Thursday 31 December 2015

Cheers to the New Year!

Happy New Year in advance beauties!

What will you be doing to wave goodbye to 2015 and to usher in the new year? I will be spending it at church, and then at a little shindig at my aunt's house.

Getting ready to go out and greet Mr. 2016

Whatever you decide to do have tons of fun and do not forget to stay safe. See you in 2016!
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Thursday 24 December 2015

Sunday 13 December 2015

Inviting Light Into My Home

We're back!

SoulJourner's Story went on a two week hiatus as bae and I received devastating news a couple of weeks ago. It left me feeling emotionally exhausted and too worried and unmotivated to think or write anything. Time needed to be taken out to pray and reflect. When writing my last post on scriptures to encourage the young professional, I didn't realise that I would be the very person with the need to fall back on those scriptures. Apologies to you if you have missed SoulJourner's Story. I promise you we are on a roll now!
Darkness cannot comprehend the light

Thank God for His mercies, things are looking up now, and I will continue to say 2015 has been/is still a great year for us. 
To change my gloom into cheer I decided to invest in some christmas decorations. It's the first time I have bought any since moving into my flat two years ago. I am well aware that baubles and tinsel are just by products of the season, however the bonding time my sister and I had over the hour we had to tart up my living room in lights and a tree really did my soul some good. Besides, they are pretty to sit and look at!

Sometimes when life gets a bit 'heavy', one might need a distraction to fix one's mind on something a bit lighter. I decided to inject my bathroom with a bit of colour, which up until last week was awashed with lifeless beige. This was a fun, fairly inexpensive project which offered me some light relief.

Bathroom Rug - £6
Wall Art - £4
(Primark)

As the news we received pertained to the health of a family member, I was also moved to purchase a Nutri Ninja. It was as if I was given a huge nudge to make some of those changes I have been long speaking about. For those who do not know what a Nutri Ninja is, it's a super high powered blender that liquefies fruits and veg, to give you fully nourishing smoothies and juices.
Bathroom Drawers - £19.99 (Argos)
Green Bottle - £3 (Wilkos)
The last weeks  have taught me that encouragement and support can come from the most unexpected places: people who are a little more than strangers, but come into your life for a short time can be a great pillar, when friends and family are unreachable. I also learnt how much strength we carry within us, and can be tapped into when it is desperately needed. 
Please watch this space, we have fantastic posts coming up right here!

How do you overcome despair when it hits?
Clean Living
(Currently watching the XFactor final!) 

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Monday 23 November 2015

Study Time: Five Scriptures to Encourage the Young Professional

The past week has definitely been a lot quieter, but it was all crowned at the weekend with the christening of a beloved friend's baby! Three of my friends decided to pop baby boys within weeks of each other so I am living in a babytastic world right now!

You might have noticed that at SoulJourner's Story we changed our tagline to reflect the fact that our material is to educate and uplift the young professional, which has been good for us because zoning in on a target audience has given us more focus. Whether you are in higher education, between jobs, a business person or in full or part time employment, you fall into the 'young professional' demographic so far as you still see yourself as a young'un. 
Life for the young professional is so exciting! Yet it can be quite tumultuous as we spend the majority of our waking hours with people we have little in common with, and for the most part being employed by the same company is the sole tie binding us with them. If you add to the mix the fact that many of us are also dealing with millions of other issues outside of work, you can see how it all can become a little overwhelming!

I have thus put together five Bible scriptures to encourage the young professional. Although this is Study Time, my usual disclaimers do not apply because whether you consider yourself a christian, any other believer in God, or a non believer for that matter, I feel we can all do with a little lifting up from time to time. 

So please stay with me...
At the train station. En route to the christening
1. When you hate your job
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. (Ecclesiastes 3:22a, NIV)
Frankly life is a gift and you ought to enjoy it. This includes your day job. Firstly because it's your way of providing a service to your community and to society as a whole. Secondly because you will spend a large chunk of your life doing it! Therefore although gratitude is key to fruitful living, it's OK to want better, and it's definitely OK to strive for better!
Freezing at the train station!
2. When you are feeling overwhelmed by your workload
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)
Inasmuch as I believe in hard work, there are times when it all becomes too much. Have you realised that talking to a friend about your problems often helps to relieve the pressure we are under? Why not talk to God about it, when you feel snowed under? He (or she) is always available to listen, and is on standby to help when you call. If "talking" seems a bit strange to you, you can even write your thoughts down in a letter, and address it to God.

