Life’s Recipes

As I was cooking this evening and seasoning some curry goat, I was adding different spices, curry powder, herbs and flavouring to it, I thought to myself…..when my mother would teach me how to cook she never necessary gave my a list of ingredients required to cook specific recipes or a list of instructions on the amount of seasoning to use for different dishes for example 
Conventional people would say “you pour a tablespoon of olive oil, you take a pinch of salt, one teaspoon of mixed spices and half a teaspoon of herbs and you leave it to cook for 30-45 minutes.
But it wasn’t this way when my mother was teaching me how to cook. My mother would say “look and watch very well ok, you pour some of this you blend four onions, six hot peppers no wait make that ten…..and you pour some of this, pour some of that and let it cook for five hours until the meat falls off the bone”. 

Thing would just be poured straight into the pot sometimes with no hesitation, when I asked how much of certain ingredients I should use she would say “use your eyes 👀 to measure how much seasoning is needed if it doesn’t taste sweet then add some more”. 

It’s all a learning process 
I guess I’m going to some way use this funny though I had whilst cooking as an analogy which wasn’t really my intentions but it just came into my mind.

Life doesn’t come with instruction guide or manual. 

I guess what might work for others may not necessarily work for you.

You learn what you need to from others this included other people’s mistakes and you improve and perfect what ever you have learnt to someway better yourself and suit your needs.

What might take others a year or two to accomplish may take you twice as long but there is no rush, take your time put in the right amount of work, if something hasn’t worked for you keep working hard at it or try something new and put in the effort and surely at the end you will find the right balance whether it be in cooking, work, relationships or life itself. 

Find the Right Balance

My mother the encourager and the believer in me and my dreams of becoming what I really want to be.

My mother always said that one day I will share my story, the story of the day God brought me through to Glory.

She told me that I will one day share my life stories, dictating what I’ve been through and experienced throughout my young, fragile and naive life. The good days the bad days and especially the stories of the days that broke me. 

The stories of the days that made me cry, the days that made me want to give up and questioned why, why Me God why, and just kept on asking why. The stories of the days that I would just want to close my eyes; to give up and never to see the light at the end of the Glory.
My mother always told me that one day I will share my  story, she would say;
‘‘I believe in you my dear and God does too. God loves you and only want the best for you, so don’t blame him for what you’re going through, just pray and thank him and God will surely see you through’’. 

I remember she would take my hands and say in her thick Nigerian accent “my daughter, don’t you give up now because this is all just part of Gods plan, but the enemy will try to stop you from getting up and living your dreams, but don’t let this be, continue to fight, when you’re down get up and pray and keep praying until you can finally see the great woman you can truly be”.

 She would pray for me and tell me not to worry and remind me of the fact that God is real and he will see me through. She said ‘‘Let this situation be your beginning, the beginning of the best part of your life my dear, learn from the past and don’t you fear. Have faith and cast away any doubt or fear and make the changes that you no longer want to bare. 

Never let anyone put you down, remove your crown, or stop you from starting the best thing that is ever to appear. The Glory of God is in you and that you should hold so near’’. “One day” she said “you will think back on those days and smile, you mark my words, in fact, you write it down. 

If only you could see in you what I can truly see, of the great things God has in store for you my dear and what he knows you can truly achieve. Just keep on praying and give God all the praise he will bring you out of any situation so don’t you fear “.

In doubt I would look to the ground and sadly utter the words and say, “I don’t think God hears me when I pray, I’m not cut out for all of this, so let me just give up today. I can’t seem to make it and however hard I try; I know people will never think I’m good enough so why should I continue in vain. Mum, I love what I do and hope someday the world will see and love it too. 
I dream I really do, that one day my dreams will come true, I hope that one day a Blessing will surly come my way and the whole world will know my name and the Glorious Gift God has brought my way. I love to use my hands to create and to illustrate what I dream and see inside my head.

