motivational

Times Seasons and

by Omokorede Fasoro

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. - Ecc.3:1

It is a clear fact, that women go through different phases, when it comes to the issue of age. It has even been said, that no woman as she grows older ever likes her age being asked, and that it is actually an offence to ask a woman for her age! The interesting thing is that she was never like that before. As a toddler she is eager to tell you her age, the moment you ask her the question…..How old are you? She replies joyfully with a wide smile...‘I am four years old.’ (She even shows you her four little fingers, to make her statement clearer, just in case you have a problem with counting!)

Now, wait until she becomes a teenager, and you ask her for her age. She has no problem telling you, only you can be sure you will not get a sincere reply. A thirteen year old teenager suddenly adds three extra years every year, until she suddenly becomes twenty one almost overnight. She then remains that age for the next couple of years! Should you press her further for her real age, you hear her say something like…..I’m twenty something……and the conversation ends abruptly, since this is a no go area for her.

The moment she gets married and starts having children, you commit a crime by asking her for her age. She only tells you when she is marking her birthday that she is a year older... Period! As she progresses, she then enters another phase when she begins to mark and probably celebrate the special birthdays...such as 40th, 50th, 60th etc. It is now okay for everyone to know her real age!

I have always wondered why women have problems telling their real age. Is it the fear of being seen as too young or too old? Could it be the fear of being seen by people as not having achieved enough for the particular age they really have attained? Many times, we have had dreams of achieving certain milestones in life before attaining a particular age. I have heard people say things like…. By the time I am 30 years old, I want to have been married, and have had two children; By the time I am 40 years, I want to be a millionaire, have built my own house and own my own business; By the time I am 60 years, I want to have had at least five grandchildren...The list could go on and on.

It appears that society too places certain pressures on us to have some expectations for every stage of our lives. There are certain things, which if one has not achieved at certain periods of one’s lives, our society concludes that one is a failure. This just leads to frustration and a sense of unfulfilment in the hearts of those concerned.

The good news however, is that God is not moved by our time. He does not view time the way we do, with hours, days months and years. He deals with us through seasons (Kairos in greek). Time (which is also referred to as ‘chronos’ in the Greek) and that we are used to, talks of duration of time, period, quantity, extent or the length of time. It tells us what day, month, or year it is. On the other hand, Kairos tells us the kind of and the quality of the time. It talks of the proper time, the set and due time and the appointed time for any particular action. This means that God does not necessarily look at the duration of the time we are in, rather He looks at the occurrences that should have taken

place during this period in accordance with His timing for our lives. The Bible says of the righteous person, …….He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does, shall prosper. (Ps.1:3)

In essence, for a person who has his life properly anchored in Christ, age is of no significance. However, what should matter to him is to determine from God what season of his life he is in. The passage above says the tree as long as it is properly positioned, will produce its fruit at the right season. Every tree has its own season for fruit production. It is therefore unhealthy for anyone to compare himself with another person. The fact that as a lady you are not married at thirty, despite the fact that all your friends are, does not make you a failure, or that at forty you have not made your first million as a child of God does not make you a failure. Every man/woman has his/her own season.

Moses at the age of forty (when most men should have ‘arrived‘), became a fugitive and entered the wilderness season of his life. From a palace prince likely to be next in line to the throne, he became a shepherd who was working for his father -in- law! To people around him, he had failed woefully. However, they failed to realize that this wilderness experience was necessary in Moses’ life, to prepare him for the season when he would become a deliverer of Israel from the hands of Pharaoh. He needed to be trained as a real shepherd before God could commit the shepherding of His people into his hands. Do you look back at your life and feel you have failed, because age no longer seems to be on your side. The truth of the matter is, that everyone has his own seasons in life. There is a time for one to sow and a time to reap. Do not look down on your self, thinking because you have not achieved certain things at a particular age, that it is all over. As a popular preacher always says, …it is not over until it is over…… The prayer of every child of God should be that The Lord will lead him every day of his life in accordance to His seasons for his life. What matters is that you

key your life back to God through His Son Jesus Christ and trust Him to lead you aright.

I personally know of a woman who had worked for over thirty years of her life as an averagely paid Government teacher. At that time, a number of her colleagues were busy traveling all over the world making some good money. By the time she retired from government service at about the age of fifty, out of frustration and not knowing what next to do in life, she began to gather about three young children in an uncompleted building she used to call a school then. She was the laughing stock of the town because those that knew her felt it was all over for her. They were in for a big surprise, because a few years after, it grew to become the biggest private school in that town with close to one thousand children! She went on to also start a secondary school as well, which is doing extremely well to the glory of God. It was obvious, that according to God’s kairos’ of her life, she entered her season of fruitfulness at the age of fifty. Every other time before then , was her time of sowing, which she had done dilligently.