3.Nervous about an interview or a business meeting?
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV )
Leading from my last point, when you cast your anxiety to God, He will go ahead of you, and do whatever He needs to do to ensure you get what belongs to you, if it belongs to you.  He has no choice! This knowledge alone should empower you to face any interviewer, manager, board member or exam!

4. When your hard work is being overlooked
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.(Galatians 6:9 ESV)
All I can say is "chin up". It's difficult when you are always the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the one always putting yourself forward for the big projects,and yet no one seems to care! Trust me when I say that even if you are not praised by your colleagues or boss, seasons will eventually turn to favour you. It's the law of the universe and it's the law of God. Besides you will refine skills that will open up opportunities for you elsewhere.
The tracks at London Bridge


5.Handling workplace discrimination
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12, NLT)
I love this one. Depending on what you do your industry might be a bit of an 'old boys club', or you might be in the minority in other ways. I remember my uncle once telling me "Maddie, in life you will find yourself in situations where you will be at a disadvantage for the following reasons: your gender,your size and your ethnicity'. Well whether true or not, I have always made it a point to speak well, to dress well, to always be polite, to always be confident, to continue to educate myself, and to continue smile! 

I hope you have enjoyed today's post. 

What are some of the ways you encourage yourself when the chips are down?




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Tuesday 17 November 2015

Organising Your Team Christmas Dinner?

The past week has been somewhat super-busy! There has been a little bit of stress trying to get boxes of branded goodies shipped to Asia in time for a trade fair. I have been lugging heavy boxes around and staying late to greet clients. Not only that, I have been charged with organising our team Christmas lunch. And it is such a big team too! No wonder my body finally folded on me over the weekend and I am now suffering from a nasty cold.
A winter warmer to chase the sniffles away
At church, I am also organising a team dinner for myself and my Sunday School colleagues. Surprisingly, this is probably the more difficult one to set up. I won't go into the reasons why, just in case any of them are reading this!

I would like to share with you what I have learnt through the organisation process of Christmas dinner. These tips can be applied to your work lunch (or dinner), your church dinner, or simply a nice meal for your group of friends.

1. Always find out from your boss or finance team how much budget you have at your disposal. This is always important as it helps to narrow down your options. Also you don't want to find the perfect restaurant or catering company, only for it to be turned down by your boss. If organising this for your group of friends, how much is everybody willing to put in?

2. For most work teams, the date will have been already written into the annual calendar. But if this is a team lunch for friends, you will need to find the date that best suits the majority of your group. You won't please everybody but you might want to think of the people who bring life and energy to your gatherings , or the person who best gels the team together. Will your date suit that person? It's probably a ruthless way to look at things, but you do want to enjoy a pleasant and fun gathering, so looking at who will be able to make it is equally as important.


A thank you gift from my manager, for all the hard work
3. Research your options. For me this was the difficult part as you need to find options that will cater to everybody's needs. A good way to do things is to pick three of your favorite restaurants and present them to your boss, or to your team and get them to cast their votes. The factors to consider when researching your options are, does it meet your team's budget? For those in your team with special dietary requirements, do their menu include vegetarian and pescatarian options? What other dietary options do you need to consider? Are your options in locations that everybody can get to? If not, you may want to think of organising overnight stays. If you are stuck on where to look try googling "open table".

4. Before you commit to any one restaurant or caterer, make sure you clear with them how they would like to be paid. Is it by purchase order? Or by credit card? Do they require a deposit? Make sure you find out all of these and also ensure that the preferred method of payment is OK for your finance department. This part is VERY important.

5. And there you go. Make your booking! Inform your team of all the details. Make sure they know the closest train/tube stations to the location, and other public transport that serves the area. You might even want to agree on a meeting point first before making you way over to the restaurant together. If you are dealing with a group where lateness is rife, you may want to be a little dishonest with your meeting time. (ssshhh!)
Stems cut, nicely arranged in a vase
6. Enjoy your lunch or dinner! As an afterthought what entertainment other than the food have you organised for your team? You may want to do a secret santa. Or book an evening of karaoke or a round of drinks for after dinner. Take a look at points 3 to 5 again to help you through the process.

Wherever you decide to eat, remember that organisation and communication with your team is the key. Have a wonderful Christmas dinner, you and your team!



http://fmlight.com/

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Monday 16 November 2015

Pray for the World

Last Friday's attacks on Paris were no doubt an event that sent shock waves around the world. Like me you were probably up all night until the early hours of Saturday morning following the events as they were being reported on the news. Like you I was saddened, shocked and confused to see humanity fall to a new low. 


courtesy of www.asww.org.uk

However, I was also encouraged to see the show of solidarity, firstly amongst the parisians themselves, with the twitter hashtag #porteouverte being tweeted and retweeted to enable those stranded in the city to find a place of refuge at the hands of those willing to open their homes to them, and secondly by mourners and sympathisers of social media. It was also a massive relief to see friends in Paris being marked as 'safe' on Facebook, and the different profile pictures being overlaid with the French flag.

