When Life Changes To Be Harder, Change Yourself To Be Stronger.

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while; it's been a hectic few months, from working, to making sure I remain healthy, networking, staying calm amidst ongoing drama! Whew* and most importantly preparing myself for a new and exciting adventure (which I'm looking forward to), what a hectic few months it has been! But hey.... I'm here, alive and kicking ass.

Life is never easy, there are good times and bad times. If we didn’t have bad times, we wouldn't have good times that follow and our life would be officially boring. If bad times never came our way we would never have the strength we have today. STRENGTH- is something that gets us through every bad thing. Each time something bad comes our way the strength we have get stronger, it makes us where we can put up with whatever comes our way! God doesn't put you through anything you can’t handle, but He does put you through things you don't think you can handle, but really can, so that you can come out even stronger. I truly believe that challenges make you stronger, recognizing your own strengths and weakness and dealing with things as they happen has been my greatest lesson so far….. Face your fears, recognize when you are emotionally paralyzed and find the inner strength to take those little steps, never give up on the dream and believe in yourself.

The single hardest part for me is Mind-set; I battle it constantly as I am sure most of us do. Fear is the mind-set gripping me. I’ve noticed that when people recall their fondest memories, they often point to hard times or adversities they overcame. The strength, confidence, and resilience they gained couldn’t have been gotten any other way. Facing my worst fears forced me to recognize what holds me back. The mind’s powerful ability to shape our story must be conquered through present being, so these days I try to take steps every day to take charge of my NOW by:

1. Been grateful for everything and taking care of myself first.
2. Connecting with the right people.
3. Taking action on something and giving back.
4. Not accepting others stories for my life.
5. Making healthy choices (This is really important).
6. Living an intentional life.
7. Reminding myself that every hard time will pass
8. Seek clarity, direction, and comfort from prayer, meditation, positive affirmations, and reading motivational material.
9. Ask myself what is the lesson I’m meant to learn from this.
10. I focus on what I can control or influence.
11. I recognize my own self-destructive behaviors. This is usually the hardest things for anyone to Identify, admit, accept and make alternate choices about. If you own your diagnosis, you change your prognosis.
    

Over the past few years, I looked around and I realized every time I thought someone else had the “perfect” life, this wasn’t true…EVERYONE has their pain, their difficulties in life, no one’s life is perfect, and we never know what goes on “behind closed doors” as I like to say. So I learned to never compare myself  and to never think someone else has it better than me, that allows me (you) to be happy for what I (you) DO have, and to live in the present!!
No matter what you have been through, know that you are not a victim, you are still here now. You may have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten, and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you, you have been delayed but not denied. The person who hurt you is weaker than you, don’t let their weakness weaken you – let it build you. You are a survivor so never let go of hope. Remember what you deserve and keep pushing forward because someday all the pieces will come together.

Unimaginably good things will transpire in your life, even if everything doesn’t turn out exactly the way you had anticipated, and you will look back at the times that have passed, smile, and ask yourself, “How did I get through all of that?” I have learned that although we may not be able to change our destination in a day, we can change our direction in an instant. If things aren’t working out, it’s never the wrong time to change direction either. It’s never too late to set a new course. That doesn’t mean stop everything you’re doing and hop on the next bandwagon, it simply means making a choice then taking the actions that will eventually lead to a whole new destination. If you want to be happy, you need to be who you are and not what others want you to be. Stay positive and stand strong against the negative! Take chances and opportunities as they come up because they may not stay long or come again. Focus on what you truly care about. Remember failure isn't the end of something it's just an example of how not to do something or get what you want!

Lastly, without responsibility you have no control, and without control you have no confidence or success or happiness in life! Life is a gift that you get to open every day don't waste a single moment of a single day, take life's challenge and conquer it!!!

Until next time...... Remember, you are stronger than you know and braver than you believe.

Vida Amorosa
Olori Amope x

Thankful - I reflected looked back & realized how blessed I am.

                                              Thankful, Grateful and Blessed.

I went out for a drink with a friend of mine after not seeing each other for like 2 years, (blame it on life). We talked about a whole lot of things like what we’ve been up to in the last 2 years, most especially, our individual experiences. He spoke to me and tried to make me reason differently on a number of things and I learnt quite a lot from him and was greatly motivated by his words. We both talked about the very sensitive word LOVE, touching on God’s love, what love should mean, and how love should be interpreted.
One of the things he said to me was that love needs to be beyond the physical and should be spiritual; love should be self-sacrificing and never-ending, should be everything that's different from what we see in our society today and should be identical to how our God loves us.

So who do you love the most in this world.?

My natural response was "my brother of course", followed by my mother, father, nephew etc in that order. (Lol) and then my darling friend laughed and said to me, “The person you love most in this world is YOU!”.  