Dear friend, do you sense that you are in the sowing season of your life? Please do it wholeheartedly, joyfully and with great expectation, knowing that whatever a man sows is exactly what he will reap. The principle of seedtime and harvest time will never cease to be effective on earth, in accordance with God’s Word. Sow therefore, of your time, your skills, your life experiences, your talents and gifts to make the life of someone else better, and you will reap your harvest in due season. God bless you.

...God does not necessarily look at the duration of the time we are in, rather He looks at the occurrences that should have taken place during this period in accordance with His timing for our lives.

Return of the Valley Dweller

by Omobolanle Ajide

Sitting back on the rocking chair, savouring the fragrance of the flowers which seem to pour out so abundantly at the approach of dusk, and watching the sun as it makes its slow descent, which splashes the evening sky with russets of colour, is fast becoming a favourite pastime of hers. Here, she experiences a measure of peace, and with this solitude, the memories come out, unlocked of their own accord from that secret corner of her mind where she had consigned them.

As she gazes across the field, she recalls, a path across the field that leads to the foot of the hill. From there, a little footpath winds slowly to the top of the hill, well worn, yet not so broad that it can allow two walking abreast, all who make the trip to the top must walk each ahead of the other. What about the old man who lived in the beautiful house up the hill? Is he still there, or not? That was the best memory of her life: going up the hill in the company of her friends to visit and play in the garden of the old man, he was always waiting just at the crest of the hill, just watching for their arrival, and took such delight in showing them his orchard, his flower, and every nook of his beautiful house.

As she grew older, the frequency of her visit diminished. He seemed so much wiser than anyone she has ever known, he would have helped her understand what she was going through and how to overcome all the challenges, but her friends had once mocked her for even mentioning a longing to see the old man they had once enjoyed being with, as children. Moreover, her parents had also ridiculed the notion saying those who still climb the hill were dreamers since the old man had long passed on.

Yet, of late she has often woken up from dreams where she saw herself walking through the garden with the old man. Sometimes, she even fancied herself hearing the old man call her name in that special way of his. Maybe she is losing her mind, maybe all the pains of the years are finally taking their toll, and she’s losing her grip on reality. But what if the old man is still there? Dare she make the trip up the hill? But why? To make a fool of herself, perhaps. She was no longer the beautiful unspoilt child, the old man had known. What would she say, having rejected the offer of friendship long ago? Is it when she is at the sunset

of life that she should now renew a friendship she had long abandoned? What use can she be to the old man now?

She remembered the last visit to the hill house as she used to call it when she was nineteen. The old man had sensed a gradual withdrawal from her, but in his usual wise way, he waited for her to tell him. When she mentioned her new friendship with her neighbour’s handsome cousin, the old man didn’t think it was the best for her. Of course, she thought him old fashioned, and living so high up there in the hill, he couldn’t possibly understand what a great honour it is for her as a valley dweller to have such a distinguished suitor seeking her out. Predictably, the relationship soon came to an abrupt end, but pride wouldn’t let her come back to her old friend. So, in search of real love, she had gone through it all, suffered abuse, being used and dumped, slaved away the years paying for the mistakes of her youth. Isn’t it ironical that after all said and done, she had made her way back to the place of her birth, back to the country home where she was brought up, and looking longingly at that place that held for her the unsullied, loveliest memories of her life. Coming full circle, isn’t it?

Suddenly, an unusual wave of courage swept over her. If she has made the trip so far to this place, would it really cost her so much to make the trip up the hill? Maybe he would forgive; he was always so understanding in the past, even of things, she couldn’t put into words. And even if he rejects her, she would know she had at least made the effort.

With this thought running through her mind, she took the last step that took her to the crest of the hill in the dim light of the dusk and almost bumped into a figure standing there. Catching herself with a start, she looked closely and fell to her knees in shock, for somehow, she recognized the unchanging form of the old man on the hill. As she beheld his wise and understanding eyes, unbidden tears came to her eyes as the years of her life flashed right across her eyes like a reel of film. She searched for words to explain but none came. Yet, the old man understood as he gathered her into his arms and wept with her for the wasted years. ‘Welcome back’, he said. ‘Everyday since you left, I’ve come here like this to await your return. Come let’s go back to our favourite seat in the lounge and you can tell me all that’s on your mind’.

Suddenly, an unusual wave of courage swept over her. If she has made the trip so far to this place, would it really cost her so much to make the trip up the hill?

a taste of nigeria

by Bunmi Fadare

5 ways to cook rice

1. Regular Rice (Normally used rice): The hull and bran have been removed by polishing. Short grain rice is less expensive than long grain; it is used for casseroles; puddings and creamy desserts. Long grain is a better all-purpose rice and cooks fluffies, flakies and dries It is used for curries, Chinese dishes and as a vegetable.

