WOMEN IN THE AFRICAN SOCIETY & WOMAN IN AMERICA

Another Government & Public Service Post..YAY

   Wednesday August 7th, 2013

I pray whom ever is reading this is having a blessed day today! 

This will be a two part blog:

I made a personal goal to not only read the entire bible this summer but to also go to more political centered events I would be interested in. I have been wanting to blog about a phenomenal program I attended by US-Africa Synergy a little whiles ago, June 25th,2013 to be exact. The event was entitled Women in the African Society- Challenges & Perspectives. So I will endeavor to tell you all about the happenings of this program and the great people and one person I met that's really helping me grow in faith which was held at the Nigerian Mission in New York City.

In addition I will center this blog about women and their role in the world, specifically as a Christian woman by discussing the 3 part PBS Documentary entitled the Makers (which you can click and watch before you read my responses about it)

Let's get into this, Part 1:

On June 25th, 2013, US-Africa Synergy, a non-profit which seeks to engage the African Diaspora in the sustainable transforming of Africa and empowering African youths, held a program in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the African Union. All guest speakers and invitees including me sought to examine our roles as daughters, sisters, wives and mothers and look back on the changes brought by the historical Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa adopted in July 2004. This Declaration was the African Leadership’s attempt to promote gender equality and to empower women in Africa. However a decade later, data shows very little has been made to improve the social and professional stature of women in African and the African Diaspora. That evening we all sought to  examine the reasons of a halt on change for women in Africa through factors such as gender role, culture and education. 

So basically I personally wanted to go to meet one particular speaker at the event Yetunde A. Odugbesan-Omede. God is so faithful because I actually met her on the train station in NJ, waiting for the train to NY and here she comes gracefully walking up. We ended up chatting the whole way there and now she is one of the best Mentors/friends I have ever had in my life. I'll express her contributions to the event in question further on. 

So the event's structure first included a panel of four speakers, who spoke about their suggested changes for woman in Africa through gender roles, culture, and education. The speakers were:

(Dr. Bola Omotosho-  Medical Doctor & 16th District City Council Candidate)

(Dr. Josephine Ojiambo, Former UN Deputy Ambassador of Kenya)

(Ms. Mpule kwelagobe- Miss Universe 1999)

(Mrs. Yetunde A. Odugbesan-Omede, CEO & Founder Yetunde Global Consulting, LLC)

Comments that resonated with me on seeing women improve in Africa and beyond is :

• For women to know their strength.
• For marriage to be an option when they are ready but not forced. 
• For domestic violence to addressed in countries in Africa that have yet to clearly discuss it in the political arena. 
• Women are strong holders of a community and home. If the women lack, the entire community and her home lacks.
• Yetunde especially mentioned each and every woman has a talent, must realize their talent, and start putting their talent to work!

After this first panel, there was another panel discussion with students. This was great because it opened up questions about the modern woman. How woman in this generation want to be taken seriously but dress scandalously, get drunk on weekends, and rudely talk among their own circles and outside. All this need to stop and we must do better. Comments were made about faith including the Christian faith whom say woman are weaker vessels. Yes the bible does state that in 1st Timothy but when it's used in the right context it explains woman are delicate beings, to be handled with care. God, did make woman in his image so woman are very strong as well! The event empowered us young woman to take control of our destiny and know we are strongly needed to make an impact in our world. 

Yetunde has a really great blog that encourages all, woman and men to put their best forward here: Putting your best forward . She also started a really great organization to help woman enter womanhood and realize their destiny, check it out here : Young Woman Guide 

Part 2:

In continuing to know about the happenings and improvements we need to make as women, I would like to share with you all an awesome Documentary PBS did. PBS created a 3 part series entitled Makers. It basically goes through woman's role in America from the 1960's where women went to college but were expected to remain homemakers up until the roles women play in present day. 

