Learning to Live, Living to Learn...

For Such A Time As This...

2012-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

While digging through my Bible, I discovered a good chunk of scripture focused on miraculous breakthroughs and blessings that would always occur at just the right moment or "the appointed time." From Esther's boldness to react courageously on behalf of her Jewish people to King David's opportune time to shine through a "Goliath-total-knock-out" as a young shepherd boy, "time and chance" (Ecclesiastes 9:11) happen to all who wait earnestly and faithfully in preparation.

Preparation is the key. Take Jeremy Lin for instance, the 23 year-old is flying high on top of the world right about now, and mounting up with wings like eagles as the bible verse states (Isaiah 40:31). The media craze has birthed out nicknames for Jeremy such as "Lin-sanity" and "Lin-credible" because of the God-given skills Lin uses to impress his viewers on the courts, contributing to his team's six-game winning streak. But none of this would have come to be if Lin allowed his setbacks to keep him stagnant.

Stagnancy has the ability to overpower our predestined paths. Unexpected situations have plagued many with such deep heaviness and depression that they were not able to reach the destination God had purposed for them. The Israelites did not cross over to their promised land filled with milk and honey because of their lack of faith. "Take it, it's yours!" God promised. But Giants kept His children from conquering and overtaking what was already theirs. Now back to Lin.

Dude ran into several roadblocks but he pressed on regardless. Jeremy's ball playing success led his high school team to the state championships but for some reason the top college basketball programs showed no interest, so he pressed on and joined the prestigious academic ranks of the Ivy League, choosing Harvard University. Disappointments continued to follow Lin after completing his education. The NBA draft came and left with Lin excluded from the pack of new recruits.

So he waited.

Still, he practiced. Still, he honed his skills. Still, he prayed to his God. Still, he remained faithful until that very day when his breakthrough would finally come. The New York Knicks took a chance on the first Chinese-American basketball player to grace the courts of the NBA, and even though Lin's coach nearly dropped him from the team before his chance arrived. Instead of warming up the bench, Lin's coach finally gave Jeremy the opportunity to prove himself on the courts. And that he did.

"The 23-year-old has arrived at the perfect time: into a post Super Bowl void and a social media world captivated by his unlikely rise." -"Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks' Cinderella Story," CBS This Morning

"...Here's a guy who's labored, being ready at the right time and he's capitalized on it fully." -"Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks' Cinderella Story," CBS This Morning

Imagine if Jeremy allowed depression to ruin the time that he needed to prepare for this "appointed time." His divine opportunity would have come and gone with Lin unprepared, missing out on the breakthrough meant for his promotion (lack of preparation leads to demotion).

As my friend and pastor, Uche, would say, "Arise and shine!" Walk in the light (Isaiah 60:1-3). Cast away the darkness and move forward!

In the past I allowed my failures to hinder me. Instead of moving forward like Lin, I remained stagnant for a near-decade! That's just ridiculous! By faith we must move forward regardless of the difficulties that may come our way. So again I say, "Arise and shine!"

Procrastination, depression, anxiety and their evil friends may want to hold you back but the appointed time has come today! Arise and shine!

Deliverance...

2012-01-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

"The radically rescued, rescue radically" -Pastor Ed Young at the Code Orange (12 day) Revival

Healing From His Word...

2012-01-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, I can hear!" Shouted a child after freshly receiving a miracle last night through the Shadow of the Almighty Ministries. God sent His powerful Word. Then Pastor Solomon proceeded by speaking the Word to the masses, and once the mother of this child keyed into the prayer points, breakthroughs occurred with immediate manifestation, delivering this kid from delayed-onset hearing loss.

"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." - Psalm 107:20

Last night's prayers focused heavily on delay, and I thank God that He moved mightily on this child's behalf by healing his hearing loss. What a testimony! And a great way to start off the day. All things are possible through God, and for all those who trust in Him. Believe, then receive.

"A Broken Life Becomes God's Instrument"

2012-01-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Rod Anderson, The Christian Post

No Shame In His Name...

2012-01-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, Its been over a year since I've really sat down to watch an entire football game. Television has been on the back burner for quite some time now (and still is), but I've been hearing a lot about this Tebow kid lately. He has gotten mixed reviews for openly expressing his love for Jesus. Major media bashing and smack-talking from other athletes, coaches and organizations to a burning curiosity and awestruck wonder from Broncos fans and the like.

"I think people are curious to see what gets Tebow so excited," Bolin said. "I think that's the nice thing about Tebow - you know where he stands and what he believes in, but he doesn't come out and demand that his fans read the Bible, attend church or donate their incomes to charity. It isn't the suffocating evangelical teaching that turns too many people from the religion, but a lead-by-example kind that makes you question if there might be something worth looking [into.]" - The Christian Post

Christianity is about relationship not religion. Intimate fellowship with God is what changed my outlook on life. And not the practice of redundant religious activities. Seeking His face privately along with hearing about God from the right people and the right kind of Church transformed me. Tebow's relationship with Jesus is evident to the masses since He's got him down on his knees, randomly and openly praising Him, finding it rather difficult for him to keep his mouth shut:

"Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in his Name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." - Jeremiah 20:9

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 10:32

I know that some athletes have openly expressed their distaste in Tebow's PDA for Jesus, but he's simply not ashamed of His name. Instead of hating on Tebow, like this article suggests, why not find out what gets him excited. Dig deep, and find out about this God of his, mine, and yours. Jesus' love is beyond special, and available to all. God may be invisible to the naked eye but that does not mean He cannot be visible in your life.

Increased Faith Through Battles...

2011-12-30T07:09:00.000-08:00

As I sat comfortably on my bed, daydreaming up my present goals: Living a fulfilled and purposeful life by helping others "fight the good fight," my mind redirected its focus back on Him. "Why, God? Why are you so good to me?" I questioned. In the battles, in the storms, and in all of my jacked-up mess, He has been nothing but awesome to me. My faith only strengthened, and increased when the multitudes of Goliaths' came charging my way, and with each victory, He continually assured me that I can completely trust in Him. Adversity is necessary to grow, but not a single battle can overcome us unless we allow it to. I learned the hard way. But now that I know, I am able to boldly claim His promises. And because of Him, I am victorious. God is good.

New "things." New Year...

2011-12-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

"...but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." - Daniel 11:32

2012: Rejecting all things contrary to the vision of my life!

Storms Don't Last...

2011-12-27T05:05:00.000-08:00

"Your enemies are always used for a purpose and if you go through the process God will use them to deliver you into your destiny. That's why I don't get mad with my enemies. I send them a Thank You note." -Tera Carissa

The Violent Take It By Force...

2011-12-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

"And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!'" -Genesis 32:26

Once God (and several of His ministers) revealed to me that deliverance, blessings, and breakthroughs at times (and usually) have to be taken by force, my prayer points changed. Get ready to "wrestle" and pray without ceasing because "if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small (Proverbs 24:10)."

Command your healing! Command your deliverance! Take it. It's yours!

Greater Works...

2011-12-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

"...he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do..." -John 14:12

As I type, there are college-educated and even graduate students performing the works in which Jesus spoke about and are written throughout the Bible. Education is not the theme of this blog post, but I brought this point up because there is a misconception that those who believe in the Bible must lack an education or be under-educated.

Generally, believing in God is one thing.

But really believing in Him, believing in His words, and believing that He is able to perform His words in our lives is quite another thing. His words say that those who believe in Him will do greater works than He did while on earth. So, if you believe in Him. Claim that promise. Why settle?

God has blessed me with several divine encounters within the year. He has brought some interesting people a long my path that helped to open my eyes to the many wonders hidden within Christianity. The more I sought His face, the more secrets He revealed. And even more than what is written in the Bible. For John said, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen."

God is doing big things. And He's doing bigger things in those who believe in Him. Wait and see.

Faith. Prayer. Miracles...

