who bestowed the award on you and link back to the blogger

3. You must choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

4. Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Blog Award.

5. List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself. Then pass it on!

So here goes ten honest things about myself (gosh I did the 30 things about me recently, sigh!)

1) I'm currently reading, of all things, a book called "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing A Novel". I picked it up over the weekend and I've had fun reading it so far. Who says you can't learn something new from a foolishly titled book?

2) Recently I developed a craving for spaghetti carbonara that I can't explain. I have eaten it six times in the past week already.

3) I have never gotten drunk.

4) I'm addicted to ASOS. Help, they've taken all my money!

5) I'm ashamed to admit I'm a secret fan of the Pussycat Dolls

6) Sometimes I'm amazed by how God awswers my questions before I even ask Him

7) I have a bad habit of not finishing the projects I started or having a good idea and letting it go to waste. I'm on a mission to change this flaw.

8) I need to get fit again, without spending hours and money at the gym. (Summer is coming and I'm eyeing a nice dress!)

9) I can't wait to get Chimamanda's new book "The Thing Around Your Neck". It's been getting great reviews everywhere and I'm excited. (Check it out on amazon)

10) I have sudden flashes of childhood nostalgia sometimes. I think I'm growing old and longing for the days of playing ludo or snakes and ladders with my friends.

There, all done! I'm supposed to tag seven people, but I'm sure this award has gone round already. But if you haven't done it yet, feel free to tag me as the giver!

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I hope you guys are having a great time during this season. I have been enjoying myself too, relaxing and feeling a bit guilty for eating so much chocolates. I promise to be a good girl when the season is over.

In the meantime, here's a reminder of the the reason why we celebrate Easter:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.(John 3:16-17)

Yep, Jesus is the reason. And Jesus is Alive!

During the Easter service in my church today, I was struck again by how relevant the Easter message is, both to me and the whole world. It was as if the message became clearer, even though I must have heard it hundreds of times. If Jesus did not come to earth, if Jesus did not die for me on the cross, and if Jesus did not conquer death and rise again, then all Christians are wasting their time. Because that would mean we believe in a huge lie or conspiracy. It would mean there's no point in trying to live right here on earth. it would mean there would be no Resurrection after this life. No hope of a life afterwards, spend with God in eternity.

But if He did come to earth, performed miracles, died on the cross and rose up again, then that's good news! Actually, it's more than good news: it's life-changing news! It means He loves me and sacrificed himself for me. It means He has taken away my punishment for sin. It means I have a hope and a future, not only in this life, but in the one to come. It means I have victory over sin and death. It means I have an assurance that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the grave, is living in me and able to help me accomplish all that God has in store for me. That's exciting isn't it? I am excited to share this good news with everyone who reads my blog! It's not something you can sit on the fence about, you either believe in the Easter story or you don't. But I'm a living witness, Jesus is real, He is alive and He has saved me :)

I was listening to a programme on the radio on Friday, a debate between some scientists and Christians. They were talking about historical and scientific evidence that Jesus did actually live on earth, He died and was buried, but He was later seen again by over 500 people. They also mentioned the historical origins of Easter, and how it was originally a pagan festival until the Christians started celebrating Christ's resurrection about the same time. It was an interesting debate and I learnt a few interesting facts, but nothing changes the fact that I believe in Jesus, His death and Resurrection.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the break and the coming week!

Owe Me An Explanation?

Hey people, hope you all have had a great week. I've had a fairly productive week, but don't ask me what I did. Okay, I'll confess now, I won't be able to make my initial deadline (sob!), so I've had to put it back a bit more. Although having set one did spur me on a lot, and helped me to focus intensely for a few weeks. I stayed up till odd hours of the morning writing and typing throughout last week. At the moment, my body clock is totally out of sync with the rest of the world. Last night I woke up at 10.30pm and went to bed at 5.30am, only to wake up again this morning at 7.20am! God dey sha, He is my strength so I can achieve what I have set out to do.

I was looking through the Blogville Awards blog a few days ago, and came across this post about former bloggers. People who, for one reason or another, have stopped blogging completely or have made their blogs private. On one level, I understand that blogging is an essentially personal choice and nobody is compelled to keep a blog, or update it regularly, or even invite other people to read it. However, looking through that list, I felt like I had gotten to know these people that I had never met, and I missed them. We used to read and comment on each other's blogs, we shared laughs and sorrows, we were part of the Nigerian bloggers' family. I felt like they owed me and their other readers an explanation for quitting. In some way, they were obliged to keep their blogs going because they had given us a glimpse of their lives and kept us wanting more. It's like having a friend who suddenly cuts you off without any explanations.