I will like to share my reaction after watching all 3: 

Part 3 in particular clearly shows my generation, that being a power woman holding a great career and being a great mom can be difficult. As a Christian woman it reaffirms that God is calling me to still be a great mother and a help meet to my husband, but as were great woman in the bible who made great change like Deborah and Easter, God will provide me with the education and income to also support my family during the times in my lifetime I am needed. But also in the 3rd part they explain the push for fathers to brake the role of not playing a bigger part in raising children within the home as per spending time. This is seen very highly in African homes, I am not excluded, anyway it's another reason why I love my faith because men are expected to do as much as the wife is to do in the relationship. 

Women I would love to hear your comments after you've watched Makers and about the first part of the blog. Let's start a dialogue and conversation here.

(At my Monday Night Youth Bible study:Occupy Earth)

BONUS: Amos Johnson an amazing man that encourages Kingdom Business to grow and prevail. He just did an amazing podcast on the question: Should the wife be the provider for the family?The  You can watch it here: Wives, it is not your responsibility to provide for the family 

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

*Please "Like", comment, and share this post if this spoke to you. Subscribe to the right for more.*

Healing Hands: A Saturday of Service

Upon being saved, meaning becoming a born again Christian, every believer is immediately given two ministries. One is praying and the other is sharing the gospel, the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins on the cross at Calvary. In the Word of God, the bible, Jesus himself says:

Luke 18:1

 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Matthew 28:19-20

 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Evangelism is very important. How else would I have known Jesus came to tell me I no longer had to be boggled down by my past, he has instructions to aid all of us in this life, and the promises he has for us eternally once we die? It was only through someone opening their mouth, hosting an event and telling me about the Gospel. 

I am the leader of Pinky Promise Northern NJ, a group for single and married women who have made a promise to honor God with their entire lives. While single to stay sexually pure till marriage and while married to let their husbands lead their household. God placed in my heart to reach out to minister to this particular Woman's Shelter, the Apostle House in Newark NJ. Without confirming a date with the shelter I made this flyer, emailed them a proposal letter introducing myself and started praying for God to intercede on my behalf.

Yes, without confirming the date with the Shelter I made the flyer in late June. I had been contacting them since early June/late May though. By God's grace the week before July 20th they confirmed it would be ok for us to visit the Woman at the Apostle House and fellowship with them! Prayer works yall!

The demographics of the Apostle House in Newark, NJ encompasses minority woman mostly mothers in their twenties to early thirties. Most have 2 or more small children. The Shelter can hold up to 11 women and their children (both male and female). The quarters are tight but aesthetically pleasing and safely located on the outskirts of Newark.  

My vision for the day was to let the woman there know they are loved by God. To let them know although they might be in their current situation, by having the lord lead their lives they were able to receive a better future. I planned for us all to make cards with scriptures written inside, to remind them of God's love; also to write letters talking to God to affirm God hears them. I also wanted me and other Pinky Promise Girls to share our testimonies and how God really helped us.

So, on July 20th the event was awesome. I was being lead to buy breakfast for the event. I am so glad I did because I was told by the lovely receptionist Jackie, on the weekends, the mothers were on their own in regards to food. The lord always puts the right things in your heart! About eleven residents both women and children joined us. We started with an opening prayer and had about 20 minutes to get and start eating breakfast.

(Ladies and children getting breakfast)

Due to the fact many of the women had their children with them, involving them in arts, crafts and letter writing deemed difficult because they were watching their children. My amazing Pinky Promise Sister Ebony suggested while we make the cards for the residents, we share our testimonies and open up the floor to the residents to share their encounters with God. This was amazing, many of the ladies opened up about their past and how they were lead to the Apostle House. Many like Ameera, a mother of 3 girls were grateful for the Apostle House although they desired to have their own space very soon. Even the children talked freely about their hurts in living in a shelter but reminded us to count our blessings because at least they were alive and well. My sister Bernice Songonuga, whom just got saved by becoming born-again a couple weeks ago, shared amazing scriptures of healing, perseverance, and the strength of the Lord with the ladies. Her testimony was also received very well by the Residents.

