the apple of my eyes

yesterday evening, he called me the apple of his eyes, and funny i asked him to say in yoruba and he said it, “Eyin oju mi”, truth be told, i felt on top of the world. then a though came to my head that if a mortal like me calls me the apple of his eyes, how much more my Heavenly Father, who bought me with the Blood of His only Begotten Son, so that i might be called the Apple of His Eyes.

actually this is not the exact place i am heading to, but then there is always a linkage to all the story. the first question i want to ask is when the eyes get dirty, do we ever pluck it off? of course i guess Not. when there is a problem with the Eyes, then i personally feel there is a problem with the rest of the body. this theory washing the dirty off the eyes apply to every aspect of our lives especially our relationships. when your spouse, your father, your mother, your sibling or even your child offends you, you don’t kill them do you? you simply forgive. the minute you stop forgiving, it is like you are using your own hand to pluck your eyes off. because be it as it may, that person or people are to you like the eyes is to the body.

ok lets bring it down to our level, there is this adage in my land that says “igi yi o da, a yo kuro ninu ina, igi yi o da a yo kuro ninu ina, igbawo ni ounje ti a se ma jina”? which means if you keep removing firewood from the fire all because it is bad, when will the food you are cooking ever get done? your past boyfriend, you broke up with him because you caught him cheating on you, this one you are on the verge of letting go, why? because he is not taking care of you or he is still struggling or some other excuses that my head cant think of right now. when exactly do you want to stand your ground and stay put in one that you know can lead to marriage? when exactly do you want to wash the dirt of your eyes and give it room to see clearer? am not saying we should stay when there is a genuine reason to go, what am saying is the power to be able to manage the worst of situations and produce the best ever is what makes a woman stand out. lets learn to wash off the dirt and give the eyes a clearer vision. and this also applies to the guys as well, no one ever comes perfect. there is no fully made lady or man out there. you two work things to come to a place of compromise.

lets think about it for a moment, even God himself that calls us the apple of His eyes, washes off the dirt from us every time and makes us look brand new. HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING.

well i hope am not only the apple of his eyes during the good times alone, but also in the bad times.

we can make the best of every situation if we are willing to put the best in it.

Remember its for your Advantage

TEMINIOLA AYO

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DO NOT WORRY

MATTHEW 6:27
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Many Christians are familiar with Jesus’ rhetorical question, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” But not many of us actually let it get into our hearts and allow the love of God to free us from our habit of worrying.

The truth is, no amount of worrying can lengthen your life or add anything to your physical person. Instead, worrying robs you of sleep, health and many good years. In fact, it is only when you are worry-free that God’s anointing flows freely in you, strengthening, healing, restoring and adding to you.

A church member, after undergoing a mammogram, found that she had lumps in her breast. Upon receiving the doctor’s report, she wrote this down on the report: “Jesus is my healer. I receive my healing. I am healed. I rest in God completely.”

She was due back at the clinic later the same day for a biopsy to see if the lumps were malignant. Her sister-in-law, who was having lunch with her that day, witnessed her cheerful and worry-free attitude while she ate her lunch.

Back at the clinic, this precious sister sat among other ladies who were also there for their biopsies. They looked very worried, so she started sharing Jesus with them and prayed for some of them. When her turn came and she had an ultrasound scan done, the doctor was puzzled—her scan showed no evidence of any lumps!

The doctor went back to consult her colleague who had first discovered the lumps. Stunned, both doctors conducted their own investigations. They returned to her only to say, “It’s a miracle!”

My friend, when you worry, you are actually believing that the devil has the power to make inroads into your life that God cannot protect you from. But when you refuse to worry, you are putting your faith in God. You have more confidence in His love and power working for you than in the devil’s ability to harm you! When you refuse to worry, but choose to rest in the finished work of Christ, you will see the manifestation of your blessing. You will see your miracle!

