Sister’s Weekend 2002 has come and gone, but has left many hearts enlightened. From a lovely Friday session to a sister’s meeting on Saturday and a relationship seminar taken by the Omowos that same day, and finally culminating in a Sunday celebration service with Evang.  Teju Oni, an ECU alumnus, it was a great time!  

            And of course, a special part of the program was saved just for you…. A newsletter written by the Sisters’ Fellowship for the event was launched [mostly by brothers, naturally] and here are some of the articles in the literary masterpiece. Read and be blessed…..

 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

I suppose you need a special welcome to a special edition of  Fragrance, and this is to specially welcome you all to this special edition of FRAGRANCE, a publication of the Sisters’ Fellowship, Evangelical Christian Union.

While I worked on this edition, I had the privilege of running through the juicy articles contained here over and over again. Believe me, I wouldn’t mind a weekly FRAGRANCE magazine [except the work it involves, anyway!] I was, am and will continue being blessed.

In this edition, Mummy has something to say to us on the making of a woman, so expect to be built up. One article say that the incense that God expects from us is one that is burnt – think about it, what needs to be burnt in your life? If you want to know why you should not be treated anyhow, read ‘Name Your Price’. The specials? Talk about a private audience with the President, 10 books a woman must read, a wonderful testimony, inspiring poems, rib-cracking jokes, words from the ‘bros’, …….

Maybe I should allow you to go on now, so get set to chew amd digest this lovely piece. Enjoy yourself…and  thanks for giving to the substance of FRAGRANCE. See you next edition. Brothers, well, see you later. I love you all.

Editor.

 

 

 KEEPING FIT

Have you ever wondered why many get fat after childbearing? There is a hormonal interplay which causes them to eat. They eat for two – their babies and themselves.

However, this increase can be wisely managed if control is exercised. Here are a few things to note:

Practical tips

Size trimming makes one feel good – just wait until the compliments start coming! However, the challenge is to maintain your size. Consider the advantages therein: you can carry yourself, feel better, increase in confidence, look smart and healthy, among others. Isn’t that worth working towards?

Tosin Owojaiye

 

 

THE MAKING OF A WOMAN

Who is a woman?

There have been various definitions of this word. Some say it means the opposite sex, as in a female; the weaker vessel; the man with a womb. Some even say that a female becomes a woman at puberty or childbirth!

Gen. 2:23, the first place where the word was used, say, “She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” Adam also said, ‘She’s my own bone and flesh.” But really, what was taken out of Adam was a rib, so was he referring to the rib as the woman? In verses 21-22, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took out one of his ribs, closed up the place from which he removed it and made the rib into a woman. So, Adam was referring to the finished work.

There is a whole process of making between the rib stage and the woman stage. The rib stands for your imperfections, weaknesses, rough edges, hurts etc. the process of making is not always a pleasant one. It could be painful and costly, but it brings out the best in you.

According to the dictionary, making means to create, construct, produce, amount to or become. The making period therefore is the time when God turns you from rib to a woman.

A woman is not just a female; that is genetics. She is someone that is carefully, thoroughly and purposefully made in God’s image. The period of making is when God brings out the hidden beauty in the rib and perfects it. [Gen. 1:27]

The renewing of your mind by God’s word does the making. 2 Tim. 3:16 says that the Word of God gives inspiration for perfection. The Word of God changes us; our mentality, attitudes, and dispositions become like that of God. So study, listen to and do the Word. God also makes us through some experiences that we go through to build character in us and smoothen our jagged edges; for example, He could bring infuriating people your way to reduce your temper.

2 Peter 1: 2-11 [TLB} shows us that we have a lot to do in addition to our faith so that we may become useful to God. The rib could not have been useful to Adam until it became a woman, and until we allow God to make us, we are not useful to Him. Like clay in the potter’s hand, be flexible. Don’t assume that you are perfect, and at the same time, don’t look down on yourself. God can break those habits that pull you back.

This period of singleness is the best time for us to allow God to make us. Learn to obey, trust and yield yourself to Him, and He will make you into a woman to fit His purpose. The making process never stops.

Titi Alalade

 

REALITY

Reality – is existence, form, and manner of being.

Face it, live up to its challenges.

Stop living in self-created fantasy

That takes you nowhere but –

Heartaches, disappointments,

A mind filled with unrealistic ideas.

A woman who stands and faces reality

Is the wisest of all.

                                                Adeboje Oluwabukola

 

MET MY LOVE…

Oh how loving you are…

You died in my place -

Mocked, betrayed, bruised, wounded

That I might be healed and saved.