I didn't change my profile pic.

It is very unlike SoulJourner's Story to wade into the political debate on anything unless it is encouraging or edifying, but I do think as a responsible blog, we should use our voice for the common good. 

On the same day, Japan suffered a small earthquake; just a day before, the city of Beirut was victim to suicide bombers;  Northern Nigeria has been subject to terrorism for years, and earlier this year 147 students were struck down in Garissa,  Kenya. 



Let's pray for the whole world - Paris and elsewhere.

Please there is no condemnation for those who want to #prayforparis, because I believe they mean well. I will be praying for Paris as the city holds a lot of memories for me; it represents a significant part of my life as a student  (I studied it France),  and I still have many friends there, not to mention that I am in and out of Paris a lot for work! But I just could not allow myself to be led to change my profile pic to the colours of the Tricolore when in fact people have been dying at the hands of terrorists for years and will continue to do so for years to come. 

Let's not forget the many atrocities being committed around the world, by The West, in the Middle East, in Africa, in Ukraine, and everywhere else.

Will you join me to #prayfortheworld?

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Thursday 12 November 2015

Money Talk: SoulJourner's Moneyfesto©

My expenditure will be kept on track
No more money doing disappearing acts
Carelessness I leave in the past
Crazy habits I'll no longer mask


Every penny will be accounted for
Bank statements will be checked much more
Remembering creditors can be so cold
Giving, then taking back a thirty fold

If I want it that bad, I'll be saving 
Putting aside monthly,weekly or even daily
And that's aside from my emergency funds
For when the proverbial stuff hits the fan

And all debts will be aggressively paid
And after that the foundations will be laid
For debt free and enjoyable living
And without totally giving up on giving 
I will not cast my pearls before swine
These good habits will be developed in time

Lessons learnt from mistakes of the past 
New lifestyle habits that are here to last
Keeping spending on the right track
No more money doing disappearing acts

Madeline Asala
                                          
                                                                           


Print this out, stick it on your fridge, your wall or your mirror (or anywhere else you wish!) Read it out aloud as many times a day as you wish, until your actions start following suit. Share with others, but please just make sure I am credited, and please do not pass it off as your own as this piece of poetry has been copyrighted.

To read more Money Talk, please click here or here
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Monday 9 November 2015

Money Talk: Lessons Learnt (Part 2)

Bienvenue à Paris!
This weekend was another working weekend spent taking yet more clients to some of the top hotels in Paris. As the host to 30 clients I must say it was somewhat knackering, but hey, no complaints from me. Firstly, I get to see some fantastic places, and secondly I believe this job is a blessing from God so only gratitude here.

Speaking of work, as young professionals we are often thought of as having plenty of disposable income by virtue of our fancy job titles. After all we work don't we? Many of us have no kids and therefore no responsibility, so what could we possibly be doing with all our money? At SoulJouner's Story we understand that being a young professional does not necessarily mean loads of money in the bank. For starters, a lot of us are still paying off our student loans, and let's not even start with the season train ticket! BUT this blog is the positivity zone, and we like to offer solutions that will enrich your life. 

La folie à l'hotel 
These tips are not the usual, 'don't spend more than you earn' lark, but is advice that is specific to my experiences.
So here is part two of Money Talks: Lessons Learnt.

1. ALWAYS read the small print. I can't stress this enough. Signing on the dotted line before establishing the facts can be very expensive. In 2011, I made a provisional booking for coach hire for a trip I was organising for my youth group. This meant that they had my card details but had not charged me anything yet. The trip got cancelled for reasons I couldn't control. Simple, right? Except, when I tried to cancel my provisional booking with coach company, I was told it was too late to cancel, and that the company was going ahead with the £400 charge to my card. What a massive blow.

Un petit morceau a manger
2. Whether by diary, post-it notes or reminders on your phone, ALWAYS make a note of due dates for bill payments and subscription 'cancel-by' dates. My last point is a case in point example.