Well In my opinion, loving yourself greatly before anybody else hinders you from being able to show the kind of love God showers on us. If we cannot love like God, then we can at least try to make the other person smile. Going out of your way to see someone else smile is not a very common act in our society these days and it doesn't make us too friendly. God loves those that show love to the common man without expecting anything in return but a smile.

Family and friend are people that should love you, encourage you against all odds, be there for you when you need them, and ensure that you don't doubt their place in your life. So after our conversation, I found out that whilst moping complaining and feeling rejected, I actually have that one very special friend that has taken the place of ten friends in my life. A friend that understands you without judging, whilst at the same time helping you become a better version of you. It took a conversation about the love of God to realize it, but I do know now that I am genuinely loved, not just by my family, or friends that are selfless in all accounts, but I am genuinely loved by God, His love for me top that of family or friends and He constantly remains merciful and faithful me.

I would like to encourage someone today that God loves you, regardless of who you are or what your circumstances are, everything you lack, and your limitations, your expectations, your dreams, your brokenness…..everything is like an open book before God. Remember His word that says "we should not be anxious about anything but in thanksgiving through prayer and petition let your request be made known to Him". God has engraved you and I on the palms of His hands simply because of His genuine and unending love for us.  Do you understand the meaning of that word ‘engrave’, it simply means you cannot take it out. Once it is engraved, it is the part of the skin and there is no way to separate both. Remember your life with all its boundaries are constantly viewed by God, you’re His precious child, He loves you and He sees every moment of your life.  So stand up tall, wear a crown, count your blessing and be thankful.

Until Next time… you are loved, blessed and highly favored.

Vida Amorosa

Olori Amope xx

Seeing People Through The Eyes of Love.

“Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast and is not proud. Love honors others selflessly and is forgiving, keeping no record of wrongs done. Love rejoices in the Truth, protecting, trusting, hoping and enduring”. See 1 Corinthians 13:4

We usually judge people based on appearance without knowing their story etc…  (I personally I have been a victim) I wonder why? I am a living proof, I have been judge so many times by people but sometimes I look at them shook my head and say "if only you know a tiny bit of my story".
We haven’t walked in their shoes, we don’t know the struggles they’ve been through, we don’t know their background challenges or circumstances! All we know and see is that “I don’t know why they act that way”…etc. The truth is, there is a reason why people are the way they are! If we took the time to know their story, we would be much more forgiving. If we understood the battles that they’ve fought or are fighting, the pain they’ve endured/are enduring, the people that have done them wrong, we would give them a lot more mercy. We wouldn’t be critical because they went through and got a divorce, or they went through and messed up their relationship or they’ve ignored you or are unfriendly, or because they’ve got an addiction… You don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes; you don’t know the stress that they are under.

Side Bar: Proverbs 15:4 “A gentle tongue brings healing”. Bring healing, not judgment on people.

Sometimes, we judge people based on the experiences that we’ve been through. It’s easy to say: “I wouldn’t have done this/that; I wouldn’t have gotten a divorce/smoked/, I wouldn’t even have married/dated that person so I wouldn’t even have gotten a divorce or broken up like he/she did.” But I always say to people before you judge that person, have you walked in his/her shoes? Do you know what he/she has been through or is going through? Would you have known what you would have or have not done if you have not walked in their shoes? What gives you the right to judge how that particular person should live or should have lived their life? You have not gone through the same experiences so don’t jump into conclusion. We all have strengths and weaknesses, we are strong in certain areas, not because we’re great or we decided to be strong, but because of the Grace of God in our lives.

When we understand people’s story it can change our perspective and we overlook a lot of their faults. Everyone has the right of a bad day this world is full of people that need someone who understands. We can either see them through the eyes of judgment – be hard/harsh or see them through eyes of love, eyes of mercy, and eyes of understanding. The real fact is “The way you see other people is the way they are going to see you”. The same seeds that you are sowing, you will reap.
One of the greatest traits that we can develop is to “believe the best in people”. We can all criticize and see faults in others, People are human, they all make mistakes (and so do you). They are all going to do things that we don’t understand. But just as the Bible/Quran says, Love overlooks the other person’s faults. Love makes room for weaknesses, Love doesn’t magnify a mistake. Instead of taking comments, criticisms and bad things that people do to you personally, make allowances, show mercy, do what you can to show love. When you see people through eyes of love your whole perspective changes… rather than seeing challenges, you see opportunities this is because you see the possibilities and potential in people and situations, instead of the limitations. Love brings healing and forgiveness.  It transforms hurt, fear, and conflict into harmony.  But it starts with you…

Sidebar: There is always a behind story. God put them there so that you can love them back into wholeness.

The challenge now, is to start seeing people through the eyes of Love. Instead of being critical and instantly writing them off, take time out to get to know them, find out what they are all about. God puts people in our lives not to be judged, but so that we can help bring healing. Every time we show mercy, every time we overlook a fault, every time we give people the benefit of a doubt, we’re bringing hope, restoration, healing to them.
Until Next Time….. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

Love Life & Sunshine :)
Olori Amope xx

Trusting God's Timing.