I deserve none of this passionate love,

But You paid all when a wretched sinner I was.

People wanted to tag me ‘a slave of Your love’,

But You objected and called me ‘daughter’.

My Father, my lover, my Saviour,

Your love intoxicates me.

And I’ll love you for all eternity.

Yemisi Ajayi

 

 

A WOMAN’S TRAVAIL

At last after travailing she gave birth to a child,

He looked so tender and delicate like a rose.

He was given adequate care; he lacked nothing.

5 years after birth, he is still crawling;

He refuses to outgrow the feeding bottle at 8,

Demands for breast milk at age 10.

He knows too little compared to his peers.

Still carried on his mother’s back at 11!

The mother is so worried and unhappy.

She wonders… What caused this…?

I gave him all he needed to grow –

Balanced meals, school, ……… oh dear!

If a mother can be this worried how much more

Is God over his children that refuse to grow.

He bought you with his precious blood.

He gave you all that pertains unto life, 

And godliness - all you need to grow.

All He is saying is stop crawling, try to stand.

Walk. I am right beside you.

Must you keep crawling?

                                                                        Anonymous

 

 

 

EXPRESSION

A cry from within

Like a slave in a stronghold

Limited by his bounds

“When will I be free?”

Tears rolling down his cheeks

Knowing where he belongs

But as a bird in a cage

‘Freedom!’ is his cry.

Like a ray in the dark

Expression where he belongs

His face lit up with relief

Freedom at last!

 

Awofiranye Temitope

 

 

 

TESTIMONY

            I was first pricked in my heart about Christ when my mother confessed Christ on her deathbed. She was very ill and we hoped and hoped, but she died anyway. She however seemed to die peaceful and content. I didn’t quite understand.

            I come from a Muslim family. My parents professed their religion quite boldly but not fanatically. We bore Muslim names and were taught the praying rituals. We also went regularly for Jumat services at the Mosque.

            After my mum died, I decided to get more serious about the way I lived my life. I wanted security and happiness. Islam was too shallow to make a change, so at first I thought the solution was Church. My neighbors were Christians and I saw the peace and happiness in which they lived. So I started going with them to church.

            In church, I met Jesus the friend of the sinners, and sometime in 1996, Christ met me and changed me. He gave me such joy, peace and happiness that I cannot trade for the world. I thank God for freeing me from the bondage and deception of the devil. It’s the greatest miracle of my life.

 

FRANKINCENSE  

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11.

            Frankincense is a kind of resin from trees, giving a sweet smell when burnt. This is to say that frankincense only gives out a sweet smell when burnt. The inference I draw from here is that if we are to offer a “FRANKINCENSE”, a benevolent worship, an acceptance sacrifice unto God, then we need to be prepared to go through the burning process. We need to be burnt. What do I mean?

            Just as gold ore, iron ore, etc are purified by heating in the furnace, thus extracting the pure from the impure, we need to be burnt of our pride, our egos, unforgiveness, lusts and every other thing that hinders an easy and wholesome flow of spiritual current between us and God. It is rather unfortunate to note that God is incensed with some of the incense we offer to Him.

            You can imagine someone that has unforgiveness in his heart entering God’s gates with thanksgiving into His courts with praise and worship. He just finds out that he does not key into the worship. The gates are not opened to him neither do the courts welcome him.

In Romans 12:1, Apostle Paul besought us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. In the second verse, he advised us not to be conformed to this world but we should be transformed by the RENEWING OF OUR MINDS. Thus, being conformed to this world hinders the flow of true worship. Then follows the solution: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Through the study and practice of God’s Word, prayer, reading Christian literatures and the rest, we renew our minds.

In conclusion, God desires that you have a sincere heart before Him. When you find out that there is a break in communication then you need to come to God with a sincere and repentant heart and He is ALWAYS ready to burn the unburnt things in your life so that you may offer a  FRANKINCENSE before Him always. God bless you.

 

                                                                                                News Committee

A SHORT COURSE IN HUMAN RELATIONS

The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake."

The five most important words: "You did a good job."

The four most important words: "What is your opinion."

The three most important words: "If you please."

The two most important words: "Thank you."

The one most important word: "WE"

The least important word: "I"

 

Importance of worry

Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take 100 people," Death replied.

"That's horrible!" the man said.

"That's the way it is," Death said. "That's what I do."

The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death's plan.

As evening fell, he met Death again. "You told me you were going to take 100 people," the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?"

"I kept my word," Death responded. "I only took 100 people. Worry took the others."

 

The Mother

       The young Mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

     But the young Mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the Mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."