(On the far left is PPsister Ebony, some residents at the Apostle House(Marquette,Ameera, Eyicah) , on the far right my Sister Bernice)

(On the far left is PPsister Ebony, some residents at the Apostle House(Marquette,Ameera, Eyicah) , on the far right my Sister Bernice) The ladies also asked us about certain situations and if the bible and God had answers. Tye, specifically a mother of 2 asked how she could better her relationships with her parents. Gladly we all answered and refereed her to Matthew 10, read it and advised her to forgive any hurt her parents have done to her; build her relationship with God and ask him for more wisdom in relation with her parents. We ended with individual prayers for every single women. I was blessed to pray for Mary a 60 year old resident at the shelter. Her prayer request was for her illness to go away. She explained all her family was in Haiti while she started crying. Mary, my sister Bernice, and I prayed, touched and agreed all will be well with her.   It reads in  Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokeenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, That's exactly what I endeavored to do on July 20, 2013 and for the rest of my life. Join me in gaining the spirit or peace, joy, and love from your creator God. If and when you do have the joy of the lord in your life, endeavor to not only be happy yourself, share the love of God, go out and share his love to those who may have and those who don't. Also check out this post for a special invitation to an awesome event: DCLM: America's National Convention 2013

(Take 2 with me on the far right)

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

*Please "Like", comment, and share this post if this spoke to you. Subscribe to the right for more.*

(On the far left is PPsister Ebony, some residents at the Apostle House(Marquette,Ameera, Eyicah) , on the far right my Sister Bernice)

The ladies also asked us about certain situations and if the bible and God had answers. Tye, specifically a mother of 2 asked how she could better her relationships with her parents. Gladly we all answered and refereed her to Matthew 10, read it and advised her to forgive any hurt her parents have done to her; build her relationship with God and ask him for more wisdom in relation with her parents.
We ended with individual prayers for every single women. I was blessed to pray for Mary a 60 year old resident at the shelter.
Her prayer request was for her illness to go away. She explained all her family was in Haiti while she started crying. Mary, my sister Bernice, and I prayed, touched and agreed all will be well with her.
 

It reads in 

Luke 4:18

 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokeenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

That's exactly what I endeavored to do on July 20, 2013 and for the rest of my life. Join me in gaining the spirit or peace, joy, and love from your creator God. If and when you do have the joy of the lord in your life, endeavor to not only be happy yourself, share the love of God, go out and share his love to those who may have and those who don't.

Also check out this post for a special invitation to an awesome event: DCLM: America's National Convention 2013

You were not made to be Alone

Friday, July 12th, 2013

In Genesis 2:18 it reads:

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

It is not good for a man or woman to be alone. I pray many come to understand. Despite the leval of education, wealth, or independence you gain, the desires to be with someone and recieve companionship may still be there. As woman we may try to suppress the desire but the estrogen injected in us is not a mistake. We can't run from the desire, we can only channel it to not let it over burden us to sin, and or enter destructive relationships.  :( . The best way to channel this desire is serving our creator God, and through him the man he created for you to be with will come. Yes a woman's match according to scripture is only a man and not a woman. God made no mistake in creating your love match. 

Men, no matter how much God is blessing you, as he increases your wealth and wisdom you  should still endeavor to find a wife. It was in the beginning of time after God increased Adam in work and wealth he brought to him his help meet and beautiful wife Eve. If Adam the richest man on earth, living in the garden of Eden needed a wife well brother you were called to have one too. 

So you may then be wondering if you are a guy, “why doesn't God just bring my wife to me Janet?” Or if you are a woman you may ask why doesn't God just place me in front of my husband? Since the fall of man, after Eve ate the forbidden fruit and corrupted a sin free world, God gave us free will. It's our choice who we choose to pursue. This is why it says in the bible:

Key word FIND. A man of God will find you ladies. Rest in God. (I will def blog more about ways to be content in your single season) 

Men you must pursue to find your wife!

