Thankful!!

It has been a roller coaster kind of year with the good, the bad and the .... (fill the gap).  But hey, I am alive and hopeful about the future and about my dreams! Often times we dwell and focus more on the things we do not have...YET and that denies us of the enjoyment of the things that we do have! I have chosen to have no regrets and to aspire even more!

So, I have had an interesting year and I thank God. Have I achieved all I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year...no, but I still have twenty-nine days left in the year!! So what happens if I am not able to accomplish it all? Nothing.

MEMORIES...

I have always been the smiley type...could be a typical Nigerian thing. In the words of the late music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, he says Nigerians sometimes are suffering and smiling. With all the economic difficulties and bad news flying around today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep smiling and I doubt that we have enough psychiatrists and psychologists to cater for the teeming number of people who may actually need counsel.

So what do we do? I suggest that in the words of Jay Danzie above, we all focus on making others feel better after encountering us.

CambaBooks' breaking news!

CHOICES

Life is filled with choices. A series of well made choices results in success. Wrong choices in life if unchecked  often lead to disaster. There are some issues in which God chooses on our behalf...and we then have to believe that His choice is the best for us.

FOCUS!

To be single- minded is to be extremely focused. A research into the lives of most great men, reveals that they were consumed with passion for the causes for which they fought, even if it meant losing their lives. For them it was a battle till the end - there was often no plan B, C, D or E. They fought valiantly, doggedly till they achieved their goals.

Believe in Your dreams!

I must admit I have never been the strong confident person I think I should be. I am the reserved, behind the scene kind of person who would rather let others take the credit for what I probably should revel in. I admire and respect people who are strong, bold and confident. Kudos folks!

I am not hiding because I don't believe in my dreams; I am hiding because I love my privacy too much - that peace and freedom that comes with living a simple, everyday life in which you don't have to worry about who will recognize you on the street and publish in the tabloids that your make-up was not 'on point,' or that you wore last season's clothes...

THANK GOD FOR GOOD VISION

I have been in hibernation lately and I hope that after the hibernation I will come up with great ideas. It is thanksgiving season and I am just going to post a series of posts about things I am thankful for.

One of them is my sight. I would not sau I have bionic eyes (hey, who remembers 'bionic woman' of the 80's...?), but I am grateful for what I have. So in case you are feeling unloved and keen on a pity party, think about what you have that some others don't.

CambaBooks is on You Tube!! Watch the Beyond the Trial Animation Video....on You Tube.

Creative Writing Opportunity!- Call For Submissions to Voices Anthology

If you crave an opportunity to write about the rich cultural heritage of the Yorubas in any literary form (art, photography, prose, poetry..), this may be your chance! For a chance to enter for the Voices Anthology creative writing contest with deadlines on September 15, hurry now and click on the link below!


Voices Anthology: Voices: The Ife issue - Call For Submissions:

Go for it! Dare to soar!
Best wishes!

POST BOOK LAUNCH POST

The Beyond the Trial book launch finally came ...and went! It was a harrowing experience for me. A sojourn into new frontiers. I was nearly paralyzed with fear as the proposed time for commencement approached. The event started about one and a half hours late, just when I was wondering if my invitees would show up! Do I look petrified in this picture?...I was!

But show up they did alright!...Friends, colleagues, family...I met co-workers I had not seen for years and I basically had a nice time! Oh yes, I sang a Beyond the Trial theme song I wrote for the book &  a short Spoken Word performance of the Beyond the Trial poem!

Beyond The Trial Book Trailer - check this out!

CambaBooks: #BeyondtheTrial animation video!

Check this out!

#BeyondtheTrial Animation Video

UWA! (LIFE!)

 

I say this by faith & knowing that "Life is a mystery to be lived and not to be solved." 

 I found this saying interesting as a young girl: "Don't take life too seriously, you never get out of it alive!"

 It did not mean in my own understanding that one should not work hard, it just meant that one should take life events calmly knowing that this is only a temporary abode.

 

#BeyondtheTrial animation video!

Check out the brand new HOT animation video about the inspirational collection of stories #BeyondtheTrial.

Please leave a comment and let us know what you think of it.

We will be having some giveaway contests soon...STAY TUNED!

Readers' favorite gives #BeyondtheTrial a FIVE STAR REVIEW!

#BeyondtheTrial has just been given a five star review by a reviewer on Readers' Favorite.

"There is a strong theme of the importance of using one's mind to see positively, despite difficulties. Also, the characters rely on their close friends or mentors, and on prayer. The momentum of the stories is natural but gripping and in it the main female characters achieve closure by their own courage in facing past tribulations. The style is refreshing and direct, and certainly the book is a useful motivator to people who need courage to face their troubles."

Reviewed By Nandita Keshavan for Readers’ Favorite

To read the entire review visit:
http://readersfavorite.com/book-review/beyond-the-trial/

BEYOND THE TRIAL NOMINATED FOR 2015 GLOBAL EBOOK AWARDS!!

