The Thieves of Time

Time is a great asset; it is so valuable that it must not be wasted. When it comes to time, God is not partial; He gives 86,400 seconds to all living things daily; some spend theirs whilst very few invest theirs. What we do with time determines what time yields for us.

My spiritual dad, Francis Soska Forbes once told me; “The only reason you get tired on your work is because you never draw your time table and prioritise your needs.”
What an advice?

Baruch says, “Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequences of action without thought.” And Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians, “Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.” Eph. 5: 15–18 [As paraphrased by Eugene H. Peterson]

To manage your time effectively; watch out for the following time thieves:

v Attempting too much at a go
v Unrealistic time estimates
v Procrastinating
v Lack of specific priorities
v Failure to listen well or ask questions for clarity
v Doing it myself – failure to delegate
v Lack of organisation
v Failure to write it down
v Absence of self-appointed deadlines
v Doing first things first

The Price of Freedom

I really do not know what you’re going through right now – just believe that God will neither leave nor forsake you; He’ll see you through … and if you are still asking the question ‘WHY ME?’, here is my answer, ‘WHY NOT YOU.’ 

The book of Ecclesiastes 9:11 states that; “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”

There is ‘a time’ in/with God – His time is always the best as all things are beautified and perfected in their ‘various times’.  You are not an exception.  

Let this short story narrated by one of my lecturers take your mind off your limits but I want you to make a decision to either sit down and lament your problems or get on your limbs and exalt God above your problems.

During the slavery days; certain slaves were offered for sale on an auction slab.  As the auctioneer announced the slaves, bidders tendered their prices and trading continued until a tiny, slim and haggard looking young black girl was offered on the slab.  No one bid for her; ‘She’s no value for money.’  They said.

A rich young man, gorgeously dressed raised his hands and declared, “I’ll buy her for 4,000 dollars.”

The auctioneer kept on pressing, nobody could offer more. Even the heftiest guy bought on that day was acquired for 175 dollars.  “What a mere waste of good money on a valueless thing!’ The bidders complained.

The gavel came down; the slave girl was to be passed on to the rich man.  The young maid spat on the rich man, questioned, ‘Who asked you to buy me … fool?’  The man wiped the spittle off his face and went into the auctioneers’ inner office to settle his bill. 

They passed on the girl to him as a property but instead he handed over the bill to her and added, “That’s your freedom cert … you are now at liberty to go anywhere you feel like without feeling bound or inferior to anyone in any way.”

The girl broke down, wept uncontrollably.  ‘You mean you paid that huge amount to set me free?’  She asked.  The man about to mount his horse and ride away, the freed held his legs and declared, “If you can pay that much to set me free, I won’t let go of you … wherever you’re going, I wanna go with you.” And so she followed him.

Is that not what Jesus did for you as well?  He paid a price for the debt He didn’t owe to get you a prize (freedom) you did not deserve.  You are so full in God’s mind, that’s why He’s mindful of you.  If He’s your all-in-all, He’ll grant all your heart’s desires.

6 Sure Steps to Losing Fat in 3 Months

What body works, strict diets and exercises cannot achieve, the following steps will achieve in three months.

Step One: Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) involves not eating for part of each day or a few times a week. When your body doesn't have a constant energy source from the food you eat, it allows your body to utilize the fat it has already stored, and helping you lose belly fat.  Dr. Daryl Gioffre, a celebrity certified nutritionist whose clients include Kelly Ripa and Mario Lopez, adds that when you fast for 16 hours, "your blood sugar and insulin levels lower" and the human growth hormone increases. This increases your metabolic rate "by up to 14 percent in some people," and your body has no other choice but to start burning your body's stored fat for energy.

Step Two: Limit Sugar and Junk Consumption

Do away or cut down with everything coated or sweetened with sugar such as chocolate, ice cream, cookies, pancakes, bread, soda (soft drinks) and sweets – but eat more vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats (like an avocado a day), and I felt more satiated.

Step Three: Stop Overeating

Intermittent fasting can absolutely help decrease your calorie intake, but if you're ravenous and aren't mindful about how much you're eating, you can easily eat a daily calorie surplus, making you gain weight. It is a big crime most people on Intermittent Fasting commit.

It isn’t bad to satisfy your appetite but it is harmful to overstuff your tummy. Schedule your meals and snacks, but eat only when you are hungry no matter how tempting. Drinking water can make this step much easier.

Step Four: Sleep More Each Night

Sleep for at least seven to eight hours a night; feeling rested will make you feel less hungry and prevent undemanding snacking.

Step Five: Walk More

Take between 10,000 and 12,000 steps a day. Reduce your cab taking or driving – and you can also cultivate the habit of getting down a bus-stop or two to your house. If you are a driving type, get a treadmill – it will make you feel more energetic, preventing muscle aches arising from sitting down all day.

Step Six: Take Time to De-stress

Stress can lead to eating junk meals that can increase cortisol levels – but instead of that cravings, engage in funny activities with your kids, read a book or Bible before bed, watch romantic movies or comedy, play music and sing, meditate on the goodness of God, and get a partner for long walks and chatting. Just make sure you end your day happily, even if it is only for 10 minutes for calm and peace.

4 Things Every Woman Should Avoid to Control Belly Fat

Here are four factors that contribute to belly fat and what you need to know about each one.

1. Stress

It's a fact that stress is not good for our body systems but many ladies do not know that it can fatten their bellies.  Stress produces excess cortisol that stores fat in the belly and the best control of this anomaly is by relaxing and catching fun.

2. Hormones

When our hormones (most especially oestrogen in women) are out of order, it degenerates into a lot of imbalances – one of which is abdominal fat.  To control this; take more fibre and indoles such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower which will add fatty acids to your diet and regulate your belly fat.

3. Diet

Every woman is advised to stay away from sugar or sweetened drinks, eating protein with every meal, and reducing the refined carbohydrates in her diet. She should also take cognisance of the macronutrients in her meal to contain

Carbohydrates – 25%,

Proteins – 40%, and

Fats – 35% as it will help burn the maximum amount of fat in the belly.

4. Insulin Resistance

Dr. Barry Sears, a leader in the field of anti-inflammatory nutrition and author of the Zone Diet book, says that excess belly fat is partially genetic but primarily driven by increased insulin resistance.

"Increased insulin resistance is a consequence of inflammation that disrupts the signalling between the insulin receptor and the interior of the cells," says Dr. Sears. "This results in visceral (belly fat) that is stored in all the wrong places and causes significant inflammation. Visceral fat accumulates with decreasing oestrogen levels. As oestrogen levels decrease, insulin levels increase and drives dietary fat into storage in the fat cells and prevent its release for energy production."

By reducing insulin resistance, stored fat will be burned as fuel for energy. In order to use stored fat for energy, you have to reduce your calorie intake to reduce diet-induced inflammation.