THE SACRIFICE

THE ADVANTAGE

THE SACRIFICE

the operation didn’t go as plan, everyone had an escape route apart from him. the police are around, there was no where to run to, no where to hide, no one to turn to. the yoruba’s would say, ti iwaju o ba se lo, eyin a se pada si, meaning if i cant go foward, i would go back to where i am coming from. the only place to run to was to run home. right now is not the time to think of if they would welcome him with open arms, at least, it is said that omo eni o le buru ti ti ka fi f’ekn paje- one’s child cant be that bad to release him for the lions to eat. there would always be a way out when he get home, how and who would help he cant think of right now. still running, the police are about to catch up with him, one prayer, God, if i come out of this alive, i would serve you for the rest of my life. finally he gets to the door of his house, an his mum with his twin were the only ones at home. ran in, locked the door, there was blood all over his shirt. the police have surrounded the whole building, no escape route. knowing this was life and death, he wasn’t ready to hand himself in, yet if didn’t, they would take every one. whats the way out?
the next statement he hears is give me your shirt and take my shirt, we look alike and they wont know the difference. he couldn’t believe was he was hearing. this is his brother, his twin he had despised for 25 years of their life, simply because he didnt go in the way he wanted him to go, willing to lay his life down for him. the mother was in tears, because she would loose one son and have the other, but she is about to loose the good one. give me your shirt, and be fast, before they come in. no time to argue, no time to start explanation, just do it. time was running out, so he did.
there the exchange took place, and the police took him away. the judge sentenced him to death by hanging, because he pleaded guilty for a crime he never committed just to give his brother a second chance to life. and all he could hear in his head wile his brother took his place was give me your shirt and take mine.

what love is greater than this, for a man to lay down his life for his brother? for he who knew no sin, became sin that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus Christ took upon him our unrighteouness, our cloth of blood and the collar of death hanging upon our life, and made a big sacrifice just for our sake. yet the difference wasn’t noticed, why? because we were made in HIS IMAGE. there was an exchange, he took death that we might have life, and gave us a second chance to life.

in this season of easter, where we celebrate his death for us and his resurrection, one question i need us to answer for ourselves is this, am i making good use of the 2nd chance i have been given? what impact am i having i the life i was given to live again? who am i willing to make sacrifice for? to whom much is given, much is expected. Matthew 25:32-46

Happy easter guys…..
doesnt mean u guys shouldnt send my easter rice and chicken **winks**

Teminiola Ayo

LOVE SERIES III

The Advantage
Vision

Hi guys am so sorry i have been quite for a while now, a lot of activities going on. I had the completion of these series in mind, but then like a lecturer of mine says, life happens. Anyways am back.

So we started with learning something we never knew about our spouse or partner, and we also learnt to open up and express our feelings in love.
So here i come to the third letter, which is V.
Before i give a meaning to the letter V, i would like to ask, where do you see your relationship going? What direction do you see it moving towards? Are we in just for the fun of it or we have something to achieve? Is there a future for the two of you or its just a ship on water with no direction?
Permit me to stray away a bit. Now most organizations we know, or should i say every organization or body has a vision, and a mission. When i was young i usually ask what exactly is vision? The dictionary meaning of vision says the act or power to anticipate that which will or may come to be. For me it simply means a dream of where i want to be. Its the vision of an organization that drives their mission and make the do what they do.

This is where am heading to. The V in Love stands for VISION. Without vision you are moving aimlessly. What is your plan for your relationship, what do u visualize for your relationship? Where do see your relationship leading you to? Whats the purpose of the relationship? Are the both of you on the same page of the relationship or different pages? A vision answers the where and the how of relationship. Where are you going to? How do you intend to get there?
Lets face it, if you dont have a Vision of where you want to be in your relationship, its more like you walking in the air, and the wind directs you to wherever it pleases.
Ask yourself this question, where are we coming from? Where do you intend to go? Are you alone on the journey? Saw a write up somewhere and it said
Dont go on a journey with someone who wont allow you to arrive. You and your spouse should talk about it and know if you are alone, or you are on the same boat. Because you could be dating physically but you guys are not together mentaly. Know where you want to be and see if your partner is willing to go there.
I promise to complete this other part very very soon.

Love you guys so much.

Oluwanishola Orimoloye

SUCCESS

The ADVANtage

Success

I sat in a bus while in traffic, looking outside at the nearby market then I saw the level at which men worked.

I realised that the measure of our success doesn’t necessarily depend on the level of hard work. You may ask me why? If its really by hard work, then majority should be big earners.

If you like bag all the degrees in this world, attend all the entrepreneurship seminars you can, get awarded with certificates from professional institutions, there’s still no difference with you and the truck pusher in ojuwoye market- all na hard work wey no get guarantee.