2011-12-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

"And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." -Luke 17:5-6

Testimonies not only strengthen our faith, but are used as powerful weapons that mightily overthrows the enemy with all of his deceitful lies: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11)..." Spiritual blindness robs many believers of their rights and benefits as a child of God. Circumstances that seem impossible with men (including science and medicine) are more than possible with God.

But whose report are you going to believe?

The report that says: "Sorry, but you will never have children," "Sorry, but you will die with that disease," "Sorry, but there is nothing we can do. That's just life." Or the report of the Lord!

The God who brought a baby in Africa that was dead for four days back to life. The God who blessed a barren woman without a womb (and without a surrogate) with her own miracle baby. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that miraculously removed benign and cancerous breast lumps from women in a Church service in Nigeria. (I could go on, but that's for another blog). I don't know about you, but that is the report I'm going to believe. Once I started to believe in God's report and I started to cast down every contrary pronouncement, my life moved forward. I was finally able to graduate after 9 years. I repeat: 9 years. Who takes 9 years to graduate? (Now, that's for a future blog). God is good.

Seeing is not believing in the Christian faith. Believing is seeing, and that's when God performs!

Increase your faith. Believe His words. Apply His words to your life. And await your manifestation!

Holy Spirit...

2011-12-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

"... I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your old men shall dream dreams,

Your young men shall see visions." -Joel 2:28

Allow God to use you as His vessel and watch as He begins to manifest in your life what MAN deems impossible through the awesomeness of His precious Holy Spirit. Nothing. I repeat. NOTHING is impossible with my God.

"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." -Luke 18:27

Wilderness with God...

2011-12-19T02:29:00.000-08:00

"So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts til the day of his manifestation..." -Luke 1:80

There's a time for consecration, and there's a time for manifestation.

It's time...

2011-12-08T05:39:00.001-08:00

"You will arise and have mercy on [her]; for the time to favor her, yes, the set time, has come." -Psalm 102:13

His grace.
His mercy.
Has kept me alive
And He has blessed me beyond I could have ever imagined.

Grab His promises. And just watch as He surprises you "exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think...."

Trust...

2011-12-08T05:25:00.001-08:00

"No power of hell,
No scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand."

-"In Christ Alone"

Time For Change...

2011-12-06T15:36:00.001-08:00

"...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14

There is a time and a season for everything.

"...And he changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings...." -Daniel 2:21-22

I cannot turn back...

2011-12-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

"Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." - Luke 9:23

What would you be willing to let go of as a sacrifice in order to follow, learn, and experience the ways of God? A competitive athlete seeking to get on 'another level' would not think twice when asked to cut out certain foods, unhealthy influences, activities, etc. Hungry for change, determined athletes can no longer be found at the popular weekend spots. They are no longer interested in partying, barhopping or the club atmosphere. Instead, they are eagerly developing the essential skills needed for their 'change' to manifest. Unheard-of experiences and intensive practices fill up their days and their nights, inching them closer to their breakthroughs with each adventure.

Experiencing God on 'another level' closely follow these athletes' strong determination. Higher spiritual levels can only be achieved with spiritual exercises, sacrifice, and most importantly by His grace.

He alone--Christ Jesus--is worth it. There is no turning back.

He Makes All Things New...

2011-09-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” - Revelation 21:5

He's done something amazingly NEW in my life, and without Him this chapter would have never closed.

On to the next one.

I AM not of this world...

2011-07-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

This vicious, cruel, and unkind world reassures me daily: I am not of this world.

A world where "love thy neighbor" goes in one ear and out the other.

Driven by greed, envy and hatred,

Close friends, and even blood seek to destroy, ruin, and end each other's lives.

Their proud lips boast in their lie as they form conspiracies, and engage in evil plots and schemes.

"Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it," He assured me.

That former close friend. Those acquaintances. Those blood relatives.

They do not comprehend.

They belong to this world.

Open Your Eyes Young One...

2011-06-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Deep down you know it's wrong.
Can't you see?
He created you for good.
Not to kill, steal and destroy.
Not to bring others down in order to rise up.
Open your eyes young one.
Your friends. Your co-workers. Your significant others stay blinded
As you manipulate, plot and continue your evil schemes.
Deep down, you wish they hadn't led you down this evil path.
Good news.
It's not too late.
Repent.
Don't wait until all is exposed.
Trust.
He exposes all.

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." -John 3:20

Been A Long Time Coming...

2011-05-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Can I get a "Hallelujah" or an "Amen" in this house? Fellow Hopkins alum, Dr. Thomas, wrapped up the festivities with a prayer then a celebratory toast followed via my older brother, Oye. It's been a long time coming! Some actually thought I had been finished for some time now; I just got sick and tired of constantly being asked, "Are you finished yet?" so it was easier to just go along with what everyone was hoping for, or wanting to hear rather than going into details about why I was "taking my sweet time" to complete my program.

2006 was the year I thought I'd be dancing across the stage; waving to my family and friends as they cheered along with other proud parents and students from the bleacher stands. Oh well. I have gladly accepted having the year 2011 inked up on my 'almost-decade-long' awaited diploma. God had other plans.

Acquaintances, friends and even family (didn't and) don't really know of the struggles I endured in the past nine years to get to this point in my life. As the majority of my friends were graduating and moving on towards their career goals, every area of my life had collapsed and mainly due to this incident which severely impacted me for seven dormant years.

God stretched forth His right hand and pulled me out of the hellish dark pit that I had dangerously plummeted into. As He dusted me off and covered my nakedness, the door reopened; allowing the spirit of hope to revisit, enter, and this time around grow firmly and mightily into my heart.

"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing." -Isaiah 43:18

Afflictions (will always) arise in life and they will make you, break you, or kill you. Mine almost killed me, but I thank God for His grace that kept me alive and able to receive the closure that I desperately sought. It took nine years, but I finally did it: B.A. in Psychological and Brain Sciences from the Johns Hopkins University. Thanks to everyone who traveled far and near to make it out for my big day. Lookout for an unexpected comeback.

I Present to you, the Fajobi Family:

Quitters Never Win. Winners Never Quit...

2011-02-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

My heart beats this passion--its manifestation takes over.

Unbearable excitement. I can't contain it. I must share...

They plant seeds of doubt.

My heart remembers their words: "do you really think you can do that?," "do you feel as if you are good at this?" and even worse "I don't see you doing that..."

My mind absorbs His words: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)

Can't Stop. Won't Stop. I brush them (their comments) off.

"For [He has] armed me with strength for the battle..." (Psalm 18:39)

Armed With A New Strength...

2011-02-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

The David in me has been empowered to kill off every Goliath standing in my way...

Art Work by Themico

I'm Fearless in 2011.

Chapter Closed. Moving On...

2011-01-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

"You Intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." -Genesis 50:20

It's like O.J Simpson. He didn't learn his lesson the first time around. In 1994 he thought he could secretly get away with murder. It appeared as if he did, yet, God had other plans. Come 2007, O.J got himself into more trouble foolishly believing that he was invincible with the power to do as he pleased. Now he finds himself sentenced up to 33 long years of prison. What can we learn from O.J? Everything evil done in secret will eventually expose itself at the right time: God's perfect timing. Though it took over ten years for people to see who the real O.J is, he eventually was caught by trapping his own self with his own evil deeds. The wrath of God is worse than any vengeance a human could place on one another. Just as He foretold in Psalm 9:

"[They] have sunk down in the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked [are] snared in the work of [their] own hands."

It's like King Balak of Moab. Dude hired Balaam to put a curse on God's people. While the King thought Balaam was using sorcery to place a curse on the Israelites, it turned out, by the grace of God, that each intended curse produced great blessings upon His people. God never leaves his children alone, again, He blesses those who bless us and He curses those who curse us.

The choice is yours. Light. Dark. Love. Hate. Good. Evil. There is no grey area.

I 'Still' Forgive You...

