Believe while others doubt.
Plan while others are playing.
Study while others are sleeping.
Decide while others are delaying.
Prepare while others are daydreaming. Begin while others are procrastinating. Work while others are wishing.
Save while others are wasting.
Listen while others are talking.
Smile while others are frowning.
Commend while others are criticizing. Persist while others are quitting.

Moral of this story:
The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings’ palaces. Proverbs 30:28
This week I want us to learn wisdom tips from Spider. Everything a spider needs to survive and succeed in life, God put within it. Swipe it with a broom and before it hits the ground its fall is broken. It just reaches inside, releases another protein-filled silk-like thread, slides down, finds a safe place, then comes back stronger than ever and builds a new web. What’s the message of the spider? Everything you need, God has placed within you! The Bible says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness… He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4NIV). What has God given us? “Everything we need.” What has God made us participants in? - “His divine nature.” Wow! Your future is not determined by who you know; who you don’t or who likes you or who doesn’t. The power to fulfill your destiny is within you. The warfare over your life and the struggle you’re in is about what you were born, called and gifted to do. So, “Stir up… the… gift of God… that is in you - 2 Timothy 1:6. In other words - start producing. Life may have knocked you down, but it hasn’t knocked you out. What’s at work within you will triumph over what’s at work around you. Stand on God’s Word, draw on your faith, hold on, and when the smoke clears, rise up and announce, “By the grace of God, I’m back!” You say, “But I’ve lost so much.” As long as you still have what God put within you, you can make it! Have a great day!!!!

Do not worry - Matthew 6:31

We live in a wonderful time in history when men and women are asking questions that only the God who rules and reigns in the affairs of men can answer.

Nations are experiencing difficult moments with the loss of jobs, homes, relationships like it has never been in history of mankind, the encouragement this week - “DO NOT FEAR” The Psalmist said, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” - Psalm 37:25. Has God ever failed you? No, and He won’t now: “You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you” - Joel 2:26.

You will also be a blessing to people around you in this time of the world’s economic recession. Remember always ” GOD CAN NEVER BE ON RECESSION”

I love to collect true life stories, fictions and great works of art but every week I prayerful selects what I believe is appropriate for the week. This is another fit for this work week. Enjoy and apply!

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. In a specific point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one, who got slapped, was hurt, but without anything to say, he wrote in the sand:
“TODAY, MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE”. They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who got slapped and hurt started drowning, and the other friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE”
The friend who saved and slapped his best friend, asked him, “Why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone?” The other friend smilingly replied: “When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, so that the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. And when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it”

Moral of the story:Learn to write in the sand, when you have differences and hurt feelings from your friends, spouse, colleagues and loved ones. Learn to write on stone when your friend had done some thing really good to you, appreciate them with genuine love. Life is too short for an experiment on how well we can hold on to offences, we must take on the nature of God who forgives and forget. People have come up with theories, excuses and strong reasons why it’s not just possible to forgive. We must always remember that the wrath of man has not and will never work the righteousness. We must not take laws in ours hand and melt of justice in our intra/inter-personal relationship with others. We must live the life of joy, peace and fulfillment, which God designed us to live. Shalom!

During a wedding reception; the groom was called upon to give his vote of thanks to his guests and this is what he came up with:
1. I want to first of all thank the Lord Almighty for creating my wife and to also thank the pastor and his wife for lending us their wedding rings.
2. Special appreciation to my landlord who lent us his car.
3. I am most grateful to my boss for approving the loan I used for my wedding suit.
4. Big thanks to the committee of friends for the appeal fund they raised on my behalf.
5. Also to my brother’s wife, thank you for lending us your wedding gown and to my sister for lending her shoes to my wife.
6. Am so grateful to the cake designer for the cake. I promised to return it tomorrow morning as agreed without cutting or eating out of it.
7. Special thanks to my friends who brought food from their homes to help me feed you all. Please for those who were served food good luck and for those who didn’t get any, well we will make it up to you during our child dedication ( hopefully next year).
8. Very big thanks to my parents for bringing the village cultural band to supply the music as well as entertain us all here, today.
9. Not forgetting the church marriage committee, thank you for persuading my wife to marry me.
10. Appreciation to the married men in the church for rushing me into this marriage.
11. The women are not left out, thanks a lot for teaching my wife how to cook and dance
12. To the youths, thank you for sweeping and decorating this venue with palm fronds.
13. I am also grateful to my teenage friends for helping with the Zobo drinks.
14. Appreciation to my co-tenants for contributing money for the cameraman.
15. Well, I wish you all safe journey and I pray you don’t experience what I suffered for this wedding.

