TRIBUTE TO A LOST GEM (6TH MARCH 1992 - 30TH DECEMBER 2010)

Hey guys. So today makes it 2 years since my only elder sister passed on due to some unresolved issues. We're thankful to God for His strength and comfort on my family.

I would like to share a poem that a great friend of mine, Kecy Anosike, wrote for her. You can follow Kecy's blog here

SALT (DYING TO LIVE)

Maybe I've been more afraid of living;

Than dying-.

To die is to be free;

To live is to be strong.

After losing your breath,

Nothing else is expected.

But after taking a breath,

You have to take one more.

You do one act, and you're remembered forever.

But if you live for someone in this world

It may seem like forever before it's over

.

To do one may be what's expected of you.

To do the other may just be taken for granted.

But if you combine the two;

At the right time

It may come to you that you need nothing more.

Death is not the enemy, you see,

It takes the soul and sets it free.

But love is the cage which captures your heart

And grief is the thief who rips it apart.

I have held my tears as long as I could.

What good are tears? 

Will they bring anyone back from the dead?

Will they heal the hole in my heart?

Will they tell me it's all right, because it's not.

Tears are just salt water, like the water in our blood.

Tears are my eyes bleeding the pain that fills me till I want to scream endlessly.

Tears may help me sleep but they don't take away the pain.

I can work around it and over it and under it, but I can't get through it.

Salt water stings in an open cut, tears just make my pain ache even more.

In Loving Memory of Elizabeth Abba (1992-2010)---»E-smiles

MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE

ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY; MORE BITES, MORE SHINE

Hey! I know it's characteristic of †ђξ normal human psyche to utterly avoid something after failing †ђξ first time but need I remind you that many of our phenomenal elements of science and technology were coined out from multiple failed attempts.

My favourite example is Thomas Alva Edison. He is the not-so-young man pictured above. Ok. For those that are not familiar with his nomenclature, he is the inventor of many devices that have shaped the daily living of mankind; the most prominent of which is the incandescent light bulb. It is said that Mr. Thomas tried 9999 times and failed but only got his breakthrough at the 10000th time and after all this, he said, "I didn't fail to make a light bulb 9999 times; I only discovered 9999 ways of how not to make a light bulb" (paraphrased).

The keyword here is PERSEVERANCE. There are many more examples of such - Daniel Abba, The Wright Brothers, Michael Faraday, Rutherford and a host of countless others who, because of their perseverance and determination, have made it possible for us to live a relatively less stressful life today.

Let me wrap up with a quote from Mr. Edision: "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."

Have a nice day :)

ALL I WANT FOR GRADUATION IS...

So one of my friends just concluded her Master's Degree from Imperial College, London right after bagging a Second Class - Upper Division Honors degree from the University of Manchester. Well, she got back 3 weeks ago and as happy as her parents were, they decided to throw her a surprise party. And as if that was not enough, she was further surprised with a brand new car as her "Congratulations!!!" gift. Then it got me thinking. I mean, I'm thankful for my own 'wonderful' parents who, even though they don't pamper me with luxuries, I still get stuff which a whole lot of people don't enjoy tho! But honestly, I felt rather jealous. Mostly, because my father is not really the complimentary type.

I remember in my 12th grade - last year in high school and all, I had been among the best 7 students in my own class all high-school-long but I never scaled past the 3rd position :(. Miraculously, that particular term, I managed to bag the first position and I was damn elated (like... FINALLY!!! \(´▽`)/). Then I went to my dad, all excited and all, then all I got back was, "You tried". The only expression I could give at that moment was (-_-) . Well, eventually, he got me a "Well done" cake and it was worth a whole lot to me, coming from someone like my dad.

Now, back to the present!! I'm currently in my 4th year in uni but I still have till 2014 to graduate cos I'm offering a 5-year course. After the gift my friend got, I was just wondering if my dad would get me a private jet anything after my graduation and what it might be. I mean, by the Grace of God, I would be leaving with a First Class Degree in Mechanical Engineering *wide smile*. I'm just anxiously waiting to see if my dad can actually 'surprise' me. *lol*

*passing by*

 Okay. So It's been a while since I posted anything. Not to worry. I'll be back before you know it. Seasons  Greetings !!!! Catch you pretty soon.

