The Prodigal Daughter Returns

My friends cat, Boo, loves  company. Before my friend goes to work, she leaves the television and radio on to keep her company. She's also very vocal and miaows a lot. My flatmate's cat, Zeus, is the exact opposite. He loves peace and quiet and hates it when flatmate and I are having a conversation. He doesn't miaow much, he prefers to communicate in silence. 😊

"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." Colossians 2: 9-10 ---- I hate being late. I am always early unless it can't be helped.l I do get upset with.people who are always late.  As I see it, if you can turn up for work on time, you should be able to arrive on time for me too. If there are circumstances beyond your control, I expect you to text me.  That's why I no longer attend functions organised by people who are never on time. I don't have the time for such nonsense. While I was working at this exhibition, a few of us agency staff had to cover each other for our shifts and breaks. Because I wasn't familiar with the venue, I left early for my first shift. After working at that position for 40 minutes, a colleague was supposed to take over, but she was a few minutes late which was understandable.. Fortunately, I was going for a 20 minutes break. I deci...

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all." 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 ----- While I was working this evening, I had an opportunity to watch the London Philharmonic Orchestra with Canellakis conducting Shostakovich. It was very intense but I enjoyed it. What I enjoy the most about all orchestras is watching the conductor at work.  In order for the orchestra to be of one accord, they need to let the conductor lead the way and this involves surrender, humility and trust on their part. In the same respect, I believe Christ is the Conductor of my life. However, I need to submit to Him and trust in Him to conduct my life and everything that concerns me. I  can't say i...

For the last two days, I've been looking after my flatmate's cat, Zeus, while she's been away. Usually, when Zeus goes out, she has to tempt him back home with treats. Not on my watch! I asked God to bring Zeus back home so I don't have to go looking for him. On the first day when I came home in the evening, I checked to see if he'd come through the open window, but he was still out. I then closed the window. Zeus must have heard me as he jumped on the window ledge. I opened the window and let him in. Last night, when I arrived home just after 11pm, Zeus was lying on his back outside my bedroom door waiting for me to give his tummy a rub. After making a fuss over him, I gave him his treat. Usually, Zeus starts knocking on my flatmate's door from around 3am to let him out, but she let's him out after 4am. He must have sensed his shenanigans were not going to work on me as I wear earplugs in bed anyway. On both mornings, when I woke up around 4.30am to ...

When I got off the tube, I waited for my bus for the final leg of my journey to work. This woman turned up at the bus stop. As she was taking off one of her trainers, she told me she had a pebble in it.  "It's amazing how one tiny pebble can cause so much grief," I said. "There's a lesson to learn there." After making small talk, my friend started talking about how there are so many awful things going on in the world and she has stopped watching the news. I had a feeling she just wanted to vent and needed a listening ear so I didn't say anything. I simply acknowledged what she was sayimg with a nod. When my bus arrived, I got up. She told me she needed the bus too. On the bus, I wanted to sit on my own so I sat at the back and she stood in front next to the driver.  During the journey, I thought about my friend again and I blessed her with peace. After about five minutes, I arrived at my stop. Before I got off, I tapped my friend's shoulder to say go...

There's no way I would travel to work by bus during rush hour if there were no bus lanes, which bypass long traffic jams.  Cheeky car drivers who use bus lanes get fined for that privilege. 😀 Thank God for bus lanes! ❤️

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8: 28 ---- While I was waiting at the bus station for my delayed bus to arrive, this elderly lady sat next to me. I told her I had been waiting for over half an hour.  I said I believe the cause was due to road works.  We made small talk.  I told her I was off today, but back at work tomorrow. I said I used to work as a teaching assistant at primary schools, but I now work at various museums, galleries, theatres, events and films. I told her a lot of those venues have very strict dress codes which I like as it means I don't have to worry about what to wear to work. I asked her what her profession was before she retired. She said she was a teacher and then became a PA (personal assistant). I told her a long time ago, I also worked as a PA. Finally, our bus arrived, closely followed by two more proving the adage, "You wait ages for a ...

At work when I smiled at this elderly gentleman snd asked him how he was.  He said to me, "Keep the bright side out." "I've never heard that expression before," I said. "Is it the same as letting your light shine?" He nodded. I am keeping my bright side out. ☀️😊

While I was working at this event, I was directing the queue for visitors who wanted to purchase tickets to the show. To speed things up, my colleagues and I got visitors to fill in a form, which they handed to the person at the ticket desk. At one point, this man bypassed me and headed straight to the desk. I told him he needed to fill in a form first before buying the ticket. "I am the gatekeeper and you need to go through me before you can get a ticket." I grinned at the man. A few days later, I was booked to work as a steward at this festival hall.  It was my first time working at that venue. Three of us were working at the level where the box seats were. Each of us had keys to open each door.  The way the system works is when the concert starts, latecomers are not allowed in until the end of each performance.  Only then can us stewards use our keys to open the doors for them. I told my colleague about the last event I had worked at and how I had thought of myself as ...