2011-01-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."- Gandhi

Life is a test broken down into multiple, many times frustrating, pop quizzes. There always comes a time where someone will offend, possibly hurt and even betray you. Your reaction is the key to passing. Nobody said that it was going to be easy, heck, it took me roughly seven years to forgive this girl. This past year I've tried my best to distance myself from gossip for multiple reasons: a) nothing good comes from it, b) it is not edifying and does not benefit either party involved nor the individual being gossiped about and c) it disguises itself as innocent fun when in fact it's a dark pit just waiting for you to fall right in. Gossip, and being influenced by other gossipers, has gotten me into trouble a few times in the past which taught me an unforgettable lesson that I greatly cherish to this day.

Gossip and forgiveness. What do these two have in common? I've observed acquaintances and other friends' friendships dissolve over the years because of it. It starts off with a friend doing some kind of wrong, but instead of confronting him/her about it, they begin to gossip, talking frivolously with no care in the world, divulging every secret they were once entrusted to. Fast forward --all hell breaks loose-- and you've got yourself a war amongst one time best friends. The shocking part about these broken friendships is how easy it is to talk badly to others about this supposed friend once offended. Wounded feelings produce a loose tongue; now your best friend has become your enemy.

One thing I find quite amusing is when people tell me they cannot forgive someone for something that they have once done, if not multiple times, to another person. It's easy for us to condemn someone but hard to forgive. A lesson that I know comes up a lot in the lives of the ones who are unwilling to forgive is that later in their years they tend to find themselves in a tight corner where they have done something so detestable that now they are put in the same position where someone refuses to forgive them. If you cannot forgive others, why then must anyone ever forgive you for your wrongs. No one is perfect; it is quite evident that we are all just flesh, merely human beings that make mistakes, if not on a regular basis. In the Bible, there is scripture that I ignored for so long, even sometimes laughing at it because I didn't see it as something I could possibly ever do:

"Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'" - Matthew 18: 21-22

I then realized how important this message is. Forgiveness does not mean that you have to become best friends with the person that has hurt you. Forgiveness is when you have let go of all the internalized torment attached to the event that took place. When you decide to no longer self-destruct with intense anger and frustration, which in fact is doing more harm to yourself than to the other person, that is when you have applied the act of forgiveness. I cannot even count how many times those who I considered close friends, would talk behind my back, gossip about me to other friends or acquaintances, not knowing that word would get back to me. I've been deserted by friends, abandoned by those who I once trusted, the list goes on, yet, I have still forgiven. I am no angel; I too have struggled with forgiveness but it's quite a beautiful thing when put into action. Some of the so-called offenses that I've heard from others against those they are upset with are so petty that I try my best not to explode out of frustration after hearing about them. I think back on serious offenses that happen to others around the world; child molestation, incest due to rape from a relative, torture and abuse from a parent or even the unthinkable, coldblooded murder. These are serious offenses that, if those victims were to hear these simple matters of pettiness deemed 'offensive,' it would be considered a laughing matter in their eyes.

Then I had to take a step back and realize, again, we are all just simple human beings. Offenses come in different forms and on multiple levels. One may think something is offensive, while the other is wondering "what exactly did this person do to you that was so bad?" It is just out of experience that I believe forgiveness is something that needs to be mastered by all regardless of the offense. A few days ago I posted this quote: "What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time." This quote I carry dear to to my heart; I made it a point to finally let my pain end and move on with my life. Unfortunately, certain individuals have not learned from their past actions, they continue to practice evil while living a double life. These individuals happen to have taken away seven years of my life, and sadly, think they are capable of affecting the remaining years to come. I say to you all again, forgiveness is a beautiful thing. I still forgive her and all those that were involved; her accomplices. Just like Jesus said when He was dying on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Let us all make it a point to let go of past hurt: "Forgive and Let Live."

He Communicates. I Write...

2011-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." -Psalm 45:1

For over seven years, I was struggling, trying to find a purpose in my life. My heart has always yearned for those who suffer; those without a voice; those who continue to face corruption, seeking for a way out. Hope is a beautiful thing, without it, one can be lost. My parents always told me to "keep hope alive" when I was going through my tough times. I'd just roll my eyes and say, "easier said than done." I was a lost child, in fact, very lost; but thank God I am found. Never did I know that God can communicate, never did I know He had a voice. His voice is sweet like honey; you just can't get enough once He speaks love and encouragement into your ears. I sound like someone who is in love; someone that found "the one" and just can't keep their mouth shut. Well not only did I find "the one," He's found me. Don't get it twisted; I didn't say I'm not planning on marrying one day, but I just can't stop thinking about Him.

Never did I think I'd become one of "those" people. I remember how I used to react when acquaintances would throw Jesus in my face; every word would be God this and God that. I remember those who'd tell me I'm going to hell if I didn't get baptized; that if I did so and so, I'd be punished for all eternity. Well, this is my message for those "kinds" of people: Don't scare everyone away from the good news of Jesus Christ by telling others what they can and cannot do. Don't condemn someone for past mistakes. As a Christian one should kindly offer help and guidance; love for others should be our first priority. Check out Luke 6:42:

"Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye." (NKJV)

I think back at the times when someone tried to correct me for my lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, behind closed doors they were not practicing what they were preaching. Set an example, then those who have been "chosen" will follow. I kept my mouth shut for so long, I have not yet fully shared my struggles with anyone nor have had the courage to do so until I realized that everything that happened to me was for a purpose. God has called me to use my pain to help others; the time will soon come when I will be able to fully glorify God through my life; I will speak up and share my story when 'that' time comes. This is not just a year of unexpected comebacks; I believe that through my story, you will really begin to understand how important it is to have and cherish God in your life. Don't let anyone deter you from the awesomeness of God, instead, why don't you challenge yourself? Take some time out of your busy life; commit a year to getting to know God and believe me you will start to see the results: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." If you want to know if the Holy Trinity truly exists, start communicating and He will answer.

My Testimony...

2011-01-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

"...and I can't help but give You glory when I think about my story, and I know you favored me because my enemies did try but couldn't triumph over me. Yes they did try but couldn't triumph over me."-Hezekiah Walker, "God Favored Me"

This is the song I used to ring in the New Year. Again, 2011 is mine to conquer...

I AM that I AM...

2011-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

"What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time." -Nahum 1:9

2011 is my year to Conquer.

2011 Is Mine To Conquer...

2011-01-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

"I got to keep on moving." - P. Diddy, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down

2011 Resolutions

1. Finish reading the entire Bible (old and new testament) - No longer reading the New Living Translation that I bought around Easter 2010; Switched over to the New King James Version.

2. Keep God as my #1 --this will be the first year that I begin a New Year as a genuine follower of the Holy Trinity-- everything and everyone else comes second

3. Try new restaurants and cook new foods

4. Check ten things off my bucket list

5. Make a comeback

A "Quality" Birthday Gift...

2010-12-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

Pizza. Brownies. Simon Says. Duck-duck-goose. What better way to celebrate a birthday than with kids. This year's was low-key. My mother and I spent my entire birthday together, then the celebration continued on to the next day with the kids that come to my Church for our ESOL program (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I started volunteering for the ESOL ministry last year, helping out at times, when I was in the area. Originally, I wanted to be one of the teachers; I later discovered that the ministry was geared towards teaching adults instead of children. I was bummed out. I wanted to focus on the children, mainly because I thought I would have had more of an influence on them, they are indeed the future, plus I simply love kids. Regardless, I still intended on teaching. Weeks passed and somehow I ended up missing the training to become a teacher which left me with accommodating to the children of the adults in the ministry instead.