2. Processed (converted) Rice: This type contains the vitamins found in the husk of Brown rice but is polished like white rice. It can be substituted for regular rice, but the cooking time is longer. It is the rice popularly called “ofada rice”.

3. Precooked (instant) rice: Commercially cooked, rinsed and dried. It is good as part of a main dish- and quick to fix at any time.

4. Brown Rice: A vitamin-rich whole grain, with only the outer hull removed. It has a nutty flavour and is used as a side dish. However it’s much slower to tenderize.

5. Wild Rice: Long-grained and dark greenish brown color. (Wild rice is not true rice but the seed of an aquatic grass). Expensive, it is often sold combined with rice.

Rice flavor

Cooking: A simple way to change the flavour and colour of plain rice is to vary the cooking liquid.

• Chicken or beef broth or bouillon for all of the water. • Chicken consommé diluted as directed on can for all of the water. • Apple juice for half of the water. • Orange juice for half of the water. • Tomato or pine apple juice for half of the water.

Stir in: For colour, flavour or just for a change, prepare your 3 cups and stir in.

Bacon: 4 sliced bacon, diced, crisply fried and drained.

Carrot: ½ cup shredded carrot and 2 table spoons butter, melted.

Lemon: 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 table spoons butter, melted.

Mushroom: 1 can (6-8 tablespoons)

Sliced mushroom or mushroom stems and pieces drained heated in 2 tablespoons butter.

Olive: ½ cup chopped ripe or pimiento stuffed olive or 10 pitted ripe or pimiento stuffed olives sliced.

Onion: 2 tablespoons minced onion cooked and stirred in 2 tablespoons butter until tender.

Don’t deny yourself the foods you enjoy but remember moderation is the key.

1

Ofada Rice

~ 3 cups ofada rice (picked and parboiled) ~ 1 tablespoon oil. ~ 1 small sized onion (chopped) ~ 1 teaspoon salt.

Sauce:

~ Assorted meat (cooked) ~ 6 unripe tomatoes ~ 6 unripe bell pepper (tatashe) ~ 1 cup unripe ‘rodo’ ~ ¼ cup locust bean (iru woro) picked and washed ~ 2 bouillon cubes or to taste ~ 3 kitchen spoon palm oil. ~ Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Fry the chopped onion in the vegetable oil until tender. 2. Pour in a little water that will be sufficient to cook the rice to perfection. 3. Add the rice, season with salt and cover to boil. 4. Cook the rice until soft, tender and dry.

Set aside and keep warm

Sauce:

1. Roughly blend the tomatoes, ‘rodo’, bell pepper (tatashe) and onions. 2. Put in a pot and cook for about 5-7 minutes. 3. Put in the meat which can either be fried or just boiled. 4. Cover and cook until the pepper is well fried. 5. Season with salt and the cubes. 6. Put in the washed and picked locust bean (iru) and stir very well. 7. Turn in the bleached palm oil and cover to cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce is really well fried and the oil appears on top. 8. Season to taste.

In order to make up for any lost vitamin, especially vitamin A, which is destroyed during the bleaching of the oil, serve the rice with dried cooked beans(“ewa woro”); cooked vegetable (Efo riro) or fried plantain.

Weight Watchers

Chinese Steak: ~ 10oz-Boneless beef steak ~ ¼ teaspoon - garlic powder and minced pared ginger root. ~ 1teaspoon- vegetable and peanut oil ~ 1cup-Diagonally sliced celery ~ ½ cup- chopped green pepper ~ 1 medium-Tomato cut into 8wedges ~ ¼ cup-Canned ready to serve beef broth ~ 2 tablespoons- Reduced sodium soy sauce ~ 1 teaspoon –Cornstarch ~ ½ cup-Drained canned button mushrooms ~ a dash pepper, or to taste ~ 1 cup cooked long grain rice (hot)

Preparations 1. Season steak with garlic and ginger, 2. Put in a broiling pan on rack in oven. 3. Broil steak, turning once, until rare, about 3 mins on each side. 4. Transfer to cutting board and cut in thin slices, 5. Set aside. 6. In 12 inch nonstick skillet, combine oils and heat over high temperature. 7. Add celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring quickly and frequently, until tender-crisp. 1 to 2 minutes, 8. Add tomato and continue stir-frying for 1 minute longer. 9. Combine broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch, stirring to dissolve cornstarch. 10. Add to beef mixture along with mushrooms and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened and vegetables are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. 11. Serve over hot rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Each serving provides:

4 protein exchanges, 1 bread exchanger, 3 vegetable exchanges, 1 fat exchange, 10 calories exchange.

Per serving with sirloin:

442 calories, 42g protein, 34g carbohydrate, 55mg calcium, 1027mg sodium, 41g protein, 12g fat, 34g carbohydrate, 55mg calcium, 1024mg sodium, 103mg cholesterol.

