Victory Over Storms

Source: Google

The past few weeks have been eye opening for me as I went through and survived Hurricane Harvey...I am pretty sure that you're aware of this natural disaster and how it has affected Houston and other parts of Texas; it was an experience to say the least. I got wind of the impending storm a few days prior; my husband saw the forecast on the news and informed me about it. I didn't think much of it initially.

However, when my husband came home on the Thursday before the storm was scheduled to hit, I re-thought my initial response to the news. He told me that he was listening to the radio and it was advised that we filled the car with gas and have enough water and food at home, because the storm was scheduled to start the following day. So he went out to do just that; something that would normally take him a few minutes, took him a couple of hours.

After receiving a couple of calls from friends about long lines at supermarkets and most things being sold out, I decided to do some research. I saw that the hurricane was fore casted to be the worse in over ten years. It began to rain on Thursday night, but it wasn't major. The rain continued on and off throughout Friday, this time accompanied with loud thunder and bolts of lightening. Then around midnight, the rain began to come down harder and it was nonstop; it was clear that it was indeed a storm.

My husband attempted to go to work on Friday evening on two separate occasions but the rain was so heavy, he could barely see while driving. After a few hours, he was eventually able to drive when the rain stopped briefly.

Shortly after he arrived at work, the rain picked up again and it was heavier. I looked in our backyard and noticed that the empty land behind our house was beginning to fill up with water. As the hours passed, the rain continued. By Saturday evening, not only had the rainfall increased but the wind was out of control. On the news, we saw that people's homes were flooding, some people had to evacuate to shelters, roads and major highway were flooding, etc. It became real!

We had to hold church service via Skype the next day because many of the major roads were flooded. That same Sunday, the streets in our neighborhood began to flood and our neighbors began to panic. My husband and I prayed for our neighborhood, church members and friends in Houston. I stayed up for most of the night praying as I monitored the water levels in front and behind our home. Naturally speaking, it was scary. Our house was pretty much an island; the water levels were rising in the front and behind our house at an alarming rate. We informed our pastors and loved ones, prayer mode was activated! Calls and messages started rolling in as the news of the storm and images of the devastation spread across the news, Internet, etc.

The beauty of it all is that God kept speaking to us in the midst of the storm. He told my husband, "I give you safety in your neighborhood". I remember looking out the window one day and thinking to myself, "We should have gotten flood insurance"; then I heard God say, "I am your insurance." He also instructed me to praise him continually (praise is a weapon, it is a defense; it is the key to victory). So when thoughts of fear threatened to overwhelm me as the waters rose and threaten to wreck havoc on our property; as I read about people loosing their lives; as our electricity flickered on and off at various intervals; as our food supplies dwindled and the rain fell harder; I kept praying and confessing the Word, I kept reciting Psalm 91, I kept saying "there shall be no loss"..." the angel of the Lord encamps around me"... "The Lord blesses without adding sorrow, he gave us this house and we will not sorrow over it, etc.

In these moments, all that was seemly 'wrong' in my life didn't matter. My husband suddenly wasn't so "annoying"; we no longer had reasons to disagree. The amount of money in my bank account no longer mattered. Waking up in the middle of the night to feed my baby no long felt stressful. Being able to speak to family members on the phone was now something to look forward to. You see all that mattered was that I was alive and well! Everyday became a special gift, I woke up excited to see another day! I was overwhelmed with God's love.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4 KJV

I work as a Crisis Counselor in a disaster relief program with my organization. Everyday at work, I meet people who have lost so much. I meet people who are now rendered homeless; people who have to camp out in front of their houses because their homes were not safe to live in; people who lost their jobs because they couldn't get to work during and after the storm or their company shut down because it was affected by the flood; people who haven't had a decent meal in weeks; people who are emotional distraught and finding it difficult to move forward; how about the woman whose husband left the comfort of their home to rescue others and lost his life in the process, now she is left with their children trying to adjust to their new reality.

As I hear their stories, I sympathize with them and do all that I can within my capacity to help them. After they've poured their hearts out, some times with tears flowing from their eyes, I always aim to help them see the bright side (one being that their alive) and make them smile; ensuring them that there is hope and restoration after each storm. Meeting these people reassures me that it was our faith in God that kept us safe during the storm, I don't take it for granted. God is good! Taste and see! All that he requires of you is your faith in him!

