Getting People

Justice - when you get what you deserve

Mercy - when you don't get what you deserve

Grace - when you get what you don't deserve (positively)

Fran - 60 yrs old. My former housemate (yes, i lived with a 60yr old for 6 months, now close your mouth and read), the one who gave me meds for free and called someone to stay with me at the hospital in Cysts, Stones and Gypsies , the one who prayed for me everyday and reminded me to ask myself how anything i'm thinking of doing will bring God glory, the one who revived my love of wanting to be a beacon of light for Jesus everyday, the one who got married on saturday!

Gbemi - everybody's big aunty on twitter, the one who has opened her home in Houston to me without ever asking my story(i was there again this weekend, remember THIS post?) , the one whose family is now my family, the one who shines so bright and loves so hard it makes your cheeks hurt from smiling in wonderment, the one who nearly killed me with craw fish!

Look how cute they are, my blackness is a prayer point:(

Craw fish with potatoes and corn on the cob
I promise it's the pepper and
not our love for food that
has us looking so serious.
 

Chiki - My precious, cousin, sister and best friend. The one who has heard all my miserable tales and kept them, the one who will never throw a pity party for me, the one who listens and never judges, the one who cracks up hard at my horribly dry jokes, the one who loves like she's never been hurt, the one whom i dedicate Emeli Sande's My Kind of Love video to (cos i'll get in trouble in a heartbeat for her lol), the one whose birthday was on the 29th of August.

 



 

People are awesome! God uses people to bless us and remind us that He'll always be here for us. People are the ones who physically hold us when we're done praying and need shoulders to cry on. When you've gotten understanding, please get people because they are the ones you will call at 2am when life gives you a flying kick. God graces us with people and i say grace because after all the times we've failed Him and people, we really don't deserve to have people.

 

May the Grace of God always be with you and may the size of your sin never limit your understanding of it but open your heart to appreciating it. I love you guys very much, Happy Labour Day and have a blessed week

 

P.S

Houston was awesome as usual, i didn't eat suya due to a series of unfortunate events but was able to stuck up on my naija supplies and the craw fish experience will keep me going for a while:D Fran's wedding was in Cypress (40mins out of Houston) so i used to opportunity to go get loved on by Gbemi. I also met Nugwa (@nugwatweets) and KitKat, see all that gragra she forms on her blog ehn, remember "wotchugondoabourrit"? Notin! She is super sweet and i had good laughs spending the day with them.

Wood and strings

Lent you Outsiders and my new Badu

While you were thinking I didn't have a clue

Tough to sort files with your voice in my head

So then I bribed you downstairs with a Malboro Red

And now I feel so small discovering you knew

How much more torture would you have put me through?

You probably saw me laughing at all your jokes

Or how I didn't mind when you stole all my smokes

***

Her name is Cherry, we've just met

But already she knows me better than you

She understands me, after 18 years

And you still don't see me like you ought to do

Maybe we could talk 'bout things

If you was made of wood and strings

While I love her every sound

I don't know how to tune you down

And you're so thick and my patience thin

So I got me a new best friend

With a pickup that puts you to shame

And Cherry is her name

And when I'm lonely, Cherry's there

And she plays along while I sing out my blues

I could be crying and you don't care

You won't call me back, you're stubborn as a mule

Maybe we could 'bout things

If you was made of wood and strings

You might think I 've gone too far

I'm talking 'bout my new guitar

Bwahahahahaha!!! Get your stinky little minds out the gutter :p This is just one of my favourite songs by Amy Winehouse. The first part is from the song You Sent me flying while the second part is titled Cherry and it's a skit after the first one on her Frank album.
I loved Amy Winehouse! I never agreed with the way she lived but i loved her music and it is sad that for me she is one of those rare talents that will never be replaced in the music industry. She died a year ago today on July the 23rd, 2011.

Life is hard, life is really, really hard and the truth is that we have all made bad choices and will still make bad choices even when we know better. I also know that tough love works but tough love is not cruel and sometimes, all it takes is a smile and a kind gesture to change someone's perception of the world. Be kind to people, even when there's no reason to be, especially when it hurts!