These youngsters come from all over the world. I've worked with kids from Russia and Morocco to children that come from Jewish, Christian and Muslim backgrounds. All are welcome and encouraged to be a part of this amazing program. We offer homework help, activities including crafts and games, we also fellowship with movies, dinner and desserts. It's a good time. During the holidays, some of the volunteers send out food, toys, gift baskets and other goodies to the ESOL families. These kids always put a smile on my face. They just have an innocence about them that you can't find in most adults. They bring happiness and joy on rough days and their conversations are always unique and hilarious. On Tuesday, when we were eating pizza together they were trying to figure out how old I had turned. From their random guesses of 100 years to the young age of 14; I had to hint with shouts of "higher" and "lower" before the guessing game had come to an end. One year has flown by so fast. As I get older, I am learning to put more quality into my days. Spending it by helping others is a gift within itself.

Children make the World go round...

She was my biggest challenge since October. She finally warms up to me on this day. Great birthday gift.

Getting ready to play some games

The perfect baby. She never cries and enjoys hugs. As you can see she wouldn't let go of my hand.

Roger and his sister Gracie

Sandy had enough with the movie so she decided chilling on the table would be more fun.

The highlight of my day was playing duck-duck-goose with the kids:

(video: 11.30.2010)

Two Girls. Same Birthday...

2010-11-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

On November 29, 1984 Washington DC welcomed two precious girls into the world, coincidentally, in the same hospital. These two girls crossed paths eighteen years later where their lives changed forever. From inseparable friends to frienemies; it didn't take too long to realize their differences greatly outweighed their similarities resulting in an unforgettable, life-altering betrayal....

Fast forward twenty-six years later.

It is now November 29, 2010, seven years since the incident happened to me. Seven years it took to genuinely forgive this girl. Seven years had to pass to understand that all the suffering was for a good cause. Seven years of struggle and hardship had to occur to develop my faith and build my character. What could have been done to dramatically impact seven years of my life? Lets just say it was a life threatening situation that undoubtedly gave me my proof for the Holy Trinity. I was saved by the grace of God and my testimony is still a work in progress. The time is coming very soon. Believe me when He said "nothing is covered that will not be exposed, and all that is secret will be made known to all." My gift to the birthday girl is this message from God: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." He will bless those that bless me and he will curse those that curse me. Happy 26th Birthday to Us. I forgive you.

Thank You...

2010-11-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

I've always claimed Thanksgiving to be my favorite holiday mainly because my birthday usually lies on the same weekend as this very important tradition. Back in Nigeria Thanksgiving is not observed once a year; it's a common celebration which occurs regularly. I remember asking one of my cousins if he celebrated Thanksgiving and the tone in his response translated to "Duh!!! What type of question is that?". In Nigeria Thanksgiving is celebrated weekly, if not daily. Our Culture reflects on giving thanks often and consistently which is a beautiful thing.

There is not enough words to express my gratitude for my spiritual growth at this very moment. I still have a lot to learn but it's quite a huge step from where I started. It was summer 2010 that I decided to leave my old life behind and figure out what God is truly about. I also wanted to understand more about the Holy Trinity and make a full commitment about being a Christian once and for all. I've grown past the "where's the scientific proof" phase; I no longer cared for the opinions of the hardened hearts. It was time to seek and finally be found.

Ohhhh, the amazing things God can do! Again, words can't express them. I had doubts about God all throughout my life. People asked "what religion are you?" My response: "Uhhh, I guess Christian?" How can someone guess what spiritual path they choose to follow? I didn't choose to be a Christian; I just assumed I was one because of my parents. It is only when you choose to follow and willingly pursue Him with an honest open heart that you will get the proof you may or may not have been looking for. I sought after God for a real relationship and the rest is history.

Through Him I am thankful for the struggles I've faced and conquered. The amazing Helen Keller expressed it well:

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

Through Him I am certain that anything and everything is possible and that my life-story is a solid reminder of that. Through Him I learned to pray. Hit rock-bottom and you may start to realize Prayer is the best thing since sliced bread. I know because I had to hit the lowest of lows to experience the awesomeness of the Holy Trinity. I have never had so many answered prayers until now and surely that is a blessing that I am greatly thankful for.


Maureen, who I've known since elementary school, is more like family than a best friend.

Overall this month of November has been great to me. I spent time with old friends from high school. I still feel like a kid when I see them. I am always tempted to pinch their cheeks and gush about their grown-up status while they look at me with crazy eyes. Visiting my hometown and old neighborhood brought back great memories. I've reflected on all the God-fearing individuals that were brought into my life this year at the right time always for a purpose and to steer me a long the right path. I've happily gained about five pounds eating and not caring where the weight falls; I tend to eat a lot during my birth month then lose it once the weather gets warmer. Life is good and it's only because I am learning every day to stay positive throughout any difficulties that come my way. Of course, I could not end this without pictures of food. Enjoy:

Saying that I ate well is an understatement

Maureen, her hubby-to-be Micheal and I swapped towns Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. They spent Friday with me playing Mario Kart, eating good food, scrumptious desserts and drinking good wine from Magnolias. These two were meant for each other and I can only thank God that I am a part of their lives.

Maureen's Dish; Spinach Ravioli

Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (first time eating brussels sprouts)

I encouraged the thumbs up poses lol. Mike's dish was also on the Special

Maureen wanted to fit-in with the thumbs up crew haha

Mike and I picked the best desserts on the Special. Thumbs up to that.

Pure deliciousness. Warm Snickerdoodle oozing with caramel and ice cream.

End bullying...

2010-11-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

Update (1.5.2012) - My old self from November of 2010, and my newly transformed self of today, do not completely come into agreement with this blog post and article that I had written. My take on religion has completely changed, along with a few (which I will share in a future blog) of my opinions I shared on this blog. Let's just say that I was not yet mature in the way I expressed my views, nor in my writing (practice and humility makes improvement). But I'll keep this one up, along with certain past blog posts that I would have written a lot differently, so I can watch and see my writing transform throughout the years. Enjoy.

The insane amount of suicides by children world-wide makes me so upset. I felt like I had to write about it so I used the JHU News-Letter as an outlet. In my opinion the way the article was edited makes the passion in my voice die down a bit in some areas. I am all for my writing being edited but I'm not a fan of statements being cut out or my sentences being reworded to not sound like my voice, especially towards the end of my article. Gandhi wasn't even mentioned! I recently watched a movie based on his life; I don't agree with all things Gandhi, but he makes some great points about loving one another.I do agree that editing needed to be done, especially areas that are repetitive. Some of my wording was not used correctly when edited, like when I mentioned Islam. I've got Muslim family, I've got Agnostic family as well, I just happen to be Christian, and a practicing Christian as of this year . One day I'll write and speak about that journey; my life story proves that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is 100% real. To get back on topic, this article is focused more on love than religion. Cutting out my opinionated statements defeats the purpose of it being an "Opinion based article." Oh well, you live and you learn. Anything wrong with mentioning John Lennon? Though he might have been an Atheist, could be wrong, his message was on loving one another, that's all. Here is my original article before editing (one may think the differences are minor but if you look at the wording in some of my sentences, especially towards the ending, the edited version doesn't flow the way I had hoped for it to and the sentence structure is completely ruined. Lesson learned: I will not be writing anymore articles for the JHU News-letter. At times, I think I pay a little too much attention to detail, it could be something I need to work on lol, but in this situation I think I'm right):

Is it Really That Hard to be Kind to One Another?

It’s simple right. You hear it all the time. The Golden Rule is to treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s not rocket science. With all the recent suicides and bullying occurring world-wide and reports circulating in the media, common sense on how we treat one another doesn’t seem so common these days. It devastates me that I continue to hear reports of elementary aged children attempting and succeeding in suicide. We’ve got middle school children hanging themselves, high school students drowning their sorrows and college aged students jumping to their deaths all because of how we treat one another.

Unfortunately there are many that simply don’t understand these basic principles, from children in the playground to adults in the work place. Maybe these individuals weren’t shown love by their parents growing up or they may have possibly been abused or bullied repeatedly that all they know is to pay back what was brought upon them. It is a fact that our behavior to one another can be misguided by social factors as well as possible medical conditions. Brain damage could act as a factor as well as a mental health illness such as Conduct Disorder. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Conduct Disorder identifies individuals who typically get into trouble that have behavioral and emotional problems. The behavior may stem from certain factors such as “child abuse, genetic vulnerability, school failure, and traumatic life experiences.”