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 KJV

In life, there will always be storms. There will always challenges staring you in the face; there will trails; you will be hurt, you feel pain; you will disappointed. But there is good news; you don't have to accept it, you don't have to stay down, it doesn't have to redefine you, you don't have to succumb to it. Most of all, you don't have to go through it alone because God is all with you, cheering you on. His still small voice is always whispering the truth to you, reminding you that you are more than a conqueror.

From my experience during and after the hurricane, I learnt that the best way to get through any storm is to:

1. Trust God

2. Hold on to God's Word (Keep it before your eyes, in your heart, on your mind & on your lips)

3. Pray (prayer will give you strength to get through it)

4. Praise God (not for the storm, but for the victory over it)

5. Don't allow fear! (Fear will rob you of your peace- it is possible to have peace in the midst of storm)

6. Don't blame God (God is not the author of destruction, death, pain, lost, etc....the devil is (John 10:10))

7. Grow through it, don't just go through (let the experience leave you better, stronger, wiser, and more  grateful to God)

8. Your perspective is important, it will determine whether you will float or sink in the midst of storms. What you focus on is key, you can choose to focus on the storm or on God. Whatever you focus on becomes bigger, it becomes more real to you.

- During the hurricane my daughter would go to the window intermittently and get excited. She would say, "Mommy, there is a pool behind our house, can we go swimming?" I had to inform her that it was not a pool so she didn't get any ideas. On one of those occasions, this scripture came to my heart:

 "When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mark 10:14‭-‬15 NLT

In order to continuously walk in victory, we have to see God as our father and trust in his love absolutely. We have to be like children, having absolutely no cares because we know that Daddy has our back; he has our lives in his hands!!

In conclusion, you don't have to become a victim of storms, victory is always yours in Jesus; it is your choice to take it or leave it.

You are blessed!

- Bunmi


Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.


4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.


5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestinyblog

Destiny Testimonies: Faith for Fertility

Source: Google

"In a survey of married women, the CDC found that 1.5 million women in the US (6%) are infertile (Source: National Survey of Family Growth, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2006-2010). Twenty-five percent of infertile couples have more than one factor that contributes to their infertility (Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine [ASRM] 1996-2016)."

But here's the good news! The truth and nothing but the truth!

No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days (Exodus 23:26 AMP)

He honors the childless wife in her home; he makes her happy by giving her children. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 113:9 GNT)

You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren (childless, infertile) among you or among your cattle. (Deuteronomy 7:14 AMP)

As a member of the body of Christ this is your reality. Regardless of what the doctor's report says, the bible (which is the truth) says NONE SHALL BE BARREN!

Today I bring you an amazing testimony by Mrs. Ijeoma Lasebikan. I met her a few years ago when I lived in Maryland; we attended the same church. I initially met her husband when we were both serving in the children's ministry. I went on to meet her when we were chosen along with a few other people to work on a church project.

She was always energetic, bubbly, and  full of life. Her husband was Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected. They were both dedicated and passionate about serving in the house of the Lord. From my perspective, they were the perfect match and I admired their union.

I had no idea what they were facing behind closed doors. There wasn't the slightest hint of their struggles on the outside. This testimony reveals that faith indeed works! And that God's Word is true!

It is short and straight to the point but POWERFUL...enjoy!

This time last week I was preparing to return home from the hospital from having my first child. After 8 years of marriage, 7 miscarriages and countless procedures heaven answered all the prayers that had gone up on behalf of my husband Lakunle Lash and I. I'm so full of joy and in awe and thanks to God. And also thankful to everyone who prayed for us, prayed with us, encouraged us, and spoke into our lives. I'm thankful to God for these 2 testimonies, first my son and second through it all like the song by Tremaine Hawkins we never lost our hope, we never lost our faith, we never lost our joy but most of all we never lost our praise! Never lose your praise regardless of what's happening around you continue to give your all to God, because He will do what he said He'll do!   #faithforfertility!!!!!!  - Ijeoma Lasebikan

Source: Google

Faith works...God answers prayers... Never loose your joy...keep praising...the is victory in the storm!

For all those that may be reading this and are going through the same thing, I pray that this encourages you. And I pray that God will surprise you with your own bundle (s) of joy before this year is over.

A special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Lasebikan for giving me the opportunity to share their testimony.

If you have a testimony that you'd like to share please send me an email: destinationdestiny7@gmail.com.


You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Destiny Testimones: God Answers ALL Prayers

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by today!

