WE ARE RACING!

Guess what? A Nigerian has broken the record of being the first African to own a NASCAR racing team.

Ever heard of NASCAR?

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events.

NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States.

Under NASCAR are close to a 100 racing teams, with most team owners from USA and Canada.
The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries.

Okay, enough of long stories. Here’s the best part: The first African-owned team, Obaika Racing has just been launched.
Guess what? This team is owned by a Nigerian Entrepreneur, Victor Obaika.

Obaika Racing would make it’s NASCAR debut on February 21st, with the first 2015 Xfinity Series Race – Alert Today Florida.

A Nigerian being the first African to own a NASCAR racing team is super cool!! It’s a really big one for Nigeria, and as Nigerians, we have to support this team as much as we can.

Let’s begin by staying tuned to the first race (Alert Today Florida) on ESPN, February 21st:
3.00pm EST
9:00pm WAT – Nigerian time 😀

If you can’t watch ESPN, you can stay updated by doing the exact thing I did —–
Like Obaika Racing’s Facebook page: Facebook
Follow Obaika Racing on Twitter: Twitter

Be inspired and be part of the begining of an new era in sports. Obaika Racing stands for possibilities and breaking barriers. Join the race!

Obaika Racing is representing us in the international world, let’s support them!

More posts coming about it soon!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Originally posted on http://xtizdiary.com/. Its a great blog with awesome posts.

Birthday Reflections…

Today, I reflect in gratitude. God has really been faithful. Each year has been filled with lessons and testimonies of God’s unfathomable love.

I went out with a couple of family members some days ago and we were to buy tickets. When we asked for the price of tickets, the man said ‘N1500 for adults.’ So my brother said, ‘Ok. That makes N4500.’ (We were three in number). The ticket person said ‘No. N4000. It’s 1500 for adults.’ We then exchanged glances. The ticket person then pointed at me and said ‘1000 for her.’  We were speechless. This young man mistook me for a teenager! And the differences in our height wasn’t so much, so I wondered why he thought that. Later that evening we all had a good laugh but I still could not understand it all. They said I should take it as a compliment. Yeah. Whatever.

But I’m still grateful for that. In my short long life, I’ve been blessed with an awesome family and fantastic friends. I’ve grown to realize that those are invaluable. Other things are just added bonuses. So I’m grateful.

I heard a new song a couple of weeks ago titled Storyteller. God’s faithfulness in our lives is a story for us to tell to draw others to Him. His saving grace, His boundless love, everything.  Every page, every chapter of our lives is part of a masterpiece that God is writing. Before I share the lyrics, here is a bit of my story.

I’m grateful that some years ago, I read a series of books by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins. The Left Behind Series. After reading, I realized I’ve been a moralist. A good girl, in a good home, behaving in a good way without a relationship with Christ. I knew the Bible but I didn’t have a relationship with the author. And there in my hostel, I asked Jesus into my life. His love shined down on me and filled my heart. It was a life changing experience and the joy of being a child of the Creator is indescribable. I’m alive today because He kept me. I’m so grateful He chose to die to ensure I live.

I can only ask that you do the same. Stop trying to fill that void with pieces that will never fit. Jesus is the only one who can make you whole.

So here are lyrics from the song. It’s titled Storyteller by Morgan Harper Nichols. She is a Jamie Grace’s sister. I wrote about Jamie Grace here- (https://praiseajewole.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/on-her-knees-little-review/)

You can listen to it on youtube-  youtu.be /_ZAzvxsDOUU .

I hope these lyrics cause you to reflect on Gods faithfulness.

Storyteller

By Morgan Harper Nichols

 

On a Sunday evening

 I’m looking back over all the years

 and where I’ve been

 Looking at old photographs,

I’m remembering you were right there and you have been ever since.

With every page that turns,

I see your faithfulness

 

The mountains that I climbed,

The valleys where I fell

You were there all along

That’s the story I’ll tell

You brought the pieces together

Made me this storyteller

Now I know it is well, it is well

That’s the story I’ll tell

 

There were some nights that felt like

They would last forever

But you kept me breathing

You were with me right there

And all that you have done for me

I could never hold it in

So here’s to me telling this story over and over again

 

You hold the broken

You hear my every cry, every cry

My eyes are open, I know that it is well

Through it all, remember God is faithful so all is well. Keep telling the story.

