momaoge's Xanga

While we are on the subject of names.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:59:59 GMT

When my dh and I first married, he tried hard to come up with the name he would call me. Apparently, in his culture, husbands and wives seldom call each other by their given names. They pick out a name that they only call one another. His parents called each other "boy friend" and "girl friend," respectively. I always thought that was sweet. My dh decided to call me Love, 23 years ago, and has called me that since. In our entire married life, he has only called me Donna 2 times. He was really, really REALLY mad at me when he did it. Thankfully, it hasn't happened in a long time.

It has been very appropriate, since over the years his constant and steady love for me has been a rock for me, a place of refuge. It has helped me understand the love God has for me as well.

I, otoh, felt the need to do the same. So, having given it a bit of thought, and since his name is Eleazer, I decided to call him "Lazer" because I thought he was a powerful person that could zero in pretty quickly on others and where they were coming from and all that. From that I began to call him "Laze."

Nobody but me can call him that. Occasionally others, especially young people, would hear me call him that and try it. Let's just say that it didn't fly. They never tried it twice.

It's rather fun to have a name that only I am allowed to use for him. He is my Lazer, but not anybody else's. So there! hee hee

Tomorrow, the names of our 5 children. I love to talk about their names.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:25:51 GMT

My brown-skinned dh and I went to visit my dad who was sent by ambulance to the hospital this evening. We arrived there before anyone saw him, even though he had been there for about an hour.

A man walked in, did not greet us, or talk to us, and sat down. He looked "official" and my dh asked him if he was the doctor. He said yes and asked who we were. My dh said we were his family. Then the doctor asked him,

"How'd that happen?"

My dh recoiled right away, and asked him, rather bluntly, why he thought that was so hard to believe.

At this point I suggested to the doctor that he tread carefully.

The doctor then glared at me.

I told him that I was his dd and that this was my dh.

He sort-of started talking to us a little bit more reasonably, but not really. He complained about the nursing home sending him with no info and he had no idea about him or why he was there or any of his history. We had just arrived ourselves and only knew that my dad had a temperature that would not come down.

The doctor frankly told us that the nursing home sent him there because they didn't want to take care of him. Then he began to ask us if we understood what he was facing, with the way others did their jobs. He "guessed" that my dad had pnemonia, then he changed his mind, saying he had a urinary tract infection and was dehydrated.

They took my dad away for tests and I asked the attendant at the desk to call me when they decide to admit or to send him back. She refused, telling me to call and find out. She did write down their number.

I called the nursing home and spoke to my dad's nurse, who had just gotten off the phone with the hospital who said they didn't know anything about my dad's condition, not even his temperature.

Is it me, or is this really ridiculous?

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:59:30 GMT

My sweet friend, Qene, wanted me to post about my xanga name. It is momaoge. Moma, for obvious reasons, as I have 5 children and eventually, no matter how old you are, you are most likely going to end up calling me moma. I think this is due possibly to me having a "moma anointing," as I call it. All of our church people call me momadonna, and, of course, my children also call me moma, or mom.

Here's the reason for Oge.

I married an African man, over 23 years ago, now. He is an Igbo. They are a southern tribe in the country of Nigeria, in West Africa. It is a custom when one marries into that tribe from another place/tribe/culture, to be given a name from their own. It's because they are tribal, and feel that once you marry into their culture, you marry them!! Not in the way we see married, of course, but that they see you as entering their own tribe, as the wife of one of their tribesmen. When I walk down the lane in my dh's village, all the sweet older ladies come up to me, take my hand, or gently grab my arms and smile their biggest, prettiest, smile and say, "My wife. My wife. My wife."

Now, that took some getting used to, let me tell you, but I eventually saw it as a special thing. I am a part of something bigger than myself or my close family. I am a part of them, because I'm married to them. Well, sort of.....

Now, once the word of our marriage was out in his family, I received 2 gift-names from them. One is Chinyere (which means God's gift) and the other is Oge Chi (which means God's time). My dh put them together for me and named me Ogechinyere, "God's gift in God's time." Really, it fit perfectly, as God didn't hurry one bit in finding him a wife. My dh was 40 years old when he married me, but when He did, God moved very quickly, and my dh knew right away, as soon as he met me in fact, that he would marry me.