What then makes the difference?

there is only one factor that makes the difference. there is only one difference that adds flavour to the hard work we do and makes it result in sucess. a small child cant push a trailer without having extra support, that child who trys to push the trailer without support is only pouring water into the basket. but when the support comes, he becomes more powerful than the strongest man in the world.
a friend of mine says you have to believe in one thing in this world. you either believe in God or the devil. there has to be a supernatural power that you depend on. some trust in d devil. but then no one eats with the devil with a short spoon, his spoon has to be long. and when the devil gives 1 he takes 100 in return.
this is where we are driving at, its God the maker of heaven and earth that makes the difference.

Ibukun oluwa lo n muni la, lai fi lala kun, meaning its only the Lord that maketh rich and adds no sorrow to it.
let God handle your business for you, and it would be a testimony that the whole world would happily acknowledge with. let God be the flavour added to your hard work and you would not only be addreessed as having asuccessful work, but you would be address as SUCCESS.

LOVE SERIES II

the ADVANtage

Ohhhhhh God, what kind of person is this guy now? why would he do things this way, is something lost in his brain? doesn’t he have common sense? in short i know what to do, i wont give him the attention anymore…

Why would she say such a thing, jeez, am i sure i didn’t make a mistake? or is she just trying to be unnecessarily stubborn? why is she behaving like someone who isn’t educated? doesn’t she know her words are hurting my ego?…

I’m so sure you wondering what’s all the gibberish i am saying, i know the thoughts in our minds would be what exactly is happening? or who and who is having a fight? i would get to the root of the matter in a minute.

Let me ask, in relation to the first aspect of this series, how many of us has LEARNT something new about our partner? what new things have we discovered? are they nice things, or unpleasant things? are they things we knew about before and didn’t really pay attention to, or things that we knew and has been improved? how did we learn it? was it a nice experience or a bad one?
not every learning experience is always good, but what matters most is the ability to learn something from it. over the years, i have grown to realize that learning is never complete if there is no communication. and this brings me to the next part of our definition of love. we are going to discover what the O stands for.

O- OPEN UP IN LOVE: i was going through the bible, trying to understand how to open up to someone i love in love, and i came through 1 corinthians 13. and in the bid of trying to rack my head around it, i was able to conclude that before i can open up in love i.e say my mind without first arguing, or having a misunderstanding, i need to

1. be patient, know when it is right,
2. be kind, say what i want to say with kindness and affection,
3. not be boastful, don’t say it like i have the right to, simply because he/she is my partner,or say it like no one cares,
4. not be rude, say what i have to say with respect,
5. not be insisting, leaving my mind open to not expect what exactly i have in mind to hear, or saying it authoritatively,
6. not be irritable, don’t have to say it the minute it happen or present the matter without properly constructing it,
7. be truthful, there is only need for proper construction and no need for hiding the truth.

I have come to the realisation that the words above and more are thoughts that go on in our head as a guy or girl concerning our partner, either when we are having a quarrel or when we are learning something about our partner. and most times they are thoughts that are left as thoughts and never expressed or expressed wrongly which leads to resentment and leads to a bad turn. truth is this, the lack of expression or the expression in a non pleasant way has led to so much mis-understanding among people either as couple or as parent-children or as friends or as siblings.

The ability to realize that we are different and to know that eating up our words wont improve the other person, rather leave the person in ignorance is needed. we need to learn to open-up in love, learn to say what we want to say in the right way. if you truly love someone, you would tell the person ways to correct or improve. let us not be the type that praises alone and never make suggestions for correction, or be the type that criticise and never appreciate.

So from the team of the ADVANtage, we are wishing you the best as you tell your partner what he/she needs to know in a way you all will be happy.
blessed day

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist

While growing up, I have always had the idea that when they call anyone ‘Oliver twist’ it represents something totally negative like being greedy or uncontented…

I woke this morning and I got inspired by this…

Oliver twist wanted some more food, he wasn’t satisfied with what was offered to him so he asked for more… I realize that life was designed to offer you a measure of itself, that measure on its own isn’t enough for you.

Then, I took a pen and a paper to write down the things I have that is the measure what life deposited, I am thankful and grateful to God for the blessings, yet I want more out of life than just living.

This is where most of us miss the point, we start to run after the seemingly tangible things that on the long run aren’t permanent, we forget that the reason why Oliver twist was abused was not because he asked for more, it was because of this singular fact “what have you offered, you think you can receive without giving out”- you will only stink, the scripture clearly states that anyone who gives receives and it will be in a good measure, press down, shaking together and running over shall ‘life’ give to your bosom.

