Motivation – Anietie Bature

Motivation

May 23, 2020

Bugs for Dollars

I must write about this. You’ll see why.

My youngest, Micah, is a very interesting child. He makes us laugh a lot – things he says, his reasoning, and some of his actions. A few days back, I heard him yell at Nathan, so I called them to find out what the problem was. Turns out Micah saw a bug near his online school setup in the parlor and asked Nathan to help him kill it. Nathan refused, maintaining that everyone should face their fears. He had a point. So, I asked Micah to go and kill the bug or avoid it. He didn’t like the verdict, so he started crying.

My husband went down to see what the problem was and resolved it. I wasn’t quite sure how he did it and my attention was elsewhere at that time so I couldn’t find out. Some time later, Micah barged into the office with a glint in his eyes. ‘What’s up?’ I asked. ‘Mummy, I have one hundred naira.’ He said with excitement. ‘How?’ I probed. ‘Daddy said he’ll pay me one hundred naira for every bug I kill, apart from ants.’ I said, ‘Okay, great!’

Over the next two days, he showed up from time to time to say N200, N300, N400 and do a victory dance. We told him we need evidence going forward and he quickly got a broom and a packer to present us with the proof of his last kill. This morning, he made the following declaration – I used to be afraid of bugs but now every time I see them, I see the dollar sign on them. Very funny.

I love the way my husband handled this. He gave Micah a valuable substitute for his fear. And I love how Micah approached it. He changed his perspective from “bugs that I fear” to “dollars running around and climbing walls”.

How do you see the problems that are before you? Can you focus on the value that comes from resolving them? That way while you work through the issues, you’ll celebrate each milestone.

Anietie

Change, Life lessons, Motivation

January 20, 2018

Change

Things change – the weather, legislation, the economy, oil price, your body’s metabolism, and so on. Change is a constant in life, so expect it and prepare for it. A mentor of mine often said ‘Hope for the best but prepare for the worst’. This way if things don’t turn out the way you want, you already have a solid fallback plan.

Sometimes we find that we react to the changes we experience but we could do better by becoming proactive about life as a whole. A little more foresight will go a long way. Take some time to look ahead and take action today to make tomorrow more like you desire. It’s like working backwards from the answer.

Howbeit, there are those changes you can neither predict nor control. This is where, more than in other cases, you need the One who created all, sees all, and knows all. He’s the One who knows the end from the beginning. He knows the way out of the maze. He can show you how to thrive in whatever new environment or circumstance you find yourself in.

The greatest assurance in the midst of change, no matter how drastic it may be, is that God Himself is constant, unfailing, unchanging, faithful, true, reliable, dependable. You can trust that He has your best interest at heart, plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you peace.

So if you’re going through a storm, or walking through what feels like the valley of the shadow of death, fix your eyes on Jesus and put your trust in Him. He’ll see you through.

Cheers.

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

January 1, 2018

Tick Tock

Tick Tock. The old year’s gone.

Sweet and Sour – Many battles but so many victories won.

A new year in view…. Only one question I have for you:

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

See with your mind and your heart.

Imagine, conceive, think. This vision goes beyond the natural. It’s not about doors, chairs, roads, cars, people, bills, reports, and so on. These are already here. But there’s more and we can be proactive about our future by starting now to conceive it and work toward that amazing future that we see. This is the realm of faith – the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, and the assurance about things we cannot see.

I live with the conviction that I have a Heavenly Father who is also my Creator and as with every designer, He has a purpose, and plans for my life. So my transition into any new season, new year, new era includes a ‘consultation’ with the Almighty. It’s important to stay on course. I don’t want to waste any time chasing shadows. When we look to Him, He helps us see and focus on the right things such that we achieve maximum gain.

There is much to gain and enjoy in 2018. Let God lead you into all that He has prepared for you. Let Him guide you along the best pathway for your life and keep you safe. He knows what’s best for you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I PRAY THAT 2018 WILL BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

November 19, 2017

Why Cry?

This seemed like a heartfelt cry and I wondered. I couldn’t make out what the problem was so I asked. Why are you crying? No response. What’s wrong? No response. Did you fall down? ‘No Mummy’… she replied through the tears that streamed down her face. So why are you crying? And she cried even more.

Patience… good enough, this virtue wasn’t far at that time so I waited for her to calm down. Then I asked again, and through the interruption of heaves and sniffs, she told me what the problem was. She had so much homework to do and she was already so tired, she feared she wouldn’t finish on time to go to bed early enough to enable her wake up bright and early to prepare for school the next day.

My first reaction was pity; pity for my dear child who felt overwhelmed. Next came anger at the educational system these days in this part of the world where children and laden with so much homework that they don’t even have the time to play, relax, have fun, and explore. It almost feels they’re being robbed of their childhood. Why do they need to do so much work and be this serious so early in life? I don’t remember this much work in my days…

Then I turned my attention to my cutie and began to question her. How have we done homework in the past? Together. Who helped you? You, Mummy.Did I disappear or go missing? No Mummy. Did I tell you at any point that you’re now on your own and I’m not going to help you anymore? No Mummy. So how could you cry this much as if all hope is lost and there’s no way out of this situation? The conversation went on and I reassured her. A few minutes later, tears wiped and hope restored, we took down piece by piece every single one of those tasks that seemed like insurmountable odds to her.