Thank you everyone for being a part of my life. It’s not a coincidence and I’m grateful to have met you!!

2015 To Do List…

Tola Oladimeji is an amazing person. She has inspired me for a long time even though she never knew it. She is a doctor, an avid reader and a great writer. Her dedication to following Christ is challenging and inspiring. She has a wonderful sense of humour and is quite witty.  Here is a piece of her writing I hope will inspire you to break barriers this year. The year is still a bit new. So let’s make the best of it.

THINGS I WANT TO DO IN 2015

Basically, I want to describe here the power of words. One of my most favourite maxims (I don’t actually know from where I picked it, but it proves true daily) is: you will remain the same after 10 years except for the people you meet and the books you read.

Sometime in December last year, I read the status update of a Facebook friend in which he wrote a personal appraisal of his 2014 by comparing the goals he set out with at the beginning of the year with his achievements at the end. It was pretty impressive and I was inspired to do something similar.

I never write New Year resolutions or goals. What I usually do at the beginning of the year is to share my hopes and dreams for the year with GOD and trust they work out. While one cannot entirely attribute my friend’s success to his writing them down- he had to work also, but there’s something to be said for writing them out too. So, I wrote out things that I want to do this New Year. They are not resolutions or goals, they are things I want to do outside work and school and family, to make 2015 more colourful than the last year. Also, I am getting married soon and I guess I want to do these before my single days are over.

Let me share some of them here, not in any particular order though:

-Read more: through the entire Old Testament of the Bible. I may have read about 150 books last year but I want to do more this year. This one, I have started on already. I read Liane Moriarty’s amazing Big Little Lies on New Year’s day. It was absolutely worth it! I’ll do a review soon.

-Exercise: sometimes when I close my eyes, I see myself digging it with the most amazing moves. So, I’m going to learn dance. Also, I want to walk more often, run and play table tennis.

-Blog: I want to be more committed to my blog too. I have some new things I want to put in to make it more interesting. As I said previously, when I am not writing, a great deal of my life passes by unnoticed.

-Travel: out of South-western Nigeria at least once every 3 months and to an African country once this year.

-Visit: prisons and prisoners’ families once a month.

-Teach: and lead YHSF (a church youth club) in a less-traditional and more engaging style.

I sincerely hope that I spend my 2015 in a blaze of colours and that reading this, you decide to do more with 2015, too.

I hope you learned a lot. You can keep up with Tola on www.toladimeji.wordpress.com

Thank you Tola!

365 Days of Fulfillment!!

Happy New Year! It’s the first week of 2015 and work has resumed. Though, everyone is recovering from the holiday hangover. I hope you all had a relaxing and refreshing holiday.

On the 25^th of December, 2014, I participated in the Sandals On outreach by One Naira Moverment. It’s a gesture to reach out to those in need. The name ‘One Naira’ means helping with the little you have. You don’t need to wait till you have so much, but the little you have may as well go a long way. We went to the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, Akure. We met with the Chief Matron and she helped to identify those patients who were really ill and could not afford treatment and care. We assisted them and also talked about Jesus and prayed. It was a humbling experience that I was honoured to be part of. You can read the full report on the facebook page- OneNairaMovement. (and don’t forget to like the page)

One thing I learned, life is too short to spend it acquiring all you can for yourself. People will always be in need and if we help our neighbour, we are indirectly helping ourselves. Fulfilment is not attained in acquiring all but it’s in giving and sharing what you have. That is just plain truth.

So that’s how Christmas was spent. Coupled with the fact that I saw people who I hadn’t seed in at least 8 years. It was just awesome.

Now it’s a new year pregnant with possibilities and everyone is looking forward to a great year. Let’s be challenged to live this year outside the ordinary. We may have noticed a trend in our lives in the past, but let’s dream big(bigger, larger) this year. There is really nothing impossible to achieve. So read, travel, help and live life. Don’t settle with just existing, LIVE. Most importantly, begin the year with the giver of life. Jesus. Wishing you 365 days of the more abundant life!!