But sometimes I just get so frustrated, tired and weak, I have so much going on in my mind that I dread to think of what is yet to be said, when people congregate to diminish my name, they diminish my dreams and myself believe of the things that I truly want to be.

What’s the point of all; the heartache and pain, the constant shame to remain in the same place as five years ago today. No achievement no relevance no progress in what I want to be in my life, just the same old me that nobody sees’’.

Angrily she would say, ‘‘my daughter stop being so negative, it breaks my heart when you put yourself down like this. Don’t worry yourself about other people’s negatives, the opinions of others are not worthy because it due to their jealousy. To be a topic of discussion just means that you are relevant, that’s why they will always find something negative to say. Yes, I know that you are hurt and your spirit has been put down, you will take some time just to heal but don’t worry God won’t let you down.

Don’t you ever let anyone even me your mother tell you that you are no good, remember that practice makes perfect, so keep doing what you do, and with that one day you will master it and perfect what you do. A small seed that has not yet been planted will not suddenly start to grow but it will need to take its place firmly in the earth, be nurtured and watered then slowly it will grow. Starting from just a little seed, then growing into a beautiful blossoming plant or a tree. In the same way you will prosper. Never you let anyone uproot you or plant the seed of doubt in you, just keep on growing and one day you will surely increase and be as high as you want to grow. 

Forget about those who left you and the foolish ones that rejected you,
just remember Psalms 118:22 tells us that ‘the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; This is the Lord’s work. We consider it amazing. This is the day the Lord has brought about. We will be happy and rejoice in it’. Don’t focus on the negativity and God will take you where you want to be, just do your best and leave the rest to God’’.

My mother always said that one day I will tell my life’s story.
Just don’t give up she says and know your worth and always give God all the Glory.  

Fashion Me

Hi everyone please add me and follow me on Instagram: @francaokhipo to see my Fashion work. 

I am wanting to start my Fashion design business using the talent God has Blessed me with and need all your support. Thank you and God Bless you all. 

Franca xxx

  

My Work, My Life, My Passion for Fashion.

Hi everyone please add me and follow me on Instagram @francaokhipo to see my Fashion work. I am trying to start my business using the talent God Blessed me with.  

It is a bespoke fashion company I started whilst I was at college, to be honest I was really only making clothes for families and friends and I often had people complimenting me on my clothes that I would design, make and wear myself. I often had people ask where they could get it from. When telling people people I made it they would be so surprised and asked if I had a business card and to that I replied no and I was often encourage to start my business.

I specialize in creating hand-made accessories and garments, focusing and very passionate about African prints and fabric I love to use it and incorporate it along with other types of fabrics to creat unique and contemporary designs.

Please support me and follow me on Instagram @francaokhipo

Thank you 
  

 

A Word of Encouragement

Having a relationship with Christ Jesus is not always easy but no one ever says it will, so why do we expect it to be. 

In my darkest hour I have talked to God, poured out my heart and cried to him. Some days I can be so stubborn and I have even had a one way argument where it’s only me shouting at him (in my head). 

I have spoken so real to him, and there are some days I’ve shown so little gratitude to him (you know the days when things go right for you and you just remember to give him a little praise, which is very selfish of me I know). 

I have now learnt to thank him in every situation even when things don’t go my way. Because I realised it’s all part of Gods plan just so that one day I can give a great testimony of his wonderful Glory as to where and how far he the Lord has brought me today.

Until that day comes I’m going to wait patiently and pray and try my best to do everything Gods way.      I am going to do Gods will and be a Representative of Christ Lord Jesus as of today.

I look at it this way; there always has to be a struggle or some sort of deep desperate need for something before one day being Blessed with it. 

If you look at the miraculous stories in the Bible of Jesus healing the sick, Blessings the blind to see and healing the lame to walk and much more, you’ll realise that these people probably would not have appreciated the Blessing of health if they only struggled with these situations for a day or two. Most lived with their issues for many years and no matter what they did or tried, nothing could help until they turned to Jesus. 