3. Do not lend money you couldn’t afford to live without if it were not to be paid back on time, or at all. (On the flip side, do not borrow money you know you will not be able to pay back). This was a lesson I learnt thanks to an ex boyfriend of mine. A few years ago, when I was a little less wiser than I am now, I lent a man I was in a relationship with a sum of money. (No need to disclose the amount) I struggled to figure out how I'd make ends meet that month, besides it was quite a sum! But, he asked nicely and promised that payback would be prompt and without protest, and so I obliged. You see where I'm going with this...

Le pain quotidien
4. Do not bury your head in the sand! I have no specific example to tie to this point. However, I can say that there are times when I have been too busy to open the envelope from my bank, or even too scared to after after too much spending. This never helps, as you deny yourself control over your finances.Worst still, you may withdraw more than you have in your account or exceed your overdraft limit, which will only result in more charges! Keep track of your finances. There are some banking apps that can even alert you if you are approaching your limit. Find out!

As I said these are all my own from my personal experiences and I am not a qualified financial advisor. If you are in serious financial trouble or would just fancy some advice from a professional, you should consult the likes of Money Saving Expert or The Money Advice Service. If you'd like to read part one of Money Talk, please click here. I will conclude this series with SoulJourner's Story's Moneyfesto©, so keep your eyes peeled!

On a last note, what do you all think about the government offering universities the opportunity to raise their tuition fees above the £9000 a year they are currently charging?

Merci beaucoup!
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Thursday 5 November 2015

Money Talk: Lessons Learnt

Last weekend was quite a frustrating one for me. On Friday I was en route to a young professionals networking event when one of the most horrific occurrences that could ever happen to any modern day human being befell me. My phone dropped on the cold hard concrete floor of Kings Cross St. Pancras Station! I immediately did an about turn and headed straight back home. I was so upset. I was even more upset when I learnt that I would have to fork out £130 to fix the blacked out LED screen. 

I also almost didn't  go to a wedding I was invited to on Saturday, but I decided better at the last minute.  I did make up for my miserable weekend by accepting an invitation to the World Travel Market - the go to event for anyone and everyone in the travel and tourism industry. In hindsight, my actions went against everything I shout about being on top of  your emotions. However the impromptu knock to my finances has inspired me to use this week's installment to speak about finances.


I have made many mistakes in my twenties, however I have also learnt a lot, and I would love to share.  This is the first time I am sharing info about myself I can actually say I am still a little embarrassed about, but I am hoping I can save someone the pain and hassle of what I have been through. In my early twenties, it wasn't that bad. I wasn't exactly living large and loud, but I was often very careless, and this was with little consequence as I was still living with my parents. But at aged 26 when I moved into my own flat I was very quickly made to face up to my financial escapades.

Here goes: 4 lessons learnt.

1. There is a concept in the business world referred to as due diligence which describes the process of verifying a person or a business before signing a contract. Personal example. At age 24 I bought my first car, a silver Fiat Punto. When I say buy, I actually meant I handed someone £2,500 and asked him to bring me back a car. I wasn't present when money and keys exchanged hands, and was thus unable to check out the buyer myself and ask all the questions I needed.  This resulted in thousands of pounds in repairs and hours spent on the curb waiting for roadside recovery. Before I continue, I must stress that it was not the fault of the gentleman I gave the money to, as I believe he made the purchase with the best intentions. I would also still insist upon taking someone with a bit of knowledge with you when purchasing something like a car.

Wedding time! One criticism is that I never post photos of myself here. So here goes! 

2. Quit whilst you are ahead. Referring back to my crackajack car, I should have cut my losses and ridded myself of it once it started to persistently break down. But as if pouring money into a bucket with a large gaping hole, I continued to spend hundreds on the vehicle almost every month. Once I had finally had enough, I decided to sell it to We Buy Any Car. Guess What? I discovered I had been driving a write off! 

3. I  can totally understand the skepticism that ensues when a company tries to get you to buy insurance for every small purchase. And I do think you should weigh whether it's really worth taking out £20 insurance on a £20 iron for example. BUT I would always advise you take out insurance on high risk items and services, ie. purchases that would cost you a fortune if something goes wrong. Example. Last summer I decided to hire a car (yes, it always involves a car!) for roughly £200 and decided to pass on the £60 insurance as "I am a careful driver". £60 soon turned to £1000 after accidentally reversing into a wall! Lesson learnt. 

Africa time! At the World Travel Market
4. It is good practice to have an emergency fund. So although you may have a pot for your future car or house or anything else you are saving for, you also have another for when the unexpected happens. My broken phone is a case in point example. Having said this I totally understand the struggle, so if this can't be done monthly, you could put money aside for emergencies every other month, or take out a portion from your regular savings.