THANKSGIVING

Hey guys. I just felt like sharing a lil' bit on Thanksgiving. Sometimes in life, we all  (or at least most of us) feel like there's no need to thank God probably because there's no 'good' thing evident in life at the moment or things just took a certain turn for the worse. But then there's always a reason to be thankful.
If for instance, you feel your shoes are bad and/or worn out, be thankful that you even have feet cos' some people have had theirs amputated. Besides, you're alive and there's still hope; anything can happen
If at all you feel you have a long list of people you know that are 'better' than you (and boy, list can be large) but then look down and see the number of people whose lives aren't as 'blessed' as yours. For what it's worth, you are reading this blog and you can get at least 3 reasons to be thankful:
1) You are alive
2) You are healthy, and even if you're ill in any way, at least you have enough strength to read this
3) You can see; which means you have your eye(s). Many people are dying to just see for a minute
4) You can read this post; thus, you have some education of some sort, whether formal, informal or otherwise
Now think of the number of people who aren't opportuned to have any of these. UNCOUNTABLE!!! So cheer and give glory to God. Have a nice weekend and week ahead.

DESPITE THE RAIN...

A friend sent this to me via FaceBook and I just thought I should share with you:
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Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.
The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, 'OK, dad, I'm ready.'
His Pastor dad asked, 'Ready for what?'
'Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out.'
Dad responds, 'Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring rain.'
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, 'But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?'
Dad answers, 'Son, I am not going out in this weather.'
Despondently, the boy asks, 'Dad, can I go? Please?'
His father hesitated for a moment then said, 'Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son.'
'Thanks Dad!'

And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going from door-to-door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, 'What can I do for you, son?' With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, 'Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.' With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. 'Thank you, son and God Bless you!'

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, 'Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?' Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, 'No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, 'I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.' I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly... I thought to myself again, 'Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.' I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.
When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, 'Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.' Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.
As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them anymore.
You see----I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell.'

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honour to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated.
He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honour for his son.... Except for One [o:)].

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.
Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people! Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you.
Please share this wonderful message...

If you love JESUS, please forward this message. Spread His word, and share His goodness and faithfulness.

Matthew 10:32 says:
'Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven'.

WHO ARE YOU?

So this week is going to be one of the most hectic weeks of my academic life as I'm slated to have at least 8 tests within four days and they are all wicked difficult courses (OK, not all but most ;)). Just thinking of how I would go through it all is disheartening. :( I've even started thinking if I'm actually meant for Engineering or if it has all just been a huge mistake and/or misleading.

This feeling is reminiscent of something my pastor told me last summer. He sent for me on several occasions but I always evaded until one fateful day, I was bold man enough to go and hear just what he had to say. And he went on and on with the usual salutations and enquiries about my family, life and studies. Then he asked me a question, "Who are you?" I was actually somewhat bewildered and I answered, "I'm Daniel :D". He hissed and laughed and asked me again if I knew who I was. Still confused, I decided to tell him that I had absolutely no idea who I was. And he gave it as an assignment for me to find out who I am and what my purpose on earth is. He also cut me some slack by telling me to ask the Holy Spirit if at all I needed clarification at any point in the 'assignment'.

Long story short, it has been a hell heck of an experience so far (even though I know I still have a loooooooooong way to go and all) but I'm just here to charge you, the reader, whoever and wherever you may be, to ask yourself that Ga-zillion dollar question: "WHO AM I?" And if you can't answer that easily and without hesitation, I suggest you embark on your own journey of self-discovery as soon as possible. And take my pastor's advice ;). Have a lovely week ahead.

YEMEN MILITARY PLANE CRASH KILLS 10

A Yemeni military plane has crashed in the capital, Sanaa, killing all 10 people on board, officials have said. A Yemeni civil defence source said the dead included five military office.

The Antonov came down in an empty market in the al-Hassaba district as it tried to make an emergency landing after one of its engines failed. One resident said there were three explosions as the plane crashed. Several shops were destroyed. It is not clear if anyone on the ground was hurt. Officials said there was no indication of any sabotage.

A source at Sanaa's main airport told the news agency that the military aircraft had been on a training mission. It had been attempting to make an emergency landing at a military air base near the airport.

A civil defence source said the dead included five military officers.

The market in al-Hassaba has been abandoned since clashes between Yemen's biggest tribal confederation and security forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh during last year's anti-government uprising.

In October 2011, four people were killed when an Antonov crashed on landing at al-Anad air base in southern Yemen.