Rhyme and Reason 2014… my take

On Sunday December 14, 2014 the first Rap and Spoken Word Concert was held in Lagos. It was organized by Storm Ministries in partnership with The Fresh Impressions agency of South Africa. Though I’m not a fan of Rap, but I enjoy Spoken Word a lot. (Does that sound ironical?)  The concert featured renowned P4CM’s poets- Ezekiel Azonwu and Janette…iks who are awesome poets and were my highlights of the evening. It also featured our very own poets like Titilayo and Atilola who are amazing. Lily Million who has been tagged the Tracy Chapman of South Africa was also at the concert. Featured Rap artists were Da T.R.U.T.H, Provabs, Roof Top MC’s and Kruseaphix. These rap artists were great!

The event started with a moving poem by Kruseaphix challenging us about the Christianity we signed up for. Are we only happy to be Christians when it’s easy and get fed up when the going gets tough? Are we ready to endure till the end? Titilayo presented a piece about the need for us to live together in unity, as a nation and as the body of Christ. She mentioned that people focused on themselves, always on their ‘i-phones’, ‘i-pods’, ‘i-pads’ etc. we needed new words in our dictionary like ‘us’ and ‘we’. Lily Million also sang beautifully despite of her cold. A line from her song- “Don’t let my heart resist your truth. May my heart never be separated from you” can also be a prayer. She also sang a Nigerian worship song which I’m not so familiar with and she did really well with the native pronunciation. Her final song was a message that reminded us that it’s God’s love that defines us and nothing else. Atilola presented an awesome piece and a memorable line is – Seeds are planted but never buried. So just keep trusting God in whatever situation you may be passing through.

A major highlight of the evening was Ezekiel. He is a Nigerian. And he proved it. It was awesome the way he was able to still speak with the typical Igbo accent. When he was asked to try fufu, he responded telling them that “Na my food be dat.” He tried teaching us some American slangs, saying all we had to do was not pronounce every last letter in every word.  (LOL!) His poetry was awesome. Please check @P4CM on youtube. Look for his pieces- “Almost” and “Dear Man”. I can assure you that you will be blessed and you will keep looking for more.

Janette…iks also was a highlight of the evening. She gave a dedication to her grandmother who recently went to be with the Lord. Her grandma was the one who taught her God’s word and instilled it in her from a tender age and is a big reason for her ministry. Well, Janette, I know she is extremely proud of who God has made you to be. Her pieces were also fabulous. She is also part of P4CM. Check her pieces- “31 Status”, “Hypochristian” and “I Will Wait For You.“ I don’t need to list the rest, you will look for more.

All in all, it was an awesome night. Spoken word is gradually gaining ground in Nigeria. There should be another concert next year, so you might want to come see for yourself. I enjoy poetry and when it’s inspirational causes you to reflect on your faith, then it’s amazing.

Have an inspiring week friends!

Lessons from a friend…

Happy new month friends! God has been totally awesome this year. May He give you testimonies as the year runs to an end. Well, this post is by a special guest. She is a Pharmacist, a great writer and a wonderful friend. She is OPEYEMI EDEMA. I hope her story inspires you this week. Enjoy.

**************************************

Some years ago, I wanted to undergo a student attachment at particular organization so I walked up to the CEO and put forward my request. She told me she would not be able to pay me because she was not capable at the moment. Well, I agreed to the conditions and started work not long afterwards.

Having started, I discovered that I was not the only person on student attachment. I set my mind to work and I served like I was going to be paid. After about two months, I discovered that the other student was being paid. I felt cheated to say the least. So I decided to discuss the issue with some staff members and they told me to ask the CEO, that she should at least give me some stipend bearing the fact that I worked like every other person.

I braced up myself and walked up to her. She asked about our initial agreement and I told her but I said I thought she would at least give me something. Well, she gave me two options, that it’s either I stay and she sends the other student away and starts to count my work day from that day or I leave. Instantly my brain did a quick thinking.

Well, I caused it myself; I should not have agreed in the first instance or at least voiced my thought. How can another student be told to leave because of me? That would be grossly unfair. So I decided to leave honorably and bear the brunt. I made up my mind and told her that I would leave, thanked her for the privilege of working in her establishment and I bade farewell to the staff members. Many of them were not happy and thought I should have allowed the other person to leave.

Years later, I met one of the staff members who now had his own company. Due to the healthy working relationship we had, he willingly offered me an employment without any formality of interviews and curriculum vitae writing. He is still my present boss and does not give me stress.

Well, the main point of sharing this personal experience is to share the lessons I learned.