     And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the Mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the Mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."

     And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth -- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the Mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said," This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

       And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the Mother grew old... and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

        And the Mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She's the place you came from, your first home; And she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you...

Not time, not space... in Jesus, not even death!

 

Author Unknown

 

BOY VS GIRL                                                                                             [JOKES]

 

BOY : Since we met, I can't eat or drink...

GIRL: Why not?

BOY : I'm broke.

 

BOY : I can't leave you.

GIRL: Do you love me so much?

BOY : It's not that. You're standing on my foot.

 

BOY : May I hold your hand?

GIRL: No thanks, it isn't heavy.

 

GIRL: Did you miss me while I was away?

BOY : Were you away?

 

BOY : Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again??

 

GIRL: Say you love me! Say you love me!

BOY : You love me...

 

GIRL: If we become engaged will you give me a ring?

BOY : Sure, what's your phone number?

 

GIRL: I think the poorest people are the happiest.

BOY : Then marry me and we'll be the happiest couple.

 

GIRL: Darling, I want to dance like this forever.

BOY : Don't you ever want to improve?

 

BOY : I love you and I could die for you!

GIRL: How soon?

 

Suitable Partner

A young lady visited the government matchmaker and requested - "I'm looking for a spouse. Can you please help me to find a suitable one?" The marriage officer said, "Your requirements, please."

"Well, let me see. He should be good looking, polite, humorous, sporty, knowledgeable, good at singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out, tell me interesting stories when I need companionship and be silent when I want to rest."

The officer listened carefully and replied,  "I understand. You need a television."

 

The Power of a Woman

There were 11 people hanging onto a rope attached to a helicopter, ten men and one woman. They all decided that one person should let go because if someone didn't, the rope would break and everyone would die.

No one could decide who should go, so finally the woman, fighting back her tears, gave a very touching speech stating that she would give up her life to save the others because women were used to giving up things for their husbands, families and children, ….

When she finished speaking, all the men started clapping........

 

 

CHURCH SECURITY- SPECIAL BULLETIN

            There is now intelligence that has uncovered a new wave of church

terrorists sent out to replace those captured yesterday.

Intelligence believes the brothers names are; Bin

Gossip, Bin Critical, Bin Absent and Bin Sour. The fear is, they are

already in place in many area churches and many are just waiting for

orders to invade.

            Since our first report we have been notified by a number of CHURCH

BOARD'S that they have identified four additional suspected

terrorists working in different churches. Three of the four have been

apprehended. Bin Sleepin, Bin Loafin and Bin Drinkin have been taken

into custody. The Associate Pastor advised us that it is very

difficult to find anyone fitting the description of the fourth cell

member: Bin Workin, in most churches. However, he is confident that

anyone who looks like he's Bin Workin will be very easy to spot.

     Stay tuned for more updates from CHURCH SECURITY...

 

 

 

I AM YOUR FIRST HUSBAND

For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of Hosts is His name. Isaiah 54: 5.

Every Christian lady is first and foremost married to her Lord. Therefore, the purpose and plans of her life are determined by Him. When making decisions in life ( from the trivial to the crucial), your husband should consent to everything you do. Thus, in all you do, God (who is your Lord) should have a final say, since He is your husband.

Acknowledgement of God and His plans for your life is necessary so as to live according to the desire of your Lord. You need to know where you are going so as to know whom to follow when the time comes. This leads us to the issue of making marital decisions. God is your first husband. Let him dictate to you.  Remember that whoever you get married to is capable of moulding or mangling your relationship with God. (Number 30:6-8). While you “wait”,  seek your Lord and know his plans for you. This will help you to make right choices in life. And if “he” is around already, it’s not too late. Start seeking God’s face about your destiny now. You don’t need someone who will get in the way of your destiny, do you? Always remember, “ I am your first husband”, says the Lord.

Bunmi Agbede

Pharm III

 

FROM A GUY TO YOU

Judges 5: 6-7

The above passage is rife with irony. Judges is a book that is filled with heroic tails of conquest and persistent degradation after victory. Many of the ‘he-man’ heroes made history, then promptly settled down to ‘beget sons and daughters!’

In the days of the great judges, people yet went through byways, i.e wrong paths, for many reasons. The right highways were not trod, telling us clearly that in these oft-victorious timers, the moral fibre of the nation was defective.

“UNTIL I AROSE” is a phrase that all women would do well to mark. In a male-dominated, patriarchal society where women were identified via their fathers, husbands or sons, the moral strength of the nation was defective until a woman arose!