In the words of Kimya Dawson, if you wanna burn yourself, remember that I love you; send me an IM, I'll be your friend.

God bless you.

Here's a listen to both songs, Cherry starts at 5:18 after You Sent Me Flying. It starts a little slow and melodramatic but warms up beautifully and i love how she keeps you guessing about what exactly she's on about... Enjoy!

The link for mobile readers http://youtu.be/TwV5xUxBDxE

Young Adult (Running Scared)

Some people become adults when they become married (however old they are then), some do when they move out of their parent's home while others become adults when they get into college or start working. I, Dooshima Mabonga at 25 years of age became an adult when i used MY money to buy a TV last week.

Now, buying a TV is not a big deal in itself per se. It's just that when you're an irresponsible brat who would rather spend money on food, lingerie, unnecessary road trips and friends than on where you live (hello everyone who saw my apartment in Abj) then buying any sort of furniture becomes a HUGE deal.

School starts in about a month and i'll be moving into an apartment 2 days before that (not student housing o *side eye*) all the while working full time and i'm scared out of mind. Talking of being scared, did i mention i killed a snake all by myself last Friday?

As I was saying, I'm scared of failing because i graduated (undergrad) in 2008 and i know my brain is rusty.

I'm scared of not finding the right roommate (roommate, housemate, flatmate same difference jor) to rent the other bedroom and
I'm even more scared that said roommate will up and leave without notice and i'll be stuck with bills i can't pay without feeding on my nails and hair.

I'm scared of not getting a job in my field till i'm done with Grad School but then again,
I'm scared that leaving my job will be me kissing goodbye to ever being a School Counsellor ( I need at least 2years of Teaching experience with a Masters to qualify for this, I have just 6months and i'm exausted).

I'm scared that i'm no longer scared of marriage and relationships.

I'm scared that there's so much trouble in Nigeria and all fingers are ending up on praying Nigerians who have been accused of praying and doing nothing else while the accusers accuse and do nothing else.

I'm scared that one day i'll have a nasty argument with someone on twitter over the last fear but above all,

I am scared of losing my faith.

I have hope though that this all is going to work out and God is going to make grace and favour be with me and my people so i'm happy and still a little tired but not so scared.

The best part though is having faith, because faith is stronger than anything hope could ever hope to be. So i'm holding onto my faith (and that of praying Nigerians) and smiling because i know that no matter what, no matter how, it will all be ok and this experience like every other will not be a weist. ;)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the faith that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evil doers, those who revilde your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed 1Peter 3:15-16

Corn Dog Elbows

*There's a beautiful story by Sola Macaulay (Maid of Heart) at the bottom so if you don't care to know what's been up with me scroll down and enjoy :(

Update
My little (half) sister wrote some silly poem about her little brother where his skin tastes like chicken, jaws like pie, has sugar drop candies for eyes, corn dog elbows and yummy french fries for toes. It's ridiculously awesome and makes me appreciate my family.

I'm fine by the way, thank you so much, so, so, much for all the emails, text messages and tweets. It's all behind now and i'm grateful to God for His mercies on His stubborn little baby who hardly does anything right. God is pretty cool and i love Him.

On my not so short stint away,  I drove 8hrs (16to and fro) to Mississippi, 6hrs (12 really) to Louisiana and went roller coaster riding at 6 flags, fun!!! I also got a speeding ticket and hospital bill that knocked the breath out of me, lol but such is life.

Rememer Maid of Heart? Yeah, one of  'The Few Good Ones' that just upped and left Blogger without a warning? Yup, the one with Faith Dames , that one! She's also known as *drum roll* Sola Macaulay (yaaaaaaay!!! Anonymous spell broken) and she put up a post a while back that had the hairs on my body standing from excitement at her imaginations, the creativity of the Almighty Creator and the inspiration from the story. Read and stay blessed :*

Fish Tale by Sola Macaulay

“Father, Mother, I had a dream that I’m going to be used by God.”