Of course, this name is a bit cumbersome for Americans, and even for fellow Igbo's, so as often happens, I received a nickname, which is Oge, meaning simply "time." And when I am in Africa, I am called Oge by my family there. It is pronounced "Oh' Gay." Of course, my dh never calls me that. He has always called me "Love." Come to think of it, I can only remember 2 times in 23 years that he has called me by my given name, which, of course, is Donna. In fact, so few people actually call me Donna these days, that I sometimes hesitate when I am referred to in that way. It doesn't feel like my name anymore.

Since I received that name, so long ago, I have shared it with my oldest dd, who is Ruth Ogechinyere, but we just call her Ruthie.

And that is the history of my strange name here on xanga, for my dear sister, Q.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:30:25 GMT

I know I'm older now than I ever was, and I just came back from a long night at work, after a long day not at work, but this confused me a bit. I'm not exactly sure what this is talking about. What do you think it means?

No Unemployment

The Way of conquest over the material, the temporal, which all My disciples should know, is learned by the conquest of the physical, the self-life, in each of you.

So seek, in all things, to conquer. Take this as a very definite Guidance. Circumstances are adverse. Temporal power, as money, needs to be forthcoming.

Then seek daily more and more to obtain this self-conquest, and you are gaining surely, though you may not see it, conquest over the temporal forces and powers.

Unemployment would cease if man realized this.

If he has not the work let him make himself a conquering force, beginning with the conquest of all evil in himself, then in his home, then in all round him. He will have become a force that will be needed, and must be employed.

There are no idle hours in My Kingdom. Waiting may seem a time of inactivity, as far as the outer world is concerned, but it can, and should, be a time of great activity in the inner life, and the surrounding material plane.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

blessings to you and yours this day and always ...

www.twolisteners.org

Have you seen the free classic Christian books
on the Two Listeners site?

Contact by email: servant@twolisteners.com

You may also choose to receive
God At Eventide or Thursday Treasures
- click the link at the bottom of this email to change your preferences.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:49:37 GMT

Well, I was a little bit nervous before I started, but then it just flowed. God really came through, and He answered your prayers, Q! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:17:28 GMT

I've been invited to speak very briefly at a fund raiser dinner for my children's Christian School. This is what the Lord has given me. I have 5 minutes and no more to say it. I thought I would post it here, and see if you ladies could give me some ideas/encouragement.

moma

For a few weeks now the Lord has been encouraging me to write down some of the "God stories" that we have acquired in 23 years of ministry. I believe He wants me to tuck them away, somewhere close to my heart, where I can pull them out again, and read them, and remember what He did, so I can be encouraged at what He can do. I also realized as I was thinking over what to share tonight why He had been laying that on my heart. He wants me to share some of my God-stories with you.

The first one that comes to mind happened to me when my 5th child, my boy, was a baby. We have lived for many years, raising our 5 children on my husband’s modest salary, while I stayed home to minister to our children, simply as their mother. There were times in these years that it has been close, but the Lord has never let us down. There has always been a provision when there was a need. For example, once I had readied all my children and off we went to church on a Sunday morning. I had exactly one diaper in the diaper bag for my baby boy, and in all honesty, no money to purchase any more. I was not concerned; however, as God had given me peace, and really as a mom with 5 children, the oldest being at the time only 9 years old, I didn't have much time for fretting. In fact, I don't remember even sitting down much, as 5 young children kept me on the run pretty much all the time.

Our family entered the church that Sunday morning, through the side door, and that particular Sunday we passed an elderly man, whose name was Pastor Tedeshi. I knew him and his wife to be like us, living a great deal by faith for their entire ministry. He had pastored churches for many, many years. His wife had grown very frail with her advanced age, and he was helping her into their car.

I entered the building, and wandered down the hall, when I suddenly realized that dear Pastor Tedeshi had come back into the building and was following me. As I turned around to greet him, he handed me a $10 bill. He then shared with me that as we passed by, the Lord had directed his wife to give me money, and she was simply obeying. I struggled in that moment. I knew them to have very little in terms of the world's supply. I didn’t really want to take anything from them. They had hearts that would give their very last, and more than their last, to anyone in need, and I knew that. They had lived their lives never doubting what God could do through an obedient and yielded heart, and I knew that, and in that moment I also knew that I had to take that $10, because anything else would have been an affront to their faith.