It's the same thing I feel when I learn that my favourite character is leaving a show, or my favourite band is splitting up. Even though it's their choice and their career, it's tempting to ask "Why? Stay, please don't leave!" or "Don't split up the group!". Even if the TV show carries on without them or the group members go on and try to forge solo music careers, things will never be the same again. For example, I loved Destiny's Child as a group, but I don't particularly care for any of them as solo artists. Strange huh?

On to other gist, it's my mum's birthday today and I'm really grateful to God for her life. She is fully back to good health now and it's truly a miracle. When I called her this morning she said she was thanking God and looking forward to opening her presents and cooking up a storm for a get-together in the evening. I laughed, wished her happy birthday and then called my grandma to congratulate her too.

As for me, I'm having a chilled out weekend, doing some work and generally loafing around. I can't wait for summer to arrive. It feels like this is the longest winter ever! Have a wonderful, relaxing weekend everyone!

Life, Death and After

Today I am reminded just how unpredictable this life is. Most of us hope and expect that we would live long enough to see our children and grandchildren. We think we can always count on there being another day called 'tomorrow'. But who really knows how long we are here for? Who can estimate how much time we've got left to spend on earth?

Case in point: Mr X woke up this morning, he had breakfast, said goodbye to his wife and kids, went to work as normal, and suddenly his wife gets a phone call, "Mrs X? I'm afraid your husband has been involved in a fatal accident...." and things never remain the same. Even if it is not an accident, it could be an illness. Right now I can mention two people who have been battling cancer and the doctors have told them that there is nothing more they can do.

Some weeks ago I read a book called "The Shock of Your Life" by Adrian Holloway, about three teenagers who died in an accident. The story follows each of them on an imaginary journey of what happens to them after they are dead. Reading this book made me think about death in a different way. When somebody dies, we grieve, we make preparations for a funeral, we bury them, pray that they rest in peace and carry on with our lives. But what happens to the dead person? The book attempts to cover some of these questions and you can read more on their website.

As a Christian, I believe that death is not the end, it is a separation from earth and current relationships, but there's more. I believe that Jesus Christ conquered death on the cross, and I have accepted Him into my life, then I am sure that after I die, I will see Him again. I will go to heaven and live with Him there for eternity. It doesn't mean that the prospect of death is not scary but I have this confidence that I have a far more wonderful experience after I leave earth.

Being conscious of what happens when I die means I am now more aware of how I live. If this world is all there is to life, then we can do whatever we like, live our lives without any obligations to anybody, satisfy ourselves with all the pleasures we can think of, etc. But if I know that my choices and actions here on earth will determine where I spend eternity, then it's up to me to ensure that I live right, according to God's principles. And I am ready to face Him, even if my life ends today.

So if I asked you: where would you be after you die, what would your answer be?

Reflection

I look up into the sky

I see a dark blanket

Twinkling with hundreds of white dots

I also see the moon

Glowing silently but with pride

Knowing that even though

It has got

No light of its own

It reflects the light of one

Brighter that it

With this reflected light

It rules the night sky

Not even the stars can compete

It makes me pause and think

I have no glory of my own

I cannot shine by myself

But if I allow my emptiness

To be filled with God’s grace

My weakness

To be replaced with His strength

And my struggles

Be replaced with His ability

I would start to shine

Not of my own

But as a reflection of Him

Copyright © FG 2009

Never a Bridesmaid

I've just read Vera's current post and it occured to me that I've never been a bridesmaid too! Ever! I guess that's because I was a bride first.... hmmm....but there's no rule that says married ladies can't be bridesmaids is there?

So instead of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride", my own issue is quite the opposite - I've been the bride, never the bridesmaid!

I know there's a lot of stress involved, there are outfits to buy, accesories to coordinate, a bridezilla to deal with, a bridal shower to plan and all that, but I want to experience it all, at least once!

Okay I need to do something quickly to rectify this... let me start contacting all my friends getting married in the next few months. Then I need to start praying for my other single friends to meet their husbands really soon so I can be asked to be a bridesmaid.

Ok, I'm off to do just that.

I'll be right back.