Papa and Mama Fish stared at their 800th son, their mouths hanging open. They wondered if they heard him right. Mama Fish was the first to recover as she swam towards her son.

“Are you sure about this, dear?” She said, touching her fin to his, the look of concern written all over her face.

“Yes, Mama. I have a special duty to perform.”

Daddy fish guffawed. “Listen to me, son fish. We’re fishes. We don’t get used by God. We get eaten by bigger fishes or people if we get caught or we spawn till we’re aged.”

“But dear,” Mama Fish responded, “don’t you think…”

“Nonsense, mama fish. Son fish is dreaming.”

Leaving his parents to argue, son fish swam out of the home cave and bumped into his brother at the entrance.

“I heard everything. So you think you’re special.” He smirked.

“I don’t know if I’m special,” he flutters his fins like a shrug, “I just know that I’m going to be used by God.”

“Huh!” Said his brother and blew bubbles at him.

Son fish swam out of the cave and felt an unusual current of water sucking him away. He glided on around his home and suddenly he saw a bright light in the distance. It was brighter than any light he’d seen, even brighter than when the sun pierced through the continental shelf. He became curious and began to swim. He swam up to the outer fringes of their territorial waters, following still after the bright light. Tired, exhausted but determined, he pushed on until the bright light moved closer to him and settled on the spot where he stopped. Just then another rush of current swirled up fine sand around him. When the dust settled, he saw a shiny button on the sea bed. He dove down and picked it up with his mouth. It was a treasure of inestimable value.

Suddenly, he felt a rush of bubbles in the water. He knew the familiar sound very well and he knew he had gone far, too far for Papa Fish to rescue him. A big white fish swam steadily in his direction. He clamped his mouth tightly and swam as fast as he could, the big fish hot on the chase. The swish swash of strong current spun him around till he came face to face with fate. Clenching his jaws tight against the shiny button, he waited. The big fish lunged at him and in that moment when he expected to end in the belly of this formidable enemy, the strong current pushed him up out of the grasp of the big fish.

A few seconds later he heard another familiar clunk in the water and this time he knew what he had to do. With the gold button firmly in his mouth, he opened wide just enough to accommodate the hook that pierced his jaw. The hook tugged and pulled him through the water up into the hands of a kind looking, bearded fisherman in flowing white tunic. He wriggled and thrashed himself against the wooden boat as the fisherman removed the hook from his mouth and peered closely to retrieve the gold button.

The fisherman smiled, wiped the gold coin and flung son fish into a basket. Son fish thrashed one more time, feeling exhilarated. Even as he took his last breathe, there was a knowing deep down that he had just been used for the Master.

"And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." Matthew 17:24-27

*

YOU are special

YOU were created for a purpose and

YOU are loved. You've always been and you always will be. Happy 4th of July!



We made puppets with  lunch bags and flags with thumb prints :D

Cysts, Stones and Gypsies

It all started like a joke!
On Wednesday (9th of May), I got home from work sick! I had a banging head ache, was freezing and couldn't stop sneezing for the life of me. I simply went straight to bed because i knew that when my flatmate (who is a nurse) got home from work shortly before midnight, her phone convo would wake me up, i would go meet her and she would get off the phone to take care of me. Which was exactly what happened, she prayed for me and handed me 7 obese pills!


Peanut butter toast, what was left of my hot chocolate and the bad guys

On Sunday (13th of May), my flatmate had family over for dinner and we grilled hamburgers, talked, laughed and just had a good time together. 30minutes after dinner, i realised i was down with severe heartburn. I've had heartburns before so i know for sure what they are like but this was so much worse, the pain wouldn't go away and i couldn't swallow anything (even saliva) without feeling like i had just shoved a rock down my throat. Again, my roommate was there to love on me, pray for me and hand me more pills, the irony!

On Monday (14th of May), I got to work feeling miserable. My throat hurt and i was coughing and sneezing. Later on, one of my colleagues looked at me, smiled and went 'It's the baby room, you finally caught something huh? Welcome!'. I got 2 extra hours at work but they were in the Baby Room and apparently, you're not a teacher till you've caught something from the kids so it made me feel a little better because i knew that once my immune system got over the whole thing i would be stronger and more resistant to little viruses.