Sometime last year when the desire to publish my short stories and writings came, there were also a thousand and one reasons why I should neither write nor publish.

How are you going to find the time to write -with your family commitments and a full time job?
Isn't your life complicated enough already?
Why delve into an area that you are not so familiar with?
Can a leopard ever change its spots?
Why not stick to your medical practice?
Are you sure people will want to read these stories, let alone buy them?

The list went on and on! Oh yes, there was one strange one for which I readily found an antidote:

'The world will soon come to an end, why bother?'
'We are to occupy until the end!' was my response.

I basically took each day as it came. Writing for me is extremely relaxing.,. it is the business or administrative part of it that I did not bargain for. In fact, I never thought about it until I held the proof copy of Beyond the Trial in my hands and then I asked myself..how on earth I was going to sell this book?

This award nomination is an encouragement to me. And I will say that George Elliot was right..
"It's NEVER too late to be what you might have been."

So let's dust those dreams and get cracking...Let's soar!

Blessings,
Camba

PRE BOOK LAUNCH RADIO INTERVIEW ON INSPIRATION FM

I am scheduled for a radio interview tomorrow and I am sitting in  my study writing this post. A little voice is nagging me to try and imagine what I could be interviewed about...: the themes I explored in  my book, the motivation behind the writing and between me and you, I am too tired for that soul searching. The book launch is 24 hours away and there  are still crucial invites in my handbag! OUCH!!

How did that happen? 
Search me o!!
Hmm..I will leave that bit of  gist for another day!
Do hook up to Inspiration 92.3 FM and listen in at 10 am tomorrow.

If you can, please pop into my book launch on Saturday 12 noon at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, No. 6 Edmund Crescent Yaba and support a sister! I need it.

Will lunch be served at the launch? Why don't you come and find out?

I go forth in the encouragement in words of this quote and so should you...Let's soar in 2015!
Blessings,
Camba

I JUST COULD NOT WRITE IN JUNE!

Hello! Let me greet you the way Nigerians would greet someone they have not seen in a long time:
"Long time no see!"
Yourbas will say: "Eku atijo!"
Igbos will say: "Anya gi!"
And you are supposed to say: "Anya na ibe ya!" in response.
I will leave you to decipher what those words mean...lol!

June was an intriguing month for me. So many ups and downs in my quest to add author to my roles. At some point all my deadlines and timelines had to be re-adjusted. So readjusted were they that I could not even tell when they were to be anymore. I just knew that they were not happening yet!

How did I feel:? Initially a bit frustrated.

Later on, I remembered that my times are in God's hands. So, I put everything on His plate (which must be massive to cater for the needs of us all!) and just let it go. Slowly but surely, things gradually fell into place.

They fell into place so much that I could only say God I thank you!...I felt loved by God. It was only God that could have worked things out the way He did. I had reached the end of my road. Ever been there? Ever done all you knew you to do and it just wasn't working? I got there and then I chose to be STILL. I chose to rest and trust HIM. There was really nothing else I could do anymore!

I am humbled and grateful! My books finally arrived! God truly does love me.

Living an Addiction Free Life

LIVING AN ADDICTION FREE LIFE

Everybody values personal freedom and independence. One can never fully appreciate this basic, essential right in life until one loses it to incarceration, debilitating illness, disability or addiction. I am sure when you read the word ‘addiction’ your mind goes straight to drug addiction. But then there are so many others things we get subtly addicted to and do not view as a problem. So what is an addiction?

Aftermaths of Xenophobia - I worry about humanity!

You don’t start living until you rise above individual concerns to humanity concerns.

- Dr Martin Luther King Jr.


You start dying when individual concerns rise above humanity concerns.

- Chigozie  Anuli Mbadugha (Camba)


Humanity is dying! I know this for certain. I used to hear the saying that companies have a human face (if they were big on family, philanthropy and social issues) or that someone should have a human heart. Today it is becoming increasingly easier for people to ignore the needs and pains of people in our communities. Xenophobia makes me wonder if there are hearts in some humans. There is definitely an organ pumping blood somewhere, but the organ is bereft of emotions!

How would your community react if you answered a spiritual call today?

Nigerians and Africans in general do not like to think about death. I don’t either, but sometimes events make me wonder about it. The recent loss of my cousin’s son Miracle Godson in Wigan UK (see previous post) has got me thinking about the issues of life.

 Miracle Godson may have spent only thirteen years on earth but he affected his community immensely. His death reverberated across Wigan, UK. Schools in the community were closed in his honour on the day of his funeral. Flowers, gifts and tributes were endless. People attending the funeral that boarded taxis were given free rides to the house by taxi drivers pained by such a tragic end to a promising life. Rugby teams paid tribute to a talent cut short in its prime. See some tributes and posts in the link below
Mourners at Miracle Godson's funeral

Our Miracle left us!