2

3

Vegetable Curry Rice

~ 50g-Magarine ~ 1-Onion chopped ~ 1-apple chopped ~ 1-table spoon curry powder ~ 1-tablespoon flour ~ ½ litre-water ~ ½kg-Mixed vegetables (Onions, carrots, celery) chopped. ~ 1 dessert spoon-desiccated coconut ~ Squeeze lemon juice ~ 1 tablespoon-sultana ~ 1 teaspoon soft brown sugar ~ 100g-mushrooms, sliced ~ 1cup-long grain rice ~ Parsley to garnish

Preparations 1. Heat the margarine and fry the onion and apple until soft. 2. Stir in the curry powder and flour and cook for 3-4 minutes. 3. Gradually add the stock and bring to boil. 4. Add the mixed vegetables, lemon juice, coconut, sultanas, brown sugar and seasoning, cover and simmer for about 35mins. 5. Spoon into a serving dish, arrange your cooked rice round the edge of the dish and serve, garnished with a spring of parsley.

Green Rice

~ 1 cup –uncooked regular rice ~ 1½ cups-frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained ~ 1½ cups-boiling water ~ 3 tablespoons- minced onion ~ 1 tablespoon-butter or margarine ~ 1½-teaspoon salt.

Preparations

1. Heat oven to 350c. 2. Mix all ingredients in non greasy 1 or 1½ quart casserole or in a baking dish.

Note: Put all ingredients together at once. 3. Cover dish tightly and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. (Approximately 25-30 mins.)

4 to 6 servings.

Note:

This easy method requires the use of regular rice for better results. Instant or converted rice should not be substituted.

Substitutions:

For frozen Spinach: 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli. For 3 tablespoons minced onion: 1 tablespoon instant minced onion. For boiling water: 1½ cups boiling chicken or beef stock.

Note:

Spinach is a blood booster. It can go with any sauce.

4

Jambalaya

~ 2 teaspoons- Margarine ~ ½ cup-Diced onions ~ 1 small-garlic clove, minced ~ 1medium-Tomato, blanched peeled, seeded and chopped ~ ½ medium-green pepper seeded and diced ~ 1 teaspoon –all-purpose flour ~ 1 packet- instant chicken broth or 2 chicken cubes and seasoning mix, dissolved in 1 cup warm water. ~ 4oz-Diced boiled ham ~ 2oz- Uncooked regular long grain rice ~ 1tablespoon-Chopped fresh parsley ~ A dash to 1/8 teaspoon-Thyme leaves, crushed ~ A dash of ground red pepper or hot sauce ~ 6 small shrimp, shelled and deveined ~ 6 small oysters or prawn, shucked and rinsed (reserve oyster liquid)

Preparations

1. In 10 inch nonstick skillet, heat margarine until bubbly and hot. 2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. 3. Add tomato and bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute longer. 4. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir quickly to combine, cook stirring constantly, for 1 minute. 4. Stirring constantly, gradually add dissolved broth mix, 5. Add ham, rice, and seasonings and bring mixture to a boil. 6. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking or burning, until rice is tender. (15 to 20 minutes). 7. Add shrimp, oysters or prawn and reserved oyster liquid and toss to combine, cover and cook until shrimp turn pink and edges of oysters curl (2 to 3 minutes). Makes 2 servings.

Each serving provides:

4 protein exchange, I bread exchange, 2 vegetable exchange, 1 fat exchange, 10 calories exchange,

Per serving:

313 calories, 25g protein, 8g fat, 34g carbohydrate, 93mg calcium, 1212mg sodium, 87mg cholesterol.

Variation:

Canadian-style bacon or very lean cooked smoked ham may be substituted for the boiled ham. Per serving with Canadian style bacon, 320 calories, 25g protein, 9g fat, 34g carbohydrate,93g calcium,1329mg sodium,85mg cholesterol.

With smoked ham:

294 calories, 23g protein, 7g fat, 33g carbohydrate,90mg calcium, 1246mg sodium, 84mg cholesterol.

5

Sherpherd’s Flock

The Shephard’s Flock organised a breakfast Health Seminar for women as part of its Women Convention programme. The programme was held on the 17th of June at her Ikeja Church premises. Ministering was Rev. Tony Akinyemi, the Senior Pastor of The Shephard’s Flock, while Pastor (Mrs.) Akinyemi played hostess.

Indeed it was an outpouring of His presence at the “Women for Change” programme organised by This Present House Church on the 2nd of June, 2007. Ministering were Rev. (Mrs.) Oduyemi & Pastor (Mrs.) Abby Olufeyimi, while Folake Umosen ministered in songs. Pastor (Mrs.) Nkoyo Rapu was the hostess.