Thursday - May 17, 2012
I felt great, everything was fine. I had alot of fun at work, was healthy, happy and grateful to God for good health and Shonda Rhimes.

Playing dress up/ goofing off/ being hot messes!

Friday - May 18, 2012
I woke up with a sore throat, husky voice, banging head ache, coughs and sneezes. It hurt to talk but i had to say almost everything twice because no one could hear me... Long day!

Saturday - May 19, 2012
I woke up at about 2.30am with a sharp pain on my lower right. I got up to go pee and quickly realized that i couldn't stand up straight or walk right. Tears streamed down, the pain wouldn't go away. I said silent prayers. I said loud prayers. I begged God to take it away. I hurt like i had never hurt before and was sure i would die if i did nothing. So i dressed up, told my flatmate's in-law i was going to the hospital and headed out. My flatmate was gone to San Antonio for the weekend and her in-law had 2 little boys so i didn't even bother asking her to take me considering the waking up, car seats and all that wahala.

Anyway, as i drove out i almost regretted not begging her to take me because hitting the gas with my right foot made the pain alot worse but i carried my cross silently as tears streamed down my face and tried to watch where i was going. My flatmate called me about 5minutes after i had left the house because her in-law had called and told her, she prayed for me and said she was going to tell one of our friends to meet me at the hospital but i told her not to bother because i didn't want anyone driving out in the dark for something that might be nothing. That was me forming Miss Independent by the way, lol. Obviously and thankfully, she paid me no mind because 2minutes later another friend (who is also a nurse and had just gotten off the mid-night shift an hour earlier) called me to say she would meet me at the ER.

*Sidenote: the hospital branch 5 minutes from my home turned out to be a clinic without 24hr service so i had to drive 20minutes to Tyler in pain.

I got to the hospital at about 3:20am and to my surprise there was a line, some silently but obviously in pain and very sick while others loud and offensive. I didn't get a bed till about 5am by which time most of the pain was gone but when i was asked for a urine sample and saw blood stream out of me like a running tap, i lost all control and broke down again.

Too silly to take anything serious :p



Beth! :)



I didn't just cry, i wailed. #sissy

After all the tests and poking in every imaginable place, even the unnecessary ones - the nurse couldn't get an IV line in on the first try so she kept poking and shoving the bloody needly into my arm till she finally got it right- the doctor narrowed it down to kidney stones and ovarian cysts, stock me up on prescription painkillers and referred me to a Doctor to see on monday for more tests.




Sunday, 20th May
I woke up with pink eye.

Monday, 21st May
I went to get registered at the hospital and set an appointment with the doctor but one of the nurses was gracious enough to tell me that i didn't have anything to worry about because if it was a kidney stone then the pain was normal and the bleeding meant it was very close to passing out. If it was an ovarian cyst then the bleeding and pain meant it had dissolved on it's own and finally, the pink eye wasn't pink eye but just sinus blockage that would go away with so and so medication.

It's still monday and it's about a quarter past 10pm. I still hurt a little and my eye is still a little swollen and a little red but i am happy and grateful to God for good health and friends who have become family (chief ref to my iBlend fam, Shanpepe, Felicia, Doosh, Hassan and Gbemi). I refuse to believe that this just happened and i was just lucky but see it as a blessing and a miracle from God. I have people here but it's not the same as being home with your mum and cousins and aunties and uncles to fuss over you AND pay your bills (i am still saying silent prayers as i wait for my bill by the way) so i am grateful that by His grace, the worse is over and when the doctor finally sees me, there will be nothing to diagnose.

I was gonna talk about being tagged a gypsy because of my constant moving (3times within the last 8 months and i'll be moving again in August) but this has gotten ridiculously long so i'll just save the gist for another post.