With this in mind, I asked the next question, what am I offering, what can I give, the more I give out in terms of effort and energy towards the aspect I want more, the more I receive… For me, I want more love, I want more money (before nko)… It applies to everything and anything as long as life is concerned…

The more of my smiles I give, the more I get, the more of love I share, the more of love I get, the more of my resources I give out, the more I receive. It may not make sense to the ordinary mind, it could be common sense to keep and withhold, but common sense is for commoners, wisdom is for kings…

Don’t forget… its for your advantage..

BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED FROM

‘s

The ADVANtage

Valentines Day

Today is a day so many people have been waiting for to come, and here it is finally. Valentine’s day or should i say lover’s day is here. So many activities and functions just to celebrate this day and it makes it sweet because its going to be a weekend celebration, from the mall to the cinemas and all that… friday, saturday, sunday. All fun weekend.

Lets stop for a minute and ask ourselves, where did this relationship that i am now start from? how did it start? what was the attraction? were we friends? or was there a linking up? what special thing apart from the physical appearance did i see that made me decide that it’s this person i want and not any other person, on what grounds did we start off from?

Now i guess we are wondering where exactly am headed…

Sure i have a direction, and i am getting there, slow and steady wins the race.

After asking ourselves these question, one other vital question we need to ask is this, in the duration of this relationship, did what i see then still attract me now, or is it dead, or has it improved? is there a positive or negative change or it’s just static?
After the celebration today and the spill over of the weekend, would we go back to the routine, go back to the regular life we have been living, go back to the busy schedule, the fights, the arguments and all the things we do.

The point is this, i want us to take our relationships of no matter how long back to where it started from, lets allow this valentine mark the beginning of a new start for us, let’s do the things we were doing when it was all new. if we were friends, let’s relate as friends again, and bring friendship into the relationship.

I don’t know about you, but for me a same routine could be boring and killing. i like to do new things and not go through a normal route every time. Now its time to change the routes, change the game, change the rules. Take it back to where it all started from, and start off from a new routes. This time it would be better, because it’s the routes that changing, not the person.

Let this valentine period be the time you give yourselves to start off afresh and do things better than before. Lets call our valentine day, a day of fresh start.

From the whole crew of ‘The ADVANtage’, we are wishing you a fabulous valentine’s day.

Have fun, it comes only once in a year.

13 Businesses You Can Start With Little Capital

Many today have not reached their goal, they have not attained the height at which they aspire because they are held back by both their mind and eyes. I talk of the mind because every thing that has to do with life begins with the mind, if your mind cant absorb it, then you cant live it. I talk of the eyes as a limiting factor because you tend to believe what your eyes sees. So if your eyes have seen barriers as regards finances then you tend to believe that all there is to financial breakthrough is one barrier or the other, and in the real sense… there is no barrier.

The Scriptures spell it out: “In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tends only to penury [poverty]” (Prov. 14:23). “He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that follows after vain persons shall have poverty enough” (28:19).

It is important to work…

This article is to gear you towards financial freedom, it is to make you realize that there are businesses you can start with little or no capital.

In our world today, we found out that entrepreneurs (business oriented personnel) are more needed. If you look around you, you will find out that there so many needs in the society that are looking for solutions.

Catering Services:

This is actually a lucrative business for those that love cooking. You provide lunch menus for offices around you, can supply food and drinks to small key occasions around you.  Ingredients can be costly but  if you start out by doing only meal samples, then taking orders based on your samples, if your customers see that you are up to the task, then they can make deposits before you make available your services to them. After a while you can employ and train people to help you carry out the services.

Cleaning Services:

You could decide to do this yourself and you could get one or two people you know who are competent to help out in carrying the services. All you need do is approach companies or houses that you think needs someone to clean the environment, then you charge them a reasonable fee and you either get the job done or let those assisting you get it done.

Consultancy:

If you have a skill or professional training, then you can make a means by starting your consulting business. Help others run their businesses and get paid for it. But need to look out for those that will need your services and try to offer incentives to ensure continuity in flow of clients.

Day Nursery/Baby Sitting:

Nowadays many parents look for people who could help them take care of their wards while they are away at work. This is also a much needed service in the society. You don’t need capital for this business, you could make use of your private apartment to start with.
Delivery or messenger service:

If you have a car, motor cycle or even a bicycle and you have the time, then a delivery or messenger service might be the perfect business for you. You can offer to pick up or deliver food, laundry, people, letters and packages etc from various places in your community. Charge a delivery service fee. You can also most likely get additional income if you advertise clients’ services on your delivery vehicle.