I'll be sharing a fanstatic testimony here today!!! Enjoy!!!

****

I had a baby about two years ago and of course I gained some weight. I gained about 50 pounds to be exact...that's alot of weight. After giving birth I was able to loose about 40 pounds with exercise, portion control and breast feeding. I was doing good...10 pounds away from pre-baby weight but I just stopped. I found myself in a stressful situation and lost all motivation. 

Recently, I realized that I was not happy with my weight. So I decided to start on the journey after gaining an additional 10 pounds. So I have 20 pounds to loose plus some muscle toning to combat the loose skin that I acquired after pregnancy. 

I've been on this journey many times before; and I don't like it too much...it's long, hard, and can be overwhelming. But I determined to be healthy, I have a destiny to fulfill and a family to cater to. At times like this, one person comes to mind...my dear friend Abimbola Adeniranye. Bimbo's testimony always amazes me and inspires me. I sent her a bbm a few weeks ago for some motivation and I've been on the journey since. 

Read her testimony below:

So who is Abimbola Adeniranye?

I’m not exactly sure how to answer this. Not cos I don’t know who I am, cos I do! Lol Lemme see… umm I’m a Nigerian girl, middle child born to a family I absolutely adore. Love Jesus Christ and all he is, does, and stands for. Recovering shy girl. Love people and love being able to be a tool when a person needs something. I’m a bit confusing.. somewhat of an introvert and an extrovert at the same time.. I’ll lean more naturally towards intro. I love to laugh. I LOVE food. Like to sleep. I can be quite the creature of habit which is great for consistency sake but can be dangerous for change/growth sake if not checked. My family may use the word “stubborn” to describe me  bleh.. but they may also throw in “honest” and “determined” just to make me feel better im sure lol.. I think that’s enough sharing for now.. My extrovert is loving it but my introvert is getting itsy lol 

Tell us about your weight loss journey?

I’ll go straight to the point. My weight gain journey maxed out at 245lbs 5ft4in and 19 years old. It was in July of that year, at that personal weight high that I decided (again) to lose weight and this time stick to it until I at least could get back below 200lbs which was where I thought I could aspire to get to and no less. HA! I never paid attention to weight loss or gain, or health really growing up in Nigeria, when I moved to the US after high school in 2001, I just kept gaining and eating and the first time I remember a number on a scale it was 190lbs.. needless to say, it kept climbing and climbing and even though (in my mind mentally anyways) I though I was doing my best (looking back now, I really wasn’t.. not consistently anyways). It went up until 245lbs in 2006.

I probably went from maybe about 160-170lbs when i first came to my highest weight of 245lbs in July 2006. Between about 190lbs and the 245lbs, I would try to exercise and diet here and there, lose a few lbs and gain it all back again (and then some). This time, I prayed to God about it, for the strength, grace and help to start the journey to lose weight one final time and God answered my prayers beyond my wildest imaginations (as of that time. I TOTALLY DID NOT see it getting to where he has helped me get to now). I started exercising daily and cutting my portion sizes and educating myself about food, exercise and also did quite a bit of work also in my mind, stretching myself as far as self motivating thoughts, discipline, etc.

What were your main vices?

FOOD! Was and (still is) a major vice of mine. I like it bad, I like it fried, I like it carb filled, and worst of all, I like it plenty in quantity! Lol sooo with that combination, that was a hard part for me. It is still my major struggle. I’d probably be more excellent at this if I could get total control over that. Esp. the portion side. But I tried to portion control.. I didn’t really cut anything out. 

Did you try to lose weight before? What happened?

Absolutely! I would. Do a bit here and there with food and exercise but I would never remain consistent. And didn’t find ways to make them things I could do for me.. knowing myself. That would challenge me but also keep me at it and work for me to stay going for the long haul. I would lose a bit, and gain a lot more. And I didn’t know enough about what I was trying to achieve to make it work for me

How much did you weigh at your heaviest and how much do you weigh now?

I think I answered the first part above already. But I was 245lbs at 5ft 4in at 19years old at my heaviest. Now I’m 29 years old, still 5ft 4in (fortunately or unfortunately lol) and I dance between 145lbs and 155lbs most times. 

What influenced your decision to loose weight?