Please keep my health in your prayers and always remember that God loves you.
Stay blessed :*

Death died

Death came

I was walking The Walk, happy, graceful

Death stared

It looked familiar but felt different

Death changed

It was slow this time, sly and fierce

Death struck

I stopped singing praises

Death struck

I stopped tweeting praises

Death struck

I started dying slowly, lost my way, wasn't living in sin per se just wasn't living in the Lord

Death struck

I couldn't pray,  I still read my bible day and night but couldn't spend 5 straight minutes in prayer

Death slipped

Every single time that i read the Bible, there was a Word for me

Death fell

I learnt to download, play, sing along and dance to gospel songs

Death shrieked

I felt the presence of God, His grace, mercy and love wash over me

Death gasped

I fell and rose, fall and rise, am falling and rising, falling but rising

Death died

I was lost but praise be to God, I am found.

Miss Elizabeth!

*I walk into the classroom feeling sexy with the braids i just made

Kid A: Miss Elizabeth, you look bald!
Kid B: No, she doesn't! She just needs a hair cut.
Kid C: *squinting* She looks like a Marine...
Kid D: Miss Elizabeth, you look just like my mum! She has that kind of dress and those kind of shoes and that kind of face
Me: Is this a good face?
Kid D: Yeah, it is. It's a great face!

***
Kid: Why do you have black all over?
Me: Errrm... 'cos i like the shirt and i wanted to go all black today.
Kid: No! I mean, why do you have black all over your skin?
Me: I was born that way baby, there are black people and there are white people
Kid: Oh... So we're all born white and some people turn black when they grow up?
Me: No, some people are born black and some people are born white. I was born black love
Kid: Hm... but if some some people are born black how come all the kids in this class are white?
Me: That's just 'cause there are no black kids in here, I promise you there are black babies. Every black person you see was born black
Kid: Oh... *Looks relieved for a second then sits back looking even more confused*


***
Normally, I'm with the 4s and 5s (pre-k) but I have been a substitute with the 3yr olds for a couple of weeks now and i've grown to absolutely love them too. They are not allowed to sit on their cots when they are piled up after nap time but i usually sit on the pile to watch them eat during snack time. One of the kids always rushes his meal so he can join me and I always let him. Anyway, i was coming back from the restroom one day and met his mum on the corridor, this is what happened...
Mum: *Laughing but looking embarassed* I'm so sorry Elizabeth but i have to tell you this
Me: It's ok, what's wrong?
Mum: Well, i walked into the classroom and saw my kid sitting on the cots but before i could say anything he went 'It's ok mum, my brown teacher said i can sit here'!
All I could do was drop my face in my palm and laugh my heart out. Who cares about political correctness? Innocence is bliss.

***
It's been a long day, the kids have been crazy and I'm just sitting, trying to rest while I watch them play in their centres. One of the kids leaves his centre, grabs a book and walks up to me
Kid: Miss Elizabeth, can you please read this book to me?
Me: *Frowning and looking at the centre where he's supposed to be but deciding to play nice* Errrrm... Ok
Kid: Can i sit in your lap?
Me: *Starting to panic 'cause this is one of my most difficult kids and he's not the fuzzy kind* Errrrm... sure baby
Kid: *Sitting and snuggling close* I love you Miss Elizabeth!

On my birthday with some of my darlyns :D

I love my kids! They drive me crazy sometimes and there have been days when I've been seconds short of grabbing my purse and quitting but there is something about children that no matter how difficult they get, you can't help but love them. Children are amazing, they are giving, loving, sincere and above all, forgiving and I can see why Jesus would say "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:3-5

This has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life and there's nothing more precious than having a little child help build your faith in God.

How una dey?  I get all teary eyed when i get emails from you guys, i love you all so much and i am grateful for the opportunity to share stories and experiences with you. May God continue to bless and help you grow to be everything He made you to be.

P.S
My friend, Andy, is having a blogathon this month themed "Write like no one is reading". He is having anyone and everyone submit random posts and he uploads one everyday. I broke the rule a little by writing like everyone was reading, please check it out here-----> Cool Beans and you can holla at him through email or the comment box if you want to submit a post.

P.P.S
If you ever call me Eliza fowl will jam you :p :*
Stay blessed