 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3: 5-6 ---- I believe God is like a Sat Nav. When you're travelling in the wrong direction, He automatically gets you back on track. Here's one example. I was thinking instead of catching the tube home from work, I would catch the bus home all the way, even though it was going to take 2 hours.   I dismissed the idea as illogical. I got on a bus to the nearest tube station. When I arrived, the ticket barrier was closed. One tube staff told me there was an incident at a tube station and the entire line was closed. She advised me to catch a bus to another tube station. When I got out of the tube station, I got on a bus and I ended up travelling home all the way by bus as I had thought earlier. I believe the thought I had earlier was inspired by God. Even though I ignored it, I ended up following His guidance. Thank yo...

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6 ---- I've been meaning to register my Oyster card online so I can have evidence when it comes to claiming travel expenses. Today, I decided to register my Oyster card at the TFL website. I created an account and added my details and my secret answer and authenticated my identity.  After I added my Oyster card number, it asked for the answer to my secret question. After I answered, it didn't recognise it. I decided to log in again. This time, the computer didn't recognise my password. For crying out loud! I decided to call the helpline. Before you can get to the customer adviser, you have to get through the annoyimg gatekeeper. 😊 After I pressed the option that applied to me, I waited patiently for my call to be answered. I usually can't stand the music they play while you're waiting, but I remained calm. Finally, I heard the phone ringing which meant my call was about t...

 21 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4: 20-22 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12: 2 ---- I noticed this advert  on telly for some medication that claims users can recover in  about two days. You mean they have to be taking this medication for two whole days before they will recover? Why wait that long? That's the world's system for you, and you have to pay for it. God's healing is free. Whether it takes two seconds, two minutes, two hours  or two days to recover, God's healing will continue to be free to heal  all manner of diseases.  You could even download the ...

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way." Psalm 37: 23 ---- When I got on the bus, I sat next to this woman who had a lovely smile. I smiled back at her. After having a chitchat about the weather, she asked me if I was on my way to work. I said yes. She asked me where I was working and I told her. I then asked her the same question.  She told me she worked as a deputy headteacher at this SEN (special  educational needs) primary school. I told her I used to work as a supply TA (teaching assistant) at primary schools, but I haven't returned this term as I've decided it's not for me, though my agency is not yet convinced. We chatted about the education system and the lack of resources.  I told her  I usually pray before I go to work and I used to get good results with the SEN pupils I worked with. The next time I returned  to the school and saw the same pupil, they would have reverted to their former behaviour. I said the educat...

At the event I was working at, my colleagues and I were directing visitors to where they could get their tickets scanned. Even though we kept telling them to use the other doors, which were empty, a lot of them stayed in the queue.  "Why aren't they using the other doors?" I said to my colleague.  He said, "It's just typical British, they like being in queues." That made me laugh!   It is true that the Brits love queues, but I have observed the younger generation, not so much. 😀

While I was working at this event, I asked this man if I could help him. He took out this device and spoke Mandarin into it. (I knew it was Mandarin because he said "Nǐ hǎo" which I know is "hello" in Mandarin).  He them got me to listen to it. I heard a woman's voice speaking French. I shook my head and said, "English please!" He tried again and the woman's voice said, "Hello, where can I buy a ticket?" I pointed to the ticket desk. I know you can translate English into many languages on Google. In fact, I have been using it on my phone to communicate with visitors who speak Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. I wasn't aware there was now a Universal Translator device. It's quite pricey at the moment though. It's wonderful to see Star Trek technology have come true.😊👏❤️🖖

Usually when you work on set, you don't have to submit an invoice to the production company. Your casting agency does all that for you and receives payment on your behalf, minus their commission. 😊 Since I've started doing promotion work, I've had to learn how to create and submit my invoice to the client I've worked for so I can get paid. Thank God for invoice apps.  I wonder if there is an app that I can download into my brain which knows everything so I don't have to keep learnng new stuff? There is, it's called the Holy Spirit.😊 Thank you, Holy Spirit, for helping me to navigate through all these new apps and procedures. ❤️ ---- "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might (power), The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11: 2 ------ I think you might like this book – "Seven Spirits Of God" by Chris Oyakhilome. Start reading it for free: https:/...