To be honest, food motivates me. I love food soo much, It motivates me to work out lol. I would be lying if I said the physical aspect didn’t matter cos it absolutely did! I also want to look good. I want to look a certain way to be honest, and I pray God gives me the grace to continue to do what it takes to care about how i look. Another motivator was family; Family is a big deal to me. And looking down the line to my future, I want to be that mom/wife that is healthy and able to do things with my husband, children, grandchildren etc while feeling and hopefully looking good and healthy all along the way. I want to live a life for God the best way possible and that includes my trying to take care of myself as best I can to be the best for him and others around me. Make yourself a priority and those around you that you love will benefit from that!

What was the first thing you did to begin your journey?

Not to sound superrrr spiritual. But honestly, the first thing I did (and kept doing throughout even until now) was involve God and pray to him about it. It was a conversation like every other. I expressed what I wanted and how I needed him in every way cos I couldn’t do it on my own.. but I was ready to join forces with him lol. And I listened to what I felt he was telling me I needed to do in me and around me. 

I also got a calendar that I used to record what I did daily (I have one for every year since then). I prefer hardcopy and not electronic so that I can physically write what I am doing. One of the ones where the whole month is outlined on one page. I used a colored marker to cross out the day I do nothing. So when I see too many of the marker color, I know I need to pick up the next week to avoid too many mark offs on that week. That helped me personally just mentally as a self motivator. Cos I did it mostly with me having to motivate myself for the most part. (like I said, introvert side). I also set goals at every stage.. and rewarded myself sometimes (mostly with fav sinful foods that I can't have until I achieve lol) and set new goals with each one accomplished. Then I whipped out the treadmill we had sitting in our garage for over five years, purchased a static exercise bike, planned my food, researched a bit about what I was committing to do and starting to do, mixed the research up with my personal preferences and got to it!  

Which were the best or most successful techniques you used and why?

For me, portion control was huge. Again cos personally (you have to know yourself but still challenge that version of yourself you know) I love food. I cut out soda but I personally did not want to cut out rice or other faves. So I got to eat it, but with a calorie max for the day, I got to eat less. I guess I coulda eaten a bigger portion of greens or a small portion of rice. I did both at different times. But I went with portion control. Keeping my daily caloric intake to a certain number as much as possible. So that motivated me not to waste it on calorie drinks cos I needed to eat food lol and drinks ate into my calorie count big time. I also did a lot of exercising. Both were hard. But for me, personally, exercise made me feel good (the after feeling tho, never the before or during feeling). And my love for food made the food part more of a struggle for me. I knew I had to do both to get any kind of long lasting result. But cos of my love for food, I did a lot of compensating on the exercise part. Again both must be done for long lasting results and overall health.

What are the best things you have found about losing weight?

The way I look and the way I feel are definitely two of my favorite things. But also a big deal is mentally. The fact that I did this… showed me that I could in fact do more than I though I could. I am more determined than I thought. Not as lazy as I had thought. That I could set my mind to anything and do it. Mentally, that is huge. In every part of my life, I apply it when I think I can't. I remember, I once thought I couldn’t lose weight! Also spiritually, I thought it was more likely in my lifetime for me to see a dead man raised. If anyone told me at 18yrs old that weight wise, I would look how I did by 20 years old, I would have laughged at them like sarah laughed at the angels when she got the message that she and Abraham would have a child at their age. It was the most impossible of all impossibles to me. But hey! Apparently God really can do the impossible! And isf I “join forces with him” and get to it! Doing what I can, so can I apparently!

Is there anything you are going to do now that you never would have done before you lost the weight?

Lol I dunno. Hopefully keep it up! Its still an everyday struggle for a choice between work out and don’t workout.. or eat this and don’t eat that. Or eat less or eat more.. or prioritize and order your life or don’t.. It’s a struggle for me cos it doesn’t come as naturally to me as it might to some people to do the right things and chose the right things. But God is helping me.. and I’m still on his team.. working with him, surrendering to him, allowing myself to be changed by his.. so yea.. hopefully keep it up! And I’m sure some impossible thing will happen that I can’t see right now but I will do.. I don’t really know anything specific to answer this question (fortunately or unfortunately lol) 

What would you say to those struggling and want to do what you have done?