Thank you.
Moral of the Story:The rest is left to your imaginations whether he will be applauded or not. May we never become a liability on our environment, lovely week! Shalom!

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Good health is important and it can’t be taken for granted, which is why having accurate information about serious illnesses such as breast cancer is so reassuring. Here’s how to spot the symptoms and understand what’s normal and what’s not.

Ultimately, the best ways of protecting yourself against breast cancer are to follow a healthy lifestyle.

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in Nigeria, late presentations of breast cancer cases have been a consistent feature of the past three decades . In our environment where there is no established national screening programme for breast cancer and where awareness of early detection measures of breast cancer such as clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast self examination (BSE) is low, it is pertinent to ensure that women have access to accurate information on breast cancer and its early detection measures as well as simple reduction strategies. As more women become breast aware, they are they’re spotting lumps and changes in their breasts much earlier, which increases their chances of a cure. At the same time, medical science is making huge strides forward in developing treatment that save lives.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer . Doctors often cannot explain why one woman develops breast cancer and another one does not. They do know that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause cancer. And breast cancer is not contagious. You cannot ‘’catch’’ it from another person. Research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease.

Studies have found the following the risk factors for breast cancer:

Age: The chance of developing breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. Most cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women over 50.

Personal History of breast cancer: A woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has increased risk of getting cancer in her other breast.

Certain breast changes: Some women have cells in the breast that look abnormal under a microscope. Having certain types of abnormal cells ( atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ [ LCIS] increases the risk of breast cancer.

Gene changes: Changes in certain genes increase the risk of breast cancer. These genes include BRCA1 , BRCA2, and others. Tests can sometimes show the presence of specific gene changes in families with many women who have had breast cancer.

Reproductiveand menstrual history: The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance od developing breast cancer. Women who had their first menstrual period before age 12 are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who went through menopause after age 55 are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have never had children are at increased of developing breast cancer. Women who take menopausal hormone therapy with estrogen plus progestin after menopause also appear to have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Large, well- designed studies have shown no link between abortion or miscarriage and breast cancer.

Radiation therapy to the chest: Women who had radiation therapy to the chest ( including breasts ) before age 30 are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. This includes women treated with radiation for Hodgkins’s lymphoma. Studies show that the younger a woman was when she received radiation treatment, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Breast density: Breast tissue may be dense or fatty. Older women whose mammograms ( breast x-rays ) show more dense tissue are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Taking DES ( diethylstilbestrol ) : DES was given to some pregnant women in the United States between about 1940 and 1971. ( It is no longer given to pregnant women ) . Women who took DES during pregnancy may have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. The possible effects on their daughters are under study.

Being overweight or obese afer menopause : The chance of developing breast cancer after menopause is higher in women who are overwieght and obese.

Lack of physical activity: Women who are physically inactive througout life may have an increased isk of developing breast cancer. Being active may help reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

Drinking Alcohol: Studies suggest that the more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of developing breast cancer.

The good news is that many of these risk factors can be avoided. Women can help protect themselves by staying away from known risks factors whenever possible. It is also important to keep in mind that most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. If you think you may be at risk, you should consult your doctor. Your doctor should be able to suggest ways to reduce your risk and can plan a schedule for checkups.

What can you do?

Be breast aware: Know what your breasts look and feel like normally and report any lumps or other unusual changes to your doctoras soon as possible. Normal breasts feel different at different times of the month. Many women have lumpy and tender breasts just before their period and normally breasts will also feel different during pregnancy and at menopause. By becoming breast aware , you will be able to notice any changes that might be unusual for you. It is important to remember that most changes will not be cancer but should always be checked.