The Baltimore Sun reported in April of 2010 that a third grade student attempted to jump out of a window in school because a bully would continually knock her crutches to the floor while she was walking. This child lives with cerebral palsy which made her stand out from her other classmates. CBS reported in January of 2010 that a 9-year old boy was found hanging in his elementary school bathroom due to constant bullying. My emphasis is on children because I believe that is where we are in dire need of action. This does not dismiss the recent tragedies of individuals such as Phoebe Prince, who may have committed suicide due to cyber bullying, and mental health issues that needed to be addressed, as well as Tyler Clementi’s struggle with his roommate due to his sexuality. Their tragic deaths as well as many other recent suicides have been buzzing around the net lately. World-wide, there are way too many articles and news reports regarding tragic deaths due to how we treat one another.

The basic question that needs to be answered is what can be done for us to simply get a long? Didn’t John Lennon sing about love and peace in the world; “Imagine all the people living life in peace.” We even had Gandhi, born a Hindu, expressing that he sees himself as Muslim, a Jew and a Christian simply because he wanted people to treat each other with love and respect and not focus on our differences. If you take a good look at religious beliefs, all of the major religions have one major principle in common which the Dalai Lama states quite eloquently; “every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people’s suffering. On these lines every religion had more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal.”

Christianity states to love your neighbor as yourself and do to others as you would have them do to you. Judaism expresses that whatever is hateful to you do not do to your fellowman. Islam says that as a Muslim, they are not considered a true believer of God unless they love another as they love themselves and Buddhism reveals that we should not hurt others the way that we would find hurtful to ourselves. I am a proud Christian that gets a long with individuals from a very diverse background. I am not here to debate whether there is a God or not. I am simply trying to address the fact that regardless of someone’s ethnicity, being an Atheist or Agnostic, religious or non-religious, heterosexual or homosexual, having a physical or mental disability; any single individual that is breathing the same air that we are currently breathing, should all be treated with love and respect. We need to find common ground in how we can respect each others differences. This does not require compromising ones belief or religious values; everyone has the free will to believe what they want to believe. The truth is, regardless of any opinion or belief, no single human being should ever feel so alone and distraught to the point where they think killing themselves is the only option. We must challenge ourselves daily to treat others as we would treat ourselves.

Resources:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, http://aacap.org/

Bullying, suicide attempt reported at elementary school: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-04-27/news/bs-ci-school-bullying-20100427_1_bullying-suicide-attempt-gilmor-elementary

Boy, 9, Found Hanged in Texas School: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/22/national/main6130070.shtml

The Golden Rule in World Religions: http://www.teachingvalues.com/goldenrule.html

My First American Wedding...

2010-10-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2010 was a special day for tons of lovebirds around the world. This particular date is a once in a century chance if you think about it. Apparently over 30,000 couples tied the knot in the US and reportedly another 30,000+ became newlyweds in the UK. 10.10.10 meant something to all kinds of individuals, not just couples. I know that some Churches sought out this day as a prophetic one. Regardless, you won't see me married on 11.11.11 or 12.12.12, it'll happen when it happens, haha. I did in fact catch the bride's bouquet so "apparently" it'll be happening sooner than later (another haha). They called all the single ladies to the front; I was not planning on going up but my parents insisted that I take center stage with the rest of the singles. Are my parents trying to tell me something? Anyways, I went up to the front where the other girls/women were gathering. They were all so hopeful and determined so I decided the nice thing to do would be to politely let them down easy. I'm not a cocky one but at the time I thought removing their false-hopes was a kind gesture lol. I told them all that I used to run track back in the day and that I was a long jumper; "therefore I will out-jump all of you and catch that bouquet." They just laughed and didn't take me seriously. So I figured, all talk no action doesn't really prove anything so let me just show them. They were all taller than me but I didn't let that stop me. Before you know it, the bride swings those flowers in the air and they end up in my hands. 'Twas a great day for my first American wedding.

Outside the Reception Area

The Bride and Groom

Sunset Hills Vineyard

Reception Inside @ Sunset Hills Vineyard

The Groom and his Twin Sons

The Bride's Bouquet sitting pretty on my desk

Oh Nigeria...

2010-09-30T22:59:00.001-07:00

We've had our Ups and Downs.
Oh Nigeria...
You've changed my life around completely.
Oh Nigeria...
Sometimes I want to give up on you
but I'll continue to Pray that the corruption will end.
Oh Nigeria....
The time shall come when I will tell the world the impact you've had on the past 7 years of my life.

Happy 50th Birthday.
October 1, 1960 you became free from the UK,
October 1, 2010 I am completely free from...

"25 times 2 plus 1"...

2010-09-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Another year has gone. September is coming to an end. One more Tuesday flew by and a new Birthday is celebrated. This birthday was quite different from all the others; I simply just spent the entire day with my mom following her wherever the car led us. The plan was to keep her company for the entire day, literally the entire day all the way up til midnight. My mom's a simple gal, she doesn't splurge on herself and she's always thinking about others first. I told her to give me a couple years when I'm financially equipped to spoil her regularly the way she ought to be. Since we decided that we are going to spend our entire birthdays with each other while I'm still around, I won't be jamming to my favorite songs at any bars/lounges this year. Dancing can be done any weekend. I want to spend as much time with my mom before I move, so instead, I've got something more exciting planned.

I'm spending part of my birthday this year pampering my mother. I'll be indulging the woman that took the liberty to pop my stubborn head out of her. Seeing that I am way more extroverted than she is, I will also be checking a 'few' things off my bucket list as well. Okay, enough about me. The day was well spent, we both learned a lot from each other and discovered new things in relation to God and our lives. Now today due to my creative thinking and ideas (had to add that in there haha), my older bro surprised my mom with the awesomeness known as "Legal Seafoods" delivered right to our door. What can I say, my older bro has a soft spot for the lady, he's always gathering us Fajobi kids together to plan what we're going to do for her on her special days. The food came in a box with instructions and a prep guide, pretty easy directions for me to cook. So this is how her extended-birthday went via pictures....

The Food Arrives...

Time to Cook...

Time to Eat...

Lobster, Crabcake, Clam Chowder, Boston Cream Pie and Red Wine...

The Stuffed Birthday Girl...

Divine Appointments...

2010-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Divine appointments are in some ways similar to 'coincidences' but are really situations that occur which are inspired by God. Do you ever find yourself in the right place at the right time and it also has some relation to what is currently going on in your life? Maybe you're looking for answers that you know your friends or family cannot answer, or a new career or job, an idea of what's the next step to take in life, and so on. Well, this has happened to me several times now in the past few months. God seems to put people and opportunities in my life when I need them or to help answer my questions. I want to make one thing clear; God isn't some genie that grants wishes whenever you want something. It is when you faithfully believe in God that you start to realize all the good things working in your life, and then you can be certain that these blessings must be coming from God himself. I am willing to share a few examples of my divine appointments with all of you.

This summer, I was struggling with what career path I wanted to take. What's next? Google is one of my best friend's, I can usually rely on Google for anything but it's not going to help me figure out what I want to do with my life. I have so many interests that it's hard to pinpoint one

specific field, I tend to want to do everything. Well, I started to pray about it. I was pretty consistent, even when I didn't get an answer. I went to church one Sunday in the summer and ended up going to the Prayer Room. I bumped into two individuals who had later told me that they had been praying that morning for another girl to join their summer class. One of the ladies in the room asked me if I wanted to join her class which she was teaching for girls in their youth (high school to college). I was hesitant, I thought to myself how could I relate to a bunch of younger girls. After a couple weeks I decided to go. Why not? It's not going to hurt, might as well try.