“Rest in the Lord, wait patiently for him to act …. Don’t fret and worry — it only leads to harm.” (Psalm 37:7-8 LB)

Hi Folks, hope we all had a lovely Easter break. Anyone who is close to me knows one of my weaknesses is "worry" yes I worry too much sometimes, even over little things. After an event that happened to me yesterday evening I reminded myself how I need to worry less and trust God's timing more.

In life we are always waiting for something the moment we prayed, however God established a set time to bring the promise to past. The question is do you trust God enough to believe your set time is coming or are you getting discouraged? Don’t let negative thoughts talk you out of it, quit worrying about it.

Quit worrying about who is ahead of you and run your own race, God is with you and he has provided solution for you/me. Think about how precise God’s timing is, you can trust God’s timing He has it all figured out, God promises and He will be true to His word.

Side bar: I Thank God that His promises for me are already in my future.

If it hasn’t happened yet, have a new approach and say “God I trust your timing” as it is usually through faith and patience that we accomplish the promise.

Say this often (Even though it seems like I forgot to say this to myself yesterday)

“God I am not going to get discouraged, if it doesn’t happen immediately I am not going to give up because it is taking so many weeks, months, year, but I know the set time is already in my future, so I am going to wait with faith and patience because it is on the way".

God will defeat your enemy and get you to where you want to be, when you delight yourself in the lord, He will give you the desires of your heart so be patience, and let God open the door.

Side Bar: "The battle is not yours, the battle is the Lords"

When you pursue God’s dream for your life, you’re going to run into delays. God uses those waiting periods to prepare you and test you so that you can face whatever is coming in the next phase of your faith.

“Lord I trust you, I know you have already set time to bring me out, you’ve already set the time to vindicate me, you’ve set the time to bring healing, so I am going to be still and know that you are God.”

Do your part and rest, trust God’s timing because sometimes God will delay an answer so that He can show His power in a greater way. Trust God’s timing, stand still and you will see God deliver you, when you remain at rest, Almighty God will fight your battle.

Until next time… Remember your time is in God’s hands.

Love life & Trust God.

Olori Amope xx

Covered by His Mercy. Forgiveness is Stronger.

So today I am writing as my spirit leads, as it is almost the end of the week I just want to encourage someone out there today, that God loves you and you are covered by His grace.

We all make mistakes do things we shouldn’t have done, easy to live in regrets (you say “oh I brought it all upon myself” “Oh I do not deserve this & that”) I have said it to myself so many times, but one thing we fail to realize is that God show mercy. Any time I noticed I’ve made a mistake I say to myself “its ok God has forgiven me and HE has helped me cleaned up this mess I put myself into”

Side bar: God’s mercy is bigger than your mistakes and will cause something good to happen from it.

It takes real boldness to believe that God will bless you in spite of your mistakes, but because you are the child of the most high God, you are redeemed and covered by His mercy. Your situation may seem like it could never turn out right, you’ve made the mess, its complicated, other people are involved, the odds are against you, I want to tell you to be encouraged because God already has the solution, He already knows how to not just bring you out, but how to clean up your mess and bring you out better.

In my time of trouble I cried unto God and he answered me, when I lost all hope I had to turn my thoughts towards God because I know salvation and deliverance comes from Him. Shake off your guilt; God will give you another chance and another chance to be the best person He has created you to be,  to fulfil the best plan He has for your life. Hold on, what am I saying?  God has already given you a second chance, accept it, and remember our God is a God of many chances.

Side bar: “it was my fault, I blew it but I am encouraged and believe things are better”

For a long time I always blame myself and always feel like “how can God forgive me when I have been so stupid” or blame myself for things I did wrong etc. but now I will say I am more matured, rather than blame myself, I just thank God for his goodness, mercy and for times I did not make good decisions, for cleaning up my mess, his faithfulness because I know that God has got me covered with his mercy “He has engraved me in the palm of His hands”.

Side bar: “God will make miracles out of my mistakes” “God will make my wrong into right”

You have made mistakes, made a mess of things, you blew it, doesn’t worry God is there for you and He can turn your mess around, all you need is to Believe in Him and let Him take charge. Salvation and deliverance comes from the Lord, He can turn your mess around and still help you become what He created you to be. You took the wrong turn? Its ok God will make it work and will help you turn things around for your good.

God’s mercy is bigger than our poor choices; He will make miracles out of our mistakes. So shake off your guilt, quit listening to the voices of the accusers because God will clean up your mess, He will turn things around for you, He's got you covered, and He will make you who He created you to be. Forgive yourself, let go and Let God.

Until next time…. Remember God's mercy is bigger than that mistake and He can turn your mistakes into miracles!

Love Life Mercy Said So!

Olori Amope xx