You see, strong man of God and even man whom are pastors are married. They understand God's commandment and that because God created a woman out of a man they are both ultimately made to be one and work as a team. I pray this doesn't offend anyone but the pope in the Roman Catholic church is really for show. Many go to him for prayers and leave with their souls still empty. The Roman Catholics really zero in on Paul from the bible and mandate anyone whom aspires to be a high ranking officer in the church to abstain from marriage. Paul, a great disciple abstained from marriage. We must not make this mistake! Paul was separated and set apart and given a task to travel great amounts of distances to preach the gospel. Many Nuns and Priests barely travel.  Please if you feel you are to follow in Paul's footsteps make sure you are hearing it from God not from man-made rules. If the bible is read correctly it actually states some requirements of a pastor:

1st Timothy 3:2 

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, 

Take some time for this to sink in.

(2nd Corinthians 5:13)

Lastly DO NOT make this mistake and not pray for marriage due to past mistakes and hurts. I will be blogging on keeping your purity; but if you are no longer a virgin, have overcame the sin of masturbation or have children, you are not excluded from marriage if you are now living for Christ and are now Born Again. When you give your life to Jesus you become a new creature in Christ. The old has passed away and your slate of mistakes has been wiped clean.  If you haven't given your life, or need to rededicate your life to Christ, it's never too late. Do it today. Now you are living for God sis keep praying, God will bring you a God-Fearing Spouse.

(Me praying at the GCEN Christian Resource Expo)

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

*Please "Like", comment, and share this post if this spoke to you. Subscribe to the right for more.*

Why receive Jesus into your Life?!

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

I could have entitled this blog, why "I" received Jesus into my life? But I want this blog to be more about others than about me. I guess in doing that, I should explain why I changed my entire life around for this "one" guy who lived on the earth more than 2000 years ago and gave up his life to die for me. 

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria.  My parents received Jesus as their Lord and savior before they got married, according to my mom. I was then born  in March 1991. I was a happy little child. By God's grace and the hard work of my dad I moved to New Jersey in 1997. My childhood consisted of morning devotion and prayers EVERY MORNING, school, reading, going to church, any activities I was signed up for like dance, and ending EVERY night with devotions and prayers again. As you see I was very grounded and taught who Jesus was and that he was very important, at a young age. My parents seemed to think he was very important so I decided to give my life to him at 10 years old...so "I thought".

High School

(My Co-Captain Anna and I on my High School's cheerleading Squad)

I don't know where exactly I fell in high school. Well yes I do. Although I had given my life to Jesus at a young age, 10 years old; not growing in the word, like reading your bible, and praying, made me an enemy of God and a prey to the devil. Because I was an honor roll student, a leader in so many school clubs, and a role model I thought the things of the world were things I just had to HAVE. I, like many other girls at the age of 14, 15 start to really desire affection, boyfriends, and relationships. It seems everyone has a boyfriend so why not me? Remember I was a "Christian" so to speak at this time, and I vowed to keep my virginity till marriage. Never the less, I was so infatuated with dating, I decided to accept the ask from my first boyfriend at 15. Because this relationship had no solid foundation, was not approved by my parents because no guy would meet them unless I was to marry them, it didn't last. Long story short I had a couple more through-out my high school career. I would get a boyfriend and soon after my mom would force a breakup. None the less this left me with a BIG wedge between me and God from the actions I committed in my relationship(ie. kissing, the 1st,2nd,3rd,and 4th bases God never invented to be done pre-marriage). 

College

(Center Stage at Madison Square Garden  in NYC. Picture taken by my a bf I was 20 here.)