I hope these tips help you. They are all my own from my personal experiences and I am not a qualified financial advisor. If you are in serious financial trouble or would just fancy some advice from a professional, you should consult the likes of Money Saving Expert or The Money Advice Service. 

What are some of your tips? Share below.



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Wednesday 14 October 2015

Study Time: Love (Part 3)

Finally I conclude my three part series on the topic of Love. I bring to you, a short lesson on agape love. Grab your notebooks and Bibles because I really want this lesson to linger in your conscience, and not just evaporate into thin air after you've read it. 

Bibles and notebooks ready please


This post couldn't be more timely, given I have spent days in the last week, in the city of Love. That's right, I have been in Paris. Sadly, there were no romantic dinners in the Eiffel Tower, or evening strolls along the river Seine. My trips have been strictly of the professional kind, sheepishly shuffling along behind clients whist they gawp at the classical offerings this city has to offer.  

The Sacre Coeur against the beautiful backdrop of the blue sky

Here come my disclaimers:
Disclaimer 1:  Study Time will be purely devoted to Biblical teachings. My other blog posts will be general motivational material.
Disclaimer 2: Please remember that the original intended audience of my lessons are young people, so please excuse me if Study Time appears to be too basic for you. (Remember, I teach young people!)


Key Bible Verses

John 4:20                                1 John 4:19                              1 John 5:2-3
John 3:16                                   1 John 4:7 - 8                           Mark 12.30-31

Definition
Agape in the new original text is translated to 'Love' and it describes perfect, unconditional love that  God is capable of demonstrating to his children so perfectly.

Lovely fresh fruits served at the Sofitel Hotel. Prepared with love of course!

It is hardly surprising then, that as we are made in God's image, God expects us to demonstrate this love that is so pure and authentic to Him and to others. (Mark 12: 30-31)
Aside from God's mercy that he shows us everyday, and the benefits that he daily loads into our lives, His ultimate portrayal of love was the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ , who showed love to believers and non believers alike, during his time on earth.  This sacrifice is key, because without it, everyone of us, with all our sinfulness, would be sentenced to eternal condemnation.  (John 3:16). Because of His sacrifice, our only job is to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved! (Hurrah!)

The steps of Montmartre, leading to the Sacre Coeur
The reason why God is able to agape us is because He is love. This makes the two inseparable. (1John 4:8) For example, if you are a singer, you are able to effortlessly sing (in an ideal world!). If you are a painter, you are able to effortlessly paint. Consequently, we can only know this true, unflawed, and unconditional love when we come into the knowledge of God. 

This is why as followers, of Christ, who claim to know and to love God we are challenged to let our lives become an embodiment of agape love. This means our love should be an example to other believers and should definitely not discriminate against non believers, no matter the circumstance. (1 John 4:20 -21). Ladies and gentlemen, please let honesty guide your thoughts. How much do we love others? A good measuring stick against which we can put our love for others to the test is 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. If you are abiding by these tenets then my dear, this is true agape. 

Filet de Bar, chez le Pullman à Bercy
Don't beat yourself up if you find yourself falling short of the guidelines set out in the love scripture, because frankly, without the grace of God it is impossible to abide by it! I would like to encourage and to cheer you on to continue to ask for God's supernatural power to work in you so you can be a true portrayal of agape love to your fellow man here on earth.


Aside from loving mankind, how else do we show our love for God? Through the obedience of his commandments! (1 John 5:2-3). It's as simple as that dear reader. Whilst sobbing your heart out during worship at church is a lovely gesture, true love to God is demonstrated through our obedience of his commandments. As they say, the proof is in the pudding!

The beautiful  Sacre Coeur standing proud and stoic (from another angle!)

That concludes my Love series. Hopefully, it has stirred up a longing for a relationship with God. Maybe you find you would love to live a life in the fullness of God's love, to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour and to inherit this salvation I spoke about earlier. Or maybe you'd like to rekindle your love for God. In this case, please read aloud this sinner's prayer:

Heavenly Father, I recognise that I am a sinner, and ask for forgiveness for my sinful nature.
I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, rose for me and is coming back for me.
I declare in Jesus' name that I am saved!
Amen!

Simples! You are saved! You may want to get yourself a Bible, follow a daily devotional such as this one, and join a good prayerful, Bible believing church.

I hope you have enjoyed the third installment of my Love series. You can read parts one and two here and here. If you have any questions on anything I have shared with you in this lesson or the others please comment below. Let's discuss! Or send me an email at souljournersstory@gmail.com.

Until next time. Ciao for now! 

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