First, like the Yoruba folks say, “What you would not accept as a rich man; you start to reject as a poor man”. This is the most important lesson I learned from that experience. So many people accept things out of desperation and later discover that they were worth more than that. People accept jobs with terrible work conditions and low pay. People get married to wrong person out of desperation and later discover that they deserved a better person to share their lives and destinies with. So I am throwing the challenge to you to go for the best and what you truly deserve.

Secondly, I knew I was not going to be paid but I worked like every other person that was paid. It was until I heard that the other student was being paid that I started to feel cheated. We should not let money be our motivating factor at work. Like a friend put it, “purpose is what you would always love to do when everyone is paid the same amount”. That is, irrespective of your pay; whatever it is that you love to do is your purpose in life. I kind of agree.

Lastly, you never know who is watching you. Just be at your best behavior anytime. The healthy relationship I had with a co-staff is what provided me my present job. What if I was not working at my best because I was not paid? Then I must have created a wrong impression. So you may not be getting the best at your present workplace but you never know who is watching you. It may be a fellow colleague or a customer who will put in a word for you at a better place.

********************************************************

Friends, I hope Opeyemi inspired you this week. For more of her writing, visit her blog – www.edemaopeyemi.blogspot.com and you can also follow her on twitter @Talk2EOD. Have an awesome week!

Musings and Childhood Memories

Over the past few days, I have pondered on life. If you wake up each morning and you are excited to face the day by going to work or school or wherever, keep thanking God for that blessing. If there are still some dreams in your heart and there are some visions you want to bring into realization, keep pursuing. If in all you do you seek self-gratification and not the glory of God, reorder your priorities. Because pleasing God brings happiness. Live on purpose.

*****************************************

Well, let me share a couple of my childhood memories.

Today, I remember my Primary 5 teacher, Mr. Hall. He was the first male teacher I had. He was funny and I just enjoyed that class with wonderful classmates. During that school year his wife was expecting a baby. He would come to class with a book of baby names. My friend (Hi Jae Hee!) and I would consistently ask him to bring a picture of his wife to class. We just enjoyed disturbing him. He eventually brought it one day and of course we commented on how pretty she was. And he eventually had a baby girl he named Irene. Irene means “Peace” or “One who brings Peace”. He also had a moustache and a beard. I remember the first time he shaved . I had entered the class staring at him, noticing something was different. After a while, in the middle of Maths period I exclaimed “Mr. Hall, you shaved!” There was an awkward silence and we erupted in giggles. “Thank you for noticing.” He replied or something along that line. Then he continued with the maths lesson.

I also remember our doctor when I was younger. He was quite an old man. I always had to go for check-ups before school resumed each year as mandated by the school. I always entered his office with a frightened look on my face because my eldest brother would have frightened me before leaving home. He would tell me the doctor would give me injections on my hand, leg, eyes, mouth, ears and nose. I never knew why I believed him every time. Of course, this never happened. The doctor would smile and encourage me to allow him check my heartbeat, my eyes, ears, my weight and the likes. When he was done, he would give me chocolate coins. This was always the climax of my visit. He had a drawer full of them. He would thank me for being a good girl and hand me chocolates. Of course, you can see why I have not forgotten him. I would keep rolling those coins in my hands till I got home. I would savour the chocolates later in the day while reading a book. I saw chocolate coins in a store some time ago and the sight brought a wide smile to my face.

I remember the thrill of growing up with brothers. On evenings when my parents went out, we would sit round the dinner table and play jackpot. “Suspecting” and watching each other closely with cards in our hands and laughing. I don’t think I actually cared who won. I just enjoyed it. Or we would just watch TV. My brothers taught me how to play scrabble and chess. They delighted winning the games but I was just so thrilled that little me was smart enough to play scrabble with teenagers. (I was less than 9 yrs.) I was basically living in the male world. My eldest brother, who scared me about doctor appointments, also played with me, teased me, and occasionally bought things for me. The second taught me computer games, and the third enjoyed tutoring me in maths during the holidays. I never enjoyed this because my holidays consisted of reading as many books as possible and writing as many stories and poems as possible. I guess their individual contributions helped me balance in my growing years.  I loved sitting in their midst while they talked and laughed about secondary school. I just enjoyed listening to them. One day my teacher asked me what school I wanted to go to after primary school. I replied, “I want to go to my brother’s school.” My teacher just looked at me and smiled. I didn’t even know the name of the school back then. But because my brothers went there, I wanted to go there. Wherever ‘there’ was. Obviously, I just love my brothers!