As you can guess, she was called Deborah, wife of Lappidoth.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF YOURSELF? WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS? In the midst of defining who you are in the church and nation, remember that no matter how many ‘effects’ the men [or ‘the man’] can pull in a home or group, until you arise, sister, a major part of the place will not be effective.

Rise up. Lift up your head! You have a place – maybe not on the pulpit or with organized leadership, but you have the greatest asset of all: the power of influence. Rise up, or we will suffer the consequences. We believe in you!

bayoOLOTUTM

 

NAME YOUR PRICE

Imagine that you asked your son to auction a very precious ring, and you asked you son to auction it. “Give it to the person who values it most”, you warn. Later, he comes back with a dirty coin.

“Is this what you got for the ring?” you ask, disappointed.

“I even had to beg to be paid this”, he replied. “After all, it’s just a dirty, old, useless ring and….”

What would you do to that boy?

Do you know that we sometimes behave like that boy? You could sometimes treat a most precious thing to God [e.g you] anyhow because you don’t know your worth and how bad God feels about it!

I cannot right now accurately describe your worth, but have you ever heard people say: “ I love her or him so much I could die for her or him?”  They are actually trying to express how deep their feelings are for that person, but they may not be able to do it anyway. Someone however, loved you so much he did it. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends”. “ For I so greatly loved  and dearly priced  ‘ you’, that I even gave up “myself”, so that if you trust in, cling to and rely on me, you shall not be lost, but shall have life” . John 3: 16 Amplified (emphasis mine)

If God thought your worth was his life, why do you think so lowly of yourself? I mean he carried out a valuation check on you and concluded that your worth was divine life! You were worth the death of the royal prince of the heaven.  And He had to rise again to live for you!  Its like his life is centered around you. When he died, he died for you. Now he lives for you. My dear, no one can ever love you that much, ever!

I want to let you know that when the worth of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. VALUE YOURSELF PEOPLE WILL PAY WHAT IS ON THE PRICE TAG THEY FIND ON YOU. It is wrong to let others treat you anyhow, its not fair on you or God. As long as you do that, you never develop the self worth and confidence that you need to live a fulfilled life as a woman. A few points of note are as follows:

1.    Recognize what makes you a better person: What makes up your value is not money, diction or beauty. Your spiritual, emotional and psychological state are more important than these. Solomon said, “WISDOM is the principal thing…” Prov 4:7.  Later, he sais that the summary of your life is that you fear and obey God. [Eccl 12:13]

You improve by of loving  the Lord and being a woman of wisdom. Improving yourself in other things should be done on the basis of wanting to be the best for God (the primary love of your life) and yourself, not because you want to be accepted by anybody. Do appear neat, take care of yourself, communicate well, and be in good physical shape but all these should be seen as challenges in self-improvement.

2.    Associate with the right people :Do you have friends that always put you down? I advise that you  stay away from them, since you don’t have to be accepted of them to be accepted of God. Brace up and live up to your worth.  Go where you are celebrated , not where you are tolerated.

3.    Never sell yourself cheap to anyone or anything, no matter how important it [or he] is. Desperation in relationships is a reflection of low self esteem. Work yourself into a complete package, such that people will count themselves lucky to make your acquaintance, and the ‘lucky man’ will actually cherish the ‘asset’ he got. M. M. Hammond said “we attract people who feed off what we think of ourselves.” If you think little of yourself, people will treat you that way so. If you are aware of your self worth on the other hand, you earn respect.

I would like you to note however that having self-worth is not being proud. The Lord hates a haughty spirit, and it is a prerequisite for a fall. In summary, think of yourself the way God thinks of you, improve yourself from day to day; maintain a quiet, meek and teachable spirit, and people will VALUE you as a gift from God.  

Tope Adekola

 

SEVEN KEYS TO LIFELONG LOVE

Here are seven keys that will increase anyone’ s chances of ‘living happily ever after’:

  1. Don’t marry the person you think you can live with. Marry the one you can’t live without. Marriage can be difficult even when the partners are in love, but it is murder when they don’t even have that foundation to build on.
  2. Don’t marry someone who has characteristics that you feel are intolerable. You may plan to ‘change him’ later, but behaviour runs in deep channels that were cut during early childhood. So if you can’t live with a habit, it may plague you for the rest of your life.
  3. Do not marry impulsively! There is no better way to mess up your life than to leap into this critical decision without careful thought and prayer. Take about a year to get beyond the ‘nice’ façade and get to know the person, because early in dating, both partners put on their best faces, only to get rude shocks after marriage.
  4. Do not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. You may expect to win your spouse to the Lord later, and this occasionally happens, but to count on it is foolhardy. It is essential that your spouse shares your faith and principles.
  5. Do not move in with a person before marriage. This is immoral, undermines relationships and increases divorce rate. It reduces stability and satisfaction in marriages.
  6. Don’t get married too young or early. Making it as a family requires some qualities that come maturity, e.g selflessness, stability and self control. It’s best to wait for its arrival.
  7. Finally, the ultimate secret of lifelong love is this: the stability of a marriage is a by-product of an iron-willed determination to make it work. Never consider the possibility of divorce, and never threaten to leave your mate during angry moments. Quitting is never an option for those who want to go the distance!