The first day of class the lady ends up giving each girl, including myself, a copy of the book "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell and other free materials to help get this program started. The structure for the course was odd to me (as a new Christian I wasn't used to any of this), with tons of prayer and testimonies in the beginning of the course then a DVD lecture and discussions about the book material. At the time I didn't really hang out with Christians, or should I say "real Christians," so it was a totally different experience for me. There are different levels of being a Christian, but I won't get into that today.

Through the experience, I learned something new, that I wasn't praying properly and that there are better and more beneficial ways to pray in which God will definitely hear you. Through the people I met I was able to pinpoint what career path I wanted to take. One of the girls' Uncles had bipolar disorder; he committed suicide and refused to take medication or receive any help. Another girl's grandmother had multiple personality disorder and ended up in a mental ward, the reason for her being well and alive today is because of her knowledge of God's words. Another girl was struggling with bulimia and had attended Sheppard Pratt, which has an amazing neuropsychiatry program, in Baltimore. Obviously it doesn't take a genius to see what all of these girls have in common and how this narrowed my decision on what I had been searching for so long.

My church offers tons of free classes pertaining to the bible. I took that along with this first class in the summer, and through the second class I met a man who told me about his mother and her mental illness. He also linked me up to a guy at Johns Hopkins Medical School who happens to be a Christian that also has a strong passion for the sciences. Dude is pursuing four degrees, MD/PhD at Johns Hopkins Medical School, MHS (Masters in Health Science) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a MA in Religion at a school in DC. Go Big or Go Home!!!! That's all I can say about that one. I already had an interest in mental health, just wasn't sure if that was the path I wanted to take. It looks to me like it is; I'll be pursuing the Mental Health field with more attention to children with mental disorders.

God can also give you signs, or let you know that he's listening. I posted an article on my Google Reader in May about a young girl, Katie Washington, who happens to be the first black valedictorian that Notre Dame has ever known. Not only that, but she was granted a full scholarship worth about $500,000 plus a stipend to cover housing and living expenses. Yes, half a million dollars, I did not mistype those zeros. She is taking part of an eight year joint M.D.-Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins in its medical scientist training program. Though I don't know the girl, you've got to be happy when someone is successful and doing well, and it doesn't hurt when your school is involved, haha. All I remember is telling my parents and a couple of friends how great this girl is and how proud her parents must be of her; everyone in her family are doctors/nurses or in the medical field pretty much.

I've been trying to figure out if Graduate School is my next step, so obviously I've been praying about it. Yesterday I was at the Hopkins Medical Campus and what do you know, Katie Washington is right next to me talking to some guy. I looked at her face and I said to myself, "this girl looks so familiar." It took me a few seconds to realize it's the girl that was blasted all over the Internet, all over the papers and news for all of her academic accomplishments. I figured it wouldn't hurt to say hello. So I did, and as expected, she's a lovely girl doing big things. That was my sign for what's next for me. I've got a lot of work ahead of me but it's all good because I've got God on my side.

What A Summer...

2010-09-03T22:47:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an Angel of Light

This world we live in is filled with all kinds of people;

Genuine, Authentic, God-sent, Amazing, Encouragers, Loving, Caring,

Negative, Pessimistic, Jealous, False, Two-Faced, Pretenders, HATERS...

With God on my side, I'm good to go!

What A Summer :)

Ki lo de Super Eagles???...

2010-06-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ki lo de? Ah-ah!!! Ha, you see that face to your left. That is my confused-angered-why so serious?- face! I am quite upset at the moment. Nigeria is no longer in the running for the World Cup. They lost their third game in a row for goodness sakes. What happened to Nigeria? We used to be so good! Well at least I can still cheer on the US. That's one benefit about being Nigerian-American; I have two teams to cheer for. I was really pulling for Nigeria. Oh well, we got the next four years to look forward to.

That reminds me, I found out that I have a cousin who plays for the Nigerian Soccer Team. That's quite exciting! I'll cross my fingers that he gets to play at the next World Cup or the upcoming Olympics. The 2012 Olympics is coming soon to London... Yay! Maybe Nigeria can redeem themselves over there. I'm really looking forward to that summer; that's the one summer that I must be in London. I'm not really a big fan of the mascot they chose for the London Olympics but I'll give South Africa props on the cutest cartoon Leopard that I've ever seen. Go USA! Win so I have something to be proud of, haha.

Daddy's Day...

2010-06-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to say Happy Father's Day to all of my Uncles in London and Nigeria. Now to the main event... my Daddy's Day! My dad's a strong-minded, extremely hard-working and go-getter type of guy. He didn't have the opportunity to know his father due to an early death when my dad was a baby, I think he was around one or two. Thankfully I have that opportunity. If I had half of his knowledge, motivation and courage to never give up no matter what, I definitely would have been more successful at 25. There's always 26. Plus, I too, never will give up.

Imagine leaving your home to travel to a foreign land with no friends, acquaintances, or people to rely on but yourself. My dad left Nigeria and came to America to live the American-Dream. It definitely was not easy. You cannot become successful without hard work unless you sell your soul to the Devil. Obviously we don't roll that way, we rely on God for any success. My dad taught me what it means to have opportunities, the importance of education and to never take this life for granted. Cheers to you Daddy for a job well done.

So today I decided to cook up a storm for three important daddies in my life: my own dad of course; my neighbor and one of my dad's best friends. The menu included Cheddar and Herb Biscuits, Homemade Potato Salad, Island Shrimp and Pineapple Skewer with Rum Butter Sauce, Peach-Mustard Pork Chops, and dessert would have been a Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler. Too bad I never got to it, haha. I literally took forever to make this and needed my Mom's help to make the Potato Salad. I tried though, the rest I made myself. I got too caught up on time that I wasn't able to take pics of some of the food but you get the point:

Gotta love Hallmark

Getting ready to put the miniature biscuits in the oven but first must brush the tops with butter

The Shrimp and Pineapple marinated in lime juice, olive oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes before I skewered them

I wrapped the Shrimp in Proscuitto before skewering them

Pounded the Chops then seasoned with corn oil, salt and pepper before making the Peach-Mustard BBQ sauce

My Plate

My neighbor's son surprised me with a balloon ,haha cute.

Get Back Up Again...

2010-06-15T02:57:00.000-07:00

"Never take your own revenge, but rather give place unto the wrath. For it is written vengeance is mine, I will repay (Romans 12:19)…

All those that wish bad upon you are wishing bad upon themselves.

All those that are hoping for your failure are accepting failure upon themselves.

Your enemies may be having the time of their lives for now

but don't fret, God sees the future.

Smile not only in the best of times but also in the worst of times. Why?

For it is written. Huge Blessings are sure to come.

"I will bless those that bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse."

-Genesis 12:3

Reconnecting with Food...

2010-06-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Food is awesome. I really think I would be set in life with just food, a passport, my tennis racket, chapstick and God. Well not entirely, I'd probably have to add in friends, family and love. When I say food, I'm talking access to every ingredient possible, all kinds of cooking utensils, and every and anything that pertains to food. I sometimes cannot fall asleep because I'm daydreaming about certain foods I'd like to cook, bake or buy. This usually only occurs once a month during that special time for ladies, ha. Anyways...

Ever since graduating from high school and moving out of the town I practically grew up in, I've had less and less contact with classmates and old friends. It's always great bumping into other individuals from high school or reconnecting and finding out the great things going on in their lives. Katie, who I've known since middle school (7th grade), and I had the chance to reconnect this weekend. Everybody from my high school is spread out all over Northern Virginia or decided to leave their roots behind and populated in other big cities. It was Katie's first time visiting my neighborhood in the "country." I kind of miss living close to DC but I've grown to enjoy the peace and quiet. I'd rather chill with the deer and horses in the neighborhood at the moment. Katie is the first person that has really sat down and ate my food other than my parents and her reviews were great. I'm not just saying that to say it haha. My menu included recipes from The Food Network which consisted of an Asian grilled Salmon, Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers and Asparagus.