Do it cos you want it and cos you’ve been thinking about it for years.. letting it occupy your mind. One year from today will come… you will meet it, the same way a year ago you thought about it, and now, it’s a year later.. its still there. The difference in next year being different is what you do with the time in between. It’s a daily, gradual, uneventful day by day commitment to doing what needs to be done each day to get you closer that will get you there. You may not have cheerleaders there, I didn’t for the most part, you have to be your own and get it done! Committ to it either you feel like it or not! If you fall off, so what? The tragedy will be to not get back on it! Once you relaize, get back on it and go again, even if you have to start steps back from when you were in the groove. Still restart. Every Monday for me, was restart day cos I fell off quite a few times (and I still do like all the time) lol.. but you get back on it! Keep it up! You do have what it takes to do anything you set your mind to, commit your efforts to, work hard on and and join forces with God to accomplish!

Also, Find the BEST way to do what works for you. Lots of people have advice, don't ignore the good advice. Try it out, and find what works for you and what makes you the best, then do that. And you'll improve YOUR best over time. Make it YOUR own. What works for Bunmi may not work for me and vice versa. Take the good advice, challenge yourself to be better than your best effort, and stay consistent with improving! If you fall off, get back on whenever you realize. It's a lifelong lifestyle  

Workout routine:

Right now; I aim to workout 5 days a week. Most weeks i succeed, But I must end up with no less than 4 days a week. When i was loosing the weight tho, i aimed to workout 7 days a week, minimum of 5 days a week and most days, I did two-a-day workouts (in the morning before work/school and again in at night after work/school before bed)

Right now I do a minimum 3-4 days a week of incline treadmill (4.5miles for an hour). Then I do at least 4 days a week of muscle work; either muscle tone home workout dvd's at home; I have diff ones for abs, lower body,. upper body, total body, pilates, etc OR at the gym, i'll take either bodycombat class (mix of kickboxing, cardio and tai chi) or bodypump class (bars and weight circuit). I LOVE BODYPUMP to tone muscle. Or i go for bootcamp classes once in a week or so (I just recently started taking these). So to summarize: Cardio about 4-6 days a week and muscle tone/sculpt at 3-5 times a week.

Thank you so much for sharing your testimony Bimbo! You are truly an inspiration and thank you for stressing the GOD factor! With God ALL things are possible!!!

I hope you were blessed by this testimony! If you'd like to share a testimony here, please send an email to: destinationdestiny7@gmail.com (you have the option of being anonymous). 

You're blessed!

- Bunmi

Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Destiny Testimonies: Rearranged by Destiny

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by today! This testimony will bless you!


Sade sent in her testimony and few weeks ago and I was overwhelmed. Her testimony reconfirmed that God is a God of multiple choices! We may make mistakes or may be forced to make decisions against our will, but God is more than able turn it all around! This testimony reminds me that God truly loves us and wants us to have his very best. Please enjoy this testimony and be blessed!

****

Source: Google

It was December 2005 when I became friends with a guy who was going to form a large part of my life’s story. I met Bosun through a friend who lived in my estate back in Nigeria. Bosun and I became friends and he quickly won my mum’s heart. She thought he was very responsible and desired to have him closer. Somehow, we got in an assumed relationship. We continued our assumed relationship which seemed okay at the time because I was that church girl who really didn’t invest in relationships. So our assumed relationship was as blank as could be and it seemed okay. Well, until I met Fola who happened to be one of my National leaders at my Christian organization in December 2006. I was also a chapter leader at the time and so Fola and I always met at leaders’ meetings and so on. At the time, we could not become official until our leadership term was over. Fola and I grew so fond of each other and I seemed to forget my assumed relationship with Bosun each time I was in Fola’s company.

Reality hit when Bosun went as far as submitting my name for the US visa lottery and my name got randomly selected. Everyone who knows about this lottery understands that a US is considered a golden ticket in many parts of the world. My mum went from loving Bosun to being indebted to him. He knew this and figured it was time to present his marriage proposal to my parents. My dad had just returned from his long stay in the UK and got all the background information he needed about Bosun from my mum who obviously sang his praises. I had just returned from work when my dad said to me, “You will be getting married before traveling to the US.” To say I was shocked by this news was an understatement! Bosun could have discussed this with me first and allowed me decide whether or not I wanted to spend my life with him. But it seems he also realized my mum felt indebted to him so he did not anticipate any objection from her; my choice would be easy. I was that child who hardly ever questioned my parents’ decisions and I also knew my mum felt indebted to Bosun so I could never find the courage to object the decision even after countless rehearsals on how to object. Fola and I were right outside the church when someone walked up to me and congratulated me for getting ready to be married. We were still not official and I did not think I owed him details of how my life was taking a turn less than I desired. So I walked away and avoided the explanation while I broke down in tears as I got on the next bus back home. Fola had so many questions but left town since I was not offering an explanation.