I didn’t have to think hard about it. I could almost hear God saying loud and clear – Isn’t that just how you humans are? You experience my power, my grace, my help, my miracles in your lives as I walk with you on life’s journey and then one day you completely forget that I am more than ABLE and that I am always with you and you cry and mourn in the face of adversity? How are you so quick to forget how I brought you out the last time, how I healed you, how I made a way for you, how I delivered you, comforted you, and so much more? Since when did crying become the solution?

So I took it to heart and by His grace I will respond appropriately when next I face a mountain. I hope you’ll do the same. If you’re facing any right now, no better time to take it to the LORD in prayer than now. Just pray. Jesus gave us an open invitation in Matthew 11:28. He said ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’. He meant it. So call.

Anietie

Motivation

October 29, 2017

Press on!

JUST PRESS ON!
Tired, weary, drained…. PRESS ON
Battered, shattered, tattered… PRESS ON
Broken, bruised, torn apart… PRESS ON
Used, abused, now confused… PRESS ON

Press on?
Press on to what?!!!
To what??…..
(Silence… then a sigh)

PRESS ON to a brighter day when the rays of the sun will break through those dark clouds.

PRESS ON to a better you, one whose emergence creation awaits – Strong, Courageous, Confident & Peaceful.

PRESS ON toward the prize that awaits you after you have paid the price.

PRESS ON to reach that place where the chains have broken, where the yokes have shattered, where the burdens have been lifted.

You can’t stop here. Don’t give up now. If you have God in your life, then you have access to the way maker, miracle worker, life changer, destiny helper, healer, deliverer, provider, protector, comforter, teacher, giver of wisdom, Mighty Man in battle…. Ah! If I go on listing His attributes, this write up no go end oooooh.

He’s the One who is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us. Imagine that!

There is hope! Take it all to the LORD in prayer.

PRESS ON!
*Ephesians 3:20 (Amplified)

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

October 8, 2017

Bold As a Lion

I AM BOLD AS A LION! This is one statement I turn over in my mind just before I go up to sing, especially when the nerves feel almost overwhelming. It’s amazing how certain important feats seem to require so much boldness; I guess that’s because some of them are a big risk.

Risk cannot be separated from boldness. Whether you’re making a bold fashion statement, a bold declaration of your conviction, a bold investment, or a bold proposal to someone who’s clearly out of your league, there’s a risk. But if you don’t make that bold move, you’ll never achieve your desire, and if you do, you just might.

BOLD AS A LION! What do I know about lions? Not a lot but thanks to NAT GEO WILD, I see them prey every now and then on animals much larger than they are, and some with defence mechanisms that could badly injure or even kill a lion. Yes, it’s risky business but driven by hunger and after carefully considering the odds, the lion tactfully goes in for the kill. What drives you? What is the source of your motivation? You need to know it.

Something else – King Solomon said ‘The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions’. That statement makes total sense. Who doesn’t need peace today? To think that being honest, doing what’s right, keeping your word and so on, could give you peace that comes with the added benefit of your being considered BOLD… by all means, somebody, please give me some honesty juice!!! But on a serious note, if you need to make amends, today’s a good day. Don’t procrastinate.

Giving this word a little more thought, there are some other interesting features of boldness. A closer look and I’m loving it more – Impactful, Eye catching, Prominent, Bright. This is all-encompassing. Boldness touches both the content and the package. It feels like an invitation to be excellent both inside and out such that the words we speak, the things we do, and how we live life as a whole continually makes a positive impact in the lives of people in our sphere of influence. Then we ultimately become like cities set on a hill, giving light to everyone around.

You may have achieved a lot already but there’s more. There’s always room for growth, improvement, and expansion. Don’t stop now. Be bold, be courageous! Keep on keepin’ on, and keep this in mind – THE RIGHTEOUS ARE BOLD AS A LION!

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

October 2, 2017

The Worship Experience 8.0

October 1, 2017 was quite a day to remember. Starting from the Independence Thanksgiving Service at the City of David, Eket to The Worship Experience (TWE), which held later in the day. It was a day filled with thanksgiving, prayers, praise and worship.

By the way, Happy New Quarter. Have you heard that one before? You know we take advantage of every opportunity to be happy in Nigeria – Happy New Year, Happy Sunday, Happy Weekend, Happy New Month, and so on.

I seize this opportunity to appreciate Daniel Owoabasi and his team for inviting me to minister at TWE 8.0. It was indeed a wonderful time in God’s presence and a perfect way to begin the quarter. It was truly a pleasure meeting Onos Ariyo, Chika Osisioma and Odunayo Aboderin.

