A Letter To God & His response

Dear God,

Where are you? How can You watch and not help me? I hurt so bad, and You don't even care. If you cared You'd make it stop or let me die. I love You but you seem so far away. I can't hear You or feel You or see You, but i'm supposed to believe that You are here. Lord, I feel them and hear them. They are here. I know You are real, God, but they are more real to me right now. Please make someone believe me, Lord. Why won't You make it stop? Please, Lord, please! If You love me You'll let me die.

-A Lost Sheep

My Dear Lost Sheep

You ask me where I am. My child, I am with you and I always will be. You are weak, but in Me you are strong. I love you so much that I can't let you die. I am so close that feel everything you feel.

I know what you are going through, for I am going through it with you. But I have set you free you must stand firm. You do not need to die physically for my enemies to be gone, but be crucified with Me and I will live in you, and you shall live with Me. I will direct you in paths of righteousness. My child, I love you and I will never forsake you, for you are truly mine.

-Love, God.

This is a letter I stumbled upon as I read " The Bondage Breaker" by Neil Anderson. It touched me so much and I felt I should share it with my readers. For I know that once in a while we all feel this way, as though God is not there with us, as though He doesn't feel our pain at all. I hope this letter touches you as it did for me...

Ciao

Happy New Year/ Bonne Année

Happy new year all...

I hope we are ready for this year? Hop on the ride and let your driver moi take you to your destination...

For me I am so happy that this year has finally started, for I know that this year will be a year of serious blessings for me and eery body that read this post.

There are a lot of things I will be talking about this year and I hope that they will all make positive impacts in your lives...

One of the things I will be doing is reviewing a lot of interesting books...that means a lot of work for me cos I have to read at all times...sighs..But hey it is good for.

I heard that ZIG ZIGLAR reads a least a book in a week, that is so tough to do, but hey I can do it...

This year I will finish all that I will start...

Before I say ciao I know a lot of us made a lot of new year's resolution.. I hope we are working towards accomplishing them...

My new year's resolution for this year is that I wake up everyday at 7am even on weekends but I didn't wake up today by 7am today, in fact when the alarm rang, I woke up switched it off and went back to bed...not good...I will try my best to wake up by 7am tomorrow...This is my solemn vow.

So seat back and enjoy the ride for it will be a very rewarding one.. Thank you and have a nice day.

Bonne Année

Ciao.

Extreme Make Over Home Edition

Hello everyone happy belated christmas and a wonderful new year in advance. Saying welcome to our new members: Steve Hawley, Lloyd 1948 & Covnitkepr1...Thank you for becoming a part of secretlilies...

Now back to the topic of the day.. Extreme Make Over Home Edition

I spent the whole of christmas and the better part of boxing day watching this show on BBC lifestyle channel. They had the special edition so they showed a lot of the works they had done...Now for those of you who don't know what this show is about...Its a reality television series hosted by Ty Pennington, where they renovate homes for the less fortunate families who have been affected by one disaster, illness or the other....

I spent my christmas like I said, tucked beside my hubby, crying, laughing and thanking God for the good, life changing gifts Ty and his group gave numerous families, and believe me it was the most gratifying thing to do.... Some of them got (i.e. in addition to the renovation of their houses) new cars, trucks, scholarship for their children university/college tuition, family vacations abroad, health care, mortgage paid, and especially beautifully furnished, designed homes fit for kings and queens....

Lesson learnt:

there is one thing to make money but if you ask me it's so gratifying if you can use your money to make a difference around you.... Meeting people at the points of their needs should be our goals as we all cross over into the new year....

I love Ty Pennington not for anything but for the fact that he is associated with a program that gives hope to the hopeless....

If I am asked which celebrity will I like to meet, without hesitation I will say Ty Pennington and his crew for they will be remembered for the good they have brought into the homes of families who thought all hope was lost......

Once again I wish you merry christmas and a happy new year.

Notez Bien:

"the hour has come to write down our goals and what we want to achieve in the new year. I urge you to think it through thoroughly before you write it down...

For me my number one goal is to touch the lives of people around me........ What about you?