I convinced myself that I would grow to love Bosun as time went on in the marriage. By the time I realized how far the craziness had gone, Bosun and I were married. We got married a couple of weeks before my relocation to the US, of which I struggled with this reality and considered even submitting my body to him as a defilement of my body. My heart was distraught and I tried daily to understand what was really going on.

After relocating to the US, it only got worse as most of our conversations were centered around submitting papers for Bosun’s immigration to the US. We had not really developed an emotional connection so there was usually nothing to talk about over the phone. 3 years went by and I was still struggling with a decision I could have spoken up against in the beginning. Bosun and I never grew close; we were married strangers and while I felt he wasn’t doing so much to earn my love as his wife, I honestly felt he offered the best he knew how to. Unfortunately, his best could not mend my seemingly shattered life. I had lived in a shadow of my own life for 3 years and I spent many times feeling incompetent about my position as a wife while other times, I felt God let me take the wrong turn in life, and then left me to deal with my own mistake.

I lived broken and bitter for so long and buried myself in church activities as a way of escape from my miserable life. Everyone who knows the Nigerian culture understands that divorce creates a stigma plus I could not bring myself to make that decision. So by mid-2011, I had started consider suicide or eloping to a new place where I would just change my identity as I prayed to God for a way through this misery. I had developed really bad health problems that resulted mostly from depression. I battled with Cluster headaches and high blood pressure; my friends could not understand what was happening to me because I hid my problems from them. I also ended up in very bad car accidents as a result of being so absent minded on the road and just wallowing in my worries. I did not know how God would save me from all the craziness but during this period,

I would hear God’s comforting words sometimes of which He said to me one night while driving home from work, “I allowed all these happen as a way to preserve you. However, He did not say what He was preserving me from; this was the last I heard from Him, for about a year. By early 2012, I had had a full cup of everything; this was after I visited home in Nigeria and Bosun decided it was time to inform my mum of my refusal to give my body to him even after 3 years of marriage. Somewhere in that conversation, I threatened I was going to kill myself instead of letting him come any close to me. By the time I made it back to the US, my blood pressure problems had started again and at this point, I really had to decide.

I knew suicide wasn’t God’s will for me and I was really worried about how my parents would take the news of my disappearance if I ever went with that option. My last option was to ask for a divorce which I disagreed so much with but then, I felt convicted it was the right thing to do with me being at the point of taking my own life and after experiencing all my health problems. This was a tough step for me as I did not have the courage to tell my parents over the phone; I sent my dad a text message and explained what had been going on to him. I had already called my marriage counselor and informed him of my decision and he went ahead and called Bosun to inform him of my decision.

Source: Google

This was the beginning of another tough phase for me as my mum refused to accept my decision and insisted I work it out with Bosun. My dad on the other hand was very apologetic for not asking to confirm I wanted the marriage to Bosun. He called to say he would support whatever my decision was. I also informed my Christian leaders about my decision and explained what was going on; this was one I also dreaded but to my surprise, I did not receive any objections from them. Bosun’s family got real worried I would pull off from processing his immigration since asking for a divorce but that was not my plan and I assured them I would stick with the plan on that end. Bosun moved on the same year and got married about a year later with a son.

Months went by and I started to get some relief from the consequences of my bold decision. In July 2012, I reached out to Fola who had made several attempts to move on, one of which I was aware because the lady was my friend and she told me. Fola and I had not been in touch because I couldn’t keep up being friends considering what we shared in the past. I wanted to catch up with him but never imagined in my wildest dreams that Fola would have still wanted to be with me. I also reached the point in my life when a relationship or another marriage was the last thing on my mind. I had been broken and needed to recuperate from all the madness. So I did not want to go the relationship route with anyone. In fact, most of my male friends thought I built a wall against men. I just was not ready and so when Fola re-expressed his interest in a relationship with me after we had been chatting for a while, I freaked out and avoided him. I told him I didn’t want a relationship with him; I even explained that I was talking to someone else because it was just too much drama being with him. This was because he was the same one I always loved and felt bringing him back in the picture would raise questions.