Daniel Owoabasi with @onosariyo and @anietiebature – September 30, 2017

The beginning of this fourth quarter is a good time to look back on the good things that have happened in the last three and be grateful for them. And no matter how tough the struggle becomes, keep looking unto God to see you through and keep taking steps daily to bring you each day to a better place than you were at the day before. Remember that faith without works is dead. I like the version that says ‘…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead’. (James 2:17) Do your part and trust God to deal with the things that are beyond you.

A lot can happen in three months. Don’t give up. Don’t give this year a defining label yet. Believe that it will get even better and press toward that. *Anything is possible to him who believes.

I believe this will be my best year yet! What do you believe?

I pray that you’ll have many good reasons to rejoice in this last quarter.

*Mark 9:23

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation, Personal Development

September 24, 2017

Joy switch

I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting a rehearsal session can be. It’s like therapy for me and I relied on this a lot while I was in school. No matter how tough the week was, I just had to wait for the next rehearsal. Reminds me of a song from way back that said ‘Music makes me high’. Music is powerful in itself but it’s an even greater blessing when the lyrics edify the hearers.

Fast forward to this time in my life when I can go beyond learning other people’s songs to writing mine and working with skilful instrumentalists to build the musical accompaniment. When you have a good team, you don’t have to say too much. It’s like people who understand music think in a certain way… almost like when you begin to tell the story, they can predict where you want to go and they express it with their instruments. Awesome!

Yeah. It doesn’t feel like work when you do what you are designed to do, what you’re naturally graced to do. It comes so easy and I’m tempted to think that the expression of this gift and the nurturing and polishing of it to make it more effective and impactful is connected somehow to the joy switch in our brains. So when we do those things we become super happy.

I’m glad I have this passion, this gift, this grace… and I’m grateful for the Sunday School teachers, choir leaders, friends, mother and mentors who helped me nurture and hone it in one way or the other. You know, I see an interesting orchestration of events that have brought me to where I am today – the hand of God behind the scenes constantly surrounding me with people I can learn from and opportunities to grow and be better. I think I seized almost all the opportunities that came my way, musically speaking, except the ones that may have taken me completely off the main course of my life.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Everyday we have to make them, and not making them is also a decision. You know the saying by Benjamin Franklin, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’.

Well, I hope you know what flips the joy switch on for you and I hope it’s something that adds value to your life and to the lives of others. Finally, I hope you have found a way to make it a regular event in your life. Remember, ‘a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength’*. You might as well use this as an avenue to keep yourself healthier for longer.

*Proverbs 17:22
Picture credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/420805158909527880/

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

September 17, 2017

A Great Name

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with one’s name being great!

Sometimes in the name of humility, we keep ourselves from aspiring to achieve great things and thus limit ourselves, fail to reach our highest potential and deprive ourselves and the world of the benefits that would have come as a result of us reaching our peak.

Some people think that pride is the reason God came down to confuse the language of the people who were building the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1 -9 because they said ‘… so that we may make a name for ourselves‘. The real issue was that their agenda was opposed to God’s plan. He had told man earlier to replenish the earth and subdue it. How were they going to do so when their plan was to keep from being scattered over the face of the whole earth?

God doesn’t have anything against our names being great or against our making a name for ourselves. In fact, in promises* to Abraham and to David, He said ‘I will make your name great’.

So, as people created in the image and likeness of God, feel free to be creative like Him, the Creator. Think, imagine, have one light bulb moment then another. Develop those ideas and keep exploring your gifts and abilities. And if your name becomes great while you’re at it, by all means be thankful. That’s a blessing!

No limits! Keep moving!

*Genesis 12:2 & 2 Samuel 7:9

Anietie

Life lessons, Motivation

September 10, 2017

Ignition Point 6

Yes. Today is the day! September 10, 2017. Ignition Point 6. It’s the sixth edition of an initiative by A. Moses. We’ve rehearsed, we’ve prayed, and now we go believing that God will fill the atmosphere with His presence as we minister. We expect the manifest presence of God and with that, we know the sick will be healed, captives set free, burdens lifted, yokes destroyed and many souls saved.

I’ll be performing four songs, three of which are mine. I’m excited. I haven’t performed ‘Praise Him‘ and ‘You too much‘ live before but from the feel of the rehearsals, it’s going to be a wonderful time. It’s interesting the way these songs take on new life when performed live.

I’m grateful for the team of singers and instrumentalists that are working with me now. Each one with his or her own flavour to help us make a delicious cocktail that’ll please God. You know, we were created to please God, so that’s our main aim and objective. I’m always grateful for every opportunity I have to make use of my gifts, skills and experience.

What’s your gift? What’s your innate ability? Are you developing and using it?Don’t give up on it. Don’t let it die. You may be busy with work, business, family life, education, and so on but find a way to make room for it. You’ll find so much fulfilment.

Anietie

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Cart

Bugs for Dollars

Change

Tick Tock

Why Cry?

Press on!

Bold As a Lion

The Worship Experience 8.0

Joy switch

A Great Name

Ignition Point 6

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