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46: 1 "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118: 8 "For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord." Jeremiah 30: 17 "But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18: 2 ---- I had to call the hospital on behalf of a loved one. The department I called never answered the phone. I kept calling, but there was no response. I then called the hospital's switchboard. It took ages for me to get through to an operator. When someone finally answered my call,  l asked them to put me through to an alternative number at the department, but still nothing. I became so frustrated, I called the switchboard again and asked to be put through to the hospital's complaints department. Of course, no one answered the phone. They asked callers to leave a message, which I did. It got me wondering ...

Last night, I was expecting to work as a host in the theatre. During the brief, I was told I and three colleagues were going to be hosts to a wedding party, making sure everything was tickety boo. As I haven't been to a party in ages, it was fun listening to music. I even did secret jiggles to a few songs and chatted to the photogapher about her work. I noticed the conservatory looked very familiar. It was then I  remembered I have actually been on a shoot at that same spot. I was in this TV drama and I can remember doing many takes walking up and down those stairs. Talk about life imitating art!  Or is it art imitating life imitating art?  Which came first, life or art? 😊

As we were finishing work late, the company arranged for us to be driven home by taxi, which they paid for. I had a nice chat with the taxi driver. When we arrived  at my place, he made sure I got into our building safely before he drove off. Thank you, God, for making sure I got home safely. ❤️

On the bus, I was sitting behind this woman and either her grandson or great grandson.   The boy, who looked between five and seven years old, kept asking his nan these deep questions, but the moment she started answering, he would lose interest. Boy: What were you doing 20 years ago? Nan: I was 65 then and I would have been still working. Boy: How long did the Second World War last? Nan: Five or six years, I think. Boy: Five or six years! Is that long? Nan: Yes, and nothing was ever the same after that. Boy:  Did you have phones then? Nan: Rich people had phones at home, but poorer people had to use the phone box. You had to put 3 pennies in and then dial the number. Boy: Three pennies? Nan: They were old coins, not the ones we have now... By then the boy had moved on to another topic. I wonder if my attention span was that short when I was a kid? 😀😀😀

 I love oxymorons. ❤️ According to the dictionary, it's  "a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction." For example, when kids at school used to ask me: "Miss, are you a boy or a girl?" I would reply, "Miss is a girl with short hair." 😀

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him," Colossians 2: 6 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” John 11: 26 ---- I woke up around 5am this morning to use the toilet. As I was getting out of my bed, I suddenly felt cramp in my right calf. I immediately called on Jesus and acknowledged that I not only live in Him, I walk in Him. The pain melted away as I walked in Chrisr to the toilet. I walk in Jesus Christ where there is no pain. ❤️

 "All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40: 6-8 ---- You know you're getting on a bit when all of your parents' generation have all faded away.  Aunty Mato, who passed away yesterday, was the last of her generation. In my family, there's now my generation i.e. my immediate family and their children; and my many cousins and their children. While everything passes away Jesus, who was the Word made flesh (John 1: 14), has promised that those who live in Him and believe in Him shall never die. (John 11: 25) I live in and believe in Jesus. ❤️ ---- "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this...

II've just spotted myself in one of the photos taken during our church's 111th celebrations today and posted on their Facebook page.  This candid shot was taken while I was pouring some water for my friend sitting next to me in green and white.  A lot of people were in green and white because it's to celebrate Nigerian Independence Day. Green and white are the colours of the Nigerian flag. 🇳🇬 For the full photos see https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02G2j3XC7hDdpTNSjdjvri4mwVZ4aJezr1zjvvib9wUQewBkSQ3waxZoKBPNyhVGtgl&id=100064599583400

When I got home and opened my bedroom door Zeus, my flatmate's cat, headed straight for my bedroom and hopped on my bed. "Where do you think you're going?" I said to him. "Anyone would think my bed belongs to you." He ignored me. "What am I saying?" I said "Everything belongs to you," which made my flatmate chuckle. I usually have a plastic carrier bag on my bed, which Zeus likes to lie on when he visits my/his bedroom.  He only stayed for a short visit and he was off.  Well, he does have his own bed that he prefers to sleep on. ❤️ Here's a photo of Zeus lying on his carrier bag.

When I was a kid, I had two mums: my birth mum and my uncle's wife, Aunty Taiwo aka Mato, who stepped in and became our mum while our mum was living and working abroad for six years.  My beloved uncle Eku (Mato's husband) was our dad. I've just heard Mato has passed away at the age of 96. Thank you, Mato, for looking after my brothers and I. Thank you for sharing your faith in the Lord with me. I pray you are now at peace in the Lord with the rest of our loved ones who have gone before you, including my birth mum. God bless you! ❤️ 6