Around the same time in 2013 when I felt he should have gotten over me, at least after knowing that I was seeing someone. Contrary to my expectations, Fola still wanted to be with me and after talking for a few months, he had me talk to his mum over the phone who I thought was so unreal in the way she calmly spoke to me, after knowing how I left years ago and how I left again in 2012. So I freaked out again and asked him to never contact me again. I couldn’t deal with the drama but by June 2014, my spiritual father who also happened to be Fola’s spiritual dad called me about a conversation between them and how fola insisted he would wait for me to get comfortable about marrying him, unless I went ahead and married someone else. My spiritual dad asked if I would marry Fola if all the drama was not involved and without hesitation, I said I would absolutely marry him. Fola set the standard for me years ago and he was my consistent prayer for a husband. He knew how to shed light into my thoughts and dreams in life and he consistently challenged me to be better. He had a sense of direction and I knew life would be fulfilling with him, so why not!? My spiritual dad urged me to please reach out and really hear him out whenever I planned to visit the country next.

Source: Google

I visited and there I was as this man poured out his heart. I wondered how God could take me through the crazy route only to lead me to the point of finally realizing that Fola was my blessing and restoration. God turned my misery into joy; He restored my broken life! Of course, we had to deal with all the side talks and rumors but Fola was bent on going through with his decision to be with me. I just knew I was blessed with my own, in spite of! Fola and I got married December 2015, 9 years after our first meeting.

I finally understood what God was preserving me for. He preserved me for my marriage to Fola. It happened with lots of bad experiences but I remain thankful that God chose this path to mold me and make me into the woman He destined me to be. God beautified my broken life within a year and I have absolutely no regrets.

I truly hope that you were blessed and encouraged by this testimony. No matter what your case may be, remember that God has a perfect plan for your life. Trust him and he will lead you through it!

Has God gotten you through a rough patch? Would you like to share your testimony also? We'd love to share in your joy! Email us: destinationdestiny7@gmail.com.

You're blessed!

- Bunmi

Wait before you go:

1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt

Destiny Testimonies: Victory at Last!

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for stopping by the blog today! Today I will be featuring another awesome testimony. Like, Share, Comment and be BLESSED!

Meet Jasmine Irving, isn't she beautiful? After reading her testimony, I was in tears. From a very early age she was violated by a loved one; that experienced had a lasting impact and affected her for years to come.




Here is her story:

Growing up was not easy. I always felt like the odd ball out and everyone made it known. I was brought up in a family where all we had was each other. My immediate family consisted of my brother and me with my mom and dad. The closest members of our family by blood lived all the way in Georgia. I wasn't good at making friends; but I was ok with that because I only wanted to be around my brother and his friends. As a kid I remember following my brother around everywhere.

One night I followed him as usual and ended up in bed with him and my god brother. It was like a slumber party. That night I chose to be one of the boys. My blood brother had already gone off into deep sleep when I suddenly discovered that my god brother was performing sexual acts on me, while I pretended to be asleep. I pretended to be asleep because I was young and scared. I was too scared to jump up and yell. I wasn't sure what the feeling was, I just knew that it felt nasty. So I cried quietly looking at my brother asleep on the other end of the bed, hoping he would wake up and tell me what to do. 

However, that moment never came. I continued to pretend that I was asleep, until I felt enough pain to move and startle my god brother; he quickly moved from off of me. I sat up as he was in the bathroom and cried silent tears trying to understand the act, which was sex. At first, I thought that maybe it was normal but something in my gut said "Get up Jazz". He came out of the bathroom and told me to go back to sleep, but I went to tell his mom instead. He followed me down the hall to defend his actions. Long story short, his mom and my godmother believed him and rushed my brother and me to meet my parents. They both insisted on a lie, they said that it was all a dream. 

Months passed and I got over the situation believing that maybe I was dreaming so we went back to their house week after week. Each visit was filled with tickles, grabs and touching by my god brother all in the wrong places. The grownups called it love and a connection that he had with me; which he also had with his other younger female cousins my age (there is an 8 year gap between him and I). While they enjoyed and encouraged his interaction with me, I just wanted to run away. 

I was confused and thought to myself "Is this what life is about?" I played the role and kept my mouth shut all the until the 7th grade. By this time, I was full blown numb. I had no sense of self-worth. I allowed myself to get bullied as long as it made the other classmates laugh. I never said NO!!

Fast forward to high school, I followed my brother’s footsteps and tried to be his protégé by joining the Junior ROTC program. I hung out with him after school and liked the same things he liked. Yes, I thought I could be a woman lover as well. I excelled in the army program, his dream not mines; but my grades were horrible. I was not focused on school work but was focused on being just like my brother. I was in and out of liking girls along with being promiscuous with guys. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Eventually, I graduated but just barely.

