Blog Action Day 2008: Should Poverty be a way of life?

Poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor; indigence. In as much as we all know that poverty is not good and nobody ever prayed to be poor, except in the spirit where it is counted as humility, otherwise it is like living life without a purpose. Or of what purpose is a life when as a parent, you watch your children die of hunger because there is no food to feed them with or sickness for lack of money to pay for hospital bills. Of what purpose is a life that clothed itself in rags whether the weather is cold or hot.

A lot of people are living in poverty either as a result of their own making, or some others because of circumstances beyond their control. Poverty has been known to be the major reason why there are so many crimes in our world today. People resort to criminal activities as a means to an end. Both men and women, boys and girls all over the world have been known to go into prostitution simply because poverty pushed them into it. Parents have even been known to send their underage children into the labour market just to contribute to the family upkeep instead of their being sent to school. Some of these children have been known to fall into the wrongs hands who will lure them into petty stealing, used them as informants/ baits for armed robbery operations, some have been kidnapped and used for rituals, others have been sexually and physically abused in the process.

Should poverty be a way of life? No!

The people that have should help those that do not have. When you give to the needy around you, aside the popular believe that when you give, you will be given in return or blessed by God, you will be helping to better a life, you will be giving hope to someone whose been treated poorly, been made to feel that he/she never measure up, been rejected, defeated, whom people have undervalued, passed up, tagged a loser, been hurt pretty bad and is now hard and angry inside.

Help to better a life today, Isaiah 61:1; the spirit of the sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners.

Overcoming family debts.

Debt is something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another. Debt could result from borrowing; it could be from unredeemed pledges and vows, or from buying things on credit. Borrowing is an act of taking something that belongs to another to use with the hope of repaying at a latter time, it results into debt. It is not a sin to borrow, when you borrow in good faith with the hope of paying back what you owe.

One may be forced to borrow to ensure that his/her family does not go hungry especially when things are a bit down for the breadwinner. It is only wrong to borrow to buy clothing items, luxuries like a car, TV sets or borrow to host a party especially when you know you don’t have a hope of paying back. One can borrow for business when you have faith in yourself that you could make a success of that business and you know that you are disciplined enough to use the money for that purpose. Borrowing for business is taking a risk,so one must seriously consider the cons and pros of such a venture before embarking on it.

Borrowing could be as a result of:

• Lack of contentment
• Inability to set priorities right;Covetousness
• Poverty
• Necessity – school fees, house rents, bills; hospital, utility etc.
• People also borrow when their expenditure is much more than their income.

Effects of Debt:

• Public embarrassment or disgrace;
• The borrower will lack peace of mind because debt hunts;
• Terminal problems or sickness such as hypertension; migraine; headache; heart attack etc may result from too much thinking;
• Enslavement; a debtor will be a slave to his creditors;
• A debtor may not be able to move freely for fear of running into the person he /she is indebted to.

Solution:

• Learn to control internal urgings, appetite and those things that push one into unnecessary spending;
• Maintain a proper budgeting habit;
• Cry out to people who could help sort out issues and also offer valuable ideas for a better way of life;
• If one way failed, looked for other right or legal ways to make a living. Or start a business of your own;
• Look inward; you may have an idea that could spring things up, constantly be on the lookout for opportunities around you;
• Pray.

Shalom!

Another Blog Award - Butterfly award for the coolest blog I ever know.

My friend Shinade at the Painted Veil gave this awesome award to mumsdadschildren. This is just so cool. Thanks Liza of Mums check nyo and Shinade for this award and congratulations once again for being the earlier recipients.

The rules are quite simple;

You pick ten people and pass this award to them.

Then contact them and let them know that you have chosen them and their blog for the award.

Also link back to the person who gave you the award.

Here are my picks for this award:

Emily Grace

Simply Euphoric

Symphony of Love

Karen & Gerard Zemek

A Family Man

A Mother's Guide to Sanity

 Tosin Emmanuel

Channelofhealing 

Louise

Anna

Teach your children to love.

No one is actually an expert when it comes to raising children, all we can do is try to learn from the one who knows best how to raise children (God), so when we talk about raising children the right way, we can only believe that with the help of God we can succeed as parents. But the greatest gift a parent can give to their children is to help them develop respect and a loving attitude towards all people regardless of class, social status, race, tribe, language or state of health.

In other to teach children to love, parents also need to show how much they treasure their own relationship with others starting from the relationship between their parents. Parents that openly display love and affection like telling each other “I love you”, kissing each other often (Not the amorous kind in presence of children) and so on are sending a message to their children that they love and care for each other. Make it a point of duty to also say nice and encouraging words about people, don’t say bad/negative things about others, don’t discriminate or gossip idly and carelessly around them, it sent bad vibes to the children and can portray those people as bad. Keep your reservations about others to yourself or until when they are not present to witness it.

Are you ever jealous? Then be very careful so that your children don’t copy it because love is not jealous. You see, jealousy can occur in a family if the parents favour one child over another, it could cause a problem between them that may be irreparable and can even make them want to hurt each other. It could caused big trouble, so teach your children to avoid giving in to jealous but love one another and even others that are not members of your family.

Above all, the best way to teach children to love is by example, this is so important because, you can’t tell them to love while you hate, love all men, do things that shows you care for people, teach them to be patient with others cause love is patient; teach them to be sensitive and gentle cause love is kind; teach them to be humble in all things because, love is not arrogant, it does not brag or show off.

May God help us we raise great and amazing children .

Shalom!

Further Reading

Parents are to protect their children

Are you a good parent

How well do you know your children!

Children's lack of discipline

Can love impel humans to show outstanding courage?

Yes, love can impel us to show outstanding courage, a case study was how God because of the great love he has for all mankind sent his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. John 15.13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” and shortly after Jesus said these words; he gave his own life, not for just one person, but for entire mankind, Matt 20.28. What a great courage.

How many of us can show such great love. Can a wife give herself for her husband? How many parents can lay down their lives for their children’s, some rather use their children for money sacrifice, abuse and some can even kill their partners just to fulfil a whim. In II tim.1: 7, For God have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do because there can be no courage unless you’re scared. If we cultivate a selfless love in addition to faith and Godly fear, we will also be able to display Christ-like courage and we can only do it if and when we recognize its source, love is from God, so also is courage according to II Tim 1: 7 earlier quoted.

The Song of Solomon 8:7, many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised, Real love forgets self. Real love knows no danger. Real love doesn’t count the cost.

Let love impel you to show outstanding courage to someone today.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful son.

PICT0376
Originally uploaded by oluyemibola

I want to thank God today for another year added to my son’s life. It is my joy to see him growing bigger, healthier, stronger and older, what else could a parent asks for. He was born 2nd October 2005 at exactly 10:43am through a caesarean section. Darling, here are my prayers for you on this wonderful occasion.

May the Lord’s presence be with you continually;
May the Lord take charge of your life and destiny;
May you enjoy God’s continued blessings upon your life,
May the Lord bless you and keep you to declare his counsel,
May the Lord shed his light upon you,
May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace at all time.

Thank you Lord,

In Jesus name (Amen).

I love you son.