Memories are a beautiful thing. Well, good memories. Whatever you may be passing through, I hope the Lord helps you reflect on His goodness. Smile friends, God is in control. Well, these are some musings on a beautiful Monday morning. Cheers!

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY…

It’s no more news that a prominent minister has passed on. Dr. Myles Munroe was a renowned speaker and best-selling author. He has been used to change and influence a lot of lives world-wide. He said the best way to die is to die empty, using up all God has put in you. It’s a challenge to us to live life to the full. Pursue our passion and goals passionately. Death is a call everyone must answer.

So let’s take some time to reflect on our lives. Eternity is just a breath away. Are we prepared?  Are our live totally surrendered to the Lord? Have we lost ourselves in the daily rat-race for prosperity and fame? We can only be at peace when we are at the center of God’s will. And that starts by surrendering our all to Him.

What are we doing with that dream in our heart? Are we pursuing it? Are we living purposefully? Life is too short to live it just flowing with the crowd. We should not live like the crayfish that adapts to any situation. We should take a stand to be what we have been created to be. Reignite that fire and burn with purpose so that at the end when the flame goes out, you would have lighted up your generation and passed on the flame.

SELAH

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY…SELAH

The Earth’s surface is covered with 70% percent of water. Have you ever wondered how the water never flowed off the planet? I mean, the earth is hanging in the sky, rotating on its axis and the water still remains where it is. The earth rotates and we can’t feel it. At some point some people are actually hanging upside down on the earth in the course of its rotation. And everything is timed to perfection because if it wasn’t, there would be imbalance in nature, natural disasters and a lot of sudden deaths.

It’s all complicated for our little minds to fathom. Scientists have volumes of books that describe it as gravity and all the rest. It’s amazing because someone so great and so perfect holds this all in place. And He still knows us individually by name, provides our daily needs, takes care of all the animals, causes the sun to rise and set on time, heals the sick, takes care of the babies, knows the number of strands of hair on our individual heads, hears us we all individually speak to him, and the list of His responsibilities are endless. Wow! He has the busiest itinerary in the universe. We just worry about getting through the day, but He already has our whole life planned to detail, and He never fails. All thing still work for our good.

This is awesome. Let’s take some time to just thank God and praise Him for who He is.

SELAH

AMERICANAH – Overdue Book Review…

Americanah is an interesting read by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is a vivid work describing three cultures. We see America and the United Kingdom from the point of view of a realistic Nigerian. Realistic because the main character tells us about these places without the lens of glory which others see it. She humorously tells us certain peculiarities of a Nigerian in these places. She also describes the way Africans are perceived by the Americans and Europeans. Her language is colourful. Issues bordering racism, the clamour for citizenship and even hair are discussed. She also touches the superiority one feels when you return back to your home country. Your taste changes, your accent changes. Also the pedestal on which you are suddenly placed on because you traveled overseas, as if it’s such a huge feat. I love the language. Adichie describes a car in the floody streets of Lagos as ‘a gasping boat’. She uses a lot of intelligent expressions which I can only say you should find out for yourself.

She also explores romance between childhood friends Obinze and Ifemelu, who both had a taste of life outside their own country after their teen years. I recommend this book to those who love language and who enjoy reading most of the time. It’s a book that different kinds of readers can relate to. Whether you have traveled abroad or not, you will be able to relate to her experiences.

I love her writing because she is very descriptive and most times when reading her book, you forget that you are reading fiction. I also enjoyed the originality in depicting Nigeria. You can easily relate to what she is talking about. The main character, Ifemelu is such an opinionated person. She may seem judgmental but sometimes her remarks are rib tickling.

I enjoyed the book to a certain extent. What I actually enjoyed was Adichie’s language and intelligent descriptions. The book, for me, was interesting but quite prolonged and at certain points I got bored. There was a lot of opinionated discussions in the book which were at times intelligent and at times caused a great ‘internal yawn’ (using the words of the author). The book would still have been interesting if it had been cut in half. The love story was quite brief.

Americanah is an intelligently written novel. I have my own opinions. If you have read it, let me hear yours. If you haven’t read it, it’s not a bad idea to get a copy or borrow from a friend.