Finding a change early means that if cancer is found, the treatment may be more successful.

Eat a healthy balanced diet: Eat a varied diet rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains and limited in animal fat and sugary, fatty, processed foods. A healthy diet also lowers the risk of other diseases and diabetes.

What changes should you look and feel for?

Anything that is new to you

A change in the shape or size of either breasts

A nipple becoming pulled in or pointing in a different position

A rash on or around the nipple

Bleeding or any new discharge from one or both nipples

Puckering or dimpling of the skin

Any pain or discomfort that is new or unusual for you, and lasts more than a few days

A lump or thickening in the breast or armpit that is new or feels different from the rest of the breast.

What should you do if you find a change?

If you notice any changes that are new for you,make an appointment to tell your doctor. However it is important to remember that most cahnges will not be cancer.

How to be breast aware: ‘the breast sense approach‘

You need to establish a simple routine that will enable you to become aware of changes in your breasts. Breast sense is just the perfect tool to help you achieve it. Breast sense is a re-usable self-examination glove that magnifies your breasts to detect any changes.

5 Essential safety tips

Know what is normal for you, what changes to look and feel for

Look at your breasts in a mirror, wit harms up and down

Feel Your breasts for any changes

Talk to your doctor straightaway if you find any changes

Act by attending breast screening every three years if you are over 50

When questioned about his incredible success, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, offered these 11 insights to anyone starting out. They are worth considering this year:

(1) Life isn’t fair - get used to it.
(2) The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem; it expects you to accomplish something before feeling good about yourself.
(3) You won’t make $100,000 a year or be a vice president with a cell phone right out of school. You have to earn it.
(4) Do you think your teacher is tough? Wait till you have a boss - he’s not tenured.
(5) Flipping burgers isn’t beneath you; your grandparents called it opportunity.
(6) If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault.
(7) Your parents weren’t always boring; it came from feeding you, cleaning your clothes and paying your bills. So before you rush out to save the rain forest from the ‘parasites’ of your parents’ generation, try delousing your own cupboard.
(8) Some schools may have abolished winners and losers, but life hasn’t. They may have eradicated ‘failing grades’ and given you as long as you want to get the right answer. This bears no resemblance to reality.
(9) Life isn’t
divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off. Employers aren’t interested in helping you ‘find yourself’; you do that on your own time.
(10) Unlike television, real people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work.
(11) Be nice to nerds; chances are, you’ll end up working for one someday!

Moral of this story:The Bible says: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” and “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Proverbs 13:4). As we begin the work week in this new year we must remember in 2009 that there are no shortcuts on the way to success rather we’ve got to work for it!

Throw your net on the right side - John 21:6 NIV

When you make decisions based on doubt and unbelief, they never turn out right. After hearing Jesus promise to rise from the dead, and then actually seeing Him alive, the disciples still went back to what they were doing before they met Him: fishing. Now God will use our past experiences to teach us, but He always leads us forward - never backward. When fear and uncertainty make us want to go back to the security of what we know, we end up like the disciples: “They went out and… got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing” But there’s good news: If God called you, you’re still called. Notice how Jesus addresses them: “Children, have you any food?” (John 21:5 ) In spite of your lackluster performance, you’re still His child! Next He tells them: “Throw your net on the right side of the boat… When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” (John 21:7) That morning Jesus ate breakfast with them, renewed fellowship, removed their doubts and sent them out to change the world.

Moral of the story: When we work outside of God’s will it’s like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; we wear ourselves out and in the end we have nothing to show for our efforts. Are you succeeding in life right now? No? Maybe you’re fishing on the wrong side of the boat! Things aren’t going to work out right until you submit to Christ, renew your fellowship with Him and allow Him to direct your steps. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, for He delights in his ways; allow God to teach you to profit this week and lead you in the way you should go. Have a great week of renewed fellowship with your God!!!