So despite the fact I didn't end up going to a college I loved the first year of college, I was able to transfer to St. Johns University. I was so ecstatic because they had an awesome basketball team, and cheerleading team. I tried out for the squad and made it. At this time in my life I was 19, my relationship with God was so distant. I had started in high school, but now in college I continued to place my value and trust in everything but God. Why? Because the void I was trying to fill, could no longer be filled with just a boyfriend. At this point I really no longer really feared God. From a girl who vowed she would never drink, I started experimenting with "socially" accepted drugs like drinking; Which by the way dishonors God(Proverbs 23:29-35). I ended up dating this one guy... People who should have known only knew via Facebook, sadly, people who I knew would be ok with it were told. So according to the world he was accomplished, two years older, in college, athlete, and had good parents. But his heart and lustful desires, intertwined with mine were so far from God. Remember, a relationship is just as good as the two people in it, we were both broken. He was a "Christian", but he actually did not like God very much, but I thought he was nice, like many of us girls say today. He asked me to marry him and like many of us girls we think ok, its the next step after dating X amount of years, so we must "love" each other and get married, I said yes. Well.. another sign from God came like many in the past, asking what I was really doing, how can I marry a guy that's scared of going to church, when I really wanted a God fearing man deep down, and a relationship that honored God. We broke up.  This was in 2010. I started having some other family trials and total lost focus of my academics. I left St. Johns 2011. That ride was over. In 2012,I still had this void of loneliness. Yes I had a great family but I desired more. This is why I felt I constantly needed a boyfriend, I was getting the attention from quote on quote worldly smart men so why not. 

TRANSFORMATION

Then something miraculous happened, my mom invited to me to my first Singles Seminar at a Deeper Life Bible Church location in Queens, NY. Ironically 15 minutes from St. Johns where my life became extremely far from God. At this seminar they talked about relationships God's way and how the end of a relationship should be the best, not only the beginning like I and many girls are lead to think. Of course I was in a relationship then, but I was still SINGLE(ladies no matter how long you are in a relationship, if you aren't MARRIED you are single in Gods eyes!). So the program talked about not having sex before marriage. What really hit home was they reiterated the person you marry is the next important decision you will make after giving your life to Jesus.THEN it hit me! "How can I want a man of God to ever want to get to know me, and pursue me, when my heart, actions, and lifestyle was SO far from God?" This was November 24th, I cried really hard that day. It's funny because one of my best friends now, and Sister in Christ Charity, told me I had come into the program so dis-interested. That night I was really unsettled about my relationship with this guy who was so close to whisking me away and putting a ring on it. He had met my mom, my sisters, everyone. I had met his family, and we were gonna have babies. Picture Perfect right? WRONG. The next day, November 25th, 2012 I went to my now current church Deeper Life Bible Church of New Jersey. I hadn't been in months. My now Pastor before the service asks me how was school? Little did he know I had to leave St. Johns. After service I go to him and tell him all the problems I had at St. Johns, stealing, emptiness, and academic failure. He looked at me with the sympathy of Jesus and said "I invite you to give your life to Christ", I said yes, kneeled down and confessed my sins.  Honestly the day before, I had made up my mind to serve Christ. During the church service on the 25th though, I broke up with my then boyfriend. The transformation to me becoming born again and living my life fully to the Glory of Christ was already happening. Of course girls who have been in a relationship know it takes more that a couple days to break up with someone you may have a physical soul tie with. So that week, God started working in me and pulling idols away from my life. Idols of clothing's that were immodest and DIS-APPEALING to God I threw away; idols of jewelry that I would fuss over every morning, when I could be using that time in glorifying God I threw away; idols of music that BREATHED SEX, and LUST I stopped listening to, idols of Social Media and envy, and of course that boyfriend and boys I desired to date that were never going to get to marry me I pulled far away from!
Wow. That first week was a whirlwind, and the amazing grace I keep on receiving from my Lord and Savior Jesus has never stopped to this day. My Peaceful and sinless life I now live is so comforting. The goal I now have is to attain Heaven, a place that is eternal, is amazing. My joy in the Lord renews every morning!

Today I invite you to receive Jesus into your life. Whatever is making you feel that you need that boyfriend you sleep with every night, or that drink or blunt you smoke every night, or that club or party you have to go to every weekend, or that crowd you just have to stay with to look cool, will NEVER be filled with worldly vices; only JESUS CHRIST, the man who died just for YOU to be set free can you find REAL rest, joy,and peace.

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Lets Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram 

From your Sister in Christ with a Servants Heart,

Janet Adeola Songonuga

*Please "Like", comment, and share this post if this spoke to you. Subscribe to the right for more. If you are bold, please feel free to share your testimony and help save a soul below<3*