I got a phone call at about 8 a.m on April 11th 2015. It was sad news. I have had so many over the years that I can almost tell you how to suspect that something is amiss. I will leave those details for another post. May you not receive bad news in Jesus’ name. Amen!

The news I got was the worst I had heard in recent times. Our Miracle Godson was gone. He went out with friends but never came home alive. He drowned in a quarry near Appley Bridge in Wigan, UK and left a hiatus no one can fill and a pain that gnaws and throbs in our hearts. He was a promising child, a budding rugby player; he was just thirteen years old. I remember my last interaction with him some years ago when he visited my home. He was hyperactive, full of energy and wore me out within an hour. Click on the link below for details.
 Miracle Godson

Following God's leading 2

Hi  there!
I am sure you are wondering what I have been up to. It has taken me over three weeks to share my thoughts and I  have been getting 'leadings' to put pen to paper all this while! Suffice it to say that I am still a work in progress in this obedience business. May God give  all of us grace to obey His directions. Amen o!

I have been STRESSED lately. Sometimes, even too stressed to  sleep! Do you think one can be too stressed to sleep? Or too tired to sleep? Let me  know what you think!  But the good news is that I have been working on a book project which  I want to believe I commenced in obedience to a leading. (As in, you know, It's like...lol!)

My book 'Beyond the Trial' is an inspirational collection of three African based stories that highlights strategies for coping with rejection, betrayal, abuse, injustice....and encourages us to turn our trials into testimonies, setbacks into stepping stones and insults into results. If there is ONE book you should read this year, it is BEYOND THE TRIAL. It is a must read for the entire family! You won't be able to put it down!

It celebrates the challenges and struggles of African women living in a largely patriarchal society who put the love of children and family above themselves. It  highlights the force and ability of determination to rewrite destiny after monumental mistakes! Let's rewrite destiny this year. Let's inspire one another for  greatness!

Hang in there! You were sent to the world at such a time as this to affect your generation  positively! See you in the Hall of fame!

BEYOND  THE TRIAL- emerges a stronger YOU!

Available from:

AuthorHouse Bookstore

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble.com

5 Reasons why it is good to obey God's leading.

Have you ever gotten into trouble and felt like you walked into a trap? I have. Even more painfully, I have had experiences where I had felt "Something" telling me that this would happen and it did! I don't know what you call it...intuition, sixth sense, a still small voice, your subconscious? I call it God's leading.

Last night, I was "led" to safely put away a new set of gate keys. By safely, I mean out of the reach of some little hands that belong to my "Oga" and my "Madam." I got caught up in following up recent Naija headlines. I did not.

You can imagine my shock and regret when I woke up bright and early at 5am the next day to discover the keys were gone from the last place I sighted them.

Instantly, I started praying.
"God, I am sorry. You had warned me about this. Help me. Please!"

Bearing in mind that we needed to make an early start for school, I ran to rouse the entire household. We had barely an hour and a half to find the keys or else, nobody would be able to leave the compound.

As I passed my children's "yellow jeep" parked in its spot, a glint of shiny metal caught my eye. Alas! It was the missing set of keys. Apparently they had tried to use it to start their "car"!

I was saved from the embarrassment of having to turn the house upside down and asking groggy toddlers where they had kept my keys.

Ah! I forgot one important detail: Hubby had handed the keys over to me and asked me to share them into "relevant" key holders (as Odoziaku concerned!). Hmm!

There are at least five reasons why it is wiser to obey God's leading:

• It leads you away from temptation (not into it).
• It delivers you from evil.
• It is based on wisdom.
• It brings you peace.
• It can bring increase.

Have you ever faced an embarrassing situation despite some forewarning?

How can we ensure we obey these directions more often and stay out of trouble? Please share your experiences as feedback.

Till next post, please stay in boundaries where God's love can reach you and richly bless you!

Image courtesy of sage garden care center.

YOU ARE UNIQUE

It is a brand new year. Well, nearly brand new year. We are in the second month of the year, and you are still your brand  new self. It doesn't matter how old you are, or how old you feel; you are ALWAYS brand new. Original! Authentic!Unique! God made us all very unique and that is why exact DNA or fingerprint  matches are impossible.

When I look at my fingerprints, all I see are concentric whorls or circles which look pretty much like what I see on every other person's finger. Nevertheless, science tells me that no two people have the same fingerprints in the entire world. I am talking about over six billion people in the world having very distinct features! I doubt that you can find any better proof of your uniqueness!

Being unique means you are equipped to do special things. There is added value that only YOU can bring -whether you have discovered it, or not! Only YOU can reach and positively affect the circle of people whose lives and destinies are attached to yours. Dare to leave a legacy behind for posterity!

In 2015, I choose to break through limitations that had held me bound - fear, insecurity, timidity and low self-esteem; and soar. I challenge you to soar  in 2015! Let's do things we had dreamed about for years. Let's turn those dreams into reality! Embrace greatness!


Image courtesy of dreamstime.com