Consequently, through Mrs. Tedeshi, God had given me the supply for my boy's diapers. I don't even remember taking the time to pray for them. He did it in an unexpected way, too, as He always does, and it was a wonder and a surprise to me. What makes this story so special to my heart, however is what happened the following week. You see, another week passed by, and the diapers were duly worn, and I found myself facing yet another Sunday with exactly one diaper, and, you guessed it, no cash flow to purchase anymore. Off we went to church that day, and once again, too busy with the children to give it much thought, we walked again into that same side door, passing that same couple who had attended the early church, and I saw our dear friend in ministry once again helping his beloved, wife into their car as the Akuchie clan entered the building. Furthermore, once again, I made it down the hall, pretty much to exactly the same spot, when I felt a hand turning me slightly around, and I was once again facing our Pastor Tedeshi.

"The Lord told my wife to give you $20 last week," he said, "but she didn't have it. Here's the other $10 that she owes you."

Oh my.

Once again, from an unlikely source, our "over the top God" had made provision for my blessed boy, and he had another weeks worth of diapers. We never before that time, or ever again passed that couple going into the building for church, and from then on we found money to purchase diapers for our son on our own. Isn't God something? I don't know how you see that story, but I will tell you how I see it. I see it as a miracle. Not a life-changing miracle. Not an earth shaking miracle, either, but a personal miracle. We have a God who looks down from heaven every day and sees us. He sees where we are, both individually and collectively, and He sees our needs. And I believe that as we turn our hearts and minds toward Him, He brings divine, provision, just on time, and in His own way, often using people to do it. People who may or may not realize that you have a need, they only know that they must give. I did not mention my serious lack of diapers to anybody, not even my husband that day, but God knew, and He whispered in the heart of a frail, dear sister, who had spent a life time serving Him, to gave me, Donna Akuchie, her last $10, because her Heavenly Father asked her to, and she wanted to obey His voice. In fact, I believe God allowed that need in my life because he had a bigger plan than just meeting a need for diapers. He wanted the Tedeshis to be in on that miracle, because He wanted to bless the Tedeshis.

Another incident occurred when we first moved to Mansfield from pastoring a church in North Fairfield, Ohio. We had only 3 children then, 3 stair step girls, ranging in age from 2 - 6 years old. We found that we were not in our new home long, when all of them became sick, and it was clear that we needed to take them to the doctor. We discovered that indeed, our girls were sick with bronchitis and ear infections at that time, and it actually took several trips to the doctor for them to become completely well. One morning I was on my way to a ladies prayer meeting when I realized that Joy, our 3rd dd, was struggling once again with her ears, so I called and made an appointment. The problem was, I had only $45, and I needed it to purchase groceries for that week, and the doctor visit would have taken 40 of those coveted dollars. Nevertheless, I scheduled an appointment for her, for directly after the prayer meeting, and off I went, joking with the Lord on my way in the car.

"Well, Lord," I thought, "I suppose we could all eat crackers for a week," God once again had given me peace. All was well. I was excited to go to prayers. After all, I needed to ask GOD a question.

As I arrived I saw that the usual crowd was assembled for prayers. It consisted entirely of little old ladies, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Have you ever been to a prayer meeting directly primarily by "little old ladies?" They are something to behold when they pray. I found myself surrounded by powerful prayers that morning, the kind that God must hear, the kind that goes up to the heavenlies quickly, and resounds in the courts of heaven, causing the angels to listen, while God himself perks his ears and breathes in their incense. Little old ladies know how to pray. They have been doing it all their long lives, and God sees them as His warriors, strong in faith, and in relationship with Him. He's brought them through, and He's brought them out many, many times. He has never failed them, and they love Him completely and utterly. They know what God can do.

Myself, I was asking God for advice "What do I do? Do I take Joy to the doctor, or do I buy our family groceries? God spoke to me that morning very clearly in my spirit, where He likes to talk to me. I'll never forget what He said. The truth is I remind Him of it all the time.