The Stuffing included rice, onions, spinach, zucchini, ground beef, tomatoes, feta cheese and seasoning:

This Salmon was delicious, especially the sauce...

The "happy eater"

The Purpose Driven Life...

2010-06-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

"Who are you going to live for? What are you going to build your life around? You can center your life around your career, your family a sport or hobby, money, having fun, or many other activities. These are all good things, but they don't belong at the center of your life. None is strong enough to hold you together when life starts breaking apart. You need an unshakable center." -Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

I purchased "The Purpose Driven Life" years ago after watching Oprah promote the book on her television show. After reading several pages I closed the book and never returned to it until this year. When I bought the book I wasn't aware of the fact that it's a Christian themed book. I was simply just trying to figure out what all the hype was about plus I needed more direction in my life. Once I started reading it I jumped to an early conclusion that it wasn't for me. I literally left that book alone for years.

Well, I finally decided to finish and completed my last chapter a couple days ago. The book entails 40 chapters full of wisdom and knowledge you probably couldn't think up on your own. This newly acquired information was not appealing at first but eventually started to grow on me. This also led me to purchase a new Bible. I've had bibles in my room since I was a kid but I never willingly opened it to read out of it because I had no interest nor believed in any of it. A little before Easter this year, I purchased this huge bible with English that five year olds can even comprehend. I needed something without all the "thy(s)," "thee(s)" and "thou(s)" and sentences that made some sense, haha. I initially thought I was the only one having trouble understanding the bible but a lot of people aren't really into the King James Version either (there are multiple versions that aren't too clear.

I was never really interested in Christianity due to some of the negative stories I'd hear about such as Catholic Priests molesting young boys or Pastors using church money from the church-goers to buy Bentleys and Ferraris. I had no interest in attending Church with individuals who only come for "show" dressed up and playing make-believe for one day out of the week, yet they were committing vicious acts on a regular basis (this is a general statement referring to really bad individuals that go to church). I also had no interest in socializing with the uppity all-mighty Christians who preached to everyone they were going to Hell yet they were hypocrites not practicing a single word that came out of their mouths. The fact that there are over 20,000 different denominations of Christianity doesn't make it easier for me either. For this reason I'm not too fond of "religion" but more interested in the way people treat and act towards each other. I will say that I do choose to believe in Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. To each their own. I've stopped caring about who attends church or what other people do in regards to the Church, it's not like I go to Church every Sunday plus God is the one that sees everything, not me. If there were less judgmental Christians that didn't throw the Bible in other peoples faces, and instead tried to lead by example, I'm sure more people would be willing to listen to a lot of the positive things associated with Christianity. Hypocrisy at it's best are Catholic Priests preaching against homosexuality yet behind closed doors some of them are having sex with other men. As long as people are treating others like they would treat themselves, and being kind to one another then why not just leave it to God to judge us all? Lead by example.

I understand why a lot of people shy away from Christianity; it's understandable why many do not believe a God exists especially with what's going on in our society today. Heck, a lot of Professors, Doctors, and Scientists I've interacted with don't believe in a God. Studies have shown that the more educated you are the more likely you are not going to believe in God or be associated with any organized religion. That's fine though, I'm not one to judge; I get a long with Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Atheists, Agnostics, Homosexuals, all kinds of people... you get the point. Like I said earlier, I'm less concerned with religion or labels more so than the way humans treat each other. Actions speak louder than words. Still in this generation people (from every religion including Christianity) seem to think its okay to molest, rape, murder, steal from one another, cheat on their spouses, etc. Education analyzes these situations by labeling these actions as mental dysfunctions of the brain instead of looking at the bigger picture. They say:

"Oh he just has a sexual addiction, it's no biggy..."

"Oh that lady that murdered her child the other day, she's just schizophrenic, it's fine we'll just stick her in a mental ward, she didn't know what she was doing."

I am not going to lie, I love science. I used to beg my parents for chemistry and biology sets when I was a kid. I'm all about the brain, but I think there is more to it than just studying textbooks that go into more detail about why people are the way they are. It usually takes something dramatic for individuals to realize that there is more in this world than just living day by day, making money, cooking food, having sex, popping out kids, etc...

If a day comes when you're searching for something more in life and you realize that (your) fame, money, career, popularity, material possessions are only temporary and won't mean much when you've passed away from this life then I suggest that you take a look at this book with an open mind. I believe, unfortunately, that no human being is immune to some kind of tribulation in their lifetime. The ultimate support system in life is more than being around other individuals, family and friends. Friends come and go, most if not all families are dysfunctional. Human beings naturally tend to be selfish, you can't rely on everyone to always be there for you when you want them to be, but there is a greater power that will never let you down no matter what. I'm sure one day, if not now, you'll understand what I'm talking about. God Bless.

Happy Mommy's Day...

2010-05-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Mother's day is always a great day. The older bro had the idea of surprising our mom with a couple nice gifts and I decided to cook a delicious meal for her. I've noticed in the society we live in today, lots of children, young-adults, etc. don't appreciate the parents they have. I guess nobody really knows how tough it is until you have your own. I'm really not trying to find out anytime soon but I definitely appreciate having the opportunity to be raised by such a positive role model. See I'm fully aware of the sacrifices; the fact that my mom had to "pop" my big head out of her tiny little frame makes me thankful everyday, haha. I remember that semi-rebellious stage in my life when I was younger and didn't appreciate all the great things my mother had done for me. I still remember the day that she camped out on the hospital floors for a little over a week during my surgery. She's truly my best friend, never leaving my side no matter what. I know, duh! That's what mother's are for...Right!!? I thank God everyday for having such a great mother. Enough with the sappy stuff. Check out the pics, the food turned out great!

Gotta Love Hallmark:

How do you like my paper wrapping and bow tying skills?:

Italian Chicken Saltimboca:

Three Potato Gratin (Red, White, and Sweet Potatoes):

Add a little Salad and ta-da! Finished Product:

Happy Easter...

2010-04-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I've had a few interesting things happen in my lifetime that if I were to tell most people they probably wouldn't believe it. Most individuals believe in luck and coincidences while the minority tend to believe in faith and that things happen for a reason. I strongly believe that every weird situation that occurs in any one's life time happens for a specific reason and that every person you meet in this living world was brought into your life, whether that be good or bad, for a purpose. Well, the strangest thing happened to me several months ago...

One day in December I got an email from some random guy that happens to share the same last name as myself. I've never met another Fajobi in my life other than my relatives back in Nigeria. In fact I didn't even know there were other Fajobi's in the United States, plus I assumed that anyone that shared the same last name as myself must be related to me. Well I was wrong because he definitely isn't related nor are any of the other Fajobi's in the United States.
Coincidentally (to some), this "random" guy not only shares the same last name as myself but he also shares the same exact initials as myself and my siblings. A lot of people didn't really know this but my brothers and I have the same exact initials (including our middle names). Not only does he have the same initials as the three of us but he shares the same exact middle name as my father and my older brother. WEIRD. I'm sure all of this sounds pretty confusing but I also forgot to mention that he happens to also go to the same University as myself. The only difference is that mine was for Undergraduate school and his is for Graduate school. This "random" guy is not so random anymore. He joined our family for Easter this weekend. He's practically a third brother. I call him my "brocuz" and sometimes refer to him as my "brother from another Mother." I even had to interrogate my parents to make sure he wasn't my half brother and that they hid him away from me in Nigeria, haha. This is his first time in the United States so it's actually pretty interesting learning more about my culture through him. So far I've introduced him to Croissants, Waffles, and 3D movies. In fact, he's had several "firsts" this weekend. My older bro took us out with his former college roommate to watch Avatar in 3D.
I had already seen Avatar once before but it's definitely so much better in 3D. It's pretty much a waste of money to watch it regularly. Sometimes I'd forget it was just a movie when some of the images were practically shooting right out in my face.