Dr. James Dobson, in ‘FOCUS ON THE FAMILY’ magazine.

 

 

TEN BOOKS YOU MUST READ

 

BOYS TO MEN

The above phrase tells us in a nutshell the vision of the MEN’S SUMMIT, which is centred on the emergence of a generation of dependable, sincere and disciplined mighty men who will stand as the pillars of this great citadel  for generations to come. This vision will surely outlive this generation.

There is a high demand for real men who possess the full attributes accorded to manhood in the eyes of our Maker; a people whose manhood is not defined by marriage, biceps or chauvinism, amongst many ideologies of men. But what does God really expect of a man? Age is no barrier! Jesus in Luke2:46-47 was only 12 years old when He astonished scholars with His understanding of the scriptures; David was a youth when he killed Goliath when the heart of the army had failed them (1Sam17); and Joseph? The list is endless.

God has called us to bring up a new generation of believers, a new lineage of men who will then convey this new spirit to younger men in an unending chain spanning many generations. There is a generational spirit that is usually passed on from one generation to another. For example, 1 Sam 17 tells of David the youth slaying Giant (not Mr) Goliath against all natural odds, and later as king, in an example of transference, he raised ‘mighty men’ whose individual  superhuman acts in battle are documented in 2 Sam. 23:8-39 – but it all began from David the youth.

We are in a strategic position today as the present generation and are burdened with the option to let it be as it always was, or take a bold step to bring the needed change and be partakers in the making of exploit makers. This is a call to the reawakening of GOD’S GENERALS. Choose to make a change!                                                                                                                                                            Ashandobe Emmanuel

                                                                                                                        Men’s Summit Coordinator

 

 

INTERVIEW WITH ‘OGA’

You know what? Sometimes I think Pastor Lekan is different from Lekan Olasehinde. Most of us know  this brisk, serious, official, prayerful……. President of ECU, but informally, he is relaxed, witty and easy to talk to.  FRAGRANCE was with him a few days ago and here are a few excerpts:

 

FRAGRANCE: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Pastor: Well, you know my name already. I hail from Ado Ekiti, I’m the last child and only son of five children. I attended F.G.C. Idoani, and am presently in Medicine IV.

FRAGRANCE: Who are your close friends?

Pastor: I have a number of them.

FRAGRANCE: Is it that you are not particularly close to anyone?

Pastor: I am; but my close friends are quite a number, most of which are people I served God together with in ECU. Some are my classmates; some have graduated.

FRAGRANCE: In case you have any, what do you do in your spare time?

Pastor: I listen to tapes, pray, gist about football, politics and Scriptures; and then I think. I think deeply.

FRAGRANCE: What is your greatest challenge as President?

Pastor: The great responsibility of leading one of God’s treasure houses in this end times, a place where God Himself recruits men.

FRAGRANCE: Is there something you wish you could change about yourself?

Pastor: [smiles] Yes. I wish I had a brother.

FRAGRANCE: You seem to have so much drive. What motivates you?

Pastor: God’s word and inspiring music.

FRAGRANCE: What is your expectation of ECU sisters?

Pastor: I expect them to be a company of women who are sound in the things of the spirit and skillful enough to keep a home.

FRAGRANCE: All right. Personally now, what do you admire in a lady?

Pastor: [laughs] Isn’t that implicative?

FRAGRANCE: At all, Sir.

Pastor: I admire godly fear, meekness, neatness and intelligence.

FRAGRANCE: Please give us a brief charge

Pastor: The strength of womanhood cannot be overstressed. It has saved nations [e.g Deborah] and marred destinies. 2 Kings 8:18 says that Jehoram did evil….because the daughter of Ahab was his wife. A great need of this hour is women who will shape the world for good.

 

 

 

EDITORIAL STAFF

Executive Editor    Titi Alalade

Editor-in-Chief       Tope Adekola

Associate Editors   Tosin Owojaiye

                                Funke Oladosu

Graphics: Shekinah Business Ventures