It’s a weird way to put it I know but I think that one day we will learn to appreciate what struggles we have gone through and our hard times just so that we can truly say “Ebenezer, Thus Far The Lord Has Helped Us”.

To go through struggles and hard times is all part of a process and our story, if you’ve ever had days where you have struggled to pay your bills or to put food on your table or in the mouths of your children and family, I am sure you would appreciated the little days when you have food to eat no matter how little or small. 

Please always remember there is calm after the storm so just keep holding on to Our Lord God and personal Saviour Jesus Christ who lives and can bring us out of any difficult situation. 

Shalom my Brothers and Sisters.

Conversation Between God and I

(Me)

Lord I’m going to talk to you on a serious level, I don’t know where I’m heading to with my life right now but I’m getting sick and tired of always being shut down, put down, torn down, turned down, I’ve been called every negative words under the sun and felt so run down.

I never loved this image that you created in me, I’ve always struggled with all of my imperfections and called myself ugly and unworthy of your love, or to be loved and God truthfully some days I hate this life and face you gave me. 

I know I may seem a little ungrateful and It may have taken me years but now Lord I’ve seen my wrongs and slowly learning to see the beauty you gave me. You have lifted me up more than my imagination could ever explore and some days I think is this all a dream if not so please let there be more days like these.

I can’t believe it wasn’t so long ago that I couldn’t see a way out of my darkest situation. Remembering the way, I would cry alone, not having anyone one that I could call my own.

But then you called out my name you said “Franca my child don’t worry I’ll wipe your tears away”, I asked you how God and you said:

 

(God)

Remember my child, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. There is no need for you to treat, don’t be worried or be dismayed, your tears may last but a night surly know that I am with you always. 

I’ve been there for you through all the sickness, the meekness, the “I no longer want to exist” foolishness, but my child just know that better days are yet to come. All these things you are going through is all part of the story that I wrote just for you.

I have shown you that I’m real and brought you out of those bad situations but some days you still fail to see and believe the God that is truly me. 

From now on, leave the past in the past and you are never to look back. All that has happened has gone away and with that your sins have been washed away, so start over as today. Today and this hour you have been renewed, with new life I give to you and Blessings and Grace from on high I will shine upon you; all your sins are forgiven you are no longer to feel ashamed or to hide your face away.

 

(Me)

Thank you Lord God for forgiving me, and thank you Lord for believing in me. I don’t know what I have done that could warrant your grace in me.

I could not imagine a world without you, it breaks my heart when some days I feel or hear people say that you’re not true. 

With this visions, this courage, this boldness you’ve given me, I’m going to use it to testify to the world of your Greatness.

Lord I know things are not always going to be easy and the enemy may try to attack and change me. Please help me Lord when the same old negative patterns recur and those negative thoughts creeps back and gets deep inside my head. I know that I am far from perfect and I may not always do what pleases you but I pray that whatever happened I’ll always remain true to you and remember this feeling of the way you saved and changed me and think upon your goodness and always be thankful for what you’ve have gave me.
(God)

My child I’ve heard you and watched you grow throughout all these years, through the hard times and the good times no matter how small you still continued to have faith and hold dear to my words. 

No matter what may come your way remember these words that I say; 

“Don’t you worry my child because I am with you Always”.

 

Depression and Me

I’m a young Christian woman suffering with depression. I’ve had depression for many years and have struggled with other medical and mental issues.

Being a Christian, having a relationship with Christ Jesus has been a big help in my recovery but it has not always been easy and I have also battled with many things in my life and have often wondered if there was any hope for me.

I also design and make clothes and very passionate about African prints and fabrics using it to creating hand made garments and accessories. I am trying to start up my own business but have struggled along the way with lack of self belief and motivation for the things I love most. I’m still working on it and know that the road is not going to be easy.