"I've always taken care of you and your children, Donna, and I always will. Take Joy to the doctor."

It was clear what I needed to do, then, and I rose up from the floor where I was praying and began to help my babies into their winter coats, until one of the ladies stopped me. Her name is Dora Lester and as far as I'm concerned everybody should have a Dora Lester in her life!

"Donna!" she cried. "Come back here!! We have to pray for you!" I did not want to be late, but she spoke with such authority and urgency that my babies and I went to her immediately and those dear ladies surrounded me physically and spiritually and I'm telling you brothers and sisters they prayed. Then they prayed some more, and then they prayed some more. Then they told me to hurry up because if I didn't I would be late, late, late!!! My how I love little old ladies. I wanna be one some day.

We entered the doctor's office right on time, and were seen almost immediately. I was asked by the receptionist to come to her desk after the appointment, as she had some information for me. Sure enough our Joy did have another ear infection, and was given a prescription for antibiotics.

When I stopped at the desk later, I was not asked to pay my $40 as I had thought. Instead, I was given $80, cash. Apparently the insurance had finally kicked in for past visits, and the doctor owed me a refund.

I had come in expecting to give my last $40 to help my daughter fight a problem with her ears, but I ended up leaving with $120. God, Almighty God. El Shaddai, the One who sees, had tripled my supply. And, let me tell you, after that doctors visit, having tucked Joy safely in bed, and while her dad was home watching his girls, I went grocery shopping! Oh, how good our God is!

He could have just placed the money in my pocket, I know that, but I believe He wanted those dear ladies to be apart of my personal miracle that day. He wanted them to be blessed, and it is a tremendous blessing to be a blessing. He did not want them to miss out on that opportunity to be blessed, so they each had their share in my miracle.

Dear Pastor Tedeshi and his wife have gone home to be with their Lord, and have been gone for several years now, but what they did for me still lives on. I will always remember that day, long ago now, and that $10 that was given, even in need, to bless another. And now that you have heard the story, so it will live one with you, also, as a testimony to the power of God in their lives.

Living by faith is quite an adventure. My husband and I have lived this way for our entire married life, and we just celebrated 23 years. God has done it for us. God has opened the doors. God has made the ways possible. In His goodness, He has always shown Himself bigger than our situation, bigger than our circumstances, and bigger than our needs. God is never in a recession. His supply is infinate. When things become hard, I often remind myself of these times, and find encouragement in what He has already done, for it shows His character, and His love for His people, and in particular, for Donna Akuchie, her husband, her children, her life, her well-being, her needs. He had indeed been to us, His people, our God, our provider, and our Jehovah Jireh!

Fast forward several years and I found myself and my children struggling once again, not with diapers or grocery money, but with going to school. Our 4 youngest children were not coping well with public school. It often did not align itself with our Christian belief system, and often the other children at the schools caused us some havoc and problem. I honestly am not criticizing public school, and we often had our childrens' teachers in our home to encourage and thank them for their sacrifice, but for us, for our Christian family, it became too hard to continue to send our children there. This meant that one by one, I found myself having to bring them home to home school them, in order for us to feel that we were doing what was best in our situation.

It was a stressful time for me, and I believe difficult for our children also. At the time I had 3 at home, and was planning to bring the 4th home the following year, my husband randomly read an article in the paper about a program just instituted called Ohio ed choice, and how it allowed funds to be created for scholarships to private schools for those in the school districts who qualify. We soon found that Joy, then preparing to enter the 8th grade, and Julianna, who would enter high school, both were eligible, and that we could apply to Mansfield Christian School. I also learned that if I schooled my 2 youngest children through one of the Ohio approved cyber schools, they would then, through a clause in the law, be able to attend Christian school the following year.

That open door for us has proved to be one of the biggest blessings of God's miraculous provision yet. For us, you see, having this opportunity was indeed, a miracle, just as the other God stories that I have told you about. It also happened as a result of prayer, as I was asking the Lord please to rescue my children, as well as myself from home school! It's a wonderful blessing, but it's not for everybody, and it was a large load for me to carry, as much as I loved it.