A Story Worth Sharing

Somebody put this on facebook and I thought I should share this with you...In her own words...

Alabi Anastasia:

My boss told us today how his friend (though a tough choice) gave a widow all the money he had (#16,000 i.e. $105 for school fees and feeding, the widow cried and thanked him. He felt good inside but scared and broke but he trusted God. That same evening a friend visited him and gave him a million naira cheque (i.e. $6700) just 2 "HOLD BODY".......

When I read this I screamed..whoa....Really how can God be this miraculous. Will it have been easy for me to do what this man did? Would I have been able to trust God wholeheartedly? Would I have given the widow or would I have held on to the 16k, especially during this christmas period.....

This is the season of giving, no matter how little make sure you give to touch someone's heart...

Notez Bien: " Please help me I am stuck....What christmas present can I buy for my mother in law...something inexpensive and lovely....Please help....

JUICY INFO

Info from Copyblogger by Julien Smith

DONALD TRUMP's Top 3 Tips For Dominating Your Niche.....

We know his name. We know his brand. We even know his hair. But do we know how he does it?

If Donald Trump has created a building in your city, you know it. You not only know he has one but you know exactly where it is. Maybe you even know how much it cost. You might even know about buildings he's developed in other cities. Are there any other real estate developers you can say that about? Why do we know so much about The Donald?

This happened to me when I was in Chicago last year. I looked out the window and BAM...there he is again. Trump International Hotel Chicago. So what are the methods that The Donald uses, the stuff that can help us find a larger audience, write a better blog, build a better business? turns out there're simple, effective, and unforgettable.

Trump Tip #1: Be everywhere

Are you posting only on your website? Are you only writing but not doing videos? Are your ads appearing only where everyone else's (including your competitors) are? Then you are missing out on a lot of what you can do to build audience, visibility and profile. People need to see your face. They need to feel your energy. They need to see your hair everywhere you go. If you are only giving your audience a part of who you are, and only in a certain location, that's like being a guru on the top of a mountain in Bhutan. If no one can find you, you're not likely to get a lot of disciples. how about, instead, you participate everywhere you are allowed to? You use every medium to which you' re allowed access?

Trump Tip #2: Don't pay cash

Donald may be rich but do you really think he pays cash-weather to develop real estate or to access new audiences? Most people misunderstand how business works and think that, in many cases, they're unable to do something that is within their reach.

When trump writes a book with Robert Kiyosaki of do you think it is because they were like "High five! lets write a book together, just for kicks!"

Uh, no.

Top level players do project like these to get access to each other's audiences. Everything is strategic. Everything is one for leverage. And leverage is just another word for" I didn't pay cash to play".

Same thing when he does Trump University and The Apprentice. All of these are audience plays. Trump doesn't pay cash, ever. he trades chips with people who can benefit him.

You can work the same angles. Don't try to get your audience or your customers by buying them. Instead, play the game. Use chips. Think strategically on how you can use leverage to gain access to something you otherwise couldn't.

Trump Tip# 3: Exceed Expectations

When I walked into the Trump International Beach Resort in Miami, I was skeptical. What I believed I'd see and what I actually experienced where vastly different. I was shocked by how polite the staff were. I was stunned by the fact that I actually wanted to spend time there. But most of all I was shocked by the smell.

Yes, the smell

The air in the Trump International had a light, fragrant, airy perfume. It was amazing. Can you shock people? Not with rudeness or vulgarity (necessarily), but with your over-the-top-attitude, your expertise, your commitment to doing something great, or your extravagance? You may not have the ability (or desire) to shock with Trump-like excess. But you can also shock with your appreciation for the little things- the details.

Be Like The Donald?

You may not take the Donald seriously. The hair does make it difficult. Or you may think you could never translate what he's done to your own business. It certainly isn't easy.

But it does have a formula and this is it:

You have to try..

I hope you learn a lot from this article as I have learnt...

Happy Weekend..

Ciao

Shopping Tips

Hello everyone...saying welcome to my good friend Chile, thank you for becoming a member of the secretlilie's family.