Typically on Easter when my brothers and I were kids my mom would hide fake eggs around the house which were filled with tons of candy. Since we're adults now and there are no longer children living in our home my mom decided to hook us up with little gift baskets full of treats. My friend hooked my family up with Hopkins key chains and some Christian books. I baked extra chocolaty brownies this weekend and filled myself up with tons of ice cream. My mom hooked the food up as usual with some baked chicken, rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes, plantains, cornbread stuffing, beef roast and some other Nigerian foods. My friend had been craving Amala or what I call "black semo" for so long so he ate that for Easter instead.

Overall this Easter was the best yet. A lot of people who claim to be Christians go on to celebrate Christmas and Easter as if it's all about candy, gifts and fun. People seem to forget what it's really all about. We should all be thankful to God for his sacrifice to all of us. We should stop to think about all the people that have come in and out of our lives. We should all be thankful for what we have in our lives and who we have in our lives. If the world was filled with less gossip, less jealousy, less vengeance, less grudges and more love and forgiveness, the world would be a better place. Imagine if God held a grudge, we'd all be screwed. Food for thought!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!

My First PlateAmala aka Black Semo

Persian New Year...

2010-03-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've been to a couple of my mom's co-workers parties in the past. When I found out that my mom's manager, Mina, was throwing a party to celebrate the Persian New Year I decided to come a long simply because it's nice to experience other cultures. It turned out to be a dual celebration; a celebration of the Iranian New Year and an engagement party for Mina's youngest daughter. The Persian New Year is apparently their biggest celebration of the year and just the beginning of other festivals to come. March 20th, which was the first day of spring, is when the celebrations began this year.

There were tons of food, desserts, and drinks. I'm surprised that I didn't take any pictures of the food; I guess I was too busy eating all of it instead. Outfits were on point, especially Mina's daughters. I was pretty under dressed but it was a last minute thing so what can you do? I still looked good, ha. My mom looked great though, coincidentally two of her other co-workers showed up in purple as well. The music was a mix of Iranian and some American club-music.

The Groom-to-be:

Towards the end of the party when the cake was about to be cut, the siblings of the groom and bride-to-be did a knife dance which is symbolic in their culture. The knife is passed around back and forth before the bride-to-be receives it. I had a tear in my eye when the older sister passed the knife to her younger sister but that was only because she started crying first. Overall the party was great and Persians definitely know how to have fun.

Sister of the Bride-to-be:

The soon to be Husband and Wife:

Dance, Dance and more Dancing...

The Knife Dance:

Meet Andy Roddick...

2010-03-12T15:09:00.001-08:00

My mom competed in track and field and my dad played tennis and soccer in Nigeria where they grew up. They were both very good athletes. Naturally my brothers and I picked up their sports. My brothers were big on track and I was first interested in playing soccer but eventually decided to run track. I didn’t know what I really wanted out of sports until a couple years after a serious injury my senior year of high school. Though I ran track, it was tennis that grew on me as the years passed. I taught myself how to play tennis by hitting around with some of the boys in our cul-de-sac where I grew up. I tried out for the tennis team my freshman year of high school and played for three years until I cracked my spine my senior year. Until the day I get pregnant and give birth I'm going to stick to saying that the injury, surgery and healing was the worst physical pain I could ever experience.

After recovering I reconnected with my tennis coach from high school, Coach Russ, and would hit with him once in a while throughout the years. I was pretty good in high school but after a while I noticed I was ten times better once I actually started to really practice and hit with other people. Last summer of 09 Coach scored some sweet tickets to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic and invited me to come along. The tickets included fully-furnished courtside suites with the option of sitting outside in the private box seats as well. The view was great, but Coach and I sat in the front row seats the majority of the matches to take better pictures.

I don’t keep up with tennis like I used to, I would say that I am more of a tennis player than a tennis fan if that makes any sense. When it comes to track and field though, I'm more of a fan than a competitor; love the sport but I don't love to run as much as I used to. Now for tennis, I love playing but don’t really pay attention to all the athletes so I didn’t know who some of the players were that were competing; it was nice having Coach explain some of the things I needed to work on while watching the players foot work though. First match was a doubles tournament; it was so much more interesting watching it all live and really breaking down the techniques in person. I didn’t realize how much I was missing out on. Next match was a semi-finals tournament between Juan Martin del Porto and Fernando Gonzales.

During one of the breaks Coach, his friend, and I took a walk to the other courts where mini tournaments were taking place and Andy Roddick happened to be on one of those courts warming up with his coach. I can’t tell you how excited I was; I used to have the hugest crush on him back in the day. He had several body guards with him and tons of fans surrounding the area just staring at his every move, I’m pretty sure he was annoyed.

I couldn’t help but take a few pictures of him. After del Porto’s match was over and he won we headed out to El Pollo Rico in Arlington. Coach says it’s the best chicken in the DC area, he even made the claim that it will be the best chicken I've ever eaten if not the best I'll ever eat. Ha, I'll have to hand it to him because he was right. Thus far, it is the best seasoned chicken I’ve had. El Pollo Rico was crazy packed, I didn't realize how popular this place is. Basically I didn't get to technically meet Andy Roddick but I can at least say I got to see his insane serve in person. If my serve was that great, I'd be playing professional tennis. On to the next one!

Go Snowboarding...

2010-03-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to try snowboarding. When I was a kid, I used to head out with the other kid neighbors and skateboard down the hills in our neighborhood. We were pretty adventurous kids, when we got bored of skateboarding the 'normal way' we'd attach sleds to our boards and fly down the hills with them. It was pretty fun until the day my younger brother knocked me off my board and left me with the ugliest scar on my knee. Fun times. I figured skateboarding is pretty similar to snowboarding so why not give it a try?

On New Years I finally went snowboarding. I didn't take lessons, I figured I'd just pick it up on my own. I ended up on the beginner slope the entire day and wasn't trying to risk breaking any bones on my first attempt. My friends that came along are all pretty experienced and have been skiing/snowboarding for a while so they were good to go.

It didn't take long for me to realize that I was the only black chick on the slopes. Actually let me correct that, the only black person. There really is nothing to that observation other than that I stood out pretty easily anytime I fell. Kristen jokingly suggested I stand out even more by offering me to wear an Obama hat she had up in her ski house. I have nothing against Obama but we weren't necessarily in an area that seemed to to be pro-Obama, if you know what I mean, so I passed, plus the hat didn't match our outfits. Thanks to Kristen I was able to get used to the slopes before she ditched me for the advanced slopes, ha. I held my own though so it's all good. Go snowboarding, check. Next year I'm taking lessons, I'm pretty confident I can become a really good snowboarder if I learn. Here are a couple pictures that Kristen took of me going down the slopes:

Cooking...

2010-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

I am a Foodie. I love food with a passion. I should correct that, I love eating food with a passion.

I have to be in a good mood to cook or extremely bored. I’m not the type that likes to cook everyday, therefore I wouldn’t be the type to ever become a chef but I have tons of respect for them. When I’m feeling creative that’s when I freestyle and don’t bother with recipes. Everything varies with my mood and everything usually turns out pretty good. I say usually because if it’s not really really good then by mistake it turns out average. I'm pretty confident about my cooking abilities. I try to cook something new once a week. I plan on taking some cooking classes at a culinary school just for the hell of it so I can step my 'fancy' game up. Really though, I'm all about seasoning and taste more so than how fancy it looks. I remember one of the chefs on Top Chef created the simplest dishes and was teased by all his competitors because of it but Tom Colicchio always praised him every single time on how simplicity overrules complexity any day when it comes to seasoning. Here are a few of the simple dishes I've made:

Stuffed Turkey Burger with Roasted Peppers

Potato Soup with Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese and Dijon Tarragon Chicken

Chicken Breast with Orange Tarragon Sauce