Event Coordinator:

You could start with your family reunions, plan the event ,have pictures of the planned events and try to get feed back from non-family member that attended the event. Gather these pictures and feedback together, then you can show people around you telling them the things you can do regarding events planning.

Fixing Computers/Software Installation:

We are in the computer age where almost everyone has a computer and get to have to fix the computer or need to put some software on the computer. You could get about 2 weeks training (minimum) in this field and make money from this business.

Hairdressing:

Every woman wants to look good and we have a lot of the female species in our society today. If you are skilled one way or the other in this business, you can start up small and latter get necessary equipments as time goes on.

Reselling:

If you have some fund, you can buy things in bulk (which is always at cheaper rate) and then resell to consumers around you. Just try to look around for commodities that are needed most by people, get a place where you can get it at a cheaper price, then make available to consumers at a reasonable prize. (If you need help or guide on how you can start the business of reselling by importing cheap items as low as N10,000 and make as much as N300,000 in profit every month, contact us)

Soap Making:

Everyone washes one thing or the other, that means everyone basically needs soap to wash clothes, plates, toilets and bathrooms etc. Learning to make soap is actually not difficult and its a lucrative business. it requires little capital.

Tutoring:

Many of us have a particular subject/course we love and are good at while in school. You go to parents and offer to tutor their wards in a particular subject at a reasonable fee. This business is absolutely capital-free.

Web Designing:

This business is seriously demanded by the society.Almost all companies, individuals and Government establishments need websites. All you need to do is approach small businesses or individuals that needs a website and offer to create this website at a cheap rate for the start. You also need some basic skills in HTML and possibly SQL, there is a video tutorial by Business-Matter.com which can watch on your spare time to learn this skill. It’s a lucrative business. Once you have a laptop and access to the internet, you don’t need an office for this, you can work from your apartment.

Graphics Design and Printing Business:

This is what I call an evergreen, money spinning and lucrative business idea in Nigeria and the world all over. Graphics design is a business that brings in cool cash. The business is evergreen because it will continue to exist as look as people will have one program or the other, advertisement, publication, etc. The business will be much more lucrative if one is able to buy printing machine that can print different graphics works.
One can also open a shop to sell printing and graphics material. This one alone is what has being bringing steady income for some people that have already known the secret of this business.

I believe that right now, you have an idea of things you can do, just find your area of interest and tap into it… Be sure that God will definitely bless the work of your hands.

…don’t forget… its for your advantage.

THE ROD

Few hours ago, they were filled with joy that finally they are leaving the land of bondage, though they had memorable times there, their state was one the richest, plenty of food, yet they worked as maids, wash men, truck pushers, masons, carpenters, street cleaners and the likes. when they were migrating because they had grown larger than the country, they had the opportunity to make a request from other residents in the state, they were given choice ornaments, one-in-town cloth designers. These guys had so much in their hand…

Then they got to a dead end, they couldn’t go forward, their limo-horses and feet-Benz got stuck… they were right in front of the Red-Sea… at the moment, the challenge they were staring at turned their mood sour, they complained and murmured to their stammering president who at this point didn’t know what to do.

Let me bring you home for a moment…

You were filled with so much gladness at 2013 rolled away, because you had access to The ADVANtage, you acquired a lot through knowledge. as 2014 came in, the excitement just didn’t stop… its a good thing.

Now, i am not envisaging challenges for you, but the truth be told you will see challenges, so, like these people what will you do?

Their president stammered crying up to God for help, as usual, the Almighty gave an instruction “Stretch out your hand”…

Note that the people had so much in their hand, the gold and other ornaments, what did their president have- A ROD…
As he stretched out his hand, the sea part and the people walked on dry land…

Let me bring you home once again…

Most of the time, we have believed that the secret to our breakthrough lies in beautiful possessions, we always think that until we acquire this or that before things will get  better. this taught me that the most minor possession in your hand is most of the time the catalyst to your breakthrough.

What of that job of yours, you have always thought that it is too small to make you. what about that wife of yours, you have always thought that she may not be the best person after all…

I am asking you, What is in your hand?

The moment you begin to acknowledge the insignificant minute things that you possess, then you be sure that your success rate will sky-rocket and you will always find yourself living on the advantage.

Don’t forget… it is for your advantage.