I know everyone is saying thank God is friday, the weekend is soooo near and it's going to be a lovely one, especially for me...

Well I will like to leave some shopping tips for people who stay in Lagos.... cheap, affordable tips...

For the people who stay on the Island, we know that drinking water is like a luxury cos of the terrain. We either have to buy pure water, bottle water or the Cway water and the dispenser. This can be additional cost, and we don't need it this christmas period...I am sure you know what I mean.

Anyways I went to shoprite, in the Palms, lekki, for some quick shopping and I decided to go to the water section...lo and behold I saw La voltic bottle water for #57 instead of #100... You can imagine my joy...I quickly packed as many as I could for who knows...So please if you are going that way hurry up to the water stand and pick up la voltic..

I just heard another new departmental store has opened in lekki. I hear it is awesome and affordable. It is called Ebano.... What I really love about this store is that it is an indigenous departmental store. If it's as cheap as they say, I will be a patriotic Nigerian and stick to them...

Lastly before I leave my friend just started her water business and it is good...look out for the swagga water..It is really pure....

Men!!!!!! I must say that Nigerians are really making things happen, and fantastic if you ask me...

Like I said it's friday and we can't all wait for the weekend to begin... Enjoy your weekend and do something gratifying to your soul...loll.....

Take care of yourself and Ciao....

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A friend sent this to me and I will like to share it with you:

Interesting quote from the movie "why did I get married?" In most cases especially in relationships, you will only get 80% of what you need and you will hardly get the other 20% that you WANT in your relationship.

There is always another person (man or woman) that you will meet that will offer you the other 20% which is lacking your relationship that you WANT. And believe me, 20% looks really good when you are not getting it at all in your current relationship. But the problem is that you will always be tempted to leave that good 80% that you know you have, thinking you will get something better with the other 20% that you WANT. But as reality has proven, in most cases you will end up having the 20% that you WANT and losing the 80% that you already NEED and that you already had.

Be careful in deciding what you WANT and NEED in your life. Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. "Wow this girl in my office is a real looker. But it's not her Wynona Rider that got to me. I'm crazy about her cos she is also understanding, intelligent, tender-so many things that my spouse is not".

Somewhere along the way you will find a woman or man who will be more charming or sensitive. More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Have greater sex appeal. And you will find a man or a woman who will need you and pursue you and go loco of you more than your spouse every did.

Because no wife or husband is perfect. Because a spouse will only give 80% of what you are looking for. So adultery takes place when the wife or the husband is looking for the other 20%.

Let's say your wife is melancholic (sad) by nature.

You may find yourself drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laugh no matter what she says: "I broke my arm yesterday..hahahahaha...."

Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pajamas smelling of garlic and fish oil you may fall for a fresh smelling sales representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high heels and a red pencil cut skirt.

Or because your husband is the quiet type, your heart may skip a beat when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show host.

But wait that's only 20% of what you don't have. Don't throw away 80% that you already have! That's not all. Add to your spouse 80% the 100% that represents all the years you have been with each other. The storms you have weathered together. The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple. The many adjustments you have made to love each other. The wealth of memories that you have accumulated as lovers.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. But faithfulness happens when you start thanking God for what you already have. But I'm not just talking about marriage.

I'm talking about life,

about your jobs.

about your friends.

about your children.

about your lifestyle.

Are you like the economy airline passenger that perennially peeks through the door of the first class cabin, obsessed with what he is missing? they've got more leg room! Oh my their food is served in porcelain! Whoa their seats recline at an 80% angle and they've got personal videos!

I guarantee you'll be miserable for the entire trip! Don't live your life for that, forget about what the world says is first class. Do you know that there are many first class passengers who are miserable in first class because they are not riding in a private Lear jet?

The main message::::: If you start appreciating what you have right now, wherever you are you are first class 20/80 or 80/20. You determine your lot in life. Enjoy what you have cos you are blessed. Whatsoever you do in life think of the future benefit than the immediate satisfaction could be momentary but benefits is eternal.

YOU' RE ASKING FOR TROUBLE IF YOU START DESIRING WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR HAS