SINGAPOREAN TAXI DRIVER RETURNS Sg$1.1 MILLION ($900,000) TO CUSTOMER

A Singaporean taxi driver has been heralded as a hero after he returned Sg$1.1 million ($900,000) in cash to a vacationing Thai couple who left the money in his cab. Sia Ka Tian, 70, was shocked to find the money in a black paper bag on the back seat on Monday after he dropped the couple off at a shopping centre.

"When I saw the money, I thought, trouble is here. I was sure there was at least $200,000 in the bag," the Straits Times quoted the 31-year veteran in the taxi business as saying.

But when he brought the money to transport company ComfortDelGro's lost-and-found office, his stunned colleagues counted Sg$1.1 million in thousand-dollar bills.
"The money is unimportant to me. It doesn't belong to me, so how can I use it?" he told the newspaper. The Thai couple reported the loss to the transport company and Sia was waiting for them when they arrived to claim the money. The report did not say what the couple were doing with such a large sum.

The driver received an undisclosed cash reward from the grateful couple, whose names have been withheld, and the company also plans to give him an award for good service.
"Finding one million dollars in cash is not an everyday affair and in fact, we wonder how many people would have possibly been tempted" to pocket it, company spokeswoman Tammy Tan told AFP. "We are immensely proud of him and are glad that the passengers recovered their money."

It was the most valuable item returned by a cabbie working for the company. In 2009, another taxi driver returned five kilograms (11 pounds) of gold bars worth Sg$377,000.

If only we had many more people like this in our society. (sigh)

NEWBORN BABY KILLED BY BITE FROM FAMILY DOG

 

Newborn baby boy Harry Harper died after he was bitten just once by his family's Jack Russell dog in their home, police have confirmed.

Tragic eight-day-old Harry died from his injuries after the pet pooch snapped at the lad who was staying at his grandparents' home.

Police and ambulance crews rushed to the semi-detached property in Woodside Road, Ketley, Telford, Shropshire, just after 8am yesterday.

Harry's mother Mikayla, 19, was staying with her parents, Gordon Bell, 42, and Teresa, 40, when the attack happened.

The little lad was rushed to The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, but despite desperate attempts to revive him he died soon after being admitted.

Police today stood guard outside the grandparents' three-bedroom semi-detached home.

Pretty part-time model Mikayla, 19, gave birth to 7lb Harry on November 12 and posted pictures of her new baby on her Twitter page.

Posting a picture of her son wearing a cute duck baby-grow, she wrote: "My life harry 7pounds 12-11-12."

Heartbreakingly, just one day before her son was killed, proud Mikayla wrote: "Not gonna lie this little boy gets far to [sic] many kisses."

Today, dozens of friend's of gran Teresa, who has six children, rushed to comfort her with touching messages on her Facebook page.

Louise Boden wrote: "I'm so so sorry for your loss my heart goes out to all of you Xxxx"

Niki Yeomans added: "Such a sad time my thoughts and love go to all of you. There's nothing we can say to take it away but we are here if you need us! All our love n prayers xx"

Tragically, just a week earlier friends had been flocking to the same page to congratulate Teresa on the birth of her grandson.

Luke Norton-Smith wrote: "Congratulations Nanny and Granddad Bell, hope your all okay? Well done to Mikayla too X"

Neighbours said that the couple, who have been married for 20 years, had been celebrating the birth of the toddler just a week before.

A man, who did not want to be named, said: "It's absolutely tragic, they seemed absolutely made up at getting a grandson last week and for this to happen, it's just devastating.

"You can't imagine what they must be going through."

Police said a postmortem to establish the exact cause of death had yet to take place but that investigations were ongoing.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, of West Mercia Police, said: "Our investigation is ongoing but it appears that the baby died as a result of a dog bite.

"The dog in question was a family pet - a Jack Russell - and this animal has been put down.

"A postmortem will be taking place to establish the exact cause of this baby's death but at this stage it does appear to be a tragic accident.

"With an investigation ongoing, there is no further comment I can make on this matter apart from to say that all our thoughts are with the family of the baby at this extremely sad time."

Source: Y! News

May his gentle little soul rest in peace :(

BLOCKBUSTER x_x

So... who blocked 'em colors best? /:) Some pretty nice combos here though but others, -__-. (lol)

GIRLS

I think I see Katy Perry and Hilary Duff tho :|

GUYS