Back at home, my dad was the money maker and my mom made sure we had cooked dinner every night. We were in church every Sunday but my mind was not in the sermon. I started having relations during church service with one of the church members. We would sneak out during beak whenever we had to sing on youth Sundays. I started smoking weed and thought that I was cute. Now I was bold enough to admit that I liked females; it was what I thought made me get in cool with the guys. Time went on and I turned 20 but something in my spirit became visible to my parents, they knew that something wasn't right.

I ended up telling them for the first time through pictures and briefly written descriptions that my god brother raped me. And that I started liking females because I was confused. I sought help through therapy and my mother made sure I was covered in holy oil. By this time, I had one real relationship by this time it was not the best to set a standard; it was verbally abusive.

I was active in the dance ministry at church as well as an instructor of another dance troop with another church. I was living two different lives; trying to enjoy pleasure with the devil but being convicted by the spirit every time I danced. I was lost, even though I was teaching the girls not to fall into that category. As much as I was involved with the church, I was still missing the connection with a male and found myself not being able to balance my growth in life and relationships. But the relationships won so I quit teaching the dance troop to devote my time to a guy who didn't love me.

Time went on and I jumped in and out of relationships until I ended up pregnant with a married man; but miscarried the baby because I was stressed upon finding out that he didn't love me as I had anticipated. I took time off and thought I needed to "switch teams" so I sought love in a female coworker. We dated and her love seemed to be everything opposite of that of men. But my spirit told me that it wasn't right. I was able to leave her but had to quit my job in the process; I wanted to avoid her being disappointment in me leaving the relationship. 

I ended up falling deeper in sin and smoked every day and night, I missed rent payments, started seeking employment at strip clubs, hustling my talent to make change and then ended up in jail! Jail in Upper Marlboro, MD was not pretty; but God saw me through. In that season of my life, God needed me to be alone; in order for me to understand that I needed to slow down and focus on him. 

Jail was truly a wakeup call but when I got out, I went right back to the lifestyle I was trying to escape. The person, who is now my child's father, was not ready to stop smoking and had no job so I still needed to make money to provide for his habit and to keep him in my life. I was still not getting the picture that God was trying to paint for me. In jail, some of the girls told me to leave him before it was too late. I agreed but had no intention of doing so; I knew that he needed me. I was worshipping him more than Him (God).

My downward spiral was still in progress, but it was what I was used to so I dealt with it. Every once in a while I would realize that things weren't right with what I was doing but when you're in a controlling relationship, you aren't allowed to say NO. Whenever I tried to say no, I was called every name in the book. One day, I was kicked out of the car that we slept in; and in the next minute, I was broke because I gave him all my money. This relationship lasted for over a year and each day felt like a year taken off of my life. By the time I was mustering up the courage to leave, I found out that I was pregnant. 

Things didn't get any easier, as I am now in my 5th month of pregnancy. BUT GOD!!! is already showing himself mighty in this battle. He is building walls around my heart, giving me something to truly love and protect (my unborn daughter), opening doors of employment and giving me my life back. I have paid off more bills than I thought I could in a short period of time.

My parents are strict but my praying mother prayed for the right thing and God is not done with me yet. They are helping me along the way, knowing the journey will be hard but I am so glad that the gate keeper to my possibility in life is non-other than the Lord. He has given me a reason to say NO to hurt and NO to her dad. NO to being a doormat and NO to giving him money. I pray he gets better and I pray my journey only gets brighter. But thank God I don't look like what I've been through. I have a job, a car, a healthy growing baby in me, I am back in church and praising him like never before, I'm single but I am so happy that my blessing is on the way. 

I want to encourage someone that life is a story line of sad and unfortunate events that may steer you away from your promise of happiness, BUT GOD!!! won’t leave you there. He will use that mess and put you through a test to allow your testimony to be so powerful that even your enemies will change their ways. I am free from drugs, my record is being cleared, and I am not ashamed of what I went through. I have a purpose I am choosing to live life like I know it. God is good and after all that I've been through, I still have JOY!!!

I hope that you were blessed by that testimony, thanks for reading! If you'd like to share your testimony, send an email to destinationdestiny7@gmail.com. 

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!

2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_

6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi


7. Follow me on Instagram: destinationdestiny_mlmt