WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND? by Steve Goodier
Former prisoner James Knapp confessed to police that he'd robbed two stores in Oklahoma, because he missed his old cell mates. Police said they'd see if James could be reunited with his old friends. I think Mr. Knapp may have expressed something important, however. Friends, wherever we find them, are absolutely necessary.But do you know who your best friend is? Automaker Henry Ford was having lunch with a man, when he suddenly asked the man that very question. "Who is your best friend?" Ford asked.The man hesitated and Ford went on. "I'll tell you who your best friend is," he said. Then he wrote this sentence for the man to read: "Your best friend is he who brings out the best that is within you." Our best friends are those who do more than simplylike us. They also believe in us. They support us but, occasionally, they nudge us as well.Someone put it well: "A friend is someone who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become, and still, gently invites you to grow."
Now...who is your best friend?
__________Steve Goodier's books & newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com

..my prayer for you is this:

In this coming week, God will surprise you good. He will perfect all that you have been believing Him for. Watch out for His uncommon move in your life. Get ready for your miracle!

There is something about pleasing God that will cause Him to pass over a million people just to get to you! Stay connected to Him.

Have a Blessed day.

Jennifer

"Desiderata"

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble,
it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham,
drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Have a great weekend!

The best is yet to come by His Grace!

STAY CONNECTED

Hush...
hear the sound of the tomtom
being played by the African child
it is a rythm of love, peace, and joy.

stay connected to the right source
it is all free of charge
get all your problems solved
and be sure to be on the safe side

I am connected to the right source
that is why my life is so sunny
do i sound a little bit funny?
oh no! i am not trying to be cunning
stay connected to Jesus Christ
He is the true and only right source i know

Jesus christ
...the solution for a fulfilled and joyous life!

(C) Jennifer Ehidiamen
www.jennifere.4t.com

Believing in Others

As our van pulled up to the ranch to start a three-month program fortroubled boys, we passed a cowboy on his horse. Bill was the owner ofthe ranch, and he sat at the gate to wave us in. We made eye contact through the dusty window and he winked at me and touched the brim ofhis cowboy hat in welcome.

All summer long Bill and his ranch-hands taught us to ride horses, bale hay, chop wood, and roundup cattle. He understood the value ofworking with your hands, and we respected him for his knowledge and gentle leadership. He knew how important it was for boys like me toknow that someone believed in them. He trusted us to do the job and do it right, and we didn't want to let him down. Several times that summer he took me fishing and we not only talked about how to cast aline and bait a hook, but also about my dreams and what I wanted from life. He encouraged me to make goals and shared stories from his own experiences.

The last day at the ranch, Bill pulled me aside and commended me for the work I had done that summer - not only on the ranch, but also onmyself. He told me if I ever needed anything I could count on him.Four years later, I took him up on that offer. I called him up and asked for a job. I told him how his confidence in me had given me the courage to change my life. I explained that I wanted to help others in the same way. He offered me a job on the spot. I'm proud to say that each summer I'm the one who opens the gate for a van full of young men who need someone to believe in them, so they can learn to believe in themselves.

"The values we live by are worth more when we pass them on...."

Food for thought: "God won't judge our exploits... but our motive behind it!"

Fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

“My interest to embark on an HIV project grew when I saw how young people are the most affected by HIV. I feel that as part of my contribution to the emergence of an HIV-free population, I can help by first finding out more about this virus and then disseminating this knowledge to other young people who share in my vision or are otherwise interested in saving humanity.” Jennifer, 20 years old

Jennifer lives in Nigeria, where HIV/AIDS gets a lot of attention. But even though the issue is all over the media, Jennifer knows that young people still engage in high-risk behavior that could expose them to HIV. “Being informed is one thing,” she says, “but being well informed is another.”

As an intern at Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria, a media resource centre on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, Jennifer has learned all about HIV and other diseases and is determined to share this knowledge with other young people. She is busy organising youth-based projects, including an upcoming roundtable with both youth advocates and young people living with HIV to discuss ways of achieving behavioral change.

MDG 6 aims to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other deadly diseases by 2015. Jennifer hopes to build a network of young people who will be fully committed to sharing their knowledge and working together to see the emergence of an HIV-free population.

“Working towards the good of everyone is a passion-driven thing that goes beyond personal interest,” says Jennifer. “I am happy to see so many young people both at home and abroad who recognize the importance of volunteering and dedicating their time and skills towards building a fairer world.”

http://www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_2366.html

http://www.unicef.org/voy/speakout/speakout_564.html

A bit of inspiration...

Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. -- -- What are your dreams, your hopes, your ambitions? Now is the time to follow them with the passion that you know you have. Now is the time for action, for commitment, for purpose. Putting it off until later will only cheat you out of what you could have become. Do it, be it, live it now. It's the grandest opportunity you could ever imagine.

"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father."
- Roger von Oech

We all need to be inspired don't we? Well, here are a few Words of Inspiration to Brighten-Up Your Day. And if you like them, and they cheer you up, why not pass them on to a few of your friends ...

Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Pass it on!

THEY ARE ALL OUR CHILDREN by Steve Goodier

There are few things in this life more difficult to experience than the loss of one's child. Jim Wallis, in Who Speaks For God? (Delacorte Press, 1996) tells about a sad and terrifying incident that occurred during the tragic war in Sarajevo a few years ago.

A reporter who was covering the violence in the middle of the city saw a little girl fatally shot by a sniper.The reporter threw down his pad and pencil and rushed to the aid of the man who was now holding the child. He helped them both into his car and sped off to a hospital."Hurry, my friend," the man urged, "my child is still alive." A moment or two later he pleaded, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still breathing." In little later he said, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still warm."When they got to the hospital, the little girl was gone. "This is a terrible task for me," the man said to the reporter. "I must go tell her father that his child is dead. He will be heartbroken."The reporter was amazed. He looked at the grieving man and said, "I thought she was your child."The man replied, "No, but aren't they all our children?"Jim Wallis adds this: "Yes, they are all our children. They are also God's children as well, and he has entrusted us with their care in Sarajevo, in Somalia, in New York City, in Los Angeles, in my hometown of Perry, Georgia, and...in Washington, D.C.

"What a fascinating question: Aren't they all our children? Under our roof and across the street? In the next town, the next state, the next country? In Europe and North America? In Africa and Asia? In prosperous nations and developing countries? In the jungles of South America and on sandy island coastlands?Aren't they all our children? Ours to feed? Ours to clothe? Ours to educate? Ours to keep safe? But mostly, ours to love?"If we have no peace," said Mother Teresa, "it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." If we belong to each other, they are indeed our children. Ours to care for.Is there a greater privilege?

__________Steve Goodier's books & newsletter: http://LifeSupportSystem.com

A-Z of HIV and AIDS for Young People
A: Avoid pre-marital/casual sex
B: Be faithful to your spouse
C: Consistent condom use with your partner
D: Don’t share Sharp Objects like razors, Clippers, Needles, and syringes etc.
E: Encourage and care for People Living with HIV and AIDS
F: Feasible HIV campaign ideas should be shared with the right people and not shun
G: Get tested and know your HIV status
H: HIV does not kill
I: Insist on sterilized clippers and other sharp objects if you must share
J: Just don’t ignore simple safety measures
K: Kick against stigmatizing people living with HIV (PLWH)
L: Learn how to live happily and stay alive even if you are HIV positive
M: Make HIV treatment available and affordable for PLWH by advocating for them
N: No knowledge is a waste; learn new facts about HIV today.
O: Operating an “I don’t care attitude” puts you at risk of being infected
P: Protect yourself and protect others by living responsibly.
Q: Question HIV issues and policy if you are in doubt
R: Remember HIV and AIDS are two different things
S: Sex education is a topic you must never shy away from
T: Talk to a trained and experienced HIV counselor for more information about HIV
U: Underestimating your chances of contracting HIV with risk behaviour is risky/Unite for Children, unite against AIDS!!!
V: Verify your first HIV test result by taking another test
W: With media support, accurate information about HIV can be effectively disseminated
X: Xerox A-Z of HIV and AIDS to other young people
Y: Yes! We can have an emergence of a HIV free youth population if we work together
Z: Zipping up is still the most effective & reliable way of Protecting yourself from HIV.

In the fight against HIV and AIDS, Young people should not fold their hands and seat back to watch the future move on without them. They should get involve and self-develop themselves by keying into the numerous positive opportunities and wide range of information made available locally and internationally. Take action- make a difference!

Cheers
Jennifer Ehidiamen

A wise person does not battle against stone walls, but finds a way around them, under them or over them! Be wise ma people! Be wise Jennifer! Yeah.

Calabar.......

My third day in Calabar, a neat city/town. Okay, two things I have always been told about Calabar:

1. The town is NEAT and the Governor has done a lot= True
2. Old/elderly women here love to dress in skirt and not wrapper= True. At least, the ones I have seen are smartly all dressed in skirt...lol.

Okay.... what else????????? will have to run off now.... dis cyber cafe is so slow...I mean the server/ISP... will talk more l8tr.

Cheers

Happy New Month!

Its september everyone! A beautiful month indeed. A new door of opportunity and possibility is opened, we must tap into that grace of God that makes a man function without struggle, excel and shine on.

Enjoy this new begining, live, laugh, achieve, sow and reap! You are more than you have become and the best is yet to come!!!

I need to know

I hunger to know more
When I lay my head at night
I hunger to know more

When I wake up in the morn’
I praise and worship with my Bible
Searching hungrily to know more

To know how to give without remembering
And take without ever forgetting
To know how to keep the friends I make
And not break the chain

To know to in wisdom grow
In stature and in wealth
To know how to shine on in peace
Without blowing out others’ beam

I am not where I used to be
But certainly not where I want to be
So I need to know as muchas my hungry mind can take

(C) Jennifer Ehidiamen - culled from "The Dancing flood"