I was very much "on the lookout, though, when we first came here. I had some questions that needed answers. For example, Were my children being treated differently by the faculty or staff, because they were ed choice children? I happily discovered that no, decidedly no, that was not the case. My children were loved and accepted in the school by the faculty and staff. Our family was welcome and wanted here.

Another unanswered question was "What about the other children, or their parents? Did they resent having their school open to ed choice students?" It may have been true about a few of them, but honestly in the past 4 years, I've never experienced it. Instead, I have experienced quite the opposite. My children have lovely friends from lovely, godly families, who do not in any way, shape or form, look down on us as different from them, or of less worth or value. I discovered gratefully that the families of this school are a blessing.

At this time, I would like to thank you, Dr. Smith, for running a school where everybody is welcome, not just a select few, but all children, willing to listen and learn. Thank you for what you do for us, and not only that, but for how you do it, as you go about in your humble and godly way to make a place of refuge for our children, and a place where there is good ground for growth and moral development, as well as academic and spiritual pursuits.

Thank you, godly teachers, for influencing my precious children to live righteous lives, set apart for God and His service. Thank you for encouraging them by your words and your examples to do their best, to dare to excel, for helping our children to see the need to live out I Corinthians 10:31 which states, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." The God Who Sees, sees your sacrifice, and labor of love, and He is going to bless you. These children will remember you, long after you are gone. You will live on in their memories and accomplishments.

Thank you, from the bottom of this momma's heart, for sowing seeds of hope and righteousness in the hearts of our children. Thank you, custodians, for fetching soccer balls off of roofs and for putting those expensive glasses in the lost and found for us. And thank you kitchen workers for the times that my babies forgot their lunch money, but ate anyway, because you took it upon yourselves to not allow a single child to starve at lunch time. Thank you volunteers, who didn't mind sowing your valuable time into this school, to help it along, and to cause it to run more smoothly, doing your part, when I'm sure many others have not. And, most importantly, I thank the MCS School Board, which my husband serves on. I believe that your struggle and sacrifice for our children will not go unrewarded. You are part of our personal school miracles every day. I must say it again. Thank you, for all your individual parts in our family's personal miracle.

Now, I have many, many more God-stories that I could share with you all this evening, in fact, I could go on all night long, but I don't think Dr. Smith would like that, since he only gave me 5 minutes, and in truth I'm taking away some of my husband's minutes to speak to you this evening, so, I'll stop with these 3, and tell you why I spoke of them to you all in the first place.

You have kindly come here to enjoy this meal, and listen to this humble speech about my miracles, among other things, and I thank you for taking your time to join us. Yet I believe that this night is about more than a meal, or a speech. It is about more than this school, in fact. It is a divine appointment for you. God in His wisdom and grace is giving you an opportunity to be a part of another's personal miracle. Just as Mrs. Tedeshi gave, and just as Dora, and her warriors prayed, and it made all the difference for me at that moment in my life, so you can have a part of the miracle of this school, simply by giving to it, even as they gave to me, and it is a lovely, God-breathed thing to be apart of another's miracle.

Be blessed today, as you are a blessing to others.

Something to make you giggle.

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:19:14 GMT

My husband's native language is a tricky one. How you say the words determine their meaning. You can say the same basic word in a bazillion million different ways, and it means something different each time. Needless to say, that makes learning the language a bit of a problem, and it's one of the reasons why I've never tried. Once a missionary came to visit his village, to speak on a Sunday morning to the congregation. He had practiced greeting them in their own language for a full day's journey. He was ready, He intended to say, "It has been a long journey, and I'm happy to be here today." What accidentally came out was, "It has been a long journey here, and my butt hurts." Eleazer said that the the congregation looked first shocked, ("What did he just say???!!") and then, realizing what he meant, began to utterly and completely crack up. (Haaaaaa haaa ha ha ha hah ha!!!!!)

According to my Eleazer, that poor man never did bring his audience back to listen to his carefully prepared sermon. I suppose he did give the people something to remember long after he was gone, though.

The Miss Fit (by momaoge)

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:52:11 GMT

I'm a Betty Crocker wanna-be